《Reborn with a Demonic Core [ Mana Cultivation – LitRPG ]》 [ 1 ] First steps A towering beaked creature waving feathered arms dotted by boils stood before a rippling portal of purple energy. The beast stood on hooved feet, chanting in its guttural language. Long, oily dark hair clung to its grotesque chest, and mana hummed around it. Streams of magical energy flowed from the beast, entwining with the portal and enlarging it with every second that passed.
Archdemon Mana Core Mana 2237/16485 Mana Potential 22456
Hmm¡­ draining fast. The demon¡¯s mana reserves were huge by mortal standards, but the spell was more demanding than it had assumed. Even with the mana shards that lined the circular stone formation that surrounded the fiend, it wasn¡¯t enough. The spell would need to be ended quickly if it were to be successful. ¡°So, you¡¯re really going ahead with it then, Bethlehem?¡± A silver-haired, horned man stepped into the dark room, illuminated only by the purple glow of magical energy. ¡°I am. Our kind have spent far too long beneath the heel of mortal races. The summoning of our brethren to this world is long overdue.¡± ¡°Our kind come and go as it is. Do you really believe it wise to open a gate? Demons have never been known to get along.¡± ¡°I seek to sow chaos, little one. Why would I care if they get along?¡± ¡°To what end?¡± The handsome demon flicked back his silver hair. ¡°What do you hope to gain from all this?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, little Leopard? Freedom. The ability to come and go wherever I please, whenever I please.¡± ¡°You fear the mortal races?¡± ¡°Only a fool wouldn¡¯t. Enough grains of sand can outweigh a boulder,¡± the demon said as mana continued to flow up from its arms. ¡°Once this gate opens, our kind will flood this world, and I will no longer need to watch my back. The so-called Demon Hunters of the mortal races will be overwhelmed. And I will be free.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always been one for elaborate schemes. All I can hope for is that this will at least prove entertaining.¡± ¡°Oh, it will,¡± the beaked demon growled, and the portal brightened as if staring into a purple star. ¡°Hmm¡ªgrowing tired, huh?¡± ¡°It is what it is,¡± Bethlehem said, lowering his arms. As he did, ribbons of energy shot through the temple¡¯s stone walls, connecting them with foreign planes near and far and securing a doorway into this world for all to travel. By the thinnest of chances, one of these streams of magical energy caught our protagonist''s lost soul, funneled it down to this strange world of magic and conflict, and cast it into a new shell of flesh. ¡°I could not complete it,¡± the demon lamented. ¡°It may take years, but the tear will grow over time, and with it, the number of our kind charging into this world.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see the show,¡± the silver-haired demon golf-clapped. ***The Beginning*** Wait, what¡¯s this? Were my hands always so small? Kal looked up at his tiny fingers. Oww¨Cow-oww, my ears. Kal''s face scrunched up as a powerful ringing pierced through him and banged at his brain. The ringing faded as quickly as it came, and his little plump face relaxed. That sucked. Well, at least it didn¡¯t last long¡ªwhatever it was. ¡°Look, he¡¯s awake, and he¡¯s looking at his little hands. How adorable.¡± Who is she? She¡¯s beautiful¡­ in a serene, angelic kind of way. Yandi leaned closer, her sandy, light brown curls sliding across her soft features as she gently bopped Kal¡¯s little, wrinkled fingers. Why is she¡ªplaying with my hands? What¡¯s going on? What happened to me? Kal¡¯s thoughts flashed back to his last moments. Chest pain. Really, really, really bad chest pain. I had a heart attack? In his memories, he fell to the ground in pain¡ªunable to move. He tried to scream. To call for help. But there was nobody. Then, his vision blurred. It was all over in minutes¡ªheart attack at forty-two. There wasn¡¯t a thing he could do. No one even came to his rescue. Friends, family, partners¡­ where did I go wrong? Work, work, work¡ªup until the end. I didn¡¯t even like it. No, I hated my job. Obsessing over other people''s accounts¡ªother people¡¯s money. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting that happen again. If this life¡ªif it¡¯s a second chance¡ªI¡¯ll make it meaningful. No wasting time or opportunity. I¡¯m going to be proud when I look back. ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes that,¡± a charming man with deep-set dimples, reading glasses, and dark hair craned over the woman. ¡°Look at those creases in my little man¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, my Little Beetle,¡± Yandi gently squeezed her baby¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m not annoying you, am I?¡± They¡¯re talking about me, aren¡¯t they? So, I really am a baby. Kal realized the woman was holding him, and they were in a rather sterile-looking room with white blinds. Is this a hospital? "I''m just glad the nightmare is over," Daedrik said. "And we''re finally able to take our son home. Three months to be stuck in a place like this is just too long." "Do you still..." Yandi said, staring down at the baby lovingly. "Believe that stuff about the mana surge?" "I have no idea. The doctors who visited wouldn''t say a word. But I know I felt something¡ªwhen he was born. The mana I felt was like nothing I''ve ever experienced." The baby squealed, returning the new parents to his little form. They had waited for so long to finally hold their little one. Kal tried to speak, but only squeals escaped his lips¡ªmy voice. There¡¯s no doubt about it: I''m a baby. So, it looks like I really do get a chance to try again from the start. Wait, does that mean I¡¯ve been reincarnated? His thoughts drifted back to stories about people claiming to remember their past lives. Am I one of those people now?... the crazies. Nah, no way. This is totally something I¡¯m keeping to myself. There''s no way I¡¯m spending my second life looked down on as some kind of nutcase. "Let''s not dwell on that now," Daedrik continued. ¡°So, honey, have you thought about the names I suggested? We really need to make a decision. Preferably before your family visit. I don¡¯t want him getting named after one of your great uncles.¡± ¡°Darling, you know I want to name him after my father,¡± Daedrik said. Kal squeaked. ¡°Look, how adorable. He¡¯s trying to say something,¡± Yandi said, her smile widening as she focused on Kal¡¯s squeaks. ¡°What about Kal?¡± Daedrik said. "Similar to your uncle, Karl. But different enough.¡± Yandi scrunched her brow and tilted her head in thought. ¡°Kal? I think I like it." Kal? Now, that is a happy coincidence. "What do you think, my beautiful baby boy?" Yandi said, playing with Kal''s fingers. "Do you want to be named Kal?"Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "He''s a baby, Yandi. He''s just making noises." "Cute, adorable little noises," she corrected. "It¡¯s a strong name. Sounds like the name of a warrior mage." Mage? Wait, like in a fantasy novel? ¡°You¡¯re already thinking about our baby becoming a mage?¡± ¡°Well, I am a mage and a professor. Of course, I¡¯m thinking about it.¡± ¡°Oh honey, what if he doesn¡¯t take to magic?¡± Magic? What are they talking about? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ this isn¡¯t Earth, is it? If not, then where am I? ¡°Doesn¡¯t take to magic?¡± A smile twitched at the edges of Daedrik¡¯s lips. ¡°Darling, he¡¯s a Jakari. We all take to magic. It¡¯s in our blood.¡± Okay, from the sounds of it, I¡¯ve been born into some kind of mage family. ¡°Fine, just don¡¯t get carried away. He¡¯s his own person, remember that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, my love,¡± Daedrik said, wrapping an arm around Yandi as she rocked Kal and swooped in to kiss her lips. Oh my days. Don¡¯t make me watch my new parents making out up close. Kal squirmed, trying to turn over to avoid the show. ¡°It seems the little guy doesn¡¯t like that,¡± Daedrik chuckled again. ¡°We¡¯re just showing affection, my Little Beetle. Someday, you¡¯ll find a love of your own,¡± Yandi said, gently bopping Kal¡¯s nose. Hey, a little respect. I¡¯m a grown man, or at least I was. Ah, great. This is going to take some adjusting to. ¡°So, my love, are we going with Kal, then?¡± Yandi caught Kal¡¯s eyes for a long moment. ¡°Yes, I think we should. Our little baby, Kal.¡±
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Persuasive +4 Charisma.
Come again? Kal¡¯s little baby jaw slackened as he watched the text box appear before his eyes and gradually fade away. That¡¯s definitely new.
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Young Master +2 Strength | +2 Agility
Another one? Look at me go. A few minutes in this world, and I¡¯m already blazing along. Assuming these things are good¡­ they do have plus signs. That means they¡¯re bonuses, right? Yeah, of course it does. His soft, little hands grasped his forehead, and Kal groaned. The ringing, it¡¯s back! Looking down at Kal, Daedrik¡¯s brow furrowed curiously. ¡°Beetle?¡± Yand said, rocking Kal. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Okay, it¡¯s going away. Kal¡¯s face relaxed. I¡¯ve been reincarnated with tinnitus; that¡¯s just great. ¡°Think he¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Daedrik pondered, rubbing his chin. ¡°Something the matter?¡± Yandi said. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing,¡± Daedrik slowly nodded, the smile gradually returning to his face. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. He was just being a baby. That¡¯s it,¡± he continued, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself as much as anybody else. ¡°Just a baby.¡± ***Weeks Later*** I¡¯m really starting to get the hang of this baby stuff. And if I keep pushing myself, maybe I¡¯ll get more of those Bloodline Traits? ¡°Is he¡­ he¡¯s not trying to?¡± Yandi stammered as she and Daedrik watched Kal from the hallway, the midday sun casting a shadow on them. ¡°There¡¯s no way; it hasn''t even been a month since we left the birthing hospital.¡± When does a baby start to crawl, anyway? Kal had been thinking about this for a while but wanted to keep his cool. But being a baby was beyond boring. Even if he fatigued far quicker than he was used to, he couldn''t stand just lying around all the time. The first few weeks had been spent adjusting to his new body, but that had gone along surprisingly quicker than he had expected. And now he just sat around like an invalid. That had to change, even if risks were involved. Remaining how he was would drive him mad. Rolling onto his stomach, Kal planted his palms and pushed against the living room''s hardwood floor. He had shuffled across the ground before, but this was new. ¡°He¡¯s getting up,¡± Yandi swallowed. ¡°Come on, boy, you can do it,¡± Daedrik murmured under his breath. A squealing huff escaped Kal¡¯s little lips as he pushed up and onto his knees, staggering to his side briefly as he found his balance. ¡°He¡¯s doing it. Our baby son is crawling,¡± Yandi gasped, pointing at baby Kal as he painstakingly shuffled across the floor, wobbling occasionally. Don¡¯t fall, you got this. Wait, this actually feels easier than I expected¡­ maybe my baby muscles aren¡¯t so weak after all¡ªor maybe¡ªit''s those Bloodline Traits I unlocked? ¡°He actually did it,¡± Daedrik slowly said, shaking his head in disbelief as Kal reached the sofa on the opposite side of the room. ¡°You did say Kal is a warrior mage¡¯s name,¡± Yandi said, wide-eyed. ¡°I did¡­ but¨Cbut this is something else,¡± Daedrik replied. Haha, look at this: I¡¯m moving, baby! I ain¡¯t got time to lay about on my back. I have places to be and things to see. Like hell, I¡¯m wasting this second chance. Get ready, world. This is the age of Kal!
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Perseverance +3 Endurance +2 Toughness.
Would you look at that? Hard work really does pay off. Slapping the green sofa, Kal turned to lap back across the room. His pace quickened as he felt the fatigue that had been building in his muscles and joints fade slightly. Daedrik¡¯s gaze narrowed on Kal, and his brow rose as his son crawled across to the brass mantelpiece. ¡°There¡¯s something¡­¡± **One Month Later*** ¡°So cute. You love copying your papa, don¡¯t you, my beautiful boy?¡± Yandi gushed as she watched Kal nestle against his father and Daedrik read through his class¡¯s magic assignments. ¡°Great minds think alike, huh, Kal?¡± Daedrik said, nudging the baby at his side, but Kal remained indifferent, his little eyes tracing the papers sprawled before them. I¡¯m actually starting to understand this stuff. This baby brain freaking rocks. There¡¯s no way I could have learned how to read an alien language this fast in my previous life. Not to mention the magic¡­. These papers really do confirm that I¡¯ve reincarnated into some kind of fantasy world. These assignments even mention other races. Not that it¡¯s much of a surprise¡ªour family home totally screams ¡®elven fantasy cottage,¡¯ what with leaf patterns on the furniture and round windows. Kal had to rest frequently, and his baby body was weak, but with all that sleeping, he seemed to get superpowered knowledge retention. ¡°He really likes to act the part, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Act the part? What do you mean, darling? He¡¯s reading. I told you my son would become a great mage,¡± Daedrik smiled and ruffled Kal¡¯s thin, baby hair. ¡°He¡¯s just a baby, Daedrik. He just likes copying you because you¡¯re his father.¡± ¡°Believe what you want,¡± Daedrik smiled playfully. ¡°My boy¡¯s a little genius. Before you know it, he¡¯ll be following in my footsteps.¡± Feeling mana veins? Kal scrunched his brow as he read a student¡¯s notes. I need to get to the source of this magic stuff. Learning to crawl and unlocking those Bloodline things is great, but if I really want to make the most of my second life, it looks like I¡¯ll need to learn magic. And to do that, I¡¯m going to need to learn as much about this world as possible. ¡°Won¡¯t you, little Kal?¡± Daedrik said, scruffing Kal¡¯s hair again. Kal turned to his father with a blank stare for a moment and returned to the book, drawing a furrowed brow and crooked expression from his father. ¡°Are you sure about that, Mr. Proud Mage?¡± Yandi teased. ¡°Yeah¡­ I am,¡± Daedrik said, his voice sounding distant. Sensing mana? Every living creature in the world has a mana core¡ªaccording to this. Kal read a student¡¯s work detailing their experience unwakening their mana core. The student explained how they focused on the feeling of mana trickling out from their core when shaping it into magic, but Kal was more interested in the note¡¯s explanation about the core itself. Awakening one''s core wasn¡¯t just the doorway to learning magic and controlling mana but also seeing it. The student wrote about their experience first seeing stats appear once they awoke their mana core. From the sounds of it, everyone¡¯s cores had stats and a stage, even if they couldn¡¯t use magic or mana. Does this mean that mages can effectively see the attributes of all living creatures? Even without magic, that sounds like a pretty good boon. Wait, so I¡¯ll be able to see my own stats if I awaken my core? Hey, I wonder how these Bloodline Traits I¡¯ve been unlocking affect my core? ¡°Something the matter, honey?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Daedrik shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s just a special boy¡­ yeah, that¡¯s it. Special.¡± ¡°Of course he is,¡± Yandi said, swooping an arm around the two of them. ¡°He¡¯s our son.¡± There¡¯s no doubt about it. If I want to get the most out of this life, I¡¯m going to need to learn how to awaken my mana core as soon as possible. ***Daedrik*** Daedrik stared curiously at his son. It was one thing to be a prodigy, but this was something else. He had seen his son¡¯s mana core thump with power three times already, and each time it did, his son¡¯s mana core stats had increased. But why would his core grow so fast without even reaching the next stage? He had never heard of something like this, not even when reading about the strongest mages. He would need to check and revise his knowledge of the great tomes about ancient archmages to be sure, but deep down, he already knew the answer. Daedrik knew he would need to keep his son close and hidden away from people¡ªat least until he learned to unlock his mana core and hide its details from unscrupulous eyes. If one of the Kingdom¡¯s mages were to see this, he would be whisked away to the capital and experimented on. No, that couldn¡¯t happen. He wouldn¡¯t let it. Not to his son. For the sake of all of them, he would keep Kal safe¡ªeven if suspicion tremored within. Kal was his son, and he wouldn''t risk anything on a hunch. Big green eyes looked up at him, and Daedrik¡¯s expression softened. Now¡¯s not the time for these thoughts, he reminded himself. They were safe at home. ¡°You¡¯re a smart one, aren¡¯t you?¡± He murmured, watching Kal¡¯s little eyes follow the words after they returned to the book. But he couldn¡¯t shake the thought. There was something supernatural about Kal¡¯s mana. [ 2 ] Months Later ¡°Mom, do you kn-¡± Kal said, turning his big bright eyes as a metal clang interrupted his thought. ¡°Y-you talked,¡± Yandi muttered, standing frozen between the kitchen and the living room, with the hearth crackling behind her. In front of her, Kal sat upright on the hardwood floors in front of an open book, his mother''s trembling finger pointed at him. It had just come out. He had been practicing speech when he was supposed to be sleeping. But he hadn''t meant for this to happen, not without planning it through. It seemed that a previous life of speaking wasn''t so easily washed away. ¡°Huh.¡± She''s right, I did talk, didn¡¯t I? He had murmured and strung together a few words already, but that was undoutably the most natural it had ever came to him. What is she going to think of me? Crawling is one thing, but speaking? Kal thought on this a moment. Being mute had been driving him slightly mad, and even if it were just a few words, the thought was so liberating. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°He did it again,¡± her teeth chattered. ¡°My six-month-old son really is talking¡ªI guess he is a genius,¡± she added as if she didn¡¯t believe the words coming out of her own mouth. ¡°Hey there, beautiful,¡± Daedrik said, pulling Yandi into a hug from behind as he stepped inside from the yard. ¡°What is that delectable smell coming from the kitchen?¡± He inhaled and buried his face into Yandi¡¯s neck. ¡°It''s almost as good as you.¡± ¡°K-K-Kal,¡± she stammered, still pointing at the diaper-wearing baby Kal. ¡°Huh, what¡¯s up with Kal?¡± He replied, turning to look at his son with a raised brow. He had already broken whatever facade might have existed by speaking to his mother, and Kal saw little gain in pretending not to speak to his father now. ¡°Hi Dad,¡± Kal said. "Dadda," he quickly corrected with a grimace. ¡°He-he speaks now?¡± Daedrik¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°When did this happen?¡±
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Budding Linguist +1 Wisdom +3 Charisma.
¡°It would seem so,¡± Yandi murmured. Months later... ¡°Hey Dad, what is glyph binding? It says here that it can be used to concentrate mana for more efficient spell casting,¡± Kal pressed his index against the book¡¯s page. Again, Kal''s eagerness to learn about this magical new world had gotten the better of him. He hadn''t even really been thinking about about it. He was just reading a book Daedrik left out. His parents thought he just liked looking at the illustrations. But he was gaining much more than that. And when he came across something he didn''t understand, he had just asked, not even realizing the gravity of what he said until the words had already tumbled from his lips. ¡°How did you¡­¡± Daedrik shook his head and swallowed as his mouth went dry. ¡°You''re asking about magic? H-h-how is that possible? Do you understand those books, Kal?¡± Oh, jeez. I might have gone and overdone it with that one. How do I play this off? There was an upside as long as he didn''t get into too much trouble. Being a baby sucked. Kal wasn''t enjoying pretending to know anything. If he could thread that needle, then perhaps he could have it both ways. ¡°Gyph-bin-ding?¡± Kal repeated, mispronouncing the word and trying to sound a little more childish. He couldn''t help himself. He wanted to learn, but perhaps he could do that while selling a different image of himself. As strange as a baby speaking and asking such questions was, advanced mana cultivation usually came alongside advanced development. There was a precedent for gifted young mages doing things younger than expected. In his previous life, Kal had loved the idea of magic. It had dulled a little as he got older, alongside his imagination, but it had never entirely died. Even before he died, indulging in role-playing games that involved magic had been one of the few pastimes he actually enjoyed outside of work, and every time he did, he rolled a mage or something similar. ¡°Forget warrior mage. At this rate, our son is going to be the next Archmage.¡± Daedrik¡¯s lower lip trembled. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting to it, Kal. Just give me a moment to process,¡± Daedrik swallowed. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll teach you all about glyph binding. Did I seriously just say I¡¯m going to teach my infant son glyph binding, or am I going insane?¡± *** Kal sat beside Daedrik in his father¡¯s office, a small room adjoining the library. Glass windows lined the dividing wall between them and the library, making the office feel part of it. The hardwood desk they sat at had intricately woven patterns across it, making Kal wonder if it had some kind of magical original like everything else that adorned his father¡¯s office. ¡°Where did you get all this stuff?¡± Kal asked, slacked-jawed as he looked around. It was the first time he had been allowed to enter the room, and the various magical nicknacks, like a self-spinning globe and a monstrously large skull with an oversized underbite, were hard to pull his little eyes away from. ¡°They¡¯re mostly from my time as an adventurer¡ªor rather¡ªDemon Hunter. That¡¯s a Woolly Babarack,¡± Daedrik said, eyeing the skull that Kal¡¯s gaze was glued to. ¡°Vicious monsters. Stronger than any man. Heck, they¡¯re stronger than any ogre, I¡¯m pretty sure. This big guy ambushed my party high in the Tigrel mountains while we were searching for a demon that had been plaguing the nearby villages. They rarely leave their territory but can be quite vicious to anyone unlucky enough to enter it. There were eight of us, led by me and one other mage. It was quite the battle, but we managed to take it down without any casualties.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Kal murmured. This really is some kind of fantasy world, and my dad was a real¡ªDemon Hunter? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not all that special. I was still trying to earn my fully accredited magic license back then, and demon hunting was the fastest way to do that.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. From the sounds of it, this world must have a real problem with its demon infestation. ¡°Anyway, enough of that,¡± Deadrik said, lowering his voice to a whisper. ¡°If you want to know more about those tales, I can tell you at bedtime, but you have to keep it between us. Your mother doesn¡¯t think that kind of thing is appropriate at your age.¡± Kal looked up at Daedrik and nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get back to this lesson, shall we.¡± ***Daedrik*** Hours later¡­ ¡°See, with the use of glyph binding; mages can impart a fraction of their mana or even entire spells into mana-sensitive objects. It''s also the method mages use to summon great and powerful spells. It can even be used by multiple mages to tether their mana together, allowing them to cast far stronger spells than they ever could alone,¡± Daedrik said, pointing to diagrams on a book he had stretched out in front of them with the end of his quill. ¡°Wow,¡± Kal murmured. ¡°Yes, very much; wow,¡± Daedrik said, turning the page. How is it possible that a baby that just learned to speak a month ago is not just following along with a lesson about glyph binding but seems to grasp the concept? Not only that, but his mana core¡¯s stats are way too high for an infant. All of this isn¡¯t just incredible, it''s impossible. Maybe he has been possessed by a demon wanting revenge against me? No, that can''t be. I''ve probed too deeply into his core; a fiend would have noticed. Daedrik eyed his son suspiciously. None of this made any sense. He was almost certain baby Kal wasn''t a demon, but he couldn''t be human either. His core was simply growing too fast. Not to mention his behavior. If he closed his eyes, he could mistaken Kal for one of his teenage students. He has to be a magical being; there¡¯s no other way any of this makes sense. Could he be an Aeon? That''s if they even exist. Daedrik shook his head. ¡°Something wrong, Dad?¡± Kal looked up. ¡°No, nothing,¡± Daedrik cleared his throat. ¡°As I was saying¨C¡± Daedrik knew he had to tame his runaway thoughts. There was nowhere near enough evidence to be jumping to such conclusions. There wasn¡¯t even any credible evidence that Aeons existed, and talking about them was one way to get laughed out of academia. For now, he would continue to monitor his son''s growth and keep him safe. It might have been foolish, but Kal was his son, and after all, he still held out hope his son was just extremely gifted¡ªas unlikely as that might seem. The Kingdom of Lyssia needed their next Archmage to be great; maybe the gods had sent Kal down to them for that purpose. It was far-fetched, but Daedrik had to hope for the best as his father. Thumbing a core prober he held in his pocket, Daedrik fought the intrusive thought away. Probing Kal¡¯s core with such a device while he was so young could do permanent damage, even kill him¡ªand that wasn¡¯t something he was about to risk. He¡¯s not a demon, you idiot. He¡¯s your son. Don¡¯t even think about it. ***Kal*** I''ve had enough crawling for a lifetime. If I''m going to be a great mage, I''m going to need to learn to walk. Now, come on, little baby legs, you can do this! Kal pushed up through a squat and stood shakily, arms extended. He had practiced these movements many times in anticipation of this moment. Since when was walking ever this damn difficult? However, I''m pretty sure I wouldn''t even have the strength or dexterity for this if it weren¡¯t for my Bloodline Traits. Carefully, he placed one foot after the other, slowly making his way across the sun-drenched living room.
Bloodline Trait unlocked: Trailblazer +2 Strength +2 Agility.
And another one. I¡¯m on fire. I wonder if anyone else gets these things? Come to think of it, it¡¯s kind of strange that I¡¯ve seen no mention of Bloodline Traits in any of the papers or books I¡¯ve seen in my father''s collection. Kal thought, gritting his teeth as he drowned out the ringing that blasted through his ears and drilled into his brain, threatening to bring on a headache. I¡¯ve got to do something about this tinnitus¡ªmaybe I can learn a spell to cure it. ¡°And now he¡¯s walking,¡± Daedrik said, shaking his head and massaging between his eyes as he entered the living room. ¡°Hey, check me out, Dad,¡± Kal called out as he walked. ¡°I can see. Walking at five months of age. It¡¯s unbelievable. What can¡¯t my little man do?¡± He said with a cautious undertone. ¡°Magic. I can¡¯t cast spells,¡± Kal huffed, his gaze laser-focused on the living room floor like some kind of baby tightrope walker. ¡°Magic? You¡¯ve got plenty of time for that. Don''t try to rush it all at once.¡± ¡°H-he¡¯s walking,¡± Yandi stammered, stepping in from the kitchen. ¡°We can¡¯t look away for even a moment, can we?¡± Daedrik turned his head to her, forcing a smile. ¡°He really is amazing.¡± ***Daedrik*** ¡°I know you''re worried, Daedrik, but what can we do? He''s our son. And as you said, the capital would hide him away in some laboratory doing tests on him. You know I''m not about to let that happen to our son.¡± ¡°I know, Yandi. I never suggested that we should do that,¡± Daedrik placed a hand on her shoulder as they sat on the edge of their bed. ¡°I¡¯m just worried. If something like this got out, I''d lose my license. And who knows what else? We could even end up in prison for something of this magnitude.¡± ¡°Licence, prison? You can''t be serious, Daedrik. This is our son''s life you''re talking about.¡± Daedrik looked into his wife''s eyes as they swelled, and her lower lip trembled. ¡°I''m sorry, forget I said anything. We''re just going to have to be careful.¡± ¡°Do you mean that?¡± Yandi¡¯s gaze thinned defiantly as she sniffled. ¡°I do. I''ll do anything to protect the both of you.¡± ¡°Oh, Daedrik,¡± Yandi said, wrapping her arms around him. ¡°I love you so much.¡± ¡°I love you too, my dearest,¡± he said, gazing distantly across her shoulder as they embraced. ¡°So much.¡± *** What was I thinking? Abandoning Kal? I''m a despicable father. If he can already understand the concept of glyphs, I suppose he''s ready to start learning magic. It''s early, but it¡¯s the only way to hide his core. Daedrik told himself that it was to protect his son. He wanted to believe it, too, as much for his own peace of mind as for Yandi¡¯s, but the truth was that he wanted to protect them all. Yandi simply did not understand what it would mean if they got caught hiding Kal from the government mages. At the rear of his library, Daedrik pressed his hand against the cold stone, and a second later, magical glyphs lit up across it. In seconds, the shape of an arched doorway appeared on the wall, outlined by glowing light. A second later, the stone within the archway flickered out of existence and left behind a passage that disappeared into shadow. Daedrik glanced over his shoulder and entered. Once he passed through the doorway, the stone flickered back into existence to cover the passage. Golden light filled Daedrik¡¯s eyes as he walked through the darkness, and he followed a spiraling staircase down. A moment later, he reached a small room with a golden-trimmed chest on one side and a table on the other, which was adorned with several delicately marked boxes. Carefully, Daedrik opened one of the velvet-lined boxes and eyed the smooth metal balls within. They were mana spheres from Dunrune. The ancient treasures could store vast quantities of mana thanks to the powerful glyphs that marked them and the precious metal they were made of. They were particularly valued by wealthy people who lacked magical talent¡ªallowing them to tap spells at their convenience. But Daedrik had another plan for tiny orbs. Waiting until midnight, he went into their yard and dug holes in each quarter of their square block. He placed these holes beside the neatly trimmed hedges that bordered their cozy home. When the holes were dug, he dropped one sphere into each. The spell he had imparted on the spheres would be strengthened by the four spheres working in tandem. It was a special protection spell that would hide all mana within an imperceivable dome it cast over the house. The spell was risky. If someone were to notice it, they would no doubt suspect something; however, only a handful of people in Ebenshire could even use magic, let alone decipher a spell cast by someone at Daedrik¡¯s level. Not only that, but their home sat at the town¡¯s fringe, beside the surrounding forests and out of the way of any major roads or paths. Exhaling, Daedrik looked around once more, unsure if what he had just done was wise. The sooner Kal awoke his mana core and learned the basic magic required to hide it, the sooner he could remove the protection spell and the safer they would be. Don¡¯t let me down now, Son. [ 3 ] Tiny Bookworm Daedrik started Kal¡¯s training over the following weeks. It was the same basic motions all young aspiring mages went through when trying to awaken their cores. First, it was essential to clear the mind. Understanding the sound of silence was an important first step before sensing the tiny trickle of mana that seeped out of everyone''s core. Once an aspiring mage could sense their passive mana, they had the key to awakening their core. All that was left was to find the metaphorical keyhole, which could be found by focusing their concentration on the source of their passive mana. But this wasn''t good enough for Kal. Daedrik had explained that it would take years of focused meditation just to distinguish the subtle mana from his inner white noise, and Kal wasn''t about to accept his lightning-paced progress being slowed down that much. Pretending to fall asleep, Kal waited for his parents to take it as an opportunity to sneak in a nap and tip-toed out of his bedroom. Glancing down the corridor leading into the library, Kal checked to ensure he wasn¡¯t followed, took hold of the elegant elephant ladder that rested upon the brass rails that skirted the shelves of his father''s library, and pushed it. Previously, he had spotted binders of several books that took his interest. As he reached each book, he stopped, climbed the ladder, and pulled them enough from the shelf so that the book''s weight would send them tumbling to the floor. Jackpot. Lyssian History, Monsters of the Wilds, The Eight Civilized Races of the World, The Secrets of Channeling Mana, and Tigworn¡¯s Arcanapedia. Yep, this looks like the perfect selection of light reading. ¡°What do you think he''s doing, honey?¡± Yandi said, spying on Kal from the shadow beyond the library¡¯s entrance. ¡°I wish I knew,¡± Daedrik scratched at the side of his head. ¡°It''s not possible he understands any of it, is there?¡± ¡°He''s a baby. Even I barely understand those tomes of yours.¡± ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Daedrik murmured, staring at his son hunched over several open books spread across the library¡¯s hardwood floor. Curiosity was one thing, but catching their baby laser-focused on mage manuals, history books, and various other educational materials had become all too common. ¡°Should we?¡± ¡°Leave him, honey,¡± Yandi pulled on Daedrik¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Look at how tenderly he treats the pages. Let him have his fun; besides, we want to encourage his studious side, don''t we?¡± ¡°You''re right. I wouldn''t want him to feel deterred,¡± Daedrik said with a curiously bent brow and carefully pulled the door shut so that Kal couldn''t see them as they spied. So, there are other intelligent races in this world: humans, cyclopeans, half-men, ogres, arachnids, great serpents, albinoids, and devourers. Kal¡¯s eyes widened as he read about the races that inhabited his adopted world. To his excitement, it seemed to suggest that humans often lived beside halfmen, ogres, and sometimes even cyclopians. That¡¯s so cool. I¡¯ve always wanted to meet aliens¡­ well, I guess they¡¯re not really aliens here, are they? Wait, Arachnians? They¡¯re not what I think they are, are they? Arachnians were exactly what he thought they were: humanoid spiders who lived in the Undercavern, a massive underground world that spanned hundreds of miles beneath the surface. Albinoids and Devourers were equally terrifying, gluing Kal¡¯s eyes to the pages. With paper-white skin, Albinoids were an extremely hostile, nocturnal race of humanoids with dagger-like claws and razor-sharp exoskeletons that lined much of their body. In contrast, Devourers were oversized gray, muscular humanoids with shark-like heads. Finally, there were the Great Serpents. This race of giant beasts included everything from dragons to sea serpents. The book even had an appendix on giant wyverns, explaining how some dug through the ground and swallowed people from below. That''s both cool and terrifying. I can''t believe I''m going to get to meet other intelligent species. Oh my days, that¡¯s so freaking cool. Maybe not those devourer guys or the albinoids¡ªthose freaks sound like a bad time. But everyone else¡­ Okay, well, maybe not dragons or arachnians either. Although it did mention dragons could be peaceful. However, it also mentioned they could melt steel and were known for eating people whole. Yeah, okay, let¡¯s not meet any of the big serpents unless I know for a fact they¡¯re chill. *** ¡°The Secrets of Channeling Magic,¡± Kal eyed the gold cursive briefly and opened the heavy, hardcover tome. The book detailed several methods for awakening one¡¯s mana core that were known to work for different people. Unfortunately, like with the meditation techniques taught by his new father, they were all supposed to take years of training and concentration, which just wouldn¡¯t do. Kal hadn¡¯t been given a second chance to waste it with his nose buried in books. But that didn¡¯t deter him. He just needed to find a more efficient way. At the corner of one page was a hand-drawn table with footnotes on theories about magical creature cores. Kal''s eyes lit up. This was different. Magical creatures were said to be born with awoken cores, so why was the author theorizing about how they achieved this? Maybe they had a shortcut? Kal wondered. Some, like myself, believe that magical creatures are not born with awoken cores but are one with their cores. Instead of sensing an almost invisible energy separate from their own. I theorize that they only need to become in touch with the magical energy already flowing through their veins, thus appearing as if mana and magic are naturally gifted to them. ¡°Huh?¡± Kal said aloud as he read. Whatever point this mage was trying to make had gone straight over his head, at least from a practical standpoint. Being told to sense his own mana was great, but it made no attempt to explain how that was actually achieved. Further down, the book explained that mana often had an individual feel but that experiences among those who shared the same core type usually shared similar experiences. The book also noted that finding your anchor point was usually the key. It didn¡¯t explain exactly what an anchor point was, only that it was usually unique and distinct. ¡°Argh,¡± Kal pulled at his hair. ¡°I don''t even know what my core type is; how is this supposed to help?¡± He growled internally, realizing this was probably why it took people years to figure out. Sighing, Kal cocked his head. Wait a minute¡ªthat strange ringing. When he was born, and every time he unlocked a Bloodline Trait since, he had heard ringing in his ears that banging at his brain and threatened to send him insane. At first, he wondered if it was tinnitus, but what if it was something else? You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. It couldn¡¯t be, could it? With nothing to lose, Kal closed his eyes and exhaled, focusing on the grating sound flooding through him. The effect was almost immediate, with the ringing coming loud and hard as it pounded through his head, bringing forth a headache, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through the nauseating feeling. Within seconds, it found a rhythm to the banging, and then it was distorted from an invasive and painful ringing to a harmonized hum of energy resounding from somewhere deep within. Is that my¡­ Kal¡¯s lip trembled as he mentally pushed himself toward the calming sensation of mana as if he were delving into a tranquil cave deep within that contained a still pond of crystal clear, cool water within his mind¡¯s eye. Is this my mana core? Kal gasped and fell backward. Flames flashed across the cave, and the water turned to burning hot magma. A deep, echoing cackle flooded the cave, and Kal clenched his jaw as he fought back an impending sense of doom. Then, as quickly as it had started, the cave calmed again. ¡°What the hell,¡± Kal mattered, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He looked around. The library was gone, but he somehow knew he hadn¡¯t moved. Timidly, he pushed himself back to his feet and crept toward the water. His eyes widened as he spotted an ethereal orb of white and blue light glowing through the clear water. Swallowing, he leaned forward, tentatively extending a hand into the pond, and flinched against the icy cold water as he touched it. So cold¡­ does that mean something? Kal wondered, looking down at his hand and crooking his head. But his curiosity drove him forward, and without a second thought, he plunged his hand down and grasped the orb. Vibrant colors, smells, and sensations flooded through him, sending his body into convulsions and flinging him backward as if he had just taken hold of a live wire. Panting, Kal opened his eyes and realized that he was in the library once more. What just happened? A thump of power resonated within, awakening a new sense as Kal suddenly became aware of the veins circulating mana through his body. I can feel it now¡­ like the book described it¡ªpower flowing through me. The sensation was amazing, not that he had any idea what to do with it or how to harness it. Seriously? I did it, didn¡¯t I? I really awoke my core! Wait, why was it so different? Kal wondered. The book mentioned that different methods work for different people trying to unlock their cores, but nothing like this. Awakening your core was meant to be a calming and enlightening experience, and while the latter was somewhat true for Kal, it certainly hadn¡¯t been calming. A shortcut¡­ is that it? I took a shortcut, and was I punished for it? Kal closed his eyes again and delved within. The experience was entirely different now. There was no search. His mana burned brightly¡ªimpossible to miss. Gasping for air, his eyes shot open again, and magical, whispy text appeared before him as if it were made of blue, curling smoke.
Lesser¨CDemonic Mana Core Awoken
Lesser¨CDemonic Mana Core Mana 2/2 Mana Potential 98 Stage 1
Strength: 2 Agility: 2 Dexterity: 0 Charisma: 5 Wisdom: 0 Intelligence: 1 Endurance: 3 Toughness: 2
Demonic? Kal furrowed his little brow as he read the notifications. Wait, that¡¯s not right. Springing upward, Kal dove for the books and began flicking through them. He had read about cores. There were four kinds of cores that humans could unlock¡ªAstral Cores, Arcana Cores, Divine Cores, and Martial Cores. Hurriedly searching through the pages, he returned to the section about cores. It was all there, spelled out in plain language. Other cores were mentioned that could be awoken by other races, but even on those pages, he found no mention of demonic cores. This doesn¡¯t make any sense. How can my core not be in here? Is this because I¡¯m from another world? Is that why I was able to unlock it so fast? Kal looked down at his little hands. He could sense something he hadn¡¯t seen before. Faint, almost nonexistent energy radiated from him. It was the same energy as what he felt from his core, and unless his core itself was some kind of foreign invader, he was fairly certain it was his mana. He needed to learn more. Hurrying through the library, he searched, stopping whenever a binder caught his attention. Codex of the Demonic Powers. That¡¯s it; Kal nodded resolutely and returned with the ladder. Pushing it into pace, he wasted no time pulling the book down and craning over the huge tome. Here it is. This is what I was looking for. Kal was immediately struck by something curious as he read¡ªdemons were described as magical beings. Magical beings? Is that the same as magical creatures? The book explained that this was a distinction from mortal races. It didn¡¯t necessarily mean that magical beings were immortal; rather, they had unlocked mana cores by default instead of needing to awaken their cores like mortal races did. That¡¯s what that other book was talking about¡­ Kal''s brow perked. Awakening his core had been exceedingly easy, and the ringing in his head¡­ had the same characteristics as described by the previous author. Does this mean I¡¯m a demon? Kal swallowed. He was no expert on the topic, but he knew that demons were hunted in this world. The book described how demons were separated into rankings, from weakest to strongest, starting with Fiendlings (Such as Imps, Chimeras, and Corrupted), Lesser Fiends, Greater Fiends, and Archdemons. However, the book did not mention their actual cores, probably because mages could only sense a core¡¯s power rather than read specific details. Daedrik! Kal¡¯s eyes widened as he read. His new father was a mage. He should be able to sense my core¡­ but then¡­ Kal read on, tracing the words at a manic pace. While mages could not passively detect what kind of cores each other had, there were ways to gain greater insight. Mana could be channeled directly into the core with the help of a probing stone to reveal its secrets. Kal was fairly certain his father had never attempted this on him¡ªat least not while he was awake. This is not good. People hunt demons in this world; I know that much. And if I have a demonic core, I¡¯m not sure how much it¡¯s going to matter whether I¡¯m an actual demon or not. I need to learn how to hide my core asap. He flicked the pages back to where the book explained the different demonic ranks. Hmm¡­ lesser, Kal hummed to himself. Does that mean my core is a Lesser Fiend¡¯s core? Is that better or worse than a normal human core? He tried to find an answer, but it wasn¡¯t straightforward. The baseline for demons¡ªeven the weakest¡ªwas generally higher than humans and other mortal races. Still, there were plenty of stories about archmages and other powerful mages slaying powerful demons and even archdemons. Damn it, I wish this was easier to make sense of. Kal just hoped he hadn¡¯t been given a shortcut with less long-term potential. Careful what you wish for, I suppose, Kal sighed. But his brow raised as his eyes glided down to an interesting section of the book¡¯s annotations; he read about several occurrences of known demons transcending their rank, but the author failed to conclude the reason. They did, however, speculate that demons had the means to evolve their rank and reach higher levels. Still, their understanding of the details surrounding this mechanism was too vague to reach any proper conclusions on how or why, or even definitive answer on whether or not it was possible, and there were many popular counter theories. Damn it, I wish I could just get a straight answer. I guess there''s only one way to find out. Kal¡¯s motivation wasn''t just driven by a deep-set determination to make the most of his second life anymore. He had just learned that a giant target likely hovered over his head. Getting stronger wasn¡¯t a preference anymore. It was a necessity for survival. [ 4 ] Mana Control Moonlight pierced through a part in Kal¡¯s window blinds, reflecting off Daedrik¡¯s glasses¡ªwho stood in the doorway, partially shrouded by night. ¡°Kal.¡±
??? Mana Core Mana ??? Mana Potential 424 Stage 4
Strength: ??? Agility: ??? Dexterity: ??? Charisma: ??? Wisdom: ??? Intelligence: ??? Endurance: ??? Toughness: ???
¡°Dad?¡± Kal replied, scooting to sit up against his bedhead. He was still getting used to being able to sense cores, but even if he hadn¡¯t recognized his father¡¯s voice, his core¡¯s hidden states would have given it away. ¡°So, you awoke your mana core.¡± ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a mage adept; of course, I knew. Now tell me, what are you, Kal? ¡°What do you mean? I''m your son.¡± ¡°You know what I mean. What are you really?¡± Does he know about my core, or has he noticed I''m not a baby? ¡°Like I said¨C¡± ¡°Don''t play dumb with me,¡± Daedrik interrupted. ¡°Tell me the truth. Are you an Aeon?¡± Aeon? What the heck is that? ¡°No¨C¡± ¡°Even with every other suspicious thing about you, there''s no such thing as a human awakening their core at your age. Not even the greatest Archmages to ever live. The current record is age four, and that man laid the foundation for much of what we think of as modern magery within Lyssia today. So please, tell me the truth.¡± ¡°The truth is I don''t know,¡± Kal looked down at his hands. ¡°I know I''m not normal. But I''m not an Aeon, or at least I don''t think I am. But to be honest, I don''t even know what an Aeon is.¡± Hopefully, that''s close enough to the truth to get him off my back. Daedrik, knowing I''m from another world, is probably better than him thinking I''m a demon, but I''ll keep that to myself if I can. ¡°Hmm,¡± Daedrik grunted. ¡°I''m not sure I believe you. But¡ªI¡¯ll choose to, for now at least. For your mother''s sake. Don''t make me regret this, Kal.¡± ¡°I''ll try not to,¡± Kal said softly as Daedrik gently closed the door. Damn, if that wasn¡¯t creepy. Kal closed his eyes and settled back into bed, but he wasn¡¯t getting any sleep tonight. *** Following the nighttime confrontation, Daedrik left Kal to himself during the days that Yandi left him to care for their child. This did not change the way he acted when his mother was around. The man still smiled and ruffled his hair as if nothing had happened, but Kal knew better. However, despite the creepy confrontation, Kal didn¡¯t have much to complain about. He was learning just about as quickly on his own as he had been with his father, and as long as he wasn¡¯t denied access to the library, he was confident that would continue. Besides, he had already lived and been raised by loving parents, so Kal wasn¡¯t too bothered by his father¡¯s abandonment as long as it didn¡¯t escalate. Months later¡­ Hiding one''s mana core was, in a sense, an extension of awakening it and revolved around the same principles. Just as awakening a mana core required sensing your mana and finding its source, hiding it was the first step to learning how to control mana. Concentrating on his mana core, Kal could sense the errant energy flowing freely from it. These free-flowing streams of energy were what uninvited eyes could eavesdrop on, as well as the embodiment of mana potential. By taking control of this energy, a mage could hide their core¡ªor at least stop it from broadcasting its details. However, mages could still detect the general strength of a mana core. Mana potential didn¡¯t mean a whole lot without the core¡¯s other details, but it did allow onlookers to grasp an estimate of the mage¡¯s power. But the more Kal tried to focus on the magical energy, the more elusive it became. It was as if his mana was fleeing from his inner form, the tiny motes of mana flying away like mischievous fairies. This game of cat and mouse with his own mana continued every day, but it didn¡¯t discourage Kal from training to control it every chance he got. Gradually, as he familiarized himself with it, the elusive mana seemed to slow. Kal lunged forward in his mind¡¯s eye, grasping hold of a stream of energy as it snaked away. Looking down at his hands, his eyes widened, realizing he had finally caught it. But the journey was far from over. Taking hold of a single mana stream was one thing, but it was only the first step to controlling it. Like a metaphorical eel, he wrestled with his slippery mana for several more days, losing hold of one strand as he tried to grab hold of another. But each day, his control improved, allowing Kal to take hold of more and more mana. *** Kal meditated under the warm, waning afternoon sun, casting crimson ribbons of light across his face. He could feel his control strengthening over his mana and decided to challenge himself.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. With his focus at a heightened level, Kal attempted to force down all the streams of escaping mana by casting his control over his mana core like a net. The experience was like trying to maintain focus on the ball beneath a magician''s moving cup¡ªexcept with thousands of cups and hundreds of balls all moving at once. The focus required to control all of one''s mana would seem impossible to a beginner. However, mana control became extremely personal and intimate as it was trained, with mages developing an intrinsic sense binding them to all the mana strings connected to their core. Kal''s eyes flung open as he felt himself wrestle control of his mana. He didn''t need anybody to test it. He already knew his mana was hidden from onlookers¡ªthe control he had gained over it was unmistakable.
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Core Control +2 Intelligence | +2 Wisdom | +5 Mana
Plus five mana? Kal¡¯s jaw slackened as he watched the test fade away. He still wasn¡¯t too sure how to evaluate the stat bonuses, but gaining mana from Bloodline Traits had proven rare. ¡°There you are, my Little Beetle,¡± Yandi said, charging toward Kal with her arms extended. ¡°In the library pretending to be a mage like your father again, are you?¡± She added as she picked Kal up and hugged him tightly. ¡°M-mom¨C¡± Kal squealed as Yandi Squeezed the breath out of him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. It¡¯s time for you to eat. You want to get big and strong like your daddy, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I guess,¡± Kal said through gritted teeth. *** ¡°So, how do you like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I guess,¡± Kal said, shoveling a spoonful of the stew into his mouth as they sat at the table. ¡°You could be more grateful. Still, it looks like it¡¯s doing its job,¡± Yandi said, eyeing Kal¡¯s forearms. ¡°You¡¯re not even two yet¡­ I mean, all the other toddlers just look flabby. Kal glanced down at his arm. He was no athlete, but subtle lines marking his muscles could be seen. I guess that¡¯s strange for a child my age, huh? It must be the stats I¡¯m getting from the Bloodline Traits. ¡°I suppose,¡± Kal shrugged, trying to remain nonchalant. ¡°At this rate, the knights will come to drag you away before you can join one of the mage academies,¡± Yandi giggled. ¡°I can just imagine the look on your father¡¯s face.¡± Yeah, right. If only she knew. Damn it, I hate pretending everything is alright to cover for that poser. Then again, he hasn¡¯t done anything about it, and he clearly knows something is up. I should probably count myself lucky. ¡°Yeah, I can imagine,¡± Kal said. ¡°Something wrong, Beetle?¡± Yandi crooked her head. ¡°You sound a little distant.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°I hope so because you¡¯re far too young to be having concerns. Most of the toddlers I know can barely string a few words together. Speaking of which, do you want to go on another play date with the Drapers?¡± Please no. Can¡¯t you tell I¡¯m a little too advanced to be hanging out with freaking babies? ¡°I ah¨C¡± ¡°Kal, I know you might be a little ahead of them, but socializing is healthy. You need to talk to people¡ªI mean, kids, other than your parents.¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± Kal slumped. ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum about it. You¡¯re supposed to be excited to play with other kids at your age¡ªand for many years to come.¡± ¡°Oh, I am,¡± Kal lied. ¡°Sounds good, Mom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Yandi exhaled. ¡°You worry me a little sometimes, but you¡¯ll always be my Little Beetle. Don¡¯t forget that.¡± ¡°I won''t,¡± Kal said, his gaze drifting over to the dining room window and out across the hedge that hid their family¡¯s rather large cottage home from the outside world. *** It wasn¡¯t as if Kal hated spending time with his mother or anything. He actually quite liked the woman. She was generally pleasant and upbeat, and her love for him was unquestionable. But none of that made sitting around on a playmat with several other toddlers in her friend Tammy¡¯s backyard while they sipped tea and gossiped any better. ¡°Ellie,¡± said a toddler about Kal¡¯s size. She had short, rosy blonde hair and was a month older than him, leading their mothers to plan shared birthdays for the two. ¡°Yes, your name is Ellie, I¡¯m aware,¡± Kal rolled his eyes. ¡°He had our first birthdays together, but I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t remember that.¡± ¡°Mommy,¡± she pointed at Tammy, who waved as she bit into a biscuit. ¡°And she¡¯s your mom. I know,¡± Kal let out an exasperated sigh. When will this torture end? I could be learning to use my mana with this time. ¡°Kal,¡± she pointed at him. ¡°Me?¡± Kal crooked his head. ¡°You finally remember who I am?¡± Ellie nodded. ¡°I guess that¡¯s kind of cool. Good job.¡± The last time we met, she just said ¡°papa¡± and ¡°mama¡±¡ªoh, and the crying. That was painful. ¡°Play?¡± ¡°You want to play with me? Sure, why not, I guess. Can¡¯t be any more boring than sitting here waiting for my mom to get tired.¡± ¡°There,¡± Ellie pointed and led Kal over to some sticks beneath one of the trees in their yard. ¡°Sticks? Cool,¡± Kal said sarcastically, but he followed regardless. When Ellie got to the sticks, she started to arrange them and stack them into piles. ¡°Look,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it. We¡¯re making little piles.¡± Kal sat down beside her and started to do the same. It wasn¡¯t exactly his choice of pastimes, but he wasn¡¯t any worse than sitting and doing nothing. Once they had built a few little piles of sticks, Ellie began brushing some of the dirt away, making little lanes between them. ¡°Are you making little streets? Are they meant to be houses?¡± Kal said, pointing at the piles Ellie nodded. ¡°That¡¯s actually kinda cool.¡± Maybe she¡¯s smarter than she looks. Then again, she only seems to know a few words. ¡°Alright, I guess we¡¯re sweeping now,¡± he added and began to help. Wait, maybe I should try something.
??? Mana Core Mana 0/0 Mana Potential 35 Stage 0
Strength: 0 Agility: 0 Dexterity: 0 Charisma: 0 Wisdom: 0 Intelligence: 0 Endurance: 0 Toughness: 0
Huh, come again? Kal eyed the core. He had tested his new ability on Yandi, Tammy, and several other people as they passed through the streets, and even though they weren¡¯t mages, mana potential generally increased with age. This is the first unawoken core I¡¯ve seen with more than 20 Mana Potential. Is this little girl gifted? ¡°Do you really like this sweeping stuff?¡± Kal probed, but Ellie just kept brushing dirt away. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± Maybe I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. She¡¯s still just a toddler. I can revisit this in a few years, maybe. Ah, well. At least this is kind of relaxing. Falling into an almost trance-like state as he mindlessly cleared the ground, Kal didn¡¯t even notice the mana he was building up in his hand until the dirt blew away an inch before his hand touched it. Blinking, Kal crooked his head. Ah, what? Am I going crazy? He brushed his hand through the air again, but nothing happened this time. Huh? Maybe I was seeing things. He shook his head and continued. A few minutes later, as he was about to brush the dirt, it blew away again, causing his eyes to widen as he jerked back. Nah, no way. It totally blew away from my hand. Kal curiously inspected his hand. It was barely noticeable, but when he focused on his hand, he could swear that he sensed a faint hum of mana in it. Maybe if I¡­ Kal focused on his mana core, directed the mana into his hand, and then swept over the dirt, keeping about an inch or so distance from it. His jaw dropped as the dirt blew away as if hit by a small gust. Not only had it worked, but it was about ten times as powerful as before. ¡°Ah,¡± Ellie spat and patted at her tongue. ¡°Mommy!¡± She shook and then rubbed at her eyes. ¡°Mommmmmy!¡± she screamed and then broke out in tears, kicking at the ground. ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Kal grimaced. ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tammy came running. ¡°You got dirt in your eyes?¡± She said, leaning down to inspect her. Slowly, Kal put his hands behind his back. Yeah, my bad. [ 5 ] Spellcasting So, he¡¯s already learned to hide his mana core, Daedrik mused, hunched over notes in his secret office. Not only that, but his mana is comparable to that of a gifted child over twice his age. Sighing, Daedrik leaned back in his chair. He didn¡¯t know what to do about his son. Regardless of what he was, the kid was a prodigy. But his problem hadn¡¯t been resolved. Kal had learned to hide his core but was too powerful for his age. Any mage worthy of their title would question how a toddler could have a mana potential like Kal. ¡°Curses,¡± Daedrik huffed quietly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± Shaking his head, he leaned forward, eyeing the tome he had spread across his table. It was a copy of a rare book about magical beings that he ordered from the capital¡ªone of the few that made mention of Aeons. But none of the creatures mentioned were quite right. Kal, or whatever he was, was an enigma. At least he wasn¡¯t a demon, Daedrik reassured himself. It would devastate Yandi if they had to deal with him like that. Count your blessings, you big idiot. At least Kal isn¡¯t a monster. Maybe I¡¯m overthinking this. Who knows, maybe he¡¯ll grow up to be normal. Daedrik knew he was being purposefully naive, but what other choice did he have? ***Kal*** At least Kal¡¯s mom no longer checked up on him at night, which allowed him to get back to training quicker once his parents were asleep. Having control over his mana core and understanding the basic principles for controlling that mana allowed Kal to move on to shaping it into spells. Shaping spells wasn¡¯t easy, though. The moment you pulled mana from your body, it started to dissipate. This meant that the faster you could cast a spell, the more efficient it was for your mana usage. Forming a spell was kind of like filling water balloons¡ªexcept if the water was held in a colander. Every time Kal tried, his mana was drained in seconds. Then again, he only had seven points of it, and Kal had read enough of Daedrik¡¯s books to know that it was extremely hard for people to cast any spells before they had at least ten mana. Not that it couldn¡¯t be done, but the combination of low mana and poor efficiency made it nearly impossible for most. In fact, many accomplished mages could cast basic spells for one or two mana points. Trying again after his recovery, mana swirled in Kal¡¯s palm for several seconds before dissipating, and he fell back against his pillow and sighed. ¡°Another failure.¡± He held his hand up to the ceiling and looked at it. The book called the spell he was trying to use a ¡°Wind Punch,¡± which was supposed to work exactly how it sounded. You needed to turn your mana into wind energy to cast Wind Punch, or any basic wind magic for that matter. Since Kal had used wind naturally when playing with Ellie, he decided to start there. So far, he had managed to create the wind and swirl it in his palm as the book described, but he couldn¡¯t do it fast enough to create the pressure and power required to cast the spell. Closing his eyes, Kal focused on his mana core and fluctuating the energy within. It was a basic technique taught in multiple books his father owned and was called Mage Meditating. Minutes later, he had recovered his mana, thanks to his meditation. Without it, it would have taken hours. However, it wasn¡¯t without cost. Meditating to recover your mana was exhausting, and Kal could already feel his little belly rumble in protest. Exhaling, he sat back up. One more try, and then he would sneak into the kitchen for a late-night snack. You can do this, Kal. Just make it go faster. This time, instead of carefully weaving his mana into a stream that he swirled in his palm, Kal pushed the entirety of it out, mentally took hold of it, forced it into a whirlwind of power, and aimed it at his wall. The ball of wind shot out, brushing against his wall and making an old academy flag of his father¡¯s flail. I did it. I really did it. Kal blinked. It wasn¡¯t much, but he had cast a real spell.
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Spellcaster +3 Wisdom +2 Intelligence +3 Mana.
And another Bloodline Trait! Freaking cool! Excited to see his boosted stats, Kal delved into his mana core.
Lesser¨CDemonic Mana Core Mana 4/20 Mana Potential 128 Stage 1
Strength: 2 Agility: 2 Dexterity: 0 Charisma: 5 Wisdom: 5 Intelligence: 5 Endurance: 3 Toughness: 2
Wait, 20 mana, what gives? He furrowed his brow. I should have 10, shouldn¡¯t I? Kal cocked his head as he read the stats. As far as he could tell, nothing else had changed¡ªbesides his new stats, of course. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Wait, maybe that¡¯s it? Both his wisdom and intelligence had hit five. Maybe that¡¯s what had given him the extra mana? It was strange, though; he had been noticeably fitter when unlocking endurance and strength Bloodline Traits but didn¡¯t feel any different with the intelligence. Shouldn¡¯t his brain be thinking quicker or something, he wondered. It looks like I need to get back to the library and learn more about stats and mana cores. After sneaking a sandwich, Kal went to bed. It was already late, and the spellcasting had fatigued him too much, and he wanted a keen eye for studying. *** Awoken by the clatter of bowls and dishes banging out from the kitchen, Kal rubbed at his eyes and began a zombie-like march to see what the fuss was all about. Yandi was in a flustered state, mixing and combining ingredients for a cake. Oh, right, I¡¯m turning two soon, aren¡¯t I? His mother was completely distracted by the task. She had gone a little overboard since it was to be a shared party for both Kal and Ellie. It was also the perfect distraction, and Kal snuck off for the library without a word. There were multiple books about mana cores, but most of them were focused on awakening and controlling mana. What Kal wanted was to learn about the stats themselves. Here we go. Understanding Mana Core Stats, Kal eyed the book title. Within minutes of reading, he realized that mana core stats were not what he thought they were. Mana cores didn¡¯t just provide a straight boon to you. They were more accurately described as the abilities or stats your core was capable of embuing on you at the cost of mana. Kal wondered why he had gotten stronger and fitter from his stats but found a paragraph that explained how children and people who hadn¡¯t awoken their cores often inadvertently used what little mana they had to empower their stat bonuses. It was basically their body naturally making the most of what they had. However, it still cost mana, and walking around with boosted stats would exhaust most people quickly. So, I¡¯ve already been using my mana? Focusing on his core¡¯s stats, he felt his mind sharpen, his muscles tighten, and one mana flickered away as he watched his stats. So, it¡¯s true, Kal¡¯s nodded thoughtfully. This changed everything. His stats had grown quickly, and while he might not be normal, it was a wonder why superhumans weren¡¯t marching about. After all, he could barely cast a single, weak spell in his current shape. He could only imagine what the most powerful were capable of. However, if the benefits provided from the core required mana to be used, that was different. Even if mages could turn themselves into hulks, they might have to choose between that and casting spells. Even though Kal was fairly sure he understood it, he took advantage of his freedom to read as many books as possible before his mother finished cooking the cakes.
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Studious +3 Wisdom.
Okay, that¡¯s welcome. But it¡¯s still going to take forever to increase my mana at this rate. I really need to come up with a fast way of increasing it. ¡°Hey, this is where you got off to,¡± Yandi said, wiping her hands on her apron. ¡°Come on then, Beetle, help me mix the icing. We better hurry; your daddy wouldn¡¯t want me coming in here with all this muck on me,¡± she added, placing a hand beside her mouth. ¡°Coming,¡± Kal droned. ¡°Hey, sound at least a little excited. I¡¯ll let you try a little icing.¡± ¡°Yippee,¡± Kal cheered, trying to feign excitement. ¡°You sound like an old man,¡± Yandi slumped as she held the door open with her foot to let Kal out. ¡°I¡¯m just not much of a sweet tooth,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re making it worse.¡± ***Birthday Party*** Raising his hand into the sky, Daedrik made a stream of rainbow colors fly up and burst into a round of quick-sequence crackles, eliciting an eruption of cheers from the birthday attendants. Two tables were set up, covered in various dishes, one for adults and one for children. However, most of the smallest children were playing around on the perfectly green grass that surrounded Jakari home. ¡°It must be amazing to have a successful mage as a husband,¡± one of the women gowned in an oversized white brim hat said, hungrily eyeing Daedrik before her gaze melted into dissatisfaction at the sight of her beer-bellied husband helping himself to seconds. ¡°Oh, it has its perks,¡± Yandi blushed, brushing away a streak of her light brown hair. ¡°There you are, my beautiful wife,¡± Daedrik said, swooping in to wrap his arms around her. ¡°And so romantic, what a catch.¡± ¡°Honey, would you give me a hand over here?¡± The husband of the woman in the white hat said, struggling to pull his fly zipper up. ¡°It¡¯s stuck!¡± ¡°Just a moment, the child needs help,¡± she said, excusing herself from the group of parents sitting at the table. Wouldn¡¯t mind running one through her if I still had my old body, Kal thought, watching the woman in the tight white dress rise to help her husband. ¡°Dig?¡± Ellie said at Kal¡¯s side, holding out a tiny shovel. ¡°Yeah, why not,¡± he sighed and took the shovel. ¡°Where are we digging?¡± ¡°Here,¡± Ellie said, shoveling out a patch of perfect grass. ¡°Wait¡ªno, never mind,¡± he shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not like the lawn was perfect or anything. Oh, and now you¡¯re eating it, charming.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ellie turned to Kal with a crooked head as she munched on the dirt. ¡°Yucky!¡± She spat, splattering his face. ¡°I guess we¡¯re even of the other day now,¡± Kal groaned, wiping the dirt from his face. ¡°Time for candles,¡± Yandi said, clapping to herself softly as she came and picked Kal up, with Tammy only a second behind. The two toddlers were plunked down beside one another next to the cake, and Daedrik lit the four candles¡ªtwo each¡ªwith a flame he produced from the tip of his index finger. ¡°Okay, now blow,¡± Yandi clapped. With a bored expression, Kal blew his candles out while Ellie huffed and huffed. Is anything even coming out of her mouth? Wait, is blowing a skill you learn? I never really thought about that. All right, this has officially taken too long. Stealthy raising a hand just above the tabletop, Kal pointed two fingers at the cake and summoned his mana. Just like before, he cast Wind Punch, but a smaller version of the spell. Unfortunately, he had somehow improved, and an inch-sized ball of high-pressure gas shot toward the cake, blasting the candles and a handful of icing off of its top and into the shocked faces of several onlookers. ¡°Sorry,¡± Ellie said with a wide expression. ¡°An evil spirit!¡± One man exclaimed, wiping the icing from his face. ¡°Get the kids inside.¡± ¡°Calm down, everyone,¡± Daedrik shouted above the commotion as he clapped loudly. ¡°There¡¯s no demon. Just a little magical anomaly. Nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Oh my, thank the gods we have you, Daedrik,¡± one panicked woman said, wiping her brow. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, really,¡± Daedrik smiled and then soured as he turned to Kal. ¡°You, with me.¡± *** ¡°So, you¡¯ve already learned to cast spells. When exactly were you intending to tell me about this?¡± Daedrik said, scolding Kal in the library. ¡°I thought you would figure it out,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°Well, I have now. What in the nine realms were you doing using it at your birthday party?¡± ¡°I just thought I could help¡­ the last time I did that, I barely managed to make one of your old flags flap,¡± Kal said, looking down at his feet. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. That was unbelievably reckless. You¡¯ve got the talents of a genius; you best start behaving like you have the brains of one, too,¡± Daedrik facepalmed. ¡°Sorry, Dad.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see any more magic out of you when guests are around. You keep everything magic-related restricted to your private life and within this house, understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, Kal. I¡¯m not sure what you think of me after what¡¯s happened between us, but I¡¯m doing this to protect the family. If the authorities learn that you are the greatest magical prodigy known to man¡ªor perhaps something else¡­ it won¡¯t end well, do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± ¡°Good. Now, go pretend to be a normal kid. And for the love of the gods, stop ogling Mrs. Landers; she¡¯s a grown woman. It¡¯s beyond creepy. I guess I wasn¡¯t as inconspicuous as I thought, Kal reddened. [ 6 ] Magic Okay, let¡¯s see here, Kal mused, sitting atop the living room sofa. His third birthday had come and gone without another unfortunate event like at his second, and in that time, he had been training his magic every moment he got. For months after his second birthday, it felt like Daedrik¡¯s eyes followed him everywhere, but he seemed to have relaxed recently¡ªprobably because Kal had kept his magic use discrete. Standing up, he turned and extended his right hand out through the open window behind the couch. Okay, this is my time to shine. Kal had been practicing control of his mana and spell forming repetitively for months now and couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. He needed to see with his own eyes how much power he could put into a spell now. Turning his mana into a ball of condensed air barely took any thought now, and Kal formed his spell in scarcely a second. Aimed at the timber clothing line across the yard, he shot the ball of wind from his palm. His eyes widened immediately as he realized how much energy he had funneled into his spell. He had gotten much better, and the spell had little mana waste.
