《Mana Mirror [Stubbed]》


 Chapter One

    I stared at myself in the mirror and took in a deep breath.


    Malachi ¨C was I sure I was committed to that name? My brother had said it was too edgy, though personally, I was a fan of it.


    To me, at least, it conjured up the image of a mage with solar and lunar mana, throwing a fireball while blending into the shadows. Or maybe someone using desolation mana to level a building with one stroke of their hand.


    Powerful. Strong. Maybe with an exceptionally powerful legacy well, like Liz¡¯s. Her legacy ¨C Tidal Twin, inherited from her late mother ¨C was even more powerful than Ed¡¯s, and probably the strongest one I knew.


    But all of Liz¡¯s family had powerful legacies that were suited for combat.


    My own dad¡¯s legacy allowed him a powerful resistance to infection and disease. It was useful, certainly, a life free of sickness. But it wasn¡¯t exactly going to qualify me for a job with the Wyldwatch.


    My brother, Ed, had a powerful legacy, though I wasn¡¯t sure who, if anyone, he¡¯d inherited it from, since I wasn¡¯t aware of anyone in the family with a legacy like Ed¡¯s.


    Maybe I¡¯d be able to get lucky, too. It was possible. New, spontaneous legacies appeared every day, even if it was more likely to inherit it from one of your parents, or else blend theirs together into your own.


    I realized that I was letting myself focus on legacies and magic in order to avoid having to think about the day ahead.


    I looked back up and stared at myself in the mirror again, trying to clear my worries out of my head.


    I was too small, not even five and a half feet. My wavy black hair was wild, and my eyes were a bright green.


    My shoulders were too narrow, though I¡¯d been lucky enough for them to be fairly broad, just not filled out.


    The suit that I was wearing ¨C raided from the depths of Ed¡¯s closet the night before ¨C was far too large on me.


    I must have been thinking too much about Edward, because my brother chose that exact moment to stick his head in the door next to me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Ed called, his voice a deeper rumble than my own. ¡°Dad said that breakfast is ready.¡±


    He glanced at me and raised an eyebrow.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was over the fact that I¡¯d stolen the suit from his closet without asking, or if Ed hadn¡¯t even noticed that and was instead focused on something completely different.


    ¡°Feeling nervous?¡± Edward asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± he said with the wave of his hand. ¡°You go up and put your hand on a crystal, have a few spells cast, do some paperwork, and that¡¯s pretty much all there is to it. You¡¯re probably better at ungated spells than I was at your age. You¡¯ve got nothing to be worried about.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you weren¡¯t nervous when your test came?¡± I asked skeptically.


    ¡°Well¡­ I knew that I¡¯d always be able to work in the bakery, even if I couldn¡¯t join the Lightwatch.¡±


    I grumbled. My brother was correct¡­ technically.


    But I didn¡¯t really want to spend the rest of my life working at the family bakery. It was fine, and I didn¡¯t actually mind baking that much, but¡­ it was boring.


    And even though our dad catered to a lot of wealthy clients, the profit margins of a bakery were always thinner than people expected, so it¡¯d have me living the exact same life, forever.


    I needed a powerful legacy. More than that, I needed good mana types.


    Life would be preferable. Most of the monsters that the Wyldwatch was called in to deal with were biological, and many prowled in the thickly forested mountains around Mossford, which meant that trees were abundant.


    Death wouldn¡¯t be too bad. The Spiritwatch was always accepting people with death mana, and they would be better than the Lightwatch.


    Even though becoming an ordinary civic guardian with the Lightwatch didn¡¯t interest me as much as the other Watches, I didn¡¯t hate the idea. They¡¯d take any mana type, after all.


    But the pay of the Lightwatch was worse, the hours were longer, and I¡¯d have to deal with petty criminals all day.


    Not to mention, both the Spiritwatch and the Wyldwatch would give me more privacy and independence than the Lightwatch would.


    I checked myself one final time in the mirror, turning to make sure that the new binder I¡¯d put on was fitting well, then turned and headed downstairs for breakfast.


    When I came downstairs, my nose was filled with the smell of eggs and bacon, and I blinked, surprised for a moment.


    I probably hadn¡¯t had a distinct breakfast in¡­ months.


    Most mornings, we just had some leftovers that hadn¡¯t sold the night before, and my dad would be so busy working to have the shop ready that he wouldn¡¯t be able to cook.


    Today, however, dad was standing behind the grill, and he traced a quick ungated spell in the air to dispel the flame as he slid the last strips of bacon onto a platter. He smiled when he saw me coming downstairs.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Morning, Malachi. You look¡­ nice,¡± dad said.


    Ed was already seated at the table, and he¡¯d somehow piled his plate with two slices of bacon, an egg, and a piece of toast in the time it had taken me to get downstairs.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said in response as I piled my plate with breakfast. I was so nervous that I could barely taste the food, nor pay attention to the small talk that my father and brother were making.


    Once I was done, my father clapped me on the shoulder.


    ¡°So, how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Nervous,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± my father said. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Even if you manifest a gate for a useless mana type, like abnegation, you¡¯d still be able to work in the shop. I almost only use ungated magic anyways.¡±


    I made yet another noncommittal noise and ate some more bacon.


    I actually wouldn¡¯t mind abnegation mana. Though joining the Wyldwatch with abnegation mana alone was a more doubtful prospect, abnegation¡¯s powerful defensive spells meant that plenty of adventuring guilds would take me.


    Liz could probably even get me into her guild.


    Once I finished breakfast, I rose and gave Dad a hug, then gave Ed one as well.


    ¡°Want me to walk with you?¡± Ed asked as our dad walked into the shop.


    I flushed with embarrassment and shook my head. My older brother escorting me for my mana check? That was beyond embarrassing.


    ¡°I can walk,¡± I said. Ed gave me a nod and a thumbs up.


    As I exited the house, I heard Ed call out behind me.


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that suit one of mine?¡±


    I swiftly shut the door and darted away. There was no need for Ed to know about that.


    The trip downtown wasn¡¯t too far, and I quite enjoyed the warmth of the Petal-Bloom ¨C the spring months were always my second favorite, after autumn. By the time Suns-Birth or Summers-Heart rolled around, it¡¯d be too hot for my tastes.


    Mossford was never too warm ¨C even in Summers-Heart, it rarely got hot enough to need shorts, so my suit jacket was definitely not necessary. Even though I didn¡¯t need it, I didn¡¯t want to take it off, even if it made it a bit hard to breathe under the binder and the suit.


    Instead, I tapped into my mana-garden and cast an ungated spell, drawing mana out into my fingers and tracing a simple pattern in the air.


    It was a common cooling spell, the kind that most people used to cool down drinks. Casting it over my entire body did mean that it drained my mana-garden to nearly empty, but it provided excellent relief, and I wasn¡¯t too worried about draining my mana.


    It took me about ten more minutes to arrive at the testing site, only to see people had formed a line stretching outside the college already.


    As I entered the line, I glanced around to look at the other people my age. Some looked to have just turned eighteen, probably literally today, whereas others had surlier expressions ¨C probably those who were about to turn nineteen and felt cheated that they¡¯d had to wait so long. But even among those who were almost nineteen, there were plenty of excited and nervous faces.


    The line slowly chugged along, and I eventually came to the front of it, where I was directed to one of the testing chambers.


    I took a deep breath and stepped inside.


    Like Ed had promised, there was a set of silver crystals floating in midair. The centermost one was about the size of a fist, and there were nine smaller ones floating around it in a semicircle, each about the size of a fingernail.


    Behind the crystalline apparatus was a middle-aged woman with a severe ponytail, but a gentle smile.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said, reaching out to shake my hand. ¡°My name is Elicia Dee, knowledge mana Spellbinder. I¡¯ll be the one getting your identification card sorted. Now, what do you want your full legal name to be? Are you fine with your birth name, or would you prefer to change it?¡±


    As she asked, she gestured towards the crystal. I put my hand on the crystal and felt it slowly begin to suck mana from my mana-garden.


    I¡¯d spent most of my mana on the spell to cool down earlier, but in the time it took me to finish the walk, it had recharged a little bit, and the crystal only needed a drop of my ungated mana to identify what my mana gates were.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to change it to Malachi Roth Baker,¡± I said after a moment of hesitation.


    She nodded, and after a series of standard questions for my identification, she raised her index and middle fingers to tap the crystal I had my hand on.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be testing your legacy and mana gates now,¡± she said. ¡°They will be added to your ID, but it won¡¯t be publicly available. Are you ready?¡±


    I nodded, and the woman sent a pulse of mana into the crystal. Abruptly, two of the smaller crystals lit up, glowing a soft silver color.


    ¡°Two mana gates,¡± she said, then frowned at the silver. ¡°Undetermined mana type. Interesting. Did either of your parents have the ability to choose their mana types as their legacy?¡±


    I shook my head, and she shrugged.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not unheard of. You probably inherited it from an ancestor, or maybe manifested your own. Let¡¯s look at the specifics of your gift, then.¡±


    She cast another spell into the crystal, and I felt a strange sensation as the spell scanned me. Her eyebrows rose, and she consulted her clipboard for a moment.


    ¡°Your legacy is called Mana Mirror. It¡¯s not one I¡¯d heard of before, but it did come up as one that we have recordings of. Do you want me to call the details for you?¡±


    I nodded, and she lifted her hand from the crystal, then began to trace her fingers in the air.


    A complex spell drew itself out, and then a moment later, a powerful surge of mana poured into it. Third gate at the very least, maybe even fourth gate mana.


    She spoke some sort of passphrase into the spell, and after a few more moments, she raised her eyebrows as the knowledge spell came to an end and a sheet of paper appeared in her hands. She read it, then passed it to me.


    ¡°Mana Mirror,¡± I read aloud. ¡°This legacy was last recorded by Arcanist Lorkum Sratz in the year four hundred and seventeen of the Mossford calendar.¡±


    I¡¯d never heard of them, but it was possible that Lorkhum had been a relative of mine. Arcanists were powerful, exceptionally so, and I wasn¡¯t aware of being descended from any of them, but three centuries was more than long enough for the records of something like that to be forgotten.


    ¡°This gift allows the user to decide upon their mana type,¡± I continued. ¡°They open the gate of their chosen mana type, as well as its inverse mana type. Spells cast using a mix of opposing mana types are more efficient.¡±


    My eyes widened as I finished reading.


    That was a good legacy. I didn¡¯t have two mana types, then.


    I had four of them. And opposing mana types at that¡­


    ¡°I advise you to choose your mana types with a lot of care,¡± she said.


    ¡°I already know one of the ones I want,¡± I said. ¡°How do I transform my mana-gates from unspecified to the type I want? I need life mana, and that¡¯ll also grant me death mana, too.¡±


    As I said that, I felt something deep within my mana-garden stir. Energy began to swirl, and abruptly, one of the silver crystals dimmed. It went dark, and then light shone from two of the stones, one green and one purple.


    She shook her head and sighed.


    ¡°Not the choice I would have advised on, but I¡¯ll record it. Do you know what your second choice is?¡±


    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her as I considered what other mana types I may want, then shook my head.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. She nodded and added a few notes onto her clipboard.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll record your other as undecided, and once you select it, just swing by any Mossford records building, and you¡¯ll be able to update your ID.¡±


    I nodded, and she cast another spell. A few moments later, a thin wooden card appeared, printed with my name, picture, mana types, and date of birth.


    ¡°Just go through there,¡± the official said, pointing at the back door. ¡°There¡¯s a career fair going on in the gymnasium, and there are even a few mages who are looking for apprentices.¡±


    I nodded and pushed through the doors. With life and death mana, I should be able to join the Wyldwatch or the Spiritwatch.


    Maybe a mage would even take me in as an apprentice, though that was doubtful.

 Chapter Two

    Orykson floated in his castle, tinkering away with one of his projects, when a spirit flickered into existence next to him. He turned and glanced at his bound elemental.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, his voice a rich baritone. ¡°Have the results for the testing arrived already?¡±


    As he asked, he floated down towards the floor on a current of tightly controlled air and began to walk in the direction of his rooms.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the elemental said. ¡°There were two candidates who partially met your requirements this year. In the city of Pennington, there was a new college student with both life and spatial mana, who possessed an awareness enhancing legacy.¡±


    Orykson hummed as he stepped into the shower.


    ¡°And the other?¡±


    ¡°In Daocheng, there was a dropout with life and death mana.¡±


    Orykson hadn¡¯t been to Daocheng in almost a decade¡­


    He hoped Ikki was still doing well. The Time Prince was one of the few people for whom Orykson held genuine respect.


    ¡°What was their legacy?¡±


    ¡°An extremely powerful fire resistance,¡± the elemental answered.


    Orykson nodded slowly.


    ¡°Neither are perfect matches. Oh well, there¡¯s always next year¡­ though the one in Pennington could be interesting. Remind me to set them up for a job with the Wyldwatch, and if they are able to reach third gate with those resources, offer them a job in my life magic labs. Oh, and remind me to visit Ikki within the next few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the elemental said, bobbing its head. ¡°But¡­ there may also be one more. He¡¯s an even less perfect match, but the records were updated almost immediately on his choice.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Orykson asked, drying off his hair and slipping on one of his suits.


    ¡°He possesses two mana types, and a legacy that allows them to choose which mana to use.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly worth mentioning. If I wanted something so imperfect, I¡¯d just visit the student in Pennington. They at least have a useful legacy.¡±


    ¡°His legacy is a bit unusual,¡± the elemental said. ¡°This particular legacy is Mana Mirror. It grants him ¨C¡±


    ¡°I know what Mana Mirror does, though I am surprised that it¡¯s still around. He could potentially possess life, death, spatial, and temporal. I suppose enhancing the blending effects of life and death mana could be useful, too¡­¡± Orykson mused. ¡°He¡¯d certainly need to do some extra tinkering in one of the Sepulchers, but it possesses potential.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s part of why I decided to override your order about bringing up those with mana selection legacies. The other part was that he immediately selected life and death mana.¡±


    ¡°Really? Now that is curious¡­¡±


    Orykson ran a comb through his hair, tucked in his pocket watch, and glanced at the elemental.


    ¡°What are their records like?¡±


    ¡°No criminal record,¡± the elemental said. ¡°Mediocre performance in school, though recent psychological and physiological medical records lead me to believe that had to do more with struggling in a setting where he needed to stay still and read, rather than a lack of intellect. He performed exceptionally well in their mana flow studies, after all.¡±


    Orykson nodded his acknowledgement.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Mossford¡¯s capital city. Less than two hundred miles away.¡±


    Orykson cast a teleportation spell and appeared in a hall of Mossford College, where the government performed the testing. As he walked towards the gymnasium, an unpleasant sight crossed in front of him.


    ¡°Meadow,¡± he said flatly.


    The woman in front of him was nearing two centuries old, and she looked it. Her dark skin was covered in wrinkles from head to toe, and her hair had gone gray eight decades ago. She was hunched over on her walking stick ¨C a simple wooden affair.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Orykson,¡± she croaked, her eyes narrowing. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Hardly any of your business, old woman,¡± he said, though in truth, he was more than four times her age. She let it show, unlike him, and that grated on him more than it should have.


    A Magi should comport themselves better than that. Even when he¡¯d been mortal like her, he never would have allowed himself to age so visibly. He was certain that Ikki wouldn¡¯t have ever let himself look so decrepit, either.


    ¡°I don¡¯t fear death, Orykson. Not like you do.¡±


    ¡°Why keep yourself alive past when your body would normally fail, then?¡± he retorted, and she just sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to teach someone,¡± she said.


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Orykson said, ¡°I¡¯m here for a similar reason. Though, if he meets my criteria, I plan to actually take him on as an apprentice, not just teach him a handful of spells.¡±


    The woman was silent for a few moments as they walked towards the gym.


    ¡°Let me teach him life magic,¡± she finally said. ¡°Plant magic, at the very least, maybe a little bit of healing magic.¡±


    Orykson blinked. Out of everything his fellow Magi might have said next, that wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d expected.


    ¡°Why?¡± he demanded. ¡°You¡¯re a better plant mage than I am, and possibly a better healer. Why would you make my apprentice more powerful?¡±


    The only play that he could see was her pushing him into taking the imperfect fit as an apprentice, then corrupting the boy in order to help her kill him.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t unravel that mystery, Orykson, then you shouldn¡¯t think quite so highly of yourself,¡± Meadow said. ¡°The reason¡¯s simple: humanity.¡±


    ¡°Humanity?¡± Orykson asked, bewildered.


    ¡°You¡¯re catching some young person up in your games of power and politics, and it will be far too easy for him to lose their connections to others and become an island.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re referring to the fact that I don¡¯t take romantic or ¨C¡± Orykson began, before Meadow cut him off.


    ¡°Primes no, Orykson. I mean the fact that you sit in your tower, playing games with human lives, toying with the fate of nations like a power-mad child,¡± Meadow snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯m hardly the most inhumane or violent of the Magi,¡± Orykson protested. He was, admittedly, more than a little confused about what Meadow was trying to get at. He had friends, just not ones he¡¯d die for. Was putting himself first really so bad?


    ¡°The Death Queen is far more destructive and cruel than I am,¡± he finally said. ¡°And my labs provide a great deal of the magical infrastructure and research that keeps this half of the continent civilized.¡±


    ¡°Vivian¡¯s day will come,¡± the old woman responded. ¡°There will always be someone to slay monsters like her. But there isn¡¯t always someone to stop the ordinary evils you spread in the world.¡±


    Orykson shook his head. He had no idea what this madwoman was going on about. The part about the Death Queen¡¯s demise coming was true ¨C he accounted for her fall within the next two decades, at most.


    But he didn¡¯t know what she meant about ordinary evils. He wasn¡¯t a good man ¨C he knew that. But most of those he mentored went on to be successful spell crafters or researchers. It was rare for his experiments to go so wrong that they would cause large-scale damage. At worst, he had to terminate a handful of people to contain them.


    Well, there were a few cases that had gotten out of hand. But those were rather stark exceptions.


    Still, her inane ramblings about hope and family aside, he couldn¡¯t deny that she was an excellent plant mage. If she could pass on her lessons to his experiment, then it would likely surpass the baselines that he¡¯d outlined for its end performance.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he agreed. ¡°Conditions, however. He¡¯ll still be my apprentice. That means anything you teach him has to be run past me first. In addition, I can call an end to your lessons at any point. Finally, no more than one day a week with him. Solsdays only.¡±


    Meadow inclined her weathered head, and Orykson relaxed. That should stop her from being able to cause too much damage, at the very least.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, Springbringer, I need to ensure my future apprentice doesn¡¯t wind up in the hands of someone else.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Analyst.¡±


    Orykson teleported away then, annoyed by the conversation. He would have preferred to walk to the gym, but spending more time with Meadow would only irritate him further. Besides, he had to take care of the Wyldwatch and Spiritwatch before they could poach his new experiment.


    Orykson appeared behind the Wyldwatch representative, a forty-year-old Spellbinder who had been picking his way through the gym, looking for anyone with the willingness to reach Spellbinder ¨C as if it were some great accomplishment ¨C and to also take the substandard pay as a member of the Wyldwatch.


    As his teleport spell completed, his bonded elemental also appeared before the member of the Spiritwatch.


    He put his hand on the Wyldwatch representative¡¯s shoulder and he turned.


    ¡°Oh, hello. How can I help you, sir?¡± the representative asked, a bland smile plastered on his face.


    How refreshingly droll.


    ¡°Malachi Roth Baker. I presume he was on your list of candidates to check out?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¨C¡± the representative started, but Orykson cut him off.


    ¡°You¡¯re not offering him any work. He is my apprentice now. I¡¯d be happy to allow you to contact me for more information. I am willing to have him perform missions and jobs for you.¡±


    He handed the man a business card.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have the right to ask him and propose a counteroffer.¡±


    His bound elemental was having a much easier time with the representative it was speaking to than Orykson was. The Spiritwatch had sent someone competent to deal with candidates who had death mana, unlike this man sent by the Wyldwatch.


    This was stupid - every hospital, and even a few gardeners, would be going after people with life mana. Why send a buffoon like this to deal with the life mages?


    He took a breath to center himself. It was fine. Then he allowed a tiny bit of mana from his seventh gate to slip into his mana-garden.


    It wasn¡¯t enough to cast a spell, certainly not one of seventh gate. But it was enough to send a message.


    He pulled power from his fifth gate as well, this time enough to actually power a spell, and teleported away. The lingering strands of seventh gate mana hung in the air, excess power.


    If that didn¡¯t scare off the representative, he was more stupid than Orykson had given him credit for.


    Then, Orykson set off to find Malachi.

 Chapter Three

    I was wandering around the career fair when a mage approached me. The mage was taller than I was by only a few inches, making him rather short, and he was dressed in a sharply tailored suit.


    His skin was a shade or two darker than mine, but not by much. He was probably a fellow Mossford native, and unlike my brother, not one that saw the sun much.


    The middle-aged man had dark hair that was only beginning to show streaks of silvery white, and he smiled genially as I nodded to him.


    ¡°Hello, Malachi,¡± the man said. ¡°My name is Orykson. I wanted to discuss an opportunity with you. Would you mind speaking to me in my office about it?¡±


    He had an office here? That was strange. Maybe he wanted me to go to school here, or something like that.


    I¡¯d done pretty poorly in school when it came to the memorization stuff, but I was good with mana, so maybe that had redeemed me some? A lot of guilds didn¡¯t care about what your history class scores were, as long as your spellcasting was up to snuff.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I responded.


    This was a job fair, after all. It was a bit strange, but it was hardly concerning.


    The man nodded and flicked his fingers.


    A portal tore open in space next to him. On the other side was a richly appointed sitting room, with thick red and purple carpets and plush brown leather chairs.


    My eyes widened. Portal spells were powerful stuff. Even the weakest of them required you to be an Arcanist.


    It also raised my mental alarms a lot more, and I took a half a step back.


    ¡°How will I get back?¡± I asked.


    Orykson seemed to consider for a moment, then he gave me an approving nod and the portal shifted. Now, instead of looking out onto a private office space, it looked out onto a caf¨¦. A few customers gave the portal a curious look.


    ¡°This is a caf¨¦ I frequent,¡± Orykson explained. ¡°It¡¯s on the corner of Fifth and Eighth.¡±


    I relaxed a bit at that. That was a mile or two away from the bakery, but it wasn¡¯t so far that I¡¯d have to take a carriage back to the college. I actually thought I¡¯d seen the caf¨¦ before, though I¡¯d never visited it.


    Plus, more importantly, it was a public location, and had other people.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, and stepped through the portal.


    Orykson stepped through a moment later, and the portal snapped shut behind him.


    ¡°Hello there, Orykson!¡± one of the baristas, a tall woman with long blonde hair, greeted us. ¡°Usual for you today? Who¡¯s the friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Orykson said. ¡°And he¡¯s someone I¡¯m giving a job interview to.¡±


    He turned to me a moment later.


    ¡°What would you like?¡±


    ¡°Just some coffee. Iced, if you can,¡± I responded uncertainly. The barista nodded and went to work on our order while Orykson took a seat at one of the tables and gestured for me to sit next to him.


    I glanced at the door, just to reassure myself, before I turned my attention back to Orykson, dusted the crumbs off my chair, and sat.


    ¡°So, what is this about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Exactly what I told our young barista over there. I¡¯m here to offer you some work.¡±


    I shifted in my chair as Orykson slowly raked his eyes over me, then steepled his fingers together.


    ¡°Malachi. You¡¯re wearing a suit about three sizes too large for you - clearly something that you¡¯re not entirely comfortable in. It has mild staining. That¡¯s incongruous with your apparent fastidiousness. You instantly selected life and death mana, which happens to be rather interesting to me.¡±


    I felt a jolt of annoyance run through me at that. I hadn¡¯t come here to be insulted. Besides, suits were expensive, and it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d had the money to purchase one of my own. My work at the bakery didn¡¯t pay much, and I¡¯d spent a lot of it on changing out my wardrobe for everyday wear.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to guess you took that suit from your father or elder brother. Is that correct?¡± Orykson continued.


    ¡°Older brother,¡± I confirmed.


    Orykson tsked.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do at all. Every man needs at least five good suits. In my opinion, it¡¯s actually closer to ten, but that¡¯s a tangential point at best.¡±


    I stared at Orykson, confused.


    ¡°Why would you bring me here to criticize my clothing?¡± I asked.


    At least Orykson had done it in a¡­ weirdly positive way? It was still negative, but it was better than the terrible jokes that Liz¡¯s dad had made about my clothes.


    ¡°Ah, I suppose I didn¡¯t tell you that, did I?¡±


    He flicked his fingers and our drinks appeared on the table, having teleported from the counter where they¡¯d been placed.


    I took a wary sip of my drink. It tasted like a normal ¨C if high quality ¨C iced coffee.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you why you instantly chose life and death mana, first of all.¡±


    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± I asked, bristling slightly. This was the second time someone had suggested it was a poor choice, after all.


    ¡°Quite necessary,¡± Orykson said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying to the barista. I am giving you a job interview.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± I asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of you before, and you didn¡¯t introduce yourself as a member of a guild. The only magic I¡¯ve seen you use is portal magic, which is Spatial mana. I didn¡¯t choose Spatial mana.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Nor will you have to,¡± Orykson said smoothly. ¡°Though, I won¡¯t lie - I hope you eventually will. Now, let¡¯s head back to why you wanted those mana types?¡±


    I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.


    ¡°I wanted to join the Wyldwatch or the Spiritwatch. Their operatives make more than a baker does, and they usually operate solo or in small groups.¡±


    ¡°The higher salary and enhanced privacy would give you space and time to transition,¡± Orykson commented, his tone neutral.


    I paused for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.


    I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how Orykson had put it together this quickly. Maybe he had some sort of diagnostic spell, like a doctor, or some sort of magical item with a similar purpose.


    That was a more comforting idea than that I didn¡¯t pass, and a nasty part of the back of my head insisted that was a comforting lie I was telling myself, and that I didn¡¯t pass at all.


    ¡°That was part of it. On top of that, I¡¯ve always had an affinity for the forests and night. I was very invested in learning about spirits, undead, and monsters when I was in school. That whole aesthetic interested me.¡±


    Orykson gave me a condescending smile, but nodded.


    ¡°I can hardly judge you for that. I had my moments in my youth as well. I¡¯d like to offer you a better deal than what any of the three Watches could offer, however,¡± Orykson said.


    I scrunched my eyebrows together and nodded for Orykson to keep speaking. He took a sip of coffee first, then he continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for an apprentice that meets certain parameters. A strong affinity for life and death, and access to at least one other type of mana. Spatial is preferred, but others are acceptable to varying degrees.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the least acceptable?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Desolation mana,¡± Orykson said disdainfully. ¡°At least with the other major offensive types, like solar or tempest, there are multiple other spells to utilize the mana in other ways. Desolation is impossible to beat in terms of raw destruction, but in my experience, a bigger weapon is rarely the answer. The strongest mage in the world can lose to a smarter one.¡±


    Liz had desolation mana, so I felt like I should be offended on her behalf. It was a powerful and destructive mana type, after all, and destruction had its uses.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but agree. Creation and desolation mana were an interesting pair, but they didn¡¯t call to me in the same way as¡­ really any of the other pairs of mana.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°What would it entail?¡±


    Orykson smiled and took another sip of his coffee.


    ¡°Your apprenticeship will have several phases. For the first phase, you¡¯re going to learn plant magic on Solsdays from an¡­ associate of mine. She¡¯s a bit strange, but she¡¯s harmless. On Telsday and Liday, I¡¯ll have you working in a butcher¡¯s shop at first.¡±


    ¡°A butcher¡¯s shop?¡± I asked, confused. That didn¡¯t sound like a proper mage apprenticeship. It sounded like being apprenticed to a butcher.


    ¡°Learning about different sorts of bodies is important if you want to master both life and death magic. What¡¯s more, it will allow you to master your first handful of spells there. On Temsday and Phyday, you¡¯ll be pursuing public contracts for the Spiritwatch or the Wyldwatch, or else ones that I give you. You will have the weekends off.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see,¡± I said slowly. That still didn¡¯t sound like any apprenticeship I¡¯d ever heard of, but it at least explained the butcher shop section.


    It was still strange, though. The only time that I¡¯d be learning spells was from someone who wasn¡¯t my mentor.


    ¡°Your pay will start at thirty-five thousand silver a year, paid biweekly, and increase as your magical skill and power increases. Anything that you bring in through the contracts that you take will be yours to keep in full, of course. Housing will not be provided; however, uniforms and tools will be.¡±


    That made my eyebrows shoot up. Thirty-five thousand silver wasn¡¯t a lot, but it was also¡­ a lot. At least, it was to me.


    It was at least five thousand more a year than what I¡¯d make if I stayed as a baker ¨C probably even more than the pay I¡¯d make if I worked at home, since I was part of the family, and would likely need to sacrifice some of my pay.


    I didn¡¯t know how lucrative contract work was, but even if the pay wasn¡¯t great, I¡¯d still be making more than at any other point in my life.


    ¡°What¡¯s more, if you stick with me, I can assure you that you¡¯ll reach the point where you can begin transitioning with your own power within a year, rather than pouring money down the drain.¡±


    I repressed a swell of hope inside me ¨C transitioning was expensive. Having the tools to do it myself would be incredible¡­


    And completely unreasonable to achieve within a year.


    ¡°Even the most basic of those spells are third gate,¡± I said suspiciously. ¡°Are you claiming you can make me a Spellbinder within a year? That¡¯s ridiculous. My brother just advanced to Spellbinder, and he¡¯s four years older than me.¡±


    ¡°It only takes four years if you¡¯re doing it wrong,¡± Orykson said with a blandly confident smile.


    I frowned and shook my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I believe that, to be honest. You¡¯re telling me every school in the world is going about it the wrong way?¡±


    ¡°No, their way of going about it is correct. They¡¯d likely consider the method I use to be fundamentally flawed. You likely won¡¯t even know a dozen spells before you open your third gate and become a Spellbinder. I plan for you to perfect three utility spells, one mana harvesting spell, and one offensive spell.¡±


    Five spells to advance to Spellbinder? That was ridiculous. Ed had known six combat spells before he¡¯d even opened his second gate, and those were only combat spells.


    Liz knew more than thirty combat spells, despite her only having opened her second gate.


    And that wasn¡¯t accounting for non-combat spells for either of them!


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I asked in disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s no way I could reasonably do Wyldwatch contract work with one spell. And that¡¯s¡­ still not a lot of spells.¡±


    ¡°There would also be the plant magic that you¡¯d be learning from your other tutor. And if you decided to gain Spatial mana, I would also add the spatial anchor and spatial recall spells of first and second gate,¡± Orykson said with a shrug. ¡°But ultimately? Yes. Not very much real magic can be taught until you¡¯re a Spellbinder. The jump in mana from a second gate Practitioner to third gate Spellbinder is simply too large.¡±


    There was still one thing that was bothering me, though.


    ¡°You said I would perfect those spells. You expect me to master five spells in less than twelve months?¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Orykson said. I felt a bit of relief at that. He must have just meant that I needed to learn those spells well.


    ¡°I expect you to ingrain those five spells,¡± Orykson continued.


    I stared at him, mildly uncertain. I¡¯d heard of ingrained spells, but I didn¡¯t know much about them ¨C it wasn¡¯t something you could do with ungated mana, so my classes had glossed over them.


    ¡°Have you mastered a spell yet?¡± Orykson asked. ¡°To be frank, I assumed you had, given the scores in your classes. If you haven¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Four,¡± I said, letting a hint of pride leak into my voice despite myself. ¡°But they¡¯re all spells I use constantly as part of working at the bakery. It took me years to master them.¡±


    That actually seemed to give Orykson pause for a moment.


    ¡°Then you should have nothing to worry about,¡± he said. ¡°Ingraining is only one step further than mastery. You should be practicing the spells I teach you far more than you would the ones at your bakery. So, what do you say?¡±


    I studied the mage across from me. I didn¡¯t see how it was possible for me to ingrain any spell within a year, let alone five of them.


    At the same time, he was an Arcanist, and I wasn¡¯t. Surely, he¡¯d know better than I would.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll agree, but I want some clauses added to the contract. I need an out that will allow me to leave without punishment if I can¡¯t meet your insane expectations.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. I will, however, include a failure clause. If you can¡¯t match my benchmarks within a certain time period, then you¡¯ll be stripped of your title as my apprentice, and you¡¯ll instead need to repay me ten percent of money from whatever job you go on to get, in order to compensate me for the waste of my time. That will include the pay I spent on your salary, equipment, and my own personal time invested.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not paying for your time,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯d charge for, and that¡¯s a basic duty as a mentor anyways. Either manage the expectations, or don¡¯t charge for time.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Orykson said simply.


