《Nameless: Ascent》 Chapter 1 Names. ¡°It¡¯s time, Merchant¡¯s Son.¡± It was such an impersonal name, but one he had carried since birth. He rarely heard it in the ordinary course of his life, but today was special. He slowly lifted his head from the pitted gray stone by his crossed legs. In front of him was a simple altar of the same stone--more of a plaque really--with letters carved into it that were faded with age. The candle flames before the altar danced, making it hard to see as he looked to the back of the room, where a grizzled man stood by an open doorway. He was dressed in ill-fitting robes, and the words Father Gavrel-Adept Preacher were written over his head in spectral green. That had become easy to ignore as the boy had gotten older--every person he knew had their Name and title emblazoned in the space above them. The dim interior of the stone temple, a stark contrast to the blazing sun outside, should have kept him from sweating, but he felt the persipiration trickle down the back of his neck, making the thin cloth of his tunic stick to his skin. He had spent hours in this place, praying and meditating before taking the last step into adulthood. Slowly, body protesting after long inactivity, he rose. Nervous tremors shook his limbs as he took a step forward. What title will I get? He had tried hard over the past few years to think of himself as a warrior, a leader, anybody with power. No matter that Father Gavrel had told all of the children in his congregation many times that the decisions of Nomenadon were made at birth, and that this day would only allow his mortal servants to see his names for their young. He knew others that believed differently, who said that the god granted names based on the character of the young people who received them. Those same people said that he was worthless, and today he would be revealed as such. No. ¡°Come now, hurry. There is nothing to be afraid of.¡± The voice cut through the young man''s increasingly frantic thoughts. Almost instantly, he felt relaxed, and began to walk more quickly. The Father had used an ability on him, Soothe maybe, or some other skill. Preachers specialized in influencing their followers, after all, and he had no way of detecting or resisting the man''s abilities. Not yet. The doorway, cut into the far wall of the temple, seemed to open into pure darkness. Merchant¡¯s Son stepped inside and Father Gavrel followed, closing the door and leaving them both blind. The grizzled man sighed. ¡°Continue into the darkness to find the light within yourself.¡± The Father''s voice had a bored tone, but then he didn''t care much about the ritual or its subject. The boy had always been intimidated by Father Gavrel, ever since he was a child. The Preacher had always seemed like he would be more at home in a smithy or workshop than in the temple, with his hulking frame and long, grizzled beard. But his most daunting feature was the word in front of his title. Adept. There were few other people in the city with a rank that high, even if it wasn''t a combat title. One day, the boy--soon to be a young man--was determined to be one of those people. I''ll go even higher. I need to. He continued his forward march, never looking back. He felt the anger, the despair, and the fear melt away into the darkness, leaving him alone with his mind. From what seemed a long distance away, Father Gavrel began an invocation to Nomenadon, but the words were already too indistinct to hear. The darkness around him seemed to press on him, forcing his awareness inwards. As he continued, the sound of the priest¡¯s chanting, of his own footsteps, faded entirely, until he couldn''t hear so much as his own heartbeat. Then, out of the silence came a whisper. Who are you? ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re supposed to tell me?¡± He muttered to himself. And felt a chill creep up his back. Though he knew he had spoken aloud, no sound reached his ears. What is this? In truth, he had no knowledge of this process--no one did. Even the priests of Nomenadon relied on a secondhand account, supposedly given by the agents of the god, to explain the ritual. But that explanation was heavy on metaphors and flowery language and light on hard facts. ¡®Finding the light within himself¡¯ did not sound feasible. Wasn¡¯t the body dark on the inside? If there were some arcane light shining within all people, he would he would have read more accounts of people glowing for no apparent reason. Stop making stupid jokes and focus. Listen. He frowned. The voice wasn''t entirely unexpected, but the message was. Wasn¡¯t he already listening? Or perhaps¡­ Father Gavrel had almost unendingly extolled the virtues of deep self reflection in search of one¡¯s Name. Though the Merchant''s son was skeptical on how exactly that could influence the process, some of the priest''s information had to be right. Didn''t it? Maybe this is a test of patience, and I should meditate while waiting for the voice to tell me my name? Or I could be supposed to do something to find it? But what could I do in a place like this? He spent several minutes, taking step after step, debating the possibilities. He decided that, whatever the method by which his title was granted, there was likely a way to get an even better one. Not only was the god of Names fond of tiered systems--having designed the progression of human titles and skills in such a fashion--but it would explain why different people gained titles of differing power on this day. Perhaps this ritual was really a test of some sort, and the further he got, the rarer his title would be. If that¡¯s it, then I¡¯m going to go till the very end. He would need every bit of power he could find if he wanted to accomplish his goal. But how exactly will I do that? He had always assumed that he would just... hear a voice that told him his Name. Maybe I just need to listen harder? He began to consider how he could listen more intently for a voice in his head. Yet even as he had the thought, he could already hear a new voice, like a man speaking from far away. Maiz. Scholar. The Merchant¡¯s Son--no, Maiz--jumped at this voice. At first he could only hear the first word--his name. Maiz. It felt¡­ odd. He had never really thought of himself as having a name. His father had always just called him ''son,'' and the rites he had just undergone were the first time he''d been called ''Merchant''s Son'' in years. Gods knew, there weren''t many people who wanted to talk to him now, so it had been a while since he''d been called anything. Still, the name gave him an identity. He could think of himself as Maiz. It was not an especially grand name, but it wasn''t terrible. Something he could get used to. Yet he could not stop a wave of disappointment at the second word. Scholar. It might not have been an unfortunate title for him, in the past. He supposed it fit his personality, and he probably could have been happy with a life of reading and study. But the Merchant''s Son--Maiz--couldn¡¯t afford to get a noncombat title. A Scholar couldn''t accompish what he had to do. It was stupid to think that I could change what''s happened. He thought of the stolen hours, after days of work, when he would come to the temple and pray to each of the gods in turn. He had been hoping to change the outcome of this day, to change his life for the better. To become powerful, and one day have a chance at revenge.The gods abandoned me two years ago. Nothing I do will change that. ¡°Wait.¡± Maiz said it out loud, trying to give himself some hope. It helped a little, but the lack of a corresponding sound still disconcerted him. ¡°I¡¯m not staying focused. I have to keep going.¡± He refused to consider the possiblitiy that there wasn''t a way to change his title. This time Maiz had to work to hear another voice. At first he tried listening as he normally would, straining to pick up any noise from his surroundings. But he quickly abandoned the method--if he couldn¡¯t hear his footsteps on the stone or his voice as he spoke aloud, he wouldn¡¯t hear anything else. Instead, he focused his ears¡­ inward. It felt ridiculous, but he felt as though he could hear his own thoughts, racing as he considered the situation, and underneath, voices. A whisper, Listen, and a statement. Maiz. Scholar. He dug deeper, his mind more and more distant as the voices grew stronger. It was strange, as though he was descending into a dark pit, or a tunnel. He was walking away from himself somehow, even as his feet marched onwards.Then the two voices began to fade, and a new one replaced them with a child¡¯s pure tones. Maiz. Lorist. Yes! The thought seemed to echo in his head, but he still understood what the voice meant. Lorist was a far more interesting title than scholar--they studied magical objects and history, rather than mundane subjects. Perhaps he could do something... but it wasn¡¯t enough. Not now that he knew there were more. Maiz resolved to continue until the end, no matter how far he had to go. The next two titles were not much more difficult to hear. Archivist. Sage. Neither was any more appealing to Maiz than Scholar. But now he knew that he could find more and more titles, if he listened hard enough. He kept going. Each time he heard one voice another vanished. Yet as he finally broke through into the seventh title, having passed Philosopher without a second thought, something changed. This voice was proclaiming Hedge-Wizard. Interesting, because none of the previous titles involved any sort of magic. But that was not what was concerning Maiz. He could still hear-or was it feel?-- the voice calling Philosopher, though it should have vanished. It was fainter, but certainly still present. Frowning, Maiz continued.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He walked on for an eternity. Each new voice he found only after a long period of struggle, and each only added to the growing cacophony inside himself. Soon, none of the voices were disappearing, and they all seemed to become louder as each new one was added. Maiz hardly cared about the individual titles at this point. He only had to listen to them once to continue onwards. He passed Arcanist, Merchant, Druid, Rogue, Diviner, Smith, Pyromancer, and so many more he could not begin to remember them. At least, not when they were filling him in different tones, volumes, and intensities, to the point of pain. They bounced aroud in the cavern that his mind had become, until he wasn''t sure of where his self was. All that was left was his resolve. Keep going. Somehow, he was still able to hear each new title, but it became more difficult each time. Some seemed more¡­ present than others. He could hear Sanguimancer like the voice was scraping against his skin, making each move forward more painful. Likewise, Prophet seemed to shout above the noise, assaulting his strange new senses. As he struggled forward through the muck of jumbled sounds, a desperate thought arose. Can I take one of those? And then even more prominently, another replied. No. I can go further. Maiz was beginning to break. He longed to accept one of the hundreds of titles begging for his attention, all shouting at once. He knew somehow that the agony, and his never-ending journey deeper into the tunnel of his mind, would abate if he did so.Yet he could not stop. There was even greater power waiting for him, if he could remain strong. And he had no other chance to gain that power and enact his plans. Almost without thinking, he began another push forward, drilling deeper into himself, through the mire of voices obscuring his path. The next one was not like the others. It did not seem to come from within his own head. Instead, Maiz heard the voice of a woman as if she was speaking next to his ear. It was like a splash of cold water on his face, the tone clear but also¡­ excited? ¡°Maiz. Seeker!¡± As he registered the words, the world around Maiz went white. ************** The left greave didn¡¯t fit right. As the huge man took a step out of the darkness of the portal, the piece slipped down his shin, hampering his movement. No matter. This Dungeon was a favorite of his, carved into the heart of an active volcano. The cave he was standing in was warmer than he was used to, much warmer than any of the others he visited. That was perhaps thanks to the rivers of molten rock slicing through the stone floor, creating a single lane for battle in the massve room. He rather liked the way the lava looked, glowing and ominous. That was why he had bound it into this Dungeon, containing its heat and guiding its flow to decorate each section. He reached to adjust the strap on his greave, looking down at the adventurers standing below. They stared up at the balcony his portal had opened onto, standing in the middle of his lava-bound arena and looking confused at his appearance. They were all covered head-to-toe in armor of various kinds, all of excellent quality, and he could not see much of their faces through their helmets. Around them were the broken and scattered corpses of scaled lizards, fiery elementals, and other monsters of this place. ¡°Four of you?¡± He extended the slightest bit of effort, borrowing the voice of a thunderbird so that his words boomed ominously. ¡°Did you lose one on the way?¡± ¡°No, monster!¡± A man in plate shouted back at him. He was carrying a massive shield like it weighed nothing, but had no weapons that he could see. ¡°We didn¡¯t need a full party to defeat this Dungeon and kill every one of its defenders!¡± The man looked to be about his height. Perhaps this trip wouldn''t be a waste of time, then. ¡°I see. You¡¯ve done well thus far, but then again this place isn¡¯t much of a challenge for you four is it? If you¡¯d lost one I might have let you leave with the spoils.¡± He called on the grace of a Shadow Fox as he hopped down from the balcony. ¡°Now it''s time for a real test.¡± The party of four stared at him, eyes shadowed by their finely wrought helms. Even the most lightly armored of them, a woman in a leather jerkin and breeches, wore one, albeit with a wide visor for better visibility. Smart. ¡°Who are you?¡± The very same woman spoke shakily. He gave them a grim smile. Like them, his name and title were hidden to preserve the element of surprise. But he supposed it wouldn''t hurt to give up a small advantage. ¡°I am called Shadar. Let¡¯s begin.¡± Shadar was aware of his lieutenants¡¯ penchants for monologuing. He himself had no skill in the art, and besides, he was working against a time limit. Instead he raised a hand, activating his oldest skill. Black Dragon Claw. His hand morphed and he felt his mana reserves drop slightly as he leapt forward, relying on his Strength and Agility rather than any skills to cover the ground in an instant. Against so many powerful opponents, he felt almost invincible. The party of four had scattered as soon as he stopped talking, the man in plate raising his shield as one with a bow retreated and the other two moved to flank him. Excellent. These were strong fighters--Shadar could feel his own power straining at its upper limit as he faced all four-- but power meant little without strategy to direct it. They might pose a real challenge to him. Shadar landed feet away from the man in plate, then hopped to the side instantly, revealing his feint as an arrow sped through the place he had stood. He turned, swiping his black-clawed hand as the woman in light armor pounced at him from his side. The woman twisted in midair, and a knife flashed towards Shadar as she avoided the blow. He ducked his head down for a moment, trusting his armor to take the attack, and activated another skill. Manticore Tail. When he had first learned this skill, suddenly gaining awareness and control of a new limb had been disconcerting, but now he was more than used to the feeling, and he instantly snapped the spiny tail towards the man he knew would be coming at his back. This time his attack struck home, the spines piercing the chainmail the man wore and delivering their venom to his assailant. At the same time, he felt the powerful muscles in the new limb shudder.The man¡¯s armor was cold. As Shadar looked over his shoulder he saw that the adventurer was some sort of ice battle-mage, body shrouded in mist and sword glittering with crystals of ice. Still, the spikes had gotten through the armor and the venom had''t frozen, so Shadar paid him little mind. The manticore¡¯s poison was particularly effective against mages. The man in plate was pushing in between the knife-thrower and Shadar, bashing Shadar with his shield as he moved to defend his ally. Shadar stumbled back a few steps: this man¡¯s Strength was impressive. He quickly reoriented himslf, but didn''t bother attempting a swipe against the shieldbearer--he was undoubtedly a heavy armor specialist, and Shadar would not fare well fighting him while he still had allies. Instead he simply leapt, bounding over the man and towards the woman, who was already moving to support the defender. He lashed his tail towards her, a difficult feat midair, and landed as she ducked to avoid it. This time, his claw found her neck, and almost instantly he felt his power drop. She was dead, then. There were already two minutes down. No time to spare. He dismissed his tail, restoring some of his mana regeneration, as he called on another of his favorite skills. Wyvern Wings. The instant he felt the massive, nearly weightless appendages sprout he jumped, flapping the magical wings to boost himself across the room. There were so many powerful updrafts in the lava-filled cave that he had to take care not to fly too high, and as he jumped he felt his greave slip down once again. Ah well. A few feet off the ground he dismissed the wings, landing with a thud amongst a cloud of white feathers. The archer, a young man also dressed in leather armor, was staring at him cooly down the shaft of an arrow. He released directly towards Shadar¡¯s visor, forcing him to use another skill to avoid the shot. Breath of the Hydra. A spout of water issued from his mouth with the force of an ocean wave, knocking the incoming arrow from the air as Shadar punched the man, claw easily piercing his armor and leaving a deep gash in his chest. His claw skill would cut through any defensive magic, so Shadar wasn''t worried about any spells. As the archer stumbled and fell, dead, Shadar felt his power decrease further. Now he had less than half of his mana reserves left, and his stamina was low as well. He dismissed the claw. No need to hamper his mana regeneration even more. There was not much time left. The armored man had rushed to the ice mage''s side, but it was of no use. The manticore venom had already paralyzed the man, using his own mana to fuel the effect and leaving him easy prey for Shadar later. Using the manticore tail always felt a bit like cheating to Shadar, as it let him preserve his rank for longer against multiple opponents, but Massahn had designed Shadar''s abilities himself, so he supposed using them was fair. Massahn was always fair. Shadar gave himself some time to recover as he considered how best to finish the last opponent. His water breath had created clouds of steam as it flowed towards the lava, providing some cover as he thought. What creatures inhabited this Dungeon again? As he remembered, Shadar smiled internally. Cloak of the Magma Elemental. Suddenly the Dungeon didn¡¯t feel so warm. The temperature had not changed, but Shadar felt supremely comfortable in the heat. Except for his left greave. That was still about to fall off. This skill had taken almost all of his remaining mana, so he ran back to the armored fighter on his own power, feeling much slower than when the fight had begun. His body was wreathed in molten rock, but he felt no pain. As he approached the adventurer, who was now standing protectively over his companion¡¯s still body, Shadar began to throw punches and kicks augmented by the lava flowing over his body. Shadar had never ranked up this skill, so it was not particularly powerful, but it should do well in this situation. However, to his annoyance, the man skillfully blocked and parried each strike, shield glowing blue whenever it came into contact with Shadar¡¯s molten body. An enchantment. That would explain why they had found this Dungeon so easy. As he fought, Shadar cursed himself for dismissing his dragon claw, which could have dispelled the enchantment, but he made it a point to use at least one skill from the inhabitants of Dungeon when he was avenging them. Now he needed to keep his remaining mana in reserve for a retreat, and he couldn''t afforded to use the spell again. It had been almost five minutes since Shadar had entered the Dungeon. He began to fight more furiously, strikes becoming faster and more powerful. The two remaining men must have been very high ranked, for Shadar to remain so strong with the other two dead. Though his attacks could not do much more damage to the man¡¯s shield than regular blows, Shadar was wearing him down. Most enchantments would have already given out under this assault, meaning that the group had likely enlisted the services of a Master. There were only a few seconds remaining. Sighing internally, Shadar sidestepped around the defender, the man''s armor making him too slow to react, and stomped on the downed mage¡¯s face with a lava-wreathed boot. There was an odd sound, both a crunch and a sizzle, and Shadar felt another drop in his power. Then, wrinkling his nose at the smell of burned flesh, he vaulted sluggishly away from the armored defender. Five minutes were up. ¡°No, Faruth! You monster, I will end you!¡± The man continued making threats as he sprinted--rather slowly--towards Shadar. Shadar ignored him and used his remaining mana to once again call his wyvern wings, dismissing the magma cloak. The heat of the room washed over him once again. Flying up to the balcony, Shadar called down ¡°You have proven yourself worthy, adventurer. Claim your dead and your prizes and depart. I shall bar your way no longer.¡± Somewhat archaic, at least to Shadar, but Massahn insisted he say it whenever he left any alive. Landing on the balcony, he exited through the black portal, leaving the heartbroken and thoroughly bewildered adventurer to clean up the mess. It was a shame--Shadar had been hoping the man¡¯s armor would be a better fit than the last one¡¯s. Chapter 2 It took a moment for Maiz to realize his eyes were closed. Opening them, he winced at the bright sunlight glaring above him. He was standing on something hard--a gray stone platform, it looked like, set into the middle of...what is that?The ground wasgreen, greener than the best dyed silks from Aldraya, greener than anything Maiz had seen before. Stepping out onto the emerald ground Maiz almost stumble as the something gave way, and he felt something poke into his legs.Hold on, is this grass?There was grass where Maiz lived, but it was usually long, thin, and light tan, and often sparse. This stuff was short, packed closely together and so thick that it took Maiz a moment to pick out the individual blades.What is this? Then Maiz looked up, and he suddenly forgot about the grass. Directly in front of him was a veritable wall of giant brown-and-green obelisks, ending high in the sky in massive leafy canopies like Maiz had never seen before. He recognized the things as trees, but they made the trees he knew from home look like miniature reproductions rendered by a particularly uninspired artist--after all, there were few places for such plants like these to grow on the edge of the biggest desert in the world. Maiz was wondering if his mind had broken from the stress of what he had just gone through and began conjuring up hallucinations. Though he had never seen anything like this place, nor ever imagined something looking like it, Maiz thought he knew what it was. This has to be a forest. Forests were the settings of many adventure novels from the North, stories where heroes conquered dungeons and fought monsters. Those books were always his favorites to read from his father''s stock: he had even kept some of them for himself as a child, to read over and over before he went to bed dreaming of his Naming Day. Those were gone now. As Maiz continued to examine his strange surroundings, he noticed three stone archways which appeared to mark the beginnings of paths into the forest. Indeed, though Maiz would scarcely have believed it evenminutes ago, the trees here were so closely packed as to make venturing into them difficult without the aid of a path. But the archways were strange, and it took Maiz a moment to realize why: though there was an almost painfully bright sun overhead, some of which even filtered through the leaves above the trees, the archways appeared to lead into pure darkness.Like the doorway in the temple. ¡°Hi there, Seeker!¡± Maiz jumped, almost falling over at the sudden sound. It was the same voice that had spoken before he ended up in this place! Whirling in his spot, Maiz nearly fell again as the strange grass slipped unexpectedly beneath his booted feet.Why am I wearing my boots? Maiz had taken those off before entering the temple, hadn''t he? But then he spotted the source of the greeting, and the thought drove itself out of his mind. It was a young woman, looking to be about sixteen, which was Maiz''s own age.She was rather attractive, but very different from the people in Maiz¡¯s home city of Caelos, with pale skin in stark contrast to Maiz¡¯s light brown. She was wearing a pale green dress, clearly of high quality, and she had green hair and eyes that seemed to shine with joy. In fact¡­ ¡°Are your eyes glowing?¡± Maiz kept his voice as nonchalant as possible. No sense in showing off just how stunned he was at his arrival in this strange place. Even as he asked the question, his eyes tracked almost automatically from her luminous green eyes to the space above her head where her name would appear, if she chose to display it. Above her head hung the words Riala-Journeyman Celestial Judge. What the hells is a Celestial Judge? ¡°Of course they are! Why aren¡¯t yours? Is there something wrong?¡± The girl sounded puzzled, even concerned. What?Maiz thought again about his theory that he''d gone insane. It was starting to seem rather likely. Thenthe bizzare girllaughed. ¡°Just kidding! My old teacher told me to say that if one of you asked about the eyes. That was the first time I got to use it! Anyways, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re excited to get started on the trial, right Seeker? I suppose your priest or someone informed you of how it works?¡± Maiz blinked.She was talking very fast, and she wasn''t making any sense to him. ¡°Hold up. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. What is this place?" Even as he asked the question, a thought occured to him. "Is this still part of the Naming Ritual?¡± She paused for a moment,seeming to finally run out of words. Then her eyes flashed--literally, they flashed--and she said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s an interesting question. You see, technically, you have a name and a title already. You¡¯re¡­ Maiz right? And you¡¯re a Seeker. But of course, you aren¡¯t going to keep that title, the whole point of this thing is for you to earn a new one! So to answer your question, no, this isn¡¯t part of your Naming Ritual. I suppose it¡¯s more of a secret level unlocked through your hard work!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Maiz didn¡¯t really. A level? LIke the kind that carpenters use? Maiz didn''t think that made much sense, but he also wasn''t in the habit of showcasing his ignorance in an unfamiliar situation. He decided todig for information a little more discreetly.¡°So, how does this, uh, secret level function, exactly?¡± However, to his surprise, the strangely beautiful young woman simply gave him a knowing look, smiling faintly. ¡°You know Seeker, I enjoy this conversation thing as much as the next Celestial Judge, but, uh..." She stood at attention, looking like she was a student from some noble academy, then recited in a precise tone, ¡®it is the responsibility of all Seekers to study under the direction of a mortal priest in preparation for the Trial. The Judge¡¯s role is solely the observation of the Seeker¡¯s performance and the final decision regarding their success or failure. ¡± Then her posture relaxed and she gave Maiz grin equal parts sympathy and pride. Maiz was starting to panic. ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard anything about this ¡®Trial!¡¯ Hells, no one told me anything about the rest of the Ritual either, no one remembers it!¡± ¡°Seeker, I must ask you to affirm the words of the contra--what? Oh! Merciful Father, how could I forget! I¡¯m sorry, I was just so excited to finally get a chance to judge a trial that I completely forgot about the entire last millenium''s worth of changes!¡± The girl slapped a hand against her face, shaking her head in apparent embarrasment. Maiz frowned. Changes? The Naming ritual wasa universal constantin the world of Saleria, the only way to recieve a name and a title, and it had been--as far as Maiz knew--from the birth of humanity thousands of years ago. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The girl sighed, hand still covering her face. ¡°Okay, I guess I should just forget about the formal script, huh?¡± Her eyes flashed again. ¡°After all, we¡¯ve got to get you to see a god!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh hush, or we¡¯ll never start your trial! So I don¡¯t want to bore you too much, but you remember how you mortals came to be?¡± Maiz frowned. He was still caught up on what she''d said about meeting a god. A god? Is that even possible? But he tried to answer her quesstion from his recollections of congregations attende with his father in his youth.¡°Ye-yes. The Lord Haddad forged us from the fabric of our world, and the Lord Nomenadon named us and gave us our minds and our desire to learn more of the world.¡± ¡°Well I suppose that¡¯s true. But you know it wasn¡¯t just those two gods right? Otherwise you¡¯d just be golems, running around, naming everything you could lay your eyes on. No, every single god had something to do with your creation, from the Lady Hudith giving you the instincts of life, to the Lord Massahn creating trials and tribulations to fill your days.¡± That could be true as far as Maiz knew. There was always disagreement between the clergy of the different gods on points of doctrine, and Father Gavrel had always emphasized Nomenadon¡¯s role in everything to the exclusion of the other gods.Speaking of gods, what was that she said about meeting one? But she was continuing without time to let him pose the question.¡°Well, of course you humans started having children, and they had children themselves, and Nomenadon didn¡¯t want to name all of you personally! So when it came to the question of how to name new mortals, the gods decided that they should create a trial, so that you could all discover your names and earn your titles: the further you got, the rarer and more powerful the title!¡± This was ridiculous, so much so that Maiz momentarily forgot about her earlier statement. This girl was talking casually about secrets of Naming that had stumped priests since humanity¡¯s birth! But a voice was whispering in the back of Maiz''s head.She has knowledge. Knowledge is power. And you will need power. ¡°Now the trials were around for a few hundred years, and they were pretty darn good from what I hear. You had a lot of mortals who couldn¡¯t get too far in the trials, and they got regular titles, like Smith, or Scholar. And then there were a few humans who went far enough to earn a powerful title, and of course the gods knew they were strong and smart enough to handle them, because they¡¯d done so well in the first place! So those people ended up becoming heroes and legends to the rest of your kind.¡± Maiz frowned. ¡°So people didn¡¯t finish the trial?¡± The girl laughed, a sound like bells ringing at midday. ¡°Well, not everyone of course! What, do you think that God-Chosen just grow on trees or something?¡± ¡°God-Chosen?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m getting to that. Now, once in a blue moon--and I mean that literally--some rare human would actually complete the trial. Those lucky few got to take a much more dangerous test: a one-on-one personal job interview with a god! I¡¯m¡­ not really sure how they decided which god got which Seeker. Maybe some kind of rotation? Anyways, then that god would choose the Seeker--or not. And, obviously, if the Seeker was chosen, their name would be forever burned into the pages of those silly ¡®history books¡¯ you humans have!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Maiz was rather indignant. ¡±History books aren¡¯t silly!¡± ¡°Heh. They kind of are when you can just ask someone who lived through it instead.¡± The weight of the young woman¡¯s words finally hit Maiz. ¡°God-Chosen? You¡¯re telling me that this is how God-Chosen were made?¡± God-Chosen were only a step below the gods themselves in power and fame. They were avatars of their gods, permitted to act directly on the mortal plane and use their divine abilities however they saw fit. Each had at least a hundred songs and stories written about them, and they weren¡¯t always the heroes.But they had power. More than anyone else in the world. ¡°Exactly! So you can see that the trials had a rather high cap on rewards right?¡± Maiz was too floored by this revelation to continue asking questions, though he felt he had too many to count. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Well now I suppose you¡¯re wondering about why you¡¯ve never heard about the trials, since they¡¯re so great and well designed!¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Maiz said dully, ¡±Nobody remembers anything about the naming ritual, so this could happen to every person who has the ritual performed on them.¡± So, basically everyone. ¡°But you see, that¡¯s not how it used to be! The gods were very proud of the trial system, especially Massahn, since he designed most of it. They didn¡¯t let anyone forget about it. Except, you humans like to exploit of every little loophole and advantage you can. So when you learned how to do that ¡®writing¡¯ thing--bad idea from the start if you ask me--everyone wrote down what they knew about the trial! Once you had stable governments, some had whole initiatives centered around getting as many people as far in the trial as possible, just to map it out! In a few hundred years, people were making it to the end in droves, and crazy powerful titles were everywhere, wreaking havoc on your society.¡± Was she pouting? ¡°Are you pouting?¡± ¡°No!¡± She immediately scowled. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I became a Celestial Judge in training only a a few decades or so before that happened. I had just finished my training when--¡± ¡°What, the gods decided to start erasing everyone¡¯s memory about the trial?¡± ¡°Well, yes. But there was another big problem too. You see--¡± ¡°Right, that doesn¡¯t explain the weird dark pathway with the super painful voices filling my head¡­¡± Maiz stopped, looking at the young woman. She was eyeing him, and her scowl was even more pronounced. ¡°What, anything else? Get it out now, come on.¡± Maiz flushed, gesturing. ¡°Sorry, go on.¡± She tossed her hair back. ¡°All right then. So when the gods erased everyone¡¯s memories and records about the trial, they also realized that their trial system was becoming overburdened with too many people. No one--well, except maybe Lady Hudith--expected you humans to be so darn prolific. The Judges weren¡¯t going to be able to keep up, and you can only do so much bending of time and space to keep the same individual test running simultaneously for thousands of different people. So they decided to add the naming ritual to the process, to weed out those who were just going to get a regular title in the trial anyways. They basically decided to keep the trial only as a test for new potential God-Chosen, so they could downsize on the energy and angelpower being used on it. They moved most of the Judges to different assignments, leaving only a few to handle the God-Chosen trials. And,¡± She gave a dejected look, ¡°I drew the short straw.¡± ¡°Ok. So you¡¯re saying that, by beating the naming ritual, I get to take a¡­ test?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it so exciting!¡± Her eyes were flashing again. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll actually get to the end, and I¡¯ll get to leave this place at last!¡± ¡°But,¡± Maiz was excited. This was exactly the chance he had been hoping for. Still, he needed to play this carefully.¡°I still don¡¯t know anything about the trial! I mean, the history lesson was great and everything, but I¡¯d like to know about how to actually do the trial too!¡± ¡°Oh, right. Well, I don¡¯t really know if I can help you with that. See, my job isn¡¯t really to guide you through this test. It¡¯s to decide whether or not you fail. ¡°Um, what happens if I fail?¡±Does it matter? ¡°You die.¡± ************* The darkness surrounding Shadar quickly receded as he entered a massive¡­ cave. Shadar preferred to call it an atrium. It had a vaulted ceiling which glowed a soft white. The hall was constructed of alabaster and black volcanic rock--initially retrieved from the Dungeon Shadar had just visited, in fact. A checkered pattern decorated the floor, and mosaics of black rock set against the white walls added a touch of aesthetic to the austere room. Below those mosaics were over a hundred portals like the one Shadar had just exited. Massive gray stone pillars both supported the ceiling and added to the sense of grandeur the room inspired. Every time he saw this place, Shadar¡¯s chest swelled with pride. It had been his first project upon taking the Dragon¡¯s Tooth as his command post. ¡°My lord, may I ask the results of your trip?¡± It was a skeleton, probably animated by one of Shadar¡¯s liches or inhabited by a natural spirit. ¡°Four adventurers, all of which I estimate to be high-ranked Adepts or low-ranked Masters. They were using enchanted armor and possibly weapons of Epic quality. I killed three but one survived the five minutes. He claimed that they eliminated all of the mobs in the Dungeon, however I could not confirm this. Wait a few hours and send in some scouts. If the area is clear then begin a repopulation process. Oh, and of course you should have already activated the no-entry protocol when I left.¡± It was always amusing to see a skeleton looking terrified. They could not widen their eyes or pale in fear. Instead Shadar heard a soft clicking as its finger-bones shook, confirming his suspicion that this was aspirit in human bones--skeletons raised by necromancers had no emotions to show. Debating whether or not to crush the creature to enforce discipline, Shadar decided that, finally, he could show some mercy to his people. ¡°See that it is done. And spend a month as a fetcher in the seed vaults.¡± The skeleton stopped shaking quite so badly. ¡°Of course my lord, it will be attended to immediately. And I shall tell my supervisor of my reassignment right after.¡± It was somewhat odd how attached thespirit was to its body on this plane, but Shadar knew how to make creatures like him feel pain, and he had made sure his servants knew it. Keeping his face impassive, Shadar continued on through the atrium and into a smaller room, still decorated with the white and black stone, and allowed a set of green-skinned goblins to begin removing his armor. The stuff had been quite effective in his fight, a set of plate much lighter than that of his earlier opponent, but of excellent quality and material. Shadar did not know precisely how the adventurer he had taken it from had obtained such armor, but it had been a welcome find nonetheless. He just needed to have it refitted before he used it again. In a few minutes Shadar was left in nothing but padded underclothes, red as always. He continued on, barely acknowledging the goblins as they carried the armor of for inspection and maintenance. Shadar took a different route through the winding sets of hallways, pristinely clean and well lit by magic, but still unavoidably claustrophobic to a human like him. After several long stretches of gently sloping rock floors, he began to feel an increase in the air¡¯s humidity, and smiled once more. The baths. A cloud of steam greeted Shadar as he opened the door to the baths, the cleanly cut stone floor feeling wonderfully warm as he removed his boots. In moments the rest of his clothes were off and he was sinking into the shallow corner of his hot spring, sighing quietly. It was not so often, these days, that he had to fight adventurers, but he gladly took the excuse to spend a few minutes soaking in the spring before returning to business. .Freshly clothed in the tunic and breeches left for him, Shadar took the staircase up to his command center. Entering the room, which was nearly as spacious as the atrium but decorated in red and black, Shadar was greeted by a lizardman, a Saurian, in black robes. ¡°Welcome back my lord.¡± His voice was professional, officious, and--most importantly to Shadar--supremely intelligent. It was rare to find a monster as mentally acute and yet weak as Digaratoth. Unlike his powerfully built brethren, his form was almost as small as a normal human¡¯s, his arms spindly and his claws small. He seemed more like a mousy scholar than the fearsome warriors the Saurians prized. Shadar had found Digaratoth when he had first bound the Askazi tribe to his service, just entering into adulthood and bullied by his peers. In taking the Saurian in and providing him a position in Shadar¡¯s burgeoning bureaucracy, Shadar had made one of his greatest moves in securing his regime¡¯s success. ¡°Hello Dig. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re alone.¡± When Shadar had entered the room he had scanned it with the eyes of a Mana Wyrm, finding no trace of life or surveillance magic. ¡°Oh! Well in that case, how was your trip?¡± Suddenly the lizard-man¡¯s voice had lost its ridiculously formal tone, replacing it with warm familiarity. The sharp, considered edge to his speech, however, had not left. ¡°I couldn¡¯t kill all of the adventurers for once, although that was mostly because they had specialized gear for the Dungeon. I left one alive, a defensive specialist of some sort.¡± ¡°Seems like you¡¯re losing your edge.¡± Digaratoth¡¯s tongue flitted out, the Saurian equivalent of a small smile. ¡°One day you¡¯ll understand how it feels to grow old and infirm. When that happens, I expect you to tell me about it, because I¡¯ll undoubtedly be curious.¡± Shadar¡¯s laugh felt¡­ good. These times alone with Digaratoth and his other friends had grown rare over the years. ¡°I doubt you¡¯re here just to taunt me, so just tell me what¡¯s happened.¡± ¡°Our spies have uncovered a plot to overthrow you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice. Now why did you come to see me?¡± ¡°Well, they managed to keep this one hidden for longer than usual. The Shadows reported to me just two hours ago--when you left, they had just begun to mobilize.¡± ¡°Ah. And which outpost did they decide to attack?¡± This was beginning to wear on Shadar. ¡°They are attacking here.¡± ¡°Excellent. When will they arrive, then?¡± ¡°The Shadow estimated twenty minutes or so.¡± ¡°Very well, clear the path to here and make sure to close off the side corridors. I¡¯ve just finished three more rooms in the East Wing.¡± ¡°Of course, but¡­ Shadar?¡± Shadar looked up absentmindedly. He had been considering the his design projects in the East Wing again. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know who is attacking us?¡± ¡°Not really. Just prepare the Dungeon please, Dig.¡± ¡°All right then.¡± The Saurian sounded concerned to Shadar, but he still left quickly, long tail lashing back and forth as he walked. Shadar sat back on his throne, a simple stone chair cut from the gray rock of the mountain, and closed his eyes. It would never end. Chapter 3 3. ¡°I die?¡± ¡°I mean, you die if you complete it too. Kind of implied by the whole ¡®mortal¡¯ thing.¡± Was she laughing? Maiz took a deep, somewhat shaky, breath. ¡°But if I don¡¯t complete the trial, will I die soon after?¡± ¡°Hmmm, you might as well as far as I¡¯m concerned. I hear the life of a Scholar isn¡¯t that interesting. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever take the time to watch you from up here.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯d have to be a Scholar?¡±That was hardly better as far as Maiz was concerned. Heneeded power, if he was going to make his dreams reality. ¡°That was actually the last bit of my ¡®history lesson,¡¯ as you called it. I didn¡¯t really want to say it then, because I was going to have to ask you later anyways but¡­ you know what? Why don¡¯t we get started?¡± ¡°What? But--¡± ¡°Seeker, I must ask you to affirm the words of the updated contract.¡± The Judge¡¯s eyes were almost blinding Maiz with their spectral green radiance. Her voice had taken on a strange, unsettling quality, as if she were speaking in perfect unison with another woman. As she said the words, she held out her hands, and an innocuous sheaf of papers appeared in her hands. Maiz licked suddenly dry lips, trying to think of something to say. ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t like writing?¡± She lost her unsettling--all right, terrifying--manner. ¡°Well, I guess it does make this job a lot easier.¡± She held out the stack of papers. Maiz accepted the papers, reading them. TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Underneath, in what seemed to Maiz to be unnecessarily small font, was... a contract. Sighing, Maiz sat down on the stone of the platform, and began to read. ***** Approximately an hour later, Maiz dropped the last paper to the ground and stood up. He had a good handle on the rules of this trial now, if not the actual content itself. He glanced up, looking for Riala, and was surprised to find her standing right in front of him on the platform. She had a rather ridiculous look of incredulity on her face, mouth hanging open slightly, eyes wide. ¡°What?¡± She snapped her mouth closed. ¡°I observed over a thousand trials during my training under a senior Judge. I have never seen anyone who actually read the Terms and Conditions, let alone the updated version!¡± Maiz scowled. It was rather annoying how, instead of writing a new set of rules for the new trials, the gods had apparently decided to just tack on a set of revisions at the end, invalidating most of what had come before it. But he was determined to do everything in his power to succeed in this trial. In any case, the contract had answered his question about the title he could earn. ¡°So I get to choose an epic class title now, if I want?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, that was in there, huh? Right, I assume you know how we classify titles?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Maiz frowned. Something about what she¡¯d just said... ¡°There¡¯s common, rare, epic, and legendary right? The contract said that the naming ritual mostly offers common and rare titles, with the occasional epic title mixed in.¡± ¡°Oh really? I wouldn¡¯t know about that, I only care about the trials!¡± She laughed carelessly. There was definitely something bothering Maiz about this. ¡°So do you want to take a look at the offers or...?¡± Maiz blinked. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Well you do have a name and a title, even if the title is temporary. Just look at your Name and Title Sheets silly! They should be there.¡± Maiz¡¯s eyes went wide. His Name Sheet? He¡¯d been dreaming about seeing it since he¡¯d first heard about from his father, when he was five or six. There was just one problem. ¡°Uh, how do you open the Name Sheet exactly?¡± She laughed again. ¡°You just think your name and title, then think ¡®information request,¡¯ and it¡¯ll pop up.¡± Maiz immediately did as she advised, finding the process much easier than he might have before spending hours basically drilling holes in his mind. He finally saw his Name Sheet, overlaying his vision in spectral green lettering: Maiz-Novice Seeker (Rank 1- 0/30) Title Status-Hidden (Default) Bonus Titles-None (New Title Options Available) Health-80/80 Mana-140/140 (+ 1.1 pts/second) Stamina: 60/60 (+ .7 pts/seconds) Attributes (4 Unspent Attribute Points):
Age 16
Constitution 8
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 11
Strength 6
Dexterity 7
Agility 12
Charisma 9
Luck 8
Skills: None Spells: None At first Maiz was confused as to how to view the ¡®New Title Options,¡¯ but when he focused in on the phrase in his vision, a new sheet filled his eyes. Title Options: Seeker (Current Title)- Seekers are applicants in the Gods¡¯ Trial. They must prove their skill with no special abilities or talents. +4 to Attributes of Choice per rank Starting Talent- None Spellsword- Spellswords are specialized spellcasters, focusing on channeling elemental effects through their weapons and armor. They are especially suited to small-scale combat and breaking enemy lines on the battlefield. +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, and Attribute of Choice per rank. Starting Talent- Flaming Strike (Creates a temporary aura of flame around the Spellsword¡¯s weapon which lasts for one strike. Deals +50 fire damage and has chance to burn enemy. Cost: 30 mana). Controller- Controllers specialize in magic designed to overpower a target¡¯s faculties, influencing the target through suggestion and even outright mental domination +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and Attribute of Choice per rank. Starting Talent- Minor Suggestion (Allows caster to give a suggestion to the target in a non-combat situation which does not directly contradict the target¡¯s morals. Suggestion has a chance of success based on caster¡¯s rank, Charisma, Luck, relationship to target, and the target¡¯s experience level. Cost: 10 mana). Dreadlord- Dreadlords are warleaders who use the undead as soldiers. Dreadlords are capable of raising special subtypes of undead in limited number, but they excel in commanding already raised undead to form large armies. In battle, their abilities focus on the enhancement of their undead forces, though some can directly use their minions to empower themselves. +2 to Intelligence, +1 to Constitution and Attribute of Choice per rank. Starting Talent- Bind Undead (Allows caster to bind an undead of overall rank lower than the caster¡¯s to the will of the caster. Caster may have the skill active on up to 5 undead at the starting rank, and standard minion restriction apply to this effect. (Cost: -10 total mana per minion bound). Assign Title? All Title choices cannot be switched. Maiz¡¯s jaw was hanging open slightly. He had never heard of any of these titles, but it was clear that they were powerful. Any of them would probably allow him to begin pursuing his plans in a few years, or perhaps even sooner. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It was also nice to finally be able to see his attributes. For many titles, those attributes were just as important as any skills they offered, allowing superhuman feats of strength, speed, and power. A normal person Maiz¡¯s age should have around 10 attribute points in each category, meaning that he was far above the norm in Intelligence and Wisdom, and rather low on Strength and Dexterity. Not exactly unexpected: Maiz had spent his childhood indoors, reading and helping his father sorting books, not outside playing like many other children. Maiz was eager to take one of these amazing titles and quit while he was ahead. But¡­ he did not really understand all of the information before him, and he could not risk making a poor choice and regretting it later. No matter how much Intelligence he had, he just did not know enough about how titles worked to do this himself. He needed help. ¡°Excuse me?¡± The young woman had sat down in the glade, idly pulling and examining blades of grass as she waited for Maiz to read through his character sheet. ¡°Hmm?¡± She looked up. ¡°Oh, by the way, you can call me Riala.¡± ¡°Riala.¡± It was technically impolite to use a person¡¯s name before they said it themselves, though she hadn¡¯t seemed to care. ¡°Could I ask your help in getting a handle on these title options?¡± ¡°Oooh sure! I love looking at different titles! Will you give me permission to see your Title Sheet?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Maiz was going to ask how to share his Options Sheet with her, but a notification immediately popped up in his vision. Confirm: Share Title Sheet with Riala-Journeyman Celestial Judge? Maiz thought yes, and Riala suddenly had a vacant expression, eyes moving as she read Maiz¡¯s Title options. ¡°Wow, an epic noncombat title! That¡¯s really rare!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Maiz had been thinking that it was odd that he had even gotten two combat titles. It seemed like there were so many things one could do outside of battle. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Well, you already know about how our title ranking system works, and I¡¯m sure you guessed that the higher ranked the title, the less likely you¡¯ll get it. You see, all combat titles are ranked rare or higher, so that there aren¡¯t too many people running around who are only good at killing other people! Of course, that means that at higher rarities, there are far more combat titles than anything else.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± This sounded suspiciously like a lesson in statistics. Maiz was absolutely terrible in mathematics, despite his father¡¯s numerous attempts to educate him in the subject. Thinking about his father made Maiz¡¯s stomach tighten, but he kept his face as friendly and interested as possible. Stay focused. ¡°Does that mean Controller is any good?¡± ¡°Oh, it looks pretty strong,¡± she said offhandedly. ¡°If you¡¯re smart about it, you could probably worm your way into a noble title or make yourself a merchant empire!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want either of those things!¡± Suddenly Maiz was shouting, though he hadn¡¯t meant to. His entire body was rigid, and suddenly he was no longer able to maintain his interested facade. Taking a deep breath, he slowly relaxed. Stupid. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Riala had not appeared fazed at all by his outburst. She seemed not to have realized that it had occurred. ¡°Never mind.¡± Maiz could not forget that this woman, no matter how personable, was not human. But even as he replied, he thought of a question. ¡°Why not just control a bunch of kings and make a real empire?¡± Somehow that idea was less repugnant to him than what Riala had suggested. I will not become like them. However, she laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand how titles usually work. You see, Lord Massahn makes sure, as part of his pact with Lord Nonenadon, that all titles are relatively balanced, even if some are more powerful than others. With a title like this, it¡¯s likely that any sort of outright mind-control won¡¯t work on people of similar rank to you, let alone higher, and Kings tend to be pretty darn powerful. Besides, skills like those usually work best when the target is unsuspecting, and, well, people would start wondering if some kid suddenly became the emperor of the world!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Well, he had not been enthused at her description of that title from the first. Not only was it obviously repugnant, it would force him to change the plans he had made based on getting a combat title. ¡°How about the other two?¡± ¡°Spellsword is pretty powerful.¡± She sounded grudging. "It''s a lot more versatile than the other elemental mage types, and at high levels I think it''s almost unmatched for personal combat. Unfortunately, its restriction makes it almost useless. ¡± ¡°What? What restriction?¡± Maiz was very interested in this title. It seemed perfect for what he needed. ¡°Well,you know that titles let you learn different skills right? Beyond the novice rank most titles have unique skills, even if two are very similar, and they usually have some sort of restriction which makes it that way.¡± At this point Riala was standing in the grass, hands moving animatedly as she explained the affinity system. Maiz wondered exactly how she knew so much about this subject, but he supposed everyone, even non-humans, had a hobby. ¡°Spellsword''s restriction is that, even though you aren''t restricted by the type of element used like other elemental mages, you have to channel spells through an object. And you have to be touching that object for it to work. All of which means that Novice Spellswords have to gain experience by fighting with weapons, even though they have no actual melee combat skills. And they don''t get atrribute bonuses to Stength, Dexterity, or Agility, so they''ll start disadvantaged there as well. That makes it basically impossible to get enough experience to become dangerous at higher levels." That was disappointing. Still, perhaps it would be worth it anyways; if he could find some way to overcome that initial hurdle the title sounded exceedingly powerful. ¡°That¡¯s too bad, I guess. How about Dreadlord?¡± ¡°Yeah, that one is another strong title with a big drawback. It¡¯s by far the most powerful necromantic title, just because it lets you control other people¡¯s undead. That means you¡¯ll always have a leg-up on other necromancers, and it¡¯s not too difficult to build up an army of undead that you can empower! But a lot of churches actively hunt Dreadlords more than any other title.¡± Maiz had actually been wondering about that. ¡°So why is it offered at all then? I mean, why would Lord Nomenadon give out titles that seem so... evil?¡± ¡°Ha! Lord Nomenadon doesn¡¯t care about good or evil! Neither do I for that matter. You see, Nomenadon only cares that everything follows his system of naming. But other gods have different opinions, and their followers tend to be very insistent on stamping out necromancy wherever possible. Which makes life very difficult for baby Dreadlords, before they can get an undead army running to protect them.¡± It wouldn¡¯t do to be hounded by the clergy from the moment he exited this world. Maiz was somewhat stumped: Riala¡¯s explanation hadn¡¯t really clarified much as far as what would really best suit his plans. ¡°So what would you suggest I pick then?¡± ¡°None of them!¡± Riala had an eager, almost hungry look on her face. ¡°None of these titles come close to the power of the God-Chosen! If you complete the trials, you could laugh in the face of any epic-ranked title!¡± ¡°But the contract said that if I fail, I have to take the first title the naming ritual offered to me! It doesn¡¯t seem worth it, when I have such powerful titles available now.¡± Even living in a city like Caelos, which had a full garrison because of the close proximity to the desert¡¯s monsters, titles of such rarity and power were almost unheard of. Maiz had learned from a hundred different tales of his father that there was no sense in risking guaranteed profit to make an even bigger score. Too often you would end up losing everything. ¡°Yeah, but... what¡¯s a life without risk? Besides, isn¡¯t there anything in that contract about all of the rewards you¡¯ll get if you win? You¡¯ll meet a god!¡± Wait a minute... ¡°Riala, have you ever read the Terms and Conditions?¡± She looked sheepish. ¡°Well, not really. They¡¯re more for you than for me. I mostly learned by watching my mentor anyways. Whatever. Either way, think about it! You could become God-Chosen!¡± Hmmmm. Riala had seemed to severely downplay the strengths of the three titles Maiz had been offered. ¡°Say, what exactly happens to you if I become God-Chosen?¡± Riala¡¯s expression became even more embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll be automatically assigned as your Celestial Liaison. I won¡¯t have to sit here waiting another thousand years for someone to beat the naming ritual and be randomly put into my iteration of the trial.¡± Oh really? The beginnings of a plan was forming in Maiz¡¯s thoughts. Perhaps, if he played this right, he could minimize the risk enough to justify his taking the trial. After all, there was no greater prize than the power of a God-Chosen. Riala was still talking about the many benefits of becoming God-Chosen, and Maiz did his best to look attentive as he opened his character sheet. Focusing on the prompt for Unspent Attribute Points, he surreptitiously dumped one into Charisma and two into Luck. Then, dismissing his Character Sheet, he said, ¡°You know what? You¡¯ve convinced me. I want to take the trial.¡± She was overjoyed. ¡°Fantastic! You¡¯ll make one amazing God-Chosen, I just know it!¡± Got to keep the pressure on. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start now?¡± Moving quickly, Maiz hopped off the dais and started walking towards the three paths into the woods. Maiz had almost reached them when Riala cried ¡°Wait!¡± Maiz looked over his shoulder, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to¡­ think about this some more? You know, what path you¡¯re taking, some strategies, anything?¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s a great idea, why don¡¯t we talk about it?¡± She looked frustrated. ¡°I can¡¯t! I¡¯ve told you, I can¡¯t help you at all with the trial, it¡¯s part of the rules!¡± Maiz, heart pounding, did his best to look puzzled. ¡°What? I read that section in the Terms and Conditions, and it didn¡¯t say anything like that...¡± ¡°Huh? I know that I¡¯m not allowed to help you.¡± ¡°I mean, there was that subsection about only the Seeker completing the trial, but there wasn¡¯t anything about verbal help in there.¡± ¡°Wait, really? So you¡¯re saying that I can just¡­ tell you about the trial? As long as I don¡¯t help you complete the tests?¡± She sounded extremely hopeful. Maiz debated trying to push for more but¡­ best not. It would be a small miracle if this worked at all. ¡°Uh-huh. I mean, the contract was very specific that it defines the rules and boundaries of the trial. And since Lord Nomenadon is known to be so exacting¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, he is! He¡¯s always so precise, if he didn¡¯t want me to help you, he would have said so, right? Huh, it¡¯s just so odd that my mentor always said he couldn¡¯t help at all.¡± Oh hells. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because that subsection was added in the updated part of the contract. Yeah, the original language gave much broader and less defined restrictions, which probably led to a more cautious use of executive power on the part of the Judges.¡± Maiz tried his best to sound well-versed in legal matters, using words he¡¯d read often in treatises on government. ¡°Oh¡­ yeah!¡± She sounded almost as uncertain as Maiz felt, but also excited. ¡°Ok then, let¡¯s do this!¡± Maiz felt a surge of relief, along with a--very small--twinge of guilt. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± Riala had Maiz sit down at the edge of the stone dais as she paced in front of him. ¡°Now listen up, the trial is set up to get tougher as you go along, but each level prepares you for the next.¡± She pointed at each pathway into the forest in turn. ¡°Each of these pathways will require you to use a basic attribute, and gives you a reward in line with that attribute. At the end of each path is a portal to the next level. But,¡± She tapped the side of her nose smugly, ¡°here¡¯s something most people don¡¯t think of. There¡¯s no rule saying you have to complete only one pathway!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, but why would I want to make the trial even harder?¡± Riala sighed. ¡°Ugh, you¡¯ve got to think ahead Maiz! There¡¯s no way that you¡¯re going to cut it in the later parts of the trial as you are. Like I said before, each pathway offers you different rewards. One tests Intelligence, and that one will give you magic skills and items, but another one tests Strength, and you might get a weapon or even armor from there! Not to mention, we need to take advantage of the one thing the Seeker title is good for.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Maiz¡¯s current title, Seeker, offered no starting talent and no special bonuses as far as he was aware. ¡°You can assign your new attribute points however you want! You do know how valuable that is right? It means that you can literally change your body to make it better suited to the later tests! So, we need to rank you up as much as possible early.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Maiz hadn¡¯t considered ranking up his Seeker title, but he supposed that what Riala was saying made sense. ¡°Ok, so we¡¯ve got three options. Strength, Intelligence, and Dexterity. No offense, but I wouldn¡¯t recommend starting with Strength.¡± She looked at his skinny arms pointedly. Maiz flushed. He was, though not small for his age, by no means a strong young man. He was also rather clumsy. ¡°Um, I think I should probably start with Intelligence.¡± Riala nodded decisively. ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s go!¡± She grabbed Maiz¡¯s hand and, despite his protests, pulled him through the arch and into the middle pathway. Chapter 4 Shadar was wondering, idly, which of his subjects was attempting to overthrow him. Perhaps this could become his new hobby. After all, it seemed like all he did these days was quash rebellions left and right. He might as well improve his own ability to spotthem before they appeared. So. Whichever of his vassals walked through that door had to desire his power. That did not narrow it down much, but he could safely assume the various trolls, rocs, and other barely-sentient monsters would not think to rebel on their own. He was left with a slew of intelligent creatures, most of whom had been used to ruling themselves before Shadar''s rise. However, it took bravery to walk into his den and challenge him for his throne. Most dissidents attempted to take another outpost or two and strengthen their position first. He did not expect it to be goblins, kobolds, or the other weak races who were bred to be fearful and attack when cornered. He did not even think his necromancers would do such a thing, though humans could be unpredictable. But... Shadar tapped his finger against the hard rock of his throne in thought. The rebels had unusually good timing, if they were attempting to challenge him directly. They had almost managed to coincide their attack with his absence from the command center. Perhaps they had even planned to destroy the other portals in the atrium, though Shadar had put measures in place to stop that from happening. And after all, the heroes he had faced had conquered his volcanic Dungeon because of their enchanted arms. Shadar had only tried fire magic against the last opponent, but he suspected that all of the adventurers used some sort of enchanted protection, and all of it was at least Master-made. There was no other way a group of four Adepts could have so easily killed all of the creatures in one of Shadar''s strongest Dungeons. Perhaps the rebels had provided the adventurers with their gear? But if that were true, then it implied a contradiction: they were brave enough to march intohis home, but fearful enough to want himaway while they did it? Not to mention that they apparently had access to either a powerful Enchanter of their own or enough gold to purchase the enchanted armor. Shadar could think of a few races who would consider it a mark of honor to challenge a warleader in order to usurp them. But few of them were rich enough to afford Master-quality equipment. Were they a builder race, then? Enchanters were rarer among Massahn''s children than among humans. Who--his musings were interrupted as the doors to his throne room, massive constructions of red and black rock, swung open. Ah. It was always so easy for him to forget dragons. There were only three of them, large enough to seem at home in his cavernous throne room--perhaps thirty feet from snout to tail, and twelve feet tall. Shadar had chosen to use a massive crystal chandelier lit with enchanted candles to illuminate the room; its light was particularly effective in highlighting the beauty of these dragons'' golden scales, glittering and refracting as they walked forward. Shadar knew that glitter well. They had sleek, white, elegant horns which curled back along their heads slightly, and they each stood a good six meters tall. Their bodies looked more like the lions whch roamed the plains to the outh than any other lizard: they were heavily muscled, with powerful legs huge necks. Each of their heads had an angular, almost arisocratic look, with strong lines and piercing golden eyes. "Greetings, tyrant." The lead dragon''s voice was confident, powerful. It was odd to see human words issuing from those massive, monstrous lips, but Shadar knew that they, like he, were using the rudimentary mental magic of their kind to translate. Such was the gift of Massahn to his children: that they would always be able to speak to their enemies, if not each other. "Dragons of the Hankor Waste." It made sense. The golden dragons could be quite subtle at times, with even wider networks of influence than most other nests and a greed which outstripped anything the others felt. "You know why we have come. Will you surrender?¡± The rebellious idiot was hoping that he would simply give up? True, three Masters constituted a truly impressive fighting force by almost any standard, but Shadar had already conquered their Nest once. He would not lose to them easily. ¡°Of course not. Choose amongst yourselves who will face me.¡± Shadar vaguely knew two of thesedragons from his time in the desert. They were not, so far as he knew, the leaders of the Golden Nest. However they were Masters, and skilled combatants. But upon exaining the third dragon, he seemed young, smaller than the other two with a few patches of smaller adolescent scales, meaning thathe was younger than thirty. But this dragon moved just like the other two, indicating thathis attributes were probably similar. Was he also a Master? Almost as soon asShadar had finished his challenge, the same dragon who was speaking stepped forward, drawing Shadar''s attention away from the young one.The elder dragon''s Name appeared above his head, high enough that Shadar had to crane his neck upwards to see it. Ghurat¡¯al¡¯Hankor-Master Golden Dragon. This was also part of the ritual. Standing, Shadar opened his Name Sheet and changed his title and bonus statuses to open. He knew the words that would appear over his head, even as he began to access his portion of the Divine Magics to reshape the room. Shadar¡¯al¡¯Rulan- Master Dungeon King God-Chosen of Massahn ¡°You thought you could get out of dueling me by taking this place before I returned. You failed.¡± Shadar kept his voice toneless, hard. In truth, this duel would probably be the simplest way to settle this. Shadar''s title functioned best against a single opponent, and he preferred a duel to retaking his own home from an entire Nest as they had no doubt planned. ¡°We will settle this in the circle.¡± The dragon snarled. ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Shadar¡¯s awareness was sufficiently extended into his Dungeon¡¯s aura, allowing him to carefully sink a circular portion of the floor, widening the area as he and Ghurat slowly descended further into the depths of the ground. Eventually the circle was wide enough to have accommodated at least ten dragons comfortably--the standard size for a draconic dueling ring. Though the opening above the ring tapered inwards, it was still possible for the two dragons above to see most of the fight. ¡°Where is your witness?¡± ¡°Watching.¡± Digaratoth would have made his way to the viewing chamber behind Shadar''sthrone. A neat little trick of engineering, that was. The dragon made no reply. Shadar found its brief words refreshing. Draconic speech was still the most sensible form of conversation he had ever encountered. Every other race was far too fond of words for his liking. The two combatants took their places at opposite ends of the circle, both coiled and ready to spring at one another. Shadar thought that he saw much more of himself in this opponent than the three humans he had fought earlier. But then, that was unsurprising. Like every type of dragon, golden dragons had a racial ability to control a type of magic. That skill was far more versatile than most other types of monsters, and it meant that draconic combat was actually similar to that of humans. They used skills and practiced varied techniques, though different types of dragons used completely different types of magic. Golden dragons were strange--they used a form of fire magic, but their skills used the power of the Sun in a manner unlike any other type of fire mage. They used attacks of pure light and heat, though he was unclear on exactly what form of defense they used. Shafar had heard rumor that they could somehow store the energy of the sun as an additional source of mana, though of course there were supposed limits on how much power could safely be held in this manner. As Shadar pondered, the dragon spoke. ¡°I will use Solar Armor.¡± The rules of the draconic duel dictated that each of them could declare and use one skill prior to the fight beginning. Even as he spoke, Ghurat¡¯s golden scales began to emit a harsh light and the temperature in the circle began to increase noticeably, the air shimmering nearer the dragon¡¯s skin. Shadar had a feeling that the dragon¡¯s magic was containing most of the heat close to his body, and that he would do well not to approach it without some protective skill. An interesting defense. He wondered how much mana that must take, and how long the dragon could keep the skill up, power of the Sun or no. Shadar was still considering what transformation would best counter the golden dragon¡¯s abilities. Its offense had the advantage over regular fire magic in regards to speed--even a full Grandmaster could not hope to dodge a golden dragon¡¯s skill once it was released. He also needed a way of safely bypassing the heat surrounding its body. Perhaps the Hydra--but he was forgetting the disadvantages of golden dragon magic. Shadar had learned in his youth of the creature that they feared the most. Luckily, it was one he was especially suited to call upon. ¡°I will use Form of the Black Dragon.¡± As he finished speaking, the golden dragon¡¯s wings flared slightly, a sign of surprise and--perhaps--fear. Shadar could not believe it had take so long to remember this skill. But then, it was rare that he could use such a powerful transformation in combat. Carefully, Shadar directed his mana, recalling perfectly the body and magic of the monster he was attempting to copy. The power flowed from the base of his skull and spread evenly across his bones, then dispersed further until his entire body was saturated. This type of skill was much more difficult than the partial transformations Shadar usually employed, and this form was the only one Shadar could use it for. In fact, if his opponent had been anything less than a Master he would not have been able to use it at all. Once his mana was properly directed, the change was not gradual. In the same manner as the partial shifts Shadar instantly assumed the form of a dragon larger than the one before him. His fine clothes were torn to shreds, not having been enchanted like his armor to meld into his magical aura. No matter. He knew his scales would be reflecting the light in the same manner as his opponent¡¯s, that his eyes would be red as always, but vertically slitted, and that his body would be radiating a faint shadowy aura. From above, the voice of another dragon, far more timid than Ghurat, echoed down. ¡°I w-will act as arbiter.¡± It was the oddly young dragon: he sounded afraid--because of what Shadar had just done or on general principle he could not guess. ¡°The fight is to the d-death, and the victor will command the Dragon¡¯s Tooth Dungeon. You m-may begin.¡± The enemy sprang immediately to the side, perhaps expecting a rush forward, but Shadar simply reoriented himself to face his opponent. Black dragons had little to fear from the golden, even less than the other colors. Which meant that he could force his enemy to attack rather than risking himself on the offense. The golden dragon¡¯s scales were slightly painful to look upon now, as Shadar¡¯s eyes were far more sensitive to the light in this form. However the vision was an overall improvement--he could even focus his vision slightly, allowing him to watch carefully for any telegraphing of movement from his opponent. However, Ghurat was simply watching him, keeping his massive frame loose and ready to move. Then, the Master Dragon did something exceptionally stupid. He opened his mouth, and let forth a searing ray of light, somehow visible in the shadowy circle as a beam a handspan in diameter. Shadar did not attempt to dodge, and the beam impacted the scales of his right foreleg an instant later. And nothing happened. Was the fool hoping that he had somehow failed to complete the transformation properly? He was only wasting his mana. Black dragons had a special racial ability, distinct from the other colors¡¯ masteries of magic. They could nullify any magic they touched, as long as it was on par with their own power level: fortunately, with Shadar¡¯s own abilities, that was always the case.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. And while light-based attacks were fast and powerful, they were completely magical, even more so than a normal fire mage¡¯s attacks. Meaning that none of the golden dragon¡¯s attacks could do anything to harm Shadar as long as he held this form. Unfortunately, it had taken most of Shadar¡¯s mana to transform, and everything he had left to sustain it. Still, he would wait a little longer before commiting to the offensive. Sure enough, the golden dragon was attempting another ranged skill, raising a claw which shone much brighter than the rest of his body, then slashing forward viciously, a wave of focused heat emanating outwards in a crescent. Shadar lazily swept his own claw through the attack, dissipating its power and feeling nothing more than a minor discomfort at the heat. However, as he returned his attention to his opponent the black dragon realized his enemy was already in the air, using his wings to boost a jump towards Shadar. Time for the true fight, then. Shadar was suddenly eager to end this opponent, quickly and brutally. Why could they not leave him alone? Shadar bounded forward, massive muscles allowing him to react instantly. He raked his claws at the dragon¡¯s golden underbelly, feeling none of the magical heat his scales were emanating. One of his claws caught a chink in the scales and slid into the soft flesh underneath, pulling Ghurat out of his flight path and forcing him to crash into Shadar. The black dragon was larger, and better muscled than his opponent, but he still stumbled at the massive weight, and both of the massive lizards were rolling on the circle¡¯s floor. Brawling as a dragon felt different from doing it as a human. Avoiding his opponent¡¯s attacks was nearly impossible as four razor-sharp claws and powerful jaws tried to score his flesh. Shadar might have expected to be worse than his opponent, but clearly Ghurat¡¯al¡¯Hankor was used to killing his prey at a distance, or at least using his ¡°Solar Armor¡± to win physical confrontations. The enemy flailed at his shoulder, allowing Shadar to use his spiked tail for balance and roll his enemy to the side. He quickly established a dominant position, pinning his opponent¡¯s legs and using his own tail to hold the golden dragon¡¯s much weaker appendage at bay. Now Ghurat was futilely attempting to twist its head backwards to snap at Shadar, leaving him open to attack the back of the neck and kill the dragon. He could see that the golden dragon knew it as well. His yellowish eyes were burning with anger--righteous anger. He truly believed Shadar was a tyrant. Shadar knew that this was the moment to say something dramatic and terrifying: ¡®count yourself lucky that I do not make you suffer,¡¯ or ¡®your fate is the same as all who defy me.¡¯ He had observed plenty of powerful leaders in his time, and he had seen the value of a good spectacle. Part of Shadar wanted to speak. He wanted to know why exactly this idiot had decided to challenge him, had gone to such great lengths to overthrow him. But he also knew what he would hear. Either empty platitudes about the ¡®freedom of his people¡¯ or equally empty condemnations of Shadar¡¯s ¡®tyrannical¡¯ rule. He knew that these were not the real reasons that he was forced to kill one or more of his subjects weekly, but he could not figure out the truth. Part of him suspected that all of them simply thought they could do what he had done, but better. No matter that none had. Still, the questions almost escaped Shadar¡¯s lips as he closed his huge jaws on the golden dragon¡¯s neck. He bit down, the softer scales of the back offering almost no resistance, his teeth easily slicing through flesh until they reach hard bone, then crushing even that. Ghurat¡¯al¡¯Hankor stopped struggling. His blood was hot in Shadar¡¯s mouth, tasting of copper and iron like that of a human, his flesh stringy and nearly tasteless. Shadar spit it out, fighting the instinct to swallow as a true dragon would. ¡°Sh-Shadar¡¯al¡¯Rulan is the vic--¡± The young dragon¡¯s voice cut off as Shadar leapt from the circle, wings beating as he ascended past the end of the hole in the ground. Before either of the dragons could react, he was atop the third monster, the one who had yet to speak. His claws were in his opponent in moments. Most dragons¡¯ backs were softer than their underbellies, as their ancestors had flown above their prey, rarely fighting on the ground. Shadar was technically fighting two opponents, though he doubted there would be much resistance, so his Strength and Agility were suddenly incredibly high. It took mere moments to leave the unprepared dragon¡¯s back in bloody ruins, but Shadar kept going until he felt the drop in his attributes which meant that the golden dragon had died. Then he turned his eyes on the last victim. The youngling was undoubtedly a Master--he too was blazing with the Sun¡¯s heat as Ghurat had done, but he was channeling a light beam into the ground before him, heating it to an almost red glow. That was smart: it would limit Shadar¡¯s options, but if he struck now he could-- Shadar stopped. He calmed himself, letting the bloodlust of the dragon deep away as he once again considered the young dragon before him. ¡°What is your name?¡± The golden scaled dragon did not stop his beam attack, though his eyes were watching Shadar, presumably for any move to take to the air as he had been planning. The young dragon¡¯s wings were out, ready to propel him upwards in case Shadar went for his back. Shadar was beginning to be impressed. ¡°You are far more intelligent than your elders, young one. But remember who I am.¡±Young one? Digaratoth was right, hewasgetting old. Still, Shadar was thankful for the years he¡¯d had to practice and rank his black dragon skill. At its current level, Shadar could use all of his skills unimpeded in this form, though the spell still completely negated his mana regeneration and made it difficult to use any other magic. However, for this power he did not need mana. Allowing the young Master to continue building a defensive position, Shadar instead pushed his awareness once more into the Dungeon. The Divine magic that gave the place special properties was already at work on the corpses of the two dragons, and Shadar stopped it absently. He had no need of their power, and it would be rude to withhold their bodies from the Golden Nest. Instead he directed the ambient power of the room to the heated ground around the dragon. Instead of slowly altering the form of the rock as he had with the dueling circle, Shadar carefully built up enough power in it to make it shoot up in three angled obelisks, trapping the dragon. The entire time, he had been further forifying his defensive position, further heating his surroundings and watching Shadar, but he had made no move to attack. Shadar walked on his four huge legs until he was facing the young dragon, but kept well back. Even at a distance, the temperature of the floor had increased notably. ¡°I will do nothing to harm you intentionally unless you do so to me. I pledge this on my den with my lieutenant Digaratoth of the Askazi as my witness.¡± Digaratoth¡¯s voice echoed down from his viewing slot above Shadar¡¯s throne. ¡°Witnessed.¡± Now Shada was bound tightly to his oath: even Digaratoth would likely spread word if he broke an oath spoken on his den. ¡°Now then, young one, what is your name?¡± ¡°Why d-do you want to know?¡± The golden dragon¡¯s voice was guarded, if still terrified. Strange, how swiftly he had reacted in the fight, yet how obviously unsure he was now. Shadar sighed. This youngling had probably been raised on stories of his conquests. Shaar doubted that the golden dragons viewed him as an intrepid hero either. ¡°First, because I am your king. Second, because there are few beings as young as you seem to be with as much power and--more importantly--intelligence as you seem to possess. And third, because I do not want to march on the Golden Nest.¡± ¡°W-What? How will you march on the entire Waste?¡± The dragon attempted to rear back slightly in shock, but the obelisks prevented his motion. He was right to be skeptical. Dragon nests were more figurative than literal gatherings of the creatures: the golden dragons lived in scattered pockets throughout the massive desert called the Hankor Waste. ¡°Do you doubt that I could kill every dragon in your desert?¡± ¡°Grandmaster C-Corlesca-¡± ¡°Even her. I am God-Chosen.¡± Shadar could not be guaranteed victory against any Grandmaster--his title meant that he could compete on a somewhat even ground, but Grandmasters were too powerful to be easily dealt with, and too skilled to rely solely on attributes for victory. But the one in Hankor was relatively young, and moreover Shadar had proven that he was especially favored against golden dragons. After a long pause, the dragon opened its mouth again. ¡°W-why should I t-tell you my name?¡± ¡°I do not have a lieutenant in the Hankor Waste. If you swear yourself to me, I will allow you to return there and mobilize my forces for me.¡± A gamble, perhaps, but one that could do a great deal for Shadar''s earlier problems. The dragon¡¯s wings twitched against the rock which held them. ¡°You would trust me?¡± ¡°You are young, and I like you. Besides, I think you realize that I could truly end everything you care about should you betray me. You are a skilled fighter, and I will need you for this campaign.¡± Here Shadar spoke the truth. This boy was clearly intelligent, and his loyalty could be assured if Shadar played this correctly. Now the dragon¡¯sgolden eyes flared in anger. ¡°What Dungeons do you want me to conquer? Which races will I subjugate for you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool. I have done what I did for a purpose, I have never said otherwise. I think it is time that we return to war against our true enemies.¡± That was far more melodramatic Shadar would have liked, but there were times when melodrama could inspire a young man as logic could not. Even if that man were a dragon. ¡°You mean--¡± ¡°You will begin attacks North. We will discuss tactics another time, and yours will not be the only force moving.¡± Another pause. ¡°My name is Tarangil¡¯al¡¯Hankor.¡± ¡°Very well, Tarangil, I will let you out of there so we can decide on the exact wording of your vow.¡± ********** ¡°He did what with the last one?¡± The inhumanly pale woman could look eerily ethereal at times, but as she whirled on Shadar, he felt the firm weight of her presence in the glare she sent at him. ¡°You did what?¡± ¡°I made him my lieutenant and told him to mobilize the Hankor Waste against the humans to the West.¡± ¡°But-but that¡¯s--¡± She was sputtering. Shadar did not think he had ever seen Eva do that. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! We¡¯ve conquered less than half of the territory we planned to in our lowest estimates! The strongest Dungeons we have are barely Master level, and besides, Hankor? There¡¯s a powerful kingdom to the West of Hankor, why would you begin the assault there? And why in the hells would you have a traitorous child lead it?¡± Suddenly a voice like warm honey rang out over Eva. ¡°Are you planning to dash the Golden Nest against the Kingdom of Corunti as a small squirrel may be dashed against the walls of a mighty castle? Mayhap you hope to direct their schemes and untoward malice outwards, rather than against your own person?¡± The creature who had spoken did not look like it should have a voice of a human court bard and the flowery language to match. Srtuyiklonj--whom Shadar and everyone called Silence--looked like a somewhat taller, fatter goblin dressed up in the costume of a death mage from a bad play. The big-eared, green skinned, and grotesquely featured monster came all the way up to Shadar¡¯s chest, and may have looked threatening if not for his ridiculous black robes and necklace of skulls. And his disappointing inability to live up to his name. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes to what? What did he say?¡± Eva was now looking between Shadar and the goblin in confusion. They rarely bothered to listen to Silence anymore. Shadar replied, ¡°The Waste will either be killed fighting against a superior force or they will succeed and achieve a massive victory. Either way all of their efforts will have to be directed against the humans if they want to stay alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Did she look impressed? ¡°...a poorly thought out plan with way too many variables to work in real life. Do you really want to get an entire nest killed? And if they succeed, will it actually prevent them from moving against you in the slightest? Hells, an actual campaign might be enough to push their Adepts to Masters, or even a Master to Grandmaster!¡± No, then. ¡°I would have had to step in at some point. This will delay that, some. Dig?¡± The Saurian had remained quiet, only relaying the details of what had happened in the throne room, a few hours ago. After Tangaril had departed, Shadar had slowly repaired the damage to the room, then called a meeting of his advisors in it. Digaratoth, Eva, and Silence. A saurian, a human Lich, and a goblin. Now the saurian spoke, his lizard-tongue flicking out in between sentences. ¡°I think that it¡¯s Shadar¡¯s first plot, and it¡¯s not terrible. It may actually work, and don¡¯t pretend that it has that many disastrous consequences, my agents will make sure to watch more carefully for any scheming and¡­ malice. To be fair, nothing else we¡¯ve thought of has managed to stop these rebellions. We can treat this as an experiment.¡± Eva¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And the dragonling? Why exactly does he need to become a lieutenant? Do you really think he won¡¯t betray you?¡± ¡°I trust him.¡± Shadar replied flatly. ¡°Fine.¡± Her words were suddenly clipped, sounding much more like Shadar than herself. ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Shadar tried hard not tinge his voice with irony. But even though the Lich seemed to float out of the room as she usually did, the massive doors slammed closed behind her. Chapter 5 In contrast to the temple¡¯s stone doorway, the darkness which had seemed to envelope the path quickly vanished once Maiz and Riala were through the entrance. Maiz blinked. It had been rather odd, how the darkness seemed to act like a screen, preventing sight of the scene beyond the archway from in the glade. In a moment, Maiz saw why. Stumbling onto the path, which was really more of an opening in the densely packed trees and underbrush, Maiz stopped just short of a tripwire, poorly concealed with leaves, strung across the path. ¡°Traps? I mean, that¡¯s not exactly tough to spot. How is it a test of Intelligence?¡± ¡°Well, remember that this is still basically the same test we used to use to judge the intelligence of every sixteen-year-old in the entire world. The benchmark isn¡¯t really too high at the beginning.¡± Right. Maiz scanned the trail for a few feet in front of him, examining the ground and the trees around him, then remembered to look up. In every adventure novel he read, the protagonist always failed to look up. ¡°Oh good! I almost thought you weren¡¯t going to get that!¡± There was a rather obvious net strung among the foliage. Maiz had to look around for a moment to find the trigger, until he noticed a suspiciously low-hanging branch which appeared to connect to the mechanism holding the net up. Maiz sighed, then stepped over the tripwire and walked a few feet further on the path, avoiding the branch as he did so. What does this even have to do with my Intelligence? ¡°Does higher Intelligence let you see better?¡± Maiz had often wondered about the exact meaning of different attributes, but his father had not very talkative on the subject, and books about such basic concepts were surprisingly rare. ¡°Well, not really. There¡¯s basically two aspects to Intelligence. High Intelligence improves your perception, letting you see little details and also the bigger picture in most situations. It also improves your comprehension of information and your retention of that information. This part of the test is checking your perception, and you¡¯re doing fine so far. Just keep taking your time and be careful! That¡¯s all the advice I¡¯ll give you.¡± It took a while to proceed down the path, as Maiz had to constantly stop and check his surroundings for anything suspicious. He refused to allow himself to fail the trial because he didn¡¯t take the time to examine his surroundings. Soon his back was aching from constantly stooping over to examine the ground, but he grew more adept at spotting the traps hidden along the path. He was also dubiously examining the lush greenery around him. Caelos, his home city, was on the edge of a desert, and while Maiz had seen trees before, he had never beheld such a wild collection of plant life before. Trees stretched a far as Maiz could see, many as tall as the tallest buildings in his home. The sky was a tapestry of green leaves, swaying slowly in the gentle breeze, and there was an incessant noise of insects and birds chirping and tweeting through the canopy. Maiz was unused to travel through a forest, and even the path they were on was littered with branches, leaves, and other detritus of nature. Their progress was slowed further as Maiz had to take care not to trip or otherwise hurt himself in the uneven ground. He didn¡¯t mind however. The traps grew more sophisticated as they went along, from pressure triggers to traps hidden in the forest scenery. One net¡¯s mechanism was held in place by a seemingly innocuous root on the path. Maiz had almost missed that one, but he was proud that he did not fall for any of the tricks. This isn¡¯t nearly as bad as I¡¯d thought it would be. It seemed like the decision to take this trial had been the right one. After an hour or so of inching along the path, Maiz was getting bored. That stick is a different color from the ones around it. Perfect. Maiz had not seen any of the other traps trigger, but he was somewhat curious. Kneeling, he picked up a rock and threw it at the stick from ten feet away. As soon as the rock made contact, a gods-damned arrow flew out from the trees, passing through the space where his neck would have been if he had stepped on the stick. ¡°Riala?¡± Maiz asked, feeling strangely calm. ¡°I thought you said this trial wasn¡¯t lethal?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re only in danger in the loosest sense of the word. If you¡¯re ¡®killed¡¯ by anything here, it will just be considered a failure of the trial and you¡¯ll re-enter your body in Saleria!¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Maiz wasn¡¯t sure if he was comforted or disturbed by that news. He had already decided to risk everything on this gamble. There were really only two outcomes at this point: success or failure. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyways, because there¡¯s no way you¡¯re going to fail the trial!¡± Riala echoed his own resolve, but her words felt far more encouraging to Maiz. It felt like a long time since someone had believed in him, or cared about him at all. He was smiling rather foolishly at her, not looking ahead, when his head smacked into a wall. ¡°Ow!¡± It was a grey stone wall, clearly the work of a high-ranked Mason, with pieces fitted so tightly that it seemed completely smooth. It blocked the path forward, looking extraordinarily out of place in the dense forest. ¡°What the hells is a wall doing here?¡± Riala was laughing. ¡°Oh I love this one! See if you can figure it out, because if you don¡¯t I¡¯ll never let you live it down!¡± Grumbling, Maiz set himself to examining the wall carefully for any sort of traps, perhaps runes? He also checked the edges of the wall for any sort of mechanisms designed to catch him unawares. As he was considering how best to scale the wall--perhaps carve handholds into it--he smacked himself. Blushing, he simply stepped off the path, wary for any traps in the underbrush, and walked around the it. Behind him, Riala burst out into another round of laughter. On the other side of the wall was a pedestal, also looking rather incongruous in the middle of the forest, with a large book resting on it. ¡°Great!¡± Riala said as she also rounded the wall¡¯s corner. ¡°We¡¯re finally past the trapped section of the path! Now it¡¯s going to get interesting!¡± ¡°What? How?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just pick up the book!¡± Sighing, Maiz picked up the book. Trying to get a straight answer out of Riala was tougher than the test had been so far. Opening the tome, Maiz instantly recognized it as a spellbook, mostly thanks to its title, SPELLBOOK OF MINOR ICEBOLT. ¡°Wait, can I use this?¡± As far as Maiz knew, one had to have a magic-related title to learn any spell, and each title had a different set of spells it used. ¡°Oh, you won¡¯t be able to use that spell outside of the trial, but in here, everything is created specially to work with the Seeker title!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± fascinating. Maiz had always wondered, somewhat covetously, about what exactly allowed certain titles to perform magic. It appeared that the gods were able to change the fundamental nature of either spells or the title-system at will. ¡°Uh, are you going to learn it?¡± Maiz shook himself. ¡°Right. I¡¯m on it.¡± Maiz flipped the page, expecting arcane knowledge to pour into his mind as the book¡¯s enchantment took effect. Nothing happened. ¡°Uh Riala? I don¡¯t think the enchantment on this book is working properly.¡± She laughed at him. She seemed to do that a lot. ¡°That book isn¡¯t enchanted! This is a test of Intelligence, do you really think it would let you take a shortcut so that you could avoid reading?¡± She tapped her nose knowingly. ¡°Besides, when you get out of here, you¡¯d better remember that enchanted books are a waste of money! They¡¯re ridiculously expensive since they¡¯re difficult to make, and only single use. If you want to learn a spell, you¡¯re better off doing it the hard way!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Maiz said grumpily. Well, at least I¡¯m good at this. Kicking a loose branch out of the way, Maiz plopped to the ground and started reading. ******** Magic was a lot more complicated than Maiz had thought. The ¡®spellbook¡¯ was also a primer on the basics of elemental magic, along with including the necessary information to cast the spell Minor Icebolt. Apparently, mana could be manipulated in a variety of ways by different types of spellcasters. This type of magic was among the most simple, involving simply gathering mana near the skin of the hands, and then speaking a phrase keyed to a longer arcane description--a spell formula--of the exact effect desired. That was not to say that Maiz found the process easy. According to the book, this spell could be learned by many spellcasters with a title for elemental magic, but it would be best learned by Hydromancers, who had a massive boost to water spells. As Riala had told him earlier, as spells became more complex, more specialized titles would be required to cast them at all. As a Seeker, Maiz should not have been able to learn this spell. However, there was a note in the book that the spell had been modified to take advantage of the unique properties of the trial¡¯s world, allowing anyone within to cast it as if they had an elemental magic title. Which meant that, while he was technically able to cast the spell, it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°Minor Icebolt!¡± Maiz cried for what felt like the hundredth time. His hands were outstretched, and he hopefully thought that they felt slightly chilly as he uttered the words. ¡°One-hundred! Okay, I guess I should help you out.¡± Riala had been watching Maiz with undisguised boredom, perhaps even frustration, but now she bounded to her feet, full of energy. It was strange, how fast her mood shifted. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing it all wrong this whole time!¡± Maiz stared at the Celestial Judge. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Maiz had spent almost ten hours in front of this pedestal by his measure. Though he should have fainted from hunger and exhaustion long since, he felt physically fine, and the shining sun overhead gave no sign that time had passed at all. But doing anything for hours on end with no success was still incredibly aggravating. ¡°I¡¯m still a Judge, you know? I want to make sure you actually learn from all of this stuff, or else all that¡¯s gonna happen at the end is you getting incinerated by an annoyed deity. So anyways, you haven¡¯t been moving your mana in the right way at all. You started getting the hang of taking hold of it, but it never actually makes it to your hands.¡± ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s to be expected considering I can¡¯t see what I¡¯m gods-damned doing!¡± That was the truly frustrating part of the whole experience. Without a magic-based title, Maiz couldn¡¯t see his mana. ¡°How did people in the past manage this, anyways?¡± ¡°Well, the priests back then usually taught kids the thought exercises for mana manipulation, in case they would become spellcasters when they grew up. That¡¯s why I¡¯m okay with telling you about this: it¡¯s not really part of the test.¡± ¡°Thought exercises?¡± ¡°Yep. Basically, it¡¯s a trick for visualizing your mana, even if you can¡¯t see it like a spellcaster can. Try think of your mana like a pool of water at the base of your skull. Then imagine the water rushing down your neck, through your shoulders, and down your arms. Don¡¯t pull the mana, just direct the flow.¡± Maiz closed his eyes, imagining the scene Riala was painting with her words. In a few moments, though he felt absolutely nothing, Riala yelled ¡°Now, cast the spell!¡± Maiz lifted his hands. ¡°Minor Icebolt!¡± A chill manifested in his hands, and a moment later a spike of bluish ice shot out from between his hands into the trees. As the bolt flew from his hands, Maiz stumbled slightly from an unexpected force pushing against him. ¡°I did it!¡± Suddenly Maiz wasn¡¯t so angry about the hours he had spent learning this spell. He had performed magic. ¡°Great job! Now it¡¯s time to see how good you are with that spell. Here¡¯s my advice: aim for center mass, and don¡¯t get fancy. Good luck!¡± ¡°What? What are you--¡± Maiz¡¯s questions were answered as an ear-splitting shriek cut through the ordinary sounds of the forest. The noise was coming from the direction where Maiz had shot the icebolt--forward and to the right of the path. Maiz heard a frantic rustling in the underbrush, and moments later a small, greenish creature leapt onto the path in front of Maiz. It had large, flapping ears, a nose and mouth which were one step away from a snout, and yellow eyes burning with anger. ¡°A goblin?¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Riala said happily, ¡°these are weaker, less intelligent relatives of goblins, forest goblings!¡± She was somehow sitting on top of the grey stone wall behind Maiz. Maiz barely paid attention as he jumped backwards, quickly putting his back to the wall. Heart pumping, he raised his hands in the direction of the monster and shouted ¡°Minor Icebolt!¡± Nothing happened. Hells. The gobling was still shrieking menacingly, waving its arms about, but it was slowly creeping forwards towards Maiz. Desperately, he tried to focus on the pool of mana in his head, imagining it rushing down to his hands as he raised them once again. ¡°Minor Icebolt!¡± This time, the spike of ice formed and shot from his hands, piercing the gobling in the center of its chest. The creature flew backwards, and Maiz felt the recoil pressing his body against the wall.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Yes!¡± Maiz exalted in his victory once again. And then another shriek split the air just like the first. I¡¯ve really got to stop celebrating. When the goblings came out of the trees, Maiz had an icebolt primed to take it in the chest. The creature¡¯s shriek cut off abruptly as it stumbled back into the forest. ¡°Just a warning, pretty soon there¡¯s gonna be more than one coming out at once!¡± Riala called. Fantastic. It appeared Maiz had a little more time before the next gobling came out, so he considered his options. He could prepare his first cast of Minor Icebolt before the monsters came out, but each cast after that would take a few seconds. If multiple goblings attacked at once, Maiz would be left all but defenseless. So, I¡¯ve got to slow them down. Remembering his own embarrassing lapse in the wall ¡°puzzle,¡± Maiz ran off the path into the woods. Careful not to occlude his view or line of fire, Maiz hid and waited for the next gobling to show itself. In moments, two goblings were running onto the path from different directions. They began looking around suspiciously, not seeing Maiz hidden in the underbrush. Maiz had the icebolt spell primed and ready to fire, but on a hunch, he refrained from casting it. The goblings were extraordinarily ugly, prominently showing mouthfuls of fangs and their appendages all ending in claws. Their bestial faces and limbs contrasted horribly with their green skin and almost-humanoid anatomy. They looked like a cross between some sort of goblin and a small forest predator, such as a wolverine. Maiz knew very little about animals, having grown up in a city, but from reading a few novels set in the wild he knew vaguely what predators looked like. And, as far as he knew, predators who ate the same food did not like each other. Sure enough, after seeing no external threat to their territory, the two goblings almost immediately turned, snarling, towards each other. In moments the two were rolling on the ground of the path, letting out those painful shrieks in between bites of each other¡¯s flesh. One of the goblings managed to score a long gash with a claw to the other¡¯s neck, and stood up, screaming in triumph. At that moment, another gobling bounded out of the woods on all fours, bowling over the triumphant little monster. The goblings continued slaughtering each other in front of Maiz¡¯s eyes. Every minute or so, another shrieking green-skinned blur joined the fray, some slipping over the bodies of their erstwhile rivals in their haste to participate in the bloodbath. In a flash of inspiration Maiz whispered his incantation and sent several more icebolts into the forest, making sure they all landed far away from his hiding spot. The spikes of ice succeeded in rousing more goblings deep in the forest to join in the fight. None of them so much as looked around for the source of the icebolts, electing to leap into the fray as soon as they came in sight of the path. After almost a half hour the fight began to wind down. Unsurprisingly, the initial frenzied struggles had left dozens of goblings strewn across the path, many having died from bleeding in multiple wounds. As only four goblings remained to battle it out, another one emerged from the woods and into the fight. This gobling was different from the others, its skin closer to gray than green, and¡ªmost importantly¡ªthe words ApprenticeGobling Keeper hung over his head. The other goblings did not have names of any sort, indicating that they were both extremely low ranked and non-sentient. This ¡°Keeper¡± was clearly either stronger or smarter than his brethren. Maiz quickly found out which it was. The gray-skinned monster jumped into the fight between the four other goblings, quickly dispatching two of the combatants with swipes to the throat. The other two quickly realized that they were facing a more dangerous opponent and joined forces to fight the Keeper. However, their efforts were all but futile. Each came at the Keeper from different sides and angles of attack, one leaping at him from the right while the other attacked low from the right. The Keeper ducked at the last moment, letting one gobling fly over his head as he bit deeply into the other¡¯s throat. Without sparing a moment, the Keeper sprinted on all fours towards the final opponent, killing it the moment its paw-feet touched the ground. The grayish gobling shrieked in victory, head thrown back towards the sky, arms at its sides. The sound cut off abruptly as a spike of ice caught him in the throat.Maiz was rather proud of that shot. ¡°Boo! I was going to give you perfect marks, but you ignored my advice! No point in taking stupid risks aiming for small targets!¡± Riala called down from her vantage on the wall. She hopped down, making the twelve-foot drop seem like nothing as he carefully avoided the gore covering the path around the pedestal. Maiz, taking her motion as a sign that the danger was passed, stepped out of his hiding spot in the underbrush. ¡°You¡¯re grading me?¡± ¡°Of course! What exactly do you think my job was supposed to be? You¡¯ve been doing great so far. You recognized that the goblings would fight themselves to death and used the icebolts to attract more of them. But it¡¯s really not intelligent to ignore advice from the Celestial Judge who¡¯s seen this test a thousand times, so minus points!¡± ¡°Well, does that mean I failed?¡± ¡°No! It just means you didn¡¯t get a perfect score! I gave you a 99%.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ no.¡± Maiz deadpanned. He had been a little worried for a moment there. ¡°Oh shush, the test isn¡¯t done yet!¡± Chuckling slightly, Maiz looked around. The path was laden with the bodies of goblings, their blood was beginning to soak into his rough leather shoes. Moving gingerly, Maiz headed towards the corpse of the Gobling Keeper. The little monster was off to the side of the path, having been thrown back by Maiz¡¯s icebolt. Frowning, Maiz examined its body, noting a tarnished silver chain around its neck that he had missed during the fit. Threaded through the chain was a small key. Seems like this is the way forward. Wait, I have to get that off of him¡­ Maiz held his breath, approaching kneeling carefully next to the monster and trying not to get blood on his pants. He realized that the ice spike in the creature¡¯s throat would make it impossible to the remove the chain without removing the spike. Grasping the chilly spike, Maiz pulled, and felt more resistance than he expected as the spike held onto the gobling¡¯s flesh. Pulling harder, Maiz felt a slight give and a horrible, wet squelching sound. This was¡­ After he was done dry heaving for several minutes, Maiz returned queasily to the issue of the key. And, for the second time in this damned test, he smacked himself. Snapping the key¡¯s chain, Maiz grabbed the key and moved swiftly away from the Keeper¡¯s body, forward on the path to where Riala was waiting for him. ¡°You all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Maiz felt his face harden. This was nothing. He would learn how to deal with killing and corpses. Every person with a combat title dealt with blood each day, and he would become the strongest fighter in the world ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Something green flashed in the corner of Maiz¡¯s vision. Focusing on it, Maiz saw that it was a stylized script for ¡®N,¡¯ the symbol of Nomenadon. Maiz ¡®selected¡¯ the icon as he had for the prompts in his Name Sheet, and green text filled his vision. You have learned a new spell, Minor Icebolt! You have gained +1 Intelligence! You have slain forest gobling, rank 1 (2)! +10 exp (10/30 to next rank) You have improved Minor Icebolt to Rank 2! +5exp (15/30 to next rank) You have slain Gobling Keeper, Rank 2! +20 exp (35/30 to next rank) You have acheived Rank 2 in: Seeker! You have unnassigned attribute points. You have improved Minor Icebolt to Rank 3! +5 exp (10/40 to next rank) You have gained +1 Wisdom! Maiz blinked. His father had occasionally complained about the Notification Sheet, saying that it was irritating to havehis every move recorded and then be forced to read it. But, at least at this point, Maiz found the information incredibly fascinating. He''d gained experience from killing the goblings, and a great deal from killing the Keeper. He''d also increased the rank of Minor Icebolt, which would probably make it easier to cast or more powerful. Based on that, the Seeker title seemed like a combat title, because he''d improved his rank through fighting. But-- ¡°How did I get more attribute points?¡± ¡°Huh? What attributes did you get?¡± Riala looked somewhat surprised, but not alarmed. Maiz told her about his increases in Intelligence and Wisdom. "Wow that¡¯s great! It¡¯s actually pretty simple: whenever you improve an attribute through your work, it increases. Since you spent all that time looking for traps, and then you learned magic for the first time, it makes sense that you would get a boost to Intelligence! In this place, you can only get increases like that while you''re going through a test though--otherwise you''d be able to work here until all your attributes were as high as an Apprentice''s! ¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Maiz had never really heard about attribute increases outside of those granted by rank increases, but he supposed that it explained how children younger than sixteen ever gained stats at all. ¡°What about the Wisdom increase?¡± ¡°Hah! Did you come to some big realization about yourself when you were brooding earlier? Wisdom is based on understanding yourself, just like Intelligence is understanding the world around you, so whatever you were thinking clearly deepened your understanding of your own personality!¡± ¡°I-I guess so.¡± Maiz stammered, blushing. ¡°I got a new rank!¡± He blurted, trying to change the subject. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! So you have some attribute points to spend right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, what should I put them in?¡± ¡°Well, what are your stats right now?¡± Maiz quickly opened his name sheet and referenced his stats, then related them to Riala, neglecting to mention that he had five unassigned points instead of four. ¡°Wow, 15 Intelligence and 12 Wisdom? That¡¯s really impressive!¡± Maiz blushed again, heat returning to his cheeks just as his earlier embarrassment faded away. ¡°Thanks. So I guess I should put my points in some other attribute right?¡± She nodded. ¡°You know that about 10 points in each attribute is normal for an adult male, I assume? You¡¯ll want to be a little higher than average to complete this first round of tests easily, so why don¡¯t you dump all of your unused points into Dexterity? We¡¯ll do that one next.¡± I suppose she didn¡¯t realize that I used some of the first four attribute points already. She probably hasn¡¯t actually talked with a Seeker about the attributes before. Remembering his deception brought Maiz another twinge of guilt, this one worse than before. It was necessary. Maiz followed Riala¡¯s advice, bringing his Dexterity up to 12. As he did so, his balance shifted slightly, his body feeling lighter and more lithe than it ever had before. Taking a step forward, Maiz marveled at how easily his body seemed to move forwards, weight shifting and rebalancing, feet sure on the uneven ground. Suddenly he forgot about his questionable justification for tricking Riala into helping him. ¡°This is incredible!¡± ¡°Well, you did almost double your Dexterity. Maybe now you won¡¯t be quite so uncoordinated!¡± She teased. Her mild insult did not register with Maiz, who was still in awe of his magical increase in Dexterity. ¡°This almost feels like cheating, it¡¯s just too amazing!" ¡°It kind of is! I mean, this is definitely the easiest that improving your stats will ever be. Not only do you get to choose whatever you want to improve, but being a novice makes it much easier to improve your rank than it is at later levels. It took 30 experience to get to rank 2 right? It¡¯ll only take40 more to get to rank 3! When you get past rank 20, it gets much tougher to advance.¡± Rank 20 would make Maiz an Apprentice, buthe didn¡¯t think he was likely to get that far in this trial. Either way, Maiz was eager to rank up once more and gain even more attribute points. It was really incredible how much Lord Nomenadon included in his Naming system. His divine power of words and numbers made everything about humans easily quantifiable, and gave them clear goals to work towards. Some theologists theorized that he had created much of his system to incentivize the sentient races into growing increasingly powerful. Speaking of which¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t we keep going?¡± They headed further down the path, Maiz moving much faster thanks to his increased Dexterity and the lack of need to check for traps. They were walking for only a few minutes when a somewhat large hill, much like a dune in the desert but covered in that strange grass, came into view. The path appeared to terminate at the base of the hill, which rose from among the trees in what seemed to Maiz to be an ominous manner. Riala only said ¡°Oh good, we¡¯re here!¡± So Maiz assumed that he wouldn¡¯t be attacked just yet. However, he still began to imagine the pool of his mana flowing down to has hands. It always paid to be prepared. Maiz needn¡¯t have worried. At the end of the path they came upon a stone door, the same gray color as the wall earlier in the test. In the center of the wall was a keyhole, and Maiz fished the Gobling Keeper¡¯s key out of a pocket and stuck it in the hole. As soon as the key entered, door glowed a soft blue, and the door swung inward. Maiz blinked. Such enchanted doors were not unheard of, but Enchanter mages were not precisely common, especially in a border city like Caelos. Stepping inside the doorway, Maiz saw a magnificent set of steps leading down to a large floor, lit by torches placed around the perimeter. Maiz wondered how exactly the torches remained lit indefinitely, but he supposed that they were the least fantastic thing he had witnessed in this strange world. The floor was a set of square tiles, each side longer than Maiz was tall. There was some sort of design on the floor, set up like a mosaic, but he could see no discernable pattern in the markings across the tiles.. Though the overall architecture of the room was incredible, with a sweeping ceiling, beautifully cut walls and stairs which could have graced a king¡¯s palace, there was apiece missing from the mosaic on the floor. As Maiz stepped onto the floor, he nearly slipped asa tile slid under his feet. ¡°What the--¡±Maiz shot a glance at Riala, but though he could see a hint of mirth in her glowing green eyes, she refrained from speaking. Meaning that this had something to do with the trial. Experimentally, Maiz tried shifting the tile he was on forward into an empty space. Though the motion was somewhat awkward, he succeeded in moving the large square piece into the space, leaving a new space into which he could move several more tiles. Huh. So it¡¯s a puzzle? Am I supposed to make a picture with the tiles? Maiz looked up, hoping for a clue to help him, and spotted a stylized ¡®N¡¯ above a doorway which seemed to have been built onto a solid wall. Looking down, it seemed like some of the tiles looked like pieces of that symbol. Oh. Well, I guess I should be grateful it¡¯s so easy. Except that Maiz quickly realized that, though perhaps it was simplistic in design, this ¡®puzzle¡¯ was not easy. Maiz soon got sick of pushing the tiles around to change the picture, and because of the mosaic¡¯s size and position, he was forced to walk up the stairs every time he wanted to examine the overall picture the tiles formed. The puzzle was tedious and mostly brainless, but Maiz did his best to stay focused. It took an hour of pushing tiles, running back and forth to examine his work, before the last tile slid into place and the entire floor glowed green. The doorway set against the far wall turned pitch-black, clearly an active portal. ¡°Congratulations! You¡¯ve completed the test of Intelligence and proven your right to earn a rare title! I mean, you would have, if this had happened a few thousand years ago. Either way, great job! Now we¡¯ve just got two more to go before we move on to the next level!¡± Oh hells, Maiz thought as he considered the work he had before him. Still, he would do whatever it took to become God-Chosen. Chapter 6 There was a short stretch of clear ground on the way back from the puzzle building. Apparently the portal there would lead to the next level, so they had to backtrack manually to the glade. While he had the chance, Maiz decided to take another look at his Name Sheet. Maiz-Novice Seeker (Rank 2-10/40) Title Status-Hidden (Default) Bonus Titles-None Health-80/80 Mana-150/150 (+ 1.2 pts/second) Stamina: 60/60 (+ 1.2 pts/second) Attributes:
Age 16
Constitution 8
Intelligence 15
Wisdom 12
Strength 6
Dexterity 12
Agility 12
Charisma 10
Luck 10