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Impatient -3 Charisma | Faster Mana Channeling
Wind Punch slammed into the clothing hanger with a loud crash that shot splinters out across the yard. ¡°M-magic?¡± Exclaimed Yandi as she spotted her son perched beside the window. ¡°Huh?¡± Kal gasped and turned to his slack-jawed mother. A creaking groan sounded from the window, and Kal¡¯s expression twisted into a grimace as he turned back toward the window. The timber clothing line hung on a slant, one of its timber legs a shattered mess of broken and splintered wood, looking like someone had taken a bat to it¡ªrepeatedly. ¡°Sorry, Mom.¡± ¡°H-how is that possible?¡± She wiped her brow and stumbled. ¡°Mom?¡± Yandi¡¯s eyes fluttered shut, and she began to fall. Shit, Mom! In a flash, Kal sent the remnants of his mana shooting in another Wind Punch between the couch and the wall, jettisoning the couch toward his mom just in time to catch her as she fainted. ¡°What is going on out¨C¡± Daedrik said, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of Kal panting on one side of the couch while Yandi lay unconscious on the other. ¡°What happened?¡± he added, dashing toward Yandi and hovering his hand above her nose. ¡°She fainted.¡± ¡°She¡¯s breathing, thank goodness. What did you do?¡± Daedrik growled, turning to Kal with a scowl. ¡°Well, she kinda¡­¡± ¡°Just tell me,¡± Daedrik said, his hand beginning to glow as he hovered it an inch from Yandi¡¯s forehead. ¡°She saw me cast a spell,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°I swear, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°That''s it? Are you serious, Kal? Do you remember what I told you?¡± ¡°Honey?¡± Yandi murmured as her lids lazily fluttered open. ¡°My love,¡± Daedrik turned back to Yandi and leaned in for a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Yeah, just a little dizzy. Where¡¯s Kal?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right here,¡± Daedrik turned, narrowing his gaze on Kal. ¡°Hey, Mom,¡± Kal said, waving as he stepped into view. ¡°I saw the strangest thing¡­ wait,¡± her brow furrowed, and she shook her head. ¡°Was I? No, I¡ªI saw¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, my love. Tell us later,¡± Daedrik patted her head. ¡°You need to rest. Let¡¯s get you to bed.¡± ¡°Okay, honey,¡± Yandi nodded. ¡°Are you good to look after Kal for a little bit?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Daedrik said, glaring at Kal as he helped her up and to the bedroom. *** Kal lay on his bed, throwing a ball toward the ceiling. His father would no doubt be pissed, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it now. Besides, he caught his mom anyway. It''s not like he let her hit the ground. Sighing, he thought back to the Bloodline Trait he had unlocked in the middle of the chaos. Damn, so much for all my charisma. But that is interesting. I can gain negative Bloodline Traits. Then again, it¡¯s not really negative. Faster mana channeling should be pretty useful, depending on how it works. ¡°Kal.¡± He sat up at the sound of his father¡¯s voice. ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking about what I said. I know it was just your mother, but she could have been seriously hurt. But what¡¯s worse, I¡¯m not sure I can trust you to follow my instructions. People won¡¯t understand a child who hasn¡¯t even reached their fourth birthday casting spells. Remember that Archmage I told you about? He was the greatest prodigy ever recorded in all of Lyssia, and he cast his first spell at age six.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Kal said. ¡°Most people won¡¯t even believe you¡¯re human; I¡¯m not even sure I do. Just take it easy, okay?¡± Daedrik rubbed at his temples. ¡°You have given me no choice¡ªI¡¯ll have to explain to your mother what she saw when she¡¯s feeling better. But don¡¯t let it get to your head. I¡¯ve warned you. I¡¯m not doing all this just for me and your mother. You might not realize it, but this is for your own benefit. Kal, listen, you might think you¡¯re strong, but it wouldn¡¯t take even the flick of a finger for a government mage to subdue you, do you understand?¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°I do,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Good. Trust me. Neither of us wants to bring that down on our family. For all of our sakes, take this seriously, and stop messing around,¡± Daedrik said, slowly closing the door. Maybe I should be more careful. He seems genuinely freaked out by the thought of the government finding out about me. *** Even though his mother knew he could cast magic, Kal kept his use of it on the down low after making her faint. Not that he let it get in the way of his training. His father swung between berating lectures and oddly thoughtful reassurance. As with the disaster that was his second birthday, Daedrik¡¯s antics calmed over the following months. Yandi, on the other hand, pretended like nothing had happened and went straight back to treating Kal like her precious little boy who needed protection. But from then on, he was extra cautious when taking excursions into town with his mom. From that day on, Kal went above and beyond what was asked, putting all his energy into restraining his core when out of the house. Thankfully, this was becoming easier. Kal had been reading about mana and core hiding. There were the basic hiding techniques that everyone used, the ones he had already mastered. But there were also far more advanced methods used by spies and even assassins that attempted to mask one''s core entirely, including its mana potential. A powerful mage would stand out in a crowd without these techniques, and so they were also quite common among more advanced mages, and this was what Kal realized he needed to be capable of. He had started to observe mana in others, which made him acutely aware of how out of place he would appear to a wandering mage. Hiding his stats simply wouldn¡¯t be good enough. He would need to hide his mana potential as well as he could. Following the guides, Kal used a technique known as pentagramal control. It was supposed to be near impossible, but none of the other techniques worked for him for some reason. Splitting his mana into five points using this technique, Kal then had to mask the weakened energy. It was strange, though. Splitting one¡¯s mana into five separate points was meant to be exceedingly hard, but it felt natural to him.
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Problem Solver +3 Intelligence.
Okay, I¡¯ll take it. Kal face lit up, but it felt undeserved. He had spent so much trial and error trying to cast a spell and yet hadn¡¯t earned a Bloodline Trait like this. In comparison, he really hadn¡¯t put much effort into this technique. What are you worrying about, idiot? It¡¯s a free boon.
Lesser¨CDemonic Mana Core Mana 4/20 Mana Potential 128 Stage 1
Strength: 2 Agility: 2 Dexterity: 0 Charisma: 2 Wisdom: 8 Intelligence: 8 Endurance: 3 Toughness: 2 Faster Mana Channeling
Kal eyed his stats with a grin. It had been a while since he had unlocked anything, and despite his unnaturally fast growth, he had started to grow a little concerned he was plateauing already. *** Sitting on the edge of his bed, Kal practiced cooling his magical energy and forming ice. Before his last Bloodline Trait, he had only just been able to cast Wind Punch, so he had expected failure when he tackled the more complicated Ice Dart spell. Magic formed a whirlwind in Kal¡¯s palm, which promptly cooled and formed a shard of ice about three inches thick. It hovered in the air, suspended an inch from his palm. ¡°So cool,¡± Kal mouthed, looking down at the ice shard. Glancing across his room at a little wooden statue of a goat that sat on a narrow bookshelf, he aimed the ice. The moment he relaxed his control of the mana connecting the shard of ice to himself, it released like a spring and shot from his palm. Flinching from the spell¡¯s sudden explosiveness, Kal squeezed his eyes shut and fell back onto his bed. Easing his eyes open, Kal pulled himself up. ¡°Oh no,¡± he gasped.¡± The ice shard had flown off course and head-shotted a portrait of his father that hung on his wall. He hadn¡¯t particularly liked the oil painting. Not because it was bad but because he just didn¡¯t want it in his bedroom. This, however, wasn¡¯t the best way to deal with it. Not good. Daedrik only just got off my back again. If he sees this, he¡¯s going to be breathing down my freaking neck again. Jumping off his bed, Kal quickly climbed the drawer beside the bookshelf. Unfortunately, he was still way too short to reach the painting. What if I¡­ Kal formed a weakened Wind Punch in his hand and aimed it behind the painting. The gust of wind lifted the painting off its hook and flung it across the room. Cringing as the painting banged against the ceiling, the wall, and then landed on his bed, Kal turned with squinted eyes toward the broken frame and torn painting sprawled across his bed, and glass shattered across the floor and his sheets. That was dumb. A long moment passed as Kal stood stunned, looking at the carnage before him as he calmed and slumped, letting out a deep sigh. Okay, it seems that somehow he didn¡¯t hear. Finally, some good luck is coming my way. Jumping down from the drawer, Kal dodged glass landmines on his floor and collected up his blanket, being careful not to spill the contents. Once he had it bundled up, he swept the glass remnants from the floor up and into the blanket. Shoving the bundled-up blanket into the corner of his room, he carefully opened his door and eyed the corridor. It was late, but not so late that he could be sure his parents were asleep. Tiptoeing down the corridor, Kal hugged the walls like a little ninja, tilting his head around each corner to scan the rooms. No sign of them. Breathing a sigh of relief, he returned to his room. Spotting no sign of his parents, he assumed they were asleep. Time to get to business. Sneaking out into the yard, Kal dragged his bundled-up blanket and picked a spot in the corner of the yard by the hedge. Using a shovel would have been well beyond any other kid his age, but Kal could funnel his mana into his strength stat, empowering it far beyond any other three-year-old. With great effort, he dug a hole, huffing and wiping sweat from his brow. Unfortunately, his mana hadn¡¯t fully recovered from his late-night training, and using it to empower his strength wasn¡¯t easy with such small reserves, forcing Kal to take breaks and sneak back into the house for some bread and dried meat from the pantry. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± His brow perked as he dug the shovel into the dirt. A spherical object broke free from the earth and rolled with a metallic ring along the shovel. Curious, Kal scooped the sphere up and out of the hole. Immediately, he could feel the mana humming from the object. There was no doubt it was Daedrik¡¯s, but Kal couldn¡¯t restrain his desire to learn more about it and why it was in their garden. Inching closer, he eyed the meticulous glyphs etched into the metal itself, giving off a dim, orange glow. Whatever this thing was, it was valuable and potentially useful for his magical growth. Hastily, he threw the painting remnants into the hole and covered it up. Picking the sphere up, he looked down at it in his palm and the oddly warm sensation it gave off. What are you? Wrapping his hand around the treasure, he pocketed it. He might have gotten a little sidetracked, but Kal hadn¡¯t forgotten his goal: no time wasting. He was going to live this life to the fullest, regardless of whether he had a demon core or not, and that meant smashing his goals. Sorry, Daedrik, but I have a feeling this little thing is going to be useful. [ 7 ] Sphere Thankfully, Daedrik rarely entered Kal¡¯s room anymore. Their relationship seemed to have improved, but he was fairly certain he still had doubts about whether or not Kal was actually his son. But that worked in Kal¡¯s favor. He wasn¡¯t particularly fond of having his studies interrupted, and besides, it might mean that he wouldn¡¯t notice the missing painting anytime soon. At night, when he was fairly certain everyone was asleep, Kal fiddled around with the sphere. It seemed to be fueling a spell of some kind. At first, he wasn¡¯t sure what exactly it was doing, but he had noticed something strange about their home¡ªhe couldn¡¯t sense any mana cores within it. Through simple deduction, Kal figured that the sphere had something to do with that. Not only that, but he could sense that it was connected via mana to three other spots that dotted each corner of their yard. Not wanting to push his luck, Kal left what he assumed were likely more spheres untouched. It was also because he didn¡¯t need more of them, for now, at least. Kal had realized he could draw on the mana stored within the sphere, and there was a lot of it. Studying the sphere, Kal confirmed that it couldn¡¯t replenish its mana, but that wasn¡¯t overly important since it had a couple thousand points of mana stored within it. He then experimented by trying to walk away from their home and into the surrounding forest, but when he tried to pull the sphere too far away from where he had found it, he started to feel resistance and feared breaking the spell and alerting Daedrik. Not wanting to lose his new treasure, he decided to keep it in his room. Not that Kal was too worried. The sphere allowed him to restore his mana whenever he was low in seconds by drawing on the reserves stored within it, allowing him to train even harder. *** Sitting at the kitchen table, Kal cut up and colored some little targets while doing arts and crafts with Yandi. In his mother¡¯s usual forced ignorance, she was more than happy whenever Kal was doing the kind of activities expected of a three-year-old, so she wasn¡¯t one to question him when he was making little targets. In her eyes, at least he wasn¡¯t reading several-inch-thick tomes about magic and the politics of the realms. ¡°What are you up to, cutie?¡± ¡°Making targets,¡± Kal said without thinking. ¡°Targets?¡± ¡°Oh¡ªit¡¯s like for a game.¡± Idiot, are you trying to get yourself caught? ¡°A game?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a game the kids taught me at the play day we had a few weeks back.¡± ¡°Did they now? Aww, I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re getting closer to the kids your age,¡± Yandi beamed. So predictable. ¡°Yeah. I want to make some of my own so we can play together next time we meet up.¡± ¡°Oh, how delightful. Let me help,¡± Yandi clapped, taking a brush and painting one of the little wooden cutouts Kal had been making. She¡¯s even helping, and now I feel guilty. *** ¡°Okay, here we go,¡± Kal huffed under his breath. He had set up a dozen of the little targets around his room. Stepping back away from the targets with the sphere in one hand, he summoned Ice Dart in the other and aimed. Bouncing around the room, he shot the little darts at one target after another, drawing mana from the sphere as he did. It hadn¡¯t taken Kal long to realize that knowing how to cast spells was only one-half of becoming a mage. If he wanted to be a powerful spellcaster who could travel the world freely without worrying about the monsters and demons that inhabited it, he would also need to be skilled in his use of magic. This training continued whenever he had spare time, and he quickly found himself close to exhausting the sphere¡¯s mana. Kal knew that the sphere appeared to be connected to three other points, and as its mana depleted, he temptation figure out what it was connected to, grew. Late one night, he crept out, following the sting of mana linking the sphere to the garden, and dug out another corner of the yard. So, there are more of these things, he thought, looking down at the metallic object in the hole he had just dug. Reaching down, Kal retrieved the second sphere, and with one in either hand, he transferred the mana between them until they were both about half full. Actually. Reversing the process, he reduced one of the spheres to about a quarter mana and pocketed the other. Okay, good as new-ish, Kal grinned and dropped the sphere back into the hole. He knew his little game of stealing mana from the spheres was only a short-term solution, but that was a problem for future Kal. Present Kal, on the other hand, was going to get stronger. Without a second to lose, Kal went back to practicing. He spent the following weeks shooting his little targets on a nightly basis until he was dashing through his room, effortlessly landing hits. Swinging around as he hit several targets in quick success, he drove into a roll across a pillow at the end of his bed, bounced back up, and shot two targets within a second of one another, landing two perfect bullseyes.
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Snapshot +1 Agility +3 Dexterity.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Finally, another one! Not only that, but I finally scored a Bloodline Trait that comes with some dexterity. That should come in handy. *** The next morning, Kal groggily rubbed at his eyes, rose from his bed, and stumbled to the kitchen. ¡°Kal,¡± Daedrik said, standing in the hallway with a stiff expression. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°Get yourself something to eat, and come meet me in the library.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Kal nodded. Oh no, don¡¯t tell me he has figured out what I¡¯ve been up to? Just when things were starting to look up. Kal¡¯s thoughts trailed as he munched his cereal, barely registering the taste. Maybe this would be his father¡¯s last straw. Had stealing his sphere and draining its mana finally driven him over the edge? Gulping down cereal, Kal went for another scoop, only to ding his spoon against the ceramic. ¡°Empty,¡± he mouthed. Sighing, he pushed out from the table and slowly walked down the hallway. Don¡¯t be stupid. It¡¯s only a little mana. If he hasn¡¯t decided to turn you into cinder already, he probably isn¡¯t going to over the sphere. ¡°I¡¯m in the office,¡± Daedrik called out as Kal entered the dark library. The library''s warm but dim lights only illuminated the main walkway between the shelves, casting shadows down its crowded alleys of books. ¡°Dad?¡± Kal said as he reached the office. ¡°Come in and take a seat,¡± Daedrik said, patting the chair beside him. Kal nodded and took the seat. Okay, he has a decent poker face if he¡¯s pissed. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten remarkably good at hiding your mana. You never cease to amaze me,¡± Daedrik said. ¡°Hiding my mana core might not have been something I ever spent much time focused on, but still¡­ you¡¯re better at it than me¡ªa registered mage adept. It¡¯s unbelievable, really.¡± ¡°Well, you said I should¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct, I did. Please, Kal, relax. I¡¯m not scolding you. You did good. Hiding your core is the only way to keep our family safe. Take a seat. What I¡¯m about to show you will likely go over your head, but I want to reward you for doing what I asked. And you¡¯re just so hard for me to keep up with, so I picked something I knew you wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Have you heard of Primary Casting?¡± Kal placed his index against his lip as he thought. The name rang a bell. He figured it was probably something he had seen mentioned in advanced spellcasting, which was why he hadn¡¯t studied it. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen it mentioned,¡± he said. ¡°Good. Follow along because this won¡¯t be easy. And keep in mind that I don¡¯t expect you to learn or use these techniques any time soon. Primary Casting is very advanced, but for someone as gifted as you, it might help give you direction and help your long-term growth.¡± ¡°Roger,¡± Kal nodded. *** ¡°Do you understand what I mean, Kal?¡± Daedrik said, tapping on a diagram at the center of the impressively thick tome his three-year-old son craned over. ¡°I think so. Unlocking your primary mana points allows a mage to use the entirety of their mana core when casting spells by not limiting themselves to predefined mana pathways. By linking them through the proper channels, the mage can find the perfect efficiency and equilibrium when drawing on their mana reserves, thus greatly increasing their power and unlocking a larger percentage of their mana potential. Not only that, but it is impossible to reach fifth circle magic and above without doing so.¡± Whatever all that means. It sounds simple enough on the surface, but I¡¯ve been sensing my mana for years now and never noticed any primary points. What the hell? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what the text says. But do you understand how mages control the flow of mana?¡± Kal scrunched his brow and read through the instructions again. After a long pause, he shook his head. ¡°Almost all human mages start casting spells with their hands because that is what comes naturally to us as humans, and the same goes for the mana veins they utilize. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean you need to learn how to fire spells through your eyes or anything. However, the way we naturally cast spells isn¡¯t necessarily through our strongest veins or mana points, and therefore, it is inefficient. This text is trying to demonstrate the importance of discovering those points. The hint is in how you sense your mana. Feel it traveling through your mana veins as you channel it into your spellcasting. It is no easy task to discover this, and many lesser mages go their entire lives without doing so, so don¡¯t put yourself under too much stress. Even a mage as talented as you is likely to take some time to learn this.¡± Take my time? Not if I can help it. ¡°Wait, so our mana points differ from our mana core?¡± Why wasn¡¯t that mentioned in the book about awakening mana cores? ¡°Our mana core is the source of our mana. But our mana points and veins are how we form external mana and use it to weave spells. We have them all over our bodies, but our primary points differ for everyone. This is what you have to discover if you want to unlock your true potential. It¡¯s especially important for high-efficiency casting, and why it is often quoted as a requirement for casting fifth-circle spells and above.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s not a requirement?¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, no. But very few mages would have enough mana to cast fifth-circle spells without mastering their primaries, and those who do have that much mana wouldn¡¯t need to because they would be great mages with power on par with an Archmage.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Good, but I was being serious about taking your time. You have no need for spells that powerful, and you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your life if you damage your mana veins or primary points.¡± ¡°Okay, Dad. I¡¯ll take my time.¡± Daedrik narrowed his gaze on Kal. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you for a second. But I¡¯m being serious, Kal. Many impatient mages have tried to force this process and permanently damage themselves¡ªlimiting their potential.¡± Kal eyed his hands. Maybe I should slow down. I¡¯ve already made so much progress for my age. It would be silly to damage my potential because I¡¯m impatient. ¡°That look on your face,¡± Daedrik said. ¡°It almost makes me question what I know about you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That wrinkled brow. Your curious and uncertain expression makes you look like an actual child.¡± The poor guy is alright, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯ve just gone and freaked him out by doing things a child my age has no business doing. I can¡¯t really blame him for how he has been acting. ¡°Sorry, nevermind. I¡¯m just blabbering.¡± ¡°No,¡± Kal interrupted. ¡°Thanks for saying that. It makes you feel less distant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kal,¡± Daedrik¡¯s gaze drifted down. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to put so much pressure on you. I hope that it hasn¡¯t been too much. I forget sometimes how young you are.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You know what? I¡¯m actually grateful. I don¡¯t suppose my path is going get any easier, and at least I have an understanding of how the world is going to treat me.¡± ¡°Good to hear. It sounds like you¡¯re getting it. I have a feeling you won¡¯t stick around a boring little backwater like Ebenshire for too long. You¡¯re going to turn heads; that much is clear. But if you¡¯re not careful, that will have consequences. Bad ones.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure you do,¡± Daedrik sighed. ¡°But that¡¯s fine. In fact, it¡¯s kind of refreshing to see you not fully comprehending something. Even as tightly hidden as it is, I can tell that there is something different about your core. Thankfully, I think you¡¯ve already reached a point where you can hide yourself from mages below the adept level. But there are stronger mages than me in the big cities. Not only that, but it is harder to maintain your focus when you¡¯re exhausted. You have to be careful of this, especially if you decide to use your magic in combat. If you become weakened or exhausted, you could expose your secret.¡± ¡°I will keep improving my ability to hide my core, I swear it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will,¡± Daedrik flashed a smile. ¡°Just be careful, that¡¯s all I ask. Don¡¯t let yourself get overconfident. We¡¯re hidden away from so much in this little town. You really don¡¯t know everything that awaits you out there, and reading books will only prepare you so much for what you¡¯ll find.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, Dad.¡± I wonder¡ªhow high is the ceiling for magery, anyway? [ 8 ] Childhood ¡°Watchya doing, Kal?¡± Came a squeaky through the white picket gate that enclosed the yard. Kal turned around to spot a curious, skinny girl with a rosy, blonde fringe watching him. ¡°Oh, hi Ellie. Didn¡¯t know you were visiting today.¡± ¡°Surprise!¡± Ellie waved her hands. ¡°A bit late for that,¡± Kal rolled his eyes. ¡°Hey Kal, can you call your mother?¡± Tammy said, walking up behind Ellie, her face hidden behind a pile of boxes she carried. ¡°Mom!¡± Kal shouted toward the house. ¡°Ellie and her mother are here.¡± ¡°One minute.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be out soon.¡± ¡°Do you mind?¡± Tammy said, pushing up against the gate. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Kal bounced over and unlatched the gate and pulled it open for them. ¡°Oh my,¡± Tammy puffed, staggering from side to side and lumping the boxes down by the door. ¡°That was close,¡± she exhaled and wiped her brow. ¡°Mommy, Mommy!¡± ¡°What is it, Ellie?¡± ¡°Can I play with Kal?¡± ¡°Ask Kal.¡± ¡°Sorry, I was just in the middle of something,¡± Yandi said, pushing through the front door. ¡°Has everything been delivered from the Lorran already?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Tammy nodded. ¡°Pretty exciting, huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s all that?¡± Kal asked. ¡°Not telling. It¡¯s a surprise,¡± Yandi beamed. ¡°Great,¡± Kal sighed. I have a feeling that surprise is more for them than it is for me. ¡°Kal¡­¡± Ellie said, pressing her index fingers together. ¡°Huh?¡± Kal turned to her. ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°Do you want to¡­¡± ¡°Play? Yeah, fine. Whatever.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ellie¡¯s eyes brightened. May as well get this suffering over and done with. ¡°Sure, whatever. What do you want to do?¡± Ellie turned to the back of the yard. ¡°The scary forest.¡± ¡°The forest?¡± ¡°Hey, Ellie, don¡¯t go scaring yourself,¡± Tammy interrupted. ¡°You know how it affects your sleep.¡± ¡°But Mom!¡± ¡°Ellie,¡± Tammy tsked. ¡°Fine,¡± Ellie huffed and stomped over to an empty spot in the yard, sat down, wrapped her arms around her legs, and hugged them against he chest. ¡°Ellie?¡± Kal said, approaching her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The forest.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°You called it the scary forest, remember?¡± ¡°Uh Huh. So?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just wondering why.¡± ¡°Why what?¡± Sighing, Kal shook his head. Talking to kids wasn¡¯t getting any easier. ¡°Why did you call it the scary forest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the big kids called it. They told me there were scary things in there. Like monsters,¡± Ellie nodded wide-eyed. Probably just kid¡¯s tales, Kal thought, looking out across the forest that bordered his home¡ªbut maybe it was worth investigating anyway. For another time, maybe. *** ¡°Do you know the secret?¡± Ellie suddenly said as they played in the garden. Snapping trigs and throwing them as he pretended to play along, Kal distantly replied, ¡°No.¡± ¡°The birthday,¡± Ellie cupped her mouth and whispered. ¡°Birthday? Cool.¡± ¡°We¡¯re gonna be five.¡± ¡°Yay,¡± Kal said unenthusiastically. ¡°It¡¯s special because we go to school next year.¡± ¡°School?¡± Kal perked. Oh yeah, I¡¯m starting school soon, aren¡¯t I? That means more kids. Oh my days, this is going to be so boring. ¡°Yep,¡± Ellie nodded. ¡°I¡¯m so excited.¡± At least someone is. Kal turned to the house, where he could see his mother and Tammy through the window talking over tea. ¡°You be the Mommy, and I¡¯ll be the kid,¡± Ellie said, passing Kal one of her dolls. ¡°Hey, Ellie, do you want to check the scary forest out?¡± ¡°But my Mom said¨C¡± ¡°They¡¯re busy. We won¡¯t go far. Just see if there are any scary monsters,¡± Kal said, lowering his brow and raising his hands like claws. Gasping, Ellie slowly nodded. *** ¡°Stay close,¡± Kal said. Ellie walked a couple of feet back, and while he didn¡¯t expect monsters in the forest he had lived next to his entire life, he also didn¡¯t want to get in trouble if she got herself hurt. ¡°Okay,¡± Ellie nodded and followed. A paddock style fence and gate lined the back of their property, and Kal carefully unhinged and opened it, trying not to make a noise. ¡°It¡¯s pretty back here,¡± Kal said, walking along flower beds and vibrant green thickets that filled the forest¡¯s undergrowth. ¡°Are they?¡± He raised a brow and approached what looked like little blueberries. They have to be. ¡°Figberries, yum!¡± Ellie exclaimed and pushed past Kal to pocket handfuls of the berries. ¡°Figberries?¡± That¡¯s right, Yandi has made figberry pies before, hasn¡¯t she? ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Ellie nodded, handing Kal a few berries. ¡°Umm, sweet and tarty. Delicious,¡± Kal said. ¡°Yep, they¡¯re my favorite.¡± ¡°Everything is your favorite,¡± Kal groaned, remembering how Ellie constantly said that. ¡°Yep,¡± Ellie nodded, stuffing her mouth with the berries.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Turning his gaze to the darkness of the forest floor to his left, Kal felt the air cool. ¡°Chilly,¡± Ellie complained, rubbing her arms. ¡°Yeah,¡± Kal murmured, his gaze thinning. There¡¯s something in there; I can feel it. The mana. Suddenly, the forest appeared to stretch, and Kal felt his mana core thump, sending him stumbling backward and tripping on a rock. ¡°Kal! Are you alright?¡± Ellie rushed to his aid. Sitting on his butt, Kal shuffled back across the dirt, gaze locked on the forest¡¯s depths. ¡°Kal,¡± Ellie echoed, grabbing his shoulders. ¡°Back, get back!¡± Kal commanded, pushing Ellie behind him. Wind rustled the leaves and Kal gulped as an eerie silence fell over the forest and the chill grew stronger. It¡¯s coming, I can feel it. Kal¡¯s eyes widened as a figure flashed out from the undergrowth, and he raised a hand toward it, summoning and shooting one of his Ice Darts in the blink of an eye. ¡°Shit,¡± Kal mouthed and blinked. Thudding to the floor, a white rabbit lay motionless on the ground with the ice shard protruding from its body, staining it red. ¡°MOMMMY!¡± Ellie screamed at the top of her lungs. Great, just freaking great. *** Ellie left sobbing alongside her mother. Thankfully, the ice shard had melted before Tammy reached the scene, and Ellie wasn¡¯t capable of describing what had happened. ¡°Kal,¡± Daedrik said as they watched Yandi walk Tammy and Ellie to the gate. ¡°What did I say about using your magic? I thought he had moved on from this.¡± ¡°Sorry, Dad. But I didn¡¯t mean to. It¡¯s just tha¨C¡± ¡°No excuses.¡± ¡°But¨C¡± ¡°Kal. I told you this was serious, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes, Dad,¡± Kal slumped. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, but in a few years, we can let people know all about the magic you can use. You¡¯ll still have to hide the extent of your power, but at least you won¡¯t need to hide it entirely. But until then, you must keep it to yourself, understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± ¡°Good. Now go to your room, and count yourself lucky that Tammy didn¡¯t see anything.¡± *** Pushing his bedside table up beside his window, Kal climbed it and pulled the curtains back. I know I¡¯m not going mad. Maybe I screwed up shooting that rabbit, but something is out there, and it reacted to my mana core. I just know it. He needed a proper answer. The way his core had reacted was beyond weird. Something out there was magical; he could feel it. But it wasn¡¯t like his father. He had spent his entire life around Daedrik and never felt his core react like that. Unfortunately, whilst Daedrik¡¯s library was quite expansive, he hadn¡¯t seen anything that helped explain what had happened in the forest. Could it be related to my demonic core? If kids around Ebenshire are talking about this scary forest, then perhaps it¡¯s a folktale? And if folktales about the forest exist, then maybe I can find something useful in the library in town. He had gone back and checked for anything mythology-related but wasn¡¯t surprised when he didn¡¯t find anything. Daedrik was essentially the magical equivalent of a scientist, and Kal doubted he ever read for entertainment. I just need an excuse to go into town now. Luckily, that wouldn¡¯t be too hard. Yandi loved making trips into town, and there was always something she needed to buy. *** ¡°Why are you so insistent all of a sudden?¡± Yandi said as she stirred a pot atop the kitchen harth. ¡°I thought you hated going into town?¡± ¡°Nuh uh, I changed my mind. I want to see the library. I heard they have all kinds of cool stuff.¡± ¡°What kinds of cool stuff?¡± Yandi questioned. ¡°Ahh¨Cbooks?¡± ¡°I should have known,¡± Yandi groaned and slumped. ¡°I dreamt for a moment it might be the giant caterpillar they have on display. But no, that would be too normal for my Little Beetle.¡± ¡°Yeah, that too,¡± Kal nodded enthusiastically. ¡°The giant caterpillar.¡± ¡°You think I was born yesterday, mister?¡± ¡°Ohh, come on, Mom. Can¡¯t we go?¡± ¡°Fine. I suppose we need to pick up a few things for school anyway. I can¡¯t believe my Little Beetle is already leaving for school. Are you excited?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°Doubt they¡¯ll be teaching me anything interesting.¡± ¡°For you, no, probably not,¡± Yandi admitted. ¡°But you¡¯ll have a chance to meet more little friends. How cute would it be if you and Ellie formed a little band of buddies?¡± ¡°So cute,¡± Kal rolled his eyes. ¡°All this talk of school has got me excited. Alright, get ready. Let¡¯s go for a visit into town.¡± *** A cobblestone path lined by timber fencing and flowering hedges cut through parcelled paddocks and greenery as it winded through the outskirts of town. The path passed by a watermill that sat on the Eben River, the water that ran over its wooden paddles gently foaming across smooth rocks and marking the border of the town proper from the outskirts where they lived. With every step they took toward town, the stone-wall homes with their terracotta tile-roofs grew tighter, cramping together and forming narrow alleys that road bent around, lined by wagons and townsfolk in their worn hemp clothes going about their business. Kal had done well to avoid the town since his birth, and not just because Daedrik spent every other minute warning him about government mages. While it was a pretty little town, the entire place had less magical wealth and important knowledge to share than his father¡¯s library alone, and as such, Kal held little interest in the place. His father was something of a rarity in Ebenshire. Mages in general, were rarely found in smaller, relatively safe towns within the Kingdom¡¯s interior, like Ebenshire. If they weren¡¯t in the capital studying at one of the great magic academies, they were usually out hunting demons or making use of their skills in a border region. Even his grandfather had only chosen to settledown in Ebenshire because of Daedrik. His parents had explained how Daedrik¡¯s parents had decided to move somewhere quiet, but still relatively close to the capital¡ªLorran¡ªwhen his mother got pregnant. Having grown up in Ebenshire, Daedrik had many fond memories of the place, and brought Yandi back to the town when she fell pregnant. Since the roads were patched all the way from Ebenshire to Lorran, Daedrik was able to easily travel during the semester to provide classes, and then back home again. Reaching the library¡ªwhich was an old, stained stone facade sandwiched between government buildings near the center of town¡ªYandi pressed all her weight against the heavy wooden door, gritting her teeth as she strained to hold it for Kal. ¡°Why¨Cis¨Cit¨Cso¨Cheavy,¡± Yandi huffed as she let the door go. ¡°Bye, Mom,¡± Kal waved and disappeared into the endless shelves. ¡°Wait,¡± she raised a hand, but he was already gone. ¡°Don¡¯t I get a hug?¡± ¡°Minors under ten need a guardian,¡± a grumpy old woman with sunken eyes gargled from behind the reception desk, tapping on a brass sign. ¡°I know, but maybe you could make an exception. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s going anywhere with this heavy door, am I right?¡± Yandi bounced her brows. The old woman pursed her wrinkly, dry lips and tapped the sign again. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. I¡¯ve got a bunch of shopping to get done today, and he won¡¯t cause any problems. I swear it. That kid is a grade-A bookworm. He¡¯ll entertain himself.¡± ¡°Minors under ten¨C¡± ¡°Hey, if it isn¡¯t the magnificent Yandi Jakari in the flesh?¡± Said a man wearing what could only be described as a platemail wizard¡¯s hat. Stepping into the library and extending his arms, he continued toward Yandi. ¡°How many years has it been? I must admit, I was hoping that I might bump into you or Daedrik while I visited.¡± ¡°Andric?¡± Yandi said with a surprised yelp as the rope-wearing man wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. ¡°I barely ever see old friends these days. Not with what demon hunting has become. The bloody things endlessly flood the Kingdom these days. I have been telling the officials someone needs to put a plug in it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors. Is it really as bad as they say?¡± Yandi¡¯s brow twisted, and her jaw hung. ¡°Well,¡± Andric said, holding a hand beside his mouth. ¡°You know I can¡¯t go into too many details. Only what¡¯s publicly available. But enjoy your peace while you have it.¡± ¡°Oh? What do you mean?¡± Andric leaned in and whispered into her ear. ¡°It¡¯s only a murmur for now, but there¡¯s talk of conscription. Things can¡¯t keep going like this. They just can¡¯t get enough mages. I¡¯ve been working seven days a week myself.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°That¡¯s been you and me,¡± he added, leaning back and poking Yandi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What are you doing here in the library, anyway? Knowing Daedrik, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he had more books than this little backwater excuse for a reason to waste tax coins.¡± ¡°My son,¡± Yandi slumped. ¡°He¡¯s somewhat of a bookworm. Gone and ran off somewhere,¡± she added, waving toward the bookshelves. ¡°And now I guess I¡¯m stuck here watching him.¡± ¡°Got somewhere to be?¡± Andric probed. ¡°A bunch. So much shopping to do. I try to knock it all out in one go when I come into town. But somebody,¡± she jerked her head toward the grumpy old woman behind the counter. ¡°Won¡¯t let me leave him unattended.¡± ¡°Go, get your shopping done,¡± Andric insisted. ¡°I¡¯ll look after the boy. I¡¯ve got some study to do here anyhow.¡± ¡°Really? Wait, what study have you got to do in a place like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing really. A few weird sightings around here. Mostly just mana fluctuations. From my understanding, there have been strange rumors about sightings around Ebenshire for years. A few junior mages have even investigated these sightings on several occasions in the past but never found anything. The bigwigs back in central even had it crossed off as mana fluctuations. But with the mood being as sensitive as it is at the moment, they wanted someone to come check it out again.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Yandi nodded. ¡°I remember few people cautioning us when we moved here. Apparently, it was why we were able to pick up our property as cheaply as we were. Not many of the locals want to live near the edge of the forest. But of course, Daedrik wasn¡¯t worried.¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably a little rusty these days. Been years since he did any demon hunting that I know of, but you¡¯re right. It¡¯s the main reason I doubt I¡¯ll find anything. Then again, professor life is pretty cushy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let him hear you say that; he might get ideas. I suppose a mage like you never gets too worried, but I¡¯m perfectly happy having my man in a safe academy position.¡± ¡°Oh, I do sometimes. But not here. If there was a real fiend around here, I would have sensed it by now. This is more of a vacation than anything else. I¡¯ve been on the frontline for months, and sending me here is a way to rotate me out without giving me a real vacation. And it stops the locals from complaining so much. So, I¡¯ll do the needful and put their minds at ease.¡± The woman behind the counter turned to Andric and tapped on the sign that read ¡°quite please,¡± and shushed him. ¡°Sorry,¡± Andric grimaced. ¡°Anyway, like I said, I don¡¯t actually expect to find anything. But I¡¯ll take a couple of weeks'' rest happily. It¡¯s been nonstop recently.¡± ¡°A couple of weeks? So, you¡¯ll be in town for a while then?¡± ¡°Sure will be,¡± Andric nodded. ¡°Come to Kal¡¯s fifth birthday then. It¡¯d be great for all three of us to catch up.¡± ¡°You sure about that?¡± Andric flashed a sly grin. ¡°Remember, I was the one chasing you before Daedrik. I¡¯m not so sure he let go of that one.¡± ¡°Ha, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine. Remember, he¡¯s the one that won. Besides, you two were friends for years before I showed up.¡± ¡°Fine, you convinced me. I¡¯ll be there. Now, I better go back to looking important and let you get on with your very important shopping,¡± he leaned into Yandi¡¯s ear again. ¡°I have a feeling one of the locals here might report me to central if they think I¡¯m not working hard enough.¡± ¡°They very well might,¡± Yandi giggled. ¡°Well, thank you,¡± she added and turned to the old woman. ¡°My Friend Andric here will be minding my son.¡± The woman narrowed her gaze on Andric and grunted in dissatisfaction before tapping the sign again. ¡°Right, I got it. Quiet,¡± Andric said, zipping his mouth. [ 9 ] Demon Hunter Strolling through narrow alleys between overpacked shelves, Kal¡¯s eyes traced the binders for something interesting in the History & Geography section. He empowered a trickle of mana to boost his intelligence, helping him scan the book titles faster. Come on. Surely, they have some books about local phenomena and folktales. ¡°Hey there,¡± a man waved at the end of the corridor of shelves. He held a forced smile and deceptively pleasant eyes beneath a brown fringe. ¡°Do I know you?¡± Kal said. ¡°Are you little Kal?¡± Little? Being a kid sure feels patronizing sometimes. ¡°Yeah, and?¡± ¡°Your wonderful mother left me to mind you while you peruse the library. She told me you were quite the little bookworm.¡± ¡°My wonderful mother?¡± Kal repeated with a sarcastic undertone. There was something about the way this man talked about Yandi that Kal didn''t like. Perhaps he was becoming a little protective of his new mother. ¡°Yeah, okay buddy.¡± ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± Andric crooked his head.
??? Mana Core Mana ??? Mana Potential 682 Stage 5
Strength: ??? Agility: ??? Dexterity: ??? Charisma: ??? Wisdom: ??? Intelligence: ??? Endurance: ??? Toughness: ???
Bad news. This guy¡¯s mana must be stronger than even Daedrik¡¯s. I better give him the slip. I can¡¯t risk hanging around someone like this. If he were to sense my core... ¡°I just like my privacy; I got books to find¡ªand read,¡± Kal said and hurried past Andric through the corridor. Play it cool. Just keep looking for books, and he¡¯ll go away. ¡°Oookay. Well, don¡¯t run off¡ªokay? You need to stay in the library,¡± Andric said, trying to sound authoritative. ¡°Yeah, no worries,¡± Kal said with a forced smile. He waved with his back to the man and turned down another corridor of books. ¡°Strange kid,¡± Andric mumbled to himself. ¡°Oh well, easier for me,¡± he shrugged and turned back to the desk he had taken over for his investigation. Damn, what terrible luck. The one time I decide to come into this sleepy backwater, and there¡¯s a freaking mage here? And a powerful one at that! Nothing to be done about it now. Hopefully, that keeps him off my back. There¡¯s nothing to be done about it now, and causing a scene is likely to only make things worse. A part of Kal screamed at him to give up on his little mission and go find some kid''s books to pretend to read, but he wasn¡¯t sure when the next time he¡¯d be able to visit the library. Waiting around wasn¡¯t his strong suit, and he knew that staring out his window, not knowing what that presence was, would be unbearable. I¡¯ll be careful and just take a little peek. Folktales and all that stuff is like entertainment, right? An almost five-year-old reading a book like that isn¡¯t too weird, is it? It didn¡¯t matter whether or not it was too weird because Kal had already convinced himself he was going to find what he was looking for. Sitting on the floor within the aisle, Kal hunched over ¡°The Darkside of Ebenshire.¡± Disappearances? Why haven¡¯t I ever heard of this? According to this book, multiple people have gone missing right near my home. He kept reading. The book was a fairly run-of-the-mill collection of horror-esque short stories. The book included a postscript that had an excerpt from local authorities saying that no evidence had ever been found to support the tales and that, in all likelihood, the people had just gotten lost in the vastness of the forest. That might sound plausible if I hadn¡¯t felt that mana. But there was no way I imagined that. How is it possible that a demon could go undiscovered with so many people poking their noses around here? Kal was no expert, but he had read enough to know that mages, specifically demon-hunting mages, were pretty good at sensing demons, and he knew his father had at least some demon-hunting experience. Even if the other locals had never managed to figure it out, surely Daedrik would have. Maybe it isn¡¯t a demon. But then, what is it? That was mana; I know that much. Not only that, but it felt evil, somehow. ¡°Hey, what are you doing here, little gu¨C¡± Andric''s voice caught. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that you got there?¡± He added, stepping toward and crouching down beside Kal. ¡°Nothing, really. Just some silly folktales.¡± ¡°Folktales?¡± Andric said, delicately pinching the hardcover¡¯s corner and lifting it just enough to read. ¡°The Darkside of Ebenshire?¡± ¡°Yeah, like I said. Local folktales. Scary stuff,¡± Kal said, poorly attempting to look frightened. ¡°What a coincidence. This is just the book I was looking for. Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve ever heard of the Flesh Trail of Dimvale Woods?¡± ¡°Ah¨Cyeah¡­ I¡¯m reading about it now, actually.¡± ¡°Bit creepy for a kid your age, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I like creepy,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°Fair enough. Do you mind? You can have it right back. I just want to skim through it, really.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Kal nodded. I wonder what this mage guy wants with the Flesh Trail? Flesh Trail of Dimvale Woods was the name given to the mysteries around the disappearances. ¡°Just a little investigation. Nothing for a small child to worry about. It¡¯s almost certainly nothing.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Investigation?¡± Kal¡¯s brow curled. ¡°Ahh¨CI probably shouldn¡¯t have said that. Like I said, it¡¯s just superstition.¡± ¡°Then why are you investigating it?¡± ¡°Look, kid, I¡¯m just having a quick look for cautionary reasons. How about we just forget I said anything and go back to doing whatever little kids do, okay?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re taking a quick look by reading about local folktales?¡± Maybe my idea wasn¡¯t as stupid as I thought. Not if this guy had the same hunch. Although, maybe he isn¡¯t all that¡­ ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s silly, I know. But I don¡¯t have a lot else to go on, and the higher-ups won¡¯t be too pleased if I don¡¯t at least pretend to do what they sent me here for.¡± ¡°Pretend?¡± Kal bent his head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that either. Don¡¯t mind me. Just keep playing, or reading creepy books, or whatever you do. I¡¯ll bring this back in a moment,¡± Andric said, rising in a hurry and flashing an awkward smile. Looks like making the poor guy embarrassed was the best way to get him off my back. Kal looked back and forth down the aisle. Now what? The trip to the library had been a bit of a failure. Sure, he knew people had gone missing in the forest, but what good was that? It did, however, more or less confirm that it wasn¡¯t a demon. But Kal had already kind of doubted that demon could live behind their house without Daedrik noticing anything. Somehow, the idea that whatever was within the Dimvale Woods wasn¡¯t a demon only excited Kal more. Now, he wanted to go find a book on magical beings for further research, but there wasn¡¯t much point in outing himself as an even bigger weirdo when Daedrik¡¯s library would be better suited than where he was. I guess it¡¯s off to the kids section. I suppose I can practice drawing glyphs if they¡¯ve got crayons. I¡¯ll just need to keep an eye out for that guy. The last thing I need is for him to sneak up on me while I¡¯m doing that. I doubt I¡¯ll have much luck convincing him I¡¯m a normal kid if he sees me drawing glyphs. Rounding a bookshelf, Kal spotted several small tables and colorful knee-high shelves. It was the children¡¯s section and it was separated from rest of the library by a tiny, white picket fence. Ah, the child¡¯s section. Painfully colorful and overflowing with nauseatingly upbeat posters. Kal eyed a small boy about his age hunched over at a table, flicking through a picture book. He was skinny and a little gaunt in the face with short, jet-black hair. Okay, as long as I just keep clear of the boy, he¡¯ll have reason to engage. Avoiding eye contact, Kal sat at an orange table on the other side of the children¡¯s section. Kal eyed several buckets filled with a variety of toys and playthings along the wall. Crayons, my lucky day! Jumping up, he filled his arms with the battered and chipped crayons and shuffled back to the table. ¡°Hello?¡± Came a soft, shaky voice. ¡°Huh?¡± Kal looked up and recoiled as he was greeted by a boy¡¯s face only inches from him. ¡°You drawing?¡± Personal space, buddy! ¡°What does it look like?¡± Kal shuffled away. ¡°Really? I love drawing. Wanna see my rainbow?¡± ¡°Do I ever,¡± Kal rolled his eyes. ¡°Awesome,¡± the kid bounced away, hurrying back to his table, then back again carrying a scrunched-up piece of paper. ¡°Look,¡± he added, smearing his finger into the drawing as he slammed it down in front of Kal. ¡°Amazing.¡± The kid¡¯s clearly more of a Picasso than a Rembrandt. ¡°Soooo, what are you drawing?¡± The boy craned over Kal¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really,¡± Kal leaned across his work, trying to hide it from the boy. ¡°That¡¯s so cool,¡± the boy said, bobbing up and down as he sought out gaps in Kal¡¯s defenses. ¡°I like that one,¡± he added, squeezing his hand through a part in Kal¡¯s arm to point at a pentagram-looking glyph. ¡°Oh, that one? It¡¯s for mana binding. It¡¯s actually one of the most common glyphs.¡± ¡°Glyphs?¡± Andric overheard as he strolled over. ¡°What is that father of yours teaching you? He¡¯s always been a little academically obsessed, but to teach a kid your age about glyphs? That¡¯s bordering on child abuse.¡± Shit. Why¡¯d I open my big mouth? And what¡¯s this dude doing back anyway? Whatever happened to peace and quiet in the library? ¡°Oh, you know. He just wants me to be prepared,¡± Kal flashed a toothy grin. ¡°Right. Well, I say there¡¯s a time and a place. Childhood is supposed to be enjoyed. Not spent slung over books studying. Tell your old man to give you a break, and if he¡¯s not happy about it, tell him Andric Vanheim will have a word for him.¡± Hero complex much? ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll mention it.¡± ¡°Hold on just a moment,¡± Andric said, catching the corner of one of Kal¡¯s glyphs as he stepped forward. ¡°Let me take a look at those.¡± Reluctantly, Kal let the man take the paper, figuring that refusing was probably more suspicious than just letting him see it. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be. These are amazing. Maybe you have a future as a mage scribe ahead of you. If you¡¯re this good at your age, I¡¯m certain you could sell glyphs in the capital when you''re older. Heck, you could probably run your own store.¡± ¡°Thanks?¡± Kal crooked his head at the unexpected reaction. ¡°Oh, and,¡± Andric produced a book. ¡°Here¡¯s your spooky book back. Oh, and your glyphs,¡± he added, messily scrunching the paper in a hurried attempt at folding it and handing it back with the book. ¡°Thanks,¡± Kal groaned, taking the crinkled paper by two fingers and eyeing it with a half-lidden, unimpressed gaze. ¡°Well, back to work for me. Stay out of trouble, kids,¡± Andric said, shooting finger guns. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll let you know when Yandi returns¡­ which is hopefully not too far away,¡± he turned, muttering to himself as he walked away. ¡°I really need an ale. Why did I agree to this? That woman¡¯s eyes still get me every time.¡± ¡°Cool drawings,¡± the kids said, holding Kal¡¯s glyphs. ¡°Hey, give that back,¡± Kal snatched his drawing back. ¡°And like I said, they¡¯re glyphs, not drawings.¡± ¡°Well, your glyphs are super cool,¡± the kid smiled, revealing a missing tooth. ¡°You gonna do more?¡± Lord save me. ¡°Yeah, super cool,¡± Kal said. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m going to do more.¡± ...for however long, Yandi decides to leave me hanging! ¡°Wanna show me?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Arix.¡± ¡°Hey, Arix.¡± The kid stared at Kal expectantly. ¡°It¡¯s Kal.¡± ¡°Cool name. Did you know I¡¯m going to school next year?¡± ¡°How would I know that? We just met.¡± ¡°I dunno,¡± Arix shrugged. ¡°Right. Anyway, I¡¯m gonna be doing my thing over here,¡± Kal said, shuffling his chair away. ¡°Same,¡± Arix said, shuffling after Kal. What¡¯s with this kid? Can¡¯t he take a hint? ¡°Soooo, you drawing more glyphs?¡± Arix said, leaning over Kal as he tried to ignore him. ¡°What do you think?¡± Kal said, resting his chin against the table as he drew. ¡°That tarts are like cupcakes?¡± Arix said, craning forward so that his head was in front of Kal¡¯s ¡°What are you talking about, and why are you doing that?¡± ¡°My mom says you should make eye contact when talking. She says, ¡®Arix, it¡¯s polite when speaking to someone to always look in their eyes.¡± ¡°Well, stop it. It¡¯s creeping me out.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Arix said, returning to his chair. Just ignore him. He¡¯ll get bored soon enough. ¡°Hum, bum bum, diddie dum, hum bum,¡± Arix sang as he swung his feet and tapped the beat against the tabletop. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re clearly not doing anything. Why are you humming that¡ªwhatever that is, and please stop tapping the table.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Arix said and began whistling. Seriously? How many years of this torture is this world going to subject me to? ¡°Oh, there you are,¡± Yandi said, a broad smile perking her cheeks as she spotted Kal. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t leave you too long.¡± ¡°Just in time,¡± Kal groaned, jumping up from his chair. ¡°Whose this¡ªa new friend?¡± Yandi probed. ¡°N¨C¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Arix grinned. ¡°Kal is soooo cool. Can we hang out?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yandi said, happily clapping. ¡°Of course you can. Here,¡± she added, scribbling a note. ¡°This is our address. Give it to your parents. Let them know they can drop by any Soulfire eve for a play date. Another little cutie like you is always welcome, and we¡¯d be delighted to have another join us.¡± ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am,¡± Arix took the note and held it up to the light, smiling. ¡°How precious,¡± Yandi beamed. ¡°I knew you were going to make lots of friends, my Little Beetle.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Kal grumbled, pulling on her dress. ¡°Say goodbye to your little buddy, Kal.¡± ¡°Bye,¡± Kal waved. ¡°Now, come on!¡± How on earth did this happen? Is some demon playing games with me? ¡°Bye,¡± Yandi waved to Arix. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to give that note to your parents.¡± ¡°Bye-bye, Kal!¡± Arix waved, grasping the note tightly and waving with his other hand while shooting a toothy, ear-to-ear grin. Great, just freaking great. I¡¯ve somehow managed to recruit another one of these little mouth breathers. [ 10 ] Party ¡°I¡¯m so excited,¡± Yandi giddily made her way around the house, stringing up ribbons. ¡°These decorations are so colorful and pretty. Don¡¯t you think, Kal?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s great,¡± Kal said, sprawled across the living room floor, nose first in a book. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get in on this fun?¡± Yandi bounced her brows. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Spoilsport,¡± Yandi huffed and returned to putting up ribbons. ¡°I¡¯ve got a secret. Do you know what it is?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Do you wanna know what it is?¡± ¡°Meh, suppose so,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t you at least pretend to be excited?¡± Would you quit your yapping, Mom? I¡¯m trying to read. ¡°Just tell me the secret. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not going to be able to move on until you do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your little friend, Arix. He¡¯s coming to the party,¡± Yandi happily clapped. ¡°How exciting is that?¡± Great, Mr. I-don¡¯t-Understand-Personal-Space is coming. ¡°Wow, so exciting,¡± Kal groaned. What I really want to know is if that mage is coming. That was waay too close last time. *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* ¡°Coming,¡± Yandi called, patting her dress down and brushing her hair back behind her ears as she made for the door. ¡°Yandi!¡± Tammy said, shooting forward for a hug the moment the door was opened. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you.¡± ¡°You too, Tammy.¡± ¡°Life has been so busy,¡± Tammy huffed as they broke their embrace. ¡°Getting Ellie ready for school has been a never-ending battle.¡± ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Yandi nodded as she helped Tammy with her bags. ¡°Someone should write a guide.¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± ¡°Heya,¡± Ellie said to Kal as she broke away from her mother, who followed Yandi into the kitchen. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Reading.¡± ¡°You can read? Really? My mommy is teaching me, but I¡¯m not very good,¡± Ellie slumped as she sat down beside him. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re fine,¡± Kal lazily said without breaking from his book. ¡°Wow, big kid words,¡± Ellie said, scooting closer. ¡°You¡¯re so smart, Kal.¡± ¡°Who said you could come so close?¡± Kal gritted his teeth as Ellie pushed up beside him. ¡°Can you read it to me? Please-please-please-please!¡± ¡°Fine, fine! Just keep it down,¡± Kal cupped his ears. ¡°Okee dokee.¡± How does this keep happening to me? Kal read stories from the book, eliciting gasps from Ellie as she huddled beneath a woolen blanket she took from the couch beside them and pulled up over her head. He had been reading a book about magical races, and most of them came with excerpts from adventures and mages who had encountered the creatures. ¡°Soo scary. Do you think those things are real?¡± ¡°Of course they are,¡± Kal said. ¡°This is a factual book. Those stories are straight from the mouths of adventurers and mages.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ellie¡¯s eyes went wide, and her brows perked. ¡°Yep. Pretty cool, huh?¡± ¡°Cool? Nuh-uh, it¡¯s scary,¡± her teeth chattered. ¡°Wanna hear about the Flesh Trail?¡± Kal turned to Ellie with a devilish look in his eyes. Pulling the blanket tighter to where she could barely peak through a tiny hole, Ellie squeaked, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°One moment,¡± Kal said, grabbing another book he had beside them and clearing his throat. ¡°Deep within the Dimvale Woods of Ebenshire lives the dark secret of a beast most vile. Creeping in the dark, it stalks the unsuspecting through the shadowy undergrowth. At night, it moves, waiting until the people sleep. This monster so vile, known by those who sleep with one eye open. Watch out, for the Flesh Ripper grows hungry in the dark. Its salivating maw of razor-sharp teeth¡ªever eager to sink into soft and unsuspecting flesh. Those who are young of age take this warning to heart, for the Flesh Ripper of Dimvale Woods has a tooth so sweet. Especially when the menu includes, CHILDREN!¡± ¡°WAH!¡± Ellie screamed, jumping and rolling backward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tammy rushed into the room, followed closely behind by Yandi. ¡°Nothing,¡± Ellie shook her head as a line of sweat trickled down. ¡°Are you sure, Ellie? You look white as a ghost.¡± The girl nodded. ¡°Fine, but if you scream again, I¡¯m taking that book away.¡± Once the mothers had returned to the kitchen, Ellie slowly pulled herself up. ¡°More.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yep. More. Gimme.¡± ¡°Okay, if you say so. Adventures and mages alike go in hunt of this monster, most fearsome and vile, but through stealth and guile, it goes unseen. Cunning and cruel, it hides in the shade, awaiting the next careless babe. So keep clear, and keep out. For without a doubt, something nasty hides deep about the Dimvale routes. Hear this rhyme and hold it tight. A warning whispered in the night: In Dimvale Woods, the lost are bound¡ªfor only a fool treads on this cursed ground.¡± Ellie swallowed, ¡°Scary.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure is. And the Dimvale Woods are just out there,¡± Kal said, pointing out the window. ¡°Y-y-you¡ªme-mean,¡± Ellie''s teeth chattered. ¡°Yep. That¡¯s the famous Dimvale Woods. Where I shot the¨C¡± Kal cut himself short. Don¡¯t make her cry again, you asshole. Ellie nodded, ¡°The bunny.¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry about that,¡± Kal frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I like playing with you.¡± Well, that¡¯s a relief at least. Wait, no, it isn¡¯t. She likes playing with you. That¡¯s the last thing I need. I want freedom, damn it. Not little brats hanging off my arms. ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡± ¡°Did you think that the rabbit was the Ripper?¡± Ellie¡¯s eyes widened with realization. ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± ¡°Maybe we can go back.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Go back? I thought you were scared?¡± Ellie nodded. ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°I want to see it.¡± She¡¯s braver than I thought. Not that it changes anything. Like hell, I¡¯m bringing a kid with me when I head back into that forest. ¡°Oh, another knock,¡± Yandi exclaimed as the door raddled and she rushed out from the kitchen, across the living room, and swinging the door open. ¡°Hey, Lydia is it?¡± ¡°Yes, and you¡¯re Yandi, I presume?¡± Yandi nodded and looked down at the little boy hiding behind her. ¡°And you¡¯re Kal¡¯s little friend from the library,¡± she said, crouching down and waving. ¡°And that must be Kal,¡± Lydia said, pointing over Yandi and into the house. ¡°Hi,¡± Kal waved nonchalantly. ¡°Come on in,¡± Yandi waved them inside. ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave Arix with the kids and come join us for some tea in the kitchen.¡± ¡°That sounds delightful. Go on then, have fun with your little friend, Arix,¡± Lydia said, waving across to Kal and Ellie as she passed through the living room. ¡°My name¡¯s Ellie.¡± ¡°Hi Ellie,¡± Arix said, plonking himself down beside them. ¡°I¡¯m Arix. Are you two playing?¡± ¡°Nahhh. Kal¡¯s telling scary stories,¡± Ellie said and immediately pulled the blanket back over her head. ¡°Scary?¡± Arix crooked his head. Not him, too. Why me¡­ why? What have I done to deserve this? These kids are like moths to a flame! And I¡¯m the stupid flame! I just have to be strong and refuse. That¡¯s the only way to get them off my back. The world went numb as the two kids incessantly echoed each other''s pleas for Kal to keep reading. Finally, he relented as he felt himself dipping into madness. ¡°And there you have it¡ªthe Tale of the Flesh Trail. Alright, I¡¯m done. No more reading from me.¡± The two kids shivered beside one another; the blanket pulled up over them both. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s just a story.¡± ¡°A-a-are you sure?¡± Arix chattered. Well, no, but¡­ ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure. A story to scare little kids like you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re little, too,¡± Arix shot back. ¡°I am, true. But I¡¯m not scared.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he knows magic,¡± Ellie said. ¡°What?¡± Kal gasped. Ellie hadn¡¯t said a word about his magic on that day, and Kal hoped it was because she had forgotten. Like when extreme stress causes people to blackout and forget things. ¡°Kal knows magic, really?¡± Arix said, pulling the blanket off them and turning to Kal with bright, wide eyes. ¡°Show me. Please. Show me¨Cshow me¨Cshow me!¡± ¡°Sush it,¡± Kal hissed. ¡°It¡¯s a secre¨C¡± Interrupting Kal was another knock at the door. ¡°Coming,¡± Yandi called out, shooting through the living room and swinging the door open. ¡°Oh, you actually turned up. Let me go get Daedrik; I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be excited to see you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Yandi,¡± Andric said, stepping inside and waving. ¡°Hello, Kal. Long time no see.¡± ¡°Soo, can you really use mag¨C¡± Kal sprung forward, cupping Arix¡¯s mouth. ¡°Magi¨C¡± Kal swung around, cupping Ellie¡¯s mouth with his other hand. ¡°Shhh. Secret means keep your mouths shut.¡± ¡°Good to see you didn¡¯t get any more normal since I last saw you,¡± Andric said. ¡°There you are, you old bastard,¡± Daedrik said, marching toward Andric, grabbing his hand and pulling into a hug. ¡°What in the world are you doing all the way here in Ebenshire?¡± ¡°Some nonsense about demons in the woods. The ones behind your home, actually. But please, let¡¯s not talk about that today. I¡¯m here to enjoy myself.¡± ¡°Really? That old story brought an adept demon hunter all the way out to this sleepy hole?¡± ¡°Adept? I think you mean Elder.¡± ¡°Elder?¡± Daedrik''s eyes widened. ¡°What old fool gave you that title.¡± ¡°Central decided it was finally time to reward me for reaching seventh-circle spell casting.¡± ¡°Seventh?¡± Daedrik nodded with raised brows. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you had it in you, to be honest. I see you have reached the fifth stage. Not bad.¡± ¡°Well, some of us don¡¯t fiddle with sticks at useless magic academies all day.¡± ¡°Haha, you bastard,¡± Daedrik hollared and smacked Andric¡¯s back. ¡°We¡¯re one of the top performers; if it wasn¡¯t for us, you wouldn¡¯t have half those fancy gadgets that help you track down demons.¡± ¡°Magic,¡± Arix murmured through Kal¡¯s hand, tilting Andric¡¯s gaze slightly toward them. These little brats are going to blow my cover. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll show you. Just sush up already.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Alright, follow me,¡± Kal hissed beneath his breath. ¡°And neither of you better say another word on it, okay?¡± Ellie and Arix nodded beneath Kal¡¯s hands. What have I got myself into? He sighed, letting go of them and climbing to his feet. ¡°Come on then.¡± ¡°Where are you three going?¡± Yandi said, turning as Kal led the trio out through the kitchen and into the yard. ¡°Just showing them something outside.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Well, have fun, you three,¡± Yandi said and turned back to the two mothers. ¡°Anyway, as I was saying¨C¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Ellie said, a step behind Kal. ¡°Just through here,¡± Kal said, reaching the hedge. Parting the hedge with his hands, he pushed straight into the giant bush. Like hell, I¡¯m doing magic with that mage lurking about. But if I don¡¯t do something, these brats aren¡¯t going to shut up. Worried that Daedrik might spot them, he chose to climb through the hedge instead of the back gate. ¡°Kal?¡± Ellie called. ¡°Inside,¡± Kal¡¯s hand shot out of the bush and waved to them. ¡°Yeepee,¡± Arix cheered and ran head-first into the bush, scraping himself up as he pushed straight through the little branches. ¡°Ow-ow-ow!¡± ¡°Why the hell did you do that?¡± Kal hissed. ¡°You said to.¡± ¡°No, I did not! I just said come in. Did you see me running in like a maniac?¡± ¡°Like this,¡± Ellie said, carefully pushing through the bushes. ¡°Yeah, like that,¡± Kal said, shaking his head at Arix, who tenderly patted his arms. ¡°Now, follow me.¡± Kal continued through the bush, pushing aside one of the fence pickets on the other side of it and slipping through. ¡°Come on in,¡± he waved them through while holding the picket back. ¡°Eeek,¡± Ellie squealed, gingerly pushing branches away as she eased herself through. ¡°Ouchie,¡± Arix moaned, rubbing at his tenderized skin and following a step behind. ¡°Okay, just through here,¡± Kal gestured. ¡°Through there?¡± Ellie trembled. ¡°You mean into the woods?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, you want to see my magic, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°B-b-but.¡± ¡°Come on, Ellie. It¡¯s gonna be fun,¡± Arix nodded excitedly. ¡°Okay,¡± she looked around. ¡°But what about the Flesh Trail?¡± Just a little further. Only just far enough to show them something small and shut them up. Still, even a small spell will cause a little mana spike. However, with Daedrik¡¯s mana core beside him, it won¡¯t be that easy to sense. So, I shouldn¡¯t have to go too far. Kal led them along a narrow trail lined by flowering bushes that dipped into a gully shrouded by thick, leafy trees. ¡°Here, this should do nicely,¡± he said, coming to a halt. ¡°It¡¯s scary in here,¡± Ellie said. ¡°And muddy,¡± she grimaced, glancing down at the gully¡¯s damp ground. ¡°Mage! Magic! Magic!¡± Arix cheered. ¡°Quiet down,¡± Kal scolded. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could go back to yelling.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Arix whispered. ¡°Magic! Magic! Magic!¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Kal rolled his eyes. ¡°Anyway, low and behold, the powers of the arcane,¡± he added, extending his hands and rolling them over to expose his palms. Both kids went quiet and inched forward as twirling ice crystals formed an inch from his palms. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing,¡± Arix whispered. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Ellie nodded. ¡°Super amazing.¡± Clapping his hands together, Kal made the ice disappear. ¡°Happy now?¡± ¡°H-how, how did you do that?¡± Arix shook his head in amazement. ¡°It¡¯s quite easy, really,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°I focus on drawing my mana into a ball,¡± he continued, demonstrating as he spoke. ¡°And then I imagine the mana turning into ice.¡± ¡°A-a-amazing,¡± Arix said, mouth agape and eyes hyper-focused on Kal. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s okay,¡± Kal brushed his hands. ¡°I can feel the inefficiencies in my spell casting. I¡¯ve still got a lot of practice ahead of me, but I suppose it¡¯s okay for two years of practice.¡± ¡°Two years?¡± Ellie murmured as she counted her fingers. ¡°You started at three?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Kal beamed a smile. He had spent so long hiding his talent that he had forgotten what it felt like to be praised, and he liked it. ¡°Are you gonna join a magic academy like the big kids?¡± Arix bobbed excitedly. ¡°I guess¡ªwhen I¡¯m older.¡± ¡°Really?¡± A wide, toothy smile brightened his face. ¡°Do you think we can go together?¡± ¡°What about me? I want to go, too!¡± Ellie said. ¡°Ahhh¡ªI hope so. Sure.¡± Kal forced a smile. These kids, mages? Kal probed their cores. Ellie might have an actual chance. Arix, though¡­ not looking too good for you, buddy. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool!¡± Ellie gushed. I guess I¡¯ll let them have their fun. No harm in that, right?