    ¡°How much for your time, then?¡± I rebutted.


    ¡°Ten thousand silver an hour,¡± he said, his voice completely level and serious.


    I almost spat out my coffee at that. That kind of hourly price was insane. Even most professional mages didn¡¯t charge a hundredth of that. Ten or fifteen hours of that much was enough to bring home an entire year¡¯s worth of a doctor¡¯s salary.


    ¡°You¡¯re an Arcanist, but I don¡¯t think your time is that valuable,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an Arcanist,¡± Orykson responded, and my eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°You¡¯re not? What are you, then?¡±


    In response, Orykson drew power from his seventh gate and let it fill the air around us. Even without a spell to structure the power, it hung in the air like an oppressive weight, gravity amplified a thousandfold.


    I struggled for breath at the crushing weight of the power.


    My vision started fuzzing and going gray at the corners.


    I sucked in a desperate gasp of air¡­

 (April Fools Chapter) Mana Legacy: Chapter One

    System Initializing¡­


    1%... 15%...


    I snapped awake with a start and took in a deep, shuddering breath.


    Where¡­ was I? I glanced around. This definitely wasn¡¯t my apartment. I slowly rose to my feet and glanced around.


    I was in a blasted wasteland. The ground was dry and arid, with scorch marks burnt into the ground. It was flat and rocky.


    78%...


    ¡°Did I get kidnapped and brought to Trinity, New Mexico?¡± I asked, to nobody in particular. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m dreaming. I don¡¯t usually dream in color.¡±


    I glanced down at myself. I was still wearing the same clothes I¡¯d gone to sleep in, my pajama pants and graphic tee standing out starkly against the sand and stone.


    100%. System Loaded.


    A gray screen with white text appeared in my vision, and I let out a yelp of surprise and scrambled back.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I asked. Was I on a show? No, I hadn¡¯t signed a waiver to appear on any sort of show like that, and I didn¡¯t think they could literally kidnap people in their sleep.


    I took a second to take a breath, then read the screen.


    New Quest: Welcome to Ddeaer. During the [REDACTED] event, powerful magic was used. An unintentional backlash of this reached across universal boundaries and transported your soul from Earth to Ddeaer, leaving a lifeless husk behind. You are currently in the Grim Waste, and need to reach the nearest town, which is to your east.


    Objective: Enter the town of Orilla.


    Rewards: 500 Silver, Mana Gate Choice (1/3).


    Accept? (Yes/No)


    I stared at the screen. It was like a video game quest, almost. I had no idea how much silver that was. In a lot of video games, gold was the base unit, but even then, it didn¡¯t tell me much.


    And that was ignoring the Mana Gate bit. I had no clue what that was meant to be. Did I have mana?


    At the thought, an image appeared in the bottom right of my vision. There was a small icon of my body in a bright green color, and next to it was a circle in a blue color. It had three silver dots on it, equidistant from one another.


    ¡°Stamina and mana? What about health?¡±


    Health: Full


    Mana: Full


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± I said. ¡°Why is health GREEN? Everyone knows health is supposed to be red.¡±


    I realized what I was saying and bit my lip. I still wasn¡¯t entirely sure about this. It could just be an unusually vivid dream. But even if it was a dream, there was no harm in playing along¡­


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    The quest vanished, and a mini-map appeared in the corner of my vision, with an arrow pointing me to a marker far to the east. I turned and began to walk.


    I walked.


    And walked.


    After what had to be several hours, judging by the movement of the sun, if nothing else, the landscape finally began to change, the sand turning more and more solidly into rock, and I thought I could see light on the horizon.


    I was relieved. All my walking had left me tired, sweaty, thirsty, and hungry. I was ready to get into a town.


    Suddenly, the earth underneath my feet began to rumble.


    New Quest: The Telluric Elemental. The Grim Waste is home to several magical creatures. One of the most common is the Telluric Elemental. Currently an Ungated Telluric Elemental is attacking you.


    Objectives: Kill or escape the Ungated Telluric Elemental.


    Rewards: 15 Silver, Bottled Water.


    This quest cannot be denied.


    I swore loudly as a sandy figure burst out from under my feet. I stumbled back and began to sprint to the side. The elemental moved shockingly fast, skating across the ground elegantly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t earth type creatures supposed to be tough and slow?¡± I asked to nobody in particular.


    I dodged back as the sandy elemental swung its fist at me, then leaned back in and gave it a kick to the side.


    I wasn¡¯t a great fighter. I¡¯d taken a few martial arts lessons in my youth, like a lot of middle class kids do, but I was far from an actual fighter.


    Even still, my foot tore off its arm. I was so surprised that I lost my balance and fell to the ground. The elemental closed in and punched me in the stomach. It hurt, but not as much as I feared. The green health indicator in my vision grew a bit less vibrant.


    I reached up and grabbed the elemental with both arms, then rose and threw it down. It burst apart in a splash of sand.


    Quest Complete: The Telluric Elemental. 15 silver and a bottle of water has been added to your inventory.


    You have defeated a Telluric Elemental. Telluric Elemental has been looted. A single portion of Ungated Telluric Sand has been added to your inventory


    ¡°I have an inventory?¡± I asked.


    Immediately, an inventory opened in my vision. It was a classic list inventory, though there was currently only three things in it ¨C the fifteen silver I¡¯d been awarded, the water bottle, and the sand. I focused on the water bottle and it appeared in my hand.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    It was a glass bottle to my surprise, and had no cap, but it was cool and refreshing.


    Item: Water Bottle. Common item, nonmagical. Water inside a simple glass bottle.


    I drained the entire bottle quickly ¨C the walk and brief fight had left me incredibly thirsty. I tried to put the water bottle back into my inventory, where it appeared as an empty bottle.


    I set off towards the town again. Despite how close it looked, it took me almost three more hours to get there, the flat ground skewing my ability to judge distance.


    When I finally arrived at the edge of town, I was surprised to see no wall around it, and only a few guards. One of them stepped over to greet me.


    ¡°Stop, what¡¯s your business in Orilla?¡±


    ¡°I wound up in the Grim Waste,¡± I said, jerking a thumb over my shoulder.


    ¡°How?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Frankly, I¡¯ve no idea,¡± I admitted, my brain churning to come up with a believable story, in case she pressed further. ¡°I do have five hundred silver though, so hopefully I can get an room and a meal?¡±


    She chuckled and shook her head.


    ¡°You must be from a huge city if that¡¯s what it costs you. That¡¯s enough to rent a room and board for ten days, easily.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief and nodded to her.


    ¡°But you really have no idea how you got out there?¡±


    ¡°I think,¡± I said slowly, ¡°There was some pretty big working of magic, and it caught me up in the backlash.¡±


    That was what the quest had said. I had no reason to think it was lying, but I also had no reference for what any of it meant. To my relief, the guard nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, out in the desert there was a huge spatial spell about fifty years ago,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s been messing with stuff ever since. We get a bunch of random, low powered monsters, and occasionally it snatches someone out of their bed and teleports them. It¡¯s been calming down, but I guess it grabbed you. Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°Bluffton,¡± I said, though that was in South Carolina, Earth, not anywhere on Ddeaer.


    ¡°Never heard of it, it must be pretty far from the Grim Wastes,¡± she said, raising her voice at the end, as if it was a question.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, ¡°very far. We don¡¯t really even have much magic back home.¡±


    ¡°Primes, really?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯d heard of a few backwaters that didn¡¯t have good magic, but¡­¡±


    I let out a dry laugh.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m happy to be here. My life at home was not good. I¡¯d love to see my sister, but anyone else? No, if I can learn magic here? I¡¯m happy to be here.¡±


    I¡¯d been so caught up in surviving that I hadn¡¯t really considered my family, or much more than getting to a town to sleep.


    My sister was going to wake up to see a lifeless husk in my bed. I felt a huge surge of guilt at that, but also a bit of relief. My sister was pretty much the only person who stood to inherit my life insurance money, and even though it wasn¡¯t anything massive, it should cover her doctors bills and college for a good while. My apparent death would help her.


    But I also needed to find a way to make it back to her, if I could.


    ¡°We can definitely do that,¡± the guard said as she stepped out of my path. ¡°Old Gerald has enough knowledge mana to run the tests on you, see what you¡¯re working with. He¡¯s on Kipperstreet.¡±


    New Quest: Magic on Ddeaer. You have arrived in town, and have been informed of a local diviner who will be able to assist you in learning your magical abilities.


    Objectives: Find Old Gerald and have him identify your legacy and explain magic.


    Rewards: Mana Gate Choice (2/3), Foundation Compacting Pill.


    Accept? (Yes/No)


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, nodding to her and stepping into the town. I mentally tried to agree to the quest, rather than speaking aloud, and was pleasantly surprised to see it accept.


    Quest Complete: Welcome to Ddeaer. Five hundred silver has been added to your inventory. You may now select the mana type for one of your gates.


    Available Mana Types: Solar, Lunar, Telluric, Tempest, Life, Death, Temporal, Spatial, Physical, Mental, Knowledge, Abnegation, Creation, Desolation.


    I had no clue what each of the mana types actually did, so I held off on picking a choice just yet, dismissing the screen and walking to Old Grerald¡¯s place. The guard had said a night¡¯s rest would cost me about fifty silver, so as long as he didn¡¯t charge an obscene amount, I should be able to afford to complete this newest quest.


    It took me a while to find Kipperstreet, but eventually I found a place called ¡®The Curious Mage¡¯, which I presumed had to be the place the guard had told me about. I stepped inside, expecting a room full of incense and crystals, darkly lit, like that of a palm reader from Earth.


    Instead, it resembled a secondhand bookstore more than anything, with shelves of books in various states of ware, a simple checkout counter, and an old man who was missing a few teeth sitting behind it.


    ¡°Evening, sonny,¡± he said, ¡°you caught me right before I closed up. What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°A guard by the entrance told me that I could probably get a legacy test here, and have my mana types explained?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°It¡¯ll run you¡­ Eh¡­ Seventy silver?¡±


    I thought about withdrawing seventy silver from my inventory as I reached into my pocket, and immediately my pocket bulged with the coins. I was glad they were small. I slid them across the table to the man.


    He looked at them and squinted.


    ¡°These are blanks. Unminted silver.¡±


    ¡°Is that going to be a problem?¡± I asked, nervous.


    ¡°Nah, sonny. Most banks accept unminted coins, so they¡¯re used by a lotta travelers. Just wasn¡¯t expectin¡¯ it, that¡¯s all.¡±


    That was fairly convenient.


    ¡°What now?¡± I asked.


    The old man raised his hands and waved them through the air, as if he was painting something. I felt a tingle of something I¡¯d never felt before, and then he lowered his hand.


    Suddenly he began to speak in a strange voice.


    ¡°Legacy identified: The System. This legacy equips the user with a game interface that encompasses health and mana markers, quests, looting, inventory, and more. This is a choice type legacy. This user is equipped with three mana gates.¡±


    He blinked and then nodded.


    ¡°Hope you got that, Sonny. I¡¯ve never heard of a legacy like it, but it sure does sound useful.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± I said with a nod. ¡°But what does it mean it¡¯s a choice type legacy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that means you get to choose which mana types you gain access to. They¡¯re a bit rare, but far from unheard of. My niece has one.¡±


    After a moment he let out a dry chuckle and added.


    ¡°Admittedly, hers doesn¡¯t come with all that other stuff. It does let her master spells quicker, though.¡±


    ¡°Sounds useful,¡± I said with a nod. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I come from a region where we don¡¯t really use magic. I¡¯ve not even had the most basic of magic education. I don¡¯t know a single spell. Nothing. Can you help?¡±


    He nodded, and we spent a while discussing magic, and what each type of mana could do. Eventually, however, I left the bookshop with a small book of ungated spells to start with, and a few ideas about what I was going to do.


    As soon as I stepped out of the shop, I got a series of notifications. I paused and read through them one at a time.


    Quest Complete: Magic on Ddeaer. A Foundation Compacting Pill has been added to your inventory. You may now select the mana type for one of your gates.


    Available Mana Types: Solar, Lunar, Telluric, Tempest, Life, Death, Temporal, Spatial, Physical, Mental, Knowledge, Abnegation, Creation, Desolation.


    I didn¡¯t know what the Foundation Compacting Pill did, so I pulled it from my inventory.


    Item: Foundation Compacting Pill. Legendary, First Gate. This pill will compact all the power within your first gates, instantly transforming all currently mastered spells into ingrained spells.


    I whistled. I definitely could get used to this system. I looked over the next mission.


    New Quest: The Long Road Home. In order to get home, it will take extreme levels of magic, more than any single mage could manage. If you wish to return home, you will need the assistance of the three greatest spatial mages on Ddeaer: The Space King, The Analyst, and The Keeper.


    Objectives: Open a universal link to Earth from Ddeaer.


    Rewards: [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED], 5,000,000,000 silver.


    Accept? (Yes/No)


    I stared at the quest for a long time. I didn¡¯t like that the quest rewards were redacted ¨C wasn¡¯t this supposed to be my own power?


    I did want to return home, though. I didn¡¯t have much that I wanted to do, but I did want to offer my sister a way here. Our lives were horrible on Earth.


    But maybe on Ddeaer, we could start fresh, and actually make something of ourselves.


    I let out a sigh as I headed towards the nearest inn. I was a long way from any sort of legendary hero. For now, I just needed to sleep.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter One

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    When we finally got to the front of the line, we were greeted by an older woman who quickly took each of our cards, checked them over, snapped them in half, and gestured for us to board.


    ¡°Thank you for your time,¡± the old woman said as she gestured. I nodded to her, but didn¡¯t want to take more of her time, so I just boarded.


    The ship was large.


    I think.


    I¡¯d never been on a ship before, but this was one of the biggest ones on the dock, by far, and if it weren¡¯t for some mild spatial warping, it wouldn¡¯t have fit at all. By stretching out my spatial sense, I got the idea it was at least eight hundred feet long, but more detail than that was hard to find.


    We were greeted by a man who was dressed like a waiter at a Vinopaen restaurant ¨C black slacks, a black vest, black tie, and white button down shirt.


    ¡°Hello, and thank you for your time,¡± the server said. I was starting to wonder if that was their motto when he continued. ¡°I won¡¯t waste it. Here are your room keys¡­ I¡¯m afraid you all will have to double bunk.¡±


    He paused, waiting for us to protest, while the next group moved up the ramp and was greeted by a different member of the staff ¨C or was it crew? Was crew only for sailors?


    When none of us protested, he gave us a relieved smile.


    ¡°While you¡¯re on board, you¡¯re entitled to three meals each day at our dining hall, and if you would like additional entry or room service, there is a small fee,¡± the waiter said. He continued, droning on about how we could book time in their training hall, or help ourselves to the pool, but I mostly tuned him out, until he talked about the schedule.


    ¡°This is our first stop after our departure from Suntorch,¡± he said. ¡°As such, we will first be sailing north to Dragontooth, in order to pick up their cardholders, and then sailing west to stop in Delitone.¡±


    ¡°Delitone?¡± Kene asked, sounding surprised.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the waiter said. ¡°They will be the last of the cardholders to arrive onboard, after which we will be sailing to the island where the Idyll-Flume is located.¡±


    We nodded our agreement, and then we were dismissed to go do¡­ Whatever.


    Kene and I had already eaten breakfast, and both Liz and Travis claimed to have as well, so we just wandered around the top decks for a while before Liz suggested we book some time in the training room.


    All of the earliest spots had been snagged by the Suntorch teams, and their curlier writing style was interesting to look at, at least to me, but we still managed to nark us down for a few training sessions after our arrival at Dragontooth.


    When we were leaving, the training room opened and a group of people emerged. There were four of them, but three were obviously subservient to the leader ¨C they even flanked him, like bodyguards.


    The center man, who only looked a few years older than us, greeted us with an easygoing smile, but I didn¡¯t really notice it.


    I was caught up looking at his wings.


    I¡¯d seen demihumans before, of course. Ivy was one, and if you wanted to argue it, you could call Kene or Riley demihuman as well.


    But wings were, well, cool. And honestly, the man who they were attached to managed to pull off their elegance quite well.


    He was tall, nearly six and a half feet, with broad red wings spreading from his back. His hair was white, with red streaks running through it, and he rippled with gentle muscle that was obvious through his rather sheer outfit.


    I glanced away, not wanting to stare.


    ¡°Pardon us,¡± one of the guards said.


    ¡°No, Zara,¡± the leader said, putting a hand onto her shoulder. The guard ¨C Zara, presumably ¨C paused immediately and stood at attention.


    ¡°My name is Kamal,¡± the leader said, extending his hand. Liz shook it and grinned at him.


    ¡°Liz. This is Kene, Travis, and Malachi,¡± she said.


    ¡°A team?¡± Kamal asked. ¡°We still have another twenty minutes in the training room. We could use an opponent.¡±


    ¡°A loose team,¡± Kene said.


    ¡°The offer stands,¡± Kamal said genially. I glanced at Liz, who shrugged.


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± Travis murmured to Liz.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°We do need the team building,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Fine by me,¡± Kene agreed.


    I mentally urged Dusk to stay in my pocket, not wanting to risk her being found out so soon ¨C or by someone so obviously powerful.


    Our group of eight ¨C and the secret Dusk ¨C trundled inside, and Kamal and his crew formed a tight battle formation.


    We¡­ did not.


    Travis stood right by Liz and unleashed his aura.


    A bright red corona of power burnt around him, enveloping both himself and Liz.


    I stood in front of Kene ¨C he was healing and support, after all ¨C and Liz moved to do the same.


    ¡°On three,¡± Kamal called. ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± Liz followed.


    ¡°Three,¡± Kamal finished.


    As soon as he finished speaking, bright red feathers burst from his hands and moved towards us. In the same instant, all three of his guards cast spells as well, each one releasing a glowing orb that rotated around Kamal¡¯s head like an orbiting crown. One ball was gray, one green, and one black.


    Liz and Travis were moving too, though. Travis¡¯ aura swirled into a suit of armor around him, shrinking its size slightly, and Liz whipped out with a shadow whip.


    The shadows struck the feathers and ripped right through. Kamal and his guards had a second to look shocked before they began their response spell.


    But I had only been a second slower than the battlemages. Briarthreads wrapped around me, and then runes swirled into existence at their ends. I Foxstepped into the middle of their formation and let loose with my attacks.


    Kamal¡¯s three orbs glowed brighter ¨C or darker, in the case of the black orb ¨C and the fire runes dimmed. My lashing briars were caught by the gray orb, and the green orb¡­ Did nothing.


    The guards moved like a well oiled machine, though. Two broke off to engage Liz, who was now releasing slicing arcs of water in staggering amounts, followed by red bolts of force, all amplified by flaming runes.


    I couldn¡¯t pay much attention to that fight, though, because I was in one of my own. Zara compressed her hands together, then swung at me with a force blade, while Kamal released a torrent of more feathers.


    There was no way I¡¯d be able to dodge both, so I just Foxstepped out of the way, then unleashed Pinpoint Boneshards at the pair.


    It bounced off of the gray orb that Kamal had, and Zara cast a force shield just in time.


    But, thanks to Orykson, I could handle that trick. I let the shard drop to the ground, then sent it ricochetting back upwards at her stomach.


    It caught her, but my attention was quickly diverted by the feathers Kamal was sending my way.


    It looked like he only had one trick, but I had to admit, it was a good one. Much to my annoyance¡­


    The green orb was doing something, but I couldn¡¯t see what, I was too busy using Briarthreads to strike down feathers. Kamal had packed so much mana into each feather, though, that even with me overcharging them, it took three briars to strike down a single feather.


    The only reason I¡¯d hung on this long was because my own aura pin was pushing them back, its overclocked state really showing its worth.


    But it couldn¡¯t hold them off further, and as force bolts began to pepper into the spray, my mana ran dry.


    I reached for Burn Future to call more, but it was blocked by Ikki¡¯s seal. I mentally cursed ¨C and thanked ¨C him as the feathers touched my suit.


    And dissolved.


    ¡°Out!¡± Zara called.


    I sighed, but was forced to agree. Dusk sent me a soothing thought as I took my seat on a bench at the end of the room and watched the battle play out.


    From what I could tell, Liz, Travis, and Kene had been winning their fight when it had been three on two ¨C hardly a surprise, especially since Liz¡¯s attacks hit with an absurd power that outmatched anyone else I¡¯d seen below third gate.


    But when Kamal and Zara joined the fight, it quickly turned the other way. Kamal¡¯s attacks were a shade weaker than Liz¡¯s, but not enough for my ragtag team to be worn down by the barrage of feathers, force, and what I thought might be paralytic spells and¡­ Binding spells? I wasn¡¯t really sure.


    Liz went down first, because they focused on her, and after that, it was all but over. Travis didn¡¯t last much longer, and Kene just surrendered.


    Not that I could blame them. If I¡¯d been them, I would have done the same.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Kamal said, going around and shaking each of our hands, and complimenting each of us on what we¡¯d done well.


    I got the sense that he had noted down what we¡¯d done poorly too, but I couldn¡¯t entirely blame him.


    ¡°If any of you want to team up at all,¡± Kamal said. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to work alongside you all.¡±


    Liz said something noncommittal, and Kamal nodded, then nodded to Kene.


    ¡°Tall dark and handsome here is your healer?¡±


    I Foxstepped next to Kene and took his hand in my own. Kene glanced at me and smiled.


    ¡°Babe, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    I paused. Had Kene ever called me babe before? I wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°I am,¡± Kene said, addressing Kamal. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to heal you, for the right price.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kamal said. ¡°I would expect nothing less.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m collecting the golden elixir,¡± Kene said.


    ¡°Hah. Aren¡¯t we all¡­¡±


    Liz shot Kamal an odd look, but he just waved it off.


    We exchanged another round of pleasantries before we started another round of fighting, which ended with our solid losses again ¨C at least this time, I was the third to go down.


    Not that it was much of an accomplishment. They¡¯d picked Liz out as the threat and put her down fast. Travis hadn¡¯t lasted much longer, and with Kene and I working together, we fell onto the old habits of healing and buffing me to fight, but I still hadn¡¯t lasted long.


    After our second round came more idle pleasantries, and then we were free to go.


    ¡°Well, that was informative,¡± Kene said. ¡°I think I need to find another buff spell or two, so I¡¯m not a one trick pony.¡±


    ¡°Probably wise,¡± Liz agreed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to nip off the boat in Dragontooth to get one, then come back before the boat leaves. Just make sure to take your room key.¡±


    We chatted about more potential strategies, but were interrupted when the wards engaged and we started sailing. The rumble of the ward generators flowed through the entire ship, and with the movement of the boat, walking around became harder for me. Kene started looking nauseous, and took one of his pills for that.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we just fly?¡± Kene groaned as we made our way to our room. I gently rubbed his back, then fumbled for the room key.


    Then dropped it when I saw who was walking down the hall.


    Standing side by side were two people I recognized.


    One I didn¡¯t mind at all ¨C Riley, the vampire who I¡¯d had a few run ins with.


    The other¡­


    Had the organized the rooms alphabetically by first name?


    They had to have. There was no other way to explain it. My luck wasn¡¯t that bad.


    Because walking next to Riley was the start of a bad joke ¨C a vampire and a werewolf walk into a ship¡­


    Mallory Emsley Cromwell gave me a tight smile, and Riley waved.


    ¡°Hey Malachi!¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Two

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Mallory gave me a tight nod, then looked at Riley.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you two catch up. I¡¯ll be in the room.¡±


    She slid out of the way, and I breathed a small sigh of relief. I hadn¡¯t wanted a confrontation with Mallory, and though we¡¯d ended things on¡­ okay¡­ terms, I couldn¡¯t imagine that the loss had done well for her pride.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna lie down,¡± Kene announced, pecking my cheek before sliding into our cabin.


    Once both of the doors were shut, Riley arched their eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re shacking up with a hag?¡±


    I normally might have blushed at the implications in that statement, but I was too annoyed by the last part.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t a hag,¡± I said. ¡°Not yet. Not ever, if I have anything to say about it.¡±


    Riley held up their hands in a ¡®don¡¯t shoot the messenger¡¯ gesture.


    ¡°Sorry, I was just going off the smell.¡±


    ¡°Moonlit graveyard?¡±


    ¡°Moonlit graveyard,¡± they agreed, then eyed me. ¡°You aren¡¯t a vampire, though, how did you know that?¡±


    ¡°Vampiric Senses spell,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh. So what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°My old mentor arranged for me to go as a last act of charity,¡± I said. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°My boss ¨C the hag you met ¨C told me to go, and to go with Mal. Oh no, this is going to be confusing. You¡¯re Mal One now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Mal Two is going to like that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, then Two should have met me first,¡± they grinned. ¡°But in all seriousness, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing here. I was just ordered to go. Something about the Emsley clan of werewolves and the hag. But I¡¯m basically Mallory¡¯s servant for now.¡±


    I winced at that, and they shrugged.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t so bad.¡±


    I just nodded, then we stood there in silence for a long moment. I finally gave Riley a very awkward handshake before heading into the cabin.


    It wasn¡¯t too bad. About as big as my own bedroom, but with a pair of bunk beds, instead of a single one. Kene had slung themselves onto the bottom bunk, so I glanced at the ladder.


    Dusk popped her head out of my pocket and looked up at me, annoyingly chirping that she didn¡¯t like to just sit around for so long.


    ¡°You have an entire five acre realm you could go to,¡± I pointed out.


    She huffed and hopped out of my pocket, drifting over to the tiny desk provided. I sat at the foot of Kene¡¯s bed and glanced at them.


    ¡°You doing okay?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± they said. ¡°I just¡­ Get motion sickness. Flying Isn''t bad at all, but boats? Ugh¡­¡±


    I rubbed their arm gently and stayed with them.


    It took us three days to dock in Dragontooth, and my first impression was¡­ Cold.


    I thought that Mossford winters were cold, but in Dragontooth, the ships wards had to actually crash trough ice in order to make it to port, and the entire landscape was absolutely coated in snow, even though it was just into Frost-Creep.


    Kene left the boat quickly, aided by a pair of pills from their storage ring, headed for the nearby public library. I watched the new people boarding.


    They were all interesting, one girl even having two small spirits that looked vaguely like cutouts in reality.


    But there was one person who blew them all away.


    A dragon, with blue-white scales, tightly swept back horns, and snow white wings, swept down onto the decks with a loud thundering. They were easily the size of a horse, and when they landed, they held out one of the Idyll-Flume cards.


    ¡°D-do you have a companion?¡± a very nervous attendant asked.


    ¡°No,¡± the dragon growled.


    People shuffled away, and I thought I understood why Ivy¡¯s parents had rushed him to reach third gate as soon as possible. The dragon was just another person, but most people didn¡¯t think that way.


    I¡­ got it. If I hadn¡¯t seen Ivy¡¯s draconic form, and met several dragons, then the overwhelming power the dragon was giving off would have thrown me off too.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    It wasn¡¯t just the mana that they were putting out ¨C the dragon was strong, but my bar for draconic strength was skewed. This one had none of the absurd depths that Ivy¡¯s power had, though they were definitely stronger than a normal second gate mage.


    It was the strength of their body, the weight of every swish of their tail. Sure, they weren¡¯t the size of some of the ones from myth, the size of an entire house, but¡­ They were also only second gate.


    In a fight between myself and the dragon, I would have put my money on the dragon.


    It was harder to say when I tried to measure up the dragon against Kamal or Liz. But I didn¡¯t want to say I¡¯d bet against the dragon. I just wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d bet for them either.


    ¡°I¡¯m.. Not sure we have quarters suitable for you,¡± the attendant said.


    ¡°I shall lie on deck,¡± the white scaled dragon said, curling up like a cat and thumping down, though its eyes swept over the deck.


    ¡°O-oh, I see,¡± the attendant said, then scurried off.


    I chained together a few Foxsteps to approach the dragon. There was a ring of clear space around it that most people seemed to be unconsciously enforcing, but I stepped over the invisible line.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Malachi,¡± I said. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    The dragon looked at me, then let out a slow rumble of laughter.


    ¡°You may call me Aputathrax,¡± they said. ¡°Why do you approach me, little human?¡±


    ¡°Little human?¡± I asked, crossing my chest. ¡°Please, you don¡¯t have to pull that act. I saw your display, it was very impressive, but you¡¯re not all that much stronger than me. If nothing else, I know I could escape you.¡±


    The dragon locked eyes with me, staring intently. I stared back, defiant. I¡¯d had one dragon try to mess with me by pulling the human stereotypes about nature spirits and dragons.


    ¡°Call me Aput,¡± the dragon finally said, more rumbling laughter rolling out of their chest. ¡°But in all seriousness, is there anything you need?¡±


    ¡°No, I just wanted to say hello,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°I could feel enough of your magic to get a sense you¡¯re going to be a real contender.¡±


    ¡°You must have impressive senses,¡± the dragon named Aput said. ¡°And a truly formidable veil. You feel like you¡¯re on the middle-lower half of the people on the ship.¡±


    ¡°Hah, no veil,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m really that weak. But I only woke up my magic about¡­ Eight months ago?¡±


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Aput said, nodding his head slightly. ¡°But you don¡¯t contest the senses.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Why do you not have someone with you?¡±


    ¡°Mother wants this to be my coming of age ceremony,¡± the dragon said with a sniff. ¡°I¡¯d have to find my own people to work for me.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I said. ¡°I was involved in one of those not long ago myself.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    I told Aput the story of the terragon egg, though I made sure to tell him the version that I told the Wyldwatch, and he nodded.


    Kene arrived a while later, and I introduced the pair, then left to go get lunch.


    Liz, Kene, Travis, and I all had training after lunch, and we worked on cooperative drills. Liz split them into two types ¨C pairs, and full team. It made sense to me ¨C Kene and I would be likely to split off to do our own thing, after all.


    It took us four days to arrive in Delitone, and I made sure I was up on the top deck to watch as we approached.


    Dragontooth was our northern neighbor, it was similiar to us. Colder, icier, and it had stereotypes of being meaner, but¡­ Still similiar.


    Delitone, though¡­ They were a wild city-state. That was neat, new, interesting.


    As we sailed in, at first I thought they were snowed in too, which didn¡¯t make sense. It was way too warm outside. Oh, sure, it was still winter, but it felt like a slightly chilly spring day in Mossford.


    As we drew closer, the blurry city resolved into the shapes of buildings, carved from marble that had thin streaks of blue running through it. The sunlight shimmered off the white and blue stone, giving the entire city a slightly ethereal appearance.


    Now that I was closer, other color stood out too. Most of the buildings seemed to have domed, almost onion shaped, roofs, and each roof was painted in a vibrant color. Some shade of blue seemed to be popular, but I spotted reds, oranges, yellows, and greens scattered throughout the city as well.


    Thirteen tall towers stood around the city, the only buildings with unadorned roofs, and even from here I could see glowing mana that ran along the towers, linking to one another in some sort of defensive formation or ward.


    Made sense. They were a wild city, after all. Monster attacks would be more common.


    The docks were also made of the white-blue marble, and I wondered how they were able to keep them afloat and matching with the tides. Some sort of telluric enchantment, maybe?


    The crowd of people who had a token in Delitone was far smaller than the crowds in Dragontooth, only about twenty or so.


    One man, though, stood out immediately.


    He was handsome, with unnaturally vibrant blue eyes, brown hair that had been braided in the back, a smattering of freckles that stood out against his pale skin, and traveler¡¯s garb, complete with a backpack and messenger satchel.


    He had a will-o-wisp bobbing between his fingers, and my own peacepyre floated out of Dusk¡¯s realm in response, bobbing happily.


    His other hand, however, rested atop the head of a vibrant yellowish-gold terragon. She was only about the size of a large dog, which was smaller than she should have been.


    I swept my mana senses out across the decks and over him. A few things tugged at my attention as I did.


    First, the terragon was only second gate. Normally, a terragon didn¡¯t hatch until they were already third gate, so something must have happened to her.


    Second, the man had some sort of connection to the terragon, and to the will-o-wisp. It reminded me of my own connection to Dusk, in a way.


    Third, the man¡¯s satchel was stuffed to the brim with magical plants and alchemical concoctions, almost all of which had clearly been made with the same sky-like power of his terragon.


    And finally, I felt a gust of fortune blow across my spirit.


    The man looked up and locked eyes with me, then gave me a cheerful wave.