Skills: None Spells: -Minor Icebolt The attribute changes were not unexpected, but they were nice to see nonetheless. Maiz thought that his mana, mana regeneration, and stamina regeneration had all gone up slightly--he supposed that had come from his attribute increases as well. He thought that it made some sense for Intelligence and Wisdom, as apparently mana was located near the brain and was probably somehow related to the mind, but he thought that stamina regeneration being based on Dexterity was a little counterintuitive. At least, he did until he and Riala began walking out of the building and he noticed how much more easily his body moved, his motions graceful, his balance steady. He could almost feel the energy that he was saving with each step. Maiz also noticed that the spell list had updated with ¡®Minor Icebolt,¡¯ and that the spell was underlined. As far as he knew, that meant that it was a prompt; slightly confused, he opened it. Minor Icebolt- Fires a spike of ice directly away from the hands of the caster. Rank: 2 Cost: 22.5 Mana (+50% for invocation penalty). Effect: Deals 30 damage on impact. Projectile speed : 80 m/s (+10m/s per rank). ¡°Riala?¡± The beautiful celestial woman had been walking quietly beside Maiz, perhaps having realized that he was looking at his Name Sheet. After all, he had been moving quite slowly to avoid tripping as he read. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She was cheerful as always. ¡°I was just looking at the description for Minor Icebolt, and it says there¡¯s something called an ¡®invocation penalty¡¯ added to the cost. What is that?¡± He was a little annoyed that the spellbook hadn¡¯t explained this, but it had been fairly focused on the mechanics of the spell and had gone into little detail about magic in general. ¡°Oh yeah, I was going to tell you about that! See, you get the invocation penalty for relying on a spell formula to cast the spell!¡± ¡°The spell formula? I thought that using that was the only way to cast it! The book didn¡¯t say anything about another way.¡± ¡°Well, that book is specifically meant for the trial, and using a spell formula is the fastest way to learn a piece of magic. You see, when you say an incantation keyed to a formula, a portion of your mana goes into invoking the entire formula externally! That¡¯s why you had to read the formula, and also why you don¡¯t cast the spell every time you say the words. If you intend to cast the spell, than by saying the incantation you¡¯re sort of doing a mini-spell which sets off the bigger one.¡± Wow. Maiz had taken for granted that, because he had learned the incantation, he could cast the spell. Yetapparently there was an incredibly complicated process that went into the magic. He suddenly felt like he had the first time he¡¯d realized how much effort went into the making of a book, from the author writing the words to the alchemist creating the paper, and even to the man who transported the finished product south to Caelos, where his father bought it. Had bought it. ¡°How do I make the spell better?¡± Maiz needed to be as powerful as possible to complete this trial. I will succeed. ¡°Well I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really possible for you to make it any better. When people with magic titles cast invocations, over time they get an instinctive understanding of the spell¡¯s effect. At either their or the spell¡¯s rank 20, they can cast it nonverbally because they understand exactly what the magic has to do, without need for a spell formula. But¡­ well the changes made by the gods don¡¯t extend that far. You can¡¯t gain internal knowledge of how the spell works because you don¡¯t have the title for it.¡± She looked slightly disconcerted at his question for some reason. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I mean, these trials are supposed to be tough for a sixteen year-old without an actual title and no real experience, but they¡¯re not ridiculous. Almost all Apprentice-level combatants would have no problem completing it. So there¡¯s nothing in it that requires you to be an Apprentice-level mage!¡± What she said made sense. There was a ridiculous gulf between a Novice like him and an Apprentice. Their attributes alone, as well as their stronger skills, would make this sort of test laughably easy. ¡°I guess that¡¯s all right then. Is there anything else you can think of to tell me that could help me complete the trial?¡± ¡°Nope! I¡¯m telling you basically everything I can already, and you¡¯re doing a fantastic job!¡± They were passing the bodies of the goblings, still torn apart and strewn across the path. The bloody gore seemed even more gruesome when contrasted to the gorgeous life of the nature around them. The great trees around them all had thick trunks and huge systems of branches laden with green leaves. Those leaves rustled in the same breeze that had greeted Maiz when he first entered this world. Occasional rays of golden sunlight filtered down through the vast canopy, illuminating the bloody ground and the corpses of the small monsters in stark detail. Night had not fallen since Maiz had entered this place, though by his mark the sun should have set long since. He marched over the bodies, paying no mind either to the bloody ground or the unfamiliar plant life around him. He did, however, notice Riala out of the corner of his eye. She was watching him, easily avoiding the obstacles on the ground while keeping her glowing eyes fixed on his progress. As they rounded the grey wall, she finally spoke. ¡°You know, most people don¡¯t hide from the goblings on purpose. Even back when people knew about the trial, there were only a few who intentionally tried to get them to kill each other.¡± ¡°So how did they pass?¡± Maiz asked the question almost absently, his eyes still on the ground before him. ¡°They ran away. Most of them hid behind the wall. I mean, that¡¯s not a bad thing: part of Intelligence is understanding when you can handle a situation and when you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Maiz was scanning the ground again for the traps, though it was much easier the second time around. ¡°But you were watching the entire time, right? I thought you looked pretty calm when you went into the woods, and then you killed the Keeper at the perfect time. Most times the Seekers would hide, and then they would get attacked by the Keeper once it killed the other goblings. You actually did a great job analyzing the situation and making a measured response!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± It was odd. Maiz had once loved being complimented for his intelligence. He would talk with his father¡¯s customers as much as he could, trying to show off what he had read, as well as trying to help his father sell more books. Now, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to respond properly to Riala¡¯s words. They kept walking, Maiz looking around for traps, keeping a measured pace as he advanced back along the path, Riala all but skipping next to him. She was still looking at him, her face now plainly showing curiosity. ¡°You¡¯ve been going nonstop since we started too. It¡¯s pretty crazy how long you spent practicing that spell, not to mention reading the contract and the spellbook straight through without breaks. I mean, this world makes it so you don¡¯t get tired, but most Seekers still took breaks to rest a bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always read a lot. I used to stay up all night reading by candle sometimes.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s pretty impressive I guess?¡± ¡°Most people where I live can¡¯t read at all. Only rich people buy books, or people from the government.¡± Maiz took a long step over a seemingly loose branch he suspected was attached to another projectile-throwing mechanism in the trees. ¡°So does that mean you¡¯re rich, then? Where do you live exactly?¡± ¡°I live in a city called Caelos. It¡¯s near the Hankor Waste. And no, I¡¯m not rich.¡± ¡°Oh I¡­ think I know where that is! I usually like to watch farther West and South, but the Waste is hard to miss! And if you¡¯re not rich, then how come you could read books like you said?¡± ¡°Well my father--¡± Suddenly Maiz cut his voice short. His chest seized up, and he stumbled slightly, even with his new dexterity. ¡°Your father?¡± ¡°I need to focus on the path, I almost fell in that pit.¡± He had stopped walking right in front of a poorly hidden pit trap, but he had seen it several meters away. He just did not want to talk any more about his life in Caelos. Or about his father. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s all right, I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Riala¡¯s voice held a note of chagrin, which prompted Maiz to feel terrible about lying to her again. He doubted that it was her job to answer his every question and provide encouragement at his every success. Honestly, he¡¯d been taking her kind, friendly attitude for granted, being focused on his goal. But he knew, in some part of his mind, that he would want to have friends, once he had achieved his plans and gotten older. I wonder how long it¡¯d been since she¡¯d spoken to another person. He resolved to ask her about it the next chance he got. Still, Maiz took advantage of the silence to cover the rest of the path fairly quickly, gracefully stepping over tripwires and pressure triggers. Whoever designed this place may not have made the traps especially difficult, but they had made them blend in perfectly with the natural landscape. That spoke of sophistication beyond some of the more obvious traps, and indicated that they were intentionally easy to spot. In only another twenty minutes they had passed through the inky darkness of the portal out of the Intelligence test and back into the forest glade. As soon as the darkness receded from his vision, Maiz turned to face Riala. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry for cutting off our conversation earlier. I just realized I, uh, haven¡¯t thanked you for all the help you¡¯ve given me. So thank you.¡± Maiz didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d ever felt quite this uncomfortable talking to another person before. When he was younger he would go out of his way to talk to his father¡¯s customers, but it had been a long time since those days. Riala looked surprised and perhaps a bit embarrassed, though not nearly as much so as Maiz felt. ¡°Of course! I mean, if you succeed it helps me too, and honestly you¡¯ve been doing great on your own!¡± Maiz smiled faintly. ¡°I want to talk to you some more, but is it alright if I test a few things first?¡± Riala smiled back at him, brilliant white teeth almost blinding in the sunlight. ¡°No problem! If we¡¯re going to do the test of Dexterity next, then there¡¯ll be lots of time to talk! It gets kind of boring there, if you ask me.¡± Maiz decided not to question Riala about the next test just then, instead nodding to her and turning to face towards the center of the clearing. He raised his hands and prepared to cast Minor Icebolt, imagining the rushing water of his mana pour down his arms and reach his hands. He said the incantation, and watched the spike of ice fly from between his hands, bracing himself against the kick backwards he felt as it sped away. It went quite far, perhaps as much as 50 meters, before hitting the ground. Not bad. Other tests showed that the bolt functioned much like an arrow in flight, meaning that he could angle it at various trajectories to change the path it took. Interestingly, the spell always kicked backwards in the direction opposite of the icebolt¡¯s path. Maybe I can use that¡­ As a final test, Maiz waited long enough that his mana had certainly regenerated back to full, then fired off icebolts in quick succession, not bothering to aim or pay attention to the bolts¡¯ paths. He had to refocus his mana each time, though he could feel nothing, in order to cast the spell, meaning that it took about five seconds each time to cast it. He could cast the spell 7 times in that manner before it failed, meaning that he had probably run out of mana. He probably could have calculated that based on his Name Sheet and the spell¡¯s description, but that was math. After waiting a few more minutes for his mana to regenerate, he turned to Riala. ¡°Ok, I think that¡¯s about it, is it okay if we go now Riala?¡± Riala had watched him silently with interest and--maybe--approval on her face. ¡°Sure! Just¡­ just step right into the portal!¡± She indicated the rightmost archway. Had she been about to say something else there? If it was anything important, she would have told me. She¡¯s been nothing but helpful so far. Maiz stepped through the archway. ******* Shadar leaned back on his throne as Digaratoth exited through the double doors. He¡¯d stayed back after the others to handle a few more mundane matters regarding his territories. He was officially Shadar¡¯s coordinator for his regional commanders, and unofficially his spymaster. As Shadar had expected, the state of many of his Dungeons, especially ones far away from the Dragon¡¯s Tooth, was deteriorating fast. He simply didn¡¯t have enough trusted leaders to held that much land, and worse, many monsters refused to be ruled by any but their own kind. It was all but impossible for Shadar to make that possible however, because often several different species lived in close proximity to each other, inhabiting the same Dungeons. For example, the Hankor Waste had been ruled by the leader of the Moskar, a race humanoid insect-people who were ubiquitous in most Dungeons in the desert. Apparently the dragons had killed him as the first move in their attempted coup. After going over a list of the most troublesome Dungeons, Shadar had given Digaratoth instructions to order raids on human settlements and increased training. The Saurian would speak with the leaders of those areas to make sure the raids would be of the appropriate size--large enough to excite and occupy the rebellious forces, but small enough to avoid the attention of too many Master-level combatants. Taking a deep, weary breath, Shadar stood from his stone chair, sparing a glance for the room before him. The black stone of the floor was incredibly smooth: he could see his own reflection in it as he glanced down. There was no sign of damage from the fight that had taken place earlier, as he had repaired it to perfection. The walls and ceiling were made of red and black stone which appeared impossibly well-quarried and built. The rock came together to form an intricate pattern of flames across the room--though the red stone was monochromatic it shimmered in the light of the chandelier above, and the stone flames which spread down from the ceiling appeared to move as the real flames of the candles danced. The throne room appeared at first glance to have a simple layout, with his black monstrosity of a chair being the only piece of furniture in it. But the wavy lines where red and black stone met concealed over a dozen entrances to passageways leading to different locations throughout the Dungeon. Shadar had designed the layout of the fortress so that his throne room could act as a locus for the entire place while appearing austere to guests. He had a more comfortable waiting room to the side of his throne where he would stay if there was no business to attend to, but that was not where he was headed now. There was a complex system of catches to open the various passages in the throne room, but Shadar never bothered with them himself; he simply willed the catch built in the wall to disengage by manipulating the aura of the Dungeon with his magic. A seemingly innocuous section of the black and red wall swung inwards without a sound, prompting a flash of pride from Shadar at the quality of the construction. He stepped into the darkness of the passage, following the winding, claustrophobic corridor. He didn¡¯t bother lighting this passage anymore--he knew every turn by heart. In less than a minute he was in a small gray room. There was barely enough space for three people to stand on the fur rugs lining the floor. Inset into the wall across from the door was a shrine. Shadar had kept to the bare minimum necessary to consecrate the shrine to Massahn--his symbol carved into the wall and a ritual bowl for offerings. The symbol, a claw dripping with blood, glowed a soft red and cast the room in scarlet tones. Shadar sat on the rugs, making sure that he would not cramp up if he stayed there long, and uttered a short prayer to Massahn. Almost instantly, the world faded. ¡°Hello Shadar.¡± Shadar¡¯s vision was almost entirely black. He felt as though he was floating in an endless void. The only thing he could see was the being in front of him. The entity appeared to be a tall, willowy young man. He was pale--an oddity in this part of the world--and bald, without a strand of hair visible on his body, though his voluminous red robes may have concealed some. However, his most salient feature was his eyes--they glowed the same shade of red as the bloody claw had. The light tinged his sallow face a harsh red, emphasizing the shadows cast by his high cheekbones. ¡°Hello Garth.¡± Shadar¡¯s reply was calm as always. He had been here too many times to be disconcerted. ¡°It¡¯s been too long, how have you been?¡± The Celestial¡¯s words were juxtaposed with his emotionless tone. That had confused Shadar when he¡¯d first met Garth, years ago--of course, the entire experience of his trial had been confusing. But now Shadar knew that Garth was really trying to be friendly with Shadar. He was not sure who that made more uncomfortable: him or Garth. ¡°The same.¡± ¡°Ah, but I know that can¡¯t be true. Despite your Divine inclinations, you are still faintly mortal and thus eternally subject to change. However, I gather that you did not initiate this meeting in order to make small talk. On that subject, why did you not simply wait till you slept in order to meet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t always want to spend my night talking with you Garth.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shadar ignored the question. ¡°I have given orders for the Hankor Waste to mobilize.¡± Garth¡¯s eyebrows raised a fraction. ¡°Is there a cluster of Dungeons that borders the Waste of which I am not aware? Has some priest figured out how to consecrate new shrines?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sending them against the humans to the West.¡± The light emitting from the Celestial¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Interesting. I cannot say I am displeased, but I believe that this is a departure on your previous position on this matter. And I must admit that thus far you have done much to strengthen the Lord and His children.¡± Shadar sighed. Garth didn¡¯t do much in the mortal plane, but something abouthimbroughtShadarback to his youth. ¡°Yes, Garth, but I just killed two Masters from the Golden Nest today.¡± ¡°Excellent. Have you gained a rank then? How close are you to becoming a Grandmaster?¡± Shadar hadn¡¯t checked his Name or Notification Sheets for weeks. It was hardly important what his rank was--his abilities depended largely on the ranks of his opponents, not his own. ¡°You see Garth, you¡¯re forgetting the big picture.¡± ¡°Ah yes. Your theoretical explanation for the lack of substantial victory for Massahn¡¯s children over the millenia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unimportant. I plan to continue uniting the children, but those I already have in hand are becoming restless. This is an experiment.¡± Garth appeared to consider for a moment. ¡°It makes little difference to me. I approve of testing the Lord¡¯s children through battle, as you know. You have done this admirably, albeit non-traditionally, for the entirety of your tenure as God-Chosen. However I have my own reasons to speak with you. I was planning on visiting you tonight, in fact, but you have expedited the process.¡± It was Shadar¡¯s turn to raise an eyebrow. It was rare for Garth to have something to tell him. He wasn¡¯t clear what the Celestial did when he wasn¡¯t being Shadar¡¯s liaison, but given his obsession with tests and battle, it was undoubtedly¡­ interesting. Either way, Garth did not spend much time actually doing anything on Shadar¡¯s behalf as far as he was aware. ¡°You are on the verge of officially entering a new Age. I told you that the other gods had begun to choose their own champions, correct?¡± Shadar frowned. ¡°No. When did this begin happening? And does the trial not determine who becomes God-Chosen?¡± ¡°Oh, it began almost immediately after you yourself were chosen. That was not so long ago, was it? And to answer your second question,the trialdoes qualify humans to become God-Chosen, but the test is not the same for every god. The Lord Massahn had a sense of your character, and was able to choose for you to undertake his trial. You survived, which qualified you to become his God-Chosen.¡± Shadar almost winced. Despite all of his power, the memory of that experience was still burned into his memory. Also, it was trying that Garth apparently considered almost two decades to be ''not so long ago.'' ¡°And the Naming Ritual?¡± ¡°The Ritual was a brilliant invention of Lord Viselys, a ploy which could be used to ¡®weed out¡¯ those unfit for power and allow the gods the chance to view a potential candidate¡¯s suitability for a particular role.¡± Shadar had more questions about the process, but he just shook his head. It was unimportant to him now. ¡°What¡¯s this about a new Age?¡± ¡°The last god without a Chosen is currently reviewing a candidate in trial. If he decides to accept the boy, then we will have entered an age of God-Chosen again. Even if he does not, it is only a matter of time.¡± Shadar sighed once again. It did not mater much to him whether there were other God-Chosen around, so long as they did not get in his way. However, he had a suspicion that they would. ¡°So, which of the Seven is still choosing? Lumia? Ulion?¡± He did not know which of those two would be worse. Lumia professed hatred for many of Massahn¡¯s children, while Ulion claimed to be their ally. Both were too wrapped up in their own private struggles to pay much attention to the other gods, which was why Shadar assumed they would be last to pick. Garth let out a chuckle in his flat voice. ¡°No, they both chose almost simultaneously some years back.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± Garth told him. Chapter 7 Maiz¡¯s first step felt normal, comfortable. But as he took his second, his foot slipped, scraping against the ground. For an instant Maiz thought that the ground was simply uneven, but instead of settling back on the ground, his foot flailed out in the open air, and in moments his entire body was tipping over. Oh hells. Maiz realized what was happening an instant too late. This isn¡¯t ground. In desperation, as he felt his balance fail and his weight begin to topple, he shot his stable foot out in the opposite direction, and bore as much of his body in that direction as he could. It was an awkward, difficult maneuver, and he would not have been able to do it before the trial, but his new Dexterity served him well. Though Maiz was no longer on his feet, he was in no danger of falling. As Riala stepped through the portal after Maiz, he was glaring up at her, his hands gripping a tree branch for his life. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that this test would start on a gods-damned plant?¡± Maiz began shifting his weight so that he could stand up without falling over the side of the branch. It was fairly large, Maiz supposed. Certainly larger than any tree branch that he had ever seen before taking the trial; it was big enough in diameter that Maiz thought he could have just barely wrapped his arms around the entire thing. It was also flat enough on top that walking on it probably would have been no problem, if he had known what to expect. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Riala¡¯s face was once again contrite. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t allowed to tell you, it was part of the test! In fact, it¡¯s practically the only difficult part of this test, so I couldn¡¯t say anything! But you did it!¡± Towards the end her voice began to edge back towards its normal enthusiasm. Of course. Maiz grunted, turning away from Riala as he got to his feet. ¡°I understand.¡± He began to look at his surroundings, and almost fell again in shock. Maiz had gotten used to the ideas of the gigantic trees populating this forest. He had even admired their height and majesty from the ground on the path. But he hadn¡¯t quite realized exactly how high they were. Maiz glanced downwards, saw the dozens of meters between him and the ground, and snapped his gaze forward. Don¡¯t worry about that, just focus here. Around him there was a surprising amount of open space, but his view was partially obscured by more branches and leaves from the trees near him. ¡°What should I do now?¡± There was silence behind him, and Maiz didn¡¯t want to risk his balance by looking back at her. Right. Got to do this by myself, it¡¯s part of the test. Maiz began walking forward carefully on the branch. His balance felt sure, but he kept his gait slow, walking towards the center of the tree this branch was attached to. A few time his gaze began to drift downward, but he kept his eyes firmly in front of him. Stay focused. In a short time, he was approaching the trunk, and there was more greenery surrounding him, gently tickling his face. For a moment he began looking around for a path forward, or any sort of direction as to what to do. Then he saw an arrow carved conspicuously into the trunk of the tree, pointing upwards. I guess you don¡¯t need too many observation skills in this test. Looking up, Maiz could see plenty of branches that could act as hand and foot holds, so he began climbing. It was surprisingly easy for him. He knew that climbing could often require a good deal of Strength, at least on rocks, but this tree had so many branches that it felt more like walking up a staircase than anything. All Maiz had to do was keep his balance, which was relatively simple for him now, and keep his mind off of the immense drop that awaited a misstep. Soon, he felt comfortable enough to resume his conversation with Riala. ¡°So,¡± Maiz began, his breath slightly unsteady from the exertion, ¡°what do you do here when there isn¡¯t a Seeker to test?¡± Gods, that was terrible. Maiz couldn¡¯t claim he was any good at conversation, especially with women as beautiful and, frankly, strange as Riala. But she did not seem to mind his awkward overture. In fact, she seemed surprised, and even a little pleased. ¡°Oh, I mostly watch things happening from above. You humans can be really interesting if I¡¯m bored enough, and I can see all of Saleria from this plane. Sometimes I get to speak with other Celestials for instructions or even my god, if he has something important to tell me! That¡¯s only happened once or twice though.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ wow!¡± Maiz was stunned. He almost missed his next step from the shock. She had spoken directly to a god? ¡°W-what do you mean, your god?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a Celestial! We¡¯re like fragments of a god¡¯s power, and each of us works for the god which created us.¡± Riala seemed quite proud of her species. ¡°Oh.¡± This is absolutely ridiculous. ¡°So which god is your parent?¡± As he spoke, he continued ascending somewhat unsteadily. They were getting quite high. ¡°Hah! You can¡¯t tell just by looking at me?¡± What did she mean? Wait. Green hair and green glowing eyes. The same color as¡­ The same color as the Names above every person¡¯s head. And the text of his Name Sheet. And his Title Sheet. And the icon which opened his Notifications. The color of Nomenadon, god of Names. ¡°O-of c-course!¡± Maiz stammered. ¡°I-I get it.¡± She¡¯s seen the most powerful god in the entire world? Nomenadon was the reason that every human could gain incredible skill and power through hard work in the profession related to their title. He had Named even the other gods, and his strength was acknowledged by every other being on the face of Saleria. Father Gavrel had said once that Nomenadon had all of the knowledge in the entire world, and thus all of the power on Saleria originated with him. Suddenly Maiz was having trouble gripping onto the next branch. His palms were feeling sweaty, and he had to stop for a moment. ¡°But anyways, that¡¯s enough about me, why don¡¯t we talk more about you? You were saying something about your father earlier?¡± Normally Maiz wouldn¡¯t have been able to talk about his father, but he was still stunned at the thought that he was speaking to a direct servant of Nomenadon. ¡°My father was a book merchant. I read some of his books whenever he got shipments.¡± ¡°Wow! I didn¡¯t realize humans bought and sold books now! Does your father make a lot of money?¡± ¡°He did when I was younger, yes.¡± Maiz continued his climb. ¡°What happened?¡± Riala¡¯s voice was mildly curious. She was following him up the tree, so he couldn¡¯t see her face. She couldn¡¯t see his face either. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ not much of a market for books in my city. Only for rich people, remember? My father had a big business though, he was the only bookseller in the city. But a few years ago, a noble house in the city decided to get in on the bookselling business.¡± Maiz¡¯s throat began to feel tighter, and he stopped speaking, silently climbing the branches. ¡°Oh, so I guess it was tougher for your father to make money with competition, huh? That¡¯s too bad, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± The word came out choked, and he wasn¡¯t sure Riala heard it. However, he could see directly above that the tree¡¯s branches simply stopped ahead, leaving the trunk bare. I suppose we¡¯ve gotten as high as we¡¯re supposed to, then. It was a relief to focus on the test. As Maiz climbed the last few branches, he could see several vines attached to the branches, knotted tightly in grooves near the trunk of the tree. Maiz followed the vines outwards as he reached the top seeing a veritable web of vines extending across a gap in the trees in front of him in a triangular pattern. They were incredibly high up at this point, and Maiz did not dare look down. He could, however, easily see that there were only a few trees as tall as the one he was on at the moment. In fact, three of those trees were in a line on the other side of the gap, the vines attaching to all three and forming the triangle with the tip pointing towards Maiz. More vines made the network denser but did not appear to connect to any trees. It was very clear what he was supposed to do. ¡°Will the vines break if I go on them? Are you allowed to say?¡± ¡°Yeah that¡¯s a valid question, and no the vines won¡¯t break unless you try to cut them somehow.¡± All right then. Not all of the vines were taut--several looked like they were just resting against other lines, so he¡¯d have to be careful. After taking a moment to catch his breath and ensure his clothing was all secure, Maiz stepped out onto a pair of vines. He laid his entire body over the lines, preferring not to take chances with walking upright just then. While this was certainly more difficult than climbing the tree, it only required a bit more concentration and care on Maiz¡¯s part. He edged out slowly, deciding to make for the leftmost tree in the distance. The one time he glanced back, he saw Riala following him of her feet, a serene expression on her face. Her steps didn¡¯t appear to wobble the vines at all, for which Maiz was grateful. His own movements often resulted in some instabilities in the web, and he suspected that if he had not spread his weight over multiple vines it would have been far harder to keep his balance. Indeed, after perhaps fifteen minutes of traversing the web of vines towards the large tree, the vines began to become sparser, and Maiz found it more and more difficult to keep himself from tipping over the side of the vines. If that happened, he was not sure he could save himself from falling completely--he still only had 6 Strength, and he was getting tired from this exertion. As Maiz stretched his hand forward to grab another vine, it fell away from his hand, leaving him momentarily unbalanced. It had been one of the vines laid across the others without being secured to anything. A trap. Oops. He righted himself just in time to avoid tipping, holding tight to three other vines. This was the widest they got¡ªMaiz could see that this was the last point where he could easily choose which of the three trees to move to. After this the vines began to converge again on each tree¡¯s branches. From this distance, only a few hundred meters or so away, Maiz could see that the trees were all massive, much taller than the one he had been climbing earlier. He hadn¡¯t bothered to worry about choosing which of the trees to climb to--he planned to visit all three. Presumably he would get some advantage from doing so, and if not it didn¡¯t matter much; there didn¡¯t seem to be a time limit for the test. In a few more minutes of--more careful--climbing, Maiz reached the leftmost tree. He was near the top of the gargantuan plant, and its huge amount of leaves and branches made seeing out much past them rather difficult. Maiz spent a few moments catching his breath, then looked around carefully. What am I supposed to do? He began to look around, trying to find some other indication of what to do. He even checked the trunk of the tree again in case there was another arrow giving him directions. There wasn¡¯t, but as he looked up and down the trunk, he saw something odd nestled in the branches above him. It was a pair of black boots. Huh. They looked to be extremely well made, but he couldn¡¯t see anything else unusual about them from that distance. Oh well. Maiz could guess that there wouldn¡¯t be a pair of boots stuck in the branches of this tree for no reason. He began to climb up the tree to attempt to take them. This time climbing the tree was a much more difficult proposition. Maiz had to stop several times to rest, analyzing ways to use the sparse handholds to ascend up to the level of the boots. Every time he could get up a few meters, but found himself with all of the handholds just out of reach. He could see the small branch he felt sure he was meant to grab onto, but even stretching with all of his might, he couldn¡¯t reach it. Riala, watching him from below, hadn¡¯t said anything. He had to do this on his own. He took a moment to rest as he considered. Why did this test have to be so hard? But even as the thought crossed his head, he answered his own question: weak people have no business holding power.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Fine. Flexing his knees, Maiz felt the power of his body in a way he hadn¡¯t before he¡¯d gained his Dexterity points, and jumped. The branch beneath him had sprung slightly with his jump, giving him extra power, and he was suddenly launched farther up than he¡¯d expected. Luckily, he managed to react quickly, grabbing two handholds and bracing his feet on the trunk. Holding himself up was extremely difficult, but with a grunt of effort he managed to use the last bit of momentum from the jump to pull himself upwards, getting his foot on the small branch and stabilizing himself. ¡°Nice job!¡± Riala called from below. ¡°Thanks!¡± Maiz was quite proud. As he took a minute to rebalance himself, he noticed the flashing green ¡®N¡¯ in the corner of his vision again. The symbol for his Notification Sheet. That was odd, considering he hadn¡¯t been fighting. Frowning slightly in confusion, Maiz opened the Sheet. You have learned the skill Climbing! You have improved Climb to Rank 2! +5 exp (15/40 exp to next rank) You have improved Climb to Rank 3! +5 exp (20/40 exp to next rank) You have learned the skill Jump! Interesting. As far as Maiz knew, people of most titles could learn skills like Climb and Jump. They were not restricted in the same way as more powerful skills often were. What was surprising was that he had apparently increased the rank of his Climb skill during his ascent of the first tree. Maiz had assumed that the Seeker title functioned like a normal combat title, which would only allow experience gain and skill ranking through combat. Even non-combat titles only increased in rank when skills were used in a relevant profession. Perhaps Maiz shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, considering that the Seeker title appeared to be designed for this trial. It made some sense that using any skill to complete its challenges would count towards his ranks. Either way, it was a welcome boon, though apparently the benefits from learning the skills were minimal for now. Continuing on, Maiz found it fairly easy to get to the boots from there, though he almost fumbled them when he stretched up to extricate them from the tangle of branches. He was standing on a rather large branch, and it was fairly easy to keep his balance as he examined the boots more closely. They had faint lines traced into the soles, indicating that they were enchanted somehow. ¡°Riala, can you tell me what these do?¡± ¡°Uh, no. But I can say that they¡¯re safe to put on!¡± She sounded apologetic again, but Maiz decided to take her words at face value. Unlacing his own cheap leather shoes, Maiz set them beside him on the branch, and put his feet into the enchanted boots. They fit perfectly, which was unsurprising to Maiz at this point. He had been past the point of true surprise since he found himself in this green hell. Lacing the boots up, Maiz didn¡¯t notice any change in himself or his surroundings, so he supposed that the enchantment had not activated yet. Items like these were fairly rare, but he knew from reading that most enchantments needed some sort of condition to occur before they activated. Cautiously, Maiz stood up. Nothing. Making sure he had a hand on the trunk of the tree and could see a few branches below to grab just in case, he kicked a foot out. Nothing. What is the enchantment on these things? Maiz thought back to how he had obtained the boots. Perhaps their function was intended to enhance some skill he¡¯d already demonstrated. Climbing? How could a pair of boots help me climb? But was there anything else special that he¡¯d done to get them? Oh. Jump. Maiz looked up. He could see several branches he could grab onto, should his theory prove correct. Bending his knees, he recalled exactly the feeling he¡¯d had when he had made that first leap minutes before, activating his new Jump skill. But as he pushed of the branch, it bent down much farther than last time, and he flew into the air. Maiz felt a moment of shock as he saw the branches he¡¯d meant to grab pass him on his way up. Hells. He had a flash of insight and threw his arms up above his head an instant before he registered a sharp pain in his forearms, and his ascent came to an abrupt halt. He¡¯d struck a branch of the gigantic tree, but luckily he had already been slowing down before he hit. Not so fortunately, he also managed to smack several branches with his body as he fell back down, breaking several smaller ones, until his torso slammed into a massive branch and he finally stopped. A groan escaped Maiz¡¯s lips, and his heart belatedly began to hammer, the feeling of panic having been too slow to affect him while he was in the air. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Riala was suddenly also on the same branch as Maiz, putting a hand on his shoulder. Her voice was full of concern, without a hint of its usual exuberant mirth. She gently but swiftly rolled Maiz over, examining his head and chest for injuries. At several spots on his chest Maiz felt flashes of pain as her hands felt at them. ¡°This is all my fault, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Another inarticulate groan was Maiz¡¯s only response. He opened his eyes slightly to see Riala¡¯s eyes glowing brightly. Her voice took on that same ominous quality it had in the glade. ¡°I take responsibility for this damage. It occurred because I failed to properly execute my duties, and I shall repair it so that the Seeker may continue the test.¡± There a sudden deep warmth permeating Maiz¡¯s body, and then a flash of ice cold, and... he felt perfectly fine. He did not have so much as a headache. Blinking, he stood up, looking at Riala. ¡°I feel like I should be angry at you.¡± But Maiz didn¡¯t actually feel anything but completely calm. At peace. Probably an effect of the healing. Riala¡¯s face flushed slightly, the pink showing more easily on her pale skin than it did for anyone he¡®d met before. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d do that until we got to the next bit in the test, but it was stupid of me not to realize that you¡¯d want to figure out what the boots did.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably.¡± Maiz rubbed his chest absently, though the shooting pain had vanished. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could heal me like that though.¡± ¡°Well I was the one who said the boots were safe. In my professional judgement, I caused your injuries, so I was allowed to heal them! Also, they weren¡¯t fatal, which meant that if you¡¯d just laid there long enough you would have recovered. This was faster.¡± ¡°All right.¡± That meant that Maiz couldn¡¯t rely on her to heal him of any mortal injuries, or at least any injuries he caused himself. Wait. Suddenly Maiz¡¯s artificial calm vanished. ¡°Hey! That was absolutely terrifying, why would you say those Massahn-touched boots were safe?¡± Riala winced. ¡°Well, you see, most people don¡¯t actually test out the boots until they get to the next part of the test.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s ridiculous! Why would you wait to find out what a pair of potentially dangerous magic items do until after you use them to climb a gigantic tree?¡± ¡°Um, well I don¡¯t think they realize that the boots are magical.¡± ¡°That makes even less sense! What exactly do they think a pair of boots stuck in a huge gods-damned tree in a gods-damned magical world are?¡± ¡°Uh, usually they say something like ¡®wow, those boots look really nice, my feet were starting to hurt.¡¯¡± Maiz threw up his hands in exasperation, and then steadied himself against the trunk of the tree as he almost fell off the branch. ¡°Whatever. Will the boots activate if I just take a step the wrong way? ¡°Nope! They only activate if you use the Jump skill!¡± Riala appeared to have decided that answering Maiz¡¯s questions about the boots was not cheating, for which he was grateful. That¡¯s good news, at least. ¡°And how exactly am I supposed to avoid breaking my legs when I land?¡± ¡°Well, if you land on your feet, the boots will absorb the energy from your impact!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Maiz supposed it made sense that the boots also tested his Dexterity by making sure he could land the jump properly, but he thought the penalty for failing to do so was more than a little harsh. ¡°Do they do that even if I don¡¯t use the jump skill beforehand?¡± Riala frowned. ¡°No, they have to be active in order for the enchantment to work.¡± That was disappointing, because Maiz had been hoping he could use the boots to simply hop back to the level of the net, but he wouldn¡¯t risk another disaster by Jumping to activate the boots. Giving Riala a grunt of acknowledgment, Maiz began his climb back down. In only a few minutes he was back on the net, carefully balancing as he made his way to the next tree. He had considered Jumping to the next tree, but he didn¡¯t think that he could make it that far and there was no reason to risk it. His earlier jump had been cut short, but Maiz suspected the boots let him jump something like a dozen meters--an incredible height, but not enough to get close to the second tree. Besides, he was becoming quite proficient at moving atop the vines, meaning that in only a quarter of an hour he was already at the middle tree in the line. This time as he stood on a sturdy branch to survey his surroundings, Maiz was surprised to see that the portion of the tree that he had been unable to see till then, the part that faced away from his starting point, was completely bare except for a single long branch. He quickly made his way to that side so he could get a better look at the scene in front of him. This area of the forest was completely devoid of the canopy that covered the rest of it. Instead of massive trees with branches swaying in the breeze, there was a series of wooden poles spaced far apart and forming a path to what looked like another tree in the distance. The ¡®poles¡¯ looked to be flattened trunks with the branches stripped away--they were wide enough for three or four people to stand on without difficulty. They were also spaced too far apart to reach either by stepping or leaping. At least, not without the help of the boots. Looks like this is the way forward. But Maiz wondered what he would find at the rightmost tree if he went there. There were two possibilities: either the tree would hold some item like the boots that would help him later in the trial, or it was a trap of some sort. Considering that the test likely wouldn¡¯t present a trap that was impossible to circumvent, Maiz decided to check what the last tree had to offer. As he made his way back, Riala spoke up for the first time since the disaster with the boots. ¡°What are you up to?¡± Stepping back onto the vines, Maiz answered. ¡°I¡¯m just going to check the last tree before I move on.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Maiz hadn¡¯t expected her to tell him anything about the third tree, as it was definitely part of the test. But then, he heard her voice again behind him. ¡°Um, you shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Maiz stopped, his body splayed across the vine web, and looked back at Riala. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a¡­ trap there. A, uh, monster called a leafling. It¡¯ll attack you when you¡¯re climbing or something and try to knock you off the branches.¡± She sounded extremely uncertain, even frightened as she said the words. Her face was flushed, and her glowing eyes were wide. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Maiz said in a voice almost as unsure. ¡°Riala, why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°I just¡­ I feel bad! I mean, you¡¯ve been working so hard ever since you got here, and I haven¡¯t given you any help! I totally could have told you more about the tests before we started, but I just wasn¡¯t sure what I was allowed to say! And this whole time, I¡¯ve basically been using you to try and get out of here, but you¡¯ve been so nice! You asked me about me! No one has ever done that, not since I first became a Judge. Father, no one¡¯s talked to me in a literal age! I felt like, I don¡¯t know, I should repay you somehow.¡± Her voice, which had been grown stronger during her initial outburst, trailed off at the end. Maiz was almost speechless. ¡°Riala, I¡­ thank you.¡± He felt a stinging in his eyes. ¡°This really means so much to me: I haven¡¯t had many people to talk to either, and no one¡¯s done anything remotely nice to me in the last few years before you.¡± He felt a few tears leak down his face, and he turned away from Riala, breathing deeply to control himself. He half-expected Riala to say something else, but she let him get ahold of himself first. After a few minutes, Maiz felt better, and he awkwardly turned himself around on the web so that he was facing Riala again. ¡°Maiz?¡± She spoke tentatively. ¡°Yeah?¡± Maiz replied, his voice soft. ¡°Is your father cruel to you?¡± The question was delivered in a near whisper. ¡°What? No!¡± Maiz was stunned out of both his happiness at Riala¡¯s gesture and his melancholy over his own words. ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I mean, you just said that no one has done anything nice to you and--¡± ¡°--my father is dead.¡± Maiz interrupted. The words came out easily, perhaps because of the shock of her question. Moreover, Maiz felt close to Riala, like she was his friend. He could share this with her. ¡°What?¡± Riala¡¯s face registered surprise, but she listened attentively as Maiz went on. ¡°I didn¡¯t finish the story earlier. That noble house, the Sharir, they weren¡¯t content just competing with my father for customers. My father¡­ started losing shipments from the North. I remember seeing him worrying over it, more and more as time went on. He had to take out loans from different traders to get any stock because of how many books never made it to him.¡± Maiz paused for a second, taking a deep breath. ¡°Then, after that had gone on for a while, and my father didn¡¯t have enough money left to pay off his debts, they bought all of it up.¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯m sorry, could you explain what that means?¡± Riala asked gently. ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t have debt with just one person: he borrowed some from almost every merchant in the city. But in Caelos, it¡¯s legal to buy someone¡¯s debt even if you¡¯re not the person who originally gave out the loan.¡± Maiz hands were clenched tightly to the vines he was sitting on. ¡°So the Sharir bought up all of his debt, then demanded he pay it back immediately. Of course, he couldn¡¯t.¡± Riala¡¯s face was a mask of tension and sympathy; she was extremely wrapped up in the story. ¡°The Sharir are fairly powerful in the city, certainly more than my father was. They were able force my father into bondage to pay off the debt, and they claimed that, in order to keep him from running away, they would need to keep me in prison until the debt was paid.¡± Now Riala¡¯s face showed a hint of puzzlement, but before she could even open her mouth Maiz continued. ¡°The thing is, the Sharir are known for their debtors prisons. A healthy man with fifty Constitution couldn¡¯t survive a year in one of them. My father requested them to put him in the prison and me in bondage to pay off the debt.¡± At this point, the tears were streaming freely down Maiz¡¯s face, but his voice remained steady. ¡°He died in two weeks. A disease, they said.¡± It felt like there was an oppressive silence around the pair of them as his last words disappeared into the air. Maiz couldn¡¯t hear the forest sounds of small creatures climbing up and down the trees, or of birds chirping as they flew above. Riala was saying something, but he wasn¡¯t listening. He was remembering the day, three years ago, when a short man with a messenger bag barged into the scribe¡¯s office where he worked as a slave, looked at him, and said ¡®Your father is dead¡¯ before leaving. No one else had said a word to him that day. Just ¡®your father is dead.¡¯ The other scribes hadn¡¯t looked up from their work as Maiz cried beside them. Chapter 8 ¡°Maiz?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Did you gain another rank yet?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± They were standing on the branch of yet another tree, staring at the darkness of a portal set directly in the trunk. The remainder of the trial had been quite simple. Once Maiz had gathered himself together, he had simply crawled back to the center tree and jumped across the set of stumps using his boots. Riala hadn¡¯t set a word to him the entire time after her first attempts at comforting him. He was grateful for that. He¡¯d needed the time focused on a problem to fully regain control of himself. ¡°Um, how much Strength did you have again?¡± Riala¡¯s voice was tentative, almost apologetic. ¡°Six. What''s up?¡± Maiz was trying hard to keep his tone upbeat, normal. He hadn¡¯t said anything more about his father, and Riala hadn¡¯t asked. Still, he¡¯d liked talking to her throughout the trial--it had been the most conversation he¡¯d had in almost three years. He wanted to make her feel comfortable speaking to him again. ¡°Well, I was thinking that you might want to go through the portal...¡± Riala¡¯s voice trailed off. Maiz frowned. ¡°What? I thought you said I should do all three tests before going on to the next level?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll, um, be able to complete the test as you are.¡± Oh. Right. Was Riala really so worried about telling him that? ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying Riala, it makes sense. I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± He said the last sentence with a slight chuckle, though it sounded a bit hollow to his ears. It was still hard to laugh. ¡°Oh good! I just thought you might be, I don¡¯t know, insulted or, or something.¡± Riala¡¯s voice had begun in its normal enthusiastic tone, but as she continued speaking a downcast expression reasserted itself on her face. Maiz frowned again. ¡°Riala, are you alright?¡± What¡¯s going on? ¡°Uh, did you really think I need to take the Strength test as well to have a chance?¡± I keep forgetting that she has a big stake in this trial as well. ¡°No, no I think you can do it!¡± This time her voice sounded upbeat as usual, but Maiz thought that she still sounded off. She must really think I have no chance. Suddenly Maiz desperately wanted to complete the trial. Not just for himself, though his plans still whispered in the back of his head, but for Riala. His friend. How can I¡­ ¡°Riala? Can you tell me what¡¯s in the trial of Strength?¡± She looked surprised for a moment, then thoughtful. Slowly, she spoke. ¡°I¡­ guess so. It¡¯s not a deliberate surprise like the other two, and you said the contract was updated so I suppose it¡¯s possible, yeah.¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Maiz cringed internally at hearing her mention the ¡°updated¡± contract. Great job being a good friend, you liar. But he still payed attention as Riala went on. ¡°Well, the trial starts at the entrance of a cave. The first part is supposed to test how much stamina you have at any one time. You walk through the cave and as you go you get heavier and heavier. Every step takes up more of your stamina and standing up also becomes a big drain. Most people have to crawl to get to the end of that part, if they can move at all. I think it takes about a hundred stamina or so to take the final step.¡± That does sound like it would be a problem. I only have sixty stamina right now. Analyzing the problem felt easier than thinking about why exactly Riala was telling him about the test. Riala had continued without stopping. ¡°Then your weight goes back to normal and you¡¯re in a room with a bunch of weapons and a suit of armor. There¡¯s a stone door past there into the next challenge, but it¡¯s very heavy. You have to use all of your stamina at once to open it, because it¡¯s supposed to test if you¡¯re able to control and focus your Strength. The portal is in the next room, but there¡¯s a Stoneskin Bear guarding it.¡± ¡°A Stoneskin Bear?¡± Maiz interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not actually made out of rock!¡± She gave a small laugh. ¡°It¡¯s just a big bear with thicker skin than normal. You have to really swing to get through it, so it¡¯s supposed to test your Strength and teach you the skill Power Attack.¡± Huh. ¡°Quick question, would my ice bolt be able to get through the bear¡¯s skin?¡± Riala gave him an odd look. ¡°Probably, but you probably wouldn¡¯t be able to kill it in the first shot. Besides, how are you going to get there in the first place? You just don¡¯t have enough Strength to make it past the first challenge.¡± She sounded apologetic as she said this, but absolutely certain. ¡°Um, second question, does the tunnel actually make you heavier, or do your movements just cost more stamina? And how long is it?¡± Now she frowned. ¡°Yes, it makes movements cost more stamina. And it¡¯s about a hundred meters long. Only the last dozen or so meters is really bad.¡± ¡°The tunnel is straight? No twists or turns?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s straight.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back. I want to see something.¡± *********** Maiz stepped out of inky blackness into a dimly-lit cave. The light had no apparent source, and it did not appear to extend much past where Maiz was standing. There was a deep darkness before him, but from Riala¡¯s descriptions, he knew what was ahead. As Maiz stepped further into the cave, the light seemed to follow him. Riala entered a moment later, and a second source of light appeared to follow her. ¡°You know Maiz, I really have no idea if this plan will work, are you sure it¡¯s worth risking it?¡± ¡°Even if I can¡¯t complete the test, I should be able to double back right? That¡¯s the whole point of this experiment. It¡¯s definitely worth a try.¡± Riala¡¯s worried expression did not abate. She had been acting strange ever since Maiz had told her about his father. Maiz couldn¡¯t blame her. It was hard to look at a person the same after hearing a story like that about them. Maiz wasn¡¯t the same person he¡¯d been before his father had died, after all. Maiz set off down the tunnel. At first he barely noticed the stamina drain that Riala had spoken of. He kept his Name Sheet open as he walked. His steps initially drained his stamina slower than he regenerated it. But as the walk forward continued, he began to notice that his stamina was decreasing over time, and that the drain accelerated as he continued walking. His steps felt heavier each moment, and his heart began beating faster as he worked harder to keep moving. At the halfway point, Maiz was forced to stop to rest. His last step had drained 8 stamina and left him gasping. After several minutes to cool down and restore his normal heart rate, Maiz struggled to his feet and continued. He made it another ten meters with short pauses in between each step. At that point his body felt like it was moving through syrup, and he was forced to kneel on the stone floor, heart hammering from the exertion. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do it, I think you should do it now. You¡¯ll be able to tell if you¡¯re right or not.¡± Maiz nodded, breathing too hard to speak. He took almost fifteen minutes to catch his breath, before he turned in the opposite direction. His Name Sheet was still open, but he could see past the spectral green text where Riala was standing. She moved farther down the tunnel, leaving him facing darkness in the direction of the tunnel¡¯s entrance. He laid his palms together slowly on the floor, squatting with both of his knees bent. He leaned forward as far as he could, until the top of his head was facing straight forward.Then, he simultaneously pictured his mana rushing down to his arms and his leg muscles bunching in preparation for a massive leap. As he shouted ¡°Minor Icebolt!¡± he also activated his Jump skill, causing a flash of light from his boots as the enchantment activated. As he shot forward, the icebolt smashed into the floor, adding additional power to his leap. Maiz was flying through the air back towards the entrance, wind rushing in his face. In the darkness he struggled to orient his feet towards the ground, barely managing to do so before they touched the ground. The enchantment on the boots arrested most of the momentum and he thudded to the stone floor. Maiz groaned at the impact, but he kept his eyes on the Stamina reading. 50/60. ¡°Yes!¡± Maiz forgot about his painful landing as he shouted in triumph. ¡°It worked?¡± Riala called from further down in the tunnel. He could no longer see her through the darkness, which was strange. ¡°Yeah, stay there and I¡¯ll come to you.¡± Maiz called back, struggling to his feet after a moment. It was just as difficult to walk back to Riala, but Maiz¡¯s body felt lighter from the results of the experiment. As he approached Riala, she gave him a grin. ¡°Wow. You¡¯re really lucky that no one thought to make the stamina penalty apply to skills!¡± Maiz smiled back at her brightly as he panted. ¡°I know! It almost makes the bruises worth it.¡± He rubbed at his side, where he¡¯d landed the first time he attempted the maneuver in the glade. She gave a laugh. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d be able to land it, but you impressed me! How far did you get?¡± ¡°Almost twenty meters, I think.¡± Maiz had been surprised how much force the icebolt imparted when he fired it into the ground--it had nearly doubled length of his jump once he had gotten the timing right. However, the enormous force was rough on his hands, and he rubbed his wrists as glanced forward into the darkness. ¡°I think I should be able to make it to the next room. Maybe three jumps. You¡¯re sure the opening is wide enough?¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just a border around the walls of the cave. You should be able to see it if you get a little farther in the tunnel. There¡¯s a light in the next section.¡± She gave him a concerned look. ¡°You know you have to be careful about how you land. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to move at all near the end of the tunnel.¡± ¡°I know, but I¡¯ve practiced for hours! It¡¯ll be fine.¡± With that assurance, Maiz slowly took his jumping position once more, squatting with his hands between his feet, leaning forward. Riala stepped back as he waited for his stamina to regenerate--at that point in the tunnel, even that small movement took up five stamina. Breathing in deeply as the number on his Name Sheet returned to sixty, Maiz once again shouted ¡°Minor Icebolt!¡± As he Jumped forward. As he raced through the air, Maiz reoriented himself frantically, his motions feeling somehow¡­ off. He had practiced this maneuver dozens of times in the glade, making sure that he could land in position to jump again. He did not want to risk being unable to move into the right position due to the stamina penalty in the tunnel. But this time, he just barely managed to land properly, boots slowing him down as he landed in the same squatting position. Maiz did not move as his stamina regenerated, keeping his eyes forward. There was no sense in risking his being stuck at any point in the tunnel. He waited for his stamina bar to refill again. It had gone down a bit more than last time, to 40/60. That was strange, but Maiz put it down to small movements as he landed. It was refilling at the moment, so he wasn¡¯t worried about being unable to continue. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Riala called from down the tunnel. ¡°Yes.¡± Maiz shouted back, though he noticed that the words felt heavier in the chest. Wow. This is more intense than I thought. However, he was close to the next room at this point: he could make it. Imagining his mana and body preparing for the next jump, Maiz said ¡°Minor Icebolt!¡± And flew through the air once more. He immediately began to prepare his body for the landing--and found that he could barely move. Hells! The ground was already fast approaching, but Maiz was still splayed out in the air, belly towards floor and limbs askew. Got to do something¡­ With a supreme effort, Maiz pulled his legs towards the ground in an effort to right himself. He was not able to move both, but he managed to get his right foot under him before he landed. Ow. Maiz felt sharp flashes of pain as his body collided with stone floor. His right boot had slowed the fall somewhat, but apparently it could not completely arrest his momentum by itself. ¡°Ughhhhhhh.¡± Maiz groaned. His torso had taken the worst of the impact--it felt like a giant had punched him in the stomach, and the wind was knocked out of him. He could only thank the gods that his head and... other delicateparts hadn¡¯t also hit the ground as hard. ¡°What happened Maiz?¡± Riala called again, but Maiz couldn¡¯t muster the breath to reply. Luckily, Riala was making her way down the tunnel towards him, and she reached him in a few minutes. By that time, Maiz had regained his wind and catalogued his injuries. He¡¯d gotten extremely lucky--it seemed like his only serious injury was a dull, throbbing pain in his left knee. He couldn¡¯t move to check however. ¡°Oh no!¡± Riala gasped as she came around in front of Maiz. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ an.... idiot.¡± Maiz was panting slightly by the end of the statement. The stamina drain. How could I have not realized? ¡°What?¡± Riala sounded confused, but he could only see her slippered feet from his position on the floor. ¡°Stamina¡­ drain¡­ affected¡­ me¡­¡± Maiz paused for a moment to rest. ¡°...midair.¡± ¡°Huh? Wha--¡± She gasped again as the realization hit her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we didn¡¯t think of that!¡± It was an obvious issue with Maiz¡¯s plan. He¡¯d practiced re-adjusting himself for his landing midair dozens of times, but he hadn¡¯t considered that his motions were technically not part of the Jump skill, and were thus affected by the tunnel¡¯s stamina penalty. He¡¯d barely been able to move enough to get his one foot under him due to the penalty impeding his movements. That had resulted in his painful fall, but it had a far more severe consequence as well. ¡°How are you going to keep going? Can you even move?¡± ¡°How¡­ far?¡± Maiz felt a creeping tendril of dread crawl up his spine as he said the question. ¡°It¡¯s actually pretty close, maybe a dozen meters? If you could look up, you¡¯d be able to see the light from the next section.¡± She sounded sad, as if she¡¯d already given up.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Maiz considered the problem. He carefully examined his body¡¯s position on the floor; he was lying on his stomach, his right foot awkwardly planted on the ground, his left leg straightened out behind him. His left toes were touching the ground, but that was it. His arms were extended out past his head, close together. ¡°Move¡­ out¡­ of¡­ the¡­ way.¡± Riala¡¯s feet moved out of Maiz¡¯s field of vision as she asked ¡°Why? What are planning now?¡± Maiz ignored the question, electing to save his breath. He needed all of his energy for this. One motion. Maiz had left his Name Sheet open the entire time, keeping half an eye on his stamina. It was currently at 55/60, apparently just from the exertion of speaking. While that drain wasn¡¯t particularly onerous, if he lost that much stamina just from speaking, he would be hard pressed to make any real motions at all. He waited for his stamina to replenish, considering carefully the move he wanted to make. It¡¯s simple. One simple motion and I can continue. He thought about the body mechanics involved. He would need to make the move in such a way that he used the fewest possible muscles. Just bend my knee and shift my weight. The stamina reading hit sixty once again. Focus. Maiz pulled his knee towards his stomach with as much force as he could muster while keeping his other limbs in the same place. He knew the movement he wanted his body to make, but it felt like he was pushing against ten men as his leg inched forward, his stamina dropping at an alarming rate as he pulled. His leg began shaking, but it still moved up slowly, until both of his heels were just barely touching the ground. Good enough. Maiz was panting slightly as he waited once again for his stamina to refill. His leg burned from the exertion, worse than he had ever felt before. He had never been forced to engage in physical labor, even as a bonded servant to the Sharir. Literate people were too valuable to waste in the mines or the fields. The thought of the Sharir brought a new fire to Maiz¡¯s resolve. He knew that this next part would hurt. He also knew that Riala would not be able to heal him from a fatal wound, as this was his own choice. Soon, his stamina had replenished itself, and from his awkward position on the ground, he directed his mana and bunched up his muscles as best he could. With the words of the spell¡¯s incantation, he flew into the air, completely unable to move as the stamina drain increased, and began tumbling from the instabilities in his flight. He was forced to close his eyes as the jumble of shifting viewpoints became too much for him, and he was thus unprepared when his right leg slammed into hard rock. Maiz realized that he could move in that instant before the rest of his body hit the floor, and curled up into a ball. Just stay alive. Maiz barely felt the impact of the rest of his body hitting the floor before everything went black. ************* Maiz awoke with a headache. As he opened his eyes, he winced slightly at the light above him, two strange streaks of green. They were bright, but somehow indistinct. In fact, the entire world was indistinct, blurry. Maiz wanted to look around, but he did not think he could lift up his head just yet. ¡°Maiz?¡± Riala¡¯s voice. Oh. Maiz¡¯s vision snapped back into focus, and Riala¡¯s concerned face was above him, green eyes glowing brightly, strand of her hair brushing his own face. This is the closest I¡®ve ever been to such a beautiful woman. Maiz was sixteen years old. It had been hard to ignore Riala¡¯s beauty throughout the trial, but being focused on his goal had helped. Moreover, he had quickly realized that, not only was she of a completely different race than Maiz, she was a few thousand years older than him. He was not sure he would have wanted to have a relationship with her even if she had offered. He was more than content with being her friend. But¡­ Maiz found the energy to move suddenly as he scrambled back from Riala, sitting up as he did so. He was glad that his skin was dark enough to hide his blush--he could not have imagined being as pale as Riala in this situation. ¡°I-I¡¯m awake.¡± He stammered. His voice sounded higher to him than usual. You¡¯re an idiot. Riala¡¯s expression shifted to confusion, then joy. ¡°You¡¯re okay! I thought I didn¡¯t see any brain damage, but I wasn¡¯t sure!¡± What''s she talking about? My brain? The errant thought snapped Maiz out of his embarrassment, and he cleared his throat. In a deeper voice, he asked ¡°So how long was I unconscious?¡± ¡°Oh it doesn¡¯t matter! You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t take too many injuries--I didn¡¯t see any broken bones, just some bruises!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Maiz tried to stand up. He discovered that ¡®some bruises¡¯ meant that his entire right side was extraordinarily tender to the touch. He made the mistake of getting on his right knee to stand up, and promptly fell over. He felt another blinding flash of pain as his right arm hit the floor, but he twisted and avoided any other bruised areas hitting the floor. ¡°Say,¡± Maiz said in a strained voice from his position on the floor, ¡°Since it¡¯s clear that I¡¯m not going to die at this point, do you think you could heal my bruises so that we can save some time?¡± ¡°Hmmmm.¡± Riala sounded thoughtful, though Maiz didn¡¯t bother lifting his head to look at her. ¡°I¡¯m not that great at anatomy, so I¡¯m not sure if there is something wrong with your internal organs. There¡¯s no bleeding in your limbs though, so I guess I can heal those.But you could still be dying from a cut to your liver or something, so I¡¯m not going to heal your torso.¡± There were several words in that sentence that Maiz had never heard before. An-atomy? Why is she talking about livers? Maiz knew vaguely that he had one of those, but he had no idea what it did, nor how it could ge cut by his fall.Still, he understood that she was going to heal his arm and leg, and that he may be dying somehow. Hopefully slowly. She touched his arm lightly, and muttered something under her breath, and suddenly the throbbing in his arm and leg vanished. He would have sighed in relief, but the absence of that pain almost seemed to amplify the ache in his abdomen. Also, it hurt to breathe in that deeply. This time when he stood, Maiz was able to keep his balance, although he swayed a little at first. He looked around. This section of the tunnel was well-lit, though the light did not seem to extend far back into the tunnel behind them, and he could see a plain grey stone wall in front, decorated only by a faintly visible rectangle set into the wall. That was presumably the heavy door that barred the way forward. On either side of him, set against the smooth stone of the tunnel walls, racks of weapons and armor were neatly arranged in rows three deep. There were a few sets of armor, of materials such as leather, chain, plate, and even scales. Maiz was happy to see that, though he¡¯d heard about it from Riala. However, the weapons captured most of Maiz¡¯s attention--there were over a dozen in front of him, many of designs that he had never seen before. Caelos¡¯ City Watch mostly carried swords, with the Slasher title being the most common combat title in the region. There were a few more specialized combatants in the city, but Maiz rarely saw anyone of that stature. Though he couldn¡¯t name most of the gleaming steel instruments before him, Maiz saw one common factor among them; they all looked large and heavy. There were swords, axes, and maces, all with different designs and features, but no knives or similar smaller weapons. He also spotted a few unwieldy looking staves and spears, all wrought of steel. Maiz¡¯s gaze lingered on one leaf-bladed sword, slightly curved, which reminded him of the weapons the Watch used, but there were plenty of two-sided weapons and ones with shapes he had never even read of. ¡°Wow.¡± Maiz muttered. ¡°So,¡± Riala said. ¡°What exactly is your plan for this one? You just asked me a bunch of questions about it and then looked off into space for a while.¡± Maiz blushed again. ¡°Well, it¡¯s basically the same thing as last time. Use the boots and icebolts to kill the bear.¡± Riala frowned. ¡°Yeah, I guess you could probably keep it from getting you, but it¡¯ll be tough to kill it with the ice spikes. Besides, how are you going to get past the door?¡± Maiz waved a hand. ¡°I¡¯ll show you in a bit, let me try on this leather armor first.¡± It took Maiz a few minutes to get the chest piece of the studded leather armor on, and Riala helped him do up the straps. He quickly put on the helm, bracers, and shoulder guards. The armor was fairly light, even for Maiz, but he still felt its weight as he took a few steps around the room. ¡°Looks good! How bad is the stamina penalty on it?¡± ¡°What?¡± Maiz did a double take at her question. ¡°Oh, just open your Name Sheet and check your Jump skill description!¡± Maiz did so, and immediately saw what she was talking about. Jump-Leap as far as you can in any direction using both legs. Rank: 2 Cost: 15 Stamina (+50% weight penalty). Effect: Jump 3 feet in the air. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Maiz had thought the armor was a little heavy, but a 50% penalty on skills? ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°Fifty percent!¡± Riala chuckled a little. Maiz realized he hadn¡¯t heard her laugh since the Dexterity trial. ¡°Well this armor is designed so that people with about 12 Strength would have no penalty wearing it. The other armor sets have higher penalties while offering more protection. With 6 Strength, it makes sense that you¡¯d have a 50% penalty.¡± Maiz hadn¡¯t followed that explanation, as it involved too much math. Maiz understood numbers, which was why he saw his attributes and statuses as numbers and percentages, but he hated math. Still, it was helpful to be able to break down his abilities like this. He had read that people without knowledge of words or numbers understood their attributes in different ways, such as with colored bars or ¡®feelings.¡¯ Being literate in both words and numbers gave Maiz the most precise way to understand his Name Sheet. ¡°Well then, I should probably go without the armor.¡± Maiz felt a hint of petulance creeping into his tone as he pulled off the helmet. Riala looked alarmed. ¡°Wait! If you do that, then you¡¯ll die as soon as the bear gets you!¡± ¡°And how much protection would the leather armor give me?¡± She winced a little. ¡°Um, it can stop a claw or two, but the bear can usually crush Seekers through it.¡± ¡°So basically, it¡¯s useless. If I get caught, I lose either way. The best way to do this is by maximizing the number of times I can Jump.¡± Riala looked troubled, but she nodded. Maiz knew how she felt. It was terrifying for him to consider fighting a bear wearing nothing more than his tunic and pants. However, he needed to be rational. He would likely be able to beat the bear by taking advantage of his own maneuverability and ability to attack from range. If the bear got too close to him, he would die. Well, die in this world. But that thought was no comfort to Maiz: if he failed the trial he would be sent back as a Scholar, and spend his life paying down his father¡¯s debt to the Sharir. He needed power to change his life, and succeeding was the only way to get it. ¡°But how are you going to get through the door?¡± Maiz flashed her an embarrassed grin. ¡°It¡¯s not really original. Watch.¡± Maiz walked up to the rectangle of stone. He was ready as he would ever be, and apparently if he waited too long he might die because of his ¡°organs.¡± Once he was a few meters away, he laid down, raising his feet and bracing them against the door. He put his hands against the floor, bending his knees. Then he once again performed his dual skill trick, activating his Jump skill against the door and firing the ice spike into the floor, shouting ¡°Minor Icebolt!¡± There was a brief moment of terrible compression for Maiz, as the energy of his Jump had nowhere to go. His hands almost slid out from under him, but the icebolt which blasted from them provided some counterforce and marred the rock enough to make holding on easier. His legs also went under great strain as they tried to spring from the stone of the door, but Maiz refused to let himself budge. In the next instant, the force ceased as the stone rectangle gave way with a crash of noise and Maiz fell flat on his face.I¡¯ve been falling too much in the past few hours. Maiz groaned at the pain in his torso, but he didn¡¯t have time to lie in agony. He scrambled to his feet and turned to see his opponent. Riala had called this beast a Stoneskin Bear. Indeed, Maiz could see that name floating above its head in spectral green. But the creature didn¡¯t appear to have actual stone for skin. It was however, a dusty gray which blended in with the rock around it. And it was massive. Bears were one of the most common animals described in northern novels, so Maiz had known to expect something big. He had imagined a creature approximately the size and shape of a horse, with claws and large teeth. But this hulking mass of muscle stood at least three meters at the shoulder, with massive limbs and a somehow cruel-looking snout. Even as Maiz got his first look at it, the bear reared up on its hind legs and let out a roar like grinding rock. Its mouth was huge, its yellow teeth long and sharp, and its eyes seemed filled with rage as they focused on Maiz. Maiz had a brief hope that beast would be unable to get through the opening in the wall to get at Maiz, but as it slammed back to the ground, Maiz could see that its shoulders were not that wide. I need space. If he was forced to fight in this room with its weapons racks and rather low ceiling, he would be unable to fully take advantage of his boots¡¯ ability. Thankfully the final room had a moderately high ceiling, with no adornments other than a plain stone door frame on the opposite side. That would be for the portal, though it wasn¡¯t active at the moment. It felt strange to run towards the terrifying monster, but Maiz steeled himself after a moment and ran into the room, immediately running to the side. It took a moment for his panicked mind to settle on a thought as the bear roared again. He turned to face it, raising his hands. There were maybe twenty meters between him and the bear at the moment, but it was lumbering towards him, surprisingly fast. He thought of his mana rushing down his arms, but he trouble concentrating. The first time he said the incantation, the spell failed. As he concentrated again, the bear got even closer, and Maiz shouted ¡°Minor Icebolt!¡± The spike of ice shot from Maiz¡¯s hands, and flew past the bear¡¯s shoulder. Oh hells. There was no more time. Maiz Jumped to the side, the rush disorienting him for a moment as he landed. He whirled, seeing the bear barrel through the space he¡¯d just occupied. He was a dozen meters away from the bear, and it had yet to turn. Taking a deep breath as he directed his mana and raised his hands, Maiz took careful aim. It was easier to concentrate without seeing the monster¡¯s murderous eyes. When the ice spike shot from his hands, the Stoneskin Bear took another step forward, and the icebolt pierced its right foreleg. That was lucky. Let¡¯s hope it stays that way. The blueish spike of ice had not penetrated far into the bear¡¯s leg, but it was deep enough that it was not dislodged as the bear roared in pain and reared up once again, turning to face Maiz. He was already trying to direct his mana, but as he shot the second bolt towards its head the beast was charging toward him, and the spike sailed over its head. No time for another one. Maiz Jumped to a spot on the floor next to the portal¡¯s frame. There was a crash as the beast smashed into the wall--Maiz thought he could feel the floor shake. Frantically, Maiz checked his Name Sheet for his stamina and mana. 30/60 and 40/150. Not good. The monster was faster than he¡¯d been expecting, and was draining his reserves too fast. He had only two, maybe three Jumps left, depending upon how long he could wait in between. Even as he considered his options he fired another bolt at the bear, piercing its flank. The bear didn¡¯t rear up again like he¡¯d been hoping, but his second shot hit it in the other leg as it ran towards Maiz once again. The bolt also pierced its skin, but it didn''t seem to slow it down much. The creature¡¯s skin was too tough--it was injured by the bolts, but it would take too long for it to bleed out. At this rate, he would run out of stamina and get mauled. Maiz frantically tried to think of a solution as the snarling bear charged towards him. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. I need to get into the other room. Unfortunately, the bear was between him and the rectangular hole in the wall. Maiz could now see the terrifying details of its face--its lips bared in a snarl, the whites of its eyes standing out against its gray fur. The creature had a strange, bounding gait, it fat and fur shaking with every step, but it didn¡¯t appear to care about the two spikes still dangling from its forelegs. It was getting very close now¡­ no time. Maiz Jumped over the charging bear, clearing its head by less than a meter. Thank the gods I judged the arc correctly. Suddenly Maiz was intensely grateful he¡¯d spent so much time practicing with the boots before this. He sailed over the bear, landing just short of the stone slab in front of the opening. He hopped over the slab and into the armory, not bothering to try and shoot at the bear. He ran over to the weapons racks, frantically searching for what he needed. In the second rack from the wall, he found it. A spear, long with a triangular blade at its tip and a metal shaft. It was almost as long as Maiz was tall, and quite heavy. He awkwardly pulled it out of the rack, fumbling slightly in his haste. Maiz could carry the thing, but he wouldn¡¯t have been able to swing it around in close combat--he wasn¡¯t even sure such a comparatively flimsy weapon could have stood up to the Stoneskin Bear at all. Still, it was perfect for his purposes. The bear was roaring. Maiz ran back to the hole carrying the spear, and saw the bear shifting its weight to its back leg. Now. Maiz hopped up onto the stone slab and leaned forward as quickly as he could. He gripped the spear tightly, wrapping one arm around it like he¡¯d seen a Watchman do once. As the bear reared up, he Jumped. In less than a second, Maiz¡¯s forearm slammed into something, he heard a popping sound, and he felt pain. The rest of his body hit the same object, and he lost his grip on the spear as he fell to the ground. As his back slammed into the stone, he felt another stab of pain in his ribs, and when his head hit the ground a moment later, the world went black. ********* ¡°Maiz!¡± Riala¡¯s voice. She sounded urgent. Maiz opened his eyes, but the world was blurry and confusing. He could make out the green light that indicated Riala¡¯s presence, but nothing more. ¡°You have to get through the portal now! Get up!¡± Maiz felt a stinging flash on his cheek, and he felt a deeper throb of pain from inside his skull. He wanted to groan, but he somehow knew it would only hurt more. Instead, he tried sitting up. He moved his left arm to push himself up, but for some reason nothing happened. He put his right hand on the floor and pushed himself to his feet. His head spun, and he almost fell, but suddenly there was a soft hand on his arm, steadying him. The hand guided him forward, and he took a few hesitant steps. ¡°Take another step into the portal, Maiz.¡± All Maiz could see in front of him was blackness. He took a step. Chapter 9 Maiz¡¯s vision snapped into focus, tendrils of blackness playing at the corners of his eyes. He took another step, and the darkness receded, as did the pain throughout his body. His balance, which had been wavering before, was suddenly steady as always. It was a strange sensation, not any sort of pleasure, simply the absence of pain. He didn¡¯t even feel any relief at the healing, just as if he had never been hurt at all. But more pressing was the sound filling the space he was now entering. A light, breathless, and somehow smooth laugh. Maiz took a quick glance around him. He was in some sort of¡­ sitting room. The only light was coming from a fire blazing in a fireplace to the right. It illuminated two beautiful, comfortable-looking chairs facing each other, made of wood and some unfamiliar, glossy fabric. The floor was some sort of dark wood, each plank fitted together perfectly with a level of craftsmanship Maiz had never seen before. Standing in front of the window was a tall, slender man as pale as Riala, but with black hair. He was wearing a long sleeved, buttoned shirt very different from Maiz¡¯s own belted tunic. Maiz couldn¡¯t see his face because his head was thrown back, slender white throat exposed as he laughed. ¡°Um, hello?¡± Maiz looked around for Riala, but she wasn¡¯t in the room. In fact¡­ ¡°What happened to the portal?¡± Where Maiz had expected to see a black portal, perhaps set into a door frame, there was only plain wood wall. ¡°Hi!¡± The man said breathlessly in between laughs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ have you ever heard of an animal called a ¡®frog?¡¯¡± Maiz frowned. A what? ¡°Or, how about a d-donkey?¡± At this the strange man doubled over in mirth. Maiz opened his mouth, intending to demand answers, but he closed it almost immediately. Something about this man was off-putting. Maiz decided that caution was his best option. It took a few minutes for the man to stop laughing. Maiz spent the time looking around the room surreptitiously. On the surface it seemed like a small, sparse space, with the two chairs being the only furniture. However, Maiz could tell that the level of craftsmanship that went into the construction of the room was incredible. He had rarely seen buildings made of wood in Caelos, but those he had seen seemed like piles of planks and nails compared to the seamless carpentry of this place¡¯s floor and walls. To say nothing of the wood itself: it was a dark red color, smooth with grain illuminated by the firelight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the man repeated, ¡°why don¡¯t we sit down?¡± He gestured at the two chairs, and then took a seat facing Maiz. Hesitantly, Maiz stepped forward and sat in the other chair. Again, he almost asked the man who he was, and what was going on, but something held him back. He sank slightly into the chair, marvelling at its softness, and stared at the dark-haired man. ¡°Now then, I hope you¡¯ve realized that you¡¯re no longer in the trial. Congratulations, you¡¯ve passed!¡± The man chuckled a little more. ¡°You know, it¡¯s been a thousand years or so since I¡¯ve laughed like that, but hells if you didn¡¯t look like a frog jumping around that tunnel!¡± Maiz had a moment of confusion. I passed? Then he remembered what Riala had said. The reward for completing the trial. A personal interview with a god. Maiz almost knocked over the chair as he sprang to his feet, then prostrated himself on the floor. He smacked his nose onto the ground in his haste, but he hardly noticed the pain. ¡°M-my Lord.¡± He fumbled trying to think of an appropriate prayer. Oh please, don¡¯t smite me, please please please¡­ He almost said the words out loud, but luckily his throat went too dry to speak before he could. Almost involuntarily, a dozen stories of men who had seen a god or goddess and irritated them flashed through Maiz¡¯s head. Those stories often had different morals, about humility or kindness or whatever else the author felt like teaching the reader, but they all ended the same way. Before he could speak again, the man laughed once more. Maiz kept his eyes on the floor, but he listened intently to the man--the god--as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re quick! I was fairly impressed with how you did in my trial, you know. But that¡¯s the first half of this test. I have one question, before you get back up. If you answer correctly, then we¡¯ll be discussing your duties as my champion. If not... well, let¡¯s not worry about that just now.¡± That last sentence held a hint of predatory anticipation, but the god continued in his casual, conversational tone. ¡°Who am I?¡± Maiz had been wondering the same question in a corner of his mind since he¡¯d realized what he was talking to. There were five male gods: Nomenadon, god of Names, Haddad, god of smiths and creation, Viselys, god of deception and chaos, Massahn, god of trials and monsters, and Ulion, god of darkness and corruption. Of course, their actual roles in the various mythologies were much more complicated than those names implied, but Maiz had always remembered the children¡¯s book where he¡¯d read first read the titles. Focus on the all-powerful entity standing in front of you, idiot. Right. There were no physical descriptions of the gods, and they could change form at will. He could not rely on the god¡¯s appearance to identify him. What can I use? What had the god said just now? He was impressed with how I did in his trial. Clearly, there was something irregular going on with the trial. Riala had said there would be several more challenges to complete before he would meet a god, yet suddenly he was there. Sweat began trickling down the sides of Maiz¡¯s face as he lay face-down on the wooden floor, thinking furiously. The only sound in the room was a low crackle from the fire. Focus. This¡­ god must have changed the trial somehow, or created one from whole cloth. If that was the case, then perhaps Maiz could use the trial to determine who the god was. Maiz thought for a moment about the tests he had taken for the trial. He could not see how any of the challenges related to Intelligence, Dexterity, and Strength aligned with the domains of any god. Perhaps Lord Massahn, if only because Maiz had taken a test, but Maiz had no doubt that every god would have put him through some kind of trial. No. I¡¯m thinking about this wrong. He said I did well. What did I do differently in the trial? He had performed decently on the Intelligence and Dexterity tests, but he hadn¡¯t really done anything special in either of them. Any person with enough attribute points could have done the same thing. Even with the Strength test, Maiz hadn¡¯t done anything particularly impressive. He¡¯d basically exploited a flaw in the trial¡¯s design to cheat his way through. In fact, that was all Maiz had really done. Cheat. Starting-- --with when he¡¯d lied. His entire success had been predicated on his decision to lie to Riala. He¡¯d cheated to get her help to cheat more. He¡¯d won by being deceptive. ¡°Lord Viselys.¡± The words flew out of Maiz¡¯s mouth, and he instinctively cowered as he said them. Idiot! He¡¯d intended to wait, to consider more, to think. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± The words should have been a relief to Maiz, but he cowered even more as he heard them. The man¡¯s smooth tenor suddenly had that predatory edge again, even stronger, and Maiz felt his blood run cold at the sound of it. "But it''s only half the answer." What? What did he mean? Maiz had answered correctly, after all. The test had been to see if he could lie and cheat, just like Viselys did in the stories. Maiz still felt bad about it, though. He¡¯d had to to lie to¡­ Maiz¡¯s throat choked up. He knew the answer, but even as his tears hit the floor below him he couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Say it, boy.¡± Satisfaction, even glee. Why does this god take pleasure in hurting me? ¡°You are Riala¡¯s father. You created her.¡± There was a moment of silence. Maiz felt numb. She lied to me. She was lying to me the entire time I knew her. ¡°Get up.¡± Maiz rose, tears now streaming down his face. The light of the fire stung his eyes a bit, but he could not take his eyes off of the man before him. Now Viselys had hair somewhere between the color of a bruise and the outside of a fig. His eyes glowed the same shade of purple, shining brightly as they looked at Maiz. He was handsome, with high cheekbones and a defined jaw. His clothing hadn''t changed, and neither had his height. He was sitting back in the chair, looking at Maiz with a mild disdain coloring his features. His arms were crossed, and Maiz could see the long fingers of his right hand terminating in neatly trimmed fingernails. Aside from the glowing eyes and the strange color of his skin and hair, he could have been a normal man. ¡°I would ask why you¡¯re crying, but I know. My peers don¡¯t really understand people, not even him. He just Names them, circumscribes their lives, and leaves them to their own devices. But I know what drives people, what makes them lie. A lonely boy, angry and confused decides that he¡¯ll do anything to avenge his father.¡± Now the god frowned, and the light in his eyes seemed to darken somehow. ¡°And a girl, left alone with no one to talk to for a thousand years, meets him. She feels sorry for him, and ruins her father¡¯s plans.¡± Maiz stared at the deity. He had a mild expression of annoyance on his face, which somehow seemed more terrifying than anything else Maiz had ever seen in his life. It was hard to quantify what made the expression so blood-curdling, but Maiz thought it was the sense of absolute power behind the god¡¯s glowing eyes. This being had never failed to get what it wanted, and it never would. But what is he talking about? Maiz still felt a strange pain at the realization that Riala had been playing him the entire time. She probably thought that my story was pathetic. He remembered how he had come up with his plan to defeat the Strength trial in order to help her, and he felt a spike of shame and embarrassment. He¡¯d been tricked. ¡°Ah well,¡± Viselys sighed, and the sense of power faded from his expression as he gestured at the behind Maiz. He himself turned to sit down. ¡°Luckily, you are perfect for this job. The rest of the trial was just a formality.*Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Maiz sat. His legs had been feeling wobbly, so it was a relief to once again sink into the ornate chair. He gripped the armrest, and noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. ¡°You can speak now, Maiz. After all, I have an offer to make you!¡± Hm. Maiz had an idea. It was risky perhaps, but he had the evidence of a hundred stories that, among all of the gods, this one appreciated tenacity. ¡±M-my Lord. I intend no disrespect, but will you swear to me that you are, indeed Lord Viselys? I o-only ask so that I might better serve and honor you.¡± As Maiz had expected, the god looked pleased. Delighted, even. ¡°Very good, young man. Yes, I am Lord Viselys, I swear upon my Name and power.¡± That oath was enough for Maiz. Anyone who falsely invoked the name of a god in an oath like that would not live to speak the final word. But Viselys was continuing. ¡°That was clever, and shows more of that¡­ unconventional thinking you displayed in my trial. In fact, with what else you''ve done, I think it¡¯s enough to earn you a small boon from me! I¡¯ll tell you what it is at the end of this discussion.¡± The god paused, looking expectantly at Maiz. ¡°Th-thank you, Lord Viselys.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Now then, the offer. Will you become my shoe-shiner?¡± What? Maiz gaped at the god for a moment, then attempted to answer. He looked at the god''s shoes. They were black leather, like the boots that he himself wore. Maiz had never seen such pristine footwear in his life. ¡°Uh, I--¡± He cut off as Viselys, the Lord of Chaos, the original source of ingenuity, doubled over in laughter. ¡°You know,¡± he choked, ¡°that wasn¡¯t even a particularly good joke, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He let out another burst of mirth. ¡°You humans have the most priceless looks whenever a god says something ridiculous. Back in the day, when my peers and I were still young in this world, I appeared to some of their priests. Those fools weren¡¯t as smart as you, and I got them to write the silliest things in those books of theirs.¡± He flashed a smile. ¡°For a while, everyone spent every other week having drinking contests. Pity they caught on.¡± Maiz¡¯s eyebrows rose involuntary. He¡¯d read a similar story about Viselys as a child, but in that version, the god had told the priests to do things like run up and down hills and dress up animals in priestly-robes. The actual story sounded considerably more entertaining. ¡°Right then, no jokes this time. Will you be my Champion?¡± The god¡¯s voice held an edge of humor, but Maiz knew the question was serious. No god, not even this one, could lie. It was a restriction Nomenadon had placed on them, and it was the reason for Viselys¡¯ legendary hatred for the god of Names. ¡°Yes.¡± It felt strange to commit so easily to an agreement with a god: after all, there were tales upon tales of fools doing just that and paying for it, but Maiz knew what he wanted. ¡°Good! I will give you power, and you will do whatever I or my representatives tell you to do. Do those terms sound agreeable? If they aren''t, say so. I promise I will not try to harm you directly for anything you say or out of spite.¡± Hm. Maiz was feeling surprisingly calm about the entire experience at this point. That promise is pretty secure.Should he ask for more? ¡°With respect, Lord Viselys, it doesn¡¯t really matter whether or not I like your terms. I want your power, and I have little to give you in return besides my service. I will say that I am more likely to be motivated to accomplish tasks that align with my own motives.¡± ¡°Hah! You¡¯re a smart boy. Smarter than I¡¯d realized, even.¡± The god seemed¡­ proud? His white teeth gleamed at Maiz as he nodded. ¡°You¡¯re completely correct. If you¡¯d tried to bargain with me, I would have laughed in your face.¡± His long finger tapped his chin in thought. "Well, more than I already have, I mean." Viselys stood up, purple eyes flashing. ¡°All right, it¡¯s time to make some history!¡± With that, the tall entity took two strides forward and flicked Maiz in the forehead. Maiz tensed, half-expecting a flash of unbearable agony as divine power coursed through his body. Instead, his vision blurred for a moment, and his forehead stung. Almost immediately, Maiz opened his Name Sheet and saw what he had been expecting. Below his name was the prompt New Title Options Available. Selecting the prompt, Maiz saw the gift the god had given him. Title Options: Seeker (Current Title)- Seekers are applicants in the Gods¡¯ Trial. They must prove their skill with no special abilities or talents. +4 to Attributes of Choice per rank Nameless- The Nameless is the God-Chosen of Viselys. This is a unique title, and can only be granted by Viselys to a Chosen. The Nameless is granted freedom from many of the restrictions faced by other humans, but at a price. +4 to Attributes of Choice per rank Starting Talent-The Mask (Passive ability which allows the Nameless to ignore title restriction for all skills, talents and spells. However, the Nameless is unable to use divine guidance for any skill, talent, or spell. Whenever the Nameless learns a title-restricted skill, talent or spell, the Nameless may change his/her displayed title to the title associated with that skill, talent or spell. The Mask ability is negated if another sentient, non-divine creature comprehends the Nameless¡¯ identity. Note: Benefits/drawbacks of talent change as rank increases). Assign Title? All title choices cannot be switched. Maiz let out an audible gasp. ¡°M-my lord, this says that I can¡­ change the title I display?¡± Viselys, already back in his chair, laughed again. Maiz probably should have been annoyed of the god¡¯s laugh by now, but somehow it simply sounded right. As if the sound of the smooth chuckles were somehow integral to the fabric of the universe. ¡°Yes, yes. It looks fun, doesn¡¯t it? My champion clearly has the best powers of any of the God-Chosen.¡± Maiz was floored. Everything about the Mask ability seemed impossible. He had been surprised and amazed to read the part about ignoring title restrictions for skills, but being able to change the title above his head? That was¡­ disturbing. No matter what else was uncertain about a person, if they showed you their title, you knew that it was true. Keeping one¡¯s title status open was considered a sign of honesty, and it was respected as such. There were a thousand rituals, from duels to marriages, which involved showing one¡¯s title. To be able to display a different title than the one you actually had was unheard of, and absolutely insane. This is power. Maiz thought about what it would mean to be able to learn any skill, and to display any title he wanted to whomever he wanted. Many titles, especially combat titles, were powerful in specific ways, but limited in others. Being able to cover the weaknesses of one title with the strengths of another had the potential to make him the most powerful mortal in the world one day. Being able to change his title at will could make him one of the most dangerous people in the world long before that. However, Maiz still had one question. ¡°My lord, forgive me, but what does this mean when it says that ''the Mask ability is negated if a sentient being comprehends my identity?''¡± It sounded rather esoteric to Maiz. How could this ability quantify what constituted his ¡®identity?¡¯ ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out! I¡¯ll give you a hint, though: there¡¯s a reason why you¡¯re called the Nameless. I wouldn¡¯t let anyone know about your title or status as my champion if I were you.¡± The god gave Maiz a wink, a much more obvious gesture with glowing eyes. ¡°Now then, before you accept my offer, I will tell you about my first task for you. Very soon, a major power will be contesting the area where you live. Do what you want while the struggle is going on, but afterwards I want you to join the losing side and help their counterattack succeed. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do wonderfully! Your liason can answer your questions about it later.¡± The god sent a questioning look towards Maiz, and Maiz gave him a flustered nod. He needed this power. He would do whatever it took to get it. ¡°Excellent. Now then, accept your title, and bind yourself to me. And then I¡¯ll give you a present!¡± The god gave Maiz a smile which made him somehow uncomfortable. Viselys¡¯ task sounded intimidating. What exactly was a ¡®major power¡¯ in Maiz¡¯s area? Normally he would assume that meant that two noble houses would be engaging in a minor war, but considering the source, it was likely that the conflict would be on a larger scale. Perhaps even as much as the entire kingdom could be in some sort of conflict soon. And Maiz would be expected to play a part in it. Well, I am going to be a God-Chosen. A legend. The thought was surreal. But even as he pondered what his future held for him, Maiz focused on the prompt to assign his title, selecting the Nameless title. A line of text appeared across his vision. Unlike every other prompt he had received, this one was not spectral green. Instead, it was a translucent purple. The same color as the eyes of the god before him. You have gained the title ¡®Nameless¡¯ You have gained the bonus title ¡®God-Chosen of Viselys¡¯ You have unspent attribute points to assign Viselys nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good. Now, the gift. You have done me a small service, by making me laugh more than I have in a long time. I will give you an equally small gift in return.¡± The god¡¯s eyes flashed and he grinned. Maiz had the sense that he was playing a part in some sort of trick. ¡°You may choose to learn one of three talents. Your options are ¡®Flaming Strike,¡¯ ¡®Minor Suggestion,¡¯ or ¡®Bind Undead.¡¯¡± That¡¯s an interesting gift¡­ wait, those talent names sounded familiar. They¡¯re the starting talents for the three titles I had the option to choose before! Spellsword, Controller, and Dreadlord. Each was apparently an incredibly powerful and rare title, and learning a talent from one would undoubtedly be a blessing. He would also be able to display his title as that of whichever talent he chose, which could be extremely useful. But which one should that be? Each talent was interesting in its own way, and each was incredibly powerful in the right circumstances. More importantly, the talent he chose would effectively decide what his title would be to the rest of the world once he returned--Father Gavrel would be taking down his title once the ''ritual'' was complete, and he would need to show him whatever title he recieved here. That meant that Deathlord wasn''t a real option. According to what Riala had said, choosing to display Dreadlord as his title would land him in trouble with many priesthoods. Though the clergy of Nomenadon did not judge such things, Maiz did not want to deal with the stigma of becoming a death mage in a major city, and where would he even find armies of undead to make the title useful? Controller was... interesting. It seemed fitting for him somehow, considering his new status as Viselys'' champion, and he could see the appeal of the ability too. He could useMinor Suggestion to gain access to new abilities, and perhaps even manipulate his way into something compromising for the Sharir. Tempting, but there was a problem. When he returned and Father Gavrel asked for his title, what would he do? Riala had said he would have trouble using a spell likeMinor Suggestion on people higher ranked than he was, and if Father Gavrel saw that he was a Controller... actually, Maiz had no idea what would happen. But he had a feeling that he would either be lynched as a mind mage or put to work by the Sharir--he wasn''t sure which would be worse. Maybe he could have tried to slip past the old priest somehow, but it was a terrifying chance, and there was another way. The military. If he had a combat title, he would be forced to train in the nearby military compound before becoming a bonded soldier for the Sharir. During his training period, he would be able to take advantage of the military¡¯s resources to learn more spells and skills, as well as learn about combat. It would be his best chance of gaining enough power to hurt the Sharir. There was only one option. ¡°I will learn ¡®Flaming Strike,¡¯ my Lord, and I thank you for the boon.¡± Ugh, my formal speaking is terrible. ¡°Ah,¡± Viselys replied, a hint of something strange in his voice. The slight inflection sent a shiver through Maiz''s heart, and he wondered for an instant if he''d done something very, very wrong. The god stood again and... waved his hand in Maiz''s direction. Suddenly Maiz knew how to perform Flaming Strike. It was a strange feeling. ¡°There you go. I¡¯m getting bored, so I think that we¡¯ll end this discussion now. Good luck, my champion. I hope that you stay alive.¡± The god stood, sighing. ¡°A new Age has be--¡± Maiz didn¡¯t hear the rest of the god¡¯s words as the world went black and all sound ceased. Chapter 10 As Maiz walked out of the stone temple, he felt comfort and an odd sense of loss as he surveyed his surroundings. Gone were the lush greenery and cool breeze of the strange world he had just left. His feet were clothed in the boots he had worn to the temple, the enchanted boots from the trial having disappeared. With each step, his feet shifted the sand caked onto the stone. It had rained last night--which was rare this close to the desert-- and the streets had been messy with wet sand, prompting Maiz to wear boots as he ventured out. Now, the blazing sun had already dried the roads back to their usual dusty state, and there were few people out. It was almost midday, and most people either slept or worked inside during this time. The mostly deserted streets let Maiz appreciated the squat, tan stone buildings around him, mostly homes with the occasional shop or inn. Maiz rounded a corner and glanced at a small, finely decorated wooden shack, with text indicating that it was the entrance to a bathhouse. This part of the city was rich enough that its residents had a special bathhouse more expensive than the public ones in other parts, but not enough that they could afford to take baths in their own homes. Almost nobody was that wealthy. In the shadowy, relatively cool confines of the temple, Maiz hadn¡¯t realized all of the differences--he had also been focused on making sure Father Gavrel was not suspicious in any way of his title. Of course, he hadn¡¯t been. No one could show another person a false title, so the priest had instantly believed that Maiz was a Spellsword, despite telling Maiz that he had never seen a title like his. The priest had shown a brief moment of interest as he read the description of Maiz¡¯s title--he had asked Maiz to share his Title Sheet--but he had apparently decided that it wasn¡¯t very exceptional. After that, he had ignored Maiz just as much as he always had. Father Gavrel was one of the more popular priests in the city, with Nomenadon being widely worshipped as the prime deity in most of Caelos, and he had a large congregation. Despite Maiz having attended his sermons since he was a child, the Preacher had never spoken to Maiz until a week before his sixteenth birthday, when Maiz had scheduled the Naming ritual. He hadn¡¯t spared much attention for Maiz beyond following the basic procedure for the ceremony. After affirming that Maiz had a combat title, the priest had disinterestedly informed him that he would have to report to the city gates the next morning and ride with a supply wagon to the military training grounds. Maiz was glad that he didn¡¯t have to wait too long before he could finally leave. As he continued to walk, Maiz noticed something¡­ off. He felt somehow clumsier than he was used to. He almost swayed a little in the street as he considered it. What¡¯s going on? It took him only a few seconds to realize what had happened: the Dexterity he¡¯d gained during the trial had vanished. He was feeling as clumsy as he¡¯d always been before the trial. I probably should have expected that. If dying in the trial would have sent him back to this plane, then it made sense that any changes he¡¯d made to his body hadn¡¯t stuck. Even as Maiz had the thought, he entered a mostly industrial street, filled with specialty shops and manufacturers. Passing a smith-enchanter¡¯s workshop, he entered a nondescript, one-story stone hall. Opening the double doors, he entered a small carpeted room where he brushed himself off, then took a door to the right. Three turns later, he entered a small office with three desks placed side by side. The two men seated in the left and center desks glanced up at Maiz but otherwise did not speak, not commenting on his absence or asking any other questions. They quickly returned to work, and Maiz, sighing internally, sat down to do the same. There was a stack of instructions and source material alongside a one of blank sheets on his desk. Maiz picked up the first paper, what looked like a set of manufacturing instructions, and set to copying. *********** Maiz had become incredibly adept at the duties of a scribe. This office worked solely on large scale copying and clarification jobs, not letter-writing or other individual requests and Maiz had quickly learned how to copy poorly written or sketched pieces of material into neat, legible print and copy such print over and over. He had worked for several hours, finishing the requested 25 copies of the manufacturing instructions, as well as completing similar jobs on a roster of some kind and some kind of companion to an enchanting manual. Maiz paid some attention to that one, hoping that he could somehow pick up an enchanting skill from reading the book, but he was quickly disappointed. It seemed that he would need to learn skills more directly. Or perhaps there was something he was missing about the way that enchanter titles worked. However, near the end of his workday, Maiz noticed a flashing purple V, stylized and somehow shadowy, in the corner of his vision. As Maiz focused on it, text appeared in his vision, and he could barely hide a grin. You have learned the skill Printing (rank 10)! The ability The Mask has triggered. Maiz had already seen this happen when he had examined his Flaming Strike skill after the trial. Do I have time? He needed to complete as much of the work before him as possible, or risk a beating. Of course, at this point he was quite adept at his job, and he could usually finish the massive orders laid before him each day. What the hells, I¡¯ll be quick. He focused on the prompt for the Mask ability, and looked over the new text in his field of view. Available title options: The Nameless Skills-The Mask Spellsword Skills-Flaming Strike Scholar Skills-Printing Current Displayed Title(Hidden): Spellsword Select New Title? Maiz didn¡¯t change his title, but he was surprised to see that the Printing skill was a Scholar ability, and that he somehow already had the skill at rank ten. He supposed that it made sense, considering that he had been doing nothing else every day for the past two years. However, the revelation made Maiz shoot subtle gances at the two scribes in the seats next to him. They were both working with their normal, superhuman efficiency, producing perfectly legible sheets of paper in fractions of the time it took Maiz. Both were mousy, balding, and hunched over their desks. Neither had said a word to Maiz in these two years, despite seeing him every day. At first, Maiz had tried speaking to them, lonely and afraid as he was, but both had ignored him. He hadn¡¯t realized that these men were Scholars, the same title that Maiz had almost been stuck with. Suddenly he was intensely grateful that he hadn¡¯t settled for that title. He would never be like those two weak bastards. ************ ¡°I¡¯m impressed! Maiz, was it?¡± That oily voice made Maiz¡¯s fists clench involuntary, but he kept them hidden behind his back. ¡°I didn¡¯t think such worthless stock could ever produce anything remotely useful, but you¡¯ve proved me wrong!¡± Maiz was standing in front of a dark wooden desk, a piece that Maiz had once considered fine and exotic. In comparison to a single plank of that dark room where he had met a god, the desk barely one step up from kindling. The floor was carpeted with rugs of various muted, earthy colors. Maiz kept his eyes down on the branch pattern woven into the one at his feet. He didn¡¯t think he could stand the sight of the man sitting behind the desk for long. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± He wanted to spit the words out, but that would ruin everything. He would be beaten, like he had the first few weeks. He had never learned this man¡¯s name, despite having seen him once a month for his evaluations. This man had been the first person Maiz had seen after his father had signed away both of their lives, taking the quicker death for himself. The monster had told Maiz in his oily voice that Maiz¡¯s father had deserved his fate, and that Maiz deserved no better. ¡°Now then, you were told that you are going into military training, yes?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± He didn¡¯t want to call this bastard ¡®sir,¡¯ but that had been the cause of his first beatings. Maiz had sworn that he would never call a worm like him by any honorific. He had recanted after a few lashings. After that, the primary cause of his beatings had been his inability to meet the ridiculous quotas for scribing the Sharir imposed on him. ¡°Well, you understand that you will be trained for service to the Sharir, yes?¡± His voice held a note of satisfaction. Maiz looked up, into the face of the balding, beady-eyed man in front of him. He was not short, but to Maiz he looked somehow stooped, seated with his hands touching in front of him. His robes hung off his frame, slipping down his arms to reveal thin hairy forearms. His black eyes were set deep into his face, giving him the appearance of a skeleton as he stared at Maiz. Maiz nodded. The personnel which made up the military of the city, and the kingdom as a whole, were not all employed by the state. Rather, every house retained their own soldiers who were subject to levy by the king at any time. ¡°I will pay for your training, boy. Nothing too extravagant, but you will be able to return to us when you are a Journeyman in your title.¡± The oily voice had a certain businesslike edge now, but then he flashed a smile at Maiz. The expression stretched his face strangely, as if it was the first time he had made it. ¡°Speaking of which, I have never heard of this¡­ Spellsword. It sounds rather strange, but I hope that you will make use of it to serve your family well.¡± By ¡®family¡¯ he means ¡®masters.¡¯ It made sense that he was pleased to send Maiz out to train for combat. Combat titles, which had directly offensive skills and often gained more useful attribute bonuses per rank, were quite rare in the general population, though they were more common among certain families which bred for combat aptitudes. Noble houses and the government held a monopoly on combat titled people, using them to maintain their hold on society, and that made even the most common combatant more valuable than the majority of non-combat titled people.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Of course, many of the more powerful nobles were also some of the strongest combatants in the kingdom. After all, if you couldn¡¯t personally kill your subordinates, what was to stop them from killing you? Nothing. The man continued giving Maiz empty instructions, before informing him that Sharir training clothes had been left on his bed, and telling him to prepare to leave the next day. Maiz, gritting his teeth, bowed to the bastard before leaving swiftly. **************** When Maiz finally entered the cramped room where he slept, he quietly lay down in his pallet beside two gaunt, older men. It was warm enough outside that he didn¡¯t miss his blanket, which someone had apparently stolen, but he had to move a dark bundle of what he assumed were his new clothes. He moved those by his head as he settled into the pallet, trying to avoid waking anyone up. There were eight other people in the pallets laid out in two two rows on the stone floor. This building was filled with bonded workers of the Sharir, though the majority were laborers and much older than Maiz. He was lucky that he rarely saw them before they were all asleep. As he lay there, attempting to find a comfortable position to sleep in, he opened his Name Sheet to check what he¡¯d gained over the course of the--extremely long--day. Maiz-Spellsword (Rank 1) Title Status-Hidden (Default) Bonus Titles- God-Chosen of Viselys (Hidden) Title Options Available Health-80/80 Mana-140/140 (+ 1.1 pts/second) Stamina: 60/60 (+ .7 pts/seconds) Attributes (4 Unspent Attribute Points):
Age 16
Constitution 8
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 11
Strength 6
Dexterity 7
Agility 12
Charisma 9
Luck 8
Skills: The Mask Printing Spells: Flaming Strike At first, all Maiz felt was a slight disappointment at not having retained any of the skills he¡¯d learned during the trial. Keeping the icebolt spell would have been especially useful, but he supposed that it hadn¡¯t stayed for the same reason that his attributes had reverted to their original state after the test was over. After a few moments, however, he noticed something else which softened the blow. I have four new attribute points to spend! Maiz supposed that made sense, considering that he¡¯d also had four attributes available in his first rank of Seeker. But where should he spend them? In the trial, he¡¯d put three of his four points into Charisma and Luck in order to have a better shot at convincing Riala to help him. In hindsight, his clumsy attempt probably would have worked even if he hadn¡¯t done so: Riala was setting him up to try and lie to her from the moment they met. He¡¯d just done what she wanted the entire time. Stop thinking about that. It had been easy, during the long hours of copying documents, to avoid thinking about Riala and what she¡¯d done. Even after he¡¯d learned the Printing skill, he apparently still had to concentrate on the work in order to avoid making mistakes. He was convinced that there were other, more useful skills in the Scholar title which made tasks like that easier. Maiz wasn¡¯t particularly interested in learning them. Now, for the attributes. Maiz was heading off to military training the next day, and he would need to do his best there in order to grow as much as possible. He would be relying mainly on the abilities of the Spellsword title, as the military would be researching skills of that title and training him in them. Riala had said that Spellswords suffered early on from a lack of fighting ability to complement their close-combat skills--or was she lying about that too? No, that was ridiculous, Maiz could see clearly enough that the title offered no bonuses to melee combat. By opening a prompt in his Title Sheet, he was able to review the actual title description for Spellsword: Spellsword- Spellswords use their mana to augment their martial prowess, focusing on channeling elemental effects through their weapons and armor. They are especially suited to small-scale combat and breaking enemy lines on the battlefield. +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, and Attribute of Choice per rank. So the title didn¡¯t offer any bonus to Strength or Dexterity, both of which were absolutely essential for close-quarters fighting. Maiz already had much more Intelligence and Wisdom than average, so it stood to reason he should invest his points into Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. He put one point into Strength, and another into Constitution, then, after a moment¡¯s consideration, put the two remaining points into Dexterity. He had a sense, from his fight with the bear, that Constitution didn¡¯t matter much if you weren¡¯t hit. Also, his only combat skill, Flaming Strike, provided a relatively large damage boost for his rank. He didn¡¯t need to invest much in Strength to hurt his enemies. Hurt my enemies. After the ''conversation¡¯ with that gods-damned snake, Maiz liked the sound of that. **************** Tarangil¡¯al¡¯Hankor landed on a tall, but otherwise nondescript dune in the middle of the desert. The endless sea of sand around him was cast in shades of red as the sun set far on the horizon. This section of the desert was featureless except for the hills and valleys of sand, looking like frozen waves, which created the landscape of the Waste. Tarangil had been to the ocean once a decade ago. It had been a long flight with many hazards, but he had already been a Journeyman then, and curious about the mythical wonder said to lie to the west of the Waste. The waves had indeed looked like the desert in motion, though he hadn¡¯t cared much for the smell. He hadn¡¯t liked the sight of so much water, just sitting there, undrinkable,, either. Water was precious. Tarangil had decided that he was a creature of the desert, and that he would leave the ocean to the blue dragons from then on. Then why did I decided to leave again? He had returned to the Ruined City, the Dungeon that he and the other Masters had left from a short while ago. They had decided not to risk entry from the center of the Golden Nest, for fear of even worse retaliation. Tarangil felt his stomach drop at the thought of the other two Masters he had left with. He hadn¡¯t even brought their corpses back to the Nest. Another beat of his wings and a swipe of his claw brushing away sand revealed a sheet of glass, made opaque by the oblique light of the Sun, set into the ground of the desert. During the day, simply revealing the glass would have been enough to activate the magic, but now there was not enough sunlight to do so. Tarangil activated a simple skill, Sunskin, and his body lit up with an intense brilliance. That had been one of the first skills he¡¯d ever learned. It was supposed to be a simple exercise in controlling Solar Magic, but Tarangil had used it to blind and kill a Sand Cougar when he was barely a dragonling. The skill was also the easiest way to open the entrance to the Golden Nest¡¯s headquarters, and the ability to do so at night was considered a rite of passage for Tarangil¡¯s kind. As the light emanating from his scales shone upon the glass, the glass began to glow in response. In seconds, the ground trembled and sand flowed inwards as the glass began to incline deeper. Tarangil had always been impressed at how the glass ramp was engineered to prevent too much sand from the surrounding desert from falling in when it was opened. Stepping down, Tarangil quickly lost sight of the Sun, reddish rock and glass ramp forming a tunnel deep into the earth. After several minutes, the rock opened into a massive open room covered in sand with a glass roof which glowed almost as brightly as the Sun itself. In fact, at first glance it appeared that Tarangil was back in the desert, though he could faintly see the edges of the room in the distance.It was rare for golden dragons to produce a child gifted in enchantment, but those who were could produce unique marvels of Solar Magic. This ceiling had taken a generation to build, and the work of three separate Solar enchanters--the most ever recorded to have lived at the same time. It harvested a portion of energy from large swathes of the desert sands and transported it here. As Tarangil understood it, the process was inefficient in terms of energy, but the desert was so huge that even a small portion of the sands¡¯ energy was enough to keep this place bright indefinitely. Tarangil was tempted to take flight, to feel the power of his wings beating against the air, but there was no sense in disturbing the sands so much, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to ascend too high before hitting the glass of the ceiling. Instead, he plodded forward, his steps as heavy as his heart. He crested a dune and noted a gathering of four golden-scaled dragons. Each of them had green text floating above their heads, and though they were too far for Tarangil to read them clearly, he knew that each of them would read ¡°Master.¡± He himself changed his title status to open, displaying his own Master rank. As he came closer to the group, they looked at him, reptilian faces betraying no emotion. They knew from the lack of Master Ghurat and Master Rhakor that something had gone wrong. Horribly wrong. They were likely gloating behind those masks. The oldest of the four, slightly larger than the others with some patches of missing scales, flicked a tongue out at Tarangil for a split second. All except Master Shan, that was. He seemed happy just to see Tarangil alive. Tarangil could not share his enthusiasm. Not when his life had come at the cost of two others. ¡°So you return. Did you run away before the others ventured out?¡± Master Granor was more than slightly condescending. He had been the most vocal of the Nest in opposing Ghurat. Tarangil hadn¡¯t listened to him. ¡°No, Master Granor.¡± Tarangil felt a bit of extra gravel in his voice. Compared to the rumbles of most older dragons, his voice was still quite high. But his sorrow and shame lent him gravity as he continued. ¡°Masters Ghurat and Rhakor are hunting with Massahn. I--¡± Tarangil stopped speaking. The feeling of shame was too great. He had broken, not at any torture, but simply at the sight of that monster tearing into the other Masters. He had resisted for a scant moment before giving in to the tyrant¡¯s wishes. He was a coward. ¡°I have seen the error of my beliefs.¡± He forced the words out. ¡°The God-Chosen has given me a task for all of the Nest, and we will carry it out.¡± Or we will be destroyed. Tarangil had never seen any being with the raw focus and power of that creature. He had never appeared less than calm, even as he tore open Master Ghurat¡¯s neck and slaughtered Master Rhakor where he stood. Tarangil didn¡¯t look at the Masters. He couldn''t. ¡°Stand proud, Master Tarangil. None have faced the Dungeon King in battle and lived before.¡± That voice, like the grinding of huge boulders, gave Tarangil some strength. He looked up and into Master Shan¡¯s deep golden eyes. The ancient dragon flicked his tongue out once more, though Tarangil was not sure if any of the other Masters saw the gesture. ¡°The Dungeon King has named me lieutenant of the Golden Nest and charged me with organizing an attack. An attack to the north.¡± Tarangil said the words boldly, not paying attention to the other Masters¡¯ expressions ofconfusion and protest. He was still looking into the golden eyes of Master Shan. The dragon who had raised and trained him since his mother and nest-mates were killed. Those eyes never betrayed surprise, but Tarangil thought he could see another expression in them. Hope. Chapter 11 The next morning, Maiz woke up early to the rather¡­ pungent aroma of the common sleeping room. He was convinced that only a few of the other bondservants actually bathed, despite the public bathhouses replete with water purification enchantments. He himself went there at least once a week, though it was difficult to find the time considering the insane demands of the Sharir. He swiftly changed into one set of the training clothes, finding them to be a simple set of loose tunic and pants in orange and green--the Sharir colors. Maiz often wondered who exactly had decided that those two colors would look good together, because at this point they caused him an almost physical pain when he saw them. Walking out into the street, he was mildly surprised to see that it was still dark outside. He thought the sky had a slight pink tinge, indicating that the sun was coming up soon, but at the moment there was still a biting chill in the air. Shivering, Maiz broke into a jog, carrying his bag--more of a sack, really--over his shoulder. As he jogged through the empty streets, his surroundings brightened slowly, illuminating his surroundings and making it easier for Maiz to find his way. It took about fifteen minutes of intermittent jogging and walking to reach the edge of the city, where there were wagons in a long line pointed towards a road heading west out of the city. It took him only seconds to spot a cart painted with a prominent seven pointed star, the symbol of the kingdom of Corunti. Maiz thought the drawing was rather crude--the lines looked jagged and uneven--but it was easily recognizable. Hesitantly, he walked up to the cart. It was pulled by two horses that looked to be of desert stock. Most of the wagons here were also pulled by that breed, though there were a few northern animals that already looked to be suffering from the severe conditions here. Maiz knew that at other departure sites from the city, there would be groups of camel trains assembling in the same manner, carrying goods on each individual camel to more easily traverse the desert. Of course, those groups would stay close to the edges and be escorted by hired guards. There were far more monsters, and even Dungeons, deeper in the desert that could threaten merchant trains. On the road Maiz would be taking, the only threat was bandits of some kind. Except that, at least here, there were few people with combat titles who didn¡¯t serve one noble house or another. ¡°Boy, what are you doing?¡± A rough voice cut through Maiz¡¯s thoughts With a start, he focused back on the star-marked cart to see a grey haired man with even darker skin than most people in the area. He was also wearing clothes similar to Maiz¡¯s own and to that of the City Watch: loose billowing pants and vest with a crest on the chest. The man looked to be about Maiz¡¯s height, but he had a certain¡­ solidness about him that indicated a high Strength attribute. He wasn¡¯t wearing armor, which was unsurprising considering that it was to be blazing hot later in the day. Maiz bowed deeply, his eyes focused on the man¡¯s feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir! I¡¯m supposed to travel with a supply wagon to the¡­¡± What were the military¡¯s training grounds actually called? ¡°You see sir, I got my title yesterday and--¡± ¡°Stop that babbling!¡± The man sounded sounded half asleep, but there was still an annoyed growl in his voice. ¡°You¡¯ve got a combat title and you¡¯re to go to the training grounds, right?¡± Oh. They were called ¡®the training grounds.¡¯ ¡°Yes sir.¡± He grunted. The sound was phlegmy, likely meaning that the man smoked something or other when he was off-duty. Maiz knew that there were plenty of magical and addictive plants in and around the desert. Some were valuable to Alchemists and other similar crafters, and others were only useful to those looking for something cheap to burn. ¡°Show me your title, boy.¡± Maiz mentally scrambled to obey. He went to open his Name Sheet, but as he thought about his title appearing, the man grunted again. ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m a Journeyman Slasher. If you¡¯re not who you say you are, just leave now, or it won¡¯t turn out well for you.¡± The casual threat surprised Maiz more than anything. By the time he¡¯d processed the man¡¯s words, he was already turning back to the cart. The man walked with a grace that belied his apparent age, which supported his claim that he was a Journeyman combatant. ¡°You can sit in the back,¡± he called over his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t bother me until we get there, unless someone tries to steal the supplies. And don¡¯t touch anything back there.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± Maiz tried to reply, but the man was busy untying the reins of the horses from a stake in the ground. Maiz rounded the corner of the wagon and clambered up into the open back. There were sacks of what he assumed ws grain, and jugs of water stacked in the back. The number of jugs looked to outnumber the grain by a large margin, which was somewhat surprising to Maiz. There was a fairly large aquifer under Caelos, augmented by enchanters and water mages who worked to collect as much precious water for the city as possible. Was the training grounds devoid of such a source? It seemed impractical to carry so much water to the place every week. What had possessed the military to build their encampment in an area without water? As Maiz considered the questions, sitting down and making himself comfortable on the rough wooden bed of the wagon, he saw someone else approach the edge of the structure. It was a young man who looked to be about Maiz¡¯s age, but taller and much better muscled. He was also wearing a tunic, one with sleeves that strained against the muscles of his arms. Maiz privately wondered if that fitting had been intentional or not. He had the black hair, eyes, and dark skin common to the region, and Maiz saw the flash of white teeth as he looked at Maiz. ¡°Hey there, I didn¡¯t know someone else was heading off to training too! The large young man clambered awkwardly up into the wagon, then inclined his head towards Maiz. As he did so spectral green words appeared above his head. Hugan-Novice Warden. Maiz felt his eyebrows raise slightly as he ducked his own head, willing his false title to once again appear above him. A Warden? The name sounded somewhat familiar, but Maiz didn¡¯t remember actually meeting anyone with that title before. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean much, as Maiz wasn¡¯t in the habit of making friends with the City Watch. As he looked back up at the young man, he could see a similar confusion mirrored in his eyes. Stutteringly, maiz spoke. ¡°It¡¯s, uh, nice to meet you.¡± Wasn¡¯t there something else¡­ ¡°My name is Maiz.¡± He said quickly. Right. Have to be polite. He felt out of practice speaking with people he didn¡¯t secretly want to murder. The young man didn¡¯t seem to mind his awkwardness. ¡°Hugan.¡± He said, smiling. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, I¡¯ve never seen a title like that before. What¡¯s your specialty?¡± The question was spoken in an open, honest tone, but Maiz still balked a little at the forwardness of it. It could be considered rude to ask anyone about their title, but especially combat-titled individuals. For the same reason that most weren¡¯t in the habit of keeping their names and titles on display, few were willing to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their abilities. Still, considering the fact that Maiz was not actually a Spellsword, this could represent a good opportunity for him. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d never heard of it before either,¡± he said casually. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be able to cast spells through weapons or something like that. How about yours? It seems familiar, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a Warden before.¡± His voice was much more confident now, which almost made him uneasy. Why is it so much easier for me to lie to him than to say hello? The young man--Hugan--looked interested. ¡°Oh, that sounds like it could be really useful!¡± Then he flashed that white smile again, looking somewhat smug. ¡°And I guess you¡¯ve probably heard of at least one Warden. You know Roon the Defender?¡± Now it was Maiz¡¯s turn to be interested. Roon the Defender was a local Caelos hero. Centuries ago, there was a rash of some of the worst monster incursions ever to come out of the desert. Roon had been a guardsman for the governor of the city, but he had single-handedly defended an entire quarter of Caelos from the attacks long enough for reinforcements to arrive. After that, he had risen quickly to lead the defense and counterattack of Caelos¡¯ forces, carving out a safe buffer zone in the desert and turning Caelos into the defensive linchpin it was today. ¡°He was a Warden?¡± Maiz asked, now genuinely interested. For some reason Hugan looked put out at this question. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± But then the brilliant smile returned to his face in full force. ¡°So one day I could be just like him!¡± Does he not understand how life works? It wasn¡¯t like this boy was the first Warden to be born since Roon himself. It took more than a rare title to actually achieve anything impressive--even Maiz, with his unique legendary title, knew that it would take non-stop effort and dedication to realize his plans. And Viselys¡¯ plans too. ¡°You know, the priest who did my ritual said that I was the first person since Roon to be given the Warder title! I was so excited, because I¡¯ve always wanted to be just like him!¡± Maiz¡¯s jaw dropped for a moment. Then he snapped it shut. His smug feeling of a few seconds ago suddenly gave way to chagrin. Then curiosity. If the title was that rare, then it was likely that, like Maiz himself, Hugan had gone extremely far in the Naming Ritual, possibly even reaching the start of the trial and choosing it there. That meant there was more to this young man than he¡¯d thought. For the moment, he tried to be sincere. ¡°That¡¯s really incredible Hugan. I wish you the best of luck.¡± Gods, why do I sound like a fifty year old Arbiter? Surprisingly though, Hugan simply nodded regally and said, in a tone ten times stuffier than Maiz¡¯s own, ¡°I thank you.¡± Huh. I guess I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s bad at talking to other people. Still, Maiz thought that was somewhat unfair. Hugan would have to be truly incredible to be worse than Maiz at social interaction. Just then, the cart began moving beneath the two of them, prompting Hugan, who had been standing, to stumble and nearly fall before quickly taking a seat beside Maiz with a laugh. ¡°So, what did you do in the city before you got your title?¡± Most children under sixteen did something or other to make some money, unless they were nobles, of course. Maiz replied evasively, ¡°I helped at a scribing office for a few years.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Hugan looked both surprised and perhaps slightly jealous. Maiz suspected that the young man couldn¡¯t read or write. You didn¡¯t get arms like those by sitting at a desk flipping pages., and most laborers never got the chance to learn letters or numbers. ¡°My father¡¯s a smith,¡± he went on, confirming Maiz¡¯s suspicion. ¡°He was sort of disappointed I didn¡¯t get his title, but he was still happy for me!¡± The young man continued, talking about his life in Caelos and his title almost nonstop, occasionally shooting questions at Maiz which he did his best to evade. All the while the cart trundled down the road, taking them towards place where, Maiz hoped, he could finally gain the power he needed. ************************ In a few hours, Maiz was eyeing the jugs of water out of the corner of his eye. Hugan¡¯s stream of words had dried up only an hour ago, and now Maiz missed it. At least the incessant rambling had distracted from the heat. Hugan was now sprawled on his side of the wagon, eyes closed, arms resting atop his head. There was a thin sheen of sweat that Maiz could see glistening on his neck, but he gave no other sign of discomfort from the blazing sun above. It was indeed the time of day that most laborers went inside to sleep before eating lunch, but Maiz hadn¡¯t ever gotten into the habit, having spent most of his days indoors. Worse, he hadn¡¯t ever developed the tolerance for heat that most people in Caelos did, which explained why he almost felt like risking the wagon driver¡¯s wrath by taking water from one of the jugs.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Fortunately, before he could do anything he would regret later, there was an indistinct shout from the front and the wagon finally rolled to a stop. With a jerk, Hugan woke, looking blearily around, and Maiz sat up as well to look at his surroundings. They were in front of a large set of gates on the side of the road. The gates were a combination of wood and iron that looked to be well maintained, though with a layer of mud and dust. They obscured anything beyond, but they were framed by an equally impressive grey stone wall that appeared to form a perimeter around the training grounds. In a moment, the gates were swinging open slowly, revealing another road that cut through an empty field of sand that looked like the desert in miniature. The wagon began moving again, and in a few minutes it stopped in front of a squat stone building. The driver yelled back at Maiz and Hugan, ¡°Get down now, you boys. Come around here.¡± Even as he said the words, a pair of large, tired-looking men came out of the building. Both of them made Hugan look as scrawny as Maiz, and they were clearly meant to unload the wagon. Quickly, he and Hugan hopped down from the wagon bed, and walked up to the front of the wagon, where the driver was untying the horses¡¯ harnesses from the wagon. Maiz was wondering if they were going to follow him to a stable, but then another, equally tired looking man who looked more normal than the other two, though he moved with an unnatural grace. All three had been dressed in the same tunic and pants, though in different colors. Were these workers, or trainees? The graceful man took the reins from the grey-haired driver, who grunted at him, then again at the Maiz and Hugan, before walking of in another direction. Shooting a quick look at each other, the young men followed him. This place was completely unlike the city. Instead of closely packed buildings and stone-paved roads, there were swathes of open space--some fenced off, others dotted with rows of cloth-and-wood dummies, and some left bare of everything but sand--occasionally broken by grey stone building. No one was out on the fields at the moment, likely because they were either eating or sleeping, but Maiz imagined that at other times they would be full of sixteen and seventeen year-olds learning how to fight and use the power of their titles. The gruff old man led them to another stone building, this one larger and taller, but otherwise indistinguishable from the first they had stopped at. There was no door here, only a rectangular opening that let in some light to an otherwise dark room. He gave the two younger men a glare, and gestured to the doorway, before walking off in a different direction, fumbling something out of a pouch at his side. ¡°Do you know what we¡¯re supposed to do?¡± Hugan whispered to Maiz, apparently feeling intimidated by the grumpy driver¡¯s demeanor. Of course, if the man was a Journeyman Slasher, he could easily kill both of them if he wanted. Still, Maiz tried to sound more confident as he replied, ¡°Probably go in there,¡± while gesturing at the building like the gruff man had. Glancing back, he saw that there was a trail of black smoke rising behind the man as he continued down the trail. Sighing, Maiz turned back and walked into the building, with Hugan cautiously following. The doorway faced directly into another one, this covered by a curtain. After he and Hugan had brushed themselves off, Maiz walked through the curtained doorway. In the next room, there was a single, slight woman sitting at a desk lit by a pair of candles. The room was surprisingly open and spacious, though behind the woman there were several shelves that were filled with boxes. One such box was also on her desk, opened to reveal hundreds of files. As they entered, the woman glanced up, revealing an angular, sharp face framed by long black hair. Above her head were the words Karena-Journeyman Scholar. The Scholar slid the sheet she¡¯d been writing on to a cleared portion of the desk, which Maiz recognized as a spot reserved for letting ink dry. She then looked up and gave Maiz and Hugan a sharp, but disinterested look. ¡°You two just came in with the supply wagon?¡± Her voice was as sharp as her eyes, and when Maiz and Hugan nodded, she went on, ¡°Show me your names and titles.