Bloodline Trait unlocked: Gregarious +3 Charisma | Appearance boost
Seriously? My dry spell of graining Bloodline Traits is finally broken! And it¡¯s all because I made friends with these little brats? Or is it because they look up to me? Oh well, it doesn''t matter¡ªmore points for me. ¡°That¡¯s gonna be sooo cool,¡± Arix said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna learn fire magic!¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna learn plant magic!¡± Ellie said. ¡°It¡¯s nature,¡± Kal said. ¡°Nature?¡± Ellie crooked her head. ¡°Plant magic¡ªit doesn¡¯t exist. It¡¯s called nature magic. Also, elemental magic is considered basic magic. It¡¯s kinda for noobs,¡± Kal yawned. ¡°Noobs?¡± Ellie crooked her head. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means it ain¡¯t special. You should aim a little higher if you become a mage for real. Like learning complex spells and all that.¡± ¡°I wanna do that,¡± Arix said. I know you do, buddy. [ 11 ] Rising Suspicions Ellie hung from her mother''s arm as they walked through the narrow, cobbled alley that cut through the townhomes that clumped together toward Ebenshire¡¯s center. ¡°You alright?¡± Kal said, walking with a lackadaisical stride. ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Ellie nodded and squeezed on her mom''s arm. ¡°Oookay¡­ if you say so,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m excited,¡± Arix bobbed along. When are you not? ¡°Isn¡¯t it just so cute bringing these three little rascals together for their first day of school?¡± Yandi clapped. ¡°You¡¯re so right about that,¡± Lydia nodded. ¡°They grow up so fast.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a little nervous, are you, honey?¡± Tammy hugged Ellie¡¯s head. ¡°The first day of school can be pretty intimidating, but at least you have your friends here with you.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Ellie nodded and rubbed her head against her mom¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ellie. I¡¯m sure Kal and Arix will look after you. Won¡¯t you, boys?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Kal said, sounding barely present. His thoughts were elsewhere, circling back to Andric and the presence in the forest. The demon hunter had said his goodbyes a day after the party, and Kal overheard him telling Daedrik that he hadn¡¯t found anything and, as such, it was time to return to more important work. However, as he turned for the door, he cast an unnerving look into Kal¡¯s eyes, which sent shivers down his spine. He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. The man had seemed different from the person he had met at the library¡ªwho was silly and easily embarrassed. Had he sensed it when he showed Ellie and Arix his magic? Kal let out a deep sigh. ¡°Are you okay, Beetle?¡± Yandi said, grabbing hold of Kal¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom.¡± Was he reading too much into the strange mage, or was there a chance that the man was up to something? He was still a couple of years too young to cast spells, based on what Daedrik had told him, and he reminded himself to be careful. ¡°I will!¡± Arix jumped and waved his hands. ¡°You will what?¡± Kal crooked his head. ¡°Protect Ellie!¡± Arix shouted. ¡°Maybe Kal¡¯s a little scared, too,¡± Tammy said. ¡°He seems distant. Look after each other, okay?¡± Ellie nodded and sniffed, ¡°Yes, Mommy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡ªno¡­¡± Kal trailed off as they rounded the street¡¯s bend. Ahead of them was Ebenshire¡¯s main road, packed with hundreds of people. ¡°Oh my,¡± Yandi said. ¡°Look,¡± Kal said, pointing at the children and their parents gathered in front of the school''s ancient stone facade. The carved stone that laced the building depicted children studying and playing. However, many years of wear and poor maintenance had led to lichen and bird droppings covering most of it, making the sculptures look sooty, greenish, and unrecognizable. Every child within the Kingdom was at least supposed to get a primary education between the ages of five and sixteen, after which they generally either gained an apprenticeship, went to a Magic Academy, a College of Science and Art, or found a job. ¡°Mommy,¡± Ellie quivered. ¡°It¡¯s okay; I¡¯m right here with you. You go on ahead, boys. We¡¯re going to take our time.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± Kal shrugged. He could think of a million places he would rather be, and the thought of rushing off to a school with nothing to offer balled a sickening knot in his stomach. ¡°Come on, Kal,¡± Arix tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s check it out.¡± ¡°Ah, alright,¡± Kal groaned. Pulled by the sleeve, he followed Arix into the crowd, squeezing through the people as they pushed toward the front. Opposite them, a scruffy, poorly kept man apologized for his way past several people as he pushed along the school¡¯s wall, headed to a podium that the crowd gathered around. ¡°Oh, excuse me,¡± the man said, grabbing his trousers and pulling them up past his ankles as he climbed the podium. ¡°Welcome, welcome¡ªstudents and parents.¡± ¡°This guy,¡± one of the parents said as Kal passed, hand against her mouth. ¡°Can they seriously not hire anybody more competent to run the town¡¯s only school?¡± ¡°Tell me about it. I know Ebenshire is only a small town, but we¡¯re not far from the capital. Surely there¡¯s some talent around.¡± ¡°The mayor is probably too cheap to hire anyone better.¡± ¡°Sounds about right.¡± Jeez, these people really don¡¯t like this guy, huh? Kal followed Arix¡ªwho was oblivious to the parents¡¯ remarks¡ªdeeper into the crowd until they reached the podium. Round spectacles hung crookedly across the principal¡¯s hooked nose, and scruffy, brown hair pointed in all directions. ¡°Myself¡ªPrincipal Dore¡ªand all of us here at Ebenshire Elementary are pleased to call in the new year with you all.¡± ¡°This clown never ceases to make a fool of himself,¡± a parent huffed behind Kal. Damn, they¡¯re really harsh. Give the poor guy a break, people. He seems decent enough, in a scruffy, lost dog kinda way. The principal¡¯s speech dragged on. He flipped back and forth as he remembered details, jumping between thanking the faculty and government employees and reviewing all the activities and courses they had planned for the year. ¡°With that said,¡± Principal Dore cleared his throat. ¡°Welcome, students of class 427.¡± Two large arching doors to either side of the podium creaked open, their heavy metal handles pulled by heaving faculty staff. Kids waved goodbye to their parents and funneled into the ancient courtyard, its stone tiles lined by moss, and were followed by the teachers, who called out the classes they taught. The classes started just about as boringly as Kal had expected. They gave their names, and then the teacher read a storybook. It wasn¡¯t until the third day that they actually started doing school work, and even then, it was counting and spelling three-letter words¡ªwhich most of the class failed at. Kal found himself constantly bemoaning his classes. It wasn¡¯t just that they were boring; he was wasting his entire days learning nothing when he could be practicing magic.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Months of this went by, eating into the time he had to cast spells. Being at school all day was also fatiguing, and while he didn¡¯t learn anything, there were physical education classes and games they played. Not to mention sitting around doing nothing, which fatigued him in its own special way. These activities could have been managed easily, and Kal could have barely broken a sweat if he chose to enhance himself with mana, but that would then eat into the reserves he had for training at home. On top of that, the mana spheres he found around the house had quickly lost their usefulness. It hadn¡¯t taken him long to effectively drain them, and he found himself forced to cycle through all four spheres, restoring mana to them as needed. Unfortunately, it was more than just the spheres and school eating into his training time; the learning curve of mana control was also steepening. Kal read that most real mages¡ªthe kind that went to magic academies¡ªbegan learning magic and awakening their core between the ages of twelve and sixteen. Of course, plenty of people awoke their cores later, but they rarely made it far, and we''re unlikely ever to become a licensed mage. Becoming a licensed mage required proving to a government official that you could cast and control third-circle magic¡ªwhich was very difficult for late starters, who usually become dabbling hobbyists at best. That still gave Kal a giant head start, but as the years went by without major breakthroughs, he became growingly disparaged. The raw elemental spells he had been casting were called basic spells. That didn''t necessarily mean they were bad and were usually the first spells budding young mages learned because of their simplicity, but they were hopelessly inefficient. Spells were essentially just tried and tested formulas for the structured use of mana. If cast correctly, they were usually far more mana efficient than trying to weave mana into things as you went without a guide. It also meant that, in theory, anybody could make up their own spells, although it was no easy task, and there was little reason to do so if the spell you were creating wasn''t either more efficient, powerful, or filling a specific need. Kal had long decided since feeling the presence within the forest that he would¡ªat the very least¡ªperfect first and second circle spell casting before going to investigate it. ***Five Years of Training*** The five years of mind-numbingly simple primary education dragged on torturously for Kal, who tried to dedicate as much time as he could to studying spell casting. His progress slowed, but it didn''t stop as he worked on developing an arsenal of reliable spells. While spells were categorized into circles based on their difficulty and mana consumption, being able to cast spells in a particular circle didn¡¯t mean the mage could cast all spells in said circle. Every spell was unique, and learning how to control one¡¯s mana to be able to cast a spell took time. This again came back to efficiency, resulting in most mages having a rather limited selection of spells they regularly cast. Still, it allowed them to cast their preferred spells with a high level of mana efficiency. Most mages also had a larger variety of spells they knew and could cast if needed, but often weren¡¯t very efficient; these were usually utility spells selected to help fill out their arsenal. Knowing all this, Kal took his time going through Daedrik¡¯s library and selecting a few spells to focus his time and energy on. Of the first circle spells that caught his attention, Kal settled on Mana Whip, Steam Burst, and Mage Bullet. Mana Whip instantly caught his attention since it was more than just a whip or potential weapon. The whip was a construct that worked as an extension of the caster. The interesting part was that the notes about it suggested that skilled mages learned to use it for all kinds of things¡ªsuch as grabbing out-of-reach items. Steam Burst shot out steam from around the caster¡¯s body and was generally used as a close-quarters defensive spell. Whilst rarely fatal, a burst of steam shot into an attacker¡¯s face was often more than adequate to interrupt their assault. Mage Bullet was perhaps the most straightforward first-circle spell. It was a simple yet efficient means of firing condensed mana at an enemy, which created a bullet-like effect¡ªalbeit more of the sling-type bullet rather than a modern firearm. Still, it did its job and was hard to counter until mages reached third-circle spellcasting. Kal quickly realized that the learning curve to reach second-circle spells was a great leap. He had wanted to pick three of each to fill out his base and then move on to the third circle once he had a decent grasp of them, but it wasn¡¯t that easy. The problem was twofold when moving up to a higher level of spellcasting because the increased difficulty multiplied against the increased mana requirements, resulting in a steep path to efficient casting. However, while this bottleneck was a setback, his constant training did push his core into its second stage, and while it was still labeled a Lesser-Demonic core¡ªmuch to Kal¡¯s disappointment¡ªthe bonuses were nothing to scoff at.
Lesser¨CDemonic Mana Core Mana 42/42 Mana Potential 182 Stage 2
Strength: 4 Agility: 4 Dexterity: 5 Charisma: 5 Wisdom: 12 Intelligence: 12 Endurance: 6 Toughness: 4 Faster Mana Channeling Appearance boost
Reaching the next stage had given him a bunch of stats that seemed almost randomly distributed, but he had read that they were related to a combination of how the core was utilized and its inherent power. He had passed ten wisdom and intelligence as well, gaining him another ten mana. And from the looks of it, reaching Stage 2 had given him another 12 points on top of that and significantly increased his mana potential. Since normal mages didn¡¯t unlock Bloodline Traits, it was becoming increasingly clear how far ahead of his peers Kal was getting. The increases he had gained from reaching the next stage were good, but except for his mana itself, they made up less than half of his gains so far. If this was what other mages had to rely on to get stronger, then the difference would only grow greater as time went by. Kal immediately realized why reaching the second stage was so important for casting spells. The additional mana vastly improved his ability to cast first-circle spells, and he better understood why most mages needed to increase their core stage before they could learn any spells. If anything, Kal¡¯s ability to learn both basic and first-circle spells while still possessing a Stage 1 core was uniquely amazing. Kal had read that few mages ever reached a mage academy before their fifteenth birthday, and most were likely to get there around seventeen to eighteen, even if they did manage to awaken their cores around the age of twelve or thirteen. The leap between awakening a core and pushing it to the next stage took time; few could cast the first circle spells at a mastery level without first achieving it. Having reached Stage 2 and vastly improved his first-circle casting, Kal was already satisfied he would pass examinations and make it to an academy; he just had to wait now. He had also managed to reduce the mana cost of his chosen spells to between five and eight mana¡ªmaking them considerably more efficient than basic casting. ***Five Years of Training Completed*** ¡°Kal,¡± Ellie said as the ten-year-old trio walked home one school afternoon, pressing her fingers together. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Me and Arix have been thinking¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kal cast a sideways glance. ¡°She wants to ask if you''ll teach us magic,¡± Arix blurted out. Oh, right. It''s been a while, and they''ve been watching me study magic this entire time. I guess it¡¯s not too surprising they would like to learn. ¡°I mean, I can try,¡± Kal shrugged as he walked. ¡°No promises, though. At the end of the day, it''ll be up to you to awaken your core.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kal!¡± Ellie said. Kal instructed them with what he had learned from his father''s library, but there was only so much he could do. They might have been his friends, but there was no way he was trusting a couple of kids with his secret. And so, he pretended to know what it was like to awaken a regular mana core. ¡°So, Kal¡ªyou never did say what type your core is. I heard that everyone has one.¡± ¡°Mine?¡± Kal said. He knew this question would come sooner or later; in fact, he had been waiting for Daedrik to ask for years, but he never did. ¡°It''s Arcane,¡± Kal said. Arcane was the perfect fit since it was primarily the magic he had been using and seemed to come easily to him. Core types didn¡¯t restrict you to only casting magic that fell into your core¡¯s realm but instead made those spells easier and the others more difficult. For example, Mage Bullet and Steam Burst were Arcane spells, while Mana Whip was Astral. However, Kal¡¯s affinity seemed a little different. He couldn¡¯t be sure since he was far from an expert on the subject, but from what he could tell, he could not cast divine magic at all, which wasn¡¯t a huge surprise considering that he had a demon core. ¡°I wonder what mine is,¡± Ellie said. ¡°I hope mine is either Marital or Arcane. Like a real hero,¡± Arix said. ¡°You can¡¯t have Arcane, Kal already has that,¡± Ellie retorted. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works, Ellie. Is it, Kal?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Kal said flatly. ¡°Well, it¡¯d still be boring,¡± Ellie huffed. ¡°We should be unique. How cool would that be?¡± ¡°You should worry less about your cores and more about feeling your mana. It¡¯s going to take some time.¡± ¡°See, told you,¡± Arix stuck his tongue out at Ellie. ¡°You didn¡¯t even say any of that.¡± ¡°Did too!¡± ¡°Would you two quit it,¡± Kal said. ¡°Did not!¡± ¡°Did too!¡± Oh, my days, these kids are going to be my death. [ 12 ] Lead Classmates Neither Ellie nor Arix were very good at meditating. Not that Kal minded. He wasn¡¯t sure if ten-year-olds running around with magic was a great idea anyway. By the end of their sixth year in school, they were heading into senior classes¡ªwhich was essentially high school¡ªand graduated into lead classmates, a term used for senior classmates. Standing on the main street of Ebenshire, the kids waited for their principal to address them. Stumbling up to the podium, Principal Dore fumbled with his glasses and cleared his throat. ¡°Welcome, lead classmates of year 433,¡± he said. ¡°Prepare yourselves because your final five years of schooling won¡¯t just get harder, but you¡¯ll be expected to show what makes you special. With that being said, many students find that this is the time in which they blossom into themselves because we allow you to adventure beyond and try new things. School isn¡¯t just about memorizing facts. It¡¯s about figuring out where you belong in our society''s grand puzzle. To help you achieve this, we provide many extracurricular activities and clubs for you to join. All students will be expected to choose two clubs or activities to participate in and, by their second year, have developed a plan for the future. Before you graduate, you should be well aware of where you plan to go, whether that be gaining a valuable apprenticeship, getting to work, or moving onto higher education.¡± Like I¡¯m sticking around here for another five years. Kal had pushed through primary education, and his pact with Daedrik had been fulfilled. He was finally able to use magic publicly. This meant that he had every intention of applying when examinations for the magic academies rolled around again. The mage examinations only happened once every four years across Lyssia. There was no strict minimum age to participate, only a maximum age of nineteen. Unfortunately, Kal wouldn¡¯t have the chance to become one of the youngest mages ever to join at age eleven since they had just held examinations last year. However, he knew that this might be for the best. Taking the exam and passing it so young would have made him a household name across all of Lyssia and probably even the expected heir to the Archmage. He didn¡¯t need that noise right now. ¡°Aww, why do they have to make it sound like that,¡± Arix groaned. ¡°Not feeling confident about your future?¡± Ellie teased. Neither of them had awoken their cores, but Ellie had, in recent months, begun to attune herself to her mana. Ellie¡¯s considerable mana potential made it much easier for her than Arix. It made the hum and pressure produced by her core stronger and easier to attune to. ¡°No,¡± Arix gritted his teeth and shook his head. ¡°I never said that. I¡¯ll show you. I¡¯ll be the best mage out of us all.¡± Poor kid. He¡¯ll be lucky to awaken his core at all. ¡°Haha, yeah, right,¡± Ellie chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. ¡°You, the best?¡± ¡°I will be. I promise.¡± ¡°Have you two decided on the clubs you plan on joining yet?¡± Kal said, ignoring their little spat. ¡°Think so,¡± Ellie said, tapping her chin. ¡°Caligraphy seems like it would be a good fit for a mage. Maybe I can even catch up to your glyph binding if I¨C¡± ¡°Shhh,¡± Kal hissed. ¡°Secret, remember?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, but I thought¡ª¡± ¡°Not yet. And besides, I will still keep most of what I can do to myself.¡± And unfortunately, with you two nosy kids. ¡°Fencing,¡± Arix boomed proudly. ¡°So I can become a great warrior mage that saves people.¡± ¡°Right, I was thinking the same,¡± Kal said. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re both joining the fencing club?¡± Ellie exclaimed. ¡°No way I¡¯m being left out.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re copying us!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kal groaned, tired of their bickering. ¡°We can all do fencing together.¡± ¡°And what about our second club?¡± Ellie asked. ¡°You want to do calligraphy with me, Kal?¡± ¡°Hey, what about me?¡± Arix said. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Kal interrupted. ¡°I think I¡¯ll do orienteering.¡± ¡°Orienteering?¡± Ellie turned to Kal with a confused expression. ¡°Yeah. Demon hunting is an essential part of the world of magic and can greatly help ascending ranks. Being able to reliably navigate the wilderness while on a hunt seems like a vitally important skill.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ellie nodded, though her blank expression said she hadn¡¯t followed his train of thought. ¡°Alright, I guess we¡¯re all doing orienteering.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s copying now?¡± Ellie swung around to glare at Arix. ¡°Hey, wait, Kal!¡± Arix called out as Kal walked toward the school where the clubs had set up temporary student recruitment stalls. ¡°Wait for us!¡± The school was two main three-story buildings separated by a courtyard of perfectly kept green grass, bordered by stone walls of the same dark green brick as the main buildings. The club stalls made a maze of the school¡¯s courtyard, and dozens of people were already walking about as they entered. Stalls advertised their services on wooden signs, including baking, tailoring, cartography, calligraphy, treasure hunting, fencing, boxing, origami, and dozens more. After a short peruse, Kal stopped by the fencing stall. ¡°Thinking of taking up the sword?¡± A squeaky-voiced kid with a broad smile beside the stall said. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Yeah,¡± Kal said, eyeing the swords on display without turning to look at the kid. ¡°Well, it¡¯s your lucky day,¡± the boy said, shooting a hand toward Kal. ¡°The name¡¯s Zander. And I¡¯m somewhat of a hotshot within fencing circles.¡± Kal turned with a raised brow as he saw the grinning, lanky boy. Zander stood a good foot or so taller than him, his head of tightly packed, blonde curls and unnaturally white teeth. ¡°Oh, hey,¡± Kal said, ignoring the hand an inch from his chest. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who runs the lessons?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Zander hissed through gritted teeth as his brow twitched. ¡°I am, kid. I¡¯m only the three-time underage regional champion. Nothing to go get yourself excited over.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool. I suppose.¡± ¡°Hey Kal,¡± Ellie waved as she and Arix rushed over. ¡°So, this is where you got to.¡± ¡°Swords,¡± Arixs¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Soooo cool!¡± ¡°Get in line, kids,¡± Zander growled. ¡°I can only register you one at a time.¡± ¡°What crawled up his¡­¡± ¡°Dunno,¡± Kal shrugged and stepped toward the sign-up forms. ¡°These are the forms for us?¡± ¡°What does it look like, kid? Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m going to have to hold your hand every step of the way.¡± A little full of himself, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s only two or three years older than us. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kal said, filling out the form. ¡°So, what are you two looking at?¡± Zander snapped at Ellie and Arix. ¡°Gonna fill a form or what?¡± ¡°B-but¨Cyou said.¡± ¡°Did I stutter?¡± Zander interrupted. ¡°Fill the forms already, or I won¡¯t let you join.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Arix barked and jumped toward the forms. ¡°Suck up,¡± Ellie mumbled her breath and rolled her eyes. ¡°Three brats, great,¡± Zander growled as they finished filling the club joining forms. ¡°Well, if you listen to my instructions, you might not turn out to be completely hopeless.¡± ¡°Can I join?¡± Squeaked another kid from behind Zander, causing the boy to jump. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sneak up on me,¡± Zander huffed, his cheeks flushing red. ¡°I sign here?¡± The kid said, fluttering long lashes as he took one of the forms. ¡°You do, but stop interrupting me!¡± ¡°Okay, are we done here?¡± Kal asked. ¡°What?¡± Zander swung around. ¡°Do none of you kids know how to respect your seniors? ¡°Hey, fencing is like sword fighting, right? Like what adventurers do,¡± another kid interrupted as he walked up to the stall. ¡°Yeah, like pirates!¡± A kid beside him said. ¡°Pirates? Really? That¡¯s sooooo cool! I always wanted to be a pirate.¡± Cupping his ears, Zander yelled, ¡°Just sign the freaking forms if you want to join! And we¡¯re not learning to be pirates.¡± ¡°No pirates? Lame.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s find another club to join.¡± The kid¡¯s totally having a meltdown¡ªpoor guy. This must be his first time taking on an instructor role. A dozen kids signed up for fencing, and Zander went through the forms when they were done. ¡°Arix?¡± He remarked, reading from the forms. ¡°Odd name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s from Caleden. My family moved here when I was a baby.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s like, really far away, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zander said. ¡°It is,¡± Arix nodded. Why did I never ask Arix about where he¡¯s from? I¡¯m pretty sure I read about Caleden. It¡¯s a different kingdom, with a large population of cyclopeans from memory. You¡¯re an idiot, Kal. That¡¯s a good source of knowledge you¡¯ve completely missed. Kal cursed himself internally. He had been stuck with these two kids glued to him for years and hadn¡¯t even bothered to learn the basics about them. It was arrogant hubris. Even if Arix didn¡¯t remember himself, his parent no doubt remembered plenty about Caleden, and he could likely draw out interesting data from him. Who knows what other interesting tidbits of knowledge his two little friends might have? ¡°Cool, cool, whatever,¡± Zander said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna let your transgressions slide today because you¡¯re all dumb kids still learning. However, I¡¯m gonna be expecting a lot more respect when you come for classes, understood?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a kid, too,¡± Ellie said. ¡°I¡¯m a teenager, you little brat. Furthermore, I will be your master if you want to learn fencing.¡± ¡°Master,¡± Ellie repeated sarcastically. ¡°Hey, little kid,¡± Zander pointed. ¡°You¡¯d be lucky to get a master like me. I¡¯m brave, glorious, and dashing. Not to mention the best fencer under seventeen in this corner of the kingdom.¡± He had better be good at fencing if I¡¯m going to put up with this. ¡°Nuh-uh, you¡¯re big, lanky and stinky.¡± ¡°Who you are calling stinky, little girl,¡± Zander gritted his teeth and inched forward. ¡°You¡¯re not just stinky; you¡¯re a big, curly mop-head!¡± ¡°Are you making fun of my hair?¡± Zander¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°This glorious mane is a sign of Silvershield lineage. Do you even know what that means?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Ellie said. ¡°Why you,¡± Zander balled a fist. ¡°I¡¯m a Silvershield. My family are known across the Kingdom of Lynnis as the greatest paladins and are by far the most prestigious family residing in this little town.¡± ¡°More famous than the Jakari?¡± Ellie crooked her head. ¡°Who are the Jakari?¡± Zander shook. ¡°Kal¡¯s family,¡± Ellie pointed. ¡°They¡¯re mages.¡± ¡°Jakari?¡± Zander echoed to himself with a raised brow. ¡°I''ve heard that name. Wait, this pipsqueak is the son of that mage adept who lives in Ebenshire?¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Kal¡¯s dad.¡± ¡°Kal Jakari? A pleasure to meet you,¡± Zander said, grabbing Kal¡¯s right hand with both hands and shaking. ¡°Didn¡¯t you read his form where he signed his name?¡± Arix questioned. ¡°Shut up, kid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kal pulled his hand free. ¡°I¡¯m just looking forward to learning how to fence. ¡°Yeah, cool. Not a problem,¡± Zander straightened. ¡°You sure came to the right place for that. If you''re lucky, I might even show you some secret Silvershield techniques. You know what? We should stick together, Kal. We¡¯re pure breeds, unlike this riffraff.¡± Kal and Arix waved their goodbyes while Ellie rolled her eyes. The trio turned away and made for the orienteering stand. There was far less excitement surrounding the orienteering stand, which had a few maps and compasses sprawled across a table and a nerdy-looking kid with large glasses standing beside it. ¡°Hey there! Do I see you steering toward the grand game of orienteering? Is that a passion for cross-country dashing, I see? A thrill for striking a rhythm while partaking in an adventurous hike to the top of a prism?¡± My goodness, I hate this kid already. ¡°We want to do orienteering. Where do we sign up,¡± Kal said, fighting back animosity for the rhyming bobbled head who grinned back at him. ¡°Ahhh, a curious kid looking to expand his studious stunts? A boy on a mission for admission. A bub looking for entry into a welcoming club.¡± ¡°Just point me toward the forms,¡± Kal gritted his teeth as Arix and Ellie caught up. The flashy stands had constantly diverted their attention, causing them to stop and stare. ¡°Orienteering? Are you sure about this, Kal?¡± Ellie asked, trying to pull her eyes away from the tailoring stand¡ªwhere beautiful gowns were displayed on mannequins. ¡°If the paper is what you favor. Take a quill and get ready to fill, and don¡¯t forget to sign on the dotted line.¡± ¡°Wait, on second thoughts, I think I¡¯m going to do tailoring,¡± Ellie said, backing away from the stand. ¡°It¡¯s not like we all need to be good at reading maps, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Arix scratched at the back of his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was an archery club.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kal turned. ¡°I know we¡¯re all trying to become mages, but archery could still be useful, you know?¡± Arix said, backing away. No, no, no, don¡¯t leave me alone with this kid. ¡°Hey there, buddy,¡± the kid behind the stand said, rounding it to wrap an arm around Kal¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s a little nutty, but it looks like we¡¯ll be up to study. Orienteering together, just you and me, persevering forever. My name¡¯s Liam. Now, please, put me in frame. What does thee claim to go by via name?¡± ¡°Kal Jakari,¡± he groaned. [ 13 ] After School Sitting on the porch outside the Jakari home, Tammy and Daedrik sat on white chairs by the door with mugs in their hands. They were supposed to be watching the kids, but at eleven years of age, they let them do their own thing. ¡°I heard that Kal¡¯s close to awakening his mana core. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ he¡¯s gifted,¡± Daedrik said. ¡°Well, you were always so amazing with your magic yourself, Daedrik. I assumed your children would probably follow in your footsteps. But¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°I know, it¡¯s young,¡± Daedrik said, sipping coffee. ¡°He¡¯s impressive, even compared to me. I remember showing off my magic in the center of town. I must have been seventeen at the time. It was only a few months before leaving for the academy, and everyone was so excited. I was the first kid from Ebenshire in almost fifty years to learn enough magic to qualify for the academy. And even that was only because my father had brought us here from the capital.¡± ¡°I remember that,¡± Tammy said. ¡°I was with your beautiful wife if I remember correctly. It was the first time I ever saw magic.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Honestly,¡± Tammy nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget it. It made the world seem so much bigger and more mystical. You had everyone clapping and cheering. Kinda hard to forget.¡± ¡°Yeah, I did, didn¡¯t I? I had only awoken my core a couple of years earlier.¡± ¡°Something the matter?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just the world of magic. It¡¯s complicated. That¡¯s all, really.¡± ¡°Oh, worried about your boy?¡± ¡°You could say that. He¡¯s still so young, but he probably knows more than I did back then. It¡¯s easy to get swept away in that. Even I was treated like a local celebrity. That got to my head for a few years. This led to some questionable decision-making. Almost got me killed a few times. It¡¯s hard not to worry.¡± ¡°Right, you must have gone through a lot,¡± Tammy sipped tea. ¡°Magic is all Ellie talks about these days. She told me that Kal has been teaching her about mana.¡± ¡°Has he now?¡± Daedrik¡¯s brow rose. ¡°She wants to be a mage,¡± Tammy sighed. ¡°You know, even with your experience in this type of thing, you¡¯re still worried. Can you imagine how I feel?¡± ¡°I can, yes. But there¡¯s a lot more to being a mage than chasing after demons. Just look at me.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Professor. Just look at you, the guy who just told me he almost got himself killed multiple times.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah,¡± Daedrik grimaced. ¡°Sorry about that. I wasn¡¯t expecting¨C¡± ¡°Me to say Ellie was trying to become a mage?¡± ¡°Yeah¨Cexactly. Well, don¡¯t worry too much about any of that just yet. Most people fail anyway.¡± Deadrik said one thing but thought another. He had, like Kal, seen Ellie¡¯s mana potential. The only thing that would hold her back was either a lack of guidance or a lack of perseverance. And it sounded like one of those problems was already solved. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a better outcome. I don¡¯t want my daughter failing at her dreams.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Sorry again, Tammy. It looks like I¡¯ve got a bad case of foot in mouth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Tammy waved dismissively. ¡°I understand what you mean. We just hope for the best for our children.¡± ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Daedrik nodded. ¡°For the best.¡± *** The three kids sat cross-legged in a circle, meditating with their eyes closed just behind Kal¡¯s house. ¡°Do you feel it?¡± Kal said, easing the corner of his eye open. ¡°Owww, I can''t, Kal. It''s hopeless. I''ll never learn magic like you. I can¡¯t feel this mana stuff. Whatever I¡¯m meant to be feeling.¡± ¡°Shhh,¡± Ellie hissed. ¡°I¡¯m trying to concentrate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to concentrate,¡± Arix mockingly mouthed. ¡°Shut it, Arix,¡± Ellie growled. ¡°I know what you¡¯re doing,¡± she added, eyes still closed. ¡°Calm your mind and forget about everything but what is within,¡± Kal said. He doubted both of them would manage to learn magic; the chances of that were extremely slim, but they had asked him, so he would do his best to teach. ¡°Calm my mind,¡± Arix hummed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to speak when calming your mind,¡± Ellie scolded. Maybe it would help if they had a point of reference. ¡°Wait one minute, I''ll be right back,¡± Kal said, bouncing up and rushing toward the house. ¡°Endless interruptions,¡± Ellie growled. ¡°I¡¯m back, miss me?¡± ¡°Like I hadn¡¯t noticed,¡± Ellie said, her closed eyes twitching.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Take one of these,¡± Kal said, handing one of his stolen spheres to both Arix and Ellie. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Arix said. ¡°These are special spheres. They¡¯ve had mana glyphs bound to them. I thought that feeling the mana coming from the spheres might help you to distinguish the mana within your own bodies.¡± ¡°Wow, thanks Kal,¡± Arix said, eyeing the strange metallic orb in his hand. ¡°Is this safe?¡± Ellie raised a brow as she narrowed her gaze on the sphere. ¡°Yeah, totally.¡± I think they are, at least. I mean, they haven¡¯t done any harm to me, I¡¯m pretty sure. ¡°Close your eyes and see if you can feel the power coming from the spheres,¡± Kal said. ¡°Fine,¡± Ellie said, wrapping her hand around the sphere and closing her eyes. ¡°But you two better be quiet.¡± Arix nodded and mimed Ellie. Kal¡¯s eyes widened as he saw both kids¡¯ mana cores expand. The unawoken cores were nothing besides a little unrealized mana potential before, but as the mana channeled between them and the spheres bound, their cores brightened in a flash. ¡°I can feel it,¡± Ellie''s eyes shot open, and her hand sprung free, hurling the sphere across the yard. ¡°It hurts,¡± Arix gritted his teeth, and a line of blood traced down his nose. Shit! Kal shot forward, snatching the sphere from Arix¡¯s hand, and the boy fell limply backward. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Shouted Daedrik as he ran around the corner and spotted Kal leaning over his unconscious friend with the sphere in his hand. ¡°What have you done?¡± *** ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Tammy. If I had known.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. She¡¯s just a little shaken up,¡± Tammy said, rubbing Ellie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What about the boy? Will he be okay?¡± ¡°Yes, he should be fine,¡± Daedrik nodded, turning to the couch where Kal spoon-fed a pale-faced Arix some porridge-like substance. ¡°It has powerful herbs mixed in. It will repair his soul and heal his body.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Anyway, I better take Ellie home. We need to get her washed up and in bed. I hope Arix¡¯s parents aren¡¯t too hard on you.¡± ¡°It is what it is,¡± Daedrik sighed. ¡°I should be more careful with my possessions. It¡¯s my fault Kal got ahold of my mana spheres. Whatever is coming to me, I deserve it. Again, I¡¯m dreadfully sorry about all this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, really, Daedrik.¡± ¡°Mom, can we?¡± Ellie looked up. ¡°Yes, dear. Let¡¯s go. Take care now,¡± Tammy smiled and waved goodbye. ¡°I¡¯m sure this will all blow over eventually.¡± ¡°I sure hope so. Let me know if Ellie has any side effects. I can get something mixed up for her as well.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Daedrik closed the door and turned to Kal. Arix was still semi-conscious, and his parents would be arriving any minute now. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry¨C¡± ¡°You have to be more careful,¡± Daedrik sighed exasperatedly. ¡°But this isn¡¯t entirely your fault. I knew you had the spheres. But I also knew you were powerful enough to handle them and figured they would help you reach a higher stage and hide your core quicker, so I ignored your theft. But these kids, they¡¯re not like you. They can¡¯t handle power like that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°You should have. What you did is still reckless. You¡¯ve been studying magic for years now and read every book in my library. You should have known better than to give a magical artifact to a child who hasn¡¯t even awoken their core.¡± ¡°What about Ellie?¡± ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s okay¡ªand her core.¡± ¡°She awoke it,¡± Daedrik said. ¡°I¡¯m aware. But that changes nothing.¡± ¡°But¨C¡± Kal stammered, feeding Arix another spoonful. ¡°She got lucky, that¡¯s all. I¡¯ve heard people theorizing about using bursts of raw mana to push students at the precipice of awakening their cores through the final steps, but it never seemed worth the risk. And now you see why. Sure, maybe Ellie got lucky and moved toward harnessing her magic a little quicker. But what about the boy? We don¡¯t even know what damage you might have caused him yet. His core will never be the same.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like he had much to begin with. I just wanted to give him a chance. That¡¯s all¡­¡± ¡°You could have killed him, Kal. If the boy wasn¡¯t meant to be a mage, then it wasn¡¯t meant to be. That¡¯s life. Grow up.¡± I¡¯m an idiot. Risking a kid¡¯s life for my experiments, Kal remorsfully sighed, looking down at Arix as he breathed weakly. ¡°Even if it hasn¡¯t killed him, I doubt your friend will come out of this unscathed. Not only that, but I suspect it will have a lasting effect on Ellie as well. Don¡¯t think it hasn''t changed her just because she awoke her core, but it seems fine now. People aren¡¯t supposed to play with magic that is beyond them. I hope you remember this lesson, Kal.¡± ¡°Sorry, Dad.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. And next time, don¡¯t assume just because you can handle a magical item, your friends can, too. I hope that, at the very least, you learn something from this.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°I did.¡±
Bloodline Trait unlocked: Penitent -1 Charisma | +1 Wisdom
Oh, another one¡­ cool, I guess. Kal sighed and pushed another spoonful of healing mush against Arix¡¯s lips. Coughing, Arix wheezed and eased his eyes open. ¡°Kal?¡± ¡°Arix! You¡¯re awake!¡± Kal shouted and shot forward, wrapping his arms around the boy¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s so good to hear you talk.¡± ¡°Kal.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting strange.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Kal released him, sprung back, and cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nice. I didn¡¯t know you cared.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re my friend, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kal said, softly punching Arix¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Am I?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course you are.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s just nice to hear you say it for once.¡± Arix wasn¡¯t sure if I was his friend? I know I find them annoying at times, but I didn¡¯t want to give them that impression. Maybe I¡¯ve been a little harsh on these kids. ¡°Anytime, buddy,¡± Kal smiled. ¡°Where¡¯s Ellie?¡± ¡°She¨Cuh¨Cwent home. Left with her mother after everything that happened.¡± ¡°Everything that happened?¡± Arix weakly echoed. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± Arix went silent a moment before giving a breathy reply. ¡°We were in your yard¡­ and¡­ wait, what did happen?¡± ¡°I did something I shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Kal glanced down at his hands. ¡°The spheres!¡± Arix¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°We were going to learn magic.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Kal trailed off. ¡°So, I guess we didn¡¯t then?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s fine. At least you tried.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have. That¡¯s the problem.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have tried to help us?¡± Arix crooked his head. ¡°Why not? We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡ªthe spheres, I shouldn¡¯t have used them. Sorry, Arix. I failed you.¡± ¡°No. No, you didn¡¯t. You tried to help us, Kal,¡± Arix said, weakly placing a hand on Kal¡¯s. ¡°No,¡± Kal pulled his hand away and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me until I help you awaken your core.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to keep helping me?¡± ¡°Of course I am.¡± If there¡¯s one way I can make up for my idiocy is helping Arix keep up with us, one way or another. I¡¯m not leaving you behind, buddy. You¡¯re going to be a mage! [ 14 ] Mentor ¡°So, the three little brats return. I¡¯m impressed; I thought you¡¯d be too scared to actually show up to your first lesson,¡± Zander said, his hands smugly resting against his hips as the trio walked into the timber-floor storeroom at the back of the school that Zander used as a makeshift dojo. ¡°You talk too much, mop-head,¡± Ellie growled. ¡°Who you calling mop-head?¡± Zander bundled a fist and shook it at her. ¡°Are you going to be our instructor?¡± Arix asked. ¡°Of course I am. Who else would it be? Do I need to remind you that I¡¯m a three-time underage regional champion?¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t,¡± Ellie groaned. ¡°Alright, where do you want us?¡± Kal interrupted. As entertaining as their little spat was, he wanted to get down to training. ¡°Just there is fine,¡± Zander said, pointing at a line that ran down the middle of the room and crossing his arms. ¡°Okay, now what?¡± Kal said, stepping onto the line. Glaring at Zander, Ellie followed, with Arix a step behind. ¡°Each of you take one of the wooden training swords, and we¡¯ll get started on some practice stances.¡± There wasn¡¯t much to their first fencing lesson. Mostly, they just felt the different stances and practiced some basic lunges and parries. Zander explained that it would take a while, and Kal was glued to his every word. The other two, however, were less interested. They were far more eager to get back to magic training with Kal than swinging around wooden swords. ¡°Did Kal tell you what he told me?¡± Arix said, excitedly pulling on his brown leather bag straps as they walked through town. ¡°No, what did Karl tell you?¡± Ellie said, eyeing Kal. ¡°He''s gonna keep teaching me until I awaken my core.¡± ¡°Don''t you think you should like, rest a bit? You only got out of bed the other day. Tell him, Kal. He needs to take it easy.¡± Kal eyed Arix¡¯s mana core. Unlike Ellie¡¯s, it was still dormant. However, if any permanent damage was caused, it wasn''t visible.
??? Mana Core Mana 1/1 Mana Potential 40 Stage 1
Strength: 0 Agility: 0 Dexterity: 0 Charisma: 0 Wisdom: 1 Intelligence: 1 Endurance: 0 Toughness: 0
So, awakening her core did increase her mana potential a little. ¡°So, Ellie, I never got around to asking you what your core says?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t skirt my question! But now that you mention it,¡± Ellie glanced inward. ¡°It says divine. I guess that¡¯s my affinity, then.¡± Well, that¡¯s handy. Perhaps the universe is trying to tell me something. ¡°And how are you feeling, Arix?¡± ¡°Me? I''m as fit as I''ve ever been, look,¡± he said, jumping and skipping ahead of them and then turning to flex until his face turned red. ¡°See?¡± ¡°Okay, stop, we get it.¡± ¡°So, you two both want to continue your training this evening? It¡¯s getting late, don¡¯t you think?¡± Kal said. They had already spent an hour fencing with Zander after school, and the setting sun''s crimson streaks crept through the pointed tips of Ebernshire¡¯s skyline. ¡°I know I do,¡± Arix said. ¡°How else am I supposed to catch up to you?¡¯ ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Well, if you two are, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m missing out,¡± Ellie said. ¡°Alright, alright, looks like we¡¯re training.¡± *** Light filtered through the window blinds, casting across their backs as Kal raised a hand to demonstrate for Arix and Ellie in his bedroom. ¡°Okay, first of all, try concentrating your mana in the palm of your hand. Don¡¯t worry about what you¡¯re trying to form just yet. You¡¯ve got so little mana it won¡¯t matter anyway; you¡¯ll have drained your core well before you can form anything with it in your hand anyway.¡± Eliie wouldn¡¯t be able to do much with a single point of mana. Kal knew how hard it was to hold onto your mana as you drew it out. The reality was this was essentially just a glorified meditation session. Even though normal cores couldn¡¯t unlock Bloodline Traits as he could, Kal knew that they could strengthen their available mana in between reaching new stages because of his reading. Arix¡¯s left eye peeked open. ¡°Hey, you!¡± Kal said, pointing at Arix. ¡°Get back to meditation. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be finding your core, remember?¡± ¡°B-but,¡± Arix stammered. ¡°I want to use magic like you two.¡± ¡°Then focus on your own journey. Letting yourself get distracted by what we¡¯re doing will guarantee you stay where you are.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Arix huffed and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll meditate.¡± Despite their complaints, the two kids stubbornly persisted, surprising Kal. He highly doubted that he would have had the patience to continue trying time and time again, sitting in his bedroom, meditating for hours. But they did. Kal was once again reminded that he was lucky to have gone through this with the wisdom of an adult. Then again, this world didn¡¯t have video games and social media. Another week of training¡­ ¡°Ugh, school sucks,¡± Ellie groaned. ¡°Since when did they give homework on Aurinday? My brother said he didn¡¯t get any when he became a lead classmate. This is so unfair.¡± ¡°Are you sure your bother even remembers what he did yesterday, let alone what homework he got? I remember that classless brute. Isn¡¯t he shoveling coal these days?¡± ¡°Who even invited you, Zander?¡± Ellie glared across at the teen as he brushed his shirt down and fixed his cuffs. ¡°You scruffians should be thanking me. Just being around my aura will help elevate you,¡± Zander said, pausing to look Ellie up and down. ¡°However, I doubt it can help your¡ªabsent decorum.¡± ¡°Watch your tongue, mop-head!¡± ¡°My tongue? I don¡¯t think you even understood what I said.¡± ¡°I¨Cuh.¡± ¡°By replying to him, you¡¯re only feeding into him, Ellie,¡± Kal said as they walked. ¡°But he¨C¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kal,¡± Zander said, narrowing his gaze on Ellie. ¡°At least some people around here understand good manners.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I wasn¡¯t siding with you. Now, could the both of you just quit it?¡± ¡°You just said I had absent decorum, whatever that means.¡± ¡°Eh, I say a lot of things,¡± Zander shrugged. ¡°Get over it, peasant girl.¡± ¡°Who you calling peasant,¡± Ellie snapped. ¡°You, little girl. Or had you forgotten that my father is a knight to the baron of Ebenshire? That makes me a noble and a landed gentry. You should be thankful I even talk to you, peasant girl. Let alone allow you to join my fencing club.¡± ¡°You better hold me back, Kal.¡± ¡°Calm down, Ellie,¡± Arix said. ¡°We¡¯re all friends here, remember?¡± ¡°Friends? Like heck I¡¯m friends with him.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled,¡± Kal dusted his hands. ¡°So, were you and Arix coming back to mine?¡± ¡°Settled? What¡¯s settled? Nothing is settled!¡± Ellie snapped. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I am,¡± Arix¡¯s hand shot up. ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± Ellie hissed through her teeth as she glared at Zander. ¡°So, the two little brats are going to Kal¡¯s house? What¡¯s the occasion?¡± ¡°We always do it,¡± Arix nodded. ¡°We¡ªthe key part of that sentence,¡± Ellie said, pointing to the three of them. ¡°Hey, what about me?¡± Zander said. ¡°Can¡¯t I come?¡± ¡°You want to?¡± Kal raised a brow. ¡°Shhh, ignore him,¡± Ellie hissed. ¡°You actually want to hang out with us?¡± Arix said. ¡°I dunno, maybe. I mean, you little brats made it sound fun. What do you get up to, anyway?¡± ¡°Magic,¡± Arix said. ¡°Arix!¡± Ellie said. ¡°Why¡¯d you go and tell him that? It¡¯s a secret. Did that little pea brain of yours forget?¡± ¡°It is? Oh yeah, right. I just thought that after last time¡­¡± ¡°Nothing changed!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ellie. News has already begun spreading across town that I can use magic.¡± ¡°Hey, the Jakari boy,¡± a couple of old men said, pointing at Kal as they turned down a narrow street. ¡°Heard ye know a thing or two about the arcane. Tis it true?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kal grimaced. ¡°Like ye pops. Truly amazing. Little ole Ebenshire has another mage.¡± ¡°Gonna tell the old ball and chain. She¡¯ll get a right kick out of this.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still kicking? I thought she passed a year or two back?¡± ¡°You old fool, we played cards just last week. Don¡¯t ye remember a thing?¡± The two old men began to argue as the group continued down the street. ¡°So it¡¯s true,¡± Zander nodded. ¡°I had heard rumors that you knew magic. But it was that firehead from school who was always picking his nose. I didn¡¯t exactly believe him. And you know, it¡¯s hard to believe.¡± ¡°Why? Why is it hard to believe, Zander?¡± Ellie rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t make spell it out, brat.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true,¡± Kal said. ¡°But if you come, you¡¯ve got to keep what you see between us, okay?¡± ¡°But everyone knows?¡± Zander crooked his head. ¡°Yeah, I know. But I want to keep the details vague, if possible.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Gotcha. Your secret¡¯s safe with me, Little Kal,¡± Zander said, elbowing Kal¡¯s side. ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t let my students down.¡± ¡°Wait, he¡¯s not actually going to hang out with us, is he? Don¡¯t you have friends your own age?¡± ¡°Of course I do,¡± Zander huffed. ¡°But they don¡¯t know magic. And you know¡ªI¡¯ve never actually seen it before,¡± he added, lowering his voice to a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ellie. Just focus on your training,¡± Kal said. ¡°Blocking out distractions is an important part of becoming a mage.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Great, let¡¯s go. Wait, which way are we going?¡± Zander said, pausing mid-step. ¡°Just follow me,¡± Kal said, leading them through a tight alley between townhouses before winding through grassy slopes and taking the cobbled bridge across the stream. *** ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve made quite a few friends now,¡± Daedrik said, opening the door for Kal, who led the little posse inside. ¡°Yeah, same as usual.¡± ¡°Kal, remember what we¡¯ve spoken about. We don¡¯t want any more little accidents.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°Just be careful. Hey, aren¡¯t you the Silvershield kid?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Zander said, shooting a hand toward Daedrik. ¡°Your parents know you¡¯re here, right?¡± Daedrik said as he shook the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°No, not exactly. But I often train late. They probably won¡¯t even notice I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°Be extra careful, Kal. We¡¯ve got a special guest,¡± Daedrik winked. Daedrik might have been the most famous person in town by some standards, but he was just a professor. The Silvershields were nobility, even if they did sit at the bottom rung. He had been surprised by how easily Arix¡¯s parents forgave him, but that was likely because their kid still wanted to learn magic. If Arix managed to awaken his core, that would be a significant step up in society for his family. But that wouldn¡¯t be the same for the Silvershields, who were already nobility. And Daedrik doubted Zander¡¯s family would be as forgiving if something happened to him while he was with Kal. ¡°You three, remember. Magic isn¡¯t a toy. Anything Kal teaches you, you have to treat it with respect and caution. The last thing I want to do is get in the way of studious endeavors; I am a professor, after all. But I also don¡¯t want to be apologizing to your parents again. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the Arix and Ellie nodded. ¡°Not a worry, Mr. Jakari,¡± Zander smiled. ¡°A Silvershield knows better than to play around with what he doesn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Alright, go on,¡± Daedrik stepped aside. ¡°Remember what I said,¡± he echoed down the hall as they disappeared up the stairs toward Kal¡¯s room. ¡°What a strange collection of kids,¡± Daedrik murmured beneath his breath. *** ¡°Okay, Arix, close your eyes and focus on feeling your mana as I¡¯ve instructed. I¡¯ll provide additional instructions after going over Ellie¡¯s lesson.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Arix said, crossing his legs and sitting in a meditative pose on Kal¡¯s bed. ¡°Feeling the mana?¡± Zander raised a suspicious brow. ¡°As if little twerps like these two can feel mana.¡± ¡°I can!¡± Ellie¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Zander smirked. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be able to hide behind Kal¡¯s achievements forever.¡± ¡°Tell him, Kal.¡± ¡°Ellie¡¯s telling the truth. She awoke her core and has a decent amount of mana potential. A lot more than anyone else I¡¯ve seen in this town.¡± ¡°As if. How do you even know that?¡± Zander said. ¡°I can sense it. It¡¯s part of being a mage.¡± ¡°Not possible. Check mine again,¡± Zander thumbed his chest. ¡°You must¡¯ve got us mixed up or something. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m losing to a twerp like her.¡± ¡°Umm,¡± Kal narrowed his gaze on Zander. ¡°Nope. Your mana potential is actually the weakest. Like almost nonexistent.¡± ¡°Hey, no way. You¡¯re obviously doing it wrong,¡± Zander ruffed and crossed his arms. ¡°I guess this is what I get for hanging out with little kids. I should¡¯ve known better.¡± ¡°Still don¡¯t believe me? Just take a look at this,¡± Ellie said, extending an open-palmed hand. A dim light flared in her palm for a second and immediately dimmed. ¡°What was that?¡± Zander pointed and chuckled. ¡°A little baby flash of light?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard, mister,¡± Ellie growled. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not into all that magic hoo-ha. I¡¯ll leave that nonsense to you three twerps. You see me? I¡¯m about that knight life,¡± Zander smugly boasted. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just scared?¡± Ellie teased. ¡°Worried about being outdone by a little girl?¡± ¡°Not everyone needs to be a mage, Ellie,¡± Kal said. Sush it, Ellie. The last thing I need is yet another student. This is already eating up too much of my time. ¡°Thanks, Kal,¡± Zander wrapped an arm around Kal¡¯s shoulder. ¡°These immature little kids don¡¯t understand life like you and me.¡± ¡°You¡ªunderstand life?¡± Ellie laughed. ¡°Yeah, right. Good one,¡± she added, wiping a tear from her eye. ¡°Oh, you gone and done it, little girl. I¡¯m gonna go so hard on you next fencing lesson.¡± ¡°Bring it on, mop-head!¡± ¡°I think I feel something,¡± Arix whispered. ¡°Shhh,¡± Kal hissed, raising a hand to silence the two. A crease formed between Arix¡¯s brow as he concentrated, and a bead of sweat ran down his forehead. ¡°Take it easy, you¡¯re still recovering. No need to push yourself,¡± Kal said, inching closer. ¡°I-it¡¯s,¡± Arix gritted his teeth, and a line of blood streamed from his nose. ¡°Arix!¡± Kal lunged toward the kid and took his shoulders. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot. Dark. I hear laughing.¡± That¡¯s¡­ that sounds familiar. ¡°What in the realms is going on?¡± Zander¡¯s teeth chattered, and he stumbled backward. ¡°Is he okay, Kal?¡± Ellie shouted. ¡°Can you hear me, Arix?¡± Arix¡¯s eyes flung open, filled with an abyssal black the swallowed light. But Kal didn¡¯t look away, staring straight into the demonic orbs. What is this? He could see through the eyes, down into Arix¡¯s core. It wasn¡¯t like the usual snooping he could do thanks to awakening his core; this was like a direct passage into Arix. A marital core¡­ but what¡¯s that? Kal¡¯s brow perked. It was as if something wrapped its presence around Arix¡¯s core. In the eyes of Ellie and Zander, Kal stood perfectly still, holding Arix¡¯s shoulders. But in his, Kal reached down, plunging his arm through Arix¡¯s blackened eyes. Grabbing hold of the corruption, Kal pulled, channeling his mana into his stats and empowering his body. His mana drained in seconds, but as the final points ticked away, the presence¡¯s grip weakened, and he snapped it away from Arix¡¯s core. Gasping, Kal shook from his trance-like state and stumbled backward. Grimacing as he grasped at his forehead, Kal blinked several times and then watched as the blackness faded from Arix¡¯s eyes. For a second, Arix sat upright, eyes clear again, and then fell backward, fainting on the bed. ¡°Arix?¡± Kal shouted and jumped onto the bed beside him. ¡°Are you there?¡± ¡°Kal?¡± Arix weakly murmured. ¡°Oh, by the good graces,¡± Kal exhaled. ¡°I feel great,¡± he murmured and gradually pulled himself up. ¡°What happened? It¡¯s like I feel lighter and sharper than before.¡± Kal blinked and focused on Arix¡¯s core.