    Dusk crawled out of my pocket, whistling that there was no point in hiding from him ¨C he¡¯d already sensed our bond. I nodded and headed over to the entrance, then waited for the man to board. He was given a room key, then smiled at me.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said, extending a hand. ¡°My name¡¯s Octavian. This little rascal is Araceli, and my will-o-wisp is named Roh.¡±


    ¡°Malachi,¡± I said. ¡°This is Dusk, and my peacepyre.¡±


    Now that he was closer, I could see that his own will-o-wisp looked slightly more¡­ Alive¡­ than normal, with a face and small, nub-like arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a warlock,¡± Octavian said. ¡°I thought you were at first.¡±


    ¡°No, Dusk and I just have a special bond. Odd circumstances.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Octavian said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear the story.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to tell you, but I have a quick question: could I get to the dragon sanctuary and back before the boat leaves in a few hours? I have a delivery from Professor Azalea Greenscale.¡±


    Octavian thought for a moment, then shook his head.


    ¡°No, sorry. You could get there in time, but it isn¡¯t a petting zoo. It takes about a week for them to vet you, and a while to pass through the wards and stuff. I don¡¯t think rushing there, saying you have a delivery, and asking them to vet you during the competition is wise.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to do it another time. Say, how about I trade you the story of how Dusk and I met for how Araceli¡¯s already hatched?¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Three

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Well, it took a lot of work,¡± I said. ¡°Have you ever aspected a demiplane before?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve helped,¡± Octavian said, nodding. ¡°It takes a lot of effort, time, and magic to manage.¡±


    I glanced oddly at him and he shrugged.


    ¡°We use them for some of the more dangerous eggs we have to incubate.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± I said. ¡°Well, my mentor helped a lot, I couldn¡¯t have done it without her. But we aspected the demiplane to forest mana and bound the entry point into a nascent blob of forest power with a lushloam seed. The entry point, forest power, and seed all fused together and, well, Dusk popped out. A spirit who can open her way to a demiplane.¡±


    I figured if I blamed it on existing power, a rare seed, and a demiplane, it would make Dusk sound rare, but not as exceptional as the full spirit of an astral plane.


    ¡°Oh, interesting,¡± Octavian said, nodding. ¡°Spirits can do weird stuff like that from time to time, supposedly. Never heard of that specifically, but I do know of a frog that sometimes does something similar.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yep. They¡¯re called¡­¡± Octavian screwed up his face, thinking. ¡°I think they¡¯re called stomach storage frogs? Something of that sort, at least. I¡¯m afraid the story of how Araceli and I met is rather less interesting. You¡¯re right that terragon aren¡¯t normally born until they¡¯re third gate, but Araceli¡¯s egg was found by a group of poachers and mishandled. My mom, Granny Kater, caught and¡­ dispatched them, but the egg had already cracked. Araceli was losing her built up stores of energy fast, and without a solidified mana-garden to account for the loss, she wouldn¡¯t have made it.¡±


    I gestured at Octavian.


    ¡°You said you were a warlock. Your legacy saved her?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he agreed. ¡°My legacy lets me construct bonds between my unchosen mana gates, and pass mana and energy between bonds. I bonded to her, and passed all of the mana I could to her, until she was able to stabilize her mana-garden. Still, she was only first gate, as was I.¡±


    Dusk peeped out a question, asking if that was why she was so calm on the boat, and Octavian shook his head.


    ¡°Nah, nothing of that sort. She¡¯s just been more socialized from an early age than most terragon are. Plus, just ¡®cuz they used to have a tendency to eat people doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re inherently that way. They got hunted for a long time, it¡¯s only natural they¡¯d have a base distrust of humans.¡±


    ¡°Hah. I think I get that,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s like how if you raise a wolf around people, it¡¯s going to be tame.¡±


    ¡°Tame, but still wild,¡± Octavian agreed. ¡°Araceli may be well behaved, but she¡¯s still draconic.¡±


    He patted her head affectionately, and she rolled so she could nibble at his fingers.


    ¡°She¡¯s a sweetheart,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯ve never seen her breed before. It¡¯s very tempest-forward, though, like how forest terragon are life-forward.¡±


    ¡°Sky dragon mana,¡± Octavian explained as we wound our way around the deck of the boat, passing by a small black cat licking its paw. I tried to call it over, but it just flicked its tail.


    ¡°Sky?¡± I asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a sky dragon be blue?¡±


    ¡°Some are. They come in two variants ¨C blue and gold. Blue have a bit more lunar, and more command over storms and shadow, while gold have more solar and control over clear skies and light.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I commented, ¡°I guess I can see it.¡±


    Dusk waved her hand and pulled out a strip of beef jerky. I stared at her.


    ¡°Where did you get that?¡±


    Araceli also focused on the stick of meat, sitting on her haunches and letting her tongue loll out.


    Instead of answering me, Dusk tossed the strip into the air, and Araceli leapt up, snapping her jaws around it and swallowing it down.


    Dusk let out a cheer and furious applause, and I shook my head, smiling.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to spoil my dragon,¡± Octavian said, though he didn¡¯t actually seem that upset. Dusk just let out a wind-woosh and told him that she deserved it.


    ¡°But seriously, where did you get it?¡± I asked her.


    She chirped like a bird to say she¡¯d gotten it from the boxes Liz left us, and I ran a hand through my hair.


    ¡°Okay, just¡­ don¡¯t take anything else, okay? That¡¯s for us to eat. Just because I can make nutrient potions doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m able to stretch food infinitely.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an alchemist, then?¡± Octavian asked, sounding interested. Dusk proudly told him that her demiplane let her grow plants.


    ¡°Really?¡± he said, then glanced at me. ¡°I¡¯d love to trade some with you. I have some plants you may not, and vice versa. Wanna grab lunch and discuss?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Abruptly, I realized that a very pretty man was asking me to lunch. Even if it was to discuss work¡­


    ¡°Let me grab my partner, Kene, and I¡¯d love to. They¡¯re a better alchemist than I am,¡± I said.


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Octavian said. ¡°It¡¯ll be good to meet some new people. None of my family other than Araceli and Roh were able to earn a ticket.¡±


    At its name, the will-o-wisp flickered its face into a small smile and waved one tiny arm of ghost-fire. I waved back to them and then left to head down below decks, to the cabin, where I explained things to a slightly green looking Kene. The story actually seemed to interest them some, and they took the pillow off their face, while Dusk leapt off my shoulder to go speak to the brownies in her realm.


    ¡°A baby terragon using potion magic? That¡¯s interesting for sure. Let me take something to let me keep lunch down, and get ready, and sure, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°You look fine,¡± I reassured them, and they just grunted. A quick change of clothes and a small vial of orange colored liquid later, and they looked much more like their normal self ¨C gray tank top, skirt, and jeans, with a hoodie.


    More importantly, their stomach settling potion ¨C the sterner version of the pills ¨C had them acting much more like their normal self as well.


    ¡°Now, with how jealous you were about Kamal, should I be worried about this Octavian?¡± Kene smirked at me, and elbowed my side slightly. ¡°And you knew that vampire too. Are you just going around collecting monster people? Should I have been the one worried about Kamal? Oh, and you knew Ivy too¡­ And Mallory, she¡¯s a werewolf, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°I wish I had a water spell,¡± I said wistfully, and Kene raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Seeing his look, I continued. ¡°That way, I could drench you for those implications. Blademoss, Pinpoint Boneshard, or even Fungal Lock are too aggressive. They don¡¯t work Also, I don¡¯t think Octavian is a monster person. He¡¯s more of a monster tamer.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re not a water mage, then,¡± Kene said, smirking again before kissing my cheek.


    We found Octavian at a table in the dining hall, speaking to a tall, slender woman with white hair. When he saw us, he waved us over.


    ¡°This is Cetty,¡± he introduced.


    ¡°Cettilyn Carter,¡± she said, shaking each of our hands. ¡°Delitone¡¯s Blue Serpent Auction House. I¡¯ll be running the weekly auctions. Pleasure to meet both of you.¡±


    ¡°Malachi,¡± I said, and Kene introduced themself as well.


    ¡°How do you know Octavian?¡± Kene asked, and Cettilyn¡¯s eyes sparkled with mirth.


    ¡°The Blue Serpent Auction House has a standing deal with the dragon sanctuary,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve had more than a few interactions with little Tavi.¡±


    ¡°Cetty!¡± Octavian said. ¡°I hate that nickname. Granny gets to call me that, nobody else.¡±


    Cettilyn just grinned and gave us a wave as she slid away, quickly linking arms with a shorter, dark haired woman.


    It was only when she was gone that I realized that I hadn¡¯t felt anything from her mana in the slightest ¨C her veil was good.


    The three of us got in line for food, leaving Aracelli and Roh to keep the table and watch over Octavian¡¯s bags.


    I wasn¡¯t too concerned. Anyone foolish enough to challenge a baby terragon was very foolish indeed.


    ¡°We¡¯re out of rice,¡± the mustachioed man working the kitchen said. ¡°Someone broke in and stole our entire stock. Other than that, we have bread rolls and potatoes for your carb options. All our meat and veg is still stocked up, though.¡±


    I got some potatoes as I wondered how exactly someone had managed to steal the entire stock of rice. That had to be a ton of rice ¨C there were thousands of people on the ship, and we¡¯d just gotten a resupply in Delitone.


    I shrugged it off as I took some chicken and spinach, Octavian took bread and fish with a fennel-carrot mix, and Kene got chicken and squash.


    After we¡¯d eaten a little bit, Octavian finally broke the silence by pulling out his satchel. He put it onto the table and flipped it open to reveal that its interior was spatially expanded ¨C to a rather extreme degree. There was a pair of small blocks filled with vials of dried herbs that he lifted out, as well as a row of potions, and a small board with four potted plants, their pots coated in sharp, angular runes. I peeked into the bag itself, and at the bottom of the bag, I could see a cauldron and some other basic alchemical equipment like knives and a mortar and pestle.


    Kene let out a long whistle.


    ¡°Primes, that¡¯s an impressive bag,¡± they said, and I nodded my agreement. Octavian let out an embarrassed laugh and shrugged.


    ¡°My mom made a really big deal out of my eighteenth birthday, and she enchanted the bag and cauldron for me. Still, as impressive as the spatial warp is, it¡¯s no demiplane.¡±


    I swept my senses over the four plants, trying to find out what I could about them. They were where my interest lay, more than the dried herbs.


    The first plant had wide brimmed green leaves with golden veins, and the veins glowed softly. It felt strongly of life, death, solar mana, but in a way that I wasn¡¯t entirely able to interpret. It was definitely soothing though ¨C the spiritual parts of death, not the murdery necromantic bits. The arrays inside the plant were new to me ¨C but not to Kene, who traced their fingers along the stem.


    ¡°Spiritbalm?¡± they asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never been able to keep it outside of the greenhouse, and even then, usually not at an expense that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Octavian said. ¡°It¡¯s common in Delitone, though, with our warmer climate.¡±


    ¡°Some sort of spiritual healing plant?¡± I asked, and Kene nodded.


    ¡°It has a similar effect to some of the solar spells I cast on you after you ripped up your spirit,¡± they said.


    The next plant was made of long, black tendrils that bloomed into small red flowers. Itfelt distinctly of desolation mana, with solar mana running beside it, and bits of tempest.


    ¡°Firecreep,¡± Octavian said, tapping its pot. ¡°It¡¯s no sun lotus, able to release burning waves of heat as an attack, but with some alcohol, rotten eggs, and charcoal, and you can make a pretty decent explosive potion. Mana¨Crich sulfur or a sun lotus can stand in for the rest.¡±


    ¡°Or saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur,¡± Kene mused. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    The next plant felt like my healer¡¯s heart, sunset marigolds, dewdrop feverfew, and more. It looked weird though, with bright orange stripes.


    ¡°Tigerbalm,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good for healing potions,¡± Kene explained. ¡°Nothing vital, though. You already have the ability to produce those.¡±


    I nodded and focused on the final plant. It felt strongly of tempest mana, and for a moment, I felt my hope spike. Meadow had talked about potions of leaping, slowfalling, flight, and levitation¡­ Flight wasn¡¯t able to be managed until third gate, but even a leaping potion would be great.


    ¡°This one I don¡¯t recognize,¡± Kene said, and Octavian grinned.


    ¡°That¡¯s cuz it¡¯s a mana source, and can be brewed to make some overcharging and wind enhancement potions.¡±


    I let out a sigh of disappointment, but pointed at the firecreep and spiritbalm.


    ¡°What do you want for those two?¡± I asked, then glanced at Kene. ¡°Do you want anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up my plants,¡± Octavian said, and I shook my head, realizing he¡¯d misunderstood.


    ¡°Just a cutting for my greenhouse,¡± I said, and Octavian relaxed.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to use the spiritbalm,¡± Kene said. ¡°But I don¡¯t have the resources to grow it.¡±


    ¡°Use mine,¡± I said. ¡°If I can get a cutting?¡±


    ¡°What do you have to trade?¡± Octavian asked, leaning forward.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Four

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    It took us a while to hash out the details, but I eventually wound up trading away some of my marigolds, feverfew, vigor-camas, and transivy for a cutting of the firecreep and spiritbalm.


    Kene and I headed back to our rooms before I opened the portal to Dusk¡¯s realm, and we planted the two cuttings quickly. Dusk came around to help, using some of her innate command over the space to ease the process, then all three of us poured mana into the plants to grow them.


    Growing a brief, temporary addition to a plant was easy enough, but permanently enhancing or growing it took a lot more mana, and by the time we were done with both plants, I was glad we didn¡¯t have a training session that day.


    ¡°Well done,¡± I told Dusk, then wandered over to the pixies, to check their thoughts on the new plant, which did indeed glow.


    I didn¡¯t check their satisfaction off my mental list ¨C one plant didn¡¯t mean that there was actually much more light in the realm itself.


    ¡°Did you want to try and make some alchemy bombs?¡± Kene asked, and I glanced at them.


    ¡°Do you have the saltpeter and all that? I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. I sell loads of the stuff, since it¡¯s great for preserving meat, and can be used to enhance some preservation spells. The alcohol too ¨C I have cleaning alcohol. And the charcoal¡¯s easy enough to make. Honestly, the biggest issue is going to be storage, since I only brought a few dozen vials.¡±


    I squinted at Kene, but Dusk beat me to the punch, saying it sounded like they had way too much experience with making alchemy bombs. Kene just shrugged and looked slightly embarrassed.


    ¡°Oh come on, there has to be some sort of story there,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really,¡± Kene said. When Dusk and I kept staring him down, he let out a sigh and rubbed one of his tattoos, which was currently shaped like a dog with a witches¡¯ hat on. ¡°Fine, fine. When I was fifteen or so, I used to build pipe bombs and stuff. It wasn¡¯t ever anything really dangerous. My grandmother¡­ Well. She thought it was hilarious, and helped me construct stronger, alchemically enhanced ones.¡±


    ¡°You were a little punk,¡± I cackled, and they shoved their hat firmer on their head, then walked away.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to set the cauldron and stuff up,¡± they said as they walked away. ¡°Pluck four flower buds from the firecreep.¡±


    After doing as they¡¯d said, I followed them into my cottage. Before the Idyll-Flume, they¡¯d brought a lot of their alchemy supplies into my alchemy room. Not their cauldron or anything of that sort, but other supplies, certainly.


    ¡°We¡¯re making four, so that each of us can have two,¡± Kene said, as they poured the alcohol into the larger cauldron. ¡°Go ahead and remove all of the unneeded arrays from the flowers? We just need the ones that make it explode and stuff. Dusk, since your mana is goint to be better at it than the cauldron¡¯s function, will you get rid of some of the excess arrays in the saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal? They¡¯re labeled in my kit.¡±


    Dusk peeped her agreement and I held the flowers up before empowering my analysis spells and studying it.


    Stripping it of the arrays that the plant used for growth and flowering was easy, but the harder part was figuring out which parts of the plant were responsible for explosions, and not for the production of nutrients from solar energy.


    I erred on the side of caution, since more solar power shouldn¡¯t hurt the explosion, if I understood it correctly.


    As Dusk worked through her list of components, Kene would pour it into the cauldron and add some managrass, and I was left standing idly by.


    ¡°Crush the flowers into a fine paste,¡± Kene instructed me. ¡°It should help make the arrays diffuse better.¡±


    I grabbed a mortar and pestle and did as they said. As Kene finished putting the last of the ingredients that Dusk had prepared into the cauldron, there was a slight puff and thick black smoke swirled off the top. Kene leaned out of the way of it and shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not toxic, but it smells nasty. Flowers, please?¡±


    I handed him the mortar and pestle, and he slowly dumped the ground flowers into the cauldron.


    The liquid, which up to this point, had been a dark gray color, began to smoke again, and then turned obsidian black. Kene tossed in a handful of slowleaf and several sections of bindingroot.


    They scooped the sludge off the top, tossing it to Dusk, who absorbed it. I glanced at her oddly, but she didn¡¯t feel the need to elaborate.


    Before I could ask, though, Kene took a step back from the cauldron and snapped their fingers. A small fire lit itself, and they tossed it into the cauldron, which suddenly blazed with a bright red fire and enough light that it stung my eyes.


    Kene held out their fingers and began to flow ungated mana towards the cauldron.


    ¡°You two do the same, cut it off as soon as the fire goes out,¡± they instructed, and so I did. The fire seemed to eat up my ungated mana hungrily, as if it was oil, rather than mana.


    The cauldron burned brightly for a full ten seconds, then the light vanished. Kene took a few steps over to the cauldron, and I did the same.


    At the bottom of the thick iron belly, there was a thin layer of an orange-red potion that glowed softly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll let it cool, then bottle it up,¡± Kene said. ¡°It just takes a touch of ungated mana to activate it, and it should have about a three second delay before it goes off.¡±


    I glanced skeptically at the small amount of liquid. There was far less than a healing potion.


    ¡°That¡¯s really four doses?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Kene said.


    ¡°Well, you are the bomb expert,¡± I teased, and they just groaned.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Shut up, Mal.¡±


    When we left Dusk¡¯s realm, there was a pair of cats fighting on the windowsill, and I was surprised to recognize both of them. One of them was the cat that liked to show up when Ikki was around, the battered gray tomcat. The other one I¡¯d seen earlier on the ship, a sleek black cat that was much younger.


    When they saw us, the black cat turned and scampered away, and the gray tomcat looked immensely proud of itself. It lay down on the sunniest spot of the windowsill and closed its eyes.


    I walked over and spoke softly to it.


    ¡°Hey kitty. Did you follow me here?¡±


    The cat licked its paw and ignored me, and I held out my hand to let it sniff me, but it just ignored me even firmer.


    ¡°Did you pick up another familiar?¡± Kene asked. ¡°Primes, you really are a beast mage.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, examining the cat. Apparently, it had enough of my examination, and it stood off and leapt out the window, turning a corner and vanishing from sight. ¡°It¡¯s shown up around Ikki before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your time magic teacher, right?¡± Kene asked, and I nodded. ¡°Maybe he set it to watch over you in the competition?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°It didn¡¯t feel magical, though.¡±


    Kene shrugged, and I put it out of my mind. Then a look of excitement came over Kene¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Dusk!¡± they said.


    She tilted her head and peeped.


    ¡°I didn''t get sick in your realm!¡± they said. ¡°Even though my stomach aide should have worn off. Can I stay there?¡±


    Dusk nodded her agreement and opened a portal, and Kene slipped back inside. I scratched my chin.


    ¡°I feel dumb,¡± I told her. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think about that.¡±


    Dusk shrugged and patted my cheek affectionately, saying she didn¡¯t mind having a stupid brother.


    ¡°Hey! You didn¡¯t think of it either!¡±


    Dusk just giggled and climbed down into my pocket.


    Over the next several days, Kene¡¯s status improved, since he only had to be on the ship for brief periods of times.


    Kene wasn¡¯t the only one to improve, though. With Liz, Travis, Kene, and I all working together, our team tactics imrpoved slowly but surely. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be up to beating Kamal and his well oiled machine of a team, but we definitely would be able to put up a much better fight than we would have last time.


    Kene had a chance to show off the two new supporting spells he¡¯d grabbed in Dragontooth, and while he wasn¡¯t able to master them or anything of that sort, he still got some time practicing with both of them and working out how well they interacted with the group. One of them was an area blessing spell that helped enhance all his allies within the area. It didn¡¯t shine at any one particular boost, but it made everything from thoughts, to movement, to spellcasting a little bit easier. The other one was a circle of light that could surround a target, and would provide them with some degree of resistance to external magic by purging it away.


    We spent a bit of time with Octavian as well, trading some of our stories for some of his, and we even let him enter Dusk, though she used a strange sort of veil to make it seem as if she only was about a half-acre, rather than five.


    Still, it impressed Octavian, and he even remarked that maybe he should try and find some sort of dimensional toad, rather than the petalroot salamander he was planning to look for during the competition. That caught Kene¡¯s attention, and he later brought it up to me.


    ¡°I may try to look for a petalroot salamander too, if they can be found in there.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m happy to help you look, but what are they?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve got great mana for potion creation, lots of life and creation, but the ability to interact with multiple other materials, like minerals. It could be a good familiar for me to bond to my life gate.¡±


    I could absolutely see that, so I promised to help Kene look for one.


    When we finally docked at the island, the staff let us slowly swamp our way off the boat. Kene and I just waited until the crowd was mostly gone. Unfortunately, several others had the same idea, and it we got caught in a second wave of people disembarking. Kene held my hand tightly so we didn¡¯t get caught in the crowd.


    The island itself was fairly large, easily large enough to have fit a big sports stadium on it, but not a whole lot else. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how many acres it was, but it was an order of magnitude bigger than Dusk¡¯s realm, maybe more.


    Even still, there were thousands of people, and while it wasn¡¯t crowded by any stretch, there were definitely a lot of people around.


    The island was shaped strangely, and looked almost as if it was artifical, at least to me. The island was square, and a quick pulse of my Sense Directionality spell confirmed that each of the corners was aligned perfectly with the cardinal diections. At each of those points, a small mountain ¨C or maybe a large hill ¨C stood, all of then equal in height, creating an interior valley where we stood.


    On one of the hills, staff from the boat were using spells and some enchanted items to begin constructing the food resupplying station, as well as a low, squat building that had the crest of the nation of Delitone on it ¨C the auction hall, maybe? I figured that would be inside, but maybe not.


    I felt a strong pulse of tempest mana ¨C third gate, but with an absurd amount being poured into the spell ¨C and a voice swept through the valley.


    ¡°Attention everyone! Based on previous records, we believe the portal should appear at noon, at the base of the northernmost mountain. Please assemble into an orderly line so we can let you all single file!¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Five

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    It took a long time to wrangle everyone into a single file line that snaked across the small valley, and I was nowhere near anyone I even remotely recognized by the time we were sorted ¨C other than Kene, of course, who still hadn¡¯t let go of my hand.


    As the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, burning off the mists and dew in the valley, I felt it.


    Not everyone did. Kene shivered slightly, but otherwise didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    But a few of us, maybe one in every hundred or two, physically jerked back.


    Something was coming.


    The winds that ran across my spirit and mana whipped wildly, like nothing I¡¯d ever felt before. It wasn¡¯t the crushing domination that Ivy had put on me, because there was no will pushing down. It was simply¡­ Wild.


    It wasn¡¯t a contest between wills, it was staring into the sun.


    I sketched the spell that Kene¡¯s grandmother had given me, the Surveyor Eagle¡¯s Eyes, and my vision zoomed in more precisely on the spot where I could feel the power emerging.


    Then, slowly, almost hesitantly, a rent in the air appeared, no bigger than a silver coin. It expanded outwards, and over the course of two full minutes, it had expanded to the size of a large doorway.


    Then, as if it had been waiting for exactly that moment, the grayish warp in space lit with swirling rainbow color, and a woman stepped out of the portal.


    She looked green and blue, with swirling rivers and mountains forming a dress, and drifting white clouds spreading across her form.


    Unlike where Dusk¡¯s dress of clouds resembled a frumpled old lady dress, and her stature was like the small folk, this spirit¡¯s form was tall and shapely, with a short cut dress and long, void black hair.


    Even with those differences, though, there was no debating it.


    She was a worldspirit, just like Dusk.


    The worldspirit¡¯s mana swept out over the valley and mountains, and it fit just right, a part of the environment itself. It put no pressure on my own mana-garden, though, and I was glad.


    Because the worldspirit felt every bit as powerful as Orykson had, when he¡¯d unveiled himself, if not stronger. Peak seventh, maybe even low eighth gate mana. If she¡¯d wanted to slam down on us with the full weight of her mana, she could have crushed everyone in this entire valley, except for maybe a few of the organizers.


    Instead, the way it flowed throughout the valley strengthened all of us, supporting our spirits, bolstering our mental state, and even our bodies. I felt the Magister¡¯s Body spell react to the wave of power and drink it in greedily, and throughout the valley, I could feel others doing similar things.


    Even next to me, I felt it pushing away the power of the hag bound within Kene¡¯s legacy, and bolstering the power of the tattoos that kept the hag sealed away.


    The spirit floated upwards until she was above all of us, but below the mountains that made up the corners of the island, and spoke. When she spoke, it resonated through her mana, and I could hear it coming from everywhere and nowhere.


    ¡°Welcome, one and all, to the Idyll-Flume.¡±


    Unlike Dusk, who spoke in nature sounds and bird speech, this worldspirit spoke what ¨C to me ¨C sounded like plain old Mossfordian.


    Dusk had crawled out of my pocket at that point and was gazing up at the floating worldspirit. She tugged on my hair and pointed up at the worldspirit, then let out a soft wind-in-trees sound that packed away so much meaning that I wasn¡¯t even sure what she was saying.


    ¡°I am the facilitator of the Idyll-Flume,¡± the worldspirit continued, ¡°and it is good to see so many talented youth who wish to inherit the legacy of my great master and creator, the Sevenfold Celestial Sage.¡±


    Dusk burbled her question out slower this time, and I blinked at her. She had asked if I thought she¡¯d be able to fly like that one day.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s the part that most interests you? Not the human-sized form, or the speech, or even the ability to take control of an entire island¡¯s mana ecosystem?¡± I asked in a whisper.


    Dusk nodded, responding with a hushed raven¡¯s caw that flight was cool, and being big just seemed like an inconvenience, especially if she could fly to reach things that were way up high.


    ¡°Within this Astral Plane, you will find the spoils of a vast degree of mana and energy that has been building up and infusing the world for the last twenty-four years, seven months, and six days,¡± the worldspirit above us said. ¡°But such things are the least of the prizes that can be found within.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    She held up her hand and a plant appeared in it. It had five long, drooping leaves, and it was purple, rather than green, with its edges made of gold.


    ¡°This is the Golden Destiny Elixir plant,¡± she continued. ¡°A rare and incredibly valuable plant that grows only within the astral plane. A talented alchemist can extract a single drop of that great elixir from a full plant. You may be thinking ¨C a single drop? What use is that?¡±


    The worldspirit drifted a little bit lower and smiled, though I could only tell she was smiling because of the spell I was using.


    ¡°A single drop can burn away a significant portion of the mists in a mana-garden. It can burn away all of the imperfections in a spell. It can water an ingrained spell to make it permanently stronger. It can be sunk into the soil of a mana-garden to make the mana it produces ever so slightly more dense. And more besides, though I¡¯ll leave some of those for you to find out.¡±


    She skyrocketed upwards and her tone firmed.


    ¡°However! You should cut only the leaves from this plant. Not only is attempting to remove it by the roots reason for me to forcibly remove you from the Idyll-Flume, but it is also dangerous to anyone below Arcanist. Yes, even for those of you who have reached the winds stage. Yes, even with the spells your parents bought to defend you. Yes, even for a plant mage.¡±


    The power that had seeped through the area, bolstering our magic, suddenly turned against us ¨C not much, not an attack. But enough to put pressure on us, to let us know that it took her no effort to crush us like a bug.


    ¡°Heed the warning,¡± she said, her smile slipping away. ¡°If I see you fail to, I will remove you, and you will not be allowed to return.¡±


    The pressure eased, and her smile returned.


    ¡°Then, there is the tower, which the great Sevenfold Celestial Sage died to create. Eight stories tall, and if you can climb to the eighth level, you shall claim the complete legacy of the Sage. Such a legacy could allow you to rewrite the maps. The wild city of Delitone could become the start of your new nation. You could claim the lands of Suntorch or Dragontooth as your own. Perhaps even fight for Mossford itself¡­¡±


    There was a whispering through the crowd at that, and the worldspirit clapped.


    ¡°And fear not! Each level comes with its own altar that will grant you a reward. Now, without further ado¡­¡±


    There was a flash of light, and she was gone, her voice ringing out over the island.


    ¡°Let us begin!¡±


    The line started shifting forwards, and a few people broke from it, trying to rush in sooner, only to be pushed back by the organizers from the ship. I let go of the Surveyor¡¯s Eye spell, and felt a very mild headache from where it had drained my reserves of mental and knowledge energy in my mind.


    It wasn¡¯t too bad, so I brushed it off and glanced at Kene.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a requirement of being powerful to make dramatic entrances and exits? I mean, everyone I¡¯ve run into with real power has felt the need to.¡±


    Dusk nodded sagely and suggested that it was a limitation of breaking through to Arcanist.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Kene said with a snort. ¡°Though Azalea wasn¡¯t too bad. Maybe it¡¯s the barrier to sixth gate, and that¡¯s why my grandmother¡¯s the way she is.¡±


    I chuckled and waited as the line slowly but surely shuffled forwards through the single entrance portal.


    ¡°Why only one door sized portal?¡± I wondered aloud. ¡°Surely the worldspirit could make a bigger portal.¡±


    I almost asked Dusk if she could, but instead, I just glanced at her, as if asking for her opinion. She shifted and let out a complex whistle, saying that she didn¡¯t think it was the spirit¡¯s power to make a portal that was the issue, it was the wards that had been set up defining the space.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Kene said. ¡°How many people do you think will be turned away by them for breaking through to third gate early?¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s that stupid,¡± I said, and Kene smirked at me.


    ¡°Well, it seems like I¡¯ll win the bet, then.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even wagered anything,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Unfortunate that you lose and now owe me a blank check,¡± Kene said with a dramatic sigh.


    The line shuffled onwards, and eventually Kene was proven right, when a short, light haired girl bounced off the entrance. There was a bit of a commotion, and I could hear her protesting that it was absurd she should be punished for being too strong ¨C did they know who her mother was?


    It took only a moment for her to be whisked away, and the line started again. I was frankly impressed by the level of professionalism it took to get someone like that away so quickly.


    As the line ticked onwards, it happened a few more times, but nothing of absurd note, until one incident, where the wards flashed a bright red color. The kid who¡¯d tried to enter suddenly jerked and slumped to the floor, and smoke started billowing out of his every orifice.


    The oily black smoke condensed into a roughly humanoid shape that glowed with powerful mental and death mana to my senses ¨C an asomatous, and not a weak one like I¡¯d contained.


    The worldspirit drifted out of the entrance, and the two spirits squared off in midair. The asomatous lashed out with a blackish-purple spike that split the air, then turned to run, but the worldspirit moved quicker.


    She caught the spike with one hand and dissolved it, then shot forwards and cut off the asomatous¡¯ escape. The asomatous dove, but the worldspirit matched its dive at an equal pace. As she moved, magic began to build up in the air above her, swirling out in a roughly circular pattern.


    The asomatous tried to flee west, but the circle engaged, and the asomatous was caught in a circle of glowing light. The worldspirit floated forwards and caught the asomatous in one hand, then used the other to shred apart the oily smoke until the air was completely clear once more.


    While she¡¯d fought, the line had slowed, but when the circle vanished and the worldspirit clapped, it started moving again, albeit slower at first, until the worldspirit had faded out of sight.


    Eventually, Kene and I grew close to the front of the line, and I could feel my stomach twisting with nerves. Kene looked slightly pale, so I squeezed their hand as I watched the portal.


    It was a swirling ring of rainbow color, rather than the clean and simple see-through portals that Dusk summoned, and that made me oddly anxious ¨C what if the portal was just harvesting our souls or something? That was ridiculous, but as I plunged into the entry, I couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    The rainbow power swirled all around us, and before it spit us out, I felt something pull at me, trying to call me out in a different spot than the portal should normally release us.


    It wasn¡¯t forceful ¨C I could shut it down, if I chose. But it was distinctly there.

 Release Alert!

    Book three of my other series it out now! It''s a queer sword and sorcery progression fantasy story, with a slightly darker world and tone.


    This is the novel''s description:


    Evan Tailor needs to kill an Archmage.


    If he can survive a party first.


    With the Silver Queen calling in her debt, Archmage Roark''s oaths binding him into assistance and silence, and new classes pulling at Evan from all sides, this year is not turning out to be the peaceful and prosperous introduction to abjuration magic that Evan had hoped for.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "There are so many excellent things I could say about The Enchanter, about how fresh its conflict is, how much fun the magic and setting are, but, in the end, the most important thing I can say about it? I stayed up late reading it until my eyes hurt, and then kept reading it anyways." ¨C John Bierce, author of Mage Errant


    "Deeply creative and intricately imagined, The Enchanter is a masterclass in crafting fantasy with a gentle but vibrant heart.¡± ¨C Phil Tucker, Author of Bastion


    </a>

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Six

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The only person I knew of who might be able to interrupt the portal of such a powerful spirit was Orykson ¨C and maybe the Space King, a rival he¡¯d mentioned once.