¡± They did so, Maiz half expecting a reaction from the woman at their unusual titles. However, she showed no reaction, only asking ¡°What city are you two from and when did you receive your titles?¡± Hugan beat Maiz to the punch this time, proudly declaring ¡°I¡¯m from Caelos in the third quarter. My Naming Ritual was three days ago.¡± Maiz, feeling a little embarrassed at his companion¡¯s overbearing pride, said ¡°I¡¯m also from Caelos. My ritual was yesterday.¡± The woman only nodded, then stood and went to a book on a nearby shelf. Opening it, she retrieved a pair of papers from it and sat back down. She read over both of the papers, looking first at Hugan. She wrote something else down, then handed a sheet to him. Then she turned her eyes on Maiz. This time she took longer, looking at the paper and back up at Maiz, as though she expected his title to change somehow. However eventually she wrote something short down on another sheet and handed it to Maiz. ¡°Take those and give them to the man in there,¡± she said, gesturing to the curtained doorway at the other end of the room, past the shelves. Maiz looked over at Hugan, who was holding the sheet as though he was afraid it would fall to pieces at any moment. He wasn''t far off the mark, to be fair. The stuff was low quality, with patches of color and uneven texture. Still, the woman¡¯s note was easy enough to read: Spellsword- Unknown title with magical and physical attribute bonuses. Unclear application and specialty. Building 2-C Maiz didn¡¯t really understand what the note meant, but when he looked back up the sharp-eyed Scholar was scowling at him fiercely. In an annoyed voice, she barked ¡°Go!¡± and he and Hugan scrambled to obey. The next room was much smaller than the first, with only a single desk and a man in robes sitting at it. However, unlike the Scholar from the first room, when this man saw Maiz and Hugan, he smiled and jumped up from his stool excitedly. Over his head were the words Rin-Journeyman Scholar, but unlike every other Sholar Maiz had met--admittedly a small number--this man exhibited a healthy exuberance completely at odds with the somber surroundings. His robes were red and yellow, the colors of the kingdom, and his large frame hidden beneath their folds. He had a round face and neatly trimmed beard, and looked to be fairly young, no more than a decade older than Maiz himself. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Rin, and you two are?¡± He had a light baritone voice, surprisingly soothing. Maiz and Hugan both introduced themselves, handing over the sheets the other woman had handed them. After accepting the sheets, Rin glanced at them for a few seconds, then looked back up at the two young men. ¡°My, my, you two have some very interesting tiles!¡± He rubbed his hands together as though he was cold. ¡°It¡¯s been centuries since the last time a Warden was known to be Named, and Spellsword¡­ well, I will have to do some research into the history of that one. In any case, I should let you know that my specialty is the study of combat titles, their applications and histories. I will work with both of you to develop an image of what styles of fighting will best fit your titles, and of course your own talents and abilities.¡± Maiz blinked at the rapid pace with which the words that poured out of the man mouth, as well as the near-manic glint in his eyes, but he was already continuing. ¡°Now then, Hugan, your title is obviously specialized in physical combat, so starting tomorrow you¡¯ll begin training in the Novice practice field. Karena¡¯s put you in building 2-C, so you can go ahead and get settled in there!¡± He gave Hugan some directions to the barracks where he was to stay, and told him to be up an hour before dawn and follow the other Novices out to the appropriate field. After receiving these functions, Hugan flashed RIn a brilliant smile, saying ¡°Thank you sir!¡± As he turned to leave, he gave Maiz a friendly pat on the back which momentarily winded him. By the time Maiz recovered, the other Novice had already left. ¡°Now then,¡± Rin said, making that strange hand-rubbing gesture again.¡±Your title is apparently a bit more difficult to evaluate Maiz. Will you please give me access to your Title Sheet?¡± Maiz didn¡¯t see why not, considering that he had shown it to several people at this point and none had seen his true Title. When Father Gavrel had first asked that question, Maiz had almost panicked, but apparently his Title Sheet showed others only the information for the title he chose to display. When the request for permission popped up in his vision, he thought yes, and Rin¡¯s eye¡¯s grew unfocused as he looked at his title. Idly, Maiz opened his own title sheet as the Scholar looked at it: Spellsword- Spellswords use their mana to augment their martial prowess, focusing on channeling elemental effects through their weapons and armor. They are especially suited to small-scale combat and breaking enemy lines on the battlefield. +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom, Constitution, and Attribute of Choice per rank. Just as Maiz finished reading over the title description again, Rin asked him in that excited tone, ¡°What was the starting talent you received?¡± ¡°Um, it was called Flaming Strike--¡± ¡°--Do you know how to view your skills and spells?¡± The Scholar interrupted. When Maiz nodded, he said eagerly ¡°Read the skill description out to me, please. Leave nothing out.¡± Maiz, somewhat flustered, took a moment to open his Name Sheet and then select the Flaming Strike skill. During that time, Rin stared at him impatiently, making it even harder to focus on navigating the mental data. Finally, he reached the description. Flaming Strike(Spellsword): Creates an aura of fire around the caster¡¯s weapon which lasts for one attack. Rank: 1 Cost: 30 mana Damage: +50 Fire (Chance to burn) He read the description aloud, though he omitted the ¡°Spellsword¡± denotation. He somehow thought that other people didn¡¯t need to know what title their skills and spells belonged to. As Maiz spoke, the glint in Rin¡¯s eyes grew more and more pronounced. By the time he finished, the man was rubbing his hands together so fast that Maiz thought his skin might start peeling. ¡°Fascinating! You know, that sounds more like a short-term enchantment than a regular elemental spell. Have you tried to cast it?¡± He looked expectantly at Maiz. ¡°No, I--¡± ¡°--Ah, well, we¡¯ll have to do that another time, then. I expect the spell uses mana to form a temporary enchantment matrix and empowers it with fire. But, in any case, the practical application seems quite powerful. Fifty damage! And that¡¯s at the first rank, no doubt it will only get stronger over time! But, of course there is a slight problem.¡± Here the excited Scholar took a breath, allowing Maiz to interject. ¡°Is fifty damage for a skill unusual, sir?¡± The Scholar looked taken aback at the question. ¡°No need to call me sir, Maiz. I don¡¯t want to seem too familiar, but I have a feeling we¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other and I don¡¯t stand much on ceremony.¡± The large man rubbed his hands together again. ¡°As to your question, yes! The spell has a mana cost similar to most Novice-ranked spells, but the damage is more like an Apprentice skill or spell. Of course, this is most likely due to the issue I mentioned. You see, this spell requires you to fight enemies at close quarters.¡± Right, that was what Riala said. Thinking of Riala only caused Maiz a slight twinge as he considered Rin¡¯s other words. He and Hugan had both called him sir, of course. It was the standard honorific for someone older or of a higher station. But whenever Maiz used the word, he thought of the slimy bastard who¡¯d been his taskmaster for the past two years, so he didn¡¯t mind dropping the formality. Rin continued, ¡°The big problem is that you don¡¯t really have any big physical attribute bonuses, or skills that help you hit the opponent. A Slasher, for example, gains points in Dexterity, Strength, and Constitution per rank. Their first skill varies, but it¡¯s either some sort of targeted attack or, rarely, a passive ability that improves their skill with bladed weapons. In contrast, you only get a bonus to Constitution, and the spell you have only makes your hit do more damage, it doesn¡¯t improve your technique or guide your strike at all.¡± Rin didn¡¯t look particularly put out by this fact however, even though Maiz thought it constituted a rather severe drawback to his abilities. ¡°Now then, I¡¯ll be doing more research into your title, and we¡¯ll try to find you some spellbooks to improve your arsenal if we can. The only question is, how we want to train you. You¡¯re clearly a mage, but you¡¯d certainly benefit a great deal from the physical training the melee combatants go through.¡± The Scholar gave his hands one final rub. ¡°I suppose that the only thing to do is to put you into both! Lucky for you, the Novice melee and mage groups meet at different times, though your schedule will be a bit tight.¡± He gave Maiz a set of instructions, indicating that he was to go out out with the melee group an hour before dawn, then meet with the mages directly after his midday meal. Apparently after that time the melee troops spent their time on chores and duties around the complex, and before it the mages did the same. So I guess that I won¡¯t have to do any of those, at least. It was a small mercy, but Maiz hoped that it boded well for his future. After giving Maiz the same set of directions as Hugan, Rin bid him farewell, apparently planning to inform the appropriate authorities of Maiz¡¯s unique situation. Maiz left the building and setting down the trail Rin had directed him towards. The sun was lower in the sky and it appeared that young men and women were beginning to organize onto some of the previously empty fields. During the walk, Maiz examined his own feelings. He felt¡­ different than usual. There was something that felt strange about this day. He¡¯d met two people, Hugan and Rin, who¡¯d actually talked to him willingly. At length. Though both had been strange in their own ways, the fact that they had treated Maiz like another human being of their own accords wasn¡¯t lost on him. Part of Maiz wondered if that wasn¡¯t simply because he had an unusual and powerful combat title, but another, larger, part was excited that he would be living in the same building as Hugan, and that he would be conducting more tests of his title with Rin. For the first time since his father had died, Maiz was truly optimistic about the future. Chapter 12 The next day, Maiz was wondering why he¡¯d thought this was a good idea in the first place. ¡°All right you gobling shits, switch!¡± Oh hells. Maiz stopped his ineffectual attempts to hurt the unsmiling wall of muscle before him. Beside him, Hugan said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Maiz looked around to see him patting another young man on the shoulder as he moved to take his spot. All around, other young people were doing the same, exchange a few words with their partners as they took up ready stances. Maiz¡¯s feet felt glued to the sand. He looked up--and up--into the unsmiling face of his partner. The man had a dark though neatly trimmed, beard, and gray eyes that looked disinterestedly back at Maiz. The shape of his face distinctly recalled that of a brick. A particularly large one. How is this... thing a Novice? He¡¯s almost twice my height! And four times my weight. The giant took a step forward, and Maiz swore that he could feel the ground tremble beneath him. Legs shaking, he switched places with the gargantuan Novice, and began to consider how to brace himself for-- ¡°Begin!¡± The first blow caught Maiz just as he flexed his stomach muscles. It didn¡¯t actually hurt as Maiz expected, though that was possibly because the punch sent him flying back. Almost as soon as he landed, a calm voice said ¡°Heal,¡± and Maiz felt better. Woah. What just-- ¡°Get up you lazy son of a saurian!¡± There was suddenly a sweat, screaming face filling Maiz¡¯s vision. The man began to raise his hand threateningly, and Maiz scrambled to his feet, running back into line. As soon as he set his feet, the gigantic, bored-looking man threw another punch at Maiz¡¯s stomach. This time, he didn¡¯t go flying several feet, but he still landed on his backside. He sat there woozily, until he felt a sharp, unexpected pain on the side of his head. The blow was so severe that it knocked Maiz over completely, though he remained conscious. ¡°Get up!¡± The training officer roared in his ear as Maiz¡¯s vision blurred. The sound injected some amount of urgency into Maiz¡¯s dazed thoughts, and he feebly attempted to get back to his feet. ¡°Heal,¡± the voice called out again, and Maiz was suddenly able to stand, though he found the training officer uncomfortably close. ¡°Get back in line, boy, and stay on your feet this time!¡± As Maiz stepped back into the line the man said in the same tone to Maiz¡¯s massive partner ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, you hear?¡± Maiz didn¡¯t know how he felt about most of what he had done this morning. The running with a pack of stones on his back, the balance exercises made nearly impossible by the inclusion of blows from a heavy stick, and various other painful activities that apparently changed every day. He felt more tired than he ever had in his life, and he¡¯d thrown up more than a few times. He¡¯d come close to passing out as well, but the clerics were there to help with that. He¡¯d already gained a bonus to his strength from the exercises. However, at that moment he knew one thing for certain. He hated the training officer. Yet he still set his feet, and mostly out of spite, resolved not to move another inch. .The training officer began yelling to Maiz¡¯s partner about some fault of his technique. Maiz used the reprieve to look around, noticing Hugan on his right, taking consecutive blows from his partner with no sign of pain. That¡¯s an odd way of standing and Maiz took the opportunity to copy Hugan¡¯s wide stance, one foot forward, both knees bent, and shoulder held back slightly. He felt rather ridiculous, and thought that he did such a poor job that his stance was unrecognizable as the same as Hugan¡¯s, but then he had a thought. Is he using a skill? If so¡­ Maiz thought back to the way it had felt to use the Jump skill, as if he had been aware of his entire body working in unison towards the same goal. He tried to apply the same feeling to his stance, his feet planted on the ground, his knees preparing to absorb an impact, his torso holding itself in perfect balance. He felt something strange, like a word on the tip of his tongue, but he also didn¡¯t really feel any different. Just then, the training officer¡¯s yells drew to a crescendo, and Maiz looked back to see another huge fist heading for his stomach. Almost wincing already, he prepared for the pain and shock of the incoming blow. But when the attack landed, Maiz didn¡¯t go flying. Certainly, the punch hurt, but he didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d been run over by a dozen wagons. Maiz was surprised, but did his best to hide it as the training officer looked suspiciously at Maiz, then at his gargantuan partner. However, the punch had apparently met the officer¡¯s standards, and he simply grunted and moved on to yell at another pair. Two more punches later, Maiz was on the ground again, feeling like he was about to throw up. He struggled to his knees before one of the nearby clerics healed him again, then stood up and set himself in Hugan¡¯s strange stance again. This time he noticed a definite feeling like the one he¡¯d had using his Jump skill. He felt as though the use of each of his muscles was intentional, meant to bolster his defense against the incoming attacks. Then three consecutive punches landed on his stomach, and Maiz dropped again. This time though, it wasn¡¯t from the pain of the attacks. That seemed to be decreasing with every hit. However, Maiz was feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden, and his leg had literally given out on him. Before Maiz could get up though, the training officer¡¯s rage-filled voice rang out across the field of sand. ¡°All right lizardlings, that¡¯s enough! If you¡¯re still hurt, make sure you see the clerics, and then give me five laps of the field before we start sparring!¡± Maiz spent a half minute on his knee as the other Novices--over a hundred of them by Maiz¡¯s estimation--began moving, either to see a cleric or to begin running. Other¡®s also hadn¡¯t moved from the line, although most of them were clutching stomachs and grimacing in pain. A few just appeared to be tired, like Maiz. is this from the stance I was using? Opening his Name Sheet, he saw that his stamina was down to 10 out of 70. He also checked his stats, finding that he had gained a point in Constitution. Finally, he reached his skills, where he saw what he had been expecting. Skills: The Mask Printing Shield Stance Spells: Flaming Strike Maiz felt a flash of excitement at the sight of the new skill, and focused on its prompt. Shield Stance(Warden): A stance which reduces damage and lowers chances of armor piercing, knockdown, and stun effects affecting the user. Effects are doubled when using a shield. Rank: 1 Cost: 10n stamina per blow where n=(damage taken divided by user¡¯s Constitution) Effect: -10% damage taken Chance of armor-piercing, stun, knockdown debuffs afflicting user reduced by 100*(user''s Constitution divided by damage taken) (Effects are doubled when user is wielding a shield.) Maiz was very happy to see that he had managed to learn the skill just by copying Hugan. That was the first time he had actually learned a skill, and he was relieved to see that he hadn¡¯t needed to ask to be taught the skill. That would have made acquiring new titles for his Mask ability extremely difficult. ¡°Get moving!¡± The training officer¡¯s voice rang out again. It sounded far away, but Maiz did not feel like having the shouting man in his face again. Besides, his stamina had already refilled another ten points, giving him enough energy to stand once again. He walked to the edge of the field in order to let it refill more, then began running, attempting to catch up to the others who had already started. By the end, Maiz¡¯s face was warm, both from the extreme exertion and from the fact that he was by far the last person to finish the required running. He tasted bile in his mouth, though at this point he didn¡¯t feel like he had anything in his stomach to vomit. He¡¯d fallen several times during the run around the huge training field, and had been forced for a cleric to get close enough to call ¡°Heal!¡± Of course, those spells didn¡¯t do much to replenish his stamina, only heal any damage to his body, so it didn¡¯t make the run much easier. The others were already getting into pairs again by the time he stumbled to a halt, then shambled back to the center mass of Novices. Yet within moments of doing so, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to see a tall, wiry young man smiling at him. ¡°Hi there, I know you¡¯re new. Do you want to spar? I¡¯m Jax, by the way.¡± The other boy had a pointed face, skin clearly darkened from long hours in the sun, and dark green eyes cast in shadow by the sun. ¡°Uh,I¡­¡± Maiz stammered, struggling to hear himself over the cacophony of other people choosing partners, ¡°yes that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Jax half-shouted back. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Oh! Sorry, I¡¯m Maiz.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Jax nodded companionably, then motioned for him to move over to the end of the field joining a queue towards the sets of weapons racks just past the edge of the training grounds. Maiz had past those racks five times during his run around the massive field, though by the last they had already been swarmed by people picking up wooden approximations of swords, spears, maces, staves, and axes. Most Novices apparently moved fast: it only took minutes for Maiz and Jax to get to the racks. Jax almost immediately picked up a sword which looked to be a wooden copy of the type used most often by Slashers. It curved noticeably back on itself, and ended in a point which Maiz now recognized as being reminiscent of a leaf. Maiz had no idea what he should pick for himself--the swords left in the racks all looked to be one-handed, and Maiz doubted his ability to lift that much weight. He also didn¡¯t think he could handle a close-ranged weapon like an axe or a mace effectively. That left the spear or the staff. After a moment¡¯s consideration, he picked up the staff, then quickly hurried to the side with Jax as more annoyed people pushed in to choose their own weapons. Maiz doubted he would have been able to actually hit anything with the point of a spear, and his odds of connecting with something were much better with what amounted to an extra-long club. Besides, he reasoned, not having a blade or point didn¡¯t matter if he used his Flaming Strike spell anyways. The damage from that would far outweigh what he lost from the blade of a sword. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there to get some space,¡± Jax said in a quieter voice, motioning to an open patch of the field. Already, there were dozens of pairs on the wide open space of the training field. There was not enough space to make the field seem sparse as the more an more pairs found spots to spar, but Maiz didn¡¯t think anyone was in danger of an accidental blow from another pair either. As the Novice began to reorganize themselves on the field--surprisingly quickly, as far as Maiz was concerned--he saw the training officer coming towards him. He seemed to be looking straight at Maiz, though Maiz doubted that was true. After all, there were dozens of Novices on the field, why would the officer want to talk to Maiz? He continued believing that right up until the angry man got into Maiz¡¯s face again. ¡°You, boy. Your name¡¯s Maiz?¡± Surprised, Maiz nodded. ¡°Yes sir.¡± The man growled deep in his throat. Maiz wondered if he¡¯d done anything to anger him, or if it was just instinct for the man at this point. ¡°Got a letter from Mister Rin. He says you¡¯re not to use that skill of yours in sparring.¡± THe man glanced down at a grubby piece of paper in his hand. ¡°No Flaming Strike, got it?¡± Maiz nodded again, dejectedly. He¡¯d been looking forward to finally using the spell. ¡°Yes sir.¡± The officer nodded, then walked away towards the center of the field. ¡°You should all know the rules, so don¡¯t break them or else! No using forbidden talents, and you get a penalty for serious injuries. No killing unless you want to die as well.¡± Maiz supposed that Flaming Strike constituted a forbidden talent. Ah well, he didn¡¯t really want to burn Jax anyways. He seemed rather nice. At that moment, Jax was grinning at Maiz, getting into a ready stance. His sword was in front of him, braced against his other hand in a guard, and his knees were bent slightly, heels lifted off the ground. Maiz himself stood awkwardly, holding his long staff in both hands, but he smiled back at Jax anyways. ¡°Start!¡± Jax stepped forward immediately, directing a strike at Maiz¡¯s side. Maiz pushed out his staff to block the blow, but it never came. While Maiz was clumsily attempting to block, Jax had sidestepped, bringing his sword around to the back of Maiz¡¯s head. He felt a moment of impact, a blinding pain, and then the world was black. ¡°Heal.¡± The world came rushing back to Maiz, and he opened his eyes. Then he closed them again as the light of the sun blinded him. His head hurt, even with the healing, but the cleric had already moved on. Getting to his feet, he looked around, dazed. It had probably been only a few seconds since he¡¯d passed out, but Jax was standing several feet away. He still had that grin on his face, but now Maiz thought it looked nasty rather than friendly. ¡°Thanks for the free win, goblin-brains.¡± He laughed, then turned around, calling over his shoulder, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to find that other new kid and beat the hell out of him too. Have fun hauling water!¡± What? Maiz was still dazed. He looked around, seeing that most pairs were getting close to finished with their bouts. Plenty of other people were also on the ground, some unconscious, some clutching broken limbs, others simply looking exhausted. Maiz stayed where he was, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. He¡¯d put his staff out to block and¡­ nothing. He realized now that Jax had been playing him, though Maiz wasn¡¯t clear on why he¡¯d felt the need. Just then, the training officer called out, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Find a new partner, and be quick about it!¡± Maiz looked around. It seemed like all of the fights had ended. How long had he been sitting there? He still felt strange from his blow. Wait. Another fight? What had Jax said, at the end there? He¡¯s going to do the same thing to Hugan! I should go and warn him now. Hugan could be a little ridiculous at times, but he¡¯d been friendly to Maiz. Not like Jax, who¡¯d apparently just been using him, but really friendly. Maiz stood, though now everyone was moving around, looking for new partners. Maiz thought he could see Hugan¡¯s face nearby, and he started towards the young man. Another Novice jostled him, and then another. They were all moving quickly to get new partners. Where was-- --Hugan was patting Jax on the back, smiling at him. The two turned, apparently deciding to find a space for their match. No. Maiz stood, intending to run up and warn Hugan. He made it a few meters when he felt a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Looks like no one else is brave enough to fight, so I guess I¡¯m stuck with you.¡± Maiz was pulled back by the casual strength of the hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw a short young woman in the same tunic and pants as the other novices. Her hair was cut short, and her face had a layer of sweat and grime covering it, but she looked rather pretty. She had full lips, high cheekbones, and, most distinctively, striking gray eyes. Maiz hadn¡¯t seen many people without dark eyes, and he thought they looked impressive. At the moment though, those eyes were narrowed, and the lips were twisted in a scowl. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The girl asked in a confrontational tone. ¡°I-I¡¯m Maiz.¡± Do I have a stammering problem now? ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Lila.¡± She hadn¡¯t moved her hand from his shoulder, and now she dragged him to an empty spot. Maiz tried to interject, thinking about warning Hugan, but before he could, she spoke again. ¡°No one else is free, so you¡¯re gonna have to fight me. Good luck.¡± Looking around, Maiz saw that everyone else was indeed also getting ready to fight. He saw Hugan and Jax both getting ready, Hugan having found a shield somewhere and taking up his shield stance. He looked back to the girl, Lila. With a start, he realized that she wasn¡¯t carrying a weapon at all. She was however, standing with her hands ready to fight. Her feet were moving subtly, in a strange pattern that almost made Maiz dizzy to look at. He lifted his quarterstaff, and used the shield stance skill. Can¡¯t hurt. ¡°Start!¡± Maiz half expected Lila to attack him immediately like Jax had, but she didn¡¯t move beyond the strange pattern her feet made. Maiz didn¡¯t feel an urge to try and attack her himself, but he looked at her feet again curiously. Is that another skill? Subtly, he tried to focus his body and copy the pattern the girl was making on the ground. It was difficult, but eventually Maiz thought that he had it. This time he caught the flashing purple icon in the corner of his vision which signified that he¡¯d either learned a new skill or gained experience somehow. The entire time Lila had simply been standing, not making any moves to attack. ¡°Hey! Are you making fun of me or something?¡± Maiz looked up to see Lila¡¯s scowl grow even fiercer. Then, without warning, she stepped forward and kicked at his head in fluid motion. Maiz barely saw the kick, but somehow his body reacted, ducking under the blow and stepping to the side. Glancing down, Maiz saw his feet still moving in the strange pattern. What the-- ¡°You¡¯ll regret that!¡± Something flashed out of the side of Maiz¡¯s vision, and suddenly there was a fist flying to his stomach. Again, however, he somehow managed to skip out of the way, dropping his staff in the process. He felt a twinge of tiredness pass through his body, but his feet kept moving in their pattern. This time Maiz reoriented himself more quickly, only to see Lila picking up his staff, murder in her eyes. She spun the staff in a figure-eight, creating a solid blur of wood as she moved closer to him. Then, when she was just within striking range, he felt a sharp blow on his shoulder. And he looked down to see the staff against his arm. But wasn¡¯t she just spinning it? Maiz hadn¡¯t seen her move to strike, but apparently she had. While Maiz was staring down, confused, the staf circled over Lila¡¯s head and head towards a spot on Maiz¡¯s leg. He dodged that attack with his strange new agility, but this time when he did so the wave of tiredness was so strong that it sent him to his knee. In the next instant, Maiz felt a light pressure on his neck and suddenly he couldn¡¯t move. His muscles locked in place, and he was unable to even keep his balance, falling to the sandy ground yet again. ¡°That¡¯s what you get, kid. Don¡¯t make fun of me again, or I won¡¯t go so easy on you next time.¡± Maiz heard the voice, but he couldn¡¯t turn his head to look up at Lila. What had happened? Clearly she had used some kind of skill on him which prevented him from moving. He didn¡¯t hear anything else from her, and assumed that she had left already. Hopefully the muscle paralysis would wear off, though Maiz was, surprisingly, not too uncomfortable. Still, best to see the time he had. He focused on the purple ¡®V¡¯ in the corner of his vision, and text filled appeared before him. You have learned the skill Fast Feet (rank 1)! The ability The Mask has triggered. Opening his Name sheet, Maiz found the new skill in his list and selected it. Fast Feet (Warrior-Monk): An active ability which allows the user to dodge incoming strikes. Can only be used while wielding a staff or using no weapons. Cost is reduced based on the user¡¯sAgility and increased based on the attacker¡¯s Dexterity. Rank:1 Cost: 15n per attack dodged where n=(attacker¡¯s Dexterity divided by user¡¯s Agility) Effect: All attacks perceived within half a second of impact are dodged if possible. Does not activate against wide area-of-effect damage. By the time he finished reading, Maiz could move again. He felt as though he¡¯d cramped up heavily, and his muscles felt a little sore--well, more than they had before Lila had used the strange skill on him. Warrior-Monk, I¡¯ve never even heard of a title like that. The skill was clearly very useful, though the cost increasing based on the opponent''sDexterity explained why he¡¯d barely been able to use it. Lila had certainly seemed like she had an abnormally high amount of that attribute. In any case, the training officer had already called a halt to the matches. ¡°All right, anyone who lost carries one bucket per match, you all know the drill!¡± Looking up, Maiz could already see a line of dejected looking people lining up to take buckets of water from the stone building at the opposite end of the field. So that¡¯s why Jax went after me. Getting easy wins from new Novices was probably a good way to avoid hauling the water buckets. Undoubtedly doing so would be intensely difficult for Maiz, especially since he had to carry two. As he approached, he saw Jax exit the building, his face a storm of anger and embarrassment, and walk slowly off the field towards the barracks buildings while carrying a bucket sloshing with water. Despite the pain and humiliation he¡¯d endured today, Maiz couldn¡¯t help but smile. Nice one, Hugan. Chapter 13 Maiz didn¡¯t mind hauling the water as much as he¡¯d thought he would. Hugan had met him while he was waiting in line to grab the buckets, and mentioned that combat titles made it easier to gain attribute points than other types of titles. He said that, according to one of the other trainees, half of the Novice-level training was just using different methods to boost physical attributes as much as possible early on. Maiz supposed that explained most of the strange exercises they¡¯d engaged in, even if some seemed downright cruel. After getting the water back to the barracks complex, where everyone was changing, getting ready to eat and sleep, Maiz opened his Name Sheet to check the truth of his statement. Maiz-Spellsword (Rank 1) Title Status-Hidden (Default) Bonus Titles- God-Chosen of Viselys (Hidden) Title Options Available Health-100/100 Mana-140/140 (+ 1.1 pts/second) Stamina: 90/90 (+1 pt/seconds) Attributes:
Age 16
Constitution 10
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 11
Strength 9
Dexterity 10
Agility 12
Charisma 9
Luck 8
Skills: The Mask Printing Shield Stance Fast Feet Spells: Flaming Strike SuddenlyMaiz didn¡¯t really hatethe training as much as he had. Well, it had still been a bit much, but those attribute gains were incredible! He¡¯d gained a point each in Constitution, and Dexterity, and two in Strength, which almost put him at the average for a young man his age. Huh, kind of odd that my Agility didn¡¯t increase, though. He¡¯d certainly done plenty of running, and even used an Agility-based skill. Is it because my Agility is higher than the other attributes? If that was the case, Maiz wondered if it would simply take longer for his Agility to increase from the training, or if he would never be able to increase it more without ranking up. It seemed likely that the former was true, or else it wouldn¡¯t make sense to have the Novices spend so much time working on their attributes. Maiz joined the other young men in his barracks in changing into another set of training clothes, putting his sweat-soaked ones into a massive--and pungent--basket near the door. Apparently the magic-based Novices would wash them the next morning while they were training. After changing, Maiz followed the stream of people walking towards the largest building he¡¯d seen in the entire training base. Maiz hadn¡¯t ever seen a place like the mess hall. There were several hundred people sitting at three long tables, each of which ad huge bowls of food placed at regular intervals. About eight people shared from each bowl, which at least bore some similarity to the regular dining style of most people in this area. Maiz and his father had always eaten from the same bowl or plate, though of course they had individual dining-ware to put the food in. Maiz looked around, seeing several empty spots, but then he thought about sitting and eating with half a dozen people he¡¯d never met before, and began searching somewhat desperately for a familiar face. The first one he spotted was Jax, sitting with a set of other young men, none of whom seemed particularly friendly. Hells no. He continued searching, until he spotted Hugan¡¯s large frame at another table. He was sitting with just one other person, though Maiz couldn¡¯t see what they looked like from his vantage. Relieved, he made his way over to the section. As he approached, Hugan looked over the shoulder of his friend and waved. ¡°Hi there Maiz! Have you met Ziya?¡± A young woman with a sharp face and dark, intelligent eyes turned around to face Maiz. Her hair was cut short, like Lila¡¯s had been. Come to think of it, every girl in training that Maiz had seen had short hair, as did all of the boys. He wondered if that was a rule of the compound. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ziya.¡± Her voice was surprisingly soft, considering her almost confrontational gaze. Maiz wondered if she simply had an aggressive face. Certainly, her high cheekbones, and sharply-defined jawline were striking, but Maiz thought it was mostly the way she watched him. She seemed to be examining every inch of him even as she spoke, and forming some inscrutable conclusion. As she introduced herself, words appeared above her head. Ziya-Novice Cleric. That was a common polite practice, even if most of the people here didn¡¯t seem inclined to showing off their titles. However, Maiz was surprised that the clerics, the healers of the compound, ate with the trainees. He was also surprised that this one was only a Novice. Were the Novice clerics the ones who¡¯d been healing him this morning, after he''d vomited and gotten punched to oblivion? Had this girl, Ziya, been one of them? The thought was somewhat embarrassing. As Maiz looked back from her title to her face, and saw that both she and Hugan had expectant looks on their faces. Oops. Maiz willed his own--false--name and title to appear as he said, ¡°I¡¯m Maiz.¡± No stuttering, at least. Maybe I¡¯m learning. Maiz once again reflected on the fact that he¡¯d once been almost insufferably talkative. It had just been years since he¡¯d had anyone to talk to. But Hugan simply laughed into the awkward silence, saying, ¡°Take a seat Maiz, and get eating! The food here¡¯s pretty good, and there¡¯s a lot of it!¡± Maiz did as he suggested, though he was curious about where all this food was coming from. The cart they¡¯d arrived on hadn¡¯t had enough to feed this many people for more than perhaps a day. There must be shipments from other cities and farms as well that come here. Caelos was the largest city so far south, but a little north of it there were plenty of communities built on the more fertile land. ¡°Anyways, Maiz, what did you think of training this morning?¡± Hugan¡¯s mouth was full of rice as he asked the question, and little pieces spilled to the table as he spoke. Maiz gave a grimace. He himself was chewing on a piece of unidentifiable meat, and he waited until he swallowed to answer. Hugan was right--the food was much better than anything he¡¯d had in the service of the Sharir. ¡°Uh, I can¡¯t say it was much fun, but I got a bunch of attribute points so I¡­ suppose it was good?¡± Hugan laughed, though Maiz thought he didn¡¯t deserve it. However Ziya turned her piercing gaze back to him. ¡°I noticed that you were paired with Haddar for the Constitution exercise. I was impressed at how well you handled yourself.¡± The compliment was delivered in the same soft, circumspect manner that she¡¯d introduced herself in, but Maiz blinked. ¡°Um, thank you. I didn¡¯t think I did well at all, though. He sent me flying.¡± Ziya nodded. ¡°He almost alway does that. The clerics always keep someone next to him to heal his partner. But I saw that you managed to stay on your feet for a few hits, which is more than most of his partners manage.¡± Maiz felt a twinge of surprise, then one of unease. He hadn¡¯t realized that staying on his feet would be unusual, but then he didn¡¯t exactly look like he¡¯d be able to take hits from a monster like that Haddar fellow. Had it seemed overly suspicious? Wait, this is an opportunity. He¡¯d been worried about explaining how he was using skills that weren¡¯t from his title. That girl, Lila, had already noticed him copying her Fast Feet skill, and thought he was making fun of her. Hugan was oblivious, but if Maiz kept using his Shield Stance, eventually he¡¯d notice. So I¡¯ll point it out to him first. Maiz turned to Hugan, then saideffusively, ¡°That thing you were doing really helped with that!¡± Too much, tone it down. ¡°It, uh, seemed pretty useful.¡± Hugan looked startled. He opened a mouth now stuffed with the mystery meat. ¡°Wha-¡± ¡°--speaking with your mouth full increases the risk of choking, you know. I haven¡¯t gotten to learn Give Breath, so I would finish eating before you talk.¡± Ziya¡¯s soft voice cut in. Hugan shot her a slightly annoyed look, then chewed furiously before taking an absolutely enormous swallow. Maiz thought he could literally see the food travelling down his gullet. Then he asked, ¡°What do you mean, Maiz?¡± Maiz gave his best innocent smile. ¡°You know, that special way of standing you were using? It made it a lot easier to stay on my feet!¡± ¡°My Shield Stance?¡± Hugan asked, frowning in confusion. Maiz frowned right back at him. ¡°Oh, was it a skill? I thought it was just a martial arts technique or something. Either way, it ended up helping a lot, even if I couldn¡¯t use it as a skill.¡± Maiz remembered what Lord Viselys--his Lord--had said. I wouldn¡¯t let anyone know about your title if I were you. He would need to learn the skills and spells of the other people here, but he also needed to keep the truth of what he was doing a secret. If he could play his use of Hugan¡¯s skill off as a way to keep his balance better it would make the deception much easier. He also knew that Hugan was a soft target for this. Sure enough, his friendly smile returned to his face. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s great, I never thought about a non-Warden using my skills as combat techniques, but I¡¯m glad it helped you!¡± He clapped Maiz on the back, making him feel rather bad about the deception.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. But this was what he had to do. Hugan quickly returned to his food, taking huge mouthfuls and eating almost constantly. It seemed like everyone else had found someplace else to sit, which was lucky, as between Hugan and Maiz, there probably wouldn¡¯t have been enough for the full eight people the bowls were meant to serve. However, though Maiz had been hungry, it didn¡¯t even compare to Hugan¡¯s boundless appetite, and soon he and Ziya were just watching the other boy shovel food into his mouth. Maiz turned to Ziya again, deciding to try and get some insight into the role of clerics in this place. ¡°So, what exactly do you do here, besides heal us during training?¡± She replied without taking her eyes off of Hugan¡¯s display of eating prowess. ¡°We train like any of the combat titled Novices and Journeymen. We practice healing on the melee combatants, mostly, but we learn with the magic-users, and with our own teachers. Because our schedules are so full, we don¡¯t have to do regular chores like the other trainees.¡± Maiz nodded. Her explanation made sense. Clerics and some other religious-titled people were the only type of healers known to exist. They undoubtedly needed training, and this compound clearly needed a large amount of healers, so the arrangement was mutually profitable. After a moment, Ziya¡¯s soft voice hesitantly continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, your title looked like a magic-type to me. Why are you training with the melee combatants?¡± The question might have caught him off guard, but Maiz had prepared for a multitude of questions about his title and situation in between the vomiting and blackouts that morning. ¡°Oh, Mister Rin said that I have to fight up close to use my spells, so it makes sense to put me with the melee fighters.¡° Now Ziya¡¯s probing eyes were on him again. ¡°And what about learning to use magic?¡± Maiz flushed, though he wasn¡¯t sure why. ¡°Oh, he said I had to train with the mages too, so I guess I don¡¯t do chores either.¡± ¡°Then I can show you where you need to go after we eat.¡± Ziya¡¯s face was still unsmiling, but Maiz though he detected a sort of awkward friendliness from her. He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, gods knew that Hugan¡¯s initial friendliness had been a boon. Perhaps he should try and do the same for Ziya. He gave her a genuine smile, saying, ¡°Thank you!¡± After Hugan had finally managed to demolish more than half of the food on the table by himself, he said goodbye to the two of them, and Ziya led Maiz outside to a building on the other side of the compound from the Novice melee field. This building was also made of grey stone, with open, curtained doorways like the registration buildings¡¯. Several other young people were also walking towards the building, all of them looking distinctly less muscular and graceful than the melee combatants had. Maiz and Ziya entered together, but then Ziya told him to go to the front and introduce himself to the head instructor. Theinterior was strange, a spacious hall covered in padded mats layed out in neat rows. Some students were already sitting on those mats, though others were finding a spot. At the far end of the room was the only chair, a comfortable-looking thing of wood and cushioning. Next to the chair stood an older man in red robes, who looked like he was half asleep. Hesitantly, Maiz approached the man, careful not to step on any of the mats. When he was perhaps two meters away, the man¡¯s eyes snapped wide open, and he looked alertly at Maiz. ¡°Yes, child?¡± The man¡¯s voice had the quaver of age, but no sign of confusion or slowness of thought. Maiz opened his mouth, throat suddenly dry, but as he was about to speak the man cut him off. ¡°You are new, yes? What is your name?¡± Hastily, Maiz willed his name and title to appear briefly as he said, ¡°Maiz, sir.¡± Somehow this man seemed to demand more respect than the training officer on the field, though he was certainly far less overtly threatening. The man¡¯s eyes flickered to the space above Mai¡¯s head, but he showed no sign of surprise or interest at his title. He simply said ¡°Well met, Maiz. My name is Instructor Hakim. In this part of our daily training, we go over exercises for clearing one¡¯s mind, and for manipulating one¡¯s mana. Do not worry if you don¡¯t know what that is, it isn¡¯t difficult to understand. Now then, in the Novice group we repeat the same seven exercises each week, before we split into smaller groups for individual practice. I will explain the basics of manipulating mana in the session, so you may find a place to sit.¡± The Instructor had said the words smoothly, without allowing time for any interruptions from Maiz. Not that he would have spoken, but he still found the speech impressive. He thanked the man and looked for a place to sit. Spotting an open mat next to where Ziya sat in the back, he made his way there. He sat next to her, but she didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to be bothered: her eyes were closed, her legs crossed, and she was taking deep breaths through her nose. Huh. I wonder if that¡¯s one of those exercises for clearing the mind. Sure enough, when the session began a few minutes later, Instructor Hakim told them all to sit in the same position, their legs folded into one another, backs straight. After giving everyone some time to settle into the pose, he began speaking in a slightly softer, soothing tone. ¡°Now, please close your eyes, everyone. We will breath to my count, in through your nose. For now, I want you to focus on the breathing, and nothing else.¡± He began counting, giving three counts for the inhale and three for the exhale. Maiz wondered exactly what the point of the exercise was, but he tried his best to focus on his breathing like the old man had directed. Hakim continued for what seemed like ages, occasionally changing the counts, but offering no other instruction. Maiz felt tense, working his hardest to think of nothing but his breath, despite his curiosity about the coming mana exercises, and his general state of excitement over the massive change in scenery he¡¯d experienced of late. ¡°Please continue with the breathing rhythm I¡¯ve given you, and continue alone. I would like you to let your mind drift as much as possible. Focus yourselves inwards.¡± Instructor Hakim¡¯s voice rang out in the hall, startling Maiz a bit. He kept his breathing in the same rhythm, a count in for two, hold for on, and out for two. As he did so, he considered what exactly he was supposed to be thinking about. What was the point of this exercise, anyways? Although he had to admit that it was far gentler than his morning had been, this ¡®thought exercise¡¯ didn¡¯t seem to be nearly as practical. In the end, Maiz spent most of the remaining time trying not to fall asleep as his breathing continued in the steady rhythm. When the instructor called a halt to the exercise, Maiz distinctly heard several yawns, so he assumed that he was not alone in his boredom. However, he was extremely excited for the next part of the class. ¡°Very well then, we should begin with our mana manipulation exercise today. To remind you all, we must remember that mana is the resource, the force, which allows people to interact with the world around them without physical contact. There are many theories of what exactly defines that force, and of how it accomplishes this interaction, however none but the gods know for sure. For our purposes, all you must remember is that mana exists within you, and it is possible to form physical constructs and phenomena by directing it outside of your body.¡± That¡¯s a very¡­ conservative definition. Maiz had no doubt that everything the Instructor said was true, but it was also unsatisfying. He was immediately curious about the why of it, of the exact nature of mana and magic, but he could see that it probably didn¡¯t make too much sense to discuss that with a group of Novice military trainees. For the moment, he had to bottle his questions and listen. ¡°This exercise is particularly important to improve the speed at which you cast a spell. I would like you all to close your eyes and focus on the point at the base of your skulls. You should feel something there: either a tingling or a pressure is the most common effect.¡± Remembering the ¡°blind¡± mana exercise that Riala had taught him, Maiz applied the same focus to the base of his skull as he had when casting the Minor Icebolt spell. Sure enough, he felt a strong a chill at the spot, and as he focused on it, he felt noticeably colder throughout his body. Interesting. I suppose this is my version of the tinglng most people feel. Maiz held his focus on the base of his skull as Instructor Hakim continued. ¡°Now then, when you have found the center of your mana, I would like you to will it to move. Simply imagine the feeling at the base of your skull spread down, past your shoulders, to your fingertips and toes.¡± Easy enough. Maiz simply imagined the chill flowing down, much as he had when Riala had taught him the exercise. The power felt similar enough to water that he found the process quite simple. He shivered as his body became enveloped in the cool feeling of the mana. ¡°Once you feel the mana cover your entire body, I would like you to retract it back to your skull. Do not release it, but force it to travel the same path up your body that it did on the way down.¡± Maiz found this part more difficult. The first time he tried to pull the mana upwards, nothing happened. He became more and more frustrated as his mana refused to move anywhere, and began shivering more noticeably as the cold grew stronger. Eventually he was forced to release the mana and try again. In the end, he found the trick was changing his idea of what the mana was. He¡¯d been treating it like water, as per Riala¡¯s instructions, but water did not flow upwards, and one couldn¡¯t really control where it went. Instead, Maiz focused only on the chill enveloping him, and imagined warmth creeping up his body, from his toes and fingertips, up and up until finally everything but his skull was once again devoid of mana. He felt a little jealous of the people whose mana only felt like a tingling or a pressure. Having the cold feeling envelop his body was distinctly uncomfortable, in a way somehow disconnected from the world around him. It felt as though his mind, his perception of himself, grew chill as the mana suffused his body. Instructor Hakim had taken much longer before continuing on to the next part. By Maiz¡¯s estimation, he waited almost a half hour before continuing to the next part of the exercise. Still, Maiz had barely managed to accomplish the technique before he moved on, so perhaps it was for the best. ¡°I now want you to vary the speed at which the mana flows down your body and back up. I would like you to start by attempting to move the mana as quickly as possible. Test how fast you can suffuse it throughout your body and bring it back to your skull. Please begin.¡± Interesting. Maiz let the chill flow down, back tensing slightly as the mana moved through it, and then, as soon as the mana reached his toes, he imagined it receding through his body as warmth crept up. The entire process took perhaps half a minute Not bad. But was there a way to go faster? The instructor had suggested that he push himself to move the mana as quickly as possible. So far, he had only been ¡®letting¡¯ the mana flow down and up his body. Could he perhaps push to make it faster? Refocusing, Maiz mentally pushed the mana down from his skull and through his body. But to his dismay, the chill suddenly vanished and he felt a twinge of pain in his head. What? To his startlement, a voice in his ear answered the question. ¡°Be certain to control and contain the mana, even as you force it to move faster. Mana is a part of your body, and it wants to move at a certain pace. If you change that speed, it will go out of control easily.¡± Shocked, Maiz turned his head and opened his eyes, but he only caught a flourish of red cloth as the Instructor moved to another Novice. Did he see what happened to me? Maiz supposed that powerful mages probably had some way to sense mana that was not their own. Or maybe the Instructor had been expecting Maiz to make the mistake he had. Either way, the man had given him useful advice. Control and contain. This time when Maiz performed the technique, he only gave a slight push on the mana. Sure enough, he felt it trying to escape even as it moved down his body. However, Maiz was able to keep it within himself simply by focusing on the direction he wanted it to go in. On the way up, he did the same, and manage to return all of his mana to the base of his skull without incident. He repeated the exercise a few times, slightly increasing the pressure he was able to put on his mana, and by extension its speed. However when he performed it again, increasing the speed further, the mana escaped him, and he felt another pang of pain in his head. Damn. Maiz didn¡¯t end up making much progress, but he thought he had a grasp of the general idea of the exercise when Hakim gave the final instruction. ¡°Finally, I would like you all to try and move the mana as slowly as possible. Be sure to keep control of it, now.¡± Huh. Seems like that would be easier than moving it faster. Maiz began the exercise, forcibly slowing down the speed of the mana past the point of comfort, feeling the mana creep down his back and arms. It seemed easy enough, but boring. However when the mana had only made it to about his elbow, he felt it slipping. There was a new sense of pressure and then the mana simply¡­ blew out of him, leaving him feeling empty once again. Hells! Maiz kept trying, but he was completely unable to get the mana past his belly button without allowing it to move at a normal speed. Finally, Instructor Hakim called a halt. ¡°Very well, that¡¯s enough for today. Remember, you can practice our mental exercises at any time, and I recommend you spend some time on everything I teach you here each night before you sleep. Now then, please exit to the spell-testing field and find your Journeyman instructor.¡± Confused, Maiz stood, shooting a questioning glance at Ziya as he stretched his muscles. She didn¡¯t appear to understand his expression, so he spoke as quietly as he could over the noise of Novices making their ways out of the hall. ¡°What did he mean by ¡®Journeyman instructor?¡¯¡± Ziya opened her mouth to speak, but then a voice once again spoke into his ear. ¡°I meant that there are several Journeyman mages of various types in this compound, and every one of them is assigned a group of Novices and a group of Apprentices. We generally try to match the students to a mage of the appropriate type.¡± Maiz whirled in startelement, scrambling back at the same time. He felt certain that, were it not for his recent gains in Dexterity, he would have fallen flat on his face. As it was, he thought he only looked slightly foolish as he stared, wild-eyed, at Instructor Hakim. ¡°Sir!¡± The old man looked completely emotionless as he nodded to Maiz. ¡°I received Mister Rin¡¯s letter about your title. Based on his description, your magic is rather unique. I do not believe any of my Journeymen could help you much in learning and practicing new spells. Speaking of which, we do not have any spells for the Spellsword title here, so Mister Rin has sent a letter north to Ceria requesting materials.¡± Maiz¡¯s eyebrows rose at the Instructor¡¯s words. He was interested to hear about the new spells he might be receiving--from Ceria, no less--but he was more concerned about the first part of the speech. ¡°Sir, what--¡± ¡°--in any case, you may go to the spell-testing field today, I have already sent a runner to get you weapons to practice your spell on. I will let you work out the particulars of your magic on your own for now, though if you have any important questions, I urge you to ask them.¡± Maiz waited a moment, but it seemed the man was finished. He looked at Maiz, wrinkled skin giving the impression of age, and dark gaze screaming of sharp intelligence. ¡°Sir, who should I ask questions of? You said that none of the--¡± ¡°--you may ask me, child,¡± he cut in, to Maiz¡¯s horror. Then for the first time, Maiz caught an emotion on his aged face. Sternness. ¡°But you had better make sure they are important questions.¡± Maiz thanked the Instructor meekly, bowing deeply as he took his leave. Outside, Ziya was waiting to lead him to the spell-testing field. Chapter 14 When Shadar stepped out of the portal, he expected many things to happen. A trap perhaps, or a show of force from his unruly subordinates. The creatures of this Dungeon had always been fiercely violent, a trait which he believed stemmed from the varied races which lived within it. It was an old place, one with a tradition of battle and rule by force--that was what had allowed Shadar to conquer it. When adventurers were not challenging the Dungeon¡¯s inhabitants, they challenged each other, and grew stronger for it. Such was Massahn¡¯s way. What Shadar didn¡¯t expect was a blast of purple magic flying at his face. Shadar ducked, and sunk into his battle-mind. Instantly, he felt his Strength, Agility, Dexterity, and Constitution all...drop. Damn. His armor suddenly felt heavy, and as he rose, his movements were noticeably more sluggish. Still, as he surveyed the scene before him, it took him only moments to comprehend what was happening.The ceiling was high above Shadar¡¯s head, even from his position in a balcony above the arena, and overhead there were huge holes where windows had once let in light. He knew that the place was a massive dome, a structure unrivaled in the modern age in size or durability. The raised stage of stone which had once hosted the fights of human slaves and captive monsters was the centerpiece of the room, and it was surrounded on all sides by tiered stands rising almost to Shadar¡¯s height. Shadar imagined that once the arena had looked breathtaking; at the moment it was a wasteland of dust and debris, swathes of the rocky ground smoking, others soaked, and huge parts of the floor in ruins. Even as Shadar watched, the dust swirled and a hissing monstrosity of multicolored scales and writhing limbs leapt forward, shaking the arena with its landing and cracking the floor. A spout of fire issued forth from the end of one of the limbs, aimed at a spot completely obscured by clouds of dust, and it became easier to see that the scaly things were in fact heads attached to long, undulating necks. Nine of them, in fact. Shadar had never understood the point of having so many heads, especially since only four of them had any magical abilities. Those heads, one green, one blue, one red, and one white, were forces to be reckoned with, but the rest of the normal black appendages seemed superfluous. However, as the gout of flame dissipated Shadar supposed that the Hydra had proven its anatomy useful after all. It certainly helped to have spares, when your opponent blasted one to dust. The purple energy streaked forth from the smoke of the Hydra¡¯s flame, and left a hole where one of the Hydra¡¯s black heads had been twisting about. The other heads roared in fury, and the green one let forth a stream of green liquid as the creature advanced. Wherever the liquid hit, the ground of the arena turned black and began to smoke. The stuff was incredibly effective, Shadar knew. But out of all the four skills of the Hydra he had learned, it was the one Shadar used the least. It wreaked havoc on the floors of his Dungeons, and he firmly believed that rebuilding after every fight destroyed a room¡¯s character. But though he winced at the gouges the Hydra¡¯s acid carved in the rock of the arena, he was more interested in seeing the source of all of the devastation. The dust cleared, revealing a single skeletal woman in black robes, a wide smile on her face. She was bone white, indicating that she was from one of the northeastern nations, or perhaps the Ulterion Empire to the west. A purple energy surrounded her form, and wisps of power floated up from her open, laughing mouth. ¡°Everything turns to dust, pretty snake! Even you, even you!¡± The woman cackled, standing in place as the acid reached her. The stream turned instantly to vapor as it hit the field of purple energy surrounding the woman. Shadar quickly switched to his arcane sight, lighting up the room in various colors of orange, blue, and green, all barely visible in the powerful red aura of the Dungeon itself. Around the woman was an equally strong aura of purple, just as there was in the physical world. Shadar manage to catch a glimpse of the green jet of magically-infused liquid touch the aura. The purple mana flared, and the magic in the liquid¡­ degraded. It looked like a spell that had simply gone too long without finding a target, the mana escaping and homogenizing with the aura in the air. The remaining mundane liquid dissipated violently, instantly vaporizing and spreading. Shadar blinked. That was rather strange. The woman hurled another bolt of mana towards the hydra, but this one went wide and missed all of the monster¡¯s heads. That was quite a lot of mana she was simply tossing away, though if Shadar¡¯s own intelligence was any indication, she certainly had the magic to spare. This bolt hit the rock of the floor, and dissipated harmlessly into the Dungeon¡¯s aura. Odd. He would have expected the spell to disintegrate the rock as easily as it had the Hydra¡¯s head. ¡°Just stay still, won¡¯t you pretty snake?¡± The woman looked frustrated as she gathered more energy into her hands. Shadar had to intervene. The Hydra would not appreciate him stepping in on its fight, but Shadar didn¡¯t think it could succeed against¡­ whatever this was. And he had no time for the thing to die. But how to fight her? She had abysmal physical attributes, that much Shadar could tell from his present weakness and clumsiness. His ordinary fighting style would be seriously hampered by the lack of speed and power, and he did not want to be the target of one of the purple bolts without being able to dodge. However, the woman did have very high Intelligence and Wisdom attributes: Shadar¡¯s mana felt like an ocean at the base of his skull. He had another defense he could employ against her magic. Shadar shed his armor, and cast Form of the Black Dragon, transforming in a flash, wings ripping out from his back as he jumped. Flexing his claws and pulling back his lips to reveal his fangs, he glided down from the portal¡¯s balcony in his draconic form, adjusting to the new form. He felt just as clumsy, but a good portion of his mana was going to improving the Strength of his new form, so he had a few advantages, at least. The monster and mage below were so focused on their own struggle that neither noticed him. That was, until he himself slammed to the ground between the combatants, facing the black-robed mage with his teeth bared. ¡°Oh, hello there!¡± The woman seemed completely unruffled as she sent a crescent-shaped wave of purple mana at him. Shadar did nothing, and as the energy reached him, his own aura flared and he felt a tug at his mana. That was a lot of magic. Shadar considered the human before him. She looked annoyed at Shadar¡¯s survival of her spell. ¡°No fair!¡± she shouted. She sounded like a petulant hatchling, but now she was eyeing Shadar¡¯s massive black-scaled form with a wary look on her face. Shadar took a slow step forward, and she took one back. He opened his maw, and she flinched, then stood straight with an enraged look on her face. ¡°Everything is dust!¡± She shrieked, and hurled two more bolts of purple magic at him. The magic splashed over him harmlessly, but Shadar noticed that the air around him, which had been warm at his back from the Hydra¡¯s huge body, was suddenly the same temperature everywhere. Very strange. Shadar decided that, perhaps, he could stand to keep this human alive for a time, if only to discover what exactly her title was and how it worked. Considering the huge pool of mana facing her gave had given him, it should be relatively easy. Shadar did something he¡¯d never tried before, and ran his mana just below the scales of his tail. He carefully felt out the composition of the energy, oddly muted by his own aura, and, in a flash, shifted the form of a small patch, without releasing his anti-magic aura. The mana drain caused by the improvised spell was absolutely enormous, and Shadar could feel his power dwindling by the second. Clumsily, he lurched at the now-screaming woman throwing magic at him, and stabbed her with the single manticore spine jutting from his tail. Almost instantly, the purple aura surrounding her vanished, and she fell silent. Backtracking swiftly, he returned to his human form, as his mana became unable to sustain the draconic form. That was a useful trick, using the black dragon¡¯s aura to cover another weapon, but the interference of the aura made sustaining the magic almost impossible. Even with thousands of mana points in his pool, he¡¯d barely been able to hold one small spine for more than a few seconds. Shadar gave the mage a cursory glance, confirming that she was indeed paralyzed on the floor, her own magic making her unable to move or act. Powerful stuff, manticore venom. He quickly moved on to the more immediate threat, turning to greet the Hydra. WHY HAVE YOU INTERRUPTED MY BATTLE, GOD-CHOSEN? It was nice to hear the Hydra address him with a real title. Not quite ¡®my King,¡¯ but better than the ¡®tyrant¡¯ or ¡®human scum,¡¯ which seemed to be his most popular appellations these days. The creature''s voice resounded in Shadar¡¯s mind, nine separate tones speaking as one. As far as Shadar knew, there was only one mind controlling the creature, but it could be so mercurial that sometimes he wondered if each head took turns. ¡°Greetings. I must speak with you, great Hydra.¡± Shadar gave a nonchalant wave at the mage on the floor. ¡°This human seems interesting. I have claimed her, as is my right.¡± Shadar dislike saying the words. He found the idea of treating other humans as objects rather¡­ distasteful. But the original Hydra had been very old, living in this arena when it had been place of entertainment for humans. Shadar didn¡¯t know much of that time--and he wasn¡¯t sure how much of it the monster¡¯s current incarnation actually remembered--but he had learned quickly that, unlike many of his subjects, the Hydra took Shadar¡¯s status seriously. Shadar suspected it had seen more than one God-Chosen in its time, and perhaps a Celestial or two. If he claimed ownership of the mage by right of his rule, the Hydra would respect it. Or it would challenge Shadar. He had never tested the creature like this before. The creature¡¯s white head bowed, though the rest continued to wave about, occasionally snapping at the air or growling. VERY WELL, GOD-CHOSEN. OUT OF RESPECT FOR OUR LORD, I WILL NOT DEMAND SATISFACTION. WHY DID YOU WISH TO CONSULT ME? Shadar considered. ¡°Forgive me, but I must see your Name.¡± Even as Shadar said the words, he willed his own title and bonus titles to appear. The Hydra¡¯s head waved about for a few moments, and Shadar thought he saw a wisp of fire from the red one, but then words appeared in the air above it. Tyringathil-Adept Hydra. Shadar showed no reaction, but internally he nodded. It was as he¡¯d expected. Dungeons were strange. Each was a temple of Massahn, with a shrine at its center guarded by a powerful monster. The creature¡¯s essence became part of the Dungeon¡¯s aura, melding in inscrutable ways that allowed it to gain power much faster than it could outside of the aura. Moreover, the Dungeon would take the energy of the things killed within it, and use that energy to repair itself, and--if necessary--recreate its monster. Over time, more and more of Massahn¡¯s children would come to live in the Dungeon for the benefits it provided, and meld with the aura themselves, effectively becoming immortal. However, the Dungeon could only re-form creatures at the rank they had when they initially became part of its whole.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. When the humans who built the arena died to invaders, and the invaders in turn fell prey to monster attacks, the Hydra had survived, hidden in the bowels of the ruined city. Over time, it became the strongest predator in the area, until a priest of Massahn had found its home, years later, and consecrated the ground as a new Dungeon. When that had happened, the old monster had been an Adept. When Shadar killed the creature a decade ago, it had grown to Master, though Shadar suspected it had been even stronger in past lives. MY DOMAIN HAS BEEN¡­ POPULAR WITH THE HUMANS OF LATE. YOUR NEW MAGE WAS THE FIRST TO ATTEMPT IT ALONE, HOWEVER. I REGRET TO SAY THAT HAD YOU NOT COME BY CHANCE, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN CALLED REGARDLESS. Shadar didn¡¯t think there was any ¡®may¡¯ about it. A single woman conquering this Dungeon was more than grounds for his intervention, and the Hydra had been moments away from another death. He glanced at the stump of a neck where its ninth had had been, and saw a pinkish lump already forming on the end, the beginning of a new head. The Dungeon¡¯s magic at work. ¡°I have called for the Golden Nest to march on the humans.¡± The gigantic creature remained silent. ¡°I hoped you might offer some of your servants for the battle, but considering--¡± HAD MY DOMAIN NOT BECOME SUBJECT TO SO MANY ATTACKS OF LATE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN GLAD, GOD-CHOSEN. Shadar nodded. He knew the Hydra considered itself a true servant of Massahn. And the prime directive of Massahn¡¯s Children was to struggle against their adversaries. The thing no doubt approved immensely of Shadar¡¯s decision to finally launch an attack on the humans, but it wouldn¡¯t abandon its own lair when it could fight humans there just as easily. The Hydra did not truly understand the concept of tactical attack, or strategic troop placement. It simply wanted to fight humans. That was the main resistance Shadar had encountered among the older of Massahn¡¯s Children: they didn¡¯t truly see themselves at war with the humans, nor did they actively seek victory. To them, the conflict itself was the goal. ¡°Very well.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else, just slung the black robed mage over a shoulder. She smelled like old death, but that was not a new scent to Shadar. The Hydra didn¡¯t respond. It had spoken with dragons before, Shadar was certain, and it knew their idiosyncrasies. Dragons did not say goodbye, and Shadar had picked up their habits long ago. Wyvern Wings. Intelligence and Wisdom now returned to his own baselines, Shadar felt a noticeable tug on his relatively small mana pool as the feathered appendages sprouted from his back. He ascended to the balcony, taking one last look at the room below him. The multi-headed serpent stood in the middle of a wasteland of cracked, ruined stone, smoke, and rubble. The edges of the arena had crumbled away from the stresses of the battle, and beyond the stage was a mess of gore and blood, the bodies of the Hydra¡¯s minions. As Shadar kicked his armor through the portal, then followed with the woman over his shoulder, he shook his head slightly. Some monsters simply didn¡¯t know how to treat a Dungeon properly. ***************************** Maiz took a deep breath, staff shaking in his hands. He stared at his opponent, preparing for the struggle to come. He bent his knees, raised his staff, and mentally accessed his magic. It was time to fight. The cloth-and-wood dummy stared back at him impassively. Well, it didn¡¯t have eyes, so it couldn¡¯t actually stare at him. Maiz was grateful that he was alone on the spell-testing field at the moment. He felt more than a little ridiculous, especially since he didn¡¯t actually know how to use his only spell. Should I just say it? Suppose that¡¯s as good a place to start as any. Maiz, gripping his staff tightly, said, ¡°Flaming Strike.¡± A very odd feeling came over him, as he felt his mana moving without his direction. It flowed down from his skull like water, then when it reached his hand, continued out into the staff. Suddenly Maiz¡¯s awareness of mana extended past his own body for the first time, as the chill in his mind suffused the staff, then began flowing in a complex pattern across its surface. He wasn¡¯t sure how he was sensing the mana, but he felt absolutely certain that it was actually within the staff. The flow of the mana sped up around the staff, accelerating until Maiz could no longer distinguish its movement. Maiz yelped as a flash of light momentarily blinded him, and suddenly the staff was surrounded by constantly shifting ribbons of fire. He dropped it and hopped back, hands flying to his cheek where he expected to feel a horrible burn. The staff had been right by his face when he¡¯d cast the spell. Idiot, why didn¡¯t I-- His self-recriminating thoughts faded as he felt at his face, and felt no evidence of an injury. ¡°Part of the matrix has an identifier which excludes you from the effect.¡± Maiz jumped for the second time as the unexpected voice sounded in his ear. Why does he keep doing that! Maiz recovered more quickly from the surprise than he had in the hall, and he tried to turn around with some semblance of poise this time. Once I get my Dexterity back up¡­ It had felt rather nice not being clumsy for the first time in his life during the trial. Sure enough, Instructor Hakim was standing a meter away, red robes fluttering slightly in the wind. He seemed¡­ smaller somehow, outdoors in the middle of the field. His moderately wrinkled face was still impassive however, strong jaw and large nose making him look vital despite his age. ¡°Sir?¡± Might as well try and get some information if he¡¯s going to scare the hells out of me anyway. ¡°What is a ¡®matrix,¡¯ if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± The Instructor simply looked at Maiz for a moment, likely considering the question. Or deciding whether or not to blast Maiz into oblivion. Maiz suddenly realized that the old man had never actually shown Maiz his title--he could have been a Grandmaster for all Maiz knew, though of course few enough of those existed in the world to make them all but legendary. ¡°The ¡®matrix¡¯ is a term that those with titles such as Enchanter use. It refers to the¡­ pattern that mana is directed into to create a permanent magical effect in an object.¡± Confused, Maiz looked down at the staff. Sure enough, the ribbons of fire had vanished. Tentatively, he asked, ¡°Um, permanent sir? I¡¯m surely being ignorant, but the effect seems to have fade--ow!¡± Maiz exclaimed involuntarily as something smacked him in the temple out of nowhere. It felt exactly like an offhand cuff from a Sharir overseer, something Maiz had experienced on a weekly basis for the past two years. Except Maiz hadn¡¯t seen anyone strike him. Indeed, the only person in sight was Instructor Hakim. If it looks like a snake¡­ In a contrite tone he¡¯d practiced a thousand times, Maiz said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, please forgive me.¡± He considering prostrating himself on the sand. That usually appeased the ones who thought he was being disrespectful, but it also tempted them to kick him. Probably worth the risk. His knees began to bend when the Instructor spoke. ¡°You speak as if you believe no one else is listening. Your actions are divorced from their meaning. You were about to bow to me, not out of respect, but because you thought it would stop me from hitting you again.¡± Maiz tried to respond, beginning, ¡°You¡¯re right sir, I--¡± Another blow, this one over his right ear. Maiz barely suppressed the grunt of pain--that was the worst spot to be cuffed. Hakim hadn¡¯t moved, but he spoke impassively, voice clear even over the sudden ringing in Maiz¡¯s hearing. ¡°You are not a boy, unable to defend himself or demand respect from his elders. You are a mage. If you remain as you are, one day you will be a monster.¡± What is he talking about? Maiz felt a spark of anger, but then he quashed it, letting his face relax and hunching his shoulders in a show of submission. The next blow took him in the stomach, and sent him onto his backside with thud. ¡°Ughghgff,¡± was all the sound Maiz could make as the intense, searing pain radiated throughout his body. He had the terrifying feeling of being unable to breath as the wind was knocked out of him, and he instinctively curled up around his stomach. He hadn¡¯t been prepared for the blow at all. The Instructor was saying something else about his flaws, but Maiz couldn¡¯t hear him. Even above the pain in his stomach, Maiz was preoccupied with his own thoughts. Just like every one of those Sharir bastards. But it wasn¡¯t just them. It was the guards who took bribes to look the other way when he¡¯d run to them with a broken nose from an overseer. The nobleman who¡¯d kicked him across the street because he¡¯d been in the way. Every person with power used it to take from those who didn¡¯t. To hurt them. All sound ceased. Instructor Hakim might have still been talking, but Maiz didn¡¯t hear him. All he could think about was the staff lying a few inches from his prone body. I have power now. He was up with the staff in his hands in less than a second, pain forgotten. The old man may have been a powerful mage, but that didn¡¯t mean he had any sort of extra Agility. And Maiz was fast for his rank. The staff was over his head as he yelled ¡°Flaming Strike!¡± The light flared, casting odd shadows on the Instructors wrinkled face, even in the sunlight. Maiz brought the staff down towards Hakim¡¯s head with all of the strength and speed he could muster, fully intending to show the bastard what it felt like to get beaten. But just as the ribbons of flame almost made contact with the man¡¯s head, Maiz felt a push, and the staff jerked to the right, missing Hakim entirely and hitting the floor. There was a flare of fire, and the ribbons disappeared. Maiz, thrown off-balance by the unexpected redirection of his blow, fell to the sandy ground once again, and the pain in his stomach came back in full force. ¡°So you are not too far gone yet. I would apologize, but I think one day you will thank me for this.¡± Maiz was lying on the ground, unable to move as he felt the stabbing pain in his stomach, and the waves of agony wracking his body. Moving so much had clearly worsened the damage, and now he was about to die for his moment of stupidity--either from the injury or from the Instructor¡¯s retaliation. Why the hells did I attack a combatant Instructor? But a large part of Maiz didn¡¯t truly regret the act. He hadn¡¯t wanted to bow and scrape to the bastard any longer, even if it would now cost him his life. Out of the corner of his vision Maiz thought he saw a flash of red, but the tears on the edge of falling from his eyes made it difficult to tell. Something moved his arm, and he felt metal, warmed by someone else¡¯s body, encircle his wrist. Then, a voice in his ear. ¡°Your magic is similar to that of Enchanters, but not identical. Your mana lacks the quality which Enchanters use to maintain the stability of an enchantment for long periods of time. However, the spell you use still creates a matrix around your weapon, and empowers it with fire-based mana. I suggest that, after you feel comfortable using the spell, you begin to study the pattern it creates. You will need to understand it, eventually.¡± While the voice was speaking, a strange sensation had been overcoming Maiz, starting from his arm. It felt like a warm pressure just beneath his skin, crawling up his arm, then down his shoulder. The way the feeling moved reminded Maiz of his mana, and indeed when the feeling spread to the base of his skull, it¡­ released his magic. He felt the mana flowing down, and within the flow were strange currents, almost like the pattern that he¡¯d felt in his staff when he casted Flaming Strike. Where the mana flowed, his pain subsided--not completely, but enough to make him feel less like he was dying. The voice finished, Maiz barely having heard the words. Taking a breath, which only hurt a bit, Maiz said, ¡°Wait.¡± He didn¡¯t feel like saying ¡®sir¡¯ just then. He reached to his wrist, and felt at the band of metal around it. It took him moments to find the clasp, and he blindly undid it, removing the bracelet from his arm. He let it fall to his side. Silence. Again, the voice spoke into his ear. ¡°You do not have to say the spell¡¯s name out loud, to cast it, so you know.¡± There was a rustle, and then no more sound. Maiz lay there for a few moments, stomach throbbing, but not as badly. Then, using the staff to help, he slowly picked himself up, and walked to the building where Ziya and the other clerics were training.He managed to find her before he collapsed again. Chapter 15 Maiz woke to the sound of a bell tolling, and he groaned involuntarily as he felt the pain and soreness racking his entire body. All around him, he heard similar groans and moans of sleepy young men, as everyone complained at the start of the new day. In minutes though, all of them--including Maiz--were up and changing into their training clothes. Maiz had seen what happened to those who were late to the roll call, and he had decided that he would never endure that himself. As Maiz pulled his tunic on, and tried to rub the grogginess from his eyes, something slammed into his back, causing him to stumble forward a few steps. Turning, he hid his annoyance behind a half-genuine smile. ¡°Morning Maiz!¡± Hugan looked wide awake and cheerful, despite the fact that the sun had yet to come up over the horizon. Maiz himself had been waking before dawn for years, but he had never felt even close to awake until well into the morning. Even more, his body was incredibly stiff, muscles tense and sore from the exertions of the day before. His stomach still ached slightly from the blow he¡¯d suffered the day before, but Ziya had told him that it would take a full week for that to go away. He gave Hugan a half-hearted wave. ¡°Morning. Ready to go?¡± This room hardly smelled better than his old one. When Hugan nodded, they left the barracks and started moving towards the training field. Once there, they made a stop at the building on the end of the field, where a line of Novices was already forming. ¡°So, how¡¯s the mage training going?¡± Hugan asked, turning to Maiz again. Maiz felt his face heat up slightly. That was almost welcome--there was still a definite chill in the air from the night before. ¡°It¡¯s a lot gentler than this part of my day,¡± he answered with a weak chuckle. In all honesty, after the fiasco in the training field, he¡¯d been completely unable to focus for the rest of the time. After Ziya healed him, he¡¯d finally cast Flaming Strike a few times, but he hadn¡¯t really felt like he¡¯d learned anything useful. The only good thing about the practice was that he hadn¡¯tseen Hakim again. Just thinking about the elderly mage made Maiz¡¯s mouth press into a thin line, though he wasn¡¯t certain how angry he should really be. The man¡¯s attacks had been unjust, but, if not for Maiz being totally unprepared, it wouldn¡¯t have been much worse than what he¡¯d endured from Haddad on his first day. And it had felt so good when Maiz had thought he was going to get revenge on the bastard. Part of Maiz was guilty about that feeling. Another part revelled in it. Maiz jerked his head up. Had Hugan been saying something? Now the other young man was looking at Maiz expectantly, as if waiting for an answer to some question. Say something, idiot. ¡°Uh, yes,¡± Maiz said lamely. Hugan smiled, but it was not his usual expression of boyish enthusiasm and charm. Instead, it was a suggestive, conspiratorial look, and Maiz instantly regretted his lack of attention. ¡°My ba always said that a woman who could put you on the ground was the only woman worth chasing!¡± What? Who the hells is he talking about? Why is he talking about them? Maiz was saved from having to formulate a response by the line shuffling forward, allowing Hugan and he to enter the little building. The inside was full of supplies, including the sacks of grain and barrels of water that Maiz and Hugan had ridden in with. The room¡¯s most salient feature was the basket full of bread, as well as the barrels of water with wooden cups stacked next to them. A few of the buckets had wooden cups stacked next to them, others were set nearer. He and Hugan each took their piece of bread and cup of water, and exited to the side of the building Maiz was worried that he would have to talk more with Hugan about¡­ whatever it was he¡¯d been saying, but he needn¡¯t have been. The instant they were back outside, Hugan began wolfing down his bread with a vengeance. Maiz smiled slightly, and started eating as well. The sun was rising, which meant that they would have to start training soon, so he tried to follow his large friend¡¯s example and eat quickly. When they did line up, Maiz stood carefully at attention, eyes forward, and did his best not to attract any notice. The training officer began calling names, and responses of ¡°Sir!¡± rang out from the neat ranks of Novices on the field. Maiz had initially been impressed at how well everyone was organized, but then he¡¯d seen the officer¡¯s reaction to one of the newer-looking Novices fidgeting when his name was called. There was a reason that two Clerics were standing next to the officer, ready with their healing spells. ¡°Maiz!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Maiz thought his voice sounded thin in the open space of the field, but he did his best to project, and thankfully the officer simply moved on. Unfortunately, one of the other Novices was not so lucky. ¡°Samak!¡± The only response was a mumble, barely audible even from Maiz¡¯s position within the ranks. He winced internally, mentally preparing for what was to come. ¡°Speak up, you spineless pile of roc droppings! Are you training to fight or to get killed by the first monster that looks at you? ¡± The man strode forward, and the ranks of Novices hurriedly parted to make way. Maiz stole a look, and saw a burly looking young man with his eyes on the ground by the training officer¡¯s feet. Even as Maiz watched, the officer raised the hand and slapped the Novice across the face with such casual power that the young man was sent flying into the legs of the people next to him. They simply adjusted their balance however, not trying to help him or even shifting their gaze from the space in front of them. Maiz saw a hint of red by the Novice¡¯s mouth before the Clerics¡¯ light suffused the young man and he was instantly awake. The training officer hauled the young man, Samak, back up to his feet and began to berate him again. Maiz¡¯s fists clenched, but he didn¡¯t move. And I was angry at Hakim? The people here viewed attacks on the Novices as simply a part of their training. Hells, the young man would probably gain a point in Constitution from this experience, so maybe they were right. But where was the line between training and cruelty? If you thought it was cruelty, then you should have acted, instead of complaining and doing nothing like a hypocrite. The thought was ridiculous, but part of Maiz couldn¡¯t help but censure himself--how long had he raged against the injustices that had been done to him, only to stand by and do nothing when the same happened to someone else? But Maiz didn¡¯t move, and eventually the officer finished his ¡®discipline¡¯ and completed the roll call. On another field across from their own, Maiz could see the ranged combatants begin their physical training. As if trying not to be outdone, the melee training officer also instructed them to starta run around the field. Sighing, Maiz followed Hugan to the edge and started jogging. *********** Maiz stumbled back slightly from the blow, but he caught himself before falling. Shield Stance certainly made the Constitution exercise much less painful, but Maiz simply didn¡¯t have the stamina to keep it up over the entire exercise. He¡¯d taken a real hit just then, but it hurt much less than it probably would have even a week ago. Even as Maiz regained his balance, he noticed a difference. He¡¯d gained another point in Dexterity after an exercise involving a beam set up over a ditch, where he¡¯d finally manage to cross without slipping and being sent back to the beginning. Apparently, the training was effective, however much Maiz hated the constant physical hardship he¡¯d experienced in the past two mornings. As Maiz took his place in line across from a tall, wiry young woman with hard eyes and a strong chin. She was surprisingly strong, and Maiz thought he would have needed a healer if not for his Shield Stance limiting the damage. When he he had punched her, she hadn''t shown any reaction at all. In fact, Maiz thought that his wrist had been hurt more than her stomach. That was clearly not the case when the roles were reversed. But before she could draw her fist back for another punch, the training officer called a halt. ¡°All right, stop! Grab a partner and get ready!¡± Maiz just stood for a moment, recovering a bit more of his Stamina as the Novices around him began scrambling to find partners. He looked around but didn¡¯t see anyone else standing alone like he did. He began walking around, hoping to find someone who was not too threatening to fight. After a minute or so, he did spot one. And he felt the blood drain out of his face. ¡°So, guess we¡¯re gonna go again.¡± Maiz opened his mouth, but a hand was on his shoulder and pulling him to the weapon racks before he could speak. Hells. Maiz did manage to look around at his opponent before she shoved him at the racks. He wished he hadn¡¯t. Lila¡¯s pretty face was once again twisted in a scowl, but her gray eyes had a hint of steel them that hadn¡¯t been there the first time he¡¯d met her. Does that mean she¡¯s angry now? Upon considering how she¡¯d acted before their first fight, he amended the question. Angrier? Lila had pushed Maiz to the front of the line, but though he thought he could hear a few grumbles, nobody complained. Why is that? He had no time to consider the question, as Lila was staring at him, arms crossed over her chest as she waited for him to choose a weapon. Moving as quickly as he dared, he grabbed a staff from the assorted weapons, similar to the one he¡¯d used the day before. His fights hadn¡¯t actually given him a chance to use the weapon, but between those expriences and practicing in the training field, he felt more affinity for it than any of the others offered. Besides, he had been right that it was very well suited tohisFlaming Strike. After Maiz took the staff, he looked back at Lila, only to see her striding towards him. What now? But she shouldered past him, and took another, smaller, staff from the rack. Oh. Maiz remembered that she had picked up his own staff during their last fight. She¡¯d even used it well, doing something which--in retrospect--seemed like a skill. But if she was specialized in the staff, why would she have been fighting without a weapon the last time? Maiz remembered her title was Warrior-Monk--he¡¯d learned that when he gained her skill Fast Feet. But he still didn¡¯t actually know what the title meant. He supposed he would have another chance to find out.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. They found an empty space, and Lila faced Maiz with a surprisingly calm expression on her face. Her features had smoothed out from their previous agitation, and the other Novice appeared to be completely detached from the situation. Maiz, on the other hand, was having trouble getting over his anxiety. Granted, it hadn¡¯t hurt too much the last time he¡¯d fought Lila, but she looked a bit too comfortable holding that staff. ¡°Start!¡± Lila wasn¡¯t using Fast Feet.At least, her feet weren''t moving the way they had last time. He''d realized, after a bit of surreptitious testing, that he could quite easily suppress that pattern. Moreover, once he started doing something other than standing still, he felt no compulsion to move his feet at all. That meant it was perfectly safe for him to engage the skill, even in front of Lila, and he did so only hoping it would be enough to save him. It was a rather small hope. The moment that the match started, Lila began spinning the staff so quickly that it looked like two solid circles to either side. In fact, Maiz could swear that the staff¡¯s image was blurring somehow. Recalling what happened the last time she¡¯d done that, Maiz knew that she would likely strike him without letting him see it early enough to dodge. Well then, only one thing to do. Maiz stepped forward just as Lila did the same, and awkwardly jabbed the end of his staff towards her torso. Maiz had expected his attack to be blocked, and indeed his staff was knocked to the side with such force he almost dropped it. However, the blurred image of Lila¡¯s weapon resolved itself into a single length of wood again, and immediately Maiz began focusing intently on it, hoping to engage hisFast Feet. Sure enough, after a swift circle around her head the staff came directly for Maiz¡¯s side. He was still slightly off balance from his deflected strike, and there was no way he would have been able to doge the blow even if he hadn¡¯t been disoriented. But as the staff came for him, his feet shifted, suddenly slipping out from beneath him. Surprised, he hit the ground and felt a flash of pain as his own staff jabbed into his torso. Luckily, the death grip he¡¯d had on his staff kept it from being knocked out of his hands, and his body had tensed before landing so he wasn¡¯t winded. Maiz could feel the wind accompanying Lila¡¯s strike whip across his back, but it took a moment for him to comprehend what had happened. The skill had forced him to fall because it was the only effective way to dodge. Hells. On pure instinct, Maiz barrel rolled away from where Lila had been, getting a taste of the field¡¯s sands in the process. A second later he heard the dull thunk of a staff striking the sandy ground, and he mentally congratulated himself on his quick reaction. Maiz stopped his roll, and prepared to stand. As he planted one end of his staff in the ground, he saw Lila moving forward, eyes impassive. In a flash, Maiz recalled the last time he¡¯d fought the girl. She had clearly been enraged by his presumed insult in copying her skill. Now, she was cold, emotionless as she moved to attack again. Why the difference? He didn¡¯t have any more time to wonder, however, as she raised the staff again, clearly intending to strike at Maiz¡¯s head. Maiz, on one knee, tried to use Fast Feet, but he knew instantly that it wouldn¡¯t work. Something simply felt wrong. In desperation he raised his own staff to block, and thought he would succeed. Yet the instant before Lila¡¯s staff met his, her arms flickered with inhuman speed, and the opposite end of the weapon whipped around, catching Maiz squarelyunder the chin. Owww. Maiz was thrown back, staff finally slipping from his grasp as he sprawled on the ground once again. But despite being a solid blow and quite painful, Lila¡¯s attack hadn¡¯t been strong enough to knock Maiz out. Strange. It had actually hurt less than one of Haddad¡¯s punches, or even Jax¡¯s blow from yesterday. Maiz¡¯s musings were cut short by the dull sound of footsteps on the hard-packed sand. Oh, right. He performed his new special move, the roll-away-from-danger, and tried to stand more quickly. He made it to his feet, and almost fell again as the world spun. Is that from the blow or the roll? He decided to save the question for later, and focused on the girl in front of him. Lila was now standing, still expressionless, with her hands empty and raised in front of her face. Behind her Maiz could see two lengths of wood lying on the ground.What?Why had she dropped her staff? There was no way he could have defended himself against her unarmed, though he might not have a much better chance like this. Focus.A quick glance backwards showed that another pair were fighting very close by. There wouldn¡¯t be much space for retreating. Ah well, I suppose. Offering a quick prayer to Viselys, Maiz stepped forward once again. Perhaps his new position would incline the god to help him with a lucky blow. He hadn¡¯t ever really fought bare-handed before, so he did his best using knowledge gained from watching the occasional brawl on a street corner. He threw a wide right hook at the pretty girl. The pretty girl slipped easily past the blow, and almost casually jabbed two fingers at his arm. Frantically, Maiz engaged Fast Feet again as she closed with him, though his breathing was already much heavier than normal. He wouldn¡¯t have the Stamina for dodging more than a single blow. The strike came in the form of another two-fingered jab, this one aimed at Maiz¡¯s neck. His knees bent, and he slipped underneath the attack, feeling a wave of tiredness wash over him. This is my chance. Maiz popped up, intending to throw another punch at Lila¡¯s chin. But his arm didn¡¯t respond to the command.What the hells? Lila¡¯s face was very close to Maiz¡¯s. For a bare instant, he felt a twinge of embarrassment. It reminded him of when he¡¯d woken to Riala examining his head in the Strength trial. Except this time there was no inhuman green glow. Only an--almost--equally strange cold grey. Thenshe snapped her head head forward, and Maiz dropped to the ground, unconscious before he landed. ************** Flaming Strike. The mana rushed down, through the staff in Maiz¡¯s hands. He shivered, even as the glow lit his face and ribbons of flame surrounded his weapon. Stepping forward, he struck at the wooden post, and felt the pattern of mana break, a rush of energy escaping as a flash of fire exploded at the point of impact. Without pause, he cast the spell again, this time while raining down more blows onto the post. To his pleasure, the mana flowed unimpeded, not even slowing despite the constant movement of Maiz¡¯s staff. In a few seconds, his staff lit up once again before almost immediately exploding against the post. He continued,attacking without pause and casting Flaming Strike twice more. The staff was heavy, and he was exhausted from the exertions of the day, but he continued. Since gaining his title, he¡¯d found that his energy returned to him more easily than before, and he could bounce back quickly from near-total exhaustion. Moreover, he¡¯d realized that he¡¯d gained another point each in Strength and Constitution during the training that morning, in addition to the point in Dexterity. Not bad for two days¡¯ work, though he anticipated the growth slowing soon. Flaming Strike. This time, when he cast the spell the chill of his mana seemed to pull at him, his head began to ache and the rest of his body felt¡­ empty, somehow. This hadn¡¯t happened to him before, but he continued his attack. As soon as the flash of fire faded, Maiz mentally ¡®felt¡¯ at his pool of mana. He could now sense easily enough that it was almost completely empty, only dregs remaining. He thought that thoseexcercises were helping, but he still had to actively work to sense his mana. From what Ziya had told him, part of the Novice magic training, especially the mana manipulation exercises, was designed to make the Novices more comfortable accessing their mana. By the Apprentice rank and higher, almost all mages had a constant feel for their mana pool. Maiz wondered what would happen if he cast Flaming Strike right then, when his mana pool was near total depletion. Yet even as he had the thought, a voice sounded in his ear. ¡°I would not recommend casting your spell again at the moment.¡± Maiz quashed the impulse to jump and turn. His fists clenched slightly, but he took a deep breath, and--after deliberately taking a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow, he turned calmly. ¡°Sir?¡± The wrinkled, impassive face of Instructor Hakim looked back at him from several meters away. Why does it always sound like he¡¯s talking into my ear? He hadn¡¯t said anything to Maiz in the training hall, and Maiz decided that was a good thing--after all, the man could have squashed him like a bug for his attack. However Maiz still harbored more than a little anger at Hakim for his ¡®lesson¡¯ the day before. And you stood by while the training officer basically did the same thing. ¡°You do not have enough mana to cast the spell, but it is a talent--if you try to cast it, your body will attempt to gather the mana from your surroundings indiscriminately, and you will experience severe pain. If you were to attempt this with a higher-ranked version of the spell, you may cause permanent damage or death.¡± Maiz blinked, anger--and doubt--forgotten for a moment. ¡°From my surroundings?¡± Then, just in time to not be rude, he added ¡°sir.¡± A bit of stiffness may have come through,but he couldn¡¯t help but think of his overseers as he said the word. Hakim¡¯s dark eyes looked at him. He thought he caught a flash of expression from the man¡¯s face, but it disappeared too quickly for him to catch. ¡°I do not often discuss the nature of mana with Novices.¡± He paused for so long that Maiz thought that was all he was going to say. However, he continued, ¡°There are several prevalent theories on how exactly mana functions. Some believe that mana is a direct gift of the gods, and permeates the world as a result of their interference. Others posit that it is simply an invisible substance, much like the air around them. Still others think that non-living things somehow produce and emanate mana, and mages draw their magic from these objects. The fact remains that humans draw their mana from their surroundings.¡± Maiz frowned. There seemed to be an issue with what the man was saying, but he didn¡¯t think it was wise to interrupt the man. ¡°Speak your mind.¡± Hakim¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed visibly, but Maiz could feel the weight of the man¡¯s gaze press more heavily on him. ¡°Um, if mages gather mana from their surroundings sir, why do we ever run out? Couldn¡¯t I just pull all of the mana for my spells from around me instead of just using my, uh, pool?¡± Maiz knew that he barely had any idea of how magic worked, but based on what he¡¯d seen and heard, the question made sense. ¡°That is what I was getting at,¡± Hakim replied emotionlessly, but Maiz had the strange feeling that he¡­ approved. ¡°The thing that no one even pretends to understand is how our bodies process mana to make it usable. We believe this is a biological process, and without it, mana is completely useless for magic. If you were to use your talent without enough mana, your body would attempt to process mana at a rate faster than it is capable of, and this can cause damage to the part of yourbody which deals with mana.¡± Maiz¡¯s eyebrows raised involuntarily, and he blurted without thinking, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you tell everyone that when they first come here?¡± The old man looked at him, expressionless. Maiz was beginning to think he¡¯d made a serious mistake when Hakim finally answered, ¡°They are told by their Journeyman mentors. I simply waited until you were about to try it before telling you.¡± Oh. I suppose that makes sense. Wait¡­ ¡°Sir, you can see my mana?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The ready answer, without a dramatically long pause, surprised Maiz, but he decided not look a gift horse in mouth. He found that his annoyance with the Instructor for the incident two days ago was quickly fading in the face of all of this new information the man was giving him. That wasn¡¯t right, Maiz knew, and part of him wanted to show the man that his actions had not been justified. But he couldn¡¯t lie to himself. Hakim was answering his questions. He was offering Maiz power. ¡°Will you teach me?¡± The man looked at Maiz for another long moment. ¡°I suppose.¡± Chapter 16 Maiz breathed out, letting his mana flow out with the air in his chest. It felt like exhaling fog on a chilly night, the mana making him feel like his chest was tightening up with cold. He could faintly sense the magic that had been carried out by his breath, and he latched on to the sensation. Yet even as he did, the chill feel of the mana began to dissipate. Instead of fighting the chaotic swirl of magic slowly spreading out into the air, he allowed it to disperse slowly, instead relaxing and expanding his awareness as the mana spread. It quickly formed a thin arc around him, perhaps half a meter in radius. Maiz focused desperately, trying to hold on to his sense of the wispy power in the air. Then, when he thought he could hold on no longer, he pushed. He hadn¡¯t quite understood this at first, but now he thought he had it. His awareness extended beyond the faint chill of his own mana, extending into the world around him, and touched something else. A flash of color sparked in his closed eyes--silver and, beyond it, sky-blue. Then he lost hold of his mana, and there was only darkness. And a flashing purple ¡®V¡¯ at the corner of his vision. ¡°Good.¡± Maiz opened his eyes, finding himself easily able to adapt to the light of his surroundings. After all, the sun was low in the sky, almost at the horizon, and the sky was tinged with the faintest hint of red. The sands at his feet also seemed faintly red. Maiz knew that, at sunset, they would look stained with blood. The light cast shadows on Hakim¡¯s wrinkled face. For a moment, Maiz thought there was a smile on it, but the man was impassive as ever. Maiz himself had trouble smiling, if only because he felt too calm to do so. The process of learning to see mana had involved a very long session of what Hakim called ¡®meditation,¡¯ which was apparently the thing that they had been doing in the training hall before mana manipulation exercises. He hadn¡¯t found those exercises particularly useful before, but under Hakim¡¯s personal instruction Maiz found a level of peace and clarity that he¡¯d missed in the training hall. The strange feeling had given him a much finer control and understanding of his mana, and let him follow Hakim¡¯s vague instructions with relative ease. Certainly, it had taken hours of work, but Maiz thought it was well worth the results. You have learned the ability Mana Sense (rank 1)! The ability The Mask has triggered. Opening the spell¡¯s description from his Name Sheet, Maiz saw something surprising enough to jerk him out of his peace and calm. Mana Sense(Aeromancer): A spell which allows the user to actively sense mana in their surroundings. Distance of perception increased as rank increases. Rank:1 Cost: .001 mana per second active Effect: Allows user to sense mana as though from his/her mundane faculties. Range: 5n meters, where n=rank. (Current Range: 5 meters). Aeromancer? The word wasn¡¯t foreign to Maiz--air mages and fire mages were the most common combat spellcasters in the desert. However, he hadn¡¯t actively copied this spell from anybody. Hakim had taught it to him assuming that Maiz was a Spellsword, so why wasn¡¯t it a Spellsword skill? He supposed that Hakim must be an Aeromancer, though the fact was only slightly surprising to Maiz. After all, he¡¯d finally figured out that the man wasn¡¯t actually whispering in his ear every time they met, just using a spell of some kind to give that impression. Also, the way he had beaten the hells out of Maiz seemed consistent with the attacks of an air mage. However, it meant that Maiz was confronted with a dilemma. Should he say something about the new spell? Certainly the man had to know what his own spells looked like, and Maiz couldn¡¯t risk him finding out somehow about what Maiz was. Not that anyone was likely to guess that he of all people was a God-Chosen. Just as he was about to speak, Hakim continued as though he had never paused, his usually emotionless voice carrying the slightest overtone of satisfaction. ¡°It is lucky that you were able to learn the spell from me. I had assumed, because you are capable of using air mana, that it was possible, even if we have different titles.¡± His voice, after such a long stretch of silence, startled Maiz. But his words brought an almost tangible sense of relief. ¡°Sir?¡± Best to play it off casually. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Instructor looked at Maiz again for a long moment, and he wonder if he was going to get slammed in the stomach by an invisible fist again. But then the old man spoke. ¡°Each magic-based title has different methods of learning that spell, and it has many different forms. For my title, it is called Mana Sense, which is common for elemental mages. Other names are Arcane Eye, Spell Sight, Mana Light, and Third Eye. Often it is difficult, but possible for one mage to teach another of a different title their version of the spell, but only if their mana types are similar enough.¡± The Instructor said no more, and Maiz decided not to push. ¡°Thank you sir.¡± The man nodded, turning away. Just then, an unusually strong wind picked up, blowing some sand from the ground up. Instinctively, Maiz covered his eyes with an arm, shutting them tightly. When the wind faded, Hakim was nowhere to be seen. Maiz shook his head. A bit over dramatic for his taste, but he supposed that age and power had its privileges. *************************************** Maiz retired less than an hour after Hakim left the field, only having enough energy--both physical and mental--for a few rounds of practice with his Flaming Strike. He had also tried using his Mana Sense, and found that he still needed to focus on his initial ¡®breath¡¯ of mana, and then extend his awareness outwards. But now the practice felt¡­ stable. He was easily able to hold the spell active, and was surprised to see the magic in the world around him. With the spell active, the world was lit with a faint, white glow, almost imperceptible. Much more easily visible were long strands of blue drifting in the wind around the field, and speckles of silver dotting the area near Maiz. Towards the building at the end of the field the air began to be tinged with all sorts of colors, but it seemed as though they faded to that ghostly white before they came close to Maiz. When Maiz had tried using his Mana Sense and Flaming Strike together, he had been amazed at what happened. Not only was he able to use both spells at once, though with much more difficulty than when he used them separately, he could see what his mana was doing when he used the Flaming Strike. His mana had exited from his arms directly into the staff, and began to form a loop around the shaft. His magic was the bright silver he had seen speckles of throughout the field, and Maiz thought it looked rather impressive. But when it had completed the loop, the mana formed a more intricate pattern back around in the other direction, then another on top of that. Then the magic had began to move faster and faster, its color shifting slowly from bright silver to the reddish-orange of flame. Then Maiz had accidentally knocked the staff against the ground near his feet, and the magic had exploded outwards with a corresponding flash of fire, kicking up superheated sand that nearly caught him full in the face. That was when he had decided to call it a day. Finally reaching the barracks, Maiz bathed quickly with some of the leftover water remaining from after lunch. He felt guilty to waste so much--he had rarely bathed more than once a week in Caelos, even though there were a few public bathhouses filled using the aquifer which the city was built upon. However even though magic was far less labor intensive than the melee training, he still found himself drenched in sweat by the time he made it out to practice his spells, and from there it only got worse. Something about the mana manipulation exercises--this day¡¯s having been aimed at getting mana to spin in circles as fast as possible within his body--made every one of his muscles work. After changing, Maiz left the empty building, and saw that the sun was almost under the horizon, the sky and sands as red as he had imagined. Perfect. He headed towards what he had learned was called the ¡®Mess Hall.¡¯ Hugan had been very proud when he¡¯d said that this morning. Sure enough, there were streams of other young people, Novices and Apprentices all, walking in to eat. The melee and ranged combatants would have just finished up their duties, which ranged from tending horses, to hauling grain, to the less pleasant task of cleaning out the latrines. Maiz was rather grateful that he wasn¡¯t able to join them, though his mage training was not precisely easy. Entering, Maiz almost automatically moved to the table where Hugan and Ziya normally sat, but they weren¡¯t there. Huh. He supposed Ziya¡¯s Journeyman instructor in healing could have been holding her group for some reason, and Hugan could have easily been choosing to take a quick wash himself. Without thinking too much of it, Maiz pulled a bowl of slow-cooked wheat berries and meat towards him and loaded his plate, beginning to eat. After a few minutes of tucking in to the tasty, if hearty, food, Maiz looked up idly, still chewing as he did a cursory scan of the sea of people now filling the huge hall. This place was truly impressive. In many ways, it represented the entire might of the surrounding region in a few decades¡¯ time. One day each of the people in this room would be in service to either a noble or the government, and their ability would play a large part in determining the relative power of the major players in the kingdom of Corunti. Of course, the nobles themselves would also represent a huge part of the kingdom¡¯s military strength, but the people here, the house Guardians and vassal-mages, were the pieces that tipped the scales when the titanic powers of the noble houses clashed. Maiz could already think of a few who would be truly great. Hugan, for one. His ability in combat was nothing short of remarkable, his title was almost as rare as Maiz¡¯s own, and he had a matching drive to best every challenge that came before him. Ziya, despite her quiet nature, was also inordinately talented at magic. She apparently spent the time in the meditation hall with the other Novices practicing advanced mana exercises that her Journeyman mentor had taught her. But surprisingly, he¡¯d already seen others with similar talent. His second match of the day had been against the tall girl he¡¯d practiced with in the Constitution exercise. She¡¯d been wielding a wooden sword, curved like the Slashers used, and it had taken a few contemptuous strokes, along with a deceptively swift pair of cuts that had somehow connected despite his dodging them, for her to put him on the ground once again. But despite that, something about the way she had attacked and moved hadn¡¯t truly compared to the fluid, graceful dance he had seen Lila engage in. Of all the fighters he had seen, even above Hugan, she was the most exceptional. Maiz understood why nobody volunteered to fight her. He thought that any of the other Novices could expect to be hauling a bucket if they faced her, whether she was armed or not. Then, as if his thought had summoned her from the Ulion¡¯s Abyss, Lila appeared from the milling crowd of combatants and sat with a thunk directly across from Maiz. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Sweet Hudith, you look sad.¡± She looked less angry than she had been, a smirk playing across her full lips. Maiz gaped, then snapped his mouth shut as a piece of food dropped from it back into his bowl. He took a moment to chew and swallow, and--thankfully--didn¡¯t choke. ¡°Wha-¡± ¡°-I mean, there are so many people here, it¡¯s almost impressive that you managed to find a section without anybody else in it. But not in a good way.¡± Why did she wait until I started talking to interrupt me? ¡°I don¡¯t--¡± ¡°--ha! You should see the look on your face! What, are you afraid of me or something?¡± That¡¯s it. Without even trying to get out another word, Maiz stood from his seat, straightening out his tunic, and began walking away. ¡°Wait!¡± Lila¡¯s voice rang out behind him. Maiz didn¡¯t look back, migrating to the other side of the hall and finding another uncrowded section with only a pair of fairly normal looking young men sitting at one end. Sitting down once more, Maiz took some food from the bowl picked up where he left off, wondering why the girl had decided to torment him for no reason. ¡°Maiz!¡± At the sound of his name, Maiz turned, and this time a small smile lit his face. Hugan and Ziya walked up and sat on either side of him. ¡°We couldn¡¯t find you at our usual spot. That girl was there though!¡± At the word ¡®girl¡¯ Hugan shot him another conspiratorial look like he had in the morning, and Maiz winced internally. He didn¡¯t bother to correct Hugan¡¯s misconception though, just saying that he¡¯d happened to come around to this side and thought the food looked better than usual. A weak lie, but Hugan was easily fooled. Ziya just looked at him, giving no hint as to her thoughts. ¡°How is your stomach?¡± Maiz rubbed the body part, then grinned. ¡°Full.¡± Hugan laughed, though Ziya simply looked at him without a reaction. Hakim might as well be her grandfather or something. ¡°It¡¯s doing well. A little sore like you said, but it hasn¡¯t gotten worse even through all of morning training.¡± Belatedly, he added ¡°Thank you again, by the way. It was very kind of you to heal it for me.¡± Maiz still wondered exactly how Ziya had reacted when he¡¯d stumbled into the little room where she and a few other Clerics were all sitting in a semicircle before an older man in white robes, blood leaking from his lips. He had lost consciousness before he could see, and when he woke Ziya was as unflappable as ever. She hadn¡¯t even asked about how he¡¯d received the injury, though the other Clerics had been looking at him oddly. The old man, the Journeyman, had simply watched Ziya inform him about the soreness and possible issues, nodding approvingly. He¡¯d told Maiz rather pointedly to ¡®get back to training,¡¯ and that had been the end of it. Hugan looked confusedly between them. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Maiz said quickly. Ziya looked at Maiz, probing eyes making him a little uncomfortable. But Hugan simply shrugged and began recounting--again--his fight that morning against the giant Haddar. Maiz simply listened and picked a bit at his remaining food, letting his remaining thoughts wash away as the enormous challenges of the day caught up to him. He was adapting surprisingly well to the enormous amount of work he was doing throughout the day, but it felt nice to simply relax for a bit. After Hugan had devoured enough food that the two young men on the other side of the section were looking at him strangely, he and Maiz finally wished Ziya good night and left the mess hall. Both were too sleepy from the long day and the food to say anything, and they just walked silence under the starry, moonless sky. That was, until a hand grabbed Maiz¡¯s shoulder and stopped him in his tracks, almost causing him to trip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Maiz almost didn¡¯t recognize the voice, probably because he had never heard it hold even a bit of contrition before. But when he turned, he was unsurprised to find Lila¡¯s face looking up at him. Standing like this, their height difference was more noticeable, but Maiz was instinctively wary. Every time he¡¯d stood across from her, he¡¯d ended up on the ground requiring the services of a Cleric. ¡°What?¡± Maiz kept his voice cool. It wasn¡¯t hard. ¡°I¡­ apologize for being so rude earlier. I did have a reason for sitting by you, even if I was terrible at getting to the point.¡± Maiz just looked at her, trying to keep an inscrutable expression on his face. How did Hakim and Ziya manage it so well? He wanted to scoff at Lila--after all, her behavior had been absolutely unacceptable. But he was also flustered at her apologetic tone and politeness, so at odds with her manner during every other encounter he¡¯d had with her. After waiting for a moment and seeing no response, she continued. ¡°Would it be possible for you to come with me for a bit?¡± As she said the words, her gray eyes flicked over to the side, and Maiz turned to see Hugan standing a slightly-less-than-discrete distance away, apparently trying, and failing, to keep a huge grin off his face. At that sight Maiz did blush, but he hoped that Lila couldn¡¯t see in the darkness. ¡°All right.¡± He said, wondering what exactly this was about. He waved to Hugan, who shot him a wink--a wink--before turning away. Lila moved off in a completely different direction, away from any of the barracks Maiz knew of. Frowning, he followed her. *************** ¡°What if someone sees us?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He shivered, heart fluttering and breath speeding up as he slowly pulled out his shaft. He followed as a shadowed, but impossibly graceful form led him forward, to a secluded spot far from prying eyes. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At the response, he drew close and the figure did the same. He took a deep breath. Then he swung his staff down at the girl before him with as much force as he could muster. She dodged of course, snapping, ¡°You¡¯re overcommitting. Never expect a strike to connect, always be prepared to switch directions.¡± She punctuated the instruction with a sharp kick to Maiz¡¯s lower back, which tipped him over completely, sending him to his knees. ¡°All right.¡± Maiz said, standing. Her kick hadn¡¯t been particularly hard, just enough to knock him over. Somehow, that seemed more impressive to him. However, Lila raised a shadowy hand, presumably indicating for him to stop. ¡°You¡¯ve never actually learned how to use a weapon, right?¡± Her voice didn¡¯t hold the derisive note it had in the mess hall, just thoughtfulness. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± She nodded, though Maiz could see nothing but the outline of her form. ¡°You¡¯re not bad. Actually, you¡¯re downright exceptional at defense. You said you have a magic title?¡± Maiz flushed though thankfully she wouldn¡¯t be able to see it.Why do I do that so much around her?¡°Uh, yes. But it¡¯s meant to be used in close combat.¡± Maiz couldn¡¯t see Lila¡¯s reaction, but when she replied, Maiz could hear the frown in her voice. ¡°So what¡¯s your Talent? Can you show it to me?¡± Maiz¡¯s Talent--the spell he''d learned upon gaining his title--was actuallyThe Mask. But, apparently when Viselys had granted himFlaming Strike, he¡¯d done¡­ something to make it function like a talent. Even Maiz knew that spells and skills other than talents were much more difficult to learn and even harder to create. Some people only ever used the talents they received at each milestone in their title¡¯s progression. Of course, Maiz didn¡¯t tell Lila his real talent. He simply responded in the affirmative and castFlaming Strike.Once again, he also usedMana Sense, watching the strangely beautiful silver light flow, speed up, and shift to red. He also looked at Lila, and was surprised to see a greenish-blue light suffusing her body. It wasn¡¯t the bright, somehowpresentlight of his own magic, or even like the traces of Instructor Hakim¡¯s power he¡¯d seen earlier in the day, but there was definitely something there. It almost seemed more like the faint white that suffused everything else, though it was a little more distinct.What? ¡°Huh. That¡¯s nice, I guess. What does it do?¡± Lila''s moderately interested voice cut through his thoughts. ¡°Oh! Uh¡­¡± Maiz looked around, not seeing anything he could hit to demonstrate theFlaming Strike¡¯s effect. Finally he just--carefully--hit it against the ground away from either of them. The fire exploded upwards, briefly illuminating the night and the huge open space of the training field they were currently standing on. ¡°Wow! How much damage does that do?¡± Lila sounded impressed, which in turn made Maiz feel rather smug. However, at her question he scrambled for a second, before finally just rapidly opening the spell¡¯s description and checking. ¡°Fifty,¡± he blurted out after a seemingly interminable stretch of silence. ¡°Fifty?¡± Now she sounded downright shocked, though Maiz still couldn¡¯t see her face in the darkness. ¡°I can see why they won¡¯t let you use that in practice matches, holy hells.¡± Maiz remembered that Rin had said most Novice-level abilities did much less damage than that, and for the same mana cost.Speaking of Rin, I need to find a way to talk to him more.The man¡¯s obvious expertise in various titles would be extremely useful for someone in his¡­ unique situation. Lila continued, ¡°I suppose that we can¡¯t let you use that on me to train, but--well, you¡¯re going to need to figure out how to use it in combat soon.¡± Maiz frowned. ¡°Why? I understand that I¡¯ll need to know eventually, but why soon?¡± Lila was silent for a moment, then answered in a tone that was part mirth and part incredulity. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? I mean, I thought you understood when I asked if we could practice tonight.¡± She let out a short laugh, and Maiz flushed. In all honesty, he¡¯d been so flustered by the entire situation that he¡¯d agreed without giving it much thought. Why he¡¯d been less rational in tha situation than when he¡¯d met a literalgod, he couldn¡¯t rightly say. ¡°So what am I missing?¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow, we¡¯re going into the Dungeon.¡± It was Maiz¡¯s turn to take a moment of stunned silent. ¡°Thewhat?¡± She sighed. ¡°Yeah, yeah. There¡¯s a Dungeon here,that¡¯swhy we¡¯re in the middle of nowhere!¡± She said the last in a mocking tone, and Maiz winced, the same thought having gone through his head an instant before. She went on in her normal voice, ¡°It¡¯s very weak, all the training here keeps it that way. But it''s still tough enough for Novices, and its the only real way to gain experience--aside from war, that is. Still, they make us go in parties of five and¡­ I might have some trouble finding a team.¡± She trailed off at the end, but Maiz had to take a moment to get through everything she¡¯d said.The only way to gain experience?He¡¯d never really considered it, but he hadn¡¯t gained any experience in his skills or spells, despite using them a good deal since learning them. Did he have to use them in a real fight in order to increase their rank? Then, he caught the last thing she¡¯d said. ¡°What?¡± He asked, failing to keep a note of apprehension out of his voice. ¡°Did someone die?¡± ¡°What?¡± Now she sounded outraged. ¡°No! The people I went in with before all became Apprentices, and, uh, the other Novices think I¡¯m too strong to put in their team.¡± She said the last bit with a hint of bashfulness, as if uncomfortable acknowledging her prowess. Does she enjoy never making sense?¡°Why would that be a downside?¡± He could understand nobody wanting to fight Lila in training, but why wouldn¡¯t you want to have the best fighter on your team if you were entering a Dungeon? ¡°Well, if you¡¯re an idiot¡­¡± She huffed, then seemed to deflate, shadowy figure slumping a bit. ¡°No, it makes sense. If you fight with me on your team, I¡¯m just more likely to do more damage than someone less experienced. That means I¡¯ll get more experience and everyone else will get less.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Maiz thought for a moment. ¡°So why don¡¯t you just agree to kill fewer monsters then?¡± Lila let out a slightly bitter laugh. ¡°No one would trust that! Once we¡¯re in the Dungeon, they¡¯d be stuck with me, and risk missing out on all of the experience for the run. That¡¯s a two-week setback.¡± Two weeks, huh?I wonder how many of those it takes to get to Apprenti--wait.¡°How many runs does it take to get to Apprentice?¡± ¡°Uh, it depends.¡± She sounded taken aback at the sudden shift in topic, but Maiz was extremely curious. ¡°On what? I mean, besides how many monsters you kill, I guess. Assume an average.¡± ¡°No, it depends on how much you¡¯ve trained and studied, and--how do you not know this?¡± She replied irritably. ¡°Huh? Why, because it makes you better in the Dungeon? That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying, just assu--¡± ¡°How ignorant are you?¡± She cut him off hotly. ¡°The more you¡¯ve practiced a skill or spell, the better you understand how it works and how best to use it, the faster you rank up with it. Youliterallyget more experience in a fight with that ability than you would if you didn¡¯t practice it. And when you train in battle and strategy before you fight, then you also get boosted experience towards a combat title.¡± Maiz¡¯s jaw actually dropped open.Holy hells. How did I not realize?Suddenly, he thought about what Instructor Hakim had said about studying the pattern that hisFlaming Strikecreated. ¡°There¡¯s so much I need to do before we go in!¡± He said it without thinking, still caught up in frantic plans to improve his understanding before the foray into the Dungeon. ¡°We?¡± Lila sounded¡­ odd. Hopeful? ¡°Oh, right.¡± Maiz replied distractedly. ¡°Will you be in my party? I think I¡¯m going to ask Hugan and Ziya as well.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯ll steal your experience?¡± Maiz blinked, fully focusing on her dark figure again. ¡°I mean, if you say you won¡¯t, I¡¯ll believe you.¡±Heh. You¡¯re the champion of the God of Deception, and here you are blindly trusting someone you barely know with what amounts to your future.Maiz didn¡¯t underestimate importance of this ¡®Dungeon run.¡¯ If it only happened every two weeks, a wasted run could not only put him behind for those two weeks, but permanently disadvantage him in future runs where everyone else would be more powerful than him. But Maiz had a strong feeling that Lila was trustworthy. Moreover, she¡¯d been forthright about the potential disadvantage having her on his team could bring. And, of course, he needed her. ¡°Um, thanks.¡± she sounded pleased, and faintly uncomfortable, but Maiz brushed it off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, now can we do some more practice with myFlaming Strike?¡± She laughed, then replied, ¡°All right, we¡¯ll think of some ways for you to use it in a fight. But then you¡¯re gonna try them out in a sparring match! We¡¯ll just have to pretend you''re casting it, I guess.¡± Maiz smiled, though he knew she couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°Sounds great.¡± Chapter 17 Shadar wondered why the only person sitting in the room was the prisoner. Seemed unfair, but perhaps that was because he was getting old. Or lazy. ¡°So she has strange mana, so what?¡± Eva crossed her thin, pale arms across her chest. Her skeletal face betrayed her annoyance, though she wasn¡¯t trying particularly hard to hide it. ¡°She destroyed the entire Lost Arena by herself.¡± ¡°So? The Hydra was only an Adept, I doubt his monsters were particularly high ranked either. Besides, you took her down without incident, right?¡± Here Digartoth cut in. ¡°I¡¯d thank you not to use that term, Eva.¡± His quiet, measured voice didn¡¯t sound angry, but Eva looked instantly abashed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Dig. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Shadar had been about to speak himself about the same thing, but didn¡¯t comment on the exchange. It was easy for humans like Eva and Shadar to forget how brutally some of Massahn¡¯s Children had been treated over millennia of unending struggle. No human that called them ¡®monsters¡¯ had treated them as respected opponents, and some were very sensitive to the term. Shadar himself sometimes thought the word, but he never said it. Best to move on now, though. ¡°The woman is exceptional. Master level, I believe, perhaps even more than halfway to Grandmaster. I simply had the perfect abilities to counter hers.¡± Eva stayed quiet, perhaps out of embarrassment for her earlier insult. However, Silence decided to speak for the first time, ugly goblin face twisted into a quizzical expression. ¡°Mayhap that is true, but prithee, why should we spare her the final embrace? Tis simple sense that the sharpest bade bites deepest, and that one ought to be wary of the Silthid held to one¡¯s bosom.¡± After a moment to decipher the goblin¡¯s strange words and metaphors, Shadar replied. ¡°I was getting to it. She¡¯s been dosed with manticore venom, so she¡¯s no threat at the moment. I want to question her at the least. The Hydra claimed that his Dungeon had been attacked frequently lately. I do not want to deal with a push at my back while the business in Hankor is going on. And her magic is strange. Shadar glanced down at the woman again. She rivalled Eva for pallor, but her skin was not the flawless alabaster of the Lich--it was covered in grime from her battle, and seemed heavily blemished underneath that. Her hair hung in tangled strands, reaching down past her rather long neck and to her narrow shoulders. She had a wiry build, Shadar suspected, though her black robes hung off her frame and obscured any muscle her limbs might have had. She was also completely still, barely breathing as her poisoned mana constricted her body¡¯s movements. Her eyes were closed,and though she may have been concscious it would be difficult for her to make sense of anything around her. A quick look with the eyes of a Mana Worm told Shadar that the poison would wear off in a few minutes at the soonest, as expected. However, there was no sense in taking chances, so he took advantage of the lull in the speech of his council to retrieve a vial from the table to the left of the woman. This room was one of the darkest, most disturbing in the Dungeon, but it was intended to be that way. However little one used it, a torture chamber could not be open and inviting. Unstopping the vial carefully so as not to get any of the reagent on his hands, Shadar tipped the mage¡¯s head back and poured the vial''s contents down her throat. Her throat muscles had loosened enough to allow her to swallow but her chest was still to constricted for a cough. Very convenient, but Shadar had worked hard for a high enough rank in Manticore Tail to give him some control over the poison in her body. With her head back, the woman was forced to swallow in small sips or choke. After a moment of no sound, she did so, some of the liquid dribbling out of the corner of her mouth. After ensuring she swallowed enough, Shadar turned back to the group. Eva had a disgusted look on her face. Shadar supposed the process was rather distasteful, though he would have expected a necromancer-queen to be less squeamish than that. Usually, Eva couldn¡¯t be phased by anything. ¡°Now you¡¯ve gone and wasted the Black Dragon Essence! You know how ridiculously difficult it is to get that stuff?