[ Infantile ] Marital Mana Core Mana 1/1 Mana Potential 12 Stage 1
Strength: 1 Agility: 0 Dexterity: 0 Charisma: 0 Wisdom: 0 Intelligence: 0 Endurance: 0 Toughness: 1
I can see his core type¡­ what the hell happened? ¡°I think I did it,¡± Arix continued. ¡°I awoke my core.¡±
Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Budding Exorcist +2 Intelligence | +1 Wisdom | +2 Mana
Exorcist? What does that mean? Kal rubbed at his temples. If Arix had been possessed, why hadn¡¯t Daedrik noticed? Weren¡¯t mages meant to be able to detect and hunt fiends? What is going on? Kal¡¯s thoughts flashed back and forth, struggling with the idea that maybe this world didn¡¯t understand or control its little demon problem as well as he had thought it did. [ 15 ] Missing Pieces ¡°You three are crazy,¡± Zander shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m outta here,¡± he added, turning and storming out, his thudding steps echoing down the stairs a second later. ¡°Leaving already?¡± Daedrik''s muffled voice came from the living room as Zander reached the door. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Jakari,¡± Zander could be faintly heard. ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t like me staying out too late, so I better be off.¡± ¡°Oookay then,¡± Daedrik said, and the door slammed behind him. ¡°It¡¯s only five¡­ that¡¯s some tough parenting. Noble families, huh? Poor kid.¡± ¡°Wow, he actually left. That¡¯s one way to go about it,¡± Ellie chuckled, turning to the other two. ¡°Yeah, Ellie. That¡¯s exactly what we wanted.¡± ¡°Well, Arix is fine, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°I¡¯m better than fine,¡± Arix jumped off the bed. ¡°Hey! No jumping,¡± Daedrik shouted from downstairs. ¡°Ooops,¡± Arix grimaced. ¡°Good to see you okay, Arix. And Ellie¨C¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can you please stop trying to antagonize Zander?¡± ¡°Huh, antag-on-ize?¡± Ellie tilted her head. ¡°Stop trying to start fights!¡± Kal said. ¡°Hey, he¡¯s the big dumb mop-head starting fights, not me.¡± ¡°Ellie.¡± ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t fight with the mop-head,¡± Ellie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. He is the captain of our club, remember? You two might not care, but I want to learn something about fencing. Not to mention he¡¯s a freaking noble. Who knows what trouble he could cause if you keep it up.¡± ¡°Fencing, why? You¡¯re like really good at magic, and you¡¯re only a kid. What good is a stupid sword?¡± Ellie said. ¡°You know what, I dunno, Ellie. But here¡¯s the thing: preparing for the unexpected is smart. And I don¡¯t plan to remain held up in a tiny town like Ebenshire or stuffed away in a magic academy like my father. I plan to see the world and have adventures. That means I need to be prepared for everything that¡¯s out there. And that means learning skills like sword fighting.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, fine,¡± Ellie huffed. ¡°I get it. I¡¯ll try to be nice to Zander, I suppose.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s getting dark already,¡± Arix said, looking out from Kal¡¯s window as the sun slowly crept below the horizon, casting blood orange through the room. ¡°I feel like I lost a few hours.¡± ¡°What a surprise,¡± Kal said. ¡°Beetle,¡± Kal''s mom called from downstairs. ¡°Dinners ready.¡± ¡°Your mom calls you Beetle?¡± Ellie snickered. ¡°Yeah, is that embarrassing?¡± ¡°Well, obviously,¡± Ellie rolled her head. ¡°Jeez, Kal, why don''t normal things embarrass you like everyone else?¡± Damn, kids, that¡¯s not normal. It¡¯s cute. Appreciate it while you can. Kal had lost his original parents years ago and had long recovered from the trauma of it, but these little things brought it back. Despite not feeling the same bond for his second parents as his first, he still very much enjoyed Yandi¡¯s affection. ¡°It''s fine,¡± Arix said. ¡°My mom calls me Little Lemon.¡± ¡°Oh, that''s cute,¡± Kal smiled. ¡°What''s going on? I don''t like this,¡± Ellie wrinkled her nose. ¡°You two bonding without me.¡± ¡°What about you, Ellie?¡± Arix said. ¡°What pet names does your mom call you?¡± ¡°None. Well, El. But that¡¯s not the same.¡± ¡°Maybe I should call you El,¡± Kal grinned. ¡°How about¡ªno.¡± ¡°What about Melon, then?¡± Arix raised his index finger. ¡°Melon? I like it. From today onward, you shall be known as Melon,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Shut up, that''s stupid!¡± Ellie''s cheeks reddened. ¡°Sorry, Melon.¡± ¡°Shut it. The next person who calls me Melon gets a punch.¡± ¡°Dinner,¡± Yandi called out again. ¡°Don''t make me tell you a third time, Beetle Bug.¡± *** ¡°What happened to your eye, Arix?¡± Yandi said. ¡°Do you need me to fetch the ice?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Arix gingerly patted his bruised eye as he poked the vegetables on his plate with a fork. ¡°This is really great, Mrs. Jakari,¡± Ellie said, shoveling lasagna into her mouth. ¡°Sooo cheesy,¡± she added, eyeing a rubbery sting of cheese stretching out as she pulled a fork full away from her plate. ¡°Acting innocent,¡± Kal sighed. ¡°I''m glad you all like it,¡± Yandi beamed a smile. ¡°I hope your parents aren''t going to get worried about you two staying this late,¡± Daedrik said. ¡°Oh, Daedrik. Tammy''s like a sister to me; she''ll be fine,¡± Yandi said, patting his arm. ¡°What about the boy?¡± Daedrik muttered from the side of his mouth. ¡°Arix, dear, your parents¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Thanks for having me over, Mr and Mrs Jakari.¡± Arix pushed away from the table and bowed his head. ¡°Thank you for the food.¡± ¡°We didn''t mean now,¡± Yandi raised a hand. ¡°No, you''re right. They''re going to be getting worried. Besides, I had a great time. Thanks for having me over.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Let me,¡± Daedrik rose, walked to the door, and held it open for Arix. Night had fallen, but an oil lantern filled the entrance with light. ¡°Are you going to be okay walking home alone?¡± ¡°I''ll be fine. It''s only a few minutes to the city watch outpost, and after that, there''s street lamps the rest of the way home.¡± ¡°You''re a brave kid.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s easy in a sleepy town like Ebenshire.¡± ¡°See you at school tomorrow, Arix,¡± Kal waved. ¡°Bye,¡± Ellie added. ¡°I suppose I''ll take you home once you''ve finished eating, Ellie,¡± Yandi said. ¡°I need to catch up with your mother anyway.¡± ***Next Morning*** ¡°Hey, Kal,¡± Ellie waved as she spotted him weaving through a cobbled alley on his way to school. ¡°Hey, Ellie.¡± ¡°I can''t believe we''ve all awoken our cores now. How cool is that? You know, I didn''t really believe we''d all become mages back then. But we actually did it.¡± ¡°Yeah, kinda hard to believe, huh?¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Life has a habit of being strange.¡± ¡°Yeah, when you¡¯re around,¡± Ellie grinned. ¡°By the way, Kal¨C¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You''re not going to leave us, are you?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Magic examinations. It doesn''t happen often, from my understanding. What if it comes around, and you know¡ªwe¡¯re not ready.¡± She had a point. Examinations for Magic Academy only came around once every four years, and there was no way Kal would miss them. However, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for Arix and Ellie to get through at their age, even if he did help them. ¡°I dunno. I hadn¡¯t thought about it too much.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Liar. There¡¯s no way someone magically obsessed like you hasn¡¯t been thinking about the examinations.¡± ¡°Okay, fine. I have. If I¡¯m being entirely honest, I will be taking the exams when they come.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ellie sighed and looked down at her feet. ¡°I get it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help you and Arix. I¡¯m not trying to run away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, at least. I don''t want you to leave, Kal. At least not without me and Arix by your side.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡± Damn, I didn¡¯t realize how much these kids relied on me. They¡¯ve done well to both awaken their cores, but there¡¯s a gulf of knowledge and experience between that and learning the magic required to pass the exam. ¡°Ellie¨CKal¡ªthere you are,¡± Lydia waved, her face twisted into a panic as she ran toward them with a man at her side. ¡°Oh, hi Lydia,¡± Kal waved. ¡°Have you seen Arix?¡± She said between panted breaths. ¡°We haven''t seen him since yesterday,¡± the man said, his face creased and brow furrowed inward. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Sorry, I''m Damien¡ªArix¡¯s father.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Arix walk home last night?¡± Ellie crooked her head. ¡°Last night?¡± Lydia''s eyes widened. ¡°Alone¡­ Damien, what''s happened to our baby?¡± ¡°We need to let the guard know immediately. Ask around. I''ll head to the watch house,¡± Damien said, nodding to Kal and Ellie before turning and running down the street. ¡°My baby,¡± tears traced Lydia''s cheeks as her knees began to tremble. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Kal said, rushing toward her and strengthening his body with his mana as her knees collapsed, catching her before she hit the cobbled road. ¡°Lydia!¡± ¡°Kal¡­ is it true?¡± Ellie whimpered behind him. ¡°Is Arix really missing?¡± ¡°I dunno, but I plan on finding out,¡± he replied, checking for a pulse and then checking her temperature by patting Lydia''s forehead.¡±She seems okay. Probably just fainted.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on over there?¡± said a couple of patrol guards, spotting Kal hunched over Lydia. ¡°She fainted.¡± ¡°Yeah. Kal caught her,¡± Ellie added. ¡°You did good, kid. But you can leave it to the pros now.¡± ¡°Here, let her down softly,¡± the guard said, helping Kal ease her down against the ground. ¡°You two better rush off to school. It should have started by now, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± ¡°What about our friend?¡± ¡°What friend?¡± The two guards shared a puzzled glance. *** I can¡¯t believe those two bozos made us go back to school when Arix is out there somewhere. ¡°Quiet now,¡± Mr. Doltz raised his pointing stick at the class. ¡°Which of you know how our country got its name¡ªThe Kingdom of Lynnis? Come on.¡± No one answered. ¡°Someone besides Master Jakari, please.¡± ¡°Ahh, you know Kal doesn''t have his hand raised, right?¡± ¡°He what?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Kal raised his head from the table. What do they want now? Kal groaned internally. He couldn''t keep his thoughts straight since hearing about Arix, and everything seemed so damn irritating. ¡°Okay, well, Miss Tigari, since you interrupted my class, do you know the answer?¡± ¡°I ah¨CI dunno,¡± the classmate said, shrinking behind her table. ¡°Please, Miss Tigari, know the answer if you intend to interrupt my class in the future.¡± ¡°Sorry, Mr. Doltz.¡± ¡°You better be. Anyway, as I was saying,¡± Mr. Doltz tapped on the blackboard. ¡°The etymology of the Kingdom of Lynnis traces its roots back to the great champion and first Archmage, Alton Lynnis. It may be hard to believe now, but once a great Archdemon and his hordes ruled this land. It wasn''t until a party of great heroes led by Alton Lynnis drove them from their dark citadel atop Mount Kargil that the land was free.¡± ¡°Boring,¡± a kid interrupted. ¡°Everyone knows this tale.¡± ¡°Well then, why weren¡¯t more hands raised?¡± Mr. Doltz growled as he turned back to the class. ¡°And where are you going, Master Jakari.¡± ¡°Sorry, I need to step out,¡± Kal waved and exited the room. ¡°Master Jakari, you get back here this instant!¡± Mr. Doltz screamed after him, his eyelids twitching and face turning red. ¡°Sorry, I gotta go too,¡± Ellie bounced from her chair and ran after Kal. ¡°Miss Draper, where do you think you''re going!¡± ¡°Kal, Kal,¡± Ellie called out, chasing him down the old, ornate corridor. ¡°Oh, you came.¡± ¡°Of course I did. You''re not the only one thinking about Arix, you dummy.¡± ¡°Sorry, you''re right. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Kal trailed off, staring through one of the windows that lined the school¡¯s corridors into the courtyard. ¡°You¡¯re not the one who showed him how to awaken his core.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s missing because of that?¡± ¡°I dunno. I didn¡¯t say anything before, but when he awoke his core, I saw something.¡± ¡°I did, too,¡± Ellie nodded. ¡°Something inside me.¡± ¡°No,¡± Kal shook. ¡°It¡¯s different. Something happened to him, probably because of the mana spheres. And it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Kal was certain it wasn¡¯t all a coincidence. The sensation he had felt was too similar to the Dimvale Woods. ¡°There you two are,¡± interrupted Principal Dore. ¡°Mr. Doltz said you two walked straight out of his classroom. Do either of you two have anything to say for yourselves,¡± he added, waging a finger. *** ¡°First time I¡¯ve had the school¡¯s top student in my office. But I suppose there has to be a first for everything,¡± Principal Dore glared across his hardwood desk at Ellie and Kal as he tapped a pile of papers together. ¡°So? Spit it out.¡± Ellie stared at her feet while Kal¡¯s gaze snuck out through the window at their side. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to reverse the damage you¡¯ve done. But if you¡¯d prefer disciplinary action, then keep treading this path.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our friend,¡± Kal said distantly. ¡°He¡¯s been missing since yesterday.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± Dore¡¯s voice softened, and he placed the papers down. ¡°Yeah, a student named Arix Maestrom.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Principal Dore sighed. ¡°That is troublesome news. Why didn¡¯t you say something sooner?¡± ¡°Sorry, my mind has been elsewhere.¡± ¡°Sorry, Principal Dore,¡± Ellie blurted out without raising her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Dore waved and rubbed his temples. ¡°Situations like this cause stress. I¡¯ll have your parents come pick you up. I¡¯ll even advise them to let you have a couple of days at home. But ultimately, it will be their decision. Hopefully, your friend will be found soon.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Kal murmured. ¡°Just take it easy, okay?¡± Dore¡¯s brow furrowed empathetically. ¡°Leave difficult situations like this up to your parents and the city guard. They¡¯re trained for this kind of thing. What you two need to do is rest and recover. Stress is no good for a young mind.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll try,¡± Kal forced a smile. I have to go in there. The chance that the woods and Arix are related can¡¯t be a coincidence. Daedrik didn¡¯t even notice Arix¡¯s possession; I doubt he¡¯ll notice this. I can¡¯t sit around and hope someone else picks up on it. Kal wrestled his thoughts back and forth, considering whether or not to seek help from Daedrik. It wasn¡¯t just about avoiding a scolding. If Arix had been possessed somehow, would he be safe around Daedrik and other mages? He had read enough books about exorcisms and demon-slaying to know that they were often a death sentence for the unfortunate people who got caught in the middle. No, I have to do this alone. Everything that¡¯s happened is my fault, and I can¡¯t let Arix take that risk for my failures. I won¡¯t let him die. [ 16 ] Friend in Need Kal remained quiet upon returning home. Daedrik had returned to the capital in the morning since his classes had started again, and Yandi left the moment she brought Kal home and went to join the search party. Well, at least I won¡¯t need to sneak out. He took one of the spheres as a back-up mana source. Drawing mana from the spheres required meditative-like concentration, so it wasn¡¯t particularly useful in combat, but he had no idea what he might find in there. Grabbing a machete, a map, and a compass, he gathered the items into a leather, over-shoulder bag and headed toward the woods behind his home. The thick, green vegetation and flowers blossoming across the undergrowth gave the forest a cozy feel¡ªif not the sensation of dread he felt dripping from every inch of it. ¡°Kal,¡± Ellie called, waving as she ran toward him along the dirt path that wrapped around the forest¡¯s perimeter. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± ¡°Ellie?¡± He turned. ¡°I knew I¡¯d catch you here,¡± she said, panting as she leaned forward to rest, her hands pressed against her hips. ¡°Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d let you go alone, did you?¡± ¡°How did you even know I would be here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dumb. You¡¯re always looking out here. But ever since Arix went missing, it¡¯s been worse. It¡¯s like you¡¯re constantly looking toward these creepy woods.¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± Kal murmured, realizing he was more obvious than he had thought. ¡°I know you want to help, Ellie. But it¡¯s not safe for you to come.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an answer. Why is it safe for you and not me?¡± Kal turned and, in a split second, summoned a marble-sized ball in his palm and shot it toward a tree with a resounding thud that burst bark and sent splinters flying. ¡°So what? You got some magic, big deal. He¡¯s my friend, too,¡± Ellie glared definitely at Kal. ¡°And what if something happens to you? You think I want to be responsible for something happening to both my friends?¡± ¡°And what about you?¡± Ellie countered. ¡°What if something happens to you?¡± Me? Am I being selfish or just rational? I might look young, but we¡¯re worlds apart. ¡°Fine, you can come. But you stay behind me, and if I say run, you run without question, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ellie gritted her teeth and nodded. *** ¡°So, where are we going, Kal?¡± ¡°Deeper,¡± he replied, a few steps ahead. The cleared paths didn¡¯t go this deep into the woods, but a few overgrown old ones zigzagged through the undergrowth. Kal swung the machete back and forth to clear long grass and prickly thickets that obstructed the way. ¡°Mom says never to go deep into the forest. She especially says never to pass the old gray oak.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°You really think he¡¯s in here? Do you think it is related to that Flesh Trail story you told us?¡± Ellie said, gulping as she forced herself to say the thought that plagued her mind. ¡°Maybe. But I don¡¯t think those stories have much basis in reality. However, I do think there¡¯s a good chance Arix¡¯s disappearance is somehow related to whatever is going on out here.¡± ¡°You know what some people say, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°About the naga witch?¡± Kal said. ¡°Yeah, t-the n-naga witch,¡± Ellie stammered, hugging herself tightly. ¡°I doubt there¡¯s any truth to that folktale. A naga witch is a fiend from the middle planes,¡± Kal said, reciting what he had read in one of Daedrik¡¯s books. ¡°There¡¯s no chance that such a powerful demon could live out here without detection,¡± Kal spoke confidently, but in reality, he wasn¡¯t sure anymore. The books said that demon hunters could detect demonic presences, but Kal had witnessed their failure multiple times. Then again, the ability to detect demonic energy was apparently relative to the fiend''s power. He desperately hoped that at least that much was true. A naga witch¡¯s power was said to be equivalent to a mage adept, meaning that her casting ability was on par with a mage who had mastered fifth-circle spell casting¡ªthe same as Daedrik. ¡°Then¡ªwhat do you think caused the Flesh Trail?¡± ¡°Not sure. But seven people have gone missing in this area of Ebenshire over the last twenty years. An unusually high number for the population. Whatever it is that¡¯s out here, we ought to be careful. If you¡¯re scared, you can still head back, Ellie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know you¡¯ll protect me.¡± Yeah, sure. If I¡¯m able to. ¡°By the way, can you sense it?¡± Kal said, walking down the bank of a shallow gully. Roots from the nearby trees pierced the gully¡¯s walls and formed a lattice beneath their feet. ¡°Sense what?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Kal, don¡¯t say things and then not answer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s the same as that day we entered the forest together.¡± ¡°The one with the bunny?¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It was a long time ago.¡± With every step, the surrounding trunks grew wider and the trees taller, and soon, the blanketing canopy thickened enough to cast a night-like shadow over the forest floor. ¡°Great,¡± Kal groaned, pulling his boots through the muddy floor of the gully. It would have been nice to walk on dry ground, but the surrounding undergrowth was too thick. ¡°Yuck,¡± Ellie said, flicking mud from her shoes as she walked. ¡°No wonder people don¡¯t come here.¡± ¡°Why is it getting so cold?¡± Kal said, rubbing the sides of his arms.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°It is chilly, isn¡¯t it?¡± This doesn¡¯t seem normal. Sure, the forest canopy here is a little thicker and shadier than where we have walked, but I¡¯m fairly certain it shouldn¡¯t be this cold. Kal swung around as he heard scuffling in the bushes to his right. ¡°Did you hear something?¡± Ellie said, her voice shaky. ¡°Could just be a rabbit,¡± Kal said, scanning their surroundings as he turned. ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Ellie nodded, trying to reassure herself. ¡°Just a rabbit. Maybe we should go back.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Kal, seriously,¡± Ellie hissed. Kal shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± He could feel something. Watching. Its presence was unmistakable. But it wasn¡¯t a demon, or at least he was fairly certain it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Who¡¯s out there?¡± Kal shouted. ¡°Give our friend back!¡± A gust blew through the forest, chilling the air, and Ellie gripped her arms tightly, staggering backward. ¡°Kal.¡± A giggle echoed to his left, and Kal swung toward it. ¡°Come out, damn it!¡¯ The giggle sounded to his right, and he swung back around. ¡°Show yourself, coward.¡± ¡°Leave here,¡± a high-pitched, coarse, but almost child-like voice called out. ¡°Go on. Get lost.¡± ¡°Yeah, go on, get.¡± The two voices interchangeably spoke from left to right. ¡°Don¡¯t make us say it again. Get lost.¡± ¡°Do it. You don¡¯t want to make bossman cranky.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s talking?¡± Kal demanded, but the voices turned silent. A moment later, ruffling leaves sounded. ¡°Fine,¡± he sneered and summoned Mage Bullet, firing it toward where he heard the ruffling and then summoning another. ¡°Where are you!?¡± Kal shouted between panting. ¡°Show yourselves, crowds!¡± He fired another Mage Bullet and followed it up barely a second later. ¡°Kal.¡± ¡°Stay back,¡± Kal barked at Ellie and fired again. Wiping sweat from his brow, he tried to form another Mage Bullet, but his mana was drained, and the spell disintegrated before it could be completed. ¡°Kal!¡± Ellie shouted, running toward him as he stumbled forward. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ellie,¡± Kal said, raising a hand to stop her advance. He wasn¡¯t fine. He had overdone it and drained his mana recklessly, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°They?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear them? There were two of them. I could feel their presence and everything.¡± ¡°Them? Who?¡± Kal shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°D-d-demons?¡± Ellie¡¯s teeth chattered. ¡°Invisible demons?¡± ¡°No. They weren¡¯t demons, and they weren¡¯t invisible,¡± Kal shook his head. Whatever they were, they were undoubtedly demonic, but I didn¡¯t sense the power I expected. What was that about bossman? Were they talking about their leader? Maybe they are only servants of whatever the real Flesh Trail monster is? That would explain the weak mana signals I felt from them. ¡°We should go.¡± ¡°What about Arix?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back for him. For now, I need to figure some things out.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ellie nodded. ¡°If you say so. Let¡¯s go.¡± *** Once they were out of the forest, Kal walked Ellie home with the promise that he would come find her before heading back into the woods. He wasn¡¯t too worried about her walking home alone, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Even though he suspected that something had kidnapped Arix, he still believed it was somehow related to the demonic feeling that possessed his mana core. Since the house was still empty, he threw a sandwich together when he got home and headed into the library. There it is. Kal spotted the binder he was looking for. ¡°The Definitive Encoclopida of Fiendlings and Ferrows.¡± Kal took the book to his father¡¯s office. When Daedrik was in town, he avoided the room and instead chose to study on the floor. However, with him gone, he figured he may as well appreciate the comfort. ¡°Here it is,¡± he mouthed, turning the pages. From his understanding, his core put him at the same level of potential as a lesser fiend. He wasn¡¯t sure of much, except that whatever he had felt in the forest wasn¡¯t at that level. Kal had wondered if whatever it was might possibly just be a monster, but the sensation he had felt when narrowing in on its mana was unmistakable. It was demonic. The only thing that makes sense is those things were fiendlings. But what would a fiendling call boss if not an actual fiend? There were hundreds of pages listing all kinds of known fiends. He navigated to the section about subservient fiendlings. Fiendlings, like fiends, had many different characteristics depending on the type. The book explained that while most fiendlings and fiends gathered around stronger demons, some were known to be less picky or even preferred weaker fiends for leadership. This was where Kal started his search. If whatever those creatures bowed to was a real demon, he was certain it could be no more powerful than a lesser fiend. And even then, it would have to be a fiend exceptionally good at hiding itself. Demons that could hide their presence from powerful mages were rare but not unheard of. Besides his book on fiendlings, Kal pulled up ¡®Fiendish Fiends¡ªThe Complete Collection.¡± Comparing the entries in both books, he worked his way down, noting down anything that possibly fit the bill. What do I know about them? There was that unnatural chill. They were giggling, hiding, and seeming subservient to something else. They congregated in groups of at least three, including their bossman. They excelled in presence dampening. They ¡®might¡¯ kidnap children, and they ¡®might¡¯ attack people. Kal counted fingers. Let¡¯s see. Why would people around here think that it¡¯s a Naga Witch? Flicking through the book on Fiends, Kal found the entry for Naga Witch. He didn¡¯t believe that an actual fiend was hiding out there, but perhaps he could find a hint. ----- The Naga Witch. Fiend | Plane of Scales. The Naga Witch is a powerful spellcaster known for leading lesser fiends and fiendlings of the Plane of Scales. Unlike most cold-blooded species from the Plane of Scales, the Naga Witch is infamous for her Corruption Magic and chilly presence. ----- Chilly presence? Kal¡¯s brows perked. The notes dragged on with little interest besides the fact that it confirmed that the Naga Witch was a powerful entity and not something that was likely to go unnoticed by skilled mages. Wait, it also said that they were known for leadership. Could it be possible that something is trying to imitate one of these Naga Witches by making the air cold? But why? Kal mused on the thought, but it didn¡¯t make much sense. He figured that Andric had likely come to a similar conclusion as he had, believing that a Naga Witch wouldn¡¯t be able to hide its powerful presence. But why risk drawing attention to yourself? While fiendlings and monsters alone rarely caught the ire of powerful mages, fiends did. It seemed unnecessarily risky for a weaker being to masquerade as something like a Naga Witch. Hold up a moment. It also said that these Naga Witches are known for Corruption Magic and leading lesser fiends and fiendlings. There didn¡¯t seem much to be gained by pretending to possess magic you couldn¡¯t use¡ªleading fiends, on the other hand? That¡¯s got to be it. Kal hastily flicked through the book on fiendlings until he found the second on fiendlings from the Plane of Scales. He suspected that the two voices that had called out to him in the forest were fiendlings due to the presence they exuded. Okay, I¡¯m looking for something that is known for hiding, giggling, and being subservient to Naga Witches. ----- Laughing Gecko. Fiendling | Plane of Scales. The laughing gecko is a small, statured fiendling known for its childish giggle and conflict-adverse nature. However, it is wise not to underestimate this small fiendling that grows between four and five feet tall. The Laughing Gecko can usually cast basic and first circle spells, along with its tendency to congregate in groups, and its hardy leather hide can make for a nasty encounter for the unprepared. The Laughing Gecko is also known for hiding and stalking its prey. It rarely attacks anything it deems potentially threatening, instead preferring to pick on the weakest prey. The laughing gecko is categorized as a subservient fiendling minion, preferring to serve under fiends from their home plane¡ªThe Plane of Scales. ----- It fits the build. Kal continued to search the book for another hour, but nothing came close to fitting the description he was looking for as the Laughing Gecko. Either I¡¯m looking in the completely wrong direction, or I¡¯ve found my fiendling. But what is their so-called bossman? Kal sighed, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed at his weary eyes. It had been a long day, and he still didn¡¯t know the answer to the most important question. Not only that, but Arix was still missing. Hang in there, buddy. I¡¯m coming. Rubbing at his eyes again, Kal shook his head and pulled a sphere from his pocket as he refocused his efforts, draining some mana. There was no time to rest. He needed to find something. Not just a hunch. Something tangible. Something that would help him rescue Arix. [ 17 ] The Toad A greenish hue of hazy light glowed from a crystal buried into the wall of a damp, muddy cavern lined by roots. ¡°I can see it taking over. Not long to wait now,¡± gargled a giant toad marked by swirling red and black patterns. Human-like limbs bent by the toad¡¯s froggish joints protruded from its body, and its hide was lined in jagged knots of hardened flesh. Licking its fat, moist lips, the toad sniffed the air. ¡°Let me go,¡± Arix said, squirming against roots that cuffed his arms and legs to the cave wall. ¡°Sorry, but no can do. Don¡¯t worry, though; you won¡¯t be around much longer. I can smell it.¡± ¡°What do you want with me, monster?¡± ¡°Your mana core, of course. Such a delicious rarity. Once it has been fully possessed, that is. And to think, that little brat almost exorcised you of it. Luckily, he didn¡¯t know what he was doing and left enough traces of the invasive fiend clinging to your core that it¡¯s managed to regrow itself. Now, I just have to be patient and wait.¡± ¡°What do you mean, possessed?¡± Arix looked down at his chest. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I enjoy playing with my food. I normally wouldn¡¯t bother to answer a brat¡¯s questions. But yes, you were possessed. What did you greedy brats think would happen when you opened the door to the mystic planes searching for power? Well, your presence didn¡¯t go unnoticed, and a certain fiend chased you down and caught hold of your core. Anchoring itself in our world.¡± ¡°So, this fiend, he¡¯s like your master or something?¡± ¡°What, no!¡± The toad laughed hysterically. ¡°Dumb brat. I don¡¯t even know the stupid fiend. However, he will give me what I want. When the fiend completes its possession of your mana core, there will be a small window of opportunity where he is weak like a child¡ªlike you. And that will be my chance to snatch what I am deserved.¡± ¡°To snatch what? What are you planning?¡± Arix asked, desperately pulling against the roots. ¡°Your core. I plan to consume it,¡± the toad licked its lips. ¡°You see, I¡¯m what those bastards call a demi-demon. But not for long. When that bastard invader completes the possession of your core, I¡¯ll eat it. Consuming your demonic core and, in the process, ascending to real demonhood.¡± ¡°Y-you g-gonna eat my mana core?¡± Arix stammered, his lip trembling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, brat. Once the possession is complete, you won¡¯t be around to experience the feast. Or anything for that matter.¡± *** Groaning and pushing away the heavy tome¡ªGhouls of the Night, Kal slumped onto the table and ran his hands through his hair. ¡°Nothing. I can¡¯t find a single fiend that makes sense.¡± Kal had found all kinds of fiends that might have been what he was looking for, but ultimately, they either didn¡¯t fit the bill well enough or were too powerful to have gone unnoticed. ¡°This is hopeless. I can¡¯t just keep going around in circles while Arix is out there somewhere with who knows what,¡± he moaned. If only Daedrik were in town to help, then again, what would he do if he discovered that Arix had been possessed? He didn¡¯t want to find out. Nor did he want Daedrik to start poking around his own core again. ¡°I need a tea or something,¡± Kal murmured, rising from his chair and stumbling back into the kitchen. A flick of his fingers and a magical gust of wind was all it took to light up the hearth¡¯s embers, and Kal placed the kettle atop it. He had previously tried heating the kettle by warming it with magical energy through his hand, but he sent it flying through the air when the metal burned his skin. Do I just go back out there and hope for the best? What would that achieve? I couldn¡¯t even see where those things scampered off to last time. Sighing, Kal removed the bubbling kettle and poured the water into a mug where he had placed a teabag. Blowing on it, he took a careful sip. That¡¯s it; Kal¡¯s eyes lit up. What if he could chase them down? He had practiced with his Mana Whip enough to become competent in it. Using the spell to pick things up and even complete some mundane tasks. It had proven useful, but not limited in its application. He wondered, however, if he could use it. I could hear them running through the undergrowth. Maybe, if I¡¯m fast enough, I could use my Mana Whip to follow them. Kal mulled over the thought for a moment. Based on what little he knew, it wasn¡¯t really much of a plan and was unbelievably reckless. There were at least two fiendlings capable of casting first-circle spells and whoever their master was. But the alternative was either getting help from Daedrik somehow or waiting until he managed to figure out something better. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know how much time he had, if any. If something were to happen to Arix while I¡¯m sitting here with my thumb up my¡­ No, I can¡¯t let that happen. Kal sighed, knowing that it might already be too late. Chilling the tea through the mug with a flash of cooling magic, Kal gulped it down and ran out the back door. At least he didn¡¯t have to worry about Ellie being with him this time. Charging down the path into the woods, compressed dirt, and rock were quickly replaced by long grass and undergrowth. Without pause, Kal bounded over rotting trunks and under thick growth until he reached where he and Ellie had come. ¡°Where are you, you little bastards,¡± Kal called out, cupping the sides of his mouth. ¡°Not scared of a little boy, are you?¡± ¡°The kid¡¯s back, Wort. Whaddya think we do now?¡± ¡°I can hear you,¡± Kal shouted. ¡°Show yourselves.¡± ¡°We warned ya. We gonna have to tell the bossman now. Ya gonna be in trouble, ya know that?¡± ¡°Come on, Bougie, quit speaking,¡± the voice hissed. ¡°Bossman gonna be pissed if we don¡¯t tell him.¡± Over there. Kal zeroed in on where the scuffling leaves sounded and summoned his shadowy, incorporeal whip. Fling it out, he lassoed a tree branch high above that arched over where he heard the voices and pulled. It would have been nice to practice what he was about to do, but Kal didn¡¯t have time for that. The shadowy whip held tight as Kal kicked off against the ground and swung forward in a ball, whizzing through the forest. ¡°Look, Bougie. The little bugger is after us,¡± sneered a shoulder-height figure in the thick of the forest. Kal spotted the outlines of two little figures. They looked up at him and pointed, but he barely had a second to read their features as the arc of his swing sent him sailing overhead. ¡°Shit,¡± Kal gasped and canceled the spell. Instantly, the shadowy body of the whip evaporated. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t dispel inertia¡ªand there was a tree. Leafs smacked across his face and body, slowing him as he flew into the giant, bushy oak, snapping thin branches as he went. ¡°Think he¡¯s dead, Wort?¡± ¡°Dunno. Poke him.¡± Coughing up a mouthful of leaves, Kal bounced up to his feet and swung around to catch two wide-eyed, humanoid lizards with huge, flicking moist black orbs for eyes. Reflexively flinging themselves backward as if they were cats attacked by cucumbers, the two geckos burst into a frightened sprint. Shit, they¡¯re quick! With his score disappearing into the forest, Kal was forced to take chase without thinking. Almost losing them, he crashed through thickets and leafy bushes with his arms held out to shield his face. Catching the shake of a bush, Kal pursued. A leaf floated to the ground, and he swung right, charging through shrubs until the forest gave way, and he found himself by a gently foaming creek lined by smooth rocks. The sound of a foot splashing through water sent him twisting to his left. He caught the shadow of a form making its way around the bending stream as it disappeared behind the forest. Gotcha! Ignoring the tightening in his chest and shortening of his breath, Kal pushed himself to run faster. Turning the bend, he caught the two geckos covered in freckled green and orange scales as they pulled back roots covering a man-sized hole in the side of the creek bank. ¡°Look, Wort, he caught us.¡± ¡°Let bossman deal with it. Come on,¡± the other lizard said, waving for his pal to follow him into the burrow. Thick forest met sharp rock, creating a natural barrier, but Kal wasn¡¯t to be dissuaded, hopping into the creek. Ignored the ankle-high water soaking through his boots, he waded forward with a determined scowl. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away from me,¡± Kal mouthed, taking a second for several deep breaths as he drew his hatchet. ¡°Aagh,¡± he grunted, thrashing into the roots and chopping them away. Stepping inside, darkness blinded him, and he had to take a second to refocus. Stepping deeper until the sun''s brightness at his back had dimmed behind a bend of earth held together by thick roots, his vision began to adjust. Still, he could barely make outlines. Stumbling forward with his hands extended, Kal made his way through the dirt tunnel until he spotted a hazy, green light against the wall. Houndish giggling sounded further ahead. What¡¯s waiting ahead for me? Pausing for a second, he scanned for mana sources. Four¡­ two weak cores, but demonic in nature. Another¡­ it¡¯s strange. It has demonic corruption, but it isn¡¯t? Hmm¡­ and the fourth. Kal¡¯s eyes widened as he felt the humbling presence ahead. It screamed at him as if it demanded obedience. Commanding him to fall to his knees and yield to it. He took a step backward, shaking his head and squeezing his hands so tightly into fists that blood trickled down his knuckles. Arix is in there, he reminded himself and clenched his jaw. There was no room for cowardice. This was his time. His second chance. Fighting back his terror, Kal ran forward¡ªtoward the hideous laughter. The green glow grew brighter, filling the chamber beyond with a hazy light that lined the walls and figures beyond but hid their features. ¡°There he is, bossman,¡± one of the geckos said, pointing at Kal. ¡°Told ya he followed us.¡± ¡°What do you mean he followed you here? I need concentration, you dumb bastards. The possession could happen at any moment.¡± ¡°Possession?¡± One of the geckos crooked its head.¡± A giant toad stood eye-to-eye with the two geckos; its bulbous form was several times their size, held up by human-like limbs. Kal shook his head in disbelief, unsure how such a massive creature even fit in the dirt burrow. It would have had to squeeze through the tunnel, its massive form taking up a good sixth of the large cavern they stood in. ¡°Fucking huge,¡± Kal mouthed. ¡°You two idiots deal with the little brat,¡± the toad sneered, turning back toward what Kal realized was Arix, cocooned by roots. ¡°If that fiend breaks through while distracted, we¡¯ll have much bigger problems.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Whaddya mean, bossman?¡± ¡°Just shut up and do as I say, dumbass.¡± ¡°You heard him, Bougie. Quit complain and help me out.¡± Fiend breaks through? Kal realized that the dominating presence wasn¡¯t coming from the geckos or the toad but from Arix. Wh-what have they done to him? ¡°You bastards are going to regret this,¡± Kal shot foward. The two geckos separated, dashing in opposite directions at incredible speed before turning back toward Kal, charging from both flanks. With the flick of a wrist, a shadowy whip flung out, wrapping itself around a root above. Kal swung into a ball, dodging the geckos'' lunging attacks by inches and forcing them to skid to a halt before slamming into one another. Swing across the chamber, Kal threw himself into a kick, spearing straight into the toad¡¯s back, just below its head. ¡°ACK!¡± The toad spattered and staggered forward. ¡°Who dares interrupt me? Rolling back to his feet, Kal summoned a Mage Bullet. ¡°Good for nothing, IDIOTS!¡± The toad swung around, sending debris raining down as the walls and ceiling crumbled against its form, forcing Kal to abandon his attack and dive out of the way. ¡°I¡¯ll eat you¡ªand then your little friend,¡± the toad gargled as it shuffled toward Kal, squeezing itself through the chamber. Its robbery maw opened, revealing jagged spikes within its otherwise smooth and wet mouth, but stopped short of Kal as it was met by a burst of steam. Shaking its head and recoiling, the toad let out an agonizing screech. ¡°Little brat,¡± the toad wailed. ¡°You burned my skin.¡± ¡°Bossman?¡± One of the geckos crooked its head. ¡°What¡¯s happening to you?¡± ¡°He ain¡¯t no bossman,¡± the other shook. ¡°You broke my channeling,¡± the toad growled. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that, brat!¡± Sneered, the toad patted down its burned flesh and shot foward again. Kal rolled, dodging the giant toad my inches. Roaring in frustration, the toad shuffled to turn, hampered by the tight quarters of its own burrow. ¡°Bossman changed,¡± the gecko shook its head. ¡°It¡¯s a ruse, Bougie. This monster has tricked us.¡± ¡°What now, Wort?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat you¡ªI¡¯ll eat you all,¡± the toad sneered as it shuffled after Kal. ¡°Eat this,¡± Kal growled in return, sending another wave of steam bursting out as the toad caught up to him. ¡°Raaaggh! It burns, it burns,¡± the toad shook its head, wailing as it clawed at its bubbling skin. ¡°Painnnn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done,¡± Kal panted. ¡°Don¡¯t like heat? Try this.¡± He was just about out of mana, but Kal wrapped his hand around the sphere in his pocket and dove forward, channeling the last of his mana into it as he punched it through the toad¡¯s weakened flesh. ¡°Burn,¡± Kal muttered, bouncing back as he harnessed the sphere¡¯s stored mana, commanding it to erupt into flames. Like a geyser erupting, flames engulfed the wailing toad. Desperate to extinguish the flames, the toad justled against the walls and ceiling of the burrow for a short moment before stilling with a gradually fading whistle. Panting, Kal dizzly fell to one knee. He had used too much mana in that exchange and could barely keep himself standing, but the demonic energy surrounding Arix was only growing stronger. ¡°I¡¯m here for you,¡± he said, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to his feet. ¡°Kal, is that you?¡± Arix said weakly. He was pale and damp. His eyes fluttered between open and shut. ¡°It is. Take it easy. I¡¯ll get you out of this,¡± he said, pulling on the roots, but they didn¡¯t budge, at least not in Kal¡¯s weakened state. He could see the otherworldly fiend wrapping its greedy hands around Arix¡¯s core, and he knew there wasn¡¯t much time left. Placing his hands against Arix¡¯s chest, Kal closed his eyes and delved within. He had no mana, but he wasn¡¯t sure he needed it. He could feel and see the demonic energy flowing all around him, like crimson ribbons of power whipping against their surroundings. Reaching out, he took hold of Arix¡¯s core with his incorporeal form and fought back the fiend that was so close to consuming him. Arix jerked forward, moaning. ¡°Hang in there. I almost have it.¡± It wasn¡¯t like before. The fiend fought back, resisting him. It had more power now, but something about this felt natural to Kal. It wasn¡¯t like spell casting or even awakening his core. Arix¡¯s mana core sang to him, calling him toward it as if he had the power to possess himself. ¡°Away, demon!¡± Kal roared and forced himself through its core. He heard a snickering and then a crying that distorted as the fiend¡¯s echos warped into screams reverberating through his mind, and finally, the beast retreated. Agonizing howls consumed him as he followed the fiend. Kal wasn¡¯t sure how or why it had survived the first exorcism, but he wasn¡¯t about to take chances a second time. In his mind¡¯s eye, he saw it. A fiery red marble of energy separated from Arix¡¯s core, and he mentally took hold of it. Using pure magical potential from his own core, he forced his will upon the clinging fiend, crushing its partially formed figure into a tiny marble of demonic power and pulling it free from Arix¡¯s body. Gasping, Kal released Arix and fell backward, a dizzy blur coming over him as he fought to remain conscious. ¡°Is it alright?¡± ¡°Maybe give it a poke?¡± ¡°Stay away from him,¡± Arix weakly shouted. Kal barely felt the poke as he drifted off into unconsciousness.
Bloodline Trait Evolved: Master Exorcist +4 Intelligence | +3 Wisdom | +6 Mana
[ 18 ] Aftermath Kal groaned and dizzily blinked. A dull ache thudded at the back of his head, and he felt something nudging his arm. ¡°What is it?¡± he murmured, still calibrating to his surroundings. ¡°He¡¯s alive, Wort. What now?¡± ¡°Poke him again.¡± ¡°Hey, quit it,¡± Arix shouted. ¡°Leave him alone.¡± ¡°Poke him, Bougie. Do it. Harder this time.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kal¡¯s eyes groggily fluttered open. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Blurry green gradually took shape, and Kal rubbed at his eyes. Moist, black orbs flickered at him, and Kal recoiled at the scaly forms craning over him. ¡°You alive?¡± ¡°Of course he is, you dumbass. He just opened his eyes,¡± one of the geckos sighed and palmed his face. ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± Kal shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, my goodness. You¡¯re actually okay, Kal. Thank the heavens,¡± Arix sighed. His situation dawning on him, Kal turned toward Arix¡¯s voice. He was where he left him. Plastered against the wall, entangled by dozens of thick roots. ¡°You don¡¯t know how happy I am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I have an idea,¡± Kal said. ¡°It was quite the mission finding you. I¡¯m glad I made it in time.¡± ¡°Ah, Wort?¡± Kal climbed to his feet, ignoring the geckos and passing them as he walked toward Arix. ¡°Hey there, pal,¡± one of them waved. ¡°I¡¯ll get to you two in a moment,¡± Kal said, and the two geckos shared a confused look. Grabbing hold of the roots, Kal drew on what little mana he had recovered and sent heat into them as he pulled, snapping them away. ¡°Thanks, Kal,¡± Arix said, grabbing his shoulders as Kal helped him down. ¡°What are you, and what was that¡ªtoad?¡± Kal said, turning back to the geckos. ¡°Us?¡± The geckos said in unison, crooking their heads. ¡°More like, what are you?¡± ¡°You tell him, Wort.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Wort nodded, pointing a crooked claw at Kal. ¡°I¡¯m Kal. Kal Jakari.¡± Wort sniffed. ¡°That ain¡¯t all you are. ¡°I smell fiend and not like this grifter,¡± he added, eyeing the toad corpse. ¡°Fiend?¡± Arix echoed under his breath. ¡°Don¡¯t say another word,¡± Kal hissed, suddenly serious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Wort. Let¡¯s just leave. Maybe if we are quick, we can make it across the pass before winter¡ªlots of fiends up in the Ruby Waste past Ender¡¯s Reach.¡± ¡°Aye, Bougie,¡± Wort said, his big black eyes trained on Kal¡¯s glare. ¡°Let¡¯s go. This kid ain¡¯t worth wasting our time over. I still can¡¯t believe we were tricked. We better move quickly; with all this demonic energy, some pesky mages will surely come looking soon.¡± ¡°Yeah, I bet he ain¡¯t even a real fiend. Let¡¯s go find someone decent to serve under. Just wait; we¡¯ll have plenty of options in the Ruby Waste.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Wort broke eye contact and turned to follow Bougie out of the burrow. ¡°Wait,¡± Kal raised a hand. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to educate a dummy. Sorry, little guy,¡± Bougie waved. ¡°Wait, please,¡± Kal rushed after them. ¡°Kal,¡± Arix called out. ¡°Huh?¡± the two geckos turned. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Just some answers. What was happening here?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? That big frog tricked us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a toad, Bougie, ye dumbass.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. That big toad, are you happy?¡± ¡°Better,¡± Wort nodded.¡± ¡°So what now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still talking, Wort.¡± ¡°Hey, you didn¡¯t answer my questions. So get lost,¡± Wort waved dismissively and kept walking. Kal glanced back at Arix and lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°My core is demonic, okay? That¡¯s what you wanted to know, isn¡¯t it?¡± The two geckos looked at each other. ¡°So, you are a demon, then?¡± ¡°Shhh,¡± Kal raised a finger to his lips. ¡°Kal, what¡¯s going on?¡± Arix slowly walked up to them. ¡°What are they saying?¡± ¡°Arix¡­ it¡¯s difficult to explain.¡± ¡°No, it ain¡¯t,¡± Bougie interjected. ¡°Your friend here¡¯s a demon.¡± Arix froze, staring at Kal. ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m no demon,¡± Kal hissed. ¡°But it¡¯s true I have a demonic core.¡± What am I doing? Why am I admitting this? What if Arix tells everyone? I won¡¯t be able to stay in Ebenshire, that¡¯s for sure. Mages will hunt me. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kal,¡± Arix broke the silence between them. ¡°You saved me. You taught me magic. You¡¯re my friend. I don¡¯t care what your core is.¡± ¡°Come on, Wort. Let¡¯s get going. The longer we stick around, the higher the chance of bumping into a demon hunter is.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t care?¡± Kal said. ¡°Are you serious, Kal?¡± Arix said. ¡°I owe you my life.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t tell a soul?¡± Arix nodded firmly.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Sorry, Arix. I should have known to trust you.¡± ¡°I get it, Kal. You don¡¯t have to look so serious.¡± ¡°Alright, this has gone on long enough. Let¡¯s move, Bougie.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Kal said, turning to the geckos. ¡°What if I could hide you?¡± I can¡¯t spend my entire life running away from what I am. If these fiendlings need a master, maybe I can make use of them. ¡°Wait, Bougie. He might not be all there, but the Ruby Waste is one heck of a journey. It mightn¡¯t be such a bad idea to stay if he can keep us safe.¡± ¡°Stay with him?¡± Bougie said, eyeing Kal up and down. ¡°I can hide you; I know how,¡± Kal said. ¡°You can sense my core. There are no tricks here. You saw me get knocked out. You felt my mana drain. There¡¯s no way I could hold up an illusion like that throughout it all.¡± ¡°True,¡± Bougie nodded. ¡°Make yourselves useful to me, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be safe. I¡¯ve lived here my entire life without anybody detecting my core.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Right. If what you say is true, we¡¯ll be your servants. Anything you want, bossman. As long as you keep the demon hunters away,¡± Wort said. Kal knew precisely how to hide them. The warding spell Daedrik had cast on the spheres had been designed to hide Kal¡¯s mana. All he needed to do was bring them all here and top their mana up a little. ¡°Tell me, though, how exactly will you provide value to me as servants?¡± ¡°Are you serious, Kal?¡± Arix said. ¡°You¡¯re going to make these things work for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated. I¡¯ll explain later.¡± Arix nodded. His already strong trust in Kal had been cemented. ¡°Anything, bossman. That fat bastard over there mostly had us gather food for him and keep watch for intruders into the forest,¡± Wort said, nodding toward the toad corpse. ¡°Can you make things for me?¡± ¡°Ahh¨C¡± ¡°Hey, Wort. What about those plants and shit. Human mages love that stuff, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Wort nodded thoughtfully. ¡°We can gather reagents for you. Pretty helpful for advanced spellcasting, and there¡¯s a bunch of stuff in this forest.¡± Reagents? Now, that could be handy. Kal had read quite a bit about reagents. They were very useful for casting spells above the fifth circle but could be used for many weaker spells to reduce the mana and skill requirements to cast them. ¡°But it ain¡¯t all on us, bossman,¡± Wort said. ¡°You might be a fiend, but that doesn¡¯t mean you got what it takes to hide us. You fail, and we¡¯re outta here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fiend, remember?¡± ¡°Eh, potato, potahto.¡± ¡°Remember it,¡± Kal said firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to go introducing you to people, but still. My demonic remains between us, and I don¡¯t want to hear you calling me a fiend again, got it?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure thing, bossman.¡± I trust Arix, but he¡¯s still a kid. Hopefully, he can keep all of this to himself. Otherwise, I¡¯m screwed. ¡°I lied about having an arcane core. For whatever reason, I was born with a demonic core. That of a lesser demonic core, to be precise.¡± ¡°Y-you, what?¡± Arix shook his head. ¡°So that¡¯s why those two¡ªlizards keep calling you a fiend? B-but how? You saved me. I could feel you tearing that demon away from more core. That¡¯s not something a fiend does.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not a fiend. If I were, my father would have noticed years ago. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s possible. I haven¡¯t found any mention of humans with demon cores in all the books I¡¯ve read, but that¡¯s the truth. Look, I¡¯m still the same guy you got to know. Your friend. The one who rescued you from that monster.¡± ¡°I know, Kal, you don¡¯t have to remind me. It¡¯s just a lot to take in. Wait, is that why you¡¯re so good with magic?¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve tried with a different core type, though,¡± Kal smiled. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to keep asking me. I won¡¯t tell anyone, I swear. I might not know as much about the world as you, but I understand how important this secret is.¡± ¡°Good. But when I say everyone, I mean everyone. Even Ellie.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell her?¡± ¡°Not sure. Not yet, anyway. Maybe in a few years.¡± ¡°Okay. I understand,¡± Arix said, a sudden wave of resolution washing over him, and he slammed his fist against his chest and stiffened. ¡°I swear to you, Kal. Your secret is safe with me.¡± ¡°Well, we better get to work,¡± Kal sighed. ¡°There was a lot of demonic mana lashing about, thanks to the demon who possessed you. I need to get a barrier up around this place, or a mage will surely come looking.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s a good idea to trust those things,¡± Arix said, shooting the geckos a sideways glance. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten what they did, have you?¡± ¡°No idea, to be honest. But it¡¯s not every day you get a couple of fiendlings wanting to serve you. And I¡¯ve realized something. I can¡¯t just pretend this part of me doesn¡¯t exist. I know without a doubt it is thanks to my demonic core that I was able to save you¡ªif I were just a talented young mage, then¡­ then you¡¯d be gone. I¡¯d probably be dead too. There¡¯s no way I would have stood a chance against that fiend had it broken through,¡± Kal shook his head. ¡°I think I get it. You want to use it for good. That core of yours.¡± ¡°Yeah, something like that, Arix.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t trust them, but I trust you, Kal.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I didn¡¯t come here to be a hero, Arix. I just want to make the most of this life, and these are the cards I was dealt. ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s go,¡± Kal said, patting Arix on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s get you home. The entire town is in a panic. It probably isn¡¯t kind to leave them hanging.¡± Arix nodded. ¡°Hey, where you two going?¡± Wort said as Bougie shuffled up to his side. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back. I need to grab something for the barrier anyway.¡± ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t take too long.¡± Kal waved and led Arix out through the burrow¡¯s entrance. *** Before arriving in Ebenshire, Kal asked Arix to tell his parents that he had awoken in one of the wheat fields on the other side of town, and Kal sent him on his way. If he returned with Arix, Yandi would no doubt make him stay, and hiding the burrow was paramount. He wanted to keep the location of Arix¡¯s disappearance as far away from the woods as possible. That way, if some nosy demon hunters came poking around, they wouldn¡¯t have reason to think his disappearance was related to the phenomenon. Hopefully, that would spare Arix an interrogation. No doubt there were already suspicions among demon hunters about what was going on in Dimvale. If they weren¡¯t already scouring the place, it was because they doubted it was worth the effort. Kal just had to reinforce that. Collecting the spheres, he ran back into the woods. Daedrik would no doubt notice that they were missing, but as long as he could convince his father that he moved them for his own training, he hopefully wouldn¡¯t dig too deep. Reaching the burrow, he paused to catch his breath. ¡°Hey, bossman, you¡¯re back already,¡± Wort said, appearing from the burrow. ¡°Maybe he ain¡¯t so bad,¡± Bougie appeared beside him. ¡°This¡ªthis mess,¡± Kal panted. ¡°Clean it up. Move branches, sticks, whatever. Just make sure the entrance isn¡¯t easily seen from outside.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Or do you want a mage to turn you into a kebab?¡± ¡°You heard the bossman, Bougie,¡± Wort jumped. ¡°Make the entrance invisible.¡± These two are in of a lesson in discipline if they¡¯re going to work for me. But at least they can be reasoned with. Passing through the entrance, Kal selected four points at the furthest corners of the burrow he could reach, embedding the spheres into the tapestry of roots that lined the dirt walls. He had been cycling through them as he walked, channeling his mana as he recovered it into the most heavily drained spheres. They would be fine for now, but he would need to return regularly to top up their reserves; if he was diligent, he could fill them up enough to be left for a while. ¡°Okay, all done,¡± Kal said, appearing from the entrance as Wort and Bougie worked on the burrow¡¯s camouflage. ¡°Once you¡¯re done out here, the both of you will have to remain inside. At least until everything blows over.¡± ¡°Inside?¡± Bougie groaned. ¡°You¡¯re making us your prisoners?¡± ¡°Shut up, idiot,¡± Wort snapped. ¡°No. But the barrier I¡¯ve placed will only shield mana within the burrow. So, if you want to stay alive, I suggest you listen to me.¡± ¡°You know I get itchy feet. How expect me to remain cooped up in that little hole?¡± Bougie whined. ¡°Shut up, Bougie. It¡¯s either this or we test our luck trying to walk to the Ruby Waste. Put that little pea brain of yours of yours to work. This is great news.¡± ¡°Ah, fine. I¡¯ll stay in the dumb tunnel.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Kal nodded and placed his palm against the sphere he had placed near the entrance. Since Daedrik had already glyphed the spell onto the spheres, it didn¡¯t require much knowledge to resume it. All it took was a tiny trickle of mana from Kal. ¡°Alright, done. Remember, you¡¯re only safe inside.¡± ¡°Thems fancy magic items. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re worth a bit,¡± Bougie eyed the sphere. ¡°Bougie, don¡¯t make me tell you again. Be respectful of bossman¡¯s possessions.¡± ¡°I was just saying!¡± ¡°Looks like we¡¯re all good here. I better head back to town.¡± ¡°Wait, what about grub?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a toasted toad in that hole,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°Gross, you expect us to eat that filthy monster?¡± ¡°Shut up, Bougie. I¡¯ve seen you eat worse before.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°You telling me you forgot about that Rotargian?¡± ¡°Hey, that was a secret between you and me.¡± ¡°Then quit complaining and talking the bossman¡¯s ear off,¡± Wort turned to Kal with a yellow grin. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Roasted toad will do as nicely.¡± ¡°Okay, great. Well, that is sorted. I''m off. I probably won¡¯t return until whoever comes investigating the demonic mana has left. The last thing I want to do is lead them here after all the work I¡¯ve put into hiding you. Besides, those spheres are bound to raise suspicions if someone manages to find this place. I¡¯ll just have to be careful. These two might just help me make the most of what I¡¯ve been given. ¡°We gotcha boss. Stay in the hole,¡± Wort gave a thumbs up. [ 19 ] Demonic Whispers By the time Kal got back to town, the place was abuz. His mom had come home looking for him to tell him the news, and he caught her yelling his name as he bounded over the back fence. Biting into a sandwich Yandi had thrown together in seconds, Kal sat in Arix¡¯s living room with a few others, including Ellie and Tammy. They waited to hear from Lydia, who was chauffeuring family members through Arix¡¯s bedroom, where he was recovering. Kal cleared his throat. Ellie had been staring at him from across the room since he had arrived, and it was starting to feel more than a little uncomfortable. She caught his eyes, looked toward the door, and returned her gaze to Kal. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m waiting with my Mom,¡± Kal mouthed. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Ellie mouthed back and eyed the door again. ¡°Fine,¡± Kal got up. ¡°Where are you going, Beetle?¡± ¡°Just need some fresh air. I''ll only be a couple of minutes.¡± ¡°Okay then. But be quick. Arix will probably need some rest soon. It¡¯d be a shame to miss him, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll want to see you.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Kal nodded and left. *** ¡°So, what happened?¡± Ellie said, inching towards Kal¡¯s face. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Come on, Kal. If not you, then who else?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Arix say he woke up in the fields or something?¡± Ellie glared at Kal with a face that said, ¡°You don¡¯t really think I¡¯m that dumb, do you?¡± She¡¯s not really going to force me to tell her, is she? He had wanted to avoid this. Not because he necessarily trusted her any less than Arix, but because the less people knew, the better. ¡°Fine. But this stays between us, okay?¡± Ellie nodded, her brow wrinkling and lips puckering. ¡°I found Arix in the woods. He was in the middle of the forest, unconscious.¡± ¡°How did you find him?¡± ¡°It was those voices. I went back there, and they led me to him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? Nothing else happened?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Kal shook his head. Alright, I lied. But what idiot trusts a bunch of kids with a secret that could get himself killed? ¡°Weird. But thanks for telling me. And you don¡¯t have to remind me. I get it. This stays between us.¡± ¡°And the strange voices, right?¡± ¡°And the strange voices,¡± Ellie rolled her eyes. ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s get inside before we miss our turn.¡± ¡°Sounds like you already had yours.¡± ¡°Shhh,¡± Kal hissed as they walked toward the door with his finger pressed against his lips. ¡°I know, I know.¡± They waited for turns, finally getting a chance to briefly see Arix once the living room was almost cleared out. Arix was cozied up beneath thick duvets with a pale pallor and damp forehead. ¡°Arix, are you okay?¡± Kal said, moving to the side of the bed. ¡°Hi guys. Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Feeling a little off is all,¡± he murmured weakly. ¡°You don¡¯t look fine.¡± How did this happen? He was fine when I left him. Kal inspected his mana core discretely. What? It changed. Is this because of the exorcism? Did I do something wrong? Or was it the fiend?