    Orykson wanted me to compete, so if he was calling me, then it was probably fine.


    If it was the Space King¡­ Why? I had never met her, and she hadn¡¯t even seemed interested in getting me away from Orykson, given that she¡¯d never tried to offer anything.


    Which meant it was probably Orykson pulling me away to give me one final bit of advice, bribery, or encouragement¡­ Or it was the spirit itself.


    After all, worldspirits were rare. This was the first one I had even heard of, other than Dusk. So, I accepted the tug, rather than resist it.


    The rainbows dissolved and left us standing at the very top of what I assumed to be the tower in the center of the Idyll-Flume. The floor beneath my feet was made of gold ¨C solid gold! ¨C and there was an ornate fountain that seemed to be carved out of silver in the center of the space, though it was almost dry, only a shallow bowlful of golden liquid contained within. Pillars of silver ringed the edges of the floor, holding up a pagoda-like roof, and I could see the land stretching out for miles in every direction. I couldn¡¯t see edges of the space, as it was on a curve that led way to a horizon.


    My mana senses were completely suppressed in the space, but I felt winds rip across my mana-garden.


    Then abruptly I was thrown back with a force that punched through my aura pin without so much as a whisper of resistance. Chains of metal rose up from the golden floor, wrapping around my wrists, ankles, and even my torso. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kene also being bound, having been thrown back alongside me, but Dusk remained totally free.


    Dusk let out a cry of anger and punched out, the space around her hand cracking and unleashing a wave at someone or something that was just outside of my range of vision. It didn''t seem to be phased, however, and as Dusk overcharged her next punch to release another burst, I heard the voice of the worldspirit of the Idyll-Flume.


    ¡°Peace, sister,¡± she said.


    Dusk hopped up and let out an angry hiss, almost sounding like a cat, as she demanded that her older brother and his boyfriend be released.


    A small, inane part of my mind that wasn¡¯t caught up in the moment of absolute terror, wondered at her verbiage. Kene was nonbinary, not a male, though he did use he/him pronouns. Was boyfriend really the right term? I would have gone with partner, personally. I¡¯d have to ask Kene about their thoughts on the matter.


    ¡°In a moment,¡± the worldspirit said. ¡°First, I wanted to ensure that you were with the children as a part of your free will. That the bond connecting the two of you was not one forced onto you. You can speak freely, little sister. If either of them is holding you against your will, I¡¯m more than capable of protecting and freeing you.¡±


    Dusk shouted with a rushing river that, no, she was not here under duress, thank you very much. She was excited to incorporate the treasures from here into her own advancement, and would like us to be released, please.


    ¡°And you aren¡¯t being groomed to become one or both of their brides? Or servants?¡± the worldspirit asked.


    My stomach twisted into a knot. Would someone do that?


    The answer was yes, of course. People were terrible, and power revealed what people wanted to do when they weren¡¯t faced with consequences. It had a staggering tendency to convince people their own actions and methods were the right ones.


    But the thought of trying to groom a spirit from creation sickened me.


    When Dusk reassured the older worldspirit that, no, she wasn¡¯t being used, the golden chains that bound Kene and myself unlocked, falling away and melding back into the golden floor. We stood and got a good look at the worldspirit up close, as she quickly drifted over to examine us.


    ¡°I must apologize for the inconvenience,¡± she said. ¡°It was not my intent to hurt an innocent person, but you must understand¡­ I was not always as isolated as I am now. I have seen much of humanity, and while you have produced a great many triumphs, each one has at least one equal atrocity.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Kene said. He flexed his arm and allowed the tattoos to shape into their true form, the sealing magic that kept the hag suppressed. ¡°Trust me. I¡¯m paying the price for the deal an ancestor of mine made, so long ago that I don¡¯t even know who they are. People can be terrible. I get that. But not everyone is. There are good people too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you,¡± I said. I was intensely curious what she would have done if I¡¯d refused the teleport, but I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to ask. It was a struggle, but I managed to keep my mouth shut.


    Dusk whistled, asking the larger worldspirit if there was anything else that she wanted or needed, and the spirit considered for a long moment.


    ¡°Do you plan to climb the tower?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°I see,¡± she said. She waved her hand, and a single shimmering golden droplet floated out of the fountain and hung suspended in midair.


    ¡°You may take this as recompense for your wasted time.¡±


    She waved her other hand and a portal tore itself open in midair, then vanished.


    I glanced at the droplet, then at Kene and Dusk.


    ¡°Either of you need it more than I do,¡± I said. ¡°Dusk, you¡¯re a little bit behind my own personal advancement. And Kene, you need to use it to enforce your tattoos. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I want it, but there will be other chances to get something like this.¡±


    Dusk shook her head, cawing out that Kene needed it more than she did.


    ¡°No, one of you should take it,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I gave them a flat look, and they couldn¡¯t meet my eyes before turning and taking the drop, then pressing it to their tattoo.


    The ink lines glowed brighter for a second, and I thought I saw a couple of places where the ink had started to fade and disperse grow tighter and cleaner.


    Then it was over, and Kene rotated their arm.


    ¡°Felt a bit weird,¡± they said. ¡°Like putting a strong cream on. Kind of hot and cold at the same time. But¡­ Otherwise, I feel fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit underwhelming,¡± I said, and they nodded. We stood around for a second longer before Dusk scampered up my pants leg and into my pocket. She pointed to the portal and cawed out for us to go onward!


    I chuckled and took Kene¡¯s hand, then we stepped into the portal and let rainbow light swallow us once more.


    This time, we stepped out into a huge crowd of people. My mana senses were back, but there was so much chaos and conflicting power running through them that it made it all but worthless.


    All around me, hundreds of people were ascending, all at once.


    Sure, compared to the thousands that were competing, that wasn¡¯t a ton, maybe only one in ten.


    But there were still hundreds of people breaking through at once.


    While some people were breaking through, others were moving quickly, setting up a safe zone for a starter camp. There were old shells of buildings throughout the zone, overrun with vines and slightly crumbling, but earth mages were already working to repair them.


    Still others were charging off into the deep forest using whatever methods they had ¨C I saw people flying on carpets, brooms, swords, and even a cauldron. Others moved on foot, enhanced by quick movement spells or tremendous physical gifts. Yet others ran through the air, unsupported by anything at all.


    Already there were some aerial battles starting to take place, different people fighting over seemingly nothing at all.


    The three of us looked around wildly, but I couldn¡¯t spot anyone I recognized at all, let alone Liz and Travis. I met Kene¡¯s eyes and bit my lip.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I said. I held out my hands and formed a spatial anchor, then fed it more mana to make it permanent.


    ¡°This way, I can use it as a waypoint with my Sense Directionality spell and navigate us back,¡± I said.


    ¡°Great,¡± Kene said.


    A force beam ripped past us, almost striking us as someone shot through the air, aiming for someone else who¡¯d been behind us.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Kene said, and Dusk fervently nodded her head in agreement. We took off into the woods, not breaking out our brooms for fear of getting caught up in the aerial battle going on.


    Once we¡¯d gotten deep enough in for us to no longer be at risk of being caught off guard by a random blast of magic, we slowed to a stop, and I sent a pulse of power into Sense Directionality to get our bearings.


    I got several pulses back, and frowned. Most of them were clustered tightly together, all coming from the same direction ¨C clearly I hadn¡¯t been the only one to get the idea to set up a spatial anchor in the camp area.


    But there were a few blips that were much closer, and I felt my eyes widen.


    A natural spatial lodestone, maybe? If anywhere would have something like that, it would be a place like this.


    ¡°I can sense what I think is a spatial lodestone over there,¡± I said, pointing off to my left. ¡°I could use that for forming my domain weapon, want to check it out?¡±


    ¡°We are here to look for natural treasures,¡± Kene said, ¡°so let¡¯s look.¡±


    I closed my eyes and unwove my mana senses, then swept them out in a cloud around me that extended as far as I could without actively spending mana to empower spells, then nodded.


    We cut through the woods for about a quarter of a mile, until we arrived at the spot where I could sense the spatial lodestone.


    It looked smaller than the last one, shaped more like a river stone, smooth and round, and I tossed it into Dusk¡¯s realm without a thought.


    Kene was also sweeping out their own mana senses, and they turned and started heading away. I followed them, concentrating my own in a brushing motion that let me sense a mass of telluric power, alongside a bunch of random things as well.


    The same nearby power was likely what had caused the spatial lodestone to form, and so there were odds I might be able to find something else.


    We slipped between the boughs of a massive redwood tree, only to spot a circle of natural standing stones. Each stone was glowing slightly, and someone was already there. When they spotted us, they rose to their feet and drew a sword.


    ¡°Fight for the space,¡± they said, ¡°first blood, no killing blows.¡±


    Dusk whistled out that she agreed and leapt out of my pocket, swinging her fist, letting out the pent up annoyance from earlier. I sighed, but started channeling my own mana through my mana garden.


    The mage, who felt like a peak second gate telluric mage, was caught off guard by Dusk¡¯s attack, but quickly drew their blade and caught the crack in the air with it.


    Then their sword exploded into flames, and they leapt forward, slashing. I let out a scattered shot of bone shards to try and knock the blade out of their hands, and Kene was sketching one of his new spells.


    When the sword was knocked off course, the mage drew a marble from their pocket and sent mana into it, then chucked it at Dusk, who punched out. Her crack in the air met the marble, and it exploded into a burst of lightning.


    Meanwhile, I was pulling my mana senses together and trying to get a handle on this mage. Their sword wasn¡¯t enchanted, or if it was, it had been done by someone good enough to not leave a trace.


    No, rather than enchantment, it felt like a plant, but with the earth, instead of life. A metal that had natural magic, and that the telluric mage was amplifying, like when I used blademoss.


    Another three marbles were thrown in the direction of Kene and I as Dusk battled them in melee.


    ¡°Chargestone!¡± Kene called out.


    I used my pinpoint boneshards to catch the marbles in midair, and they also exploded into bursts of lightning, then I spun and layered some fungal locks onto the enemy mage.


    It caught them off guard just long enough for one of Dusk¡¯s cracks in space to slice into their cheek, and a trickle of blood ran down their face.


    The fire on their sword went out, and I dropped the fungal locks. They slid their sword back into its scabbard, gave us a nod, then turned and used some sort of movement spell to ride a wave of earth away.


    I glanced around at the circle of glowing stones, trying to catch up. That had all happened too fast, I felt like my head was spinning¡­

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seven

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    As I let out a slow breath, Kene paused his hand.


    ¡°I really need to master those new spells,¡± he said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even able to finish sketching before the fight was over.¡±


    ¡°That was weird, right?¡± I asked Kene. ¡°Like, it¡¯s not just me. That was weird.¡±


    ¡°It made sense to me,¡± Kene said. ¡°You don¡¯t want to run out of mana so early in the day, especially during the first week or so, where there are going to be the most things that are the least picked over. If we¡¯d just said we¡¯d move on, we probably could have.¡±


    Dusk let out a sheepish laugh and made wind noises, apologizing for attacking so suddenly. She¡¯d been irritated, and needed to get out her frustration.


    I patted her on her head and picked her up, then turned to look around the standing stones.


    ¡°What did we even get?¡±


    ¡°I know a bit about mineral magic, since it also can be used for its own branch of enchanting and alchemy,¡± Kene said. ¡°Mind keeping watch while I look at things?¡±


    I did, standing around and keeping my mana senses spread over as wide an area as I could. A few magical beasts noticed the stranger in their midst, and one of them actually came down to watch.


    It was short, with small horns, a white body, and leaf-like scales that ran all along its back. Given the forest mana that it was putting out, it had to be a forest estragon.


    Dusk offered it some dried slices of the leftover mana-apples from the fall¡¯s crop, and the estragon snacked on it happily, then wiggled along and plopped down in the middle of the stones.


    The two people who noticed were less welcome, however. One of them simply turned and moved away to a different section of the forest, but the other came to investigate. She looked over the group of us from the cover of the trees before retreating.


    Eventually, Kene finished his work and started to sort several stones into different small piles.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got some wardstone,¡± they said. ¡°That¡¯s the most obviously useful, since it can be applied to just about any ward, even your own. Then we also have some stunstone¡­¡±


    ¡°Sunstone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, stunstone,¡± Kene said. ¡°It can release a small disorientation effect when touched. That¡¯s probably what the mineral mage was here for, actually. Then, finally, we have glimmerstone, which soaks up sunlight during the day, and releases it slowly at night. Super useful for solar collector enchantments.¡±


    They glanced up at me and shrugged.


    ¡°Any preference?¡±


    Dusk piped up, saying that seeding some of the glimmerstone through the pixie¡¯s village would probably be good for their mental health, and I nodded.


    ¡°I can use the wardstone for putting up wards while we¡¯re here,¡± I said. ¡°If it works the way I think it will, it should help me hide some of the spatial ripples. But I don¡¯t see a use for the stunstone. But I¡¯ve got a better question, what about the big, standing stones?¡±


    I gently whacked the boulder that made up the ring.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they do,¡± Kene said. ¡°Mostly. Two of them are glimmerstone, so maybe Dusk should eat those? But otherwise, I don¡¯t see the point in picking up something we can¡¯t identify, and might not turn out to be valuable.¡±


    ¡°We have so much free space, though,¡± I argued.


    ¡°And we¡¯re going to need to find someone who can identify it, hope they¡¯re correct, and then sell it,¡± Kene said. ¡°And that¡¯s assuming you can find a buyer who¡¯s also capable of transporting a multi-hundred pound stone.¡±


    I considered it for a moment, then conceded, while dusk ate the giant glimmerstones.


    ¡°We should sell the stunstone at the auction,¡± Kene said. ¡°This pile isn¡¯t going to fetch a ton of money, but it could go for a little bit.¡±


    Dusk wandered over and sucked them up, putting them in her treasury, then Kene dusted their hands off.


    ¡°Ready to move on?¡± they asked, and I nodded my agreement.


    We meandered through the forest, keeping our mana senses spread out wide. A few other curious estragon emerged to look at us, and Kene fed one of them a small strip of jerky from his bag, then we kept walking.


    ¡°How are we going to make contact with Liz and Travis?¡± I asked as we walked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be a good idea to head back to the area that¡¯s being set up as a sort of base,¡± Kene said, pausing momentarily to pluck some berries from a bush. ¡°These are moonglow berries. They¡¯re good to help with soreness.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Why not just take the bush?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They only sprout a berry once every seventeen moon cycles,¡± Kene said. ¡°Not worth it for such a small effect. Anyways, I think we should head back as it gets later. We¡¯re mostly running into estragon and stuff now, but I don¡¯t trust there to not be more dangerous things as we move further from the entrance.¡±


    As if summoned by his words, we stepped into a small clearing, filled with a buzzing sound and a familiar mana signature.


    ¡°Crystaldigger wasps,¡± Kene groaned. ¡°Again?¡±


    The wasps bombdove down on us, but this time, both of us had third gate defensive spells, rather than just Kene, and my aura pushed the wasps away. I snapped ¨C not needed, but it felt cool ¨C and summoned Briarthreads around me. They lashed out, knocking away the wasps as I headed deeper into the clearing.


    The center of the clearing had a huge mound, and my guess was that the mound was where the hive queen was. Sure enough, as it became apparent that the weak wasps weren¡¯t able to touch me, they retreated back to the mound, which began to quiver and shake.


    The bear-sized giant wasp with a crystal stinger erupted from the earth a moment later and rushed towards me. I waited¡­


    Waited¡­


    Waited¡­


    Now!


    I tapped my Foxstep spell right as it clashed into my aura, then spun around and released a scattering of Pinpoint Bonehshards. Dusk unleashed her shattering spell, and together they drove into the back of the matriarch.


    She let out an angry buzzing noise, and I sketched out a spell, while dusk pulled a vial from her pocket space.


    I sent mana into the basic ungated spell, and cut off my sense of smell. Dusk threw the vial, and followed it with a shattering spell that caused it to explode.


    A cloud of rancid stinkbomb power erupted over the matriarch, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh somewhat. When Kene had used a pheromone potion, it had been great at disorienting the wasps, but now the hive queen was bobbing and weaving like she was drunk.


    She plunged at me for another attack, and I caught it on a web of Briarthreads, then lashed out at her.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was coincidence, or if cowardice was part of the psyche of crystaldigger wasps, but this one also turned and quickly fled from the clearing. I looked over at Kene, who gave me a lopsided, sultry smile.


    ¡°Gotta say, that was pretty cool,¡± they said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, blushing slightly at the look. ¡°I¡­ Uh, it was easier this time. I¡¯ve grown a lot stronger and better at fighting since I fought them last time.¡±


    ¡°You definitely have,¡± Kene agreed, kissing my cheek as I walked over. They glanced at the mound. ¡°Care to loot?¡±


    We dug through the pile that the crystaldigger wasps had until we found significantly more glimmerstone, wardstone, and stunstone, which they¡¯d likely taken from the standing stones nearby, but there were other things too.


    There was a small sphere of what looked to be solidified sunlight, which Kene examined and tucked away. A heavy black stone laden with both mental and temporal energy, which I thought I may be able to use as the mana source for my first gate temporal mana.


    And we found our first natural treasure.


    Kind of.


    Natural treasure wasn¡¯t exactly a hard and firm category ¨C by some definitions, the stunstone and other things we¡¯d gathered would count as natural treasures. Generally though, the term was reserved for things like the lushloam seed, which were actually usable by people in a direct way, rather than just being a good material to craft things with or fight with.


    The treasure was a small garnet, shaped like a teardrop, and absolutely radiated with the power of third gate creation, to the point that small bits of steam were sometimes drifting off of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cretjewel,¡± Kene said, whistling. ¡°It¡¯s a great resource for creation mana. It can apparently do some serious extensions on the walls of their mana-garden, like taking an advancement pill to expand your mana. We can probably trade it for something else that one of us can use.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± I asked, amazed that he simply¡­ knew¡­ so much.


    ¡°A mix of reasons. The simplest is I brushed up on natural treasures and stuff at the library before I came, but that was just a refresher. The deeper reason is that my grandmother. She has this thick, old grimoire with just about every natural treasure, herb, and useful enchanting or alchemy material in Mossford and the surrounding areas. I had to study it front to back a lot when I was training with her.¡±


    I tossed the cretjewel to Dusk, who locked it into her vault and we moved on.


    As we moved, though, I got a prickling on the back of my neck, as if we were being followed. I pulled my mana senses in closer and swept them more thoroughly over the area around us, but¡­ Nothing.


    We wandered into a small natural spring, and Kene stepped over and touched the water.


    ¡°This is a pretty potent material,¡± he said. ¡°Second gate lunar magic. Probably useful for staff or domain weapon construction, if we can trade it¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you tell?¡± I asked, wandering over. I couldn¡¯t sense anything abnormal about the water.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the top layer, look deeper.¡±


    I did, with both my eyes and mana senses, and I saw it.


    Inside the pool, there was a second, smaller, but much denser pool of water. Its energy blended in with the environment of the pool exceedingly well, to the point that it was practically veiled.


    Kene glanced at Dusk.


    ¡°Get us some jars?¡±


    Dusk called out some canning jars from the alchemy room, and Kene leaned down to collect the water.


    Mana spiked, and I had just a second to react.


    A large black cat with long, sweeping horns was leaping down from the tree, swiping at Kene.


    I thrust my hand out and caught it with a three-layer fungal lock, but its momentum carried it to crash into Kene¡¯s back.


    The pair tumbled into the pool of water, and I leapt in without thinking, grabbing Kene and pulling them to the surface. As they gasped for air, I snatched their hat and shoved it back onto their head.


    Then the horned cat finished ripping off my fungal locks and burst out of the water as well. It let out a loud, angry hiss, before turning and bounding away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it liked the water,¡± Kene observed.


    I relaxed slightly and smiled at them.


    ¡°I also caught its ambush, and they¡¯re ambush predators. Sorry about not getting there in time to stop it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, dork,¡± Kene said, rolling their eyes at me. ¡°You stopped the attack, and I hadn¡¯t even noticed it.¡±


    I smiled back, a bit more unsure. If I¡¯d been Ed, I could have caught the cat in a gravitational field and slammed it down¡­


    I shook off the thoughts and helped Kene collect the water, since we may be able to trade that for materials for my domain weapon.


    Once it was jarred up, Kene cast a spell to dry us off, and we started moving again, Kene occasionally plucking the odd flower or berry that he noticed ¨C things too weak to bother cultivating, but worth plucking while we moved.


    One find we did integrate into Dusk¡¯s garden was Mist-Larkspur. We already had some, but it was from seeds that had lain dorment for centuries, while this was fresh and wild, and Kene thought introducing the wild larkspur could help the slow-growing seeds to bloom faster.


    Eventually, though, we took a break for a quick lunch, and then decided to turn around and start heading back.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Eight

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    We arced around in a semi-circle as we moved back to make sure that we didn¡¯t just walk back along the paths that we¡¯d already picked over. Midway back, we found another small clearing.


    The center of the clearing was dominated by a small chunk of soil that was floating in midair, with a large bush set into it. The bush had blue leaves, instead of green, and it was laden with so many glimmering silvery berries that it was actually causing some of the branches of the bush to bough. Gusts of wind moved through the leaves, seemingly from nowhere at all. I saw Kene¡¯s eyes go wide.


    And then a pair of people descended from the air, wind whipping around them.


    The pair looked somehow both identical and completely opposite. Their faces were the same, but one was short and stocky, while the other was tall and painfully thin. One was clearly presenting more femininely, while the other was presenting more masculinely.


    ¡°Stay away from the plant and you don¡¯t need to get hurt!¡± the pair said, speaking in exact unison.


    For a moment, I thought that I would have to back off ¨C a pair of flying mages meant they were both likely third gate, and even if it was a fresh ascension, I wasn¡¯t confident in taking on two of them.


    But as I swept my mana senses over them more closely, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. They were keeping tight veils over their spirits, ones I couldn¡¯t peirce, since I didn¡¯t have the ability to cast Analyze Mana-Garden.


    But their shoes weren¡¯t veiled.


    Both of them wore nearly identical pairs of sandals, made of a variety of criss-crossing leather straps that looked like a pain to actually wear, and the shoes were putting off third gate mana in a very familiar pattern ¨C a pattern that reminded me of my own broom.


    I¡¯d heard that flying shoes were more popular in other parts of the world, but I¡¯d never personally seen them before. Still, I would have bet everything I owned on the fact that these were flying shoes.


    If they were really third gate mages, I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be veiling themselves.


    So I took a page from the book of the mineral mage.


    ¡°Fight for the plant,¡± I said, ¡°first blood, no killing blows.¡±


    Dusk poked her head out of her pocket and whistled, saying it would be two by two ¨C she didn¡¯t want our healer getting caught up in this.


    The two exchanged a glance, then nodded and both released a jolt spell at me. I teleported forwards, then twisted and teleported onto the floating chunk of earth. It began to sink with my weight, but the twins were caught off guard by the rapid shifting of movement.


    I unleashed Briarthreads at both of them, not wanting to waste the mana on a locking spell that their shoes could just rip through. Besides, it was a first blood duel, not an actual fight.


    Identical barrier winds whipped around the twins in miniature cyclones, which knocked my briarthreads away.


    Dusk, however, had been waiting for this moment. She unleashed her own spell, and her shockwave smashed through the cyclones.


    Whatever the defensive spell was, though, it was strong. Her shockwave dissipated them, but didn¡¯t punch through.


    The twin tempest mages both unleashed another short ranged jolt spell, and I was glad they didn¡¯t have access to the infamous third gate spell, Lightning Bolt. Even with my aura, that would have hurt.


    As was, the spells singed through the leftover briarthreads, and I took the moment to teleport away.


    I shot a bone shard at each of them, and they extended their hands in unison. A powerful, buffeting gust of wind blew the shards off course, and I tapped a spell that I hadn¡¯t used much, despite having it mastered.


    Transport Item.


    I teleported the bone shards behind the mages, and both of them took a Pinpoint Boneshard to the back, unstabilizing their flight and causing them to tumble forward, but their clothes had defensive enchantments woven through them, as the attacks didn¡¯t draw blood.


    But I still had other bone shards.


    I drew two more from my spirit and set them spinning around me, then teleported the two attacking shards to my hand before firing them off again.


    Their defensive cyclones re-appeared, and I tried to teleport the shards inside of the defensive spell, but it felt like trying to push through concrete ¨C the mana in the area was too dense and under the will of someone else for me to just teleport through it.


    Dusk sent me a couple of quick thoughts and slid down my leg, and I nodded.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    The twins shot more bolts at me, and I teleported to the side to dodge, then released two of my boneshards at each them, dropping the pretense of keeping two in a defensive position. The twins closed their eyes and intensified the cyclone protecting them, overcharging the spell.


    How amateurish did you need to be with mana manipulation to need to close your eyes for that?


    I teleported into the air above the twins and released an overcharged Briarthreads at them as I recalled my bone shards into my spirit.


    The attack was caught up in the winds by and large, which I¡¯d expected, but my weight thumping down on them still overloaded their flying shoes and caused them to hit the ground.


    Where Dusk¡¯s spell kicked in.


    Hundreds of tiny hands, barely bigger than her own, rose out of the ground. None of them were strong on their own, but there were just so many of them. They grabbed onto the twin¡¯s clothes, onto the twin¡¯s skin, their hair, and slowly pulled them down, leaving me untouched to rise to my feet.


    The defensive cyclones faded under the assault of hundreds of tiny hands, and I sliced one of their cheeks with a Briarthread.


    ¡°I win,¡± I said, then dusted my hands off and picked up Dusk. She released her spell, and the earth snapped back to normal.


    The twins stood, shot me a near identical hateful look, then turned and flew off without a word.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a lot better at this from the time we fought the troll,¡± Kene observed, giving me a smirk. ¡°And since you¡¯ve got your first full-gate spell up, I guess that really does make you a bodymage battleguard.¡±


    I tried to give them an annoyed look, but I couldn¡¯t manage it ¨C I was actually quite pleased with the compliment.


    ¡°So, what is this bush?¡± I asked. ¡°Obviously some kind of tempest bush, probably focused on wind.¡±


    The sense the plant gave off was third gate, which was too strong for me to work with in my current cauldron, but once I hit third gate would be useful.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gibbous wind bush,¡± Kene said. ¡°The berries bloom during the gibbous moon, and they¡¯re infused with a mix of creation and tempest mana, tempered with lunar, life, death, and telluric. The berries can be used kind of like a weak version of mana-apples, but they¡¯re able to work on just about any type of mana, with varying degrees of effect.¡±


    ¡°Primes,¡± I swore. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good. How about the leaves?¡±


    I studied them with my mana sense, and even powered Analyze Life.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing the leaves can be used for flight potions?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Flight, weight reduction, jumping¡­ Paired with some stonesprout, it can be great for levitation. It¡¯s also got some use in making elixirs to bolster wind spells, and even haste potions ¨C though it can¡¯t do that on its own, using it to spread tempest mana through the body can be a good supplemental material.¡±


    I whistled, and glanced at Kene and Dusk.


    ¡°Mind if we store it in her demiplane for now, then split the berries?¡±


    ¡°Go for it,¡± Kene said.


    Dusk jumped onto the floating chunk of earth and slowly absorbed it. Once she was done, she opened a portal. I drew a spatial tripwire around it, just sketching the spell, rather than setting up a full ward.


    Once we were inside, I shut the portal, and we split the berries three ways. I popped the first one into my mouth and crunched down.


    Instantly there was a crackling of power that spun through my spirit and settled gently in my mana in an uneven distribution that leaned towards pushing away mists first, and building walls second.


    The power faded much faster than the mana apple had, and the effect was nowhere near as extreme, but there was one noticeably good effect.


    ¡°Hey, the very last bit of mists from my second gate death mana have gone!¡± I said, popping another berry into my mouth.


    Dusk whistled out her congratulations, and Kene grinned, his sharp teeth on full display.


    ¡°Nice,¡± they said, popping another berry into their mouth. I did the same.


    None of the berries were especially powerful on their own, and things like berries and apples tended to have less mana toxin than a full potion, but we each still had a third of a fifteen-year stockpile to work through, if Kene¡¯s estimation of the plant¡¯s size and age was right. We wound up having to stop part way through our piles, and left Dusk¡¯s realm shortly after.


    The berries we¡¯d worked through had done quite a number on my mana, blowing back much of the mists in the space and time portions of my second gates as well, and though neither were complete, both were now near the three quarters mark.


    It had done less for my first gate¡¯s walls, but it had done a little, which was nice.


    As we made our way back towards the entrance, all of our mana senses ¨C and even our ears ¨C caught the sounds of a skirmish.


    There was a creaking sound, and then a tree started to move. My spatial sense caught the movement before my eyes did, and I yanked Kene out of the way and ran to the side.


    Once the tree had fallen, knocking over a few other, smaller trees, I was able to get a look at the battle.


    There was a clear spring that was bubbling up around the center of the battle, and it radiated third gate lunar mana, but that wasn¡¯t the real prize, at least not to my mind.


    Growing in the wet ground around the spring were four of the broad-leafed purple and gold plants that could be used to gather a drop of destiny.


    Of course, there were people fighting over it already, and to my dread, I recognized both of the parties that were fighting.


    A familiar shadow claw spell met the fiery blade of a mineral mage, and a white haired vampire slid up behind them to release a blood spell I didn¡¯t recognize.


    But the mineral mage had a partner now, a medium height man with a smoothly polished bald head, who radiated third gate mana. He clapped, and the space around them¡­ twisted.


    More than space, I could feel physical mana gushing out, and everything in the small space began to twist, jerking and spinning in a circular motion ¨C the bald man and mineral mage included. Mallory¡¯s attack went askew, and Riley¡¯s blood spell missed entirely as they were rotated around to one side. The mineral mage¡¯s sword went wide, and with a grin, the bald man lashed out with a force empowered punch that threw Riley back.


    Then space reverted and everything was normal, the third gate mage bounding out of the way of a lightning marble.


    I was wrong, then. There weren¡¯t two parties fighting, this was more of a free-for-all over the resources in the glade, and as far as I could tell, the twisty third gate mage was winning. He didn¡¯t even seem to be disoriented as things in the glade spun around wildly again.


    When it stopped, Mallory spotted me.


    ¡°Help us!¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll split it!¡±


    The mineral mage glanced over and wiped some blood off, where it had glued their hair to their cheek.


    ¡°Assist me, even split.¡±


    The twisty mage turned to look at us and waved pleasantly.


    ¡°Hey! Feel free to join in the scrap, on your own, together, heck, sit it out if you want. This had been great practice, and let me tell you, I¡¯m pretty sure that the werewolf¡¯s gave me an idea for a burnt chicken, pepper honey, and chocolate mustard sandwich!¡±


    Mallory clutched at her stomach.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Nine

    I glanced at Kene, and then at Mallory, then the bald guy, then the mineral mage. They stared back.


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I drew in a deep breath and released my mana.


    Four Pinpoint Boneshards burst from my spirit as Briarthreads lashed out around me. Two of the bone shards flew at the mineral mage, and two at the spinning mage.


    My attack broke the silence and tension that had fallen over the space, and everything exploded into motion. Riley leapt up and bit down on the mineral mage¡¯s neck, only to get a bright green crystal punched into their face.


    Mallory leapt at the spinning mage, who released another one of his spinning waves. This time, Kene, Dusk, and I were all caught up in the spinning.


    My Pinpoint Boneshards went wild, which shouldn¡¯t have happened, but the spinning was warping space itself, which messed with how the pinpoint function worked. I was spinning, the trees swirling around me.


    A fist struck my side, slowed by the aura spell, and my Briarthreads lashed out, but they were spinning too, and only cut up the bald man¡¯s fist slightly.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Bohn, nice to meet you!¡± the bald man said as his fist released a concussive wave that threw me back. If I didn¡¯t have my suit and aura spell, it would have easily cracked my ribs, and maybe worse. As was, I was just thrown back and caught up in the spinning even more.


    My stomach was starting to get upset at this point, and next to me, I saw Mallory lean over and release the contents of her stomach.


    It was gross, but there was also something a little bit funny about watching someone so dignified and rich vomiting because of being spun around wildly.


    Bohn appeared beside her and released another concussive blast. I tried to fling Briarthreads at him, but they just got caught up in the spinning and went wild.


    Things returned to normal, which should have been a relief, but instead it actually worsened the vertigo due to the sudden stop.