¡± Oh. That made more sense. ¡°I¡¯ll get more.¡± He certainly had the appropriate connections to obtain that particular substance, though even he did not usually have more than a few vials in his possession at a time. ¡°It does seem a bit wasteful for such a minor incident.¡± Digaratoth put in. He wasn¡¯t Shadar¡¯s bookkeeper--one of Silence¡¯s subordinates did that--but he tended to micromanage whatever he had in front of him. ¡°It is necessary. I¡¯d rather not have wreck the Dungeon when the poison wears off.¡± At that moment a strange choked hacking sound started up from the woman, body jerking erratically. The hardened leather straps holding her to the stone chair prevented too much movement, but clearly the venom was beginning to wear off completely. After a minute or so--the Dragon Essence would have reduced the venom¡¯s efficacy--the sound resolved into breathless laughter. The woman spit black essence and saliva from her mouth, most of it landing on her filthy robes, and gave her four captors a wide grin. ¡°Hello! Would you like to die today?¡± The grin turned smug, the woman yelling, ¡°Everything is Dust!¡± Nothing happened of course, at which Eva cracked a smile of her own. ¡°Oh no my sweet, we¡¯re not the ones on the chopping block.¡± She had turned on her unnerving Lich persona, speaking in a soft voice just above a whisper, smile stretched just past the point of true mirth. She still managed a Dungeon at the heart of a dead forest, though she often left it to her subordinates these days--few were strong enough to make it near the final room and face her in combat. Shadar remembered his own first encounter with her, when she¡¯d tried the same act with him. It had taken his defeating her and convincing her to swear allegiance for her to drop it.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Shadar decided to let her keep it up, though he didn¡¯t think it would have much of a effect. ¡°Calm down, Eva. We simply wanted to have a talk with you. Why don¡¯t you start by showing us your Name. Here, I¡¯ll start.¡± The words had come from Digaratoth, who¡¯d jumped in just before Shadar himself had been about to. It appeared the two of them would be playing ¡®kind captor and bloodthirsty jailor.¡¯ Fine. Shadar¡¯s part would simply be to appear menacing and aloof, then. Green words appeared above the Saurian¡¯s head. Digaratoth-Journeyman Saurian Nightclaw. It had taken Shadar dragging the lizardman along on several Dungeon raids early in the campaign to get him even that far. He was a fairly mediocre fighter, Dexterity-based and focused on stealth, but not particularly suited to combat. Saurians were all either Nightclaws, Irontails, or Earthspeakers--Irontails were simple Strength-based warriors and Earthspeakers were earth elemental mages. That diversity made their tribes quite powerful in aggregate compared to most of Massahn¡¯s children, but not particularly impressive individually. It was Digaratoth¡¯s competence and intelligence that made him so useful though, not his combat prowess. The woman¡¯s filthy face was now twisted in a snarl, but as the moments stretched on, a Name eventually appeared above her head. Yonlin-Master Desidomancer. So, she was likely from the Empire, with a name like that. But he had never heard of a Desidomancer before, not even in lore. Shadar supposed that was to be expected, though. Human titles tended to vary across regions, and even within one area there were often dozens, if not hundreds, of common titles among a population. But as he considered, Digaratoth flicked a tongue out in a Saurian smile, responding. ¡°That¡¯s good, now then--¡± ¡°--I believe it is time to end her, she¡¯s clearly of no importance.¡± Eva interrupted in a voice close to a his. Even as she said the words, she glided over to the rack of weapons by the side of the table. All were wickedly curved, serrated, or otherwise terrifying knives. Eva touched the longest, and it began to pulse with dark energy. It floated off the rack and slowly but surely began to drift towards Yonlin. ¡°Now wait, I wanted to--¡± Digaratoth trailed off as the tip of the knife stopped a scant centimeter from Yonlin¡¯s eye. Eva looked at the Saurian expectantly. ¡°Yes? Hurry up, Silence is hungry.¡± ¡°Yes, very hungry!¡± Silenceadded in a voice completely unlike his actual mellifluous tones. They were playing her. Shada wasn¡¯t sure if Digaratoth had been in on the ploy at first, but now he surely realized what was happening. After all, Silence didn¡¯t particularly like human flesh, and he certainly never acted like a simple goblin grunt. That had been Eva¡¯s signal to Digaratoth that a game was afoot. It was a good strategy--best to start with the threat of imminent death, then portray Digaratoth as the only hope for survival. ¡°I...well I¡¯d never heard of this ¡®Desidomancer¡¯ title before.¡± Digaratoth¡¯s voice was unsure, even slightly unnerved. He was acting now as well, making Yonlin think he would be easy to sway if she cooperated. The bound woman¡¯s expression flashed into a quick predatory smile before morphing into a rictus of fear. ¡°Yes, yes I¡¯ll tell you, just please, oh please, don¡¯t kill me!¡± She was laying it on a bit thick, but then perhaps she thought that would work on the Saurian. Digaratoth spoke again, voice hesitant. ¡°So then, how does your magic work?¡± ¡°I turn everything to dust. Oh please sir.¡± She didn¡¯t offer any more explanation, just continuing to beg, but Digaratoth answered with interest overcoming his pretended hesitance. ¡°Oh? What does that mean, exactly?¡± He glanced at Eva. ¡°Maybe you ought to move the knife away from her eye?¡± A little early for that, Shadar thought, but Eva looked back at the lizardman with cool condescension and made no move to call back the possessed blade. Ah. More bait. ¡°Oh please, oh please sir... I make things become what they¡¯re meant to be, kind sir. I-I suppose they say I age them. ¡± Oh. That made a good deal of sense, based on what Shadar had seen. The woman literally turned living things into dust because flesh became dust over time. Her magic hadn¡¯t affected the stone of the Arena much, but it had degraded the Hydra¡¯s magic effectively. That aspect of her abilities was the truly potent one. There were certainly some defensive titles that could neutralize magic, though none as well as the black dragons. However, Shadar had never seen someone capable both of completely negating spells thrown at them and attacking with powerful spells of their own. This woman¡¯s title, though simple in concept, was potent, likely an Epic one. ¡°Ah. Fascinating. And what exactly were you doing in the Lost Arena?¡± Digaratoth increased the note of interest in is voice. Before Yonlin could speak though, Silence grumbled in his ugliest goblin tones, ¡°Hungry¡­¡± ¡°Yes, now that we¡¯ve satisfied your curiosity Digaratoth, I believe it is time--¡± Eva¡¯s voice was cut off as the woman nearly screamed. ¡°Please sir! I escaped, I escaped! They kept me in the dark and cold and then I woke and I-I turned them to dust. And then I turned myself and I left, and I stayed. And then they came for me, so I ran away again, and I found the little Dungeon and thought I¡¯d have some fun and--¡± Shaar stopped listening to the babbling, frowning. If he understood what she¡¯d said-... using Eyes of the Mana Worm, he examined the woman closely. Her hands¡­ they glowed faintly orange, completely different from the bruised purple magic that suffused the rest of her.. Artificial. There were some Clerics of Hudith that could do that, though it was an unknown skill in many parts of the world. So she had disintegrated her own hands, presumably to escape some sort of bond? That seemed exceedingly grisly, but something else was occupying more of Shadar¡¯s attention--what idiot thought to imprison a Master mage? That was practically impossible without resources that very few had access to, and apparently they had just left her alone in a dungeon of some sort, strung up by her wrists. Foolish. They deserved their deaths at her hands, whoever they were. This woman however¡­ she might not have the same fate ahead of her. Shadar held up a hand. Chapter 18 ¡°All right you gobling shits, let¡¯s get a move on!¡± The training officer loped off the training field at an improbable pace, and the Novices all raced to scramble after him. Maiz ran with Hugan at his side, and was surprised to find himself capable--barely--of keeping up with the other Novices. Perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have been though; after all, he¡¯d gained another two attribute points in Strength, a gain he felt was completely deserved. It had taken several hours of sparring with Lila followed by a short sleep and another full day of work, during which he¡¯d scrambled wildly to improve his understanding of combat and his skills as much as possible. He¡¯d started that day out with enough energy to actually win a fight somehow, though he lost his bout against Lila again. However, by the end of the day his newfound endurance had run out, and he had been completely unable to practice again with Lila. She¡¯d sent him back to his barracks in less than a minute, after a bit of good-natured ribbing. It was unclear how she was able to stay up so late and still perform in top physical condition, but if it was a skill, then by the gods Maiz would learn it at any cost. Despite his lack of supernatural endurance-boosts, apparently pushing himself so far had prompted a relatively massive boost to his attributes. In addition to the two points in Strength, he¡¯d also gained a point in Dexterity and one in Constitution. That made his physical attributes fairly normal for his age, finally. He doubted he would be able to continue getting such massive boosts to his attributes in such short timeframes in the future--after all, he still hadn¡¯t gained a single point in Agility, Intelligence, or Wisdom. He was particularly disappointed in the latter two. After all, he had spent almost his entire time on the spell-testing field studying his Flaming Strike in painstaking detail, preparing to gain as much experience as possible in the coming battle. Speaking of which¡­ ¡°You have three minutes to find a group, got it? Five people, no less.¡± The training officer said the last bit with a such menace that Maiz instantly knew what would happen to a group with less than five people after time was called. They were standing at the mouth of a cave, in the farthest corner of the compound from its roadside entrance. The rock of the cave entrance was bleached by the sun, but still looked extremely menacing, like the craggy maw of some massive monster. Maiz could not see deep into the¡­ was this the Dungeon? Either way, he could at least see that it slope downwards, appearing to open up underground. ¡°We have to find another person!¡± Hugan¡¯s worried voice cut through Maiz¡¯s preoccupation. He looked up to see that both Lila and Ziya had found them, their little party of four a pocket of stability in the chaos of Novices trying to find groups to enter the Dungeon with. ¡°I believe it may be difficult to find a fifth person.¡± Ziya said, just barely audible over the noise around them. ¡°Why?¡± Maiz asked. ¡°We have an¡­ odd range of capabilities in our group.¡± At this she glanced at Lila, who bristled. ¡°What, do you have something to say to me?¡± Maiz winced. When he had first brought up the idea of being in a group with Lila, Hugan had simply waggled his eyebrows before agreeing with a laugh. However Ziya had immediately warned him that Lila would be able to steal almost all of the experience for the run if she went with them. After Maiz had explained their conversation the previous night, she had agreed without further complaint. He hadn¡¯t thought it would cause any problems. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to offend you, but not everyone is as trusting as Maiz and Hugan. We will have trouble finding someone willing to risk being on the same team as you.¡± Ziya¡¯s soft voice held no animosity, just cool logic. The hard glint in Lila¡¯s eyes lessened slightly, and she nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s true, I guess.¡± Just then, Ziya turned and left their gathering completely. ¡°Ziya! Where--¡± Hugan shouted, startled, but cut off as she disappeared into the crowd. ¡°What?¡± Lila seemed enraged now. ¡°Why does she care so much if I¡¯m on the team? It¡¯s not even like she¡¯d lose any experience as long as she kept healing everyone! That--¡± She too stopped speaking abruptly, as Ziya returned holding the wrist of a young man in the white tunic and pant of a Cleric. ¡°Ziya, there¡¯s no way you can do well in a group with two¡­ oh.¡± The young man was looking at Lila with an expression of apprehension on his face. He then turned his gaze to Hugan, who smiled brightly. He barely glanced at Maiz before he spoke again. ¡°I suppose¡­¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ziya cut in, soft voice at odds with the clear note of command in her voice. The other Cleric just sighed and nodded before turning back to the other three. ¡°I¡¯m Sifet, nice to meet you all.¡± As he introduced himself, spectral gren words appeared above his head briefly. Sifet-Novice Cleric.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Lila had a somewhat thunderstruck expression on her face. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s, uh, nice to meet you?¡± The statement turned into a question as she shot a look at Ziya. ¡°Clerics don¡¯t worry about losing experience to strong fighters. As long as you think you can handle being short a combatant, I think this is the best solution.¡± Both Lila and Hugan nodded at this, Lila sheepishly and Hugan enthusiastically. ¡°Great idea Ziya!¡± Maiz half-expected him to pound Ziya on the back like he did to Maiz, but even though he raised his hand and stepped forward, he apparently decided that doing it to Sifet would be more appropriate. ¡°Hey there Sifet, I¡¯m Hugan!¡± As he said the words and slammed the poor Cleric''s back with an open palm, Hugan¡¯s name and title also appeared above his head. Maiz watched the Sifet¡¯s face carefully, but he gave no sign of recognition of Hugan¡¯s rare Warden title. Lila half-heartedly waved a hand in Sifet¡¯s direction. ¡°Lila.¡± Maiz waited expectantly, but no words appeared above her head. Huh. It was not uncommon for combatants to keep their titles hidden as a matter of course, but Maiz didn¡¯t think it mattered in a training facility like this. But maybe Lila had the right idea. When Sifet turned to him--having given Lila a rather deep bow of his head--Maiz said, ¡°I¡¯m Maiz. Nice to meet you,¡± not showing the Cleric his title either. Even though Spellsword wasn¡¯t his real title, it was probably the most powerful one he had access to at the moment. Not to mention rare. ¡°So, uh, you all are sure you¡¯re okay with having two Clerics on your team?¡± Hugan looked as confused as Maiz felt, asking ¡°Why not?¡± Sifet looked slightly uncomfortable,but Ziya answered in her usual dispassionate tone, ¡°The Dungeon can be difficult to challenge without enough fighters. One Cleric is good to heal any injuries after a fight, but at the Novice level we don¡¯t have any spells that work during battle. You will also have to work to protect us while you fight.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hugan looked put out for a moment, but then he flashed a grin at them again. ¡°Good thing I¡¯m an expert at defense!¡± Maiz was more concerned with something else Zia had said. ¡°No spells that work in battle? You can¡¯t use that Heal spell in a fight?¡± Sifet shook his head sadly. ¡°No, Battle Heal is an Apprentice spell. Our subjects have to be still for five seconds to let us use Heal on them.¡± Huh. It hadn¡¯t ever occurred to him before, but the Clerics only seemed to heal him whenever he¡¯d collapsed, been immobilized, or otherwise incapacitated. Of course, that happened a good deal, so perhaps it wasn¡¯t surprising that he hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°Time¡¯s up! Form up in lines!¡± All talking ceased as everyone scrambled to obey the training officer. Soon, the field in front of the cave entrance was covered in relatively ordered ranks of Novices, each in clear groups of five. The training officer casted a glance across the field and grunted. ¡°Get your weapons, then.¡± At this command, the order ranks broke a the Novices all raced to form a line at the weapons racks Maiz had just noticed tucked against the side of the cave mouth. Maiz¡¯s own group also moved to join the line, though they did not hurry. After all, everyone would enter the Dungeon eventually, it didn¡¯t matter if they were first or last. It took perhaps twenty minutes before Maiz¡¯s group reached the racks. They were much less orderly than the ones on the training field, but they had a large assortment of real weapons available.There were many iron swords, clubs, staves, and maces, along with various types of shields. Maiz took a staff without a second thought. Hugan took a round shield as he usually did, and a smaller sword. Neither Lila nor the two Clerics took any weapons, and they moved off quickly. Maiz shot a glance at Lila, but she had her eyes forward, looking at the second line now forming outside of the cave¡¯s entrance. Why hadn¡¯t she taken a staff? During their sparring two nights ago, she had given him various useful pointers on wielding the weapon, even demonstrating a few moves or him. She was obviously extremely skilled with it, and if his matches with her were any indication, she also had actual skills related to its use. But she probably doesn¡¯t actually need a weapon to fight in this Dungeon. Over the course of the night of sparring and the previous day, Maiz had gotten a fairly good idea of what to expect of this run. The Dungeon was quite weak, the monsters they would be fighting only at the beginning Novice levels. Most of the time, if left alone, such monsters would apparently grow by defeating animals or other monsters that wandered into their Dungeon. However, since these were killed and reborn so often, they never became formidable. Luckily--or rather by design--this particular Dungeon was perfectly suited for its use as a training aid. The main type monster encountered in the first area was a swarm of magically enhanced, unnaturally large insects. The creatures were apparently fairly easy to kill, but they would respawn from a protected nest every few minutes if the nest was not destroyed. Maiz had speculated aloud at whether the nest or even the Dungeon itself had any limits on how many times it could respawn the monsters, but Lila, and later Ziya, had both shrugged and said they didn¡¯t know. Still, the fact that the insect monsters could be fought every few minutes instead of every week or so, like with other Dungeons, was likely the reason this particular one had been chosen for the training grounds in the first place. It was clearly an incredibly valuable resource, the kind that prompted the building of cities and even nations. The ability to train masses of young combatants, even just to Apprentice or Journeyman level, was not to be underestimated. They waited for perhaps an hour, the line creeping forward slowly. Each group was allowed ten minutes in the Dungeon before a green robed runner, perhaps an Apprentice by his age, told them to leave. Most groups seemed fairly unharmed, though one group who had seemed particularly fearful on entering had been forced to leave early, all of them bleeding from multiple long cuts on their limbs, especially their forearms. They had stumbled out of the cave, expressions of horror on their faces, and stood still while a pair of Clerics stepped forward and healed each of them in turn. Maiz wondered both why they hadn¡¯t been able to find their own Cleric to help with that inside the Dungeon, and how they had managed to escape. They seemed almost as new as Hugan and Maiz, and they had clearly been too weak or unprepared to fight the monsters. Perhaps they had killed off the swarm once, and then fled before it repawned? Either way, the training officer simply grunted, then sent in another group after a few minutes. When their group was finally at the front of the line, Maiz was holding his staff rather tightly. The previous group, all hard-looking young women, had exited a few minutes previous without a scratch on them. Finally, the training officer waved them forward with his customary scowl. Shooting a quick, slightly nervous glance at his teammates, Maiz stepped forward and into the darkness. Chapter 19 It took a half a minute of walking downhill in darkness before the cave opened up and light returned, blinding Maiz momentarily. When he blinked away the glare in his eyes, his surroundings resolved into a wide open, firelit room o stone. They stood at the top of a stone shelf, overlooking the floor a few meters below. Maiz was briefly surprised at the strange beauty of the place--the torches ensconced on the walls cast shadow at the corners, but also made the stalactites and other rock formations sparkle as the minerals within them were lit. The open space contrasted with the darkness and the feel of being underground to give a sense of age and mystery Maiz had never encountered before. Unfortunately, the paradoxical majesty of the cavern was overshadowed by the horror waiting at the bottom of the stone shelf. ¡°What the hells are those?¡± Hugan said, managing to sound much less terrified than Maiz felt. They were perhaps a dozen creatures the size of cats or jackals, but low to the ground and bulbous. Their abdomens were the color and texture of rock, six legs mottled black an green and bent strangely, joints higher up than the rest of their bodies. Their skin, though certainly meant to blend in with the rock, was smooth and hard-looking, chitinous like that of a beetle. At their heads--which were only distinguishable as the opposite of the rears--there seemed to be a grotesque, wickedly curved appendage like the beak of a bird. Overall, they looked like the cross of a beetle, a spider, and one of Ulion''s pets. Mostly the latter. Each wandered around the floor but didn¡¯t move too much, some sort of cloudy fluid dripping from their beaks. Behind them Maiz thought he could see something resting on the ground, pulsing with a red light. Maiz suddenly realized how incredibly stupid he¡¯d been. Despite knowing what was coming he hadn¡¯t even thought to ask so many basic questions. Better start now. ¡°What¡¯s that dripping from their heads?¡± It took a moment before Ziya answered, not taking her eyes off of the monsters. ¡°Poison. It''s quite weak, our Heal is strong enough to deal with it even though it is not meant to cleanse poisons. I think it is supposed to work on very small animals.¡± That wasn¡¯t too bad. Maiz opened his mouth again, intending to discuss the monsters¡¯ weaknesses, but then Lila spoke abruptly. ¡°We¡¯re wasting time. Let¡¯s go.¡± Without another word, she stepped down off the first tier of the stone shelf, making her way to the pit of insects. The rest of them, followed, Hugan flashing Maiz a somewhat nervous grin. The young man was carrying his shield on his left arm and his short sword in the other without a hint of strain. Maiz easily kept pace with him, not particularly burdened by his staff. Behind them Ziya and Sifet walked a little more carefully, clearly not as nimble as the combatants. However, they all struggled to keep Lila¡¯s pace as she bounded down the tiered ledges with her usual effortless grace. She waited, however, until everyone had joined her two tiers above the bug-infested floor. She glanced at Ziya and Sifet. ¡°You two know to stay here, right?¡± When they nodded, she turned her unsettling gray eyes on Hugn and Maiz. ¡°Try to get as many kills as you can, alright? Don¡¯t worry about taking a hit or two.¡± Hugan nodded, determination filling his features. He looked like a young hero out of a storybook. Maiz was less sure. Shouldn¡¯t they talk about what strategies they would use, and how they could maximize their experience gains? But Lila was incredibly skilled at this. Maiz didn¡¯t know how many times she¡¯d been in this Dungeon, but it had to have been more than almost any of the other Novices, considering her ability. Finally, he also nodded, and stepped down among the monsters. It took a moment for the creatures to even notice them, it seemed. Lila appeared to engage her Fast Feet skill, all of her focus on her opponents. Maiz, after a moment of consideration, did the same, though he planned to stop using it after a dodge or two if it cost too much stamina. He also used his Flaming Strike. He had spent hours studying the spell the previous evening, so he tried to apply that knowledge, using his own will to direct his mana into the first layer of the spell, a simple helix of his own unaltered mana. Then the Talent took over, forming the rest of the pattern without his control. Maiz smiled slightly. It had taken him quite a bit of time to get the trick of running his mana around the staff like that. Hopefully, he would be rewarded with more experience today. As the ribbons of flames coalesced around Maiz¡¯s weapon, the bugs stopped moving around aimlessly, heads turning towards the three challengers. At this distance they were far more grotesque, bodies--and especially faces--alien and organic in an incredibly disturbing way. The creatures made absolutely no noise as some began to move towards the three of them, but their hostility was more than evident as the poison began to stream more freely from the beaks and their disgusting legs began to move more quickly. Suddenly, Lila ran forward lightly, approaching one of the bugs. It jumped at her, but she dodged with even less effort than usual, bringing the side of her fist down on the creature''s back and smacking it to the ground behind her. She circled around it, and lifted her foot straight up until it was parallel to her torso, slamming down again on the creature¡¯s back. The chitin where her foot landed broke with an audible crack, and her foot went straight through the monster''s body. The burst of motion had taken in place in the span of a few seconds, and Maiz had to take a few seconds more to process it. Lila had been as silent as the bugs, the only noise of her attack being the sound of her enemy dying. He turned to his right to see Hugan¡¯s reaction, and saw only empty air. What? Whipping his head back around, Maiz saw that Hugan was also moving towards a monster, shield raised and clearly using Shield Stance. Even as Maiz watched, the creature jumped towards the young man, going for his legs. Hugan didn¡¯t even bother to lower his shield, just taking the impact without a hint of discomfort and delivering a perfectly timed strike down with his sword, stabbing straight through the monster''s unprotected head. Hells. I need to get a move on. Maiz nervously stepped forward as well, singling out an unoccupied monster which seemed to be heading towards him anyways. He still had Fast Feet so he wasn¡¯t worried about being hit. He increased his pace, before he realized that he was already too close to the insect. Crap. He prepared to backtrack, holding his staff out and trying to ignore the obvious shaking of his own hands. Then the creature jumped at him beak-first. Maiz¡¯s Fast Feet engaged, forcing him to hop to the side with unnatural speed. Luckily, the motion didn¡¯t seem to drain too much stamina, meaning that the monster didn¡¯t have a very high Dexterity. Still, it took Maiz a moment to reorient himself after the quick exchange, and by the time he realized that he should strike the monster, it had already reoriented itself towards him. Even as Maiz looked at the thing, it jumped again. This time, when his skill sent him backwards at a diagonal, he tracked the monster carefully, watching it land behind him, near where Lila was fighting her second--or third-- monster.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. He swung his staff down with as much speed as he could muster, pulling one end up towards him as Lila had taught. He had intended to hit the creature on the head, activating his Flaming Strike and killing it. But he missed, hitting the stone floor next to the creature and triggering the spell. The resulting blast knocked the insect to the side, and, cursing himself under his breath, Maiz chased after it. He cast Flaming Strike again, but failed to properly direct his mana. Before he could try again, he finally he caught up to where the monster had fallen, and raised his unenchanted staff. Wait. It¡¯s not moving. A slightly closer examination showed that, indeed, the creature appeared to be dead, and in another moment Maiz noticed the flashing purple icon that indicated an experience gain. Nice! But his self congratulations were cut off as he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Almost instantly hs body twisted and fell flat of its own accord, laying his arm across the slick ground. Hells. Scrambling to his feet, he began casting Flaming Strike while eyeing the second monster now facing him. Yet even as he almost completed the first layer of the spell, the monster jumped again, and Maiz sidestepped, Fast Feet pushing him to react faster than he would have otherwise. Unfortunately, the surprise accompanying that move caused Maiz to completely lose hold of his mana, and he winced at a flash of pain in his head as the spell stopped abruptly. No time. He after a moment¡¯s consideration, he stopped using Fast Feet, switching instead to Shield Stance, and began casting again. The bug jumped at him again, beak slashing at his chest, but Maiz wasn¡¯t as fazed by the impact, feeling it as though through a few layers of cloth. More importantly, the hit failed to disrupt his balance, though the pain of the actual cut he received was quite noticeable. It was still a littlebetter than he would have expected, like a nasty gash from a kitchen knife. Either way, prepared as he was, the hit was not enough to distract him and Maiz was able to finish his spell and once again wreath his staff in flame. Immediately, he moved in on his opponent, disengaging Shield Stance and slamming down his staff on the creature¡¯s midsection. The blow actually connected--perhaps because Maiz had chosen a bigger target--and the flash of fire destroyed the insect¡¯s chitin, killing it swiftly. Having learned from the last one, Maiz was immediately wary as he looked for more monsters. He activated Fast Feet and began casting Flaming Strike as he swept his eyes around. He was getting a bit tired, though he thought most of that had been from Shield Stance rather than Fast Feet. These things did not have the Dexterity to match his Agility, soFast Feet was not as big a drain on his stamina as usual.As he finished casting his spell and his staff was once again surrounded in ribbons of flame, he used the extra height to look around. He was concerned about how many more bugs they had left to fight. Where were-- Another flash of movement appeared in his vision, and Maiz ducked, poking himself with his own staff by mistake. Thankfully, this didn¡¯t trigger the spell, and he quickly sprang up again, whirling to face the bug that had come at him. Then another creature jumped at him from the side just barely in his peripheral vision. He skipped back from this attack with a startled yelp, and was left staring at two monsters both re-orienting themselves towards him. His breathing, heavy from stamina loss, quickened. He could handle one easily enough, but the second? It would be on him before he could recast Flaming Strike, and he would have to take at least one more hit before he could cast the spell. But past the bugs, Maiz saw Lila and Hugan both standing, both seeming poised to spring forward. As he noticed them, he tensed, half-expecting them to kill the two creatures he was fighting. They didn¡¯t. They simply waited, and upon noticing this, Maizhad a flash of realization.They''re waiting to see if they''ll need to save me.And almost instantly, his resolve hardened. They won¡¯t. After a thought like that, Maiz felt like springing forward for an attack, but he didn¡¯t. He waited. Sure enough, seconds later, a monster jumped at him. This time, Maiz was expecting the move, and was able to consciously--if aided by his skill--direct his body to dodge diagonally, slipping past the flying creature and towards its fellow on the ground. Maiz slammed his staff towards it, not even caring if he hit, and spun immediately even as the spell activated. The second creature was already reorienting itself on him, but Maiz didn¡¯t give it the time, jumping forward himself and smacking at it. He probably hit it only once or twice, but it was enough to keep it from retaliating. As he rained down blows at and around the giant insect, he cast Flaming Strike. It was no different than when he¡¯d used the spell against the dummies in the training hall. When the spell¡¯s pattern sped up to red and the ribbons of fire appeared, Maiz¡¯s next blow blew the monster away, killing it. Breathing raggedly heavily, Maiz looked around for more opponents, but there were none. Of course. Why else would Lila and Hugan be standing around doing nothing? Speaking of, where-- ¡°Well done.¡± Lila¡¯s voice drew Maiz¡¯s attention back to her position, right up against the wall of the stone shelf back up to towards the entrance. ¡°Now get over here, get Healed, and get ready. The next set is coming.¡± Chapter 20 Maiz¡¯s body flew to the side, and he twisted in the air, flame-coated staff descending on the hard shell of an oversized bug. Maiz heard the percussive sound of the spell triggering, but his eyes were already searching the space of the floor. Lila danced past him, jumping up over the ledge separating the monster-infested floor with the path before it. So she was already done, then. Hugan was huddled behind his shield, easily weathering blows from a pair of the monsters, but not attacking back. Maiz frowned. ¡°Need help, Hugan?¡± He called, copying the same question Hugan had asked him a few times. They had grown somewhat used to the rhythm of fighting the groups of about a dozen monsters which spawned every two minutes. At this point he almost felt like he was simply working, trying to get through his stack before the day was out. No, this is much more interesting. But Hugan called back in an easy tone, ¡°No thanks.¡± Even as he said the words, he absorbed another blow from a jumping monster and pushed it away with his shield, chopping the other out of the air as it also flew towards him with a deftness that belied his supposed inexperience. Maiz almost shook his head. He had no idea how Hugan was so incredibly adept at this. He himself rarely managed to hit his opponents, relying on the power of his Flaming Strike to actually kill them. At least he was fighting with the advantage of Fast Feet, which probably made him look at least competent to the other Novices. Even then, Lila still managed to make him seem like he was about as graceful as a toddler. She made Hugan look like a an amateur, killing all of her monsters in less than half a minute. By comparison, Maiz barely seemed like he had a combat title at all. Shaking away thoughts of his inadequacies, Maiz spotted the last two monsters, both close to the pulsing¡­ thing that was their nest. It looked something like a mass of entrails that flashed with red light at the pace of a heartbeat. Apparently, it covered some sort of spawning pit for the creatures, because whenever a new swarm appeared, it did so from underneath it. Maiz had already killed two opponents from this swarm. Out of Lila, Hugan, and himself, they each would take four monsters for each swarm, which meant that the remaining two insect-monsters were his to kill. He jogged forward, careful not to slip on the floor slick with poison. Falling here had left his skin irritated wherever it touched the ground, though luckily the Clerics were able to heal that away. As Maiz ran, he cast Flaming Strike, finding it markedly easier than he had earlier in the fight. There was nothing quite like practice in real combat, it seemed. He was extraordinarily tempted to just slam his staff down between the two creatures, injuring and probably killing both at once. However, he had been warned by Lila in no uncertain terms to leave the pulsing red thing completely untouched. If it was destroyed, even inadvertently, that would prevent every other group from being able to train for at least a week. Instead, Maiz simply waved his flaming staff a bit to get the bugs¡¯ attention, then skipped back with the aid of Fast Feet as they jumped at him. Once they were away from their ¡®nest,¡¯ Maiz swiftly killed one of them, then danced around blows from the other until he could cast Flaming Strike and kill it. Even as his staff descended, a gruff, angry voice echoed down from the the cavern entrance. ¡°Get back up here, you¡¯re done!¡± The whoosh of fire as Maiz¡¯s staff hit the last monster seemed to punctuate the officer¡¯s words. Maiz looked back at the others of his party, who all seemed satisfied with the quarter hour¡¯s work. Even the two Clerics had gotten a decent amount of Healing practice, mostly because Hugan constantly took small hits from the monsters as he fought. Maiz and especially Lila were rarely injured, but the Heal spell did a little to restore stamina and mitigate muscle exhaustion, so it was still useful to them. With a collective nod, they ascended back up the stone ¡®steps¡¯ and out into the light. After being dismissed by the training officer, apparently released to do whatever they wanted until after midday, they all started back towards the barracks. As they walked, Maiz finally focused on the purple flashing icon in the corner of his vision, the symbol of Viselys. Purple text appeared in his vision, notifying him of the results of his first Dungeon run. You have slain Tritantus Bug, Rank 1 (24)! +144 exp (120*1.2 knowledge modifier) You have achieved Rank 2-5 in: The Nameless! You have unassigned attribute points (4/60 to next rank) You have improved Flaming Strike to ranks 2-10! +45 exp (49/60 to next rank) You have improved Fast Feet to ranks 2-8! +35 exp (84/60 to next rank) You have achieved rank 6 in: The Nameless! (24/70 to next rank) You have improved Shield Stance to rank 2! +5 exp (29/70) Maiz blinked, though it did nothing to dispel the text now completely obscuring his vision. He was forced to stop as he read through the notifications, thinking that he would never look at them again. It was incredibly annoying to read through such a detailed accounting of his experience gains when he could just as easily look at his Name Sheet for the total changes. His annoyance faded, however, as he read through the notifications. Then his jaw dropped, and his knees went a little weak. Six ranks in his title? Not only that, but ten in Flaming Strike and eight in Fast Feet? He was already halfway to making Flaming Strike an Apprentice ranked ability, and not far behind in Fast Feet. And he ascended through a quarter of the Novice ranks in his title already! Holy hells, this is amazing! The rest of the group had also stopped, and as the purple text cleared from Maiz¡¯s vision, he looked around at them with excited eyes. Hugan had an odd, absent grin on his face and a far off look, which meant he was probably looking at his notifications as well. Maiz knew that, if he couldn¡¯t read, he¡¯d be seeing something like colored bars filling up to indicate how much experience he¡¯d gained, as well as some instinctual knowledge about what rank he was currently at. Honestly, being literate in both words and numbers made viewing one¡¯s Name Sheet much more rewarding. Ziya was looking at Maiz without a hint of emotion, as per usual. Sifet and Lila, however, had tolerant smiles on their faces, looking almost nostalgic. ¡°Gained a few ranks, huh?¡± Lila asked in an exaggeratedly jaded tone. Maiz grinned back at her. ¡°Six! And ten in my Flaming Strike!¡± In his excitement, he almost blurted out the gains in Fast Feet, but he¡¯d caught himself just in time. She nodded knowingly. ¡°Sounds pretty good. But you¡¯re slacking a bit on training. My first run, I got ten ranks in my title, and the second was five.¡± ¡°What?¡± Maiz was shocked at this casual announcement. ¡°But then why--¡± ¡°--why am I still a Novice?¡± Lila¡¯s smile had a hint of bitterness to it. ¡°The last five ranks of Novice require you to do something special or get huge losses in experience gains. They call it a ¡®feat.¡¯ Like Clerics have to choose a god to serve before they can become Apprentices.¡± Ziya and Sifet nodded at this. ¡°I¡¯ll probably have to do that before my next run.¡± Sifet said. Ziya remained silent. Huh. That was extremely interesting information, but it raised another question. ¡°But then how do you know what your, uh, ¡®feat¡¯ is?¡± Lila laughed. ¡°You don¡¯t. I mean, it usually makes sense for whatever your title is. Like you,¡± she gestured at Hugan, ¡°will probably have to do something involving defense, or shields or something. But once someone figures out the feat for their title, they usually write it down or tell someone. It gets recorded, especially the one for Novices. That¡¯s what Mr. Rin is there for, to tell everyone what their feat is and how to accomplish it. Of course, that only works for people with titles common enough to have information about them recorded.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Maiz¡¯s stomach dropped a little. Not only was his supposed title, Spellsword, rare enough that such information would probably difficult to find, but his actual title was literally a myth. Where would he get information for that? ¡°Right. Puts people like us,¡± she made a gesture which included Hugan, Maiz, and herself, ¡°in a gods-damned tough spot.¡± ¡°But it also means that, when you figure out your feats, you¡¯ll just be stronger than other people. That¡¯s it. Only reason Lord Massahn let some titles be more powerful than others, you know.¡± Sifet put in. His expression was a little¡­ unsettling. He seemed slightly resentful of the three with rare titles, perhaps because Cleric was only a little rarer than most other non-combat titles. Riala probably would have called it a ¡®rare¡¯ title to Hugan and Maiz¡¯s ¡®epic¡¯ ones. Maiz didn¡¯t know how Lila¡¯s title ranked, and of course Maiz¡¯s actual title was ¡®legendary,¡¯ completely unique and presumably among the nine most powerful in the world. Considering how he¡¯d performed in the Dungeon compared to the other two combatants, he didn¡¯t quite feel like that was true. ¡°Who wants to practice?¡± Maiz blurted out. He suddenly felt like he hadn¡¯t been doing nearly enough with his title. For Hudith¡¯s sake, he was a God-Chosen! He¡¯d literally spoken to Viselys and the god had granted him a title! And he hadn¡¯t even done as much on his first Dungeon run as Lila apparently had. He needed to practice more.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Heh. I¡¯m always game.¡± Lila gave him a genuine smile. That was almost enough to pull Maiz out of his self recrimination. She really was very pretty, those gray eyes giving her an exotic air Maiz hadn¡¯t ever encountered before. Well, Riala had been more exotic, but Maiz didn¡¯t think it was fair to compare Lila to an actual angel. ¡°Sounds like fun!¡± Hugan jumped in, pounding Maiz on the back. I wonder how many times he has to do that before it raises my Constitution. Coughing a little, but laughing, Maiz followed Hugan and Lila to the training fields. Ziya fell into step beside him without a word, and when Maiz shot her a questioning look, she simply shrugged, a slight smile touching her face for the first time that Maiz had ever seen. Huh. Maiz wondered if this was what it felt like to have friends. It felt¡­ good. ******************************** Maiz went to sleep exhausted, feeling a bit sorry for the mages who would be washing his tunic and pants tomorrow. After hours of non-stop sparring with both Lila and Hugan, he¡¯d eaten and then spent the rest of the day in mage training. He¡¯d been doing much better on the mana manipulation exercises than he had on his first day, and he found it relatively trivial to collect his mana around himself in a small bubble. Afterwards, he¡¯d spent hours intermittently practicing fighting maneuvers with his staff and studying his Flaming Strike. That was the least productive thing he¡¯d done that day--he hadn¡¯t even been able to fully commit the second layer of the spell to memory, yet alone attempt to duplicate it. However, in all he¡¯d taken the day at a breakneck speed, invigorated by his first rank-ups in his title. Funnily enough, he hadn¡¯t really felt much different despite all of the ranks he¡¯d gained. Certainly, his Flaming Strike seemed drastically different, costing much more mana to use and having a much stronger effect, but he hadn¡¯t really felt an overall difference in his abilities as a whole. He¡¯d been completely outclassed not just by Lila but also Hugan when they¡¯d sparred, though he¡¯d certainly learned a good deal from the training. It was almost like¡­ If Maiz hadn¡¯t wanted to accidentally wake anyone else in the room, he would have cursed himself aloud. How could I be such a Ulion-cursed idiot? Despite the feeling of almost painful stupidity it invoked, he opened his Name Sheet, eyes quickly finding the bit of information he¡¯d somehow managed to miss through the entire day. Maiz-Spellsword (Rank 6) Title Status-Hidden (Default) Bonus Titles- God-Chosen of Viselys (Hidden) Title Options Available Health-120/120 Mana-140/140 (+ 1.1 pts/second) Stamina: 110/110 (+ 1.1 pts/second) Attributes (You have 24 unassigned attribute points):
Age 16
Constitution 12
Intelligence 14
Wisdom 11
Strength 11
Dexterity 11
Agility 12
Charisma 9
Luck 8
Skills: The Mask Printing Shield Stance Fast Feet Spells: Flaming Strike Mana Sense He almost didn¡¯t want to see it, but the words ¡®24 unassigned attribute points¡¯ seemed to mock him. With another inward curse, he focused on the prompt and set about assigning the points he¡¯d completely forgotten about through the entire day. His first instinct was to buff up his physical attributes, Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. After all, those were his weakest, and he certainly liked the idea of being able to fight at a level similar to that of melee combatants his rank. But there was a problem; his inspection earlier in the day of his Flaming Strike had shown that the cost of the spell was now 80 mana instead of 30. The spell also did 100 damage instead of 50, but at that mana cost he could only cast it once before he needed to wait. That wasn¡¯t the worse thing, but it brought up the real possibility of his being short on mana at some point in the near future. Of course, I already have that issue with my skills. There was no question he would need to increase his Strength, if only to keep him from constantly running out of stamina. Dexterity would also help with that, and, from his experiences in the trials, it was simply a useful attribute. More Agility would bring down the cost of Fast Feet, and make him more maneuverable in fights. And, of course, he didn¡¯t want to die, so Constitution was an excellent choice as well. He very quickly decided to put just two points into Intelligence, enough to allow for two consecutive casts of Flaming Strike. After some debate, he increased his Strength, Dexterity, and Wisdom by sizable amounts, bringing each into the high teens. With a bit of thought, he¡¯d realized that, while dying was indeed not good, his Constitution was not directly related to his survival. His abilities, basically just Fast Feet and Flaming Strike, would keep him alive and let him kill his enemies. With that consideration, he added the remaining points into Agility, bringing that attribute to 20. If Fast Feet was to keep him alive, it needed to cost as little as possible. Maiz was happy and more than a little excited at the changes he¡¯d wrought, no matter how late they¡¯d come. He¡¯d be a completely new person the next day, ascended beyond what he was once capable of. But for now, he needed to sleep. In just a few minutes, his exhausted mind drifted off into nothingness. *************************** Instead of nothingness, Maiz blinked his eyes open almost immediately after closing them, and found himself standing in¡­ a room? A void would be a more accurate description. In fact, ¡®floating in a void¡¯ would be a more accurate description. Am I dreaming? Maiz didn¡¯t dream, ever. Not even nightmares when he¡¯d lost his father. A soft pop that seemed to echo strangely in the empty space interrupted the silence. Suddenly, there was a young woman in a purple dress standing before him. Her skin was unnaturally pale, pinkish but without a hint of pigment in it, and she had a beautiful face. High cheekbones, lips that always seemed on the edge of a smile, and a delicate nose. Her dark hair framed her face, and in any amount of light Maiz might have thought it black. Against the darkness, it was clearly a deep purple. All of this was secondary, however, to her eyes. They glowed the color of a fresh bruise, a light unlike anything Maiz had ever seen before. Except once. ¡°Do you really have to go with the all-purple color scheme?¡± The words came almost unbidden to Maiz¡¯s lips. But really, it was a bit silly in his opinion. The young woman had been looking at him with a hesitant, almost fearful expression, lips turned down at the corners and shoulders hunched slightly. But at his words, she began laughing. She laughed long enough that Maiz got a bit annoyed, tears streaming out of her glowing eyes. How did that even work? What purpose would tears serve on eyes that clearly did not need moisture to function? ¡°Uh,¡± Maiz said after it was clear she wouldn¡¯t stop on her own. ¡°Hi, Riala.¡± Finally, she calmed down, her chest heaving as she recovered from the fit of laughter. ¡°Hi Maiz.¡± She strode towards him as if the darkness was a floor, and, with a determined expression on her face, gave him a hug. A hug. Maiz had never encountered this situation before, and hadn¡¯t really considered how to deal with it if it came up. Pushing her away and using Flaming Strike seemed a bit extreme, but the alternative was to...hug her back? Should he pat her on the head or something? He ended up simply standing, muscles in his back tensing so hard he almost cramped up. Thankfully she let go in a moment, looking at him straight in the face from a few centimeters away. Her eyes hurt to look at a bit, but Maiz didn¡¯t turn his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Maiz let out a weak chuckle. ¡°You know, up until now I¡¯ve actually been angry at you. And then I realized that I was just as guilty as you are, and probably more. I mean, you were basically just doing your job, and you knew what would happen to me. I thought I was sabotaging your work under a god.¡± Maiz shook his head. Maybe it was the boost to his Wisdom, but harboring even the slightest resentment to Riala seemed incredibly childish, even downright narcissistic. ¡°So, I guess that I¡¯m sorry.¡± Riala¡¯s face broke into another smile, and she stepped back. ¡°I accept yours if you accept mine.¡± At Maiz¡¯s nod, she continued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to handle¡­ business.¡± Maiz frowned. What business? What had changed? ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t know this, because there¡¯s no way you could, but I can¡¯t talk to you whenever I want. You have to do things, stuff aligned with Lord Viselys¡¯s goals, to speak to me.¡± That was nice to know, but it raised another question. ¡°What did I do to let you talk to me this time?¡± She gave him a smile. ¡°Oh, you just fooled some people who trust you about your title!¡± She seemed to be edging back to her cheerful demeanor, but her words caused Maiz to wince. Of course. And not only that, but the fact that this was happening now meant that his friends actually trusted him. That would have been heartwarming if it weren¡¯t accompanied by a reminder that he was constantly lying to them. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Right! So I can give you a bit of knowledge. Let¡¯s see, you are the youngest God-Chosen, and Lord Viselys was the last god to Choose. All of the others know that they aren¡¯t alone, and some are probably looking to kill you before you can get strong enough to matter!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Now Maiz¡¯s voice was a bit strained. ¡°Also, if you forgot, you were supposed to do some stuff after the war around your area settled down.¡± ¡°Oh-- I mean, yes.¡± Viselys¡¯s exact words had been something like, ¡®take control of the losing side.¡¯ ¡°Right, right. Well, apparently there were some, uh, developments. So your assignment hasn¡¯t changed, but Lord Viselys wants you to be a Journeyman before you do it. And--I guess I can say this--you have about six months to do it.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Six months to accomplish what many combatants only managed over a lifetime followed by jumping into a gods-damned war. Nothing outrageous. ¡°That¡¯s it from me, are there any questions you had? Or, I mean, one question. Rules, you know!¡± She gave him an apologetic smile at that. Maiz shook himself out of his numb stupor at her insane ¡®information.¡¯ He needed to choose a good question.The most obvious thing seemed to be how to speak with her again, but what if the answer was completely unachievable for a long time? Or so simple that he would have done it without her information? He had to assume the former, because it was the worst-case scenario. What was information he would need relatively soon that he couldn¡¯t get anywhere else? ¡°Riala, what feats do I need to do to get to Apprentice and Journeyman rank?¡± Her smile lit up her face once again, and her eyes flashed with their strange, dark light. ¡°You know, funny you should mention that¡­¡± Chapter 21 Hugan and Maiz walked into the stone building with only a little hesitation. Maiz remembered when they¡¯d walked into this place for the first time together. That seemed a very long time ago, but it had only been two weeks. Hugan seemed especially excited about their expedition, and he quickly took the lead, nodding to the woman sitting behind a desk near the front of the room. ¡°Hello there! We¡¯re here to see Mr. Rin, if that¡¯s all right.¡± The woman didn¡¯t look up from her writing, or acknowledge their presence in any way. Her Name, Karena-Journeyman Scholar, still floated above her head. After waiting for a full minute, Hugan took a hesitant forward, toward the curtained doorway across the room, and the Scholar finally looked up at them, eyes narrowed. ¡°Do not touch anything in here.¡± She seemed to stare especially hard at Hugan, who nodded furiously. ¡°Go.¡± Hugan gave her one of his brilliant smiles, and continued walking with an easy gait. Maiz thought he¡¯d put a few points in Dexterity, or gained them through training. Certainly, he was still clumsy compared to Lila and even Maiz, but he was much more nimble than he¡¯d been when they¡¯d met. It had taken Maiz a little bit of time to get used to the changes his increased attributes had wrought. He¡¯d suddenly been more graceful than most untitled people could ever be, as well as faster, stronger, and more aware. It had been quite a lot, but Lila had told him the other day that it wouldn¡¯t be as much of an issue in the later ranks. She had said it was because attribute gains in the higher ranks were worth less compared to the total points people already had. It was a little disappointing that every rank up wouldn¡¯t radically increase his capabilities like that, but that didn¡¯t deter his drive to push through to Apprentice as fast as possible. Of course, there were still obstacles in the way of that goal. Passing through the curtain, they found the smaller room in much the same state it had been when they¡¯d first entered--sparsely furnished with only a single wooden desk and chair interrupting the gray stone. That desk seemed much more cluttered than Karena¡¯s had been, but the man sitting at it wasn¡¯t writing. He seemed to be rifling through a few sheafs of paper bound with twine, a common practice for books of lower quality. When they entered, he looked up immediately, though Maiz thought he looked a bit wild around the eyes. ¡°Ah! Hello, I¡¯m sorry, I was simply looking at some histories and lost track of time. Did you know that there have only been three Wardens recorded as being born in the kingdom¡¯s history? Luckily, one of those is rather famous around here, so it isn¡¯t as difficult to find information as I¡¯d¡­¡± Rin looked intently at Hugan for a moment, then at Maiz. ¡°Oh! What a coincidence! I was planning to speak with you soon!¡± Hugan gave another smile, and opened his mouth, clearly intending to speak. But the excitable Scholar cut him off before a single word escaped. ¡°In fact, I was just cross referencing some information regarding your title! He gestured at Maiz.¡± Maiz blinked. ¡°Really?¡± He supposed that Spellsword might not have been as rare of a title a he¡¯d thought after all. ¡°Yes, yes. I was just saying, there was another Warden by the name of--¡± ¡°I¡¯m the Warden,¡± Hugan interrupted him. ¡°Sir.¡± He hastily added, face flushing a little. Rin blinked. ¡°Oops. Sorry about that. And no need to cal me sir. Well, either way, I found an account that this man, Roon, was actually born very close to here, and was trained by his house in the Dungeons that used to dominate this area. It seems a bit biased for my taste, but there was a mention of a deed which sounds like an Apprentice feat to me! I was just in the process of searching for another reference¡­¡± The heavyset Scholar looked longingly down at the sheets littering his desk. ¡°That¡¯s great! So what is it?¡± Hugan sounded excited. ¡°Ah, I suppose I could tell you, I don¡¯t believe it would cause any harm. Or rather, not too much.¡± He chuckled absentmindedly before continuing. ¡°The account notes that, as a Novice, Roon took a blow intended for one of his partners in a Dungeon. The blow was apparently quite severe, and required the services of a Cleric to heal--they weren¡¯t so easy to find back then, you know. But it seems that he learned a new skill from the entire experience, which tells me that it was probably a feat.¡± ¡°Oh. So I just have to take a hit for someone else?¡± Hugan asked excitedly. ¡°Well, I doubt it is as simple as that.¡± Rin chuckled a bit condescendingly. Hugan¡¯s brown skin turned a bit redder at that, smile wavering. ¡°After all, considering the rarity of this title, the feat isn¡¯t likely to be as simple as something like a Slasher¡¯s. There are any number of other factors that may be at play. For example, it may have been the type of monster they were fighting, or the nature of the person that Roon was defending. My theory is that the blow must take above a certain percentage of health in order to count, perhaps 50 or 60.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hugan said, though Maiz thought he heard a bit of puzzlement. Right. He probably doesn¡¯t know what a percentage is. Maiz couldn¡¯t blame Hugan. He wished that he didn¡¯t know, to tell the truth. Maiz didn¡¯t like math, and math didn¡¯t like him. But he did like Hugan, so perhaps he should help his friend out. ¡°Um, what does that mean, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Maiz affected a confused tone, and Rin answered him offhandedly. ¡°Oh, yes. It is likely that the blow must be quite severe, do a good bit of damage to him, in order for it to count as his feat.¡± ¡°Ah. I see, thank you.¡± Maiz didn¡¯t look directly at Hugan, but he saw the flash of comprehension flit across his face out of the corner of his eye. ¡°But of course, that¡¯s simply my own theory. I must find more evidence!¡± Rin began rubbing his hands together in excitement. I still don¡¯t know why he does that. Maiz wondered if he had some sort of disease that made him feel cold even though it was rather warm outside. Perhaps he should look into the gloves that some night laborers wore. ¡°Um, sir. Did you happen to find anything about my feat?¡± Maiz asked. He did have a purpose in coming here, after all. ¡°Ah. What is your title again? Also, don¡¯t call me sir. Rin is fine enough.¡± Right. Forgot about that. ¡°Sorry, uh, Rin. I¡¯m a Spellsword.¡± For some reason, Maiz was a little taken aback that the Scholar didn¡¯t remember them, but in all fairness it had been two weeks since they¡¯d met, and the man probably saw dozens of young combatants a week, since Novices and especially Apprentices needed him to find out important information about their titles. But at the mention of Maiz¡¯s title, Rin blinked, and his already flushed face grew a bit downcast. ¡°Right, right. I was very surprised to see your title, because in all honesty, I¡¯d never even heard of it before. I did research it, but I found almost no relevant information. It seems that Spellsword is an even rarer title than Warden. The only mention I found of a person using magic like temporary enchantments was in a very old history of the founding of Corunti. That person was--supposedly--a member of the Nomencadim house.¡± Rin paused, looking at the two Novices expectantly, but they both simply looked back at him with puzzled expressions on their faces. The name didn¡¯t sound familiar to Maiz, though it roughly translated to ¡®servant of Nomenadon¡¯ in old Corunti.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Nomencadim? One of the oldest and most powerful houses in the kingdom? It has a seat on the Lord¡¯s Council?¡± Maiz felt his eyebrows rise involuntary. So far to the west, Caelos was rather far removed from the reach of the King and the Lord¡¯s Council, but even still, Maiz knew that they ruled the entire kingdom, half because of the resources they held and half because of the raw power they had. The Sharir were subordinates to one of those greater houses closer to the capital, though Maiz didn¡¯t know which one. No one that powerful bothered with Caelos unless they wanted to venture deep into the desert and find strong Dungeons. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re rather important. I sent them a message, respectfully requesting any information they¡¯d be willing to share about your title, but I doubt that they will reply with much. Even if they have had more Spellswords in their family, they aren¡¯t likely to share any secrets with an outsider, unfortunately. Maiz, yes?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes, that''s my name.¡± Maiz was so caught up in the idea that these ¡®Nomecadim¡¯ might have a living Spellsword among them that he almost missed the Scholar¡¯s question. Then, he remembered the other object of this visit. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I suppose I should just¡­ hope I discover the feat by mistake. Say,¡± Maiz tried desperately to keep his voice as casual as possible as he continued, ¡°what was your Apprentice feat, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Rin looked a bit taken aback at his question, but not suspicious. At least, Maiz hoped not. He¡¯d regretted not investing a few points in Charisma several times in the two weeks since the last Dungeon run, and this was yet another instance. ¡°My Apprentice feat?¡± The Scholar chuckled weakly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t particularly impressive. Scholars simply have to choose an area of focus and discover a bit of information about it. Honestly, after I¡¯d decided to study titles, I asked a friend of mine what their feat was, and that was enough to accomplish the task.¡± Maiz fought down the smile that threatened to break across his face, and simply said, ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡± ********************** ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know how I¡¯m going to do this, Maiz.¡± Hugan had a worried expression on his face as they walked out of the Scholars¡¯ building. ¡°Maybe the opportunity will come up tomorrow?¡± Maiz was barely listening, caught up in planning his next moves. Hugan shrugged. ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t think those bugs hit hard enough to do what he said.¡± He was truly worried. It was an issue, probably not least because nobody looked forward to taking massive damage, even if it was to advance their title. ¡°We probably don¡¯t have to worry about it until after tomorrow anyways. At the worst, I¡¯ll let you save me from Lila the next time we spar and seeif that works.¡± Maiz had a light hearted tone, but Hugan gave him an excited look. ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s great idea! Do you think we could do that tonight?¡± Maiz laughed. ¡°We¡¯ll see if Ziya is willing tocome to heal you.¡± ¡°Oh. Right, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Maiz waved goodbye to his friend, headed off towards the training field at a jog. Well, before gaining his title he would have considered the pace a full-blown sprint, but his relatively high Agility, Strength, and Dexterity all let him keep it up with almost no effort the entire way. Once he arrived, he found a staff on the ground near the dummies. It was a little dented, and a few of the dummies seemed a little scorched. Maiz supposed they had some sort of protection, because by rights his daily practice should leave the things completely obliterated. Maiz picked up the staff, considering for a moment. Best to do this carefully. He began by activating his Mana Sense, and then he started twirling the staff about a bit while developing the ¡®matrix¡¯ of his Flaming Strike. He formed the first layer easily enough, despite the constant motion of his staff. If he concentrated, it felt as though the staff was immobile, the mana flooding it just as easily when it was in motion. To his magical vision however, the staff was a strange, flashing anomaly against the pale white background of the world, the silvery mana flooding it forming a dizzying pattern. The first simple loop completed, Maiz began working on the second layer. It had taken him a week to figure out that this was in fact two patterns which intersected each other to form a more complex whole. The first was a series of interlocking diamond-shapes which covered the length of the staff. The second was a rather intricate branching set of loops which started at the bottom of the staff and swirled to the top. The effect was quite beautiful, but also rather chaotic to Maiz¡¯s eyes, the rigidity of the diamond lattice clashing with the fluid loops. Still, he was finally able to accurately create the pattern while moving his staff, and after a bit of concentration, it was complete. The final pattern slid into place of its own accord, and the entire thing seemed to speed up until the silvery mana turned the orange-red of fire. When the flame ribbons appeared about the staff, Maiz began to twirl his staff faster.Then, he activated the skill he¡¯d learned a few days ago. Illusion Strike. He felt a little tug at his mana, and he saw his staff begin to blur as it travelled through the air, fire and all. It was like a copy of the staff was moving behind it. When Maiz prepared his attack, the image continued to move in the same pattern, and Maiz knew an opponent wouldn''t be able to see the change. He struck out in a hardblow to the midsection of the dummy, basing the other side of the staff against his tricep as he did so. There was a simultaneous woosh of flame and clatter of wood hitting wood, and a rather large gout of fire erupted from the point of contact. Maiz nodded in satisfaction. That move could be very powerful in the right circumstances, though it was probably not too good against the less intelligent Tritantus Bug monsters they¡¯d be fighting in the Dungeon. Still, Lila had used her Illusion Strike against him enough times that Maiz knew how effective it could be against other combatants. It had taken him using his Mana Senseand watching her fight Hugan very carefully in order to figure out the basis of the move. It was almost like a spell, but it relied on physical movements to manipulate the user¡¯s mana without their direct intervention. Very interesting stuff. Speaking of which¡­ Maiz adopted a pensive expression, then spoke into the empty air. ¡°Excuse me, Instructor Hakim?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The voice in his ear didn¡¯t startle Maiz anymore, but he still ha to make a full 360 degree turn before spotting Hakim standing directly in front of him. Maiz was getting rather certain that the man enjoyed messing with him. ¡°I had a question, sir. Why does my mana change color when I cast Flaming Strike?¡± Maiz had learned to be direct. Any attempt at flattery or dissembling would earn him an invisible cuff, though not as severe as the first time. ¡°That is your Mana Sense interpreting the shift in the type of mana in your spell.¡± Maiz frowned half out of a desire to appear curious and half out of the genuine feeling. ¡°Type of mana sir?¡± ¡°Yes. You have no doubt seen my mana, and that it differs from your own. This is because I use different types of spells than you. When your mana turns orange, it is because it has become fire mana, which can both manipulate and create fire.¡± ¡°Oh. Well then sir, why does it start as silver in the spell?¡± Even as Maiz asked the question, a flashing purple icon appeared in the corner of his vision, and he had to resist a smile again. ¡°That is because your spell converts the mana by forcing it through a pattern. This is something that other mages often do within their own bodies, if they have access to multiple types of mana in the first place. A pyromancer only has fire mana within them. They shape and manipulate it to create their spells. Most ice mages use fire and water mana, the first to manipulate heat and the second for obvious reasons. Their mana can be either, but they convert it before creating their spells within their bodies.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you sir.¡± Everything the old Instructor was saying raised even more questions, but Maiz was simply too excited to continue concentrating on continuing the conversation at the moment.¡± The old man simply nodded. Maiz obligingly turned away for a moment, and when he looked back Hakim was gone. Normally, this likely would have prompted a sigh or a shake of the head at the old Aeromancer¡¯s antics, but Maiz was too busy opening the Notification Sheet to see what had just happened. Congratulations! You have completed the Apprentice feat of the Scholar title! New bonus title gained- ¡°Arcane Scholar¡± New skill gained- First Search Maiz focused on the prompt for the skill he¡¯d gained. First Search(Scholar)- Randomly selecting a piece of information to study from a random collection (selecting a page from a book or a book from a collection of books,etc.) has a chance of finding information relevant to the question most prominent in the user¡¯s mind. The question must relate to the user¡¯s field of study. Rank: 1 Effect: 25% chance to find information relevant to question, if such information is available in selection. The skill seemed fairly useless to him, but Maiz still smiled. One down. At this rate, perhaps he¡¯d actually manage to get to Apprentice in time after all. Chapter 22 ¡°Ready!¡¯ Maiz whirled his staff above his head. The motion felt slightly awkward, but he was careful to keep the weapon covering his body even as he prepared to strike. That, Lila had explained to him, was the key to using the staff. Offense and defense were virtually the same thing. He snapped the weapon down in a tight arc, controlled but quick. His opponent dodged with ease, but he¡¯d been expecting that. He sidestepped as well, creating some space, but not enough to stop him from pressing the attack. But his move prompted an almost instant reaction, a step and jab from his opponent. His head jerked to the side, and his balance was momentarily thrown off as his skill dodged the blow. He wasted no time though, retreating to create space and getting his weapon between him and his opponent. He began spinning the staff faster and faster to mount a defense. He considered using an Illusion Strike but discarded the idea. Not a good idea against this particular opponent. Instead he waited. His opponent considered a moment, then simply stood, content to wait along with him. Hells. He kept up the spinning, but began to advance. He couldn¡¯t continue indefinitely; he had to end this. The attack he chose was somewhat plausible, even if it seemed rather suspicious. Flicker Strike. He ended his twirling the moment he was in range, instead delivering a wide, sweeping blow as he stepped forward again. His opponent moved backwards and out of the staff¡¯s arc even as Maiz took another step. Then his weapon changed its momentum at an improbable speed, snapping into an upward blow aimed at his opponent¡¯s chin. The staff barely grazed the opponent¡¯s skin as she leaned backwards with ridiculous grace. But the move overbalanced her, and she fell to the ground. Perfect. Maiz pounced, feet actually leaving the air as he prepared to deliver the final blow. His staff descended before he even landed, aimed at his opponent¡¯s head. Maiz saw a flash of movement, and his body instantly tried to twist away. In the air, it did nothing. His opponent, already well clear of his staff, scissored her legs, entangling them with his own. Off-balance at the moment of landing, he fell and she rose at the same time. Maiz attempted his own twisting maneuver at the same time, but she sidestepped it easily, then lashed with a foot on a seemingly random spot on his thigh. His entire leg went instantly numb, and he stopped struggling in resignation. ¡°Yield.¡± ¡°Nice one Maiz!¡± Maiz pushed himself to a sitting position awkwardly, leg still immobile, and flashed a slightly-tired smile at the speaker. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said between heavy breaths. He always seemed his most exhausted right after a match. And after he ran out of stamina, of course. ¡°So you and Lila next?¡± Hugan smiled at him, then at his erstwhile opponent. Lila stood over Maiz, looking slightly annoyed. ¡°Are you going to get sand all over my tunic as well?¡± She attempting to brush away said sand, but as most of it was on the back of her garment, she was having little success. ¡°Here, let me help you.¡± Ziya stepped forward, then began brushing away the sand to Lila¡¯s thanks. ¡°Um, Ziya?¡± Maiz looked up at the Cleric, though it was difficult to twist all the way around. His leg remained limp and weighed him down like an anchor. ¡°Yes?¡± Ziya spoke in her soft voice as she intently rubbed away the sand. ¡°Could you, uh, Heal me?¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Maiz sighed, allowing himself to fall back to the ground and simply breathing. The light of the torches played across his closed eyelids, breaking up the blackness with intermittent shades of deep red. He replayed the fight in his head, thinking about what he could have done better. It¡¯s Massahn-touched difficult to get a hit in. Still, he¡¯d nearly caught her with the Flicker Strike, even if he hadn¡¯t managed to deliver the final blow. Lila chuckled, prompting Maiz to open his eyes. He decided against attempting to sit up again, instead just staring up at the starry sky. ¡°What?¡± He tried hard to keep his voice from being bitter, though it still rankled that he¡¯d never managed to even touch Lila once in the past two weeks of daily sparring. ¡°It¡¯s like fighting the bug-monsters with you. Fix one problem and new one shows up the next minute.¡± She laughed again. ¡°Nice job on your aim, and you did well on not overcommitting up until the end. Then you decided to¡­ hop attack.¡± She snorted out another laugh. Maiz felt his cheeks heat up slightly. ¡®Uh, thanks? What¡¯s the problem with the last attack?¡± At this, Hugan spoke up. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t jump in a fight, Maiz. It¡¯s bad for your base. Your, uh, balance I guess.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Right. Unless you have a really specific skill, it just leaves you open to a counterattack.¡± Lila¡¯s mirth faded from her tone as she settled in to her instructor role. ¡°You did a great job defending yourself at the beginning, but when you jump, you lose control of your movement. It doesn¡¯t even cover ground that much faster. Why would you do it?¡± Maiz didn¡¯t answer, ¡®because I read it in stories.¡¯ There was something intoxicating about having the attributes of a combatant, even if he was only a Novice. He had an almost irresistible urge to copy the battles he¡¯d imagined throughout his childhood now, releasing flurries of blows like the Quicksilver Slasher Dane, or shout his spells into the night like Juris the Illuminator. Or, well, leap at his enemies like Garthen the Beast-Hearted. Every day he spent in this place, and especially with Ziya and Lila, the more of his childhood dreams he lost to the harsh light of reality. Of course, he was also improving at an enormous rate, but it was a little sad to say goodbye to those daydreams just when he thought they¡¯d come to fruition. Thinking of his childhood brought Maiz thoughts of his father, who had read to him every night when he was young. In the years before everything changed, he would occasionally save a book for Maiz if he thought Maiz would like it. He¡¯d never been wrong. After all, each one had been the story of a hero, whether the clever trickster, the virtuous farmboy, or¡­ the God-Chosen. It was strange, the little ironies that Hudith sent your way. ¡°Heal.¡± After the power suffusing Maiz had dissipated, he hopped to his feet, feeling rejuvenated. He¡¯d tried figuring out the Heal spell several times, but it seemed insanely complicated, so much so that Maiz wondered how Ziya was even able to cast it. Not only was the mana a strange white-gold he¡¯d never seen anywhere else, it interacted with the body in what seemed like dozens of locations at once, forming different types of patterns which had some sort of effect that Maiz couldn¡¯t discern. Even more importantly, when Maiz had looked at the spell again, it was completely different, the only constant being the color of the mana. None of the patterns, locations, or results seemed the same at all. Maiz doubted any human¡¯s ability to cast such a spell, much less his own. A bit of casual conversation with Ziya had revealed the answer. It was simple, really. Ziya didn¡¯t truly cast the spell. She simply allowed the gods to channel it through her. The explanation had seemed esoteric to Maiz at first--which didn¡¯t escape him as rather funny considering the subject matter--but then he had remembered the description of The Mask. He had concluded that this must have been the divine guidance the ability spoke of. Apparently, Holy Magic worked through the gods, not the people who actually used its spells. Unfortunately, that meant that Maiz wouldn¡¯t be adding ¡®Cleric¡¯ to his list of titles any time soon. Maiz steeped the side, glorying a little in the ease of his movements. He still hadn¡¯t quite acclimatized to his unnatural speed, grace, and strength, though he was certainly better than he had been two weeks ago. He settled in to watch as Hugan and Lila faced each other. They began almost immediately, though Lila seemed slightly tired from her earlier fight. Neither of them considered that much of an issue, considering the large difference in experience and rank between them. That was offset a little by Hugan¡¯s natural talent, which he showcased as he almost immediately as he feinted a bash with his shield, then immediately flanked Lila, trapping her with his wooden sword and bearing her to the ground. How did he do that? Maiz didn¡¯t think Hugan should have been able to outmaneuver Lila so easily, or at all. He was slower than even Maiz, much less the Warrior-Monk. Yet his question was answered in part, as Lila immediately hit Hugan¡¯s sword arm in the shoulder, taking advantage of the close distance to use her attacks. Maiz saw Hugan¡¯s grip on the sword weaken, but he didn¡¯t let go. And he was on top of Lila, which certainly meant he had the upper hand. He raised his sword lethargically, Lila¡¯s attack clearly having had some sort of effect. But Lila wriggled out from under his shield even as he did so, swiftly getting her legs between the Warden and herself and pushing. The effect was simply to drive Lila away from Hugan, the young man either too heavy or the sand too loose to allow Lila purchase. Still, she used the move to return to her feet easily enough, with a rueful grin on her face. Apparently her plan, whatever it had been, had failed. Once Hugan got back to his own feet, the fight drew to a close relatively quickly. Lila kept dancing around his occasional strike, either Fast Feet or her own ability making the moves trivial. She would attack intermittently as well, each time aiming for one of her ¡®weak points¡¯ as she called them. Used on Maiz, they often paralyzed him completely. Against Hugan, perhaps due to his Shield Stance or some other skill, they only slowed him down at first. Still, that meant it was only a matter of time before he went down. How does she do that? Maiz watched Lila fight with apparent ease. She trained longer than either he or Hugan each night, despite being unable to advance due to her lack of a feat. Her dedication was admirable, but it also meant she must have been getting only a few hours of rest each night. And when she¡¯d sat with him, Hugan, and Ziya for dinner, she hadn¡¯t eaten a bite. It must be a skill. But if it was, it wasn¡¯t something his Mana Sense could see. Lila looked the same as she always did, the pale glow of her diffuse mana illuminating her body. Hugan looked similar, though his glow seemed¡­ solid somehow, compared with Lila¡¯s. And of course, Ziya had a pool of white mana flaring brightly at the base of her skull like every other mage Maiz had seen. Whatever her method, Maiz envied Lila her ability to train for so long. He was confident he could get at least close to rank 15 in the next run, considering all the training he¡¯d been doing. But there was no way he could go further, considering his own feat that he had yet to accomplish. Completing the Scholar feat had been a step, but he had a good deal of work ahead before he could get to Apprentice. And Maiz had a strange feeling. Somehow, it seemed like what Lord Viselys had said at their first meeting, that war would break out around Caelos, was more pressing than before. As if, whatever houses or cities or countries were preparing to fight, they were on the precipice of dealing the first blow. Whatever lay ahead, Maiz knew what he had to do. He had to get stronger, Not just for Viselys¡¯s task, but in order to survive. After all, he knew from experience what happened to the weak when the strong and the powerful took an interest in them. He wouldn¡¯t let that happen to him again. Chapter 23 The boy stood on two legs. His skin, though dark, was not smooth, black-scaled hide. He did not have fangs, or claws, or wings. He had yet to truly grasp the importance of those facts. He stood, his bare feet sunken slightly into the damp, warm ground of the forest. The smell of rain and living things permeated the heavy air, as it always did in this place. He heard a soft growl, and turned around. A creature a little bigger than himself, which had all of the qualities he was distinctly lacking, was looking at him, a hint of playfulness playing about its black eyes. The little dragonling jumped forward, snapping at him with a mouth full of small immature teeth. The boy hopped backwards in a motion nearly identical to the dragonling, baring his own teeth. The gap where one of them had fallen out was plainly visible, noticeable to him by the breeze it let through to his tongue. Yes? The motion asked, in a tone of confidence and strength. He could have used words, but why bother? Jurai had said that dragons only said what needed to be said. Babbling was for humans. The dragonling pawed at the ground, creating a little furrow in the soft earth. There were many such markings in the clearing. The boy had made some of them when he was bored, but more were the work of the dragonling. It liked to do that whenever it wanted something from the boy. It would sometimes ask with words as well, but there was little need at this point. This was ritual. The boy approached the dragonling, who lowered its head towards him. Swiftly and easily, he hopped onto the creature¡¯s back, his stubby legs matched perfectly to the dragonling¡¯s small frame. The creature stood, and the boy smiled at the strange feeling of movement the motion caused him. The dragon let out a little laugh as well, then began to walk around, wobbling a little under the boy¡¯s weight. Occasionally its wings flapped out to stabilize it, but the boy was careful to stay clear of those. Jurai had said to always be careful of wings, and make sure not to hurt them by mistake. The boy let out a laugh of his own as the dragonling picked up its pace, stumbling around in circles and almost throwing the boy off. The dragonling let out a happy growl, almost a purr. It seemed to delight in weaving about under the boy¡¯s weight, forcing him to hold on tightly to the dragonling¡¯s body and squeal a bit. This went on for several minutes, the sounds of the children playing accompanied by those of the forest life around them. Nothing large, dangerous, or good to eat. Those had all been killed off long ago, which was why Jurai needed to go relatively far afield to find game. She said that they would be able to accompany her in a few years, going on their First Hunt and earning their Names. After the boy finally slid off the dragonling¡¯s back, lying down in the grass with a smile on his face, next to this brother, whose four legs were folded under him as he rested as well. ¡°What do you want to do when we get our Names?¡± The dragonling turned its head towards the boy. Its black, vertically slitted eyes look at him, and it pawed the ground again. ¡°Hunt, play, see!¡± It placed special emphasis on the last. ¡°See what?¡± The boy asked. ¡°Everything!¡± The dragonling growled a little as it said the word, unable to contain his excitement. The boy smiled. He opened his mouth to reply, but a rustling sound intruded on his awareness. It was too loud to be one of the little tree-climbers or birds that still lived here. Had some large animal mustered up the courage to come near the Roost? The dragonling stood up, baring its teeth in the direction of the sounds as the boy did the same. Their teeth were small and their claws had yet to become dangerous, but they had learned from Jurai how to fight like dragons. After a few minutes of increasingly loud noise, a¡­ thing came out of the underbrush encircling the clearing. The boy stared up at it. It had dark, smooth skin about its face, but some sort of multicolored fur that covered its torso and limbs. More importantly, it stood on two legs, looking down at the boy with a face disturbingly similar to his own. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s a little boy doing here?¡± More rustling, and another of the strange creatures emerged into the clearing. The boy stumbled back a little. This one looked like the other, but its face seemed narrower, and its eyes looked terrifying. Dead. ¡°It does not matter.¡± The creature¡¯s voice was much higher in pitch than the other one¡¯s. ¡°Our objective is right here.¡± The thing looked at the dragonling with its dead eyes. Then it motioned towards its waist, and grabbed some sort of strange limb that seemed to protrude from there. It pulled, and the boy let out a choked scream as something came out of the creature¡¯s limb, like a stick but shiny and unnaturally straight. Was this its bone? What kind of monster was this? The dragonling had taken a step back, and its wings flared out as it let out a full-throated roar. It was a good one, nothing as terrifying as Jurai¡¯s roars, but good enough to scare away most animals of the forest, in the boy¡¯s experience. But these things didn¡¯t run. They simply looked at the dragonling as it roared, and something streaked out of the jungle, colliding with his wing before continuing onwards. The roar turned into a whimper of pain, and the dragonling instantly pulled its wings towards its body and took another hop backwards, away from the creatures as blood dripped from the torn wing.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The boy cried out, and ran towards his brother. It was still whimpering, though it attempted to bend its knees as though ready to pounce. As he got closer, he could see that the hole was close to the base of the wing, and it appeared to have exposed one of the delicate bones of the appendage. Always be careful of wings. The boy stretchedh is hand out towards his brother, but as he did the dragonling growled, eyes focused towards the creatures on the other side of the clearing. Another one had popped up out nowhere, though this one seemed strange. Its skin around its body was an unnatural bright red, and it hung around it loosely, as though the creature were incredibly old. It held up its hands, and the boy thought he saw something flashing in them before the first creature shouted, ¡°Stop! We can¡¯t roast the damn thing, can we? And I still want to know where this boy came from.¡± The second one, holding its bone-stick menacingly, stepped towards the boy and the dragonling. ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing, Aitos. Let¡¯s stop wasting time before the big one gets back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a scry spell, remember? No dragons within a good few miles of here now. It must be hunting by the lake to the south or something.¡± The loose-skinned creature spoke in a confident tone, which was the only thing the boy understood about the words. ¡°Either way, we should get this over with.¡± The second one continued forward, eyes fixed on the dragonling. Now the boy put a hand on top of its head, attempting to convey a bit of comfort to his brother. The boy would have to handle this threat. It was what Jurai would want. He bared his teeth again, letting out his own roar. He wasn¡¯t as good as his brother, but he thought it had improved since last time. Indeed the tall creature with its bone stick stopped, face contorting in an odd expression. The boy leapt at it, raising his hands in claws to rake at its fur. He close the distance quickly, before the creature could overcome its fear, and bit down on its midsection hard, swiping with his claws at the same time. His teeth could not break the thing¡¯s skin, and a bitter taste filled his mouth. This creature must have some sort of scales underneath its fur, to be so strong. The boy continued to bite down, while scrambling away with hands and feet at the creature''s hide. Finally, he felt something break as he took his clawed hands across the thing¡¯s leg, where some of the smooth dark hide was visible. The boy saw red, and then an immense force knocked into him, so powerful that he didn¡¯t even understand what had happened until he fell to the ground on the side of the clearing, yards away from both the creatures and the dragonling. The boy¡¯s side hurt, like he had fallen from a huge tree and landed on it. His back hurt too from his actual landing. But he was still conscious, and able toturn andlook at the scene before him. The creature had walked forward, and even as the boy watched, it slammed its bone-stick onto the dragonling¡¯s head. The black-scaled littledragon slumped instantly to the ground. The boy cried out weakly, but found himself unable to move. Or was that just the fear? His chest seemed tight, and it hurt to breathe. The tall creature pulled something else out of its body, something clear like water which glinted in the sun¡¯s light. She raised her bone-stick again and brought it close to the dragonling¡¯s back. It drew the stick across the dragonling¡¯s soft hide, and the boy saw red again. Then a mountain of black scales descended on the creature, massive claws grabbing it up and crushing it instantly as a roar echoed throughout the jungle. Jurai¡¯s wings were still flapping, a shadowy black aura surrounded her body as she glared balefully down at the other creatures at the edge of the clearing. Something streaked out of the jungle again, this time towards Jurai, but whatever it was was insignificant compared to Jurai¡¯s own size. She did nothing to avoid it, and the thing bounced off her wing without breaking the skin. The black dragon¡¯s legs touched the ground, and she folded up her wings. She stood for a moment, shielding the dragonling from the other creatures as she continued to stare at them. Then a streak of fire lanced out from the loose-skinned one¡¯s hands, moving at an incredible speed. The flames hit Jurai dead on, and vanished into her shadowy black aura without a trace.As if she had been waiting for this cue,she pounced. The boy watched, side aching, as Jurai killed the other two creatures in moments, using her teeth and claws to do whathe could not. Then she went into the jungle, and there was a short scream as something else died. More rustling, and another cry. ¡°Please! I¡¯m just a Cleric!¡± There was a sound something like a large leaf ripping, and another of the creatures was dragged into the clearing pulling loose stick and dirt along with it. This one had a white body, loose like the red one¡¯s, but that hide was ripped, the end held in Jurai¡¯s teeth. Underneath, instead of bloody meat, the creature simply had smooth black skin like the boy¡¯s own. Strange. The thing was screaming as it was pulled along, until it was dragged before the dragonling. ¡°Heal him.¡± Jurai¡¯s voice, usually so soft and kind, was dark and terrifying, even to the boy. The creature whimpered, and a white glow soon suffused the dragonling. The boy stirred, trying to get to his brother, but he still couldn¡¯t move. Then Jurai pulled the thing towards the boy, ordering it to heal him as well. The white glow enveloped the boy, and he felt better. ¡°Please, let me go, I¡¯m--¡± The creature¡¯s voice cut off as Jurai crushed him in her claws. ***************************** Shadar opened his eyes. He rubbed at his side, where a phantom pain seemed to tingle. Funny, the things one dreamed of; he almost preferred to see Garth. Although, perhaps it had been too long since he had visited the jungle, seen Jurai and Ralos. He sighed as he sat up in his bed, the soft sheets and the wooden bedframe at odds with the stone room. It would have to wait, perhaps for quite some time. After all, things were about to become much busier than usual. Chapter 24 Maiz woke a little earlier than usual, though he wished he hadn¡¯t. He¡¯d slept about four hours again, and already his eyelids were a little heavy from the accumulated lack of sleep over the last two weeks. If he hadn¡¯t increased his Constitution when he¡¯d ranked up, he suspected that he would have collapsed long ago. As it was, he felt like he''d been through all nine hells and back. Yet he hadn¡¯t skipped a single one of the nightly sessions. He couldn¡¯t afford to rest when he could be learning and training. And it¡¯s nice to be with people who want to talk to you. Sighing quietly, Maiz stood. Judging from the little window set high in the ceiling, was still dark outside, but he thought there was a faint tinge to the sky, heralding the sun¡¯s rising. Besides, he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep. Today was the day they entered the Dungeon again. Changing swiftly, he glanced across a pair of sleeping pallets, and saw that Hugan was looking at him sleepily. Maiz waved, and Hugan half-heartedly did the same. He also stood, motioning for Maiz to wait a moment, and changed, stepping carefully over the other Novices towards the door. They both exited out into the chill of the early morning. ¡°You ready?¡± Hugan¡¯s voice had a hint of bleariness, but also his customary excitement. ¡°I think so.¡± Maiz didn¡¯t think he sounded as excited as Hugan but at least he was equally groggy. ¡°Let¡¯s go get some food, we can actually be at the front of the line for once!¡± Hugan¡¯s enthusiasm rose at this, and Maiz laughed a bit. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever met anyone as in love with food as Hugan, and Maiz himself had nearly starved several times in the service of the Sharir. They walked out to the training field and to the little building where they kept the bread and water. As they walked, the sun rose in the east over the desert and the bell began to toll, signalling that everyone should have been waking up. But Maiz and Hugan still had a head start on the other melee combatant, and there were only a few white robed Clerics waiting at the door of the building, which appeared to be locked. Maiz looked around, still a bit sleepy, at the landscape. The rising sun cast the sands in scarlet, and the walls surrounding the training ground had a similar hue, darker because of the original gray of the stone itself. Maiz had wondered, initially, why there would be a wall around the compound. But it made a good deal of sense. After all, if you were hostile towards a nation like Corunti, which had a huge army of combatants, including a good share of the world¡¯s Masters, what better target than its young combatants? They were relatively weak, yet vital to the long term power of the country. ¡°Hi Ziya!¡± Hugan said, waving a hand and snapping Maiz out of his little reverie. One of the white robed people turned around, and Maiz quickly saw that it was, in fact, Ziya. The fact that everyone had their hair chopped short in the same style--courtesy of a bored Journeyman Slasher who made rounds of the barracks every few weeks-- made it very difficult to tell people apart from behind, and Maiz was a little surprised that Hugan had managed to notice Ziya so easily. She nodded at them and waved back, though she didn¡¯t smile. Maiz could still tell she was glad to see them--it was a little warmth in her eyes that he¡¯d become accustomed to seeing over the past weeks. She and Hugan exchanged a few pleasantries, before cutting off abruptly as the training officer walked past them to unlock the food building. After he¡¯d stomped past, bearded face in his customary scowl, they all quickly got their food and ate. ¡°Now I¡¯m feeling even more ready! Maybe I¡¯ll be able to do my feat today!¡± They had decided against trying to artificially attempt Hugan¡¯s feat of taking a powerful blow in place of an ally. Lila had claimed that she simply didn¡¯t have a way to hit that hard, and had flatly refused to let Maiz use Flaming Strike, saying it was too dangerous, especially since Hugan was only rank 6 and didn¡¯t need to complete his feat yet. However, Hugan¡¯s mention of his feat sparked a memory for Maiz. ¡°Hey Ziya, did you decide which god to follow?¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He almost immediately regretted blurting the words out like that, expecting that he¡¯d been extremely rude. However Ziya simply nodded, and continued answering Hugan¡¯s questions about her Cleric training. Maiz debated pushing the issue and asking which god she¡¯d decided on, but thought he was better off not intruding. Soon, Lila and Sifet joined them, and after the roll call they were running to the Dungeon. After the training officer¡¯s instruction to make groups, the five of them formed quickly and moved to join the line. ¡°Hells, these guys move quick,¡± Lila said in a sardonic tone, gesturing at the five groups already in line in front of the Dungeon, apparently eager to go in early. ¡±Is there an advantage to going first?¡± Maiz asked, eyeing the first group in line, which contained Hadar, conspicuous due to his size relative to everyone else there. Lila shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s nice, but only because you get to leave here earlier. We don¡¯t exactly get many days off, otherwise.¡± After the time limit for making groups had expired, the training officer cast a baleful eye over the neatly arranged line of groups before nodding. He waved the first group in, crossing his arms afterward in apparent boredom. Sifet shot the others a nervous smile. ¡°Oh! I forgot to tell you all, I decided to swear my service to Lady Lumia!¡± He puffed his chest out a bit. Maiz smiled along with the others. But even as Hugan said ¡°That¡¯s great Sifet!¡± he frowned internally. So was it not a problem to know a Cleric¡¯s god? Why hadn¡¯t Ziya told him hers then? The first group came out after the training officer called them, and after another few minutes, the second was sent in. A few minutes into that, Maiz was listening to Hugan and Lila argue good naturedly about the best way to open a fight, when there was a strong gust of wind. The sand billowed up a bit, and Maiz instinctively turned towards the entrance to the Dungeon, where Instructor Hakim was suddenly standing in his red robes. Maiz frowned. What¡¯s he doing here? Hugan and Lila looked at the three magic-users with them, confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the mage trainer?¡± Lila asked. Maiz nodded, allowing his confusion to show plainly on his face. But then he watched with rapt attention as the training officer, standing by the cave entrance and looking tense at Hakim¡¯s appearance, suddenly jumped. In a moment, an expression of horror flashed briefly over his face before disappearing behind a mask of forced calm. He stepped forward and yelled down the tunnel, ¡°Out, now! Jiyan, get them out!¡± In only a few seconds, the second group was running out, one young man being pulled by a woman who had not entered the cave with them. A Journeyman, likely, meant to watch over the Novices. Without pause, the officer turned back towards the line of Novices, and shouted, ¡°Full sprint to the--¡± His voice cut off as a bright flash of light lit up the cave mouth, and then the ground broke. The rock of the cave¡¯s entrance shattered, as did much of the gound behind it, leaving the tiered stone shelf of the Dungeon¡¯s first room open to the air and covered in debris. There was another flash of light, this one emanating from a particularly large patch of rubble, and suddenly the area at the bottom of the shelf was clear of rock, revealing¡­ ¡°Run!¡± The officer screamed at them, but Maiz wasn¡¯t certain how many heard him. Certainly, most of the Novices were already running away, but it was near impossible to make out his words over the screams and yells of the terrified young people. Maiz felt strangely calm as he noted the officer¡¯s words, also noticing that Hakim hadn¡¯t moved at all. Then his attention was once again drawn to the creature looking up at them from the bottom of the excavated tunnel. Golden scales. Wings. Tail. Massive. It felt strange to witness it in real life, but this was undoubtedly a golden dragon, like the stories. Even as Maiz processed the sight, framed by the darkness of the massive hole the dragon had carved in to the wall behind it, the backdrop was disturbed by a rustle of movement. Another flash of gold caught the sun, and suddenly there were two of the massive beasts. Behind the second dragon, a group of humanoids exited and created three ranks behind the dragon. They carrie spears and swords and wore few clothes, exposing much of their scaled skin. Their faces were terrifyingly lizard-like--the cold features of a salamander with the shape of a human. And at their feet, huge scarab-beetles the size of dogs, black and somehow more terrifying than the actual monsters of the Dungeon, began crawling out of the door. But Maiz barely saw this. Because, amid the chaos and the spectacle of the two dragons and the assorted monsters, he had spotted green letters, plainly visible above the first golden scaled beast¡¯s head. Granor¡¯al¡¯Hankor-Master Golden Dragon. And another set, much smaller but also much closer to Maiz: Hakim-Master Aeromancer. Chapter 24.5 Maiz felt his mouth drop open, vaguely noticing that the rest of his group wasn¡¯t moving either. A Master. Hakim was a Master? Maiz watched as the red robed mage raised a hand and made an almost lazy slashing motion towards the monsters.There was another rush of wind, much stronger than before, and the sand billowed up in a massive cloud, obscuring everything in the area. Just then, Maiz felt a hand grip his arm. Turning, he could just make out Lila¡¯s ashen face. ¡°We have to hide.¡± She said, tugging on his arm and motioning away from the Dungeon. Snapping out of his stupor, Maiz nodded. He looked to his left and saw Ziya and Sifet, nodding as well. On Lila¡¯s other side, Hugan, was still staring, wide-eyed, at Hakim. But as Lila grabbed his arm as well, he turned and led the way away from the Dungeon. ¡°Where do we go?¡± Sifet¡¯s voice sounded panicked, terrified. ¡°We find the Journeymen.¡± Hugan tried to sound confident, but it was easy to hear that he was just as scared as Sifet. ¡°We have to hope that mage can take care of the... dragons, but there¡¯s still the--¡± Even from behind, Maiz could see the blinding light which emanated from the center of the sand cloud. There was a wave of intense heat accompanied by the boom of air expanding, and a massive force slammed into Maiz¡¯s back. He went flying, limbs akimbo. Shield Stance. In the air, Maiz tried to arrange his limbs properly, and had the solid feeling of his skill engaging just before he hit the ground. Pain flashed through his right side where he landed, but he remained conscious. He struggled to his feet, looking around wildly. Where am I? Another thought flashed through his head with even more urgency. Where is everyone else? He was standing in open air now, his back itching uncomfortably as though he¡¯d suffered a mild burn. It only took a moment to spot the area of devastation where Hakim still stood, robes swirling, opposite the two dragons. One jumped, spreading its wings. The sight was terrifying and majestic, more awe-inspiring than any human could hope to be. The dragon flapped its wings, rising higher and higher. Then it fell out of the sky like a stone. Hakim stood without moving, simply looking at the dragon now laying on its belly before him. A flash of light erupted from the one further back, momentarily obscuring the scene. Maiz shaded his eyes. Hakim. Those flashes of light were attacks. Was Hakim¡­ The light faded, revealing an empty patch of air where the red-robed mage had been, the sand glowing red with heat. No. Maiz felt his heartbeat quicken, and he searched wildly around for his friends. They had to get out of this place, if a Master had fallen so quickly they didn¡¯t have a chance. Maiz spotted Lila, apparently unharmed, and shouted. ¡°Lila!¡± He ran towards her, but her eyes seemed unfocused. What was she staring at, over Maiz¡¯s shoulder? He turned around. Framed by the bright light of the sun was an amorphous shape hanging in the air. It seemed like an angel of death, but Maiz recognized the outline of those robes. The figure made another slashing motion, and with a percussive blast, a second huge cloud of sand kicked up over the dragons. Maiz heard the sound of rock shattering and winced. ¡°Lila, we have to find the others.¡± Lila¡¯s grey eyes, wider than usual as she stared at the dark figure of Hakim, blinked. ¡°Right.¡± She looked around aimlessly, as if expecting the others to pop out from behind a rock. Maiz didn¡¯t have a good idea of what to do himself. They had been thrown towards the middle of the training grounds, onto one of the empty fields of sand left open for training. There were a few squat stone buildings nearby, and Maiz spotted a few young people running back towards the west side of the compound, where the Journeyman and other instructors lived. But he couldn¡¯t see Hugan, Ziya, or Sifet. Another flash of light emanated from the sand cloud, then another. Then, there was a motion at the end of the cloud, near the wall of the compound. Was that one of their friends? But no, it was one of the disturbing humanoid lizard creatures: it appeared to be trying to sneak away from the battle between Masters.Suddenly a section of the sand cloud was blown away, and a huge furrow appeared in the ground where the lizard-man had been standing. There was a spray of red, and all that remained of the monster was bloody meat. At the same moment, another flash of light emanated outwards from the cloud of sand, accompanied by an earth-shaking roar. Once again, there was a boom of air exploding outwards, and a wave of hot wind emanated outwards, dispersing the remaining dust and revealing Hakim, now on the ground with his hands raised as two dragons loomed over him. The air shimmered about the dragon¡¯s bodies as though they were emanating intense heat, and Hakim''s robes whipped in an invisible gale as he jabbed his hands forward in rapid succession. There were multiple cracks, like those of a whip, as invisible blades of air impacted the dragons--Maiz only knew what was happening because of the chinks appearing in the dragons¡¯ hides as their scales were knocked off by Hakim¡¯s assault. Then the larger of the two monsters, the Master, opened its mouth. Maiz instinctively looked away, and the field was once again awash in powerful white-and-gold light. His eyes landed on the rest of the monsters, the lizardmen and massive scarabs, now escaped from the pit. They were circling swiftly around the battle, lizardmen low to the ground and insectoids scuttling in strange paths as they headed away from the battle and towards the rest of the compound. Behind the mob of monsters, there were lines of rent earth leading to broken and sliced bodies, and Maiz realized what was happening. Hakim had been trying to prevent the monsters from leaving, but had been stopped by the dragons. Which meant that the weaker creatures would make it to the rest of the compound, killing Novices and Apprentices while Hakim was occupied. Hells, we have to find the Journeyman and help them organize a defense. Just then the lizardman at the front, who was holding a bone-white spear in a clawed hand, suddenly shifted directions, looping in dangerously close to the fighting Masters. Maiz turned to see what had drawn its attention. ¡°Hugan!¡± Maiz began running without conscious thought. Part of his mind screamed that he was running towards the battle of two Ulion-cursed Masters, but he didn¡¯t stop. Hugan was kneeling, back to the titanic conflict of mage and dragons, arms spread out with a smoking shield strapped to one of them. In front of him was a mass of white robes which resolved into two figures as Maiz ran closer. Ziya and Sifet. And their white robes were stained with red.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Maiz!¡± He heard Lila¡¯s voice call out behind him, followed by a string of curses. Maiz didn¡¯t slow, just hoping that his Agility would let him reach the group before the lizardman did. A quick glance showed that, thankfully, the other monsters hadn¡¯t followed their brother towards the battered Novices, apparently deeming it unnecessary. But the creature moved swiftly and gracefully, like a powerful combatant. Not a Novice. There was a sound like angry chittering, and Maiz turned his head without stopping to see Lila gliding past one of the back scarabs, whose legs she had apparently broken. She quickly caught up with Maiz, not looking at him as she sped past towards Hugan, Ziya, and Sifet. She was fast enough that she would certainly reach them before the lizardman. But Maiz was almost directly in between his friends and the scaled monster now. Maiz gripped his staff tighter, and and clenched his jaw. It was obvious what he should do in order to give the group the best chance of survival. Fast Feet. Flaming Strike. He altered his course as another blinding flash of light and burst of heat assaulted him. Then another, and another. They were interspersed with the howling of wind and booms of exploding air, but apparently Hakim had figured out how to avoid roasting everyone in the vicinity as he blocked the golden dragons¡¯ attacks. Maiz simply ducked his head slightly and kept going, feeling the mana rush into his staff, guiding it through the familiar pattern frantically as he ran. His body felt light, feet dancing with the influence of Fast Feetas he brought his staff up, red ribbons enveloping it He stopped running and swung his weapon in a tight arc at the same time, connecting with the torso of the running lizardman and stopping it dead in its tracks with apowerfu explosion thatrattled the staff in his hands. Up close, the lizardman was even more terrifying. It had skin disturbingly similar to that of a desert lizard or snake, but its face consisted of a long muzzle-like mouth, bared to reveal pointed teeth. Its back was covered in spikes, and this particular one was huge, perhaps three meters in height. Maiz¡¯s staff had impacted a muscled abdomen like that of a full-grown laborer or warrior. The slight flash of relief he¡¯d felt at the impact fell away quickly, along with Maiz¡¯s stomach, when the creature looked at Maiz, apparently unfazed by the blow. Its green hide was slightly blackened, but it seemed otherwise unharmed. Another flash of light cast the monster¡¯s face in harsh lines as it opened its maw and roared like the dragon in miniature. Maiz spared a quick glance behind him. Lila was kneeling over the bodies, apparently loading one onto a shoulder. Hugan was doing the same. They were still a few meters back from Maiz and the lizard monster, but they hadn¡¯t escaped yet. Maiz whipped his head back to the monster before him, and caught a flash of white moving towards him at blinding speed. He jumped to the side under the influence of Fast Feet, barely slipping the creature¡¯s spear, and darted past the monster, forcing it to turn away from the group¡¯s direction. He began casting Flaming Strike desperately and backpedaling at the same time. He pushed the mana through the staff as heat engulfed his right side, followed by a gust of wind. He remained focused on the huge lizard before him as it roared again before darting forward. His feet moved of their own accord, sending him to the left and forward, right next to the creature. He hopped backwards as a clawed fist swiped at him, and felt the strong wind generated by the creature¡¯s attack. A twinge of tiredness crept into his arms Hells. He took a half hearted jab at the creature, which it blocked with a scaled forearm. The second layer of his spell completed as the creature brought its white spear slashing towards his neck, forcing him to duck at a ridiculous speed. Magic flowed like a gentle river over the staff continuing to cast the spell, and Maiz cursed internally. He needed to kill this thing, but his spell didn¡¯t even penetrate its hide. And he had only a few more dodges left in him before his stamina gave out. Maybe I can at least buy them enough time to get away. The mana crept towards the top of his staff in intricate loops and swirls, but it was too slow. The creature roared and raised its spear again, and Maiz resignedly prepared to dodge. Then a howling gale shot out from the right, smashing into the lizard and causing him to stumble. The force was nothing like the attacks that had killed some of its brethren, but, even as Maiz stumbled, he grinned. Another flash of light engulfed them, and there was another pop of air, but Maiz had eyes only for the lizard. He thought back to another creature he¡¯d fought, one with skin like stone and eyes that burned with hatred. Maiz raised a staff wreathed in flames and stepped forward, motioning a simple attack that Lila had taught him. His staff would snap outwards and brace against his left tricep. But his entire body tensed, and he felt his magic flare across it as he struck. The lizardman raised its forearm to guard its chest gain, roaring in contempt as it prepared to block Maiz¡¯s attack. There was another boom, and Maiz felt blood and gore speckle his face as his staff hit the roof of the creature¡¯s mouth. Its arm, uselessly warding off Maiz¡¯s Illusion Strike, fell along with the rest of its body. Yes! Now-- Maiz heard a buzz, followed by a crackle, and a smell like storms filledhis nostrils. He finally looked at the battle raging to the side as the hair on his arms and neck stood on end. The smaller dragon was bleeding, splayed out on the ground with its eyes closed. Whenever the red liquid dripped to the ground it boiled instantly, going up in smoke. The larger dragon, the Master, was roaring, one claw in the air and glowing with an intense radiance. But Hakim¡­ he stood, hands down by his sides. There was a shadow over him and the sand at his feet swirled and flew about at incredible speed. As Maiz watched, little flickers of light began to appear and disappear all around him and the spinning intensified. The Master dragon slashed its claw, and in the same moment an intensely brilliant powershot from Hakim, striking the dragon. The white light made the world seem dark, harking to the dry storms that sometimes lit the desert sky. Lightning. It arced from Hakim to the dragon in a sustained stream, even as continuous roaring thunder drowned out all other noise. The power that struck the dragon arced across its body in sheets of crackling fury, enveloping it head to tail in electricity. The creature remained still for a moment, then it began twitching, tail and limbs thrashing as the lighting continued to pour into it. Hakim raised a hand, and wind roared. Sand kicked up and was caught in the stream of power, dropping back to the ground as molten slag. Flashes of light burst continually from the golden dragon, but they did nothing to stop the Master Aeromancer¡¯s assault. Then the creature¡¯s wings caught fire, and it began screaming the sound barely audibe over the thunder. The screaming cut off abruptly, but the lightning did not stop engulfing the dragon, as its flaming body began flopping about uncontrollably. Until something flew towards Hakim, and he vanished suddenly, the stream of lightning finally ending. The thunder stopped a moment later, leaving Maiz¡¯s ears ringing as he stared at the ruined, smoldering body of the golden dragon. Then a new sound split the air, thin compared to the cacophony of moments before. It left a knot in Maiz¡¯s stomach though, as he turned to see a new figure, laughing crazily at the doorway of the Dungeon. ¡°Time to turn to dust, my sweet!¡± The black robed mage cackled. Chapter 25 Two massive corpses occupied most of the landscape, one swathed in blood, the other striated with black ash and red, burned flesh. Much of the sandy ground had been turned to rough black glass by the heat of the dragons¡¯ attacks. In the distance, Maiz could hear the sounds of yells and screams, most likely from the monsters which had escaped into the rest of the camp. But the loudest noise was that of a woman¡¯s crazed laughter. ¡°Take your friends and leave.¡±The voice was a familiar whisper in his ears. Maiz started, looking around for the source of the noise. In moments, he spotted the billowing red robes of Hakim as he hung in the air, suspended by his magic. He¡¯d used a spell to speak to Maiz. My friends. In a moment, Maiz spotted Hugan and Lila, running towards him. Idiots. Maiz broke into a sprint, keeping his body low to the ground, as he approached his friends. Hugan was dripping blood onto the sand as he ran, but his face was a mask of determination. Lila seemed to be slowing her pace to stay with the Novice Warden. Maiz was only meters away now--they could escape and leave Hakim to finish off this strange mage. As Maiz took another step, there was a flash of something dark purple, and a bolt of magicimpacted the ground in front of him, splashing like water on the sand. Maiz skidded to a halt just in time to avoid the attack, realizing he still had Fast Feet activated. Hells. ¡°Oh no, no sweetie! You should stay and watch! It¡¯ll be fu-un!¡± This last was said in a musical voice, and Maiz turned to the white skull-like face of the black robed mage grinning at him. The sight sent shivers down Maiz¡¯s spine, the hairs on the back of his neck rising. He felt cold even in the heat of the desert sun, the wind hitting his sweaty body and cooling itiinstantly.The wind?Hakim was hovering between Maiz and the mage, and as she laughed he made a gesture and Maiz felt the wind rushing over him intensify. Hugan and Lila looked at Maiz in confusion as their hair and clothes began to flutter as well. The wind grew to a gale, and Maiz felt himself being pulled, as though something was tearing him apart at the smallest level. His eyes teared up from the force of the wind, but as the first drops of moisture were whipped away, the feeling stopped abruptly, and the black robed mage¡¯s laughter got louder. ¡°Uh-uh! Don¡¯t you want the little one to see?¡± Maiz opened his eyes. Hugan and Lila were gone, vanished. But Maiz was still there. What was going on? Idiot. You¡¯ve been blinding yourself this entire time. Mana Sense. The world was drenched in color. Brilliant gold, concentrated in a pool near the bodies of the dragons, shone like the sun. Much of the field was awash in sky blue, Hakim¡¯s power. It seemed to be forming a swirlingformationaround Maiz, but there was something blocking it. Purple, like an ugly bruise, formed a thin cloud around Maiz. When the blue magic mingled with the purple, it faded almost immediately. What? The purple magic spread out like smoke about the field. It was thick about Maiz, but it soon covered the ground like some sort of posion, and appeared to be rising. Maiz looked up, and winced in phantom pain. Hakim¡¯s figure shone with an intense blue radiance that, if he had been using his true eyes, would have hurt to look upon. The magic was so dense that it seemed more real than the actual surroundings, forming a star at the base of the mage¡¯s skull. But it had also gathered a thick coating about the mage¡¯s body, and when the purple cloud rose to meet the mage, his magic did not recede. A bolt of magic flew at Hakim, and his body flickered to the side, dodging with ease. Hakim¡¯s hand slashed lazily towards the woman, and another rent appeared in the earth, sand billowing up and wind howling. Even though his physical sight was obscured by the sand, Maiz could see.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The magic was like the wind itself--though it flew straight as an arrow, with the focused beam of mana Maiz could see the chaos of storms contained. When the wild energy reached the black robed mage, Maiz laid his magical sight on her for the first time. Like Hakim, her magic formed a thick layer around her, a miasma of dark light, and her mana pool shone like a counterpart to Hakim''s own. The spell impacted the dark purple aura, and simply¡­ faded, the raw power and energy degrading away into nothing. What? Before Maiz could even process what had happened, there was a ripple in the landscape of magic, and suddenly the blue star was directly behind the purple one. An intense balloon of power expanded out of nowhere, swirling upon itself in a whirlwind, and the air howled in response. Through squinted eyes, Maiz saw the magic fall away as it entered the purple aura. Then dark purple energy shot out like an arrow, leaving behind it a streak of empty air devoid of magic, and the blue star vanished, reappearing a moment later in the sky, like a second sun. That sun exploded outwards, blue overtaking purple and becoming denser and denser. Suddenly, the air in Maiz¡¯s lungs seemed heavier, and he lost track of the conflict as he gasped for air. He fell to his knees, unable to draw breath, and he saw the purple star drop slightly, as if the black robed mage had done the same. A moment later, the feeling was gone, replaced by the swirling of wind, pulling at him like it had before. A cackle sounded out, somehow louder than the howling of the magic. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t!¡± The pulling feeling vanished. Maiz simply sat on the bare ground for a moment, breathing heavily.When he looked up, thethe two mages had apparently gotten serious. Spikes of purple magic flew out in a hundred directions, everywhere but at Maiz. The air seemed to hiss as the magic streaked through it, leaving voids in the otherwise saturated landscape. The spikes hit nothing, the blue star appearing and disappearing in instants all over the field.A column of pure blue magic engulfed the purple star, burying it completely for a moment. The magic faded quickly, but in that moment the very earth screamed as rock shattered and a massive pit, at least twenty meters deep, was hollowed out by the wind magic. Maiz was thrown back from the force of it, though his Shield Stance prevented any real damage. For a moment, Maiz thought that Hakim had done it, as he rubbed his side and looked in sheer amazement at the destruction the Aeromancer had wrought. Then the purple star reappeared, bursting explosively from the hole and landing at the edge. How did she survive that? But the strange mage was already forming a new spell. The same energy that powered the bolts of magic began to ooze out of the sand of the field, the purple star blazing coldly as the land was covered in dark magic. Maiz felt something strange at his feet, and yelped involuntary as he noticed the smoking of his leather boots. He hopped back, realizing that he¡¯d been standing justat the edge of the mage¡¯s spell. Bothcombatants threw spells at the other, blue and purple flashing too quickly to follow, though booms continuosly sounded as the ground was rent asunder. The blue star was flickering all around the field at an incredible rate. How does he have so much mana?The spells Hakim threw in the instants between his teleportations sliced through the air, stirring the sand into a whirlwind that cut at Maiz''s face. He''d heard of things like this, from the mad traders who ventured into the desert. Sandstorm. The magical fury continued for less than a minute, but the sheer amount of power the mages threw at each other was mindboggling. Both appeared to use the same spells most of the time, though occasionally the purple mana formed into snares that sought to trap Hakim, or the wind created voids in space around the other mage. None of the attacks hurt the other. But as the battle continued, the bolts of blue began to slow. The blue star appeared to be dimming somewhat, though the purple one continue to blaze without interruption. Hakim stopped teleporting. But Maiz barely had a moment to realize what was happening, because as theAeromancer''s attacks slowed, a strange feeling came over him for the third time. Even as a bolt hit home on Hakim¡¯s stomach, a tsunami of blue mana stripped away the purple surrounding Maiz. Something warm touched his wrist, and suddenly he was wind itself. Chapter 26 It was hot. Maiz took the deep breath of one awakening from sleep, and coughed. There was something gritty his mouth. He spat, but his mouth was dry and it did little to remedy the problem. He continued coughing and attempting to spit for several seconds, until he decided it would be a good idea to sit up. It took more effort than usual to do so, but as he struggled he realized that he felt¡­ good. Very good. Even the slight pain in his chest from the coughing had disappeared, replaced by a warmth that seemed comforting, somehow. Then he opened his eyes, and winced before closing them again. Wherever he was, the light was so blinding he couldn¡¯t see anything. It took a full minute of cracking his eyes open beneath the shade of his hand before he could survey his surroundings. When he finally saw where he was, a tight knot of fear began to form in his stomach. Oh gods. Oh gods oh gods oh gods. The world was sand. Waves and mountains of reddish brown stretched as far as he could see, the occasional swirl of wind the only motion interrupting the perfect, silent stillness. Above the sky was a deep blue unmarred by clouds, and the sun shone with harsh brilliance beating down the world below it with intense heat. Maiz shifted the hand that was propping him up, and winced. The sand was hot enough to sting and redden his skin, though moments later, the pain vanished. He hardly cared. This was a nightmare. In fact, was it a nightmare? The last thing he remembered was the swirling chaos of two Masters fighting, a ridiculous scene of dragons and mages and sandstorms. Absently, Maiz looked down and saw an unfamiliar band on his arm. It was tarnished silver, shimmering in the light of the sun, and a little too big for him. He lifted the arm, and as the bracelet settled, hot against his skin, its weight felt familiar. Hakim. Suddenly the last moments of the titanic struggle he had witnessed came back to him. The same instant that the Aeromancer had been stuck by one of the other mage¡¯s spells, he had sent a massive wave of mana towards Maiz, completely overcoming the strange power that had prevented Hakim from teleporting Maiz away before. At the same moment, Maiz had felt the weight of this bracelet settle onto his arm. And then he had woken up in the desert. The desert. When Maiz was younger, he¡¯d read a book about a young adventurer who journeyed into the desert, slaying dragons, stealing roc eggs, and exploring lost ruins of old. He¡¯d been entranced by the tale and that night, asked his father if he¡¯d ever ventured into the desert. His father¡¯s face, already lighter than most from his hours indoors, had gone even paler. Maiz never forgot his face at that question, the plain fear and incredulity at the very thought of stepping into the place. Maiz had thought it was strange, living as they did so close to the biggest desert in the word, for his father to react in such a way. He had told Maiz that he had gone as far most men, when he was younger. Caelos was right at the edge of the kingdom, and there some tribes that lived just beyond it. Those tribes formed a network of trade which circled the desert and provided access to faraway goods. But even they stayed away from the heart of the Hankor Waste. Maiz¡¯s father had told him stories of nomad combatants who thought to challenge the Dungeons of the deep desert to grow strong. Those who went to the very edge of the known desert returned sometimes, emaciated skeletons without a drop of water in them and haunted eyes. Those who went further never came back. Of course, if one were a Journeyman or Adept level combatant with superhuman attributes and skills, such journeys were possible with the correct preparation. But a Novice dumped in the middle of the desert with nothing but a staff and a bracelet? He was as good as dead. Smacking dry lips, Maiz took another look at his surroundings. He was on top of a relatively large sand dune. Considering that it was almost midday and even being exposed to direct sunlight at this time would shorten his expected lifespan from days to hours, he decided to get moving to some shade. Trudging down the dune was quite annoying, but even in Caelos there was enough sand that Maiz¡¯s boots were meant to be used for walking over it, and he was quickly able to find a shaded spot at its base to sit. Here the sand was cool, to be expected considering that it rarely saw the light of the sun. He sat with a hud muted by the sand, and began to consider. First he examined the bracelet Hakim had apparently given him. It was a completely smooth band of silver, save for the tarnish around the edges. Huh. Mana Sense. The world was awash in the faint white light of ambient mana, but the bracelet was lit with yellow, arranged in patterns not unlike those of Maiz¡¯s Flaming Strike. The mana was running through the object, and underneath the outer layer he could see another running in the opposite direction, but beneath that the mana became too indistinct to see. Somehow Maiz suspected that the pattern was actually much more complex than that of his own spell, and he doubtedthat it was the work of a Spellsword. No this item was clearly enchanted, even though he couldn¡¯t see any visible markings on it like he would have expected. Or maybe¡­ He unclasped it, and sure enough, the inside had a delicate swirl which looked something like the first and second layers of Maiz¡¯s Flaming Strike. Well, Hakim had said that his spell created a matrix like the ones that Enchanters used. Maiz supposed he¡¯d been working from personal experience. Of course, one would expect a Master mage to-- His thoughts cut off as he fixated on the word ¡®Master.¡¯ Master, like Juris the Illuminator, or Garthen the Beast-Hearted. Or well, pretty much every famous fighter from the stories. Except that Maiz had never even seen a Master of any sort in his life, and apparently he¡¯d been learning from one for weeks! He wasn¡¯t even that good of a teacher. Maiz immediately felt terrible about the errant thought. After all, the purple bolt striking Hakim just before he¡¯d teleported Maiz away had likely killed the old man. And despite Maiz¡¯s initial bad experience with him, the mage had been fair enough, if somewhat abrupt and overdramatic. Perhaps, in time, Maiz would have even grown to think of Hakim as a friend. Of course, what else could he really call someone who had saved his life?If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In the worst way possible. Maiz took a shuddering breath in, trying to dispel the magical landscape still burned into his mind--chaotic, swirling blue and purple, and gold around dragons, dragons. Come to think of it, those dragons were from this desert. Just one of the many dangers he had to avoid if he wanted to stand a chance of surviving this experience. Just then, he felt a slight movement by one of his hands buried in the sand and yelped, scrambling quickly to his feet. A trace of reddish brown chitin showed through the sand before disappearing, and Maiz cursed loudly, heart pounding. He wouldn¡¯t need to worry about dragons--either the heat would get him or the scorpions would first. ***************************** Shadar took a deep breath in, exhaling slowly. Occasionally it felt good to practice the old mana exercises, even if he wasn¡¯t truly a mage like they were intended for. Around him, the world was drowned in blood red, subtly shifting as the Dungeon¡¯s magic adjusted to the movement of its denizens, or perhaps simply to the movement of his own mana. While he wasn¡¯t particularly specialized in magic, his mana pool was that of a Master, and thus a significant source of power even in such an advanced Dungeon. Shadar enjoyed watching the little eddies and swirls, though he never admitted it. His brand of magical sight stemmed from the Mana Wyrm, the only other creature with such clear attunement to Massahn¡¯s power. There were no human mages with a similar spell, and Shadar would never teach his own to another, even if such a thing were possible. The Dungeon¡¯s magic flowed in slightly, and Shadar opened his eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± He made the word a statement, not a question. He knew why he was being interrupted. ¡°The attacks had mixed success. The one on the portal outpost was entirely successful, though I am not certain how much of a delay it will cause Corunti. The one on the desert garrison was a complete failure. Apparently having only one Master dragon with the strike force was insufficient. They had enough Adepts, or possibly a Master, that the force was routed and the Dungeon destroyed behind them.¡± ¡°The Desidomancer?¡± Shadar turned with the question, feeling an odd urge to groan despite the fact that he felt no real pain at the motion. He had simply been comfortable, sitting on his cushion. Digaratoth stood over Shadar in his customary red tunic, more intimidating than usual at this angle. ¡°I was getting to that. She was held up at the training grounds apparently. The Corunti decided to post a Master there, perhaps as an instructor.¡± Shadar frowned. ¡°Which one?¡± Few Masters got to be that way without becoming famous as a byproduct, unless they were hermits. ¡°The Sandstorm.¡± ¡°Ah. He was still alive, then? Or is he still?¡± Most Masters had very grandiose titles ascribed to them. Eva was called the Grave Mistress for example, though she probably wouldn¡¯t have earned it if not for her rather over-the-top persona when she managed her Dungeon. Shadar himself had no such ¡®additional¡¯ title, though he sincerely doubted anyone could think of anything more needlessly pompous than ¡®The Dungeon King, God-Chosen of Massahn.¡¯ But sometimes, the names made it easier to recall particularly skilled combatants. Such as the Sandstorm. He¡¯d been moderately well known a few decades ago, when Shadar was a young man. He was a wind mage from the desert, and unlike most, he¡¯d earned most of his ranks in the Waste itself, from his youth up until he became a full Master. He¡¯d done a number of impressive things, from fighting the Mother Roc alone to reaching the top room of the Temple of the Sands. And of course, he apparently created a good many sandstorms while doing those things. When Shadar was younger, there was speculation that the Sandstorm could reach Grandmaster--after all, the Waste was relatively unexplored, and there was already one Grandmaster living in it. If there were still a place to find many Master-level Dungeons, it would be there. But the wind mage had already been a century or so old by the time Shadar had heard of him, and no new stories had been added to the list since. Shadar had completely forgotten the man had ever existed. ¡°Dead, from what I gathered. Your mage was rather¡­ incomprehensible. She¡¯d apparently been in the area before and was quite pleased to have killed a local legend.¡± That was only moderately interesting. As much as any place could have a glut of portals constructed, the Ulterion Empire did. Being a portal-capable enchanter in that nation made one a servant of the government by law. Virtually a moderately well treated slave, in fact. However, combined with the Empire¡¯s willingness to throw large sums of money into portal construction, it meant that visiting other parts of the world was relatively easy for those in the west. Of course, the Ulterion Empire funded their transportation system by conquest, which in turn necessitated more portals. The inevitable result, whether after years or decades, was that the empire would collapse and its portals would go inert. It explained why ancient portal arches remained as the only remnants of many expansionist nations across the world. Shadar turned his thoughts away from the history of portal construction, hoping Digaratoth hadn¡¯t noticed his momentary lapse in concentration. He probably had, but he didn¡¯t say anything, at least. ¡°Many of their Masters were killed.¡± Shadar didn¡¯t quite know how to feel about that, considering his own association with dragons. ¡°We should send another of ours.¡± Digaratoth looked at him, tongue just peeking out beyond his lips. The Saurian equivalent of an expectant look. Did he think Shadar wouldgo himself? No, not considering what Garth had said. No doubt other God-Chosen would be on the lookout for him, just as he was for them. He remembered what Jurai had told him, that day that he saw monsters for the first time. Never strike unless you are unexpected. Chapter 27 Maiz opened his eyes. They felt dry. He almost immediately stood, wondering if he¡¯d even slept that long. His solution to the scorpions had been to toss up the sand with his staff, then use several Flaming Strikes around the perimeter of his little patch of sand. That was probably more than enough, since the things living in the shaded area would be highly averse to the heat and loud noise that his spell created. While he couldn¡¯t quite melt the sand into glass like the two dragons in the training field had, his spell created a sizable cloud of sand and superheated the ground around the point of impact. It seemed louder than he remembered, but that waslikely just the silence of the desert. He couldn¡¯t make himself all that comfortable with sleeping on the sand, where any predators could hide effectively. Still, the heat precluded his moving, and quite frankly, he was exhausted. Not to mention that his judgement had clearly been somewhat clouded. He¡¯d missed something so obvious, it was somewhat embarrassing. Again. He really needed to stop doing that. You have killed Journeyman Saurian Irontail, rank 41! +1122 exp (800*1.6 knowledge modifier, 159*.01 feat modifier). You have achieved ranks 7-15 in Nameless! You have unassigned attribute points. (1/170 to next rank) You have improved Flaming Strike to ranks 11-15! +0 exp (25*.01 feat modifier) You have improved Fast Feet to ranks 9-15! +0 exp (35*.01 feat modifier) You have improved Illusion Strike to ranks 2-15! +0 exp (70*.01 feat modifier) Further improvement in Flaming Strike, Fast Feet, and Illusion Strike is impossible at current proficiencies and title rank. Maiz blinked. Then he blinked again. A Journeyman? How was that even possible? Of course, it made sense that the lizard thing he¡¯d killed wasn¡¯t a beginner like himself, but how had a Novice managed to slay a godsdammned Journeyman? Killing combatants above one¡¯s station wasn¡¯t impossible--it was in fact a rather popular plot point of many contemporary adventure novels. But he really shouldn¡¯t have had any chance of killing a Journeyman monster in a straight fight. He couldn¡¯t beat Lila for heavens¡¯ sakes. But then, perhaps the fight hadn¡¯t been so fair. He was seriously downplaying the power of his combination of abilities--a combination literally impossible for anyone else to obtain. Lila¡¯s Warrior Monk skills were clearly focused around evasion and grace. Fast Feet alone was absolutely incredible in this regard, allowing him to match up well against any Strength-based fighter. But Lila had shown him already that she wasn¡¯t particularly strong in the classic sense. She couldn¡¯t down Hugan without about a dozen blows, and she even had trouble against Maiz unless she hit the right spot. Yet Maiz¡¯s Flaming Strike did huge amounts of damage, even more when hitting critical areas, as Lila had taught him. The combination was potent to say the least. But thinking of Warrior Monk skills recalled a chilling memory to Maiz. He opened the skill description for Illusion Strike, just to check. Illusion Strike (Warrior Monk): Creates an illusory attack based on the existing motions of the user¡¯s weapon or limbs. The target becomes unable to perceive the user¡¯s true movements for a short time. Rank: 15 Cost: 120 stamina Effect: Illusory attack can be perceived by targets with Wisdom 40 or greater. If the target has less than 40 Wisdom, they cannot see the user¡¯s true movements for 2.4 seconds. The skill¡¯s description had updated with the new ranks he¡¯d gained, but he clearly remembered that the effect portion had said ¡®25 Wisdom¡¯ at rank 1. Which meant he was incredibly lucky that the Journeyman monster hadn¡¯t seen right through the illusion and murdered him on the spot. Many Apprentice and Journeyman level combatants would likely put some points into Wisdom, and considering that Maiz himself was already at 15 Wisdom, he really was fortunate not to have died there. Right. So maybe I won¡¯t try to go and find more Journeymen to kill then. But it was hard to really feel that much apprehension, because he had just gained nine ranks in his title. With 36 attribute points to assign, he had a good many choices to make. Maiz-Spellsword (Rank 15) Title Status-Hidden (Default) Bonus Titles- God-Chosen of Viselys (Hidden) Arcane Scholar (Hidden) Title Options Available Health-260/260 Mana-260/260 (+ 1.5 pts/second)The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Stamina: 260/260 (+ 1.7 pts/second) Attributes:
Age 16
Constitution 26
Intelligence 26
Wisdom 15
Strength 26
Dexterity 17
Agility 25
Charisma 11
Luck 9
Skills: The Mask Printing Shield Stance Fast Feet First Search Flicker Strike Illusion Strike Spells: Flaming Strike Mana Sense It had taken most of the rest period to decide what to do with his points. His first instinct was to spread them around each of his attributes to give a slight boost, but he quickly discarded that after realizing that the benefits to each attribute were far too small. Then he leaned towards boosting his relevant combat attributes, but there was a pressing problem--he was stuck in the middle of the desert with no food or water. Honestly, his 15 Constitution--boosted already by his combat training and first rank up--was still not nearly enough to survive that endeavor. He brought that up to 26, only praying it was not too little for what he had in store. The other issue was that his abilities had gotten much more costly. Illusion Strike had gone from 50 to 120 stamina, and Flaming Strike was now 130 mana. To be fair, he would likely need the improved effects of both abilities, but he¡¯d been forced to invest heavily in Strength and Intelligence simply to keep up with the cost. He was beginning to see an issue with his ¡®Mask¡¯ ability. He was certain that it was an incredible power, but being forced to spread out his attributes like this seemed like it would hamper his ability use in the future. Either way, it was a problem for another day. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t going to be gaining more ranks any time soon. Maiz had winced a little at reading the experience ¡®gains¡¯ he¡¯d made past rank 15. Almost 300 experience had become 1 measly point, just because he hadn¡¯t completed his feat yet! And apparently whatever force governed his experience gains, whether Nomenadon, Viselys, or some other god, rounded down when calculating the modified value for his experience, so he had to make at least 100 points at once to gain anything at all from now on. No wonder Lila hadn¡¯t advanced past rank 15 without her feat completed. Ah well. He had a vague idea of how to go about completing his own Apprentice feat. Riala had said he¡¯d need to do the Apprentice feats of a Common, Rare, and Epic title he possessed in order to qualify. Of course, the trouble was that he didn¡¯t actually know what type each title was. He¡¯d guessed that the Scholar title was likely Common, and that feat had been absurdly easy to accomplish. He knew for a fact that Spellsword was Epic, and it was likely that Warden was as well. That left the Rare title. He had no idea what Warrior -Monk qualified as, but he¡¯d never seen anyone except Lila with it, so it might also be Epic quality. And of course, he didn¡¯t actually know what its feat was. In the training grounds, finding Rare titles was incredibly easy, simply because all combat titles were at least Rare. Maiz had intended on simply spying on a Slasher or Cobrakin--both relatively common in the area--and learning a skill or two of theirs, then completing their feat. But he hadn¡¯t been in any particular rush, since he hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d be leaving the training grounds any time soon. Idiot. He supposed it didn¡¯t matter much at the moment. He had to survive and escape the desert first. Time to get started on that. Maiz took a quick glance at the cloudless sky. The sun was lower now, so he set out from under the dune. Unfortunately he needed the sun¡¯s position to guide him as he walked, otherwise he might have risked making the journey at night. Of course, he would also need somewhere warm to sleep at night, but he just had to hope he could find something. Mentally thanking his occasional childhood perusal of his father¡¯s atlases, he turned to face the sun and set off. ****************************** Mana swirled, forming a spiral and wrapping the staff in silver. The next layer took over, first the lattice of diamonds and then the fluid loops, intersecting to form a perfect whole. Finally, a pattern of ridges and sweeping lines, like waves or flames. Maiz formed this one the same way he did the others--he pushed his mana out through his hand, then thought hard about the pattern while allowing his mana to flow forward. It felt like digging a trench for water to flow through. When the pattern was complete, Maiz tried to push harder and force the mana to speed up, but the glow of the top layer only intensified until one of the tighter loops broke, releasing the mana stored in the staff in a harmless puff of silver. ¡°Gods!¡± Maiz shouted. In his head. Best not to open his mouth and dry it out even further. He¡¯d finally gotten the pattern correct, he was certain of it! But when he allowed his body to naturally cast the spell, the mana sped up and shifted colors to orange at the end. Hakim had said this was because the mana was changing to fire mana. But every time he pushed his mana through the staff and made it accelerate, it just destabilized the pattern! Sighing, he cast the spell without attempting to guide the mana flow. Just as he had done, mana moved through three layers, shining silver. And then, more mana was pulled through his hand and¡­ it went right back in. More and more mana was pulled, but the same amount went back in to his body creating--well, creating an actual flow instead of a buildup of pressure. Oh. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t get that. Step. Step. Brush. The brushing had become second nature, as he trudged forward through the desert landscape, constantly moving towards the sun--it wasn¡¯t getting any closer. Sand had a tendency to get everywhere here, every gust of wind or accidental kick resulted in the little grains invading his tunic. Maiz had stopped focusing on the walking hours ago; his magic was much more interesting. And less terrifying. Mana moved through the staff, moving through every pattern until the entire thing glowed bright silver. Then Maiz made the familiar effort to push more mana into the weapon. At the same time, he tried to remain¡­ open, for lack of a better word. It was difficult, because in order to move his mana he had to focus on it to the exclusion of all else. How could he command his magic to do two different things at the same time? The pattern exploded, and Maiz tried again. And again. Each time, he was completely unable to simulate the flow that happened so easily when he simply ¡®let¡¯ the spell be cast. The last one, he managed to let all of the mana back into his body, but nothing flowed out to replace it. He glanced up. The one nice thing about the desert was that he could easily see the landscape and the horizon. The sun looked like it would set in an hour or two. With a start, Maiz realized he¡¯d been walking for at least six. He supposed that his improved attributes were having an effect, even if it seemed somewhat muted compared to his first massive boost. It looked like there was a cluster of rocks in the distance, somewhat in the direction he was trying to walk. Excellent. As he once again guided his mana through his staff, he walked with an increased vigor, his goal for the day in sight. Hopefully those rocks weren¡¯t home to some kind of monster or dangerous animal, but either way, Maiz just looked forward to something that wasn¡¯t sand. Chapter 28 Maiz woke shivering. Books he¡¯d read always missed this bit about the desert--however hot it was during the day, it was just as cold during the night. He struggled to his feet, hands finding purchase on the large rock he¡¯d clambered up the previous night. Luckily there had been no snakes on it, something even he knew to watch out for, and there were still none when he cast a quick glance around his surroundings to check. The sun had just risen minutes before. The faintly pink light cast odd shadows over the formation of large gray stone rocks, arranged in a loose semicircle. Each stone was absolutely smooth, except for parts where they appeared to have split recently. Maiz thought that this place had once been a human community or village; perhaps these stones were the remains of a central temple. Certainly, there were said to be many such ruins and structures dotted throughout the Waste, though it was unclear whether people had been able to live in harsher conditions in the past, or if the Waste itself hadn¡¯t been as forbidding. Maiz stretched. He felt completely fine, which was somewhat incongruous considering he¡¯d slept on a rock all night and hadn¡¯t eaten or drunk water for a full day. Of course, he¡¯d quickly identified the strange warmth he felt almost continuously as the work of Hakim¡¯s bracelet. It was an impressive piece of magic--as far as he could tell, it forced his mana through a complex pattern which accelerated healing. This meant that it took a portion of his mana regeneration to maintain, but it wouldn¡¯t run out on its own. He had analyzed the pattern by studying his own mana as it moved through his body, and found it was something he had no idea how to do on his own. His Flaming Strike was made up of three layers of magic. The pattern the bracelet forced into his mana had six. And the bracelet itself probably had more, though he was completely unable to tell. It was unlikely that the bracelet would prevent his death from dehydration. Normally, he would have already been feeling some effects from his lack of water, perhaps some dizziness or weakness. Aside from the raging thirst and the dryness in his mouth and eyes though, he was doing fine. Maybe his Constitution increase would extend the time he could go without water as he¡¯d hoped. Or maybe I just won¡¯t notice any symptoms until I die of thirst. On that cheerful note, he set off West, deciding to look very hard for any sign of a water source. **************** They woke up lying in sand. Hugan coughed, then bolted upright, looking wildly around for any sign of the battle they¡¯d been running towards. Nothing. Everything was silent, like it always was here on the edge of the Waste. Hugan never understood what made people want to live in this place. Of course, he would never leave it. You had to be loyal to your homeland, after all. It seemed like he was on the side of a dirt road, but he didn¡¯t recognize which of the many such roads between human communities this was. As he cast his eyes around, they fell on a figure in a red tunic, near the dent his own form had left in the sand. Lila! He rushed to the figure, then hesitated. How should he wake her? If this was Maiz, he¡¯d just shake him until his eyes opened but¡­ he didn¡¯t think Lila would appreciate that, and she could beat him in a fight with one hand tied behind her back. He gently tapped her on the shoulder, to no reaction. Tapping a little harder also did nothing. Soon he was shaking the girl as hard as he would Maiz, but nothing happened. Oh no. Desperately, he thought back to something he¡¯d seen Ziya do once, and put his two fingers on Lila¡¯s neck, pressing down hard,. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was supposed to be looking for, but the pressure apparently caused some discomfort to the girl¡¯s windpipe, because she coughed slightly without opening her eyes. A wave of relief flooded through Hugan as he realized this meant she was still alive! Something must have happened to her when she was hit by the mage¡¯s spell--Hugan supposed that it had been that black robed mage who¡¯d teleported them away. After all, no one good wore all black and cackled at you when you met them. Well, it was up to Hugan to find a Cleric to heal Lila. Roon had never left a comrade behind, and Hugan wouldn¡¯t do it either. He scooped the girl¡¯s small form into his arms. She was pretty heavy for someone her size, but he¡¯d been working his father¡¯s bellows since he was six. Now, which way to go? They could be anywhere, but it stood to reason that they wouldn¡¯t be too far from either the training grounds or a village of some kind. He shrugged mentally to himself, and stepped onto the road, turning to his left. Better to act quickly than spend forever thinking about it. He wished Ziya was there, though. Or Maiz. Ziya could have just healed Lila immediately, and Maiz probably would have had a good idea of what to do. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Hold on. Where was Maiz? Hugan had seen his clothes fluttering, just like his and Lila¡¯s. But another check showed that he definitely wasn¡¯t in the area with them. Hugan frowned. Why would Maiz have gone somewhere else? Maybe because he was a mage? Or¡­ Hugan stopped trying to figure it out. It didn¡¯t really matter. Maiz was smart, and he would be okay. Hugan had to make sure Lila was as well, and maybe figure out how to kill some of the monsters that had invaded the training grounds. He adjusted his hold on the sleeping girl, deciding to sling her over a shoulder instead of carrying her like a plank, and set off. As he began walking, swaying slightly under Lila''s unfamiliar weight, he noticed something flashing in the corner of his vision. A green ''N.''Huh. I wonder what that''s for. ***************** On the third night, Maiz slept fitfully, dreaming of the cistern. He remembered carrying a bucket big enough to stand in to the center of the town as the sun rose. He would turn the iron handle and work the pump, and glorious water would flow out like magic. Sometimes, he would take some of the stuff and wash his face, or take a quick sip before dragging the bucket back. Bliss. When he woke, it was with bleary, dry eyes. He staggered to his feet, not even checking the sand around him for hostile animals. But apparently the snakes didn¡¯t consider him a good enough heat source, because he managed to avoid death by snakebite or scorpion sting. A good start. Maiz looked around in dim light, knees trembling. His vision was blurred, strange flashes of light popping in and out of existence despite the acute lack of light. The sun hadn¡¯t¡­ done something. It was hard to remember what. What was he doing here? He felt hot. Gripping his staff in raw hands, he began to channel his mana into it, but nothing happened. He tried to frown, but his face felt stretched tight and immobile. In his mind, he gave a beleaguered sigh and set forth. Step, step, step. No brush anymore. No energy to waste. He kept walking as the sun came up, staggering occasionally but rising each time. It wasn¡¯t any special determination or sense of purpose which kept him walking away from the rising sun. He simply didn¡¯t remember what else he could do. Water. Maiz imagined the cool trickle of the precious liquid touching his lips, and couldn¡¯t quite remembered what it tasted like. After a moment of wearied consideration, he decided that it must have tasted like the absence of sand. Gritty, almost tasteless but with just enough bitterness to make it even more unpleasant. The idea of not having the stuff pervade his body was almost dreamlike. Maiz blinked, finding himself lying on the sand, sun now higher in the sky. He wished the stupid flashing would go away. Once again, he stood, and staggered forward. His eyes roamed almost without his control, seeing nothing but the brown of sand and the blue of the sky. Occasionally he thought that the blue was water, but he knew he wasn''t that lucky, so he kept going. Then something changed. A motion with the wind, not the ethereal sheet of sand skating over the dunes, but something else. Something swaying, so insignificant he had trouble understanding it. Was that¡­ a plant? He might have staggered faster, but it was hard to tell. Eventually he was upon the little bit of brush. It looked dry and anemic. Like Maiz felt. But he looked wildly around, and in the distance, there it was. Another plant. Two. He kept going, and saw more. Three, four, five. They grew in little clusters, until he saw strands of long brown grass poking up out of the sand. The entire time he walked with the same shambling gait, giving no sign of his increasing excitement. His emotions felt detached from himself somehow, thirst overriding all other thoughts. The grass was thin, but he could see more patches of it growing out of the barren desert. The sand had changed a little too, though he wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell a few days ago. Before this, he hadn¡¯t really understood sand. Now, the coarser, rougher grains interspersed with the fineness of the desert stood out like a beacon. He followed the trail of plants, finding occasional splashes of green as he went. He would have wept, if he could have. Not enough water. He kept moving, finding inspiration in the life growing around him, even as the sun climbed to its highest point. He felt feverishly hot, but he had no sweat on his body. At the same time, the base of his skull ached with a deep, pervasive pain. When his motions began to make rustling sounds instead of the dry hiss of sand being displaced, a smile broke out on his face, splitting the skin of dry lips. There was something before him, something he¡¯d been dreaming of for days. It was blue like the sky, but the sparkle of reflected light and the gentle motion of little wavelets told him it was something else. He fell to his knees, trembling hands cupped before him. They touched the blessed water, and the beautiful splash filled his entire being with joy. Then a sharp pain bloomed in the back of his head. ¡°Ahhhhh,¡± a sibilant voice hissed into his ear as darkness overtook him. ¡°That issssss not--gah!¡± Maiz heard a surprised gurgle, and everything was black. Chapter 29 Maiz woke with water flowing into his mouth. He didn¡¯t open his eyes, just drank in silent peaceful bliss. Then the ground moved, and the water stopped flowing. ¡®More,'' he tried to say, but all that came out was a weak croak. ¡°I am sorry friend. If we give more now, you will only throw it back up. Just rest.¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice, full of quiet certainty and calm. Maiz didn¡¯t have the energy to muster a response, and as the ground moved again, the world slipped away once more. ****** Maiz woke a few times, always because of the water. It was cold, almost sweet, and so wonderful he could have wept. He was only given a little--too little, by his reckoning-before the skin was taken away from him. Each time, the woman¡¯s voice said the same words to him, as if just checking to make sure he understood. After what felt like hours, but could easily have been minutes or days, she gave him a longer drink. The next one was longer still. Eventually Maiz stayed awake, unable to speak but feeling every sway of the animal he was sitting on. The woman didn¡¯t speak either, but somehow Maiz felt a sense of powerful assuredness emanating from her. After the next drink, he drifted into a natural sleep. ¡°Wake up.¡± A sharp pain stung him in the face. Maiz¡¯s eyes shot open, and he flailed for a moment, finding his limbs entangled in sheets. He struggled to a sitting position, looking around wildly. He was in a room cut from gray stone. That felt familiar to him, right. After all, he¡¯d been living in rooms like those for years now. This one looked remarkably similar to the little office Rin used for his research, although there were no bookshelves lining the walls. There were simple square openings cut high into the walls, letting golden sunlight filter in. He was sitting on a pallet not unlike what he¡¯d had in the training grounds. And there was a stony faced man with arms as big as Hugan¡¯s staring down a him. ¡°You are Healed. You have been washed. There are clothes by your pallet. Dress yourself. Someone will come in time.¡± Maiz frowned. Where was he? What had happened to him? There was no way he¡¯d been close enough to the desert''s edge to find a human settlement, yet here he was. The man turned and began walking out. Maiz noticed he was barefoot, wearing a loose-fitted garment somewhere between a tunic and a robe, belted at the waist with a simple band of cloth. His hair was brown, not black like most people Maiz knew, though he was just as dark as Maiz himself, if not darker. ¡°Uh, thank you.¡± It was always better to be polite when you could. ¡®Kind words are often repaid in gold,¡¯ his father had told him since he was little. Maiz hadn¡¯t expected the man to acknowledge his words; he didn''t seem particularly friendly. But to his pleasant surprise, the muscular man stopped, bare feet slapping against the ground, garment swishing, and turned to face him once again. He bowed his head, as one did to an elder or superior where Maiz was from. ¡°You are welcome.¡± Instinctively, Maiz bowed his head awkwardly in return, struggling to make his response deeper as would be appropriate. The man didn¡¯t seem to mind, as he turned and left. All right then. He had no idea where he was, or why he wasn¡¯t dead in the desert. But he could see the flashing purple icon in his vision easily enough. Before he even disentangled himself from the sheets, he focused on the symbol. Congratulations! You have completed the Apprentice feat for the Warrior Monk title! New bonus title gained-Ascetic New skill gained-Enlightenment Maiz frowned. He¡¯d completed a feat? Strange--he didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d done to earn it. Unless the feat was almost dying in the desert, in which case Maiz understood why Lila had never figured it out. Either way, it was a nice little break he¡¯d caught, and he might as well look to see what he¡¯d gained. Enlightenment (Warrior Monk)-An activated ability which allows the user to focus and feed off of their energy. While Enlightenment is active, the user does not need to eat, sleep, or drink. If the user eats or drinks, Enlightenment is deactivated. For each hour Enlightenment is active, the user suffers an increasing penalty to stamina regeneration. When Enlightenment is deactivated, the user experiences a portion of the physical toll they would have received without using Enlightenment. Rank: 1 Effect: User does not need to eat, sleep or drink. For each hour Enlightenment is active, user suffers an additional -0.1 per second penalty to stamina regeneration. When Enlightenment is deactivated, the user experiences 50% of the sleep loss, starvation, and dehydration they accumulated while Enlightenment was active. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. It took Maiz a while to read the full description of the new skill, and even longer to understand it. This was the most complicated skill he¡¯d come across--well, second most. The Mask ability was probably a little stranger. But as he read the full description, he began to understand. This was a way to avoid eating or sleeping! Now he finally knew-- --how Lila had been able to train so much. I should really stop being surprised by things like this. Maiz sighed to himself. He felt strangely calm, almost numb. Intellectually, he was slightly hurt that Lila had apparently been lying to him since they¡¯d met, but honestly he was in no position to cast blame on her. It was almost exactly the same as what had happened with Riala. It seemed that there was justice in the world after all, but only when it applied to him. So Lila is at least Apprentice ranked, maybe even Journeyman. Well, she had been incredibly good for a Novice. Everything she¡¯d done had been so¡­ effortless. Even when he¡¯d come close to hitting her in spars, he¡¯d known deep down that he hadn¡¯t really had a chance from the beginning. She must have been holding back in every session. Whatever reason Lila had for pretending like she was stuck at the Novice rank, it was a little impressive that she¡¯d managed to stay in training for so long without ringing alarm bells. Surely someone would have checked her title at some point? And, considering that it appeared that her feat was just a few days of fasting, Rin probably would have found it before long. Not to mention there were Journeymen, Adepts, and even a Master who¡¯d been basically living with her, and she¡¯d managed to fool them all. It all seriously begged the question of why she¡¯d bother doing it in the first place. But the only way he¡¯d be able to find that out was to ask her himself. To do that, he first had to put some clothes on. They¡¯d given him a garment just like the large man had been wearing--putting it on was a bit of an adventure, but it was comfortable enough. The material was linen or something similar, and it was pure white. Maiz hoped nobody would invite him to eat in this--it would be very easy to stain irreparably. While getting dressed, he also took a quick look at his Name Sheet. He¡¯d gained a full two points in his Constitution: apparently nearly starving and dehydrating to death was severe enough physical punishment for his title to increase it, even though it was already at 26. Another welcome bonus from his time in the Waste, though Maiz didn¡¯t think he¡¯d have undergone the experience if he could have chosen beforehand. Only a few minutes after he finished changing, there was a dull thudding sound by the curtained doorway to the room. Curiously, Maiz poked his head out to see what it was, only to find a pair of large gray eyes looking up at him. It was a boy, perhaps nine or ten years old, and dressed in a miniature version of the same long tunic Maiz had been given. Above his head floated the words Temple Acolyte. The child ducked his head. ¡°Sir. Please follow me if you would. The Jin¡¯Sawishes to meet you.¡± Huh. As Maiz nodded his head at the boy and followed him down a winding stone corridor lined with curtained doorways, he considered. Unless the boy had come here from somewhere else, apparently this place was a temple. A temple where children were born and raised. Strange. And what was a Jin¡¯Sa? All humans spoke the same language, a consequence of learning words from the same gods, but of course some different cultures had specialized words representing things unique to their region. Even still, why would a place presumably close to Caelos use words unfamiliar to Maiz? The boy led him through a large, open room that was devoid of any furniture. They went through another corridor, and Maiz started to wonder just how large this place was. It was strange that nobody was up and about either, though it felt like the middle of the day, so perhaps they were sleeping. Eventually the boy pushed back a curtain and gestured for Maiz to step through it, head bowed. Maiz did so, and the boy left, letting the curtain drop back to cover the doorway. He was in a small room filled with a heady scent, somewhat similar to that of a temple altar. The incense trailing white smoke into the air was probably the source of that. The smoke drifted about the small room, making Maiz¡¯s eyes water slightly and making strange shapes with the shifting currents of air. It also lent a definite air of mystique to the woman sitting cross-legged on a mat before the burner. ¡°Hello.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was instantly familiar to Maiz. It wasn¡¯t the timbre or tone, but the simple assuredness of it that made it so recognizable. This woman had few wrinkles on her face, but she felt older to him than any person he¡¯d met besides Hakim. And Viselys. Remembering his interview with a god gave Maiz a bit of confidence, and he bowed his head respectfully. ¡°Hello, Jin¡¯Sa. Thank you for my life.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything more. However grateful he was to this woman, he wouldn¡¯t acknowledge a debt to her until they¡¯d spoken a little. The woman inclined her head shallowly in return, not standing from her mat. ¡°We find those like you on occasion, though few in as dire a situation. It was a powerful Dungeon you stumbled upon; water attracts the greatest threats in the desert.¡± Maiz just bowed his head in response. What could he say? ¡°It is well that I chose to spend the morning in exercise. In any case, I assume that you have found what you were looking for. You have reached the Temple.¡± The woman looked up at him, clearly expecting a response. So this is a temple. ¡®The Temple.¡¯ ¡°It was difficult to find.¡± Maiz said carefully. The woman let out a soft snort of laughter, surprising Maiz. She didn¡¯t seem the humorous type on first appearance. ¡°Not difficult to find, I would say. Few other things are as¡­ conspicuous as the Temple of the Sands.¡± Maiz frowned slightly, but hid it quickly. No sense in giving anything away yet. That name sounded familiar somehow. He had probably heard it in some story or another. Which meant it was at least somewhat famous. ¡°I will admit, I was told to come here by my, uh, teacher, ma¡¯am. He did not explain why.¡± This wasn¡¯t even a lie really. Unless Maiz had been walking in the wrong direction the entire time, this was likely the only place Hakim could have meant to send him. Now the woman¡¯s face broke out into a full, kindly smile. ¡°I wonder who your teacher is that he sent you into the Waste without aid or explanation. But I would be happy to explain the Temple of the Sands to you, young one. First, I am called Isa.¡± As she said this, words appeared above her head. Maiz thought she might have said something else after that, but he wasn¡¯t listening. In spectral green was a word he¡¯d been seeing far, far too often in recent times. Isa-Master Warrior Monk. Chapter 30 It was a strange feeling, to be standing in front of a person with the power to level several villages by herself. Maiz hadn¡¯t really given himself much time to consider what he¡¯d experienced in the training fields several days ago. In fact, he¡¯d felt quite detached about the whole experience. Yes he¡¯d worried about his friends, but presumably Hugan and Lila had been transported somewhere safer than Maiz had. As for Ziya and Sifet, Maiz knew that Hugan would never have left their side unless their safety was guaranteed. And of course, the dehydration had set in by the end of his second day, leaving him too far gone to really consider anything. But now he was, while not fed, well watered and rested. The bracelet on his arm had seen to any damage he might have sustained on his journey, and he was staring at the word Master written in spectral green once again. Stay calm. Almost as shocking as the first part of the woman¡¯s title was the second. She was a Warrior Monk, like Lila. Like Maiz himself could be, if he chose. Is it worth the risk? I could learn from her. There were so many variables here, and he had seconds to think it through. Polite practice dictated that he introduce himself and show his title in response toher greeting. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so afraid, young man. Come now, tell me your Name.¡± The woman¡¯s voice interrupted his frantic thoughts, and Maiz gave up. He was not going to attempt to deceive a Master and pretend to be someone of her own title. ¡°I am Maiz, ma¡¯am.¡± As he said the words, Maiz bowed deeply, willing his own title to appear. ¡®Ma¡¯am¡¯ seemed wholly inadequate to describe this woman, but there was no more formal term Maiz was aware of, save for those given to nobles. When Maiz lifted his head up, the woman was studying the words above it intently. Yet she was looking at them in the same way Maiz might have read a historical treatise: interesting, but not in a personal sense.Clearly Maiz himself wasn''t as eye-catching as his title, which was probably a good thing: the last time he¡¯d lied to Master, he¡¯d ended up on the ground, tasting blood before he passed out. Unlike Hakim, this woman probably didn¡¯t care about Maiz enough to notice his deception. ¡°I see. A Spellsword in the flesh. I met one of your title once, young man. A true terror in battle.¡± Maiz¡¯s eyebrows lifted involuntarily. ¡°You have?¡± he blurted out, then added ¡°ma¡¯am,¡±with a deep blush. ¡°Oh, yes. I have seen many Masters who live in this region. Many come here to challenge the Temple.¡± Of course it¡¯s a Master. But still... another Spellsword.¡°If it isn¡¯t too much trouble ma¡¯am, could you perhaps tell me his name? Such a person could teach me much.¡± The woman sighed, eyes far away. ¡°He had a very nice set of attack spells. More variety than most, I must say. Made him unpredictable. Oh, I do not remember his name.¡± Right. So I should be on the lookout for another godsdamned avatar of destruction, just in case they¡¯d be willing to teach me something. Gods, angels, and Masters. The most reliable teachers in the world. ¡°Uh, if you don¡¯t mind me asking ma¡¯am, why is it that so many come to this place?¡± There would be time to find out more about this mysterious Spellsword later, and he probably wasn¡¯t getting that information fromthis... Isa, in any case. Too much of a health risk. She shot him a slightly puzzled gaze, which quickly resolved into understanding. ¡°Ah, yes. My apologies, forgot about your earlier question.¡± Again, Maiz was reminded that to this woman, he was only slightly more interesting than a horse of a particularly rare breed. It was actually quite a nice feeling, all things considered. ¡°The Temple of the Sands is very, very old. Older than the Waste itself. Once there were many places like it in the world, but now it is the last, for reasons that will become clear.¡± Older than the Waste? Does she mean that this place wasn¡¯t always a Massahn-touched desert? But Maiz had no intentions to interrupt as Isa continued, ¡°First and foremost, I am sure that you have never seen my own title before.¡± Maiz frowned, but nodded. He technically hadn¡¯t, after all, since Lila never showed hers. ¡°Warrior Monk is not a truly rare title like your own. It was once relatively common in lands bordering this area. However, every living Warrior Monk in the world lives here.¡± Huh. Minus one, I suppose. Again, survival instincts prevented him from speaking. He affected a curious expression, and waited patiently. ¡°You are, I suppose, aware that lineage can play a large role in which title one recieves?¡± Maiz nodded politely, though the question was akin to asking a child if they knew the color of the sky. It was common knowledge that you were likeliest to have the same title as your parents, or a similar one. Maiz, for example, had first been offered the Scholar title. That was a good fit for the son of a book merchant who spent years as a scribe. ¡°Well, it is easy enough to appreciate what would happen if all of the people of the same title began living in one, isolated place.¡± What? Oh, they have children. And those children will probably have the same title as their parents. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Warrior Monks of old all lived in temples like this one, separate from the communities surrounding them. Of course, we are combatants. And no king enjoys the thought of a small, independent, army within their borders. So over time, the old temples fell.¡± The Master Warrior Monk spoke like she had given this speech a hundred times. She wasn¡¯t even looking at Maiz, simply staring into the gently twisting strands of incense smoke that separated them. Maiz could guess easily enough what she would say next. Except for this one. ¡°Except for this one. We are uniquely suited to living in the Waste, thanks to certain skills of our title. This place is a sanctuary of sorts, a place where we can live in peace, away from any other human society that would threaten us.¡± Then the woman''s faced became more contemplaive, a frown creasing her brow. Something was bothering her, it seemed. ¡°But we are not simply a group of lonely hermits, living in the middle of a desert. We have always had a calling, if you will. A very old one.¡± For a moment, the old, powerful woman actually focused her attention on him, and Maiz felt the weight of it like a physical pressure. Maiz got a feeling. A strong one. Once again, he knew what she was going to say, but this time the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he almost sighed in resignation. Of course. ¡°Say, young man. Do they still tell stories of God-Chosen where you¡¯re from?¡± ******************************* ¡°So what does it do?¡± Lila''svoice sounded stronger than it had just a few minutes ago. Hugan thought that was a good thing--it had to be. But it was still strange. She¡¯d just¡­ woken up. No groaning, no half-conscious mumbling, she¡¯d just opened her eyes and started asking questions. And grabbed his canteen without his even looking. Hugan was proud of his canteen. It wasn¡¯t something he mentioned a lot, or even showed other people. But his ba¡¯ had told him early to never get caught without water. That was a recipe for death, working the forge. It was annoying to carry, sure, but it hadn¡¯t felt right to stop wearing it in training. And he was extra glad he¡¯d gotten a really sturdy one from his ba before leaving. Lila had drunk the entire thing in about three seconds. Hugan didn¡¯t really hold it against her. He had a lot of Constitution, and he didn¡¯t even feel thirsty yet. Whereas Lila had been unconscious a few minutes ago. Or something. ¡°Yeah, heh, I don¡¯t really know yet. It¡¯s called, uh¡­ Shieldmate. Gotta use it to find out what it does.¡± It¡¯d been really odd, focusing on his Notification symbol. Usually he got a nice display with little bars that each gave him a sort of ¡®feeling¡¯ for each attribute. Easy to understand. But this time he¡¯d just gotten that name, Shieldmate, and another one. Defender. He kept that to himself. It felt¡­ odd. He couldn¡¯t help but think of someone else who¡¯d been called that. ¡°But don¡¯t you know how it works?¡± She was talking aboutbeing able to perorm the skill, even though he''d never really learned it. That was how it had worked with Shield Stance, and it was the same for this one. Hugan shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Well, I mean, I know how to do it, I just don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen when I do.¡± That wasn¡¯t really it either, though. It was more like his body knew what to do. And what it said wasn¡¯t all that helpful. Lila stopped walking. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Hugan frowned. What? In a moment, the sound of hooves clopping dully against the dirt and sand of the road came into his earshot. Lila had an impressive set of ears on her. ¡°Oh, yeah. What should we do?¡± Hugan scratched his chin. Would be nice to meet some people, maybe get directions. ¡°We should hide.¡± Hugan frowned. ¡°Why?¡± They might have had some spare water to refill his canteen. ¡°We kind of look like runaways.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Then Lila cast a sidelong glance at him with those gray eyes. Hugan could understand what Maiz saw in her, but those eyes... they were a little unsettling. ¡°Where are we headed again?¡± Hugan shrugged. ¡°No idea. I just started walking!¡± He gave Lila a grin. She looked a bit annoyed, but Hugan didn¡¯t let it bother him. What else was he supposed to have done? ¡°All right. You should go off the path then. I¡¯ll see if I can get something useful out of them.¡± Hugan felt his frown return. ¡°Why can¡¯t I stay on? I¡¯d like to know what this skill does, you know.¡± He crossed his arms, turning to face her fully. Whenever he did that, people tended to listen to him a lot more. But Lila was looking sort of scary, eyes hard and face set. ¡°Sorry Hugan, not right now. Off the road.¡± Hugan stepped off. His ba had many words of wisdom about women who could beat you the hells up, but the gist of it was that you should do what they said. He found a clump of bushes and did his best to hide, hunching his shoulders and staying still. He¡¯d never been good at hiding games but he was pretty far from the road, and no one was even looking for him. It turned out to be a single man on a horse, with some supplies on a saddlebag. Lila said something to him, and the man replied, drawing himself up. He had a high pitched voice, Hugan could tell, but he couldn¡¯t hear what was being said clearly. They exchanged words, and eventually they started looking like they were arguing. Lila leaned in close, and then the man stiffened. He offered her a waterskin, which she accepted. After a bit more talking, the man trotted off without looking back. ¡°So who was he then?¡± Hugan asked after struggling up from the bushes and back onto the road. ¡°A messenger for some big city House.¡± She said dismissively. ¡°Nomencadim, he said.¡± That name rang a bell, but Lila was still talking, and Hugan lost it. Probably not important. ¡°Anyways, he was delivering to another House in Caelos, so we¡¯re on the right route to get to there. Hugan smiled. Of course they were headed to Caelos. He knew he¡¯d picked the right way all along. ¡°Great! So, what House were they delivering to?¡± He asked the question out of idle curiosity. His ba made arms for some of the more militant Houses in the city. ¡°Uh, I think it was Sharir. He got scared when I said I was a combatant and started talking really fast.¡± ¡°Huh. Doesn¡¯t sound familiar. Ah well, let¡¯s get moving! Can I have a bit of the--¡± The sound of gulping was the only warning he got, and when he looked over, Lila was already tossing the empty waterskin to the side. Chapter 31 Maiz was in a bad mood. He stomped along, bare feet comfortable on the slightly warm stones of the temple. The morning sun shone through the windows, still low enough to cast harsh shadows throughout the hallways. Two lefts and a right and¡­ godsdammit. He turned around, rounding a corner at a brisk pace, and smashing into something hard and unyielding. He fell like a stone. ¡°Good morning,¡± a deep voice sounded out over the slight throbbing in Maiz¡¯s head. It sounded amused. ¡°Good morning,¡± Maiz mumbed back. Or tried to. He thought it sounded more like ¡®gmmmf mrnnn.¡¯ His mana shifted of its own accord, moving through an incredibly complex pattern and beginning to heal his headache. The healing bracelet was absolutely amazing, though some of his early experimentation revealed that it was too slow to work in a fight, and in any case its use inhibited his mana regeneration severely. What it did mean was that he could recover easily enough from any injury he sustained during a fight, as long as he was alive to do so. As the warmth suffused his skull, he struggled to his feet, finding himself facing the man who had woken him the day before. ¡°Good morning,¡± Maiz repeated, feeling warmth unrelated to the bracelet creep over his face. ¡°I was trying to find the mess hall sir. I apologize for knocking into you.¡± Maiz had been using Mana Sense intensively after his talk with Isa had concluded. The careful analysis of the people surrounding him during dinner had distracted him from his fuming, in any case. Almost everyone there had been a Warrior Monk, with their simple, faint blue-green glow that was precisely the same shade as Lila¡¯s. A few were mages, or unidentifiable non-mages. All of the mages had powerfully bright mana pools, though none exhibited radiance as intense as Hakim¡¯s and that strange black-robed mage. The man standing before Maiz was a Warrior Monk, and from the way Maiz had seen the other monks treating him during the meal, he was not exactly a servant. ¡°It is no trouble. You may walk with me, if you wish. I am going there myself.¡± The man¡¯s gruff voice was at odds with the words. Maiz noticed he was much friendlier than he had been when waking Maiz. Maiz bowed his head deeply, accepting, and they walked back the way Maiz had come. Oops. ¡°I did not introduce myself yesterday. My name is Adrian.¡± The words Adrian-Journeyman Warrior Monk appeared over his head momentarily. A Journeyman. That seemed about right. Despite his size and intimidating appearance, this man was probably in his early or mid-twenties. Journeyman was the rank many combatants reached after two or three years, but it took much, much longer to reach Adept. Maiz had met and seen plenty of old Journeymen. Of course, I¡¯m supposed to get to that rank in six months. ¡°Maiz.¡± He ducked his head again, and displayed his title briefly in return. The muscular man glanced up. ¡°You are young to have reached the Temple.¡± The words were said as a compliment. ¡°I wish you the best of luck today.¡± Maiz thanked him, though he could feel a bit of his irritability returning. When they finally reached the mess hall, Adrian nodded goodbye, making his way to a table of other Warrior Monks. Not that you could tell it from their dress. Everyone wore the same long white tunics belted at the waist. Maiz had found a fresh one by the curtained doorway of his room in the morning. This room was quite a bit smaller than the hall at the training grounds had been, but the layout was almost the same. Everyone sat at tables, eating simple rice and bread, drinking water. The fare here was much blander than at the training grounds, but it was more than edible, and Maiz didn¡¯t have any reason to complain. He sat at an unoccupied section and ate quickly, annoyance growing as he did so. Stupid ¡®Temple.¡¯ Stupid Warrior Monks, stupid¡­ After he finished eating, Maiz waited for a bit, simply sitting at the table until one of the younger people at the tables stood. A few of his friends did so as well, and as they exited Maiz followed them at a distance. In a under a minute, they turned into a hallway that ended in a stone door. The only door Maiz had seen in the Temple, in fact. It should have looked a bit shabby, but honestly it was full of age, history, and mystique. Each small crack and chip seemed to tell a story ages old. Countless legends and heroes had probably passed through this door. Godsdammit. The young man who had stood first in the mess hall stepped forward, and pushed his way through. It took him quite a bit of struggling,as he grunted and strained, before eventually opening the thing. His friends laughed and cheered him on. As soon he opened it enough to slip through, the next stepped forward. They each went in turn, working through the challenge with practiced determination. Two of the smaller ones,both of whom still had the words Temple Acolyte floating above their heads, opted to lay flat and use their legs to push at the door. Those two went through relatively easily, but the others seemed loathe to resort to the strategy. In only a few minutes, they were all through, and Maiz stepped forward. He pushed experimentally on the door. It was heavy, certainly, but even his push was enough to cause some grinding of rock. It was a nice change--he remembered what he¡¯d had to do the last time he¡¯d faced a door like this. Apparently it had been funny enough to make a god laugh. This time though, he simply applied some of his Strength, and opened the portal.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The next room was already empty, the young Warrior Monks apparently having sped through it without issue. That was to be expected, though. It was a simple enough challenge: the room was split in two by a a chasm at least ten meters in length and of indeterminate depth. The chasm was spanned by a fairly wide beam of solid wood, anchored into the stone on both sides. Maiz frowned as he saw the size of the gap. Isa had said that failure would send him back to the beginning, which meant that the chasm was a portal. How much mana, how many resources, had it taken to make such an enormous portal? That was almost as big as the Arch of Heavens was supposed to be! And it was the first godsdammned room! Maiz walked contemptuously across the beam, not missing a step. Of course, with 17 Dexterity, he¡¯d better not have. Still, he was reminded of the last time he¡¯d faced a similar challenge, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit to himself. It was only at times like this that he could really appreciate how far he¡¯d come. Then he opened the--less heavy--door to the next room, and his annoyance returned. It was a narrow corridor. But, if Maiz deduced correctly, there was only one thing this room could be. Sure enough, as he started walking, he spotted and quickly hopped over a tripwire. He continued, avoiding a funnily colored bit of stone and ducking underneath a rather obvious hole in the wall. When he came upon the first fork, he sighed. A trapped maze. This seemed like a stepthe other two challenges, but if all of the traps were as easy to spot as that, it wouldn''t be a problem. He picked a turn at random, committing it to memory, and walked around a pit in the ground with a shake of his head. With a moment¡¯s consideration, he turned on Mana Sense and continued. Just as he¡¯d expected, his Mana Sense made the challenge, already not too difficult, almost trivial. All of the traps were enchanted--they had to be, to force the user back to the beginning if they failed. Again, Maiz was astounded at the sheer amount of resources that had gone into the creation of this place. After reaching the next fork, Maiz realized there was only one bit of expense spared: the wrong turns were not trapped at all, which made it much easier to navigate in general and for him in particular. He still saw no sign of the Warrior Monks who¡¯d gone in before him. They¡¯d likely gone through this room enough times to do it even faster than Maiz. Maiz let out a deep sigh. There was absolutely no doubt that this place was as old as Isa had claimed. It was obviously designed after the Trial, to such an extent that the comparison was clearly meant to be made. This place was older than the last age of God-Chosen. And the whole godsdammned thing was made for someone else. A growling sound interrupted Maiz¡¯s thoughts, and he realized that it was himself making it. But honestly, an ancient temple in the middle of the desert with a society of powerful, knowledgeable warriors that had an ancient mission to serve a prophesied figure, and it was someone else? And not just anyone, but the God-Chosen of Nomenadon, the person who was, if Viselys¡¯ attitude was any indication, going to be his mortal enemy! It was a travesty. If there was any justice in the world, his secretly powerful teacher would have, with his last act, led him to the place where he could grow surrounded by every advantage and aid imaginable. After nearly dying in the journey, he would have realized that he had reached salvation, and trained hard in his new home to eventually return leading an army of combatants to defeat an ancient evil. Or something. Instead, he had to work just like everyone else. If I ever find that asshole, I¡¯ll kill him. Or her, I guess. Maiz wondered where the other God-Chosen was, right that minute. Maybe they were finding some ancient tower filled with ancestral servants of Viselys. That would only be fair. Imagining the scenario with a petty vindictiveness even he recognized, he stepped through to the next challenge. There were three of the young people still in the next room, and they glanced at Maiz as he opened the door. One nodded at him, and he returned the gesture. He also blinked a little at the unexpected heat, which was explained a moment later. It was an open room with quite a high ceiling, but the edges of the room were slightly higher than the middle, like a miniature ledge. There was a strange, winding pattern carved into the depressed floor--just complex enough to be an enchantment matrix by Maiz¡¯s estimation, but with enough aesthetic charm to be a simple decoration. One of the young men took a deep breath, and stepped down from the ledge and into a large circle described by the pattern. Immediately, the entire pattern began to glow a soft reddish-orange and at the far end of the rom a door opened. An enchantment, then. The boy, who was quite lanky and looked like he might have been from Caelos from his features, took off, running swiftly atop the pattern, arms pumping. Behind a trail of fire sprung up. For a moment Maiz thought that the flame was somehow triggered in response to the young man¡¯s running, but when he turned a corner, slowing slightly, the flames did not match him, and he had to speed up along the next straightway to stay ahead. The pattern looped around the room, easy enough to follow but annoyingly nonlinear. The boy followed it exactly, and reached the door well before the flame. Gods that seems finicky. Maiz wondered what would happen if he stepped off of the pattern. The next person to step up gave him his answer. It was a girl, maybe 13 or 14, with the words Temple Acolyte above her head. She stepped onto the square and took off like the first had, navigating easily through the first set of loops. She was markedly slower than the boy had been, however, and was clearly working to stay ahead of the flames. As she navigated a particularly tight series of turns, her feet strayed outside of the carving, and she simply¡­ vanished. Gods, this place is so amazing. Maiz huffed a little to himself, but this challenge was extremely interesting. Clearly it tested one¡¯s Agility, but there were elements of Dexterity and even Intelligence Though it wasn¡¯t too challenging for someone with a title, Maiz could see how it would be invaluable training for a youth. No wonder Lila was so Massahn-touched good at everything, if she¡¯d been training like this her entire life. The next person had a title, and though he was a little slower than the first, he made it to the door easily enough. Then it was just Maiz. He stepped onto the box like the others had, and began to run. The first part was a simple long, sloping line. He made it through that easily enough, moving at what felt like a fast jog but was twice as fast as any untitled person could achieve. There was a tight curve which he rounded easily enough, and then a few loops. After that, there was what Maiz could only describe as a ¡®squiggle.¡¯ Here he tripped up on placing his feet, slowing down. It¡¯s fine I have time, I just need to-- --Maiz caught a glimpse of fire out of the corner of his vision and took a single, panicked step. He found himself staring at the stone door full of chips and cracks, no flame or enchanted floor in sight. Just gray stone, seeming to mock him. He sighed. It was going to be a very long day. Chapter 32 After lunch, on the way back to begin what Isa had called the Path again, Maiz thought of Hakim. It hit him, finally, that he''d beenthinking about a dead man. A man who wouldn¡¯t whack Maiz over the head with magic again, or startle him from behind. Maiz hadn¡¯t known Hakim particularly well, but the old man had quickly and almost insidiously become a pillar of strength in his mind. He hadn¡¯t been nearly as surprised as he rightly should have been at the Aeromancer¡¯s secret Master status, simply because he had never met anyone with the man¡¯s immutable competence before. And now he was dead. It was frankly ridiculous that this should be hitting him now of all times. Maiz had known about what had happened to Hakim for days at this point. Granted, he had spent a few of those delirious from dehydration and the rest in fear of death, but still. It didn¡¯t feel quite fair, somehow. And the feeling was excacerbated by the fact he didn¡¯t quite feel the grief he¡¯d expected. Losing his father had felt like having the world fall away beneath his feet. Accompanied with the complete loss of everything he knew and his own overnight enslavement, he had come very, very close to complete collapse. But Hakim¡¯s death was simply something that had...happened. Though it was during a massive upheaval in Maiz''s life, the death itself had been somehing distant from him, and now, when he was really thinking about what had happened, he just felt empty and a little lost. Most of that, he thought, was a reaction to his lack of true grief. True, he had sworn service to a god many considered evil in a heartbeat, but Maiz wasn¡¯t a monster. He didn¡¯t want to be. Moving forward was the way. He was standing beforean impossible room in an impossible place with an impossible task before him. This was the path Hakim had set him on,and it aligned with the one he''d decided to walk himself. No matter his motivations, it was time to get stronger. Perhaps he could learn whatever Hakim had intended as he did so. Maybe once he did, Maiz could grieve properly. Maiz rubbed his own shoulders absently as he came upon the door. They hurt, as did most of his body. The only bit of comfort he had was his full belly,and even that was undermined by his contemplation moments before. He felt as though everything above his knees woud turn black and purple by the next morning, but the pain was a small price to pay for good training, and that was what this ''Path'' promised.With single, tired puff of breath through his nostrils, he pushed open the door. Hebroke into a flat run, calling up his Mana Sense as he did. The world was lit up in a myriad of colors, include a sky blue that was very familiar to Maiz. He ran across the beam, then began moving through the maze, ducking, dodging, and veering around traps at an almost absurd speed. He¡¯d better have, at this point. In a bare few minutes, he reached the room with the inscribed floor. Not sparing any time, he stepped into the square, and began. Here, he ran at a measured pace, well ahead of the fire but not even as fast as that first young Warrior Monk he¡¯d seen complete the challenge. He navigated each turn, not flinching when the fire seemed close, and made it to the door without issue. And then he ducked. A wooden polearm covered in carvings swept through the space where his head had been, and Maiz popped up without missing a beat. All right. Maiz¡¯s vision, both physical and magical, was crowded by motion, spinning wooden posts moving in set paths all around the room and positively soaked in multicolored mana. They created a dizzying tableau that left him uncertain of anything past a meter from his position. The posts moved in an impossibly intricate pattern, each one a different height, some changing speeds at random moments, others stopping for no apparent reason. It was the ultimate test of Agility, Dexterity, and Intelligence, all wrapped into one. Maiz ducked again as the same post came back the other way, arm spinning towards his head. Before he could straighten his back however, Maiz caught a flash of unexpected movement at his side. He turned, and saw the trailing end of a white tunic as he stood once again. I can¡¯t believe I missed the door opening. Can¡¯t let that happen again. Indeed, there was a tall young man with a lean build standing among the posts. He was weaving in between the spinning poles with exceptional grace, and Maiz quickly turned on his Mana Sense again, trying hard to filter out the interference from all of the magic in the room. It was almost impossible to discern, but he caught a diffuse pale yellow, a color otherwise not present in the enchantments. Interesting. This was not a mage, then, or a Warrior Monk. The unknown combatant hadn¡¯t gone very far: many of his motions were sideteps or even shuffles backwards, each taking him just out of reach of the polearms. As Maiz dismissed his Mana Sense, the young man took a hopping step forward, neatly vaulting a waist-height length of wood without apparent effort. Perhaps he was an Apprentice or Journeyman, with attributes like those. He moved with practiced grace, flowing like sand fell as he wove in between the posts. Soon, Maiz could only catch glimpses of white between the swinging arms, and as he ducked again to avoid the pole, he completely lost sight of the other young man. Did he get it? Or¡­ Either way, Maiz was getting tired of ducking. If he can do it, so can I. No matter that Maiz had been working at this room for a good hour, ever since he¡¯d figured out the previous one. He took a practiced step forward as the next post in line passed him, then hopped to the side to avoid another post that would have smacked him in the ribs. Ducking again, he darted under another post and then immediately hopped over one aimed at his thigh. But as he landed, a flash of pain registered from his back, and suddenly he was in front of a stone door again. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Maiz groaned, awkwardly attempting to massage his back. It felt as though every part of his body from his thighs up had been subjected to a beating administered by a thousand children. No single blow was particularly debilitating, even for an untitled individual, but in aggregate they made him feel like he¡¯d been to the Abyss and back.Yet this was much how he¡¯d felt after his first few days in the training grounds. And he had such a very long way to go. He pushed open the door, and began again. Maiz ran quickly, breath coming in measured bursts. He sped across the wooden beam, feeling as though his feet barely touched the ground. Then he moved on to the maze, not pausing as he neatly avoided every trap, and glorying a little in the ease a which he could move through this section. However, with a somewhat jarring jerk, he stopped short before a wire net trap laid on the floor, looking in confusion down the hall. The young man from earlier was there, walking down the hall. So he hadn¡¯t made it through the post room after all? Though Maiz paused to look at the man, he didn¡¯t do the same, and he moved with a deceptive speed that likely came from a balance of Agility and Dexterity. Maiz hopped over the net trap and began running again, but though he managed to catch up with the other challenger, he couldn¡¯t pass him. Maiz didn¡¯t say anything, and the stranger also didn¡¯t acknowledge Maiz¡¯s presence at all. It felt a bit like going to an outhouse at the same time as someone else; it was easier to just pretend the other person wasn¡¯t there and go about your business. Eventually they both reached the end of the maze without incident. In the patterned room, the man jumped into the square and immediately begin running at an impressive speed, navigating each turn with easy ability. Once he was through the door, Maiz also hopped down and ran the course, though with much less grace and speed. He made it through to the other room, expecting not to see the other combatant or to find them in the middle of dodging through the posts. Instead Maiz almost knocked into the young man as he entered the room. They both sidestepped in either direction, neither saying a word, though Maiz¡¯s heart had squeezed for a moment at the shock. Maiz ducked as the wooden arm swung by a second later, and saw the other challenger sway backwards to avoid the hazard without ducking. The young man¡¯s gaze was focused intently on the room in front of him, eyes seeming to calculate a hundred paths through the spinning obstacles. After what felt like an interminable stretch of time where the young man stared at the room and Maiz copied him, Maiz thought back to something he¡¯d discussed with Hugan and Lila. It had been directly after the Dungeon run, and Maiz had been rather disappointed in his own lack of foresight in not preparing for the encounter. He¡¯d voiced the opinion to Lila, who¡¯d laughed in his face. A moment later, Hugan joined her. They¡¯d both said, in varying levels of vocabulary and reasoning, that sometimes you just needed to do something to learn about it. Maiz had thought about it, and decided that, whatever they said, there was no harm in preparing for important things ahead of time. But in this case, they might have been right. Maiz took a determined step after the wooden arm swung over his head, beginning his frantic dance through the arms, and getting a little further than he had the last time. He hopped over one post and immediately sidestepped as another came at his back. Then he squeezed between two arms that were moving towards each other slowly, turning sidewards to do so. Almost involuntarily, Maiz¡¯s eyes snapped to the other young man, standing with silent pride by the door. He had a hand over his eyes. Wha-- ¡°Godsdammit.¡± Maiz actually swore aloud as the first door reappeared in front of his vision and a new pain blossomed on his shoulder. But a large part of him was also curious at the actions of the other young man. Why had he covered his eyes? Maiz decided to think about it while he found somewhere to¡­ lighten his load. After politely interrogating a Temple Acolyte and managing to avoid getting lost in the winding corridors of the Temple, Maiz returned to the door. He¡¯d come to the conclusion that the other young man hadn¡¯t wanted to see if Maiz made it through the room, most likely because he wanted to figure it out himself. Admirable, if Maiz was being honest. After all, the point of this exercise, for him at least, was only self improvement. What was the point of cheating himself of the opportunity to learn? Maiz pushed open the door, and flew through the first three rooms. He imagined how Hakim ould have done this--probably by flying or teleporting or something equall unfair. Had the old Aeromancer actually been to this place, or just sent Maiz to it on reputation? Had he figured a way through the storm of spinning wood? When Maiz entered the next room, the other young man was still there, eyes surveying the chaos before him, swaying like a stalk of grass in response to the single pole closest to the door. In fact, the whole thing seemed like a representation of a windy forest. If the artist who made it had eaten some bad herbs. Choosing to forgoe the useless staring at the challenge before him, Maiz stepped forward. He made it past two sets of spinning poles, finding himself in a spot where he could somewhat rest, only having to move side to side occasionally. Idly, he looked back at the other young man. There he stood, hand over his eyes like a strange salute. Very honorable and proud. And incredibly stupid. As he realized the truth, Maiz couldn''t stop the laugh from escaping his lips, and he almost missed the next sidestep. The young man made no sign he had heard, which Maiz only thought made it a little funnier. After all, how many times hadhe attempted to clear this room, to be so good at it? Maiz himself had spent a day on it, which was only enough to appreciate how difficult dodging every single pole was. As well as how disgustingly easy it was to get past them. Maiz dropped to the floor, lying flat on his stomach. The pole he¡¯d been dodging swung overhead. He turned around on his belly until his eyes were facing forward. The insane dance of the posts and the protruding poles was eye-catching, mesmerizing. But it was overshadowed, at this angle, by the clear view to the end of the room underneath it. Maiz¡¯s bruises, all of them above the knee, seemed to pulse in mockery. This wasn¡¯t a test of Agility or Dexterity, or even Intelligence. This was about Wisdom. Maiz crawled forward. It wasn¡¯t particularly glorious, not the sort of thing he¡¯d read about in myths or histories, but he found he didn¡¯t care about that very much when he made it to the other side unscathed. Chapter 33 Maiz stared in front of him. In the past week, he¡¯d run the Path so many times they had blurred together in his mind. Well, it was more accurate to say that he¡¯d begun the Path. Every single time, there was some challenge which caught him off guard, or simply required multiple attempts to best. The first four had been the easiest, ones that anyone could complete even without a title. From there they had ramped up in difficulty, little by little. First he¡¯d had to activated a sequence of enchantments in order within a time limit, which acted as both a puzzle and a test of his speed. Then he¡¯d had to move forward through a barrage of random spells which would send him back to the stone door if they hit him. Another test had the same stamina-draining enchantment as in the trial, and another was focused around climbing and balance, like the test of Dexterity had been. Maiz had relearned his Jump and Climb skills, realizing that he¡¯d missed almost two weeks of potential gains. But in all of that time, there was something Maiz hadn¡¯t encountered until that moment. Stairs. ¡®The Path is a forge, a series of challenges and tests meant for the great champion of Lord Nomenadon. Others walk it, even to its completion, but its true lessons can only be learned by the Great One. Still, it is a gauntlet that aids many in their advancement. The challenges it provides are valuable to children and Masters alike. It is truly one of the great wonders left in the world.¡¯ After seeing as much of the thing he had, Maiz couldn¡¯t really dispute Isa¡¯s words, though the bit about Nomenadon¡¯s Chosen still rankled. But there was something he hadn¡¯t really thought about until that moment. Unlike the Trial, the Path was completely indoors, existing without the aid of portals. So how big was the Temple of the Sands, exactly? He supposed someone had decided that building up would be prudent, and he couldn¡¯t really fault them. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that the staircase before him had a symbolic element, and with a smile, he began to climb. He lost all hints of the smile somewhere around the hour mark. The stairs had begun in a doorway, and they were bordered on either side by stone walls as claustrophobic as any in the Temple. Maiz ascended the perfectly spaced, featureless steps in silence, his footfalls making almost no noise with his bare feet and high Dexterity. It occurred to him that a month ago, he would have collapsed at this point--in fact, he would have been completely unable to even get this far, let alone walk up these steps without pause for an hour on top of it. It was almost disquieting, to feel so different from himself. He hadn¡¯t had much time to consider it either, with everything that had happened after he got his title. But when he thought about it a little more, the vague unease faded and his thoughts, his resolve, hardened. He still had a goal, a plan which he held in higher importance than his orders from Viselys himself. And this was how he would make that plan a reality. Of course, he first had to finish climbing these godsdamned stairs. Sighing, he turned on his Mana Sense. It had been nice to ruminate for a bit while feeling like he was doing something, but clearly there was something more going on with these stairs. Sure enough, the corridor was awash in a myriad of colors, all representing powerful enchantments and spells. So what¡¯s the trick here? He couldn¡¯t hope to figure it out by examining the enchantments. The simplest ones here still made his healing bracelet look trivial: all were the works of Masters and, he suspected, God-Chosen of the past. After all, there was no reason to assume that others hadn¡¯t cropped up over the centuries, even after the Trial was ended. No, but he could see what was enchanted. It wasn¡¯t the stairs themselves, it was the walls. They had some sort of strange, swirling magic that chiefly pulsed a deep yellow. Strange. Maiz¡¯s first thought had been that the stairs were like miniature portals, taking him backwards with no sign that he was repeating the same set over and over. What other options could there be, though? It was supremely unlikely that the Temple was that tall--Maiz had the stamina and regeneration to climb comfortably at a rate faster than an ordinary person could match, and a building tall enough to hold so many stairs would likely have been visible to Maiz from where he¡¯d first entered the desert.That left one option: illusion. And it took very little guesswork to figure how he could break it. It had been impossible not to notice, over his continuous challenges of the Path, that the tests thus far were extremely reminiscent of the God¡¯s Trials. It was what had proven its authenticity to Maiz. Undoubtedly, that was what it was meant to do for Nomenadon¡¯s Chosen as well. But there was one bit of that experience, an experience remembered only by God-Chosen and Celestials, that he hadn¡¯t seen simulated yet. Maiz closed his eyes, remembering darkness press around him. He drilled into his own mind, as he had done once before, and continued walking. He felt resistance, remarkably similar to how the Naming Ritual had felt, though not as painful, and without the actual voices in his head. But it had only been a month ago that Maiz had broken through wall after wall to reach the end of that Ritual, and Maiz¡¯s mind was still as unshakable as stone when it came to this. He pushed through, and felt the resistance break easily. Then he almost stumbled as his next step landed on flat ground. Opening his eyes, Maiz felt his smile return. He had reached the second floor.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ************* ¡°Hugan.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Hugan looked at Lila, finding it difficult to focus on her. They¡¯d gotten lost more than once, hidden from quite a few caravans and travelers, but they¡¯d finally made it to Caelos! ¡°I think I should head out now.¡± Hugan blinked. ¡°What?¡± Lila was a strange travelling companion. She was friendly enough, though she didn¡¯t like to talk quite as much as Hugan did. But sometimes, especially when they¡¯d run into other people in the road she¡¯d gotten¡­ ¡®closed off¡¯ was the best way Hugan could describe it. She just took command in such a way that Hugan knew he had no chance of going against her wishes. It was a bit scary for a Novice to be like that. ¡°I¡­ have a place I need to be. My home. It¡¯s important that I go now, or people I know might be in danger.¡± She was talking like someone out of a story. Hugan loved stories--his ba would tell him one every night as a child, and when he was older he¡¯d go to taverns in his free time just in case there was someone there telling a tale. That was something he really missed about Maiz: the other boy knew most of the stories Hugan did, and he¡¯d listen while Hugan talked about them. He wasn¡¯t one to tell his own, but that was fine. But stories were stories, and this was real life. It had only taken a few days of bigheadedness after Hugan got his title for him to realize that. ¡°How come you can¡¯t tell me?¡± She studied him for a moment, frowning. Her odd gray eyes flashed a little, but then her shoulders slumped. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter any more.¡± Words appeared above her head. Lila-Apprentice Warrior Monk. This time, Hugan was really surprised. How was Lila an Apprentice? She hadn¡¯t done any fighting since the training grounds, and besides, she hadn¡¯t done her feat yet! ¡°Congratulations!¡± However she¡¯d done it, Lila was an Apprentice now. Hugan was a little jealous, to his shame. He thought he¡¯d finally be able to one up Lila, since he¡¯d already completed his Apprentice feat. But she was still his friend, and it was always a happy day when your friend advanced. She also had a title Hugan had never seen before, he noticed. Was that why she had to leave? Lila was studying him, and a little smile played across her lips. ¡°Thanks. But, uh, I have to go now, to¡­ find something. It¡¯s important for my future.¡± Huh? What was she looking for? Some ancient weapon, or lost Dungeon? ¡°Can I come?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Hugan laughed. ¡°I¡¯m a Warden, Lila. I could take ten times as many hits as you!¡± Lila threw him a frustrated look, but she wasn¡¯t nearly as scary as she had been those other times. She looked uncertain, for some reason, but Hugan didn¡¯t understand women. He never would, according to his ba. ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of dangerous, and besides, I¡¯m an Apprentice!¡± Hugan snorted. ¡°If you want to get into a punching contest where we stand still, I¡¯d bet you cry yield first. And what do you mean?¡± Why couldn¡¯t she just get to the point already? She let out an explosive sigh. ¡°I¡¯m going into the Waste, Hugan. I can go because of my title, but you¡­¡± Oh. The dangerous, wild land full of monsters and Dungeons, not to mention a harsh environment that killed most people by itself? ¡°I¡¯m definitely coming with you!¡± His favorite stories were from the desert! It was where Slasher Dane hunted the snake-people, where the Sandstorm fought ancient horrors from lost cities, where Roon the Defender wandered for ten years before he came back to Caelos a Master! Lila looked doubtful, though. ¡°How are you going to survive?¡± Now Hugan frowned. It was a perfectly valid question. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I can hold off on water and food for a pretty long time, it¡¯s a skill.¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s a good skill! But I just have a whole lot of Constitution. If we had a camel or something, I think that¡¯d be enough water to get¡­ Where are we going?¡± ¡°The Temple of the Sands.¡± That sounded sort of familiar to Hugan. ¡°Sounds interesting! So does that work, then?¡± She looked perplexed. ¡°I¡­ think so? I¡¯m not really sure. It took me a week to from there to the edge, walking day and night. That sounded difficult, but Hugan had learned at the forge that you didn¡¯t shy away from difficult things. ¡°We can do it.¡± After a long moment, Lila nodded. ¡°All right then, we should head towards a nomad camp. I should be able to get us supplies and a camel, even if we have to do some work for them or something.¡± ¡°Wait, what? Why? We¡¯re only ten minutes away from my family¡¯s house! We should go and get some supplies and sleep, at least. And directions.¡± Now it was Lila¡¯s turn to blink, as though she hadn¡¯t considered the idea. She was just like Maiz, really--they were well matched for each other. They both looked so hard at the future they missed the things right in front of their faces. Hugan had his dreams, but he had a habit of looking at his feet as he walked towards them. He hadn¡¯t fallen yet. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s do that,then." As they entered through the open end of the city, where the walls had long ago been outgrown, Hugan had a thought. ¡±Hey, if you don¡¯t need to drink water, why did you take all of that messenger¡¯s a week back?¡± Lila looked straight ahead, not answering, but Hugan saw her ears flush. Ah well. She was about to meet his parents, anyways. Hugan missed them, but most people would say that the experience more than made up for a single waterskin. Hugan shuddered a little when he thought what his mother would say when he told her where he would be going. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned this plan after all. Chapter 34 This place was insane. Maiz had thought it before, but¡­ why wasn¡¯t the Temple of the Sands the most popular place for combatants in the world? The Warrior Monks didn¡¯t seem to worry about letting people challenge the Path, and the sheer amount of training to be had here alone should have had it swarmed with combatants of every rank, each using the incredible facilities here to advance. Maiz gripped the smooth wood of the staff, facing the thing across from him. It was a wooden dummy, with a featureless face and limbs connected by steel pins. Every inch of it was covered in complex enchantment markings, but a quick peek with Mana Sense had shown a solid sheet of pure white mana, obscuring any of the mana formations that animated the dummy¡¯s form. Golem, he corrected himself. It was funny. This place constantly reminded him that, though he hadn¡¯t done much to deserve it yet, he was a living legend. But here was another one, right in front of him, used as a training aid. Golems were, as far as Maiz knew, one of the Master-level works of all types of Enchanters. There were said to be three massive ones guarding the Royal Palace in Corunti¡¯s capital, and a full nine that did the same for the Ulterion Emperor. Yet even those golems were simply vehicles of stone, requiring a person to direct its movements effectively. This one was acting by itself. Maiz had to cut his astonishment short though, because the impossible golem stepped forward with a strange, slightly inhuman motion, and swung its oversized arms towards him. Fast Feet. Maiz hopped to the side, throwing a single strike into the creature¡¯s midsection as its momentum carried it forward. The blow seemed to do nothing but hurt his hands slightly from the rebound. Ow. The creature turned again, not particularly fast or nimble, and struck at Maiz with a foot. Holy hells. The blow was avoided easily enough, but this thing could actually balance itself on one foot! It was incredible. Focus. He stood in a stone chamber, doors closed at each end, with no discernable unlocking mechanism. Defeating the golem would likely be the way out, but how to do that? The creature attacked again, and while Maiz dodged almost lazily, he prepared a Flaming Strike. He formed the entire pattern himself--though he was still about as slow as the talent¡¯s automatic casting time--and allowed the spell to naturally begin its flow, shifting into fire magic. He occasionally dodged strikes from the golem, but it was slower than most Novices and required only a little of his stamina to avoid with Fast Feet. When the spell was completed, he swung his staff at the golem¡¯s midsection again, prepared for the concussive blast of fire and force. He still didn¡¯t quite expect the thing to literally fly away from him, clattering to the ground after hitting a wall. Nice. Maiz walked over to the golem It wasn¡¯t moving anymore, though he noticed that a few circles on its torso that had been dull before were now lit up, glowing a soft white. There was a dim one dead-center in the middle of the torso, as well as similar ones higher up and to the sides, just underneath where the ribs were on a human. There were a few more brightly lit circles as well, though they were smaller: points on the neck flared brightly, as did some on the upper thigh. Those smaller circles triggered painful memories for Maiz--not emotionally, but physically. Those were some of the weak points Lila was fond of using to disable him in fights. The bigger ones were also things he¡¯d picked up from sparring matches as good spots to target for wounding or incapacitating an opponent. So the idea is to hit those spots to disable the dummy? Maiz¡¯s Flaming Strike must have delivered enough force to the golem to activate most of the points by itself, but Maiz could see how Warrior Monks, who did not specialize in Strength or power attacks, would have to learn to pick their targets carefully. The door to the next room, a simple thing of gray stone, opened with a whisper. Despite being extremely old, the craftsmanship was frankly astonishing. Did the Warrior Monks maintain these parts of the Path? And what of the golem he¡¯d just damaged? THough he didn¡¯t quite know the answer, he¡¯d stopped underestimating the level of skill and power this place displayed, as well as the sheer amount of resources that had been dedicated to its creation. With a last look at the fallen dummy, Maiz moved on to the next room. Walking through the open doorway, Maiz was momentarily startled--the room looked exactly the same as the previous one, and as the door shut behind him, Maiz could detect only one difference: in this room there were two dummies, each standing motionless a shoulder length apart. As Maiz registered their presence, they animated, magic clearly having just run through their enchantments. Oh. Well this shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Indeed it wasn¡¯t. Maiz formed a Flaming Strike as the golems moved towards him, their gait between a lumber and a normal walk. Lumber. Heh. He danced around the dummies, then lashed his staff out at one of the wooden heads. The resulting blast momentarily lit the small room brightly, and caused the dummy to blast down and backwards in an amusing fashion. Maiz almost missed dodging the second golem¡¯s attack as he surveyed the damage with interest. He had decided not to engage Fast Feet, as these particular opponents didn¡¯t require it. However he still caught the motion of the wooden arm and skipped backwards, reflexes trained by the Warrior Monk skill. It was a simple enough matter to lead the second golem on a chase around the room, which culminated in a second Flaming Strike, this one to the side. Maiz chose the spot mostly out of curiosity--this was, after all, an opportunity to learn about the weak points that were so devastating when Lila used them in combat. He took note of the few brightly lit circles in both dummies, finding one behind each ear on the first dummy and a few dimmer ones on the second, he continued. The next room had just one golem, but instead of simple wood sheathed in steel pins, this one was dressed in a leather jerkin and leggings, of the sort a Cobrakin in the City Watch might wear. It was mostly meant to deaden the impact of blows and maybe stop a weak cut from a noncombatant. He still had no trouble sending the golem flying. He was getting a little too fond of seeing the things go flying, but, well, it made him feel good. Powerful. There had been precious little of that in Maiz¡¯s life, both before and after he got his title. The next room contained two jerkin-clad dummies, which Maiz dealt with just as easily as the others. This whole exercise seemed like it was tuned a little too low in comparison to the earlier tests, but then Maiz was probably a little better at fighting these things than the average person. He moved through the next doorway, expecting to see a single, more heavily armored golem waiting for him. Instead, there were three dressed in the jerkin. Oh. Well, this shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Indeed, it wasn¡¯t. Maiz could manage only two consecutive casts of Flaming Strike before needing to wait for his mana to regenerate. But the last dummy was still just as slow as all the others, and he decided to take the opportunity to practice a little non-magical combat. After all, what if this actually happened in a fight? Instead of dodging the dummy until he could cast his spell again, he slipped forward and passed a lunging attack, and delivered a solid whack to the midsection, leveraging the length of his staff and his two-handed grip for maximum damage.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He¡¯d been aiming to hit the large circle in the center of the body, but even though he saw a momentary flash and the dummy stumbled, it did not freeze immediately. Interesting. Skipping back from another blow, Maiz tried another attack to the same area. This time the flash was more noticable, and the golem paused for a longer period of time before continuing towards him. Another blow following that one caused the circle to finally remain lit, and the dummy fell to the ground. Maiz realized he was panting slightly, mostly out of habit. It was an odd feeling, not using his Flaming Strike. It made the challenge quite a bit more, well, challenging. Maybe it¡¯s worth getting a little practice in like this. After all, this was likely where Lila got most of her exceptional combat ability from. That and pretending to be lower ranked than she actually was. Why had she done that? Moreover, why had she bothered training with them at all? The Path was many times superior to anything they¡¯d done, save the Dungeon runs. Just focus. Maiz resolved to only use his Flaming Strike against multiple opponents. He would use the last dummy to practice his non-magical combat, and hopefully gain some insight into how to use his weapon more effectively. When he entered the next room however, he thought about revising that decision. Whereas the earlier opponents had been wearing what amounted to a leather vest and no other protection, this one was clad in a full set of leather armor, covering most of the large vital areas in a thick layer of protection. Of course. Maiz stepped out of the way as the thing attacked. Maiz wasn¡¯t unduly worried at first. Even without magic, this was not a threatening opponent. It simply wasn¡¯t fast or dextrous enough to hit him. But when his first blow to the midsection failed to elicit any response at all, despite being quite powerful, he felt a bit of concern. What were those weak points again? Maiz thought briefly about what he¡¯d seen on the dummie¡¯s he¡¯d already seen, and what Lila had done to him in the past. The dummy was well protected around its torso, but its limbs seemed to be covered by less leather. Remembering the last sparring match he¡¯d had with Lila, he acted as the golem took a ponderous step forward, staff swinging down with all his strength at a spot right above the inner knee. A light did flare briefly on the dummy, and it stopped much as the previous one had, but Maiz knew what to do. In the moment of hesitation elicited by his attack, Maiz drew his staff up and took another swing at the same point. This time the light stayed, a single small circle that seemed unimpressive in comparison to all the ones he¡¯d lit up before while using his Flaming Strike. But his opponent stopped moving and the door opened, so Maiz assumed that it was still enough. As he walked into the next room, Maiz was already preparing a spell. As he¡¯d expected, there were two enemies wearing the same set of heavier armor. He moved to attack the first almost as soon as it began to move, landing a solid blow to the midsection. Instead of flying away, the dummy simply collapsed backwards, though the explosion from his spell was the same. Maiz caught sight of a single dim circle on its toes before he was forced to the dodge the other one. Even without magic, it only took a bit of effort to dispatch the last dummy. This time he targeted the weak point on the inside of the arm, above the elbow. It was simple enough, with how often the golem swung its arm out in wide arcs, and after two hits, he was finished and ready for the next room. This is getting to be pretty fun. ******************* Maiz panted, staring at the open door in front of him. He knew what would face him, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he was ready. Moreover, he was afraid of what would happen if he succeeded. Four dummies lay on the ground before him. He thought they were still made of wood, but it was difficult to tell--almost every inch of them was covered in steel plate. Many of them sported scorch marks around the legs and arms, and one had them on it¡¯s head, behind the ear. It had been a true ordeal to dance around the swinging arms of each golem as he constantly recast his spell and waited for his mana to regenerate. His enhanced blows no longer defeated the opponents in one shot unless he aimed for a critical point, and that became increasingly difficult the more enemies he faced. Only one more room to go. Or would there beeven more after this one? It was impossible to tell. Either way, his mana and stamina were both completely full, and his breathing had returned to normal. It was time to go. Entering the next room, Maiz was reminded of the story of Golian the Conqueror, who¡¯d won a kingdom at swordpoint with the help of his armorclad confidants, all of them Knights. Knight was a Northern title, and Maiz knew little about them besides what was said in those tales. Still, the five plate-clad golems seemed to fit the description, and the way they stood motionless in a semicircle facing Maiz was theatrical enough for any story. All five came to life as the door closed behind Maiz, and as ribbons of fire began swirling around his staff. Immediately, Maiz circled around the opponents, attacking the one on the far end. He¡¯d learned against the three armored golems that being surrounded was a recipe for disaster. His Flaming Strike struck the dummy¡¯s helmet where the hollow behind the ear would be on a person. After the light faded, the golem was already on the ground. Maiz stepped to the side, turning so that he was facing away from the door to the next room. The four remaining golems were lurching towards him at the same speed as all the others. He thought it was a little unfair that they weren¡¯t slower from the extra weight. He also thought that the sight of the four faceless enemies shambling mindlessly towards him was more than a little terrifying. He dodged around a few attacks, holding off on Fast Feet even as he continued to cast Flaming Strike. Best to conserve the stamina. The mana sped up and ribbons of flame danced around his weapon again. The golems were almost in a line now, only two of them within striking distance. Could he get around them without running afoul of the other two? Maiz saw another steel form step into view, and acted in a half panic. He ducked under two attacks from the enemies before him, and took a swipe at the opponent¡¯s knee. His swing swept around and-- The fourth golem stepped into its path, catching it on the shin. The explosion of heat and light was impressive, but the golem barely moved, the blow having missed any weak points. Oh hells. Fast Feet. Maiz ducked, twisted and dodged three attacks, but each move brought him closer to a corner. When the fourth golem went for a kick, Maiz Jumped, his Fast Feet forcing him to twist in the air, and smacked painfully to the ground. He was forcibly reminded of the many times he¡¯d done that in the Trial, and how many times Riala ad healed him as a result. He wasn¡¯t untitled anymore, though, and he recovered quickly from the fall. He was out of the corner now, and all four golems golems were still turning to face him. Maiz began directing his mana once more, forcing it through the spell even as the very last drops required entered his mana pool again. The spell snapped into place as he sidestepped a clumsy blow from the nearest golem, and his staff caught him on the weak point above the knee with a flash. It was over. Maiz dodged easily around the remaining golem¡¯s blows, their reduced numbers insufficient to corner him properly, and let his mana pool refill slowly and taking each one out carefully. He even took the time with the last dummy to defeat it without magic, though the effort of delivering the full five blows to the side of the head left him momentarily drained. He stood over the fallen dummy, chest heaving and eyes a little wild. Then the door opened, and as he looked towards it, he returned to himself. A smile split his face. He¡¯d been worried that he¡¯d find some even greater challenge waiting for him past this room, but instead all he saw were stairs, leading to the next floor. It was time to see what his efforts here had earned him. Chapter 35 ¡°Hugan, don¡¯t put your hand on the table like that!¡± Reflexively, Hugan jerked his left hand off of the table, mumbling an apology through his mouthful of food. There was nothing quite like his mother¡¯s cooking. And nothing quite like her nagging. ¡°Don¡¯t speak with your mouth full!¡± This time, he didn¡¯t say anything. Just ate, shoveling the rice and chicken dish into his mouth as quickly as possible. So good. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry--Lila, was it? My son has the manners of a starving goblin.¡± Lila said something polite, her voice soft and calm. It was a far cry from her usual strong, assertive tone. Hugan¡¯s mother did that to you. ¡°Let me know if you need anything, won¡¯t you?¡± Lila made another noise, and got back to eating. The whole table lapsed into silence, all of them only occasionally asking each other to push the massive bowl towards them. Eating from the same bowl was proper for family, and Hugan¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t hesitated to ask Lila to do the same. However intimidating they could be, they were good people. It looked a little funny, though. Hugan thought this scene would make a great painting, if he could have gotten an Illustrator to do it. Lila was already small by normal standards for Caelos, but Hugan by himself made her look like a child. One of his arms was almost thicker around than her waist. He¡¯d gotten his size from his parents, though. Hugan¡¯s father was a bear of a man, thick all around but with the arms and back of a Smith. There was no question that his arms made Lila seem like a twig in comparison, and even sitting he towered over the table like a giant, casting strange shadows all over the room. Hugan¡¯s mother was just as tall, and nearly as big. She was also a member of the City Watch, a Brawler, in fact. They finished eating, though Hugan thought he could have had a little more if there were any left. ¡°Let me help you clean up!¡± Lila jumped up immediately, but Hugan¡¯s mother waved her down. ¡°It¡¯s Hugan¡¯s turn ten times over. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She accompanied that with a look. Hugan had spent his days with his ba since he was little, helping him around the forge while his mother was on patrol. But even then, he couldn¡¯t quite get Hugan to move like his mother could. He collected the bowl, swept the stray bits of rice from the table, and set about cleaning the floor with the broom and dustpan. His parents and Lila retreated to the other room, chatting a bit as they did so. ¡°Where are you from again, Lila?¡± That was his father, speaking in his slow, amiable way for the first time. He had a voice deep enough to thrum in your chest, and hearing it was almost enough to make Hugan smile by itself. ¡°Oh, the East.¡± ¡°East? Isn¡¯t that¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t quite catch the rest of the words as they moved further into the next room. Once he was finished, he also moved past the curtained doorway, to find everyone waiting for him. Hugan¡¯s father had a slightly troubled look displacing his usually placid expression. ¡°Lila tells me that you two are planning on visiting her home? In the Waste?¡± Hugan shifted uncomfortably. He¡¯d wondered what they would say about this. ¡°Yeah, ba.¡± ¡°You know how dangerous that is? What rank are you, anyway?¡± There was a bit of¡­ anger? Annoyance? He couldn¡¯t quite place the emotion tinging his father¡¯s voice. ¡°Eleven,¡± he said, shifting a little uncomfortably. He¡¯d gotten a lot more experience than Maiz had, that first Dungeon run, but he hadn¡¯t said anything. He wasn¡¯t really sure why, to be honest. ¡°And you want to go into the gods-damned Waste?¡± ¡°Ba, I--¡± ¡°--I don¡¯t care what Roon did, half of those stories got made up by some drunk idiot! You--¡± ¡°--you should go.¡± This time it was his mother who cut in. Hugan¡¯s ba gave his mother a confused, even angry look, but Hugan smiled. What his mother said, went. His ba might argue, but he was all but set. A knocking interrupted the flow of the conversation. Face like an angry storm, Hugan¡¯s ba stood to go answer it, but his mother rose at the same time. She gave his ba the same look she¡¯d given Hugan, and went to the door. Hugan could hear a muffled question down the short hallway to the entryway. It was his mother, sounding polite, but guarded. Another voice, higher pitched and softer, answered. Huh. That sounded sort of familiar. A few more words were exchanged, and then there was the sound of footsteps. Hugan¡¯s mother walked past the curtained doorway, and behind her was a girl only a little taller than Lila, with short hair and a white tunic, cut the same as theirs. As she entered, a look of shock transformed her face, followed by a small smile. For her, it was an astounding display of emotion.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Hey Ziya!¡± Hugan waved, grinning. ************************ ¡°What issue?¡± Shadar spoke calmly, but inside he was more than a little annoyed. A good part of that was from being forced to sit on his throne. The thing was enchanted black stone, and it gave of a subtle aura of doom when he sat on it. For this audience, he¡¯d decided that would be useful, but the godsdamned thing was uncomfortable as nine hells. It was almost amusing, seeing dragons shift uncomfortably. Despite growing up with them, they almost never acted as uncertain as the three in front of him were. ¡°We have regrouped, and incorporated your¡­ reinforcements, God-Chosen. They have reinforced the garrison, and--¡± ¡°--all messengers heading North are being suppressed to the best to of our ability, my lord.¡± Digaratoth cut in, speaking respectfully for the sake of appearances. Shadar noded. They wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress word of the attacks, it would have been impossible even if all three had succeeded perfectly. Destroying the portal outpost had been a major victory, as Shadar would struggle with all of his forces to attack one of the outlying cities if it were reinforced by Corunti¡¯s main army. Hopefully Digaratoth¡¯s efforts could muddy the waters long enough to give them a chance. ¡°Yes, we still need to attack soon, God-Chosen.¡± Taranil¡¯al¡¯Hankor was the one speaking, which Shadar approved of. The other two dragons were both larger, one of them being Shan, the eldest dragon in the Golden Nest save the Grandmaster. Tarangil was Shadar¡¯s lieutenant, though, which made him the most powerful creature in the desert as far as he was concerned. ¡°True.¡± None of this explained why the welp was shuffling about like the floor was on fire. ¡°Master Halia returned from a fly-over of the Waste¡¯s other borders today.¡± Shadar frowned. Such a mission was largely pointless, and a waste of a Master¡¯s time. Shadar¡¯s own spy network had already infiltrated every single nation bordering the Waste, and more besides. But he had given Tarangil autonomy--he could not be truly angry that the dragon chose to use it. ¡°She reported a massive troop gathering at the southern edge. At least ten thousand. He could not close enough for accurate estimate.¡± The words fell from the dragon¡¯s lips hesitantly at first, then tumbling out like water in an overturned cup. Shadar felt his heartbeat quicken slightly, and he carefully did not look at Digaratoth. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°She claimed that an attack, some sort of white light, was sent up from over a mile away. The spell missed her by meters, but she believed it to be a warning.¡± To spot a Master Dragon, who had presumably cloaked herself in her aura to interfere with divination magic, was not an easy feat. What was going on here? ¡°The troops flew a white banner, marked with a sun and¡­ the lion.¡± Shadar gave in. Appearances weren¡¯t worth as much as knowledge now. ¡°Digaratoth?¡± ¡°Our agents in Garron went silent hours ago, my lord. We thought it was an error in communications.¡± Digaratoth sounded as stunned--and worried--as Shadar felt. This was a time for decisions though, not rumination. ¡°And before?¡± ¡°They reported no changes in the area. No troop movements, and no changes in leadership.¡± The lion was central to the crest of Garron. But their colors where green and gold, and there was no sun in the image. That alone spoke of a radical political change that Digaratoh should have picked up on. ¡°Was there anything unusual?¡± No one could hide a fielding of that size, or a political uprising, for that matter. Garron was a large country, but ten thousand combatants would be more than half of their fighting force. Digaratoth had quietly pulled out an etched stone tablet from a pocket behind the throne. Shadar found himself unconcerned that the dragons had seen it. ¡°The last report indicating anything out of the ordinary was a full year ago. A woman was gathering support in the Lumian temples, presumably to take over as Matriarch of the order there.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°And then everything is reported as normal. No more mention is made of her. The matter wasn¡¯t even brought to my attention.¡± Shadar had a feeling he knew what was going on. Of course, there were any number of possibilities, but to completely destroy or somehow obfuscate Digaratoth¡¯s spy network would take abilities that simply should not have been available in Garron. They did not even have a Grandmaster leading them, just a council of old Masters. All of the spies would have had to be compromised at the same time, and well before the perpetrator had control of the country. The power needed to do that would be fantastic. Or legendary. ¡°We will not be able to efficiently gather intelligence on them. Contact Eva. Tell her to bring bones.¡± Silence reigned in the room for a bare moment, and Shadar realized that the dragons were still there. ¡°Suspend all activity against Corunti. I suggest that you contact your Grandmaster, and scatter from your Nest.¡± Tarangil¡¯al¡¯Hankor and the other two Masters looked at Shadar, speechless. He couldn¡¯t say whether it was his first suggestion or his second that had caused the reaction. ¡°Th-they would never find the Nest.¡± Tarangil¡¯s stutter, the same one he had displayed when Shadar had first met him, was back. ¡°Do not question me.¡± Shadar didn¡¯t say anything else, just looked, stony faced, at the dragons. Finally they all bowed their heads in unison, light twinkling as it reflected off of their scales. After another few moments, they made to leave. Shadar didn¡¯t stop them. Once the dull thudding sound of their weight slamming into his floors had faded, Shadar felt his shoulders tense up. ¡°So. The Chosen of Lumia, is it?¡± Digaratoth was hunched over slightly, and he¡¯d already retrieved three more tablets from the space behind the throne. He manipulated the enchantments on them, sending messages and trawling through information. ¡°Most likely. The name listed here is Abraxa, and her title is unknown.¡± ¡°Capabilities.¡± ¡°Also unknown. Although we can guess. She is likely the source of the dragon¡¯s detection, and the destruction of my network in Garron. I had already tasked someone with researching the God-Chosen and their powers, but they haven¡¯t found anything specific.¡± ¡°Continue the research, although perhaps we shouldn¡¯t worry too much about it yet. The real question is what she plans.¡± To be God-Chosen was to be a servant. Shadar himself was meant to test the world. What would Lumia want of her champion? ¡°Apparently the first step is marching across the Waste.¡± Digaratoth sounded bemused, and with good reason. How this God-Chosen planned to move human troops of any numbers across the most desolate region in the world was beyond him. They let the silence stretch again. Digaratoth focused on his tablets, and Shadar considered. Garth would tell him to challenge this God-Chosen, to force her to submit. But there was a better way. ¡°Your networks in the other nations around the Waste are intact?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Begin broadcasting rumors. I want Garron to believe that there is a God-Chosen in Corunti.¡± Chapter 36 Ascending the steps this time took a little bit more mental effort, but still nothing compared to what Maiz had endured in the Ritual. When his feet hit flat stone, he didn¡¯t stumble, just continued forward to see what waited for him. There was an open doorway leading from the stairway into light. Stepping through, Maiz blinked, then coughed a bit. Incense was curling through the air here, much as it had in Isa¡¯s small room, and filling it with a heady scent. Looking around, Maiz saw that this place was larger than Isa¡¯s had been, but similar in an extremely important way. Oh hells. ¡°Hello, young man.¡± The voice was fairly soft, giving the impression of age without the characteristic quavering Maiz would have expected. The man sitting in the center of the room, surrounded by burning incense and swathed in robes, certainly seemed like he barely should have been able to speak. His skin hung off of him like a second robe, revealing bony features Maiz was certain hadn¡¯t been so severe in the man¡¯s youth. His eyes were too large for his face, looming out of his skull like two glowing orbs. Very bright, somewhat unsettling orbs. Maiz forcibly shook himself and bowed. ¡°Hello, sir.¡± The moment the words left his lips Maiz felt a numbness overtake his entire right side, and he collapsed unceremoniously to the ground. His right knee banged on the floor, but all he felt was a slight pressure. He couldn¡¯t even move his right eye, and his vision was blurring horribly as a result. What? ¡°I am the Jin¡¯Tira, boy. Did they not teach you how to¡­ ah. My mistake, I suppose.¡± The man¡¯s voice remained mild, with only a faint hint of annoyance until the end, when he sounded sheepish. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the numbness vanished. Maiz found himself lying on cool stone, a small trail of drool leaking from the corner of his mouth. He was warm all along his right side, his bracelet having gotten to work on his injuries from the fall, and he was was staring straight up into the ceiling of the room. There¡¯s no smoke in the air anymore. Maiz climbed to his feet. Indeed, the air between him and the seated man was clear of smoke, as though someone had run through it. Very, very quickly. Maiz felt sweat begin to bead on the back of his neck, and he bowed as deeply as possible. ¡°My apologies, Jin¡¯Tira.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I forgive you.¡± The man¡¯s voice was placid, but also confident. The sheepishness had vanished. ¡°Even if you are not of the Temple, one of the other children should really educate you on the Path.¡± After the silence stretched for a moment, Maiz decided it would be best to answer. ¡°Yes, Jin¡¯Tira.¡± He did not rise from his bow. ¡°Hm. Well, in any case, there are a few Dungeons ready for a challenger. You would like to challenge one, yes?¡± This time the silence was entirely of Maiz¡¯s making. Dungeons? What is going--I really shouldn¡¯t keep the terrifying old man waiting. ¡°Yes Jin¡¯Tira.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± There was silence for a moment, but a moment later a strong draft washed over Maiz, causing his loose tunic to flutter a bit. ¡°Continue on and take your pick then, young man. You will not experience the memory decay in the Dungeon. Good day.¡± ¡°Good day, Jin¡¯Tira.¡± Maiz waited a moment, and straightened, heart pounding. The old man was still seated in the center of the room, and his eyes were closed. He gave no sign of acknowledgement, and Maiz wasn¡¯t eager to get his attention again. Did Maiz have a curse on him to meet every Master in the world or something? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be rare? And what had he meant by ¡®memory decay?¡¯ Maiz debated whether or not to ask the man about it briefly, then decided firmly that it was not a good idea. Breathing evenly through his nose and trying very hard not to look at the man in the ground, Maiz stepped around him and through the curtained doorway on the other side. This room was bigger than the last. The walls were lined with stone arches, which were obviously portals. Only a few glowed with a blue light that seemed to be the standard for human-made portals. In the center of this room was a pedestal, as simple thing of the same gray stone as the rest of the Temple, and on it there was a faintly glowing piece of paper. Huh. As Maiz approached, he hesitantly reached a hand out to the paper, and found that his hand stopped an inch from the surface. A spell or enchantment, perhaps? Looking down, it took a moment to understand what was on the paper. It seemed like a drawing of an irregular blob with some strange streaks and swirls drawn on it, that was decorated with glowing dots. But one side of the image looked extremely familiar to Maiz--he¡¯d seen plenty of maps of the Waste near Caelos, both in his father¡¯s shop and in the Sharir scribehouse. So this was a map of the Waste then. What were the dots? Maiz almost swore out loud before he stopped himself, throwing a nervous glance back at the room behind him containing the sitting Master. Dungeons. This was a map of godsdamned Dungeons in the Waste! This single piece of parchment was probably worth more than Maiz¡¯s father had made in his entire career! Than even the Sharir owned! It was¡­ Not really that surprising. Maiz had just fought dozens of golems for Hudith¡¯s sake. The map was certainly exciting, and he would have to try and commit it to memory sometime, but now he should try and challenge a Dungeon himself. There was no way of knowing which portal was the most advantageous, and no way in all nine hells he was asking the Jin¡¯Tira, so he simply gripped his staff tightly, and walked to the nearest glowing archway. He stepped through the portal as he would through a doorway, and found himself in dim light. The air was suddenly cooler than it had been, and the air felt¡­ open, as if there were higher ceilings and more space than there was in the previous room.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. There was also a growling noise coming from somewhere he couldn¡¯t quite see. With an internal sigh, Maiz began casting his Flaming Strike. ************* ¡°Go.¡± Hugan¡¯s mother had a note of command in her voice, but that was to be expected from one of the few Adept combatants in the entire city. She and her father were both very well off nowadays, but Hugan remembered a time when he¡¯d been young and his father had to put himself in debt to buy materials for orders. His mother had hardly come home during that time, either. She¡¯d been patrolling or otherwise serving the city for most of Hugan¡¯s childhood. ¡°Anayah! Why should they--¡± ¡°--I¡¯ve heard things from the governor¡¯s detail. They are better off going to the Waste now than staying here for too long. We may be starting evacuations of civilians sometime soon in any case.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hugan¡¯s parents could be difficult to talk to when they were arguing with each other. Once his mother had said it was the ¡®immovable object meeting the unstoppable force.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, son.¡± She dismissed his question without even looking his way. ¡°He should worry! Even if your rumors are true, why the Waste?¡± Suddenly, Hugan¡¯s mother stood with a startling speed, grabbing his ba by the scruff of the neck and forcibly pulling him into the next room. He resisted briefly-Smiths got almost as many points in Strength as Brawlers--but eventually walked awkwardly with her. The sound of their footsteps, loud because of their huge size, thudded through the house. The footsteps stopped and the shouting began. Hugan could only make out a few words, ¡°Waste!¡± and ¡°dead!¡± and ¡°son!¡± chief among them. He shuffled a little, feeling his face flush, but Lila and Ziya didn¡¯t seem to mind. They were talking in low voices to each other, and Hugan decided to join in on the conversation. ¡°We woke up in an outpost a few days away from here. There were twenty-six of us, mostly Novices with a few Journeyman leaders.¡± Ziya¡¯s naturally soft voice was a little hard to hear when she was trying to be quiet, but Hugan was interested in the content of her words, so he leaned in close. ¡°They decided to have us wait, and in a few days a few people from a travelling guard found us. They escorted everyone here. We are staying in an empty Watch barracks.¡± Ziya looked up at them, her piercing eyes resting on each in turn. ¡°But what happened in the first place? Instructor Hakim¡­¡± ¡°It was incredible Ziya! He was a Master, can you believe it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she interjected softly, but Hugan decided that the story was worth continuing anyway. ¡°You remember the two dragons, right? Well they kept using this light magic thing, but I think it was like fire too. Hakim kept making these explosions whenever they attacked, and on the first one we were really close to the fight so, well, we got hit pretty bad. And then after a bit of them fighting with these explosions, Maiz and Lila came to help get you guys out. Maiz was really incredible, he killed one of those lizard things that came behind the dragons!¡± Lila winced at that, for some reason. ¡°And we carried you out to the other training field, and there was this mage there, I think he was an Adept, and he teleported you guys out. But we couldn¡¯t wait, so we went back to help Maiz, and there was this other mage there, in black robes, and she looked really creepy. Then I think Hakim cast a spell, and teleported us away.¡± ¡°So we were injured by the very first attack the dragons made?¡± Ziya¡¯s voice held no emotion as far as Hugan could tell. ¡°It was Hugan who kept you two safe.¡± Lila interrupted, and Hugan cast her an uncomfortable glance. He wasn¡¯t really sure why, but he¡¯d rather she hadn¡¯t told Ziya that. ¡°He guarded you from the shockwaves until I got there to help him carry you out.¡± Ziya looked at Hugan for a long moment. ¡°Thank you.¡± Hugan smiled, a bit awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s sort of my job, isn¡¯t it? Anyways, I did my feat! And I got this awesome new skill that I¡¯m going to test out as soon as we--¡± The familiar sound of thudding footsteps drew Hugan¡¯s attention. Hugan¡¯s ba stomped over to him, grabbed his hand, and unceremoniously dumped a bag into his hand. It clinked lightly as he did so and Hugan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ba, you don¡¯t--¡± ¡°--remember son, keeping your life is more important than saving anyone else''s. No matter what the stories say, you come back to me safe, you hear?¡± ¡°You listen to your father, Hugan.¡± That was his mother, staying a little bit farther back. She had her arms crossed, but her posture was relaxed. It was clear who had won the argument. ¡°You¡¯ll have to go to Uncle Yafi¡¯s stable. I think he¡¯s got some camels from down south that he can sell you. You tell him I sent you.¡± Hugan blinked. ¡®Uncle¡¯ Yafi was an old business partner of his ba¡¯s--he¡¯d gotten his stock shoed from their forge since Hugan was little. He¡¯d also been over for dinner more than once, and let Hugan ride his animals too. ¡°Thanks, ba.¡± His ba nodded firmly, crossing his huge arms. He stepped forward, embracing Hugan tightly. Hugan hugged his father back, though he squirmed a bit when it went on for too long. ¡°All right, son.¡± His father stepped back and his mother filled the space he¡¯d occupied immediately. Oh come on. ¡°You¡¯ll need to get stronger quickly now, Hugan. I expect you to be a Journeyman at least the next time I see you, or else we¡¯ll have words.¡± Her voice was stern, but there was an edge to it. What was wrong? ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll--¡± He cut off as she hugged him tighter than his ba had, tight enough to hurt a little. ¡°I¡¯m worried for you, my little Warden. There¡¯s a lot going on here, and it will only get worse.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hugan choked out. He breathed a little easier as she loosened her embrace. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, son, but it doesn¡¯t matter. You go out to the Waste, to this Temple of your friend¡¯s, and you get stronger. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Hugan frowned even as his mother hugged him. But he wasn¡¯t too worried. She was one of the stronger combatants he¡¯d ever even seen, and his father was no pushover either. They would be all right. Better if they didn¡¯t worry about him. ¡°All right, I will.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Now she stepped back as well, and they all moved to the door. ¡°I love you, son.¡± Hugan mumbled in response, not looking at Ziya or Lila. ¡°Say it.¡± There was a threat in her voice, and Hugan sighed. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°And what about me?¡± Hugan¡¯s ba rumbled. A part of Hugan was wishing he¡¯d just let Lila skip over Caelos entirely like she¡¯d planned. But the larger part was glad that he¡¯d gotten to see his parents before going out into what was suddenly feeling like a very big and dangerous world. ¡°I love you, ba.¡± Chapter 37 Maiz was clean out. His body ducked of its own accord, and something warm passed overhead. He leapt forward, catching a flash of light. Almost immediately his staff, wreathed in ribbons of fire, made contact with something soft and malleable, like wet sand. He shut his eyes briefly and saw red as the light of the Flaming Strike bloomed outwards, far brighter than anything else in the cave. But even with his eyes closed, Maiz didn¡¯t pause, delivering two more blows to the thing before him in quick succession. He opened his eyes just in time to see the fire between the creature''s teeth extinguished, its body fallen. Maiz turned, and then dove to the side with a jerk as the final monster leapt at him again, snarling. Not enough mana left. He seriously regretted not putting more points into Intelligence and Wisdom now, though gods knew his Flaming Strike wasn¡¯t all that effective at the moment. The creature was growling at him now, eyeing him with the wariness of a wild animal. Sparks of fire drifted upward into the darkness of the cave, illuminating little of the surroundings. Instead of standing still like an idiot, Maiz stepped forward, swinging his staff down at the little demon. It hopped to the side, and he immediately used Flicker Strike with a snarl of his own. His staff¡¯s momentum rebounded as if it had struck a springy tree branch, and caught the monster in the side, hard. He followed up with another downward attack, which the creature was too stunned to dodge, and then drew his staff back for the finishing blow. Taking aim at the fiery glow of the creature¡¯s mouth, he swung. His blow met little resistance, and for a moment he thought that it had missed completely. He stumbled a little, balance disrupted by the unimpeded motion of his staff. Did I kill it? The growl a moment later answered that question. Where¡­ Oh. Oh hells. His staff was quite a bit heavier than it had been before. The fire that emanated from his opponent¡¯s mouth was now floating in the air, suspended on Maiz¡¯s weapon. Maiz slammed his staff downwards, but the instant before it hit the ground, the creature let go. That was excellent, except that now there were two sources of fire lighting the cave. And Maiz¡¯s hands were getting a little warm. After waving the staff around a bit did nothing, the fire continuing to spread with supernatural speed, Maiz dropped the staff. Got to be quick. Illusion Strike. He felt his power tighten across his body as he stepped, raising his foot in the air. The creature snarled in reaction to an illusory attack, and hopped backwards. Maiz hopped right along with it, and brought his foot down with all his Strength onto the thing¡¯s dark-furred neck. There was an audible crunch as something broke, but Maiz didn¡¯t stop, bringing his foot down twice more, once on the body and once on the head. As he prepared to attack again, he saw the monster''s fire die. He lowered his foot, wincing a little. Certainly, this was better than fighting the mostly mundane jackal-things in the previous section, but he still didn¡¯t necessarily enjoy slaughtering these things. And his foot hurt now. The flashing purple icon in the corner of his vision attracted his attention, and on a whim he decided to focus on it, if only to see what the monsters were called. You have slain Bioric, rank 2 (4)! +0 exp (40*1.7 knowledge modifier*.01 feat modifier) You have slain Flame-Touched Bioric, rank 5 (4)! +1 exp (100*1.7 knowledge modifier*.01 feat modifier) You have achieved ranks 16-18 in Flaming Strike! +0 exp (15*.01 feat modifier) You have achieved ranks 16-19 in Fast Feet! +0 exp (20*.01 feat modifier) You have achieved rank 16 in Flicker Strike! +0 exp (5*.1 feat modifier) Further improvement in Flaming Strike, Fast Feet, and Flicker Strike is impossible at current proficiencies and title rank. Congratulations! You have completed the Apprentice feat for the Spellsword title! New bonus title gained-Dauntless New spell gained-Windblade Congratulations! You have completed the Apprentice feat for the Nameless title! The Mask skill has been updated Huh. So they¡¯re called ¡®biorics.¡¯ It was a little odd that the ones he¡¯d just fought were the same species, but with fire magic ¡®added¡¯ somehow. It was also nice to see his skills increasing--apparently challenging the Path was helping his knowledge enough to progress. Not to mention¡­ What the hells? He¡¯d completed his Spellsword feat? And that had apparently been enough to complete the Nameless feat as well, meaning that he could finally become an Apprentice! ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest feat I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Maiz heard his voice as if he was far away from himself, so great was his shock. And annoyance. Based on the fact that all of his experience gains had come before the feat was completed, there was only one thing that could have triggered it. The feat had to be killing an enemy without using a weapon or spells. For a title that specialized in killing enemies with weapons and spells. Ridiculous. At least Hugan¡¯s Warden feat had made sense--after all, the title was about protecting people. The Scholar feat had been completely understandable as well, and apparently Warrior Monks were quite spiritual so that had been fairly reasonable. Maiz would never have thought that Spellswords were expected to discard their only advantages in a fight in order to prove themselves.