[ Vagrant ] Corrupted Mana Core Mana 1/1 Mana Potential 18 Stage 1
Strength: 1 Agility: 1 Dexterity: 0 Charisma: 0 Wisdom: 0 Intelligence: 0 Endurance: 1 Toughness: 1
Interestingly, he had gotten stronger. His stats were even higher than Ellie¡¯s now, although his mana potential was still barely above average. However, it was the core name and evolutionary status that worried him. He needs to recover. I best give him some time. Once he¡¯s feeling a little better, we can figure out what happened to his core. At least I can¡¯t sense any presence of the fiend. Sensing the fiend was only an attempt to calm his nerves. Unlike the first attempted exorcism, Kal was certain he had destroyed the invader. Reassuring himself, he thumbed the marble in his pocket. It still held a weak but dying hum of demonic mana. ¡°I think I feel better than I look,¡± Arix let out a weak chuckle. ¡°Really, though. I slept for a couple of hours when I got back. Give me a day, and I¡¯ll be back on my feet.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Ellie added. ¡°Come on now, kids,¡± Tammy said, ushering them toward the door. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, and I think it¡¯s time Arix got some rest.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kal agreed and turned from the bed. ¡°You rest well, Arix.¡± ¡°Sleep tight,¡± Ellie added with a smile. *** Returning home, Kal excused himself to his room after dinner. He usually always had dinner with Yandi when Daedrik was away at the academy, but she understood that night. Sitting on his bed, Kal reminisced about the encounter with the toad. The fight had been eye-opening. His speed and movement had been so important. Not only was his Steam Burst the only defensive spell he had learned, but Kal hadn¡¯t really trained any kind of defense besides it. He realized that this wasn¡¯t sustainable. The steam was fine as a last line of defense for fending off a melee attacker, but he needed something to avoid getting hit in the first place. Unfortunately, he had already taken on the task of learning three spells. Endlessly stacking more spells into his repertoire would only hamper his casting efficiency¡ªespecially when he wanted to start learning a second circle spell or two. Kal¡¯s mana pool might have been insanely huge for a kid his age, but it still only afforded him the ability to cast a few spells before being drained. Increasing it was one option, but ultimately, efficiency was key. One spell. Something defensive and adaptable. Then, I focus on a couple of second-circle spells. At higher casting circles, defensive spells become naturally more adaptable, but Kal didn¡¯t want to put himself in a position where he burned through most of his mana, casting a single defensive spell, leaving him with no offense. Until he increased his mana and or improved his mastery of magic, he intended to keep his first circle spells as his primary arsenal of magic. What about wind? Using raw elements was basic magic and, by nature, less efficient. However, they could be a good backup while he focused on perfecting his other spells. No, that¡¯s going backward.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Raw elemental magic was basic. It was a direct conversion of mana into elemental power, but that didn¡¯t mean all elemental spells were cast in such a mundane and inefficient manner. Kal remembered reading about Elemental Mages. They cast complex spells with efficient casting pathways, turning simple elements into refined spells on par with the other domains'' spells. Since Kal had already gotten quite good at using wind magic, he wondered if it would allow him to take a shortcut at mastering a first circle wind spell. The Mana Whip had been useful but hard to control. However, what if he could find a way to make use of condensed blasts of wind to send himself flying out of harm''s way or catch up to a fleeing enemy? He might even be able to integrate something like that into the sword techniques Zander had been teaching him. It also meant that he didn¡¯t have to focus his energy on learning a purely defensive spell, and if it worked, there was no doubt it would be adaptable. *** ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ready, Arix?¡± Ellie said, standing beside Kal. Arix stood in his doorway, with Lydia at his back, smiling and rubbing his shoulders. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, everyone. Can you all please stop asking?¡± Arix said, pulling away from his mother. ¡°Just take it easy, okay, Little Lemon?¡± Lydia said, her face crinkling up as she held back tears. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take it easy. That¡¯s like the tenth time you¡¯ve asked me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just anxious, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lydia,¡± Kal said. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure to look after Arix today.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kal,¡± Lydia grimaced, her facade failing to hide her anxiety at hearing that. I can¡¯t really blame her for not entirely trusting me. I don¡¯t have the best track record when it comes to keeping Arix safe. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lydia. I¡¯ll keep these two in line,¡± Ellie flashed a toothy grin. ¡°Thank you, Ellie. I¡¯m counting on you,¡± Lydia waved. At least she seems to trust Ellie. ¡°So, how you feeling, Arix?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Like I said, Kal. Everyone can stop asking.¡± ¡°You heard him, Kal. He¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Just for my own curiosity, Arix, what questions were you asked?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kal,¡± Arix said, gesturing toward Ellie without breaking eye contact with Kal. ¡°They just asked about the field and if I remembered anything else.¡± ¡°And do you?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s all blurry.¡± ¡°Oh, quit the act,¡± Ellie snapped. ¡°I know Kal saved you, Arix.¡± ¡°Y-you do?¡± ¡°Yeah, I told her about finding you in the forest and bringing you back to town. And how you had no memories when I found you,¡± Kal winked. ¡°Oh¡ªyeah¡ªright. I guess you know then,¡± Arix flashed a forced smile and nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Ellie narrowed her gaze. ¡°I guess I do.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Kal said. ¡°Good, we¡¯re all back together again, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, right. So good, huh?¡± Arix nodd. ¡°Hey Arix, what did¨C¡± ¡°Hey, look,¡± Kal said, interrupting Ellie. ¡°It¡¯s our school. How quick was that? We better get to class; we wouldn¡¯t want to be late after everything we¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°Hey, wait a minute,¡± Ellie said, raising a hand as the two boys sped off toward school. ¡°Get back here!¡± Why¡¯d I have to go and open my mouth? Avoid the conversation, and she¡¯ll probably forget about it. ¡°We¡¯ll talk after school, Ellie,¡± Kal waved. ¡°Why you,¡± Ellie hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°I know you¡¯re keeping something from me,¡± she wagged a fist. *** ¡°So, can we finally talk?¡± Ellie said, catching up with Kal and Arix outside after school ¡°Do you see the time? We¡¯ll be late for our lesson with Zander if we don¡¯t hurry up,¡± Kal said, rushing past Ellie. ¡°Come on, we can talk later.¡± ¡°We can talk and walk!¡± ¡°Too late,¡± Kal called back. ¡°Already running. You know how I hate to break pace.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± *** ¡°You better speak to me about this after,¡± Ellie hissed from the side of her mouth as they stood on the white line running through the dojo, waiting for Zander to begin. ¡°Concentrate,¡± Kal said, nodding toward Zander as he strolled toward them. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Teach. Show us some moves.¡± ¡°Would you stop talking to him like that? You¡¯re gonna make his ego even worse.¡± ¡°Respect, Kal,¡± Zander fist-bumped the air. ¡°And what are the rest of you brats blabbering about? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m starting the lesson now? Now shut up and listen to your teach,¡± he added with a wink toward Kal. ¡°You heard Teach,¡± Kal said. ¡°Now quiet up, everyone.¡± ¡°Stop calling him Teach; you¡¯re gonna make me puke,¡± Ellie hissed. ¡°He¡¯s barely a few years older than us.¡± ¡°You heard Kal. I¡¯m ¡®Teach¡¯ now,¡± Zander thumbed his chest. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get started, punks. It¡¯s fencing time.¡± ¡°Fine, just get on with it,¡± Ellie ground her teeth. ¡°Okay. Now, are you knuckleheads ready for this?¡± Zander said, twirling his blunt fencing sword through the air. ¡°Come on, show us whatever you¡¯re gonna do so we can get this over with,¡± Ellie tapped her foot incessantly. ¡°Pair up, everyone. We¡¯re going to practice some basic parries. Kal, you can train with me.¡± A dozen children paired up took blunt weapons from a rack and donned old rusty visors. ¡°Good. Now, we¡¯ll be taking turns. One of you will move forward to attack while the other practices knocking the blade away. Remember, if possible, the goal should be to keep your sword¡¯s tip aimed at your attacker. If you can achieve that, you¡¯ll be prepared to riposte.¡± Kal nodded opposite Zander, and the taller, older boy pressed forward. ¡°Good,¡± Zander said as Kal knocked his sword from side to side. ¡°You¡¯ve been paying attention.¡± There! Kal noticed an opening. In the blink of an eye, he knocked the blade to the side and stepped into a lunge. Zander stood bewildered, blinking as he looked down at the blunt edge of Kal¡¯s blade pressed against his chest. ¡°I didn¡¯t say riposte,¡± Zander growled. ¡°I just thought that¨C¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Zander gritted his teeth and straightened into his sideways fighting stance. ¡°If you wanted an advanced class, you should have said so. Now, prepare to defend.¡± Zander was quick, his long, lanky frame springing him into a lunge much faster than Kal had expected. But Kal had mana, and by infusing his stats, he managed to just barely keep up¡ªbouncing back and parrying to the right. But Zander didn¡¯t relent, following up with a flurry of strikes. Either dodging or parrying, Kal barely managed to avoid several strikes as Zander backed him toward the training hall wall. Even if he had managed to keep pace with Zander so far, Kal knew he was no match for the experienced fencer¡ªespecially not pushed up against the wall. Wait, this is a setup! He was cornered, but a split second before Zander¡¯s blow landed, Kal kicked up against the wall and sent a burst of wind magic through the soles of his boots. The blast shot Kal across the slick timber floors. For just a second, Zander stood frozen and dumbfounded. ¡°Gotcha,¡± Kal said, tapping his sword on Zander¡¯s shoulder beside his neck. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a fencing move!¡± Zander turned around, brow twitching. ¡°What, we¡¯re not allowed to get creative?¡± Kal crooked his head, feigning confusion. Narrowing on Kal¡¯s smug expression, Zander huffed and turned back to the other kids. ¡°Right, that¡¯s it,¡± he clapped. ¡°Training is down for the day. Everybody pack up and go home.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you little kids doing in our training facility?¡± A young man interrupted as he walked across the training hall. Two other men with short beards followed a step behind. All three were dressed in leather armor and had sheathed swords dangling at their sides. ¡°I thought we had this room booked today.¡± ¡°Guardsmen?¡± Zander swung around. ¡°Oh, look, it¡¯s the Silvershield boy.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. And I guess that makes you three my father¡¯s men?¡± Zander crossed his arms smugly. ¡°Well, the captain''s men, actually. But yes, Lord Silvershield is the captain¡¯s superior.¡± ¡°You three are town guards?¡± Kal said, eyeing the three armed men. ¡°Spot on,¡± the man leading the group pointed at Kal. ¡°Came for a little training. But didn¡¯t expect kids to cramp our style.¡± Zander is good; he definitely would have had me if I didn¡¯t use magic. But ultimately, he¡¯s still just a kid. Ebenshire is a sleepy little town, but that doesn¡¯t mean these guys haven¡¯t gained experience elsewhere. ¡°Look, you kids can hang about, but you gotta move over. With everything that¡¯s happened in Ebenshire recently,¡± the guard said, stealing a glance at Arix. ¡°We got to keep sharp, you understand?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just reschedule?¡± Zander sighed. ¡°I¡¯m trying to teach a class here. It would be a real shame to have to tell my father how his guardsmen interrupted my training.¡± ¡°Please, Master Silvershield. Let¡¯s come to an agreement. I¡¯m sure your father would love to hear how you were bested by a peasant kid.¡± ¡°What?¡± Zander scowled. ¡°B-but¨C¡± ¡°No need,¡± the man raised a hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll listen to your excuses.¡± ¡°Fine, you can train here. But we¡¯re staying,¡± Zander huffed. But I thought? Oh, really got under his skin. Old man Slivershield must be quite the hardass. ¡°Thank you, Master Silvershield,¡± the man bowed his head. ¡°The name¡¯s Yogi, by the way. Lieutenant of the town guard,¡± he added, flashing a smirk as he turned his head to Kal. ¡°Kal Jakari.¡± ¡°I know who you are, kid. That was some move you pulled back there. You¡¯ll have to show me how you did it one day.¡± ¡°Oh, you saw that, did you,¡± Kal scratched at the back of his neck. ¡°Yeah. Not bad. But it wouldn¡¯t have worked against someone who has actually been in a life-or-death fight before. It worked because the Silvershield boy wasn¡¯t expecting any unconventional moves. But that¡¯s exactly what fighting for your life is about.¡± Kal nodded wordlessly. ¡°Lieutenant, sir,¡± Kal bowed. ¡°Would you consider training me?¡± This guy isn¡¯t just some guard lieutenant from a sleepy town. If he¡¯s been in life-or-death fights, then he could be a serious sword instructor. ¡°Train a little runt like you?¡± The two other guards chuckled. ¡°Yeah, that''s not happening, kid. Now run along. I''m not going to work off Mrs. Tan''s pastries just standing around.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Kal protested. ¡°We won''t get in your way. Just let us follow along with what you''re doing.¡± ¡°Kal,¡± Zander said. ¡°Why would you want to train with these airheads when you¡¯ve got me here?¡± ¡°Silvershield cub, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be great one day, but those fancy moves you learn aren¡¯t what real fights are about. Alright then, I changed my mind. I¡¯ll train you,¡± Yogi smirked. ¡°Drop down and give me fifty pushups.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Kal said, dropping to the floor. ¡°And if the rest of you want actually to make something of yourself, I suggest you follow his lead.¡± ¡°Wait, seriously?¡± Zander said. ¡°How is doing pushups training?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how skilled you are with that little toothpick,¡± Yogi said, stepping toward Zander. ¡°I¡¯d knock it straight out of your hand in a real fight. Do you think your father became a legendary knight without having physical strength?¡± ¡°I ah¨C¡± ¡°No. Now drop down and give me fifty. Of course, maybe you¡¯re just not that serious about becoming a knight.¡± ¡°Not serious? No one is more serious about becoming a knight than Zander Silvershield,¡± Zander proclaimed and dropped to the floor. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re doing this, Arix shrugged and lowered himself into a set. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t¡ªactually¡ª¡± Ellie glanced around but reluctantly joined in when Yogi shot her a glare. In less than a minute, all except Kal had given up and were lying on the floor, panting and sweating. ¡°47.¡± ¡°48.¡± ¡°49.¡± ¡°50.¡± ¡°He did it,¡± Yogi muttered in disbelief. With a little help from my mana core. ¡°So, going to train us now?¡± Kal said, rising to his feet and dusting his hands off. ¡°You''re not even tired?¡± ¡°Eh, not really.¡± ¡°Damn, kid, you might actually have potential. Fine, we''ll teach you. But you better not wuss out. Remember, you asked for this.¡± ¡°No wussing out, gotcha,¡± Kal stared back. ¡°Strange kid,¡± one of the guards said. ¡°No doubt about it,¡± Yogi agreed. ¡°But I like him.¡± [ 20 ] Hunters Three days after the incident with the toad, several riders pulled into town, causing a commotion. Andric had kept a low profile, and many weren¡¯t even aware he had visited until after he had left when the government published its demon-hunting report. These guys, on the other hand, were the polar opposite. A gaudy mage led the demon hunter group. He was said to be the scion of a powerful noble family. The mage dressed in gray silk robes and wore white gloves patterned by magical glyphs that oozed with color, shifting between green and purple. The hunters dismounting beside the mage wore a combination of fine leathers, scalemail that folded naturally with their movement, and heavy plate. Such fine armor could have only come from top smiths in the capital. In total, there were twelve of them¡ªa fairly standard size for a party of demon hunters. Demon hunting groups didn¡¯t just consist of mages and warriors but usually included support personnel such as herbalists, trappers, scouts, and many more. But the mage or mages were always the heart of the operation. Stretching their legs after dismounting, the mage pulled up his cloak to ensure it didn¡¯t drag on Ebenshire¡¯s muddy, cobbled street and walked up to a woman in light armor. ¡°Zazie, find us a passable room,¡± he said, passing a coin pouch. ¡°Is this our advance, Egarn?¡± ¡°My advance. You lot will get paid your salary as usual.¡± The woman''s brow rose, and her lip curled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°This job is a fool''s errand. Mages have been coming here for decades, trying to find whatever it is that haunts the woods. With the same result every time¡ªthey find nothing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not one for failure, Zazie.¡± ¡°And what about that Winged Ibexion back in Rittensburg that got away?¡± ¡°Things happen,¡± the thin-lipped, noble mage gritted his teeth and fiddled with his gloves. ¡°This will be different.¡± ¡°Will it? Taxion¡¯s Wyvern Guard didn¡¯t seem to have any problem catching that winged fiend, and even they weren¡¯t stupid enough to take this job.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me of Taxion, Zazie. Now hop to and go find us a room, or I¡¯ll deduce your insubordination from your salary.¡± ¡°My salary? How much debt do you have with Lorranian bankers now, Egarn? Can you even pay my salary if we don¡¯t complete this contract? Not to mention you¡¯re already spending the advance on frivolous things like accommodation when we¡¯ve backed tents with us.¡± ¡°Zazie, don¡¯t make me ask again. I¡¯m well within my legal right to break your contract with me here and now if you refuse an order. Then you won¡¯t get a single silver ilian from me.¡± ¡°Fine, damn it,¡± Zazie hissed through gritted teeth and swung around, stomping through the muddy street toward the inn. ¡°Don¡¯t say I never warned you, Egarn!¡± ¡°Just how hard is it to get good, obedient help these days,¡± Egarn sighed. ¡°Egarn, sir,¡± a broad, bald man in heavy platemail said. ¡°Yes Hyrax, what is it?¡± ¡°Our scouts have combed the area. No obvious signs of demons or monsters.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Carry on,¡± Egarn waved dismissively. ¡°You orders?¡± ¡°Orders? Well, I don¡¯t know. Ask the locals or something. Gather information, you dimwit. You are a registered adventurer and demon hunter, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I am, sir.¡± ¡°Well, then?¡± Egarn flailed his hand. ¡°Right. Investigating the locals,¡± Hyrax nodded and hurried off. ¡°Hopeless, the lot of them,¡± Egarn groaned beneath his breath. *** Arix waved as Kal and Ellie approached their usual meeting place on the way to school. ¡°We still need to talk, Kal.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°You know¨C¡± ¡°Did you hear the news?¡± Arix interrupted as they neared. ¡°How could we not,¡± Ellie groaned. ¡°It''s all anybody has been talking about. And stop changing the topic; I still need to talk to both of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a demon hunting party; how cool is that?¡± Arix said, ignoring Ellie¡¯s protest. ¡°Not something you usually see in Ebenshire.¡± No, just every time the Dimvale Woods causes a stir. ¡°I know. I¡¯m just sick of hearing about it,¡± Ellie said. ¡°Now, as I was say¨C¡± ¡°Do you know how many of them there are?¡± Kal asked. ¡°Dunno for sure, but word is there¡¯s about twelve of them. And apparently, the mage leading them is from a pretty important noble family.¡± Sounds like someone who could be trouble. The last thing I need is to be stuck in school while they go poking their noses about. A situation like this requires monitoring. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s the Jakari boy,¡± a couple of townfolk said, pointing at the group. ¡°Show us some magic.¡± ¡°Come on, prodigy boy. Just a little.¡± ¡°Aaand that¡¯s my cue to get out of here,¡± Kal said, waving as he ran off to avoid the growing crowd. Kal¡¯s fame as the youngest mage the town had ever produced was growing rapidly, and he liked to avoid crowds.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hey, wait, Kal! You¡¯re not getting away from me that easily.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll catch up at school,¡± Arix called out.¡± ¡°Not today, sorry,¡± Kal waved back as he disappeared down an alley. ¡°So, Principal Dore approved it already,¡± Arix mused. ¡°Approved what?¡± Ellie swung around to glare at Arix. ¡°Kal petitioned the faculty to allow him to leave school whenever he wants to go train his magic. I think he had to prove he could cast first-circle magic or something like that. Didn¡¯t know he had already gone and done it, though.¡± ¡°Wait, so Kal doesn¡¯t have to attend school anymore and can just train magic? How is that even fair? He¡¯s already ahead of us, and this will only let him push further ahead.¡± ¡°Dunno,¡± Arix shrugged. ¡°I think the school and the town were just too scared of standing in his way. At least, that¡¯s what my dad said. Something about not wanting to be the ones responsible for sidelining Ebenshire¡¯s greatest talent.¡± ¡°Aww,¡± Ellie moaned. ¡°It¡¯s always about Kal. Still,¡± she added, turning to Arix with a wicked glare. ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°I just realized I don¡¯t need the both of you here to interrogate you,¡± she grinned. ¡°Wait, Ellie. I swear, there¡¯s nothing more to be said,¡± Arix backstepped. ¡°You say that, but here¡¯s the thing. I don¡¯t believe you!¡± *** Kal turned toward his home but skidded to a halt at the end of the street, glanced over his shoulder, and cut off down one of the alleys. He ran through the streets toward the western end of town, where the inns and taverns were. He wanted to learn more about these demon hunters. If the mage leading them really was from a famous and powerful noble family, it would at least be relatively easy to glean some information about them. He might even be able to find something about them in Daedrik¡¯s library; he just needed a name. That must be them. Kal spotted the hitched horses, marked by red and black caparisons¡ªsomething only a noble house would do. ¡°Come to gawk at the demon hunters like the rest of these busy bees, kid?¡± ¡°Hey, some respect, old man. That¡¯s Kal, The Prodigy of Ebenshire.¡± Kal looked over at the two men. One was an old, gummy-jawed man chewing on his toothless mouth, while the other was middle-aged with a barrel gut. ¡°Eh,¡± the old man huffed. ¡°Kid¡¯s a kid.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you a kid, ye disrespectful old man,¡± the man said, grabbing the old guy¡¯s shirt. ¡°Seen dozens of them over the years. It¡¯s the same result every time. They come to play their games and leave empty-handed,¡± another man said, eyeing the horses as he chewed on a wheat strand. ¡°Do you recognize those colors?¡± Kal asked the man, ignoring the escalating fight. ¡°The colors? Ye mean on them horses? Bah, good one, kid. Like I give a damn about fancy noble stuff like that.¡± ¡°Right. Well, I better go,¡± Kal bowed his head and ran off. ¡°Kids these days,¡± the man shook his head. I doubt the townsfolk are going to be particularly useful with this one. Making his way through a cobbled courtyard that was an open square connecting all of the inns and taverns of Ebenshire, Kal peered through the windows of each establishment for signs of the party. The Barking Hen was an old establishment that had been around as long as the town had been. It had a stone facade and three thick chimneys constantly pluming smoke from the hearths, keeping its patrons warm on a damp, gloomy Ebenshire day. Through the timber shutters, Kal eyed several armored figures. Ebenshire wasn¡¯t known for getting many visitors, and they didn¡¯t look like guardsmen. Bingo. It¡¯s odd that they¡¯re not wearing the colors of the horses, isn¡¯t it? I wonder why that is. ¡°Bah!¡± A figure dropped into one of the table¡¯s seats, and Kal fell below the window. Shuffling up against the wall, he pressed against it to listen. ¡°Can you believe these peasants don¡¯t sell wine? Ale and beer, that¡¯s it. Haven¡¯t they a tastebud among the lot of them?¡± ¡°The dark ales not half bad. Give it a try, Egarn. You might be surprised.¡± ¡°Looks dreadful. I¡¯ll stick to this,¡± the man replied, sipping from a mug. ¡°Not by first choice, but at least the sweetness of the honey ale drowns out the taste of poverty¡ªa little.¡± ¡°Good. Wouldn¡¯t want to sour your tongue with poverty,¡± a woman across the table said. ¡°Really, Zazie, what¡¯s climbed up your asshole this morning?¡± ¡°You, Egarn. You did. You have no idea how pissed I¡¯m going to be if I don¡¯t get paid for this job.¡± ¡°Wait, we¡¯re not getting paid?¡± ¡°Shut it, Zazie. And everyone else, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re all going to be getting paid. It¡¯s just that time of the month, and Zazie doesn¡¯t seem to be able to keep her mouth shut.¡± ¡°That time of the month?¡± Zazie growled, lip twitching. ¡°Calm down,¡± Hyrax said, placing a hand on Zazie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t forget he¡¯s still our leader and a noble.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky, Egarn,¡± Zazie relaxed back into her chair. ¡°Also, he¡¯s broke,¡± she added, crossing her arms. ¡°You¡¯re broke?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not broke. You¡¯ve gone too far, Zazie. You¡¯d better watch that mouth of yours. Another word out of your lips about my finances, and you¡¯ll be looking for a job. ¡± ¡°Maybe I should.¡± ¡°Maybe you should¡ªwhat?¡± ¡°Leave. Find a new job. You haven¡¯t caught a demon in months now. And now you take a job like this? Are you even planning on finishing this job, Egarn? Or was it just an easy advance you saw and took the opportunity? It''s not like it matters. Even if you go broke, you can always run home to Daddy and ask for help. While we¡¯re screwed.¡± ¡°What utter disrespect you pay the scion of House Warwick with your words. If you keep going, you¡¯ll be lucky to get any jobs in Lyssia.¡± Okay, I have a name now, at least. Egarn of House Warwick Zazie glared at Egarn briefly, then huffed and gulped from her mug. ¡°Good. I hope you don¡¯t forget your place again. I hear one more word like those from your lips, and you can rest assured that I will ruin your chances of ever being hired by a noble house again.¡± ¡°Sorry, sir, but are you really broke?¡± A large, bald man in heavy armor said. ¡°I send a stipend to¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m not broke. Now, enough of this. Enough of this mindless chatter. What we ought to be doing is coming up with a plan to find and catch or exorcize this damnable fiend.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that your job?¡± ¡°My what?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the mage, aren¡¯t you¡­you know. We¡¯re just the auxiliaries here to help you, but don¡¯t the mages usually do the demon-finding part?¡± ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± Egarn growled. ¡°What about you? You¡¯re our scout, aren¡¯t you? Aren¡¯t you meant to be useful? Why am I even paying you if you expect me to do all the work?¡± ¡°I am¡ªbut¡ª¡± ¡°But, but, but. I¡¯m sick of excuses. Why aren¡¯t you scouting? Why are you sitting here enjoying the fruits of my coin while failing at your job?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t I scouting? I thought we were¡ª¡± The man looked around. ¡°Where do you want me to scout?¡± ¡°Where do you think, idiot? The forest. You do realize why we¡¯re here, don¡¯t you? Remember those Dimvale Woods in the brief?¡± Egarn nodded as if he were talking to someone who wasn¡¯t all there. ¡°Yes, are you catching up now? The same woods we came all the way here for. I dunno, maybe you should start there.¡± ¡°What, like now?¡± ¡°Yes, now. You were all complaining about getting paid, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡ªah,¡± the man stammered and looked around at the evasive gazes of his companions. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go scouting,¡± he added, rising from his chair. ¡°See,¡± Egarn looked around smugly. ¡°We¡¯re already one step closer to finding the demon. I just have to whip you lazy buggers into action. Whatever would you lot do without me?¡± This Egarn guy doesn¡¯t inspire much confidence, does he? ¡°If there¡¯s a demon,¡± Zazie corrected. ¡°If? What do you mean, if?¡± ¡°I mean, if there¡¯s a demon. We¡¯re not the first to come looking for whatever is hiding in those woods. If there¡¯s actually a fiend in there, why does everyone keep failing to find it?¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just not as competent as me.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Zazie scoffed. As entertaining as listening in on this back-and-forth is, I think I¡¯ve got enough information to work with now. It''s time to do a little research on this Warwick family. Even if the noble mage was incompetent, Kal saw an opportunity in this man¡¯s arrival. He could be useful if his family were as powerful and influential as people suggested. Kal just had to figure out how. [ 21 ] In Search Kal¡¯s eyes wearily glazed over page after page of ¡°Lyssian Nobility¡ªA Complete Collection of Esteemed Families and Individuals.¡± Oh my days, this is dreadful. I thought the modern era made us worse, but this somehow manages to one-up TMZ. Groaning, Kal turned the gold-trimmed page. On the next was a thin-nosed man with a blonde bald cut. His chin was stuck so high in the air that it looked to threaten the health of his neck. They couldn¡¯t get any more pompous if they tried. Aldovo Thomastus Michelangelo the Seventh of House Warwick. Wait, House Warwick? ¡°Hailing from the southern region of Lyssia, House Warwick¡¯s power and influence is based around the Duchy of Morhem, ruled by the house¡¯s patriarch. Not only is Morhem one of the Kingdom of Lyssia¡¯s Three Great Duchies, which united upon the defeat of the great archdemon, forming Lyssia itself and contributing resources to build the new capital of Lorran. But Morhem has long been known for its extensive mineral deposits, and most of the kingdom''s biggest copper and iron mines reside in its plentiful Adelle Mountain Range.¡± Okay, so these guys are seriously rich. No wonder that guy was pompously strutting his stuff. More importantly, this Warwick family could be more useful than I had originally imagined. Kal leaned back, thinking about his next move. He wasn¡¯t too worried about the demon hunter scouts randomly finding the den. It had been well hidden, and the thick shrub around it forced you to walk in the stream¡ªwhich should hide any tracks. However, wandering the forest while they were out scouting was too risky. He had to respect that they were likely trained scouts, and if one of them suspected him of something, they might decide to follow him. I need to find a way to give them something useful. Something that will send them off in the wrong direction. The giant toad wasn¡¯t actually a demon, and even if it was blamed for the disturbances, he wasn¡¯t sure if the party of hunters would get paid for its retrieval. Kal didn¡¯t particularly care about the pompous noble, but if he could in-debt a scion of such a wealthy family to him, then that might be worth the extra work. Wait, what about the fiend? Kal retrieved the marble from his pocket. It was the remnants of the demon¡¯s mana core. The tiny things could be worth a decent amount of coin and, like everything with magical properties, could be fashioned into valuable items. But who would he sell it to in Ebenshire? He also didn¡¯t want to draw attention to himself by selling a remnant core. Such things weren¡¯t easy to come by, and people would likely question one in the hands of a child. To Kal¡¯s eyes, the core clearly didn¡¯t belong to the toad. However, Daedrik hadn¡¯t even realized Arix was possessed. He knew mages had some ability to detect demonic power, but he was increasingly questioning how sensitive their powers were. He only had two people to trick: the pompous Warick scion and the clerical mages at the bounty office. If I could find a way to bind this with the toad corpse¡­ Resting in his palm, the red marble¡¯s surface vividly morphed¡ªlike flames dancing across its smooth surface. I just need to distract the scouts somehow and then return to the burrow. Figure out a way to bind this to the corpse that¡¯ll fool the mages. Then, I can get Bougie and Wort to help me move the corpse somewhere so that the hunters will find it. Racing through his thoughts, Kal realized he still needed to devise a plan to gain the young noble¡¯s debt. Simply leaving the fake demon corpse somewhere in the forest wasn¡¯t likely to gain him anything on its own¡ªexcept perhaps ridding Ebenshire of a noble nuisance. Maybe I could just pretend to be a distressed child who found something they shouldn¡¯t have¡­ no. Too risky. All it would take is one blabbermouth local to call me something like ¡®The Prodigy of Ebenshire¡¯ to raise their suspicions. Being famous sucks. The plan also wouldn¡¯t work if someone else told him in Kal¡¯s stead. The entire purpose was for this Egarn fellow to feel indebted to Kal. Maybe if I¡¯m careful and catch them alone. Kal figured the risk was worth it. Even if the part grew a little suspicious about him, he doubted anything would come of it. He had been constantly improving his core and mana-shrouding techniques, so much so that even Andric hadn¡¯t suspected anything. Well, maybe he suspected something. But he was pretty confident he hadn¡¯t known of his demonic core. Egarn didn¡¯t seem to be half the mage Andric was. Demon hunter or not, Kal doubted he would be the one to catch him out. Not only that, but if his financial situation was as bad as that Zazie woman suggested, he likely wouldn¡¯t want to wait around Ebenshire drinking bad ales on some half-cocked suspicion. If Kal was right, the party of demon hunters would hurry back to the bounty office once they found the demon corpse to collect their reward. The only problem was, how would he distract the scouts that were currently headed toward the woods? He knew Bougie and Wort would probably be a good match for the task. They were incredibly fast and good at hiding. However, the entire point was to lead the hunters away from his fiendling underlings. Using them was far too risky. Incriminate himself wasn¡¯t any better, though. If the scouts suspected Well, I can¡¯t just sit around. Grabbing his machete, Kal decided to scope the area out. He doubted he would raise any suspicions as long as he remained out of the woods and on the path between them and the town¡¯s outskirts. The path winded around the entirety of the woods. It was elevated about a yard or so above a fence that lined the edge of Ebenshire¡¯s outskirts, separating them from the forest. From the path, Kal could see over the fencing and into the veggie patches, chicken coops, and shrubbery that filled the yards of Ebenshire homes. Chimneys protruded from thatch roofs, lazily puffing white smoke into the sky, and berry bushes wrapped around picket fences, forming impressive walls of thorns dotted by flowers and berries. Soon, Kal reached an intersecting road that led down into one of the town¡¯s sleepy streets. Lined by stone fences, a gate rested open where the road joined the path Kal walked along. Beside that gate were two hitched horses.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Those colors are the same as the horses in town. Glancing around, Kal took a stealthy step toward the horses. They¡¯ve got to be part of Egarn¡¯s party. Sneaking up to the horses and tenderly stroking their manes, he elicited a gentle, happy chuff. ¡°Good boy¡ªor girl,¡± Kal whispered. Carefully making his way around to the pouches strapped to their saddles, he unbuckled them and peered in. He spotted rolled-up maps, camping gear, ropes, and various other items. Yep, these horses definitely belong to the scouts. Glancing around again, Kal made sure no nosy eyes were watching. I suppose I could¡­ Moving back around to the horse hitching, Kal hastily untied them. The horses pulled and on their reigns but remained grazing on some grass that poked through some of the fence palings. ¡°Go, get,¡± Kal hissed, but the horses didn¡¯t seem to care. Let¡¯s see what you think of this. Kal pointed his palm at the wall where the grass was poking out and summoned a ball of fire. ¡°Last chance.¡± One of the horses looked up lazily and then bit off another mouthful of grass. ¡°Alright, you forced me,¡± Kal murmured, shooting the fireball at the fence. Neighing, the horses bucked up and reared, shaking their heads. My queue to leg it! Running between the two spooked horses, Kal charged down the street as they jumped into a gallop, headed for the winding path around the woods. Kal glanced over his shoulder to confirm they were still galloping away but didn¡¯t slow his sprint for even a second. Dashing around a corner, then down an alley, and across a street, Kal skidded to a panting halt. I think that did it. Now, to see if they took the bait. Heading the long way home, Kal cut through several streets, walking away and then toward his home. Okay, unless someone has followed me the entire way, there¡¯s reasonable reason to suspect I was the culprit. Kal entered his home and ran straight up to his room to scan the forest from his window. There was no sign of anything. Then again, he hadn¡¯t spotted the scouts when he had been home earlier, either. Give it a minute¡­ he tapped his foot against the ground impatiently. Damn it, whatever. I just have to keep an eye out and make sure nobody sees me. Now is likely as good a time as I¡¯ll get. Bounding outside, Kal charged through the forest and toward the burrow, stopping every now and then to take a look around, hiding behind a tree to see if anyone followed him, etcetera. Before he stepped into the stream, he took one more look around and committed once he was sure nobody had followed. Arriving at the burrow entrance, he took care to push the shrubby and roots aside as he climbed inside and made a few tweaks to their concealment before heading deeper. ¡°Oh, hey Bossman,¡± Wort said as Kal stepped into the main chamber. The two geckos were sitting around the scorched toad corpse, ripped and its flesh and eating. ¡°You¡¯re back. Does that mean we get to leave now?¡± ¡°Shut up, Bougie.¡± ¡°No,¡± Kal shook. ¡°Not yet. Grab the toad and pull him out.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s a meal?¡± Bougie said, turning to the toad where they had gnawed away at the bubbling flesh with a chunk of meat in his hand. ¡°Just do it and be quick about it.¡± ¡°I''ll show you quick about it.¡± ¡°Shut up, Bougie. Quit whining and get to work. The bossman gave you an order.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m getting to it.¡± The two geckos grabbed the corpse and began to heave, slowly dragging it out through the cave. ¡°Come on, put you back into it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s bloody heavy. You give it a try,¡± Bougie whined. ¡°Come on, stop complaining. This is important.¡± ¡°Yeah, stop complaining and pull, Bougie. The bossman is proper smart. He¡¯ll have a plan.¡± ¡°You barely know him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to. He¡¯s got an aura. Now, shut up, Bougie.¡± Cheering them on, Kal followed as the geckos gradually pulled the half-eaten toad out of the cave, through the stream, and through the forest undergrowth. ¡°Okay, here should be fine,¡± Kal said once they had moved the corpse suitably far. Sinking his hand into his pocket, he produced the fiery marble. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Wort said, inching closer as the marble brightened. ¡°It¡¯s what¡¯s left of that fiend your former master tried to eat.¡± ¡°Whaddya gonna do with it?¡± Bougie asked, craning over Wort as the two shuffled closer. ¡°Watch and see,¡± Kal said, pushing the marble into the dead toad¡¯s chest. Instead of meeting a solid surface as Kal pushed the marble-like core against the cooked flesh, it passed straight through as if it were permeable like water. Seconds later, the fiery light it produced disappeared as if it continued to sink into the corpse. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Kal said, placing an open palm on the corpse. For a second, his hand glowed, and he turned to the geckos. ¡°Feel that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Wort narrowed his gaze. ¡°Wait, you said he was a monster, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°He was, I swear it. No way I would cock up something like that,¡± Bougie said. ¡°He was a monster,¡± Kal interjected. ¡°I used that core remnant to change the way it appears. And from the looks of your reactions, it worked.¡± ¡°You did that?¡± Bougie said. ¡°See, he is a worthy bossman. I only ever heard tricks like that being done by real fiends.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be,¡± Bougie nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not a fiend, remember,¡± Kal reminded them. ¡°But I might have the magic of one. Anyway, I¡¯ve got to go now. We can talk about this later. Brush your footprints, and make this place look like a battle scene.¡± ¡°How we do that?¡± Bougie crooked his reptilian head, black eyes flickering. ¡°Just make a mess of the place. Look over there,¡± Kal said, pointing to the broken branches and shifted debris that marked a path in the undergrowth. ¡°It¡¯s beyond obvious the corpse was dragged here. But I doubt you two are capable of hiding your tracks. Instead, just mess the entire place up to match your tracks. If they¡¯re to believe that something killed this demon, they¡¯ll need convincing remains of a fight. Got it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Wort said, glaring at Bougie. ¡°Aye, me too, Bossman.¡± ¡°Good. Once you¡¯re done, go back to the burrow and wait. I¡¯m going to bring the demon hunters here.¡± ¡°Here? Why in the endless planes would you do that?¡± Bougie barked, his mood changing in a second. ¡°To give them what they came here looking for. Don¡¯t worry; as long as you stay in the burrow, you¡¯ll be fine. In fact, you¡¯ll be better than fine. Once they find this corpse, they¡¯ll have no reason to stick around, and you won¡¯t have to worry about them finding you anymore.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t they be curious about what killed this supposed demon?¡± ¡°I imagine they will be.¡± ¡°And?¡± Bougie probed. ¡°The mana this toad corpse is giving off is about what you¡¯d expect from a lesser fiend. That¡¯s not the kind of creature just anything can kill. Remember, there aren¡¯t actually any fiends around here. And there¡¯s no way a fiend strong enough to kill this thing could be hanging about Ebenshire without its demonic mana seeping out. This will lead them to assume one of two things. Either another mage killed it and didn¡¯t bother to take the corpse in for a reward, or some nasty fiend came through here, killed it, and moved on. Either way, the result remains the same. There really isn¡¯t any reason for them to stick around.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not so¨C¡± ¡°Shut up, Bougie,¡± Wort smacked the other gecko across the back of his head. ¡°Stop trying to think so much with that little pea brain of yours and do what the bossman says.¡± ¡°But wha¨C¡± *Smack* ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. Now help me cover our tracks.¡± ¡°Fine, but if this blows up in our faces, I¡¯m gonna make you remember it,¡± Bougie said as the two began flailing about. ¡°Use some magic if you can. Keep it basic. Maybe some scorch marks. Nothing that will be detected from far away. ¡°Gotcha, Bossman.¡± Good. Now, just bring the hunters here. [ 22 ] The Prize Making a quick stop at home, Kal dressed in the most ragged peasant boy outfit he could put together. Simple, torn clothing with flat shoes that were about to fall apart. He took some soot from the hearth, speared it on his face, and ran back out the door, charging toward town. This ought to do it. He doubted some noble rich kid like Egarn would spend more than a second wondering what a poor peasant boy was up to. Barging into the tavern, Kal interrupted the party as they prepared to eat a meal. ¡°Hey,¡± Kal panted. ¡°Are you lot the demon hunters?¡± ¡°Go bother somebody else, peasant boy,¡± Egarn waved him away and then immediately grimaced as he sipped from his spoon. ¡°What is this revolting broth they call stew here?¡± ¡°Please, Mr. Mage, it¡¯s important,¡± Kal did his best puppy dog eyes. ¡°Boy, can¡¯t you see our valiant leader isn¡¯t interested,¡± Zazie sighed. ¡°Here, take a copper and go get yourself a sweet,¡± she added, flicking Kal a coin from her pouch. ¡°It¡¯s a demon. A real one. I swears it, Mr. Mage.¡± I hope I¡¯m not overdoing it. Suddenly, the entire group straightened, and their eyes widened as they turned to Kal. ¡°What did you just say, peasant boy?¡± Egarn said, tightening his grasp as he raised his fork, pointing it at Kal. ¡°You folk looking that demon, aren¡¯t ya? Well, I fink I found it,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°We are. Now start talking before I turn you into something with scales!¡± ¡°Look, follow me,¡± Kal said, pointing out the door. ¡°It¡¯s big and ugly. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the demon ya looking for.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Egarn,¡± Zazie said, placing a hand on the mage¡¯s shoulder before he got too excited. ¡°How would this kid have found a demon and returned to talk about it with his life?¡± ¡°It''s dead, ma¡¯am,¡± Kal interjected. ¡°Looks like some giant battle took place or somefin.¡± Egarn turned his narrowed gaze on Zazie. ¡°So, who¡¯s the idiot now, Zazie? I thought you said this was a fool¡¯s errand.¡± ¡°Who knows? He¡¯s just a boy, Egarn. I likely saw a bear or something.¡± ¡°So, you suggest we ignore it and just sit here?¡± ¡°No¡ªI never said that,¡± Zazie grumbled and crossed her arms. ¡°Just admit that you were wrong this time. Come on, everyone, let¡¯s move.¡± ¡°But if it¡¯s dead,¡± one of the men shrugged and gulped a mouthful of stew. ¡°Why we got to be in a rush?¡± ¡°I said get up!¡± Egarn slammed the flat of his fist on the table. ¡°Do you want to get paid or not? If it¡¯s dead, then there¡¯s a perfectly good bounty just lying there waiting to be claimed. But what if this big ugly thing isn¡¯t the fiend? Did it ever cross that big dumb head of yours that the fiend might have been the one who killed whatever this little peasant boy found? Besides, even if it is dead, what if someone else comes along and takes our bounty? Idiots.¡± ¡°I¨CI¨Cdunno¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t answer. Just get your lazy ass up!¡± *** ¡°This way,¡± Kal said, turning to wave them on. ¡°Hurry up with that chopping,¡± Egarn whined, pushing with the heel of his boot against the back of one of his men who chopped at the undergrowth with a sword. ¡°What do I pay you for? Work faster.¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s just over there,¡± Kal pointed ahead. ¡°I can feel it, the demonic mana. It¡¯s seeping out. It really is the fiend,¡± Egarn said, his lips curling into a toothy grin. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s our lucky day.¡± ¡°The kid¡¯s actually right?¡± Zazie said, slicing thickets away with her scimitar. ¡°There it is,¡± Egarn said, pointing and bouncing on his heels as they cut through into a chaotic clearing of broken foliage and snapped branches where the corpse lay. ¡°Hmm. Scorch marks,¡± Zazie said, running her hand across a burned tree. ¡°Looks magical. But something is off about it.¡± ¡°There it is,¡± Egarn said, squeezing his nose as he ran toward the corpse. ¡°And it stinks.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of damage around, but this doesn¡¯t look like a fight between demons. It looks like a coverup.¡± ¡°Never mind that,¡± Egarn said. ¡°Always blabbering,¡± he added, removing one of his white gloves as he hovered his palm over it. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What does it look like? This is a real fiend. A lesser fiend,¡± Egarn shook his head. ¡°What lucky days.¡± ¡°It looks like something has been eating it,¡± Zazie said, eyeing the wounds. ¡°Enough already, Zazie. This bounty will pay our bills for months. Can¡¯t you just be happy for a moment?¡± ¡°It just doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t make sense. This makes perfect sense. Who complains about a free lunch?¡± ¡°It is a strange battle,¡± Hyrax added, scanning their surroundings. ¡°Almost looks deliberate how the branches are snapped.¡± Oh shit. Are they going to figure it out? What if they catch and interrogate Bougie and Wort? There is no way I want to trust those two to cover for me. ¡°Not you, too, Hyrax. Just how hard is it to get good help,¡± Egarn groaned. ¡°You lot need to leave the thinking to me and get to work.¡± ¡°Boy, you don¡¯t know what happened here, do you?¡± Zazie questioned. Egarn swung toward her with a brimming smile. ¡°No, not a thing, ma¡¯am. I finks you gone and done it, though. Found the fiend thing, that is. Makes me feel safe knowing you demon hunters are around; it does.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Nothing el¨C¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t know anything, Zazie,¡± Egarn cut her off. ¡°Look at the poor, pathetic, poor, disheveled, meek, hopeless boy. Do you think he knows a thing about feinds? I¡¯m the mage here, or had you forgotten? Now, come give me a hand and lug this thing back to town.¡± Zazie glared at Kal for a second, then sighed and followed her orders. That was close, but I think they bought it¡ªor at least that Egarn guy did. And that seems to be all that matters. ¡°Finally, we¡¯re going to be green for the first time in months,¡± Egarn dusted his hands off as the group gathered around the corpse. ¡°Alright, to work everyone,¡± Hyrax said. ¡°And Zazie, don¡¯t you have debts back in Lorran? We¡¯re about to get paid. At least try to smile.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Zazie reluctantly said. ¡°And what if this isn¡¯t the fiend that¡¯s been terrorizing the town?¡± Another party member said. ¡°And since when has that been our problem?¡± Egarn questioned. ¡°We¡¯ve been hired to track down and hunt a fiend. We have the corpse. Job done. If there¡¯s another, they can offer another bounty.¡± ¡°Hurry up now, let¡¯s get this thing back to town. Once we¡¯re there, we¡¯ll rent a wagon and take it straight to the bounty office. No need to spend a second longer in this peasant hole than we need to,¡± Egarn continued. Now, to earn a debt. ¡°Ahem,¡± Kal cleared his throat. ¡°What do you want, peasant boy?¡± Egarn shot Kal a gummy grimace. ¡°What¡¯s that look on your face? You¡¯re not hoping for a reward, are you?¡± ¡°Not a copper,¡± Kal grinned, rocking on his heels. ¡°And? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Just hopin¡¯ you remember the aid I gave, is all. You know, when you go back to wherever you rich folk go.¡± ¡°Not a copper?¡± Egarn face brightened. ¡°Right, how generous of you for a peasant. Your lot are usually all too happy to get your grubby hands on our noble wealth. So, what¡¯s your name anyway?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kal. Kal Jakari, Mr. Mage.¡± ¡°Jakari? Why does that name sound familiar? Wait, as in that pesky mage family? No, it couldn¡¯t be, or could it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°My father is a mage at an academy in Lorran.¡± ¡°Your father? Bureaucrats, right,¡± Egarn shivered. ¡°Your poverty makes so much more sense now. The Jakari family¡ªa bunch of government goons. I¡¯ve heard enough about your magling family. They are such a tiresome bunch, and I¡¯ve had the misfortune of dealing with them multiple times. Your kind seems to have a finger in every branch of mage bureaucracy in Lyssia. And now I¡¯ve somehow managed to bump into one of their little mutts.¡± Okay, it looks like the Jakari aren¡¯t as well-liked as I thought. ¡°Give the kid a break,¡± Zazie said. ¡°You were just praising how lucky we got with this find.¡± ¡°I feel like you exist to counter everything I say, Zazie. But you¡¯re right; I¡¯ve wasted enough time on this peasant. Now go on, scamper, boy,¡± Egarn waved. ¡°Away with thee.¡± ¡°But¨C¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll remember you¡¯re not as horrid as the rest of your family¡ªIF¡ªyou leave now.¡± That was not exactly the reaction I had been hoping for. So, it turns out this pompous twat is as bad as first appearances suggested. Well, at least I got rid of the corpse and got them out of these woods. Ultimately, keeping the geckos hidden was the most important goal, and Kal had at least achieved that. ¡°Okay, Mr. Mage. I¡¯ll be expecting a good word for Kal Jakari. Preferably one with the duke!¡± Kal called back as he began running back to town, waving. ¡°Yeah, right. Like I¡¯m going to mention you¡ªyou little brat to Uncle Vernard,¡± Egarn hissed. ¡°And what are you lot standing around for again? Come on, get to work. And for crying out loud, would someone go prepare the horses?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± a couple of men barked in unison and ran off toward Ebenshire. *** I doubt that Egarn guy is going to be the ally I had hoped for. Well, that could have turned out worse. Kal watched as the mounted party led a wagon out of town with the huge toad corpse tied to it. Several residents lined the muddy roads to cheer the party on as they made their way through town, though there were more than a few suspicious scowls among the townsfolk. There was little doubt that many people were suspicious that this was the group that finally rid them of the fiend that had haunted the town for so long. It could have been worse. At least I dodged another bullet. Turning away from the departing party, Kal felt a wave of relief settle over him. Even if it had been a partial failure, at least his secrets were still saved. ¡°Hey, where have you been?¡± Ellie stormed across the street, pointing at Kal. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been looking all over for you.¡± ¡°Have you?¡± Kal blinked. ¡°Yes, and you¡¯re not getting away this time. You¡¯re gonna tell me exactly what¡¯s been going on.¡± The demon hunters have left now; maybe I should trust her with a little more? Kal¡¯s eyes wandered toward the overcast sky as he hummed aloud. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ignore me. I¡¯m right here,¡± Ellie said, getting in his face. ¡°Sorry, I was thinking. Fine, I¡¯ll show you. Come this way.¡± ¡°What do you mean, show me?¡± ¡°Just you wait and see. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to explain it properly anyway.¡± ¡°This better not be another of your tricks, Kal!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. I promise.¡± *** ¡°Holy cow, what are they?¡± Ellie said, squatting with her arms wrapped around her knees as she pointed at Bougie and Wort. ¡°This our replacement food for taking the toad?¡± Bougie said as he inched toward Ellie. ¡°No. She¡¯s not food, nor is any human for that matter. Also, you reminded me to ask an important question. Were you two or the toad the reason for the disappearances of humans around here?¡± ¡°Disappearances?¡± The two geckos looked at one another. ¡°No idea what you¡¯re talking about. Toad bossman always said to stay away from humans,¡± Wort said. ¡°Yeah, he just had us hunting grub around here,¡± Bougie nodded. ¡°Like rabbits and the odd hog.¡± Could that mean something else has been terrorizing Ebenshire this entire time? Or was the Flesh Trail always just a made-up story? That doesn¡¯t explain the disappearances, but maybe it is just people getting lost in the woods. ¡°Hey, bossman. Sooo, what are we gonna eat then?¡± ¡°You¡¯re free to leave the burrow now. The demon hunters have moved on. Just take care and make sure nobody from town sees you, got it? I want people to believe the creature haunting Ebenshire is really gone, and that won¡¯t work if they spot you two creeping about.¡± ¡°What, really? Woohoo!¡± Bougie shot a fist toward the air and jumped as high as he could. ¡°They¡¯re so weird,¡± Ellie said, still staring at the geckos. ¡°Are they really fiendlings? I expected them to be scarier.¡± ¡°Who you calling weird, creepy girl? And I can show you scary!¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not creepy,¡± Ellie narrowed her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m cute, unlike you.¡± I had a feeling they would get along. ¡°Hey, bossman,¡± Wort said, passing Ellie and Bougie as they argued. ¡°So, what are your orders for us?¡± ¡°Orders?¡± Kal crooked his head. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not sure at the moment. Just keep your heads low and out of trouble.¡± ¡°Really, that¡¯s it?¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°Alright, if you say so, bossman. I mean, we¡¯re pretty good foragers if you change your mind. There are even some decent reagents in this forest if you know where to look.¡± ¡°Reagents?¡± Kal¡¯s brows rose. ¡°Yeah, spotted a bunch since we¡¯ve been here. Always thought it was weird that our old bossman didn¡¯t care for them. Hey, wait, that¡¯s got me thinking. You¡¯re not a monster pretending to be a¨C¡± ¡°Shhh,¡± Kal hissed, eyeing Ellie. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to know any more than what you heard me telling her, okay?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Wort nodded, placing a finger to his moist lips. Kal had told Ellie about the geckos when he brought her to the burrow and how he had saved Arix from demonic possession, but he had chosen to leave out the part about his demonic core. Anybody who knew that would become a liability, and he wouldn¡¯t go about sharing the secret unless he absolutely had to. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being indecisive, Wort. I¡¯ve changed my mind. I would like you and Bougie to collect reagents for me. You can store them here, and I¡¯ll come to collect them when I need them.¡± ¡°As you command, bossman,¡± Wort saluted. I had a feeling these guys would be useful, but I didn¡¯t imagine they would show their worth so soon. [ 23 ] Preparing ¡°When are we going to practice magic again, Kal?¡± Ellie bemoaned as she, Kal, Arix, and Zander strolled home from school. ¡°Well, how are the self-led lessons going? Able to form any basic spells yet?¡± ¡°Kinda¡­¡± Ellie said. ¡°I got some frost to form yesterday.¡± ¡°Yeah, a little frost isn¡¯t going to cut it, sorry.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even do that,¡± Arix slumped. Kal¡¯s gaze fell warily on Arix. He might not be possessed anymore, but having a corrupted core can¡¯t be good. Kal could still see all of Arix¡¯s core details, but he doubted anyone else could. That wasn¡¯t how cores worked¡­ usually, at least not without a proper ritual. It wasn¡¯t even just his demonic core. He couldn¡¯t even see Bougie and Wort¡¯s cores the way he could Arix¡¯s. There was something about the exorcism that had linked them. If they want to practice magic, that¡¯s a pretty good excuse to return to the burrow. I can use it as an opportunity to inspect Arix¡¯s core further. ¡°Waste of time, I say,¡± Zander said. ¡°You all need to spend more time practicing the blade and less on dorky things like magic.¡± ¡°Oh, shut it, mob-head. No one cares about your way of the blade nonsense.¡± ¡°Kal does. Tell her, Kal. Tell her all about the blade.¡± ¡°Stop picking fights with Zander, Ellie. I¡¯ll help you practice your magic, okay?¡± ¡°You heard him,¡± Zander glared across at Ellie. ¡°I¡¯ll stop, but only for Kal,¡± Ellie wagged her tongue back. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ve got bigger things to worry about. Have fun playing magic; I¡¯ve got knightly things to do.¡± ¡°Later, nerd¡ªI mean¡ªknight,¡± Ellie waved. ¡°You watch that girl, Kal. She¡¯s bad news,¡± Zander said as he broke away from the group. ¡°Very, very bad news.¡± ¡°Stupid mophead.¡± *** ¡°Stop looking at the geckos, Ellie; I think you¡¯re making them uncomfortable.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Ellie said, peering out the corner of one eye. ¡°You think I can¡¯t see that you¡¯ve got one eye open? You¡¯re supposed to be meditating.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Ellie sighed and closed her eyes. ¡°So, why did they decide to just stick around?¡± ¡°Like I said,¡± Kal repeated his explanation. ¡°Bougie and Wort were tricked by the monster that possessed Arix. Just leave them be. They¡¯re useful and not causing any problems.¡± ¡°For now,¡± she shot back. ¡°It¡¯s okay now, Bougie. The weird one isn¡¯t looking anymore.¡± ¡°What a creeper,¡± Bougie said. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not a creep!¡± ¡°Meditate,¡± Kal reminded. ¡°Fine!¡± ¡°My mother isn¡¯t going to be happy about me getting my pants all dirty,¡± Arix said, shuffling on the damp, dirt floor. ¡°Well, this is all we have. And I don¡¯t want my father to see me training you two anymore. He¡¯s always got something to say about it,¡± Kal said. ¡°You think we¡¯re gonna be able to cast basic spells soon, Kal?¡± Ellie asked. He mightn¡¯t have known when, but Kal didn¡¯t doubt Ellie would awaken her core at some point. She had always had good mana potential. Arix, on the other hand¡­ ¡°Maybe. It will be hard with your available mana, but if you keep training a select spell, you might be able to increase your efficiency enough to cast it. However, all training and meditation will get you closer to reaching Stage 2. That¡¯s when you become a real mage.¡± ¡°You were casting spells at Stage 1.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, not everyone has as much mana as me,¡± Kal said. ¡°I just want to cast something cool,¡± Ellie groaned. ¡°I was kinda hoping it would happen before we graduated this year.¡± ¡°Well, clear your mind and stop looking at the geckos.¡± Kal had to admit it wasn¡¯t just Ellie and Arix having those thoughts. He himself wanted to cast second circle spells before graduation. He had started practicing a second circle spell called Minor Clone. Kal had managed to cast the spell a few times, but it drained the entirety of his mana, and half the time, he didn¡¯t even manage to finish the spell. The spell was an attempt to round out his skill set more. Minor Clone was the weakest spell in the Clone series and essentially couldn¡¯t do anything besides walk and run. It was, however, a great distraction. But that was fine for Kal¡¯s interests. He felt that his offense and defense were good enough for now; what he needed was an ace or a trick card that he could use to get the edge on an opponent. Ellie snapped her eyes closed again. ¡°Focusing on your training is the only way you¡¯re going to reach your goals,¡± Kal reminded her. Arix began to hum a lullaby. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Arix? I¡¯m trying to focus here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s how I focus. My mom used to sing this to me.¡± ¡°Well, focus silently like a normal person.¡± ¡°Come on, Ellie. You need to learn to focus on blocking out distractions. This isn¡¯t like awakening your core. Gaining the level of control over your mana that you¡¯ll need to cast spells requires a natural bond that shouldn¡¯t be broken as easily as someone humming beside you.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± Ellie growled. She certainly doesn''t look relaxed. Kal''s eyes widened as mana swirled in her palm, forming a tiny, icy whirlwind. ¡°Ellie,¡± he mouthed. ¡°Aww, it''s just too hard,¡± Ellie groaned, slamming her hands against the ground and dispelling the whirlwind. ¡°You did it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Arix¡¯s lids fluttered open. ¡°You did it, Ellie,¡± Kal shot forward, grabbing her shoulders and shaking. ¡°You actually did it. You formed a basic spell.¡± ¡°I did?¡± Ellie cocked her head, mouth slightly ajar. ¡°Yes,¡± Kal nodded, eyes wide and fixed on hers. ¡°Seriously? I knew I could do it. I knew I could cast a stupid spell. Take that, you big, dumb mophead and your stupid sword,¡± Ellie yelled, jumping up and spinning as she flung fists through the air. ¡°I actually cast a spell.¡± ¡°Well, kinda. You formed a basic spell, but you kinda dispelled it prematurely.¡± ¡°Let me try again,¡± Ellie held out her hand. ¡°Wait up. Take a moment to rest. You just drained your mana core. You won¡¯t be able to cast anything for a while. But don¡¯t worry, a drained mana core is the best time to train your meditation further.¡± ¡°You know what, Kal?¡± ¡°What?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to hate you,¡± Ellie growled. ¡°It¡¯s all part of the process,¡± Kal chuckled. ¡°Trust me, this is how you¡¯ll learn magic.¡± ¡°Fine, but you better be right,¡± Ellie said, dropping back down, closing her eyes, and exhaled. ¡°But I¡¯m blaming you if this doesn¡¯t work, Kal.¡±
Bloodline Trait unlocked: Mentor +2 Charisma | +3 Wisdom
Oh, nice! I was starting to get worried I wouldn¡¯t unlock any more of these things. Hours later¡­ ¡°Look at it go,¡± Ellie beamed at the icy whirlwind spun from her hand, dying out as it hit the burrow¡¯s wall. ¡°Wow, amazing,¡± Arix said. ¡°You can actually use magic, Ellie.¡± ¡°Why do you sound surprised?¡± ¡°Interesting. My basic spell casting never took a form quite like that,¡± Kal mused. ¡°This must be related to your Divine Core. I¡¯m going to have to do more research into this.¡± ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s freaking cool,¡± Ellie cheered. *** Ellie''s little icy whirlwind wasn¡¯t particularly interesting in and of itself. It was the fact that he couldn¡¯t do it that intrigued Kal. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, his mana wouldn¡¯t obey his wishes, and it refused to form as Ellie had made it. When this failed, Kal researched Divine spells. While the word divine connotes religion, Divine Core spells were very much magic, as were the other three core archetypes available to humans. The same went for Demonic magic and likely any other archetypes that were out there, he guessed. In fact, it seemed that the reason it was named Divine had more to do with the kind of spells it governed. Kal thought it would be more aptly named Life Core since the spells ranged from helping plants grow to healing and strengthening the body. Soothe was one of the most basic Divine spells, and based on what Kal read, it was commonly taught to young Divine casters. It was a simple healing spell, though its effects were minor. However, it was quite effective at reducing pain and burns. Kal hadn¡¯t wanted to try learning another first-circle spell, but he wanted to confirm his theory, so he spent several days trying to learn Soothe. His intent had never been to perfect the spell, but he figured that his available mana was enough that even if he only had basic know-how of the spell, he¡¯d be able to cast it. But he couldn¡¯t. No matter how hard Kal tried, he couldn¡¯t form even the foundations of the spell. So, I guess this confirms my theory. Demonic cores can¡¯t cast Divine spells. I suppose it makes sense. Not only that, but basic spells are somehow defined by your core type. I wonder why this wasn¡¯t explained in the books. There wasn¡¯t much point in delving too deeply into the thought. Ultimately, basic magic was basic for a reason. And while summoning pure elements had their uses, it was best not to rely too heavily on them. Besides, there were better ways to go about elemental magic if you really wanted to use it. *** Kal didn¡¯t care too much about graduation drawing near, but the examination year was something entirely different. He barely went to school after Principal Dore had allowed him to cut classes, and graduation wasn¡¯t required for Mage Academy. Every moment he got alone, he trained in the den. Practicing either his Minor Clone spell or forming twirling balls of concentrated wind magic at different locations across his body and then releasing the energy. Minor Clone couldn¡¯t do much. He couldn¡¯t see from its eyes, nor could it do any task that was even a little complicated. However, it could sleep in his bed and fool Yandi into believing he was home when he was out at the burrow training. Unfortunately, his little wind trick wasn¡¯t proving as useful. It was extremely unpredictable and exhaustive on his mana supplies. At most, he could cast the spell once or twice between needing to rest, and since it was a movement spell, that really wasn¡¯t good since he would need to reserve enough mana for offensive spells as well. Furthermore, the explosive bursts often sent him flying uncontrollably through the air. He could counter-burst to slow or stop himself if he had enough mana remaining, but that meant enough more mana to use the spell effectively. Spells were almost like constellations¡ªmaps designed to focus mana in a practiced way that reduced waste and maximize effectiveness. Meditating on the spells he did know, Kal studied the mapping of both Magic Bullet and Mana Whip. He chose Magic Bullet because it was similar in that it quickly shot out a powerful burst of magical energy, and Mana Whip because of its focus on control. Kal had read many books about the theory of spell crafting, and he knew that it was extremely difficult, and most mages couldn¡¯t even sense why or how mapped mana points affected the spells they were used to create. But not Kal. To him, it felt intuitive, and without even mastering his spells, he sensed the ebb and flow that made them useful. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just efficiency. You had no know how and why a certain mapping would create the desired spell effect. However, Kal already knew that. He was already using the spell in a basic form. Mapping was just a means to make it efficient enough to actually use effectively. As he thought about spell crafting, Magical beings entered his thoughts. Not just demons fell into this category, but all creatures born with cores like his own. That has to be why I can sense the flow of mana so easily. Taking inspiration from the two spells, Kal remapped them so that the bursts of power along the control points were smaller. There were also points that dictated how the mana was formed, which Kal simplified. It wasn¡¯t the same as basic casting, but it was akin to pure bursts of mana that would shoot out before forming something like the Magic Bullets. Okay, let¡¯s give this a try. Sprinting across the burrow¡¯s muddy floor, Kal jumped and engaged Mana Step¡ªthe impromptu name he had given his spell¡ªwhipping his head back as the spell¡¯s moment sent him flying forward. Inches from the far wall, he barely managed to shoot another Mana Step, slowing him enough to crash against the wall gently. Falling to the ground, Kal bounced back to his feet. ¡°It worked,¡± he cheered, wiping dirt from his face. ¡°What was that, Bossman?¡± Wort said, shuffling toward him. ¡°You okay?¡± Bougie followed a step behind. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just testing out a new spell,¡± Kal said, propping himself up against the wall as he recovered. ¡°Wow, Bossman is creating his own spells. Told you he was a proper fiend.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Bougie rolled his eyes. ¡°Please stop calling me a fiend. Someone is going to hear you one day.¡± ¡°Right, sorry, Bossman,¡± Wort nodded apologetically. Since the spell followed Arcane mapping principles, it had formed in the Arcane archetype, Kal realized as he inspected it with his mind¡¯s eye. Mana''s consumption was pretty good. If I can master using this spell, it¡¯ll be a great addition to my arsenal. As much potential as his little spell had, it made Kal wonder about his core. Each of the human cores had spells that fell within their domain, and there was no question that mages should focus first and foremost on spells within their dominant domain. ¡°Hey, Wort.¡± ¡°Yes, Bossman?¡± ¡°Do you know any demonic spells?¡± ¡°Demon spells? Ahh, of course I do? You do realize I¡¯m a fiendling, right?¡± ¡°Can you teach me them?¡± ¡°I guess so,¡± Wort looked perplexed. The last thing he likely expected was for someone with a real fiend¡¯s core to ask him, a lowly fiendling, to teach them magic. ¡°That would be great,¡± Kal grinned. *** ¡°Why are you looking so smug today, kid?¡± ¡°Me? I dunno what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Kal shrugged as he walked into the training dojo. ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Yogi drew his training sword. ¡°Your smartass attitude is bad enough as it is normally, but that shit eater grin plastered on your face is really pissing me off.¡± ¡®Is it?¡± Kal cracked his neck as he grabbed his sword. ¡°Okay, you asked for it. Today¡¯s gonna be an educational day for you,¡± Yogi said, stepping back behind the white line that split the dojo. The other kids went silent, watching as Yogi squared up. ¡°I¡¯m going to be your training partner. It¡¯s about time I showed you a thing or two about what it means to be a swordsman.¡± There¡¯s no way I¡¯d stand a chance against Yogi normally, but lets see how he handles my new spell. Kal had already used the basic form of his spell once against Zander, but now, with its vastly improved efficiency, he could use his Mana Step properly. His sword training was coming along nicely and was well above average for his age, but in a pure swordfight, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Zander, let alone an experienced fighter like Yogi. A few yards separated the two. They waited for another student to wave his hand, signaling the start of the sparring session, and Yogi lunged forward, his dulled training blade shooting out at incredible speed. They had sparred before, but it seemed Kal¡¯s smirk had really pissed Yogi off; because he had never seen the guard lieutenant move this fast. Rolling back on his heels, Kal attempted to move out of range while blocking, but he was nowhere near quick enough to keep up. Engaging Mana Step, Kal shot backward and out of range in a flash. But his eyes widened in shock a second later as Yogi¡¯s strikes swung through the air in a rhythm fashion that gave not a second of reprieve as they formed a relentless combination. ¡°Every attack should be a combo, kid!¡± Yogi roared as his blade twisted from one direction to another in fluid motions. Another burst of mana sent Kal flying out of range again and sailing into the wall at his back. However, the relief was only brief as the skilled swordsman closed the distance. ¡°Think I don''t know that?¡± Kal said, immediately shooting himself to the right, dodging a quick thrust. ¡°Your magic makes you cocky!¡± Yogi twirled with his thrust, barely missing Kal by an inch as he swung around. Not good, draining through mana quick. ¡°Getting tired, kid?¡± Yogi taunted, swinging from left to right. Gotta finish this now! Bouncing back, Kal shot himself up as Yogi thrust low and shot the last of his mana into another Mana Step mid-air, sending him hurling back down toward Yogi, clearing his head by barely an inch. There! Kal swung, slapping Yogi¡¯s back with his blunt sword. What? Kal pupils dilated as the stubborn brute ignored his strike and pivoted around, slamming his sword into Kal¡¯s chest, sending him to the ground in a coughing fit. ¡°I win, brat,¡± Yogi growled. ¡° ¡°You cheated. I hit first,¡± Kal groaned. ¡°You should have yielded.¡± ¡°Yeah, and this was a swordfight, or did you forget? You know, I¡¯m pretty sure using magic in a sword duel is also considered cheating.¡± ¡°I could''ve used offensive magic,¡± Kal coughed. ¡®Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Next time, don''t cheat. If you want to practice your magic, find a mage to train with. I only agreed to help you improve your swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Kal caught his breath. ¡°I should have said something. I just wanted to see how combining magic into my sword fighting would work.¡± Yogi studied Kal for an awkward moment. ¡°Fine. You can do that bouncing around stuff, but nothing else.¡± ¡°Wait, really?¡± Kal pulled himself up. ¡°Yeah, I suppose. Maybe I was a little harsh. If you''re going to incorporate those spells into your sword fighting, then I suppose it makes sense to train them.¡± ¡°Thanks. Would¡¯ve been nice to say that before you hit me, though.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, you pulled that shit out without asking me. Besides, I needed to teach you a lesson for that stupid smirk you walked in here wearing.¡± [ 24 ] Training ¡°Hey, that¡¯s the magic kid, isn¡¯t it?¡± A few Ebenshire locals said, pointing and waving as Kal led Arix and Ellie through town. ¡°Yeah, the Jakari boy.¡± ¡°Hey, Prodigy of Ebenshire!¡± ¡°Make us proud!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be the next Archmage; I just know it.¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯re getting even more famous, Kal,¡± Ellie said. ¡°I thought teaching you two magic would take some of the heat off me, but now everyone just credits me for that as well,¡± Kal slumped. ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing,¡± Ellie hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°It is what it is,¡± Kal sighed. ¡°Look on the bright side, Kal. You¡¯re definitely getting an academy spot when examinations come around,¡± Arix said. ¡°He¡¯s got a point, Kal. With graduation only a day away and Arix still unable to cast any spells, what are the chances he¡¯s going to be ready when the academy exams come along? Heck, even I¡¯m not ready. But at least I have a chance to catch up a little over the holidays.¡± ¡°Sorry, guys,¡± Arix slumped. ¡°Yeah,¡± Kal breathed the word. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure when he had started thinking of the two kids as friends and not just annoyances, but he realized now that he wouldn¡¯t be happy leaving them behind. ¡°So, I guess you¡¯re going to leave us here, huh, Kal.¡± ¡°No, not if I can help it,¡± Kal said. School was about to end, and they would have two months of free time to study magic before the academy exams came around. If they failed, they would have to continue schooling for another couple of years in Ebenshire and then decide what to do. However, even though the academy entrance exams only happened every four years, they could still apply for the next examination period since they were only fourteen years of age and the exam cut-off was nineteen. But Kal had no intention of waiting around that long. It was going to be a struggle to get them to where they needed to be, but Kal was determined to make it happen. How on earth am I going to take Arix from a spellless, recently awoken caster with barely any mana to a mage that can cast first-circle spells in two months? As Ellie had said, it would be hard for her to catch up, but if she could manage to reach Stage 2, she would have all the foundations she needed to pass. ¡°Kal, can we talk?¡± Arix said, his mood suddenly changing. ¡°Yeah¡­ why wouldn¡¯t we be able to?¡± ¡°It¡¯s important. Something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask about for a while. But not here. In private somewhere.¡± ¡°Sure, we can head to the burrow after school if you like?¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that,¡± Arix nodded. ***After School*** ¡°Okay, so what was it you wanted to talk about?¡± Kal said once they had made it into the main chamber of the burrow. ¡°It¡¯s all this magic talk¡­ I mean.¡± ¡°Just say it, Arix. I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re past keeping secrets from each other.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my core.¡± ¡°Yeah¡ªI know.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know why exactly, but I have some kind of connection to your core ever since the exorcism.¡± ¡°You do?¡± Arix cocked his head. ¡°Yes, I had been meaning to talk to you about it, actually. Something just always seems to get in the way.¡± ¡°So, you know it¡¯s Corrupted?¡± ¡°Corrupted?¡± Wort said, overhearing them. ¡°Yes, you know about Corrupted Cores, Wort?¡± ¡°Err, yeah. The Corrupted are kinda like fiendlings. They serve all kinds of fiends across the endless planes.¡± ¡°What, how is that possible?¡± ¡°K-Kal, what does this mean?¡± Arix said, beginning to tremor. He had already been struggling to cope with Kal¡¯s new fiendling underlings, and being told he was one of them was no doubt a difficult bullet to swallow. ¡°Wort, please, tell us everything you know about The Corrupted.¡± ¡°Not much to say, really. Spend too much time around demonic mana, and you will start to change. Mortals twist and deform into something else.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s true, why have I never read about it? Surely someone living somewhere like the Ruby Waste would have experienced this.¡± ¡°Ha, not likely. I¡¯m talking about a LOT of demonic mana. Like a lot lot. Like the kind that fills the Demonic Planes. Or the kind that floods into a mortal¡¯s core when they are possessed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Arix. This is my fault, like most things that have happened to you. I shouldn¡¯t have been playing around with what I didn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°What, no,¡± Arix shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no record anywhere of a human with a Demonic Core. And now you¡¯ve got a Corrupted Core, which apparently only happens in the Demonic Planes. It can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Eh,¡± Wort burped. ¡°If you ask me, you saved the kid.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Arix nodded, agreeing with something one of the geckos said for the first time. ¡°You saved me, Kal. I owe you.¡± ¡°But what about¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Bossman,¡± Bougie said, waddling over. ¡°Demons aren¡¯t so easily sent packing by non-demons. You need to lighten up.¡± ¡°Yeah, what he said. I thought we had been through this, Kal?¡± ¡°But I hadn¡¯t used the sphere¡ª¡± ¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t even have awoken my core, and you and Ellie would leave for the examinations without me,¡± Arix said, his eyes glazing over with a stubborn determination. ¡°You¡¯re still a long way away.¡± ¡°Well then, help me. Want forgiveness? Help me pass the exam with you and Ellie.¡± Of course, I¡¯m not going to leave you behind, Arix. Damn it. But how do I help him? There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be ready on his own. Exhaling, Kal slumped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Can I try something, Arix?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a hunch I have. There¡¯s something between our cores, and what Wort said made me think.¡± Arix glanced over to the gecko, who just shrugged in reply. ¡°Okay, I trust you, Kal.¡± Kal raised his hand and hovered his open palm over Arix¡¯s chest. He immediately felt a thump of mana as if it were calling to him. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Arix did as requested. Delving into Arix¡¯s core with his mind¡¯s eye, Kal traveled straight to the heart of the core, its Inner Sanctum. The place where he found a pool within a cave when delving internally into his own. This was a place he shouldn¡¯t be. A place that was impossible to visit without powerful ritual magic.
Corrupted Mana Core Mana 1/1 Mana Potential 18 Stage 1 Strength: 1 Agility: 1 Dexterity: 0 Charisma: 0 Wisdom: 0 Intelligence: 0 Endurance: 1 Toughness: 1
He could already see Arix¡¯s detailed core with a simple inspection, but something felt different when he descended into it. An aura permeated this place. It called to him in a similar way as the possession itself had. What is this? Why do I feel like we¡¯re connected? I wonder if I¡­ Kal focused on his own mana and funneled it into Arix¡¯s core, causing the boy to grimace and stumble backward, almost falling from his feet. ¡°Kal?¡± Arix whimpered. ¡°Sorry, just testing something.¡± Arix gritted his teeth and nodded.
Mana Core Bound
Mana Core Bound? What the hell does that mean? Kal released, and Arix staggered backward, clutching at his chest and gasping for air. ¡°What happened?¡± He panted. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure,¡± Kal glanced down at his own hands. ¡°Bear with me. I want you to try something. Try casting a basic spell.¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t, Kal.¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Arix said, closing his eyes and holding out his hand. Kal watched as the mana circulated, and his core was drained in less than a second, well before the semblances of a spell took form, but before Arix could give up, Kal raised his own hand and pointed it at the boy. Focusing his mana into a stream, he sent it toward him, and suddenly, Arix was reverberating with mana. Arix¡¯s eyes shot open as the mana in his palm sped up and brightened into a flaming ball. ¡°K-K-Kal!¡± ¡°So, my theory was correct,¡± Kal said, eyeing the ball of fire. ¡°W-what do I do with it?¡± Arix stammered. ¡°Oh, just throw it at the wall or something.¡± Like an out-of-practice pitcher, Arix did as he was told, sending the ball flying into the muddy wall burrow, its flames splashing part as it collided. ¡°How was that even possible?¡± Arix said as he watched the tiny motes of fire putter out across the wall. ¡°I was able to send my mana to you.¡± ¡°Yours?¡± Arix shook. ¡°What do you mean, Kal?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not entirely sure how it happened, but I managed to bind our mana cores while I was investigating yours.¡± ¡°W-what does that mean?¡± ¡°Well, from the looks of it, I can send my mana to you.¡± Arix glared wordlessly. ¡°I can¡¯t say much more. I need to research this myself. I don¡¯t remember hearing of anything like this in my father¡¯s books.¡± That being said, it also means that I can help him pass whatever magic exam he needs to. Kal¡¯s mana was extraordinarily high for his age. High enough that even Arix barely figured out a leaky, inefficient foundation for casting a first-circle spell; he should have enough mana to fund it. This wasn¡¯t Maybe this was fate. Kal had doubted Arix¡¯s weak mana potential had what it took to become a mage from childhood, but now, Kal could help him. ¡°Arix, things are starting to make sense. No one is getting left behind. You¡¯re going to pass the exam and join us in an academy,¡± Kal said, grabbing and shaking Arix by the shoulders. ¡°I get it, Kal.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still going to need to practice A LOT. Learning a first-circle spell in two months isn¡¯t going to be easy. But at least I can help you out with the mana part now.¡± Channeling his mana into Arix was fine for now, but one important question remained: what would Arix do if Kal wasn¡¯t around? Helping him pass the exams with this nifty trick was all fine and good, but what would be the point if he led Arix down the path of magery just to turn him into a fake mage unworthy of the name? Kal was reminded that Arix was still a boy. He was barely fourteen and not old enough to be making life-altering decisions in the world he came from. If he asked him, he was sure Arix would choose magery no matter what. But that didn¡¯t make it the right decision. For all he knew, he could be ruining the boy. What do I do? I can¡¯t just lead him down this path if I don¡¯t know where it ends. Am I doing this for Arix or my own guilt? Is what I''m doing selfish? The thoughts plagued Kal. There was no easy answer. He certainly couldn¡¯t just abandon his friend now. Without him, Kal was certain Arix would make nothing of himself as a mage, not with his Corrupted Core. These next two months had just become even more important. Kal would need to find an answer to this question. It was the only way he could morally drag Arix along on their journey.
Bloodline Trait unlocked: Mana Bound Master +3 Wisdom | +2 Intelligence | +1 Chrisma | Strengthened Mana Bonds
Another BloodlineTrait? And Strengthened Mana Bonds is one of the bonuses? Perhaps these are more common among demons than I thought.