    I took in everything I could of the fight in the seconds where my vision wasn¡¯t spinning any more.


    The mineral mage was gone now, and judging my the fact Bohn was near Riley, and was spinning Riley around in a mini-cyclone of force while striking out with spinning kicks, I was guessing that the pair had forced the mineral mage to retreat.


    Riley collapsed to their knees, and Bohn leapt away, moving towards Mallory, clapping as he moved. The world twisted, but in the second before it did, I felt Kene¡¯s magic wash over me. A soft golden light suffused me, and everything was a little bit smoother, the disorientation not as bad, my steps not as thrown off by the wild spinning motions I was caught up in, and even my Magister¡¯s Body seemed to run a bit better.


    Dusk clapped her hands and I felt her own power spread out over the area. Rather than infusing and bolstering me, she was countering the spinning, space warping effect of Bohn¡¯s spells. It was strange, the way she was doing it ¨C it didn¡¯t feel like spellcraft, it was more like when she was fighting the ghost for control over an area, or when she altered the interior of the space within her.


    Dusk let out a soft peep, saying this took a lot of effort, she wasn¡¯t sure how long she could keep it up, or how much help she could offer in the fight.


    Still, between the two effects, there was a thin area around me where I was able to move more or less normally.


    The world stopped spinning before my eyes a bit faster this time, and then Bohn was in front of me. He lashed out with a spinning kick, using the momentum of his spinning space to his advantage. I caught it with Briarthreads and released two short range Pinpoint Boneshards.


    They couldn¡¯t move far from me, not if I wanted to keep them in Dusk¡¯s sphere of normalcy, but as my Briarthreads and aura pin caught Bohn¡¯s leg, the bones struck him in the chest.


    He had some sort of force armor that I heard crack under the stress, but he was still caught up in the spinning, and the bones were thrown away.


    I winced. I could recall them once he dropping the spinning spell, but not now. I drew out another pair and let them hover over my shoulders, but the time let Bohn gather power to strike me with a concussive spell.


    Before his fist connected, a huge black shape spun through the air and slammed into him.


    Bohn lost control of the spinning spell, and Dusk was able to drop her control over the area. She started rapidly sketching, and I thrust my hand out.


    Now that he was finally not spinning around like wild, I could catch him in Fungal Locks. I overcharged my mana and let one, then another, and then more fall over him, until my mana was quickly draining to pin him down.


    Five Fungal Lock spells encased him and quickly drained away his energy, siphoning it to fuel the mycellium¡¯s power even more, but the strain on my mana was even greater.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I reached for Burn Power to take more, and then mentally cursed myself.


    Luckily, I didn¡¯t need the power to finish him off, because as they started to fade, Mallory¡¯s wolf form shifted until she was normal. She conjured her shadow claws and pointed them at his throat.


    For a moment, I had a horrible memory of the slipshark incident, and thought she was going to kill a man in front of me.


    Instead, she growled out, ¡°Surrender and leave.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Bohn said, his voice muffled by the remaining fungus. ¡°I surrender. That fungus has an interesting bitter taste, though. Do you sell them? I could see how they could be sweetened and spiced up to make a ste¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Mallory said, her spare hand touching her stomach. ¡°Primes, stop!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile, then once Bohn bounded away ¨C still chatting to himself ¨C I turned to go check on Kene as Mallory went to check on Riley. Kene was fine, apart from being dizzy.


    Riley, on the other hand, was not doing so great. The crystal had left them with acid burns, and being spun around and thrown into a tree had not helped much.


    Their vampiric body was stronger than a human¡¯s, and some vampires had the ability to heal over time ¨C it all depended on which vampiric legacy they¡¯d inherited.


    Kene leaned down and put their hands on Riley¡¯s face. Green light leaked out, and Kene grunted.


    ¡°Healing vampires is harder than humans ¨C different energetic structures. But I should be able to repair most of the acid damage. Their natural healing will have to cover the scars, though.¡±


    Slowly, Riley¡¯s skin knitted itself back together, but the sharp scar lines were obvious on their dark skin.


    Kene rose and dusted his hands off, and Mallory gave me an appraising look.


    ¡°Smart, bringing a healer. Why weren¡¯t they at our match?¡±


    ¡°Distance,¡± Kene said sourly. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard a fair bit about you.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Mallory said, a bit sheepishly. ¡°How long till Riley recovers?¡±


    ¡°About two hours until they¡¯re in fighting and moving shape, a few days until they¡¯re fully healed,¡± Kene said, removing a potion from his bag and handing it to Mallory. ¡°Give this to them in the morning.¡±


    Mallory took the potion and tucked it into her storage ring.


    ¡°What do I owe you?¡± she asked. ¡°I found¡­¡±


    She shuffled through her storage ring and removed a small blackcurrant that glowed with second gate power ¨C not a mana source, though, the power was all bound up. A natural treasure then.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay,¡± Kene said, shaking his head. ¡°They helped us, this is helping in turn.¡±


    I disagreed with that some, but Kene had tried to give out free healing to me too, so instead of arguing with Kene, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him close, while shooting Mallory a ¡®don¡¯t you dare¡¯ look over his shoulder. In my pocket, Dusk chirped, complaining that I¡¯d cut off her view.


    ¡°Take it,¡± Mallory insisted. ¡°It¡¯s a healer¡¯s treasure anyway, not like I could use it.¡±


    Kene took the fruit reluctantly and rolled it between his palms, then slipped it into his ring.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± I asked, surprised he hadn¡¯t eaten it.


    ¡°If you consume it while ascending, it will unlock its own power and significantly enhance or modify the power in a spell. This one feels like it¡¯s an enhancement ¨C it will provide months worth of growth and training to my Minor Regeneration spell instantly, and maybe change its structure slightly to improve it.¡±


    I whistled appreciatively, stepping away from Kene to let Dusk clamber out of my pocket and onto my shoulder.


    ¡°Are there things like that I could use?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mallory said. ¡°I¡¯m looking for an Alburabbit horn, personally. They¡¯re an excellent material for any sort of cutting or piercing spell, like my claws.¡±


    I nodded, then gestured to the pond and the reeds.


    ¡°How are we splitting this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have use for the water,¡± I said, ¡°other than trade.¡±


    ¡°But Riley will,¡± Kene said. ¡°That¡¯s deadstand water ¨C it¡¯s not going to be quite as useful for blood magic development as it is for some magic, but it¡¯s going to be useful.¡±


    Mallory crossed her arms and examined us.


    ¡°So, one drop and the water, you take three drops.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me,¡± Kene said, and I nodded.


    Drawing the bone knife from my spirit, I sliced the leaves of the plants off and handed one to Mallory, and the rest to Dusk, who sent them into her storage space.


    Kene and I turned to leave, but before we did, I glanced at Mallory.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I want to team up for the tower or anything, but¡­ If you want to briefly, I¡¯m not opposed to it. Tell Riley I hope they recover quickly.¡±


    Mallory just nodded, and Kene and I left. Using my Sense Directionality spell, I guided us towards the open area. Before we were quite in the entrance, though, I opened a portal to Dusk¡¯s realm, and spun a quick spatial tripwire over the space before entering. Kene entered as well, and glanced at me.


    ¡°Wanna extract the drops now?¡± they asked.


    ¡°Better to get it out of the way. I don¡¯t think anyone could steal from Dusk without her noticing, but¡­ Why risk it? Not to mention, we haven¡¯t exactly prepared them for long term storage. And you didn¡¯t have trouble with the berries, so they clearly don¡¯t impart mana toxicity.¡±


    Kene nodded and lit the fire under the small cauldron, then we both started examining the plants under Analyze Life.


    The plants were¡­ weird. Their arrays seemed to suck up something ¨C presumably the drops of destiny ¨C from the roots and hold it, but they were only able to hold a tiny bit before those arrays were completely broken.


    I¡¯d never seen broken arrays in a plant without me using a harvesting spell to break them intentionally.


    Even weirder, there was no other mana in the plants. I¡¯d grown used to seeing the empty spaces where tiny tinges of tempest, telluric, solar, and other mana were, but¡­


    There was nothing, other than the drops of destiny that I could only sort of sense.


    It was like the plants were entirely artificial, and I wasn¡¯t entirely certain that thought was incorrect.


    We fed the leaves into the water as we tried to use the cauldron¡¯s functions to remove as much of the extraneous arrays in the water as we could, and used Harvest Plant Life to strip out all of the arrays other than the ones that held the drops of destiny.


    Once five leaves had been fed into the water, there was a very quick reaction. The water burst into a boil and a cloud of steam rushed out of the cauldron, smelling of roses, pastries, and old, well worn leather armchairs.


    Then the scents vanished, and Kene checked the air over the cauldron before leaning forwards.


    A single drop of golden liquid shimmered at the bottom of the pot, and I glanced at Kene.


    ¡°You first.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve already had one. I¡¯ll take one, since we have three, but you and Dusk first.¡±


    I glanced at Dusk, who shrugged and took the droplet.


    We repeated the process, and this drop was mine. As Kene tilted the cauldron, I caught the drop and swallowed it, letting it slip into my mana-garden¡­

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Ten

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The moment it slid into my mana-garden, something strange started happening. It reminded me of the reflection feeling that happened when I had chosen my mana types, but¡­ different.


    Instead of a mirror facing itself and bouncing back and forth until two solid, equal types of mana formed, the mirror was offset.


    It bounced from one point to another offset mirror, and then from that one back to the first ¨C three mirrors, making up one set, but not the same set as the mana types I knew.


    I froze as a memory hit me ¨C when I¡¯d fed the lushloam into the key, something similar had happened. It had tapped my legacy and reflected.


    A drop of destiny, Meadow had called this. But¡­ Perhaps calling it a drop of destiny mana would have been more accurate.


    The power stabilized within my spirit, and I was left with three drops hanging in my spirit. Each of them was smaller than the initial drop, maybe half the volume, and shimmered differently as well.


    One of them was still the bright golden polish of a burning star that spoke of stories, of heroes and villains, the drop of destiny that I¡¯d consumed, now diminished.


    One was a blackish void of squirming power that spoke of eternity, vastness, of an eternal desire to consume and make all things a part of itself, to grow ¨C either with or without boundaries.


    The final droplet was full of swirling hazy rainbow mist, with strands of gold that reminded me of constellations, and spoke of connections between people, both of love and hate. It caught the wind and spiraled, buzzing, and I felt the wind intensify.


    The wind of fortune blew harder in my spirit than ever before, and the drop of fortune mana reacted. It shredded, and though I could try to force it to stay whole, so I could use it, I didn¡¯t. Instead, I allowed the wind to take the drop and fold it into itself.


    Wind rushed across my mana-garden ¨C no, across my entire soul ¨C and I felt it steady, stabilize, spinning around in a nearly circular motion. No longer was it just something that I was touching upon from time to time, it was deeper than that. It was a part of me, on a deeper level.


    The other drops ¨C or half drops? ¨C though¡­ I considered them for a long moment.


    I had a general idea of what each could do, based just on the feelings that they were giving, and a bit of a firmer idea about destiny, since I¡¯d heard a few people talk about it.


    I mentally worked through my list of spells that I could use the destiny drop on. The first thing that came to mind was Burn Future ¨C I had rived it, and I hadn¡¯t had the time it took to grind down the excess branches in the tree. It could shave off a lot of time if I used the drop to counteract the rive.


    But that felt a bit wasteful, if I was being honest. It may save me time, but it wouldn¡¯t add anything, not really.


    Better to invest the drop in myself somehow, either to the walls of my mana-garden, or into the soil, or watering the roots specific spell.


    What other spells? Magister¡¯s Body felt obvious, and there really wasn¡¯t anything that would make it a bad choice.


    Briarthreads, Fungal Lock, and Pinpoint Boneshard were all staple spells in my arsenal, and strengthening them would be good too. Foxstep was newer, but it was invaluable, and an advantage most spatial mages didn¡¯t have.


    But I only had it because of a mixture of my legacy making the blend of space and time more effective, and the Magister¡¯s Body.


    That settled it in my mind. The Magister¡¯s Body supported everything else in my mana-garden ¨C it added creation and telluric to Briarthreads, creation and lunar to Fungal Lock, and desolation to Pinpoint Boneshards.


    I floated the drop of destiny over to the massive tree that consumed the entirety of my second gate and slid it down into the roots, where it sank deep, deeper than I¡¯d known was possible.


    There wasn¡¯t much change, but the power that the tree radiated felt more¡­ Solid. Denser and more potent, certainly, but also deeper than that, it was similar to the feelings I got from dragon magic ¨C Ivy in particular, with his absurdly potent power.


    It didn¡¯t rewrite my entire body with half of a single droplet, but it was noticeable. The power of the energy surging through my body became slightly thicker: instead of water, it was slightly thicker water¡­ Saline, maybe? IV fluid?


    I brought the drop of what had to be resolve over to the tree and slipped it down into the roots.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Once again, it didn¡¯t rewrite my body, but I felt the veins of energy in my body widen slightly, expanding from a soda straw to a milkshake straw.


    I opened my eyes to see Kene glancing at me.


    ¡°You okay?¡± they asked. ¡°You were sitting there for a long time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°My legacy just¡­ reacted oddly to the drop of destiny. It created three half-drops, one of fortune, and one of resolve.¡±


    ¡°That is strange,¡± Kene agreed. ¡°I¡¯d say that it makes sense, but your mana doesn¡¯t do that with potions and stuff. Does it do it with raw mana sources, like deathpapyrus?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never taken them into my spirit, but it didn¡¯t with my staff,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t,¡± Kene said. ¡°Those are¡­ different. More of a reflection. It¡¯s worth trying, even if it¡¯s a bit wasteful ¨C there¡¯s no better time to waste a treasure than in a realm full of them.¡±


    I nodded my agreement, and we left Dusk¡¯s realm and ¨C finally ¨C got into the clearing where we¡¯d entered.


    The people from Delitone had done a good job of setting up a clearing, with several buildings scattered around, broad signs proclaiming what they were. Most were cheap hostels, but there was also a trade hall ¨C presumably where the auction would take place ¨C and a few healing stations.


    There were dozens of small fires with logs around them set up, as well as large open areas illuminated by floating orbs of light similar to the ones at the gates of the library where some people were setting up tents. All throughout the space I could see members of the Delitone delegation moving around.


    Octavian in particular wandered over and waved at us.


    ¡°Hey, good to see you all. We¡¯ve set this area up as a peace zone ¨C anywhere within the lights and fires is going to be completely nonviolent. If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll ban you from the area and the auction. I¡¯ve already had to kick out a few people, so¡­ Hopefully not you guys.¡±


    ¡°Peace sounds great to me,¡± I said, and Kene agreed. Dusk waved to Roh, and the will-o-wisp danced around her.


    ¡°Great,¡± he said, letting out a small, relieved breath. ¡°Do you need a place to stay? Our hostels are reasonably priced, and come with food. If you¡¯ve got goods to trade, check out the trading hall.¡±


    ¡°We actually do have some goods, and also were wondering if you¡¯d seen Travis and Liz?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°The two you two were with? Not yet, but there are a lot of people here.¡±


    We chatted for a while longer before we headed over to see the trade hall. It was a large, squat building with a low counter, and Cettilyn was standing behind the counter, alongside two other people. There was a line, but it trickled quickly ¨C Cettilyn was very clearly using some sort of information magic and storage artifacts to keep things moving quickly.


    When we got to the front of the line, she greeted us and nodded.


    ¡°What have you got, and what do you want? If it¡¯s part of an existing trade, I¡¯ll complete it here and now. If not, I can register the trade in our list, and you can check by later to see if someone completed it. If it¡¯s a unique item, or a particularly unique natural treasure, we may just suggest it goes to the auction, this is best for trading mana sources and minor natural treasures.¡±


    Dusk pulled out the waters we¡¯d collected, alongside the stunstone and some of the wardstones, and finally the cretgem.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for any first gate death mana sources, and second gate death, spatial, and temporal,¡± I said, ¡°As well as any treasures that can enhance life, death, space, time, forest spirits, or solar magic. Any plants work too ¨C both general magic ones and the five leafed ones.¡±


    I glanced at Kene to see if there was anything I¡¯d missed, but he just shook his head.


    ¡°Noted¡­ Alright, let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    She picked up the waters and vanished them away into her ring, then dropped a small mushroom that radiated first gate death mana from it, with shockingly little life at all, as well as a skull that seemed to be carved of soapstone that gave off second gate death mana. They paused and I felt a surge of mana, and then they took a small amount of stunstone and put down a jar filled with dust that seemed to teleport around, shifting its position constantly.


    ¡°That¡¯s for the mana sources, and breaks us even.¡±


    I swept them into Dusk¡¯s realm, pleased with the results. I only needed a second gate temporal source, and I could assemble a domain weapon!


    She moved onto the wardstone and nodded.


    ¡°We have several matches for this. You could get a brightflare, which is a minor natural treasure that could help solar spells master quicker, or a muddy armroot and a temporal source, or¡­¡±


    She listed a few more options, and I argued for Kene to take the brightflare, but he insisted that he¡¯d already taken the fruit from Mallory, so it would be a waste. I argued that he¡¯d made sure we took drops from the plant as well, even though he needed them most of all.


    Cettilyn had us step aside so she could help someone else while we argued.


    Eventually, though, we got settled on the muddy armroot and the temporal mana source, since he could take a cutting of the root when we got back, and this would let me set up my domain weapon now.


    The armroot was a small, curling brown root that was indeed shaped rather like an arm, and by mixing it with the vigor-camas and the right normal herbs, could be used to make several enhancement potions.


    Finally, we got back to the appraisal, and she touched the cretgem, then tilted her head one way, then the other.


    ¡°I can offer you three greenroot stalks for it,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Kene said before I could say anything.


    Three short stalks of what almost looked like a neon green lemongrass appeared on the table, and Kene picked up one, then tossed two to me.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re going to insist that I take some, so I¡¯ll take one. I¡¯ve had longer with my life gate, so I¡¯ve already built my walls up a fair bit. You haven¡¯t.¡±


    I grumbled, but took it, and we looked at the remainder of the stunstone.


    ¡°Nothing for this, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Cettilyn said. ¡°I can add it to our inventory, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth putting up for auction.¡±


    Kene and I agreed, and I peered at the stalk of greenroot. It was a first gate natural treasure, that much was obvious, but I wasn¡¯t sure about what it did.


    ¡°Take it tomorrow,¡± Kene advised. ¡°With the berries, we¡¯re already running near the mana toxin edge. Best to sleep it off.¡±


    I agreed, and we headed over to make camp, hoping that Travis and Liz would show up eventually. Before we did, though, I drew out all of the mana sources, the snapped halves of my staff, and and started drawing the ritual Ikki had shown me into the dirt.


    It was time to build a domain weapon.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Eleven

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I stood in the center of the ritual and let my mana swirl out through the loops and assorted mana sources. My ungated mana connected to the centerpoint, then my first gate mana clicked into place, then my second.


    Resonance began to form, but instead of shaking the entire world, it was a center spark that I draped layer after layer of elaborate power atop.


    It was a slow, arduous process. Each one of my gates needed layers of mana, and each one was harder to place atop than the one before it.


    Then, finally, all of the layers of power bound together and I began to compress it into a tight orb. The size of a melon, then a grapefruit, then a lemon. From a lemon, I crushed it further down. A lime, then a walnut.


    Then I lost my grip on the power, and my eyes snapped open.


    In my hands I clutched a¡­ staff.


    I frowned.


    The ritual I¡¯d used had been to create a domain weapon, not a staff.


    This staff did look different, though. It was heavier, thicker than my mage¡¯s staff. Instead of elaborate runes and carvings making up channels for magic, with a flower and amber atop it, the staff had swirls of gold running throughout the wood. It was a deep, rich, red wood, with a pair of weighted metal caps on either end.


    I spun it in one hand and nearly dropped it ¨C it was heavier than I¡¯d expected.


    ¡°Master quarterstaff wielder that you are,¡± Kene said. ¡°Maybe you should see what it can do?¡±


    I chuckled sheepishly and agreed, taking a two handed grip on it and swinging it almost like a bat.


    As I swung the staff, I felt it drain something.


    That in and of itself wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected. Ikki or Meadow ¨C I couldn¡¯t remember which ¨C had postulated that a drain effect was possible.


    What I hadn¡¯t expected was for it to drain from me.


    The golden swirls that ran along the length of the quarterstaff glowed with a rainbow light, and my Magister¡¯s Body sent energy into the staff, condensing at the end to empower the blow.


    At the same instance, I felt death mana imbuing the wood with more strength, while space and time warped around the shaft of the weapon to speed the swing, and life empowered my arm to add additional strength.


    The energy that had been packed at the tip of the staff dissipated, and I felt my Magister¡¯s Body start to chug along, working to replenish the store of energy.


    I frowned as I moved the staff around some. That was definitely a powerful effect, since it would allow for quick, powerful blows, which did lean into my style, but¡­ was that a style I wanted to continue with?


    Ikki had blocked off my Burn Future because I burned through my power so fast that I became reliant on it. In his own words, getting more power would fix the problem.


    But so would becoming so good at managing the power I had that I was able to overcome people stronger than me without burning through my entire reserves and needing more.


    Then again, if I became strong enough at blitz attacking, I might be able to ignore that completely. If my first blow was strong enough to never need a second, wouldn¡¯t that also be a good management of power?


    I moved the staff through a few more swings and thrusts, trying to imitate some of the moves I¡¯d seen Ed make with his spear, and as I did, I thought about the war root.


    I never would have been able to defeat it if I¡¯d pushed for more of a blitz strategy. I would have cracked the energy storage core in the center and blown apart some of the roots, but then I would have been caught up and died ¨C or at least, hurt.


    I spun the staff, accounting for the weight this time, and I felt as each strike moved fast and hit hard, but burnt through my energy stores quickly.


    Kene picked up a branch from the edge of the woods and walked over to see how my staff worked against being hit. When he swung the branch and I blocked it, the energy it drew from my body concentrated along the staff to take the hit.


    So, it wasn¡¯t just an offensive weapon, then. That was good to know.


    Kene and I tested it a bit longer, and found that it drew power to enforce itself as a block in proportion to the blow it needed to stop, which was good to know. It could take a strong blow¡­ it would just cost me.


    Dusk joined in the sparring, having recovered some from fighting the third gate mage, and she released her attack spells at me.


    The staff was able to slow and partially block them, but it wasn¡¯t entirely able to stop the compact mana inside of the attacks, which made sense ¨C none of my mana or spells were pure defense, after all.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Eventually, I was forced to stop, and I drew it into my spirit and watched as it hung there.


    A part of me was expecting that now that it wasn¡¯t able to exert its power outside, that I¡¯d get some semblance of resonance that was found in a mage¡¯s staff, for my mana to begin cycling faster, for the walls of my mana-garden to slightly start to grow, for my mana to regenerate quicker, and for my Magister¡¯s Body to be kicked up a notch.


    But there was nothing.


    Of course there was ¨C if domain weapons could work that way, then nobody would use a staff, or at least, few would.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Kene asked, and I tilted my hand one way, then the other.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t actually used it in combat yet, so it¡¯s hard to say for sure, but it¡¯s definitely a powerful tool. I just worry it¡¯s going to drain through my power even quicker than the style I already have.¡±


    Kene smirked, rolled up their shirt, put a hand on their bicep, and squeezed.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that these don¡¯t make it a real fight?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how they managed to keep a straight face while they said that, because I started laughing.


    Of course, part of that laughter was to hide the fact that I was slightly blushing and trying not to stare. They did have nicely sculpted arms.


    A tiny pang of jealousy ran through me at that, but I tried to push it down. Life wasn¡¯t a crab bucket ¨C just because they had nice arms didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Stop flirting,¡± someone said in a voice I only sort of recognized, and I turned to see a haggard looking Liz trudging towards us.


    She¡­ did not look great. Her combat skirt was ripped at the edges, and her floating sword was chipped and cracked. Travis, who followed behind her as always, looked even worse. His right arm hung limply, though he let off power of a third gate mage.


    Kene opened their mouth to say something sassy, but they froze when they saw Liz and Travis, and they rushed over. Green and yellow light began to swirl out of their hands, and I could hear them muttering to themself as they set to work on Travis¡¯ arm.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked Liz. Had their luck really been that much worse than mine? Most of the things I¡¯d run into should have been short work for Travis and Liz.


    Maybe not the spinning mage, Bohn, but the rest, certainly.


    ¡°Travis ascended, and we joined in the fight,¡± she said.


    Oh. They¡¯d been stupid.


    That was uncharitable, I shouldn¡¯t think that way. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t see a good reason to join in the initial fight, or why people had even fought.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, trying to reserve my judgment. Dusk curiously waddled over to Liz and climbed her leg, then poked at the skirt, telling her she could leave it with her overnight, and Dusk and the brownies would repair it.


    ¡°Thanks, kiddo,¡± Liz said before returning her attention to me. ¡°There was a fifth gate hudau heritage stone here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what those are,¡± I admitted. Did everyone just know a bunch of things about natural treasures and stuff?


    ¡°They¡¯re compacted, directly converted to personal mana,¡± Liz said.


    ¡°So¡­ a mana source. Sure, it¡¯s fifth gate, but is it reall¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Liz said. ¡°I said directly to personal for a reason. The power in them is directly added to your gate. Not to restore your mana ¨C to your gate itself. It can directly be used to build up your walls, or instantly burn away mists. A fifth gate stone contains a layer of ungated, first, second, third, fourth, and fifth gate mana. It could have added a sizable amount of power to whoever took it, then instantly let them clear out their third gate mana, and still have power left in the stone for their next two advancements.¡±


    I whistled, impressed. Not a mana source, then.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said. ¡°We thought we might stand a chance, but¡­ Nope.¡±


    ¡°Who got it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the worst part,¡± Liz groaned. ¡°It came down to Kamal¡¯s team and that glacier dragon. Kamal won, but before he could claim the stone, it vanished.¡±


    My eyebrows raised, and Liz clarified.


    ¡°They get bigger as they grow, it was about the size of a loveseat, and it just¡­ Vanished. Nobody knows how or why ¨C people were using all sorts of spells, and nobody saw anything. There wasn¡¯t anyone invisible, or someone just shoving it into a spatial ring. It¡¯s just¡­ gone. That broke out a second round of fighting, and we were forced to flee.¡±


    ¡°Or, if they were invisible, they were able to dodge the mana senses and spells of everyone,¡± I said, and Liz nodded.


    ¡°What are the odds of that, though?¡± she asked.


    ¡°For one person, low, but maybe if there were a few people working together?¡± I said, then snapped. ¡°The rice! On the way here, someone stole the entire boat¡¯s rice reserves. Practice, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Liz said with a shrug.


    ¡°Done,¡± Kene announced, walking back over to us.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Travis said, and Kene nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s your all¡¯s plan for tomorrow?¡± Liz asked.


    ¡°Gather materials?¡± I said, glancing at Kene, and they nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found decent stuff today, and that¡¯s just near the entrance. If we take our brooms out, far from camp, and start wandering in the wilderness away from the most picked over parts, we¡¯re likely to find more or stronger stuff,¡± I said.


    ¡°Other than that, we have some things to work through in the morning,¡± Kene said. ¡°But that¡¯s about it.¡±


    Liz nodded and took a seat on a log with Travis, pulling out a whetstone and starting to sharpen the nicks out of her blad. I sat too, and Kene sat next to me, slipping their arm around my side and pulling me close.


    ¡°We¡¯re likely going to head straight to the tower tomorrow,¡± Liz said. ¡°Each floor takes progressively more time and is progressively harder. The first floor is usually about a day or two, second¡¯s about a week, and the third¡¯s two or three, and my hope is to complete the first floor, then leave to gather natural treasures, and use both for the auction.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said noncommittally, looking at Kene. Their lips compressed.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the best natural treasures be pulled out during the first week or so? Losing an entire day, or two, when we¡¯ve already not gone super far during our first day?¡±


    Liz nodded at that, and Travis actually spoke up.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cost-benefit analysis. Is the value of the magic item worth the day or two lost?¡±


    I frowned, not entirely sure.


    ¡°Well, you have until we leave in the morning,¡± Liz said breezily.


    We broke out some of the food from Dusk¡¯s realm, and cooked some large tubers wrapped in tin foil in the fire. It was simple affair, but after the day of moving constantly, it was good, tasty food.


    As Kene and I retreated into Dusk for the night, however, I thought I sensed some sort of mana in the air, and a shift of the winds in my spirit. I frowned and tried to trace the sensation, but my mana senses couldn¡¯t pin it down. The winds of fortune, however, returned to their lazy circles in satisfaction once I closed the portal.


    That was strange, so I reopened it and warned Liz to be careful, and even offered to let her camp in Dusk¡¯s realm, but Liz waved me off, saying everything was fine.


    I went to bed, but I couldn¡¯t quite get that sensation out of my mind.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twelve

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The following morning started out slow. I awoke to the sounds and smells of food from the kitchen, and emerged to see Kene cooking, alongside a group of brownies.


    ¡°Morning babe,¡± Kene said when I emerged.


    ¡°Morning¡­ How?¡± I asked, nodding to the kitchen. I didn¡¯t have a mana generator or anything, so while I had appliances, most of them didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Solar mana does include fire,¡± Kene said. ¡°I know cooking spells are usually frowned upon by chefs, but between my mana and the brownies¡¯ magic, we got it figured out.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said, as Kene started plating the food. He¡¯d made a classic breakfast, with potatoes that had been fried with onions and peppers, rashers, beans, sunny side up eggs, and a bit of sausage.


    ¡°I know we need to ration food,¡± they said. ¡°But you don¡¯t want to be running about on an empty stomach, let alone taking the greenroot.¡±


    ¡°I bow to your wisdom, oh master alchemist,¡± I said, and they smirked for a second before handing another plate to the brownies and taking their seat across from me.


    We made idle chatter as we breakfasted, then Kene placed the two greenroot stalks in front of me, and one in front of himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ve eaten a mana apple, right?¡± they asked, and continued when I confirmed that I had. ¡°This will be similar, only it will be¡­ More intense.¡±


    With that, they bit into theirs.


    Well, there was no sense in waiting, so I bit into my own as well. Despite looking like neon green lemongrass, it tasted and had a mouthfeel more akin to celery, with hints of coriander and parsley. A bit odd, but I wouldn¡¯t mind cooking with it.


    Lightning shot through my spirit, a blast aimed right at my first gate life garden. It impacted, and I felt it rip through my garden violently. If I hadn¡¯t ingrained all of my spells, I was pretty sure the power would have blown them apart.


    The power had nowhere to go, so I tried to guide it to the walls, but it was hard, like trying to wrestle the air itself. Eventually, some sank in, and the walls of the garden rose a bit.


    I took another bite, and repeated the process. It was slow going, having to fight the power to work with me, rather than just rip apart my mana-garden, but slowly I got more and more of a handle on guiding the power.


    By the time I was on my second stalk, I was able to direct most of the pressure onto the walls to grow them, and by the time I finished it, I was content.


    I hadn¡¯t quite doubled my life mana, but between the berries from the day before and the cramming of the power that this had provided, I was getting close.


    That just left my first gate space, time, and death gates, as well as all of my second gates.


    Perhaps I hadn¡¯t made as much progress as I¡¯d hoped, but I¡¯d certainly made some, and it was only the second day of the competition.


    When I left my mana-garden and returned to the world, I saw Kene cleaning up, and made a sound of protest.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± they asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s against the rules,¡± I said. ¡°Everyone knows that if you cook, the other person cleans. I should be cleaning.¡±


    Kene just gave me a look, then rolled their eyes.


    I helped clean up, then emptied out my death mana, sketching the Beast Mage Soul. Once that was done, I went to find Dusk, who was helping the pixies move around the giant glimmerstones that she¡¯d absorbed. Once they finished, Kene and I opened a portal and stepped out.


    Only to be met with a strange sight. A huge portion of the camp was mobbing the healers, and there were puddles of vomit everywhere. I saw Liz huddled on a bench, pulling her knees to her chest, and she just gave us a grim smile when we emerged. Dusk let out a stream of distraught noises.


    Kene frowned, and their eyes began to glow with the light of Analyze Life as they examined Liz.


    ¡°Kidney stone,¡± they said, then turned and began to examine the camp, looking at everyone else they could before returning.