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But Maiz forgot about his annoyance at Nomenadon¡¯s illogical feat system when his brain got around to comprehending what had happened. I did it! He could finally become an Apprentice, and get that much closer to fulfilling Viselys¡¯ requirement! As well as his own plans for the future. Maiz quickly focused on the first skill he¡¯d gained, reading the description. Windblade (Spellsword): Creates cutting edge of wind around the user¡¯s weapon that persists as long as mana is used to sustain it. Rank: 1 Cost: 5 mana per second Effect: The wind aura surrounding the user¡¯s weapon converts 20% blunt damage to cutting damage (this replaces the edge of the weapon). Wow. This spell seemed extraordinarily useful for Maiz. Considering that staves didn¡¯t have edges of their own the spell would basically make his preferred weapon into a longer, more useful sword. It seemed like it would be a downgrade for a swordsman however: perhaps that hinted that the ability would become more powerful in the future? Though he was eager to test his new spell, Maiz had a more pressing concern. He opened the description for The Mask. The Mask (Nameless): Passive ability which allows the Nameless to ignore title restriction for all skills, talents and spells. However, the Nameless is unable to use divine guidance for any skill, talent, or spell. Whenever the Nameless learns a title-restricted skill, talent or spell, the Nameless may change his/her displayed title to the title associated with that skill, talent or spell. The Mask ability is negated if another sentient, non-divine creature comprehends the Nameless¡¯ identity. Note: Benefits/drawbacks of talent change as rank increases. Rank:2 Effect: Rank 1: Nameless may learn any skill or spell and change his/her title to that of a skill or spell he/she knows. Prevents the Nameless from using divine guidance on any skills/spells. Rank 2: Nameless has perfect resistance to effects which invade the mind. Now that was interesting, for a variety of reasons. First, Maiz had checked The Mask periodically, but had never seen its rank increase before. Would it only increase when he completed a feat for the Nameless title? Moreover, the effect he¡¯d gained was a little... ominous. He supposed it made thematic sense, for an ability called The Mask, and it would allow him to conceal his true identity better against some titles. However, it seemed oddly specific. DId that mean Maiz could expect to meet more mental assailants in the future, or was it just that such strategies were more common when the title was created? That was quite a few questions. However, he¡¯d also gained a great deal in this Dungeon. New abilities, exciting prospects for the future, and, of course more combat training. Now he just had to find the way out. Wandering around the cave for a bit revealed that, while there were no passageways leading to more enemies, there was thin arch set into a wall. Just before Maiz approached, it began glowing red in response to some unknown signal. It was a little disappointing that there wasn¡¯t a strong ¡®boss¡¯ monster left in the Dungeon, as there often was in stories, but Maiz supposed that it made sense for what was obviously kept as a training tool for Novices. Those flaming jackal-monsters had been quite a handful, after all. Perhaps they were considered some sort of collective boss by whatever force governed the Dungeon. Regardless, it was time to move on. Maiz stepped into the arch. He found himself in an empty stone room. The space was a perfect cube, and there were no doors leading in or out. The light of the room emanated from the stone itself, a soft white that lit the space evenly, similar to other parts of the Path. One wall had a series of glowing blue carvings set into it, and the opposite wall had a mundane inscription. The first seemed like an enchantment of some kind, probably a ¡®portal,¡¯ and the second was a¡­ diagram? Maiz studied the room with an analytical eye, feeling strangely calm. Over the past week of challenging the Path, he¡¯d learned to approach problems like this methodically. There was always a purpose behind them. On the earlier tests, those purposes had been fairly obvious, but some, like the wooden post room, had required more insight. Even fighting the golems had been an exercise in tactics and managing fatigue as much as it was combat training. Just then, his stomach growled. Oh, right. Time to test out that skill, I guess. Enlightenment. Immediately the hunger vanished, as did his thirst and slight sleepiness from the long hours of work he¡¯d done that day. That was a useful ability. Now back to being smart. Approaching the strange carving, Maiz saw that it was indeed a diagram. Two, in fact. Both were depictions of a human silhouette in different poses. The first was simply standing, front facing Maiz, and there was a series of lines carved within its body, seeming to culminate in its open palms. The second was in a punching pose, one leg coiled and one extended, muscles taut. It took Maiz only a moment to recognize what the first diagram was showing. It was a spell--a fairly simple one, but a spell nonetheless. The second one, the punch, was some sort of skill, then? Presumably he could use these abilities to interact with the enchantment on the other side. He decided not to touch the enchantment until he¡¯d learned at least one of them, lest he be sent back to the beginning of the Path. After a minute of work, Maiz successfully copied the spell shown in the diagram. It was really quite close to a mana-manipulation exercise. He simply guided his mana through his body in loops, pooling it in his hands, then pushed it into the air. His Notification Sheet informed him that he¡¯d learned Mana Projection, which apparently did not have a title associated with it. Maiz was tempted to simply use the spell on the enchanted wall, as he was now sure was intended, and continue on. But he couldn¡¯t resist taking the time to figure out the simple Punch skill shown in the second diagram, which also did not have a title. Then, of course, there was no sense in not taking the time to put the two abilities together into a single move. That only took about ten minutes in total, so he felt justified in the effort. Walking to the opposite end of the room, he performed the dual-maneuver, coiling his body tightly as he pooled mana into his hand, releasing it at the same instant that he made contact with his fist. He also winced a little, closing his eyes in an involuntary reaction to sending his fist straight into the rock wall. When he opened them he was in another strange room. This one was lit by the same type of glowing stone as the last, but instead of white it was purple. A very familiar shade of purple. As soon as he registered the color, Maiz¡¯s heartbeat quickened, but he looked around cautiously. This place was much more confined than the previous room had been, and the air felt¡­ musty. Old. Or perhaps ancient would be a better descriptor in this case. Directly in front of him, a small altar had been set into the ground, carved of black stone. There was a book set innocently before it, the leather of its binding looking dark in the strange light. Beyond the book, carved directly into the altar and glowing purple like the walls, was a single symbol. Maiz began to laugh. Chapter 38 If you are wondering why I did this, then I confess disappointment. The answer, of course, is simple. I was very, very bored. Maiz snorted. The light made it a little hard to read the ancient words, but they had been preserved exceptionally well. The script was carefully laid out, deliberate, but with a hint of¡­ something. He had seen a few old texts before, though none nearly as ancient as this one. Often, even when they hadn¡¯t been transcribed by someone with a Printing skill, they had a high degree of formality and impersonality to them. This¡­ didn¡¯t. There was a little curl at the tail of every ¡®y,¡¯ each ¡®w¡¯ was jagged and messy. It truly felt as though Maiz was communicating with someone who¡¯d lived an age ago. I suppose you could say that I have won this round. I have defeated everyone who could have opposed me and reshaped the world to my desire--it was not particularly difficult, given my advantage in being the first Chosen of the nine. I am likely the single most powerful human who has ever lived, or number among the greatest at the least. I could recount for you the story of how I became who I am today, but it is unimportant to you, for the most part. Suffice it to say that I could pretend to be any of the Chosen if I wished. I simply chose to snub Nomenadon because it would be the funniest. These Monks are rather gullible, and suitably impressed with my powers, so I believe they will still be waiting in this place when you are reading these words. I hope that you will get a laugh out of watching them, now that you know the truth. It has taken me eight years and every one of my abilities to make the Temple. It shall stand as the silent wonder of the world, unknown to any outside its walls. This is the last chamber I have prepared, and it is deep underground, hundreds of miles away from the others. If you are reading this, then you have already pierced the illusion that would trap you in a prison of your own mind until you died of starvation. If you are wondering why I would risk the chance that you would come here before gaining the second rank of the Mask, it is, again, because I was bored. Besides, you would have thanked me if Nomenadon¡¯s whelp came here first and found this place. I will assume, in fact, that you are doing so. You are welcome. I am old, now. I have achieved the pinnacle of my title, but even still time has marched slowly on. I feel that I am in my last decade, perhaps even my last year, on this world. Perhaps I shall conquer an empire, and set up some young hero to overthrow me. That would be an interesting death, at least. I have gone on a thousand adventures and told a million lies, and I have one task remaining to me that I never completed. Our Lord will give it to you, eventually, if he has not yet. I thought I could do it if I collected the abilities of each of the nine. I was wrong. So, I have created the Temple, to help you in your attempt. Somewhat. It was quite an engaging project. I wonder how many Masters will be born of this place, and not remember it. If you are wondering why I am not telling you what this task is, it is because I enjoy being the cryptic one, for once. I believe I am better at it than Mel, though she may disagree. In any case, you should stop being an ungrateful brat and remember that I have given you quite the resource. If you reach the end of the next section, you will sing my praises to our Lord. Do not actually do that. I sang for him, once. He did not appreciate it. Good luck. Maiz blinked. He suddenly wished that the writer of this¡­ letter was a little bit less personal and a little more comprehensible. All he¡¯d really gotten from the message was what he¡¯d already deduced--the Temple of the Sands was a gigantic trick. And apparently the single greatest prank ever played in the history of humanity. He winced a little, thinking about what this letter implied. The writer had tricked an entire society into believing a lie. Generations upon generations of Warrior Monks had probably lived and died in the place, isolated from the rest of the world by the Waste and believing that they were carrying out a holy mission. An involuntary chuckle escaped from. He immediately felt terrible, but honestly, that was pretty godsdamned funny. There were other things in the letter, bits and pieces. The writer had been a Chosen of Viselys like Maiz himself, but had been the first to be Chosen. He--Maiz decided to think of the ancient God-Chosen as male for simplicity¡¯s sake--had apparently leveraged that advantage to annihilate the other eight and learn all of their powers. But what was this task that he had been given and unable to complete? Maiz had trouble believing that anyone with the power to create something like the Path could fail at anything. It was more than a little concerning, especially because the writer apparently expected Maiz to do it one day. He somehow doubted that would be possible.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. And then there were parts that he just plain didn¡¯t understand. Not remember? Not remember what? Not to mention that Maiz himself still didn¡¯t understand why the Temple wasn¡¯t the most famous place in the entire world. What did the writer mean by ¡®silent wonder?¡¯ And who was Mel? ¡®Why was he such a Massahn-touched vague bastard¡¯ is probably the best question of all. The bit about the illusion was especially chilling. He had come very, very close to death. Because of the whims of an ancient jackass with a good sense of humor. It was rather infuriating, and also something Maiz could almost respect. The writer hadn¡¯t put much emphasis on it, but this place wasn¡¯t just a very twisted joke, it was also a trap for the most dangerous enemy Maiz was likely to face--the Chosen of Nomenadon. Apparently they would also have been able to access this chamber, presumably by using the physical and mana-based abilities together on the portal enchantment just like Maiz had. He just wished that the previous Nameless could have put the trap further down the Path and avoided the chance of snaring Maiz as well. However, he hadn¡¯t, and it didn¡¯t particularly matter. Maiz had been running on a set of extraordinary coincidences since he¡¯d stepped through the door to begin his Naming Ritual. He¡¯d come close to death several times, more than he could easily keep track of. This wasn¡¯t even the first time in this day--angering the Jin¡¯Tira could have killed him just as easily as wandering into this chamber could have. He simply had to move on. And now he had a new goal to focus on. A challenge, even. How long would it take him to reach this ¡®gift¡¯ the previous Nameless had left him? ***************** The image in the mirror was unsettling. If he¡¯d said that out loud, perhaps Digaratoth or Eva would have cracked a joke about his age or appearance. Shadar might have welcomed it. But he couldn¡¯t tear his attention away from what he was seeing. Shadar had no issue with seeing the small legion of undead advance across the desert sand. In fact, he was mildly impressed at Eva¡¯s precise control of each individual skeleton, though he knew part of that was because her undead were sentient and self-aware. A quirk of the Lich title. However, the sight of what they were marching towards was what concerned him. An absolutely massive array of soldiers, all perfectly aligned in formation and unflinching in the face of the horrors marching towards them. The front rank carried shields, and the one behind held spears that poked above their heads. The combatants in the front were heavily armored, their titles likely focused on defense, and no doubt the other ranks were also grouped by specialty. In short, the skeletons were marching toward a true army. The image suddenly vanished. ¡°Godsdammit,¡± Eva swore absently, ¡°they got the bird.¡± She waved a hand and the image was restored, now from the perspective of something walking toward the army. A skeleton at the front of the legion, likely. Shadar frowned. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No idea, but I think we¡¯ll see.¡± There was a hole forming in the lines of the army. Not in a disorderly fashion, as if they were retreating, but neatly. In a ripple, the combatants in the center of the army stepped sideways, opening a tunnel through the ranks. It was a well practiced effort, but Shadar didn¡¯t see the point of it. He himself didn¡¯t ascribe to such rigid battle formation tactics at all, but he still knew that the integrity of the ranks was paramount to the success of the strategy. So why break it? The tunnel continued to open. Finally, Shadar could see only few lines of soldiers left. They stepped to the side, and he caught a glimpse--a very indistinct glimpse--of a single figure. The image in the mirror brightened and continue to brighten. Soon it shone pure white. In the next moment, the image faded, leaving the mirror mundane once more. ¡°What the hells?¡± Eva sounded a little surprised, but mostly annoyed. ¡°Can you connect to a different servant?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re all gone.¡± ¡°Hm. All of them were destroyed at once?¡¯¡± That was Digaratoth, speaking for the first time. ¡°Yes! I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°We already suspected that this was Lumia¡¯s Chosen. It makes sense they would be suited to dealing with the undead.¡± Eva scowled. There was a strong association between those with necromantic titles and Ulion, and those who served Lumia often received powers which worked best against the undead. She had always disliked that, considering that she herself did not serve the dark god and still had to contend with the Lumians¡¯ hatred. ¡°Yes. But that isn¡¯t the strange part.¡± Digaratoth and Eva both nodded. Digaratoth was businesslike, Eva still angry. She spoke first, like usual. ¡°Why, in Lumia¡¯s godsdamned uptight name, did they bother lining up like that at all?¡± Shadar looked into the mirror. It showed him his own face--still strong, but¡­ old. Weathered. ¡°A message.¡± Shadar didn¡¯t say what they all knew. Lumia¡¯s Chosen hadn¡¯t simply been dealing with a strange attack by undead. She¡¯d known what Shadar had been doing, and had decided to reply accordingly. With a direct declaration of war. ¡°It really is just beginning, isn¡¯t it?¡± Digaratoth said the words softly, and Shadar sighed. The Saurian knew him well, to echo his own thoughts so perfectly. Chapter 39 Maiz spent the rest of the day in frustration. He¡¯d left what he dubbed the ¡°Purple Room¡± after finding nothing else of interest in it, and found himself at the beginning of a new section of the Path. The first challenge had been¡­ interesting. Terrifying. Impossible. He had to jump between impossibly narrow spires in the ground that rose up out of a seemingly endless pit. That might have been fine enough on its own, but each of the platforms only lasted for a bare moment before giving away beneath his feet. Without remaining constantly in motion, he tumbled into the abyss. Maiz got to know the abyss well that day. But he¡¯d continued, running through the Path again and finding it a little easier than before. He¡¯d been quite excited to cast his new spell, Windblade, but actually doing so had mixed results. The first time he¡¯d cast it, he was facing the single plate-armored golem. He activated the talent, and immediately mana began rushing through his body and into his staff, forming a matrix just as it did for his Flaming Strike. This time though, instead of a few discrete patterns, on the third pass the magic wove itself through a set of repetitive looping whorls, then made the same pattern back upon itself, but smaller than before. This process had repeated several times, the pattern growing finer and finer with each pass until it simply began dissipating into the air. The entire staff was glowing blue to his Mana Sense at that point, and Maiz could feel a gentle breeze emanating from it. Attacking the armored golem with the spell had resulted in a sound somewhere between the hum of an insect¡¯s wing and the screech of an angry cat. After Maiz got over the shock of that surprise, he¡¯d noticed that a small scratch had appeared in the golem¡¯s armor. He¡¯d continued attacking, though his ears protested, and then cast his Flaming Strike on top of the Windblade. Surprisingly, that worked, and his next attack did significant damage to his enemy. And then he ran out of mana. He¡¯d stopped casting the spell just in time, thank Lumia, but he had come incredibly close to drawing on an empty mana pool, and based on what Hakim had told him, that would have been very bad. He hadn¡¯t realized just how quickly Windblade was draining his mana, and just how much his Flaming Strike was taking up now with each cast. Still, he¡¯d forced himself to use Windblade as much as possible, if only to train the spell so that he could gain ranks for it in the Dungeon. Then, when he¡¯d finally gotten past the golems, he¡¯d found that, according to the Jin¡¯Tira, he wasn¡¯t allowed to challenge a Dungeon more than once a day. So he¡¯d continued on, only to fail again and again at the first challenge of the next floor. A wonderful experience, all told. The next morning however, he had a mission. He navigated the stone corridors easily enough until he made it to the mess hall. Then, instead of finding a place at one of the many unoccupied sections as he normally did, he looked for, and found, one of the only people in the Temple he actually recognized. It was more than a little intimidating, approaching a group of Journeyman combatants that he¡¯d never met before, but Maiz had spoken to three Masters now in his life, and those risks had more than outweighed this one. The chatting Warrior Monks looked a little disconcerted when Maiz sat down at their section, but the largest and most commanding of them nodded and smiled as he did so. ¡°Hello. I am afraid I do not recall your name.¡± He actually looked apologetic at this, though he also seemed a little guarded, as if he wasn¡¯t quite sure why Maiz was sitting there. Maiz was having his own doubts as well. He smiled back, though it felt a little forced. ¡°Maiz.¡± He ducked his head, and let his title display itself briefly. ¡°You¡¯re Adrian, right?¡± The young man nodded, letting his own title display in return. It was still at the Journeyman rank, which was to be expected for someone his age. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me sitting here. I¡¯ve been at the Temple for only a week now, and it¡¯s been a little, uh¡­¡± ¡°Lonely?¡± Adrian nodded sympathetically. ¡°I always wonder how you travellers do it, especially because you cannot leave for long.¡± Maiz raised his eyebrows, then quickly furrowed them. I really need to put some points into Charisma. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Adrian looked back at him, clearly uncomprehending. His friends, who Maiz just then noticed were all studying him curiously, did the same. ¡°What is wrong?¡± They¡¯re sort of formal here, aren¡¯t they? The simple observation let Maiz focus on something other than the many pairs of eyes looking at him, and he spoke in a voice he thought was suitably innocent. ¡°I¡¯d, uh, just never heard of what you¡¯re saying. Why can¡¯t we leave here for long?¡± Adrian laughed, and everyone near them let out a few chuckles as well. ¡°Did the Jin¡¯Sa forget to tell you, then?¡± Maiz frowned, in earnest this time. ¡°Probably?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°If you were to leave the Temple, not through one of the portals in the Path but physically, you would begin experiencing some memory loss. Or¡­ hm. It is difficult to describe.¡± The young man rubbed his chin in thought. It was a rather impressive gesture, considering his strong jaw and muscular arms. Maiz shifted his own arms uncomfortably. He didn¡¯t look as emaciated as he had only a month ago, but he wasn¡¯t going to be posing for an Illuminator any time soon. Unless they wanted to portray a scrawny young man in all his mediocre glory. It was very unfair, considering Maiz likely had enough Strength to come close to Adrian, even if his body didn¡¯t reflect it. Of course, if bodies accurately reflected attributes like Strength, even Maiz would be positively grotesque at this point. While Maiz was somewhat jealously looking at Adrian¡¯s muscles, the Warrior Monk had looked to his friends across the table. Finally, a young woman who looked a little like Lila, but taller and with a heart-shaped face, piped up. ¡°It is as if your mind begins to consider the Temple unimportant, and stops thinking about what exactly it is. Quite similar to that feeling when you walk into a room and forget why you were going there in the first place.¡± Maiz grimaced. That was an incredibly annoying sensation. Especially when asking what you were supposed to be doing could earn you a severe beating. The others at the table laughed, however. ¡°That is a good way of describing it Juya, but you have the most practice here at forgetting things, so I suppose you are the expert!¡± This was yet another of the young Warrior Monks, and he nudged the girl as he said the words in a teasing tone. She jabbed him lightly, though a smile played at the corner of her lips. ¡°At least when I remember to do something, I can get it done.¡± At this everyone at the table except for Maiz howled with laughter, and several comments were thrown at the young man who¡¯d spoken. He grinned sheepishly, though he looked quite embarrassed--apparently that had been a reference to some failure of his that his friends found hilarious. Maiz felt a pang of sympathy, but he was also very curious to hear more about this¡­ memory shift that occured when one left the Temple. Unfortunately, the group had already moved on to other topics. One young woman complained that the Jin¡¯Sa was, in fact, forgetting to tell them important things more and more. Apparently it made working to maintain the Temple quite the chore. Another Journeyman was talking about coming off of a full month of ¡°non-stop¡± training, and how he had almost missed his work the next day because of the sleep he¡¯d experienced. That would be using Enlightenment. Maiz realized that he really should have been using that particular skill more in training, if only to extend his practice time. He wouldn¡¯t be sleeping tonight, then, though he had to consider how to hide the fact that he was using Enlightenment from the Warrior Monks here. ¡°Maiz, was it? Where are you from?¡± Juya, the same young woman who had provided the explanation about the Temple¡¯s memory magic was looking at him. Maiz, who had been focusing rather studiously on his food and trying not to be noticed, looked up. A bit of rice fell out of his mouth, and he blushed. I¡¯m starting to become Hugan. After chewing quickly and swallowing, he spoke. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from Corunti, actually. Caelos.¡± Juya seemed interested at that. ¡°Oh, really? The Jin¡¯Sa has told me that the capital of Corunti is a wonderful place, have you ever been there?¡± Maiz shook his head. ¡°Uh, no. Maybe I¡¯ll go sometime.¡± He chuckled weakly. Gods, I¡¯m somehow worse at this than I was in the training grounds. Wait. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how did the Jin¡¯Sa visit our capital? Wouldn¡¯t she forget the Temple?¡± Juya shook her head, smiling. ¡°The Jin are the only ones who can leave the Temple without forgetting it. Some sort of talisman or magic.¡± ¡°Yes, and they never use it! Wasted, if you ask me.¡± Another unnamed young man interjected. He looked a touch resentful, which Maiz could understand. He had been bound to one place for years, and it was only after leaving and seeing more of the world that he realized what experiences he¡¯d been deprived of. He found himself actually eager to see Corunti¡¯s capital, as Juya had suggested. It was something¡­ exciting. An adventure that wasn¡¯t about serving a god or carrying out his plans for the future. But those plans can¡¯t wait too long. It hadn¡¯t escaped Maiz¡¯s notice that, with a resource like the Path, it was conceivable that he could overshoot Viselys¡¯ goal, and become an Adept in a fraction of the time it normally took. And then¡­ he could finally pay back those Sharir bastards. ¡°... would you, Maiz?¡± Maiz started slightly at the sound of his own name. What? Juya had asked him something. Maiz briefly considered simply answering ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no,¡¯ but he remembered the story of the Accidental Bride, and decided to avoid any potential shenanigans. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t quite catch that.¡± Juya let out a slight laugh. ¡°We were asking if you could bring us back stories of the world, once you leave?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a silly question, you know. He wouldn¡¯t be able to remember,¡± the same man as earlier said, voice dismissive. Juya frowned. ¡°Huh. Why not become a Jin, then, so you do not forget?¡± Maiz¡­ wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that. ¡°I, uh--¡± ¡°--stop teasing him, Juya. He is just a Novice, you know.¡± Adrian had turned back from his other conversation, and looked reproachfully at Juya. He nodded apologetically to Maiz. ¡°I am sorry, she does that sometimes.¡± ¡°Stop talking about me as if I am a misbehaving camel, Adrian!¡± Adrian ignored that interjection, continuing. ¡°The Jin are all Masters, and they are all Warrior Monks, like us. She is just making a poor joke. If you really wanted to come back here, your best bet would be to make a map, with instructions to return after a set time.¡± ¡°That hardly ever works, though.¡± Juya still sounded a bit annoyed, but also threw a sheepish glance to Maiz. ¡°Yes, but nothing else does at all.¡± From there, the conversation devolved into a discussion of the few travellers who came to the Temple twice, including one who apparently did so by complete coincidence. But Maiz had been given something very interesting to think about. How had Hakim remembered to send Maiz here? He must have had written himself instructions, like Adrian had suggested. The only question was, what had he written that prompted him to send Maiz, of all people? Of course, it hadn¡¯t escaped his notice that he himself wouldn¡¯t have that issue when he left, thanks his Mask ability. Which meant, if he wanted, he could actually return to this place with stories of the world outside, as Juya had suggested. Perhaps he would. Of course, before he could do any of that, he had a simple goal. Power. It was time to return to the Path. Chapter 40 ¡°Hey. Lila.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Hugan looked over at the girl next to him. They were both walking, while Ziya rode on the camel with their supplies. She had tried to object in her soft way, but it had only taken Lila¡¯s pointing out that it was the most efficient way to handle the fact that Ziya¡¯s physical attributes were lower than theirs to resolve the issue. Hugan hadn¡¯t stepped into that conversation, but he was glad at how it had turned out. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Honestly, he was just bored. They¡¯d been walking for a good eight hours since midday. Ziya had said they should stay up as late as they could, so that they could get used to sleeping by day and walking at night. He hadn¡¯t realized just how much, well, waiting went into going on adventures. He¡¯d talked for a while, but while Lila would laugh along with him for a while, eventually they all got worn out. Even him. What he really needed just then, he decided, was to hear a story. ¡°Tell us about your home.¡± Hugan thought back to what she¡¯d called it. ¡°The, uh, Temple of the Sands?¡± She slowed down for a moment, and Hugan almost thought she¡¯d tripped. Except that, even here outside of the Waste proper, there wasn¡¯t too much to trip on. Just sand. ¡°What?¡± She sounded absent-minded, like she hadn¡¯t quite been paying attention. Her eyes stayed ahead, scanning the landscape around them. ¡°I said, tell us about the Temple. I mean, we¡¯re going there, aren¡¯t we. Why¡¯s there a Temple in the middle of the Waste anyways?¡± Those questions hadn¡¯t really occurred to Hugan before--they still didn¡¯t bother him too much. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d abandon Lila, so there wasn¡¯t much point in worrying about it. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry, I...¡± She trailed off. Hugan looked turned to look at her again. She had a frown on her face, like she was thinking hard about something. Then her face resolved into calm indifference, like she hadn''t just been talking to Hugan at all. ¡°Where did you grow up?¡± Ziya cut in from atop the camel, and Lila responded in a casual tone. ¡°The Temple of the Sands, in the Waste.¡± ¡°And what is it like there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty nice...¡± Again she trailed off, though she¡¯d seemed like she was about to continue. This time, she didn¡¯t even seem to notice that she¡¯d done it. Hugan spoke up, though he wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°Lila--¡± ¡°--where did you learn to fight?¡± Ziya, uncharacteristically sharp, cut Hugan off. He didn¡¯t object, though. Something odd was happening. ¡°In the Temple of the Sands.¡± Confident, normal. ¡°And how did you learn?¡± ¡°I trained.¡± Still normal. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°The Temple of the Sands.¡± Her words didn¡¯t even hitch, though she sounded like she was getting annoyed at Ziya¡¯s questioning. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± For a moment, that puzzled expression flitted across her face, then resolved itself into her usual proud confidence. ¡°What time do you think we should rest?¡± Hugan frowned. Why was she talking about that now? ¡°Lila, we were just talking about the Temple of the Sands.¡± ¡°Oh. The sun¡¯s getting a little lower. I say we keep going until two hours after dark. We should look for firewood, too.¡± ¡°Lila, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Hugan cut in, unable to hold back his concern. What was wrong with her? ¡°You keep not answering our questions.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The Temple of the Sands.¡± At that, she nodded amiably, turning away and continuing to walk. It was almost like a very bad joke. Hugan grabbed her shoulder gently, motioning her to stop. Ziya wrestled awkwardly with the reins of the camel for a moment, and Hugan stopped that as well. She hopped down. ¡°What?¡± Lila had a slightly annoyed expression on her face, and she gracefully duck out from under Hugan¡¯s hand. ¡°Lila, what are some of the most interesting places you¡¯ve been in your life?¡± Ziya¡¯s soft voice was conversational, but with an edge to it that even Hugan could pick out. He shot her a puzzled look, but she had her eyes fixed on Lila. Lila chuckled at the question, though she seemed a bit unsettled by Ziya¡¯s tone. ¡°I haven¡¯t really been to many places, to tell the truth. I suppose Caelos, and the Temple of the Sands, and Faizun. I went by there on the way to the training grounds, and the smell was impressive, let me tell you.¡± She let out a laugh.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Hugan frowned, feeling something squeeze his chest. Fear. Her laugh was unsetting, not because it sounded forced or pained, but because it didn¡¯t. He¡¯d heard stories of evil mind mages, but their victims were always like prisoners, their minds trapped behind bars. Lila seemed like a part of her had just been¡­ cut away. She couldn¡¯t even tell something was wrong. Lila appeared to notice that they weren¡¯t laughing, and gave them an uncomfortable look. ¡°What, do you have relatives there or something?¡± ¡°No, sorry.¡± Neither of them laughed. Lila looked mildly offended, but Ziya continued. ¡°What did you like about Caelos, then?¡± Still frowning, she answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t been to many cities. It was big.¡± Ziya nodded, eyes intent. ¡°And what about the Temple?¡± With that annoyed expression on her face, Lila opened her mouth like she was about to speak, then closed it. Her expression softened a little, and then she spoke. ¡°So why are we stopping? Ziya looked at Hugan then. ¡°Do you know what is wrong with her?¡± Hugan began shaking his head, but at Ziya¡¯s words Lila bristled. ¡°What do you mean what¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Huga gave her a hopeful look. Maybe¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t talk about the Temple of the Sands, Lila.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Just like that, she went back to looking at them expectantly, clearly waiting to see why they had all stopped. This was getting very, very scary. ¡°Lila, is it okay if Hugan and I talk for a minute in private?¡± At Ziya¡¯s words Lila looked between them, and several expressions flitted across her face. Hugan couldn¡¯t catch them all, but she settled on casual. ¡°Sure.¡± Her voice had an odd inflection, and she wasn¡¯t looking at either of them. Was this more of whatever magic had been put on her? Ziya led him a short distance away, walking faster than Hugan would have expected someone of her build to. He wasn¡¯t complaining, though. ¡°So, uh, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Hugan began awkwardly, once they were out of earshot. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Some sort of spell or enchantment.¡± Hugn nodded awkwardly. He¡¯d sort of figured as much. ¡°But, uh, what should we do?¡± Ziya looked at him steadily for a second, eyes sharp as always. ¡°Do you know why we are going to this Temple?¡± Hugan nodded. ¡°Lila¡¯s family is there, right? I mean, do you think that¡¯s not true?¡± Appearing hesitant, she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If that is made up, I think... she should have reacted differently to my questions. My teacher told us a little about helping mind mage victims.¡± A thought occurred to Hugan then. ¡°But how does she know where to go anyways?¡± ¡°The map she keeps pulling out, I think. And there is another paper she has read a few times before that looked similar, in the training grounds.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± That seemed odd to Hugan--why would she follow the map if she didn¡¯t know where she was going? But then again, this entire situation was strange. ¡°Is there a way we can help her, then?¡± Ziya frowned slightly, an extreme expression for her. ¡°I¡­ perhaps. We could find a powerful Cleric of Lumia. They know the Cleansing Light spell. I don¡¯t know if it would work--this is like nothing similar to what my teacher taught me.¡± Hugan nodded. It sounded like a good place to start to him. And there was no time to waste. He began walking back to Lila, Ziya falling into step beside him. ¡°Hey, Lila.¡± He tried his best to keep his voice casual. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to a temple of Lumia?¡± Lila had been looking cooly at them as they returned, but now she was frowning. ¡°What? There aren¡¯t any of those between here and the Waste. Why?¡± ¡°We, uh, want to get you checked out?¡± Hugan wasn¡¯t really sure how to approach this situation, so maybe honesty would work. It didn¡¯t. ¡°For what?¡± Lila¡¯s voice was becoming dangerous now, her eyes narrowing. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to backtrack. I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t remember the Temple of the Sands and we need to figure out why.¡± Hugan blurted out hopefully. The words slid off her like she didn¡¯t hear them,and her glare remained fixed on Hugan, gray eyes looking, well, scary. ¡°Lila, why are we going to the Waste?¡± Ziya cut in. Thank goodness. Turning her thunderous expression on the other young woman, Lila said, ¡°I have to tell my family that monsters from the Waste are suddenly attacking humans and leaving their Dungeons. You two,¡± she gestured at them dismissively, ¡°don¡¯t have to come with me.¡± Huh. So she did remember her reasons, then. They sounded pretty good to Hugan, too. Ziya replied, voice even softer than usual. Hesitant. ¡°What about Maiz, Lila?¡± What? Hugan frowned at Ziya. Why was she bringing him up now? They hadn¡¯t talked about him at all, come to think of it. That was a little odd, wasn¡¯t it? For some reason, Lila reacted to Ziya¡¯s words like a slap in the face. She drew herself up, then asked in a voice that invited no response, ¡°what?¡± ¡°He was not on the roles at the barracks where they took us. He was not with you and Hugan. Are you not worried about him?¡± Lila¡¯s fists were clenched. ¡°I--why the hells are you asking me that? Do you really need me to say it?¡± There were tears in her eyes. Hugan felt like he was missing something. ¡°We could... be looking for him.¡± Ziya¡¯s voice was soft, but differently than usual. She sounded uncertain, which was completely understandable to Hugan, but was not how she usually behaved at all. Lila let out a dismissive puff of breath at Ziya¡¯s words. It sounded somewhere between a scoff and a sob. What the hells? ¡°Do we really need to do this, Ziya? I thought you understood--¡± She cut herself off, taking a deep breath. Then she turned, shouldering the little pack she¡¯d gotten as they¡¯d prepared to leave. ¡°I¡¯m going to my family. Stay safe.¡± Hugan sighed. Mind magic aside, he didn¡¯t understand why both of them had become so emotional about Maiz. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d died or-- Oh. ¡°Wait!¡± Hugan yelled. He was the one clenching his fists now. He felt very, very angry all of a sudden. Lila stopped, turning back to him, and he could see the streaks of tears that had run down her face already. ¡°If you thought he was¡­ dead, you should have godsdamned said something!¡± Lila looked as though he had punched her. Ziya was inscrutable, but paler than usual. ¡°He¡¯s fine! You hear me? Hakim just sent him somewhere else. He¡®s too smart and too strong to--¡± ¡°--Hugan.¡± Ziya tried to cut him off, but he wasn¡¯t listening. He grabbed the camel¡¯s reins, and pulled it roughly towards where Lila was now standing down the road. He looked hard into her eyes. With the tears in them, they didn¡¯t seem quite as unsettling as usual. ¡°We¡¯ll go to your family. There isn¡¯t a way in the Abyss we¡¯re leaving you alone.¡± ¡°Hugan,¡± Ziya sounded almost alarmed. And guilty. ¡°And by the time we get back, Maiz''ll be running the godsdamned city.¡± He kept walking, and bothZiya and Lila followed him silently. He knew that they were supposed to be convincing Lila to go to a Cleric somehow, but they was no way that was happening. Not if what Ziya had said hadn¡¯t worked. Besides, if the Temple of the Sands was where this spell had been put on her, then maybe they could find the bastard who did it. Hugan could do with a head to bash in just then. Chapter 41 Maiz stepped into the crumbling room with a bit of apprehension. Somehow this place, though it was really nothing more than an old building, felt infinitely more unsettling than any cave or underground tunnel could be. Of course, it didn¡¯t help that he¡¯d spent the half hour fighting gigantic bugs. It had been frankly disgusting, mostly because of the pure variety. There had been massive scarabs and tritantus bugs, as well as the more dangerous giant scorpions. The previous room had contained some sort of desert wasps, each the size of his head, that buzzed around angrily and tried to kill him. Of course, none of these monsters had posed too much of a challenge for Maiz, but still. There was nothing he could do about the visceral fear he felt at seeing a sting dripping with poison that was almost as long as his forearm, or a mouth made of pincers with too many eyes to be natural. At least it seemed like this time, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that. ¡°Hello.¡± The voice was a dry rasp, and it didn¡¯t match well with what Maiz saw before him. Oh come on. ¡°Would you please show your true form so we can get started?¡± He began casting Windblade, though he held back on finishing the spell. He¡¯d found that he could do that after hours of practice. The little girl, her hair ragged and limp, her face a picture of innocence, frowned at him. The expression seemed¡­ off to Maiz, though. Everything was just a little rough, as if she didn¡¯t quite have the minute facial control that came naturally to humans. Of course, Maiz wouldn¡¯t have believed it even if she did. What was it then, a spirit or undead of some kind? That seemed a little off-theme for this Dungeon. ¡°Please, help--¡± He let his mana flow in a rush as he pushed forward. When he¡¯d first gotten his title, using his mana had felt like cold water trickling down his limbs. Now it was a torrent, so much so that he almost shivered out of pure reflex. His spell wove itself through its last few layers, a feat he still couldn¡¯t quite accomplish on his own, and a soft breeze stirred the air. He swung his staff in a tight arc, and cut into the little girl¡¯s stomach. Even though he was completely certain that this wasn¡¯t a little girl, he couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to go for the neck. That reservation vanished when he saw the wound his staff inflicted. Instead of blood or gore or even shadows, bugs fell from the wound and onto the floor. They looked like ants of some kind, a little larger than any other type he¡¯d ever seen. Maiz felt goosebumps creep up his spine, and immediately began casting Flaming Strike. Best to end this quickly, before he ran out of mana. He guided his magic swiftly through the pattern even as he swung the other end of his staff into the creature¡¯s head. It made no effort to dodge, and the blow sliced clean through, seperating a portion of the skull from the rest. As the flesh fell, it resolved into a mass of bugs which began swarming around the floor. Hells. The ¡®little girl¡¯ stood for a moment, and Maiz dared not attack it. The portion of its head that he had cut¡­ undulated, and new flesh grew to replace what ha been lost. Meanwhile, Maiz began dodging around the bugs now attempting to climb up his feet. Luckily, with Windblade active he only had to sweep his staff on the floor to kill dozens of them at a time. Still he had to keep another eye on the monster for when it-- The girl flowed forward, body shifting even though she didn¡¯t move her legs, and suddenly a clawed hand--no, an actual claw--was swiping for Maiz¡¯s stomach. He moved easily out of the way, the attack feeling sluggish to him. Flaming Strike snapped into place, and he took the opportunity to drive his windbladed staff into the creature¡¯s center. The resulting explosion splattered Maiz with unidentifiable bits of gray insect matter, and left the girl¡¯s ¡®body¡¯ a dissolute mess of mostly dead insects. Mostly. It took a good fifteen minutes to kill the rest of the ants. They weren¡¯t particularly fast, and his spells worked against them well enough, but there was a lot of them, and he kept running out of mana, forcing him to wait and recover while dodging. Eventually, it was over. You have slain Reaven Ant Colony, Rank 12! +120 exp (60*2 knowledge modifier) You have improved Windblade to ranks 18-19! +10 exp (960/1300 to next rank) You have improved Fast Feet to rank 24! +5 exp (965/1300 to next rank) Further improvement in Windblade is impossible at current rank and proficiency level. He felt as though he was slowing down. In the past week, he¡¯d sped through a full thirteen ranks, bringing him to 28 and solidly into the Apprentice realm. That growth had been fueled by the focused training in the Path, which had multiplied his experience gains many times over, but now he was down to only doubling them. No doubt in another week he wouldn¡¯t even have that advantage. Hopefully the next section would contain Apprentice ranked Dungeons, as well as whatever hidden gift the ancient Chosen had left him. Reaching Apprentice meant quite a few things--for one, he now gained an extra attribute per rank, and both his skills and spells felt just a little bit easier, more natural. Not enough. It also meant that he needed ridiculous amounts of experience to advance each rank. The only way he would even begin to fulfill those requirements was by making sure he was skilled enough to benefit from the knowledge modifier. At least it now felt much easier to increase that modifier, compared to when he¡¯d been a Novice. Still, there was another area where he was lagging even more. He tried casting Flaming Strike. The pattern was so familiar now he was almost sick of it, and he completed it flawlessly. But at the last moment, as he tried to both force mana into his staff and pull it out, the spell failed. This time, he¡¯d left himself too open, and all of the mana had rushed into his hands too quickly. Godsdammit. An attempt at Windblade yielded a similar result. The issue was almost the same--he couldn¡¯t quite get the mana to flow properly by himself. He could direct it through the pattern and, if he concentrated, even get it to the fine edge required for the spell to work, but he couldn¡¯t get the mana to continuously move in the little loops necessary for the spell to function. His Illusion Strike and Flicker Strike had managed to get into the Apprentice ranks, but now they were also stagnating. There just wasn¡¯t enough time to practice his abilities, improve his fighting prowess, solve the Path¡¯s challenges, and fight in these Dungeons. Already Maiz felt he was being lazy, just standing there and complaining about his situation. Letting out an angry snort of breath, he quickly located the transportation enchantment, carved indiscreetly on the back wall of the insect-corpse strewn room, and tapped it with a finger. He moved through the next section of the path at a ridiculous speed. He¡¯d invested quite heavily in Agility and Dexterity with his new attribute points, as well as Intelligence and Wisdom. He punched the portal rune, and hopped over the stone platforms of the next room without pause. In the one after that he ran through a slew of flying spears, using the Agility boost granted by the Apprentice ranks of Fast Feet to make the challenge almost trivial. Then he hopped over a rolling ball and under a swinging pendulum, tapping an inscribed plate and continuing forward. The room after that was full of swinging wooden posts, much like the test in the first section, but here he had to dodge and weave through the wooden arms instead of simply crawling under them. This challenge still occasionally got him, but this time he managed to make it through on his first try. He persevered. Many of the challenges in this section simulated battles, either through mock attacks or requiring him to damage a target, and he welcomed the opportunity to hone his combat ability. Some of them even had room for error--one room where he had go through a prescribed series of steps across a narrow pathway would let him try three times before sending him to the beginning. Fueled by his frustration, he made it all the way to end of the floor--a feat he¡¯d only managed twice before. He didn¡¯t feel the happiness he really should have, though. He knew what was coming next.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He ascended the stairs--unhampered by the mental enchantment he was sure was still there. Stepping through the doorway, he took a moment to check that his reserves were full, and took a staff from the small armory before him. He began casting Flaming Strike, completing it before he stepped through to the next doorway so that his mana had time to recover. As the flaming ribbons swirled around his weapon, he stepped through the next doorway. The thing waiting for him was superficially similar to the golems of the previous section, but Instead of a light tan wood, this one was made of something dark. Sleek. As it animated, it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t a sluggish automaton like its weaker cousins. Indeed, it moved with only a little less grace than Maiz himself. Maiz cast Windblade as he stepped forward. Though it was a huge mana drain at its current rank, it did a enormous amount of cutting damage--twice as much as if he was just using the staff. The golem swung an arm at his face, moving fast enough that Maiz was glad he had kept Fast Feet engaged. He ducked under, then brought his staff up into one of the more... vulnerable points of the body. The screeching of his Windblade hitting the wood combined with the sound of the explosion between the golem¡¯s legs was enough to make him wince. The golem was blasted a few meters away, and Maiz quickly followed after it, delivering a swift pair of strikes to the neck, leaving long gashes in the wood and forcing the automaton into immobility. Huh. Good start. The other two times this had been a tough fight, leaving him close to running dry in both mana and stamina. But then, he¡¯d gained a rank since last making it this far. Perhaps that had something to do with it? Or maybe it was the few points he¡¯d invested into Luck finally paying dividends. Either way, Maiz¡¯s frustration faded a little as he considered the challenge before him. Perhaps this time, he could do it. ************* I need to start putting points into Luck more often. Maiz considered the three golems before him for a moment. A moment, because they were all moving to attack, and he couldn¡¯t afford to stay still for long. The only reason he had the spare second was because they were forced to navigate around the body of their fallen brother. One down, three to go. It was lucky that, unlike his other abilities, Fast Feet had steadily decreased in cost throughout the Novice ranks, or else he would have collapsed long ago. As it was, he came close to defeat as one golem swung a metal-clad arm at his chest, another swept at his leg, and a third swung straight down at the crown of his head. He dove on his own instinct, and felt his body contort slightly to avoid the golems¡¯ limbs. If they touched him, unarmored as he was, he would be sent back immediately. His mana pool felt full enough to go for another one. He began casting Flaming Strike as he danced madly around the incoming attacks, occasionally parrying a blow with his staff in order to keep up. At a miniscule, yet significant, rate, his stamina was dropping. He couldn¡¯t keep it up forever. He finished the spell, and cast Windblade, cursing between breaths as he was forced to fight without letting his staff touch anything. It would have been easier to cast this first, but he needed to conserve as much mana as possible. He ducked and weaved through swinging limbs, feeling like he was in another rendition of the wooden post room. Windblade completed, and he began looking for an opening--there. The golems¡¯ armor was quite well made, but it was articulated as a human¡¯s would be--at the joints, it was weak enough that Maiz¡¯s windbladed staff could pierce it, and let his Flaming Strike inflict its full damage. As he skipped past a golem¡¯s attack and twisted around another, he attacked such a spot--the point where the neck met the shoulder. It was a clean hit, and his enchanted staff tore through the armor and exploded against the golem¡¯s skin. Lacquer. Whatever it was called. The thing collapsed, much to Maiz¡¯s relief, because he was forced to immediately duck another blow. And another. And another. Were the other two golems getting¡­ faster? And why were they glowing red instead of blue? Of course it couldn¡¯t be that easy. He was forced to dodge at an increased rate, and each attack took a noticeable, if small, chunk of stamina to avoid. How am I going to get out of this? He had already dismissed Windblade, but he didn¡¯t have the mana to cast Flaming Strike again. It was too godsdamned expensive. Perhaps he could have done something if there was just one golem, but with the two of them there, he would always have to worry about the one at his back if he took too much time to focus on the other. Then I have to make one of them useless, at least for a bit. After a few seconds of waiting while his mana regenerated at a torturously slow rate, he cast Windblade again, holding off on completing the spell for a moment. His stamina was dangerously close to drained now, and his heart was hammering hard in his chest. He moved around the two golems, forcing them to chase him in different directions, each trying to catch him as he dodged the other. Finally, he got them roughly into the position he¡¯d wanted. He circled the golem he was facing as quickly as he could, and skipped to the side. The other golem moved towards him, but he ignored it for the moment. Instead, as the first automaton twisted, turning and stepping towards him at the same time, he darted back towards it, and entangled his staff with its legs. With a wrench that took all of his Strength, he tipped the golem over, and it smacked to the ground with a dull thunk. Maiz turned, just in time hop out of range of the other golem¡¯s attack. He finally completed the Windblade as he stepped back towards his standing opponent. He let the thing attack once more, stepping around the blow, and let loose a barrage of strikes. He¡¯d gotten better at aiming, much better. He¡¯d also gotten faster, and as a result there was quickly a hole of shredded metal in the side of his enemy¡¯s knee, and the thing collapsed, defeated. Maiz was forced to dismiss his Windblade after that, but he had the time. Even though the final golem had gotten up swifter and more nimble than before, he could still afford to dodge around its blows long enough to make short work of it with Windblade and Flaming Strike combined. He actually whooped, seeing the results of his work. He didn¡¯t even consider what it meant, just gloried in the feeling of having accomplished a difficult task by the skin of his teeth. Then, he remembered that he¡¯d been trying to reach the end of this section for a reason, and he smiled even more. What would be waiting for him, when he ascended those stairs and finally found the gift his predecessor had left him? He wasted no time, bounded up the steps two at a time. He stepped through the doorway, not sure whether he expected to find a treasury filled with riches or a giant lewd statue. Both seemed equally likely, given what he knew of the ancient Nameless. The curtained doorway opened into a small room, similar to the ones that the Jin had been in. Maiz almost instinctively fell into a half-bow, but he frowned. There was no heady smell of incense pervading the air, or the sense of ancient mystery that seemed to cling to the Jin he¡¯d met thus far. Apprehensively, he looked up, just a little. ¡°Hello.¡± It was¡­ well, Maiz wouldn¡¯t necessarily call her a young woman, but certainly compared to the Jin''Sa and the Jin¡¯Tira she seemed positively girlish. Her long hair almost stretched to the floor, and her face had a striking beauty, with gray eyes, high cheekbones and a delicate jawline. Her face looked like it was on the verge of showing smile-lines, though at the moment she was regarding Maiz with a stony expression. ¡°Uh, hello?¡± Suddenly, the woman smiled, and Maiz felt a wave of almost involuntary relief wash over him. ¡° I am sorry, but you looked rather funny there.¡± She let out a light chuckle before continuing. ¡°I am the Jin¡¯Telsin. I do not mean to rush you, but I do not believe I have seen you before. Do you have a piece of knowledge of your title that you are willing to contribute to the Library?¡° Maiz stared at her for a moment. This woman was a Master, and she¡¯d been acting aloof in order to watch him squirm? That was a little childish, wasn¡¯t it? Then, her other words registered, and he spoke without thinking. ¡°Library?¡± The woman let out another little laugh. ¡°Yes, the Temple Library. You are welcome to look through it, if you contribute an ability guide or feat description. In preparation for the holy champion, we have spent millenia preparing the world¡¯s greatest resource on an enormous variety of titles. Though you will not be able to benefit as much as the Chosen would, I am sure that you could find something of interest to you.¡± Maiz was silent. The weight of the silence seemed to press down on him, and the entire room. The air was dead still, a result of being so deep in a stone building, and Maiz could hear the sound of his own heartbeat. Then the Jin¡¯Telsin spoke again, sounding a bit puzzled. ¡°If you do not want to contribute, then I am afraid I must send you back to the beginning of the Path. This is necessary before you can advance, even if you do not wish to look through the Library. The information does not have to be unique, though uncollected abilities or feats will net certain benefits that could help later in the Path.¡± Finally, Maiz found words. He had to fight to keep the rabid enthusiasm out of his voice as he responded in a strangled voice, ¡°yes, I can contribute.¡± ¡°Excellent! Sit down then, and we can begin.¡± Chapter 42 Maiz felt like he was in a dream. The only thing keeping him from pinching himself was the fact that he was being ripped off. ¡°That is all, then?¡± ¡°Yes, Jin¡¯Teslin.¡± The seated Master smiled, looking up from the paper she¡¯d been writing on. The expression really did suit her quite well. Bringing out the brightness of her eyes in a way that complemented the shade of her skin and hair. Still, Maiz wondered how the Master of a combat title ended up becoming a glorified librarian. It seemed that she enjoyed her work, but it had to be somewhat disappointing, considering the level of work and ability that went into becoming a Master. ¡°Excellent! I will be checking this information against our stores then. If anything is unique, I shall present you with your prize when we next meet. Until then, you are free to look through the library. Everything is catalogued in the first room--bookcases are numbered from the front to the back of the library, then left to right. You may look at any information, but nothing may leave, and any damage will be punished by death ¡± Maiz suddenly felt less sorry for the woman. She had given her instructions in a rapid, but clearly intelligible mode of speech that Maiz somehow found rather intimidating. Her words, especially the last bit, were even more so. She spoke with absolute confidence, and Maiz had no doubt that she could easily follow through on the threat. He bowed, clenching sweaty hands. There was a stir of air, and when he looked up, the woman had vanished. Gods. Still, he had almost gotten used to interacting with Masters at this point, so he let the matter go quickly. The ancient Nameless had gotten quite clever when building this library. The Jin¡¯Teslin had promised him a reward for unique information, and required that he give her something in order to continue, but she hadn¡¯t let him see what they already had. This meant that Maiz was forced to relate everything he knew about Spellsword, his supposed title in order to increase his chances of giving unique information. And if he¡¯d accidentally given more than would have been necessary then, well, that was the price he paid. Ingenious. Maiz found his fear at the Jin¡¯s presence evaporating quickly as he looked ahead of him. There was a curtained doorway there, still stirring a little from the Master¡¯s movements, and beyond was¡­ a treasure. The greatest treasure he could have asked for, really. Knowledge. Power. He stepped through. The room didn¡¯t have a particularly impressive air. Honestly it looked like a clean, spacious, but still somewhat musty records room. He looked around curiously. There were shelves along either side of the room, but instead of books they appeared to be lined with plaques of some kind. Curiously, cautiously, he drifted over to the left shelf and pulled one out. It was made of gray stone, with a heft that felt sturdy to Maiz. Neatly chiseled onto it were the words ¡°ABRUPTER, 1-2.¡± That¡¯s a title, I suppose. And the numbers are the shelves she was talking about. Wait. Maiz looked around the room again. These plaques weren¡¯t large. And there was enough space for thousands upon thousands of them in this room. Holy hells. Maiz felt a tightness band across his chest, and he had to take a moment to breathe. There were swathes of empty space here, true but there were also huge sections completely filled with the stone tablets. It was daunting. And exciting. He quickly scrambled further into the room, pulling out tablets and trying to find his first target. Even in his excitement, he was careful to place them back correctly. Somehow the death threat had inspired a level of respect for organization that had eluded him when he was a child in his father¡¯s storerooms. After some searching, he realized that the shelves were grouped by specialty. The entire left side was devoted to combat titles, with the stamina-based ones in the front half and the magical in the back. The front-right quarter of the room had a similar, but much smaller, set of tablets for noncombat titles. And the back-right quarter was devoted to books, most of which seemed to be related to the study of titles in some way. Heaven. Finally, he pulled out a tablet that had the word he¡¯d been searching for. ¡°SPELLSWORD, 24-2.¡± He replaced the tablet gingerly, and hurried through the curtained doorway into the next room. He almost fell, his eyes greedily taking in the sight before him. To most people, it would have looked somewhat unimpressive, a cavernous stone room larger than any other he had seen in the Temple, full of bookcases of dark wood which all appeared to be half-full. But this was more information in one place than Maiz had ever seen in his entire life, and then some. His father had traded in hundreds of books, yes, but rarely all at once. And once he had become a scribe, he¡¯d never seen anything that came close to this. The Grand Library in Tisera-Rey was supposed to hold over a hundred thousand texts. This place was probably closer to ten thousand, perhaps even less. That was more knowledge than Maiz could ever hope to retain, so he was not at all disappointed. He hurried down the room, counting bookcases. He found the twenty-fourth row, and then the second bookcase in that row. There were five shelves full of material, but he¡¯d realized quickly that everything in this place was alphabetized. It took it only a few more minutes to find what he was looking for. SPELLSWORD Flaming Strike-This is the starting technique of the Spellsword, and at the Journeyman ranks it becomes one of the most versatile attack spells in the title¡¯s arsenal. The mana pattern is exclusively executed upon the weapon of the caster. In general, any object may be used, though at lower ranks the spell will not support itself on smaller ones. The basic mana diagram is a three-layered construction, illustrated below with the bottommost layer to the left. There followed a set of three mana diagrams which, together, presented an approximation of the spell. It was rather difficult to understand--there were strange symbols interspersed in the lines. With his knowledge of the spell, it was clear that these were meant to represent turns and configurations that would be impossible to depict on paper. Maiz wondered if this was some sort of convention. At least he had this as a reference point if that was the case. The Spellsword¡¯s abilities are notoriously difficult to train, requiring the mana control to enchant weapons entirely within the mind. It is for this reason that, unlike many enchantments, our spells rarely stretch beyond four layers in Novice form. The ability to form the matrix and spell layers is, however, only part of the difficulty. For Novices, the largest hurdle is the ability to maintain organic mana flow within an external weapon without the aid of the channels which Enchanters use. The Spellsword must remain in control of their mana to maintain the spell, and so they often struggle to ¡°allow¡± mana to flow as it would in a normal enchantment.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The solution is to treat the weapon as part of the body itself. Mana in the weapon is no different than mana in a limb, and it can be cycled through a pattern much as other mages do with the magic in their bodies. This is easier said than done--however there are several manipulation exercises involving a weapon which can train a student to successfully cast Flaming Strike and other Spellsword spells. The document, which had been bound loosely together with a bit of twine, went on to list several different exercises, and Maiz devoured them all. Spinning mana within his weapon, pushing it in and out as quickly as possible, forming areas of mana saturation and others barren of magic. They were extremely similar to the exercises that Hakim had taught him, only extended to his weapon. It was so simple, yet so incredibly valuable to him. He hadn¡¯t even realized it, but he had been thinking of his staves as something external that he was casting a spell on. That wasn¡¯t right. He was using magic through them, and he needed to make manipulating mana with them as easy as it was within his body. Maiz found that he was grinning. Eagerly, he read to the end of the page. The next one was written in a different hand, and it seemed older. The Novice feat of the Spellsword is to defeat an enemy without the use of weapons. This act, while antithetical to the very nature of our title, speaks to the spirit of focus and determination necessary to become a true Spellsword. Success in this feat grants the bonus title ¡®Dauntless,¡¯ an honored appendage in the annals of history. This one seemed quite a bit more pompous to Maiz. He himself had written everything he knew about his Spellsword abilities, trying to be as clear as possible. He certainly hadn¡¯t done as good a job as the person who explained Flaming Strike, but he felt he¡¯d been less grating to read than the one who¡¯d written this. The next sheet was an explanation of Windblade, which was not as detailed as the one for Flaming Strike. Luckily, it didn¡¯t matter much because the first explanation gave him more than enough general information to advance the spell anyways. The next page was about¡­ Flaming Strike? Flaming Strike Variation-Throughout the Novice ranks, Flaming Strike remains a powerful attack spell relative to those of most other titles. It follows the standard realm progression for activated abilities, leaving it a low-cost, damage-focused attack at the end of the Apprentice ranks. The Journeyman realm however, which generally introduces ability variation in the form of effect scaling and application, is instead focused on the manipulation of the effect. Almost any elemental aspect is compatible with the base spell, and as the Journeyman progresses they will become more able to modify portions of the spell layer, allowing for increasingly specific effects. Here are listed the most basic changes to the spell, possible in the early ranks of the Journeyman realm, which are concerned with altering the base element of the spell without disrupting any other aspects of its function. There were several mana diagrams which followed the words, but Maiz barely glanced at them. What? He read the words over a second time. One phrase in particular stood out: ¡®leaving it a low-cost, damage-focused attack at the end of the Apprentice ranks.¡¯ Damage-focused it might be, but Flaming Strike was certainly far from a low-cost spell. In fact, both of his Spellsword spells had become increasingly mana intensive as they progressed. Come to think of it, all of his attack abilities had--oh hells, I¡¯m an idiot. Maiz did something he should have done the moment he ranked up his Warrior Monk attacks to the Apprentice realm. He looked at their descriptions. Illusion Strike (Warrior Monk): Creates an illusory attack based on the existing motions of the user¡¯s weapon or limbs. The target becomes unable to perceive the user¡¯s true movements for a short time. Rank: 23 Cost: 145 stamina Effect: Illusory attack can be perceived by targets with Wisdom or greater. If the target has less than 46 Wisdom, they cannot see the user¡¯s true movements for 1 second. Hells. He knew immediately upon reading it that he¡¯d been an idiot for not looking at the ability when he¡¯d first increased its rank. He¡¯d assumed that the Wisdom threshold would go up as it usually did, and that would be the end of it. But the cost, if he remembered correctly, should have been higher than it was. It had been 160 stamina at rank 20, and now it had dropped. The same was also true of Flicker Strike--both skills were the same cost and had mirrored each other in their cost reduction. Because, obviously, that was what happened at the Apprentice ranks. Which meant that all of his worrying about his mana pool and the drain his skills were causing was completely unfounded. He¡¯d just needed to advance the abilities to the point where they stopped increasing in cost! It was a little silly that he hadn¡¯t considered that the pattern of his abilities¡¯ advancements would change as they advanced through each realm, but honestly he knew very little about titles and abilities. Much less than the average person, because he¡¯d lost his father before being taught many of the more obvious things. Just one more thing to thank the Sharir for. Now he knew however, and the information led him to some important conclusions. A thought had been running in the back of Maiz¡¯s head since the Jin¡¯Teslin had told him what this place was. What should I learn? Of course, he wanted to pick up everything he could put his hands on, but he had enough trouble keeping up with the progression of the abilities he had now. If he tried to learn an encyclopedia of skills and spells, where would he ever find the time to train them enough to advance? This new information just highlighted that fact--learning too many spells would not only leave them all weak, but he would likely never be able to raise enough of them into the Apprentice realm, and make them efficient enough to be useful. So then, what should he learn? Maiz had a sudden vision of himself wading through a battlefield with his staff and a suit of armor, sweeping massive, magical blows left and right, conjuring fire to engulf his enemies and stone to weather their attacks. Or of standing in a beautiful hall, weaving spells and dancing around attacks as he effortlessly quashed rebellion. No. He still had a plan. A goal. He¡¯d always wanted to wait until he was an Adept as powerful as any other combatant in the city, but now he saw a different way. Shadows, manipulation, and chaos. Power as focused as the edge of his Windblade. There were people that Maiz needed to kill. It was that, not glory on the battlefield or honor in society, that he needed to develop his abilities for. He would leave the Temple of the Sands ready to enact his revenge on the bastards who killed his father. Chapter 43 ¡°Godsdammit.¡± Lila had been saying that a lot lately. Ziya hadn¡¯t been saying much of anything, which made Hugan worry a little. She¡¯d been casting on them almost every minute they were awake for a week now. He wasn¡¯t sure what spell it was or where she¡¯d learned it, but it was helping. She was still the one who needed it the most, though. Hugan had started giving her half of his water quite a few days ago now, but he didn¡¯t need it much anymore. Every step he took felt like pushing a big load of his father¡¯s stock down the street, but the heat and the thirst barely touched him. Ziya wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d learned a new ability. ¡°We have to keep moving. Come on.¡± Hugan lifted his chin up, pulling the reins of the camel and concealing the grunt of effort it took. The power arcing through his body made it hard to move, but he had to. For them. ¡°But where are we going?¡± Hugan didn¡¯t have a good answer for that one. Lila¡¯s ¡®map¡¯ had been enough to get them to the middle of the Waste, but they hadn¡¯t been able to find any of the landmarks it listed in the two weeks since they''d entered the Waste. No ruined village, no three huge boulders, no cave nestled in the side of a cleft in a massive rock. Of course, that shouldn¡¯t have been a problem--they were going to Lila¡¯s home after all, and she should have been able to figure it out, but¡­ ¡°The Temple of the Sands,¡± Hugan said tiredly. He felt a bit guilty, but he didn¡¯t want to deal with the complaining. Not now. ¡°Oh.¡± Silence. They kept walking, and Hugan kept his eye on Nomenadon¡¯s Lantern, the reddish star that, according to Uncle Yafi, would be glowing roughly east during this part of the night. Idly, he looked around, his head heavier than it had ever felt. There was Garthen¡¯s Spear, almost kissing the Lantern, and Juris¡¯ orb, a trio of bright lights in the West. There were countless pictures in the sky, but Hugan didn¡¯t remember them all, only the ones that had to do with a story he liked. He smiled a little as he took note of Roon¡¯s Shield almost atop his head. That had always been his favorite to point out with his father, as night took hold and they were packing away his tools. ¡°I see something.¡± Hugan almost frowned. Usually Lila stayed quiet for longer than that after he mentioned the Temple. But no, that wasn¡¯t her. It was Ziya, her voice a little raspy and even quieter than usual. Just then, a cool wave of power passed through him, rejuvenating his body a little. He barely felt it. ¡°Ziya. Save the spells for yourself.¡± After a moment, her words registered. ¡°What?¡± Atop the camel, she pointed north. The sand was sloped slightly, a huge shallow dune, and Hugan couldn¡¯t see anything of interest. Ziya must have caught it with her vantage on the camel¡¯s back. As much as he could, he picked up the pace as he turned towards the direction she indicated. He still wasn¡¯t going very fast, but then both Lila and the camel seemed equally slow, so it was just as well. Normally Hugan would have just asked what Ziya saw, but he didn¡¯t want her talking more than necessary. Even more, he found the feeling of excitement at the thought of what they might find¡­ enticing. Eventually they crested the dune, and Hugan frowned again, glancing at Ziya. ¡°What?¡± Instead of speaking, she pointed again. There were a few more impressive dunes here, the landscape--sandscape--dipping and rising in wild ripples. Hugan couldn¡¯t generate much excitement from it, though. It was just sand after all, and if he never had to look at the stuff again it would be too soon.. ¡°It¡¯s just a big rock, Ziya,¡± Lila said, voice already edging back to complaint. Oh. Now that she said it, that was a rock a few hundred meters away, not a particularly lumpy dune. Their trip so far had been an uninterrupted slog through endless sand, and Hugan hadn¡¯t been prepared for that to change. ¡°The cleft.¡± Ziya¡¯s words brought Hugan back into focus, and he felt the tension in his shoulders increase even more. Gods, he was so tired. He¡¯d even been sleeping with his new skill active, though it felt worse than being pressed between two sheets of metal as he lay. Ziya was right, there was a cleft in the rock, though it was difficult to make out in the moonlight. Immediately, Hugan looked sharply at Lila. ¡°Is that it? From the map?¡± She had a strange look on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize it from the outside like this. We need to go in.¡± Hugan frowned again. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± her voice trailed off, and Hugan recognized what that meant. This had to do with the Temple, somehow. They weren¡¯t getting anything more out of her. Still, this was more than a little ominous. As casually as he could while in full view of the other two and moving like an old man, he unslung his buckler and long dagger from the camel¡¯s back. Both of them, though relatively small, felt like sacks of bricks on either side of his belt, but he felt better with some protection. Just in case they were going to meet whoever had cast this spell on Lila. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± When he looked at Ziya, she gave him the slightest of frowns, but he shrugged. None of them were getting any more prepared to face whatever was there, out in this godsforsaken desert. It took longer than it really should have to make it there. Most of it was downhill, and as they approached, Hugan began to see, dully, how beautiful the scene was. The moon was high in the sky, casting a soft silver light on their backs as they got closer to the wall of stone before them. From his earlier perspective, Hugan knew that the rock tapered away on either side, giving way to the sand, but from this angle it seemed like there was nothing else before them and no way through. Except for the almost perfect crack in the middle of the rock, only two shoulder lengths wide. That led to darkness and, hopefully, a way out of this situation. Eventually they made it, though when the sand turned to rock the footing became a bit rough, and they had to leave the camel behind. Hugan almost tried to suggest that Ziya stay with the animal, but she was already getting down and shooting him one of her looks before he could say a word. Sometimes he wondered who was worse, Ziya, Lila, or his mother. Without speaking, they all became just a little quieter as they entered the black of the cleft. Even Lila seemed on edge, though Hugan was sure she had no idea why. The other end of the cleft didn¡¯t appear to open back up, making this a strange sort of cave. Hugan led the way forward, keeping a finger on the rock wall and ready to move at the first sign of danger. Suddenly, his finger slipped and he almost jumped. There was an empty space in the wall. ¡°This way.¡± The cleft did have another cave in it, just like the one in Lila¡¯s map. Hugan would normally be grinning ear to ear, but even he had his limits. And he was beginning to approach them. Lila didn¡¯t seem to recognize the place yet, and at this point he was too curious not to see what in here. They continued on into the darkness, almost stumbling a little. Hugan wished that he¡¯d thought to bring a torch from their supplies. They¡¯d packed a few of those, hadn¡¯t they? He was having trouble remembering. After some time following a few twists and turns in the cramped path, something began to change. The way forward was still tight, sometimes treacherous, and dark, but... it wasn¡¯t as dark as before. Was there light further in? Hugan pulled his shield onto his arm, the motion more awkward than usual. He drew his dagger as they continued. Sure enough, more and more light illuminated the path, until it opened out into a cavern whose walls glowed a soft white. But instead of finding monsters or evil mages waiting to attack them, all Hugan saw were-- ¡°--bodies?¡± The ground was covered in the corpses of so many snakes, it almost seemed carpeted. They were all a deep black with red markings, and each seemed smaller than was typical for the the area. Many were also mangled beyond recognition, chopped up into grisly chunks by an axe of some kind, or¡­ burned? There were bits of charred snake meat everywhere, and blood streaked the walls in many places, some of the bodies appearing to have been slammed against them by a great force. Still more were contorted into strange shapes, muscles rigid in death, and others were dry, as if they¡¯d been out in the sun for hours. Hugan shot a glance at Lila, but she just looked dazed. More of the mind magic. Ziya was looking at the corpses on the ground, frowning more than he had ever seen her do before. Hugan himself was also confused. Had a group of combatants just been through this place? And what exactly was this? It might not have been the wisest course of action, but he had to find out now. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When Ziya looked like she was going to object, Hugan gestured emphatically at Lila¡¯s confused expression, and began walking confidently forward. Of course, he was moving at a fraction of his normal speed, so the tactic wasn¡¯t as effective as it should have been. Ziya must have been curious too, because she didn¡¯t say anything as they continued. The next room was more disturbing. Instead of regular snakes, there were long beasts with scales the same color as the rock of the cave. That would have been fine, but one or two of the things had bodies partially in the rock, as if they¡¯d been in the process of leaping out of it like water. Monsters. They¡¯d been killed in the same varied manner as the ones in the previous room, though Hugan saw that a few more were contorted out of shape, and one was covered in ice. The corpses also seemed less mangled than in the previous room. Huh. He supposed that made sense, if their scales were like stone in more than looks, but that was quite a different types of abilities this party of combatants seemed to have had. How many were there? The caverns after that were just as varied--one was just full of ash, some of it wet, and another dust, much of which had been blackened by fire. Another had been full of snakes so small they looked like worms. Their bodies had all been crushed by something, and the corpses squished as the three walked over them. Finally they turned into another stone chamber, and Hugan knew immediately that this was the last one. Mostly because of the mangled corpse of the absolutely massive snake coiled about the floor, but also because of the short, dark haired young man standing over it, clutching a long staff. He looked different than the last time Hugan had seen him, hair longer, skin looking as though he¡¯d spent hours in the sun every day. He was wearing a ridiculous poofy white outfit stained with blood and gore, but even still Hugan could see that his frame, once painfully slight, was becoming more powerful. As he turned to face them, Hugan also noticed that his face was¡­ harder. More intense. ¡°Maiz!¡± Pure shock registered on the other boy¡¯s features, and suddenly he looked like he hadn¡¯t changed at all. ¡°Uh, hi.¡± They looked at each other over the corpse of the snake for a long moment. Then, with a slightly uncomfortable look on his face, Maiz let his staff clatter to the ground as he stepped over the monster¡¯s body and embraced Hugan. Hugan hugged his friend with a small smile, and raised his hand. As he brought it down with a resounding thump on Maiz¡¯s back, the other young man did the same to him, and Hugan actually winced slightly at the blow. His smile widened. Chapter 44 The pat on his back knocked Maiz out of the shock, but the questions still swirled around his head. How had they gotten here? Why? What were they doing in a Dungeon somewhere in the middle of the Waste? In a moment these questions became secondary to another--had they seen what he¡¯d done to the monsters in this place? Maiz acted almost without thinking, a sick pit forming in his stomach and bile rising a little in his throat. He cast a spell three times, one after the other, directing his mana as perfectly as possible through the forms. He cast on Ziya first, trying to catch her when she was still in shock at seeing him. He saw her stiffen out of the corner of his eye, just a slight motion, but from the feel of his mana he knew that the cast had succeeded. Lila and Hugan came next, and each of them succumbed easily. Even as he spoke, he wove a different mana pattern through his body, subtly letting magic flow over the giant corpse behind him and covering any evidence of abilities he wasn¡¯t supposed to have. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about any of the corpses here, everyone.¡± His voice held a hint of the mana keyed to his first spell, and each of them nodded dreamily. Maiz still felt sick, but his heartbeat slowed a little. That should be enough to wipe any memories of his more exotic abilities from their minds, and the illusion, though somewhat weak, would be enough to fool them for a while. He extricated himself from his hug with Hugan, and moved to Lila. He looked at her for a long moment. She hadn¡¯t changed much, though as she looked at Maiz her eyes¡­ sparkled? Were those tears? Even though she wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as Hugan, her hug felt tighter. ¡°I¡¯m so--¡± She cut off, taking in a shuddering breath. Huh. What was she so worked up about? Oh, right. ¡°It¡¯s okay Lila. Everything worked out.¡± His voice didn¡¯t hold a trace of bitterness. How could he be angry at her, considering what he¡¯d just done? ¡°But I let you fight that monster even though I was¡­¡± ¡°Yeah I sort of figured that out. But hey, everyone¡¯s fine right? I got so much experience from killing that thing, I should be thanking you!¡± Maiz wasn¡¯t exactly the cheeriest person, especially in comparison to someone like Hugan, but he gave her his best smile. They disengaged, her arms still on his shoulders. She lifted one, and swung it at his face. He ducked, letting out a sharp gasp of air. Wow. I must be getting faster than I thought if I could dodge her. Her foot smacked into his ribs as he was congratulating himself, and he winced. Not from the pain, though, and certainly not surprise. He¡¯d been sure that she would hit him whenever they next met, if only for nostalgia¡¯s sake. But he¡¯d barely felt that kick at all, even accounting for his increase in Constitution. How bad of a shape were they in? ¡°Ow.¡± The dull exclamation cemented it for him. He gave Ziya a quick hug, then stepped back, looking at all of them together. They looked very, very tired. Lila appeared to have been using Enlightenment for a long time, considering the stiff way she was moving, conserving as much stamina as possible. Hugan was also standing as straight and immobile as a flagpost, though Maiz wasn¡¯t sure why, and Ziya seemed close to passing out. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have anything for you all right now. I didn¡¯t know, or I would have brought food and water with me.¡± Maiz kicked himself mentally. He¡¯d been thinking about taking a canteen with him, just so it didn¡¯t seem suspicious that he could train for so many hours without rest, but had decided that nobody was really paying attention in any case. One of his other spells was making sure of that. Hugan, still smiling, let out a little laugh. ¡°Heh, how could you know? Anyways, how did you get here in the first place?¡± Maiz frowned. ¡°The Temple.¡± He shot a glance at Lila, who seemed oddly¡­ unfocused. ¡°Lila, didn¡¯t you tell them about the Path?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± She looked at him for a moment, nodded vaguely, then went back to staring at nothing. ¡°She can¡¯t--¡± ¡°--I understand.¡± The memory enchantment. Maiz had wondered if Lila was affected by that. But then¡­ ¡°So why did you all come out here?¡± Hugan looked a little uncomfortable. ¡°Well, Lila was saying that she wouldn¡¯t stop trying to get to her family and, uh, we weren¡¯t going to leave her so¡­¡± Maiz stared at him for a moment. ¡°So you went out to the Waste even though you knew that she had no idea where she was going and couldn¡¯t even think about it?¡± Hugan coughed gently. ¡°She had a map.¡± Maiz raised his eyebrows. He glanced at Ziya, who he would have expected to keep Hugan in check a little better, but she seemed far too exhausted to explain what had driven her to go along with this idiocy. Finally, he just sighed. ¡°Let me see the map, then?¡± Lila seemed to understand that, and slowly she pulled it out of her bag, hand shaking a little as she did so. ¡°After the attack, what happened to you? We didn¡¯t see you anywhere near where we were teleported.¡± ¡°Instru-Master Hakim,¡± Maiz corrected himself, ¡°didn¡¯t get me out at the same time as you two. I think the other mage stopped him?¡± He still wasn¡¯t quite clear on how she¡¯d done that, but a few weeks in the Temple hadn¡¯t made him qualified to understand Master-level magical theory, so he didn¡¯t worry about it much. ¡°He managed to teleport me away eventually, but I think he couldn¡¯t control the spell as well. I ended up in the Waste.¡± Privately, Maiz had a suspicion that Hakim intentionally sent him into the desert. After all, he¡¯d been somewhat close to a Dungeon associated with the Path--one popular with the Jin, if he hadn¡¯t missed his guess. Finally Ziya spoke, her voice a quiet rasp just above a whisper. Maiz winced again at the sound. It was worse than he¡¯d thought. ¡°Hakim. Is he alive?¡± Maiz¡¯s stomach sank a little as he answered with a shake of his head. Ziya cast her eyes downwards again, though he couldn¡¯t discern any other reaction from her. She likely didn¡¯t have the energy for one in any case. He needed to get them all, but her especially, to the Temple as soon as possible. Lila handed him the map. It was a simple yellowed piece of paper, and on it was a somewhat familiar picture. It looked like someone had tried to draw the map in the Apprentice-level Dungeon room, but the proportions were a little off. Lila must have done this herself from memory--the Jin certainly wouldn¡¯t allow anyone copying the Dungeon maps within the Path, so that made sense, but as a result the map was very inaccurate. A few of the Dungeon locations had been circled, and on the backs were descriptions. It seems like the map is more accurate for the Dungeons than the Temple itself. Was that intentional? It would probably circumvent the Temple¡¯s enchantments slightly better than trying to locate the actual building so¡­ probably? This map still wouldn¡¯t get them to the Temple in time by itself, and the inscription would only send Maiz himself back. Which raised a very important issue. Maiz could certainly leave with supplies and lead them back to the Temple himself. He¡¯d learned a few divination abilities, and though they were all weak at the Novice ranks, considering that his friends wanted to be found and he knew them well, he could locate them. Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t be hampered by the Temple¡¯s enchantments because of the second rank of his Mask ability. But there was no way he could conceal the fact that he¡¯d circumvented the enchantment. Even if no one currently in the Temple noticed it, Lila certainly would. Of course, there was a way around that problem.The spell he¡¯d cast on his friends earlier was one he¡¯d had the opportunity to learn before. Minor Suggestion, and the Controller title it came from, were extremely versatile tools, and terrifying ones. He was glad he hadn¡¯t chosen the spell when it had first been offered to him--he would have been killed if he displayed the Controller title, without a doubt. Now, he could use it without ever being suspected of having mind-altering powers, making it that much more useful.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. But in the two weeks since he''d first entered the Temple library, he''d found thatMinor Suggestion still had limiting factors--beyond the initial difficulties of a successful cast, which was based in Charisma and Luck as well as the target¡¯s Intelligence, using the spell consecutively on the same person made it less likely to work. Moreover, using it too many times on a target could be¡­ dangerous. He still shuddered a little when he thought about how he''d foundthat fact out. There was no way he would risk that for his friends. He felt another dose of guilt as he considered what that really meant--he needed to save using a Controller spell on them again for when it counted more. There was only one thing he could do, then. ¡°Lila, what would happen if I told the people at the Temple where you were?¡± Lila had been wiping her eyes surreptitiously as Maiz looked up at her, but though she looked at him attentively his question didn¡¯t appear to register. Godsdammit. ¡°How would your family react to seeing you again?¡± That got a reaction. Lila¡¯s eyes look downwards for a moment as she considered. ¡°I¡­ think they¡¯ll be happy? Angry, maybe, but happy.¡± That had to be enough. ¡°All right, I need to go. Stay in this room, please.¡± He thought about it for a second. ¡°Actually, give me a minute.¡± He ran quickly past them, already forming his mana to cast an illusion spell like he had in the other room. But it appeared that the Dungeon had already begun to reclaim its monsters--no incriminating corpses remained. Excellent. As he walked back into the final room, the others were looking at him with varying looks of curiosity. ¡°I, uh, thought I dropped something,¡± he said lamely. Luckily his friends were more than used to his awkwardness, and too tired to care much. He felt like a true bastard for worrying so much about being discovered when they were suffering like this, but the consequences of a slip were just too high. ¡°All right, don¡¯t leave here.¡± He looked meaningfully at each of them, especially Hugan. ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯m going to send help. Stay in this room, and someone will come to get you. If you go back, there may be monsters, but I don¡¯t think the big snake will come back if you stay here.¡± He was almost sure that was correct, but he¡¯d never actually tested that. Still, from Lila¡¯s impatient nod, he guessed that he was right. It was strange how she dipped in and out of the conversation because of the mental enchantment. Focus. ¡°Stay safe.¡± He patted Hugan¡¯s shoulder, and stepped over the corpse of the giant snake. It now only looked charred and gutted, not charred, gutted, tenderized, frozen, and paralyzed. The illusion should hold long enough for the corpse to be absorbed. As long as no one focused hard on it, it would be fine, and Maiz¡¯s Minor Suggestion would make certain that was the case. With a last look at his tired friends, he touched the inscription. He appeared in a room covered in inscriptions, with no doors in or out. There was a hole in the ceiling wide enough for an average person to get through, and a space in the wall that was bare of enchantment. The moment Maiz entered, the walls began to close in. The hole in the ceiling got closer with every moment, but it also became smaller. The bare space in the wall also got closer, and Maiz knew from experience that it was getting thicker and thicker as the room contracted. Normally he would either use a Jump combined with an air spell to get through the hole, or Flaming Strike to blast through the wall, but this time he simply touched a portion of the inscription. He found himself in front of the stone door leading to the Path. Immediately, he began sprinting at the full speed his attributes allowed him through the Temple¡¯s corridors. He almost engaged Fast Feet to boost his Agility, but stopped himself. That would be too much. Four turns later, he was outside of the curtained doorway to the quarters of the Jin¡¯Sa. There was a boy, perhaps thirteen years old, looking at him dispassionately, clearly unimpressed. ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Maiz tried his best to look calm. ¡°I need to speak to the Jin¡¯Sa, please. It¡¯s extremely urgent.¡± Maiz could tell from the look in his eyes that the little idiot didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°The Jin¡¯Sa is currently away on exercise. Once she returns, you may submit a traveller''s petition to speak with her.¡± Maiz felt a growl building in the back of his throat, but he banished it. ¡°When will she be back?¡± The boy had already gone back to staring blankly at nothing--at Maiz¡¯s question he looked back in annoyance. ¡°She only left a half hour ago. It will be three more at least.¡± Maiz didn¡¯t bother saying goodbye to the child, just turned his heel and ran back to the entrance to the Path. Even though the Jin didn¡¯t appear to sleep, almost everyone else in the Temple was in their rooms. Which meant he didn¡¯t have to worry much about running into anyone in the Path. He kicked the door open, activating Fast Feet for the Agility boost, holding back on anything else to conserve his stamina. He flew through the first section, barely pausing for any challenge. Occasionally he would use a spell to speed his progress--he had decided to learn a few Aeromancer spells as a tribute to Hakim, and they were quite useful here. Blasts of air pushed away projectiles, and the wind bent around his body, fast enough to make him untouchable in this area. He defeated the first set of clumsy golems in a single attempt, though the effort came close to draining him momentarily. His Windblade cut clean through most of the opponents, and Unseen Assault let him power through the others without issue. He sprinted up the steps to the next floor, taking them two at a time. Only then did he slow down. He¡¯d gone through the entire section in perhaps ten minutes, much less time than he usually took. Now he could tell the Jin¡¯Tira that his friends were inside the snake Dungeon. Except, of course, that he wasn¡¯t sure the old bastard wouldn¡¯t just kill him for the insolence. The Jin¡¯Teslin, at the end of the Apprentice floor, was a much better bet. Should he take the risk here, or try to power through to the safer option? If he kills me or refuses to listen, they might never get help. He thought that Hugan, Lila and Ziya could survive for perhaps a day more, though considering the price Lila was paying to stay on her feet, Enlightenment might kill her when she disengaged it. Maiz wanted to get them help as soon as possible, though. As he stepped into the room, he saw that the Jin¡¯ Tira was sitting in the middle of the room, folded tightly upon himself, eyes closed and surrounded by a haze of incense smoke. Everything about his posture screamed that he did not wish to be bothered, and he didn¡¯t even look at Maiz. Maiz couldn¡¯t risk the man killing him, leaving his friends stuck in the Dungeon. He directed a bow in the Master¡¯s direction, and moved past quietly. He had already been through a Novice Dungeon that night, so he simply ran to the end of the room and touched the inscription there. He was transported immediately to the stone room with the two diagrams, and he sprayed his mana onto the inscription in the next moment. The Apprentice section of the Path was more difficult, but even though most of Maiz¡¯s new abilities were in the Novice ranks, he had versatility and the attributes of an Apprentice on his side. And already some of them were approaching Apprentice level. Shadows began pooling around his feet as he ran, boosting his Dexterity and letting him control the way his feet gripped the floor. Nightwalker was becoming stamina intensive, and he was forced to pause several times, but the time he saved in slipping through challenges was worth it. Just in case, he wove an illusion around his feet to prevent anyone from seeing the skill active. In less time than usual, he found himself facing a dark-wood golem. He surged forward, twisting around its attack, and drove his staff into its head. Wood shattered and then burned as Flaming Strike triggered. A single shard struck him in the bicep, but failed to pierce his toughened skin. He continued on, destroying each opponent as efficiently as possible. His abilities let him avoid being hit somewhat easily, and these golems were still fooled momentarily by his illusions, but he had to work hard to get through them all nonetheless. No single ability of his was actually more powerful than the ones he¡¯d had the first time he¡¯d been through this area, and so he was still in danger of failure. He slipped around his last fast, armored opponent as it attacked a shadow illusion. With his last dregs of stamina, he let loose a flurry of blows that blurred together, each unerringly finding the same target and destroying the automaton¡¯s armor. The attacks momentarily paralyzed his foe, and with a yell, Maiz shot a focused blast of wind at the bare spot surrounded by rended armor. The golem finally fell, and though Maiz wanted to drop to the floor, panting, he ran through the door as quickly as possible, flying up the stairs. ¡°Jin¡¯Teslin.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The relatively young Master looked up from the writing she was poring over, seeming slightly annoyed. ¡°You¡¯ve already been through a Dungeon tonight, young man.¡± ¡°Yes, Jin¡¯Teslin,¡± Maiz panted. ¡°There is a group of three travellers in the Dungeon I was in. They need help.¡± The Master looked at him, expression barely changing. ¡°And? You should tell the Jin¡¯Sa about things of that nature, not me.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, I apologize but the Jin¡¯Sa was away and they needed help.¡± She sighed. ¡°I am sure they will be fine. The Dungeon monsters will not respawn while they are within it.¡± It¡¯s taking too long. ¡°JinTeslin, these travellers were my friends in Corunti. Since I have come here, I realized that one of them is a Warrior Monk, like you.¡± The atmosphere changed instantly. Maiz felt the weight of the Master¡¯s attention like a physical force pressing down on him. ¡°What was their name?¡± Maiz swallowed involuntarily. Was this a mistake? ¡°Lila.¡± There was a resounding crack in the air. Maiz winced, and when he looked back up, the room was empty. Hells. Chapter 45 Maiz hadn¡¯t been quite sure what to do with himself after the Jin¡¯Teslin literally disappeared before his eyes. That had really been something¡ªMaiz was convinced that there must be a higher-level Warrior Monk skill that the Jin used to move so quickly. Then again, given what he knew about how skills progressed between realms, perhaps it was just a feature of one of the abilities he already knew about. Now that the immediate emergency of finding help for his friends was resolved¡ªhopefully¡ªhe found himself thinking more about what it meant that his friends were about to come to the Temple. His friends. The ones that, for weeks, he¡¯d barely spared a thought for. He hadn¡¯t even considered going to find them after he¡¯d gotten to the Temple, despite having last seen Ziya in a bloody heap on the ground and Hugan and Lila swept away in the middle of a warzone. They were fine. I knew they were fine. That was what he had told himself, but he somehow thought that other people, normal people, would have been more worried about their only friends¡¯ fates after an experience like the battle at the training grounds. He wondered what it said about him that, instead of telling the Jin that he knew where Lila was, and asking for their help in finding her and the others, he¡¯d kept the fact completely hidden, just taking advantage of the power that the Path had offered. He¡¯d made excuses, learning divination spells and telling himself that he would use them to find his friends in the future, but he hadn¡¯t done anything. Except for violating their minds a minute after seeing them again. In that moment, he hadn¡¯t seen another way out of it, but why had the security of his own power been his first thought? Gods, he¡¯d used the moment when his friends were in shock at seeing him to make his spell succeed. He was a godsdammned monster. You swore yourself to the God of abyss-touched Lies, you idiot. He hadn¡¯t considered much what that meant for him as a person, but even if he had, would he have changed his decision? No. Maiz sighed. It was in the past, now. He would be better in the future. If he could. After a few minutes of sitting, he eventually decided that he should go back and find the entrance to the Temple. He stepped through the Library, into another room lined with inert portal arches. He walked to the end, and tapped the inscription carved into the wall, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he was standing at the base of a huge slope that led up into darkness. Maiz wasn¡¯t sure exactly how this room fit into the Temple, but he didn¡¯t much care. It could have been in a cave a thousand miles south of the Waste, and it wouldn¡¯t have mattered. He took a step up the hill and heard a light rumbling noise. A moment later, a stone shot down the slope, much faster than the incline accounted for, aimed straight for him. Normally he hopped to the side to avoid the obstacle, proceeding to dance up the incline until he reached the top. This time he didn¡¯t move, and though he instinctively took up a Shield Stance to weather the blow, the moment the stone touched his skin he was transported away without a hint of pain. It took him quite a while to find what he was looking for. He would have expected more of the Warrior Monks to be awake, considering that they could use Enlightenment just as well as he could. But most of them only appeared to skip meals during the daytime, training constantly and then sleeping as normal until the next day. Maiz was careful to keep his use of the skill to relative minimum¡ªafter all, it would seem suspicious if he worked day and night without rest for weeks then slept for another week when he disengaged the skill¡ªbut he still thought the Monks were being conservative. Eventually, he just went to the little abyss-spawn outside of the Jin¡¯Sa¡¯s quarters and asked for directions. The boy grudgingly gave them, and after a bit of exploration he found what he was looking for. The entrance to the Temple was a huge, open room with a vaulted ceiling. There was a truly colossal pair of doors, stone decorated with intricate golden filigree. After a moment the image resolved itself into a massive flourished ¡®N.¡¯ The symbol of Nomenadon. The sight brought a slight smile to Maiz¡¯s face, and he sat down comfortably on the stone floor opposite the doors. How long would it take for the Jin¡¯Teslin to come back with Hugan, Lila, and Ziya? After a moment, Maiz decided that he should disengage Enlightenment. It had only been active for a few hours now, since his evening meal, and he wanted to be inconspicuously awake when the four did return. Letting go of the skill was more of a relaxation than anything. His stamina had tightening throughout his body almost imperceptibly, and he simply stopped the power from constricting, letting it flow back and even out in his body. Then he collapsed, asleep opposite the extravagant lie of the twin doors. An intensely sharp pain woke him. He opened exhausted eyes, rolling onto his back in confusion and gasping at the stabbing agony that flared in his side. His mana began flowing through his body, healing whatever had been broken, and he looked up into the hard face of the Jin¡¯Teslin. From this angle, she didn¡¯t seem nearly as kind as she had when he first met her. The smile lines carved deep shadows in her face, and her eyes seemed as cold and hard as steel. Faintly, as the magic repaired his injury, Maiz realized something¡ªthis woman¡¯s eyes, more than those of anyone else he had seen in the Temple, were the exact shape and color of Lila¡¯s. Oh. Hells. A moment later, he noticed that she was also holding all three of his friends in her arms like so much firewood. Hugan and Lila were squirming slightly, trying to look down at Maiz. Ziya was on the top of the pile, and she wasn¡¯t moving.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The Master looked down at him for a long moment. Her eyes flicked to the bracelet on his wrist, and even as he saw understanding flicker in her gaze, he cursed himself. He scrambled to his feet, ribs still aching but healed enough that he would be fine. He unclasped the bracelet, surveying his three friends. The Jin¡¯Teslin said nothing as he clasped it on Ziya¡¯s wrist. It could only do so much, but it would certainly be better than nothing, and sheseemed to need the healing the most of the three. ¡°Maiz,¡± Hugan croaked. ¡°Are we¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªyou¡¯re all safe now,¡± Maiz interrupted, gently as he could. Hugan nodded, and went limp in the Master¡¯s arms. Maiz almost shouted, but a look at the Jin¡¯Teslin¡¯s face stopped him. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± She sounded¡­ out of breath? Suddenly Maiz wondered just how long he¡¯d been asleep for. He felt like it had been less than an hour, but that couldn¡¯t have been right. And how many miles must the woman have carried his three friends through the desert? Hells. He scrambled to obey her command, though as she swept past him and through the doorway leading deeper into the Temple, he followed, jogging to keep up with her walking pace. In only a few turns, they were in a simple room much like Maiz¡¯s own, with a single pallet laid out on the floor. Here the Master finally lowered the three to the ground, arranging Ziya and Hugan to share the space on the pallet as much as possible. She gave Lila a look that made Maiz shiver, though he barely saw it. ¡°I must go and get the Clerics. Stay awake.¡± She turned the full force of her gaze on Maiz. Instinctively, he nodded, and she inclined her head in return. The woman took in a deep breath, and Maiz felt her power draw in. There was another crack, and she vanished. ¡°Hells,¡± Lila and Maiz breathed out at the same time. She turned to look at him, and Maiz¡¯s hair stood on end involuntarily at the similarity between her eyes and the Jin¡¯Teslin. ¡°So, uh¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªmother.¡± Maiz nodded, stomach sinking a little. ¡°And¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªran away while she was working.¡± ¡°Right. But¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªbig, big, trouble.¡± Maiz sighed. He was not big on physical contact, but he laid a comforting hand on Lila¡¯s shoulder. She gave him a faint nod. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not as worried as I was when I left. And with everything that happened, it seems less important.¡± She looked down at their friends, limp on the pallet. ¡°I just hope they¡¯ll be all right.¡± Maiz gave a nod of his own. He used Mana Sense, looking down at the two. Ziya¡¯s white mana mostly remained in her pool, but an intricate series of loops snaked throughout her entire body. The bracelet at work. Even after his long hours in the Library, Maiz hadn¡¯t seen anything nearly as complicated as that magic. Come to think of it, he hadn¡¯t seen a pattern as complex as that of the normal Heal spell that Clerics used. How was that possible? The question fell away as he turned his gaze on Hugan. The young Warden was deeply asleep and clearly breathing, but in Maiz¡¯s magical sight he saw¡­ nothing. Lifting his hand from Lila¡¯s shoulder, he knelt beside Hugan, holding his own hand by the other boy¡¯s open mouth. Warm air confirmed what Maiz already knew¡ªHugan was alive. But he barely glowed in Maiz¡¯s vision at all. There was no distributed shine of his stamina, and certainly no concentrated glow of a mana pool. Maiz had never seen anything like it. Even the monsters he fought either had magic of their own or stamina throughout their body. What in the Abyss? Maiz was about to reach down to Ziya¡¯s wrist and transfer the healing bracelet over to Hugan. He wasn¡¯t even sure if it would work for a non-mage, but there was no question that Hugan needed it more than Ziya did at that moment. However, before he could a strong breeze wafted over him, and several soft grunts. Jerking his head up, Maiz saw that the Jin¡¯Teslin had already returned with the Clerics. Four of them, in fact. Two were slung over her shoulders, and two were stacked on top of one another in her arms. Maiz suddenly realized that, even if Warrior Monks weren¡¯t focused in Strength, she was probably being gentle with him when she broke his ribs. Despite the awe-inspiring display of power it represented, the sight of the middle-aged woman carrying four green-robed men and women, one of whom had a belly that nearly obscured the Jin¡¯s face, was still somewhat comical. The Master dropped them, heaving a huge breath. All of this had actually taken some effort from her, it seemed. The four priests stood stiffly, the pot-bellied man groaning quietly. When they looked at the two young people lying on the pallet, they focused quickly, however. ¡°Hmm, has someone cast Regenerate on her?¡± A sharp looking woman asked. Maiz mumbled something the bracelet, unclasping it and stepping back. He was immediately shoved to the side. The woman went to Ziya, and as Maiz once again activated Mana Sense, he saw that she was already casting an impossibly intricate spell on her. The power of these Clerics was a bit surprising. They must all be Adepts, from the way their mana pools shone. The Jin¡¯Teslin, though she was not a mage, still outshone everyone else in the room by a large margin, and Maiz dismissed Mana Sense out of discomfort at seeing her power from so close. The other three had all gathered around Hugan, muttering to each other. ¡°There¡¯s hardly any physical damage at all.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, but his entire body is barely functioning. It almost seems like Yotinbe venom.¡± ¡°No venom, though. It must be his stamina. Torath, you are higher ranked in Rejuvenate than me.¡± ¡°Very well, but you should use Second Wind as well, and perhaps a Fortify Constitution?¡± ¡°Fortify Strength and Dexterity, if anything.¡± After only a few minutes, the Clerics all looked up at the Jin¡¯Teslin. The large man, who seemed to be the most senior of the bunch, spoke. ¡°They should be well now with rest, Jin¡¯Teslin, though they will both need to be fed and watered soon. Our students should be here in moments.¡± The Master actually bowed to them, hair almost touching the ground as she did so. ¡°Thank you. If I may trouble you further, it appears that my fool of a daughter has kept Enlightenment engaged for far too long.¡± The four turned to Lila. She opened her mouth to speak, but a look from her mother made her shut it immediately. ¡°When our students come with the food and water, she can drink, and we will fortify her against her collapse. It will likely still take a week for a full recovery, but she should be in no danger.¡± The green-robed Cleric seemed a little timid as he answered, eyes darting between Lila and her mother, shoulders sightly hunched. Maiz knew how he felt. The Jin¡¯Teslin nodded, still glaring at Lila. ¡°Thank you, Hamid. But she will be recovering from this for much, much longer than a week.¡± Chapter 46 Lila managed to tell her mother about the attack on the training grounds before she was forced to down a waterskin at top speed. She¡¯d collapsed immediately, Enlightenment disengaging and inflicting a portion of her sleep, food, and water loss upon her.The four Adept Clerics had begun a barrage of various healing spells as she was given more water by the younger ones. It had been a little disturbing to watch, but the Jin¡¯Sa had almost immediately told him to get more water from the mess hall, in a tone of voice that brooked no argument. He¡¯d done it, of course, returning to find that three pallets had been laid out for his friends and the older female Cleric was the only one who remained to tend to them. They all looked¡­ Maiz wished he could say ¡®peaceful,¡¯ but they just seemed extraordinarily tired. He¡¯d stayed there for a few hours, but there was barely anything to do once he¡¯d retrieved all the supplies that the Cleric requested from him. He did watch the Cleric cast spells on each of the three, though she appeared to focus the most on Lila. Most of the spells were completely incomprehensible to him. Was the Cleric actually directing her mana through those intricate patterns, targeting incredibly specific parts of the body with each cast? Maiz had seen Ziya casting Heal, the basic Cleric spell, before, and it was almost as complex. He thought it had something to do with the fact that Clerics worked through the gods. There were other types of religious titles: Preachers, Cleansers, and Paladins from the west, to name a few. Did they have some sort of different mechanism for learning abilities than regular titles? It didn¡¯t matter very much to Maiz, except that he would probably never be able to learn to heal directly like ZIya could. He would have a better bet making something like the bracelet, which, though impressive, was at least faintly understandable. He fell asleep again next to his friends. When he woke, the pot-bellied older Cleric had taken over the care in the room. As Maiz opened his eyes, groaning a little at the stiffness of his muscles, the man glanced over from a wooden chair to the side, where he was sitting at an awkward angle, looking somewhat disheveled. ¡°Ah, yes, young man. These are your friends, I take it?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The man nodded wisely. ¡°Mmm, yes. It is admirable that you want to stay by their side, boy. But, well, frankly it is completely useless. They would really be better served by some peaceful, secluded, rest.¡± The old Cleric looked at Maiz. And looked. It took him longer than it should have to understand what the man was getting at, and finally he scrambled up to leave. The Cleric nodded, wise expression still on his face, as Maiz left. But as he stepped through the doorway, he saw the man settling himself on his chair, tucking his chin against his chest and closing his eyes. As he exited, there were already snoring sounds emanating from the room. Clerics. Maiz had a feeling that half of them just pretended to be dedicated healers so they could pull stunts like that. Sometimes, even Ziya seemed to act cryptic so they wouldn¡¯t ask her to do a bit of extra healing during training or in an exercise. Ah, well. He¡¯s still right, I guess. He really couldn¡¯t do much for his friends now that they were in the hands of experienced, if lazy, healers. He should spend the time being productive, and there was something he could do alone that would become more difficult once his friends woke up. He was extremely hungry, so after having a solitary meal in the mess hall, he walked to the entrance to the Path. Along the way, he interrogated a Temple Acolyte and found that it was late morning. He supposed it made sense that he¡¯d slept in--after all, he had disengaged Enlightenment and suffered a bit of extra sleepiness. He¡¯d only recently started using it regularly while fighting and its rank wasn¡¯t very high, so he still had to repay nearly half of his debts in food, sleep, and water whenever he disengaged it. Going through the first section of the Path was incredibly easy for him at this point. Since first entering the Library two weeks ago, he¡¯d gained four more ranks, putting him at 33--an incredible level for someone his age. He¡¯d used some of the 20 attribute points to bring his Strength up to 31, which was useful both for his skill use and for general athletics. Unfortunately he¡¯d had to spend a good half of the points to increase his Charisma, a necessary attribute for Minor Suggestion to function. He thought it was also a good idea to be somewhat Charismatic, if only to make deceptions about his title easier, but it still hurt to put so many points into a noncombat-oriented attribute. He¡¯d put the final 5 into Wisdom, which was ever useful given how many spells he¡¯d been learning. Speaking of which¡­ The Jin¡¯Tira barely looked at Maiz before grunting and waving him through. Many of the portal arches in the next room were dim, meaning that someone had already been through them. It made sense, since the Warrior Monks liked to do most of their training in the very early morning. Maiz had taken to sleeping or practicing abilities during that time so that he could avoid running into them. It just felt¡­ awkward. He picked one at random, though if he payed attention he could probably identify most of the Dungeons associated with each arch. Indeed, as Maiz stepped through he realized that this one was the very first he had ever been through on the Path. A dark cave system full of the jackal-like creatures called Biorics. The main danger of this Dungeon, at least to most Warrior Monks, was the darkness. Fast Feet didn¡¯t work unless the user perceived the attacker, making the first room a potential issue because the simple Biorics were nearly indistinguishable in the darkness. Ironically, the final room of flame-touched monsters was actually easier because the flaming mouths made the creatures easy to see. Last time, Maiz had gotten around this problem by using Flaming Strike as a torch and engaging Shield Stance whenever he triggered the spell. Now, he had a better option. There was quite a variety of illusion spells described in the Temple Library. Maiz had chosen to focus on the Shadeweaver spell Color Tapestry for a few simple reasons. The first was that it was extremely flexible, allowing him to create almost any rough image he could think of with the same basic pattern, and performing even better at modifying the appearance of existing objects. The second was that the illusions produced by Color Tapestry were physical mana constructs, not mental manipulation, and could therefore fool even powerful people if they were caught unaware. And who would ever suspect a Spellsword of casting illusion spells? Finally, unlike the vast majority of illusion spells, the illusions created by Color Tapestry lingered without his interference until the mana pattern eroded. That was just plain useful, and made the spell even more potent.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The second point also meant that, when Maiz create an image of a glowing fire on the ceiling of the cave, it provided enough light to see his opponents. It took more mana than usual to make the image glow, but it was still better than not being able to use his staff. Besides, his goal was not to use any of his ¡°old¡± abilities except for Fast Feet to defeat these opponents. One of the opponents jumped at him, letting out a snarl. It was a creature similar to a jackal but with more pronounced teeth, much more powerful hind legs, and charcoal fur. Its fellows seemed wary, as if they could tell that Maiz was much more powerful they could handle, even with a over a dozen in the pack. Or they were just being polite to their fellow who wanted to go first. Maiz skipped easily out of the way, activating Nightwalker as he did so. The Shadowblade skill synergized incredibly well with his Fast Feet, allowing him to control how his feet gripped the ground and drastically improving his mobility. In theory. It was Massahn-touched difficult to use, which was made painfully obvious to Maiz as his feet nearly slid out from under him, prompting him to increase his grip-strength and immediately fall over from the jerking stop. Godsdammit. He¡¯d really thought he¡¯d made a breakthrough with that, considering how he¡¯d used it in the Path the last few days, but apparently there was something about fighting that was making him lose the careful balance of the skill. The other Biorics seemed to take Maiz¡¯s fall as a sign of weakness, because immediately he had four or five bounding at him, snarling through their massive teeth. He swept hand at them as he struggled to his feet, releasing a burst of mana that felt like storms and stopping their charge for a moment. Once he had figured out how to change his mana without a pattern like the Spellsword abilities used, Air Blast had become very easy to learn and execute. It was one of the Aeromancer spells Maiz had found mostly in memory of Hakim, but it had ended up being incredibly useful, mostly because he had so few ranged attacks. Once he got to his feet, careful to keep his grip of the floor at a normal level, he surveyed his enemies. Against a group like this, simply sweeping through them with Windblade would probably have been the smartest option. However, he had to practice his new abilities, so instead he stepped forward and around the pack, quickly finding himself surrounded. A few were slow to react, understable given his Agility was at the Apprentice level, and Maiz targeted one that hadn¡¯t turned to face him as he dodged a flying opponent. Unseen Assault. His staff blurred in his hands as he unleashed a fast series of powerful strikes on the beast, killing it before it had a chance to see him. He himself whirled, and dodged around another attacking Bioric. With a flash of inspiration, he spotted one that seemed ready to jump. He quickly directed his mana, and cast Blood Paralysis, the only Sanguimancer spell in the entire Library. As the beast jumped, it twisted, muscles bunching up in odd ways. Unfortunately, the spell didn¡¯t have quite the dramatic effect it had on the snakes in the last Dungeon--likely because the snakes had been extremely vulnerable to manipulation of their muscles--but the slight damage from the constriction of the creature¡¯s muscles combined with the trauma of falling without bracing itself was enough to leave it dead. Maiz debated killing another one with a single-target ability, but honestly this fight was not at all suited to that sort of practice. He¡¯d only picked up a few more of those in any case, and after using it in the last Dungeon he¡¯d decided to stop working on Iceflower. He was spread thin enough as it was, and once he reached Journeyman, his Flaming Strike would be able to take on any elemental aspect, rendering the need for an ice spell moot. He¡¯d come to similar conclusions about Spirit Lance, Firebolt, and Venom Blade. Though he¡¯d been concerned about not having enough ranged attacks, many of his abilities favored close combat as it was, and he didn¡¯t plan on fighting in an artillery line in any case. That meant it was time to practice his Crushing Aura. Maiz continued to dodge around attacks with ease, even managing to use Nightwalker to slightly improve his dodging as he began directing his mana. The first step was simple: he focused on the idea of weight, like Earth and Air mixed with pure force. That had been the largest hurdle to learning this spell, and Maiz had been forced to resort to actual meditation before he figured out how to conceptualize it properly. He let the idea flow into his mana pool, and soon his magic felt saturated with the proper identity, heavy in his mind. While he felt the customary phantom chill at directing it, he also felt the same heaviness spread throughout his body as he began to form the spell. Maiz hadn¡¯t realized it before, but his mana was naturally ¡°pure,¡± without a type that he could discern. It was the mana that Enchanters and Spellswords used, and Maiz was uncertain whether his was that way because of his Nameless title or because the first spell he learned was Flaming Strike. Considering that he could change his mana type by thinking about it, either answer was plausible, but in any case he''d found that different types of mana had different natural properties. Air mana tended to moved quickly and chaotically, difficult to control but fast to respond. Blood mana felt extremely physical, pulsing in time with his heartbeat and flowing in smooth currents. This ¡°weight¡± mana was the slowest, most viscous that Maiz had encountered. He formed the pattern over the course of a full two minutes, creating wide, solid patterns throughout his body that seemed to build up a subtle pressure. It wasn¡¯t nearly as difficult as it should have been, considering how much attention he was devoting to dodging and incorporating Nightwalker into his movements, but the mana took so long to move that actually directing it was trivial. When the last bit of the pattern oozed into place, Maiz¡¯s entire body felt the chill of his mana. He released the energy and it flowed outwards, forming a sphere with a radius of a dozen meters. The energy lingered in the air, and he expelled more until the mana pressed down on everything around him. The Biorics stopped attacking, beginning to whine as their bodies were slowly pressed to the ground. As the energy shaped by the pattern accumulated, the whines became choked and eventually stopped. The cracking of bone signalled to Maiz that he could stop the spell, and he did so, his mana pool drained to a quarter of its total. The Biorics had all been crushed into the ground, bodies squished as if something heavy had fallen on them and been removed. Maiz nodded, though he felt a little queasy at the sight. He should have made some good progress on his abilities, and it was good to see the extra damage that Crushing Aura was now producing. He needed to get it to the Apprentice ranks as soon as possible so that he could begin reducing its exorbitant mana cost, and this was another step on that path. Of course, he¡¯d like to do that for every one of his abilities. There is no way I¡¯m learning another one until I¡¯m an Adept at least. With a sigh, he continued on to the next room. There was more work to do, and not enough time to do it. Chapter 47 ¡°And then we were just wandering around in the desert for a while, you know. It was so boring, and then we realized that Lila¡¯s map didn¡¯t work. But then we started walking one night, and Ziya said she saw something, and then we went over this massive dune, and then we saw the cleft where the Dungeon was, and, well, you know.¡± Hugan had been the first to wake up, just that morning. Maiz had been visiting them every day for the past half-week, though the Clerics didn¡¯t let him stay for long. He¡¯d also been running himself ragged for as long as possible every day in preparation for when his friends would wake up. His days of unfettered training were over. Hugan was still talking, and Maiz sighed to himself, just a little. It really would have been so much easier if Ziya or Lila had woken up first. At least then Maiz would have had someone else to help him weather Hugan¡¯s incessant talking. ¡°Nice.¡± Maiz finally got in a word edgewise as Hugan took a breath. He¡¯d been talking about the skill he¡¯d picked up in the Waste, Endure. It was actually interesting--it seemed to sacrifice mobility and attack power for overwhelming defense--but he¡¯d already told Maiz about it twice since waking. ¡°So, are you ready to try out the Path?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, that training thing, right?¡± Heh. Maiz hadn¡¯t explained just how impressive it was yet. Partly because he wanted to give Hugan a good surprise, but mostly because he hadn¡¯t had a chance to say more than three consecutive words to the other young man. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Sure! But yeah, I also got another skill from that whole thing in the training grounds, remember? It¡¯s called Shieldmate, I¡¯m not really¡­¡± Maiz nodded amiably and started walking as Hugan kept up his chatter. He really should have been more annoyed, but this felt¡­ right. It was good not to be alone. ************* ¡°Wow, was that a golem? Like the ones that Stoneye made for the old queen when he married her daughter?¡± Maiz snapped his fingers. That was the name. He¡¯d been trying to remember that story for over a month now, ever since he first saw the golems. ¡°Yeah, it was.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Hugan said again, grinning so wide the corners of his mouth disappeared behind his helm. He¡¯d been more than willing to take the insanely complex and expensive bits of the Path in stride, though he¡¯d been suitably impressed. ¡°Wasn¡¯t too tough though, was it?¡± Maiz gave a little smile of his own. ¡°They get a bit harder in the next few rooms.¡± He wasn¡¯t worried. Even without using any abilities at all, he could easily clear the Novice-level golems by himself. He¡¯d let Hugan do most of the work, and had been impressed at how naturally the other boy moved in the bulky plate armor he¡¯d chosen in the armory room. The armor, as well as his kite shield, was inscribed with a set of runes. Maiz hadn¡¯t been able to spare the time to learn Enchanting, but clearly the symbols offered some protection against being teleported away by the golems¡¯ attacks. Not that Hugan needed it much. When they entered the next room, Maiz again gestured for Hugan to take the lead against the leather-armored golem. After a moment of hesitation, he did so, sidling close to the automaton with his shield up and plain short sword ready. The creature swung at him, and instead of trying to dodge or hide behind his shield like Maiz would have done, Hugan met the blow with force of his own, slamming his shield and armored body into the offending arm. The clumsy wood golem stumbled from the blow, and Hugan followed it up with a pair of accurate strikes to the armpit with his sword. That was enough to make the creature collapse with a white circle glowing at the joint. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Nice job,¡± Maiz offered. How the hells is he so good at that? It really was incredible how talented Hugan was at fighting. Hells, Maiz was probably only a little more competent with his staff than Hugan appeared to be with his newly donned ensemble. Of course, when you factored attributes and abilities in there was no contest, but, well¡­ Maiz wasn¡¯t sure that would be true for long. ¡°Thanks!