Lesser¨CDemonic Mana Core Mana 58/58 Mana Potential 182 Stage 2
Strength: 4 Agility: 4 Dexterity: 5 Charisma: 5 Wisdom: 19 Intelligence: 18 Endurance: 6 Toughness: 4 Faster Mana Channeling Strengthened Mana Bonds
Kal eyed his stats. They had grown once more, and he was close to increasing his mana further. It felt as if the pieces were falling together now. Two months. We can do this. We can take the academy entrance exam together. The thought made Kal smile. This prodigy stuff was getting to him, and he realized he wasn¡¯t one for the glitz and glamour of fame. However, it all seemed more tolerable if he could share that burden with his friends. [ 25 ] Prepare for the Exams Graduation felt a little odd since Kal had barely turned up to school since it had been made optional for him. At fourteen, they were graduating the equivalent of what Kal considered high school. Students who were headed to a technical university could continue for another couple of years, but in a sleepy town like Ebenshire, many were moving on to apprenticeships. It was usually just parents and extended family who attended these things. But this year was different. A cheering crowd had amassed, waving and calling out Kal¡¯s name. There must have been near a third of the town¡¯s population in attendance, Kal thought. The town guard was even called in to escort Kal through the crowd as he stepped down from the podium. Two months left of this. Looks like I¡¯m going to have to steer clear of town. ¡°Damn brat, quite a fan club you got,¡± Yogi said as he led the guards escorting Kal. The people weren¡¯t violent or anything. The guards were just there to make sure they didn¡¯t get over-excited. ¡°Jealous?¡± Kal replied. ¡°Ha, as if. Although, I do spot a few pretty faces. Can¡¯t say I would object to them clambering after me.¡± ¡°Perhaps you should learn magic then.¡± ¡°You¡¯re testing my patience, boy. Don¡¯t make me give you another hiding.¡± Kal smiled. He was going to miss the banter he had with Yogi. Since reincarnating in this world, Kal had his sights set much further than Ebenshire. He had lived a short but fulfilling life in the small town, and it felt strange knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be here much longer. Ellie and Arix caught up as they passed where they stood, but the crowd cared little for them. News had already spread that both of the teens had awoken their cores, an impressive feat. On top of that, they were casting basic spells. If not for Kal, they would no doubt have been famous in their own right. Instead, their success was attributed to Kal. Rumor spread that he had been teaching them, and as such, people assumed¡ªrightfully so¡ªthat he was the cause of it all. The situation caused Ellie frustration to no end. She had put so much work into learning what she knew, and having it all attributed to Kal only made her more eager to leave the town. The people of Ebenshire didn¡¯t understand magic or what it took to learn. They knew Daedrik, and they knew he was from a long line of mages. Since Kal had been the first, and his lineage predicted his talent to some degree, nothing else mattered in their eyes. Kal even joked a couple of times that Ellie could be the next Archmage and that Kal would still be attributed to the achievement. The first time he said it, she fumed up, went red, and refused to talk to him for two days. Thankfully, seeing the stardom birthing around Kal, the mayor had declared the Jakari residence strictly off-limits unless invited by the family. He had even placed a couple of town guards to patrol the roads leading out to the house, though they rarely made the round. Still, having them nearby meant that they could call on somebody if a local¡¯s fascination got the better of them. The town¡¯s reaction to Kal might have seemed extreme to outsiders, but a town like Ebenshire was rarely home to such talents. Common born rarely awoke their cores, and even fewer became mages. Mage potential, more often than not, was dictated by one¡¯s lineage. But more than that, it was extremely difficult to learn magic without guidance. So naturally, a town with near to no history of mage families was ecstatic when producing a talent like Kal. But it was more than just being a young mage that was earning Kal increasing fame in his hometown. Whispers that he had the potential to be the next Archmage were increasingly loud. Of course, there was a long way to go, and many towns and cities had their own prodigies who they believed would be the next Archmage. But none of that stopped the rumors from spreading through Ebenshire. The title of Archmage was the height of magery. Each of the great kingdoms and empires of Aeora had its own Archmage. The title was typically given to the most powerful mage in the land. But it was far more than just a title. The Archmage was the voice of the kingdom¡¯s magic community and held a position on par with the kingdom¡¯s councilor, knight commander, and royal steward. In fact, the only person of higher rank was the king himself. ¡°This is getting problematic,¡± Kal sighed. ¡°Way to lump expectations on someone,¡± he added as a few people from the crowd cheered, calling him the next Archmage. ¡°Quit complaining,¡± Ellie hissed at his side. ¡°The next time I hear someone call me the ¡®Prodigy¡¯s Mage Maiden,¡¯ I¡¯m going to hit someone.¡± ¡°Hey, Mage Maiden! Make the Prodigy of Ebenshire proud!¡± ¡°Calm down, Ellie,¡± Arix said. ¡°At least you have a nickname. That¡¯s cool, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hey, Squire!¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°Huh?¡± Arix crooked his head. ¡°Are they talking about me now?¡± ¡°Squire to the Prodigy!¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Ellie chuckled. ¡°They tagged you Kal¡¯s squire.¡± ¡°Squire? I kinda like it.¡± ¡°Damn it, Arix. You¡¯re pissing me off,¡± Ellie huffed. ¡°Come on,¡± Yogi waved them on. ¡°You should be good down here,¡± he added, leading them to an empty alley that rejoined the street further to the north and would lead them back to Kal¡¯s home. ¡°Thank you, Yogi.¡± ¡°Yeah, no worries. Just get going already. We¡¯ll keep them here,¡± Yogi said, making a parameter at the alley¡¯s mouth. ¡°Alright, backup, everyone,¡± he told the crowd. *** The trio skipped right past Kal¡¯s home and made for the burrow. They had two months of free time, but it certainly didn¡¯t feel like it with what they needed to achieve. ¡°What¡¯s that smell, Wort?¡± Bougie sniffed the air as the trio entered. ¡°Ah, humans. You lot are especially stinky today.¡± ¡°The crowds, probably,¡± Kal said, brushing himself off. ¡°Nasty,¡± Wort grimaced and squeezed his nose. ¡°Like you two can talk,¡± Ellie said. ¡°This place smells like fish.¡± ¡°What did I say about eating outside?¡± Kal said. ¡°B-but,¡± Bougie stammered. Scanning the chamber, Kal¡¯s gaze fell on a pile of bone. ¡°Bougie, Wort.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Bougie said, getting up and walking to the pile. ¡°Told you it was a bad idea,¡± Wort said. ¡°You never listen, Bougie.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Kal exhaled. ¡°Let¡¯s get to training.¡± Kal had borrowed a book on Divine spells from Daedrik¡¯s library and given it to Ellie. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t help much more beyond that. It was hard to instruct someone when he completely lacked the ability to cast Divine magic. Sitting at one end of the burrow¡¯s main chamber, Ellie practiced the Mana Constellation of the spell, Sooth. To help her, Kal had been filling up one of the spheres with mana, and he gave it to her to recover mana as she trained. But once she was set up, he turned his attention to Arix. Constantly channeling mana into Arix so that he could practice his spellcasting was exhausting, and effectively halted his own training whilst he was doing it. However, Kal was improving his Mana Bond. This became their routine. Both Arix and Ellie were up at the crack of dawn, meeting Kal behind his house to head out to the burrow to train. By now, their parents knew what they were up to¡ªalthough they obviously had no clue about Bougie or Wort¡ªbut none interjected. Everyone knew that academy exams were coming. They knew that failure meant waiting four years to apply again. If you were capable of casting first-circle magic and wanted to be a mage, it made sense that you took the exams as early as you possibly could. So, none even considered standing in their way. Academy exams were only taken once every four years because the number of worthy candidates was relatively small compared to the larger population. It allowed magic academies to have classes full of worthy candidates instead of propping numbers up with lesser talents. Like any higher education, the kingdom didn¡¯t need every magical talent to become a mage. There were endless jobs and opportunities for the less talented. Magic Academy was the upper crust of the gifted, and the exams were a way of filtering out the best of the best. Bougie and Wort were no magical scholars. Between them, they knew just one spell. Corrupted were, like they thought, their own specific Core type. Learning demonic spells wasn¡¯t going to be any easier for Arix than learning human spells. So they decided to start with a Martial spell for him. Prior to being possessed, Arix had a Martial Core, so it seemed to stand to reason that it might be the easiest magic for him to learn. The spell was a simple yet effective spell used by many Martial casters. Empower. The spell wasn¡¯t flashy. Empower did exactly what it sounded like: it strengthened something. Arix had taken to his archy club swimmingly and had gained a decent proficiency in the skill. His casting was costing far too much of Kal¡¯s mana, but he could imbue his arrows with Empower, greatly increasing their speed and power when he fired them. Kal watched Arix training with his arrows silently. He had caught suspicious glances from Ellie as he helped Arix train. But while he was channeling mana into Arix, he just looked like he was meditating. There would be no way for her to know something was up, and since they had told her he had a Martial Core and was learning a Martial spell, everything should add up. One evening, after a long training day, Ellie¡¯s hand brightened as she cast Sooth. It wasn¡¯t the first time she cast it successfully, but it flashed with far more power than ever before as her mana burst into the spell, catching Kal¡¯s attention. Turning away from Arix, Kal broke his mana channeling, fizzling his spell. His eyes widened as he watched her mana grow and immediately inspected her core.
??? Mana Core Mana 2/18 Mana Potential 65 Stage 2
Strength: 0 Agility: 0 Dexterity: 1 Charisma: 0 Wisdom: 3 Intelligence: 3 Endurance: 1 Toughness: 0
She actually did it! A wave of relief settled over Kal. Reaching Stage 2 effectively meant that Ellie should have a very good chance of passing the exam. Kal was also surprised to see that the mana boost she received from reaching her new stages was actually larger than his despite having less Mana Potential. But that could be related to having different Core types. ¡°I feel different, Kal,¡± Ellie said, looking down at her hands as her mana dissipated. ¡°Search within,¡± Kal replied, and Ellie closed her eyes. ¡°M-my Core,¡± Ellie gasped. ¡°It reached Stage 2.¡± ¡°You did it, Ellie. You¡¯ve got a serious chance of making it through the exams now.¡± ¡°Good job, Ellie,¡± Arix said, but a nervous shiver lined his words that Kal picked up on. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Arix. We¡¯re not leaving you behind. I¡¯m going to make sure of it.¡± Arix nodded, and Ellie raised a brow as she watched them. She knew something had happened between them that neither Kal nor Arix had been forthcoming about, and she wanted answers. [ 26 ] Final Preparations Really, just one spell, and this is it? Kal glanced across at the two geckos. Kal gut gargled at the thought. Necrotic Bite was a thing of nightmares. A bite that could tear through flesh and leave behind saliva that would spread out from the wound, infecting any flesh it touched and bringing with it necrosis that would fest and rot meat. The spell wasn¡¯t just the gecko¡¯s offense but a means of cooking and breaking down food that allowed them to eat just about anything. Then again, Kal didn¡¯t know if it relied on a special stomach lining or acids to work. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have much choice. This was the only Demonic spell he had available. Not learning it was equivalent to intentionally handicapping himself. Even if he chose not to use the Demonic spells he learned, knowing how their Mana Constellations worked would allow him to craft his own Demonic spells later. This was vital since Kal ultimately had a Demonic Core, and if he wanted to push his limits, he would need to make the most of it. ¡°So, you want us to teach you or not, Bossman?¡± Wort flicked his moist orbs, waiting for a response. ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Kal swallowed. ¡°I just needed a minute.¡± Hopefully, the necrotic saliva created by Necrotic Bite wouldn¡¯t burn through his own jaw and throat, Kal prayed. ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Bougie rubbed his scaly paws together. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°What in the endless planes,¡± Ellie muttered with a slack-jawed expression as she came to a halt at the mouth of the burrow¡¯s chamber. Kal had just lunged forward, taking a bite straight out of the backside of a hog Wort and Bougie had caught and strung up as a meaty target. ¡°Huh?¡± Kal turned, eyes widening, and fumbled to the floor as he missed a step. The raw bacon in his mouth had cooked through as it passed the magical saliva created by Necrotic Bite and didn¡¯t taste half bad. Swallowing, he thought of something to say. ¡°Did you just eat that?¡± Ellie said. ¡°Kal, that¡¯s freaking gross! What have you two done to him?¡± She swung around to face the geckos. ¡°What?¡± Wort and Bougie shared a confused glance. ¡°Why are you eating raw meat now? Are you turning into one of these¡­ things?¡± ¡°Dramatic much?¡± Bougie shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like,¡± Kal said, climbing back to his feet. It was what it looked like. Well, there was the spell, of course. But that wasn¡¯t any easier to explain. Wait, just because I learned a Demonic spell doesn¡¯t mean she needs to know about my Core, right? Kal was treading on thin ice with that thought. He hadn¡¯t read anywhere about humans using Demonic spells. If all it took was being shown how by a fiendling, then some would surely know at least a few spells. It wasn¡¯t like fiends and fiendlings had never been taken captive before. ¡°Taking a bite straight out of a dead hog isn¡¯t what it looks like?¡± Ellie crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. ¡°It¡¯s a spell.¡± ¡°A spell?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ cooks the meat for me and helps me bite it off,¡± Kal shot a greasy grin. ¡°Yeah, you gonna need to explain it a little better than that, Kal,¡± Ellie said, tapping her foot against the ground. Relenting, Kal explained Necrotic Bite. ¡°Demonic?¡± Ellie bent her brow inquisitively. ¡°Wait, you can learn Demonic spells? How is that even possible?¡± Damn it. I¡¯ve gone and shoved my foot down my mouth with this one, haven¡¯t I? Kal realized it was too late for lies. If he had said some half-truth, Ellie might not have understood the severity of what he was telling her and, in turn, would have told someone else. He still didn¡¯t like the idea of trusting a fourteen-year-old girl with a life-or-death secret, but he felt his hands were tied. ¡°Y-you Core is what?¡± Ellie¡¯s lip tremored. ¡°I¡¯m still the same Kal. It''s how I was able to save Arix.¡± Ellie went silent as he continued to explain everything. He detailed exactly what happened with Arix and how he fought back against the demon. ¡°How is¡ªhow is any of the possible?¡± Ellie shook her head. ¡°Not really sure,¡± Kal replied, a sense of relief settling over him as he could be honest with her. ¡°It¡¯s just how I¡¯ve always been.¡± ¡°What about the academy exams?¡± ¡°I plan to take them. I spent years learning how to hide my Core as I grew up. During all those years that I knew magic¡ªyou know, when we were little¡ªI was training it, getting better and better at hiding everything about my Core. I¡¯m confident now that no one will know what I am. At least not without an invasive ritual spell.¡± ¡°And what if someone does that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stay in Ebenshire living in fear, Ellie. I want to see the world. I want to see everything. If I don¡¯t want my future limited, then I need to attend an academy and make the most of my gifts. If that comes with risks, then so be it.¡± Ellie nodded thoughtfully. ¡°You have to keep this a secret, Ellie. Only you and Arix know. And it absolutely needs to remain that way. My life depends on it.¡± ¡°I know, Kal,¡± Ellie nodded. ¡°Idiot. I can¡¯t believe you trusted Arix and not me. We¡¯ve been friends forever.¡± Kal could see the hurt in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It wasn¡¯t intentional, Ellie. I kept this secret to just myself all these years. Arix only knows because I had no choice when I saved him. Even my parents don¡¯t know.¡± Ellie shot forward, wrapping her arms around Kal and pulling him into a tight hug. ¡°Your secret is safe, Kal. You don¡¯t have to walk alone.¡± Her words quivered as if she was holding back sobs. ¡°Thank you, Ellie.¡± The two of them sat like that for a long moment.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Ahh, you done with his?¡± Bougie said, creeping forward. ¡°You mind if I take a bite? I¡¯m kinda getting hungry.¡± ¡°Way to ruin a moment,¡± Ellie said, releasing her grip. ¡°Go for it, Bougie,¡± Kal said. ¡°Look, Kal. I get it. I get why you kept it a secret. But I¡¯m glad you finally told me.¡± *Munch* *Munch* Ellie turned to glare at Bougie. ¡°What? I said I was hungry?¡± Bougie said, eating with his mouth open. ¡°Can¡¯t you eat with your mouth closed, at least?¡± ¡°Hey Ellie, how is casting coming along anyway? The exams are going near now.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, right. Well, I¡¯m getting pretty good at casting Soothe now. I even started practicing another spell called Shield. It¡¯s super cool; it creates a circular barrier about this big,¡± she said, making a circle a little bigger than her torso with her hands. ¡°A defensive spell, nice.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ellie nodded eagerly, seemingly forgetting all about her annoyance with Bouge. ¡°The book said it can block most physical attacks and first and second circle spells when mastered.¡± ¡°That is impressive,¡± Kal said. He, of course, knew what Shield was. Kal had read every book in Daedrik¡¯s library, including the one he gave Ellie. Shield was strong but limited. It was great against physical attacks but not much different than a real metal shield. It was lighter, but it also consumed mana, unlike a shield. And against spells, it required additional mana to maintain, essentially trading mana for blocking spells. When Kal read about the spell, he dismissed it for these reasons, even before he learned that he couldn¡¯t cast Divine magic. Dodging seemed a better use for mana since it could be turned into an offensive spell, and he wouldn¡¯t get stuck exchanging mana against an attacker, essentially dooming himself if said attacker had more mana than he did. However, he wasn¡¯t opposed to Ellie using it. Kal mightn¡¯t have had any idea what their futures had in wait for them, but if he were to run into a dangerous situation with Ellie at his side, it was relieving to know that she had a means of protecting herself. ¡°More importantly, though, you¡¯re one hundred percent confident you can cast Soothe every time you attempt it?¡± Ellie nodded. ¡°Yep. For sure.¡± ¡°Good.¡± That was all basic mastery of a spell was considered. There were also high and grand mastery, which indicated someone¡¯s efficiency over a spell. But if you could cast a spell with a 100% success rate, you were considered a master of it. Ellie made her hand glow a cooling green and ran it over Kal. Near instantly, he felt the strain in his muscles from constant training ease. It felt good. ¡°Oh, that feels good, Ellie.¡± ¡°Right? Pretty neat, huh?¡± ¡°Sure is,¡± Kal agreed, his gaze falling on Arix. He was confident he could help Arix pass the exam if he were allowed to sit close enough to channel mana with him, but Kal couldn¡¯t bank on that. At least with Ellie figuring out her own path to passing, he could focus all his energy on helping Arix. *** Academy exams weren''t as simple as showing off first-circle casting and getting invited to study at an academy. The first circle casting was simply an aptitude eliminator, followed by a series of tests. These tests were changed for each examination, and scores were graded on a curve. Kal knew that he would have to get to work with Arix. Even if Arix managed to scrape through the exam, if he and Ellie excelled, they would likely qualify for academies at different tiers. He had put so much work into helping the kids learn magic; now, he considered them to be real friends. Kal just couldn¡¯t imagine leaving either of them behind now. Not only that, but he had spent years stuck in a school for children. The last thing he wanted to do was go to some shoddy academy that had nothing to teach him. Kal would be better off skipping it entirely and beginning his adventure around the world if that were the only option. There was only one solution¡ªto ensure that all three of them passed and did so well enough to join a top-tier academy together. Kal had read that The Kingdom of Lyssia had an estimated population of about twenty-five million; of that, about three million lived in the capital of Lorran. But the importance of Lorran was far more than just its population. It was the cultural and magical capital of the kingdom. Even though mages were estimated to be only about one in a thousand¡ªon average¡ªLorran was estimated to be home to about fifteen thousand mages, meaning it was home to more than half of the kingdom¡¯s mages, and about half of those mages were involved with the academies in one way or another, with most academies doubling government agencies and fulfilling all kinds of jobs throughout the kingdom. Because of this concentration of mages, all the best academies were in Lorran, except a few specialty academies, such as the Sablewatch Academy, located in the Ruby Waste, and specialized in training demon hunters. This all meant that if Arix ended up being sent to some backwater town with a second-grade academy churning out low-grade mage clerks, it would all be for nothing. Kal and Arix sat at one end of the burrow as Bougie and Wort watched while they gnawed on old bones. ¡°So, Bossman, you making the boy one of your servants as well?¡± ¡°Shut up, Bougie. Can¡¯t you see they¡¯re trying to concentrate?¡± ¡°I was just asking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kal said without opening his eyes. ¡°And no, I¡¯m not making Arix my servant. Just helping him out a little.¡± ¡°They kind of have a point, don¡¯t they?¡± Arix said. ¡°If I don¡¯t have enough mana to cast spells without you¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this if you don¡¯t want to, Arix,¡± Kal peeked from the corner of his eye across to the cross-legged boy. ¡°No. I want to continue.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You know I can¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll ever have enough of your own mana to use magic without me. Especially not with your Corrupted Core.¡± ¡°You really think I want to stay here in Ebenshire while you and Ellie go adventure the world?¡± ¡°I¨Cuh.¡± ¡°No, Kal,¡± Arix firmly shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too late for that. I want to be by you guys¡¯ side. I feel like I¡¯ve barely seen anything, and the thought of staying here is already far too boring to imagine. I need this just as much as you.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it. Up until now, I have been channeling my mana through you myself. It works well, but you¡¯ll never have any independence like this. We need to level up. Figure out something better.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Arix nodded. Kal wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing, but if he was going to strengthen their bond or find an alternative method for Arix to get stronger, he would need to delve back into the boy¡¯s Core. ¡°Relax, Arix. I''m going to inspect your Core again.¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± Kal hovered a hand over Arix, and in the blink of an eye, he delved with. He found himself in a paddock of perfect green grass. At its center was an apple tree, its fruits as plump and lush as he had ever seen. Slowly, Kal walked toward it and plucked a fruit from its bountiful branches. Sweet, slightly sour juice burst into his mouth as he bit into the apple, and suddenly, he could feel the branches and apples as if they were an extension of himself. He didn''t know what to make of this place. It was nothing like his own inner sanctum. Lowering himself, Kal crossed his legs and hummed softly as he entered a meditative state. He wasn''t sure how much time had passed when his eyes suddenly flung open, but something had changed. The apple had opened the door, but his meditation had anchored his presence to this place. Releasing his connection with Arix, Kal fell backward. ¡°Hey, I thought you weren''t making him a slave, Bossman?¡± Bougie said. ¡°What happened?¡± Arix asked groggily, rubbing at his head. ¡°Bossman completed his mana bond.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Bougie nodded. ¡°You''re a true corrupted now.¡± ¡°I''m a what?¡± ¡°A corrupted,¡± Bougie shouted. ¡°Like a demon slave. You''re bound to Bossman''s Core.¡± ¡°So that''s what I did,¡± Kal murmured. Kal hadn''t intended to make a slave, but he could feel how much their bond had strengthened. It feels like¡­ Let''s test this. Kal channeled his mana into Arix and immediately felt his suspicions confirmed. His mana wasn''t just dissipating as it would have been if Arix hadn''t focused it straight into a spell. ¡°Arix, I think we did it.¡± ¡°Did what?¡± Arix asked, and the geckos shared a curious glance. ¡°Check your Core.¡± Arix closed his eyes for barely a second before they flung open again. ¡°I''ve got mana now?¡± ¡°I can store mana within your core.¡± ¡°You can do what?¡± ¡°Isn''t that just normal, Wort?¡± ¡°I thought so,¡± Wort shrugged. ¡°This means you''re going to be able to pass the exam, Arix,¡± Kal said. Arix grinned. He was going to be able to keep up with them. But it shortly faded. He trusted Karl, but did this mean he was truly bound to him as some form of subservient minion? [ 27 ] Leaving Ebenshire The academy exams took place across Lyssia in cities and large towns. Morington was the closest city to Ebenshire, about an hour away by wagon, and was the trio''s designated examination location. Morington was located between Ebenshire and Lorran and was a major logistics hub. Magical examiners visited all the Kingdom''s cities, and many hopefuls from nearby towns and villages would be traveling to Morington to participate. Since examinations were only completed once every four years, a wide variety of budding mages were expected to attend. With the upper age limit of nineteen and no official minimum age, the exams had large intakes. Since Kal had only revealed his magic proficiency at age twelve, this was his first opportunity to take the exam, though he likely could have passed at ten. However, that would have made him a household name not just across Ebenshire but all of Lyssia. He had no interest in fame, but had his core not been Demonic, he probably would have gone ahead and done it. No matter how good he had gotten at hiding the power and details of his core, he could imagine that kind of attention turning out well. ¡°Hey Kal,¡± Ellie waved, approaching the gate to Kal¡¯s house. Her parents followed a step behind, carrying a loaded burlap backpack for her. Arix, his parents, and Kal already stood by the front door with their suitcases packed for the trip. ¡°Are you guys excited or what?¡± ¡°Kinda,¡± Arix said nervously, standing beside Kal with his parents behind them. ¡°I sure am. Can¡¯t wait to finally leave Ebenshire,¡± Kal said. There was a sourness to his words he hadn¡¯t expected. School and having just to be a man in a child¡¯s body had worn on him, and the town wasn¡¯t just boring, but he was dying to get out and explore this fantasy world. However, this place had grown on him. It had become his home. ¡°Come on. Hurry up, Daedrik,¡± Yandi called out. ¡°Have you got it all packed?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m coming,¡± Daedrik huffed as clanking sounded inside the house. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ellie creased her brow as she looked toward Kal¡¯s home. ¡°That¡¯s just Mom and Dad. Ignore them.¡± ¡°How does a skilled mage struggle with loading a pack?¡± Yandi said, pushing the door open with her behind as she backed out of the house. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t keep tags on everything I own, and besides, what does being a mage have to do with being organized?¡± ¡°Oh, hey, Ellie,¡± Yandi swung around. ¡°Here we go,¡± Daedrik said, pushing through the door and dropping a heavy pack beside Kal. ¡°You better take care of all this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± Kal crooked his head. ¡°Oh, you know. Mage stuff,¡± Yandi smiled. ¡°Your mother had me collect just about everything that might be useful to you. I tried telling her you¡¯ll be back again before leaving for an academy, regardless of whether or not you get accepted. But apparently, that wasn¡¯t good enough,¡± Daedrik exhaled. ¡°You never know. What if Kal needs that stuff during the exam?¡± ¡°You know using most of this is going to be prohibited during the exam, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Most?¡± Yandi smugly tilted. ¡°Fine, forget I said anything. Here you go, Kal,¡± Daedrik said, shoving the pack toward him and almost sending Kal toppling over as the heavy pack nudged him. ¡°Beetle!¡± Yandi rushed over. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom.¡± ¡°Daedrik,¡± Yandi turned with a wicked glare. ¡°What? He¡¯s going to have bigger things to worry about than getting shoved by a bag where he¡¯s going.¡± ¡°Daedrik.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom. It didn¡¯t hurt, and he¡¯s right. Academy exams are no joke. I am going to have bigger things to worry about.¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to go, you know. You¡¯re still young. You¡¯ll only be eighteen when they come around again. You know, your father was seventeen when he did it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Tammy said. ¡°You three are only fourteen. You¡¯re all still young enough to take the exams next time.¡± ¡°Yeah, no way that¡¯s happening,¡± Kal scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve waited long enough as it is.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m not letting these two get ahead of me,¡± Ellie said. ¡°What about you, Arix?¡± Lydia said. ¡°I know we talked about this, but it isn¡¯t too late to change your mind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom. If I don¡¯t join with them now, they''ll be fully-fledged mages by the time I do.¡± ¡°There¡¯s just no breaking you three up, is there?¡± Tammy playfully shook her head. ¡°We should have seen that coming.¡± ¡°You best be prepared. A lot of people have come to see you three go,¡± Damien said. ¡°I think most people still can¡¯t believe Ebenshire might produce three academy mages in one year. And to think, up until now, you could count the number of academy mages from Ebenshire on one hand.¡± ¡°People?¡± Kal groaned. ¡°Somebody get me a bag.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Arix said, patting Kal¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re in this together. The three of us.¡± ¡°Thanks anyway, Arix. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll stop the crowds.¡± I haven¡¯t seen a single person from town around here. Yogi and his men must be busy keeping them at bay. ¡°Hey, there you three brats are,¡± Zander said, strutting to the gate. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d leave for your examinations without seeing your master goodbye, did you?¡± ¡°You¡ªour master?¡± Ellie laughed. ¡°Hey, who are you calling master?¡± Yogi said, pulling Zander back with his collar. ¡°If anybody is the master, that title belongs to me.¡± ¡°Hey, that hurts,¡± Zander coughed. ¡°Look at you three. It¡¯s hard to believe it''s the same punks who wandered into my training hall those years ago.¡± ¡°You better try hard,¡± Zander said. ¡°I don''t want to get too far ahead of you three while you¡¯re gone. Mark my words, I¡¯ll be a knight next time we see each other.¡± ¡°You know we¡¯re coming back before we go to an academy, right?¡± Ellie said smugly. ¡°Well,¡± Zander cleared his throat. ¡°When you see me after that, then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on it, Zander. You had better become a knight,¡± Kal said. ¡°I will,¡± Zander thumped his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll be the bravest and most fearsome knight in all of Lyssia.¡± ¡°Ha, like that''s gonna happen, Mophead.¡± ¡°Why you¨C¡± ¡°Thank you both for coming,¡± Kal interrupted. ¡°You''ve been a great help. I''ll be sure to have a footnote added about you when my autobiography is written,¡± he added with a cheeky grin. ¡°You better watch that smart mouth of yours, kid. You might have improved, but I can still kick your ass,¡± Yogi said. ¡°Yeah, maybe in a swordfight, old man. But if I''m allowed to use magic? Not a chance.¡± ¡°You''re lucky it''s a special day, boy. Or I''d be tempted to remind you how effective a sword can be. And what about your little friend¡ªI haven''t seen you at training in forever. Did you get scared?¡± Yogi said, glaring at Ellie. ¡°What can I say? I leave the playing with swords to the boys,¡± Ellie quipped. ¡°Excuses. Anyway, Kal, before you leave,¡± Yogi said, reaching for something. ¡°It''s not much, but since you trained to integrate swordfighting into your magic, I figured it''d be best if you had something to take with you.¡± Producing an old sword in a battered, brown sheath, Yogi handed it to Kal. ¡°Just something we had lying around the armory. Hopefully, it will be more useful to you.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Thanks, Yogi,¡± Kal said, unsheathing the sword. It wasn¡¯t much, but he could see the vigorous scratch marks all along the blade where someone had tirelessly worked away the rust and the recently sharpened edge. ¡°Seriously, this means a lot.¡± ¡°Just shut up, kid,¡± Yogi gritted his teeth as his eyes began to glisten. ¡°Just get better so I don''t have to beat your ass next time you¡¯re in town.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°There they are,¡± a man pointed toward the Jakari house, leading a mob of townsfolk. ¡°And that''s our cue to get out of here,¡± Kal sighed. ¡°Not without a big hug first, Beetle,¡± Yandi said, rushing forward and scooping her son up. ¡°Kal, there you are,¡± a man said, pushing his teenage daughter to the front of the crowd as they rushed forward. ¡°Have you met my daughter?¡± ¡°Dad!¡± That¡¯s certified creepy. ¡°Sorry, everyone. We have to go,¡± Kal waved. I wouldn''t want to miss the examination.¡± ¡°Alright, everyone, clear a path,¡± Yogi shouted, pulling a baton from his side and tapping it against his hand. ¡°Thanks, Yogi,¡± Kal two-finger saluted and swung his pack over his shoulder. ¡°We''re really doing this,¡± Ellie grinned. ¡°Sure are,¡± Arix flashed an uncertain smile. ***
Bloodline Trait: Adventurer +1 All Stats
Kal eyed the notification briefly despite it being one of the best he had received. Hitting 20 Wisdom and gaining another 5 mana was no small boon, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He glanced at Arix as the wagon they rode shook across the uneven road, bouncing occasionally as it dipped into a puddle-filled pothole.
Corrupted Mana Core Mana 2/2 ( Stored Mana 25/25) Mana Potential 20 Stage 1 Strength: 2 Agility: 1 Dexterity: 1 Charisma: 0 Wisdom: 0 Intelligence: 0 Endurance: 1 Toughness: 2
Arix''s core had strengthened a little when Kal had anchored their Mana Bond, but on its own, it was still weak. People would be able to inspect him and see that he was still in Stage 1, not that it was a disqualifying factor for the exams, but it wasn¡¯t a great look. Not only that, but his Mana Potential was abysmal for a mage taking the exam. However, what worried Kal was earning people¡¯s suspicions. He couldn¡¯t tell Arix to stay in Ebenshire, not after everything they had been through together, but a kid as weak as him having access to 25 mana just didn¡¯t make sense. 25 was the limit Kal found himself able to currently store within Arix. They learned from training that it would slowly drain away over a few days if he didn¡¯t top it up. Not that it mattered. Kal could recover 25 mana in less than an hour of meditation. He had been clear with Arix not to show off more than he needed to pass. He just needed to cast Empower once and do it well. There would be merit in a mage with limited mana casting one first-circle spell well and efficiently; Kal just hoped it was enough. ¡°Something wrong, Kal?¡± Ellie asked ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Kal said, looking out across the road as it fell beneath the shade of the forest canopy. *** The wagon jostled into the city of over a hundred thousand souls around midday. It was Kal''s first time seeing an actual city in this new world, and he was almost as excited to look around as he was to get to the exams. Ever since reincarnating, his main goal has been to make the most of his second chance at life, and a big part of that was exploring this new and magical world. However, practicality had gotten in the way of that, so he had focused on improving himself as much as possible while he was young. But now he was finally reaching a point where he could start to cash in on all that hard work. A prospect that was making him increasingly giddy. ¡°Alright, ¡®ere we are,¡± the wagon master said, pulling to the side of a busy street. Crowds of people pushed through the cobbled streets around them. They were dressed in actual fashion, unlike the locals in Ebenshire, who wore whatever rough clothes they could afford. The fashion was peculiar to Kal¡¯s eyes¡ªan era wedged between Victorian Europe and the Middle Ages. Women with powdered faces dressed to the nines in fine gowns passed, their arms looped through those of men in neat suits, only to be trailed by knightly figures in full-plate and swords dangling at their sides. There were, of course, the shoeless peasants with dirty faces and toothless grins, but they didn¡¯t stand out among the wealthier denizens. ¡°Hey Kal, this way,¡± Ellie said, distracting him from his thoughts. A crowd pushed toward a street in the distance, and as they neared, they spotted an abundance of wizard hats, cloaks, and robes donning the people. The hopeful mages weren''t hard to pick out from the locals. Their robes and cloaks were made of fine fabrics, and many carried intricate staffs and wands. Several carried more conventional-looking weapons, like swords, axes, and maces. But most had glyphs etched across them. Kal noticed that many of their weapons and clothing were encrusted with rare jewels and fine metals or woven from colorful fabrics and furs. It was Glyph Binding. Glyphs required magical materials to fuel the spells or mana they contained, which was exactly what many of these adolescents donned. Kal had his own magical items, the spheres, but they remained in the woods, hiding the burrow and his fiendling underlings. All kinds of spells could be bound to items using Glyphs, usually only limited by the materials used to craft the item. However, casting spells often came more naturally to mages than shooting them from a magical staff. So, most Glyphs were used to enhance the mage''s natural abilities. This could vary from Glyphs that directly enhanced a mage''s preferred spells, a simple mana well to draw mana from when desperate, or even utility and defensive spells to help round the mage out. One of the most common was defensive amulets. They were cast into rare, mana-conductive stones used to hold a powerful defensive spell to act as a last line of defense and save a mage¡¯s life when all else failed. None of these kids look poor, that''s for sure. In fact, Ellie and Arix might be the only two mage candidates who don¡¯t own a single magical item. Not that Kal was any better of a position. The old cloak his father had given him sure looked like it belonged to a mage, but it definitely wasn¡¯t magical. Kal realized that Daedrik likely had a few items he could have spared. He had accepted the loss of his spheres rather easily. Perhaps he wanted Kal to figure it out on his own. Or maybe she just didn¡¯t want to power him up more than he already was. His father had always been worried about Kal catching the attention of the wrong people, and depriving him of magical items might have just been an extension of that, he figured. Suddenly, the flimsy old sword Yogi had given him from the town armory no longer felt adequate. Sorry, Yogi, but as soon as I get a few coins to rub together, I''m totally replacing this thing. He didn¡¯t know what kind of spell he would want infused in a magical sword, but he knew it would be better than what he had. ¡°Look, that must be the registration line,¡± Ellie said, pointing to a line that ran down the street. The line led to a few tables where several clerks, dressed in gray, suit-like uniforms and wearing stereotypical wizard¡¯s hats, sat, furiously scribbled notes. ¡°Really, why are there so many people here?¡± Arix groaned. Only doing the exam every four years must attract a lot of hopefuls. Official mage numbers only count real, licensed mages, and not just everyone who has managed to awaken their core and can string together a basic spell or two. It dawned on Kal how many people across the Kingdom must fail exams and end up some unlicensed spellcaster. Becoming a licensed mage or attending an academy wasn¡¯t just about prestige and knowledge. Many things required a mage license. For example, demon bounties could only be collected by a mage. ¡°Looks like we''re waiting,¡± Kal said, walking to the back of the line. ¡°I thought being a mage was supposed to be exciting,¡± Ellie moaned. ¡°You¡¯re not a mage yet,¡± Kal reminded her. *** ¡°Kal, why are so many people looking at us?¡± Ellie said, inching closer to Kal and Arix. ¡°Not sure,¡± Kal replied, scanning the crowd. She was right. Dozens of eyes stole glances at them from all across the crowd. We must be some of the youngest participants here. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say that¡¯s probably why everyone is so interested in us. ¡°Probably just our age,¡± Kal reassured. ¡°I hope so,¡± Arix said. ¡°Next!¡± A mustached clerk yelled, and the trio turned to realize they were next in line. ¡°Come on then,¡± Kal said, leading them to the table. ¡°Please fill out your names, ages, hometown, core affinity, and any other questions noted on the forms,¡± the clerk said, tapping beside a pile of forms. Core affinity? I should have guessed they¡¯d want to know that. Kal planned to write down Arcane, as he had told everyone, but there was still a tinge of fear someone would notice it wasn¡¯t. The same went for Arix, who he reminded to tell people his core was Marital prior to leaving Ebenshire. Kal realized there was a plus side to so many mage candidates. It increased the likelihood of them being lost in the crowd. Kal looked up from the form and caught Arix¡¯s gaze, who nodded knowingly back. Don¡¯t let me down, Arix, Kal thought. He hadn¡¯t strictly told Arix to write his affinity down as Martial, but he was confident he would pick up on that. Rubbing at his eyes, Kal filled out the form. Childhood had spared him the bureaucracy of this world, but these forms brought back memories of his past life he wished he didn¡¯t have. I so dearly hope this doesn¡¯t become a regular thing. Kal groaned internally. There was nothing to be done about it. Academy mages almost always became licensed mages, and like any government, they likely wanted to keep a tight leash on people of interest. The first step to that was almost always gathering information. So much for the libertarian dream of a fantasy world with no rules, he thought. ¡°What¡¯s this part about?¡± Kal said, picking up an additional loose page at the bottom of the pile of forms. ¡°Special waver,¡± the clerk replied without dragging his gaze away from his papers. ¡°This year¡¯s applications have been particularly numerous and as such, we¡¯ve had to add an examination round. But don¡¯t worry. Failure isn¡¯t the end. The government has decided to add a special catchment for those who pass the preliminary exams but fail the additional stages. You¡¯ll be able to go directly into the government''s employment,¡± the mustached clerk looked up blankly. Yeah, no. Something tells me that the offer isn¡¯t what it seems. There''s no way I¡¯m becoming a government goon, regardless of what happens in this exam. ¡°And what¡¯s the additional exam?¡± Arix said. ¡°It¡¯s called the Mage Royal. You¡¯ll be split into teams of four and faced against one another. Don¡¯t worry, though; the name is a little misleading. Violence between candidates is strictly prohibited. That¡¯s about all I can say. You¡¯ll learn the rest of the rules if you pass the preliminary examination. It should make for a particularly entertaining exam year.¡± Yeah, right. Damn, I was not prepared for this. Wait a minute. He just said we¡¯re going to be put into teams and pitted against each other, didn¡¯t he? Kal turned his gaze to the crowds of hopeful mages around them. That¡¯s why they¡¯re all looking at us; now I understand. They see us as easy targets! [ 28 ] Preliminary Exam Wow, that guy¡¯s huge. Kal looked across the crowd at a giant of a man. He stood at least a foot or so taller than those around him, with solid, squarish features and a body of hard muscle. Wait, he¡¯s not a man at all. Kal¡¯s eyes widened in realization. He wasn¡¯t looking at a man. He was looking at an ogre. Long, scruffy hair ran down his head, the bridge of his nose was wide, and his head, in general, was just big. Bigger than he had ever seen on a human. As his gaze trailed down, he realized the ogre wore a huge Warhammer over his back, which was marked by Glyphs and made of a dark, sooty metal. He''s not just an ogre; he¡¯s a participant. Kal swallowed as he realized the hopeful mage was likely a teen. ¡°Okay, okay, quiet down,¡± a gaunt clerk shouted and slammed the butt of his staff against the ground, sending reverberations tremoring through the ground. ¡°Soon, each of you will be called for your first exams. This exam is considered a qualifying test. You will be tasked with proving your ability to cast first-circle magic. It is expected that you can cast at least one first-circle spell at a mastery level, meaning you will get no second chances. Fizzling your spell will result in immediate failure.¡± There was no reaction from the crowd. Everyone was aware of this part of the exam. ¡°But don¡¯t get too high on yourselves. Passing your qualifier simply proves you are worthy to take the real exams. As you should all know by now, an additional exam has been added, the Magic Hunt. Teams for the Magic Hunt will be chosen after we have discarded the unworthy in the qualifier. You¡¯ll be placed into teams of four for the Magic Hunt. You may decide who is a part of your team if you please. Or wait until the examination clerks select a team for you. But fret not. For this year, the government has made a generous proposal. All mage hopefuls that fail to earn an academy position will be offered government jobs.¡± Boos echoed throughout the crowd. It was obvious what this meant. The strongest mages would work together, instantly decreasing the chances of weaker mages qualifying in a world already dripping in nepotism. ¡°This may seem unfair to some of you, but that¡¯s life. Networking with other mages is a part of being a mage. For example, if you decide to become a demon hunter, you won¡¯t find groups of mages or auxiliaries just waiting to hire you. Whether you find yourself in a group of scrubs that can barely handle a fiendling or in a group of professionals will often depend on whether or not you have good contacts.¡± ¡°What kind of bullshit is this? It¡¯s bad enough that all the noble kids rock up jam-packed with magical items, but now they¡¯re going to let them team up together?¡± ¡°Same old government bullshit. They are probably doing this to make us lose on purpose. That way, they can hire us straight into a bureau on the cheap while all the noble kids get to go to an academy.¡± It does seem kind of unfair, but then again, it means I get to join a group with Ellie and Arix. The Magic Hunt hadn¡¯t just worried Kal because he wanted to make sure they all passed and received academy offers, but also because he wanted to remain close to Arix so he was able to maintain his Mana Bond. Sure, he could store mana in Arix¡¯s core, but Arix couldn¡¯t rejuvenate that mana. So, if they were separated too long, he would end up having to rely on his own power. Arix had done well to learn Empower, but he was nowhere near efficient enough to cast the spell even once with his measly 2 mana. ¡°Okay, settle down,¡± the mage clerk continued. ¡°You¡¯ve still got plenty of time to go over plans for the Magic Hunt. As for the additional exams, they will be personally curated based on your performances from the earlier exams to test observed weaknesses.¡± This garnered hushed whispers and even gasps from the crowd. Kal knew that exams changed all the time, but he had never heard of personalized exams. It almost sounded like they were trying to figure out the best way to fail everyone. ¡°Now, let us begin the preliminary examinations. Pay attention and listen out for your name to be called. And don¡¯t make us call for you twice!¡± The clerk said with a final shout and allowed his colleagues to take over. As the clerks began to call names, the crowd shuffled forward. They had taken up one of Morington¡¯s major streets, completely filling it with hopeful mages. But moving forward with the crowd, Kal realized that they were funneling toward the town center. The town center was a tiled square bordered by government buildings and high-end stores. It was used for all kinds of events and hosted a market on Starsend¡ªAeora¡¯s equivalent of a Sunday. The crowd pushed up, filling half the square. The other half was sectioned off with waist-high dividers, which were further split into four equal parts. Each part had a clerk assessor sitting at a table, several targets lined up at the far end, and a large open space for participants to show off their magic. They''re giving us the chance to see each other''s magic before the Magic Hunt starts. Kal realized that they were exposing themselves in more ways than one. The weakest mages would no doubt go all out, hoping to gain a spot in a good group. However, the strongest and wealthiest mages would likely hide their best tricks. Those mages would get a spot in a strong group regardless, and there was no need to let everybody in on their secrets. Kal eyed the first participants to enter the makeshift arenas. One of the first to enter created a shimmering blue shield. It was the same Shield spell Ellie knew, and for a moment, he expected to see people use a variety of spells with which he was familiar, but that expectation quickly faded. The mage clerk sitting at the table opposite the boy scribbled on a form, then raised a green paddle, passing the boy. As he exited, a girl entered. She waited for a moment for the boy to close the gate and the clerk to pass an approving nod. Raising a hand, she swayed it through the air, sending glittering green mana floating down. Within seconds, the mana formed a giant, cupped leaf. But it wasn¡¯t just any old leaf. It seemed to have some lighter-than-air properties because she took hold of its foot-long stalk and threw it into the air; then, as it slowly drifted down, she dove atop it. Over several seconds, she gradually floated back to the ground, and a second after it touched down, she hopped into a bow. Watching the display, Kal realized for the first time just how incomplete Daedrik¡¯s library must have been, as he had never read about a spell like the giant leaf. Excitement flooded through him, and Kal found himself impatiently waiting for the next unfamiliar spell. Immediately, he began wondering about the leaf spell¡¯s affinity. Magic affinities went beyond primary archetypes such as Arcane, Martial, Astral, and Divine. The four human affinities or archetypes also had Disciplines. Mastering a Discipline was considered essential to reach the highest levels of spellcasting. For example, Divine was split into Nature, Rejuvenation, Radiance, and Sanctification. Kal was fairly certain that the leaf was a nature spell, but not every spell was so obvious. The crowd parted as the ogre from earlier stepped into one of the test arenas, and Kal¡¯s face lit up like a kid in a candy store. Grunting, the towering ogre nodded at the clerk, raised his two-handed club up, and swung down. Kal had little doubt that the ogre was physically powerful, but the reverberating shockwave that burst out from his club was undoubtedly magical, rippling through the ground and slamming into an invisible barrier that flickered into existence around the clerk and the scoring table. Kal was impressed. Perhaps all the praise had gone to his head a little because he now realized his expectations of the other participants had been low. Still, the ogre likely had a few years on him, as most of the teens and young adults gathered for the exam. ¡°Eleanor Dober,¡± one of the clerks called. Kal swung around to catch Ellie¡¯s determined gaze. ¡°Wait, your name is Eleanor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ellie,¡± she hissed back. I guess she doesn¡¯t like that name. But damn, we¡¯ve known each other for years. I can¡¯t believe she never even mentioned it. ¡°Well, looks like you¡¯re first up. You going to be okay?¡± Kal said, letting the name thing go. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ellie nodded and walked straight into the arena. ¡°No way I¡¯m failing on the first exam after all the work I did.¡± ¡°EleanorDober?¡± The man said as she stepped before his table. The clerk glanced up for barely a second as he readjusted his glasses. ¡°From Ebenshire?¡± he added. ¡°Yes,¡± Ellie nodded. ¡°Very well. You may proceed.¡± Ellie extended her hand, took a deep breath, and exhaled. Turning her other hand over to show her palm, she rubbed a piece of steel wool against her skin just long enough for it to turn red. Then she held her other hand over it, and a soft, cooling green glow emanated from her palm. Within seconds, her raw skin had been healed and was left looking only ever so slightly whiter than before.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The clerk wordlessly scribbled and raised a green paddle without looking up at her. ¡°I did it? Really? I actually passed?¡± She looked around, dumbfounded. ¡°Would you mind, Ellie Dober?¡± The clerk looked up with a bored expression, and Ellie had to cup her mouth to stop herself from squealing as she bounded back toward the crowd. ¡°Can you believe it? I actually pass!¡± She shouted as she dodged spectators, diving toward Kal and wrapping her arms around him as she neared. ¡°I did it, Kal. I did it!¡± ¡°Ease up,¡± Kal gasped, pulling himself away. ¡°Remember, we¡¯re only qualifying for the real exams.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it,¡± Ellie beamed. ¡°But still. I freaking passed!¡± Interrupting Ellie¡¯s celebrations, the crowd around them began to cheer and holler, calling out ¡°Caesil and Astral Prince¡± at the top of their lungs. Huh, what¡¯s this all about? Kal raised a brow and turned away from Ellie¡¯s embrace. The crowds parted as a boy with long, dark hair that hung down past his Adam¡¯s Apple strode up to the testing arenas. He looked to be around Kal¡¯s age and wore fitted leathers marked in glyphs Kal had never seen before. Worn across his back was a black cloak with an inner lining of red velvet that was visible as it fluttered with his movements. On his belt, he wore a sheathed dagger to the left and a wand to his right. Silver vambraces marked with glyphs wrapped around his forearms and a light-catching necklace of fine, patterned silver metal dangled as a centerpiece of his impressive outfit. Entering the testing arena, the boy didn¡¯t even look at the clerk as he asked his name, and the crowd fell silent, waiting for his response. After an extended silence, the clerk continued without the boy talking. ¡°You may proceed, Lord Caesil.¡± That punk kid¡¯s a lord? Caseil raised a thin arm and flicked his wrist. A tiny red and black ball began to flicker in front of him, slowly growing larger and larger until it was the size of a bowling ball. ¡°Void Eye,¡± a nearby kid gasped, rubbing at his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s one of House Galadore¡¯s secret spells. Not only that, but it¡¯s a second-circle spell and a hard one at that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s really going to use a second circle spell like that to pass the exam?¡± ¡°Yeah, crazy isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s as difficult as many third-circle spells, harder if you haven¡¯t bound yourself to the Void Discipline.¡± Kal realized that the pretentious noble was sending a message. There was no need for him to cast such a difficult spell, and presumably, if it fizzled, he would fail the exam like everybody else. That meant that he was 100% certain in his ability to cast this Void Eye spell. ¡°That¡¯s Astral affinity, isn¡¯t it?¡± The spectators continued. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why some people are calling him the Astral Prince. Some people even think he¡¯ll be the next Archmage.¡± ¡°Bit early to be deciding something like that, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You tell me. That¡¯s one hell of a performance for a kid his age.¡± Interesting. So he isn¡¯t just a smug noble. This kid sounds like he¡¯s some kind of prodigy. Well, I suppose I can¡¯t be the only one. Kal inspected the kid¡¯s core; it had an impressive mana potential of 102. Kal knew the noble kid would have far more mana than him without his Bloodline Traits. It also dawned on Kal that while it was unlikely, it wasn¡¯t inconceivable that this Caesil guy had more mana than him. There was no strict law between mana potential and active mana; for some people, those numbers were far closer than others. Mana potential could only be used as a rough guide to determine somebody¡¯s mana reserves. With another flick of his wrist, Caesil sent the orb shooting into the sky, where it stopped to hover above him. The clerk raised his green paddle, but it seemed like a foregone conclusion. Expressionless, Caesil turned and exited the testing arena with the orb still floating above him. I wonder what that Void Eye does. Kal had read snippets about secret spells. They were usually guarded by powerful noble houses and only shared with family members. ¡°Hey, little girl. Our team is made up of older participants, and you look a little young. But you know what? I was thinking¡ªwe might be willing to make an exception for a healer like yourself. How about you join us and leave the little boys?¡± Kal turned to see three older boys, probably around sixteen to seventeen, cornering Ellie. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m good,¡± Ellie flashed an anxious smile. ¡°Me and my friends have already made plans to team up for the Royal.¡± ¡°Those little punks? Come on, you look smarter than that. Join us, and you can sit in the back. Take it easy. We¡¯re basically offering you a free pass through this exam. All you gotta do is heal us if we get hurt, and we¡¯ll look after you. Trust me, little girl, you ain¡¯t getting a better deal than this.¡± ¡°Oi, buddy, she said no, okay?¡± Kal said. ¡°Huh?¡± The guy turned with a raised brow. ¡°Sorry,¡± Ellie murmured as Kal stole the boy¡¯s attention and dipped past him and his buddies. ¡°Bout time,¡± she added, passing Kal. ¡°Seriously? That little punk?¡± ¡°Come on, Roger. We wasted enough time with this girl.¡± ¡°Your loss, little girl,¡± Roger said, waving. ¡°Who let those creeps in,¡± Ellie huffed. ¡°There¡¯s all kinds, apparently,¡± Kal said, watching them pass through the crowd. ¡°You sure showed them,¡± said a smiling bald kid beside Kal. Kal turned. The boy had to have had a few years on him. He was wide with a barrel of a belly. ¡°Oh, hey.¡± ¡°Some of the rougher groups might try to intimidate you, but killing other exam participants isn¡¯t just a disqualification, but likely to land you in a royal jail cell. Stand up to them, and they¡¯ll back down pretty quickly.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°So, why do they care so much about getting a healer?¡± Ellie questioned. ¡°Oh, fighting against each other isn¡¯t why everyone is desperate to recruit healers. Most people don¡¯t want to give up their chance at passing the exam just because they get wounded. No one knows the rules of the competition yet, but getting injured has never been uncommon when taking the academy exams. That and an additional exam this year have made people anxious. These kinds of situations always make healers super valuable.¡± ¡°Glad you¡¯re on our side,¡± Arix said to Ellie. ¡°The name¡¯s Shell, by the way. I¡¯m a split Affinity caster myself. Martial and Divine. I¡¯ve been getting these kinds of proposals from people all day.¡± Kal had read about Split Affinities. It made for a well-balanced caster, as they could cast spells from multiple affinities without penalty. However, they were usually thought of as having a lower ceiling for potential since they couldn¡¯t bind their mana core to a Discipline. ¡°You didn¡¯t come here with anybody?¡± Kal asked. ¡°Nope. From a small town in the Adelle Mountains along the southern ranges. I was the only young mage within over fifty miles of my town.¡± ¡°Why did you come all the way to Morington to take the exam? Surely there had to be closer examination locations?¡± ¡°The plan was to head straight to the capital and stay there after the exam. However, during my travels, I heard that Lorran was even worse. Apparently, the place is swamped with hopeful mages taking the exam this year. So, I stopped here.¡± ¡°A bit of a gamble, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kal said. ¡°What if you don¡¯t get a spot at an academy in Lorran?¡± ¡°I suppose it is. Either way, there''s no way I¡¯m going home. I¡¯ve spent too many years in that backwater. Besides, I have faith in myself, and Split Affinities are kinda rare. I¡¯ve heard the academies are a little more lenient on us.¡± That¡¯s a lucky position to be in. It was hard to imagine other exam locations being busier than where they were, but if there was somewhere that was, it made sense that it was Lorran. ¡°Arix Maestrom,¡± a clerk called, distracting Kal from the conversation. Arix stiffened, and his eyes widened. ¡°You okay, buddy,¡± Kal said, turning to Arix and resting his hand on his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re right here with you.¡± ¡°Your friend is a little nervous,¡± Shell commented. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. Won¡¯t you, Arix?¡± Arix nodded. ¡°Take a deep breath and just remember what we talked about.¡± ¡°Thanks, Kal. I¡¯ll try,¡± Arix said, doing as he was told. ¡°Don¡¯t try, just do.¡± Arix nodded and turned to walk toward the testing arena. They lost sight of his little frame several times as he passed through the crowd and into the arena. ¡°Arix Maestrom of Ebenshire?¡± The clerk sighed as Arix stepped in front of his desk. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°You may proceed.¡± Closing his eyes, Arix raised his hand. Kal was ready on standby to transfer mana to him as needed and could feel the pulse of his core as he drew mana from it to form his spell. But Kal restrained himself. Arix needed to learn to cast confidentiality on his own. He wasn¡¯t about to let him fail, but he wouldn¡¯t interfere unless he had to. They didn¡¯t know any Corrupted spells, and even if they did, there was no way they would risk Arix casting one here. Kal and Arix were likely the only mages casting spells that weren¡¯t native to their core Affinity. Hopefully, Arix would at least benefit from learning Martial spells somehow since he had a Martial Core before his possession. Thankfully, Arix had taken swimmingly to his archery club and became a talented bowman. This fit perfectly for the ruse that he was a Martial caster. Picking one of the manikins placed for the examination, Arix raised his bow and exhaled as he nocked an arrow and brought it to aim. He cast the spell Empower in his drawing hand, funneling its power into the arrow a fraction of a second before he loosed. The arrow flashed through the air and slammed into the manikin at such speed that the shaft shattered, and the head disappeared into the depths of the straw figure. Arix stood wide-eyed, staring at his handy work as the clerk lazily raised a green paddle. ¡°You did it, Arix,¡± Kal shouted, and as Arix slowly turned, his expression of disbelief twisted into joy. ¡°I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± Arix mouthed, lips curling into a smile. ¡°Arix Maestrom, if you wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± the clerk gestured toward the exit. ¡°I have a long day ahead of me.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Sorry, sir,¡± Arix bowed and rushed out of the arena. ¡°See, I knew you¡¯d be fine,¡± Kal hive-fived Arix once he reached them. ¡°Thanks to you. If you weren¡¯t here¡ª¡± ¡°This was all you, Arix,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°You mean you didn''t?¡± ¡°What are you two conspiring about?¡± Ellie pushed in between them. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really,¡± Kal grinned. ¡°Arix just doesn¡¯t realize how far he has come.¡± Of course, Arix was still very much reliant on Kal. But as long as he could at least cast spells by himself, he felt he had a real future as a mage. [ 29 ] Preliminary Exams 2 Entering the test arena, a teen boy and girl who looked a couple of years older than Kal took their positions in front of the examiner. Even though it didn¡¯t matter in the end, it still irritated Kal that nobody said anything about participants being allowed to take the exam together. He doubted he would have done it anyway since it had been good for Arix¡¯s development, but knowing it was an option might have relieved a little stress. Standing several feet apart, the boy raised his hand, and a spiral of purple flames shot out toward the girl, but as they neared her, she inhaled them. Her chest grew as she sucked in the flames, continuing until the boy exhausted his mana and then tilted her head toward the sky and blew them out, creating a fiery, purple fountain. The purple fire must have been an elemental spell. Elementalist was a Discipline of Arcane that used spell constellations to turn elements into real spells. It was no doubt a more efficient and powerful method of spellcasting over basic magic. Still, it had never inspired him too much since he could fall back on basic casting if he needed the assistance of an element. Mastering spells wasn¡¯t easy, and Kal had to pick wisely to make the most of his mana. Still, it was interesting to see someone deciding to use such magic in their arsenal, especially for an important test. He also wondered about the girl¡¯s spell. Perhaps it was some kind of Elementalist spell that focused on control rather than the creation of elements. But for all Kal knew, it could have been anything. The list of spells that were absent from Daedrik¡¯s books was growing longer and longer. These are just kids¡ªhopefuls competing for an opportunity to study in an academy. Who knows what else is out there? Kal¡¯s excitement to travel the world only surged at that thought. Not only that, but there was no doubt some of the mages here would be hiding their best spells. Hiding your best tricks was common among mages at the best of times. Knowing they would be competing against one another would only add to an already common practice. The clerk raised two green paddles, and both contestants bowed and exited They were an interesting couple. I wonder if more of their spells are selected to work together. Watching the couple inspired Kal. Perhaps he could find complementary spells for Arix. If his friend was forced to rely upon him because of his Corrupted Core, then they might as well make the most of it. ¡°Kal Jakari,¡± a clerk called out. Stepping forward, Kal considered how to handle his exam. Their team already had three people, so recruitment wasn¡¯t overly important. However, scoring a competent fourth member could prove the difference between getting a top-tier academy and not. It likely wasn¡¯t worth revealing his aces over, but it also seemed risky to take it too easy. His only second-circle spell, Minor Clone, benefitted greatly by remaining a secret. So Kal would have to devise another way to impress the crowd without using it. ¡°Kal Jakari of Ebenshire?¡± ¡°Sure is,¡± Kal said, standing before the examiner¡¯s desk. ¡°You may proceed.¡± Hopefully, this is enough. Bouncing on his tiptoes, Kal looked up and cast Swift Step, shooting himself into the air with a sudden burst. The moment he began to slow, he cast Swift Step again, sending himself hurling through the air before jetting himself back down to the ground with a third Swift Step. Raising his head, he dusted himself off and glanced around. ¡°Wh-what was that?¡± The mage clerk coughed and fixed his glasses. ¡°That wasn¡¯t Ernald¡¯s Sprint, was it? Please explain, candidate. What was that spell you just used?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Swift Step,¡± Kal replied confidently. ¡°Swift Step?¡± The clerk crooked his head and waved to his assistants, who came running. Dropping to his side, the three clerks whispered between themselves. ¡°Ahem,¡± the clerk cleared his throat. ¡°Participant, who is it that taught you this Swift Step spell?¡± ¡°Nobody,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°What do you mean, nobody? Who¡¯s your master?¡± ¡°I guess that would be my father. Daedrik Jakari. But he didn¡¯t teach me this spell.¡± ¡°Daedrik?¡± The man¡¯s face twisted as if the name was familiar. ¡°Okay, let me rephrase. Where did you learn the spell? What book?¡± ¡°None. I made it myself.¡± ¡°You what?¡± Not possible. The formations¡ªthey¡¯re too clean. It is a nearly perfectly efficient spell. There¡¯s no way some kid made it. This Swift Step spell belongs in the core teachings of a beginner''s spellbook.¡± ¡°What can I say? I did,¡± Kal shrugged again. ¡°So, what about that paddle,¡± he added, glancing at the paddle beside the man. ¡°I¨CI¨Cuh¡­¡± the clerk swallowed and gradually began to nod as he reached down for the green paddle and raised it. Going by the examiner''s reaction, I have a sneaking suspicion that my display was enough. Kal did his best to fight back a smirk. The reaction was immediate as the green paddle rose above the clerk. Most kids clearly hadn¡¯t realized what was so special about Kal¡¯s display at first, but hearing the clerk¡¯s reaction changed all that. Dozens swarmed to the temporary fencing around the text arenas, calling his name and trying to get Kal¡¯s attention as he walked back toward the crowd. The hopeful mages pushed against one another, trying to wave Kal down, but he hadn¡¯t gone and exposed such a spell just to recruit any old average mage. Let¡¯s see, he narrowed his gaze as he looked through the crowd. There was no need to make a rash decision now that he had caught people¡¯s attention. They could wait for the right candidate to expose themselves. ¡°Kal,¡± Ellie called out, waving him over. ¡°Hey, Mr. Jakari! Over here,¡± a young man wearing red robes shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve got top-tier first-circle Astral spells. I¡¯d make a great addition to your group!¡± ¡°Pick me, Kal,¡± another waved beside him. ¡°Defensive Martial spells. I¡¯m the front liner you didn¡¯t know you needed.¡± ¡°Sorry, but we¡¯re not making any decisions right now,¡± Kal said as more mages gathered around to sell themselves. ¡°What, why not? I¡¯d be perfect for rounding out your group. ¡°The spell I cast in the examination was only a taste of what I got.¡± ¡°Nah, pick me. I¡¯d win,¡± another mage challenged, pushing through the others. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all great,¡± Kal said, swamped by a circle of mage candidates around him. ¡°But I can¡¯t make any decisions until we at least know the Hunt¡¯s rules.¡± ¡°What, seriously? Come on. I¡¯m exactly what you need. Don¡¯t think I will wait around if another group offers me a position.¡± ¡°Yeah, man. We all got options.¡± ¡°Ha, his little trick went to his head,¡± a mage scoffed and turned away. ¡°Who cares if you made it yourself? It¡¯s ultimately just a movement spell.¡± ¡°Yeah, like I¡¯m gonna beg for some kid,¡± another huffed and broke from the crowd. ¡°Sorry, guys,¡± Kal said with a grimaced smile as the crowd soured on him. ¡°Pfft,¡± the robe-wearing mage shook his head and turned away. ¡°Your loss, kid.¡± They sure turned on me quickly. Then again, there are a lot of good mages around. ¡°Kal, you sure that was wise? That Astral mage sounded promising,¡± Ellie said. ¡°Dunno. But I doubt they¡¯ll be the only mages who want to join us. Besides, we still don¡¯t know the rules. It¡¯s kind of hard to know what spells we¡¯re missing if we don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll need. Anyway, I¡¯m getting hungry,¡± Kal said, his stomach rumbling. ¡°Maybe we should get something to eat.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°What about the other contestants?¡± Ellie questioned. Kal was also concerned about missing out on the show, but his stomach growled again, refocusing his wandering thoughts. ¡°We¡¯ve seen most of them, haven¡¯t we?¡± Kal said. ¡°It looks like it,¡± Ellie agreed. ¡°I¡¯m hungry too,¡± Arix moaned, rubbing his belly. There had been many entertaining spells to watch, but many of the mages had also been casting rather mundane spells. Kal didn¡¯t want to miss out on anything intriguing, but the reality was many of the top contestants were hiding most of their best spells. ¡°Do you guys just think with your bellies? Shouldn¡¯t we be watching and learning what other mages can do?