    ¡°They all have kidney stones,¡± Kene said, brows knitted together. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±


    They approached Liz and put their hand on her shoulder, then let gold and green light leak out, flowing through her body.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too hard to cure,¡± Kene said. ¡°Just unusual. A buildup of telluric energy in the kidneys, a standard purgation spell can remove it, but¡­ I don¡¯t see how it could have infected almost the entire camp.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a fifth gate spell,¡± Liz said as she slowly let go of her legs, stretching. ¡°Infect Area. It¡¯s banned in Mossford, and I¡¯m pretty sure just about everywhere else. I don¡¯t know how someone got their hands on it, but they must have unleashed it in the camp.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Kamal would be rich enough to buy one,¡± I said. ¡°Riley works for a hag that runs a black market, so they could get one. Mallory, maybe. I don¡¯t know how much a fifth gate spell goes for.¡±


    ¡°A lot,¡± Kene said, shaking their head. ¡°Banned spells are always more expensive. Though they face they used it to give kidney stones, instead of spreading something more dangerous, like slimeheart, seems to me that they were using it to get an edge on the competition, not as an outright attack.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± came a voice I didn¡¯t recognize. All of us turned to see a conventionally attractive woman, who looked like she was quite hard to not look conventionally attractive. She had long black hair, with pale skin, and curves that would definitely have caught the eye of someone who was interested in women.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Liz snapped, rising to her feet quickly. I felt the thrum of her mana as she started preparing spells.


    ¡°Peace, peace,¡± the stranger said, holding up her hands. ¡°I just want this healed. I¡¯m using a spell to suppress the pain, but it¡¯s not a great long term solution.¡±


    ¡°How did you even know I could heal it?¡± Kene asked, frowning.


    I¡¯d just assumed that she¡¯d been in a nearby tent and had overheard us talking, but I¡¯d also been paying more attention to Liz than I had to my mana senses, so I decided to rectify that mistake.


    First, I blended all of my senses as tightly together as I could and focused them on the woman.


    Her veils were good. Impeccable, really. She was actively casting a magic spell, but I could barely even sense the trickle of ungated mana that she was expending, and I couldn¡¯t tell the type.


    The only thing I could definitively determine was that she had several spirit traps hanging on cords around her waist, and I didn¡¯t think that they were empty or for show. A spirit caller, maybe?


    ¡°I happened to overhear,¡± she said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to. But I am willing to trade for the healing. I have a lead on alter-pearl truffles.¡±


    Kene whipped their head around to look at me, then looked back at her.


    ¡°How?¡± they asked.


    ¡°I have knowledge mana, and a legacy that makes me very good at scouting out information,¡± she said. ¡°And I got the sense that your boyfriend was using a spell that could benefit from it, based on the feel of the blockage in his second gate.¡±


    ¡°And you just happened to know of a natural treasure that would be perfect to advance that?¡± Liz asked, putting a hand on her hip and glaring.


    ¡°I¡¯m a quick thinker. I scouted out for a bunch of rare and powerful treasures, and then cataloged them yesterday. I can¡¯t promise that the alter-pearl truffles are still there, but they were yesterday. I just put two and two together.¡±


    She winced.


    ¡°I¡¯m running out of ungated mana and am having to convert down, and that¡¯s so wasteful. Can you heal me and have this conversation later?¡±


    Kene stepped over and put a hand on her shoulder, then let the light flow through her for a few moments,


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, letting out a relieved sigh. ¡°Alright. The truffles are located roughly¡­¡±


    She trailed off and I saw her eyes shift slightly, the spell she was casting turning them from normal human ones to almost feline, slitted eyes.


    ¡°Roughly forty miles north-northeast of here,¡± she said. ¡°Underground, of course, with a guardian that was able to scare off one of my ca¨C one of my scouts.¡±


    I frowned and leaned forwards. She had spirit traps, maybe she¡¯d been using a spirit as a scout? Maybe a cat sidhe?


    ¡°Thank you for the information,¡± Kene said stiffly, and she just smiled mischievously.


    ¡°No, thank you. There aren¡¯t many healers with solar mana here, so most have more trouble and have to coax the stone out naturally, rather than just cleansing it. This should give me a huge headstart. Just ask for Maylee, and I¡¯ll find my way to you.¡±


    With that, one of her spirit traps snapped open, and a tempest elemental burst out.


    ¡°If you¡¯re interested in learning more about the locations of your perfect treasures, or perhaps getting a leg up on Kamal or Aputhrax, my rates are reasonable.¡±


    Winds began to pick up and she leapt away in great, bounding strides.


    I raised my eyebrow at that, then looked at Liz, then at Kene.


    ¡°I think we need to pursue this lead,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡¯ll heal Travis so you two can get a headstart on the tower, and we need to go.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Liz said, frowning. ¡°I don¡¯t trust that Maylee girl, though. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± I said with a fake, cheesy, overconfident grin. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Liz. I have a domain weapon now, I can take on a magi and win.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be a magus?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°Magi sounds better,¡± Liz said, shaking her head. ¡°Anyways, just¡­ be safe. Your brother will kill me if you die.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said seriously. Dusk made a river-rustling sound and said that she¡¯d make sure I didn¡¯t die.


    ¡°Good,¡± Liz said.


    Kene healed Travis, who thanked him, and then it was time for Kene and I to leave. We took out our brooms and I cast my Sense Directionality spell, then led us as we flew towards where the alter-pearl truffles were.


    ¡°What exactly do these truffles do?¡± I asked Kene as we flew.


    ¡°They¡¯re actually a fairly rare and powerful component,¡± Kene said. ¡°Hard to find, and even harder to grow on purpose, because their mycelial network dies easily, and it takes about fifty years to condense its truffles. Even then, an entire network only tends to make three to seven truffles.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, dork,¡± I said. ¡°And I do like listening to you, but it doesn¡¯t tell me what they do.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kene said, flushing a bit. ¡°Well, they have a few uses. If consumed during an ascension, they can massively boost transformation, alteration, and self-enhancement spells.¡±


    My eyebrows shot up. That sounded perfect for me indeed.


    ¡°But even without consuming them during an ascension, they can be used to create permanent transformation or enhancement potions, or diluted to make powerful growth potions. There was actually a kingdom in the year two hundred or so mossford ¨C or twelve hundred on the orthodox calendar ¨C that made a practice of importing them from all over the continent to make those growth potions, and growing elite soldiers.¡±


    ¡°They sound a bit too good to be true,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ They do their job well. Too well, really. Say you had a telluric spell that spread through your bones, blood, and muscles to make you really strong. Binding an alter-pearl truffle to it could manifest physically as bigger and bigger musculature. Fire resistance might wind up giving you charred looking skin. Undoing the side effects can be a pain.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m already going to get something like that,¡± I said. ¡°Mine¡¯s a growth spell, so its effects already gradually ramp up as I grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Kene said, slowing as we arrived in the general area that she¡¯d indicated. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m worried she knew it was so perfect for you.¡±


    We slowly lowered our brooms.


    ¡°She is an information broker,¡± I said. ¡°I doubt it¡¯s a trap.¡±


    Something about that felt right, causing the winds in my spirit to gust well, though there was a slight¡­ Disapproval¡­ as well that I couldn¡¯t place.


    ¡°True,¡± Kene said, expanding their mana senses out. ¡°Either way, she did say there was a guardian. We should be on guard.¡±


    I agreed, withdrew my new quarterstaff, and started expanding my own mana senses.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    With my mana senses spread out over the area, I expected the presence of a guardian to be obvious, but nothing in particular jumped out at me.


    I could sense forest estragon moving through the trees, and I thought I might also feel a river estragon moving along somewhere, but nothing that stuck out as a guardian, nor anything that felt especially like a powerful natural treasure.


    When I glanced at Kene, they just shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start running a divination for it,¡± they said. ¡°And before you ask ¨C because I know you probably will, you¡¯re more curious than you like to admit ¨C I couldn¡¯t do it before because my range is only a few hundred feet. On top of that, I have to have some relative experience with the thing I¡¯m looking for. I¡¯ve never actually even seen an altar-pearl truffle before, so my spells are going to have a hard time giving any concrete data at all.¡±


    They grimaced.


    ¡°The downsides of running the spell with life magic. My Locate Plants spell¡¯s much more restrictive than the Locate Object spell.¡±


    I nodded and we slowly worked through the area, until I felt a somewhat familiar twinge in my mana senses.


    It blended into the environment well, but not well enough.


    Then, from a rotted log covered in turkey trail mushrooms, a large form rose, lunging at Kene.


    ¡°Watchout!¡± I shouted, and Kene vanished.


    For a second, I was confused, until I remembered the spell bracer ¨C Kene had asked me to store a Foxstep in it, and must have used it to escape danger.


    Briarthreads burst from me, and a pair of bones emerged over either shoulder. I lashed out with my staff, striking the abyssal shambler in the side.


    The power of the staff was impressive, as it actually drove the shambler back a bit, and I felt my Magister¡¯s Body spell engage, working to replenish the power my strike had drained.


    Runes were flowing out and enveloping me now, and I pressed my advantage, releasing all of my boneshards at the shambler as it lunged at me.


    Two, flame-rune encrusted bones bit into the shambler on either side as I held up my staff and my Briarthreads spun to absorb the blow. My other two shards teleported behind the shambler and drove into its back.


    I took the heavy blow, and while my Briarthreads took most of it, my aura didn¡¯t have time to engage, as my staff caught the blow and drained energy from me to stop the rest.


    Alright, good data. Block with the staff only close to the body, otherwise it¡¯ll waste energy, like just now.


    More runes flowed from Kene, and a golden light washed over my body.


    The shambler was punching out heavy blows, but between my Briarthreads and aura pin, I was able to dodge out of the way of blows, rather than taking the rib-cracking, concussion inducing hits that I had the last time I¡¯d battled an abyssal shambler.


    I teleported by boneshards back to me, then let the runes light them. More runes infused my Briarthreads, and I kept my weaving and bobbing, waiting for the right moment.


    It took several seconds, but eventually, the shambler overextended, throwing too much in a punch, presumably to try and punch past my strengthened aura.


    I Foxstepped behind it, leaving an afterimage of myself there, and leaving Dusk behind. Dusk punched out with an overcharged shockwave as I brought my staff down on its back, along with four flaming, overcharged Pinpoint Boneshards, and a fiery, overcharged Briarthreads spell.


    My Magister¡¯s Body surged at its maximum capacity as my staff drained everything it could.


    There was a massive shattering sound as the attacks broke the armor spell of the shambler in its entirety. The momentum of the staff kept it moving, though, and it threw the shambler away, where it thumped against a tree.


    I shuddered and took a step back, frowning. Even with my Magister¡¯s Body working on overtime to replenish my energy stores, my stores of energy had been severely drained by that attack, and I could feel it. I was exhausted, worm thin.


    The shambler, more than anything, seemed terrified, backing away quickly as it could with its not-quite-as-bulky, unarmored frame, and I understood why.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I¡¯d fought one before, and had barely been able to bore a few holes in its armor, let alone deal its core body a strong blow like that.


    I honestly felt a bit bad ¨C I didn¡¯t want to kill the poor thing, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that it had tough armor, powerful regeneration, and could actively absorb the power of that strike to grow, I might have felt absolutely awful for hurting it so bad.


    Yes, it had wanted to consume our mana, but was that really an excuse? It didn¡¯t have higher thought, and I did. I couldn¡¯t blame it for that any more than I could blame a bird for pooping on the sidewalk.


    Maybe killing it in retribution was fair to some people¡¯s mind, but it wasn¡¯t to mine.


    I could be better than that.


    I was not bound to violence.


    I was not forced to follow the rules of nature, not if I made nature follow my rules.


    I could choose Mercy.


    For just a second, the world cracked. The word ¡®mercy¡¯ echoed in my mind, though it was wrong to call it a word. It wasn¡¯t a word, it was beyond a word. It was a concept.


    In the same few seconds, I felt a new wind, a howling one that came from the east and west, arise in my spirit. The winds of fortune spun in a violent, central cyclone, catching the new wind, integrating it, churning it as a part of something¡­


    Something greater¡­


    Then the moment was gone. My spirit was normal once again with only the winds of fortune spinning in a slow, lazy circular pattern.


    I was drained, but otherwise, I was¡­ Fine.


    Kene gave me an odd look and took a few steps closer to me.


    ¡°You okay?¡± they asked, putting their hand gently onto my arm.


    ¡°Tired,¡± I grunted, and it was true. That absurd strike had drained away everything in my reserves, and even as they slowly returned, I could still feel it, like I¡¯d sprinted a mile while doing math problems. It wasn¡¯t anything permanent, but I needed to recover.


    I was also annoyed and disappointed. I¡¯d had a second chance to figure out the arrays of an abyssal shambler¡¯s armor spells, and had lost it in my moment of¡­ Whatever that was.


    Dusk clambered up my leg and gave me a concerned look as well. I smiled and patted her head. With a peep, she poked my cheek and pushed her mana into me. My Magister¡¯s Body started breaking it down, converting it into energy.


    I frowned. Surely that would count as mana entering my spirit. If Mana Mirror could mirror it, then why wasn¡¯t her forest mana mirrored? Was it simply too complex? Did no perfect mirror exist?


    Or maybe I hadn¡¯t actually chosen a path. Meadow had said something about me not developing a well of destiny, fortune, or resolve. Perhaps it was triggering the same effect as when I had unchosen mana, and getting thrown off base by me having it in my spirit anyways?


    Questions for later.


    I closed my eyes and focused on teasing out the treads of mana and feeding them into the Magister¡¯s Body.


    It took a good five minutes or so, but I did eventually manage to start feeling more put together, and I opened my eyes to find a concerned Dusk and Kene still watching me.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± Kene asked, and I smiled at them.


    ¡°Much,¡± I said.


    They tossed me a potion, which I took and drank, and felt it course through my body and mind, reinvigorating me. An energy potion ¨C not in the magical energy sense, but in the simple, energy drink, sugar and caffeine sense.


    With that in my system, I spread out my mana around me again, Kene lit up his divination spell once more, and we returned to exploring the area around us.


    Kene paused for a moment as we wandered, leaning over and tracing a finger along a small plant that looked rather like a dandelion.


    ¡°Add this into your garden please, Dusk, and plant it near the gibbous windbush¡± they said. ¡°This is a cluster of diaphanous dandelions. They don¡¯t do much on their own, but they¡¯re a great supporting material for most tempest based potions.¡±


    My eyebrows raised. Between the bush and the dandelions, I would probably be able to construct a flight potion once I was third gate.


    That excited me way more than it reasonably should have.


    Flying with a broom was cool, but flying under my own power would be awesome!


    ¡°I see that grin,¡± Kene teased, and I blushed.


    We kept moving after that, Kene plucking a few berries off a bush.


    ¡°What are those?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Gooseberries,¡± he said. ¡°Want one?¡±


    For a horrible moment, I had the vision of eating one, then opening your mouth and releasing a wave of geese from your mouth like the breath weapon of a dragon, before it clicked that Kene meant plain, ordinary gooseberries.


    I laughed at myself and took a few. They were sour, but sweet at the same time, and I wanted to make them into a tart.


    Finally, however, Kene¡¯s spell started buzzing, and we began to move in the direction it indicated.


    The broad, flat forest slowly gave way to larger mushrooms, ones easily the size of a large shrub. Dusk absorbed a few of them, though they had little enough magic, only having the power needed to grow further on their own growth past the normal stages.


    ¡°Why is it always mushrooms?¡± I wondered aloud, and Kene just grinned at me, then shrugged.


    The ground began to grow rockier as well, and for a moment, I was sure that I¡¯d be spotting more glimmerstone any moment, but the rocks seemed ordinary as well.


    In fact, the overall lack of magic in this part of the forest was starting to worry me.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truffles,¡± Kene said, as if they could hear my thoughts. ¡°They soak up most of the ambient mana in the area, which is one of the laundry list of reasons they¡¯re a pain to manage to grow.¡±


    I nodded, and we followed the divination spell to a¡­ rock.


    A large rock, yes, but just a rock. Or a boulder? The taxonomy of rocks was not something I¡¯d ever invested much effort into learning.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s under the rock?¡± I suggested, and Kene nodded.


    The two of us shoved the rock out of the way, and I groaned.


    There was a long, thin underground tunnel, one that reminded me uncomfortably of the tunnel in which I¡¯d seen the outermost reaches of the war root.


    Kene¡¯s spell pointed right down the tunnel however, and they glanced at me.


    ¡°If it¡¯s something we can¡¯t handle, we run,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t try to fight it this time.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± they said, smiling softly. ¡°Dusk, mind catching our fall?¡±


    Dusk made a wind-in-trees sound signifying her agreement, and Kene slid down. A moment later, I slid down the hole as well, the Peacepyre floating out above my left shoulder.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fourteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said softly as we landed in the soft, loamy soil at the bottom of the pit.


    What I saw was not an intense battle with an abyssal shambler, deathfrill maiden, fungal tyrant, or other mobile mushroom monster menace.


    No, it was far more somber than that.


    The cave tapered upwards on the opposite side ¨C if we¡¯d approached it from about fifty feet westward, we would have stumbled across what should have been the main entrance, rather than a thin sinkhole that led into it.


    But the entrance had collapsed, leaving only small gaps where beams of light from the world peeked through, but even the biggest gaps were only four or five inches to a side. The rocks were large, and felt dense with energy, which probably meant that they were even heavier than stone normally should be.


    And inside the cave were bones.


    There wasn¡¯t even a stench to them, or much of anything left to them. Just bones and energy leftover.


    I powered my Analyze Death spell and saw the pulsing death magic beginning to swirl through the room, and I felt a horrible moment of realization move through me.


    ¡°Oh thank goodness!¡± a boy said.


    There hadn¡¯t been a boy in the room a moment ago, and given the massive amount of death energy making him up, and the fact that tapping Vampiric Senses only gave me the scent of old, dead things, memories and sadness.


    The boy-ghost looked to be about sixteen, but was shockingly muscular, and even from death he was putting out a sense of strong energy ¨C he must have been quite the prodigy in his time, to be here at his age.


    ¡°Do you have any food or water?¡± a girl asked as she materialized as well. ¡°We¡¯re so hungry¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve had food for a long time, and our waterstone is running low on mana¡­¡±


    She looked a few years older, about my age, with long, windswept hair that shifted in a breeze that I couldn¡¯t feel.


    ¡°Are you earth mages?¡± another boy asked as he stepped out of the air as well.


    A powerful presence then swept over the room, a blending of abnegation, death, solar, life, temporal, and a shockingly large amount of desolation magic ran through the room. In some ways, it reminded me of the wards that could be found around a graveyard, though it was quite different in other ways as well.


    Kene, Dusk, and I all turned to see a small fox standing in a beam of sunlight.


    No, not a fox, or at least not a normal one. The front legs had gorgeous, long wings sprouting from them. They were brown, with white and almost red streaks, like a hawk¡¯s.


    The fox-creature was watching us carefully, and it filled the room with its power, making it very clear to us that it was watching, and more than willing to drive us off if we wanted to.


    Then the power focused on Kene, and I tensed, prepared for a fight. If this fox-creature was willing to judge and attack Kene for what it could sense leaking out of their tattoos, I wouldn¡¯t let it.


    The fox was strong ¨C much stronger than me, and maybe even stronger than Ed. Its power felt like it was still in the early stages of third gate, but¡­ Not. It was more, but it wasn¡¯t, and it was hard to explain. I wasn¡¯t sure I understood it at all, come to think of it.


    The ghosts seemed to fade away as the fox-creature and Kene stared at one another. Then the fox- sat down on the rock and just watched.


    The ghosts grew more substantial again, and I smiled at them, putting as much reassurance into the expression as I could.


    ¡°Sure, we can share some food and water,¡± I said. ¡°But no, neither Kene nor I are earth mages. Dusk has a little, but I¡¯m not sure she can clear the rocks.¡±


    I was sure she could, actually. What I wasn¡¯t sure of was if the clear rocks were a part of the structure keeping this entire cave from collapsing.


    ¡°Oh,¡± the third ghost said, slumping his shoulders.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, though,¡± Kene said. ¡°We found a back entrance ¨C you guys can come out that way with us.¡±


    ¡°Awesome!¡± the first ghost said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get out of here. It¡¯s been¡­ So long¡­¡±


    As he spoke, the substance that seemed to make him up thinned, and he became increasingly translucent.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± I said, turning and beginning the climb out. Dusk scampered out of my pocket and focused. Her power pushed out of her, and the earth of the thin crevasse we¡¯d used to get inside the cave began to ripple and warp, small footholds starting to appear in the rock. I clambered out, then turned and held my hand in the hole.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sarah,¡± the girl ghost said as I helped haul her out of the underground cavern.


    It was very strange ¨C she didn¡¯t have weight in the physical sense, but there was a sort of¡­ spiritual density¡­ to her that made lifting her about as hard as lifting the person should have been.


    ¡°Malachi,¡± I said.


    Once we¡¯d helped the three ghosts out of the hole, the third guy, who introduced himself as Garrett, patted his stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving, you said you had food that you didn¡¯t mind sharing?¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Totally,¡± I said, digging my hand into my pocket to disguise how I was reaching into Dusk¡¯s realm to help bring things out.


    The kid ¨C Alexander ¨C watched and made an impressed grunt.


    ¡°Dimensional pocket pockets? I hadn¡¯t even heard of those, I didn¡¯t realize they were a thing. You guys must be loaded.¡±


    ¡°Haha, no,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I just keep a dimensional ring sewn on the interior of the pocket. Makes it harder to steal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s smart,¡± Sarah commented. ¡°You should do that, Alex. A bunch of people have tried to steal your ring.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear?¡± Alex asked.


    Dusk chimed, saying that she hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah, come to think of it, I don¡¯t recognize you all from camp,¡± Sarah said frowning. ¡°Were you not at the auction?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve spent most of the time we¡¯ve been here in the wild,¡± Kene said as they lit a fire for me to start cooking on.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Garret said. ¡°That must make you one of the few who didn¡¯t hear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a powerful divinatory talent that lets me find anything,¡± Alexander said. ¡°I just need to have a description and an image, and I can seek it out over almost a thousand square miles.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, and Kene whistled.


    ¡°No wonder you got a pass,¡± they said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander said, grinning.


    The group of ghosts started chatting as I leaned in to focus on the cooking. Pork chops overcooked quickly, and were hard enough to do perfectly on a normal hob without drying them out. Over an open fire, they were even more fussy.


    I tossed some herbs and butter into the pan, then began slicing potatoes as well. I hadn¡¯t been thinking ¨C those should have come first.


    In my defense, I was a little thrown off. I¡¯d spoken to ghosts before, but rarely ones so¡­ aware.


    I passed the pork chops out on plates to the ghosts and watched as they dug in.


    If it weren¡¯t for the incongruities, I could almost have been convinced that they were people.


    We made a bit more idle chatter, though it was hard ¨C the communication mirror network hadn¡¯t even been fully set up when they¡¯d come in, let alone things like using it for shows and movies.


    Each time we struck on something too modern, it seemed to suck something out of the ghosts, so Kene and I did our best to keep the conversation away from anything that had happened in the past twenty or so years.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alexander said as he finished his plate. ¡°That was great, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks!¡± Garret said, grinning, and Sarah dipped her head in a shallow bow and murmured her own thanks.


    ¡°We should get going,¡± Sarah said. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to miss the boat out.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kene agreed.


    There was a sudden, sharp, cold wind then, and I would have been hard pressed to distinguish if it was a spiritual one or not, but the three ghosts were gone then. The plates they¡¯d eaten from were completely clean, and the fire guttered wildly.


    I cast Analyze Death and Vampiric Senses, but the ghosts were¡­ gone. There was only the faintest traces of power emanating from the cave where they¡¯d died.


    Kene looked around and gave a sad smile.


    ¡°I hope that we helped,¡± they said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± I said. ¡°If we can, we should bring their rings to their friends or families, if we can find anything. The kid, Alexander, had to have picked up a ton of good stuff. Some probably lost its value, but not all of it. It¡¯s no compensation for losing someone close to you, but it might bring some closure.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Kene agreed. ¡°We should bury their bodies as well. Give them a proper funeral, and that may help them find some rest.¡±


    Dusk let out a somber, baritone note, saying that she¡¯d get started on digging the graves, since she had a Shape Earth spell, and we could bring the bodies up.


    Kene and I silently moved the body and their belongings out of the cave, and laid them to rest in three graves. When we picked up each of their spatial rings, there was a whisper in our minds, the touch of death, time, and knowledge in the air, and we suddenly knew, just knew, where they¡¯d come from.


    That information was twenty some years out of date, but it gave us a place to start searching for, if nothing else.


    Once we finished filling in the graves, there was yet another cold wind, and the remnants of death that had been in the cave were now gone.


    With that done, Kene recast his divination spell to look for the truffles, and I let out a relieved breath when I found them.


    I¡¯d been worried that they¡¯d be in either one of two places. First was that they¡¯d have been in one of the storage rings, and have somehow survived for twenty years in there.


    I knew that wasn¡¯t likely, though.


    No, my real concern was that the truffle would have been growing under a body, and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to eat it for sanitation purposes.


    Luckily, they¡¯d grown in a loose patch of earth on the far side of the cavern, near where some large, gnarled tree routes peeked through the dirt and stone.


    As Kene and I dug through the soil, I felt a familiar presence appear in my mana senses. The fox-creature stood in one of the beams of sunlight, and let out a snuffling sound, a noise that I thought sounded almost¡­ Contented. Or pleased, maybe.


    The fox bounded in the air and leapt over to Kene, then pressed its snout to Kene¡¯s tattoo. Blue-white light swirled through the air and surged, the fox-creature¡¯s blending of energy and mana suffusing Kene¡¯s tattoo, amplifying and strengthening the seal.


    There wasn¡¯t much strength that could be added ¨C the creature was only third gate, while Kene¡¯s tattoos had been built by an arcanist ¨C but it did¡­ something. And whatever it did, it was distinctly beneficial.


    The closest thing I could think of to describe it was that the fox had¡­ smoothed¡­ the connections between the seal. It had been made with alchemical inks, and alchemy was full of energy, and then enchanted with human magic, which was mana. It felt like the little creature had suffused the enchantment with enough beastial power to¡­ link them. The same way beast magic was a blend of energy and mana. Then it had topped it all off with a jolt of power into the seal to keep it active, like an energy potion to the body.


    I bit my lip in curiosity as I examined the little fox-bird-thing. Its magic had possessed a very strong amount of abjuration, and this was a fairly complex working. Was it able to come up with it on the fly? Or was this a spell it knew as a part of its biology? Something in between?


    The fox then curled up like a cat and lay down in the sunbeam. Its peace didn¡¯t last long, however, as Dusk quickly clambered up the rock and lay down on top of the strange little thing.


    The creature didn¡¯t seem to mind, however, just yawning, and I chuckled. Between Kerbos, Blink Foxes, and this, Dusk really was developing a knack for using magical creatures as pillows.


    We returned to digging, and found the truffles almost eight inches down. They were tiny, each one only about the size of a pearl or marble, and they shimmered with a nacre sheen.


    As we plucked the harvest, I felt myself grow increasingly excited. The first three were expected ¨C they grew in groups of three to seven ¨C but the fourth and fifth were a wonderful surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take one,¡± Kene suggested. ¡°It will sell well at auction. You take three, one for each of your spells, and one for the overlapping area between the spells.. Then I¡¯ll use the fifth one to brew a spell enhancement potion to help you speed along the process of mastering Beast Mage¡¯s Soul quicker. It won¡¯t be as perfect as Dott¡¯s Draught, but it should work okay.¡±


    I grumbled a bit ¨C I felt like I was cheating them to take four of the five for myself, but they insisted that I could actually use it, while they could only sell it.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to have my partner stronger than a bit more to spend at auction,¡± Kene repeated for what felt like the thousandth time.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°But why can¡¯t you use one?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a transformation enhancer,¡± Kene said. ¡°While it¡¯s true the dose makes the poison, that doesn¡¯t mean that you can turn red into blue. It wouldn¡¯t help me, and might make things worse. Better to not risk it.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I agreed, then slipped the truffles into Dusk¡¯s realm. ¡°Do you want to keep exploring and camp out overnight? Or head back towards the entrance camp area?¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifteen

    "


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I don¡¯t think so today,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°There¡¯s too much potential wealth to be extracted right now.¡±


    A part of me expected the winds of fortune to gust angrily at that, but nothing happened. I supposed that Meadow had warned me that it was fickle for a reason.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Kene said. ¡°How about I go ahead and start working on the elixir while you explore? If I have Dusk with me, she can help, and we can leave when we¡¯re ready, or if you need us.¡±


    I frowned. I didn¡¯t love the idea of being out here alone, but the efficiency would be better. Most of the minor herbs that Kene was picking up weren¡¯t powerful, and powerful things I came across I could just consult with Kene about.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, waving and opening a portal. The strange little fox-bird creature trundled over and towards the portal when it opened, and I frowned.


    The creature was wild, and it was potentially dangerous. It was much stronger than me, after all, and while I could fight up a tier, I didn¡¯t think it was the wisest idea to needlessly do so.


    But¡­


    It had helped Kene. It seemed to have some intelligence to it, enough to recognize and judge our actions. It had been kind to us.


    ¡°Is it safe?¡± I asked Kene. They examined it, then put their head on top and cast a cleansing spell.


    ¡°It had some intestinal parasites,¡± Kene said, ¡°but that¡¯s normal for any wild animal. I cleared them out, though. No rabies or other serious diseases I could spot.¡±


    I let the critter pass through the portal. Kene followed, and the portal shut behind them.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said to empty air. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I spread my mana senses wide, not straining them to the maximum, but still keeping them radiated out to a radius of a dozen feet or so.


    With that done, I started moving and sketching my Immovable Lock spell. I wished that I¡¯d already had it ingrained, since that would massively increase my potential mobility, but combining Harvest Distance, Foxstep, and my broom let me keep a powerful degree of mobility, especially for my gate.


    A spellbinder with a flight spell, a rich person with a better broom, or a third gate spatial mage might have been able to move faster over a long distance, but I was still able to cover a good amount of ground.


    It was oddly peaceful as I moved. Sure, there was the odd wild monster, but I think I was beginning to understand why Orykson detested the term.


    Monsters, after all, were animals. Powerful, magical animals. But animals.


    As long as I wasn¡¯t challenging them for territory, and was displaying enough power to make it obvious I wasn¡¯t prey, few things were willing to hunt me. The few that were, I was able to teleport out of the way of, leaving an afterimage behind.


    I didn¡¯t have Kene¡¯s herblore, so I passed over the things with only a tiny bit of energy in them, but I did stop to nab some wild chives.


    Not prismatic chives or firelight chives. Just plain, ordinary chives.


    With how fast we were running through the food stores, I figured that anythibg would be a help, even if it was just herbs.


    After some time wandering, my senes what felt like a powerful mental mana source, roughly third gate in potency. Strong third gate, though, nearly on the border of fourth.


    Slowing and entering the clearing, I identified it as a strange, jelly-like substance.


    I considered marking it with a spatial anchor as something to return to later, but dismissed it.


    While it might absorb enough ambient mana to punch through to fourth gate, it might not. And either way, if I left it that long, it might be taken by someone else.


    Not to mention, the longer I took, the more likely I was to attract the attention of something that lived here and used the goop as a personal power source.


    With a sigh, I used a stick to collect it into a mason jar, and tossed it into Dusk¡¯s treasury. As I did, I felt a buzzing start to strike at the edges of my mind, and was suddenly very glad that I had a mindshield ring.


    I left the clearing quickly, and felt a couple of mental stabbing attacks at me, but nothing able to pierce the mindshield. Before long, I was in the clear, grinning like a thief in the night.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    I picked up a few new, weaker mana sources ¨C telluric, death, and desolation ¨C as I moved, and decided to put Kene¡¯s theory to the test.


    One of the mana sources was a tiny skull that radiated with the power of death, so I slipped it into my spirit ¨C not through my mouth, this time. While eating things was the easiest way to fit it into your spirit, I took the extra time to absorb the skull while holding it. I didn¡¯t want to know what eating it might do to me.


    I hadn¡¯t used a ton of death mana, mainly using it for the odd pulse of Vampiric Senses, or converting it over to top off my temporal mana. Still, the mana source broke down and refueled my death gate¡¯s power.


    There was a humming in my spirit as some of it reflected into my life gate as well, but it was imperfect ¨C I restored more death than life.


    That¡­ left me even more confused. If I was able to break down Dusk¡¯s mana without reflecting it, then why did I reflect a mana source? Why did the drops of destiny mana reflect, so to speak?


    Was it because I¡¯d chosen life and death? Because I¡¯d chosen Fortune? Had I even chosen Fortune, without a well?


    I groaned, almost wishing the skull hadn¡¯t reflected, and then kept moving. Two more first gate mana sources found their way into my bag, both lunar, and then something caught the very edge of my senses.


    I turned and navigated myself to a small, boglike clearing.


    Actually, was it a clearing? It was an open gap with lots of mud and water and few trees, but I didn¡¯t know if bogs had a different word.


    What had caught my attention, however, was the massive bounty of destiny plants.