¡± Hugan was actually breathing a little harder than usual now, but Maiz couldn¡¯t really blame him, considering how much armor he had on. Huh, could I use that stuff to train Strength? Maiz filed away the thought for later. ¡°The next room has two of those, so--¡± ¡°--you want to take one?¡± Hugan interrupted quickly. He¡¯d seemed reluctant to take the opportunity to fight the golems away from Maiz. Maiz was just glad that they¡¯d been able to reach this part together. He hadn¡¯t really expected Hugan to make it all the way to the end of the first floor so quickly. Maiz shook his head at his friend. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll be there to help if you need it, but you should get some training in.¡± Hugan looked like he wanted to argue, so Maiz gave him a gentle shove. It was like pushing a medium sized boulder, but even without showing his real strength, the muscle he¡¯d gained in the Path made it easy to get Hugan into the next room. They made it through five more fights with Maiz doing nothing more than stepping out of the way of a golem or two. Watching Hugan fight was¡­ a little annoying, honestly. He wasn¡¯t truly jealous--he was a God-Chosen, after all--but it was clearer than ever that Hugan really was a natural combatant. If he wasn¡¯t a Master by fifty, Maiz would kiss a goblin. He was currently slashing at a chink in one enemy¡¯s armor while fending another off with a shield. He¡¯d momentarily paralyzed the third golem with a well-placed shield bash, but he was clearly flagging. As the third opponent came back to life, Maiz cast Windblade, far quicker now than when he¡¯d first learned the spell, and stepped forward. His attack took the automaton at the neck, shearing through its armor with only a bit of effort and nearly taking the thing¡¯s head off. Hugan jerked in his armor, twisting around to see what had happened and catching a heavy blow on the shoulder from one of his opponents. Oops. Good thing he has armor. While Maiz was used to the sound of shrieking metal that accompanied his Windblade attacks, he¡¯d forgotten just how disconcerting it could be. ¡°Keep fighting, everything¡¯s all right!¡± Hugan didn¡¯t even need the explanation--he¡¯d already gone back to engaging the two golems. Without the threat at his back, he committed more heavily, freezing one enemy with a stab to the knee and taking down another with a bash of his shield and a few slashes. In a few more seconds, all of the automata had been dispatched. ¡°Thanks,¡± Hugan panted. ¡°No problem. Is your shoulder okay?¡± Hugan immediately dropped the gauntleted hand that had been reaching for the pauldron where he¡¯d taken the hit. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks!¡± Maiz sighed, and after slipping his healing bracelet off his own wrist, offered it to Hugan. ¡°This should help you heal. Sorry about that.¡± The young Warden shook his head vehemently, his armor groaning. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I¡¯m a Warden, remember? I barely felt that hit, I was just checking the armor.¡± Maiz gave him a suspicious look. Hugan wasn¡¯t above lying about an injury, but he¡¯d never denied help from Ziya before. Besides, Maiz had no idea if the bracelet would work on a non-mage. After all, they didn¡¯t have mana pools. ¡°All right then. Next room?¡± Hugan gave him a weary smile. ¡°Sure. There¡¯ll be four, right? Mind taking two?¡± He considered having Hugan attempt it alone first, but it was his first time, and he was looking a little sweaty in that armor, and¡­ why was he going to say yes again? Maiz gave Hugan a bright grin, trying to match the other boy¡¯s favorite facial expression. ¡°You know, I did this alone my first time.¡± Hugan appeared to consider that for a moment, his breastplate moving a little as he caught his breath. Then he gave Maiz a smile of his own. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll call you over when I¡¯m done.¡± Chapter 48 The Jin¡¯Tira hadn¡¯t been in his room when they went through, which had never happened before. Maiz didn¡¯t think too much of it--after all, he hadn¡¯t seen the Jin¡¯Teslin, Lila¡¯s mother, since she¡¯d brought his friends to the Temple. ¡°Watch out!¡± Maiz winced involuntarily as a hand dripping loose sand, a hand made of the desert itself, smashed down towards Hugan¡¯s head. He would have stepped to the side, or jumped, or sliced the offending limb off. Hugan¡­ stood there, lifting his shield with what Maiz considered a lack of appropriate urgency. There was a clang and a screech, and when the creature withdrew, Maiz saw that its body had massive rents in it, spilling sand onto the floor. Huh. It was a little unintuitive that a swirling, vaguely humanoid collection of sand could be hurt by a sword, but Maiz supposed that it was only Novice level. Hugan, looking completely unhurt despite the obvious strength of the creature¡¯s attack, stepped forward again leading with his shield. After what felt like a long time and several more clangs as Hugan blocked blows from the enraged monster, it finally dissolved away. ¡°Huh. What was that?¡± Hugan sounded only vaguely curious. Truth be told, Maiz was as well. He hadn¡¯t yet been through this place, a large rock formation open to the desert sun and storms. The monsters had all burrowed up out of the ground, which explained how they remained sheltered during the sandstorms that would sometimes sweep the Waste. ¡°Just check your Notification Sheet,¡± Maiz reminded his friend. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Silence, then, ¡°it¡¯s called a, uh, Sandwraith? Dustghost? Something like that. And¡­ hey! I¡¯m an Apprentice now!¡± Maiz nodded. He¡¯d forgotten again that Hugan couldn¡¯t read. He didn¡¯t know exactly how the other boy perceived his notifications, but apparently the information could be ambiguous. He was about to say that ¡®Dustghost¡¯ sounded like a stupid name, when the second part of what Hugan said registered. ¡°What? Really?¡± The other boy nodded, grinning, and words flashed above his head. Hugan-Apprentice Warden. Maiz smiled back.¡±That¡¯s great! Congratulations!¡± Hugan was looking at his armor-clad arms, as though he expected them to look different now that he¡¯d entered a new realm. ¡°Thanks! Wow, it feels really weird to be this much stronger!¡± Oh, that was right. Other people didn¡¯t get to choose where most of their attribute points went. Hugan likely had most of his points assigned to Strength and Constitution each rank. ¡°It¡¯s a little strange, yeah. What are you going to assign the rest of the points to?¡± Hugan¡¯s grin turned into a pensive expression. ¡°Hmm, I put the last bunch in Dexterity and Agility. It seemed like a good idea, but I don¡¯t think I need to move around all that much. And besides I, uh, kind of wanted to ask you something.¡± He shot an uncomfortable look at Maiz before continuing, ¡°will you, maybe, if we have time, teach me to read?¡± He didn¡¯t even look at Maiz as he continued, words coming in a rush, ¡°I worked with Ba when I was younger, and besides, Smiths get a point in Intelligence each rank, and we thought it would be easier to learn once I boosted it. So if I put some points in now, do you think you could teach me?¡± Maiz blinked. He hadn¡¯t been sure what Hugan was going to say, but this seemed fine. More than fine. An excellent idea, really. ¡°Um, sure. But, uh, does higher Intelligence really make it easier to learn to read?¡± Hugan nodded vigorously, armor clanking a little. ¡°Yeah! Ba said that Intelligence makes it easier to notice things and remember them, so it makes learning go much faster. And it¡¯s supposed to be useful in a fight because you can think things through better, so it¡¯s not even a waste!¡± Huh. Maiz hadn¡¯t really thought about it, but he had learned all his new abilities at a ridiculous speed, even if they were just Novice ranked. Had fighting gotten less overwhelming over time because he¡¯d gotten more practice, or just because he¡¯d increased his Intelligence? After a moment¡¯s thought he decided that, if it worked like his other attributes, then the gains he¡¯d made in the Temple wouldn¡¯t have had as big an impact as those in the earlier ranks. He¡¯d realized a while ago that, as his attributes got larger, each point counted for less in terms of their physical--or, he supposed, mental--effects. His musings were interrupted when something massive smashed into his shoulder, forcing him to stumble. ¡°Thanks, Maiz!¡± ¡°No... problem¡­¡± he wheezed back. It had been nice, being so much higher ranked than Hugan that his blows didn¡¯t hurt. Time to get used to the pain again, he supposed. They teleported back to the Temple, Hugan exclaiming in surprise when they found themselves in the cubical stone room together. He hadn¡¯t been teleported back to the beginning of the Path yet, so Maiz supposed the shock was warranted. Once he¡¯d calmed down, it only took a few minutes for him to learn the Punch skill. He used it on the inscription, and Maiz followed with Mana Projection. He arrived to find Hugan staring at the next challenge. The one that involved jumping between obelisks that rose up out of a massive abyss. ¡°I, uh, I think I should take my armor off.¡± ¡°Those Intelligence points were a good idea.¡± Hugan looked over at him, eyebrow raised, a smile threatening to burst out from his concerned expression. ¡°Was that a joke? Are you feeling alright?¡± Maiz flushed. He considered half a dozen witty responses he was sure would sound idiotic, then simply said, ¡°uh, yes.¡± Hugan burst out laughing. Probably more than the situation called for, but then Maiz was right there beside him, doing the same thing. It was an interesting experience, to laugh at something silly. He hadn¡¯t done much of that since he¡¯d left the training grounds, and even then it had been a rare occurrence. It was liberating in a way he didn¡¯t really understand, but appreciated nonetheless.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Alright,¡± Hugan panted, stepping out of the last of his armor, ¡°if I don¡¯t make this one, just keep going, okay? I want to try doing it again alone anyways.¡± Maiz nodded. It had been a little unfair, how much he¡¯d helped Hugan through the Novice section. He would benefit from the training, and Maiz would also be able to do some more focused practice without the other boy there. ¡°Okay, here goes!¡± Hugan flexed his legs, and Jumped. Or maybe he just jumped. Either way, he flew out over the pit in a wide arc, limbs flailing a little. He was shouting something, but Maiz wasn¡¯t sure what. He was too preoccupied with the phantom horror he felt at seeing the young Warden completely overshoot the platform and tumble into the blackness. Oh. He probably should have taken some time to get use to his Strength before he did that. Well, Hugan would probably have fun running the Path again. Maiz did feel a pang of sympathy at the horror of having the first failure be falling into a bottomless void, but hopefully Hugan hadn¡¯t realized what was happening before he got sent back to the beginning. Either way, standing around wasn¡¯t going to make him feel any better about it. It didn¡¯t take very long to reach the end of the section, even though he didn¡¯t dare use any overt abilities except for Nightwalker concealed by Color Tapestry. A huge advantage of the Shadeweaver spell was that his illusions could be attached to physical objects like his feet so he didn¡¯t need to devote extra attention to maintaining the deception. He also activated Enlightenment, mostly so that he wouldn¡¯t forget to use it in the Dungeon and advance its rank. After defeating the last two golems by using Nightwalker to slide out from between a pair of strike and flank his opponents, Maiz ascended the stairs, fully expecting to see an empty room and move on to a Dungeon, or perhaps some study in the Library. ¡°Hello. Maiz, was it?¡± Of course. Maiz made a note to himself never to expect anything. It never seemed to work out. ¡°Yes, Jin¡¯Teslin.¡± She was looking rather severe, her gray eyes hard as stone and looking directly into his soul. ¡°Hm. I have been wondering what exactly to do with you, you know.¡± Maiz frowned in mock confusion, though a cold hand of pure fear was already squeezing his heart. If this woman wanted, she could kill him instantly, and there was nothing he could do about it. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°You knew my daughter. Well, it seems. Yet you never brought her existence up.¡± The Jin¡¯s voice was deadly calm, and Maiz started sweating. ¡°I¡­ she never told me her title, or where she was from.¡± There was a rush of air, and the her nose was suddenly inches from Maiz¡¯s own. It was all he could do not to jump back and curse, but he kept his composure. Thank you, Hakim. ¡°And you didn¡¯t have the slightest inkling that, perhaps, someone who fought like her would be a Warrior Monk? You have spent quite some time in the Library, I am sure you read about our skills.¡± Maiz thought about lying, but even Hugan wouldn¡¯t have missed that connection. ¡°Honestly ma¡¯am, I was too scared of you or the other Jin to tell them about Lila, even after I realized what she was.¡± The woman¡¯s stone gaze pinned him in place. He could hear it when she exhaled, a bare whisper in the otherwise silent room. She drew in another breath, nostrils flaring, and it was all the warning he got before he was on the floor, head hurting distinctly more than it had a moment before. ¡°The last Spellsword to come to this place challenged me to a fight because I wouldn¡¯t tell him my name. I lost. You would do well to learn to act with courage like that, boy.¡± The healing bracelet was already doing its work, filling his head with warmth, but he must have sustained a serious head injury, because his mouth began moving before his self-preservation instincts had a chance to kick in. ¡°I¡¯m sure that when I¡¯m a Master, I¡¯ll have the courage to smash Apprentices into the ground too, ma¡¯am.¡± It had been a good run, he supposed. Hugan, Lila, and Ziya were safe, at least. Hopefully nothing too awful would happen to Caelos, but really, he would be more than fine if that city and every Sharir in it burned to the ground. He could die knowing that he hadn¡¯t messed anything up too badly. He squeezed his eyes shut, still unable to move properly, and waited. When he opened them again and didn¡¯t find himself face to face with Viselys or Riala or some demon from the Abyss, he was slightly confused. When he realized he could move around again, he was more so. Head pounding, he sat up from the floor. There was no one there. Hm. He waited there for a full fifteen minutes, headache slowly fading as the healing bracelet did its work. He sincerely hoped there wasn¡¯t anything truly wrong up there: he had no idea how the enchantment would respond to a crack in his skull, for example. Would he find a permanent depression in his head where the Jin had hit him? With a rush of wind, the Jin returned, panting slightly, face and clothed speckled with black¡­ something. Ichor, Maiz supposed. ¡°You seem to have healed yourself. The bracelet, yes?¡± Maiz nodded dumbly. He didn¡¯t trust himself to speak. ¡°I will admit, I probably had that coming. But be careful--none of my siblings would have left you alive after such an insult.¡± She paused, and Maiz wondered why she even bothered to tell him that. His limbs were still shaking a little in reaction from what had almost happened. ¡°But you are braver than I assumed.¡± Maiz said nothing. He didn¡¯t think he really could at that moment, and not because of the head injury. ¡°You took the wind out of my sails, as they say to the West, but I did want to speak with you. Even if what I did was¡­ dishonorable, you still must pay for the hardship you put my daughter through by not speaking.¡± The Master¡¯s demeanor, which had been disconcertingly unsure as she looked down at Maiz with her head bowed, returned to its normal confidence. ¡°Fortunately for both of us, there is an issue that both concerns the Temple and could benefit your growth. I will consider your participation in solving the problem recompense for your transgression.¡± It seemed like he was getting a raw deal out of this, especially considering the ¡®apology¡¯ he¡¯d just received. But then, he was pretty sure she¡¯d just gone and killed her way through a Dungeon to cool her temper at him, so maybe he shouldn¡¯t point that out. Still, the cynical thought was enough to get his mental faculties functional once again, and he rose. He really should start getting used to these near-death experiences. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± The Jin¡¯Teslin nodded decisively. ¡°There is an army marching across the Waste, devouring every source of water and every Dungeon they can access. A few days ago, they appear to have detected a disturbance which led back to the Temple.¡± She gave a slightly uncomfortable look before continuing. ¡°They have changed course, meaning that we must dissuade them from coming our way. Several raiding parties and expeditions have already been sent out, and more are being prepared, including all of our own combatants. I expect you to join a party and aid this effort as much as you can.¡± Maiz stared at her, and the strains of an old funeral dirge began playing in the back of his head. Oh hells. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Chapter 49 Shadar was¡­ well, unsure. It was a strange feeling. He¡¯d gone through most of his life certain of his course. He¡¯d conquered and fought and killed, knowing that he would eventually have his goal, accomplish the Plan. But in recent years, he¡¯d started to see that, whatever he thought, the Children of Massahn were just like any others--unruly, and unwilling to follow, and now¡­ ¡°They¡¯ve changed course.¡± ¡°How certain?¡± ¡°As much as we can be, considering we can¡¯t keep eyes on them for more than a few minutes at a time.¡± Digaratoth was professional as ever, but a hint of annoyance had crept into his tone. It wasn¡¯t directed at Shadar--if Shadar didn¡¯t like being uncertain, Digaratoth hated it. ¡°Where?¡± Digaratoth let out a hissing laugh that would have set many human¡¯s teeth on edge. ¡°No idea. As far as we can tell, there¡¯s nothing truly important in the area. The biggest landmark is the Roc¡¯s Nest, but their old course would have taken them close enough to that as it was. And there¡¯s no real reason for them to engage the Mother Roc other than training.¡± Shadar grunted. ¡°The other plans?¡± Digaratoth gave him a sidelong look, impressive as he was struggling to keep up with Shadar¡¯s long strides. ¡°Unsuccessful so far--I need more time.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± They were walking through the Dragontooth Dungeon¡¯s tunnels, occasionally passing a goblin, Saurian, or skeleton on some administrative task. They turned onto a side tunnel and stepped in a larger room with black walls patterned in hexagons shimmering with a red light that illuminated the surroundings. The door shut behind them with a gentle thud, and Shadar spared a moment of concentration to seal it completely with the Dungeon¡¯s aura. He had many rooms like this one throughout his Dungeon, fitted with anti-divination measures and without means for physical spies to enter. His throne room was one of those, but this one suited his purposes better here. ¡°Safe.¡± Digaratoth sighed. ¡°You know, I am rather good at my job.¡± ¡°Yes, but so are they. How is it really going?¡± Digaratoth flicked his tongue out slightly. ¡°Perfectly, of course. There is no way to transmit a rumor to an army marching through the Waste, but by the time they get to the other end, people will practically be shouting about the mysterious God-Chosen of Corunti.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always nice to be appreciated.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± A little smile cracked his pensive expression. Digaratoth returned it with a flick of his tongue. ¡°So, why exactly did you have me do this?¡± ¡°To see how she reacts. If she wants to kill them or¡­¡± ¡°Talk?¡± Digaratoth let out a snort, which was barely audible. Saurians couldn¡¯t manipulate their tongues in that manner. ¡°Not likely, but I see your point. Now, what should we do about the army marching across the Waste?¡± ¡°Leave them be, as I¡¯ve said.¡± ¡°Shadar, they aren¡¯t losing anyone.¡± Shadar frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We thought we could let them starve and dehydrate half their force in the desert, but they¡¯ve somehow managed to keep all of their soldiers watered and most of them fed.¡± ¡°How?¡± Digaratoth let out another of his laughs. ¡°They¡¯ve found more water sources than I knew existed in that wasteland. Most of them are powerful Dungeons as well, I¡¯d guess. And before you ask, I have no idea how they find the places so consistently.¡± ¡°It must be her.¡± ¡°That was my best guess.¡± ¡°Speaking of that, have you turned up any information?¡± Digaratoth¡¯s shoulders slumped slightly. ¡°Not as much as I would have expected, really. There are legends, of course, but according to those, you should be a Divine Judge of humanity who smites the unworthy with your right hand and rewards the just with your left. Most stories agree that the Chosen of opposing pairs have opposing abilities. So Lumia¡¯s Chosen and Ulion¡¯s Chosen will be opposites. The same for Hudith and Haddad, as well as Viselys and Nomenadon.¡± Massahn was alone. According to some, that meant that every other god was set against him. In practical terms at least, they were right. ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s been quite a long time since the last set of God-Chosen, you know. But I think we have a good handle on her abilities, at least.¡± ¡°Oh?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°She seemed to use Light-based magic against Eva. A powerful light mage seems likely for Lumia¡¯s Chosen.¡± ¡°And the water?¡± ¡°That could be divine intervention. Lumia loves doing that.¡± ¡°The rules are stricter for us than ordinary priests.¡± It was true. Garth gave him useful information about as often as Silence made any sort of sense. ¡°So, what do you think she can do then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Which means--¡± ¡°--anything.¡± Digartoth sounded tired. Shadar concurred. ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡± Shadar thought for a moment. ¡°That change of course.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what she wants?¡± ¡°Not really. I didn¡¯t mention it for the spies, but some reports place the Temple of the Sands somewhere in the region she¡¯s entering.¡± Shadar had heard of the Temple of the Sands. It was¡­ now that he thought about it, he hadn¡¯t ever heard much in the way of details about the place.¡°Why?¡± ¡°We, uh, don¡¯t know. The place is mentioned in dozens of accounts, especially among Masters in the region of the Waste, but no details are given as to why it might be important. It was a little disconcerting, to tell you the truth. I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you about it but it just...¡± ¡°Slipped your mind?¡± Shadar rubbed his chin. He felt stubble, already grown longer than he liked. ¡°The Golden Nest has hidden for long enough. Send them to scout this Temple.¡± ¡°All right. Any other orders, while I¡¯m at it?¡± ¡°Have them prepare the forces they¡¯ve marshalled. We may have to fight her sooner than I thought..¡± *************** ¡°This is awesome,¡± Hugan whispered to Maiz. Maiz didn¡¯t really agree, but he said nothing. Mostly because, in armor, Hugan¡¯s words were still loud enough for the other three combatants to hear what he¡¯d said. ¡°I am glad to hear you say that, Mister Hugan. So you are ready, then?¡± Adrian, the well-built Journeyman Warrior Monk, had a smile in his voice, but he was doing an admirable job of keeping any laughter from escaping him. ¡°So we¡¯re, uh--¡± ¡°--there¡¯s a band of fighters headed to this Dungeon, probably because it has a small groundwater supply. They¡¯ve been sending combatants of the appropriate ranks to take water in the past, so they¡¯ll probably be Journeyman or high-Apprentice level. Our job is to fight them,¡± Maiz interjected. ¡°We have to take one alive if possible,¡± Adrian added, nodding. He frowned at Hugan. ¡°You should really pay better attention Mister Hugan. We have a duty to protect the Temple with all of our power.¡± Hugan nodded, managing to make the motion look lazy even with his steel helm clanking. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯m only here for Maiz.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m only here because of the Jin¡¯Teslin,¡± Maiz added, annoyance in his tone. This group, Adrian, Juya, and a lean young man named Rajit, had all met Maiz before, and they hadn¡¯t seemed overly reverent about the Jin then, so he didn''t worry much about showing his bad mood. ¡°That is a bit unfortunate,¡± Adrian nodded sympathetically as he stepped over the dissolving corpse of an oversized red scorpion-monster. He appeared to notice something about a particular section of cave wall, and took up a crouch against it, facing the entrance to the space. ¡°Everyone, please find a position for the attack. Juya, Rajit, and Mister Hugan, we will be attempting to find any ranged attackers and disable them quickly. Maiz, if you could find somewhere to hide until we do that, your job will be to breach any heavy defenses.¡± Maiz nodded glumly, moving behind the little well in the center of the room. He had, of course, disclosed his Spellsword abilities to Adrian before the briefing they¡¯d just recieved, and he approved of how Adrian had responded to the information. The Warrior Monks all had Fast Feet and Hugan was a wall as it was, so they would be in little danger from projectiles compared to Maiz. Of course, Maiz had nothing to fear, but they didn¡¯t know that. ¡°Well, at least you can get experience from this,¡± Juya called over to him, continuing the conversation as if it hadn¡¯t been interrupted. ¡°I have heard that fighting humans is worth more than monsters.¡± ¡°I heard that it only increases your knowledge modifier faster,¡± Rajit interjected. The two of them had taken positions on either side of the entrance, a little closer than Adrian. Hugan had sidled up next to Rajit, and Maiz, peeking over the edge of the well, could see his eyes following the conversation with interest. ¡°You will find out shortly, children. Be silent now. Rajit, you need to move back a little. Why not go behind your armored friend? Adrian, are you all ready?¡± Maiz jumped, almost dropping his staff as a tall man dressed in the strange tunic of the Temple walked through the entrance with a casual gait and deceptive speed. Hugan started as well, taking a step forward and raising his shield. The man looked at him approvingly. ¡°Well done! Excellent instincts you¡¯ve got there, but I would suggest keeping your shield up from now on, just in case.¡± Maiz hadn¡¯t had nearly as useful of a reaction. Surreptitiously, he activated Fast Feet, cursing himself for not doing it sooner. ¡°Everyone is ready sir.¡± Adrian sounded respectful, putting Maiz on edge immediately, but he hadn¡¯t said a ¡®Jin¡¯ title, so at least this probably wasn¡¯t a Master. The man smiled, an almost fatherly expression. He had gray around the edges of his hair, and his skin was pitted with old blemishes and scars. He carried a staff not unlike Maiz¡¯s own, though it seemed a bit longer and thinner. ¡°Very good. I will be in the back then, in case anything goes wrong. Do not worry, I won¡¯t interfere unless anything drastic happens.¡± With that, the man continued sauntering through the room, deftly hopping over the now half-dissolved scorpion, and took a squatting position near the inscription to exit, on the far wall. What? Maiz raised an eyebrow, looking at the squatting man. He must have been a more experienced combatant, perhaps an Adept. He thought it made fine sense to send someone to supervise their little ¡®squad,¡¯ but somehow he hadn¡¯t thought that they¡¯d be receiving anything like a safety net in this expedition. And if this Adept could be spared to fight, why were the rest of them even there in the first place? ¡°Look sharp, boy. I have another of these skirmishes to oversee in an hour, and I would rather not waste stamina on saving you five for no reason. You have the best view of the entrance, so you should be keeping your eyes on it.¡± Maiz flushed slightly and gave the man a short, respectful nod,turning back to the entrance. So that was what it was, then. This man wasn¡¯t just a safety net, he was an instructor. And this was practice. Suddenly, the slight tension in his shoulders relaxed, and his grip on his staff loosened to a comfortable level. This wasn¡¯t any different from the other training he¡¯d done in the past months. Hells, he¡¯d never had an Adept looking over his shoulder when he was clearing the Dungeons in the Path. This would be fine. Then, Maiz heard the voices drifting into the cavern. ¡°Stay in formation!¡± ¡°Oh relax Sarge, I could clear this place on my own!¡± ¡°Now! Diamond pattern for the boss. Jon, you¡¯re point. I have a feeling this one¡¯s going to be venomous, so make sure to cover Fia.¡± Time to fight. Maiz kept his gaze trained on the entrance, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hugan¡¯s armored form shift slightly. Even without seeing his face, he knew the Warden was sporting a grin. Chapter 50 The voices became louder as the enemy combatants approached the cave entrance. Maiz took a deep breath, and sat perfectly still. An amorphous shadow appeared in the doorway and¡­ One exceedingly bright flash and loud noise later, Maiz was blinking away stars from his eyes. What was that? He didn¡¯t have time to figure it out, because a shout came from the doorway. ¡°Move in!¡± A moment later, there was a second. ¡°What the hells?¡± Finally, Maiz could see again, and he gripped his staff tighter. There were four of them--two dressed in simple leather armor, carrying a sword and an axe respectively. Behind them was a man with an arrow nocked on a short white bow, and in front was an absolutely massive man in chainmail, holding a wide shield in one hand a mace in the other. Even as Maiz watched, there was a thrum as the archer released his arrow, and a ring of metal as it hit bare stone. ¡°Ambush!¡± Adrian leapt forward, dodging a second arrow that somehow appeared on the bowman¡¯s string. He flowed around the swordsman, and Maiz saw him land a single kick on the man¡¯s leg before continuing on to the archer. The enemies finally appeared to understand what was happening when Hugan crashed in the axeman, Rajit following up behind him with a series of punches and kicks to the man¡¯s weak spots. He shouted, first in surprise, then pain, then anger, and his hand blurred. And Hugan stumbled. Maiz was over the well in a moment, Windblade already flowing over his staff. He managed to remember not to activate Nightwalker--he wasn''t risking any unusual abilities around the Adept, even tough most of his new abilities were meant to be concealable in battle. He ducked another arrow as he ran. How was the archer still shooting while fighting Adrian? Maiz made straight for the axeman, who was now focused on Rajit. The combatant swung his axe like it weighed nothing, blade flashing in tight, controlled arcs that were difficult to follow. The Warrior-Monk was dodging, but clearly the exertion was taking a toll on his stamina. Hugan had just struggled back to his feet and was stepping back towards the fray when Maiz¡¯s field of vision was blocked by a plane of steel. An incoherent roar filled his ears, and he was shoved backwards, barely managing to keep his feet. Focus. Maiz¡¯s eyes snapped up to the mace flying at his head, and he skipped to the side, barely using Fast Feet. He struck out in three rapid blows, two strikes to his opponent¡¯s armored midsection and a final stab at the neck. The first two landed, chainmail shearing and blood flying, but the last attack met the massive shield, and metal screeched. Maiz growled in the back of his throat as he ducked another wild swing of the mace. He began casting Flaming Strike, and leapt to the side as his opponent barreled forward with a shield bash. He felt the wind move as air displaced, and was suddenly very glad he¡¯d dodged. Was that a skill? Flaming Strike snapped into place quickly, Maiz pushing his mana flow to its limit as he dodged around another pair of ponderous blows and returned with a swipe at the legs and another at the helm that both met the huge shield. Though his ears were filled with the screeching of Windblade grinding against metal, he could still hear shouts and the clang of weapons hitting a shield from down the cave. Hugan. Maiz¡¯s opponent appeared to be preparing himself for another rushing shield bash. Maiz considered his options. Now that he''d seen the way ths skill would play out, the best option was clearly Blood Paralysis--it wouldn''t be powerful enough to immobilize the man, but a slightnudge would be enough. He''d already started gathering blood mana in his pool when he remembered the Adept standing behind him. There wasn''t much chance he''d be discovered, but he''d rather not make this the first time he used an unusual ability. Briefly, he considered stopping the charge with theFlaming Strike. Itwould work, but it wouldn''t create an opening to end the fight, and Maiz needed to help Hugan. But as he considered his staff, wreathed in red ribbons and the explosive force it could unleash, a memory of something he''d done in another world struck him. As the giant¡¯s armored form started barreling towards him, he slammed his staff into the ground and Jumped. Maiz made a note never to try out a new trick in the middle of a fight he might actually lose. He''d been so used to fighting monsters that, individually, posed no threat to him, that he''d forgotten the caution he needed to survive a realbattle.He also decided never to do thisJump thingagain, ever, without checking to see how high the ceiling was beforehand. His back slammed into hard stone, his breath escaping in a single gasp, but as he fell back down, vision blurred by his watering eyes, he saw the giant form of his opponent and managed to lash out with his windbladed staff at his head. The man really should have invested in a better helmet. As he hit the floor, there was another flash of pain, but Maiz shrugged it off. He was no Hugan, but he still had the Constitution of an Apprentice. Besides, the clangs were getting louder. He thought about casting another Flaming Strike, but but he would be fighting in close proximity to his allies now, and they weren''t protected the from the spell''s blast. Moreover, it still took him a sizable chunk of mana relative to hs pool. Best to save it for holdingWindbladelonger.He ran forward, glad for the slight Agility boost Fast Feet granted him, and moved to enter the fray. The archer had been laid out--Adrian and Juya were both focusing their attention on the swordsman. The man was parrying their blows beautifully, his every move setting him up for a defensive counter to Adrian¡¯s kicks or Juya¡¯s staff blows, but he appeared unable to fight back against their combined assault. Hugan was still engaged with the axeman, who appeared to have slowed down from his earlier rate of attack. Still, Hugan¡¯s shield was dented in several places, and Rajit was was down on one knee behind him, seeming unhurt but taking heaving breaths. Even as Maiz stepped towards the enemy, the soldier managed to hook Hugan¡¯s shield with the head of his axe, and pull it away with great heave. His friend cried out as the shield was torn from his arm, and, dashing forward the last meter, Maiz struck. He¡¯d expected to bite deep into the neck, but in a startling display of Dexterity, the man whirled, shield still attached to his axe, and parried.At the moment of impact, there was a screech of metal and the shield tore. Without pause, the axeman swung his weapon around and aimed a blow at Maiz¡¯s head. The major issue with Fast Feet was that, while it made one almost invulnerable to an opponent¡¯s first attack, it didn¡¯t always prompt a strategic dodge. Maiz could mitigate that if thought about it, but he hadn¡¯t been thinking. He''d only beenworriedabout saving Hugan from the soldier''s axe, and he¡¯d been sure he was about to do it. So instead of stepping out of range of the axeman¡¯s swing, shortening his grip on his staff, and attacking from a distance, Maiz ducked, as his enemy had no doubt planned, and a boot came up to meet his face. Maiz¡¯s body jerked, but he had no way to change his momentum so quickly. All he managed to do was close his eyes. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Maiz heard a pure note, like a temple bell ringing, andthe boot hit his face. Except, instead of the debilitating pain he¡¯d expected, the impact barely stung. What? Whatever it was, he had no time. He straightened immediately, and unleashed a barrage of his own.Pressure.The staff was a little slower than other weapons on the first impact, but after that, he could change directions with an ease that both aided his speed and made blocking his attacks difficult. Combined with the fact that each of his blows cut worse than a sword strike, and Maiz easily had the upper hand. His opponent managed to block most of his blows, moving his axe with that uncanny speed, but it was only a matter of time before Maiz won. Except that his mana pool was running dry. Godsdammit. He was seriously regretting that Flaming Strike now, and every rank he hadn¡¯t yet gained in Windblade, which would make the spell¡¯s cost go down. But that was the past--he had to focus. Options. He could go on the defensive, rely on Fast Feet and wait for his mana pool to refill, but if Rajit had been exhausted doing the same thing, Maiz wouldn¡¯t fare any better. If he could use more skills,an unexpectedIllusion Strike--or even a surprise skid from Nightwalker--would be enough to finish it.But no, that might be too obvious in front of the Adept Warrior Monk behind them. There was another way. Maiz began to maneuver around the soldier as they fought, increasing the pressure of his strikes as best he was able. They were costing real stamina now, and soon he wouldn¡¯t be able to manage an Illusion Strike if he wanted to. But the axeman was forced to engage him with equal fervor to stay alive, and Maiz could see him beginning to flag as well. Whatever skill allowed him to move so quickly with that axe was costing him. The man¡¯s eyes were set with steely determination as he defended himself, turning as Maiz came at his flank, stepping into a blow before it could reach its full extension, trying to crowd Maiz and use his staff¡¯s range against him. Then a sword was poking out ofthe man''s chest, and Maiz released Windblade with a sigh of relief. ¡°Thanks.¡± He flashed a smile at Hugan as the axeman crumpled to the floor, then frowned. The young Warden¡¯s helm, a gift from the Temple, was a standard design--a steel cap that completely covered his skull and came down in flat planes on either side of his face. His vision was preserved by a horizontal cut out on level with his eyes, and a thick steel nose-guard came down between them. But the wedge of steel looked slightly bent, and Maiz could just barely see the beginnings of a pair of black eyes forming behind the helm. ¡°No p¡¯oblem,¡± his friend replied. His voice sounded stuffed--he must have broken his nose. What the--oh, right. I should probably help with the swordsman. Maiz whirled, raising his staff and feeling at his mana pool. Near empty, and the healing bracelet was slowing down its recovery. He still took a step towards Adrian and Juya, but even as he watched, Adrian landed a jab on the unprotect spot behind the man¡¯s ear, and as he froze, Juya finished him off with a savage blow that caused a wet crack and sent the man sailing away. ¡°Good.¡± The older Warrior Monk was suddenly standing by Adrian, patting the young man on the shoulder. as he fiddled with something in his own tunic. Adrian was heaving in great breaths, looking around wildly, and Juya was doing the same on his other side. ¡°Calm down, it is over. All of you fought well, and in good time. Come over here, sit down so we can talk.¡± The Adept kept a hand on Adrian¡¯s shoulder, putting another on Juya¡¯s. He walked over to an unmarred section of the stone floor, and gently pushed them to sit. He looked over at Maiz, Hugan, and Rajit. ¡°Come here, boys.¡± Maiz glanced over at Hugan, only to see that his friend was helping Rajit to his feet. Maiz had thought the Warrior Monk was just exhausted, but apparently he¡¯d sustained some sort of injury to his leg, and he was leaning heavily on Hugan¡¯s armored form. Maiz hurried over to help, and together they shambled to the others. When they were sitting, the Adept smiled, clapping his hands over them. ¡°Adrian, nicely done on the archer, and Juya, you were dealing with that swordsman well--he was nearly an Adept, I believe.¡± The man looked over to Rajit, who was touching his leg gingerly and wincing. ¡°Rajit, you should have used your partner here better. He is clearly a very talented defensive specialist, and he was quite handily protecting you after you took that hit. If you¡¯d let him do that earlier, you could have focused completely on disabling the enemy. Speaking of which,¡± he turned to Hugan. ¡°Well done. You kept to your role, defended your ally when he was injured, and held your own against a fighter a full realm above you. Half the Journeymen in the Temple could stand to learn from that display.¡± Hugan who had taken his helmet off, smiled at the Adept, and Maiz winced. His nose was visibly crooked, and his eyes were surrounded in a ring of deep purple. With a start, Maiz moved to take his bracelet off and hand it to his friend, but before he could, he caught the eye of the Adept. "That was disappointing boy. You clearly have talent, but what possessed you to pull that ridiculous stunt against the large one? I grant you it worked in your favor, but you should really be using more reliable methods of attack--why did you not use that flame spell to stop the brute¡¯s charge and damage his shield arm, then finish him over time? And charging the axeman was ill-advised. You are nimble, but your opponent came close to hitting you many times--in fact, he did hit you once, did he not? Your friend is paying the price for that, I believe.¡± What? Maiz¡¯s memory flashed back to when the soldier had kicked him. It hadn¡¯t even been enough to phase him. And he¡¯d heard a bell ringing in his ears. Hugan grinned at him, the expression positively ghoulish with his rapidly swelling face. ¡°Bin¡¯lly ¡®ot ¡®at dad ¡®kill doeb!¡± Maiz stared at him for a moment before his brain decoded the words. Finally got what that skill does. His Shieldmate. Maiz felt a horrible feeling of guilt come over him as he looked at his friend¡¯s damaged face, the injuries that he should have sustained presented to him in stark relief. Hurriedly, he finishedclaspingthe bracelet over his armored wrist. It just barely fit on its widest lock setting. The man''s other wordswere meaningless--he''d been in little danger thanks toFast Feet,and he already knew that his jumping trick had been a little foolish. He''d still won, but it had cost his friend in blood.Idiot.Maiz resolved to practice fighting--really fighting, with his allies more. If he hadn''t been so hasty to save Hugan, he could have easily avoided taking any hits. And he suspected Hugan could have held his own for that extra split second without sustaining nearly so bad of an injury as he''d taken for Maiz. ¡°I believe that is it, then. Come, let us return to the Temple. Adrian, I will not be observing you next time--be sure to work with your team on a cohesive strategy for your next engagement.¡± With that, the Adept walked lazily over to the downed archer and scooped him up into his arms, Maiz stood, helping Hugan and Rajit to their feet. He surveyed the room around him, and his eyes froze. There was a man lying on the floor near the well, his huge armored form almost indistinguishable from a pile of scrap metal. That was, except for the massive wound that had literally split his skull down the middle, gray bits of brain floating in a pool of blood around the ruined head. The man¡¯s blood was red. Not the black ichor of a bioric, or the incorporeal essence of an elemental. Red, like Maiz¡¯s own. He remembered what he¡¯d thought as his staff sheared through the man¡¯s head. He should have gotten a better helmet. He turned away, almost dropping Rajit, who was also looking at the grisly corpse with a look of horror on his face. So was Hugan, on the injured Warrior Monk¡¯s other side. And Adrian and Juya, past him. Maiz wondered if the unnamed Adept enjoyed seeing what they¡¯d all had for breakfast. Chapter 51 ¡°Hugan!¡± The armored Warden raised a shield almost the length of his body, and set his feet with a resounding thud. Maiz tensed, but held himself back. ¡°Juya, head!¡± The Journeyman Warrior Monk moved in to attack the snake¡¯s hissing maw, brandishing her staff with expert skill. She didn¡¯t move with quite the grace Maiz knew she was capable of, but then that wouldn¡¯t have been interesting at all. ¡°Rajit, Maiz, head!¡± Maiz sprang into motion, sensing more than seeing Rajit beside him. His Windblade coiled around his staff, and beneath the Color Tapestry, shadows pooled at his feet. As he closed with the monster and it made to snap at him, he loosened the grip of his right foot on the ground, turning smoothly and converting his momentum into pure rotation. His staff came up and¡­ Not too much. He jerked his strike slightly to the side, taking a chunk out of the monster and letting Rajit get in a kick as it reared back. He was using Perfect Strike, so the attack landed swiftly and accurately, making a portion of the creature¡¯s muscle go limp. Maiz took the opportunity to unleash the Blood Paralysis he¡¯d been holding in reserve. He spread the magic out across a wide portion of its body, hoping he¡¯d gauged the creature¡¯s resistances right. Too little, and nothing would happen. Too much, and he might force obvious muscles cramps that would raise questions. This was perfect however, and the monster slowed its undulations in a way that, while obvious to Maiz, wouldn¡¯t be noticeable to the others as more than a reaction to their assault. ¡°Rajit, slow it down more. Maiz, be ready to finish that side!¡± The huge snake¡¯s head facing them was going in for another blow, but it went for Rajit instead of Maiz. That was probably due to Damper Aura, the very niche ability he kept active in the hopes that he would attract less attention from his allies, as well as potential enemies. It worked out well here, though it wasn¡¯t a very powerful effect by itself. Maiz began forming a Flaming Strike. A few meters to the left, the snake¡¯s other head hissed as Juya got in a solid hit with her staff. Maiz hadn¡¯t been paying attention, but from the placement, it seemed like she¡¯d used Illusion Strike. ¡°Watch--¡± The cry would have come too late, if Maiz was only a Spellsword. The head he was engaged with had taken a snap at Rajit, and then jerked away as he aimed another kick at its jaw. Maiz saw the strike coming, and by reflex his back foot become slippery against the ground. He moved to push himself away, limbs under the influence of Fast Feet, but he stopped himself. Instead, as the head swung at him, he pretended to take a clumsy step to the side, Nightwalker aiding his move. The head crashed into him, much of the force reduced by Maiz¡¯s step, and he heard the bell ring in his ears. There was a clang from behind as Hugan took the blow on his raised shield, and Maiz let himself stumble before fixing his balance. Hs action coincided with a pained hiss from the snake. ¡°Rajit, move out! Maiz, go!¡± Maiz dashed at the snake. It¡¯s huge jaw was hanging unhinged, its body waving weakly about. He could see that it was already recovering, but the small opportunity was enough. Flaming Strike snapped into place, and he shoved his staff into the beast¡¯s mouth. He¡¯d certainly had plenty of experience getting covered in monster gore, but it still wasn¡¯t fun. ¡°Everyone, support for the other side!¡± Finally, Adrian joined the fight as Rajit ran past Maiz. The three Warrior Monks began engaging the snake head slowly, carefully, and clearly without using Fast Feet. Occasionally Rajit--the lowest ranked of the three--took a hit which Hugan absorbed with a clang. Maiz moved around the back, not bothering to activate another Flaming Strike. He caught Adrian¡¯s eye as the snake took a snap at Juya and Rajit landed a punch. They nodded at each other. Unseen Assault was a perfect skill for Maiz. It increased the damage and speed of his attacks, and inflicted a heavy bleed on the opponent, so long as they weren''t aware of him. The skill just looked as though he was attacking with his staff--only he could feel the extra power and agility in the blows, so he could use it freely. It took only a few seconds to cut the snake to ribbons just behind its second head. Already slowed by the Warrior Monks, it had no chance to retaliate. ¡°Phew, that was a nightmare!¡± Rajit wiped his brow, though he didn¡¯t seem so tired to Maiz. ¡°You are joking?¡± Juya smacked him with one hand. She also seemed unruffled by the experience. ¡°What? Taking that long to take down Coatza?¡± Rajit gave a mock shudder. ¡°I felt like an Apprentice again.¡± ¡°You are still closer to Apprentice than Adept, Raj,¡± Adrian interrupted, deadpan. Maiz saw the smirk playing around the corners of his mouth, and let out a smile of his own. ¡°Thanks for the training,¡± he offered, as he came back around the head. ¡°Yeah!¡± Hugan clambered up to them. Maiz gave him a concerned look, but he seemed fine. Putting up Shield Stance and being ready to fight helped, then. Most of this had been an exercise for him, to practice using the new skill of his. ¡°Of course,¡± Adrian smiled at them. ¡°I think this is working quite well now. Although Maiz,¡± he looked directly at Maiz as he continued, ¡°if Hugan is able to guard you from a distance, I think you will do better fighting without a partner unless we need your help. You can focus on surprise attacks and individual targets, and Hugan can leave his ability up for you while he fights with us. That way, we will not have to worry about clearing the way for that big attack of yours.¡± Maiz nodded, just managing to keep the excitement out of his face. This was perfect--with a bit of free reign and Damper Aura to keep his allies from examining him too closely, he could actually get some real fighting done! He¡¯d been able to incorporate his abilities subtly into that fight, but that was still with him actively trying to hold back so Hugan could practice. He was eager to find out what he could do against real opponents now. This particular Dungeon had actually surfaced above ground, into an alcove sheltered by a pair of rocks on either side--as they moved towards the rune-inscribed wall to the side, Maiz opened the flashing purple icon in his Notifications Sheet.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. You have slain Coazca, Rank 30! +364 exp (150*2.8 knowledge modifier*.9 Shieldmate modifier) You have achieved rank 34 in Nameless! You have unassigned attribute points (4/2000 to next rank) You have improved Flaming Strike to rank 38! +10 exp (14/2000 to next rank) You have improved Nightwalker to ranks 15-19! +25 exp (39/2000 to next rank) You have improved Blood Paralysis to rank 14! +5 exp (44/2000 to next rank) You have improved Damper Aura to ranks 5-7! +15 exp (59/2000 to next rank) It took him a moment to get through all of the notifications. He¡¯d used quite a few abilities in this fight--it was nice to see a Flaming Strike boost, as well as all of the other skills. Nightwalker and Blood Paralysis were beginning to approach the Apprentice ranks--he¡¯d gained a big boost in Nightwalker, which meant his understanding of the skill was currently outpacing its rank. But he had a feeling he needed to do something¡­ more before he got to Apprentice in the skill. The rank up was certainly the best part of the list. With the experience requirements becoming so high, it had taken him much longer to get through these later ranks than the earlier ones--though fighting the two Journeymen the previous day had been worth a full rank, almost two. He¡¯d gained boosted experience for that fight, for fighting humans ranked higher than he was. Now he knew why the Adepts didn¡¯t just deal with these parties on their own. Training the next generation of fighters would end up serving them better than taking paltry experience for themselves. Hugan¡¯s Shieldmate had also impacted his experience gain then, but he didn¡¯t mind. His friend certainly needed to rank up quickly as well, and if Maiz could help him get there, all the better. He opened his Name Sheet, and allocated his points. He put two into Strength and three in Dexterity, to round out his physical attributes, then looked at the entire summation. Maiz-Spellsword (Rank 34) Title Status-Hidden (Default) View Bonus Titles Title Options Available Health-280/280 Mana-390/390 (+ 3.5 pts/second) Stamina: 350/350 (+ 3.5 pts/second) Attributes:
Age 16
Constitution 28
Intelligence 39
Wisdom 35
Strength 35
Dexterity 35
Agility 35
Charisma 26
Luck 14
View Skills View Spells Maiz grinned to himself, as they returned to the Path. It was gratifying to see just how far his attributes had gone. He almost focused on the prompts to view his skills and spells--they had appeared when he¡¯d hit ten in each category--but he already knew the ones he cared about. He was reaching the point where he¡¯d have to avoid showing off his physical attributes too much in battle, but hopefully Damper Aura would help with that. Hm. It seemed as though he was banking quite a bit on that spell. He opened its description. Damper Aura (Heartshaper): Emotional responses to the user¡¯s actions are significantly dampened, rendering them less interesting to all observers in range. Beings that mentally focus on the user may be able to pierce the effect based on their Intelligence and the user¡¯s Charisma. Rank: 7 Cost: .7 mana per second Effect: Emotional responses to the user are dampened in a maximum radius of 7 meters. Focused individuals may pierce the effect if their Intelligence is 1.07*(the user¡¯s Charisma). Maiz grimaced. It was a bit of a thin string to hang his identity on. But then, he was working on a contingency for that. And perhaps¡­ he was already at rank 34--once he hit 35, he would need to complete the Journeyman feat for Nameless, a task he hadn¡¯t been putting enough effort into yet. He¡¯d been focused on Apprentice, and then on getting a handle on his new abilities. He thought back to what Riala had told him, more than a month ago. ¡°Those feats are all about you wearing other skins--using different titles. For Apprentice, you have to do the Apprentice feats for a Common, Rare, and Epic title. Easy, right? Journeyman, you have to show insight into your masks. Make an ability out of at least three different titles¡¯ capabilities. That¡¯s normally an Adept-level thing, but hey--you¡¯re a God-Chosen!¡± Maiz had started thinking about what ability to make. His first thought had been some sort of tool for improving his senses. Then he¡¯d found Thousand Eyes, one of the three divination abilities he¡¯d learned, and realized that there was no chance of him using anything even just that complex in actual battle for a while. He¡¯d considered a better attack of some kind, or a defense to augment Fast Feet, but those both seemed a bit¡­ obsolete. He had more attacks than he knew what to do with, as well as Stormcloak and Shield Stance--Aeromancer and Warden abilities--for defensive backup. Now, he had something to focus his efforts on: an ability to make him truly invisible in plain sight, not just ¡®less interesting.¡¯ They took a crack at the Journeyman portion together, but Hugan and Maiz fell out at a challenge where stone pillars came dashing down at random intervals across the room, in which the floor was designed to wobble at every impact. Hugan blocked exactly one pillar before he caught another unprotected and was sent back. Maiz probably could have kept going slightly farther, but he didn¡¯t want to show of his Agility and Dexterity to the Warrior Monks. He purposefully took a hit on an arm while diving out of the way of another pillar, and blinked as he reappeared back at the beginning of the entrance. He expected to be alone--Hugan still hadn¡¯t managed to get to the Novice Dungeons without help, and he¡¯d been dogged about pursuing that goal--but when he looked around, there was his friend, grinning as usual and holding a dented shield. His other hand was on the shoulder of a girl wearing a white tunic. Her hair had grown out a little, and she apparently hadn''t gotten the time to cut it yet. Every inch of her exposed skin was bruised, so that she almost looked like purple was her natural skin color. Maiz hardly would have recognized her except for her clear gray eyes. ¡°Holy hells Lila, are you alright?¡± The words slipped out before he could stop them, and a kick was flashing at him in an instant. Oww. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Her words were clipped, annoyed, but Maiz could hear a hint of¡­ something behind them. Bashfulness? ¡°My mother gave me the first round of beatings right after I woke up. I¡¯ll get healed tonight so she can do it again tomorrow.¡± Her eyes dared Maiz, then Hugan, to say something. ¡°Darn, I¡¯m sorry Lila! That doesn¡¯t seem fair,¡± Hugan sounded truly sympathetic, but also like he¡¯d experienced something similar before. Wasn¡¯t his mother a guardswoman? Maybe he had. Lila lifted her knee up sharply--on reflex, it seemed--but relaxed. ¡°I took a risk, and I¡¯m paying the price. It¡¯s fine.¡± Maiz nodded dumbly. ¡°So you¡¯re recovered from the, uh, sickness?¡± He didn¡¯t want to give away that he knew what it was, but he was concerned about how long she¡¯d been asleep. She nodded. ¡°It was just a skill overuse. Had to pay back a debt. Oh, they said that ZIya would be better by tomorrow--we should visit her then.¡± Hugan nodded vigorously, but Maiz grimaced. ¡°We have battle duty tomorrow morning--we¡¯ll have to see her after that.¡± He¡¯d expected her to ask about what he meant, but she just nodded. ¡°I know. My mother told me after I regained consciousness from the beating. I¡¯m going with you, and Rajit¡¯s moving to another group. She decided your team was too strong as it was, apparently.¡± For some reason, she looked at Hugan as she said that. Maiz raised his eyebrows. That was unexpected, but he agreed that they didn¡¯t really need the three Journeymen helping them. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Hugan was excitable as always, though he didn¡¯t pound Lila on the back, thankfully. Lila flashed him a smile, and suddenly all the bruises didn¡¯t matter much. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go get some training in, like old times?¡± ¡°Great idea!¡± This time, Hugan forgot to restrain himself slapping Lila on the back. She let out a strangled yell before attacking him with a series of punches and kicks that he barely managed to defend against. Maiz smiled. It was new, and definitely much more dangerous, but he was glad he was with his friends again. Chapter 52 Maiz walked into the Temple mess hall the next day with Hugan before the crack of dawn. As always, there was simple rice and water laid out, and they sat stiffly at one of the many unoccupied sections. They were joined a few minutes later by Lila, whose skin seemed blotchy and raw--Maiz could see new bruises forming all over her body, and she walked as she might fall at any moment. Maiz felt a flash of anger, triggered by a memory of a grinning man with a whip, of blood and pain and tears. He knew that this wasn¡¯t the same thing, and that Lila wasn¡¯t complaining about her punishment, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel his dislike for her mother edge towards hatred. He and Hugan both stood up, silently offering their hands to help her, but one look was enough to send them back to their seats. She sat, nearly stumbling over herself as she did. Maiz frowned. ¡°Are you¡­ I mean, will you be good to--¡± ¡°--m¡¯fine. Jus¡¯ take a few minutes for the heal t¡¯seddle.¡± Maiz raised an eyebrow. ¡°You know, you sound like a grain porter back in Caelos.¡± He was ready for the punch, but Lila was fast and smart enough to feint with a jab before catching him on the shoulder. He rubbed it, hiding a smile. Hugan was laughing. ¡°You know Lila, Maiz got a sense of humor while he was out here. It¡¯s a little weird.¡± Lila gave a mock grimace. ¡°Anything¡¯s better than what passes for jokes here. There¡¯s a reason I left, you know.¡± Her speech had already cleared up, and she seemed more alert. A quick look with Mana Sense revealed that, indeed, there was a regeneration spell that had just finished working around her head and was fading away into the surroundings. They got to eating, Hugan and Lila making fun of the Warrior Monks in the Temple while Maiz looked around uncomfortably. Luckily, there didn¡¯t seem to be many there, and no one that Maiz knew. When they were halfway through the meal, Juya came running through the mess hall door, looking excited and holding a sack of what looked like hay. ¡°Everyone, there is a dragon flying near the East end!¡± There were perhaps a dozen Warrior Monks eating at the moment, a single solitary Cleric, and Maiz¡¯s group. All of them looked up at her words. The Cleric almost immediately went back to his meal, and a few of the older Warrior Monks did so as well. The rest stood, however, looking just as excited as Juya, and made for the exit, chattering excitedly. Hugan grabbed Maiz¡¯s arm. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go see!¡± Maiz stared at him. ¡°You want to go see the dragon?¡± ¡°Yeah! I mean, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s gonna be a Master is it?¡± Lila nodded. ¡°Most of them are Journeymen, just like humans. We should go see.¡± Maiz considered. He supposed that it wouldn¡¯t be too dangerous, if everyone was doing it, and if it wasn¡¯t a Master or something else ridiculous, there wouldn¡¯t be an issue. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± ********** ¡°How many abyssal Master dragons are there?¡± Lila whispered to Maiz. Maiz was about ready to head back into the Temple, but he was held by a sort of sick fascination. There was a crowd of several dozen people in the white clothing of the Temple, some young like Maiz, Lila, and Hugan, and a few older. They were all staring at the massive golden monster in the air above them, its scales catching and refracting the pink light of the dawn with mesmerizing beauty. It was raining devastation down on the desert. Blinding golden, almost white, light erupted from the creature¡¯s mouth, warping and spreading out in sheets that covered the desert sands. Maiz could feel hints of the pure heat emanating to his position, though the dragon had to be a kilometer away at the least. It was flying in almost aimless circles, and Maiz wasn¡¯t clear on why it felt the need to torch the bare sands. He wouldn¡¯t have cared, except that it seemed to be flying towards them. ¡°Uh, Lila? Shouldn¡¯t all of us be, I don¡¯t know, going back in?¡± She shook her head mutely. ¡°Watch.¡± Indeed, magic raining down below it, the golden dragon--a Master if Maiz had ever seen one--subtly changed its gliding course. By the time it came level with the Temple, though Maiz could feel the heat of its attack more strongly, it was so far to the left that they were in no danger. Maiz was impressed, but he really shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. His predecessor really was ridiculously powerful, and this paled in comparison to the wonders of the Path. ¡°And that¡¯s why my map led to Dungeons, and not the Temple itself. Anyone who doesn¡¯t have the exact location--and no one does--can¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°Huh. But then,¡± Hugan asked with a confused look on his face, ¡°why are they so worried about this army thing coming for the Temple?¡± Lila scowled. ¡°Part of it¡¯s just that they¡¯re taking out all of our Dungeons, and threatening our supplies. That¡¯s why I wanted to come back and warn my mother, mostly. I was afraid the Nest,¡± she gestured to the dragon, now flying even further away, ¡°were doing something that would damage our Dungeons, and those are our only real water sources. Didn¡¯t really know why I felt that way until I came here though, of course.¡± She looked a bit embarrassed. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Huh. The way Lila spoke showed much more insight than he would have expected. She¡¯d always been focused on training with them, never talking about anything resembling politics. Had that been because of the Temple¡¯s mental enchantment? ¡°Oh. So what¡¯s the other part?¡± Lila scowled, and turned, tugging Maiz and Hugan behind her by the arms. When they were inside the Temple, around a curve and into a side passage, Lila cast Maiz a sharp look. He frowned. ¡°Uh, what? Oh-- ¡° Hurriedly, he activated Mana Sense, looking around. There were pervasive magical auras and mana patterns throughout the Temple--nothing discernible, unfortunately--that obscured his sight slightly, but he could still tell that there wasn¡¯t anyone too close. As long as they didn¡¯t have an ability to hide themselves, of course. ¡°Clear. I guess.¡± Lila nodded, looking startlingly¡­ competent, somehow. ¡°Mother told me, after the Cleric left. The army¡¯s been sending outriders at different distances along their route. Yesterday, one group got close enough that she had to kill them. They know where we are. And they¡¯re coming.¡± They both stared at her for a minute, Maiz wondering how to respond. His first instinct, shamefully, was to say that they should just leave. But Lila¡¯s family was here, and somehow Maiz doubted her mother would abandon the Temple any time soon. Eventually, Lila broke the silence. ¡°Come on. We¡¯ve got to meet Adrian and Juya in a half hour. Let¡¯s finish eating.¡± ************** ¡°Well, that was the biggest waste of time since the last time I had to listen to role-call at those training grounds.¡± Lila sounded annoyed, but also slightly strung out. It was a feeling Maiz could sympathize with. Waiting for a report of a party raiding an Apprentice or Journeyman Dungeon for hours on end was¡­ more stressful than Maiz would have thought. There was a certain element of uncertainty to the whole thing--yes, Maiz had abilities that put him solidly into the power ranges of most Journeymen, and his friends had levels of talent to match him, but it was still fighting against people who could possibly do him real harm. If he¡¯d been able to just go and do it, it would have been fine. The waiting had been the real trial, though sparring with Hugan and Lila again helped. Adrian and Juya had joined in, and Maiz had been surprised to see that both Hugan and Lila seemed able to hold their own against the two. He himself was at somewhat of a disadvantage, as most of his abilities were far too lethal, but he could from his own bout that neither fighter was especially talented. They were good, but they didn¡¯t have Hugan¡¯s effortless skill, or Lila¡¯s perfect, razor-sharp technique. Maiz thought he might have taken down Juya if not for her attributes--in a fight where he could use even just his Spellsword abilities, the odds would have been in his favor. ¡°Oh, sparring was fun though!¡± Even Hugan sounded a little tired, though he still had his customary smile on his face. ¡°Besides, now Ziya¡¯ll be awake, right?¡± Maiz started. He¡¯d almost forgotten, though they¡¯d made plans in the morning to see her. ¡°We should head over now.¡± Lila nodded. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± Ziya was still in her pallet when they got to her room, sitting up and being tended to by a young Cleric in green robes. ¡°Hi Ziya! How are you feeling?¡± Hugan waved as they entered, his cheer returned. Ziya gave them a rare smile, though it seemed a bit sickly to Maiz. ¡°Better. I will need to recover more, I think.¡± Maiz frowned. It was easy to forget that not everyone had Constitution in the upper twenties like he did. Most combatants reached a relatively high number through training, if not by ranking up, but Clerics didn¡¯t undergo that sort of training, and they focused in different attributes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Is there, uh, anything we can do?¡± He hated feeling useless in situations like these. He reached for his regeneration bracelet, but Ziya shook her head. ¡°I will be fine soon. The damage has all been healed, I only need to recover my constitution.¡± Maiz nodded along with the others. ¡°So anyways, we have to tell you about this place! Lila, tell her about the Way!¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the Path, Hugan. Ziya, I can get you some books from my mother¡¯s library. Is there anything you were looking for?¡± That was right--Ziya did often have a book with her at the training grounds, though the selection there had been severely limited to Maiz¡¯s eyes. He¡¯d read a few histories, but there was precious little on mana manipulation or techniques, and he¡¯d become too busy with training to do anything else. Ziya and Lila spoke for a few minutes about books, then about lessons and work with the other Clerics in the Temple, while Hugan waited impatiently. Finally, he burst out. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll tell her! ZIya, there¡¯s this big stone door, and then you push it, and there¡¯s a huge pit! I was a little worried, but if you mess up anywhere, it teleports you! And then there are the golems, just like the ones¡­¡± It went on for a while, Maiz only occasionally offering input--he and Ziya shared more of a quiet understanding than anything, and he didn¡¯t think either of them felt the need to say much. Eventually, after Ziya was given a meal of light broth and an Adept Cleric stopped in to check on her, they left, promising to visit the next day. Hugan had suggested they run the Path together, but to Maiz¡¯s relief, Lila argued that they should have some individual practice as well. He excused himself to the restroom while they began, mostly to give them a head start. He didn¡¯t want them to see where he was going. Almost an hour later, Maiz punched a wall, releasing a puff of his silver mana and closing his eyes. When he opened them, he was in a little room that glowed with purple light. The only furniture was a small altar to an, if not dark, then questionable god. The floor was comfortable enough though, and Maiz sat himself in front of a very, very old book. He summoned mana that was like pure feeling, bringing every emotion in sharper focus, and wove it according to the pattern he¡¯d learned. It spread in sheets, folding upon itself within his body before oozing outwards, trapping sensation within it. Hm. I can do better. Summoning two more mana types from his pool, Maiz began twisting the pattern and incorporating new elements. Soon, he was standing, engaging the power of his body along with his mind. He experimented for over an hour, then left and returned again, testing combinations and patterns, making notes of what he would have to research in his dwindling spare time. His mind was clear. His next step forward was Journeyman, and no obstacle would stand in his way. Eventually he had to leave, mind brimming with ideas and possibilities. He let himself fail quickly in the Path, not wanting to see the Jin¡¯Teslin if he didn¡¯t have to, and went to eat dinner. Now that people were paying attention to him, he couldn¡¯t afford to use Enlightenment and be found out. The mess hall was full near to bursting. Maiz hadn¡¯t ever seen this many Warrior Monks together at once--it took him a full minute to spot his friends, sitting with Adrian, Juya, and some of the other younger Warrior Monks. Some of them were stone silent, others were whispering to each other heatedly. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Hugan and Lila looked up at him together. The others ignored him completely. They moved over, and a look at Lila¡¯s face said that he should keep silent. Awkwardly, he took a bit of rice, but quickly stopped when he saw no one was eating, not even Hugan. Finally, when some of the other Monks left, Lila leaned over to his ear. ¡°The Jin¡¯Tira, the guardian of the Novice Dungeons--he¡¯s dead.¡± Chapter 53 Maiz stood in front of three Masters, and he wasn¡¯t even shaking. He did sweat a little, and his throat was a little drier than usual, but he counted it an improvement. Hugan stood beside him, with Ziya on the Warden¡¯s other side. Lila hadn¡¯t been allowed to be there, which was the chief cause of Maiz¡¯s concern--he wondered what it was her mother didn¡¯t want her to see. ¡°We have met with all of the travellers present in the Temple.¡± The Jin¡¯Sa¡¯s voice was still strong as ever, but the old woman¡¯s face had a definite tired cast. ¡°The Jin¡¯Tira was slain, peace to his Name, defending the Hidden Oasis.¡± Maiz thought about nodding, but a quick glance at the others showed that they hadn¡¯t moved an inch, so he didn¡¯t either. The Jin¡¯Teslin picked up where the first Master left off. ¡°Armies have marched the Waste before. Enemies have occasionally sought the Temple. Neither have survived this long, or done so much damage. The death of a Jin is the final straw. The Temple of the Sands is at war.¡± Maiz almost frowned. Hadn¡¯t they already been at war? They¡¯d been fighting and killing this invading army for a week--had the leaders thought that didn¡¯t qualify as a real conflict? But he thought back to what he¡¯d seen that morning, what felt like days ago--the Temple was so well-protected by enchantment that Maiz could understand not really appreciating the danger of an army marching towards them. The final person in the room, a man nearly as short as Ziya who looked to be only as old as the Jin¡¯Teslin, picked up the explanation. ¡°We have determined to eject all travellers in preparation. The Oasis represented one of the major water sources of the Temple, and we cannot guarantee supplies for those outside of our order. Moreover, we suspect¡­¡± The man stopped speaking at a sharp look from the Jin¡¯Sa, who turned back to the three impassively. ¡°Please display your Names.¡± Maiz was glad that he never changed his displayed title. He let it appear above his head and glanced at the others. Hugan¡¯s Name shone proudly: Hugan-Apprentice Warden. Maiz craned his neck to see Ziya over his big friend, and his eyebrows shot up: Ziya-Apprentice Cleric. When did she become an Apprentice? Well, Clerics weren¡¯t combatants, so she didn¡¯t need to kill things to gain experience, just perform the duties aligned with her title. He supposed that she¡¯d gotten higher ranked in the Waste. ¡°You three are the lowest ranked and youngest of our current visitors by a wide margin. This is not a fact that directly concerns us, however¡­¡± The Jin¡¯Sa stopped talking, looking pointedly at the Jin¡¯Teslin next to her. There was a moment of stony silence, before theLila''s mother finally spoke. ¡°There have been personal interventions on your behalfs. Given previous¡­ service, the Jin have chosen to listen. If you wish to stay at the Temple, you may.¡± Maiz let out a slight breath. So Lila had spoken on their behalf? It was lucky that-- ¡°However, there are conditions. If you become a part of the Temple, you must participate in its defense. The two of you,¡± she looked first at Hugan, then Maiz, ¡°have been given highly positive recommendations as Journeyman level combatants, despite your ages. In preparation for larger conflict, Clerics,¡± she looked pointedly at Ziya, ¡°will replace a combatant in each current squad for mobile support. All three of you will be expected to fight. If you cannot accept these terms, you will leave.¡± Maiz didn¡¯t really like those terms. Wars were messy things, from everything he¡¯d read. From what he knew, he¡¯d mostly be fighting Journeymen, but Adepts and even Masters could conceivably go unchecked on the battlefield, and Maiz had little chance of surviving long against one of those. It wasn''t very likely--the Temple had a plethor of Masters and Adepts of their own to defend their forces--but joining this conflict would undoubtedly reduce his odds of living to his next birthday.Still there were other considerations. ¡°Will Lila be staying here?¡± Hugan¡¯s voice was quieter than usual, more respectful. ¡°Yes.¡± Hugan looked at Maiz, and he gave him an affirmative look. After a moment, Maiz nodded. He couldn''t leave Lila.And staying here will let you get stronger faster than anything else, so you can kill your enemies. And joining with the Temple now will let you position yourself betterto fulfill Viselys'' task. Not to mention the Library, and any other resources your predecessor left you that could let-- --Maiz cast his eyes downwards. Why couldn''t this be simple for him? Hugan''s eyes had held nothing but determination to stay for their friend. But if Maiz didn''t have his own, selfish reasons fror wanting to take the opportunity, would he have made the same decision? As Maiz looked up and around Hugan, he saw Ziya nodding, her face blank, but her motion gving a sense of complete assurance. Maiz almost opened his mouth, but kept silent. Ziya had as much of a right to make her decision as he did, and her motivations were probably far more honorable.Hugan can protect her. And who knew, perhaps as an Apprentice she would be able to hold her own on the battlefield. Hugan''svoice rang out, stronger than before. ¡°We¡¯ll stay.¡± There was a moment of silence, then, ¡°Very well. You may go.¡± All three of them bowed very, very low, and walked out. *************** Maiz had somehow expected something to change after thatexchange, but little did. The next day, Adrian found them in the mess hall as they sat, and told them that they would be on duty at midnight starting that night. Apparently the army was on the move from just before dusk till a little after dawn, and they¡¯d gotten a less fortunate assignment as the Temple reorganized. After he¡¯d left, Lila, who was surprisingly unblemished, turned to Ziya. ¡°Are you going to be alright?¡± Ziya nodded silently, still eating her food as she looked around. Maiz frowned. He hadn''t been able to say much to any of his friends after meting the Jin, both because it had been late and because of his own guilt, buthe had to make sure Ziya would face as little risk as possible in the coming fights. He turned to Hugan, who was eating with his usual gusto. ¡°Hugan.¡± ¡°Hmpf?¡± Rice and meat spilled out of Hugan¡¯s mouth and onto the table, making Maiz wince slightly. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Tonight, you should use that skill of yours on Ziya, okay? I¡¯ll be fine without it.¡± Hugan nodded vigorously, spilling a little more food, before swallowing. ¡°Yeah I¡¯ll do that, and don¡¯t worry--I know you don¡¯t really need it, but I¡¯ll keep an eye out for you too!¡± Maiz nodded his thanks. Speaking of which... ¡°Lila, uh, thanks for talking to your mother about letting us stay.¡± Talking to her was even worse, but he did mean it. Lila looked sharply at him, gray eyes piercing, before relaxing. ¡°I didn¡¯t really think it would help. She always says she listens to what I say but¡­¡± She shook her head. Her hair had gotten a bit longer than she¡¯d kept it in the training grounds, and it swayed a little with the motion. ¡°Anyways, I didn¡¯t do much convincing. I didn¡¯t even have time to go to the other Jin, or any of the Adepts to back me. I think you two did really well in your first fight, so it wasn¡¯t much of a burden to keep you around.¡± She went back to eating, and Hugan gave her a wide grin at the implied praise, but Maiz was more interested in the first part of what she¡¯d said. It seemed strange, how she¡¯d casually mentioned involving the other Jin and Adepts. But then, she was a lifelong resident of the Temple, and the Jin¡¯Teslin¡¯s daughter. It made sense that she knew many of the more powerful Warrior Monks. Once they were finished, they decided to run the Path together with Ziya, a task madechallenging by her relatively pitiful attributes and combat abilities. Maiz had boosted Hugan through the Path when he¡¯d first come to the Temple, providing aid through the Novice section, but Hugan was still a combatant with plenty of physical attributes and combat abilities. Ziya, well, wasn¡¯t. With Hugan, Lila, and Maiz to help her, getting through the Path was still possible, but it was more than a little embarrassing for the poor Cleric. Especially when Hugan had to carry her on his back through a climbing challenge and she was forced to stand in a far corner during the golem fights. Eventually, they made it through the various challenges, and past the Novice Dungeon. The Apprentice section was more difficult to help Ziya through, but they managed it with some less-than-dignified scrambling on Ziya¡¯s part. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Ready.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lila, we¡¯ve got this!¡± They were standing in a relatively wide open cave, one that Maiz recognized. Lila seemed to recognize it too, because she was eyeing the walls warily. Maiz had Windblade a moment from completing, and was keeping his eyes fixed on the walls as well. Then he saw the flicker of movement, and shouted. ¡°There!¡± He stepped forward, Windblade conjuring up around his staff as he swung at what seemed like plain rock. That was, until the rock jumped out of the way and tried to bite him. The giant flat lizard had the uncanny speed of its smaller, mundane cousins, and when it had the element of surprise, it could even be dangerous. Against Maiz, it didn¡¯t stand a chance. Even without Fast Feet active, he skipped out of the way, snapping the other side of his staff up to catch the monster as it leapt down from the wall. There was a short tear of flesh, a spray of black, and Maiz was immediately looking around for more threats. Lila was directing a series of careful but quick forward kicks at the wall opposite Maiz, where another of the camouflaged beasts was scampering around, electing to avoid her attacks rather than engage. It was very annoying how easily the things could walk on walls--Maiz sincerely wished he had that particular power. The final monster had apparently been spooked by either Maiz or Lila, because it had jumped down from hiding and was trying to get at Ziya. Hugan was defending with ease, taking care not to put Ziya at risk and only taking the safest swipes with his sword at the monster. Then there was a strangled hiss as Lila¡¯s opponent was finally pinned and she began to systematically disable it, and a screech as Hugan finally got a good blow in, crippling his enemy. Before Maiz could move to help, both monsters were dead. ¡°Ugh,¡± Hugan gave a shudder which rattled his armor, ¡°those things are just weird, the way they blend in like that¡­¡± He shuddered again. Maiz frowned. He didn¡¯t think they were that strange--the Reaven Ant colony, which had taken the form of a little girl until he¡¯d started cutting it, had been far more disconcerting. Even that hadn¡¯t been much of an issue for him, but then perhaps Hugan just didn¡¯t have enough experience to get used to seeing the grotesque monsters that populated these Dungeons. ¡°Does anyone need healing?¡± Ziya was calm, ignoring Hugan¡¯s exclamation. They all shook their heads, though Hugan looked a touch queasy to Maiz, and continued forward. The next two sections were much the same--they fought lizards that had actual stone armor instead of scales, and Maiz got to practice his Flaming Strike. Then they faced a trio of monsters with no discernable difference from ordinary horned lizards, until their bodies caught on fire and they hurled themselves at the three-Ziya was further back. Lila caught an unlucky burn in that room, her punch landing just as the flames of the monster¡¯s aura flared up. Ziya healed it with ease, and they moved to the boss room. ¡°Everyone, please let me do something before we start.¡± Ziya''s soft voice cut through Hugan''s chatter. They paused, though Lila seemed slightly impatient. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Blessing of Protection.¡± A strange feeling came over Maiz, like the air around him pressed slightly harder against him than it did before. The other two started, indicating they¡¯d felt it as well. ¡°Nice! Uh, what¡¯s that do, exactly?¡± Ziya answered Hugan¡¯s question with slightly unfocused eyes. Maiz suspected she was using her version of Mana Sense to inspect her work. While she spoke, Maiz did the same. There was a veil of white Cleric mana, hanging over all three of them with no discernible pattern guiding its movement. It just¡­ was. Strange, but then Cleric spells were always incomprehensible to Maiz. ¡°It will provide weak armor to you all.¡± Lila was looking strangely at Ziya. ¡°Isn¡¯t that--¡± ¡°--it is time togo.¡± They defeated the boss, a misshapen, partly-humanoid lizard creature that used earth magic at range and fire magic up close, with ease. They were all well equipped to both defend against the monster¡¯s attacks and kill it up close--Maiz was the one who finished it with a Flaming Strike from behind. He purposely let himself be hit once by a piece of rock shrapnel as he fought, and was surprised to see that the little stone stopped an inch from his body. That could be potentially useful, though he had no intentions of being hit in combat if he could avoid it. Once they were through the Dungeon, Hugan offering his enthusiastic congratulations for the successful run, they were deposited into the Journeyman section, and they all decided to restart there. The second run took less time and effort, but when they finally reached the Library, Ziya raised a hand. ¡°I would like to stop here, if that¡¯s alright.¡± Maiz nodded eagerly. ¡°I could use a reading break.¡± He had several abilities to look up for his... project. Hugan made a strangled noise, and Maiz¡¯s eyes widened. In all of the excitement of the past few days, he¡¯d completely forgotten. ¡°Hugan, why don¡¯t you stay with me? I think there¡¯s a few books of old stories here, I was wondering if you knew them.¡± Maiz tried his best to convey his real meaning with his eyes, and to his relief, his friend seemed to understand. ¡°Sure!¡± Lila made a face. ¡°Have fun, if that¡¯s possible. I¡¯m going to try for the Journeyman section a bit. She moved on, and Ziya quickly wandered off into the shelves of the library. Maiz lowered his voice. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s find a good spot, and I can start to show you all the letters and things.¡± Hugan frowned. ¡°I thought you were going to--oh.¡± The large young man flush, his brown skin going bright red, but he gave a sheepish smile. ¡°Thanks, Maiz.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Chapter 54 Tarangil¡¯al¡¯Hankor flew. The sun shone against his back-- even though his scales reflected some of its energy, and more was absorbed into his solar mana well, he felt its warmth touch him as he flexed his muscles, wings flapping in a steady rhythm. It was fortunate that the invaders chose to sleep by day and travel by night. Golden Dragons were not powerless without the sun, but he wanted every advantage he could get in this effort. He dropped slowly, passing through a faint wet wisp that barely qualified as a cloud. He could see the camp below, a sprawling, if organized, stain on the still beauty of the desert. There were fires blooming in the eastern quarter of the tents, and Tarangil could see faint shimmers of golden scales and the far more obvious flashes of magic over a dune in that direction. He knew that the other Masters, as well as some of the more powerful Adepts, were likely clashing with the human Masters of the camp. Tarangil could only hope they had drawn away enough of the enemy. He picked up speed, his double-lidded eyes keeping the force of the wind from obscuring his vision. He let some of his magic flow around him until there was an aura of blinding energy accompanying his descent. Sure enough, he saw the flash of arrows come up to meet him, some ordinary wood, others glowing with power or even magic. The plain ones burned away, and those enhanced by abilities clashed with his mana, bouncing off or being consumed completely. One or two strained him, but nothing like the efforts of another Master would, so he ignored it. He picked up speed, and built up his Sunbeam between his jaws. He could see his target clear as day, untouched by the attacks of his forces. This is a bad idea, but you must learn it yourself. Be sure to leave a way out. The words came unbidden as he swooped in and released a massive burst of the sun¡¯s power at a simple, unadorned tent set in the center of the encampment. He felt his magic spear out, superheating the air as it passed and making the rest of the world seem dark in comparison. It met a nearly equally bright flash of pure white in a half dome around the tent. As expected. Tarangil would have liked to test his opponent, using long ranged magic and holding his more powerful abilities in reserve until he could see a weakness. Conflicts between Masters always followed that pattern--at their level, it was the little things that their abilities didn¡¯t quite cover that decided the victors. That, or overwhelming power. But Tarangil couldn¡¯t wait. He could feel the huge quantities of power being used less than a kilometer away. To follow the plan and protect his people, he had to move quickly. Radiant Claw after Radiant Claw crashed into the tent, and each time it was met by the same bright white power. It felt¡­ strange to Tarangil. He would have growled, but he was already preparing another Sunbeam. His claw slashed forward again, and the line of solar magic swept towards the tent. Yet again, light flared in a half dome around the tent. An excellent defense, though Tarangil could barely sense how it was functioning. It just seemed so perfect, almost¡­ Massahn¡¯s breath. Tarangil changed the direction of his attacks, flashing back to the last time he¡¯d used this tactic, when he¡¯d been facing his death in a black-scaled, red-eyed monster. His magic impacted the sand around the tent in a near perfect circle as he continued attacking. The only result was black, bubbling sand and billowing smoke. Hells. Cursing his idiocy, he changed his focus and modified his spell formulations. His attack speed slowed down slightly as he concentrated on the variation on his Radiant Claw, but now each line of magic sunk into the sand, the heat spreading at a relatively slow pace and lingering in the ground. In the light of the desert¡¯s own power, it didn¡¯t take much time for the sand surrounding the tent to begin shimmering and sparks of spontaneous flame to begin appearing over the ground. No white light intruded as Tarangil turned the sand round the tent to molten glass. The enchantment¡¯s parameters didn¡¯t account for that, just as he expected. Still, there wasn¡¯t any retaliation from a real opponent. Tarangil felt a worm of doubt creep into his stomach as he took yet another turn and no real power moved to challenge him, but in the distance he could see a searing column of pure light erupt upwards--Shan¡¯s favorite spell. Tarangil felt his resolve harden, and he put that resolve into the magic gathering in his mouth. Another arrow died against his Solar Armor, and with a roar, he released his Sunbeam, flapping his wings even faster as the magic streamed out. Instead of dissipating, it flowed out into the air like water, and Tarangil pulled on it with his mind, molding it into a dome of radiant magic. He felt his power draining steadily, but he held the spell. The arrows began dying away as archers were forced bac by the sheer heat of his assault, and Tarangil waited outside the shining dome of magic. Come out now, prey. A cold feeling overtook him at the shoulder, followed by pain. He roared involuntarily, wings beating faster and taking him higher in the air. His Solar Armor had been torn away, not dispelled but overwhelmed, and the remains of the attack had made it through. There was a flash of white, and on instinct Tarangil twisted, pushing magic out in a variation of the Radiant Aura to aid his motion. Something streaked out into the air past him, as fast as any Sunbeam. He continued the aerial roll, already preparing a Radiant Claw. He snapped his focus back to the tent. His spell had dissipated without his focus, but his enemy was-- --the third attack took him in the stomach, he tasted bitter ichor. I suppose you were right then. He released the magic into the air, forming it with a thought into a rough wing. Then he took flight in earnest, hurtling away as fast a possible, dodging another flash of white as he rose into the sky. His stomach though, was sinking just as fast. His only relief was seeing his dragons winging away from the battle, throwing spells behind them as they beat their own retreat. The opposing Master¡¯s didn¡¯t pursue. Tarangil let out a puff of breath as he continued winging away. You win. He¡¯d prepare his forces to begin carrying out raids on the invading army, as he¡¯d been told to do. This conflict couldn¡¯t be ended in a single battle. He¡¯d have to win a war. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. *********** Maiz ran, feeling a twinge of impatience before he quelled it. Beside him, Hugan held Ziya cradled to his chest as he lumbered forward in full armor, still moving faster than any noncombatant could hope to match. Lila was on his other side, and Juya past her, and neither was struggling with their pace at all. Maiz himself didn¡¯t feel strained, but he did his best to seem as though he was at least working a bit. They were passing the strewn corpses of six-legged, furred monsters with vicious teeth. Maiz didn¡¯t examine them closely, focusing on not slipping on the ichor. ¡°One¡¯s an archer..¡± Lila¡¯s words were low, but she spoke with an ease that belied the fact they were moving at the pace of an ordinary man¡¯s sprint. Maiz grimaced. He really should have thought of scouting out their enemies. He began looking at the corpses, now of the bipedal and scaled variety. ¡°Crushed.¡± He didn''t say more. He didn¡¯t want to reveal quite how little this run was affecting him. ¡°Yes, likely the shield specialist type,¡± Juya cut in with the same calm as Lila. Maiz felt a little shiver run down his spine. Like the man whose head he¡¯d¡­ reorganized, in their last encounter. ¡°Stop.¡± The word was a command, and Maiz halted without even thinking about it. Only when the consistent clank of Hugan¡¯s running stopped did he frown. Had that been Lila? Indeed, she continued in a whisper, gray eyes hard. ¡°We¡¯ve got to be quiet. Ziya, you have to stay behind Hugan until we¡¯ve sorted the archer. Maiz, you¡¯ll be good?¡± Maiz nodded. No sense in talking. ¡°Right. Anyone got a more specific plan? I¡¯ve never seen these titles before.¡± Huh. Maiz was surprised that Lila had said as much as he had, but he was almost more impressed that she hadn¡¯t tried to direct them into a battle formation without information. There was silence for a moment. Maiz looked to Juya, but she seemed unwilling to talk for some reason. He opened his mouth, and another voice cut him off. ¡°Lila, you can dodge arrows right? Take the archer--they don¡¯t have good defense. Juya, focus on the shield guy, just keep him occupied. Maiz, you can take out a fighter if they have one, or a mage I guess, and then help Juya. I¡¯ll guard you with Shieldmate until I can move forward. Ziya, you can do that blessing thing, right?¡± Hugan sounded almost nonchalant, his breezy confidence showing even through his whisper. Maiz closed his mouth. It was a solid enough plan. He voiced his assent along with the others, although he felt a little strange about listening to Hugan giving battle orders. They moved forward quietly until they turned into the final room. ¡°Move.¡± Maiz dashed forward, his standard mix of abilities already humming through his body and Ziya¡¯s Blessing of Protection close around his skin. He slid past an arrow, trying his best to make it seem like an accidental dodge, and assessed his enemies. There were only four of them--a heavily armored but short man with a shield who looked prepared to dash at Juya, an archer firing even more arrows at them at a preternatural rate, a man in robes gathering flames around his hands, and a swordsman moving to intercept Lila. Maiz kept an eye on the swordsman, but he still made straight for the mage. Flames streaked out at him, and he skipped to the side, his Windblade sweeping through the spell as he continued forward and leaving it much weaker. He still winced, however--the air around the streaking flame had been hot enough to hurt his arm. Oops. He closed with the mage as a line of fire appeared in the ground. He leapt--carefully, this time--over the flame, but it flared up as he flew over it. Hells. Quickly, he used Mana Projection to surround himself in his own magic. The effect was weak, and the enemy, a Pyromancer it seemed, overwhelmed it in a moment, but he was already through. He landed, stumbling forward as he felt searing heat scorch his back, but he recovered quickly with help from Nightwalker. He sidestepped another bolt of fire, and shot forward as the mage readied another spell. Flames sprung up around the robed man in a solid cloak, but Maiz slammed his Flaming Strike against the aura with a grunt. The sound of the explosive spell seemed loud even to Maiz, and the spell pushed against his opponent¡¯s defense. Apparently, this mage wasn¡¯t highly ranked in the spell, because the flaming aura dissipated as Maiz slashed with his Windblade and let loose a subtle Wind Blast at the man¡¯s legs. It was the mage¡¯s turn to stumble, and Maiz took advantage of his distraction to slice into the man¡¯s neck. Right. Maiz turned, still uncomfortable at the heat emanating from the corpse. It had almost been getting tough to breath, surrounded by flame as he was. Just then, a cool feeling washed over him, and he smiled. Ziya. He looked over the battle. The archer was already down, and Lila was engaged with the swordsman, weaving around his attacks with the grace of a Warrior Monk. Juya was doing much the same, though the way she was leaping around the charges of the shield user looked more like diving away from a rampaging horse. She wasn¡¯t able to do much damage to the armored man, but he was engaged enough not to move away. Maiz ran forward, eyes set on Lila. Juya was a Journeyman, she¡¯d be fine. Lila needed-- --in a move so improbably graceful Maiz wondered if he¡¯d imagined it, Lila turned around the spot where she¡¯d dodged an extra-powered sword strike, and kicked her opponent in the neck with enough force to make Maiz wince. Her opponent staggered, already off-balance from his own ability use, and then Lila was on him with a lightning-fast series of attacks. Maiz barely managed to keep his jaw from dropping, but he changed course to Juya, who was just managing to skip past another attack. In the instant before Maiz began his own assault, he saw the sweat on her face. She¡¯d been in more dire straits than he¡¯d realized. Ambushing his enemy from behind should have ended the fight right then, but his windbladed staff bounced off the man¡¯s armor with an strange force. The opponent swung around to face him, shield raised, but Maiz was undeterred. He let the man attack a few times, feeling the stamina drain from Fast Feet which had no doubt affected Juya, before he cast Blood Paralysis as the man readied another charge. He accompanied the spell with a dashing strike of his own, and when his enemy stumbled, he let loose a pair of strikes. They bounced off, and Maiz cursed under his breath. He was close to running out of mana again. Should he-- --an armored form came around his other side, and a sword struck down on the armored enemy just as he recovered from Maiz¡¯s maneuver. Just like Maiz¡¯s staff, the sword bounced away. But the second attack actually landed, doing almost no damage. It didn¡¯t need to. Maiz stabbed his staff forward and wrenched up, feeling the last dregs of his mana pool dwindle away as his staff came free at the top of the man¡¯s body. Armor clanged against stone as the body fell. Almost immediately, another cool feeling washed over him, and he looked around at Ziya. She was standing serenely at the entrance to the room, her attention already fixed somewhere else. Maiz looked around at the others. Hugan standing tall beside him, shield hanging at his side. Juya on his other side, panting but still strong. And Lila, standing over her motionless opponent, chest rising and falling, sweat dripping from her forehead. Maiz almost smiled, but he found it difficult in the presence of his enemies¡¯ corpses. Still, he had a feeling that now, he could trust his team in a way he hadn¡¯t before. Chapter 55 Maiz breathed in, and felt at his magic. What he¡¯d decided to call ¡°emotion mana¡± came first. Normally, he¡¯d let it wrap in on itself, forming encasing sheets that spread out from his body, pushing down on every emotion and leaving him in a moving void. This time, he focused on a single strand of the power, still cold in his mind. He teased it out, feeling it emerge from his body in a viscous trickle. In this form it was rather delicate, and he was careful not to force it too quickly as he guided the strand of mana into a simple spiral encasing his body. Once that part was complete, he switched his focus, concentrating on the sensation of detachment from his own body, like he was between dreaming and waking. It was¡­ well, wonderful. This mana moved easily, perfectly, and made him feel in control like nothing else. He found holding the first strand far easier as he pulled the mental mana--that of a Controller--around himself in an opposing pattern. The two types pushed away at each other, but he found it simple enough to keep them in place. He followed up with light mana, which almost forced him to visualize shining power as he let it flow over his skin, much tighter than than the first two. Then he repeated the process, taking emotion mana, then mental, then light. He patterned the first two around each other, painstakingly forming a woven cocoon that encased his entire body. The third, he let push out from his skin, slowly forming a thicker barrier between himself and the rest of the world. He kept going, weaving strand after strand and forming layer after layer of shell. The headache began about halfway through the process, and got progressively worse as the breadth of his control expanded. He didn¡¯t have to control each individual strand of mana, but as he formed each one, anchoring the two structures to himself became increasingly difficult. Hopefully, that would cease to be an issue soon. Finally, he made it. A web of Controller and Heartshaper mana thick enough to have been a woolen blanket touched a shell of light mana perhaps a quarter meter thick extending from his skin. Holding his breath, partly due to the pounding in his skull, Maiz began to let the light mana flow into the open spaces in the web as he pushed even more strands through the shell. The pattern wasn¡¯t a pattern at all anymore--just a chaotic, confusing entanglement of mana. That was the point. When the web and the shell were fully integrated, he relaxed his focus, letting his mana flow but not trying to hold the entire structure together. He could feel a sort of calm descend over him, as well as relief as the strain on his mind lessened. Everything seemed sharper--the world around him, but also his own thoughts and emotions. He smiled. Then the strands of Heartshaper mana in the web twisted, and the spell collapsed. ¡°Godsdammit! Ulion¡¯s left--¡± Maiz took a breath. There had been something there. He¡¯d been sceptical of weaving strands of mana like that without a pattern, but combining it with the shell of light mana had been almost as effective as he¡¯d hoped. Almost. Maiz was beginning to wonder if he¡¯d made a mistake with this choice to fulfill his Journeyman feat of creating an ability. But, truth be told, the few attempts at other abilities he¡¯d made hadn¡¯t gone well either. Absently he picked up his staff, lying on the floor of the purple chamber, and channeled Windblade through it. The repeating, shrinking pattern came a hair¡¯s breadth from completion, and Maiz halted it. Then he tried to let fire mana run along the pattern, and tightened his body, focusing his stamina at his arms. With a shout, he slashed with his staff, letting the pattern complete itself and projecting the fire mana through the spell. At the same time, his hands blurred, and he performed a perfect pair of strikes at an impossible speed. He¡¯d thought this might let him project slashes of fire in different directions through his staff. Though it might not be the most practical ability, he couldn¡¯t deny the appeal. His staff blasted out of his hands, spinning wildly and smoking. The smell of burning wood filled the little chamber, and Maiz grimaced, his headache seeming to get worse than ever. It was past time to go, but he was still disgruntled about his ¡°hiding¡± spell. It¡¯s the light mana. Not quite right for the anchor, even if it should help distort my image. Maiz debated trying another ability--he¡¯d thought about combining Storm Armor and Fast Feet, but that didn¡¯t seem very likely to work. He still wanted to practice something--he still had most of a day until the next raid shift, and his time in this chamber was valuable. Hm. There was one ability he¡¯d never been able to get a handle on, despite how useful it had seemed when he¡¯d read of it. Maiz took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He focused on his vision, on the strange emptiness there, and summoned his mana to fill the void. Magic somewhere in between mental and light began flowing from his pool and around his head. He focused for a moment, forming the spell around his eyes before carefully letting the pattern bloom outwards, a simple sphere with little tendrils along its surface. With the spell¡¯s completion, suddenly Maiz could see the purple room again, the little altar in front of him looking pristine despite its age, his smoking staff lying a few feet away. As the spell continued out, he could see behind himself as well--bare, perfectly smooth stone with purple light emanating from an unknown source. I¡¯m doing better than I did last time. Was it because he was in a smaller area? There was less to perceive here, that was for certain. Then the pattern extended further, and he could see the holes in the ceiling that let air in and out of the chamber, and was aware of their precise location in relation to him. The world shifted, and with his Thousand Eyes Maiz could see himself, standing dumbly before the altar. Then he buckled, beginning to retch, and he was vaguely aware of a splitting pain in his skull. With what felt like a relaxation of his will more than an effort, he let go of the spell. Sweet, blessed darkness returned, along with the sound of a dull thunk. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. It really feels like my cheek is touching vomit right now. Maiz knew he should care about that fact, but the pain in his skull wouldn¡¯t let him. And then, finally, all sensation ceased. For a moment. ¡°You know Maiz, I know you¡¯re sixteen and everything, but you really shouldn¡¯t let girls see you passed out in a puddle of your own vomit.¡± ¡°Uh, do you really count as a girl?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Miz thought it was a fair question. Riala was very, very old, and a Divine messenger. Hells, she¡¯d just appeared before him again in a featureless void, her beautiful face made harsh by the purple light that emanated from her eyes. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°Hi.¡± Maiz was more than a little wary. What had he done to warrant a visit from Riala? ¡°Oh, I could have visited you a long time ago. Finding the Temple and the room and everything was more than enough of a great work. I just didn¡¯t really think you needed it.¡± Hm. That¡¯s interesting--wait. ¡°Riala. Did you just, uh, read my mind?¡± Riala laughed, her eyes flashing, and she gave Maiz an affectionate pat. Her touch felt surprisingly normal, despite the whole ¡®floating in dreamlike emptiness¡¯ thing. ¡°I just know how you think. You¡¯re sorta predictable, you know. And I know what your next question¡¯s gonna be too! You are pretty smart, after all.¡± Maiz himself didn¡¯t think he knew what he wanted to ask her. Except of course, that if she had waited to see him even though she could have done so earlier, then¡­ ¡°Why now?¡± ¡°Hah! I just thought you looked stupid, passed out like that in front of one of Father¡¯s altars!¡± Maiz just looked at her. ¡°You know, you were funnier when you fell for my pranks.¡± ¡°Your pranks used to be better.¡± Maiz gave her a little smile. ¡°Ouch! You know, if you¡¯d seen¡­ oh, never mind. I have to get through business first here.¡± Riala¡¯s smile vanished, and the light in her eyes dimmed somewhat. Maiz felt an involuntary shiver run through him as he looked at her. She was surprisingly inhuman when she wasn¡¯t laughing. ¡°There has been an¡­ offer. A trade.¡± Maiz frowned. ¡°With who?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve earned a bit of knowledge, I guess--this information isn¡¯t too expensive. I, and those of my kind, are extensions of our creators. The Seven have all sorts of rules about fair play and balance and things. I think it¡¯s got to do with Lord Massahn, or Lord Nomenadon. Anyways, we¡¯re restricted in every kind of information we can give humans--we can¡¯t help the interests of our god without helping an opposing one equally. And when it comes to you God-Chosen, the rules are even stricter. All information need great works, and knowledge of other God-Chosen can only come as an equal exchange. If you want to know something about a Chosen, they¡¯ve got to know the same thing about you.¡± That was interesting, and it implied something somewhat troubling. ¡°Which God-Chosen wants to know about me?¡± ¡°To tell you which one, you¡¯d have to make a request to trade information. Do you want--¡± ¡°--no,¡± Maiz interrupted quickly. ¡°Sorry, go on.¡± ¡°The request is simple--what is the Name and patron of each of the God-Chosen? If you give them your Name, you¡¯ll get theirs in return. Do you accept?¡± It didn¡¯t even warrant consideration. ¡°No.¡± Riala smiled. ¡°Nice job! I was really hoping you weren¡¯t stupid enough to agree to that. Now then, is there anything you want to ask me? You¡¯ve earned one question.¡± Hm. He could ask about his own advancement, but he thought he¡¯d be able to earn another question before he needed to worry about Adept, and anything but information about feats he could just figure out himself. What did that leave? The other God-Chosen. But what to ask? It had to be something he was willing to give up about himself, but also that he wanted to know about others. Something about location? But no, if he asked for something too specific it would damn him, and anything general wouldn¡¯t be that useful. Advancement? He entertained that notion, but how useful would it be to know how much stronger than him his enemies were? Enemies. It was more than a little terrifying to think about the other God-Chosen, all with titles on par with his own and more time to develop them. He would need to be prepared when he finally met one of them. Hopefully it would only be one. Oh. ¡°How many other God-Chosen have the others met in person, to their knowledge? I¡¯ve met none.¡± Riala nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make the requests. Might take a week or so, depending on how easily I can track down the other liaisons. Some of them are¡­ difficult.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°Good question!¡± Maiz nodded his thanks. It wasn¡¯t much, but at least he would know if any of the others were ahead. If two God-Chosen met, the only scenarios Maiz could imagine were an alliance or a fight. Either one would indicate a strong opponent, and it was worth seeing how far behind he was in that regard. He''d entertained adding in a question about which God-Chosen they''d met, but he already had doubts anyone would be willing to take this trade if they''d actually met another Chosen. Any more informaion would be asking for too much. ¡°Okay, you should probably go back and clean your face now. Bye!¡± Maiz opened his eyes, and felt his stomach roll as the smell of bile hit him. There wasn¡¯t actually that much--thankfully, he¡¯d been using Enlightenment to stave off hunger and thirst and his stomach had mostly been empty. But he still had a bit of¡­ cleaning to do before the fighting later that night. Wonderful. Chapter 56 Maiz was in a bit of trouble. An invisible blade of wind screamed through the air, and Maiz jerked to the side. He felt a line of pain appear along his side, and grimaced. He couldn¡¯t use his usual tactics all that well against this opponent--the invisible, swift attacks of an Aeromancer could do serious damage to him. I need pressure. He swept in, Fast Feet boosting his Agility, and Nightwalker letting him easily dart around irregularly to avoid the woman¡¯s attacks. His robed opponent was motionless, though attacks continued to come at him without stopping. The air stirred, Maiz¡¯s feet turned slick against the ground, and he glided to the left as an attack flew through the space where he¡¯d been a moment before. His grip against the floor increased abruptly, and he continued running. Hopefully, he wasn¡¯t being too obvious, but he had Damper Aura active and last he¡¯d checked, Lila and Juya had both been having a good deal of trouble with their opponents. All the more reason to move quickly. He was close enough now to see the ichor stains on the woman¡¯s white robes. She had streaks of gray in her short dark hair, and though she held no weapons, Maiz could see her palms were turned outwards at her sides as she faced him, almost as though in supplication. Just a few more steps. He felt the air stirring again, and he as he let his feet turn slick, he squatted down. From this distance, no one else would notice if he slid over the ground a meter or so to engage with his opponent. He let himself glide forward, preparing for another blade of wind to fly over his head. The attack didn¡¯t come when Maiz expected it, and he frowned. He finally reached within striking distance of the robed mage, and felt a wall of air--the woman¡¯s Storm Armor, no doubt. Then the wall shrank back, and Maiz¡¯s eyes widened. With a woosh of air, the bubble of wind surrounding the woman exploded outwards, leaving nowhere for Maiz to dodge. It wasn¡¯t close to the strength of Hakim¡¯s spells, but Maiz¡¯s feet had no traction against the ground. He went flying, his vision a blur of gray rock as he tumbled through the air. Hells. He twisted as best he could and activated Shield Stance, but he wasn¡¯t worried. Hugan would be able to guard him with Shieldmate--he was standing before Ziya near the entrance of the cave behind Maiz, watching to see who would need his help. Maiz landed hard on his rear, and didn¡¯t hear the chime of a temple bell in his head. Owww. But more than the pain, a spike of worry pierced him. If Hugan hadn¡¯t guarded him, it could only mean that someone else was in deeper trouble. Maiz could hear shouting over the clang of weapons, but he couldn¡¯t focus on the words. He rolled to the side, and a moment later the crack of stone signified how close he¡¯d come to being skewered. No time. If he could just see the damned Aeromancer¡¯s attacks, he could get in close. Oh, I¡¯m a Massahn-touched fool. Maiz activated Mana Sense, and the world lit in a sea of red overlaid with sky blue and white and the silver of his own mana--his mana always showed as silver, no matter how he used it. Then a spear of blue flashed towards him, and he sprang out of the way, getting his feet under him in the process. He saw movement flashing out of the corner of his eye, farther off to the right. Was that Lila? But that was where Juya had been taking on another of the shield-bearing armored combatants. What? Another spell flew out from the Aeromancer, and Maiz tensed. The blade of wind streaked towards him, but it was far off target and Maiz let it fly over his shoulder as he rushed towards the-- A sharp clang and screech of metal sounded behind Maiz, and his stomach dropped. He whirled, using Nightwalker to arrest his momentum. Hugan was still standing in front of Lila by the entrance, his shield raised and shoulders hunched. There was a rent in the metal of the shield, but Maiz couldn¡¯t see red, and he felt a flash of relief. Still, a look at the many dents in his friend¡¯s armor--undoubtedly from uses of Shieldmate--told him that he needed to move faster. With a growl, Maiz turned and began running, weaving a Color Tapestry at the same time. It took moments, and as he sidestepped another streak of blue, he threw the spell at the mage¡¯s eyes. Blue mana surged as the woman¡¯s Storm Armor ripped his spell apart, but Maiz was already gathering more spells, mana thrumming in his body like a raging storm. Maiz¡¯s own air blasts didn¡¯t even strain the woman¡¯s swirling defense, but in the physical world, he could see her brow furrow. He was close to reaching her again, and he focused on his staff as he drew closer. The mage¡¯s Storm Armor contracted again, and Maiz felt a savage smile on his face. When the wave of air came to blast him away again, he ducked like before, and used Nightwalker to strengthen his grip on the floor to the point where felt his body rooted to the ground. The attack passed over him, but though it pushed hard enough to bring tears briefly to his eyes, he didn¡¯t go flying. Maiz released Nightwalker¡¯s grip on the floor and took a single step. His staff came whirling around, streaks of floating flame blurring through the air--with his Mana Sense Maiz could see the blue of the Aeromancer¡¯s Storm Armor emerging from her skin again, but he slammed his staff into her side with ferocious speed, and the resulting blast took care of the rest. ¡°Help--gah!¡± Hugan¡¯s shout was interrupted by a clang of metal and a grunt, but Maiz still turned. Two of the other combatants lay either dead or incapacitated--a second, much weaker mage, and an axeman who Lila had been fighting. But the third¡­ Lila dodged as a charging wall of metal streaked at her, but though the enemy missed her with all the momentum of a falling boulder, the gray metal streak shifted directions an instant later without pause, turning to slam into Lila. She hopped into the air with startling speed of her own, and managed to get her feet in between herself and the shield. She still went flying at a worrying speed, and there was another clang from Hugan as she hit the far wall. Juya came up from behind with her staff and swung at the chink between the neck-guard and the helmet, but the enemy turned at the same time, and her staff struck against armor instead of skin with an ineffectual thunk. Maiz frowned. That seemed¡­ off, somehow, but he was more focused on running to help his friends as soon as possible. The shieldbearer was already readying another charge, and Juya sprang to the side an instant too early. Rather than dodging past an incoming rush, she left herself an easy target for her opponent to readjust and slam into her. She didn¡¯t dodge quite as well as Lila had though she managed to only take part of the impact and she went sailing backwards in a heap at the blow. The sound of Hugan¡¯s armor taking the impact was much louder, and Maiz¡¯s friend let out a cry of pain. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Blood Paralysis connected just as the man moved to begin another charge towards Lila, and though it barely had an effect against the man¡¯s clearly monumental Strength and Constitution, it was enough to give him a moment¡¯s pause. Maiz used the time to close, Windblade already snapping into place around his staff. He took aim at the chink at the shoulder, but the man raised his armored forearm to block. Fine. But though the Maiz¡¯s windbladed staff screeched against the armor, it didn¡¯t do as much damage as Maiz would have expected--the armor was still intact, with only a scratch to show the attack had even happened. Hells. Maiz let a barrage of strikes fly from his staff, if only to keep the man from beginning his unstoppable charge again, but his enemy just lifted his shield. He was of a height with Hugan, and his shield spanned his entire torso. Every blow of Maiz¡¯s, which should have at least caused damage to the man¡¯s armor, did nothing. This is bad. When he began bracing for another charge, Maiz growled. He slipped aside as the brute shot forward, and panted for a moment. His stamina was getting drained from the use of Nightwalker and Fast Feet, and it didn¡¯t recover at nearly the same rate as his mana. Still, he couldn''t let up. As soon as the man wasn''t feeling pressure from him, Lila, or Juya, he might consider taking Hugan directly, and Maiz was almost certain he was an Adept. Maiz was ready for the charging man to come back around at him, but when he switched directions it was to make for Lila, who¡¯d been running back towards the fight. She spun out of the way and nearly stumbled from clear exhaustion--the cost of Fast Feet. Maiz sprinted forward. He had to end this soon or they would all die to this single opponent. ¡°Hugan, help, Ziya, heal him!¡± That was all Maiz dared yell as he formed a Flaming Strike and cast Blood Paralysis on the man. He slowed for a moment, whirling around to face Maiz, and Maiz grimaced. Sorry Hugan. When the charge came, Maiz was ready with a staff sharper than any ordinary blade, primed to explode with the damage of a Spellsword. Nightwalker anchored him to the floor and he braced himself forward.The mass of metal slammed into him, and Maiz angled his staff to hit the man¡¯s legs--the only part left exposed by his shield. A chime sounded in Maiz¡¯s head, and a blow that should have broken bones barely registered, except by the enormous crash which came from Hugan¡¯s position, and the thud of a body hitting the floor. The Flaming Strike, in combination with the Windblade and the sheer momentum of the man¡¯s own charge, finally penetrated the armor, and the resulting damage knocked the man off his feet. Maiz formed a second Flaming Strike as quickly as possible, thankful for every rank which had reduced its cost, and drove his staff down at the dazed man¡¯s skull. Whatever skill he¡¯d been using to reinforce his armor hadn¡¯t survived the distraction of the first injury, and the blow connected, shearing metal and exploding against flesh. Maiz almost relaxed, but he realized that, though the armor hadn¡¯t resisted, the man himself was still moving. Oh gods above, how much Constitution does he have? Maiz raised his staff again, but the last dregs of his mana were dwindling away, and he had to release his Windblade. Weakly, he stabbed down with his staff, but without any spells, all he could do was poke at the man¡¯s bloody face. The downed soldier was beginning to get his bearings, though he was clearly hurt by Maiz¡¯s two attacks. Maiz increased the pace of his poking, but he was still seconds away from being able to summon Windblade again. Should he-- --an axe sliced down at the man¡¯s head. The slender arms holding it couldn¡¯t do much damage, but after a few swings with the instrument at the critical area, the enemy was finally dead. ¡°Thanks Lila.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± The exchange was brief--Maiz was already running to Hugan, Lila on his heels. Ziya was standing over the armored young man--his shield and the front face of his armor were actually slightly concave--Maiz was concerned for a moment, but the Hugan grinned weakly as they approached. There was red staining his teeth, though the color was bleached slightly by all the white light emanating from him. Even as Maiz watched, a bruise on his cheek faded from dark purple to only a slightly darker brown than the rest of his skin. ¡°Good move! That guy was an Adept for sure--I got a rank from Shieldmate¡¯s experience thing, and I wasn¡¯t even close to earning another one. Plus, another hit like that last one would have, uh, been bad.¡± Miaz grimaced. That was clear enough, and Maiz hadn¡¯t stood a chance any other way, but¡­ ¡°I¡¯m so--¡± ¡°--don¡¯t be an idiot, that¡¯s my job! That was ¡­ too close for all of us, anyways.¡± Maiz laughed a bit, but Hugan¡¯s other words rang too true for much mirth. ¡°Ziya, does he need the bracelet?¡± ¡°Give it to Juya, please. I have stabilized her, but she still needs some healing.¡± By the time that was done, and Lila had helped Juya over to the entrance, Hugan was sitting up, still looking a bit worse for wear. Maiz had also had a moment to think, and he¡¯d realized what was bothering him. He checked his Notification Sheet--there were rank-ups listed for Wind Blast and Blood Paralysis, but Nightwalker had been capped by his knowledge at rank 19, annoyingly. Neither Flaming Strike nor Windblade had received a rank, but those had been becoming few and far between as his understanding of the spells began matchingtheir ranks. The most important line was the first. You have slain Adept Juggernaut, rank 60! The experience gain was massive, enough to get him to rank 35. He grinned at the thought that, with the help of a Journeyman and three other very skilled Apprentices, he¡¯d managed to bring down an actual Adept. Still, the important bit was the man¡¯s title. Juggernaut. The same as the other two shield-bearing men Maiz had fought before. ¡°Uh, do you all remember the other shield-user from yesterday?¡± The group all nodded, looking at him quizzically. Then Lila¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That is strange--our attacks bounced off of him, didn¡¯t they? This one was just reinforcing his armor, I thought.¡± Maiz nodded. ¡°And that guy wasn¡¯t an Adept--he was weak for a Journeyman, except--¡± ¡°--for the bouncy thing,¡± Hugan interjected. ¡°Yeah, it seems weird. If the Adept had a skill like that, your attack probably wouldn¡¯t have worked at all, and we would have lost. And no Journeyman knows a better skill than an Adept.¡± ¡°The armor.¡± Maiz frowned. ¡°What, Ziya?¡± ¡°The first man¡¯s armor must have been enchanted. It did not seem inscribed, but that is the only explanation.¡± Juya nodded. ¡°Yes, I remember that in our first conflict, they used an enchanted item which produced a bright flash of light. I thought it was odd, as I had heard there were few Enchanters in this part of the world.¡± Maiz had forgotten about that, though Juya was right--the portal outposts around Corunti and the ancient golems in the capital were the work of Enchanters from a very few families made up of Western immigrants. It was why Maiz¡¯s bracelet, powerful as it was, was also so unique, and why almost no one in the area used enchanted weapons. ¡°Yes, there is far too much enchanted equipment circulating around this army, and much of it is¡­ well, let us not worry about that.¡± Maiz whipped his head around. The gray haired Adept from his first battle with the invaders was standing at the entrance, smiling. ¡° I am very impressed you five managed to bring down an Adept without a single loss--I received word of the danger and rushed here as quickly as I could, but there were similar issues in another battles as well. You have a defensive specialist with you as well as a healer, so I had hoped you could hold out.¡± The man continued to smile, but he as looking at Lila with a hint of relief in his eyes. ¡°I am glad you are all well. Now then, why don¡¯t we head back to the Temple, and I can brief you all on the new battle plans?¡± Chapter 57 ¡°This simply is not working.¡± Maiz shifted at the words. He wasn¡¯t the only one. It was strange to hear a Master more or less admit defeat, even if it didn¡¯t quite mean they had lost yet. The Jin¡¯Teslin surveyed the mess hall, full of what Maiz assumed was a good portion of the Temple¡¯s population--it seemed like a few hundred combatants and support titles, including several dozen Clerics in green robes. ¡°We cannot continue to hold our Dungeons against this enemy while they are on the move. Denying them water has proven impossible for the time being, and we cannot continue to risk our forces in these efforts.¡± Maiz almost nodded. He¡¯d wondered, just how the army was finding all of the water sources in the Waste, but considering that they were, he didn¡¯t think the Temple had a chance of sustaining an effort to hold the Dungeons. But apparently others didn¡¯t agree. ¡°Forgive me, Jin¡¯Teslin, but we would surrender to faithless invaders? Are we not bound by the Lord¡¯s Chosen to protect what he gifted us?¡± The speaker was another woman who looked to be about the same age as the Jin¡¯Teslin, though her face was narrower, her dark hair bound in a ponytail. From the fact that she was standing with the other combatants instead of against the far wall with the Jin¡¯Teslin, Maiz inferred that she wasn¡¯t a Master. She had to be an Adept, then, and a brave one at that, to question the Jin. ¡°Marya, I hear your words, but the Jin have spoken.¡± The Master was surprisingly polite to her questioner, though her words betrayed impatience. ¡°This threat has already stirred us to war, and we must not take foolish risks for pride. We will defend what we require to survive siege, and fight when we may defeat our enemies.¡± Marya didn¡¯t seem happy with that statement. ¡°Siege? How will the heathens even find the Temple, Jin? What--¡± ¡°--the Jin¡¯Aba has opened his eyes, Marya.¡± Marya¡¯s mouth snapped shut, and silence fell like a heavy blanket. Maiz couldn¡¯t hear so much as a breath, let alone a whisper. He glanced at Lila, but her eyes were fixed on her mother, her full lips pressed into a thin line. Hugan, on her other side, looked at Maiz with a frown. He seemed about to lean over, but Maiz shook his head sharply. Now certainly wasn¡¯t the time to start talking, not when there were hundreds of powerful combatants apparently shocked out of their wits around them. ¡°Do any others wish to question the severity of this matter? The Jin do not declare war lightly. We will do what is necessary to win.¡± No one said a word, and after a moment of surveying the crowd, her powerful gaze pinning everyone in their place with mouths shut, the Jin nodded. ¡°Squad leaders will meet Division commanders tomorrow for orders. Division commanders, please join me now. All else are dismissed.¡± The room broke out into chatter. Finally, Lila tore her eyes away from her mother, and grabbed Maiz¡¯s arm. Her grip was surprisingly strong, but then she¡¯d likely ranked up quite a bit from all of the fighting, same as he had. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± It took a bit of scrambling--it was difficult to push one¡¯s way around a crowd when the other people might be several times stronger or weaker than you depending upon their rank. Still, Hugan¡¯s large frame and Lila¡¯s guidance had them out in relatively short order, ahead of a much larger tide of combatants that were currently chattering away. Lila had them into a secluded side hallway in minutes, and she finally turned, looking a little wild around the eyes. ¡°Sorry. I just didn¡¯t want to be around long enough for someone to try talking to me.¡± Hugan shrugged, and Ziya remained expressionless, but Maiz felt his brows furrow involuntarily. Why¡­ Lila shot him a look, and Maiz let his face go blank. Her eyes, far from their usual intimidating glint, held a note of pleading. She¡¯d said more than she¡¯d meant to. Maiz glanced at Ziya, but he couldn¡¯t read anything from her face, as usual. Still, she was far better than Maiz at understanding subtext, so he doubted she¡¯d missed the odd comment. Maiz put it out of his mind, focusing back on Lila¡¯s words.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°--are you okay with that, Hugan?¡± ¡°Uh, if you all are, I don¡¯t--I mean, it wouldn¡¯t--¡± ¡°I am happy with this plan. Lila is very good at tactics, but you do well in the field, Hugan.¡± Ziya spoke up. She laid a hand on his shoulder, and Hugan visibly calmed, smiling. ¡°Thanks Ziya!¡± He looked at Maiz expectantly, his eyes offering, even slightly worried. ¡°Uh,¡± Maiz let out a small smile. ¡°What are we doing, exactly?¡± Lila kicked him, and he skipped out of the way, but Hugan laughed. ¡°Lila was saying that her mother is set on her as our team leader, but she, uh, wanted me to have field command.¡± Oh. Field command was leadership in combat, but not during planning or logistics or any of the other things that went into successful battle. It was a good fit, at least as far as Hugan was concerned--he¡¯d done well in their battles so far. Lila was presumably a good tactician, though her skill in that area hadn¡¯t come up so much yet. Maiz couldn¡¯t help but feel stung, though, that no one had even considering asking him for the position. THe feeling lasted for all of two seconds, before he remembered that he would hate having to worry about directing his friends during combat, and he tried very hard not to draw attention when he was fighting. Still, there was another consideration. ¡°Of course, but uh, what about Juya? Wouldn¡¯t she--¡± ¡°--already told me she didn¡¯t want to deal with command. She¡¯s¡­ well, she wants to be an Adept, and she, doesn¡¯t really have the talent to do it quickly. She needs all of her time for training.¡± Lila cut in, though she seemed a little embarrassed about sharing Juya¡¯s predicament. Maiz nodded. Talent and practice were the keys to the higher ranks--Maiz hadn¡¯t yet hit a wall in his title¡¯s progression besides feat completion, but he knew that for most people, ther progression ended at Journeyman because they simply lacked the ability to push through to Adept. Here in the Temple, perhaps that number was lower because of the sheer level of resources available to combatants, but that didn¡¯t remove the need for hard work. He patted Hugan on the back, putting some of his own Strength into the gesture. It still wasn¡¯t enough to so much as budge his friend, but both of them grinned. ¡°So long as you keep taking hits for me, you can do whatever you want.¡± Hugan laughed. ¡°Will do!¡± Maiz laughed as well. This was a good thing, overall. He would have more freedom, and he trusted both Hugan and Lila to do well in their positions. Still¡­ ¡°Lila, shouldn¡¯t we vote on whether you should be leading us?