¡± ¡°I know but,¡± Kal looked down at his belly and grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day, and those biscuits on the wagon were tiny.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m with Kal,¡± Arix desperately nodded. ¡°I mean, you can always stay,¡± Kal smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m hungry too?¡± Ellie snapped. ¡°You want me to stay and watch while you two gluttons stuff your faces?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I said,¡± Kal protested. ¡°If you two are eating, then so am I!¡± ¡°We never said you couldn¡¯t,¡± Arix said. ¡°It was implied,¡± Ellie retorted. ¡°I swear it wasn¡¯t,¡± Arix slumped. Kal remained silent. Happy that Arix had caught Ellie¡¯s ire. ¡°Sure it wasn¡¯t,¡± Ellie said. *** Nestled away in one of the off-shooting streets, the trio huddled around a table in a cozy nook of a small tavern and eatery. The curved window encasing the little nook stared out into the narrow streets, allowing a great view of the bustling Morington daily life. ¡°I¡¯m starving,¡± Arix slumped into the table. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t eaten since that tiny, little biscuit.¡± ¡°Step one, completed,¡± Kal leaned back in his chair. ¡°Now we just need to figure out what this whole Magic Hunt is about. They said we¡¯ll compete against each other, but if killing or seriously harming one another isn¡¯t allowed, how exactly is that going to work?¡± ¡°Could be a bunch of mini exams, like competitive games,¡± Arix wondered aloud. ¡°If you guys knew so little, then why were we so eager to leave? Who knows what we could be learning about our rivals right now.¡± Kal¡¯s belly audibly groaned as if in protest to Ellie¡¯s words. ¡°Why do I feel like that thing is our fourth group member?¡± Ellie narrowed her gaze on Kal¡¯s belly. ¡°Hah,¡± Kal scratched at the back of his neck. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine, Ellie. Besides, we¡¯ll also need our energy to pass this thing.¡± ¡°Energy?¡± Ellie repeated dryly. ¡°Look, many of the best mages here probably already have groups. And those who don¡¯t are likely in a similar position as us. Think about it. If you have valuable skills, why would you want to rush into a group that might not complement you? Until we know the rules of the exam, we¡¯re taking a massive risk with any decision we make.¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± Ellie crossed her arms. ¡°Still, I feel like we¡¯re missing stuff.¡± ¡°Remember how they said the failures to pass would be offered government employment?¡± Arix said, shifting the conversation. ¡°What do you think that¡¯s all about?¡± ¡°No idea,¡± Kal shrugged. He really didn¡¯t have any idea. He had read all about the exams and had never heard anything about the government offering employment to those who failed the examinations. That said, it wasn¡¯t something that tempted him in the slightest. ¡°Excuse my interruption, but could I have a moment of your time?¡± Kal looked up to see a soft-spoken boy with a brown bowl cut. He looked about the same age as them. Kal probably even had an inch or two on the boy, and he wasn''t particularly tall for his age, either. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that this booth is taken?¡± Ellie rolled her eyes. There''s something about this kid. Kal inspected his boy''s Core and had to stop himself from gasping when he realized it was entirely hidden like his own. ¡°You know, it''s generally considered rude to inspect people¡¯s Cores in the confines of a city, doubly so within a formal establishment such as this.¡± ¡°You could tell?¡± Kal¡¯s brows perked. ¡°You can''t? Interesting,¡± the boy said, his meek yet oddly confident appearance expressionless. ¡°Interesting¡ªwhy?¡± Kal probed. ¡°The fact that you''ve gone to the lengths of entirely hiding your Core, yet you haven''t trained in inspection detection. It¡¯s quite odd, to be entirely honest. The two usually go hand-in-hand.¡± I guess you miss this kind of stuff when your training is entirely self-led. Damn it, Daedrik, you could have said something. Blaming Daedrik for his lack of knowledge was a bit of an easy out, Kal knew. He had always preferred learning alone and never bothered to hide it. ¡°So, you inspected me as well?¡± ¡°I did. Guilty as charged. But it¡¯s not often you see a junior mage using a spell they designed themselves.¡± ¡°Kal Jakari, is it?¡± Kal nodded. ¡°You''re not the scion of a great house of assassins or spies, are you?¡± ¡°No?¡± Kal crooked his head. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°Why is that interesting?¡± Kal said, trying not to sound exasperated. But the strange kid constantly abstrusely saying interesting was starting to grate on his nerves. ¡°Because it''s a technique used but, more importantly, taught by assassins and spies. Few others see the value in learning but, more importantly, wasting Mana Focus on maintaining such techniques.¡± Mana Focus? Kal almost forgot he had read about Mana Focus in the book''s footnotes about hiding Mana Cores. The technique was required for advanced Mana Cloaking. Mana Focus was used for many spells but was usually reserved for spells with ongoing effects, like buffs. There were only so many things a mage could use their Mana Focus on, and so few would choose to waste capacity on something like hiding their Core¡¯s details unless subterfuge was an important part of their job. However, for Kal, cloaking his mana had come so easily and naturally that he had forgotten about it. ¡°I must say, you''ve certainly piqued my interest. You¡¯re quite the intriguing fellow, Kal Jakari,¡± the boy said, sliding into the booth opposite Kal and pushing up against Ellie. ¡°Oi, watch out.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± he said to Ellie without breaking eye contact with Kal. ¡°My name is Vae Adore Draken of Gailbrooke. Scion of the infamous House Draken.¡± House Draken? I think I remember reading about them in Daedrik¡¯s book on influential people and families. If I''m not mistaken, they''re a noble house famous for producing assassins. ¡°I guess you already know who I am,¡± Kal said. ¡°Of course, I watched your examination test with steadfast fascination. But your family name eludes me. It¡¯s familiar, but I can''t quite place it. Are your family lords in a border region, perhaps?¡± ¡°No,¡± Kal shook. ¡°Just bureaucrats mostly.¡± At least, that¡¯s what he understood, though Daedrik rarely talked much about his family, and Kal had been too interested in his own learning to inquire. ¡°Government mages,¡± Vae grimaced, his face twisting from standing blank slate for the first time. Is that a bad thing? ¡°Ahem, sorry. Please accept my apologies. I didn''t mean to offend,¡± Vae said, clearly reading Kal¡¯s expression. ¡°It''s fine. I¡¯m not too eager to go down that path myself.¡± Not only did the prospect of becoming tied to the government sound horrible, but Kal really didn¡¯t feel particularly protective of his adopted family, save Yandi¡ªshe had been a great mother. ¡°You''re most accommodating, Kal Jakari. Being around your kind is refreshing when you¡¯ve spent so long among the noble class.¡± ¡°Sooo, what''s your deal, buddy? What''s with all the interest in our Kal?¡± Ellie pointed her fork at Vae. ¡°It¡¯s not just Kal. You''re quite an interesting little group. Most of you, anyway,¡± he glanced sideways at Arix. ¡°I would be quite honored to be given the pleasure of working with your group.¡± ¡°Get in line, buddy,¡± Ellie said, pointing outside toward several gawking kids who had arrived since they took their seats. No doubt, there were plenty of mages still struggling to find groups, and as far as they were aware, Kal was still on the market. ¡°Wait, Ellie,¡± Kal said. ¡°What, you want this weirdo in our group?¡± Kal hadn''t made his mind up on Vae, but having a contact in a famous noble house of assassins intrigued him for many reasons¡ªand not just because learning that inspection detection technique sounded useful. ¡°Let¡¯s just hear him out, Ellie.¡± ¡°Well, then? What can you even do?¡± Ellie said, narrowing on Vae. ¡°Well,¡± Vae said, and his skin began to mirror the color and texture of the wooden seat he sat on. ¡°The spell¡¯s called Chameleon.¡± ¡°Eh, I can still see you,¡± Ellie rolled her eyes. ¡°Unfortunately, Lesser Invisibility is a third circle spell,¡± Vae sighed, his skin gradually resuming its natural color. ¡°However, I shall learn it someday.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Vae. That was a pretty neat spell.¡± Kal wasn¡¯t just trying to be nice. While it wouldn¡¯t fool anybody who saw him cast the spell before their very eyes, Kal was quite certain it could be useful. ¡°I suppose it isn''t horrible,¡± Ellie huffed. ¡°With a spell like that, he could be our scout,¡± Arix said excitedly. ¡°That could be pretty useful, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Do I take it your party accepts my proposition?¡± ¡°Not so f¨C¡± ¡°We do.¡± ¡°Kal! What happened to waiting until we learn the rules? I thought we would, like, talk about decisions like this or something.¡± ¡°He''s perfect. Look, you''ve got healing covered. Arix has sniping, and I''m like a Swiss Army knife. So it stands to reason we need a stealthy party member.¡± Kal lied. He didn¡¯t feel like explaining to Ellie in front of Vae that he thought this was the perfect opportunity to form a relationship with a powerful noble. And that most wealthy nobles had likely already decided on their groups for the exam. ¡°Stands to what reason? You''re just making stuff up. And what in the endless planes is a Swiss Army knife?¡± ¡°A colloquialism, but that''s not important.¡± ¡°A colloqu¨Cwhat?¡± ¡°Fabulous. So, has your team decided on codenames?¡± Vae said. ¡°No, but we should,¡± Kal nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Wait, not so fast, pal. We never agreed to ac¨C¡± ¡°I like it,¡± Arix said. ¡°Can I be Bullseye?¡± ¡°A bit on the nose, but I don''t see why not,¡± Kal said. ¡°Is there something in the hair? What''s happening?¡± Ellie grasped at her air. ¡°Cheer up,¡± Vae patted Ellie''s back. ¡°I believe we¡¯ll make an absolutely stunning group. Hurrah to us.¡± ¡°I hate you all,¡± Ellie groaned. [ 30 ] Magic Hunt As the sun set, the government mages gathered the young participants back to where they had the preliminary exam. The little, divided arenas had been removed and replaced with a podium where the mage clerks stood. ¡°With no further delays, let us announce the rules for the Magic Hunt. As you should all know by now, directly attacking or harming your fellow mage hopefuls is strictly prohibited,¡± said a mustached clerk. ¡°Each team will be provided with a list of items to collect, which have been placed across a specially designated examination zone. A passing grade of at least 100 points will be required to make it to the next stage.¡± Odd. If this additional test was designed to trim excessive applicants, why have a minimum point requirement instead of making the scoring competitive and failing the lowest-scoring teams? That way, you would control the number of applicants who pass. ¡°While we do not strictly prohibit taking examination objectives from other teams, please be reminded that if you harm other teams while taking their objectives, you will be disqualified. This is not a border region. We expect civilized behavior from our nation¡¯s future cohorts of mages.¡± Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting. Any mages specializing in incapacitating spells just got a whole lot more valuable. Kal wasn''t about to stoop to thievery, but his Swift Step and Mana Whip should prove useful under the described ruleset. ¡°However, we expect more than just the bare minimum from those who would see themselves become mages of Lyssia. Scoring higher and securing a spot within a top academy should be motivation enough. That being said, we are providing an additional reward to encourage you to go above and beyond. The top three scoring groups in the Magic Hunt will be rewarded with valuable magical items to help you develop the foundations of your magical futures.¡± The mage clerk cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°Each team will be provided a number, which will be allocated a starting location. When you register your team, you will be Mana Bound to this starting location via a Glyph enchanted bracelet we will hand out. I do recommend not trying to cheat. We will know about it if you do. These bracelets won¡¯t just provide us with the location of every team in case we need to intervene but will be bound to a spell, allowing you to scan other teams to find out who they are. It will also provide you with a map of the arena and a list of objectives to find.¡± ¡°Now, please, in an orderly fashion, line up for group registration. During this time, you will receive the bracelet and an Astral Pouch. Furthermore, the Astral Pouches have powerful tracking spells bound to them. We will catch any attempted thieves, and you will be charged with grand larceny against the Kingdom of Lyssia. So please, don''t even think about sneaking away with the Astral Pouch.¡± ¡°And lastly. Please be reminded that passing doesn''t guarantee entry into your chosen academy. If you have a preference, I recommend going above and beyond. There is so much talent this year; do not think that you are guaranteed the same because a relative or friend earned a spot in an academy with an equal or lower proficiency in magic than yourself. Good luck, hopefuls. May the Endless Planes grant you power.¡± ¡°Between you and me, I believe we should have a reasonable chance of relieving some of the other groups of their examination objectives,¡± Vae said thoughtfully beside Kal. Is he considering thievery already? He really has no shame, huh? Well, I suppose he is from a house of assassination experts. ¡°I''d rather avoid thievery if we can,¡± Kal said. ¡°The diplomatic approach, huh? My fascination with you grows, Kal Jakari. But you''re right. There¡¯s no need to make enemies among other potential mages if we can pass this exam honestly. Who knows when you might need a valuable contact.¡± ¡°How does a scavenger hunt even prepare us for becoming mages?¡± Ellie huffed. ¡°I guess we''ll need to use magic to find some of the exam objectives,¡± Arix mused. ¡°Likely,¡± Vae nodded. ¡°In fact, House Draken¡¯s academy requires something similar. It is requested upon application to specialty courses as an additional entry exam.¡± ¡°House Draken, like your family¡¯s house?¡± Kal said. ¡°Why are you here if your family has an academy?¡± ¡°Despite being owned by the House Draken, I still need to be government-sanctioned to be admitted into an academy. Besides, I have no intention of becoming an assassin. This boy is destined for the capital.¡± ¡°Then why hide your mana core?¡± ¡°Precisely what I''d like to know about you, Kal Jakari.¡± ¡°Point taken,¡± Kal said, hoping Vae wouldn''t push the subject. ¡°We should probably go line up. Once we get those bracelets, we can come up with a plan,¡± Ellie said. ¡°Excellent idea, young lady,¡± Vae said. ¡°Don''t try and butter me up, Mister. I haven''t changed my mind about you,¡± Ellie glared back. *** After a short wait in line, the group reached the sign-up counter. Unbeknownst to them, sign-up required a group name, albeit not codenames. Caught on the spot, they signed on as Team Ebenshire. Arix shouted the option while rambling, and since everyone except Vae was from the town, they agreed to it. Despite being from there, Vae was happy with the name since he was happy for his House Draken association to go unnoticed.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Each was given a bracelet. To activate it, all it required was a tiny trickle of mana, and a list containing dozens of items appeared before the user. The same was true for the map, which projected a detailed holographic of the examination area, including the barriers they had to remain within. The Astral Pouch was named as such because Astral magic was used to write the glyphs onto a pouch made of suitably magical materials¡ªin this case, nightmare leather from wild brumbies hunted in the Ruby Waste. The pouches created pocket dimensions, the size of which was dependent on the quality of the materials used. They were extremely expensive magic items, and there was no doubt the government clerks were serious about chasing down anybody who attempted to steal one. ¡°No wonder they gave us an Astral Pouch,¡± Ellie said, reading from the list. ¡°Is a zeppelin what I think it is?¡± ¡°Let me see that,¡± Kal said, projecting his own list. It does say Zeppelin. How in the world do you collect a freaking airship? Just how much space does this Astral Pouch hold? Kal had read a little about magical items like Astral Pouches, but he wasn''t aware they could hold items as big as an airship. No wonder a good one was so valuable. Demon core, Kal read, sighing internally. He wasn''t sure what mechanisms were in place to stop people from bringing things from outside the exam, but it stung knowing he gave the core up for likely nothing, especially when they were handing out 60 points for finding one within the examination area. Ah, don¡¯t be silly. You¡¯d probably just get yourself failed for cheating. ¡°You know what? On my way into town, I heard assertions about a zeppelin flying over the forests to the north of here. It must be one and the same,¡± Vae said. ¡°A, Zepplin?¡± Kal probed. The Zeppelin was the most valuable item on the list at 150 points, but it was still concerning to learn there was only one of them. Were all the listed items limited in supply? ¡°Correct,¡± Vae nodded. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll make this exam easy. It would be wise to assume all objectives are limited in number.¡± ¡°So, what do we go for first?¡± Arix said. ¡°Excellent question,¡± Vae turned to Arix, who had about an inch on him. ¡°But not one we can answer until we acquire our starting position.¡± To ensure a fair exam, the teams were handed magical notes containing their starting location number, but these notes only revealed themselves once equipment collection was completed. ¡°Argh,¡± Ellie grunted. ¡°So we basically can¡¯t make any useful decisions for another hour?¡± ¡°Not entirely,¡± Kal said. ¡°We could consider how exactly we want to pass this exam. We¡¯ve all agreed that we should honorably pass the exam without stealing from other groups, if possible. But what other parameters should we consider?¡± ¡°Err, getting the objectives?¡± Ellie said as if the answer was obvious. ¡°Kal has a point. Personally, I would like to focus on keeping low-profile objectives. If we move with haste and focus our efforts on easy objectives, it should be easier than trying to contend with other teams over the opulent goals.¡± ¡°Boring. Aim big, buddy,¡± Ellie said, pretending to yawn. ¡°I''m okay with any, as long as we all agree,¡± Arix said. ¡°Hmm. My entire purpose for joining an academy is to challenge myself. The same goes for this exam,¡± Kal said. ¡°It might be safe to collect low-value objectives, but what point is there to seeking out a top-tier academy if I¡¯m trying to avoid the very challenges I seek?¡± ¡°Oh, well. It appears you have outvoted me two to one,¡± Vae scratched at the back of his neck. ¡°You don''t have to just cave in to what we want,¡± Kal countered. ¡°It''s fine, Kal. I am the group newcomer. It wouldn''t be fair if I dictated how we operate.¡± ¡°That''s not entirely true,¡± Arix interjected. ¡°My vote was for us to agree. If we don''t, then I''m siding with Vae.¡± ¡°Arix!¡± Ellie shouted. ¡°Why do you have to make things difficult?¡± ¡°How about this?¡± Kal said. We scope out any high-value objectives before trying to take them. We make educated decisions, and if things look too risky, we focus on safer bets.¡± ¡°Yes, that seems like a fair compromise,¡± Vae said. ¡°Awesome,¡± Arix grinned. ¡°So, we¡¯ve agreed then?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so lucky this didn¡¯t turn into a massive thing, Arix,¡± Ellie glared at him. ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t take long,¡± Kal said. ¡°We should head to a general store to get some supplies. They said this Magic Hunt will last seven days, and we¡¯re not near prepared for that.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Vae nodded. *** The general store was a cute little shopfront with lattice windows tucked away in a corner just off one of the main roads. There were many like it, but this one was known for its variety of goods, making it the perfect one-stop shop. The Astral Pouch had near limitless space, or at least it seemed that way to the group of teens. Either way, it undoubtedly had enough space for whatever supplies they wished to buy. The only problem was their lack of coins. Besides Vae, they were all relatively poor kids from a small town. Arix and Ellie were only given 5 coppers Ilians each, and even that was a considerable decent sum for kids from common families. Kal was given 20 coppers. His family was far from rich itself, but with Daedrik earning a Lorranian salary¡ªone from a mage academy, no less¡ªhe could spar considerably more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can get the bill,¡± Vae said. ¡°My father gave me 5 golden Ilians for the trip.¡± ¡°F-f-five gold coins?¡± Ellie swallowed. ¡°Correct. To think, he gave my older brother 10 when he traveled for his exam. But there can only be one favored child in the family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than my house is worth,¡± Arix said in amazement. ¡°Must be a tiny house,¡± Vae said. ¡°It is,¡± Arix nodded. ¡°Are you sure, Vae?¡± Kal asked. ¡°I am, very much so. I¡¯ve never been one for luxury anyway. And I refuse to use magical items until I¡¯ve proven myself.¡± Note to self: ask Vae about that later. Ellie stood frozen, her gaze drifting to the cured meats section. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Take what you want. Like I said, I¡¯ve got the bill,¡± Vae reassured Ellie with a flash of a smile. ¡°I can pay for my own¨C¡± Ellie¡¯s voice caught as she looked down at the tag hanging from a portion of bacon. ¡°Five copper for this tiny portion of bacon? That¡¯s highway robbery!¡± ¡°That¡¯s city prices, and like I said, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m paying,¡± Vae reiterated. ¡°Just take it, Ellie,¡± Kal said. ¡°Fine,¡± Ellie grumbled, but her soured expression quickly changed when she spotted the salami section. ¡°Wh-why do they have so much?¡± ¡°Have you never left that little town of yours?¡± Vae questioned. ¡°Never,¡± Ellie shook. ¡°Never needed to.¡± ¡°Why am I surprised?¡± The group filled the Astral Pouch with various food and camping gear, gathered it, and paid. It came to two silvers, a substantial sum for most and eye-watering for Arix and Ellie, but Vae didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Look,¡± Kal said as they stepped out of the store, holding up the starting note as its color began to change. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Vae said. ¡°Our starting location is about to be revealed.¡± [ 31 ] Let the Hunt Begin Starting location: 142. North Eastern Morington along the left bank of the Aeries. ¡°This appears to be our starting spot,¡± Vae said, lowering to one knee to ruffle the grass where the mana mark was placed. ¡°Not a terrible spot.¡± ¡°Except there¡¯s the freaking Aeries between us and the examination area,¡± Ellie exclaimed, pointing out the fast-moving river that separated them from the forested area that contained almost the entity of the examination zone. The Aeries was the principal river of Lyssia, snaking its way through the country. Most large towns and cities within the kingdom were along the river or one of its major tributaries, including Lorran and Morington. Even the Eben, which Ebenshire sat on, fed into the Aeries¡ªpassing down through The Little Kays or Karakay Knolls¡ªthe name given to a series of foothills that separated Lorran from the farmland plains of the Sprawlings. Passing through Ebenshire, the Eben joined the river some fifty miles downstream. The width of the Aeries varied throughout Lyssia; unfortunately, where they stood, it was a good hundred feet across. And they were all aware that despite how calm it looked on the surface, the currents below were anything but. ¡°Yes, that is a bit of a predicament,¡± Vae nodded as he stood up. ¡°Bit of a predicament? Understatement of the year much?¡± Ellie snapped. ¡°I doubt even my Swift Step will get me across this,¡± Kal murmured. Swift Step provided a decent little dodgy distance at a breakneck speed, but it would require several quick succession uses to clear the entire river, and Kal just wasn¡¯t confident enough in it. Besides, the rest of the group would still be on the other side. Using basic ice magic wouldn¡¯t work, either. Not for a body of water this size with a strong current. ¡°I could¨C¡± ¡°You could, what, Arix?¡± Ellie said. ¡°I could fire an arrow across, and we could tie a rope to it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually a pretty good idea,¡± Kal said. ¡°That¡¯s an excellent idea, Arix,¡± Vae agreed. ¡°Alright, fine. Let¡¯s give it a go. I suppose,¡± Ellie said. Tying one of the ropes they bought as part of their camping supplies from the merchant to the end of the arrow, Arix aimed up into the sky and cast his Empower spell as he loosed. The spell took hold of the arrow the moment it left his bow, shooting it into the air with a burst of extra energy that helped send it straight across the river and into the grass. ¡°Okay, so we got a rope. Now what?¡± Ellie probed. ¡°We need to secure it properly before we try to get across,¡± Kal replied. ¡°Let me handle this,¡± Vae said, grasping the rope. This is my Puppet Hand spell,¡± he added, and mana flowed from his hand as he cast the spell along the rope. Once it reached the arrow, the mana took hold of it and began digging the arrow into the ground until it was completely submerged in the soil. The spell had driven the arrow so deep that it had actually pulled the rope in after it a good couple of feet below the surface. Gasping, Vae let go, only barely managing to keep himself upright. ¡°That took more mana than I had expected.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Kal said. ¡°It was the spell Puppet Hand, as I said. It¡¯s Arcane Magic. I would love to say more, but the Puppet Master spell tree is a set of family secrets.¡± ¡°Puppet Master?¡± Kal crooked his head. ¡°Yes,¡± Vae nodded. ¡°This is the weakest spell within the tree. It allows me to take control of inanimate objects and simple plant life and control them to some degree. My mastery of the spell is lacking, though. I almost completely exhausted my mana just burying that arrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an amazing spell,¡± Kal said. ¡°Yes, it is. That is precisely why House Draken protects it so selfishly. Not even I would escape their blade if I were to teach you our family secrets.¡± Would they seriously kill their own family for sharing their spells? Damn, that¡¯s harsh. I wonder if other families are equally as precious over the secretary of their spells? Kal had read about secret spells and techniques guarded by powerful mage families, but the details were fleeting, probably because they didn¡¯t like nosy writers scribbling it all down in their books. Making his own spell might have impressed the crowd during the exam, but Kal had only been able to do it because of his intimate knowledge of wind magic, which allowed him to craft it into something more complex. That likely wouldn¡¯t be so easy with a spell-like Puppet Hand. He didn¡¯t even know where he would start for a spell like that if trying to imitate it. What I wouldn¡¯t give to get my hands on some secret spell books. The Jakari might be a long line of mages, but something about us being poor bureaucrats leads me to believe we don¡¯t hoard valuable magical secrets like these Draken do. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just his family¡¯s reputation as government bureaucrats that led him to doubt they possessed such secrets. Daedrik hadn¡¯t mentioned a word, and while they had tension between them, Kal didn¡¯t believe he would hide something like that¡ªat least not entirely, especially not when he could have used it as a carrot to get Kal to do what he wanted.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Alright, who''s going first?¡± Vae said, releasing his grip on the rope. ¡°Not me,¡± Ellie crossed her arms. ¡°You¡¯re going to get dragged away by the Aeries.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be okay,¡± Arix said. ¡°Or at least I¡¯m willing to test it first.¡± ¡°No, let me,¡± Kal said. He had by far the highest stats, and if the rope started to dislodge, Kal was fairly certain he would have the best chance of saving himself. ¡°Cold, so freaking cold,¡± Kal¡¯s teeth chatted as he pulled himself along the rope. There was a second reason he had wanted to go first. He was excited. With the exception of the giant toad, Kal had spent years training magic without a chance to show off his skills, and now, he was going to get the chance. Pulling himself along the rope, Kal paddled with his feet until he felt mud between his toes. He had placed all of his clothing¡ªsave his underwear¡ªin the Astral Pouch, which was in Ellie¡¯s possession. The group had turned away as he entered the water. And now, he was too deeply submerged for anybody to see a thing. However, that would change once he reached the other side. With the Astral Pouch in Ellie¡¯s hands, he wouldn¡¯t have any clothing when he exited the water. The problem was that they only had one pouch, and no one wanted to stand around naked. Ultimately, it was agreed to leave it with the waiting group and have the last person carry it across with them. Unfortunately, that meant he had nothing to change into, which wouldn''t have been so bad if the water wasn''t freezing. Racing across the river, Kal warmed up a little, but the cold shot straight back into his veins as he slowed to find a perch to climb the muddy river bank. Kal considered staying in the water and kicking about to stay warm, but he would still need to dry off. Since they were short on luxuries like towels, drip drying would be necessary, and the longer he stayed in the water, the longer he prolonged the inevitable. Biting down, he faced his fear of the cold and climbed out of the water. The moment he was back on dry land, Kal ran for the shelter of a nearby tree, hiding behind it as he shivered. Modesty wasn¡¯t his greatest concern, but it wasn¡¯t as if he wanted to flash the world either. Once Kal was across, things moved quicker. He had proven that the rope was sturdy enough. Kal was also on the other side and could catch the rope if needed. Within minutes, both Arix and Vae crossed and found refuge hiding among the trees, as Kal had. ¡°None of you better so much as even take a peek,¡± Ellie shouted as she undressed. Right, they''re teenagers now. Kal had gotten so used to hanging around them that it hadn''t properly dawned on him that their ways of thinking about things like the human body had changed. Besides, he didn''t just see them as children but as akin to younger siblings. ¡°No one''s looking, Ellie,¡± Kal shouted back as she climbed into the water. The three boys faced away, crouching behind trees as Ellie struggled to pull herself ashore. ¡°No peeping, remember!¡± ¡°Trust me, no one wants to look at your body, Ellie,¡± Kal said. ¡°Fine, good!¡± Ellie shouted back. Kal brow curled. Did I say something wrong? ¡°Done,¡± Ellie snapped, throwing the Astral Pouch hard at where Kal hid behind the tree. Dressed in her usual hemp shirt and trousers, Ellie stopped further into the forest until she was out of sight. Wait, what''d I do? Sighing, Kal let it pass and dressed himself. ¡°Better, but wet undies suck,¡± Arix squirmed in his clothing. ¡°Why didn''t you change your undies?¡± Kal asked. ¡°There¡¯s a nasty draft.¡± ¡°Wait, you guys did?¡± Kal and Vae nodded. ¡°Oh man,¡± Arix slumped. ¡°Okay, well, we better get moving,¡± Kal said, raising his arm and commanding the map and objective list to appear before him. ¡°Ellie, where¡¯d you go?¡± He shouted as he scanned the map. ¡°I¡¯m just here,¡± Ellie said, crunching out of the underbrush. ¡°Just wanted to take a look around. You okay with that?¡± Damn, what crawled up Ellie? ¡°Of course I am?¡± Kal said as if asking a question. ¡°What do you believe our first target should be, Kal Jakari?¡± Vae interrupted the tension. ¡°Please, you don''t have to say my entire name every time you address me, Vae.¡± ¡°If that is your wish, Kal,¡± Vae nodded affirmatively. ¡°Would you two just hurry up and decide?¡± Ellie snapped. Did I offend her somehow? ¡°Wow, where do we even start,¡± Arix groaned. The map labeled many points of interest but didn¡¯t say where the objectives were. The only way to find them was by following the list of riddles provided with the list of objective items. ¡°Maybe this,¡± Kal said, ignoring Ellie''s tone. ¡°Once from the Plane of Rot, they came demonic flies without a name. In towering trees, so grand and red, they swarm and hum where giants tread.¡± Below the riddle, the list noted the objective: Demonic botflies. These nasty flies are classified as demonic insectoids from the Plane of Rot. A number of these demonic parasitic flies were placed within the examination zone. Beware, while they have been magically tagged and clipped to prevent their escape, they can still pose a significant danger to any mages lacking offensive or defensive spells. Point value: 20 0 of 10 Demonic Botflies collected. Kal had noticed that an area named Redwood Grove was nearby, and the riddle sounded a whole lot like redwoods, what with their red bark, grand size, and mention of giants. But that wasn¡¯t the only reason he was interested in going for the botflies first. He was willing to bet he could sense the demonic mana on the flies as he could the fiendlings once they got closer. And since demonic creatures were magical beasts, they were likely to have mana by default, even if they were simple botflies. ¡°You sure are a daring one, Kal,¡± Vae said. ¡°I¡¯d hazard that few participants would be courageous enough to head straight for the botflies.¡± ¡°Well, you have to take risks sometimes,¡± Kal said. ¡°I agree with Kal,¡± Arix said. ¡°They sound like a good target,¡± he added, turning to wink at Kal. ¡°Sounds like it''s decided,¡± Vae threw his hands up in defeat. ¡°Let''s just hope we don''t get zombified.¡± ¡°Z-zombified?¡± Arix chattered. ¡°Well, as long as they don''t enter through your mouth, a demonic botfly should take a few days to wiggle its way to your brain. And if their wings have been clipped, we won''t have to worry about them flying.¡± ¡°Can they bite through boots?¡± Arix shuddered. ¡°Probably. They can chew through flesh rather quickly, I''m told,¡± Vae shrugged. ¡°But as long as we call the clerks in time, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be capable of saving you. Or at least ending you before you turn into a botfly harlequin.¡± [ 32 ] Demonic Botflies Kal was right. Once they were near the area labeled Redwood Grove, he could feel the demonic mana in the air. It was much weaker than what he felt from Bougie and Wort, but the presence was the same. It was also undeniable that the distinction between mortals and magical creatures was more than just how they awoke their cores. The botflies were mere insectoids described as giant flies about the size of mice, and as impressive as that was, they still sounded like insects. Kal had read about all kinds of species found on Aeora that didn''t exist on Earth, but he hadn''t read anything about animals or insects using mana or casting spells. However, the fact that he could even feel their mana confirmed that these were no regular botflies. ¡°So, what were you saying about zombification?¡± Kal asked as he walked beside Vae. ¡°Huh? Oh, the botflies, right? I sometimes forget that the education of commoners isn''t as good as what we nobles receive. Anyway, there are all kinds of demonic beasts within the Ruby Waste. Demonic botflies aren''t anything particularly terrifying compared to some creatures I''ve learned about in the Ruby Waste, but they''re not pleasant. You see, they search for a soft bit of flesh when they find their victim. Once found, the botfly will burrow into the body of its victim, slowly crawling beneath the skin until it reaches the brain. Once it reaches the brain, it''s too late. You either kill the host or watch them turn into a botfly-controlled zombie. Thankfully, the parasites are beyond stupid. They mindlessly wander as they munch through the host''s brain. Once they find a new host, they lay their larvae in the hollowed-out skull they just consumed and hop over to the next poor soul to repeat the process. If you ever go to the Ruby Waste, I''m told you should be very wary of anyone who looks bloated with a sickly pallor and is walking disorientated. There''s a good chance they are filled with botfly larvae and are ready to explode. One botfly might not be that much of a hassle to deal with, but hundreds? No, thank you.¡± What? And these insane government clerks put these things in an exam for children? I don''t care if their wings are clipped; that sounds unnecessarily risky. ¡°Something the matter?¡± Vae raised a brow. ¡°What do you think,¡± Kal replied. ¡°It''s not so bad,¡± Vae reassured. ¡°They take hours to reach the brain and several days for larvae to mature. This bracelet they gave us is covered in all kinds of glyphs. I¡¯m sure several government mages would turn up hastily if some kid were unlucky enough to have a botfly bury itself within them.¡± ¡°Reassuring,¡± Kal said unconvincingly. ¡°You found them yet, Kaaal?¡± ¡°Is something wrong with her?¡± Vae asked, looking back over his shoulder at Ellie. ¡°I think she¡¯s annoyed at me for some reason,¡± Kal groaned. ¡°Perhaps you should talk to her?¡± Vae offered. ¡°Yeah¡­ I wish it were that easy. Come on, we better keep moving,¡± Kal waved. ¡°I doubt the other teams are going to be waiting around.¡± Gradually, the trees grew thicker and taller as they approached the Redwood Grove until breathtakingly giant redwoods surrounded them. ¡°You haven''t spent much time looking at that map,¡± Vae said as they walked between two of the behemoths. ¡°I have a detection spell,¡± Kal lied. ¡°If we keep going straight, we should find them soon.¡± ¡°Hmm, if you say so,¡± Vae cast a suspicious gaze at Kal. Crawling along the forest floor, Kal spotted one of the mice-sized flies radiating demonic mana. Its mana signal wasn''t strong¡ªprobably the equivalent of about 5 mana potential. But a shiver traced his spine regardless, thanks to Vae¡¯s story. ¡°It''s just ahead,¡± Kal whispered, stopping the group with a raised hand. ¡°You can see one?¡± Vae said the tone of his voice piqued curiously. Kal realized that he couldn''t actually see the fly yet. He was so focused on its mana glowing through the underbrush that he hadn¡¯t even realized he couldn¡¯t physically see it. Is my sensitivity to demons growing even stronger? I better be careful not to do anything too suspicious. ¡°Yeah, just ahead. Wait here,¡± Kal said, creeping forward. He knew exactly where it was, so relying on help seemed unnecessary and less likely to succeed since the rest of the group would just be making noise and floundering. Narrowing his gaze on the botfly¡¯s mana signal, Kal quickly cast Swift Step twice in short succession, shooting himself forward and through the shrubbery.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The fly didn''t even get a chance to react. In a blink, he was there, channeling mana into his hand and grabbing it by the back. The fly¡¯s legs wiggled, but it was helpless, without anything to plant its feet down on. After a second, Kal stopped channeling his mana; there was no need to waste it on the helpless botfly. ¡°You caught it with your bare hand, gross,¡± Ellie squirmed. ¡°Quite impressive, Kal,¡± Vae said. ¡°Twenty points already?¡± Arix¡¯s face lit up. ¡°I knew you could do it, Kal!¡± ¡°Now what?¡± Kal said. ¡°Do you think it''s safe to let it just crawl around in the Astral Pouch?¡± Without a word, Vae walked up to Kal and ended the fly with a swift karate chop to the back of its neck. ¡°The government clerks never said anything about keeping them alive,¡± Vae said, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping down his hand. ¡°Point taken,¡± Kal said, turning to Ellie, who squeamishly opened the pouch and turned away as Kal dropped it inside. ¡°Yuck, yuck, yuck!¡± ¡°Okay, that was a lot quicker and easier than I had expected,¡± Vae said. ¡°But we shouldn''t let our guards down. Just because this objective was easy doesn''t mean the others will be.¡± He''s right. Who knows what we''ll find out here? Kal could already sense the other botflies nearby, and catching his first was remarkably easy. The instructions were clear. If teams collected multiples of the same objective, points would only be counted for one; however, they never said anything about trading. He thought about it a moment. The clerks had been precise with their rules. Theft and trickery were allowed as long as the participating teams didn¡¯t directly attack or cause harm to one another. If those were the rules, then why wouldn¡¯t trading be allowed? ¡°You¡¯re right, Vae. The other objectives might be a lot harder. So why don''t we collect more of these botflies? I''m sure it won¡¯t be too hard to find someone to trade them with later.¡± ¡°Hmm, but what if we can''t find more of the parasites? Is it truly worth spending time searching for something we''ll have to trade later? Assuming we can trade for it later.¡± ¡°Trust me, once I''ve caught the scent of something, it isn''t hard for me to find it,¡± Kal grinned. Vae¡¯s brow rose curiously, but he nodded in agreement nonetheless. Within an hour, Kal had gathered up all ten demonic botflies and placed their corpses in the Astral Pouch. He wasn''t sure how easy it would be to trade nine botflies, but considering how easy they were to catch, he figured they might as well take all of them. Besides, that way, their rarity increased. ¡°Impressive as always, Kal. The exam has barely begun, and we''ve already got two hundred points worth of objectives,¡± Vae nodded approvingly. ¡°I knew I was making the right decision choosing you.¡± ¡°You and everyone else,¡± Ellie rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, come on, Ellie. You¡¯re not going to be mad at me for what Kal said about your body, are you?¡± ¡°My what!?¡± So that''s what she''s been mad about? Eww, yuck! You''re like my little sister, Ellie! ¡°You heard me,¡± Vae said. ¡°Don¡¯t play coy now, Eleanor,¡± he continued, crossing his arms. ¡°How do you know my full name? And that''s not what this is about at all!¡± Ellie reddened and turned away. ¡°I¡¯m just frustrated by all this walking.¡± ¡°What did you expect? You can always go back to being a peasant and give up on the whole mage thing if you¡¯re bothered by a little walking.¡± ¡°N-no, stop twisting my words!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you said,¡± Vae sighed. ¡°Hey now, you two,¡± Kal said, raising his hands in an attempt to defuse the two. ¡°We¡¯re all on the same team, remember?¡± ¡°Well, tell him to stop sticking his nose where it doesn¡¯t belong,¡± Ellie said, pointing at Vae. ¡°Vae?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m fine,¡± Vae shrugged. ¡°I just don¡¯t appreciate the crassness with which she has been addressing us. If she has a problem with something you said, then she should address it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your pompous ass telling me what I should or shouldn¡¯t be doing!¡± Ellie huffed. ¡°Ellie, please,¡± Kal turned to her. ¡°Whether you learn to get along with Vae or not, we do need to remain civil to one another. At least until we finish this exam.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re taking his side?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking any sides. I¡¯m being pragmatic. The exam comes first. You do want to be a mage, don¡¯t you?¡± Ellie growled and let out a long breath. ¡°Fine, forget it.¡± ¡°Am I not owed an apology?¡± Vae said. ¡°Vae, don¡¯t antagonize her,¡± Kal glared at him. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let it go for you, Kal. You¡¯re lucky your friend has so much potential,¡± Vae said, looking at Ellie. ¡°A¨Caa, is now a good time?¡± Arix interjected, turning all three sets of eyeballs on him. ¡°It¡¯s just, you know,¡± he added, pointing to the holographic map he had projected from his bracelet. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Kal said. ¡°We should be picking our next objective.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± Vae smiled broadly. Ellie soundlessly imitated Vae behind his back but let it go. ¡°What about this one?¡± Kal said, moving the conversation on. ¡°Seek me at the heart of the land, between where waters stretch and shores expand. There, beneath the stones so round, buried deep, I can be found.¡± ¡°Heart of the land?¡± Arix crooked his head. ¡°The Aeries,¡± Kal explained. There were some decent-sized islands dotting the widest parts of the impressive river, and they hadn¡¯t wandered far from it yet. ¡°Look, there.¡± ¡°Good eyes,¡± Vae said. ¡°Yeah, that could be it,¡± Arix agreed. Kal pointed to the widened section of the Aeries, where several small islands were. But one bigger island in particular stole their attention. ¡°The waters certainly stretch there, and the Aeries is known for its pebbly banks,¡± Kal added, recalling what he had read about the river. ¡°As good a place to start our search as any,¡± Vae agreed. ¡°So, are we going then?¡± Arix asked. ¡°Looks like it,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s get a move on then,¡± Ellie said, walking through the group as they eyed the holographic map. I don¡¯t think that little argument made her mood any better. Teenagers; Kal sighed internally. ¡°What are we looking for anyway, Kal?¡± Arix said as the group turned to follow Ellie. ¡°A Siren¡¯s Carapace, whatever that is. It is worth sixty points, though, and there''s only one of them,¡± Kal smiled. [ 33 ] Carapace Perched from atop a towering redwood, four teens eyed an island at the center of a particularly wide section of the Aeries. ¡°Do you think it''s clear, Michel?¡± ¡°Not sure,¡± said the short-haired boy, who must have been about fifteen or sixteen. Peering through a narrow part in the tree¡¯s foliage from their vantage point, he turned to the rest of his team. ¡°I can¡¯t see anyone, at least.¡± The tiny, pebbly island they watched had already seen two teams clash. The confrontation ended abruptly when one of the two teams ensnared the other with some kind of nature spell. Stuck, unable to move, and watching the opposing team wandering straight toward the exam objective when they had come so close to claiming it as their own had been too much. One member of the team lost their cool and cast some kind of wide-area acidic spell at the opposing team before they reached the objective. That was the end for both teams. Government mages appeared within seconds, disqualifying the attacking team and recurring the wounded one¡ªforcing them to forfeit. It seemed unfair. Surely, government mages nearby could heal the team and allow them to reenter the exam. However, chances were, even though the other team had broken a rule, they had still failed to defend themselves¡ªproving themselves unworthy. ¡°Curses, I just can¡¯t see enough from here,¡± Michel huffed. ¡°We need to get closer.¡± ¡°Wel, what are we waiting for? Let''s go. We''ve been sitting here for almost two hours now. Do you want to just wait until another team comes and steals the objective from under our noses?¡± ¡°Of course not. I''m just trying to be cautious. You saw those other teams. A little recklessness, and now both of them are out. Unlike you guys, if I fail this exam, my dream is over.¡± ¡°Cautious mages become clerks and government lackeys. That''s what my dad always says,¡± Ike said, arms crossed. ¡°Ah, go easy on him, Ike. Michel has a point. The rest of us are fifteen and will be able to apply for the next examination,¡± a short, curly-haired girl said. ¡°We can¡¯t do this in fear, Bandy. We¡¯re just setting ourselves up for failure that way.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Michel said, jumping down from his lookout among the branches. ¡°Michel, you don¡¯t¨C ¡°It¡¯s fine, Bandy. He¡¯s right. Cautiousness will just get us to fail slowly. Just don¡¯t break any rules, okay? Now let''s go get this carapace.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Ike nodded approvingly. *** Arix had taken to holding his bow nocked at the ready as they walked through the forest. Even though they were prohibited from attacking other groups, plenty of other dangers existed. Besides, it made him feel comfortable. Ever since he reviewed the list of objectives up for grabs, Arix had tightened up. Demonic botflies weren¡¯t the only dangerous things on the list. Monsters, traps, and even magical constructs were listed as collectible objectives for the participants. Measures were taken to prevent fatalities, but like the clipped botflies, most couldn¡¯t be guaranteed. The only real exception was the constructs since they were crafted and controlled by the government mages and could be ordered not to kill. Still, none of that comforted Arix much. Ellie would have been similarly worried, no doubt, but her lingering anger seemed to dampen her fear. Vae had already proven valuable and reliable, but Kal kept a cautious eye on him. He hadn¡¯t met anybody his age who was as fearless as well¡­ himself. But unlike himself, Kal presumed that Vae wasn¡¯t a reincarnated adult. He was just a remarkably brave teen. ¡°How old are you anyway?¡± Kal asked as they made their way through the thinnest sections of underbrush, occasionally swiping away bush with his sword. ¡°Me? Fourteen,¡± Vae said proudly. ¡°So, you are the same age as us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little short, I¡¯m aware,¡± Vae smiled politely. Kal wondered if he would have been as confident and fearless as Vae when he was fourteen. He doubted it. The boy didn¡¯t seem worried at all, and based on the spells he had seen from Vae so far, he didn¡¯t seem to have an obvious reason for being so confident. As cool as his Puppet Hand spell was, it wasn¡¯t offensive or defensive, at least not in a traditional sense. Kal was fairly certain it wouldn¡¯t help that much if a dangerous monster jumped out suddenly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s absolutely fine, Kal. I¡¯m well aware of my short stature. It¡¯s precisely the reason I want to prove myself and why you don¡¯t see any glyph-inscribed items on me. Despite my lineage, it has caused others to look down on me as I hit my adolescence. My nursemaid tells me not to worry and that I likely just haven¡¯t reached my growth spurt yet, but I¡¯m not willing to risk chance. I will prove to everyone that I don¡¯t need magic items or high-blooded nobles to help me. I can do it alone. If I happen to hit a spurt later, then all the better.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why you wanted to join our team?¡± ¡°Partially,¡± Vae admitted. ¡°But also because I believe in your talent, Kal. It was fated that you¡¯re not from a noble house yourself.¡± Okay, that makes a little more sense. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to have you aboard,¡± Kal smiled. ¡°Glad to be here,¡± Vae nodded. As they neared the Aeries, the trees began to thin, and Kal spotted the lush river''s reflective blue through the bush. The river bulged in an almost lake-like fashion where they were. Several tiny, pebbly beaches dotted the water, most barely big enough to house a tree or two. The thick-rooted trees that did take root atop the islands spread out with wide branch systems, mangrove-like roots, and ribbons of leaves that dangled down into the water. Ducks and strange, black and white birds on stilted legs, which Kal couldn¡¯t recognize, stalked the water, shooting their spear-like beaks into the shallows as they stepped. A fishing canoe lazily drifted by; its occupants stretched out under straw hats with rods anchored beneath their arms.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. This has to be it, Kal mused, taking in the scene. Rooted at the heart of the river¡¯s widest section was the largest of the tiny islands. Narrow, pebbly banks bordered the tiny island while trees and eroded boulders crowded what little space it had left. ¡°Seek me at the heart of the land, between where waters stretch and shores expand?¡± Kal recited as they pushed through the forest''s edge and onto the Aerie¡¯s pebbled banks. ¡°If I had to guess, that¡¯d be it,¡± he added, pointing at the island. ¡°Agreed, quite an astute guess,¡± Vae nodded, following Kal¡¯s gaze to the island. ¡°What, that island all the way out there?¡± Ellie said, pointing at the little island. ¡°We barely managed to get across the river when it was only a fraction of that distance. There¡¯s no way that arrow trick is working for this.¡± ¡°She¡¯s correct,¡± Vae said. ¡°I doubt our friend can fire that far.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Arix nodded. ¡°There¡¯s no way, not even with the help of Empower.¡± ¡°So, we can think of something else,¡± Kal said. ¡°We¡¯re not one trick ponies. I¡¯m sure a little water isn¡¯t going to stop a group of future mages.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Vae agreed. ¡°A mage should be resourceful.¡± Let me think¡­ Kal crooked his head as he stared out across the water. His brow raised as he spotted a tiny, blurred figure drifting across it. Another fishing boat? ¡°Hey, what is that,¡± Arix murmured. ¡°It looks like a leaf,¡± Vae said. Kal turned to the young noble and spotted a silver shimmer in his eyes. ¡°Farsight,¡± Vae flashed a smile. ¡°The spell allows me to see amazing distances. You didn¡¯t think I only had a single spell in my arsenal, did you, Kal?¡± Right, Vae isn¡¯t just some kid who learned magic scrolling through his father¡¯s library. He¡¯s the scion of a powerful and influential noble family. I¡¯m willing to bet he knows more than just two spells. ¡°Of course not,¡± Kal awkwardly grinned. ¡°But what did you mean by leaf?¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± Vae said, looking back toward the river. ¡°There appears to be a team sailing across the water atop a giant leaf.¡± Wait, giant leaf? Kal remembered the girl in the preliminary exams who had summoned a giant leaf. It was a poignant reminder that spells often had more than one use; you just had to get creative. ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re going to the island?¡± Kal asked. ¡°Sure looks like it,¡± Vae replied. ¡°What now?¡± Ellie said. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can beat them to it. We don¡¯t even know how we¡¯re getting across it.¡± ¡°We could try taking the objective from them after they return to shore,¡± Vae shrugged. ¡°No thievery,¡± Kal reminded Vae. ¡°At least not unless we get desperate, and it¡¯s only the first day.¡± ¡°What about offering a trade for one of the botflies?¡± Arix said. ¡°Yeah, I doubt somebody is trading a 60-point one-of-a-kind objective for one of our botflies,¡± Kal said. ¡°I guess we move on to something else,¡± he added with a deflated sigh. ¡°Wait,¡± Vae said. ¡°It looks like another team is coming in after them.¡± ¡°What, like a mage fight?¡± Arix said, eyes widening. ¡°Is it safe for us to be here?¡± Ellie took a step back. ¡°They can¡¯t hurt us, remember,¡± Kal said. ¡°I¡¯m sure nobody wants to get themselves disqualified.¡± ¡°It appears as if they jumped from one of the taller trees,¡± Vae continued. While most of the redwoods were within the grove, many were scattered throughout the forest, and occasionally, the giants climbed far above the canopy, dwarfing their neighbors. ¡°What do you mean jumped from a tall tree?¡± Ellie demanded. ¡°I believe it¡¯s their cloak. In all likelihood, it is using glyphs. It appears the cloak has become a glider, allowing them to gently sail down along the winds toward the island.¡± Bursts of water began to explode across the river¡¯s surface all around the distant silhouette. ¡°What¡¯s going on now?¡± Kal asked. ¡°It appears that the team flying with the cloak is shooting at the water around the leaf¡ªperhaps it''s the common spell Pressure Canon. It¡¯s a weak, first-circle spell that produces a powerful pressure burst. Good for pushing someone or something away from you. Evidently, also good at making water explode into rain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sure is one way to get around directly attacking other mages,¡± Arix said, watching as another burst of water filled the air. ¡°The flying team has circled past now and dropped something on the island¡­ Wait, it¡¯s their teammates.¡± ¡°Hey Kal,¡± Ellie said. ¡°I know we want to avoid stealing. I agree, but if these guys are attacking each other, maybe we should make an exception. Like, doesn¡¯t that make them the bad guys?¡± ¡°The moody one has a point,¡± Vae shrugged. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Kal interrupted before another fight could brew. ¡°But it¡¯s not that simple, nor morale. Justification is one thing, but what if they¡¯re from important families? Is 60 points worth making powerful enemies over? We already know they have at least one magical item.¡± ¡°Kal also has a good point,¡± Vae shrugged. ¡°However, don¡¯t go giving too much value to a single magical item. Many mages come from magical lineage, and their parents often hand down items when their children take on the examinations.¡± Really? Where was my hand-me-down, Daedrik? ¡°Right,¡± Kal nodded to Vae. ¡°However, is shooting the water near another team even a bad act? They haven¡¯t actually stolen from one another; they are simply using their magic to get ahead of another group. Wouldn¡¯t we do the same to win an objective?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Ellie slumped. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ellie. We¡¯ll get the points we need,¡± Arix said. ¡°Looks like the rest of the cloak team has made it to the island. They appear to be searching for the objective,¡± Vae continued. ¡°The leaf sailing team is also about to reach the island.¡± ¡°So, two hostile groups, neither of which are allowed to attack each other, are about to be stuck on the same tiny island?¡± ¡°It looks like it,¡± Vae replied. ¡°But only the team who glided down to the island will be stuck unless they have something else up their sleeve. The other team has their leaf.¡± ¡°Wait, maybe we do still have a chance to get something out of this,¡± Kal mused. ¡°Oh?¡± Vae raised a brow. ¡°Keep an eye on who scores the objective,¡± Kal said. ¡°And we have a winner,¡± Vae said a moment later. ¡°Team gliding cloak has scored the objective. We also have a standoff from the looks of it.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Out with it, Kal,¡± Ellie said. ¡°What¡¯s the big plan?¡± ¡°We still need to see how this pans out. However, think about it. We¡¯ve got plenty of demonic botflies to go around, and they have one objective between them. Ours might be worth less, but if the cloak-gliding team is stuck on the island, perhaps we can negotiate.¡± ¡°If only we had something to negotiate with,¡± Ellie countered. ¡°We can¡¯t get to the island either, remember?¡± ¡°Yes, but the other teams still have their floating leaf, right? If we can get both sides to agree, we can easily spare two botflies for one carapace.¡± ¡°Not a terrible idea. But how exactly do you plan on talking to them from here?¡± Vae said. ¡°Yeah, well¡­ I¡¯m still stuck on that problem,¡± Kal admitted. ¡°That¡¯s just as bad as not having a boat!¡± Ellie said. ¡°There has to be a way?¡± Arix said. ¡°Maybe we could get their attention,¡± Kal mused allowed. ¡°Yeah, well, come up with an idea then,¡± Ellie crossed her arms. ¡°Arix,¡± Kal said. ¡°You might not be able to shoot a rope all the way to the island, but what about a note?¡± ¡°A note?¡± Arix crooked his head. ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± he said contemplatively. ¡°Ellie, you got something in the pouch?¡± ¡°Give me a minute,¡± she said, pulling a paper from the Astral Pouch and a quill. ¡°So, we¡¯re just going to straight out ask them for the carapace in return for two botflies?¡± ¡°May as well,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°Hmm, bold,¡± Vae thoughtfully placed his index against his chin. ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°Should I fire now?¡± Arix said as Ellie handed back the note with the arrow. ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Kal said. ¡°Let¡¯s give them a little time to stew on their situation.¡± ¡°What if they end up coming to an agreement among themselves?¡± Ellie said. ¡°I doubt they will unless the other team has another objective to offer, and the likelihood of others collecting objectives as fast as we have seems low,¡± Kal said. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right, Kal Jakari,¡± Vae said. ¡°It¡¯s quite the gamble.¡± [ 34 ] The Island ¡°Come on, stop being a thickheaded brute. Just give us the carapace, and we¡¯ll help you get off this island,¡± Michel demanded, slapping his palm. ¡°No way,¡± a rough-looking, short-haired boy about seventeen shot back. He wore the magical cloak on his back like a cape, leather knee-high boots, and a bandana, making him look more like a pirate than a mage. ¡°We¡¯re the ones that scored this objective. Like the thorny backside of a demon, we¡¯re just giving it away.¡± ¡°Well, how do you plan on getting off this island? Huh?¡± Michel shot back. ¡°We saw you float down from one of those huge redwoods. I¡¯m guessing that wasn¡¯t just a coincidence. Look around; no big trees are here.. So, tell me. How are you planning on getting off this little rock?¡± ¡°Aye, you tell ¡®em, Michel. What audacity, drenching us with ye spell,¡± whined Bandy, winging out her orange curls hair. ¡°How about a counteroffer?¡± The pirate-looking mage said, producing a weighted sack. ¡°There¡¯s twenty coppers in here for you. Just give us the leaf, and we¡¯ll be on our way.¡± ¡°Twenty coppers? You¡¯re insane,¡± Michel spat. ¡°Just gi¨C¡± An arrow shot down from the sky along a steep angle, thudding into a tree beside the arguing teens, interrupting Michel. ¡°Huh?¡± He turned to the arrow, spotting the note tied to it. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this is another of your dirty tricks?¡± ¡°What do you mean by my dirty tricks?¡± Alron snarled. ¡°Everything I do is clean and above board.¡± ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Michel countered. ¡°Bandy, would you mind?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Michel shot a glare. ¡°Fine,¡± Bandy huffed and trudged over to the arrow, pulling it free with a labored grunt. ¡°So, what¡¯s the note about?¡± ¡°Give me a damn minute, Michel!¡± Bandy snapped, unrolling the note. ¡°Sheesh. Anyway, it reads: Hello, people of the island¨C¡± ¡°People of the island?¡± Michel raised a perplexed brow. ¡°They¡¯re talking about us. We¡¯re on an island, remember?¡± ¡°Yeah, I get that. But I don¡¯t like that tone. I¡¯m not an island person.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Bandy rolled her eyes and continued reading. ¡°We would like to extend an offer for truce and trade. In return for trading your treasured exam objective, the Siren¡¯s Carapace, we offer you demonic botflies. For this trade, we¡¯re willing to offer each of your teams one demonic botfly.¡± ¡°Demonic botflies?¡± Alron said and turned to his teammates. ¡°Hey, Micky, check the list. What¡¯s a demonic botfly worth?¡± ¡°Ahhhh¡ª20 points, Alorn,¡± Micky shouted back. ¡°20 points? What kinda highway robbery is this?¡± ¡°Well, to be fair, it¡¯s forty between us,¡± Bandy said. ¡°Between us? What kinda logic is that? Did you forget that we¡¯re the only ones with an objective? You can go climb up a Woolly Babarack backside if you think I¡¯m trading carapace for some botfly worth less than half its points,¡± Alorn huffed and crossed his arms. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so damned stubborn,¡± Michel said. ¡°How do you think your team is getting off this island without our help?¡± ¡°So ye think it¡¯s a good deal, Michel?¡± Bandy said. ¡°No,¡± he swung around. ¡°But a lot of luck we¡¯re having getting through this thick-skulled simpleton over here. 20 points is still 20 points. Besides, the faster we get this done, the sooner we can go find another objective.¡± ¡°Well, too bad. I ain¡¯t trading,¡± Alron said, standing his ground. ¡°Go find me a 60-point objective, and then we can talk.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make any sense. If I had my own 60-point objective, why would I bother coming all the way here just to save your stubborn ass from this island?¡± ¡°Oh, come one, Alron,¡± a member of his team pleaded. ¡°60 points isn¡¯t going to score us a spot in an academy alone. We can¡¯t just stubbornly wait for a miracle.¡± ¡°Who said I¡¯m stubbornly waiting?¡± Alron barked. Lowering himself, Alron sat and crossed his legs. ¡°I¡¯m just being patient. Y¡¯all should consider watching closely and taking lessons.¡± ¡°Oh, my goodness. I can¡¯t even. This is too much. Do you believe this guy?¡± Michel facepalmed. ¡°Fine, whatever. If you don¡¯t want to trade, that¡¯s on you. Let¡¯s just go,¡± he added, waving his group back to the leaf bobbing on the water. ¡°We¡¯re leaving ¡®em then?¡± Bandy questioned. ¡°Does it look like we¡¯re getting anywhere? Besides, I¡¯m getting dangerously close to teaching this stubborn mule a lesson, and I don¡¯t want to get kicked out of the exam. This is my last chance to pass, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m wasting it on a fool like him.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Ha, said like a true loser,¡± Alron mocked as they walked away. ¡°Why you!¡± Michel with balled fists and gritted his teeth. ¡°Michel,¡± Bandy said, grabbing his arm. ¡°Exam comes first.¡± ¡°Thanks, Bandy,¡± Michel huffed through his nostrils. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, now.¡± ¡°Alron, please,¡± Micky said, shaking Alron by his arm. ¡°Be reasonable. If they leave, we might be stranded here.¡± ¡°I am being reasonable. They¡¯re the ones trying to rip us off.¡± ¡°Good riddance, you blockhead,¡± Michel waved as his team mounted the leaf and rowed away from the island. ¡°We never needed you anyway,¡± Alron shouted back. ¡°Go back to wherever you crawled from!¡± *** Running around the river¡¯s banks, Team Ebenshire moved to intercept the leaf as it gently glided atop the water¡¯s surface toward land. ¡°Hey, have you come to trade,¡± Arix said, waving his arms and running ahead of the group. Hmm, they sure don''t look like they''ve come to trade. Kal noted the group''s standoffish posture and irritated expressions. ¡°What do you want?¡± Michel snapped. ¡°If you''re thinking of robbing us, forget it. We don''t have any exam objectives.¡± ¡°Stick around, and we might consider turning the tables,¡± Ike smirked beside Michel. Looks like my hunch was correct. Kal wasn¡¯t particularly worried about the threat. If they were the stealing kind, they probably would have attempted to take the carapace from the cloak-wielding team. Kal raised his bracelet and scanned the group regardless. ¡°Team Lunar¡± appeared in holographic writing across the four teens with a big zero beside it. ¡°Needed evidence, huh? Well, you got it,¡± Michel said, jumping from the leaf to the riverbank. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see our note?¡± Kal asked. ¡°Oh, so that was you guys. Good luck with that,¡± Michel chuckled. ¡°No way that stubborn¨Chey!¡± Michel sneered at Bandy, who had just elbowed him. ¡°Hey there, fellow would-be mages,¡± Bandy waved. ¡°We didn''t have too much luck convincing ¡®em, but mayhaps ye could.¡± ¡°Well, we''d try if we could get over there,¡± Ellie slumped. ¡°Well, tis ye lucky day,¡± Bandy said, stroking her magical leaf. ¡°For the right price, I could be convinced into letting ye have me leaf.¡± ¡°Yeah, nice try,¡± Ellie scoffed. ¡°What''s stopping you from dispelling it the moment we sail out into the water?¡± ¡°Because I can''t. Well, at least I can''t once ye have taken hold of it. This spell is special that way. Unlike most Mana Focus spells, this beauty binds to any mage who channels mana into it. All ye need to do is take hold of the leaf and focus a little mana into it, and it''s as good as yours. Be wary, though; let go of it for long enough that the mana drains and it will whoof, it¡¯ll be gone.¡± I¡¯m not sure if trusting these guys is wise, but it¡¯s not like we have a lot of options. ¡°So, what is it that you want for this leaf?¡± Vae questioned. ¡°Why, obviously one of them demonic botflies in your possession,¡± Bandy grinned. ¡°Uh-uh, no way,¡± Ellie swiped her hands through the air. ¡°That''s a terrible trade. Some first circle spell for an objective worth 20 points?¡± Ellie''s wasn¡¯t wrong. It was a terrible trade, under normal circumstances, at least. The botflies were one thing, but to trade a spell for an actual objective? ¡°Look, take it or leave it,¡± Michel said. ¡°We''ve wasted enough time here. Come on, Bandy. Let''s get moving.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Bandy nodded, eyeing Kal. ¡°Wait,¡± Kal said, and Bandy froze as she was about to dispel the leaf. ¡°We''ll make the trade.¡± A wide grin curled Bandy''s lips. ¡°See, Michel. All ye need is a little smooth talkin''.¡± ¡°Wait, really?¡± Michel said. ¡°Hey, Kal! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Ellie hissed. ¡°Moody¡¯s got a point,¡± Vae said. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee we¡¯ll get anything out of this exchange. We¡¯re better off saving it for another trade. Even if what we¡¯re trading for is worth fewer points, at least we should make sure we¡¯re trading for something guaranteed to help us.¡± ¡°IF we find people willing to trade,¡± Kal countered, turning to his teammates. ¡°There¡¯s a 60-point unique reward within sight. Look, I get it. It¡¯s going to be disappointing if we can¡¯t make the trade. But we¡¯ll still have plenty of botflies remaining. What if we reach the exam end and we still have some?¡± Kal said. ¡°It¡¯s a risk, but is it any more of a risk than hoarding the things?¡± ¡°We seriously can¡¯t come up with a better idea?¡± Ellie said. ¡°Actually, Kal has a good point,¡± Vae stroked his chin. ¡°The carapace might not be guaranteed, but it is tangible. We have no idea who or what we¡¯ll run into and whether or not they¡¯ll have anything to trade for the botflies. Let alone finding multiple teams to trade with. If I were an odds maker, I¡¯d say paying for the leaf has a higher chance of return than gambling on the chance that we find nine other teams to trade with,¡± Vae mused. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow, but it sounds smart,¡± Arix nodded. ¡°Fine,¡± Ellie said. ¡°But if we miss out on points, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± Vae sighed. The two groups stared each other down in a tense moment as they exchanged the leaf for the deceased botfly. Even if neither team had shown any desire to steal from the other, knowing that the exam clerks had essentially legitimized thievery was enough to put everyone on edge. Kal and Bandy inched closer, each tightly holding their trade while keeping a vigilant eye on the other. Simultaneously, Kal grabbed hold of the leaf as Bandy took the botfly. Kal could feel the subtle draw of mana from the summon when his hand wrapped around the leaf''s stem. Even though he had never cast the spell before, he knew that it had connected to him and was now using his Mana Focus, confirming that Bandy had been truthful about how it worked. ¡°We did it!¡± Bandy held the botfly corpse in the air as she jumped. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be. Good job, Bandy,¡± Michel said. ¡°Impressive,¡± Ike nodded. ¡°I knew you could do it,¡± Daphne smiled, poking dimples into her cheeks as the three teammates crowded around Bandy. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not so bad,¡± Michel said. ¡°You were true to your word. We¡¯ll remember this,¡± he added, turning to Kal. ¡°So will we,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Nice meeting you, but we¡¯ve got ourselves a carapace to collect.¡± ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Michel said. ¡°That is one stubborn brute you¡¯re off to negotiate with.¡± ¡°Well, good thing I¡¯m up for a challenge then,¡± Kal said, placing the leaf in the water. ¡°You better make it to 100 points. I need a good rival,¡± Michel smirked. ¡°One that isn¡¯t a total jerk.¡± ¡°Ha, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. No way we¡¯re failing,¡± Kal said. ¡°You better worry about yourself passing if you want to be my rival.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see, Kal. Next time you look at that leaderboard, get ready to see Team Lunar at the top!¡± [ 35 ] Stubborn Mule A large, jagged rock rose from the little island as if it were its horn, and standing atop it was the bandana-wearing teen, pointing at the leaf floating toward their little river sanctuary. ¡°Oi hands up,¡± Alron shouted, shadowed by an outstretched leafy branch that crept over the thin, pebbly beach that they approached. ¡°State your purpose!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve come to trade,¡± Kal shouted back, hands raised. ¡°We heard you¡¯re the one with the Siren Carapace.¡± ¡°You may as well turn around. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting your grubby thieving hands on my carapace!¡± ¡°Alron,¡± a short, freckled boy beside him whined. ¡°Please, at least hear them out.¡± ¡°Get back to building the raft, Micky. I¡¯ve got this worked out.¡± So, that¡¯s their plan. Build a raft and sail back to land. ¡°The shore is a long way away. Awfully long distance to travel on some rickety raft,¡± Kal said as they reached the beach. ¡°Not sure I¡¯d want to risk that with how fast the Aerie¡¯s current is here. It might not look so bad from above, but I can guarantee you that water is moving quickly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, fellas. He¡¯s just another thieving scoundrel after our objective. Using his words to try and trick us into giving up our hard-won points. But it ain¡¯t gonna work, is it?¡± Disheveled and concerned glances rose up from the shoddy raft as the three boys on the other side of the island attempted to tie logs together. ¡°Come on, be reasonable. You don¡¯t want to be responsible for your team drowning,¡± Kal said, hopping off the leaf and walking across the tiny island¡ªonly a dozen yards across. ¡°Alron, please,¡± one of the boys pleaded. ¡°My hands are all blistered up.¡± ¡°Blisters? What are you whining about? Do you want to be a mage or not? Now, get back to work and stop listening to this scoundrel. He¡¯s just trying to tear us apart. And you, get off my island!