    Much like Kene and I had expected, there were more treasures and plants deeper in the forest, and this was evident here. Where I¡¯d only found a few of them during the fight with Bohn, this glade had eleven of the purple plants.


    Not only that, but there was a small glow coming from under the murky waters, and it felt¡­ strange. Compact, dense, first gate mana, but of no particular affinity I could recognize.


    I slowed as I entered the clearing and brought my mana senses tighter around me, while sending a thought to Dusk. After all, there was no way that a glade so bountiful wouldn¡¯t have something inside that was more than willing to protect it.


    Sweeping my mana senses through the air like a brush, I searched for anything amiss, then empowered my sensory spells. Analyze Life, Death, and Space all flared, alongside Vampiric Senses.


    That was what saved me. Something was moving under the water, and it had been able to hide from the imbued effect of Analyze Space, but the fully powered spell and Vampiric Senses laid it bare.


    I frantically Foxstepped across the clearing as a creature almost the size of my entire body exploded out of the water. If my spells hadn¡¯t warned me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to at all. As was, I didn¡¯t even have the time to leave an afterimage behind me.


    The thing was a serpent, five and a half feet long, and at least two feet in diameter. It had thick, powerful scales that glittered like polished stones, and it emanated a heavy, solid power that reminded me of the deep earth.


    The serpent whipped its head around and opened its mouth. A tight, grayish power built in its throat, rotating and compressing, and I wasn¡¯t about to wait for it to unleash an attack.


    I Foxstepped into the air above the snake and drove down with my staff, overcharged Briarthreads, Pinpoint Boneshards, and a bit of Blademoss.


    That attack had ripped apart an abyssal shambler¡¯s adaptive armor.


    It slammed into the serpent¡¯s back with a loud cracking noise, but when I landed, I saw it had only cracked the serpent¡¯s scales. The serpent itself was fine. It unleashed the power it had been building, and a massive beam of power ripped through the air. I dove out of the way, leaving an afterimage, but I was still terrified to see that the attack blew apart three trees that it struck.


    I was tired now, the staff having drained my power, and I¡¯d clearly made a mistake. The abyssal shambler¡¯s armor was adaptive, so of course I¡¯d punched through it with a mixed series of new attacks.


    This serpent¡¯s scales, on the other hand, were more like Ed¡¯s Skin of Stone spell. Raw defense, rather than adaptive.


    Fighting through the fatigue, I shoved my staff and bone shards back into my spirit. I¡¯d gotten a good attack in, but it had left me physically drained. I wasn¡¯t going to be using the staff again, not so soon, as doing so would leave me vulnerable. The boneshards were great against fleshy opponents, but wouldn¡¯t do anything against this serpent.


    If this was going to be an endurance game, then I could try and play that.


    I flicked my hands out and put a three layer fungal lock spell onto the serpent. It wriggled and tried to slip them off, which bought me the time to reach inside my spirit and tap my Temporal Basin. I¡¯d only had it for a week or so, so the power wasn¡¯t vast, but it was more than enough to supercharge my temporal gate, and converting it around, I was able to more or less restore my mana.


    Nothing I could do for my energy, and no time to cry about that. Why wasn¡¯t Dusk here yet? No time there either.


    I foxstepped out of the way, and was surprised how much more it cost me, now that I couldn¡¯t tap into my life energy flows to provide power for the spell.


    I flicked my hands to cast another three-layer Fungal Lock onto the serpent, and saw it struggling again. For all the endurance, stealth, and magical offense, it seemed like it had sacrificed some physical strength ¨C which was good for me.


    I overcharged my Briarthreads, not for offense, but for defense, then held my hands out to the nearby trees.


    They were simple things, just bald cypresses, which worked in my favor as I flooded them with Enhance Plant Life.


    I wasn¡¯t super skilled in the manipulation of new limbs grown with the spell, since most of the time I used that, it was just to send Blademoss at someone.


    But I was skilled enough to throw a large, temporary root over the serpent. The serpent let out an angry hiss, then its scales sharpened and began to spin.


    Like a lumberjack, the serpent cut through my Fungal Locks and roots with ease, then flung itself at me. I used another far-too-expensive Foxstep with an afterimage to dodge, but the serpent was smart.


    It ignored the illusion, and instead unleashed another breath attack at me the instant it spotted me. I wasn¡¯t able to pull together another Foxstep in time ¨C a problem that my Beast Mage¡¯s Soul should help with ¨C and was forced to take the hit.


    My defensive aura strained intensely, and my conjured briars broke apart. I was shoved backwards through the mud quickly, until I hit a tree and felt the air rush out of my lungs.


    I didn¡¯t think anything had broken, but having the wind completely knocked out of me left me gasping for breath and my vision blurry.


    But not so blurry that I didn¡¯t see a portal snap open next to me.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The light of Kene¡¯s blessing spell swept over me, followed by the green light of a regeneration spell. My vision re-focused, and I had just a moment to cast Foxstep and get out of the way of another breath weapon attack from the serpent.


    Dusk, on the other hand, was so small that she didn¡¯t need to dodge. Glowing with golden light, she ran over the surface of the mud, her body too light and ethereal to get caught down.


    As she moved, she sketched, and when she arrived at the serpent, everything happened very rapidly.


    She leapt upwards, the force of it rocketing her upwards like some sort of mythological hero, and releasing an overcharged shockwave spell dead center on the serpent¡¯s face.


    At the same time, hundreds of tiny palms of earth began to arise from the mud, grabbing onto the serpent¡¯s scales and tail, pinning and dragging it down.


    For my part, I let my mana rotate and spin like wild until I released a five-layer Fungal Lock over the serpent.


    The serpent¡¯s scales began to shimmer and spin again, and both my mycelial network and Dusk¡¯s conjured hands rapidly were torn to shreds. The serpent lunged at Dusk, who took another empowered leap, soaring into the air and pummeling the gigantic snake with multiple overcharged shockwaves.


    Runes flew from Kene¡¯s fingers over to me, and I drew out my Pinpoint Boneshard spell. On its own, it wasn¡¯t great, but if Dusk was buying me a bit of time¡­ I overcharged a single boneshard, and wrapped all of my assisting runes into it.


    ¡°Buy me time,¡± Kene said as they dropped into the mud, pulling out a knife and starting to saw away at the destiny plants.


    I nodded and sprinted forwards to help Dusk, using my Briarthreads to cut at the serpent¡¯s spinning scales, and drawing its attention.


    None of my Briarthreads could do much more than get cut away quickly, but it let me catch the attention of the serpent, who opened its mouth. More of that swirling, compacted energy appeared in its gaping maw¡­


    And I fired my single bone shard into it¡¯s throat.


    I knew full well that no amount of bones would likely do much to punch through the monster¡¯s scales. They were thick and powerful, even when not enhanced with any spells.


    The monster¡¯s body was also enforced with tons of physical and telluric energy, so I wasn¡¯t entirely sure its insides were that much more vulnerable. Even if they were, I was certain it would all but destroy my bone shards.


    Which was why I¡¯d compacted as much power onto a single bone as I could, and wrapped all of Kene¡¯s flame runes on it.


    The serpent¡¯s jaws snapped shut as fire rushed through it for a moment, then a bright brown light ran along its entire body. It opened its mouth and released a massive blast of its breath weapon, now laced with flames, right at me!


    I teleported out of the way by a hair, but these non-energetically supported teleports were really taking a toll on my second gate life and time mana. Even with the restoration granted by my temporal basin, it was down to half power.


    Dusk used the moments of reprieve that I¡¯d bought to release another barrage of hands, and though they were shredded as well, the constant maintenance of the shredscale spell was clearly taking a toll on this thing¡¯s mana.


    I hit it with a few more Fungal Locks, just single layers, designed to drain power more than actually contain it, but the serpent didn¡¯t even seem to notice.


    Whatever brown light it had summoned around itself seemed to have quickly amended the weakness that the serpent had displayed, quite literally. Every whip of its sharpened scales was enough to down a small tree, and I was forced to burn most of my remaining temporal and spatial mana on a series of four quick Foxsteps to not only keep Dusk and I out of the way, but to keep it from shredding the destiny plants.


    Dusk helped ensure its attention stayed on us, rather than Kene, by pelting it with several quick bursts of her shockwave spell ¨C not overcharged, this time, merely


    I kept enough mana in reserve for two decent teleports, just in case, and then shifted to a purely defensive fighting style, catching the serpent in a few more Fungal Lock spells.


    With all the Fungal Locks and the couple of pinpoint boneshards, my death mana was beginning to gutter low, however. The Greenroot and all of the mana apples I¡¯d consumed to grow my life mana were certainly showing their worth.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    I might have gotten good at managing my power, but at times, there was no substitute for just having more mana.


    Speaking of which¡­


    Dusk leapt off my shoulder and launched an overcharged shockwave, then ran right. I took several steps left, and connected my mind to Dusk¡¯s plane. I channeled mana into my harvesting spell and drained energy from my plants. The spell converted it to mana, and after a few moments, my mana was restored.


    I wondered if there was a way I could modify the harvesting spell to directly implant some of the energy into me, rather than converting it all to mana.


    The surge of mana did help spin my Magister¡¯s Body spell along quickly, however, which meant that the energy was starting to restore itself in my body far faster. I drew my hands back and conjured Briarthreads around me.


    When I saw and felt just how tired Dusk was, I Foxstepped in front of her. Her mana had drained to near zero, and she needed a moment to ask the small folk in her realm for their help.


    Between rapidly reconjuring my Briarthreads spell and my aura pin, I managed to keep its attention off the clearing for a little while, while Dusk caught her breath. Then I got a moment of warning and shut my eyes.


    Even with my shut eyes, the explosion of multicolored lights that Dusk unleashed in the face of the serpent was impressive.


    Too impressive. Dusk had solar mana as a part of her composition ¨C all forests needed light, after all ¨C but she didn¡¯t have any spells like that, as far as I knew.


    My eyes snapped open as I realized what had happened.


    She¡¯d cast a spell from one of the pixies. Rather than her own mana-garden.


    Meadow had told me a long time ago that Dusk would likely be able to draw upon the spells of those within her astral plane to cast, but she¡¯d never been able to. I thought this might be something akin to Riving a spell ¨C she¡¯d done it under the pressure of not having a way to hit the snake where it hurt.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Kene shouted.


    ¡°Glowing orb, too?¡± I asked, using a Foxstep to dodge a tail-slam.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Kene said.


    ¡°Fly!¡± I shouted as I unleashed a crescent of Blademoss at the snake to defect a massive blast of its breath weapon away from where Dusk was standing, panting.


    Kene zoomed by on his broom, and I drew my own from Dusk¡¯s realm.


    I didn¡¯t like to use my broom in combat, since I didn¡¯t have a way to repair it, and paying would be expensive. But this was an instance I could accept.


    I grabbed Dusk and shot into the sky, joining Kene as we rose higher into the sky.


    ¡°What in the name of all the primes was that thing?¡± I said, taking a breath. ¡°Its mana felt bottomless. I¡¯ve fought third gate monsters before, but that felt more like fighting the War Root than Ed.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a dragonblood serpent,¡± Kene said. ¡°It''s clearly an old one, too. There¡¯s a reason that people say that third gate is where you step into true power. It¡¯s also got a strong Nascent Truth. I felt it when my spells touched it.¡±


    There was a shifting in the trees underneath us, and I tensed.


    Oh no.


    My fears were confirmed when a moment later, the giant serpent exploded from the tree line. It seemed to be flying under its own power.


    Because of course it could.


    The serpent opened its mouth and unleashed a breath weapon right at me, but Kene¡¯s hands were moving, and a blue-gold light spun itself around us. His newest spell, which provided some small degree of spell resistance.


    I lashed out with overcharged Briarthreads, and between those two and my Aura pin, I was able to just barely weather the breath weapon.


    Why was this thing so angry at us?! Sure, we had robbed it and fought it, but¡­


    No, actually that was entirely fair. If someone robbed me and beat me up ¨C though that was generous, as it implied we¡¯d done far more damage than we¡¯d actually managed ¨C I¡¯d be pretty pissed off too.


    I loved my plant magic and beastial magic, as well as all of the utility spells I had in my kit, but primes, in that moment, I really wished I had some other sort of raw offensive mana type that would let me blast it out of the sky.


    There was no sense in crying over what I didn¡¯t have, though, so instead, I just urged my broom to fly as quickly as I could.


    Based on the mana composition of the serpent, I was guessing that it was supporting its massive bulk with gravity, and pushing itself around using the forcelike elements. From some of the things Ed and Meadow had said, I knew that kind of flight was far more expensive than the wind-and-pressure approach that tempest mages could manage.


    But my broom was a terrible, secondhand one. I was still infinitely grateful for it, and I¡¯d gotten amazing use out of it, but it simply wasn¡¯t fast. Not compared to a flying mage, well kept modern broom, and apparently, not compared to a flying snake.


    It chased us through the skies, releasing occasional blasts of its breath weapon, which were countered with copious amounts of power from me, Kene, and even Dusk, who had recovered enough to add in a bit of her own power in our defense.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working,¡± I muttered to Kene as we suffered our third blast. ¡°We need to land. You get into Dusk¡¯s realm, and I¡¯ll lose it in the trees with Foxstep.¡±


    ¡°Do you have enough mana and energy for that?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been wrung dry a couple of times, but restored myself each time. I might be okay, but I might not. If I¡¯m not, I¡¯ll jump into Dusk¡¯s realm, and we can try again in the morning.¡±


    Kene¡¯s jaw locked, but they nodded, and we angled our brooms down to land. The moment we did, Dusk opened a portal, and Kene flew through. Dusk dove through, yelling at me to be careful.


    I shoved my own broom inside, then Foxstepped as far as I could see.


    The snake was ripping through the trees, and I felt it catch the attention of quite a few other creatures in the area. Most were fleeing from this potent threat, but a few did hunker down to hide, or loudly call out challenges for their territory.


    I didn¡¯t care. Without Immovable Lock mastered, I didn¡¯t have aerial maneuverability, but I did have plenty on the ground.


    I Foxstepped out of the way of a breath attack, then dove behind a tree and teleported even further, but the snake had recast its brown, strengthening aura, and was lunging through the forest, chasing me down. Each teleport bought me time, but I was barely able to keep myself from losing distance, and I was burning mana fast. It had to be low too, but that didn¡¯t matter if it ate me.


    With one final act of desperation, I snapped open the portal to Dusk¡¯s realm and Foxstepped inside.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventeen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I took a breath as I passed inside the portal, then turned around. There was a loud, resonant thumping sound as the serpent crashed against the portal, but the portal held.


    I let out a slight sigh of relief. The defenses inbuilt into Dusk had been further upgraded by the bwbatch that lived within her, and had been built from a powerful growth item¡¯s wards as well.


    But with how powerful the snake was, and the fact that Dusk was only a second gate mage, I had been worried.


    Then I felt a magical power sweep over Dusk¡¯s realm. It was fairly unfamiliar to me, so it took me several moments to recognize that it was the power of the strange fox-bird creature.


    The little fox trotted over to the open portal, slinking like a cat about to pounce upon an unsuspecting mouse. Faint streaks of blue light swirled around the fox-bird as it wiggled its butt back and forth, and power began to enforce its jaws.


    Then it leapt through the portal, and I had to look away. The fox was cute, but it was so tiny, I didn¡¯t think it would be able to do anything, even if it was a third gate creature.


    When I heard a mighty crunch, I was certain it was¡­ Not good. Then I heard a fox-growl, the kind of noise between a cat and dog, and I couldn¡¯t help it ¨C I glanced over.


    The fox-bird¡¯s bite had extended past its jaws, into a set of massive, conjured teeth. They clamped around the snake, and I saw some of the scales straining and cracking under the pressure of the Bluelight Fangs.


    And if that wasn¡¯t enough, the little fox-bird was violently shaking its head around, like a dog with a rope toy. The snake was writhing, and had called its strengthening spell, but it couldn¡¯t quite free itself from the grip of the Bluelight Fangs.


    The snake opened its mouth when the fox-bird took a moment to readjust, and I was tempted to look away again, but I simply couldn¡¯t. But when the crashing wave of power struck the fox-bird, the little critter glowed with a bright blue aura that reminded me of some sort of strange combination of a classical shield spell, countermagic, and my pin¡¯s defensive aura. It ground the breath weapon away to nothing, and the fox-bird lunged forwards, snapping its Bluelight Fangs again.


    Before the conjured fangs could get a good grip on the snake, the snake turned and shot away, fleeing from the power of the tiny fox-bird. For the fox¡¯s part, it just shook its head, as if to clear the taste of snake from its mouth, and then happily trotted into the portal, where it curled up beneath one of the small pixie settlements.


    I¡­


    I was speechless. I¡¯d known it possessed some sort of guardian-like abilities, from the way it had boosted Kene¡¯s tattoo and guarded over the ghosts, but I hadn¡¯t expected it to be anywhere near this level.


    While I wasn¡¯t confident it was as strong as the serpent ¨C after all, the serpent had been battered by us for quite a while, while the fox was completely fresh ¨C I was shocked it had done even as well as it had.


    I headed into the cabin, resolved to make it a good meal, but found Kene already chopping up some raw meat, apples and a raw egg into a meal that would surely be scrumptious to the little fox-bird. Dusk and the brownies were helping, cleaning the apple core and moving it to a compost heap.


    ¡°Did you know it could do that?¡± I asked them. Dusk whistled that she knew it was strong, but since it was stronger than her, getting a full understanding of its powers was difficult for her, even here.


    ¡°No idea,¡± Kene said. ¡°It¡¯s a guardian animal of some sort. Maybe it picked Dusk as its new home?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, then thought for a moment before shaking my head. ¡°But I think it¡¯s more likely it¡¯s decided to protect you. Think about what it did for your tattoo. You live here, at least for now, so that¡¯s probably why.¡±


    Dusk chimed in, saying that it was impressive either way, and I emphatically agreed.


    We brought out the bowl of chopped meat, fruit, and raw eggs to the fox, who yawned and rose from where it had been curled up, and started to happily munch away. Kene took a seat next to the giant glimmerstone, and began to rifle through their bag.


    ¡°We got some pretty interesting stuff from that,¡± they said. ¡°Obviously, we got all of the plants. But we also got this.¡±


    They held up a glowing white stone about the size of a grapefruit, with very strange mana. It almost felt like ungated mana, if it weren¡¯t for the fact it very distinctly felt like first gate mana. I¡¯d never seen something like that before, and I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Hudau Heritage Stone,¡± Kene said, speaking almost reverently. ¡°They¡¯re only formed when mana is at a perfect balance of the fourteen affinities, while also having incredibly potent ungated mana. This one is nowhere near as strong as the one they were fighting over in the first gate, but it¡¯s about strong enough to bring two first gates to their maximum power. For you, it could let you instantly double your Spatial and Temporal first gates.¡±


    I won¡¯t lie, I was tempted. Very tempted, in fact. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Kene had already given up more than their share of the alter-truffles, and brewed a concoction for me out of another. They¡¯d only taken one alter-truffle for themself.


    While I was tempted, I¡¯d be pretty terrible if I just took it.


    ¡°You should use it,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve got a fair bit of mana, yeah, but increasing that base can only help you. One of the problems you have is that your hag advances quickly and has built a solid powerbase. Well¡­ This will give you a tiny bit of an edge to use against the parasitic bag.¡±


    I¡¯d tried to say ¡®parasitic hag¡¯, but I was okay with ¡®parasitic bag¡¯. Bag was insulting anyways.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really earn it,¡± Kene said. ¡°You a¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, nonsense,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°You did just fine. I wouldn¡¯t have gotten a thing if not for you. Though I do have to ask¡­ What took so long to show up?¡±


    I instantly regretted my phrasing as Kene visibly winced.


    ¡°We were in a delicate stage of the pill creation process. It was liable to spoil, or worse, melt through the cauldron and start warping the room. We came as soon as we could.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, putting my hand on Kene¡¯s leg. ¡°Take the stone. Seriously. You more than earned it, and we can split the destiny plants if you really insist.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kene agreed. ¡°I got eleven plants. I¡¯ll take three. You and Dusk each get four.¡±


    I opened my mouth to argue, but Kene leaned in and kissed me, and I was rather distracted after that.


    After we broke apart, some time later, we began the process of boiling down the destiny plants to extract the drops of destiny mana inside.


    With four drops ¨C an unprecedented bounty ¨C I had to seriously consider where to use them. There were quite a few treasures here, as I¡¯d already seen, and using it to grow my walls felt wasteful, especially when I could use them to permanently enhance myself. Even if the permanent enhancement wasn¡¯t much, it was still¡­ Permanent.


    I was tempted to pour everything into my Magister¡¯s Body, but I needed to get Beast Mage¡¯s Soul at least mastered.


    I could save them, but I was worried about someone stealing them.


    Then again, I¡¯d seen just how hard it was to get into Dusk¡¯s realm without her consent. I didn¡¯t think it would be easy to steal them.


    For now, I put them aside, and picked up the pill that Kene and Dusk had made.


    It was oddly pretty, a rich, leathery brown color with green striations. When I put it on my tongue, it tasted of mint and porcini mushrooms.


    Not the best combination, but also far from the worst that was possible when it came to medicine.


    The power coursed through me, and I didn¡¯t have many ¨C or really, any ¨C other enhancement spells for it to cling to. It was child¡¯s play to guide the power to condense around the faint foundations of my Beast Mage¡¯s Soul. The power drove far more of the giant mushroom up from the dirt, and I saw the long, trailing mycelial roots that ran across my mana-garden, and intermingled with the oaklike roots of my Magister¡¯s Body.


    My eyes snapped open, as an idea struck me.


    This combo was simultaneously one giant spell, and two connected spells, like a venn diagram being two circles but one shape.


    And if fortune really was, at least in part, about connections, could I use it to reinforce the connection point? Maybe spread some power through the intermingling roots, and help Beast Mage¡¯s Soul catch up with Magister¡¯s Body?


    Maybe.


    It was worth a shot.


    I grabbed the shallow bowl with the drops of destiny inside and downed them, letting Mana Mirror split them apart into fortune, destiny, and resolve, then I sank a little bit of fortune into the connection between the roots.


    There was a shuddering as the tree that was Magister¡¯s Body actually shrank a little bit, its imbued effect weakening ever so slightly, and the mushroom of Beast Mage¡¯s Soul exploded upwards.


    A bit of sacrifice, then, but the growth I was getting out of it was well worth it.


    I fed more fortune mana into it until the spell exploded into being.


    I let out a low sigh as Beast Mage¡¯s Soul was mastered. Now I just needed to send as much mana through it as I could, and I¡¯d get it ingrained in a week or less.


    It wouldn¡¯t do to have my progress on Magister¡¯s Body lagging, though, so I burned some of the resolve mana to expand the tree back upwards, letting it reclaim the now empty space.


    I split the destiny, as well as the remainder of the fortune and resolve mana, evenly between the two spells. I had to redo my mental sorting when I remembered that I¡¯d already put some into the soil of the Magister¡¯s Body, but eventually, I got things settled so they should both have the same amount of each.


    I didn¡¯t have much fortune mana, since I¡¯d watered the connection point so much, but I was excited to see what it did. Resolve had widened the paths of energy, and destiny had increased their density.


    The rainbow sheen of fortune slid through me, and the points where the life flows of my body connected into other types seemed to¡­ smooth out. The coursing life mana seemed to convert into telluric mana in my bones just a tiny bit easier, into mental with less effort¡­


    Fascinating. There was something fun about watching these¡­ deep manas¡­ work on me. Progressing my power in a way that was tangible, yet different than anything I¡¯d seen before.


    With how many natural treasures and pills I¡¯d taken, however, I needed to do some work on my mana-garden. Checking to make sure Kene was still working away with the Hudau Heritage Stone, I started trimming off the excess from my trees, piling them up.


    I did notice something as I worked. Feeding the connection between the Magister¡¯s Body and Beast Mage¡¯s Soul seemed to have caused the roots and mycelium to have a strange, rainbow-like sheen to them, and they were trying to work in a smoother equilibrium. I suspected once the two had caught up, it would help enforce the linking between the twin spells, making them work with better synergy.


    I was glad the fortune mana hadn¡¯t been entirely wasted.


    As I moved through the center of my mana garden, I passed my quarterstaff hanging there, and paused for a moment.


    I¡¯d touched on something during my fight with the abyssal shambler. Would I be better served by trying to chase that down?


    Maybe, maybe not, I wasn¡¯t sure. If that was a nascent truth, was it the right one for me? They were strange things, and while it might give me just as much power, or more, than any other resonance, it might not if it didn¡¯t fit me well.


    But I was also tempted to just convert my quarterstaff into a mage¡¯s staff. The internal spell resonance would help me get the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul mastered quicker.


    Then again¡­ I was in a realm with a massive amount of resources. Sure, I¡¯d need twenty seven more mana sources to start constructing a grand array. And sure, I¡¯d need to keep gathering resources for every single new spell I learned.


    But if I wanted to try and get a headstart, now would be the time. Today alone, I¡¯d found multiple first gate mana sources, and a few more potent ones. If I shifted my focus, I might be able to get enough resources to build my grand array for now, and maybe even for third gate. But what about after that? Would I be shooting myself in the foot?


    Gah.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Eighteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I considered it for several long moments, then I opened my eyes and drew out the quarterstaff.


    It had been worth trying, but my mage¡¯s staff had smoothly integrated into my power far easier, and had mitigated my weakness in a way that I felt fit my style better.


    Maybe I could have worked with the staff, learning speed and enhancement spells, and become a fearsome up-close combatant, but¡­ I wasn¡¯t that, and I wasn¡¯t sure that interested me. Magic was most fun when it was, well, magical. Not punchy.


    I cleared out some space, then drew out the staff ritual that I¡¯d used once before, this time placing the quarterstaff in the center.


    A moment later, the quarterstaff collapsed, and the materials I¡¯d used to create it spun out through the ritual of their own accord. I¡¯d need to update it once I got the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul ingrained, but for now, it was alright.


    I took a deep breath and spread my mana through the staff. Once again, I felt the tremendous vibrations, as if I was shaking the word itself, shaking it to its very foundations.


    I held on until I felt the slight tingling of the edges of my soul, then released the power.


    My eyes snapped open, and I beheld my new staff.


    Like meadow had said, the staff would likely have changed, and indeed it had. It was now made of a wood that had been stained a navy blue, with runes carved throughout. The runes glowed in a rainbow of colors, evershifting.


    The staff was shorter, though, easier to move and carry, and slightly denser, more durable, likely influenced by the snapping experience I¡¯d had.


    The most prominent change was at the staff¡¯s tip, though.


    Instead of a delicate flower sitting in a pool of amber, the tip of the staff was a swirl of a silver metal and gold metal that blended into a beautiful electrum color. There, on top, sat the temporal basin that Ed and I had created with Meadow¡¯s help.


    The threads of gold were shaped like long trails of roots and briars, while the silver was shaped like raven feathers and skulls.


    The very bottom of the staff had a firm, yellow band where the bottom part of a cane would be, and there was a faint engraving of a ring of hourglasses in it.


    As I removed the staff from the circle, I immediately felt the humming as my mana began to swirl in a more rapid pattern, the sharp motions of the Depths of Starry Night technique enhanced, the staff generating a steady trickle of mana that flowed into my spirit.


    Curiously, the winds of fortune reacted as well. They were always there now, a steady, constant part of my spirit, circling my ungated mana, but they picked up their pace ever so slightly.


    I drew the staff into me and felt it click neatly into place in my spirit.


    All was right with the world once more.


    Of course, that feeling of peace and tranquility didn¡¯t last forever, but the feeling of¡­ rightness¡­ in my spirit remained, even as I got back to work.


    By the time I¡¯d finished working on trimming away excess power from my trees, it was getting later in the day, so Kene and I stopped for the night. I used some of my freshly expelled trimmings and transivy to weave together a spatial tripwire around Dusk¡¯s portal.


    Unlikely though I thought it was, I wanted to be prepared for if the serpent came back, and there was also the more likely threat of whatever happened to live in this area.


    Kene and I made an easy dinner from our rations, and fell into a fitful rest. The ward triggered a few times throughout the night, though each time Dusk checked, it was an animal just moving through the area.


    The following morning, Kene and I broke into our stash of nutrition potions. We¡¯d moved through our stock of food at an alarming rate, and wanted to mitigate the damage, since it would be several days more before the first resupply and the auction.


    I debated draining the trees and blood carnations for mana to run through the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul. I had sprouted new red star saplings and blood carnations in the spring section, after all, and though they were growing, I could nip off a bit of extra just fine.


    In the end, I decided against it. The fight against the serpent had shown me just how powerful some of the creatures in the Idyll-Flume were, after all. I¡¯d had to drain them for mana in the fight against the serpent. What if I needed to drain them again?


    No, the couple of hours that it would shave off a weeklong timeline wouldn¡¯t be enough for it to be worth it.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Once Kene and Dusk were ready, we set off.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kene asked, watching me.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied. ¡°Just¡­ Contemplative. Thinking about the future.¡±


    Kene took my hand and squeezed, then we took out our brooms and started flying deeper into the plane of the Idyll-Flume.


    We spent half the day just flying over the tree line, our mana senses spread out over the area, stopping every once in a while to pick up anything that felt particularly interesting, but we only had one major setback.


    There was a sharp cae, and I looked up to see a bird swooping down on me. It was a massive hawk, easily the size of a horse, with fourth gate mana that felt like wind and swords rolling off of it, and too much intelligence hiding in its eyes.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate. I¡¯d fought a war root, which was a plant that was about fourth gate in power, but that had snapped my staff, strained my spirit to the point of leaving me powerless for weeks, and relied on me making a risky play with Burn Future.


    Instead, Dusk and I moved in unison. I opened a portal to her realm right in front of me and flew in, while she used a leaping spell to land on Kene¡¯s broom and do the same.


    A giant talon punched against one of the portals, and I could see visible cracks spreading across the air. A sharp claw punched through the defenses, and I heard Dusk cry out in pain as she tried to slam the portals shut.


    The fox-bird came running at that, leaping into the air and biting its Bluelight Fangs into the legs of the bird, but the bird¡¯s wind armor was strong, and they didn¡¯t pierce deeply.


    There was a sharp spike of pain from Dusk, intruding into my mind, and then the portal snapped closed. I caught Dusk as she fell out of the air in her own realm, and tried to pass mana to her, but nothing happened ¨C her mana was full. It wasn¡¯t mana that she¡¯d burnt, it was just raw effort and mental strain that caused her to pass out.


    I looked at Kene, whose hands were already glowing with golden solar mana. They placed their hand on her, and closed their eyes.


    ¡°No physical or spiritual damage,¡± they said. ¡°She¡¯s just exhausted.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you can do?¡± I asked anxiously.


    ¡°I can make a relaxant,¡± they said. ¡°It¡¯s not some magical cure all¡­ Say, do you still have the draw-roses? Those could help.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said, nodding, and he went off to brew, while I held Dusk.


    A while passed, though I didn¡¯t know how long, and Kene came back with the potion, slowly dripping it onto her.


    She let out a small peep of thanks, and Kene smiled. I brought her into the cabin and put her down in my bed, then glanced at Kene.


    ¡°How good are you at veils?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± they said, shrugging.


    ¡°Can you cast with a veil up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    I nodded, biting my lip. A part of me was regretting having worked so much on my mana senses, instead of veils, especially with Meadow¡¯s training, but that wasn¡¯t logical ¨C my mana senses had led us to several useful powers and treasures so far, and I likely wouldn¡¯t have found them without working on my senses.


    Still, a part of me couldn¡¯t help but regret it. If I had good enough veils, I could Foxstep down, then flee, all without alerting the hawk.


    As it was, I was forced to wait. Since pacing wasn¡¯t productive, Kene and I started sketching practice.


    I threw myself into practicing my immovable lock spell, while peeking out of a small portal every couple of minutes.


    Annoyingly, the hawk was quite determined, and even after repeated checking, the bird was still there.


    The one upside was that I finally felt the familiar cracking sensation in my spirit as the tree that was Immovable Lock bloomed in my spatial and temporal gates.


    I snorted. It was about time. I¡¯d done a ton of work on the spell with Ikki, working out a pattern of movement, and work with Orykson figuring out the spell.


    Then another sensation struck me as the spell spread roots deep into my mana, and I sucked in a deep breath as it ingrained, empowering all of my spells that blended spatial and temporal mana.


    I barely noticed the effect, because I felt like slapping myself.


    Orykson had drilled it into me ¨C mastery was just getting your spirit used to shaping mana in that pattern to the point of it becoming completely reflexive. Understanding and use was what moved the spell from mastered to ingrained.