¡± Maiz let a teasing note creep into his voice, as he addressed the brooding girl. Really, that was supposed to be his job. ¡°Well, it¡¯s only the boring stuff Maiz! Let her have--¡± Hugan was cut off by Lila¡¯s punch, and an instant later, she landed a kick on Maiz¡¯s arm. Maiz winced theatrically, and shot a glance at Hugan. ¡°Thought you said you¡¯d protect me?¡± ¡°I only take responsibility for hits that hurt!¡± Maiz winced at the barrage Lila released after that comment, but of course she wasn¡¯t really trying to hurt him. It was as much a joke to her as it was to them. Eventually, they calmed down, and Ziya spoke. ¡°Lila, who is the Jin¡¯Aba?¡± Maiz nodded. He wanted to know why the Jin¡¯Teslin¡¯s mentioning the man¡¯s name had so thoroughly shocked all the Warrior-Monks. He had a feeling from the look on Lila¡¯s face however, that he wouldn¡¯t like the answer. ¡°He¡¯s... the head of the Jin. He¡¯s very old, and he doesn¡¯t usually involve himself in the Temple¡¯s business. He hasn¡¯t woken up in a long time, so it¡¯s strange.¡± Lila seemed uncomfortable, but Maiz wasn¡¯t exactly sure why. Ziya was still looking intent though. ¡°How long has he been sleeping?¡± Lila looked down at the question, taking a long moment before looking back up, a resigned look in her eyes. ¡°Fifty years or so.¡± ¡°Woah! How old is he?¡± Hugan¡¯s voice was full of innocent surprise, but Maiz could already see where this is going. Oh hells, of course. ¡°About three hundred.¡± There was only one kind of person with that sort of lifespan, though few of the human ones lasted so long. Battle, assassination, or sheer boredom often claimed them before their third century, from the stories Maiz had read. Not that there were many around in the world at a time. The King of Corunti, who¡¯d reigned for a hundred years, was the only one Maiz knew about for certain. ¡°A Grandmaster.¡± Lila nodded, looking a little queasy. ¡°He is our last defense, insurance against the fall of the Temple. And he¡¯s waking up.¡± Chapter 58 Nightwalker (Shadowblade): The user can manipulate the level of grip their feet have on a surface, allowing them to glide across any floor, as well as stand fast against great force. Rank: 19 Cost: Variable, depending upon usage. Maximum cost=8 stamina per second. Effect: User can manipulate the grip of their feet against the floor at will. Maximum grip force=12 stone. Rank 19. It was a frustrating number to Maiz. Nightwalker had become so useful, and he frankly thought he used it the best of his physical skills with the possible exception of Fast Feet. But while that skill was now pushing at the bounds of Apprentice, he still hadn¡¯t broken Novice with Nightwalker. There was something, something important, that he simply didn¡¯t understand about the skill. The short sheet in the Library from which he had learned the skill didn¡¯t contain any useful information either, so he would be forced to simply figure out how to advance the skill. ¡°Over here, if you please.¡± The gray haired Adept--the division commander--spoke in a polite tone, but his voice still projected incredibly well, considering they were in the open desert. Maiz didn¡¯t know if it was the heat of the sun, or an effect of the sand, but sound always felt muted in the desert, almost dead. Even this place, which was just next to an open-air Dungeon from the Path, was the same way, though Maiz knew that the hole in the ground a few dozen meters away would lead into a natural catacomb infested with elemental monsters. As the Adept continued shifting people about, moving surprisingly efficiently considering that he was corralling nearly a hundred people at once, Maiz considered his other abilities. Of the ones he¡¯d decided to keep in use, he was fairly happy with his progression. Certainly, he¡¯d have liked to be higher in his Spellsword skills, but he was still progressing quite well towards the end of the Apprentice ranks. From what he knew, the Journeyman stage¡¯s progression was based on adding variations to his abilities--that was something he looked forward to, and he wasn¡¯t very worried about getting there. In fact, there were only a few abilities which he¡¯d deemed useful that had gotten left behind in his training. The first was Minor Suggestion. There wasn¡¯t much of a way to train the spell without using it on people at this point, and he wasn¡¯t prepared to do that just yet. The opportunity would rise in time, he was sure. "Yes, yes, there. Now this, group, stand in ranks four wide and three dee please. Be quick!" Maiz wiped away a drop of sweat that had collected on his forehead, grimacing. Of all of the problems he associated with the pen desert, sweat was among the worst. The sand that drifted about in the wind, forming lazy swirls over the dunes, would stick to his skin now, and the grit would make him feel like there were insects crawling across his skin. Wonderful. The other spells which had been left behind were his divination abilities--Thousand Eyes, Farsight, and Wayfinding. Maiz was convinced that the person who¡¯d left the information for Thousand Eyes had either left something out intentionally, or the spell was simply designed for the Intelligence of an Adept, and he couldn¡¯t handle the stress. As far as he could tell, the spell was completely useless to him as it was, and he wasn¡¯t going to be trying it again anytime soon. Farsight was a Diviner spell which let him view a target from afar, provided he had an object deeply connected to them, such as their blood. It was extraordinarily limited--it didn¡¯t let him see the target¡¯s surroundings, only them, and only for a short amount of time--but spells like those were so rare that it was still a valuable ability. Wayfinding was a simple spell, also from the Diviner title, which let him know the direction he had to travel to reach a place he¡¯d already been. It was trivial, yes, but he never again wanted to be stranded like he¡¯d been when he was teleported into the Waste. In all, he didn¡¯t think there was much he could afford to do at the moment to progress either Farsight or Wayfinding, and as the commander came over to move his group, he put them out of his mind. The gray haired man directed his squad and the others around them to spread out and back away from the other half of the division. Once they had done so, he walkedwalked across the sand, turning to survey them. ¡°Very good! We will be performing a mock raiding exercise, in preparation for our action in a few day¡¯s time. This is primarily meant for our younger participants to understand the basics. All of the complex maneuvers will be performed by more experienced combatants, who will not be making mistakes.¡± The man¡¯s words carried a not-so-subtle threat, but none of the assembled combatants appeared afraid. Actually, they seemed remarkably professional. He himself, as well as Hugan and Lila beside him, had fallen into the habits enforced back at the training ground--he stood at strict attention, keeping his eyes trained on the commander--but the other Warrior Monks were doing just as well, standing with their hands clasped behind their backs, backs rigid, eyes focused. Ziya was with the other Clerics, who were the furthest away by far for this assignment. ¡°Now then, the first group,¡± he gestured at the massed group opposite Maiz¡¯s own, ¡°will act as the ¡®army.¡¯ The other will be the raiders. Senior squad leaders in the raiding party, please bring your squads to the forefront to practice baiting maneuvers. Junior squads, you will move further back, and act as reinforcements for the retreating squads at the forefront. Now, make sure--¡±Stolen novel; please report. The man continued in impressive detail, focusing mainly on the idea that they should attempt to hit the enemies giving chase from the flanks or rear--they had to be able to recognize when the senior squads, who would essentially be luring the army away from their encampment, were in true need of help, and when they could afford to wait for a better striking opportunity. Maiz was somewhat relieved he didn¡¯t have to do any truly complicated maneuvers himself, but he found the discussion interesting. At Lila¡¯s direction, they moved behind a dune several dozen meters away from the ¡®army.¡¯ ¡°Begin!¡± The half dozen or so ¡®raider¡¯ squads moving in among the other group, who had all taken a seated position, eyes closed. Each of them landed blows on enemies towards the edges of the group, removing them from the fight with minimal fuss, but the affected combatants still cried out theatrically. From there, the fighting truly began, and Maiz was impressed with the level of enforced realism on display. The Monks were all sparring in truth, and more than a few raiders fell to blows from the stronger members of the ¡®army.¡¯ As the raiders began to draw their targets outwards, in some places they managed to section off small parties of fighters and pull them away from the main group, but in others, the ¡®soldiers¡¯ disengaged or retreated as the fighting moved further out. Maiz had never been in a battle of this sort, and he suspected it would be impossible to perfectly replicate the chaos of a true raid on an enemy encampment, but this seemed a fairly good approximation. He looked down at Lla, who was crouchedon the sand of the dune they were nestled behind, just peeking over the edge to see the combat. ¡°We do this sort of thing here at least a few times a season. Not always on this scale, but the older ones are always willing to teach stuff like this. When you get close to Adept, the Jin start letting you practice group combat in the higher level Dungeons, under supervision. Some of the Jin have gone and studied tactics too, and a lot of travellers are in some military or another,¡± Lila whispered to him. ¡°Get down here, or we¡¯ll get in trouble.¡± Once Maiz joined the others in the shade of dune, Lila looked around at them--Hugan in his armor, Maiz, and Juya in their tunics. Maiz had gotten some questions from Adrian and Juya about whether he wouldn¡¯t like armor, but he had argued that, without a specialized ability, armor was only marginally useful to him, and he did better dodging in any case. Since he still looked like a strong breeze could send him flying, no one had questioned the assertion. ¡°Okay, we have to treat this like another Dungeon raid, but we have to stay aware of our surroundings. Hugan, you need to be guarding our backs all the time. If we get an injury, you¡¯re in charge of protecting them until one of the transport squads gets them to the Clerics.¡± When the time came, they jumped out from behind their dune and charged out to attack a small group of ¡®soldiers¡¯ chasing a pair of older Warrior Monks. Maiz didn¡¯t have much of an issue with the fighting--he simply picked out a tall female Monk with a staff and began aiming swings at her. It was only slightly more chaotic than usual because he had to worry about being attacked from behind, but combat with Warrior Monks was fluid enough that he didn¡¯t have to worry too much about a surprise hit. No, the real issue was that he just wasn¡¯t able to keep up with his opponents. As he ducked and swirled around an opponent¡¯s staff, he became steadily more and more fatigued, Fast Feet draining him quickly against the enemy¡¯s high Dexterity. He aimed a few swings at the tall woman he was fighting, but she dodged them with ease. If he could have used Blood Paralysis, or even Flaming Strike, he would have been able to finish her off easily and move on to the next opponent, but he was hamstrung by the fact that this was a training exercise. The feeling became strangely literal, as the woman¡¯s Perfect Strikes finally left him unable to move, and he had to lie and listen to the sounds of the fighting--mostly the dull thunks of strikes and a few grunts. Such fun. ¡°Woah, that was fast! Here, they¡¯ve got you Maiz.¡± Hugan¡¯s voice barely registered before someone picked Maiz¡¯s limp form ¡°There you go, good luck,¡± a young man in a green robe offered as white light suffused him. Maiz nodded his thanks, and resignedly went back to the training. In all, it was a fairly pointless exercise as far as Maiz was concerned. He was somewhat pleased to realize that he would still end up in fairly small scale fighting, at least for the moment, but once he¡¯d gotten past that, it really was almost exactly the same as fighting the invaders in a Dungeon. The only difference was the openness of the surroundings--but with Hugan¡¯s Shieldmate ready to give support and his fellow fighters all keeping the enemies occupied relatively well, that difference was minimized. When the exercise was switched, he learned that some of the more powerful squads would roam about to support the weaker ones who might face combatants beyond their rank. He only learned that fact incidentally--fighters near him happened to be quite powerful, and they brought a pair of enemy Adepts into the fight within minutes. The most interesting thing however, was the commander¡¯s words at the end of the exercise. Maiz wasn¡¯t in much of a mood to listen, but the man¡¯s words raised some interesting questions. ¡°Your squad leaders will brief you all on the more common titles we have observed within the army. However, I must stress to you all that there have been very high incidences of enchanted weaponry of various types found on the invaders. The effects are variable in the extreme, but none of them are much more powerful than the abilities of an average Journeyman.¡± The man paused, looking¡­ at Maiz. Or wait no, Lila was raising her hand next to him. They were at the front of the group, so they were close enough that the Adept simply nodded at her. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they be limited by the type of enchantment title use to create them? I thought that Enchanters could only create effects which manipulate the user¡¯s mana or stamina, and--¡± The Adept raised a hand, giving Lila a small smile. At that moment, a particularly powerful gust of wind blew by, and everyone closed their eyes at once to avoid the sand which flew up from the ground. Maiz absently cursed the infernal stuff in his mind, but he was focused on Lila¡¯s question--it had been a good one. When the dust cleared, the Adept looked directly at Lila, still oddly polite considering their difference in rank. ¡°I hate to say, but we have no answers to that question. The fact is that there do not seem to be limits on the type of enchantments they have access to, though not every soldier has enchanted equipment. As to why, we do not know.¡± Hm. That sounds like a challenge. Chapter 59 ¡°So the, uh¡­ uh, hey Maiz?¡± Maiz looked up, suppressing a twinge of irritation. It wasn¡¯t that Hugan was actually annoying, but teaching was an exercise in a sort of patience that Maiz had never cultivated. Besides, he was getting very frustrated with his own work. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this one?¡± Hugan¡¯s finger was too big for Maiz to easily see what word he was talking about, but after a moment¡¯s examination he decided it was probably ¡®malefaction.¡¯ Maiz grimaced. Why was it that supposedly intelligent people couldn¡¯t figure out how to use smaller words to get their points across? Though Maiz felt for his friend, he refused to give in to the temptation to simply hand him the answer. ¡°Try to do what we practiced.¡± Hugan was already forming his lips around the word, trying to sound it out. ¡°Mah-lef-act-e-on¡­ maylefacteon?¡± Stupid word. ¡°Uh, sort of. You¡¯re getting there.¡± ¡°Is this one of those words I¡¯m never going to use in real life?¡± Maiz sighed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks!¡± There¡¯d been quite a few of those, since their only reading material was the Temple library. There was no differentiation between old and new texts in the collection, and somehow they all remained in the same pristine condition. As Maiz had once helped his father look after the inventory, he knew that this was yet another wonder of the Temple, and not a small one either. However, it meant that of the few stories and historical texts in the library--the only ones that really interested Hugan--many were quite difficult to read. Speaking of which¡­ The Shifter extricates her stamina to her extremities, voiding the rest of her body of the great power. Then she focuses on the form of the noble wolf, calling the howls of the pack into her soul, and intensifying the power within her limbs until her hands and feet are claws and she is one with the Wolf. Maiz had a strong urge to throw the book away. He was fairly certain that the author had misunderstood the meaning of the word ¡®extricate,¡¯ the use of ¡®voiding¡¯ made him think of some unpleasant bodily functions, and frankly he didn¡¯t think the ¡®howls of the pack¡¯ would be entering his soul any time soon. This is useless. Even if the thought of a shapeshifting title was somewhat attractive, he already had enough combat abilities, and this one didn¡¯t mesh with anything he already used. He still replaced the sheetwith care--now that he thought of it, the threat of a Master eviscerating any disrespectful readers was probably another good reason that the library was in such good condition. He thought back to the list he¡¯d made while helping Hugan pick out books. Doing research in this library was a true chore, because the only indexing system was based on the names of titles, with no notes for function or how each related to the others. He was forced to go off of what the titles sounded like, and he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the perfect ability to complete his Journeyman feat was right under his nose, hidden by an innocuous title. ¡°Truly, the in-invading army was left no, uh, recourse¡­¡± Hugan was progressing at an incredible rate thanks to his boosted Intelligence, especially considering that they still spent most of each day training their martial abilities. Maiz chafed at that time, because none of it would matter until he completed his feat, but he couldn¡¯t reveal that to his friends. Besides, eventually the training would pay dividends. Soon as I figure this out. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Good job, Hugan.¡± ¡°Thanks! On the next day, the bee-seged keep--¡± That¡¯s close enough. Now then, what was the next shelf? Twenty¡­ four? Five? With a sigh, Maiz went back to the index room, trying to remember which titles he¡¯d been interested in. You¡¯d think a Grandmaster Nameless would have made sure this stuff was organized better. Then again, he probably had some way to find whatever he wanted in here anyways, it¡¯s not like he would have been stuck looking through the inde--. --I¡¯m an idiot. Maiz almost stopped walking, but, he manage to only stumble a bit. He smoothed his face--he wasn¡¯t even sure what he¡¯d looked like, and there wasn¡¯t anyone watching, but still. He made it to the index, reading a skill description as he did so. First Search(Scholar)- Randomly selecting a piece of information to study from a random collection (selecting a page from a book or a book from a collection of books,etc.) has a chance of finding information relevant to the question most prominent in the user¡¯s mind. The question must relate to the user¡¯s field of study. Rank: 1 Effect: 25% chance to find information relevant to question, if such information is available in selection. Maiz wanted to melt into the floor, just a little. How many hours had he spent researching in this place? Wasted time, all because he¡¯d forgotten about one little Scholar skill. He didn¡¯t like to look at his Printing rank--too many bad memories--and he¡¯d simply let his eyes skirt over the First Search skill below it. Idiot. When he made it to the index room, he stood for a moment, concentrating on his question. Which title¡¯s abilities are most compatible with Heartshaper, Controller, and Shadeweaver mana? Then he activated his First Search. Nothing happened. Well, what did you expect? Maiz let his eyes wander over the stone tablets in the room until one caught his eye, then walked over and picked it up. PYROMANCER. Well, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have guessed that. Except that, of course, the skill had a chance element, which meant that it only made it likelier that he would find the correct title, not certain. So I should try again, I guess? He activated the skill, and picked another tablet. And another. And another. It was maddening, but this would save time over trying to look up every title he found. When he¡¯d done a full twenty First Searches, he knew where he had to go for certain. The Wraithling is kin to the quiet dead--spirits, revenants, old souls bound by servants of the Dark Master. But unlike simple Necromancers, or even Dreadlords and the like, we are one with our subjects. Our magic--the mana of spirit and death--surrounds us, and lets us become like wraiths ourselves. This is the Shadowcloak, which allows one to touch a spirit with flesh at will. A little pretentious, not to mention ominous, but Maiz¡¯s eyes took in the spell diagram greedily. The mana would be difficult to replicate, that wasn¡¯t a particularly detailed description, but he could make it work. If this was what it took to become a Journeyman, he would make it work. Spirit and death¡­ maybe if I start with something like air and water, then make it more ethereal? Or, are there some monsters I could study? There are those dust elementals... ¡°Hey Maiz, we¡¯ve got to get going!¡± ¡°Just sound it out Huga-gah!¡± Maiz¡¯s absent words cut off as his friend grabbed him and pulled him towards the exit, but as he righted himself, the words registered. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He had a way forward to Journeyman, yes, but first, they had a raid to fight in. Chapter 59.5 ¡°Ready?¡± Tarangil¡¯al¡¯Hankor looked over at the Saurian before him. The lizardman¡¯s appearance was slightly disturbing to him--he looked too much like a humanoid dragon--but he still had to admit that the Dungeon King¡¯s forces had been the model of politeness and efficiency. ¡°Yes sir, but...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Tarangil was already trying to make out the invaders in the distance. His own forces would be invisible from here, and hopefully from the army¡¯s vantage as well. ¡°There is a force of humans massing in the desert.¡± The Saurian man seemed¡­ confused? It was hard to tell with them. Ignoring the obvious reply that the presence of a human force in the Waste was the point of this operation, Tarangil turned his full attention back to the Saurian. ¡°Hostile?¡± ¡°To the invaders, yes sir. They seem to be conducting their own raid.¡± Tarangil let out a draconic grunt. ¡°Let us see.¡± He took flight, looping around the army encampment so that he stayed out of their line of sight. It was midday and the army was meant to be sleeping, but he still had no doubt that they would have watchers after the raid the past week. Even that attempt had been less of an ambush than he¡¯d thought--as soon as he¡¯d sounded the retreat, both sides had disengaged with equal ease, and his forces reported heavier casualties than expected for an attack on a sleeping enemy. There. He could see the force now, far enough away to avoid the army¡¯s watchers. One group was moving towards the camp, hidden by the sands even though Tarangil could pick them out easily enough from his vantage. An equal number of reinforcements stayed back, clearly ready to ambush the raider¡¯s pursuers. It was the same deployment that Tarangil had planned for his own forces, albeit targeting the opposite side of the camp. But he had no idea who these people were. A second army? This is the middle of the Waste--no, it must be the Temple. He had no information on how the Temple was manned,though apparently they could field an impressive number of combatants. This is an opportunity.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. A bit of stealthy flying at his maximum speed brought him around to where his own forces were massing for their attack. Illisere, one of the other golden dragon Masters, was waiting for him. ¡°We are ready.¡± Her voice was calm, but Tarangil expected nothing less from one of the Nest elders. ¡°There has been a development. The Temple is planning its own attack on the camp¡¯s other flank.¡± Silence. The other Master looked at Tarangil silently. It was a strange feeling--Illisere had already been a Master when Tarangil hatched, and he remembered the first time he watched her hunt, the awe he¡¯d felt. Now she was waiting for his orders. ¡°Move around to the other end, but stay hidden. When I give the signal, attack.¡± He took flight again, not waiting for an answer. Soon, he was examining the scene from above again. The Temple¡¯s raiders had almost reached the camps. When they encountered a guard patrol, all Tarangil saw was a flash of movement before the attackers continued forward. Impressive. Soon, they were in among the invaders, broken up into smaller groups. It took much longer than he expected before the alarm was raised, but when the army¡¯s forces were alerted, they came out far more prepared than they should have been. More than a few soldiers had armor already equipped, obvious even from this distance from how they glinted in the sunlight. A trap? The Temple¡¯s forces were quite good¡ªtheir retreat managed to seem natural while still allowing the soldiers to pursue. The armored warriors chased their quarry across the sand, robed mages throwing flame and wind at their backs. Tarangil was sure that, on the ground, the fighting was true chaos, but from here it was easy to see the patterns of the combatant¡¯s movements. The Temple¡¯s forces were at a disadvantage, but they¡¯d managed to keep to their plan, and were heading directly towards their ambush site. Now? It would certainly be easier to finish off both parties like this, but¡­ he had a feeling. The fighting reached the dunes where the remaining raiders had massed for the ambush. When the trap was sprung, Tarangil tensed. Not yet. The desert shimmered, the sands unperturbed by the battle raging below. Until, that was, they erupted outwards all around the fight, and three people emerged from the sands, only specks from this distance. From one, a gout of flame blasted over the sands, engulfing a portion of the Temple¡¯s forces. Another blurred, kicking up clouds as they sped around the battlefield. The army¡¯s forces began to glow with white light as healing magic flowed from the final ambusher. The army¡¯s Masters were exposed, and, if the blur of motion clashing with the second speck was any indication, so were the Temple¡¯s. Tarangil focused his magic, and a beam of the sun¡¯s power shot down, carving a smoking black claw into the sand before his forces. Without pause, he dove downwards. It was time to fight. Chapter 60 Maiz dashed forward, ignoring the heat of the desert noon as he ran across the sand. He brought his weapon up with all of the speed he could manage, and slammed it into a flashing blade aimed for Juya¡¯s neck. His hands stung from the impact, but he didn¡¯t pause. Attack. The sounds of battle were louder than they had been in training, but the screech as his Windblade clashed with his opponent¡¯s sword still filled Maiz¡¯s ears. He let loose with a pair of blows from each end of his staff, followed by an upward sweep that morphed into a Flicker Strike as he saw his enemy¡¯s sword coming to meet the attack. His staff blurred, the other end screaming towards the helmet of the woman before him. Her sword flashed, and Maiz¡¯s staff bounced away with another screech. A moment later, his body was wrenched to the side as the sword bit into the space he¡¯d occupied a breath ago. A wave of exhaustion passed through him as Fast Feet took its toll. How high is her Dexterity? The woman was already turning, graceful even in her armor, and moving with the sort of ease that told Maiz she was conserving her energy. He hadn¡¯t put a scratch on the woman¡¯s armor, and her eyes looked bored behind the visor of her helm.Adept. Nightwalker firmed his grip on the ground as he pivoted, sweeping his staff in another attack as he formed a pair of spells. The staff was blocked of course, as was the next strike, but then ribbons of flame sprang up around his staff, and blood mana leapt towards her. Blood Paralysis would do little against an Adept¡¯s Strength and Constitution, but a moment¡¯s pause was all he needed. As the spell wrapped around the enemy, Maiz stepped into his strike, aiming for the chink between helmet and neck-guard. A critical strike was his only chance. He felt it when the Blood Paralysis broke against the woman¡¯s armor.An enchantment.Hells. His staff was met yet again by the opponent¡¯s sword, but when his Flaming Strike triggered against the weapon, he felt a push, and stumbled backwards. In the moment before he could regain his footing, there was already a swordsweepingfor his neck. It met the steel of Hugan¡¯s shield with a resounding clang. Maiz almost fell backwards, taking a relieved breath as Hugan weathered a barrage of supernaturally fast attacks from the swordswoman. He winced almost immediately, as he saw a strike get around the shield and leave a dent in Hugan¡¯s pauldron. Have to help him. Quickly, Maiz looked around to where Juya had been standing, but the tunic-clad Monk was already rushing towards them, eyes fixed on the Adept. Her staff was slick with blood, telling him what she¡¯d been doing while he was fighting. ¡°Let¡¯s go Maiz!¡± He whipped his head aroundtowards the familiar voice. Lila¡¯s face was a mess of sweat and sand, but her gray eyes were hard. He nodded as the sound of clanging from Hugan¡¯s armor grew louder, and rushed at the Adept with Lila at his side. When he brought his staff again to attack, Maiz knew they had made a mistake. Hisstrike was blocked by a sword so fast he couldn¡¯t see it. For abare few seconds, the woman fought Lila and Juya with blinding speed,and thenher weapon blurred and flashed out in three directions at once. Maiz felt his stamina drain again as he dodged away, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Lila do the same, but Juya¡¯s body froze, clearly unable to take the stamina burden imposed by Fast Feet. The sword landed, and there was a cry as Hugan stumbled back,Shieldmate transferring the blow to his body instead. The woman stilled for a moment, raising her sword and tensing, and Maiz knew that she had decided to stop conserving her stamina. Move. Desperately, he tried for a last swipe with his staff, but the attack was knocked away too quickly for him to even see it. The whisper of wind was his only warning as the sword came for his neck. A cloud of sand flew up around them as Hugan and Lila cried out together. ¡°Maiz!¡± Maiz blinked, then blinked again as the sand in the air mixed with sweat and fell into his eyes. What? Then something shoved him backwards, and he was on his rump in the sand. ¡°Watch!¡± Another clang, as Hugan blocked a strike from an opportunistic spearman to their left. Lila jumped forward, and the man was on the ground in instants. Maiz noted the exchange with more than a little appreciation, but he was entranced by the show in front of him. The sand had cleared, revealing a gray haired man currently flowing around the swordswoman¡¯s attacks. The scene was made more impressive by the fact that the woman was moving so fast now that her sword looked like a literal wall of steel as it screamed through the air. The man--the commander--ducked a slash an instant before it came at his head, then jumped backwards with impossible ease as more steel blades burst outwards from the woman again. She¡¯s powerful. Maiz considered throwing another Blood Paralysis at the swordswoman, but her armor had blocked the spell the last time, and he needed to conserve his mana. As the commander attempted to close again, the woman tried to keep him at bay with a dizzyingly fast flurry of strikes, but he slipped around them without apparent effort, executing an improbable kick at the other Adept¡¯s chin. With a barely audible rip, the women¡¯s helmet flew off her head, revealing short black hair matted with sweat. The helmet landed with a thud fa few meters away from Maiz a moment later. Hells. ¡°Right!¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Maiz turned, and dodged an incoming axe. Windblade snapped back up around his staff, and his body tightened as he used Illusion Strike. Luckily, his short opponent didn¡¯t seem to have particularly high Wisdom, because he died blocking a stab which never came as Maiz slashed his neck. Without warning, the world exploded. Maiz felt the heat a moment before the light blinded him and the shockwave pushed him back. He winced as the already dry air became scorching, but he was far enough away from¡­ whatever it was to avoid the worst of it. He tried to blink the bright spots lingering in his vision, but he was still disoriented. He was looking down, wasn¡¯t he? What was that flashing¡­ the Adept¡¯s helmet. The woman¡¯s armor had been enchanted, hadn¡¯t it? And the helmet looked to be about his size. Maiz snatched the piece of armor up, noting that the straps meant to secure it had apparently been torn by the force of the commander¡¯s kick, and jammed it onto his head. A little roomy, and a little annoying for visibility, but the visor was quite wide. Fine. ¡°Look!¡± Lila tugged at his arm, and pointed upwards, but Maiz already knew what he would see. Sure enough, there was a golden dragon, massive and terrifying, swooping in towards them, and¡­ were those more in the distance? The monster swept a claw, and there was another blinding flash of light. Maiz managed to close his eyes in time, and when he opened them he was able to see as a gray-haired streak jumped into the air to meet the monster. The commander¡¯s attack against the dragon seemed almost comically underpowered, but the massive beast coiled around the Adept¡¯s kick as he flew past. The Adept was already twisting, preparing another kick at the dragon''s shoulder, but it slashed a gleaming claw at him before he could complete the motion. Midair, the commander had no way to dodge, and when the massive beast hit the man, he went flying back down in a streak of white that kicked up a cloud of sand when he impacted the ground. Maiz winced. ¡°Oh hells, Rafi!¡± Lila ran forward before Maiz could react, and both he and Hugan cursed at the same time. There didn¡¯t seem to be anyone in the area where the commander had fallen--the ground was a smoking black ruin only meters away--so he ran after her, motioning for Hugan to follow. Lila was pulling the Adept into her arms, and Maiz could see that the man¡¯s right side had been scorched badly--whether from the dragon¡¯s initial attack or another Maiz had no idea. He didn¡¯t know how the Adept had escaped death from the dragon¡¯s attack in the first place. As they ran towards him, Maiz could see the Adept they''d been fighting, smoking in the center of the black stain. Her armor was falling of her body--Maiz suspected the straps and bindings had been destroyed by the dragon''s attack. He caught up to Lila, who had propped the man up gingerly, his head resting on her shoulders. ¡°He¡¯s alive?¡± Maiz would have tried being gentler, but they were on a battlefield--they couldn¡¯t waste time on a dead man. ¡°Yes--we have to get him to the Clerics. Hugan, help me with this.¡± Maiz knelt helping Hugan gather the limp man into his arms as he saw for himself that the Adept¡¯s chest was still rising. An Adept as powerful as this man was a valuable asset--if he was alive, it was their duty to keep him that way. Quickly, Maiz transferred his healing bracelet to the man¡¯s unburned wrist. ¡°He is alive?¡± Juya ran up behind them, panting, then nodded as she saw the commander''s breathing form.¡°I will lead.¡± They followed her through the battlefield, such as it was. The fighting had been spread out before, but now the desert was in pandemonium, with the most powerful members of both sides doing battle. On the way back, they had to stop short as a cloud of sand billowed up before them in a line. There was a gust of wind, and a boom as two massive forces collided a hundred meters away. Maiz caught a brief glimpse of the Jin¡¯Teslin, barehanded, fighting a man in gleaming armor before the two Masters moved further away in a flash. ¡°Keep moving!¡± They made it a dozen more meters before a roar shook Maiz out of his single-minded focus. That was¡­ A huge humanoid lizard was brandishing a spear at them. Next to it, a blue-furred monster with three eyes set in the left, front, and right sides of its skull was rushing forward with claws out. There were more monsters than just the dragons about, it seemed. Maiz moved forward with Juya and Lila, Windblade and Flaming Strike forming around his staff, fixing his gaze on the lizardman. He had killed a monster like this before, he-- --something brushed over his head, a wind too strong to be natural, but not powerful enough to hurt. Maiz whipped his head around immediately, the helmet wobbling a little as he did so. There was a red-robed woman standing in a small cloud of sand a few meters away. An Aeromancer. Maiz checked on his friends, but both Lila and Juya seemed more than capable of dispatching the monsters. That was, unless a spell killed them first. He ran at the mage. He closed easily enough, carefully using Nightwalker when he felt the mage preparing a bludgeoning attack, but she surprised him by following up with another sharp Air Blast. Rather than dodging, Maiz lowered his head, and let the enchanted helmet absorb the attack. How many more of those does it have? Best not to test it too much. Maiz finally closed, and brought his staff up. The mage¡¯s eyes were wide, but she held her posture perfectly. In the last moment, as she considered Maiz¡¯s staff and his unaffected stance, she brought her hand up, aiming over his shoulder. At Hugan, who was still carrying the Adept. Maiz¡¯s Flaming Strike took the hand off. The woman had little time to process the fact before her head followed. Keep going. By the time he returned, Lila, Hugan, and Juya were already moving on over the monster¡¯s corpses. The final stretch was clear, and it appeared that only the truly powerful and the extremely unlucky were still on the battlefield. The only monsters Maiz could see that weren¡¯t already dead were the dragons, which seemed to be launching attacks at the flashing streaks and fiery infernos that were the Masters of both the Temple and the invading army. In the moment he watched, a massive gout of flame erupted from the ground and engulfed a dragon, before being banished by a flash of brilliant light which left starts in Maiz''s vision again. The fighting was moving further and further away, as the Jin covered the raider¡¯s retreats. Maiz¡¯s party ran behind the dune, and were met by a trio of imposing Warrior Monks. ¡°Is that the commander? Clerics!¡± In moments, the burned Adept had been swarmed by green-robed men and women, though Maiz did not see Ziya or any of the younger Clerics. One of the three Monks who had been standing watch at the edge of the dune grabbed Maiz¡¯s arm. ¡°Get your team through the Dungeon exit now, boy. Their weaker fighters have already retreated, there is no point to you staying here. Move!¡± Maiz nodded, and the helmet jiggled again. He pulled the damned thing off, though he kept tight hold of it. As he and his friends ran to the cave partially hidden by the dune, struggled past the crowd of retreating Monks, and finally made it back to the Temple, he held the little piece of armor. Whatever else they had gained or lost in the battle, he had plans for the helmet, or more accurately, the mana it still contained. He suspected, however, that hewould need to work on ranking up his Farsight spell. Chapter 61 ¡°And then?¡± Maiz shifted on his little seat. He really did like the Library--there was a remarkably safe feeling about a quiet, well-lit room full of books and little else. Like everything in the Temple though, it was set in shades of gray: gray stone walls, with floor and ceiling of the same material. Even the shelves were carved directly from the stone, though of course the actual documents were still honest paper. He refocused on Hugan, sitting across the stone table, looking over his book. ¡°He moved his troops into the dragon¡¯s wing formation, and¡­ wait I know this one, slaughtered the invaders.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± Maiz meant it--Hugan was getting even better. He¡¯d asked Maiz to come here, and even though he hadn¡¯t even touched his staff or the enchanted helmet since the battle the day before, he had agreed. Somehow, it had sounded far too tempting to refuse. ¡°Thanks. The glorious general employed his mages with particular skill, making use of the¡­ uh, the dis-pro-portionate number of uh, Geomancers in his ranks, the title being far more common in the Reaches than the hot wastelands and wet forests to the West. They were able to employ Soften Earth to great effect, destroying the charge of the mounted Knights and Lancers, and allowing the Farsilers to employ their throwing spear... barrages on stranded targets. The troop formation reduced the effective-ness of the Forcefinders¡¯ catapults, which were the primary advantage of the Illisonian¡¯s in the conflict. The glorious general and his three lieutenants, all Masters in their titles, then took the field and neutralized the greater forces of the enemy, allowing the remaining small troops to secure victory.¡± Hugan sighed, a sound so utterly out of character for the young Warden that it shocked Maiz out of the stupor from listening to the passage. ¡°Are you--¡± ¡°--sorry Maiz. The battle was¡­ you know.¡± The giant young man looked off slightly to the side, clearly embarrassed. Maiz could see now that he looked a little more tired than usual, though the change was miniscule. At Hugan¡¯s Constitution, it took quite a bit more than a sleepless night to truly put one under the weather. ¡°I know.¡± Sort of. Actually¡­ ¡°Was it the killing or, uh--¡± ¡°--no, not really, I guess. I mean, we killed those other people too. They¡¯re the ones trying to take over the Temple or whatever, so it¡¯s not like they¡¯re innocent.¡± Maiz agreed. Combatants lived in battle, whether against each other or monsters or--in the worst cases--weaker people, and he couldn¡¯t really feel a moral compunction at killing people who were trying to kill him. It was mostly just fear that he or his friends would die, and most of that came after the fact for him. But Hugan still had a troubled look on his face, and he was rubbing his arm unconsciously, still not making eye contact with Maiz. ¡°So what is it?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t really know. I didn¡¯t really do any leading, did I?¡± Maiz almost laughed, but Hugan looked so serious, he held back. ¡°It gets a little tough to hear when we¡¯re fighting, you know?¡± Hugan did laugh, and the sound was still as happy as ever. ¡°That didn¡¯t come out right--I mean, even if we¡¯re not doing anything wrong, it¡¯s still not¡­ you know.¡± Oh. Hugan wanted to be a hero. Maiz had once too, a bit, but he couldn¡¯t really reconcile that dream with the reality of being the lying champion of a dubious god. Still, he had an easy answer to that line of thinking for Hugan at least, if not himself. ¡°You saved my life, didn¡¯t you? And the commander¡¯s? I mean that¡¯s sort of your whole thing. It isn¡¯t like the fighting wouldn¡¯t happen if you weren¡¯t there, so you¡¯re still doing a good thing by having our backs.¡± Hugan nodded slowly.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s kind of obvious right? But I guess it¡¯s enough--it isn¡¯t like I can change anything by sitting around moping. Just got to get better at this now.¡± He grinned, and Maiz knew if there wasn¡¯t a table in the way he¡¯d be getting a slap on the back. ¡°Thanks!¡± Maiz grinned. He agreed with Hugan--it was obvious advice, but the real problem wasn¡¯t that Hugan felt conflicted about what they were doing, it was that no one could ever be the person that Hugan wanted to be without compromising. Maiz wondered how many people died in the north quarter of Caelos, all those years ago, because Roon the Defender decided to make a stand in the east end. Hells, he wondered if there were little baby lizardmen who had lost their father when he¡¯d killed that Saurian in the training grounds. Hugan was a good person, and defending the Temple was a good thing, but it wasn¡¯t perfect. That would have to be enough for him. If there was a rationalization skill, I would be an Adept by now. Maiz shook his head, clearing the moral ramblings. Truth be told, he would defend the Temple for the power it offered if nothing else, and the fact that he was defending Lila¡¯s home, and the lives of people like Adrian and Juya, made it that much easier. Speaking of defending the Temple... ¡°I¡¯m going to do some training. I don¡¯t think you really need my help with the book, do you?¡± Hugan looked up, and Maiz could already see some of the concern had left his face. Some, but not all. ¡°Yeah, thanks! Have fun!¡± Maiz continued on into the Journeyman section of the Path, but he wasn¡¯t really trying. He let himself get hit by an inscribed post, and after appearing in front of the stone door, went to retrieve his stolen helmet from his room. He didn¡¯t pass many people on the way. The other divisions were either training or fighting, and the rest of the Warrior Monks were resting from the same. It took him little time to get into the Purple Room, though handling the helmet was somewhat annoying--he didn¡¯t want to put it on again, now that he wasn¡¯t in a life or death situation. That was a bit too grim, even for him. ¡°Now, what to do first?¡± He still had to try and figure out the new skill, Shadowcloak, and he had managed to take another look at the description while helping Hugan, but¡­ his curiosity was too strong. Now, how does this work? He stared at the helmet for a solid minute. It was a metal piece, all sharp slanting angles on top and ending in a slight lip. There was a rather wide gap for the eyes, and grating for the mouth. He couldn¡¯t discern a carving on it, until he looked on the inside. Huh. That¡¯s interesting. It was inscribed, certainly, but that meant very little to him. Still, it was nice to see that there was at least a somewhat familiar mechanism to the enchantment. But still¡­ he somehow didn¡¯t think that magic nullification was a particularly common type of enchantment, or else he would have at least heard a bit more about it before. Now then, what to do? Oh right, Mana Sense. The world lit up in¡­ purple. Not much of a change. But the helmet glowed faintly on the inside with a strange gray light. Not silver like his own mana, but a dull gray, like old steel. He considered it for a moment. How to get at the mana? He certainly couldn¡¯t manipulate it directly--once it was disconnected from the body, you couldn¡¯t even manipulate your own mana. Wait¡­ could he just cast the Farsight on the helmet itself? Worth a try. He let mana that was place fill him, until he was aware of his surroundings in a way he never quite felt normally, and formed the pattern. The web of mana extended out of him, and he targeted the helmet. He could feel the questing threads, looking for something to latch on to, and for a moment they almost slipped. He pushed, until the mana covered the inside and finally found the enchantment. It held, and he completed the pattern, sending the spell shooting out of himself like an arrow, stretching his mana further than he ever had before. The spell only used a small portion of his mana, but that bit quickly became an impossibly fine thread as it stretched towards his target. Maiz¡¯s vision went black, and he managed to sit down before the sight of an older man sporting a graying beard and a simple brown tunic filled his eyes. The man was rather overweight, but he wore it well, like a kind old grandfather. He was awake--his eyes were looking at something intently, his hands shifting materials about, but the details around the edge of the man¡¯s frame were blurred. In a moment, the vision vanished. Well that told me nothing. Maiz was disappointed, but a larger part of him was pleased that the spell worked. The real question was, was this man in particular responsible for the strange enchantments in the army, or was he just part of a team? Moreover, was he currently with the invaders, or left behind in whatever country they came from? More questions than answers, and the only way he could get more information was by training his Farsight, and perhaps by finding more enchanted items to cast the spell on. But there was another, more intriguing, project he could focus on for a bit. Maiz resettled his seat, took a deep breath, and began to think about death. Chapter 62 A serpent of fire screamed through the desert air, and even from afar Maiz thought he could feel something of the blazing power of the spell. But he wanted more. He cast Mana Sense. It was difficult at to see through the haze of color surrounding the field of battle, though now it had cleared somewhat. Most of the lower-level fighting had died down, as the Masters and Adepts began their duels. Across his vision, there were blazing stars and beacons of power from the various experts on the field, but it took little to see that the Jin were hard pressed. Still, from the way that the streaks that represented the Master Warrior Monks were blurring around the field, at the least they could remain alive for as long as was necessary. Maiz refocused his attention on the most impressive fight. The Master Pyromancer from the invading army was an incandescent point of light in the desert, and more magic was flowing out of him every second than Maiz could have ever controlled. It reminded him forcibly of Hakim¡¯s power, though while he had seemed to prefer the use of many small spells to overwhelm his enemies, this mage favored massive constructs and sustained attacks. Even as Maiz watched, the thousand ropes of mana connecting the star and the fiery serpent twisted and jerked, and the construct¡¯s tail swept across the sand. A streak of green light shot over the attack, too fast for Maiz to catch with his ordinary eyes but just barely visible in his magical sight. The Jin¡¯Teslin hung in the air as the Pyromancer¡¯s spell scoured the sand beneath her. For a moment, Maiz though that she had been caught, unable to dodge the next attack, but as the Pyromancer sent more mana out towards his serpent, Maiz forgot his worry. How was the man doing that? There had to be a dozen distinct patterns in that spell, and he was casting them all while holding onto a massive external mana construct! When the spells reached the serpent a moment later, there was a woosh of air, audible even from so far away, and the serpent exploded into a dome of fire, which solidified and flashed white hot before constricting around the Jin¡¯Teslin. The green streak was engulfed by the red mana for a bare moment, but even as the fire closed in around her, a second crack shook the air and the Monk was hurtling toward the Pyromancer, the flames breaking around her as her power blazed even more. The pyromancer shot to the side as well mana blasting out to his side and propelling him away. As the Jin¡¯Teslin turned, a wall of flame sprung up between the two Masters, but the Warrior Monk only paused for an instant before crashing through the barrier with a green flash. Maiz wished he could see exactly what she was doing in the physical world, but he could barely follow the women''s movements through Mana Sense. Still, he was somewhat pleased he was following the combat this much. He had definitely progressed his understanding, especially of magic, since watching Hakim fight. A flash to the side caught his attention, and Maiz turned in the direction of the camp. He could actually see it this time--they were at the higher vantage--and it was easy enough to spot the source of the light. A white dome had sprung up around a tent near the center of camp, and though it faded a moment later, it flashed back into existence twice more even as Maiz watched. ¡°That¡¯s bad.¡± Lila¡¯s voice behind him mirrored Maiz¡¯s own thoughts, but he didn¡¯t take his eyes from the camp below. With Mana Sense still active, he thought he could make out faint streaks of green and a stronger aura of white around the large tent, but he couldn¡¯t make anything out for certain. That was, until a lance of bright white magic shot towards the edge of the tent. The strangled noise from Lila was cut off as Hugan grabbed both of their shoulders from behind, spinning them to face him. ¡°Come on! We have to get to the exit, there¡¯s a pair of Masters covering our retreat right now.¡± Maiz nodded at his friend¡¯s armored form, and kept a surreptitious grip on the dagger he¡¯d managed to procure from anenemy archer. A Jin had obliterated the man in passing before being matched by one of the enemy Masters.Maiz had many qualms about the Warrior Monk Masters, but they did a far better job of protecting their forces than their counterparts in the army. Their mobility and skill in combat went a long way towards keeping the Temple¡¯s casualties far lower than the army¡¯s. If only the army didn¡¯t have several times their own fighting force. They moved out, Hugan taking the lead with his shield half-raised, Lila and Juya huddled in almost uncomfortably close for protection. Maiz was covering the rear, and he kept throwing glances back at the camp as they moved out to the edge of the field, behind several high-rising dunes. Flashes of white light continued to light the camp as they continued to move away, until finally the camp disappeared behind the crest a sand dune. ¡°Do you think they managed it?¡± Lila¡¯s shouted question went unanswered as they finally reached the little alcove nested in the sands where a rough hole had been opened in the sands, wetted down and propped open. As Maiz understood it, the Jin, or perhaps a few of the stronger Adepts, had excavated this tunnel in under an hour, though they had been forced to take longer to support it properly before letting the raiding force through. The fruits of superior attributes, and determination. Or is it desperation? It was hard to pin down exactly how far away the army was from the Temple, but the raids conducted thus far hadn¡¯t seemed to do enough to damage them. Eventually, they would reach their goal. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. When they were finally in the cramped tunnel, Maiz shook himself out of his contemplation, looking to Lila¡¯s sweaty face. ¡°Someone saw them--those white spells--¡± Maiz cut himself off as he saw Lila¡¯s face tighten, the change just barely visible in the dim tunnel. She turned her eyes to the walk through the tunnel, but Maiz hurried to add, ¡°they, uh, should have been able to get away, at least.¡± Smooth. Next I should remind her that her mother¡¯s out there fighting a Master mage to cover our retreat. At least his words took away some of the tension in her eyes, but she still focused them forwards, and with an internal sigh, Maiz turned to Hugan, who¡¯d been uncharacteristically silent. ¡°Everything all right?¡± Behind the helmet, Maiz couldn¡¯t see his friend¡¯s face, but the blink told him that he hadn¡¯t been paying much attention. ¡°What? I¡¯m fine.¡± There was a slight edge to his voice, and Maiz sighed as he saw how he was holding his shield arm, tight to his side, immobile even as he clambered forward. Maiz unclasped his bracelet without a word, but even as he reached out to Hugan¡¯s other arm, a white light suffused him, and almost instantly the tension in his arm loosened. ¡°Thanks Ziya!¡± She just nodded from her position down the tunnel, falling into step beside them as they continued on. She was wearing green Cleric robes stained by dirt, sand, and a few darker streaks that Maiz took for blood. As she walked beside them, her piercing gaze fell on him. In a moment, she looked from his eyes to his relatively undamaged tunic to the dagger still held in his off-hand, and moved on to Lila. A little twinge of embarrassment came over him, but Ziya of all people wouldn¡¯t care about a strange look. ¡°What is wrong, Juya?¡± Maiz looked around, startled, at the fifth member of their party.Maiz had already seen that she lacked any obvious injuries, but now that he thought to look, it was obvious that she wasn¡¯t in a particularly good mood. Her usually serene features were drawn, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes shifting from place to place. Even in the dim light, Maiz could tell that she¡¯d flushed at Ziya¡¯s words, but though she glanced at each of them in turn she didn¡¯t say anything. No, wait--she didn¡¯t look at Lila. ¡°Juya?¡± Lila¡¯s voice was almost¡­ resigned? After a moment, she spoke, still looking down in front of her as they trudged through the tunnel. ¡°I do not want to intrude, but the--¡± ¡°--he sat up the other day. Mother didn¡¯t say, but I think he spoke. He¡¯ll be ready before it¡¯s time, don¡¯t worry.¡± Lila sounded almost tired as she said the words, and though the tension in Juya¡¯s face eased somewhat, it didn¡¯t vanish completely. ¡°Thank you.¡± Who were they¡­ right, the ancient Grandmaster. Maiz had done his best to put the presence of a literal legend under the same roof as him out of his mind, but apparently Juya was having more trouble. Why was she suddenly concerned about the Jin¡¯Aba¡¯s status? Maiz could understand that having a Grandmaster on their side would do much to help their defense, but somehow Juya¡¯s face and Lila¡¯s response had seemed to refer to more than that. Still, one look at Lila told him not to ask. ¡°Hey Lila, what are you--¡± ¡°--don¡¯t ask.¡± Poor Hugan. Maiz was sure he¡¯d figure that out someday. They walked on in a slightly awkward silence, save for the clank of Hugan¡¯s armor and the voices coming down from each side from other raiders returning to the Temple. It was probably Maiz¡¯s imagination, but the voices sounded tense. One set in particular, coming from behind them, caught his attention. ¡°I still do not understand how.¡± ¡°It is immaterial--all that matters is how we get past it in the future.¡± ¡°Then knowing exactly how the enchantments work will make it easier, no?¡± ¡°It is unnatural--what title gives one the power to make shields of pure ma--¡± ¡°--stop flapping your mouths. Are you Adepts or acolytes?¡± The commander¡¯s group. They¡¯d been the ones targeting the supply tent, from what Maiz knew. The most powerful Adepts in the Temple. They¡¯d managed to make it out alive, but they hadn¡¯t accomplished their goal. Thanks to an enchantment. Maiz looked around at the others, but everyone, even Hugan, knew not to react to the words as the Adepts brushed past them in the hall. Two of them, the commander and a woman who looked to be the same age, nodded to Lila as they passed, but otherwise no words were exchanged. The silence lasted all the way back into the Dungeon, into the Temple, and back to their rooms. They would meet later to train, likely, but everyone wanted to sleep. Maiz wished he could as well. Instead, pushing on Enlightenment to get him through the fatigue, he ran the Path and entered the Purple Room, clutching the dagger in his hand. Farsight. A now-familiar image opened up before him. An old man, gray streaking his beard, leather apron holding in his paunch. His hands were moving, eyes focused, but Maiz thought he could detect hint of weariness around his eyes. The sun shone across his face, flickering, growing and shrinking as though the shadows were cast by an object flapping in the wind. Sure enough, even as Maiz watched, the man walked away from whatever he¡¯d been doing. His body remained in sharp focus, but Maiz couldn¡¯t make much more out. That was, until the man reached out and grasped something in his hand. A piece of dirty white cloth, which disappeared from view again as he rummaged with it. It was enough for Maiz. A tent flap. So the man was with the army. This was the fourth enchanted item he¡¯d managed to find--he¡¯d gotten two from the last raid a few days ago, and of course the helmet from before that--and each time he¡¯d been greeted with this man¡¯s face, both sleeping and awake. Unless Maiz was very unlucky, that meant that this one man was responsible for the enchantments that had let the army stay ahead of the Temple for so long. That was¡­ troubling. And it raised important questions. In the purple light of the little room, Maiz dropped to his knees before the altar. He didn¡¯t have much time before he would have to go back, but this was important. He began to pray. Chapter 63 ¡°Wow Maiz, so soon? Did you bring flowers?¡± The void stretched out in all directions around Maiz. He would have called it ¡®endless,¡¯ but that didn¡¯t fit. There was simply nothing there, nothing to perceive or even imagine in the darkness. The only thing in the not-space was Riala, looking at him with a small smile on her face, purple eyes glowing. ¡°Can I bring flowers here? Actually, why is it that I brought my clothes but I don¡¯t keep my bracelet or the knife I was--¡± Maiz stopped talking, looked down at himself, and flushed. His hands flew to cover himself, but Riala had already looked away, laughing. ¡°This place is a little weird. The Seven have powers over reality and planes of existence, but humans don¡¯t. It¡¯s one of the few divine abilities they all share, and it bleeds into their connection with you!¡± Riala sounded like something between a Scholar and a tour guide. Not that Maiz had met many tourists in his life, but a few of his more fanciful books included stories of tourists from the Ulterion empire, travelling the world and occasionally causing trouble for the heroes. ¡°I would say more, but there¡¯s the whole ¡®symmetrical information¡¯ thing, remember?¡± Maiz was rather preoccupied with his lack of clothing, finding it hard to look in Riala¡¯s direction even though he¡¯d already seen her turn her head. Still, he chewed on what she¡¯d said, trying to ignore his discomfort. ¡°My connection to Viselys creates this place, so...¡± His eyes widened, then closed. He focused on the image of himself, paying special attention to his clothing. He concentrated for a solid few seconds, until the thought felt almost real--the same way he visualized his mana. He opened his eyes. He was still naked. ¡°What, did you try wishing your clothes back? That¡¯s the right track, but you have to go deeper.¡± What in seven hells? The longer he stayed like this, the worse his embarassment become, and he shuffled awkwardly backwards. Nothing changed. Right, endless, meaningless void. ¡°I questioned why I had my clothes, and then they vanished.¡± Maiz considered. He hadn¡¯t visualized himself naked, he¡¯d just¡­ questioned. Realized. So it wasn¡¯t a matter of imagination, but belief. He had to believe that he should have clothes on again, not just that he wanted them back. It took longer, and it felt something like pushing through the voices for his Naming ritual. In the end, he couldn¡¯t differentiate why he should have his clothes, but not everything else he¡¯d been holding when he went to pray, so after his period of focus and reimagining, he was holding a dagger in his left hand, and his healing bracelet dangled on his other wrist. He suddenly felt the grime and sweat from the battle return to his skin, and his clothes clung to him, sticking uncomfortably. But he had clothes, and that was worth the discomfort. ¡°Got it.¡± Riala looked back at him, a cheery expression on her face.¡°Excellent! You know, I¡¯m glad you figured that one out, it¡¯s¡­ not something all the champions get.¡± Maiz frowned. The way she¡¯d phrased her explanation, it seemed obvious that it was his power, or rather the portion of Viselys¡¯ power that he carried, which created this space for them to converse. Even if that hadn¡¯t been clear, he probably would have figured it out based on the fact that his own question had led to the loss of his clothes. The only way another God-Chosen wouldn¡¯t notice was if they weren¡¯t observant enough to question the strange rules which seemed to govern their attire in this void-space. Or, probably, any number of other foundational beliefs of the place, such as why-- --Maiz stopped himself. Best not to play with anything too dangerous. ¡°Hold on, so when I¡¯m¡­ here, aren¡¯t I also in the real world?¡± ¡°The Seven have powers over reality and planes of existence, but humans don¡¯t. It¡¯s one of the few divine abilities they all share, and it bleeds into their connection with you!¡± Maiz frowned. ¡°You already--¡± Riala sighed, and her eyes flashed at him. ¡°The Seven have powers over reality and planes of existence, but humans don¡¯t. It¡¯s one of the few divine abilities they all share, and it bleeds into their connection with you.¡± She¡¯s repeating herself on purpose? Maiz thought for a moment before memory and understanding converged. The trial. He¡¯d spent hours, maybe as much as a day, in the test to get his Name, but Father Gavrel hadn¡¯t commented that the Ritual had taken any longer than usual. So the gods¡¯ abilities with reality somehow bent time. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Wait, so can they¡­ reverse time? Or is it like they make parallel rivers that run at different speeds? Or--¡± ¡°--I can tell you, but you¡¯ve barely got enough favor for that, and I¡¯d have to tell the others as well.¡± Riala looked seriously at him, and something immediately told Maiz to drop the line of questioning. Still, he wondered. If he was somehow making this space, was there more he could do with his power? Perhaps even use it in the real world? But if that were the case, then wouldn¡¯t there be more examples of such magic from ancient God-Chose-- ¡°The godsdamned Path?¡± Maiz wished he could sit down. Actually¡­ he sat down. It didn¡¯t change anything about his position relative to Riala, but it made him feel better as he considered. He¡¯d wondered how something so massive could possibly be contained in a single building before. Was it somehow the result of these spatial powers Riala was talking about? If anyone could use such abilities intentionally, it would be Maiz¡¯s predecessor. Riala looked somewhat exasperated, but also¡­ proud? Anxious? ¡°Do you really want me to answer?¡± Maiz sighed. Enough messing around. ¡°No, sorry. But I do want to know if you¡¯ve heard from the other God-Chosen.¡± She gave a sharp nod, but her eyes were sympathetic. ¡°One other God-Chosen confirmed that they have met no others.¡± Maiz winced. This had been the most likely scenario, but it was discouraging. Frightening, even, because it meant that the other five had probably met at least one other God-Chosen each. That was five competitors in a better position than Maiz, or at least further along in this strange game than him. They could just have been bluffing. But the very fact that they didn¡¯t want the information seemed to indicate that they were better off than him. ¡°Thanks, Riala.¡± She flashed him a smile, teeth stained purple by the light of her eyes. ¡°No problem! Now, you¡¯re¡­ almost out of favor.¡± ¡°What? You mean--¡± ¡°--yeah, you don¡¯t really have enough standing to call me again until you do something incredible! I would ask if you had questions, but¡­¡± Maiz nodded. For all that he was in a difficult position, there was little he could get out of Riala with the limited information he had now. Better to save it. ¡°Thank again.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Her smile turned almost sympathetic. Was that fear in her eyes? ¡°Just be careful, Maiz. And good luck.¡± In a flash, he found himself back in the Purple Room. It took a moment to get over the disorientation, but he was already thinking. He¡¯d learned some interesting things, but not about the problem at hand. The Temple Adepts had launched an attack on the army¡¯s supply tent. It had failed because of the strange enchantments protecting the tent, ones that the Adepts had never encountered before. Maiz had some idea of who might be responsible for those--after all, it appeared that one man was behind most, if not all, of the army¡¯s peculiar weaponry. And Maiz was beginning to wonder if he didn¡¯t know the nature of the man¡¯s title. The beginnings of a plan were stirring in Maiz¡¯s head, but there was a large variable to account for. Still on the ground, covered in sweat and grime, he settled into a meditative pose. He retreated into the landscape of his mind, calling on the feel of smooth flowing water and a whisper of chill wind. He focused on the strange, almost unreal feeling he got when he watched a Sandwraith move, as though every motion was a coincidence of the wind¡¯s motion instead of the intention of a living creature. He felt the ideas coloring his mana with every breath, until his pool felt completely saturated, and then he let out a long sigh of magic. The pattern described in the text about the Shadowcloak was incredibly simple, just a sheath of mana at the level of his skin, anchored directly to his pool so that it didn¡¯t need to be contained in a rigid structure. With the level of mana manipulation required by his Spellsword abilities, he found this part childishly simple. When nothing happened, he considered stamping his foot. If he wasn¡¯t cross-legged on the ground, he might have done it. Need to get this done now. It wasn¡¯t just his plan--he was also wasting valuable experience with every battle he took part in because he didn¡¯t have his feat completed. His abilities had begun to plateau, and though his constant runs of the Path helped, he was hamstrung by his constant proximity to Hugan, Lila, and Ziya during most of his training time. Ascending to the Journeyman realm would give him more insight into his abilities, even more than the jump from Novice to Apprentice had. He needed to complete his feat. That wasn¡¯t to say the other issue wasn¡¯t just as important. The plan he had--more of a possible plan if anything--relied heavily on stealth. He needed to scout, and he needed to move without his friends or superiors noticing. When was the next raid? Two days. From what Lila and Juya had said, it didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d have many more chances to do what he needed to, and if he took too long, the Temple might be lost regardless. What¡¯s the godsdammned problem? He¡¯d tried elemental influences, physical, abstract--hells, he¡¯d gone out of his way to face the Sandwraiths again, sure that it would give him some insight into Shadowcloak. The text had called it the mana of ¡®spirit and death.¡¯ What could he do to understand something so vague? Oh. Right. Chapter 64 Even the Temple grew quiet at night. When Maiz had first come to the place, Monks would be up at all hours, using their Enlightenment skill to train, work, or simply enjoy a stroll through the stone halls. With the war and the need to fight at least once every few days, that had stopped. No one wanted to risk crippling their stamina when they might need to fight the next day, and as the army operated on a nocturnal schedule, meaning the best time to attack was during the day, the Monks all retired to their quarters during the night. His quarters were in a little wing with the other young males of the Temple, though Hugan was down at the other end of the hall. He had no trouble making it through the winding corridors until he was standing before the heavy stone door. Taking a deep breath, he blasted forward. He breathed in long, even strokes as he ran, skipping across the wooden beam in a pair of light hops, speeding through the maze, running over the narrow path almost before the flame kindled behind him. He had to slow to crawl beneath the wooden posts of the next challenge. Nearly every time he traversed this room, he smiled at the memory of the young man, a traveler now long evicted from the Temple, who hadn¡¯t been willing to bow his back for the challenge. But this time, focus kept the thought from entering his head at all. He completed the next rooms in minutes, dashing up the stairs, shattering the spell which tried to fog his mind before defeating the golems in rapid succession with windbladedstaff alone. Then he stopped. The small room which had once been clouded with incense was dead quiet. The Jin¡¯Tira, the keeper of this place, had died in defense of one of the Temple¡¯s Dungeon¡¯s. Occasionally one of the other Jin stopped in to manage the place, but it hardly mattered at this stage. True, anyone could now enter the Novice Dungeons, regardless of whether they¡¯d already attempted one that day, and the portals were not closed once a group stepped through them, but most of the young monks were Apprentices, Journeymen, or not yet of age to receive a Name. Not to mention that they all were honorable enough not to break the rules of challenging more than one dungeon a day. Maiz went through four or five Novice Dungeons each day he dedicated to training. However, this time there was only one portal that interested him. It was easy enough to locate, as he stepped through the curtained doorway and into the next room. He walked up to the arch, and entered the dungeon. Suddenly his vision was lit by firelight rather than the soft, multidirectional light of the Path. His head nearly brushed a rough ceiling overhead, and before him, the light played on a set of sandstone steps leading down into darkness. He could hear the rustling of something coming up from those depths, held back by the light, but tempted by the sight of prey. Maiz turned around, walking two steps to the far end of the cramped little entry room, and punched the ceiling. ¡°Godsdammit!¡± He¡¯d forgotten to close his eyes, and was forced to spend a few moments brushing sand away from them as tears made tracks down his cheeks. The hot liquid cooled, however, as a chill passed over him. When he opened his eyes, he was looking up into a starry sky. Clambering out was more difficult than he¡¯d remembered--desert winds had morphed the landscape, so that either side of the hole was piling with sand that covered him as he pulled himself up. He closed his eyes, but he still shuddered at the feel of the stuff worming into every crevice of his clothes, spitting out the gritty grains which made it into his mouth as he ascended. Without his Strength and Dexterity so high, he may not have managed the climb, and his heart was beating a little harder when he finally spilled out onto the desert sands, but he hardly cared. The moon was full and high in the sky, unobscured by clouds and bright enough to make it easy to see in the darkness. As he plodded over the sands, the silvery light illuminated the mist puffing out with every breath, made possible by the cold air contrasting the heat of the sand below him. Not that Maiz wasn¡¯t used to the juxtaposition--even in Caelos, on the edge of the desert, it could grow cold enough at night to freeze a jug of water left out, and in a few rare cases, hot enough the next day that the water would be scalding by noon. As he walked, he reflected that the first day he¡¯d walked across these sands, the heat had nearly been enough to kill him outright. Now he moved under the moon¡¯s chill gaze, eyes wide open, shivering in the cold. Much had changed. He was an Apprentice, so close to Journeyman. He knew secrets that had been kept hidden for millennia, and he¡¯d killed men and women in battle. And the godsdammned sand still gets everywhere. It took minutes to see the first body, a man half covered by sand, lying in what seemed to be undergarments, his armor having been pulled off by his fellows. His helmet had been left on. The metal was warped, caved in at the front, and a mess of black obscured his features. Maiz had heard of bodies decomposing after days in the open, but that hadn¡¯t happened to the man yet. Instead, his sides and neck had been ravaged by scavengers, dried blood obscuring the worst of the posthumous injuries in the moonlight. His skin was patchy, darkened by the sun to near-black in some places, translucent and almost reflective in others. The smell of excrement and rot and old blood washed over Maiz as he stared at the corpse, forcing him a step back with its sheer weight, but he kept walking, his stomach roiling as he passed the fallen soldier. Not enough. It was an old battlefield. Not the first, but old enough that Maiz didn¡¯t remember where he¡¯d been standing during the fighting. He couldn¡¯t remember who he¡¯d killed on this field, either. He did remember that the skirmish had been cut short when the Pyromancer Master had taken the field, and a pair of Jin had run him off the battlefield together. He walked towards the blackened stain on the sands, visible even in the moonlight, where a massive lance of fire had killed two Journeyman Warrior Monks and burned an Adept to near death as well. Then he sat, breathing in the horrifying odor, and meditated on death. The cold air helped, he thought. If it was hot, he might have vomited. Awkwardly, he extended his senses around him, letting tendrils of his silver mana flow out into the world, formless. His sense of place receded with each putrid breath, the silence of the desert helping him forget where he was, his mind focused on his mana as it touched the world around himself. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Nothing was happening. The frustration threatened to intrude on his bubble of calm, to pull him back to himself, but he ignored it. Then cold logic tried to do the same. That was harder to push away, his instinctive desire to attack his problems with the cudgel of his mind. It wouldn¡¯t help. Maiz drifted, though he kept part of himself focused on his tendrils of mana. He went back to his earlier thoughts, wondering at how much he had changed. Yes, the trial and the training grounds had pushed him in ways he had never expected, but the Temple had truly shaped him. He remembered seeing the Path for the first time, a stone door filling his vision. He could just as easily recall pushing through to Apprentice after finally completing his feat. And he could remember his first kill. A skull split open by his attack, viscera pooling on a stone floor. Something caught. A cold breath on the back of his neck, almost indistinguishable from the desert night¡¯s breeze, and shiver which flowed through his mana. Suddenly, Maiz could feel more than the cold of the night and vague disgust at the carnage surrounding him. He could sense something, all around him. He strained and it came into sharper focus. Emptiness. Almost cold, but not quite. Not bright, but not dark either. Hopeless, blind to the future. Fear filled him, so hard and fast that it took his breath away, then rushed out, leaving him empty inside. A void ran through him now, swirling at the base of his skull, extending thin feelers out into the world, and teeth chattering, Maiz wrapped those tendrils around himself. Run. Maiz hunched over instinctively as the first whisper sounded in his ear. He let the void of his mana bleed away, but he kept the spell wrapped around his body in sharp focus, even as a purple symbol flashed at the corner of his vision. Stay. The voices were indistinct, but even as Maiz stood, they grew in number. Die. Monster. Help! Give me. Feed me. At the last words, the whispers quieted for an instant, then came back. A dozen quietvoices, all crowding in his ears. Feed us. He turned, his hand drifting upwards as he prepared to walk, his chattering teeth drowning out some of the voices even as they grew louder. His mind felt¡­ empty, as though even as the void retreated, it left some hint of itself behind. His hand brushed against something slick, icy cold, and moving. In the moment of contact, he felt a tug at the void surrounding him, the mana still connected to his pool by his mind. Immediately, he shrank away, pulling back at his mana, but his shoulder brushed against something else. Then icy cold touched his cheek, and he felt the void creeping back into him, even as the spell surrounding him was torn away in little chunks. He ran. He passed by two more chills, brushing against the first and feeling more of his mana ripped away by the touch. The second hit him as he passed the fallen corpse at the edge of the battlefield. He ran straight into the invisible flesh, felt himself rebound off of it as his mana bled. Bled so much that the spell finally dropped away. The whispers ceased even as he stumbled past the last corpse, and after a few more steps he went to his knees, panting. What in the-- The abyss. Right. Nomenadon¡¯s church talked little about the other planes, the nine hells and the fate of other souls--after all, the god of Names was master of it all, and few would ever so much as touch another plane. But Necromancers raised their dead from somewhere--shades and wraiths rose naturally in some places, as Maiz had already seen. And apparently they could be created. What had those things wanted, to be fed? Maiz shivered as he remembered the feel of his mana being ripped away from him, piece by piece. He had been able to resist the pull at first, but he knew with certainty that he had lost something to whatever had been whispering in his ear. Which meant the creatures had gained something in return. Maiz felt a stirring in the cold air, and a weak tug at his mana pool. He stood up and started running. He didn¡¯t stop until he was at the entrance to the dungeon again, chest heaving, but even as he considered the minor terror of discovering the existence of spirits that apparently grew stronger by feeding on his magic, the corners of his lips turned upwards. He¡¯d done it. He dropped into the dungeon, the firelight comforting after his fright in the darkness above. Then, unable to resist, he began weaving his mana, creating a fine web of Controller and Heartshaper magic, then--finally--pulling his new power through it all. He shivered as the void ran through him again, but no new ghosts tried to attack him in the dungeon. Tied to their place of death, as legends suggested. Of course, the legends also suggested that they shouldn¡¯t survive the light of day, so perhaps he¡¯d been a little foolish to try this so close to the battlefield. Everything snapped into place perfectly, and Maiz could feel the magic running like warm water, enclosing him, keeping everything out as he stood. He looked down at his hands, and nearly jumped in shock. In the firelight, it almost seemed a trick of the eye, but as he moved his hand, he knew that it wasn¡¯t: his hand was blurred at the edges, as though his eyes couldn¡¯t quite focus on it. The effect made it difficult to concentrate on his fingers, but as he stared at his skin, he was able to register an image. His hand was crawling with incredibly thin, ethereal lines of shadow. Maiz dropped his hand, the elation he should have felt dampened somewhat by the disturbing image. Shaking away the disquiet, he focused on his notification sheet. You have learned the Wraith spell Shadowcloak The ability The Mask has triggered You have created a new ability (spell) for the Nameless title! You are required to Name your creation You have completed the Journeyman feat for the Nameless title! The Mask skill has been updated His heart soared as his eyes scanned through the text, but before he could even think of dismissing the sheet, the word ¡®Name¡¯ filled his vision. What? He tried to will the text away, but it refused to retreat. Fine. A name. Maiz thought back to the sight of his hands, wreathed in shadow and blurred around the edges. But he couldn¡¯t think of anything poetic that evoked that image. And he could hear growls of the monsters in this dungeon growing louder. Godsdammit. There is already an ability named ¡®Godsdammit¡¯ available to the Nameless title Of course there is. Fine. What was the Wraith spell called? Shadowcloak? Then... Would you like to name your creation ¡®The Cowl?¡¯ Maiz smiled grimly as he stepped down into the darkness of the dungeon below, raising his staff and directing his mana through the Windblade pattern, preparing to attack. Yes. Chapter 65 Maiz stared down at the monster below him. The creature hissed, shrieked, and ran around in circles, apparently distressed by the light of the Color Tapestry spell he¡¯d placed on the ceiling. But it didn¡¯t attack him. A moment later, the creature dove directly into the sandstone like a fish into water, its dense golden fur blending into the rock so that it almost seemed a trick of the light. What the--oh, right. Maiz looked at his hand again. His new spell, The Cowl, was supposed to make him difficult to detect. Apparently, it was working. Maiz grinned to himself, and opened up his Name Sheet as he strolled through the room and into the circular tunnel sloping downwards into the earth below. His new spell was well and good, but there was something else he¡¯d gained that was just as exciting. The Mask (Nameless): Passive ability which allows the Nameless to ignore title restriction for all skills, talents and spells. However, the Nameless is unable to use divine guidance for any skill, talent, or spell. Whenever the Nameless learns a title-restricted skill, talent or spell, the Nameless may change his/her displayed title to the title associated with that skill, talent or spell. The Mask ability is negated if another sentient, non-divine creature comprehends the Nameless¡¯ identity. Note: Benefits/drawbacks of talent change as rank increases. Rank:3 Effect: Nameless may learn any skill or spell and change his/her title to that of a skill or spell he/she knows. Prevents the Nameless from using divine guidance on any skills/spells. The Nameless is impervious to direct mental invasion. The Nameless and all of his/her powers are impervious to all direct forms of scrying or divination. Maiz winced even as he walked. The ability was incredible¡ªperfect invisibility from anyone trying to scry him. The sort of effect he¡¯d expect from a legendary artifact guarded at the heart of a king¡¯s tomb. And for all that, it was more of a hindrance to him now than a help. What if someone attempted a divination in his presence? They would immediately realize something was wrong. Don¡¯t be stupid. No one had a reason to use scrying magic on him. He hadn¡¯t met anyone with those abilities yet, in any case. But he should really think of some way to disguise this particular power, and soon. Maybe¡ª --Maiz stopped. He dismissed his Name Sheet, and looked around. He was in the final room of the Dungeon, a large chamber shaped like a squashed ball, a teleportation rune emblazoned prominently on the far wall. Numbly, he looked down at his hand. No blurred edges, no streaks of black shadow. And his head hurt. Right. Spells. Mana. Idiot. A tremor shook the earth and he dove to the side. A giant mass of tan flesh burst out of the ground, coiling around itself as it rose. A giant worm. The fight was almost laughably easy, and Maiz spent most of it cursing himself for not paying attention to his Cowl¡¯s mana drain. This monster was at the upper end of the Novice ranks, so he was able to sidestep a lunging attack from the horrifying teeth-ringed mouth at its head, and slam it hard enough with his staff to send it into the ground with a strangled hiss. Two short, brutal blows later, the worm stopped twitching. Idiot. Maiz continued to berate himself as he rubbed his neck, trying to massage his mana pool. It wouldn¡¯t do anything, he knew¡ªthe headache would fade as his pool refilled, faster than an ordinary migraine, but before then it would jab away at his skull no matter what he tried to keep it at bay. He really had been acting stupid, keeping the spell active for so long. But then, he hadn¡¯t even taken the time to read its description and find out its cost, had he? He stopped, halfway between the worm¡¯s corpse and the inscription waiting on the opposite wall. Let¡¯s see. The Cowl (Nameless): Allows the user to dampen all perception from other living creatures. While effective on observers of all ranks, the intensity varies based on observers¡¯ Intelligence, environmental factors, and the user¡¯s actions. Rank: 6 Cost: 7 mana per second Effect: Dampens the perceptions of all observers based on their Intelligence. Degree of dampening improves based on rank of spell. Rate of improvement: indeterminate. What the hells? Maiz was almost getting annoyed, despite everything he¡¯d accomplished. Indeterminate? He¡¯d never seen anything like that on an ability before. Hells, even the Mask told him what it did!If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Of course, this was the first ability he¡¯d created himself. So no one had actually tested how it worked, besides him. Was the information he had now based on how he¡¯d walked through the Dungeon with it active? The spell¡¯s rank was also an anomaly, but one that he had an easier explanation for. When he¡¯d learned Printing, it had already been at rank 10 because of his proficiency in the skill. As he had invented The Cowl, it made sense that he had more than a complete novice¡¯s ability with it. Maiz started walking forward again, dismissing the information after one last, long look. Seven mana per second. That was a horrifying amount for a spell so low in the Novice ranks¡ªit would only get worse until he broke into the Apprentice levels with it. Well, if it works, I won¡¯t have to be using any combat spells at lea¡ª He stopped, staring once again at his hand. The hand that was pressed against the rock of the wall before him, directly over the teleportation rune. He lifted it slowly, as though he might break something if he moved faster, then rested it back down on the rune. Nothing. He pressed more firmly, and a sharp crack split the silence. Maiz jerked back, examining the stone frantically. Had the rune been marred somehow? Had he worsened the damage with his push? The ground began rumbling a moment later, and three more cracks sounded in quick succession. Fine, gritty dust fell down before him, and puffed outwards with his sharp breath. Maiz almost stumbled as the rock beneath him began shaking, and soon the air was filled with the sound of grinding rock.Hells. Calling Fast Feet and Nightwalker, boosting himself with an Air Blast against the wall, Maiz ran like Massahn¡¯s hordes were at his heels. He cleared the room¡¯s exit just as the rumbling grew louder, and the first clattering of stone sounded from behind him. Hells hells hells. Forward, into the next room. Perhaps a dozen small worms darted in and out of the stone, smaller versions of the boss at the end. One lunged at Maiz, but he batted it out of the air without pause. The next opening was beginning to sag, stone grinding with a horrible screech, louder with every second, but he was through it in a moment. He cursed the incline even as he bounded forward, pushing out another Air Blast as his mana replenished and shooting forward a few meters. He was through in instants, but the rock was beginning to crash down around him. Last room. The moles were nowhere to be seen, but Maiz wasn¡¯t looking very hard. He had eyes only for the rough-cut steps, still illuminated by his spell. Were those cracks in the stone? He felt a pebble strike him hard in the face, the impact made painful by his own speed. He continued. In a breath, he was on the steps. He bounded upwards as the rumbling grew worse, and scrambled as he felt the steps break away beneath him, rock crushing rock and destabilizing the ancient structure. He stretched his hands out, felt the sharp flash of pain as he smacked into stone, and pulled hard enough to send his entire form into the air once more. He landed with all the grace his attributes afforded, and still stumbled as he continued to run forward. Sand was pouring down all around him, and he stepped over huge clumps of the stuff as he shot across the tiny entrance room. There was a mound of sand directly below his hole to the surface. Godsdammit. The ceiling fell away in a great wave as he raised his staff, marshalling what mana he had, feeling the sharp pain as his pool was drained once more. It wasn¡¯t enough, but he willed it to be. His staff slammed against the ground in a burst of flame even as he jumped. His shoulders felt as though they were being pushed down by a great pillow, but he shot through the force holding him back, through the tide descending upon him. For a moment, everything was the sand. His mouth, his nose, his ears, all filled in an instant. He clawed his way up as the weight began pressing all around him, keeping him from falling and squeezing the air out of his lungs. He pushed, and as the sand continued to flow downwards, he finally popped out, landing on top of the sand as it continued to fall, spitting and coughing and scrambling to get further away. The ground was still shaking, and the sands were dancing all around Maiz. He didn¡¯t care. He went to his knees as soon as he was away from the sinkhole of the Dungeon, and to his hands a moment after that. He retched as the earth rumbled his hands sinking into the sand, his vision watery and blurred, his limbs weak. When he was finished, the worst of the tremors had faded. The sand had settled. And his stomach was a pit of dread, an empty void despite Enlightenment keeping his hunger away. He looked up. His gaze swept across the sands, where still some dunes were flowing down, resettling after the disturbance. He had no way of telling which way he was facing, but he knew when his eyes stopped moving that he was staring directly towards the Temple. He was too far away to see anything but vague outlines, but even so, it was easy to spot. Great fingers of stone reached into the night sky, blotting out the stars. A forest of pillars, all massive enough in the distance to dwarf the tallest dune in his sight. Beyond it, something else, vast shadowed and hidden, but faintly discernible. A mountain? A wall. Something had changed. And Maiz was stuck, once more, in the Waste. Chapter 66 Hugan always took a while to wake. Not that he was prone to sleeping in--his ba trained that out of him before he was old enough to pump a bellows--but before he woke, he almost always lay in his bed, his mind drifting slowly in and out of alertness, landing on topics at random. Thenaria¡¯s folly. It was what he¡¯d been reading before he went to bed, from a book Lila had lent him from her mother¡¯s personal stores. Hugan liked stories the best, but most of the books in the Temple were drier than the tales he was used to. Histories. Just seemed like tavern yarns with all the fun bits sucked out and replaced with nonsense. But he¡¯d been reading a lot of them lately. Reading. The thought made a dull glow of pride shine through the fog of his drowsiness. Finally. He¡¯d asked to learn since he¡¯d heard about Juris the Illuminator, the mage who¡¯d read a thousand books and penned hundreds with his own hand. Reading was the key to wonders he couldn¡¯t even imagine. And, apparently, history. Not so wonderful, but still useful. Thenaria had been a general. A Master Stinger, whatever that was, who¡¯d campaigned far to the west, past even where the Ulterion Empire now stood. They were fond of big campaigns in those parts, apparently. Thenaria had hacked her way across ¡®Gainos,¡¯ a land Hugan had never heard of, winning every one of her battles with a combination of better trained armies and superior tactics, building an empire in her wake. She was unstoppable. Until she¡¯d gone up against an outpost of the neighboring empire. A single keep, well staffed and positioned, but ultimately insignificant compared to the forces that Thenaria had at her command. Thenaria campaigned at the head of her army, leaving generals and political allies to rule over her conquered territory, so she¡¯d overseen the siege personally. When the empire objected, sending reinforcements and diplomats to dissuade the general, she outmaneuvered them all with her usual ability, playing with her soldiers¡¯ lives like cards at an inn table. Her mages made rockslides to intercept enemy detachments at appropriate areas, her warriors kept the reinforcements from grouping, decimating them before they so much as saw their outpost. The book outlined it all, in exhaustive detail where it could. Hugan had to admit that the woman sounded brilliant. He couldn¡¯t understand the purpose behind many of the maneuvers, but he was getting better as time went on, and he could begin to see why the book called Thenaria¡¯s Folly the most masterful siege in history. Thenaria turned a single insignificant keep at the border of an empire into the linchpin for her enemy¡¯s defenses. She drew the campaign out for years, forcing her opponent to sink their resources more and more into what should have been a minor loss for their nation. When she finally took the outpost, the empire fell with it. The story, according to the book, was that the next day a pair of rebel armies came marching for Thenaria from either side of the empire¡¯s border. The small folk of the enemy empire, disgruntled and distraught at their nation¡¯s fall from grace, mobbed together and organized. The generals and politicians Thenaria had left behind in her own country, had fallen to petty squabbling and infighting in her long absence, and the general who had won the bloody civil war promptly took his army to defeat his last rival. The keep Thenaria had spent years besieging became her only refuge. Its defenses had been destroyed by her own armies, and what forces she had left were weak, scattered, and helpless when their supply chain was cut away from behind them. Genius that she was, she still nearly escaped, but in the end she was trapped and executed, her head paraded by the triumphant rebels of her own fallen empire, while the other army took her spear for their own. Hugan¡¯s mind played out the entire story for him, skating over the parts he didn¡¯t remember or understand, but a clear set of images held him. Thenaria, her face dark and cut in clean lines, hair hidden behind a helmet, a long thin spear at her side, standing triumphant before a fallen tower. A horde of angry men and women, faces indistinct, waving weapons and brands as they charged toward the lone general. And a city outlined in fire, dots of men and women and children in dirty rags fleeing as combatants clashed in bursts of power behind them. The city was Caelos, as he¡¯d seen it hauling horseshoes and nails out into stables on its outskirts. ¡°Hugan!¡± The voice cut through the image, shattering it so suddenly that he sat up straight in bed, heart instantly hammering. ¡°Lila? Wha--¡± ¡°--how in the hells did you sleep through--never mind, just get up, fast. We have to go.¡± Hugan sighed. Lila always seemed to be in a rush. You would think, seeing as how they were all staying in just one place now, there wouldn¡¯t need to be so much hurry. But he still stood up. Lila was standing at the door, dressed in her white tunic, with Ziya beside her in the same guard. Lila¡¯s face made Hugan jumpy just looking at it, and even Ziya had a frown crinkling her brow. ¡°Oh hells.¡± Ziya? Frowning? Hugan¡¯s heart, just beginning to calm from his fright, pounded in his chest again. He picked up his long white tunic, pulling it on as he spoke. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Come. We will explain.¡± Still belting his tunic at his waist, he obeyed. Lila set a blistering pace down the halls, which only served to irritate Hugan further. Ziya couldn¡¯t move that fast. He stayed by her side, letting Lila realize her mistake and double back. And he listened to Ziya. ¡°There was a great deal of rumbling during the night, like an earthquake, though we didn¡¯t get any shaking in here. There is a huge wall around us now, apparently.¡± Hugan nodded attentively, imagining the structure Ziya was talking about. Everything about this place was grand, so he imagined something truly massive. Maiz would be excited to see it, he had no doubt. ¡°So what¡¯s the problem? And where¡¯s Maiz? Should I go back and get him?¡± Lila growled, low in her throat, and stepped forward a few paces before slowing back down. Ziya looked at him, and Hugan could see worry in her dark eyes. Hells. ¡°The Path is closed. And Maiz isn¡¯t in his room.¡± Hugan¡¯s fists clenched, and suddenly he sympathized a great deal more with Lila. ¡°So, what, he was in the Path? Let¡¯s go to the door then, I can break it down for us.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Doesn¡¯t work.¡± Lila sounded frustrated, tired. Suddenly Hugan wondered how long she¡¯d spent looking for Maiz before waking him up. ¡°And I¡¯m more worried about whether he was in a dungeon when the godsdamned wall came up. Stupid blind old--¡± She stopped herself abruptly, the growl returning. They rounded a corner, then another, then ascended a set of stairs--the first Hugan had ever seen in the Temple. No, he¡¯d seen some when they¡¯d gone to see the Jin that one time, hadn¡¯t he? Hugan thought as they continued to walk. What could he do? He could stock up on water and food he supposed, and go into the desert to find Maiz, but he had no idea which Dungeon his friend was in. ¡°Do we have a way to find him, like¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want to say, ¡®like Falin Eagle-Eye,¡¯ but there it was. Someone with a title that could locate people at a distance. ¡°I can go and get him.¡± ¡°Just wait. We¡¯re almost¡­¡± They rounded another corner, and entered a simple, open space. It seemed like a larger version of the Jin¡¯s rooms in the Path, fitted with a few mats to rest on, incense burners and a small shrine to Nomenadon at the back. Hugan, looked around, feeling the knot of frustration and fear in his stomach grow and twist. ¡°What are we doing here? We have to find Maiz! Get your mother to--¡± ¡°--I¡¯m trying.¡± Doubt and anger playing across Lila¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s not so easy as that, for this.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± His voice sounded louder than he¡¯d meant. He took a deep breath. Don¡¯t be stupid. ¡°Just remind her that he saved our lives. She can do that running thing she did when she saved us.¡± Ziya put a soft hand on Hugan¡¯s arm. ¡°It isn¡¯t so simple.¡± Lila snarled. ¡°Godsdamned right it isn¡¯t. Not her fault either, though that isn¡¯t saying much. She must have known that this would happen soon. Why didn¡¯t she just warn everyone the old lunatic was going to--¡± ¡°--I didn¡¯t know, girl. And watch your tongue.¡± Hugan blinked. Lila¡¯s mother, the Jin¡¯Teslin, was standing in the center of the room, a slight breeze the only indication that she hadn¡¯t been there a moment ago. Before his brain could fully adjust to the Master¡¯s appearance however, his mouth opened. ¡°Ma¡¯am, will you please help our friend Maiz? He was stuck in the Path when the wall went up.¡± The middle-aged Warrior Monk looked at him with cold eyes, a match for Lila¡¯s but with an added measure of steel to the fire and intensity. ¡°I cannot.¡± ¡°Mother, I--¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Huh. I should really ask Ziya if she can check out what¡¯s wrong with my head. But more words were flowing out, and to his horror, he took a step forward towards the Jin¡¯Teslin as he said them. ¡°He¡¯s done more for this place than half your godsdamned Monks, and I remember the bruises he had from your ¡®thanks.¡¯ You trapped him without warning anyone, so you get him out of it!¡± His mouth snapped shut at that, and he was almost tempted to put a hand over it for good measure. But he didn¡¯t stop looking at the Master before him. Glaring, possibly. She returned his gaze with cold impassivity. ¡°I did nothing. I can do nothing.¡± ¡°What the hells does that even mean?¡± A hand on his shoulder. Ziya had reclaimed her usual stoniness, putting even the Jin¡¯Teslin to shame. ¡°The Grandmaster.¡± Lila¡¯s growl split the air again. ¡°Mother, you need to talk to that idiot before goes napping for another hundred years. Can you get him to bring it down, or at least find Maiz for us?¡± Now the Jin¡¯Teslin showed an emotion. A mother¡¯s worried anger, almost incongruous with her raw physical presence but not quite. ¡°Lila. Your brashness will get you kill--¡± Hugan looked around. He¡¯d been standing a moment ago, hadn¡¯t he? Hadn¡¯t Lila? He tried to shift, then to lift an arm, and failed both times. He was locked in place his muscles straining to hold his new unnatural position. He knelt on the stone floor, his jaw clenched hard enough to hurt, his arms pressed tight to his sides. A long sigh broke the sudden silence, a sound containing such deep weariness that Hugan felt a bit drowsy hearing it. Though it was difficult from his rigid position, he craned his neck and lifted his head towards the sound. For the second time, a person had appeared in the room, wearing the white tunic of the Temple and exuding an aura of pure authority and power. But in the white haired man before Hugan, that power was balanced by an impression of deep age. The man stood stooped, hunched so that he was barely taller than Hugan kneeling. His skin sagged, pale and almost translucent despite vague hints of once having been closer to Lila¡¯s light brown. He looked like nothing so much as a grandfather--a great-grandfather with one foot in the afterlife. ¡°One of... many, many flaws.¡± The words came to the elderly figure after seconds of what seemed like deep meditation. Or drowsiness. ¡°This¡­ is to be my successor? She has much to learn.¡± Was he talking to Lila, or her mother? Frozen as he was, Hugan couldn¡¯t tell for certain. ¡°She lacks¡­ understanding. I see her talent, but not the will she needs. Nor the insight. Hum. She is not a Journeyman yet.¡± Lila, then. Even Hugan could guess that this man had to be the Jin¡¯A¡­ the Grandmaster. Hugan would have started shaken at the thought of seeing such a being, if he could have moved. Poor Lila. ¡°She needs experience. Hum¡­ let her lead. Her peers, her elders, I do not care. It should not take much¡­ if the fools have muddled through the Dead Forest.¡± The man let out a yawn, stretching with an easy grace that seemed out of place with his frail appearance. ¡°I will sleep. Wake me if... they get to the wall, yes?¡± Wait. Hugan struggled with all of his might. Strained, pushed, pleaded with his own body. It was infuriating--not only did his muscles fail to respond, they continued to do the exact opposite of what he wanted. Just my jaw, please. The stretch ended, and still Hugan¡¯s jaw didn¡¯t budge. Fine. Heaving in the best breath he could manage, he screamed through closed lips, closing his eyes and wondering if they would ever open. The sound went on for only a second before another sigh interrupted it. ¡°Stop that, child.¡± Suddenly, Hugan¡¯s mouth sprang open, hard enough to produce a painful pop in his jaw. ¡°Ow!¡± The old man--the Grandmaster--looked at him wearily. ¡°Two¡­ breaths.¡± Hugan didn¡¯t want to find out what would happen in two breaths. ¡°Uh, our friend was in the Path when it closed sir--uh, Grandmaster. Please, can you--¡± For an instant so brief that Hugan thought he might have imagined it, doubt crossed the ancient face. It was gone even before Hugan¡¯s mouth snapped back shut with a clack. ¡°There was¡­ no one.¡± The words rang with such finality that Hugan stopped struggling against his own body. For a moment. But he was still locked in place as the man turned to the Jin¡¯Teslin beside him. Lila¡¯s mother¡¯s face was locked, rigid, but her eyes betrayed more of that feral fear. ¡°This one has¡­ potential as well. Let him help my successor grow.¡± With that, the man vanished, and Hugan, Lila, and Ziya all collapsed to the ground. A fourth thump told the part of Hugan¡¯s mind that wasn¡¯t screaming at his sheer idiocy that the Jin¡¯Teslin had joined them, lying on the floor. Hells. Chapter 67 It was a little strange, Maiz reflected, that the desert had changed so much yet remained exactly the same. If he focused and squinted a bit, he could see where the sands had morphed with the shaking earth the night before, but the farther he trudged through the endless sands, the more the landscape looked like the Waste always did: silent, serene, endless. The huge assortment of stone pillars dominating his field of vision spoiled that impresion somewhat. He was closing quickly with the structures, backed in the distance by a black stone wall, though he¡¯d already mistaken the distance twice during his uninterrupted trek through the previous night and this day. The trick was to look at the dunes at the base of the pillars, not the pillars themselves. Useful only when he could actually see said dunes across the Waste, which wasn¡¯t very often. Still, there was another landmark that came into sight midway through the day, making it much easier to place himself in relation to the¡­ collection of giant pillars. Got to think of a better name for that. He sighed, digging his staff once more into the sand, taking another plodding step forward. The sun was past its zenith, so he was forced to shade his eyes occasionally when the pillars didn¡¯t do it for him. He was just out of one of the gargantuan shadows, so he lifted a hand to his brow as he looked to the southwest. Smoke rose into the air, individual plumes melding into a haze that shimmered in the desert sun. He hadn¡¯t realized how close the army was to the Temple. Then again, he had no idea if the pillars were near the Temple at all--for all he knew, there could be miles between what he could see and his friends. He sincerely hoped that wasn¡¯t the case. For all that Enlightenment kept hunger, thirst, and exhaustion at bay, there was nothing enjoyable about this trek. Each step melded into the next. He had almost nothing to think about, except making sure that he kept out of sight of the camp as best he could. Except¡­ Maiz glanced up, and immediately hunched down, engaging The Cowl. He burrowed up against a divot in the sand, sighing as even more of the damn stuff invaded his clothes. He never took his eyes from the sight above him. A golden-scaled monster glided through the desert sky, its belly in shadow, but faint hints of glimmering gold showing as it tilted away from Maiz¡¯s position. It vanished from view, but Maiz knew that it would be picking up speed as it approached the plume of smoke to the southwest, gathering pure light between its jaws. Faintly, he heard the sound of a great roar intrude on the desert silence, and he began clambering up once more. The dragon was already completing a huge arc in the air, and a thousand ribbons of flame were chasing after it. They licked at the creature even as it winged away, so close that they almost seemed to be emerging from the dragon¡¯s back. They constricted inwards a moment later, forming an incandescent cocoon around the golden monster, but in a flash of light so bright that Maiz had to look away, the dragon banished the flames. And then it was gone. Hm. Being a dragon seems¡­ fun. And useful. There had been a Shapeshifter title in the library, hadn¡¯t there? That probably wouldn¡¯t work for monsters, but with his abilities¡­ could he figure something out? The thought amused him as he continued his trek, though he knew it was ridiculous. No title interacted directly with monster abilities--human titles and monster abilities were powers of two different gods, and the closest one could get to merging the two was being a priest of Massahn. Not a healthy choice of profession, nor one Maiz was remotely qualified to attempt. But his imagination was captured momentarily by the idea of soaring through the skies, casting spells like a second sun. A nice dream. Perhaps he should figure out flight, like Hakim had been capable of? He kept walking, his mind drifting like he was midway through a dream. He passed over a hundred familiar stories, and a few that he¡¯d learned more recently from reading with Hugan. There was one about an eastern general that he¡¯d found quite interesting. The tactics described had been absolutely brilliant, but he had a feeling he already knew why the volume was entitled ¡®Thenaria¡¯s Folly.¡¯ Even Maiz could see that letting half of your army fester under other generals¡¯ commands for years was a terrible idea. It would serve her right if her entire empire collapsed beneath her, despite all of her tactical acumen. It took more than war to run a nation properly, and misplacing her trust was as much a blunder as any battlefield mishap. Speaking of tactics, what about these damned pillars? As he walked, the question bit at him. Why have the pillars set up before the wall like that? Some kind of warning? No reason to warn invaders. No, but the pillars did create a different sort of terrain before the wall. They would break up a massed army, provide shadows and shelters for smaller forces. Perfect for the maneuverable Warrior Monks, but not nearly as good for a slow invading force. Clever. Finally, he was only steps away from the first of the pillar. He spent a solid minute just staring up at the structure, and nearly stumbled as inexplicable vertigo overcame him. He¡¯d felt his insignificance before, watching Masters clash in displays of pure power that he couldn¡¯t hope to match in his wildest dreams. He¡¯d walked in a place suffused with magic enough to make each of those experts seem weak in comparison. There was only one sight that had compared to the sheer vastness right before him. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. When Maiz stared into the eyes of a god, he¡¯d seen more than eternity--he¡¯d seen pure chaos. Endless, changing, yet constant power, so great that his mind couldn¡¯t properly grab hold of it. This was almost the opposite of that--purely physical, uncaring of the world around it, unmovable. For all that it was just a giant rock, Maiz couldn¡¯t help but swallow at the sight of it before him, shiver, and shrink down slightly in unconscious fear. Then he stepped forward. He felt like an ant approaching a forest, so small that he couldn¡¯t understand the scale of his surroundings. From so close, he could see that each of the pillars was spaced hundreds of meters apart, though they¡¯d looked clustered together in the distance. Each one would require two dozen men linking arms to encircle it completely, and they were all made of perfectly smooth black stone, completely unmarred and untouched by the sand. That smoothness told him that he¡¯d been right--these were tactical structures rather than the vehicles for an enchantment, but he confirmed it with his Mana Sense. Nothing. He passed the first pillar, looking beyond it towards the wall. There weren¡¯t that many obelisks in sight, perhaps a dozen, but considering their size and spacing, that meant it would still be quite a walk to reach the wall. He passed the first pillar, eyes still wandering across the marvel before him. Then he fell. It was immediate, brutal. Raging thirst dried his throat in an instant, his stomach twisted in sudden hunger, and blackness closed as bone-deep fatigue overcame him. He convulsed on the sands, his surprise and fear the only things keeping him conscious. What the hells? Almost instinctively, Maiz felt at his mana. It was still there, as was the less obvious, physical power of his stamina humming through his body. But it felt like his Enlightenment had just deactivated. Had he somehow eaten or drunk something without noticing? Whatever had happened, it was a disaster. He would be in much worse shape once he reinstated the skill, though hopefully without the active progression of his thirst, hunger, and exhaustion, he would still be able to make it to the wall. The longer he spent without it active, the worse off he would be, so immediately he marshalled his stamina and used Enlightenment. Nothing changed. It didn¡¯t even feel like he was straining himself. It was as if, despite his being able to feel his stamina, even manipulate it, his power had suddenly become imaginary. No. He tried to swallow, but he couldn¡¯t. His stomach let out a noise like a dying cat, but he could hardly hear it over the rushing in his ears and the pounding pain in his head. Desperately, he reached at and threw his mana out in a cloud around him, trying to-- --his mana hadn¡¯t left his body. So it¡¯s¡­ an enchantment? The blackness threatened to close once again, but he pushed it back. Mana Sense. Nothing. Godsdammit. The very fact that his Enlightenment had dropped was terrible, but if he couldn¡¯t get it back up? Now that he¡¯d gotten over the initial shock, his Constitution let him keep the exhaustion mostly at bay. The hunger was barely a problem. But he¡¯d been walking under the desert sun all night and all day, unconcerned about the heat. His thirst was deadly. It took more effort than it should have, but soon he was on his hands and knees. He raised his head to look through the forest of pillars, the distance stretching before him, seeming to get longer as he watched. Got to push forward. It wouldn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t engage Enlightenment for the amount of time it would take to get to the wall. He had to hope that someone was watching, and that they could help him. Otherwise¡­ Maiz crawled forward. One step. Two. Three, and his arms gave out. He slammed into the sands, motionless. Weakness seemed to pulse through his body, and his own weight held him almost immobile. It wasn¡¯t just the lack of his Enlightenment. With every step, the effect was worsening. How much of the strain on his body was due to his fatigue and thirst, and how much was this strange enchantment? Move. He strained as he¡¯d remembered doing once before, in a long tunnel before he¡¯d even had his title. Strange. He wondered if he was in a better position now or then. Focus. More than a burst, it was a slow struggle to push himself back. Each nudge backward made the next slightly easier, a change so small he wouldn¡¯t have noticed if he wasn¡¯t straining with his entire body. But eventually he was able to roll himself awkwardly backwards, closing his eyes and his mouth against the sand as he did so. He kept going blindly until the pressure lifted completely, and he was level with the first pillar once again. Mana Sense. He cast the spell even as he struggled wearily to his feet, engaging Enlightenment a moment later. He could see¡­ nothing. A pale white glow suffused the area populated by the pillars, with no variation to indicate the enchantment laced through the air. He shivered. That was almost more impressive than the spell itself, that even after activating, it was completely undetectable to him, but he still cursed his brashness. Too sure of his own assumptions, when the person who¡¯d made this place was the avatar of the original trickster. So am I. Better start acting like it. Weakly, Maiz rubbed his throat. He was on his feet for now, but even with Enlightenment active again, he needed water badly. He had no hope of reaching the Temple until he got it. Which meant more walking. He almost sighed, but decided against drying his throat even further. Leaning on the staff he¡¯d barely managed to keep, he started walking away from the great forest of stone behind him, an ant limping from the forest, defeated. Perhaps his next goal would be more attainable. He prayed that would be the case, as he stared at the haze of smoke rising in the distance. Chapter 68 If he¡¯d seen this yesterday, Hugan knew his jaw would be dragging on the ground beneath them as they walked. While he¡¯d been outside the Temple before, it was set up with overhangs and crenellations, so it was difficult to see just how large it was. He assumed something must still be hidden, because while the squat, rectangular block of stone behind them was large, it wasn¡¯t nearly massive enough to contain the Path. But that captured Hugan¡¯s attention for all of a second. It wasn¡¯t as though a bit of hidden stone was nearly as impossible as the Path itself--something so outlandish that even the strangest tales didn¡¯t compare--and besides, there was something far more impressive before him now. The wall around the Temple was itself a wonder--pure, black stone, high enough to dwarf the Temple behind them, higher than any building in Caelos. Hugan imagined the great walls of Corunti, which surrounded the capital and protected the inhabitants from monster raids, looked something like this barrier. But that wasn¡¯t the impressive part. While the wall ringed the Temple in a wide circle, it still left only a few dozen meters of bare sand between itself and the Temple. But beyond it, more than twice the size of the first wall, was a second. It had dominated Hugan¡¯s field of vision as they exited, but even as they walked towards the edge of the first wall, he could still see it soaring above. The pure height was difficult enough to grasp, but this wall seemed to enclose a far greater area than the first--its length boggled his mind. It was almost enough to make him forget that his friend was stranded in the desert, alone. ¡°The first wall seems to respond to our stamina.¡± Their Adept commander spoke softly, respectfully, to Lila. They slowed as they approached the black stone, then stopped. Absently, Hugan reached out and touched it, then instinctively jerked his hand back. Black stone in the desert would be hot enough to burn. But¡­ ¡°It is completely cool, young man.¡± The gray-haired Adept smiled and let out a light chuckle as he lifted a hand of his own. Hugan felt his fists ball up. Laughing? He had to have heard about Maiz by now. Lila had gone to every single powerful person in the Temple she could think of, while Hugan spent hours trying to break down the door to the Path. Ziya had healed his wounds, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about the smoldering frustration building up inside him. ¡°Calm.¡± Ziya¡¯s whisper and the hand on his arm only made him angrier, but his friend¡¯s piercing gaze brought him back to his senses. He¡¯d suggested--perhaps ¡®demanded¡¯ was a better word--that they leave immediately, find a way through the wall and whatever other defenses the Temple erected, and find Maiz themselves. He could see in Lila¡¯s face that she¡¯d agreed with him, but Ziya had told them both to remain level-headed. They needed to know the new rules, how the defenses worked, before they could break them properly she¡¯d said. Right. A sharp thunk broke him out of his reverie. The commander¡¯s palm lay flat against the black stone of the wall, his posture indicating he¡¯d just struck it. Not hard, Hugan assumed. He knew all about attacking impregnable stone, now. It hurt. Lila, standing directly beside the commander, opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the stone of the wall retracted with a grinding sound, a line opening up smoothly beneath the commander¡¯s palm and widening into a rectangular opening. The smooth action of the stone shifting sent a shiver down Hugan¡¯s neck. It seemed wrong, somehow. ¡°If you use a skill on it, this will happen. The opening closes once the user has passed through it. We think it will also deactivate if the user dies, but that is pure speculation.¡± Lila grunted, her face drawing back into the scowl she¡¯d held since waking Hugan last night. ¡°Seems insecure.¡± The commander let out another infuriating laugh. ¡°The Jin¡¯Sa herself examined it at dawn. She said that it seemed almost blessed by our Lord in its strength. Impregnable, to any but us.¡± ¡°What about the second one?¡± Hugan knew it was rude to omit the sir from any elder, not least an Adept as strong as this man. He didn¡¯t much care. The man looked at Hugan with a professional eye. For a moment, he seemed to be sizing Hugan up like his ba did a shipment of iron, but the look faded into cool indifference. ¡°Still incredibly strong, and of truly marvelous size, but without the function or the strength of this wall. One presumes that the great champion did not have the resources at hand to enchant something so large. Indeed, this wall is the single greatest feat of magical construction I have heard of--excluding the Path, of course.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. In other words, they couldn¡¯t pass through the outer wall like they could this one, but it wouldn¡¯t be as strong either. There has to be a way through. Probably not a gate, but something. ¡°Come now, go through first.¡± Lila muttered something under her breath as they passed through the slit in the black stone, the commander bringing up the rear. The wall was thick enough that they spent a moment in complete shadow, but as he exited, Hugan blinked. Far from a wasteland of golden-red sand like the rest of the desert, this area looked like a field at the eastern edge of Caelos--a tapestry of green and yellow set against the dark backdrop of soil beneath. Men and women in white tunics worked with scythes and baskets at exaggerated speed throughout the fields, tending crops and gathering what they could. Rice, it looked like, with some other grains and root vegetables in sight. All things they¡¯d been eating for the past month. Hugan probably should have wondered about that earlier. ¡°So that¡¯s why they¡¯re so godsdamned far from the Temple!¡± Lila sounded like a great mystery had finally been solved for her, though discontent still colored her tone. ¡°Hold on. Why couldn¡¯t he have just made them closer to the Temple?¡± The commander was already moving along the inner wall, but he looked back at them. ¡°There are now fortresses around each of the watering holes. More than enough space to house or forces for the time being. As for why the great champion made the watering holes so far from the Temple, I could not say, though certainly the smaller wall would not contain our fields. Perhaps he felt it better that they be located far enough away to provide space for crops, even if that meant less protection in case of invasion?¡± Lila grunted. ¡°More like he just forgot. Or he wanted to make us work harder for a laugh.¡± The commander didn¡¯t reply, though he did half-turn as he walked, and Hugan could see his jaw tensing. Good. ¡°And now we can¡¯t get more water, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why they¡¯re harvesting the crops. Because he closed the godsdamned Path, we don¡¯t have the water to irrigate them.¡± ¡°The shadow of the walls would have killed the crops regardless.¡± Lila¡¯s scoff ended all conversation for a few moments. Hugan spent them sizing up the wall. It was large enough to make seeing the top a little difficult, but he thought it seemed like there was some kind of ledge at the top. He couldn¡¯t see any sign of an opening, however. Why not ask? ¡°How does the outer wall work?¡± He tried his best not to sound too eager, but he¡¯d never been good at this sort of thing. Maiz wouldn¡¯t have had a problem getting whatever he needed out of the commander, and leaving the man thinking that he¡¯d given away nothing. ¡°It is a marvel. There is weaponry built into the workings, though we are not properly equipped to use the more advanced machines. Our scouts have access to the top via each of the towers, and you will be expected to manage reports from your own scouts, among other duties.¡± Though Hugan had asked the question, the commander directed his words at Lila, who scowled in reply. ¡°So what, she actually took that crazy old--¡± ¡°--Lila.¡± The word was flat. The commander didn¡¯t turn, just kept walking. They passed more fields left untended as of yet. Hugan had no doubt the monks would get to them eventually. ¡°The young are important. The survival of the Temple is our first priority. The survival of our people is the second. But we value the growth of the next generation--¡± ¡°--if you¡¯re going to tell me you would have given me a tower and a contingent, I--¡± ¡°--what about aerial attack?¡± Ziya spoke softly as always, but Lila still stopped immediately. Hugan¡¯s brain took a moment to process her words, but the commander was already answering, quicker to change topics. ¡°One of the first things the Jin tested. A thrown rock slid away through the air as if there were a dome above us, covering the outer wall from edge to edge. It doesn¡¯t appear to pose a problem for us at the top of the wall, however. ¡± Ziya nodded, and didn¡¯t say more. Finally, a circular bump in the wall came into view. Anywhere else, it might have been an impressive sight, but the wall it was built into made it seem only a slightly interesting decoration rather than the tower it was. The commander stopped, finally turning, the tower rising up behind him like a giant shadow. Menacing. He looked at Lila for a moment, but then his eyes locked straight on Hugan¡¯s. He felt power, but also the weight of simple experience. It felt something like looking at his mother when she was especially serious. ¡°We are at war. The Jin¡¯Aba¡¯s request or not, both of you will have a taste of command. It is not a privilege. It is a responsibility to those you lead. Do not fail them.¡± Hugan opened his mouth even as an angry puff of air sounded from Lila, but a smile stopped him. ¡°Yes, I have a responsibility as well. I will try.¡± He looked at Lila. ¡°I cannot promise that I will succeed, nor that I will be fast enough, but I will try.¡± Hugan nodded, though the man was still looking at Lila. Fine. But whatever the man said about the responsibility of command, Hugan knew one thing--he had a responsibility to Maiz. He wouldn¡¯t begrudge the commander his effort, but he echoed the man¡¯s promise, strengthened it. We¡¯ll come for you. However we can. HUGE News/Updates!!! Hey guys! This ended up being really long, so I put a TLDR at the bottom. First of all, I wanted to let you all know that my name is Rohan Hublikar. Its nice to greet you with my real name! There''s probably some sort of metaphysical significance attached to this, and honestly I''m kind of in a metaphysical mood at the moment (does that even make sense?) In any case, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone reading this. Writing Nameless for the past year has been a real journey. I''ve always loved reading and making stories, but like a lot of people I was too scared to put pen to paper. Just like people dive into the deep end of the pool to get over their fear of water, I decided to do the equivalent by putting my first draft out on the internet, free for all the world to see and deride. Imagine my surprise when, instead of dissaproval and dissmissal, I found encouragment and support. You all kindled a love for writing in me that will stay with me forever. Now then, onto news and updates. So quite a while ago now, Mr. Dakota Krout (author of the Divine Dungeon series and the Completionist Chronicles, CEO of Mountaindale Press) held a contest for short story submissions to his Divine Dungeon world for an anthology. I mentioned that I participated, and I was fortunate enough to be selected as a winner! Talking to Mr. Krout was/is really, really, cool, and it was incredible to get my story selected--I was surprised to find that he''s read Nameless! But that was only part of the awesomeness. The prize for the contest was to have my story be published in a Divine Dungeon anthology, but Mr Krout offered something else as well: the opportunity to write a full trilogy in his world! I was and am so excited by the opportunity, as it gave me a chance to expand on characters I really, really liked and grow as a writer in a new direction. I got to learn a whole bunch from Mr. Krout, and use what I learned immediately-- during my long absence, I outlined and wrote the first book in my trilogy, which is currently in editing. It''s a story I''m proud of, and so excited to share with you all! Now I''m hard at work on the second and third books working to make sure I really deliver on what I''ve started. (Sorry I couldn''t share with you all immediately, but due to the nature of the news it took a bit of time before I could). I''m sure I don''t need to tell you how this experiences has impacted my growth as a writer, but I like the sound of my keyboard clacking, so here it is in brief: I have never written a complete story before (considering the way Nameless'' arcs panned out, I don''t consider any point in it a true ending yet.) I also somewhat got to "try out" a more serious writer''s workload (I wrote the actual first draft in about a month), and found that I really enjoyed it. And, of course, I got to broaden my horizons and work to expand the incredible world that Mr. Krout created with his Divine Dungeon series.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. What does this mean for Nameless? Well, to be honest with you guys, I''ve got other news. For all that I love writing Nameless, it''s been getting harder and harder for me in the past few months. Part of that is, of course, this new project that I dropped a lot to work on, and also that the story is approaching the point where most writers face a hump in their progress. However, I also have been feeling for a long time that I want to fix what I''ve already written before going on. I could list a lot of problems with this draft of the story. But what it comes down to is that I feel like I can do better. And I want to do better. I probably should have started editing seriously months ago, but I''ve put it off because I didn''t want to stop the story in the middle of an arc. Still, one of the main problems I have with the story as it stands is the lack of direction for nearly every character, and the lack of real, meaningful characterization for each of them. Nothing wrong with that in a first draft (and my first story ever), but it makes pushing the story forward more of a chore than a natural progression, and that is a real problem. Since I''m being honest, I haven''t stopped the story because I was scared to leave it where it was. Completely irrational, I know, but I was afraid of destroying the progress I''ve made on here too much to fix what was broken. I''ve made the decision not to try and crawl over the finish line on this story arc. I''m going to take a little break from Nameless while I work on the second book in the Divine Dungeon Extended Universe trilogy, but when I come back, I''ll be working on fixing what I have before continuing forward. In the end, I think this will be better for the story, and better for me as a writer and a person. I haven''t decided whether or not I''ll publish the edited version on here or just on Amazon as a book. Right now I think I likely will, but even if I do, I don''t know if I''ll make it a new story or just delete what I have here and replace it. So, uh, I guess we''ll keep in touch! As always, and more than ever, thank you all for reading. *Wow that got really long for not being a chapter. * Here''s a TLDR: 1. My name''s Rohan. Thank you all for being amazing. 2. I am one of the winners of Dakota Krout''s Divine Dungeon anthology contest. 3. I will be publishing a Divine Dungeon Extended Universe trilogy with Mountaindale Press. 4. My work on Nameless for now will be focused on editing--the problems with the story are bogging down the writing process for me, and I want to do it real justice. Edit: Wow, you guys have me tearing up! Really appreciate all the support!