¡± Alron said, directing his open palm at Kal. ¡°Did you forget the rules or something, buddy?¡± Ellie glared at Alron. ¡°You can¡¯t attack us.¡± ¡°Who said I was going to hit you? If I accidentally shoot the ground and a bunch of dust and rocks just so happen to burst into the air and fly into your eyes¡ªwell, I can hardly be held accountable for that, now can I?¡± ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t?¡± Arix protested. ¡°It is what it is; you can¡¯t prove nothing,¡± Alron shrugged. ¡°Not my fault if you walk into my spellcasting area.¡± ¡°Look, it¡¯s still the first day of the exam,¡± Kal said. ¡°Our team is already ranked twenty-fifth, and we only have 20 points. Most teams haven¡¯t even found anything yet. Why risk drowning when you can score a quick twenty points, climb the ladder, and go find something else?¡± Kal had checked the leaderboard as they sailed over and had been pleasantly surprised that most teams had yet to score any objectives. ¡°He¡¯s got a point, Alron. It¡¯s only 60 points, and this thing isn¡¯t anywhere near finished.¡± ¡°Shut up, and no, he doesn¡¯t,¡± Alron snapped. ¡°60 points puts us in the top five. That¡¯s the kind of thing that scores you a spot in a top-tier academy. Now quit yapping and get back to raft crafting!¡± Vae''s gaze shifted between the group''s team members as if considering possible solutions. ¡°Come on, in that thing?¡± Kal said. ¡°I hope you have a spell to plug leaks because you¡¯ll be sleeping with the fishes if you try to sail to land on that¡­ whatever it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± ¡°You heard him, Alron. We¡¯re not boat builders. We don¡¯t know what we¡¯re doing here. Please, I don¡¯t want to die,¡± one of the boys pleaded. ¡°Aye,¡± another nodded tearfully. ¡°I¡¯m too young to die.¡± ¡°Are we really going to die? Before I even reach an academy¡­ before I even touched a girl¡¯s¡ª¡± one of the boys began to whimper. ¡°Would you three cowards quit it already? We¡¯re not going to die! Don¡¯t let him get in your head. We¡¯re going to be fine. It¡¯s only a river, for crying out loud. It¡¯ll barely even take us a few minutes to reach the shore, and when we do, we¡¯ll go collect the rest of the objectives and finish this stupid exam at the top of the ladder.¡± ¡°Yep, you might,¡± Kal yawned. ¡°Or you might capsize and drown to death in cold, grimy water.¡± One of the boys began crying and sobbing ¡°Mommy¡± under his breath. ¡°Come on, seriously? Pull yourselves together!¡± Alron berated his teammates. ¡°No one is going to die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he says, but I wonder how many boats he¡¯s built in his life?¡± Kal said, lackadaisical, as he picked dirt from his nails. ¡°Alron, tell us. How many boats have you built?¡± One of the boys said, his tone turning urgent. ¡°What? None! You don¡¯t need to be a shipwright to string a few logs together. Now, get back to work and stop listening to him. And you, get back from my boys and shut your mouth before I fill it with dirt.¡± ¡°What, you scared your boys might change their minds? That they might think for themselves and save their lives?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t test my patience! I¡¯ll shoot this thing, and while it might not do any serious damage, I can guarantee it won¡¯t be pleasant.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s a bit of dust. I¡¯m fairly certain I¡¯ll manage,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°Oh really? I warned you, pal,¡± Alron growled and shot the ball of pressurized power. Without even breaking from his lazy stance, Kal cast Swift Step from the side of his arm, sending himself shooting out of harm''s way as pebbles and sand were kicked up into the air. ¡°Bit slow,¡± Kal yawned. ¡°Slow? Oh, you¡¯ve gone and done it now, kid,¡± Alron¡¯s brow twitched, and he fired again, but Kal shot harmlessly out of the way. ¡°Why you, stay still!¡± Explosive blasts smashed against the sand, sending debris flying, and Kal shot from side to side. Alron might have been able to score a hit if he had been aiming directly at Kal, but he couldn¡¯t risk hitting him. As annoyed as he was, he maintained enough sense to avoid disqualification. A few shots later, Elron was practically toppled over and panting. I¡¯m surprised he had that much in him. The boy¡¯s mana potential was average for a mage, at 60. He doubted Alron could have had more than 30 effective mana, meaning he casts the spell for less than 5 mana. That wasn¡¯t a big deal for Kal, but he had been using magic since he was a toddler. As stubborn and easy to bait as Alron was, Kal gained some respect for him. Alron was older than Kal, but only by a few years, and Kal was so far ahead for his age that the comparison was pointless. His display was impressive, but it also indicated that this Pressure Bomb spell was likely the most well-practiced in his arsenal. However, no matter how skilled he was with the spell, it was futile against Kal. Kal had only burned through 30 mana himself and had plenty remaining. It was amazing how efficient Kal had gotten with Swift Step. Sure, he had been using magic considerably longer than the other students, even those hitting the upper age bracket. But ultimately, Swift Step was an Arcane spell. Kal had read that creating your own spells was incredibly hard and often resulted in spells that were worse than those already created. However, if you managed to make a decent spell, chances were that you would grow efficient in the spell far quicker than you would by learning other people¡¯s spells. He could only imagine how efficient and powerful his spells would get if he started creating his own demonic spells. Unfortunately, the only spell he had to work with was Necrotic Bite. The necrotic aspect could be useful, but demonic magic was different. The constellations worked on an entirely different concept, so Kal couldn¡¯t just take ideas from human-aligned affinities. He would likely need to learn at least one more demonic spell before he could even think about creating his own, and even then, he would have to be careful about displaying such magic. ¡°That all you got?¡± Kal teased. ¡°As if,¡± Alron spat, but as he tried to cast Pressure Bomb again, the spell fizzled. Stubbornly, he tried again, with the same result. ¡°You sure about that?¡± ¡°Just you wait; I¡¯m about to show that smug face of yours a thing or two,¡± Alron growled. ¡°Do you really want to trust this guy making your decisions for you?¡± Kal turned to the distraught boys. ¡°Look at him; he¡¯s exhausted. He recklessly attacks without a plan and drains his mana in seconds. That¡¯s not the sign of a master tactician.¡± ¡°I¡¯m plenty good¡ªbest mage in town, my age. You¡¯re just a freak,¡± Alron countered. ¡°Come on, make your own decisions. He won''t have a choice if you refuse to build the raft. Save yourselves. It¡¯s the first day of the exam. You¡¯ve still got plenty of time to score more points.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right. If we just stop building this thing, Alron will have to compromise.¡± ¡°But Alron has always been good to us.¡± ¡°Like trying to get us killed? That¡¯s it; I¡¯m done,¡± one of the boys said, throwing down his hatchet. ¡°I¡¯m not building this rickety thing any longer. I got too much life to live.¡± ¡°Hey, who said you could stop working?¡± Alron snapped his fingers and pointed to the raft. ¡°Get back to it.¡± ¡°Yeah, nah. I¡¯m done too,¡± another boy shaking his head as he stepped away from the raft. ¡°Sorry, Alron,¡± the third boy looked down at his feet and shuffled away from the raft. ¡°Not you, too, Micky? What about all the good times? You really think I¡¯d let you down now?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Micky said, drawing lines in the pebbly sand with his boot as he avoided Alron¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s just¨C¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to justify not wanting to die, Micky,¡± one of the others said. ¡°You turned them against me,¡± Alron hissed through gritted teeth, returning his gaze to Kal. ¡°Eh, I just spoke my mind,¡± Kal shrugged. ¡°So, you ready to trade then?¡± ¡°Alright, fine. You win. We¡¯ll trade the carapace,¡± Alron slumped. ¡°About time,¡± Kal grinned. The leaf was pretty big but not big enough for eight people to sail across the river. Instead, they traveled in groups of two. They made Alron give the Astral Pouch to Micky. During the first trip to the shore, Alron traveled with Kal, who ferried them across, along with Ellie, Vae, and one of his boys. On the second trip, Kal collected the rest of them. As painful as Alron had been to deal with, Kal didn¡¯t take him for a thief. But nonetheless, caution was to be advised, and he felt Micky and the other boy were just too eager to touch down on dry land to even consider trying something. Nearing shore but still within the depths of the fast-flowing river, they completed the trade. As expected, the boys just wanted to get it over with, and Kal probably could have dictated whatever terms he wanted, but he had no interest in breaking the deal when they had gotten what they wanted. Not that it was hard to ensure they kept their promise. The leaf could only have one master, and Kal ensured he took control of it before he let anybody aboard. Micky handed over the objective, and Kal looked down at the calcified shell that was about the size of a dinner plate. It resembled an isopod with a curled-up human-like shape on the underbelly and webbed hands and feet. Weird, so this is what a siren looks like? Besides the babarack skull, the demonic botfly, and the ogre, this was the first fantasy creature Kal had seen. And unlike the others, it was by far the most left-of-field. Reaching the shore, he spotted Alron on his knees, looking dejected. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Alron sulked. ¡°All that hard work just to have it taken away for a lousy 20 points.¡± ¡°That still puts us in the top forty teams,¡± Micky said, patting Alron¡¯s back. Only a couple of hours ago, Team Ebenshire was ranked 26th, but more teams joined the leaderboard as they snatched up the exam objectives. That said, their group shot up to 9th rank on the ladder with 80 points. ¡°Wow, looks like the other teams are really starting to get going now,¡± Ellie said. ¡°Yes, we had best keep on our guard high. This is far from over,¡± Vae said. ¡°Agreed,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Come on, Alron, cheer up,¡± Micky rubbed Alron¡¯s back. ¡°We can still get through this thing. Remember what you said about coming first?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Micky,¡± Alron raised his head with a defiant glare, bent at Kal. ¡°You¡¯ve gone and done it now. I¡¯ll show you. You¡¯ll see. Team Defiant isn¡¯t done yet. We¡¯re going to finish this thing number one. Enjoy your 40 points because you¡¯ve gone and made a big mistake. From this day forth, consider me your rival, Kal. Remember my name, Alron Von¡¯dries. Because, Kal, I am coming for you. And I¡¯ll make you regret ever crossing me!¡± Wait, what, seriously? Another rivalry? Aww, just my luck. [ 36 ] Night watch After waiting a short moment to confirm they were alone, Team Ebenshire walked along the shoreline, following it for the rest of the day as they searched for a starfish. The objective list hinted that the Rainbow Starfish could be found on the banks of the Aeries, where islands dotted the lands. It sounded like it should be easy. The only part of the Aeries that contained islands within the examination zone was where they were¡ªbut an entire day of searching had failed to provide results. In total, there were supposed to be five of the starfish, but the list didn¡¯t say whether or not objectives had been found, making it hard to decide whether or not to keep searching. That being said, the banks of the Aeries were vast, and the pesky things were likely buried beneath the pebbly shores. The mana drain was so minor from the leaf that Kal had decided to keep it around, even as they took to land. Rolling it up, he tucked it under his arm. His slowly ticking mana could easily be replenished with a little meditation; however, the drain would likely weigh heavier on the rest of Team Ebenshire, who had less mana and seemed to recover it slower. As night crept across the land, the group found a clearing by the riverbank. They could probably push themselves for a few more hours, but there seemed little point in the low light of the waning evening. There was an enter week to gain points, and pushing themselves would only exhaust them and leave them vulnerable to less scrupulous teams. And even though neither of the teams they had met so far had attempted to steal their Astral Pouch or objectives, they knew it likely wouldn¡¯t be long until someone did. There was another glaring danger about wandering around at night¡ªtrap spells. All magic archetypes could use magic traps, though they weren¡¯t the most popular spell type. While magic traps could be insanely powerful in the right hands, they also required a lot of thought and preplanning to use effectively. Because of this, very few mages specialized in their usage. Wisely selecting spells for your arsenal was important, especially for younger mages that hadn¡¯t had as much time to train and perfect their casting, so devoting time to a trap spell that they may never find the opportunity to utilize correctly was advised against. However, there were always exceptions to any rule, and night or any condition that impaired vision would aid a trap spell user. Arranging their bedrolls in a triangle, with one placed in the middle, the group set up their camp so that they would be a natural barrier around Ellie. Since she was holding onto the Astral Pouch, it made sense to make it harder for thieves to take their treasures at night. Setting up a night watch routine, they agreed to let Ellie rest the entire first night. The following night, it would be Vae¡¯s turn to rest, then Arix and Kal. While allowing one team member an entire night¡¯s rest would put additional strain on the others, everyone agreed that having at least one of them completely fresh would outweigh the cons. ¡°It sure is getting cold,¡± Arix shivered and rubbed his arms. ¡°One moment,¡± Ellie said, pulling Arix¡¯s backpack from the Astral Pouch. ¡°Thanks,¡± Arix said, shuffling through the pack until he found a woolen coat. He then returned it to Ellie, who shoved it back into the Astral Pouch. ¡°I so need to get myself one of those pouches,¡± Kal said, watching the exchange, pulling his own overcoat tightly around his shoulders. ¡°My father has promised to purchase one for me if I pass the exam with decent enough scores for a proper academy,¡± Vae said with a disinterested glaze over his eyes. ¡°Really?¡± Kal perked. ¡°Do you know how much they usually go for?¡± ¡°An Astral Pouch? Oh, It varies considerably. You see, an Astral Pouch made from poor-quality materials might only hold as much as a regular bag. Something like that would probably cost you a gold coin.¡± ¡°A gold coin?¡± Kal gasped. ¡°I know, it¡¯s cheap, huh? But it''s not very useful unless you¡¯re carrying something very heavy and small. However, an Astral Pouch like the ones we have been loaned for the exam? Hmm,¡± Vae stroked his chin. ¡°If I had to guess, I would say that they would likely go for as much as 100 gold coins.¡± Kal''s jaw dropped. For 100 gold coins, you could probably buy an entire street in Ebenshire. ¡°Er, and your father is going to spend that kind of money on you for passing?¡± Kal said, grimacing as he waited for the answer. ¡°Oh, no. Nothing that fancy. He is more likely to spend between 10 and 20 gold at most. We might seem wealthy to commoners, but by noble standards, we¡¯re not really that rich.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Kal slumped. ¡°I kind of hoped that an Astral Pouch would be something I could buy in the somewhat near future. Oh well, it looks like that¡¯s out of reach for now.¡± ¡°Oh, you never know,¡± Vae smiled. ¡°You¡¯re an impressive mage, Kal. I have an itching suspicion that you¡¯ll find a way.¡± ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence,¡± Kal leaned back and sighed. He hoped Vae was right but certainly wasn¡¯t convinced.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Get some rest, you two,¡± Arix said. ¡°I¡¯ll be waking you up in two and a half hours, Kal, and not a minute later,¡± he added with a yawn. ¡°You alright? I can go first if you need a rest?¡± ¡°No. Go to bed. I¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯re the reason we already have 80 points. It¡¯s about time I did something useful for the group.¡± ¡°Alright, if you say so,¡± Kal pulled his blanket over himself. ¡°But don''t fall asleep.¡± Kal had felt alright when he put his head down, but a day of marching through the forest and casting several spells had worn him out more than he realized. Sleep had come instantly, and he felt as if he had closed his eyes for less than a second when Arix shook him awake. ¡°It¡¯s been two and a half hours, sleepyhead.¡± ¡°Already?¡± Kal groaned. ¡°Yep, and it''s gotten colder, too.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Kal forced himself up and rubbed at his eyes. ¡°You good to take over?¡± ¡°As good as I¡¯m going to get,¡± Kal stood up and stretched. ¡°Definitely gonna need a face full of cold water, though,¡± he added, stumbling to the nearby river. ¡°It¡¯s way too cold for that,¡± Arix said, sliding into his blanket. ¡°But you do you.¡± Cupping water in his hands, Kal splashed his face and shook. ¡°Aaand I¡¯m still tired.¡± As tired as he was, Kal¡¯s mana had fully recovered, even while maintaining his bond to the summoned leaf. Despite its name, Mana Focus didn¡¯t necessarily need a mage¡¯s conscious efforts, although it depended upon the spell''s complexity. Most, however, just needed to be linked to the mage¡¯s core and fed mana. Kal¡¯s sleep sure rushed by in what felt like the blink of an eye, but his night watch certainly didn¡¯t¡ªevery minute seemed to drag on excruciatingly. My goodness. This is never going to end, is it? Kicking pebbles, he walked back and forth around the little camp. He tried to force himself to stop. The bouncing pebbles only created noise and increased the likelihood of someone coming to investigate¡ªbut it was so boring. Stop kicking the rocks; someone will hear you, he said to himself, only to kick another pebble five minutes later once his thoughts had wandered. Barely paying attention to his surroundings, Kal fought against both his tired eyes and boredom, doing everything he could to stay alert¡ªto little effect. Mind elsewhere, he paced around the camp until he suddenly stopped. Kal¡¯s brow rose as he feared delusion had gotten to him since his foot hung stubbornly in midair. Kal crooked his head, looked down with incomprehension, and then yanked at himself, but he didn¡¯t move. He was completely stuck. Finally, his sleepy mind caught up with him, and his pupils dilated. It¡¯s a spell! Shooting out from the surrounding treeline, a cloaked figure raced across the ground at inhuman speed. They were either using a spell or charging their core stats with a lot of mana, but Kal didn¡¯t have time to figure it out. The figure was headed straight for Ellie''s sleeping form. Kal¡¯s body might have been frozen, but his ability to cast spells wasn¡¯t. Mana Whip formed in his palm and shot out as the figure passed him, catching their ankle and sending them toppling forward as he mentally yanked on the whip. It¡¯s not so easy to beat me. Fear shuddered through him a second later, wondering if the whip counted as an attack, but a second of silence was all it took for him to refocus on the situation. The cloaked figure thudded on the ground, alerting Vae and causing him to shoot up¡ªhis eyes bright and alert. It took him barely a second to figure out what was going on, and he flung to his feet, landing delicate but precise kicks on both Ellie and Arix to awaken them. ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± Vae sneered. ¡°Damn it, Betsy!¡± A man yelled from the treeline as he came running. He looked old, and it was hard to believe he was no older than nineteen. A second later, his hand glowed red, but he held off casting whatever spell he was preparing as a scowl bent his face. It appeared as if he had almost made a mistake and was restraining himself from doing something that might disqualify them. Kal realized what was going on. He detected the mana of the mage who had frozen him in place. Whatever spell they were using, they needed to remain focused, essentially taking both Kal and his attacker out of the battle. But there was more to it than that. He could feel the spell¡¯s mana wrapping around him and locking him in place as the mage channeled more mana into the spell. Kal realized the spell didn¡¯t have a physical hold on him. Instead, it was anchoring down his mana points and using his own core to lock him in place. But then, how was he able to cast Mana Whip? Oh, I see now. Kal smirked and drew on his impressive mana reserves, flooding mana out from his core and through his mana points. It was expensive, forcing Kal to drain almost the entirety of his mana. However, Kal had a good idea of what the mage was doing. The spell couldn¡¯t have taken control of his core, or else he wouldn¡¯t be able to cast spells. But it did seem to control his core stats somehow, using them to lock him in place. This was likely a shortcoming of a weak spell like most first and second-circle spells had. Kal figured the caster might even be able to control his movements, but it was probably mana-costly. Once he understood how it worked, the spell was easy to break. The caster constantly used mana to maintain control over his core stats, but what if Kal flooded his own mana into them? Almost immediately, he felt the magical grip on him weaken. The caster tried to counter by increasing their own mana into the spell, but it was fruitless. No child or teen could compete with Kal¡¯s mana. Almost as if they had a psychic link, Kal felt the mage gasp and lose control as they burned through the last of their mana. They had been hidden well beyond the treeline, and he couldn¡¯t see them, but he knew they had fallen to their knees. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m free,¡± Kal said, stretching as he overcame the strange sensation of regaining control over his own body. Unfortunately, he had broken concentration, and the cloaked figure had broken loose of his Mana Whip and continued their sprint toward Ellie. Darting from side to side, the cloaked figure nimbly dodged Vae, who was trying to figure out a way to defend Ellie without attacking the figure. Leaping toward Ellie, the figure raised its hand, and Ellie screamed, raising her hands above her face. But that wasn¡¯t all. A shield of bright, sapphire light appeared between them, and the cloaked figure slammed into it with a resounding echo and was flung backward, skidding against the ground for several yards before slowing to a halt. ¡°Oww, what was that?¡± The figure groaned and rubbed at their head. [ 37 ] Thieves Arix aimed his bow at the big guy with an arrow nocked. Vae had shot forward before the speedy, cloaked figure could get back to her feet and now stood with his boot pressed against the would-be thief''s cloak, pinning her to the ground. Ellie was still sitting with the shimmering blue shield hovering above her, and Kal glared across as another member of the attacking team stepped out from the trees. He couldn¡¯t see their face, thanks to a thick scarf wrapped around their neck and face. But the shape of her figure told him it was a girl, and she held a white staff that glistened with sparkling gold glitter. ¡°It''s over. It was a good attempt, but we caught you. Now, back away, and we¡¯ll call it a night, okay?¡± Kal said, staring intensely. ¡°Betsy, are you okay?¡± Roared the big man. ¡°I''m fine, Gronk. But some fool has their boot on my cloak.¡± Vae snarled down at the helpless thief. She was young-looking. Plump cheeks and soft, light hair. She was small, too. Despite her size and soft features, Kal assumed that she must be a small teen since he hadn¡¯t heard of her. If she were a child-mage, she would be a famous prodigy. ¡°He''s right; let¡¯s go. There''s no point risking our expulsion from the exam over this,¡± said the scarfed figure, her soft voice exposing her as the girl Kal already thought she was. She looked at Kal, and as their eyes caught through the shrouding scarf, Kal¡¯s lip quivered. Piercing, perfect red eyes stared back. Kal had never seen anything like it, and his breath caught in his throat. ¡°You say that, but these guys are ranked 9th. Who knows when we¡¯ll come across a prize as juicy as this.¡± Gronk said. Realizing they had been targeted, Kal scanned their attackers, both their cores, and raised his hand to scan with the bracelet. Team Shadowpact¡ªas Kal learned they were called¡ªall had above-average mana potential, with the weakest being 85 and the strongest being the red-eyed girl, with 110. ¡°Doesn''t matter. We only need to pass, remember? Besides, we have a week, and the longer the exam goes, the more objective points people will be carrying around with them,¡± the red-eyed girl continued, turning back toward the trees. Narrowing his gaze to focus through the low light of a starry night, Kal realized that the big man was actually the ogre he had seen during registrations. What''s going on with this group? ¡°You mind, bozo? Or didn¡¯t your thick skull register what my friend said?¡± Betsy hissed, but Vae didn''t move his boot. ¡°Tell your buddies to clear off first,¡± Vae said, glaring at the ogre. ¡°You heard him, Gronk. Back off so this humy will stop grinding my cloak into the dirt.¡± ¡°Alright, fine. If you insist,¡± Gronk grunted and turned for the trees. Humy? You mean the little one isn¡¯t a human, either? Suddenly, her short stature made a lot more sense. She looked like a child because she wasn¡¯t human at all. She was a half-man¡ªor rather, half-woman. Kal made a mental note to ask about the name given to the race by the book when he got a chance to speak to one of these so-called half-men. The name sounded ridiculous, and he presumed it must be what humans call them rather than the name they call their own species. Scanning the treeline, Kal waited a long moment, focusing on their mana signals. It wasn¡¯t until he was completely sure they were well away from them that he turned and nodded for Vae to release Betsy. ¡°Bout time, humy,¡± Betsy bounced to her feet like a gymnast and dusted herself off. ¡°Later, bozos,¡± she waved and shot off with the same incredible speed as she had when attacking. ¡°That team,¡± Kal trailed off. ¡°They weren¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Human? Lyssia is predominantly human, and it isn¡¯t uncommon for the other races to find refuge among themselves.¡± ¡°I stared into her eyes; they were bright red,¡± Kal said. ¡°Oh, the albinoid,¡± Vae nodded. ¡°But I thought¨C¡± ¡°They were hostile to humans? They usually are. She must be a half-breed. Full-blooded albinoids are outlawed from entering Lyssia. She''s probably the one leading them through the night. Their kind see perfectly in the dark. Extremely dangerous, even the half-bloods.¡± ¡°I recognized the guy from registrations. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s an ogre, and the girl was a half-man.¡± ¡°Correct, but both ogres and half-men are far more commonly found in Lyssia. Both races even have a few towns where they are the majority. And if I had to guess, I''d say that whoever their fourth team member is, they aren¡¯t human either. We should be careful of them. The albinoid alone makes them a dangerous team to encounter at night,¡± Vae continued. ¡°Yeah, I got that feeling,¡± Kal said, still looking toward the trees. He didn''t doubt that she was dangerous, but he couldn''t fight his intrigue. He wanted to learn more about her and albinoids in general. ¡°It¡¯s really over?¡± Arix said. ¡°Can we go back to bed now?¡± ¡°Like I¡¯m getting any sleep now,¡± Ellie moaned. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to try,¡± Vae said, turning away from the surrounding trees and back to the group. ¡°We¡¯ll need our energy to get through this. Kal, why don¡¯t you finish up your watch and go rest? You used a lot of mana just now, and I¡¯m feeling fresh. Let me take over.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kal said, dragging his gaze away from where he had watched the other team disappear into the forest.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°One hundred percent. Besides, it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re our strongest team member. We need you fresh, Kal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about¡ª¡± ¡°No need to be modest with me, Kal. I¡¯m not here for flattery. Securing a spot in a top-tier academy is as important for me as it is for you. If I don¡¯t, my father will likely force me to attend the family academy and trust me, that¡¯s the last thing I want. Understand that I¡¯m not doing this to you in a favor; I¡¯m being prudent for all of our sakes. Our best chance of ranking highly in this exam is keeping you fresh. In saying that, I propose the moody one take the final watch. I know it wasn¡¯t our original plan, but after this encounter, I sincerely believe it is important that you receive a full night¡¯s rest.¡± ¡°Hey! Quit calling me the moody one already,¡± Ellie hissed. ¡°Quit being moody, and I¡¯ll oblige.¡± Ellie huffed and turned away. Ignoring the spat, Kal considered Vae¡¯s words. He was right. Between his huge mana reserves for a child and his variety of spells, it was hard to argue against Kal being the most valuable asset to the team. ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll rest,¡± Kal said. ¡°Good. The same goes for the rest of you. Get some rest. Moody, I¡¯ll wake up when it''s time.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Ellie removed the Astral Pouch from her belt and passed it to Kal without so much as a glance toward Vae. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna be sleeping, you may as well take this.¡± I have a feeling Vae has gone and made things a lot worse. Just what I needed. *** ¡°Kal,¡± Ellie shook his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s morning.¡± Kal sniffed the air as he rubbed his eyes. They had started a campfire, and the slightly sweet, smoky scent of the burning sappy branches filled his nostrils; the fire crackled gently in the background. ¡°I¡¯m so glad we grabbed up eggs and bacon from the general store,¡± Arix said, poking at the sizzling bacon that sat on a cast-iron tray atop smoldering embers with a stick. The scent of slightly burned meat mixed with campfire struck Kal¡¯s senses, and his stomach growled. ¡°Did I sleep in?¡± Kal asked. ¡°A little,¡± Ellie said. ¡°We decided to give you an extra hour. But don¡¯t think it comes for free. We¡¯re gonna be expecting a lot from you today. It¡¯s only fair with all the extra sleep you got,¡± Ellie flashed a devilish grin. ¡°Ahh¡ªthanks,¡± Kal said. The gleam in Ellie¡¯s eyes was concerning, but he hadn¡¯t realized how tired he had been. The rest had done him wonders, and Kal felt fresher than he had in a long time. ¡°You¡¯re awake, good,¡± Vae said, wandering over. ¡°What do you think our next plans should be, Kal? We¡¯re still not any closer to finding this starfish despite spending half a day looking for it. Personally, I suggest we consider moving onto something else.¡± ¡°Did you have something in mind?¡± Kal asked, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s called a Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp Lantern. From the sounds of it, it is nearby. But more importantly, it¡¯s what the lantern is capable of. Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp Lanterns lead their carrier toward what they currently desire via a light that they emanate. The distance of said light is relative to the power of the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp used when crafting the lantern, but either way, it should prove valuable for something like this Magic Hunt,¡± Vae said. ¡°Where two rivers meet and fork aside, a craggy peak looms tall and wide. Follow the slender creek until you meet a glade of mushroom freaks,¡± Arix recited from the objective list. ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Vae nodded to Arix. ¡°And if you take a look at the map, you¡¯ll see that the Caley Brae feeds into the Aeries just ahead, and if you follow the river north, the map reaches a place marked Hemcap Grove.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Kal nodded, reading the map. ¡°And if I had to guess, I¡¯d say that¡¯s the craggy peak,¡± Vae added, pointing toward a ledge of rock that climbed up above the forest canopy in the distance, with a single tree perched atop it. ¡°I think he¡¯s right,¡± Arix nodded. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell, but it looks like that¡¯s about the right area for where the Caley Brae and the Aeries meet,¡± he continued, turning his head as he tried to look at the map from different angles. ¡°How many of these lanterns are there?¡± Kal asked. ¡°Just one.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re right, the riddle isn¡¯t very hard. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a high chance another team has got there first?¡± Kal asked. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Vae said. However, the mushroom freaks in the riddle likely refer to the grimcaps in the grove I mentioned. Grimcaps are quite nasty monsters, and their poisonous spores can be deadly. They¡¯re generally kept around and allowed to breed thanks to their alchemic properties. Like the botflies, I doubt the average amateur mage partaking in this exam would be racing off to challenge themselves against such a creature.¡± ¡°Point taken. It¡¯s only the second day, so most teams are likely still a little apprehensive, but that is likely to change as the exam drags on,¡± Kal nodded thoughtfully as he spoke. ¡°I agree, collecting these kinds of objectives first seems like a good idea.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Vae said. ¡°It¡¯s also worth 50 points, which should place us right near the top of the pack.¡± ¡°Whatever happened to you wanting to play a cautious game?¡± Kal raised a brow. ¡°Well, I have had a change of heart,¡± Vae said. ¡°To be honest, I miscalculated. I didn¡¯t expect other teams to resort to thievery so early in the exam. I thought it best we keep a low profile until we see how things unravel. Unfortunately, it seems as if we¡¯ve already become a target. Because of this, we might as well strive to collect as many points as possible.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Kal said. ¡°I might be a little glad, though,¡± he added, fighting back a grin. ¡°You would be, wouldn¡¯t you,¡± Vae sighed. Kal didn¡¯t want to lose. But this was just an exam, after all. And his entire reason for being here was to test himself. Hiding seemed like a wasted opportunity. The scent of meat hit Kal again, breaking him from his thoughts. His stomach rumbled, driving him toward the food. ¡°Want me to throw bacon and eggs in a roll?¡± Arix looked back at Kal. ¡°Yes, please,¡± Kal nodded eagerly. *** It wasn¡¯t hard to follow the Aeries upstream, thanks to the banks being relatively easy to traverse. The forest underbrush wasn¡¯t overly thick either; however, they were often forced to zigzag through the vegetation to easier sections to navigate. When they reached two intersecting rivers, they saw the craggy peak for what it was¡ªa sharp, rocky mesa climbing up from the corner where the two rivers joined. Small trees and prickly bushes wove themselves around the steep mesa, making the climb to its peak look hazardous and ill-advised. Otherwise, it would have made for a decent little lookout. The riddle did not mention how far they had to walk to reach the glade, but Vae insisted that the humanoid mushrooms soaked up water like nothing else, and they were sure to build their grove beside the river. Not only that, but the map indicated that the walk shouldn¡¯t be too far. They just had to keep following the river. Grimcaps weren¡¯t known for magic, but that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t be deadly. Their spores alone were something to be cautious of, and thanks to their hivemind, they could quickly outnumber an attacker. If even one of the mushrooms saw you and took you as an enemy, the entire grove could come charging toward you within seconds. Kal¡¯s senses perked as he felt mana in the air. It couldn¡¯t be the grimcaps, and there was only one lantern, and he was certain he sensed more than one mana source. ¡°You picked up on it too?¡± Vae said as they pushed through the vegetation. ¡°Yeah, mana signals. A few of them.¡± ¡°Looks like we¡¯re not the only ones who had the bright idea of coming here.¡± ¡°Another team?¡± Kal probed, wondering if Vae had the same suspicions as he. Vae flashed a knowing smile back. Of course, this wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Who was he kidding? A smile tugged on Kal¡¯s lips. He had been taken off guard during the night attack, and now he wanted to show whichever team it was trying to loot the lantern what he was really capable of. [ 38 ] Mushrooms The forest thinned as it gradually gave way to a clearing. At the heart of the clearing was a giant redwood surrounded by downed and rotting trees. Whoever had downed the trees hadn¡¯t just down so to clear the land but had been dragging trunks from elsewhere into it. The reason became evident as they stepped closer. Hundreds of mushrooms took root, climbing from the rotting trunks. The mushrooms'' flesh was transparent, with a dim, ethereal blue glow emanating from their center. On closer inspection, veins could be seen beneath the transparent mushroom skin, illuminated by the blue glow, and the gills beneath their caps were an iridescent rainbow of greens and blues that looked more like they belonged to a fabulous sea creature than a mushroom. ¡°Those are grimcaps?¡± Ellie muttered in amazement, her eyes full and brightly captivated. ¡°Don¡¯t let their pretty appearances fool you. They can be absolutely lethal if threatened. It requires a true master healer to save someone poisoned by their spores.¡± ¡°How can these things be part of the exam?¡± Kal questioned. ¡°If they¡¯re so toxic, they¡¯re going to end up killing somebody.¡± ¡°While the list doesn¡¯t actually mention anything like it did with the botflies and their wings being clipped, the examiners have done something to make these grimcaps safer. Remember, grimcaps aren¡¯t a threat to civilization as demonic botflies are. Mentioning the proviso that the botflies had their wings clipped was likely to dim any potential panic that could arise from a threat to Morington. Grimcaps, on the other hand, are a semi-domesticated species. That doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re any less dangerous, just that they aren¡¯t about to go laying their larvae in the brains of unlucky peasants.¡± Semi-domesticated probably wasn¡¯t the right word to describe grimcaps. The creatures were as wild as could be and would undoubtedly kill a witless human wandering into their grove. They were, however, farmed via a combination of magic and great care. ¡°So, you think we should risk it then?¡± Arix said. ¡°We need to be cautious, but we didn¡¯t come all this way to let another team snag the objective, did we?¡± Kal said. ¡°First, we need to figure out where the lantern is and then come up with a plan to take it.¡± ¡°Kal¡¯s right,¡± Vae said. ¡°It¡¯d be beyond reckless to pick a fight with these grimcaps before figuring out where that lantern is, even if the exam administrators have handicapped them somehow. Not only that, but with another team nearby, the last thing we want to do is accidentally draw the mushrooms away from their prize and give the other team an easy win.¡± ¡°What about your seeing spell, or whatever it is?¡± Ellie said. ¡°You mean my Farsight spell?¡± Vae said. ¡°Yes, moody, I can employ it to see further into the grove. But it doesn¡¯t help if I don¡¯t have a line of sight.¡± From where they stood, they could see plenty of mushrooms, but the rotting trunks obscured the base of the redwood and, presumably, the lantern. Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp Lanterns worked a little differently from most magical items. Instead of using glyphs to cast or enhance a spell, they used glyphs to imprison a magical creature called a Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp, from which it drew its powers. ¡°Ugh¡ªwell, can¡¯t we, like, get a better view?¡± Ellie said. ¡°We can,¡± Vae agreed. ¡°What do you think, Kal?¡± ¡°Arix and Ellie, keep a keen eye on our surroundings and let us know if you spot anybody. Me and Vae will circle around the grove to see if we can spot the lantern. Ellie¨C¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Ellie crooked her head. ¡°Take the pouch,¡± Kal said, untying it from his belt. ¡°If I get an opportunity to take the lantern, I¡¯ll take it. But there¡¯s always a chance the other team nearby will try to capitalize on it and attack me. Safer, you hold onto this.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Ellie nodded and secured the pouch to herself. ¡°Should we use a code word?¡± Arix said. ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± Vae agreed. ¡°How about danger if you see the mushrooms moving toward us and magic if you spot another mage team?¡± ¡°You could have picked something less boring,¡± Arix grumbled. ¡°Come on, Arix,¡± Ellie said, turning toward a nearby tree planted among thick shrubbery. ¡°Let¡¯s find somewhere to hide.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Arix said with a disappointed slump. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this,¡± Kal nodded at Vae. We¡¯ll keep to the treeline and try to remain hidden as we circle around. Keep an eye out for the lantern. If we spot it, I¡¯ll use my Swift Step. With any luck, we can be in and out before the mushrooms even realize what happened.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Vae said. ¡°But I should remind you that it isn¡¯t wise to underestimate those grimcaps. They might look like mindless monsters from here, but they can be quite relentless if they lock onto you.¡± Kal still had the summoned leaf rolled up. It slowly drained his mana as he walked around with it, but since the drain was so light, he could just stop to meditate occasionally to top up whatever mana was lost. ¡°Well, luckily, I have this thing,¡± Kal said, tapping the leaf he had rolled up and shoved into his belt. ¡°If they chase me, I¡¯ll grab this bad boy and hop onto the river, making a stylish escape.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°You¡¯re lucky they don¡¯t swim, or at least I haven¡¯t read of them doing so,¡± Vae said, tilting his head as he searched his memories. ¡°I¡¯ve never been the best at paying attention during botany lessons.¡± Kal raised a brow. He remembered reading one of Daedrik¡¯s monster manuals that had mentioned grimcaps, but it had been annoyingly short on details. ¡°Err¡ªgood enough,¡± Kal said. Vae shrugged, ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°What are you two waiting for?¡± Ellie called from behind the tree. ¡°We better not disappoint,¡± Kal grinned. *** It took a good half hour to skirt around the grove without being seen by the grimcaps. The grove was hardly uniform, and the two of them constantly had to detour deeper into the surrounding woods to avoid grimcap sentries, causing further delays. As they rounded the trunks and came into view of the redwood¡¯s base, they realized that Vae¡¯s assistance wasn¡¯t really required. Kal could see the azure glow of the lantern as clear as day once at the base of the tree. The lantern itself sat on a small podium at the camp''s rear, pressed against the redwood like some kind of holy relic. A mountain of bones and skulls was scattered around the podium, and spiked poles were arranged around it, with animal corpses hanging from them. ¡°Do you think the grimcaps are praying to it or something?¡± Kal questioned. ¡°Perhaps. This specifically¡ªcertainly wasn¡¯t mentioned in any of my lectures; however, I do remember one professor mentioning that many shroomanoid species worship decomposition. It could be something along those lines.¡± ¡°Decomposition?¡± Kal crooked his head in disgust. ¡°Yes. As simple as they are, shroomanoids seem to have some kind of understanding of how decomposing matter adds nutrients to the soil. That only explains the collection of corpses, though. I have no idea what it has to do with the lantern.¡± ¡°Maybe they like the light? Or perhaps they figured out how the magic works,¡± Kal mused. ¡°Doubtful. The hivemind might appear to have some degree of intelligence, but I believe it''s singlemindedly bent on feeding itself. It¡¯s more likely the government mages used a spell to subdue the grimcaps and place the lantern there. It may even have some kind of spell to hide its presence from the grimcaps that we can¡¯t pick up on.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sense any mana coming from the lantern besides the Will-o¡¯-the-Wisp itself. Wouldn¡¯t we sense a spell like that?¡± ¡°Mage clerks get a bad rap for being mindless government bureaucrats. But there are plenty of powerful enough mages working for the government. Casting a spell kids can¡¯t detect would be well within their capabilities.¡± Kal realized that despite his best efforts to learn as much as he could, there was a gulf between what he could self-teach using Daedrik¡¯s library and what a noble house provided its young scions. Hmm, maybe I got a little overconfident with my knowledge of the world. Vae was a constant harsh reminder that Daedrik¡¯s library was missing a lot. Daedrik was neither a wealthy mage nor a noble. Kal would have to aim higher if he wanted to learn all the secrets this world possessed. Even Vae, who was undoubtedly wealthy and from an influential family, wasn¡¯t at the height of nobility. The few scions of Lyssia were people like that Astral Prince guy and were on a completely different level. At that moment, Kal realized that his demonic core and Bloodline Traits might not be enough to set him apart from someone like that alone. He couldn¡¯t rely on gifts. He would have to work harder if he wanted to reach the top. ¡°Well, we found it. You may as well head back to the others now¡ªno need to risk being close to this place. Gather them up and create some distance. I¡¯ll be able to find you.¡± ¡°Will do, Kal. And good luck. Remember what I said. Don¡¯t underestimate these things.¡± Kal nodded, and Vae turned to run off back to where Ellie and Arix were waiting. Vae moved fast, but there was no point in taking unnecessary risks. Kal lowered himself and meditated. He figured he might as well ensure he had full mana while waiting. After about half an hour, he rose to his feet. Okay, it¡¯s go time¡ªin and out without a second to spare. Cracking his neck, Kal dashed foward. Engaging his core stats, Kal ran as fast as he could. He was no expert on grimcaps, but he was fairly certain he could outrun them with Swift Step. However, there was no need for draining mana until he was forced to. The first grimcaps he passed were slow to react, their glowing gazes trailing behind Kal well after he had run by them. Kal had already run past dozens of the walking mushrooms before they took chase and covered half the ground between him and the lantern. A swarm of grimcaps was gathering, increasing in number every second it chased after Kal. The grimcaps had been chasing him rather intelligently, just adding to the swarm, but a few had managed to figure out his trajectory and had moved to intercept before the lantern. Reaching within a half-dozen yards of the lantern, Kal shot forward with Swift Step, dodging the lunging grimcaps like a seasoned running back and grabbing the lantern as he rolled into it. Two grimcaps turned to catch him, but another cast of Swift Step sent him shooting away and back into a sprint. The swarm of mushrooms swung around with grimcaps that had failed to stop Kal from getting past, turning to join the mob as they charged after him. More of the glowing mushrooms charged from his left and right, attempting to trap him in the swarm, but Kal simply cast Swift Step again as they neared, hurling himself past their flailing limbs as they dove for him. A glance over his shoulder confirmed they hadn¡¯t given up, but at least he was fairly confident they were all behind him now. Kal let out a sigh of relief but didn¡¯t ease up. It seemed that he was faster than them, relying on just his core stats. However, he didn¡¯t know how persistent they were, and while his mana drain was manageable, he would run out eventually. Nearing the river, he pulled the rolled-up leaf from his belt and waved it through the air as he ran, forcing it to unravel. Mid-sprint, he snatched up a decent stick and charged straight into the water, dropping the leaf down as if it were a board to surf and casting Swift Step once more to send him and the leaf skidding across the river¡¯s surface. That¡¯s got to be enough distance. Kal turned his head and eyed the shoreline as the swarm of grimcaps reached it. Dozens stopped by the water, glaring out across it at Kal, but a second later, several of the mushrooms began to ball themselves up into their caps. The grimcaps who didn¡¯t ball themselves up picked up their comrades and hurled them into the river, sending them sailing across the water toward Kal. At first, the little balled-up caps began to float harmlessly away as the river¡¯s current pulled them. Kal felt like scoffing at the futile attempt. His stick was no paddle, but at least it kept him sailing away from them as he rowed. Then his jaw dropped. The mushrooms poked out their arms to their sides and began to paddle. Okaaay, now that¡¯s innovative. Still, he had distance on them, and even though they were surprisingly fast, he still had mana remaining. ¡°Nice try, but that¡¯s not gonna cut it,¡± Kal waved to the mushrooms with a confident grin. ¡°Better luck next time¡ª¡± His words were cut short, and his gaze fell to the water around him. It had started to bubble. ¡°Ahh, that doesn¡¯t look good,¡± he muttered and shook his head. The bubbles were growing larger. [ 39 ] From Beneath The bubbling water reached a crescendo as if the river itself was boiling, and Kal felt himself lift into the air. He didn¡¯t know what it was beneath him and didn¡¯t want to find out. Taking hold of the leaf¡¯s edges, he cast Swift Step and sent himself and the leaf gliding away. Unfortunately, in desperation, he had sent himself flying back toward the grimcaps. Not good. Really not freaking good at all! Water sprayed across Kal¡¯s back, reminding him of his underwater assailant. The world seemed to slow as he twisted to look over his shoulder mid-flight. Smooth, gulping, moist lips bit at the air while fleshy whiskers swayed, and Kal¡¯s eyes widened. It was a whale-sized catfish, and it looked hungry. Yeah, okay¡ªthat might actually be worse than the mushrooms. With no desire to Pinocchio himself, Kal chose dry land and cast Swift Step again, propelling him through the air toward the river bank. By this point, he had used almost half his mana and was increasingly thankful for all the time he had spent training. 63 points of mana was a lot for his age, but if he hadn¡¯t grown as efficient with his spells as he had, it would undoubtedly been exhausted by now. The glowing gazes of dozens of grimcaps were already following him, trying to figure out where he would land. Thankfully, their intelligence was limited, and Kal touched down against the shore, falling into a roll several yards away from the closet grimcap. However, they had been alerted now, and unlike their slow reaction to his initial raid on their grove, the grimcaps turned and charged near immediately. Pushing himself up to his feet and taking several wobbly steps, Kal cast Swift Step once more to create a little distance. Settling into a steady pace fueled by both core stats and mana feeding his stamina, Kal gained distance on his pursuers. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but his remaining mana would last for some time, and he preferred this option over taking another chance with the catfish. Just as the distance between them grew, a spray of water burst out from the river, and the behemoth catfish flung itself onto the riverbank ahead of him, forcing Kal to skid to a halt to avoid slamming straight into its scaly hide. Only seconds had passed, but that¡¯s all it took for the chasing mushrooms to catch up. He had run out of time. The gaping maw of the floundering catfish swung toward him. Instinctively, Kal spun around, dissecting the first two grimcaps to catch up with him. Without even realizing it, he had drawn his sword from its sheath and reflexively sliced through his attackers. All that training with Yogi paid off. Unfortunately, there were more than two grimcaps, and the wall of humanoid mushrooms was closing in fast. Racing through his options, Kal knew he couldn¡¯t cast Mage Bullet fast enough to take down so many attackers, and he wasn¡¯t sure how effective a burst of steam would be against walking mushrooms. They might not like heat or fire, but Steam Burst wasn¡¯t really a spell used to land a killing blow, and if the grimcaps couldn¡¯t feel pain¡ªlike he was fairly sure a mushroom couldn¡¯t¡ªit would likely just leave him open and exposed as the swarm fell upon him. Out of time and forced to react, Kal used Swift Step to shoot up into the air, dodging several attacks, and then came down¡ªswinging. The grimcaps were fine, fibrous creatures¡ªmuch like any mushroom¡ªand even his flimsy old sword cut through their flesh effortlessly. But even Kal''s fast, relentless strikes weren¡¯t enough. Vae had been right about the pesky mushrooms calling up their buddies. It seemed just about every grimcap from the grove must have been bearing down on Kal. For every mushroom he struck down, two more took its place, and soon, they dragged him down and toppled atop him. However, the deadly spores he had been warned about never seemed to come. Kal didn¡¯t know how long it took for the government clerks to intervene in the exam, but if he was about to get smacked by several lethal doses of toxic spores, he figured they would likely show up, and since they didn¡¯t, he got a pretty good idea how they had weakened the grimcaps. As many grimcaps as there were, they were ultimately walking mushrooms without weapons. Meaning that without their toxic spores, the only weapon the grimcaps possessed was their soft, squishy fists. Pressed against one another, the grimcaps could barely bring their own pillow fists down on Kal, but the same could be said for Kal. His blade was pressed down by the scrum of mushrooms piling atop him. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. He was stuck. Unable to do anything. So far, he avoided injuring, no doubt the reason the government examiners hadn¡¯t arrived to save him. But how long would they allow this to continue? If they were forced to save him, that would warrant disqualification. In a moment of panic, Kal cast Necrotic Bite and started munching. The necrotic properties of the spell cooked the walking mushrooms as he bit into them, and it was¡­ it wasn¡¯t bad. Nutty and savory, although they needed a little salt. Kal didn¡¯t have to eat the entirety of the mushrooms, though. Each bite he took sent the glowing mushrooms into retreat, scratching at their infected flesh as they climbed out of the pile. It was the spread of necrotic toxins. They could be deadly when infecting any flesh, but it seemed the soft, fibrous nature of the mushrooms made them even more vulnerable to the toxic saliva created by the spell. Kal¡¯s thoughts trailed back to the giant catfish momentarily. He needed to hurry up and deal with these mushrooms before that thing decided to take a bite of him. As effective as Necrotic Bite was, there were a lot of grimcaps, and the necrotic saliva created by the spell dried up after about three or four bites, forcing him to recast the spell to continue his attack. At this rate, there was a very real chance he would run out of mana before dealing with his problem. And even if he broke free from the grimcaps, there were other threats around he might need mana for. Between bites, Kal felt a rush of mana somewhere nearby. It had to be the other team, and only seconds later, he heard the shouts of battle and blasts of spells, confirming his suspicion. Just great. That¡¯s exactly what I needed! He mightn¡¯t have had the Astral Pouch, but he did have the newly acquired lantern clipped to his belt and pinned hopelessly beneath a pile of grimcaps. The last thing he wanted was to lose it to another team after all the work he had put into taking it. But Kal wasn¡¯t given a chance to surmise a plan because, at that moment, the giant catfish swept across the mound of grimcaps atop him, hoovering them up into its moist lips and dragging them across the rows of tiny teeth within, shredding the mushrooms into ribbons as it sucked them into its belly. Now! The moment weight was lifted from him, Kal cast Swift Step, followed by Steam Burst a fraction of a second later as he flew for an escape past the giant fish. The hideous catfish recoiled and let out a squealing croak as it sank back into the river, crunching several mushrooms as it rolled away and dragging several others into the water. Too close. Waaay too close. Panting, Kal created some distance before giving himself a second to recover as he scanned the grove. He was right. There was another team here, and it seemed that they had drawn the rest of the grimcaps toward themselves. The catfish attack had been fortunate, but he was fairly certain that more grimcaps would have continued to pile atop him without this distraction. But his relief was short-lived when he spotted a giant beast of a man crashing through a grouping of grimcaps, crushing their fragile flesh with powerful swings from his oversized mace. It wasn¡¯t just raw strength, though. He was undoubtedly casting a spell alongside his strikes, the resounding bangs blowing the mushroom bodies apart with each strike he landed. Just my luck. It¡¯s them¡ªTeam Shadowpact. Kal groaned internally. Their encounter had been close enough last time, and now Kal was alone with little mana remaining. Swinging around, Kal ran. He mightn¡¯t have had much mana remaining, but he had above-average core states and a lead on the other team. If he kept a good, steady pace, he should be able to reach the rest of Team Ebenshire. Swift Step would create some extra distance between him and them, but with so little mana remaining, Kal decided to save it. After all, he had only spotted the big guy, Gronk. If the rest of the team were to attack him during his flight, having some backup mana would be his only chance to escape with the lantern. Within seconds, he had escaped the grove¡¯s clearing, bounding over logs and ducking beneath branches as he hurriedly ran through the forest. Kal ignored the burning in his lungs and the tightening of his thighs, willing his legs to go as fast as possible. He had spent so much time training and learning spells that he realized a little more body tempering would go a long way. Mana could be converted into stamina, but there were limits. Thankfully, Yogi had forced them to do physical training, but it clearly wasn¡¯t enough. Totally taking on an exercise regime once I get through this. Kal focused a couple of additional mana points on his core stats and stamina, boosting his speed slightly and relieving the strain on his body. That would have to be it for now. The rest of his mana needed to be conserved until he was confident he was safe. The additional strength, agility, and endurance from his core made him feel lighter and sure of step. The battle was behind him, and there wasn¡¯t a grimcap in sight. But why, then, could he sense mana nearby? Kal¡¯s eyes widened as she stepped out from behind a tree, her captivating red eyes piercing straight through him. The scarf was gone, revealing her long white hair atop paper-white skin. Kal gasped at her otherworldly appearance. She looked to be maybe sixteen or seventeen, although it was hard to say as she was not human. Instinctively, Kal grabbed at the lantern by his belt, reminding him of the importance of this encounter. As much as he wanted to learn more about the strange races of this world, he wanted to win this thing more. The girl raised her white hand and pointed its open palmed at Kal. Immediately, a black mist billowed out from her palm, filling the air around them with darkness so complete that all light was blanketed. Kal stumbled forward, almost toppling over as his foot hit a log¡ªjust barely managing to right himself with several guested steps. With how dark it had gotten, he may have closed his eyes. He remembered Vae¡¯s words. This albinoid girl was likely leading her team through the night. Her vision was no doubt the reason she used this spell. Of course, things had to get worse. Taking a steadying breath, Kal closed his eyes. If there was one thing he was good at, it was mana detection¡ªa by-product of mastering mana cloaking techniques. At this, he was more skilled than many grown, adult mages. ¡°Time for a debt to be paid,¡± the girl said with a chuckle that seemed to echo through the darkness. Yeah, okay. This is far from ideal. No amount of mana sense would even this playing field. Albinoids were nocturnal, and Kal was effectively blind. He felt her mana spike, and his body tensed. He had no choice. She might have made the rules of this engagement, but that didn¡¯t mean he had to follow them. [ 40 ] Albinoid She was fast. Faster than Kal had expected. But her speed was the least of his problems. Thanks to his mana sense, he knew the direction she was coming from, but it was vague. All he had was a sense of speed of the descending blur enclosing on him. Perhaps if he were blind and forced to constantly rely on this skill, he could overcome his disadvantage. But he wasn¡¯t. He used mana sense to detect his surroundings, not pinpointing an enemy¡¯s attack vector. The only spell that immediately came to thought was Steam Burst, and he couldn¡¯t use it. Kal wasn¡¯t entirely sure where the examiners drew the line at attacking other teams, but he was fairly certain it wasn¡¯t okay to douse an opposing team member¡¯s face with piping-hot steam. I have to be more creative than that. Remaining still, Kal focused himself. His only chance was to block out intrusions and hope that he could concentrate his mana detection enough to narrow the advantage between them. There! Sensing her mana near, Kal dove forward into a bear hug, wrapping his arms around the girl at the very moment she dove for the lantern. She gasped as he tightened his grip around her slender figure, sending mana into his core stat strength to ensure she couldn¡¯t wiggle free. ¡°Gotcha.¡± ¡°Let go of me, human scum!¡± She squirmed. ¡°Did your primitive brain forget we¡¯re not allowed to attack each other?¡± ¡°Since when did I attack you?¡± Kal countered. ¡°I¡¯m just holding you still. I don¡¯t see how this is any different from what your friend did to me the other night. More physical, but the outcome is the same.¡± She continued to struggle against Kal¡¯s hold, confirming to him that she had no answer to his simple attack. Or at least she didn¡¯t have an answer that she was confident using without getting herself disqualified. ¡°Look, I¡¯m happy to let you go. Just release this darkness spell, and we can go our separate ways like last time.¡± ¡°Ha. Why would I do that? Once my team is finished dealing with those mushrooms, what do you think they¡¯ll do? You didn¡¯t forget my friend, Ardel, did you? Perhaps you need to be reminded of her Eye of Paralyzation spell?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one that locked down my mana points before?¡± The albinoid girl began to chuckle. ¡°You see, It¡¯s only a matter of time. That lantern will be ours. You can either wait for my friends or let go of me and see if you can outrun me in the dark. It¡¯s up to you.¡± Kal was in a bad position, and he knew it. He had been bluffing. Hoping she would act hastily. Now what? She¡¯s right; I can¡¯t just wait for the rest of her team to show up. He had told Vae to collect the others and distance themselves from the grove. He wasn¡¯t sure how far they had gone but was fairly sure they wouldn¡¯t be coming to his aid. It wasn¡¯t just her advantage in the dark he had to worry about either. He was in a forest, and it was literally filled with obstacles. He had just as much chance of impaling himself on a branch as he had of getting away from her. Suppose he could keep her wrapped up while he ran, though? Kal thought about it a moment. It was still risky, but he hadn¡¯t got a second chance at life just to play it safe. If he wanted to play it safe, he might as well become a government clerk and work in an office. A shiver traced Kal¡¯s spine at the thought. He would rather face a dragon than that possible future. What¡¯s a little pain compared to failing to make the most of this opportunity? He had an idea. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, but he had to try. Avoiding risks had already led to one wasted life. Casting Mana Whip, Kal lassoed the girl with the magical whip while maintaining his hold on her. ¡°What are you doing, human?¡± ¡°Keeping you in place. Now, I got to go. Until next time,¡± Kal said, releasing his grip and running straight ahead. ¡°Hey, get back here!¡± She hissed, struggling against the whip. Some Mana Focus spells could be held over a long distance, but Mana Whip wasn¡¯t one of them. It was because of how the spell¡¯s mana constellation was formed. Mana Whip filled the most basic definition of a Mana Focus spell, but it wasn¡¯t a true one. And it wasn¡¯t meant to be used like this. Kal focused on the mana binding the spell to him, channeling whatever mana he could to it as the distance between them grew. But he knew it was weakening and fast. Regardless, he powered through, raising his arms defensively as he smashed through branches and leaves filled his mouth. A log that must have been elevated atop a rock or something because it slammed straight against the middle of his shin. Pain erupted, but Kal defiantly bit down and grunted as he forced himself on. Entirely ignoring this thumping leg as he continued to run. Finally, he felt his link to the Mana Whip break, but the spell remained active for several seconds. Faster, I have to go faster! You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Pain seared through his side as he slammed into a tree and rolled off to its trunk, briefly falling to one knee but kicking off against the ground and continuing his sprint. At that moment, he sensed the last of the Mana Whip¡¯s mana evaporate. She was free, and she was coming for him. None of that mattered as he silenced his surroundings, cringing as he forced himself to run as fast as he could. It was only a matter of time before he ran into something else, but the fear of pain wasn¡¯t about to deter him. Except, he didn¡¯t crash. The darkness began to dissipate around him, and he saw light beyond it. The girl cursed at his back. She obviously knew he was reaching the edge of her spell¡¯s reach. But just as he was leaving the darkness behind, tendrils of pure black shot out, threatening to drag the shroud of her spell back over him. She had cast the spell again. Unfortunately for her, the distance between them was much greater this time, and the spell seemed to be cast outward from where she was standing. Kal never gave in to his waning stamina or hurting body and continued to sprint with all he had. Before the second casting of the spell could wrap around him, he was already running out of its reach. As fast as the albinoid girl was, she wasn¡¯t faster than Kal. For a fourteen-year-old, Kal¡¯s stats weren¡¯t just good; they were great. Even if she was a year or two older than him, she couldn''t compete and, evidently, didn¡¯t have a speed-boosting spell like his Swift Step in her arsenal. She kept casting her darkness spell again and again as the chase continued, but the distance between the two of them only grew, and her spell¡¯s reach grew further and further out of range as Kal sprinted through the forest. Kal¡¯s mana was low, and he worried that she might be able to outlast him as long as she just kept running. He knew he could outrun her with his core stats, but he wasn¡¯t sure his battered body could if he ran out of mana. A glance back over his shoulder confirmed that she was in even worse shape, slowing down and her posture broken as she panted. He realized that she had all in on her darkness spell and exhausted her mana, casting it repetitively. ¡°Good try, but it looks like I win again,¡± Kal turned to gloat as he ran. ¡°You¡ªget¡ªback¡ªhere,¡± she clutched at her sides as she panted and attempted to keep running. ¡°Nah, don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡ªget¡ªyou¡ª¡± Kal¡¯s eyes widened as he spotted a figure charging up from behind the girl. Severy second, they grew larger as they closed the distance, and he realized it was the ogre¡ªGronk. He was fast. Very fast. Kal immediately knew core stats alone wouldn¡¯t help him escape this guy. He would need to hope his remnant mana would be enough to save him. I¡¯ve got one, maybe two Swift Steps left. Maybe he could lasso the big guy up with a Mana Whip like the girl? No, that wouldn¡¯t work. He would catch up when the spell broke. But a second later, while Kal was still considering his options, a vine of shrubbery sprung to life near the ogre¡¯s feet and wrapped around him in a second, sending the brute falling to the ground. But they didn¡¯t stop there, continuing to wrap around his body until he was fastened to the ground. ¡°What is this?¡± Gronk roared as he struggled against the thickening bushy vines. He was strong, likely strong enough to tear the bush wrapping itself around him to shreds if he had the leverage¡ªbut with his arms pressed tightly against his body, that wasn¡¯t possible. ¡°You made it,¡± Vae said, stepping out from behind a tree to the right of Gronk. He held one of the bush''s weedy branches in his hand. Puppet Hand! Kal was thoroughly impressed. The spell was impressive on its own, but Vae clearly knew how to make the most of it. ¡°Vae, you have fantastic timing,¡± Kal explained. ¡°And you failed again,¡± he grinned at the albinoid girl. ¡°Hey, what about us?¡± Ellie said as she and Arix appeared from the underbrush just ahead of Kal. ¡°Yeah, you guys, too,¡± Kal nodded. ¡°Super convincing,¡± Ellie rolled her eyes. Betsy raced toward them, skidding to a halt beside Gronk, and shortly after, a one-eyed girl Kal assumed had to be named Ardel caught up. Seriously, a freaking cyclopean? That¡¯s sooo cool! ¡°What are you staring at?¡± The girl sneered, and Kal realized he was probably staring at her while grinning like an idiot. ¡°I¨Cuh¡ª¡± ¡°Humans, pfft,¡± the albinoid girl hissed and spat at the ground. The cyclopean wasn¡¯t what Kal had expected. The eye wasn¡¯t as big, and the girl was not as ugly as he imagined. She had long, straight dark hair and perfectly normal feminine features¡ªsave the singular eye in the middle of her head. ¡°Are you okay, Jasmine?¡± Ardel said, lowering to the albinoid¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just get the lantern,¡± she hissed back. ¡°Bu-but¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re outnumbered with you and Gronk out, and these bozos are better than they look,¡± Betsy sighed. ¡°You¡¯re giving up?¡± Jasmine struggled to her feet. ¡°You can barely stand,¡± Betsy shook her head. ¡°And if Ardel uses her Eye of Paralyzation, the rest will be up to me. I¡¯m honored you think I can take three of these bozos by myself, but it ain¡¯t gonna work.¡± ¡°Gronk?¡± Jasmine turned to the ogre swallowed by vegetation. ¡°I can¡¯t move. This spell is deceptively strong,¡± he grunted in frustration. Kal raised his arm and used the bracelet to bring up the leaderboard. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± he said aloud, making sure the other team could hear him. 65. Team Manaweave - 45 66. Team Berserker - 45 67. Team Shadowpact - 40 ¡°Here you are. 40 points,¡± Kal said, slowly drifting his gaze down from the leaderboard and toward Team Shadowpact as a devilish grin perked his lips. ¡°Look, you won. We get it,¡± Betsy raised her hands and slowly stepped backward. ¡°Good job.¡± What¡¯s the chance she¡¯s the one with the Astral Pouch? Kal couldn¡¯t actually see the pouch from here because she wore a cloak that shrouded most of her body. But her body language and the fact that she was remarkably fast meant that she would be an excellent choice to carry it. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Kal teased, taking a single step forward. ¡°It¡¯s fine, humy. Keep the lantern. This was just a big misunderstanding, okay? We get it. You¡¯re better than us.¡± ¡°What are you saying,¡± Jasmine growled. ¡°We got this. He¡¯s low on mana as well. I know it,¡± she bent her brow into a glare at Kal. ¡°There¡¯s no way of knowing that. His core is entirely hidden,¡± Betsy sighed. ¡°Just forget it.¡± The half-girl turned to Ardel and attempted a stealthy gesture, but Kal read it with ease. His play had worked, and she was worried. ¡°Where are you two going?¡± Jasmine turned to the girls as they backed away. ¡°It¡¯s over, Jasmine. Forget about it. We¡¯ll find an easier mark. There¡¯s plenty of hopeless mages in this exam.¡± ¡°No, no,¡± Jasmine shook, balling her white fists. "There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let you get away with this,¡± she stubbled toward Kal. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough you stole our score, but you had your grubby human hands all over me? I know who you are now, and mark my words, I¡¯ll get my revenge on you!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that!¡± Kal reddened. ¡°I was just trying to win, swear,¡± Kal turned to the rest of his team. Seriously? Gross. I¡¯m not some creep. I just want to win this stupid exam. This is defamation! ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Ellie shook her head. ¡°Wait, what did you do to her, Kal?¡± Arix said. ¡°Nothing. She attacked me. It was self-defense. I swear it!¡± ¡°So, Kal is your name. From here on out, Kal. We¡¯re rivals. And I will show you what I¡¯m capable of,¡± Jasmine said, retracting her lip to show her abnormally long and sharp canines. Bloodline Trait Unlocked: Rival Magnet +2 Strength | +2 Toughness -2 | Charisma | Appearance penalty What, an appearance penalty? Seriously? And here I was thinking these things were going to turn me into a looker. ¡°You really did a number on her,¡± Vae said, his voice floral and full of amusement.