    Meadow¡¯s training style was much more freeform and self-guided, and as such, I¡¯d fallen way behind on sketching practice. I¡¯d used my spells plenty, even while having to sketch them, but I hadn¡¯t actually put in a ton of time sketching.


    Orykson¡¯s method had rushed me to master the spells, and then I¡¯d tried to cram understanding in after the fact.


    Meadow¡¯s method had been the opposite ¨C I¡¯d come to understand many of my spells, long before I¡¯d come to cast them.


    In fact, I wondered if riving Burn Future had actually worked against me in some regards ¨C If I¡¯d sketched it out the long, normal way, I suspected I would have been able to quickly pass it into its ingrained state.


    Of course, if I hadn¡¯t rived it, I would have quite possibly died, or at least suffered horrific injuries before Meadow arrived, on top of the already awful injuries I¡¯d sustained to my spirit.


    But as I thought over the two teaching methods, I found myself resolving to meet them in the middle. I wanted ¨C needed ¨C to sketch my spells more, to not lag so much on that aspect of my practice. But I didn¡¯t think cramming it into my spirit as quick as I could was the best solution.


    A happy medium was best for me, and there was a flicker in my spirit at that, but it was gone before I could even interpret it.


    Maybe the bird attack had been something of a blessing in disguise.


    I heard Kene let out a suppressed squeal of excitement, and I turned to look at him. He flashed me a shamed smile.


    ¡°Heard that, did you?¡±


    ¡°You being excited like a kid?¡± I teased. ¡°Yep.¡±


    They rolled their eyes and a wave of golden light swept out of them ¨C their blessing spell.


    I started laughing at that, and Kene looked slightly offended.


    ¡°Come on,¡± they said.


    ¡°No, not you,¡± I said between gasps of air. ¡°You were adorable. I¡¯m laughing because I was just thinking about this being a blessing in disguise, and you immediately ingrained a blessing spell.¡±


    Kene rolled their eyes, but I saw them chuckle slightly.


    It took almost another full hour before Dusk joined us, and we spent the night practicing our spells. Dusk mastered her spell that conjured a bunch of hands of earth, and I worked on Vampiric Senses, since I¡¯d worked with that one so long it was getting close to being ingrained. The stronger night vision and smell that it gave me was definitely nice.


    Kene and I then cuddled around the fire while I passed the rest of my mana through Beast Mage¡¯s Soul, and I wound up falling asleep on them.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Nineteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The following morning, I awoke in the bed, with Kene¡¯s arm draped across my chest and Dusk curled up on my stomach, and let myself just bask in the mundanity for a while.


    Eventually, though, we got up and moving, drank another nutrition potion, and checked through a tiny portal.


    To my relief, the giant falcon seemed to have given up its hunt in search of less annoying prey, and Dusk was able to float us down to the forest floor. We veiled ourselves and moved quickly until we were a mile or so out ¨C which should have been outside of the hawk¡¯s territory ¨C before we dropped our veils, spread our mana senses, and picked up the pace.


    As we traveled, I picked up on something at the very edge of my mana senses, and we made our way there.


    Inside a clearing of withered, dead grass, there was a sharp crystal, jutting out of the earth. It felt strange to my mana senses. It radiated death mana in an incredibly complex array that I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of.


    It was absurdly powerful, at least fifth or sixth gate, and I wasn¡¯t entirely unwilling to say that it wasn¡¯t higher, though I couldn¡¯t quite tell. It wasn¡¯t as strong as Orykson¡¯s seventh gate mana had been, but it felt¡­ similar.


    But the grass around here was completely dead, and I couldn¡¯t pick out anything nearby. I should have felt something ¨C even death is full of blooming life, carrion crows, fungi, ants, something.


    But¡­ nothing.


    I looked at Kene for an explanation.


    ¡°It¡¯s an ascending-death crystal,¡± they said, sounding¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°You know things like death-keys, that let you unlock your next gate instantly and without effort, but then block your future ascensions and weaken the next gate?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve run into false ascensions a few times.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ well this isn¡¯t that. If you use it, you¡¯ll ascend all the way up to the strength of the crystal. And you¡¯ll have all of the density and power of a real one too.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t sound so complicated about it if it was just good,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it does it by pressuring your body and soul,¡± they said. ¡°The power will last until it¡¯s all spent. Once it¡¯s gone, your mana will burn itself out, collapsing and failing, and your body will fail. It¡¯s a near-certain death sentence, and even if you don¡¯t die, you¡¯ll have destroyed and corrupted the entire portion of your soul that generates magic.¡±


    ¡°Can anything save you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Maybe if you got a bunch of occultists working together,¡± Kene said. ¡°But¡­ If you have a bunch of occultists helping you, do you need one more? There¡¯s a reason animals here haven¡¯t taken it and stay far away.¡±


    I studied the crystal for a long moment, then Dusk spoke up, her wind-in-trees words suggesting that she take the crystal and bury it deep in her realm, in an empty space, far away from anyone or anything that could use it.


    A greedy part of me wanted to say no, that we could sell it in the auction.


    But could we?


    If I sold it, I¡¯d be handing them the tools to an elaborate suicide.


    Maybe they¡¯d use it well, and die a hero. Maybe they¡¯d use it for a petty reason, like killing a powerful ex that had gotten back at them?


    Could I judge?


    Could I not?


    If I left it here, would I be culpable for whoever found it and what they did with it?


    Kene shifted uncomfortably, then looked at Dusk.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ask you to do that,¡± they said, and she slapped their arm gently, rebutting that she¡¯d offered.


    ¡°I think¡­¡± I said slowly. ¡°It¡¯s for the best.¡±


    Dusk agreed, and she carefully absorbed the crystal into her realm.


    The process took several long minutes, and she walked over to me and climbed up my leg and up onto my shoulder, then sat down.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    We turned and left, flying for a bit, since the crystal had likely taken a lot of the power in the local area, and if we were going to find something good, we needed to be out of its range.


    As the sun began to burn brighter overhead, Kene¡¯s divination spells picked up on pureleaf, a rare material that could help his solar healing spells, so we detoured to pick it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to throw an invisibility spell over myself and try and pick it,¡± Kene told me. ¡°Can you veil yourself and watch, then play distraction if anything objects?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I agreed, spinning my mana in a cyclone to hide my presence. Dusk did the same, and I watched as Kene closed their eyes and faded.


    First they started as translucent, then a warped shimmer, then they finally were gone entirely.


    I watched anxiously as they slipped through the trees, headed towards a small shrub that had a single, extremely large leaf, easily the size of my entire arm.


    His invisibility spell flickered as he cut away at the leaf, and then dropped when he picked the plant up.


    As if drawn to it, a huge boar roared out of the underbrush, and I teleported right in front of it, three overcharged layers of Fungal Lock exploding out of one hand, my staff appearing in the other. Dusk thrust her hand out in the same instant, unleashing her hand spell, and between the pair of binding spells and my aura, the boar was sucked down.


    It was third gate, but weak, nowhere near the level that the serpent or even the fox-creature was.


    Kene cursed and walked over, watching the trapped boar, and handed Dusk the leaf to put into storage, then the two of us flew off.


    We paused to gather a few more materials, but I called us to a halt when I felt something else strange.


    Not something that triggered my mana-senses.


    Quite the opposite, in fact.


    Something that didn¡¯t trigger my senses, not at all. An absolute dead spot, with no decomposing matter for my deathsense to pick up, roots for my lifesense to trace, and even nullifying my normally perfect spatialsense.


    We made our way in that direction, and paused when it came into view.


    Sitting in the middle of the forest was a large archway, with a pair of metal doors set into it. The doors were black, with bright white flecks scattered throughout, unlike any metal I¡¯d ever seen.


    Now that I was this close, I was able to sense a tiny leak of spatial mana flowing from the space between the doors, but Kene had found something far more pertinent ¨C a stone engraved with instructions.


    ¡°Congratulations, intrepid explorers! You have ventured deeper into the wilderness than most of those who explore the Idyll-Flume, and have stumbled across one of my trials. For you see, while my tower is meant to test the power and skill of mages within, in order to find my true successor, blindly rushing towards a goal will most often result in failure,¡± Kene read, then walked around to the other side of the rock where more words were engraved.


    ¡°As such, I have scattered seven trials in the deep wilderness of the Idyll-Flume. Each one completed bears its own considerable reward, as well as a marker which serves as a seventh of the key that will allow you to unlock the eighth level of the tower. Good luck! Sincerely, the Sevenfold Celestial Sage.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Liz say that the highest she¡¯d ever heard of anyone climbing was the fourth floor?¡± I asked dryly. It was a rhetorical question ¨C I knew she had.


    ¡°I think the sage may have made his trial way too hard,¡± Kene agreed. ¡°But even if we don¡¯t get any use out of the key fragment, we could use whatever reward it has.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± I said, glancing around, then placed one hand on the door. Kene put their hand on the other, and we pushed it open together, stepping into the hidden trial.


    I appeared in a stone room, with an old man standing across from me. He had a long, white beard, blue eyes that could stare into my soul, and traditional robes and a hat not unlike the one that Kene wore.


    ¡°Sage?¡± I asked, and the man¡¯s eyes twinkled mischeviously.


    ¡°You could say something like that, though it would be more accurate to say I¡¯m a recording of the Sevenfold Celestial Sage.¡±


    ¡°I assume that this is the first part of the trial,¡± I said. ¡°So what do I have to do?¡±


    ¡°Anyone with true skill should be able to complete the three great disciplines,¡± the sage said, stepping aside and sweeping his hand out. ¡°Why don¡¯t you begin?¡±


    Four doors appeared in the wall, one marked with a potion, one with a wand, and one with a castle.


    The fourth door was blank, with three chains barring access.


    I groaned. This had to be about alchemy, enchanting, and wards.


    Well, there was no sense in complaining. May as well get the hardest one knocked out of the way.


    I opened the wand door and strode inside.


    The room was decorated with a low desk, heaps of solidified mana, carving tools, and a long wooden wand that was unadorned. Opposite of the desk was a training dummy.


    The door thumped shut behind me, and I heard the sage¡¯s voice echoing out from everywhere.


    ¡°You have half an hour to construct a wand that will strike the training dummy and activate it. Begin.¡±


    I started sweating. This reminded me far too much of school, of needing to do things on an arbitrary time limit.


    I was very glad that I had my medication, because without it¡­


    I walked over to the dummy and poked my mana senses around in it. There was a lot of ungated mana doing¡­ something¡­ but I could also feel physical mana.


    Hmm¡­ It might be time for some creative thinking.


    I grabbed a chunk of physical mana and smashed it into the dummy, hoping that would be enough to get it to work.


    Nope.


    I took a few steps back and threw it, but that still didn¡¯t activate it.


    I bit my lip and thought of what I could reasonably do. Much like wardcrafting and alchemy, a substantial portion of enchanting was carried on ungated mana, so¡­


    I picked up the wand, pointed it at the target, then expelled ungated mana at the target while I threw the physical mana with my other hand.


    I was, essentially, trying to trick the enchantments that made up the trial. After all, there was no way every single trial could have the worldspirit watching over it. So if I could find a gap where the spells thought I had enchanted something, because it was giving the right mana composition, I should, in theory, be able to pass.


    It took me a few tries to get it lined up, but eventually, the ungated and physical mana hit the target at the same time.


    It lit up, and the door swung open.


    I let out a sigh of relief and headed to the ward trial.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Since I was taking the rooms in order of most to least difficult, at least for me, I headed into the ward room next, hoping that I¡¯d be able to use my one good warding spell to get through it.


    The inside of this room was rather similar to the previous one, with lots of materials and solidified mana, but instead of woodcarving tools, there was a chisel, paints, and a hammer.


    Instead of a target, however, there was a large piece of glass, cut into a teardrop shape.


    ¡°You have twenty minutes to construct a ward capable of blocking the curse that will gradually fill this room.¡±


    I wished that Dusk or Kene was with me. With Dusk¡¯s ability to claim a sort of spiritual dominion, and Kene¡¯s purgation spell, either one should be able to do this.


    How could I cheat?


    An idea sparked in my head, and I waved my hand, opening a portal to Dusk¡¯s realm, then strode over to the colony of people living outside my house, to whom I¡¯d been giving some cheap liquor.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I said, and one of the rotund, grizzled small folk looked up at me.


    ¡°What¡¯cha needin¡¯?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Can I get some help constructing a quick ward to block a curse?¡± I asked. ¡°Not too long. Just fifteen minutes of your time. I¡¯ll get you an extra ration of beer, as soon as I get back to the mainland.¡±


    ¡°Curse, aye?¡± the bwbatch asked, scratching at its long beard. ¡°Sure enough, we can do that.¡±


    I stepped outside to wait, and a few minutes later, a procession of three bwbatch and a naiad emerged from the portal, I handed them the paints, and they went to work.


    They painted out a circle on the floor, imbuing magical power all throughout, layering spells on. Once it was finished, the bwbatch looked up at me and nodded.


    ¡°Fair¡¯s fair,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll hold you to your promise, but I feel the need to tell you this is pretty slipshod work, it won¡¯t last naught but a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    They walked back into the portal and I let it close behind them, then sat down and waited.


    A part of me wondered if I could get away with looting all of the solidified mana in here, since there was a ton, but I thought better of it. The wards here might be out of date, and thus easier to trick, but they¡¯d still been made by an occultist, and I doubted something so simple would go unnoticed.


    Instead, I used the time to sketch out my Material Echo spell.


    Once the twenty minutes were up, a navy-blue gas filled the room and struck at the ward lines, but it wasn¡¯t able to pierce through. The glass began to glow from the inside, and after a few more minutes, it faded away and the door unlocked.


    Finally, I strode into the alchemy room. Much as before, the room was filled with components, this time dried herbs, pickled and preserved monster parts, and a cauldron.


    Instead of a target or a glass gemstone, there was a straw body, with a funnel stuck where the mouth should be.


    ¡°You have ten minutes to create a potion that will cleanse diseases from your target, and help heal them,¡± the sage said.


    My eyebrows rose. That was¡­ easy!


    I hadn¡¯t made many antibacterial and antiseptic potions, but during the Sage¡¯s era, spellcraft to do that was considered fairly advanced.


    That no longer held true. Such things could be done with ungated mana.


    I ran my mana senses over the shelves, picking out some dried feverfew, witch hazel, and sunset marigolds, then poured water in the cauldron. I tossed the herbs in and started letting them boil as I harvested the unneeded arrays and empowered the ones that could fight disease.


    I picked up a bright red flower I didn¡¯t recognize, but I could sense the cleansing array within, as well as the potent poison.


    It took me half a minute to cleanse the poison from it, but after that, it joined the pot.


    Quickleaf was next. I wanted this to work fast, after all.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Then a bit of echinacea, half a cap of soultoad¡¯s seat ¨C also cleansed of its poison ¨C and some of my own dewdrop feverfew.


    I didn¡¯t have time to let the potion reduce into its most concentrated state, but even as it was now, it should be strong enough to trigger the spells in the dummy.


    I ladled the potion down the funnel, and after the fourth lade, the door clicked open.


    This time, I seriously debated keeping the rest of the potion I¡¯d made. It was a good potion, after all, and I¡¯d put in two of my own plants ¨C or well, one plant and one fungus.


    But¡­ It might trigger the wards, since most of the materials were from this realm.


    With a sigh, I left it behind and emerged into the main room again.


    The three locks on the fourth door were gone now, so I pushed it open and stepped into a room filled with piles of gold, gemstones, jewelry, and ornate weaponry. Each pile stood at least six feet tall, meaning they towered over my head, and


    A thin path through the piles of treasure led to a door clearly marked with an exit sign.


    ¡°Welcome to your reward chamber,¡± the sage said in a warm voice. ¡°Please, take as you wish.¡±


    I bit my bottom lip in thought. There was a possibility this was real, but a thin one.


    The sage had been from Mossford, after all. Gold was rare in mossford. If he¡¯d been from Suntorch, where gold was more common, I might have considered it, but¡­ No, this gold had to be fake. There was no way I¡¯d be rewarded so richly for a set of challenges.


    Sure, I¡¯d only passed because I¡¯d cheated, but Kene could easily tackle two of the three, and Dusk might be able to do all of them, if she learned enchanting.


    No, this had to be another test. The question was, what form of test was it?


    Should I take one item, and leave? That would be a much more reasonable reward.


    Or was it better to take none?


    I mulled that over, then considered that I was supposed to get one seventh of the key to the final floor, so there was no way that exit door could be the final exit. Which meant there were good odds this wasn¡¯t a reward chamber at all.


    I strode through the room as confidently as I could while also not touching any of the treasure, even when some of it practically assaulted my mana-senses, showing off how perfect it was.


    No.


    It was a trick.


    I picked up my pace until I practically sprinted through the room and to the exit. I threw it open with haste and leapt into the next room, slamming the door shut behind me.


    ¡°Well done,¡± the sage said, his voice still warm, but¡­ more genuine, somehow.


    Like the voice recording he¡¯d used in the last room had been intended to lure me into a false sense of security, but this was a kindly grandfather doting on his favorite grandchild.


    I glanced around the room. This was a stark stone room with glowstone lights set into the wall, and a recording of the sage sitting in a chair, and a chair across from him. In between the two was an orb that looked rather familiar.


    It wasn¡¯t the same as Orykson¡¯s mana control orb, but it was similar.


    ¡°The test of greed catches many,¡± the recording of the sage said, and then gestured to the chair across from him. ¡°Please, sit. One thing many forget is that mana manipulation, senses, and veiling are also universal skills, not unlike wards, enchanting, and potions.¡±


    I sat down and picked up the orb, sending my mana through its pathways, feeling it out.


    ¡°You have thirty minutes to bring your mana into the center of the orb,¡± the sage said. ¡°This tes¨C¡±


    I¡¯d always been good at mana manipulation, and my training with my mana senses, spatial sense especially, and with them, I was able to sense almost the entire orb at once, then rush my mana through the maze. By the time the sage had finished, I was done.


    I¡¯d hoped for a reaction, but instead, the image just vanished. That was fair ¨C it was a recording, after all.


    I strode into the next room, which was massive.


    It was easily the size of a small sports field, and scattered throughout the stone floor there were statues with blindfolds on. Each one was radiating small amounts of mana, and I got the challenge ¨C use my mana senses to find where the sensory fields were, then veil myself to hide from their sight while crossing the room.


    That was a challenge for most, but I Foxstepped across the room. It left me panting slightly, as if I¡¯d sprinted the entire distance, but I was able to take a breath and open the door.


    In the other room stood the sage once more, but standing on an altar, with sixbowls placed around him. Each bowl had a different object that let off power of its own, and I entered cautiously.


    ¡°Congratulations on completing my challenge, initiate!¡± the recording boomed. ¡°I promise, this is not another trial in disguise.


    He slammed his wizardly staff into the ground, and a red triangle with a curved end, like a slice of pie, appeared on the alter.


    ¡°Take this, the first of the seven pieces of the key,¡± the sage said. ¡°And take from only a single brazier. Do not be greedy, or else you will never leave!¡±


    There was a flash of light, and the sage vanished. Or rather, the recording shut off.


    I stared at the spot he¡¯d vanished from and sighed. I swear, everyone who got an inkling of power felt the need to make their exits as dramatic as possible.


    I picked up the sliver of the key and tossed it into Dusk¡¯s realm, then looked over the bowls ¨C or braziers, as he¡¯d put it.


    I passed over the first two bowls, as while they gave off mana that was powerful, each one was clearly a tool designed to make enchantments and warding better, and thus, wasn¡¯t the most useful for me.


    The third bowl, however, had something more interesting, a large, long wooden spoon, imbued with lunar and solar mana. If I was getting the right sensations off it, it could be used to help strain out unnecessary arrays from the liquid base of potions, amplifying the power of the magic that a cauldron had.


    The brazier had a monocle lens that glowed with mental and knowledge mana ¨C doubtless something that could further help me amplify my mana senses. They¡¯d proved to be extremely useful so far, so I had no doubt this would further help them along.


    The fifth held an item not unlike one I¡¯d seen before. It was an earring, which immediately turned me away from it, but it held solid abnegation magic throughout, suffusing it with a sensation of a veil. An artifact that could help me hide my power, even while casting in combat.


    Finally, the last bowl had what looked like a natural treasure in it, a strangely spinning amethyst crystal. I was guessing that it could be used to enhance or amplify the effects of a mana meditation, but it was easily the one I was least sure of.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty-One

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    When it came down to it, my only real choices were the monocle ¨C to help us get more stuff ¨C and the natural treasure that had to do with the mana meditations, but I had no idea what the treasure actually did. Sure, it might double the efficacy of my Depths of Starry Night technique, but it also might just assist me in making my third gate version of it more reflexive.


    I slipped the rune crusted monocle into my hand. The moment it was touching skin, I felt it suffuse my mana senses, almost as if it were the ingrained effect of an Analysis spell. My mana senses expanded further, and grew deeper.


    I tied it onto my necklace, so that it would always be touching my skin, then turned and left. A part of me did wonder if it was a test of courage, and that I was supposed to take two items, but¡­ I thought it best to not risk it.


    When I stepped through the exit, I stepped out of the large metal doors, running headfirst into Kene. The pair of us fell down the stairs in a tangle of limbs, and  then slowly extracted ourselves from one another. Dusk had been crushed between the two of us, and she let out a complaining burble at us.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± I asked the pair once we¡¯d all gotten our feet under us. Dusk piped up, saying that it was easy ¨C she¡¯d just blown through the worms.


    ¡°What now?¡± I asked.


    She tilted her head and asked me what my trial was like, so I explained, and then she shook her head, explaining that she¡¯d just had to fight a bunch of increasingly powerful worms, then find a jewel buried in the sands, and complete a puzzle.


    ¡°Both of yours sound very different from mine,¡± Kene said. ¡°Mine was a classic maze, with a few minotaurs that I had to sneak past under my invisibility spell. The minotaurs guarded these gemstones, one for each color of the rainbow, and once I had them, I slotted them into a dias in the right order.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said, noting down the information in my head. After all, there was a slim chance that if we stumbled across one of the other smaller trial sites like this, that I¡¯d get one of their trials ¨C maybe not, of course, but why design an absurd number of combinations? If I were the sage, I would have designed twenty or so, and then had them randomized, without repeating.


    Then again, the world spirit of this place was alone most of the time. Maybe all she had to do was come up with new trials?


    Thinking about it wasn¡¯t likely to net me much of anything, though, so I dismissed the thought.


    ¡°What rewards did you get?¡± I asked instead.


    ¡°This,¡± Kene said, holding out their hand. Inside of it was a single seed, pitch black, with faint wisps of desolation and lunar mana coming off of it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, examining it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the seed for an acid-drip creosote bush,¡± they said. ¡°It¡¯s not at all useful to us in the short term, but it¡¯s extremely pungent ¨C and powerful ¨C bush. It can be used to make foundation compacting pills, compressing the soil in your mana-garden, which¡­ Is apparently supposed to help somehow?¡±


    I shook my head to show I had no more details than Kene did.


    ¡°But more importantly,¡± they continued. ¡°It¡¯s also great for making a potent alchemical acid, and a grown bush can even be engineered to produce a variant that will be able to release streams of less powerful acid as an attack, like a sun lotus.¡±


    ¡°That is an impressive seed,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the problem,¡± Kene admitted. ¡°It won¡¯t sprout until third gate, and even then, producing more seeds will take an inordinately huge amount of mana. But once we both ascend, if we plan and work together, we should both be able to benefit.¡±


    Dusk waited until we finished talking over logistics, then snapped open a portal to her treasury. I frowned, immediately noticing the difference.


    Long ago, when she¡¯d absorbed the time catch, Dusk had fused together the echoes of battle and war into a spirit of sorts, a strange amalgam that was half ghost, half golem that wouldn¡¯t be operable until she hit third gate herself.


    Now, the ghost creature had a suit of plate armor, carved with blue lines, runes, and enchantments. Dusk proudly pointed at it, whistling like the wind across a sweeping valley, saying she¡¯d taken a suit of enchanted armor, and had integrated it into her construct.


    I swept my mana senses out over the golem, nodding in a suitably impressed manner. With the knowledge, instincts, and training from the ghost, and the body of enchanted plate mail, once she had the construct up and running, it would be impressive, no doubt about that.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I feel kind of silly now,¡± I admitted as I held up the rune-crusted monocle. ¡°This is what I got. It enhances my mana senses, almost like I ingrained another Analysis spell.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely useful,¡± Kene said. ¡°If nothing else, it can help us find some more plants and natural treasures during the Idyll-Flume!¡±


    ¡°That was my thought,¡± I said, and Dusk patted my shoulder as she climbed up me, saying I¡¯d made a good choice.


    ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s some way to use that energetic binding-knot and the knowledge and mental energy battery you have to supercharge it?¡± Kene mused. ¡°Hmm. Something to think on. I¡¯m not a master of enchantment. Maybe that dragon could help?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s an interesting idea,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°Worth looking at for sure.¡±


    With our selections discussed, the three of us took off again, sailing over the vast wilderness, my even stronger mana senses helping sweep over the area. We picked up a few minor mana sources, and even stopped to pick up a large stone the size of a head, with bands of silver and gold running through it. It was some sort of telluric natural treasure, and though Kene didn¡¯t know this one specifically did, it was probably something related to mineral magic.


    As the day crept to a close, however, I picked up on something interesting ¨C a strong mana nexus. It was gushing with all sorts of powerful things ¨C even from a few hundred feet away, I could sense no less than four natural treasures, one of which felt absurdly powerful, and many times that in mana sources. I also got the slight tingling sensation that I was beginning to recognize as destiny mana.


    But that would also come with danger¡­


    The three of us talked for a while, and then decided that the best thing to do would be to take it on in the morning. I¡¯d go in first, with Dusk¡¯s help. After I drew out whatever was in the clearing, Kene would sneak in under a veil, and then we¡¯d try and retreat, Kene possibly heading into Dusk, or maybe with the pair of us flying out normally, if things went really well.


    Tonight, though, I needed to lay out my retreat plan. Drawing upon my transivy and pointer moss for extra mana, I laid out a zig-zagging trail of spatial anchors, each one tuned to act as a relay point for my teleportation. I kept my mana as smooth and still as I could while I cast, trying to not draw any attention to it, and to blend the mana in with the environment.


    I did get the attention of a few small estragon who came over to poke at the spatial anchors, clearly able to sense them, but the cute, leaf covered creatures were safe enough, and Dusk even played with them, absorbing a few to live in the pixie village.


    Once I had the trail laid out, I returned to where Kene had set up a small clearing, opening a portal and slipping in with them.


    The following morning, I set out, flying around to circle and approach the nexus from the other side, then landing and embarking on foot to enter the clearing.


    When I did enter, my breath hitched. It was beautiful.


    A small cliff face that I hadn¡¯t noticed from the air, not with the towering trees in the way, protruded over a little more than half the clearing, and one of the many small brooks that ran through this realm poured over the middle of the cliff, creating a diminutive yet powerfully rushing waterfall that caught the light and refracted rainbows across the clearing.


    Behind the waterfall, the cliff gave way to caves that went shockingly deep, deep enough that even my enhanced senses couldn¡¯t pick out the depths from where I stood.


    The grass in the clearing was a green so vibrant that it took me several long seconds to realize that all of it was mana-grass, and that there were several spring and summer flowers scattered around the field, along with wild garlic and chives.


    I felt a tickling on my hand, and looked down to see a bee on it. I held my hand up and gently blew the bee off, but it drew my eyes to a nearly transparently white colored hive of bees.


    A few beetles also flew around the clearing, some of them even buzzing with magic, especially desolation, though I wasn¡¯t sure why. Beneath my feet, I could sense worms moving through the dirt, laden with enough telluric energy to have developed into mana and mana-gardens, complete with harvesting and decomposition spells.


    The entire scene was beautiful; amazing, really. But Dusk spoke up, saying something that I had begun to understand as well in that moment: we had both been neglecting the animal side of her ecosystem.


    While the plants, streams, and the more ordinary bugs and mana that Dusk had digested did create an ecosystem, it wasn¡¯t as rich as this, as deep. How much more could Dusk be, if we had these sorts of beings within her? The plant munching and spreading beetles, the soil-refining and growing worms, the bees to pollinate and grow the plants.


    For now, I was the one taking care of all of that ¨C I¡¯d fed her compost more than once, magical mulches, and other rewards from the wyldwatch.


    But would Dusk always be the size she was now? If her ascension to second gate was anything to go on, I doubted it.


    My musing was interrupted by a spray of razor sharp pine needles rushing at me. With a yip, I teleported away, and turned to examine the waterfall.


    Standing atop the falls was a giant creature, easily twelve feet tall, with horns made from the branches of a tree, and a heart made of carved oak. Her face was that of a hag, and she had long, rootlike fingers, and when she saw me, she cackled like a maniac.


    A pulse of mana erupted out of her. It was fourth gate, but¡­ diffuse. Weaker, and less solid than the dragonblood serpent¡¯s intense power, despite being nominally higher, reminding me more of the war root¡¯s.


    Then a long eel, made of coiled mud, rose from the banks of the waterfall, slipping around the spriggan¡¯s arm and glaring down at us. It¡¯s power was third gate, not as potent as the serpents, but certainly more compacted and powerful than the spriggans.


    She didn¡¯t use any words, nor did ¨C thankfully ¨C the eel, but I could feel the challenge radiating off of the pair. They weren¡¯t likely to hand over this nexus and its treasures, not without a fight.


    And they weren¡¯t going to let me leave, either.


    I summoned my staff to one hand, then conjured my briarthreads around me. Up the cliff face, the spriggans own pair of briars appeared.


    I teleported into the air above them, catching myself with an Immovable Lock in my legs, and the battle began.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty-Two

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I released a rain of five Pinpoint Boneshards at the spriggan, who immediately released a spray of thorns up at me, her Briarthreads flickering out to knock the bone shards off course. As she did, I teleported behind her, casting Transport Item to teleport the bones out of the way of her attack, resetting them to whip around me instead.


    In the same moment, Dusk leapt forwards, striking the eel with a shockwave and sending it scattering backwards, flying off of the spriggan¡¯s arm.


    Their battle moved deeper into the forest in one direction, clearly indicating that Dusk was confident that she could handle the eel.


    I just hoped that she was right.


    I didn¡¯t have time to keep focusing on this, though, not if I wanted to keep the spriggan distracted.


    I teleported to the side of another attack, this one a spray of thorns and briars all mixed together, and the spriggan turned, continuing to aim the spray at me. I teleported behind it and released my bones in a point blank attack that bounced off the hard wood that made up the body of the creature, but did make it stumble some.


    That was enough. With her stumble, with her thorns and briars aimed elsewhere, with her attention drawn off, I was able to slap her back.


    And place one alchemy bomb on her, before teleporting to the side and sweeping out with a crescent arc of Blademoss.


    I might have given up my domain weapon for more staying power, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t still utilize a trump card.


    The third gate plant struck the spriggan, its blades of force digging into her, and more importantly, shattering the vial. A fireball the size of at least two decently large watermelons erupted across the sprigan¡¯s back, and I heard her let out a shriek of pain.


    I paused for a second, warring with myself over if I should throw my second and only other alchemy bomb, but beforre I could decide, the spriggan chose for me. She leapt at me with an enhanced speed that had to come from a spell, and I teleported behind her.


    Unfortunately, she must have been getting wise to that trick, as the moment my feet touched the grass where she¡¯d been, they immediately surged up my legs, grabbing at me.


    I began to harvest the grass, draining it away. It had to be a temporary extension, like when I attacked with blademoss, so I had to be able to absorb and break it down¡­ Even if it was enforced with the density of a fourth gate mage¡¯s power.


    Then a woman appeared in the clearing. She was tiny, six inches shorter than me, so she had to be below hive feet, but she was swinging an absolute meteor of a hammer that crackled with electrical power at the spriggan¡­


    And then she kept swinging, moving past the spriggan before letting go of the hammer and letting it fly through the air, right at me.


    I cursed and managed to drain off the last of the grass¡¯ power just in time to teleport forwards, staring the woman in the face.


    ¡°What in the name of all the primes are you doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Malachi Ro¨C¡± before she could finish my middle name, the spriggan released a giant root at the pair of us, and I teleported upwards, hanging in the air with Immovable Lock. The muscular woman thrust her hand out and a bolt of lightning, crackling with massive power, struck the root, burning it apart.


    She looked right up at me and shot up into the air, a current of wind lifting her up.


    ¡°Malachi Roth Baker?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, overcharging my Briarthreads and Pinpoint Boneshard both, while preparing a pair of Fungal Locks in the same manner.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said, then moved her hand. I teleported behind her and off to the left, leaving an afterimage behind me, and the air where I¡¯d been standing was suddenly filled with more needles, as well as a bolt of lightning.


    I teleported down to the ground, my brain running on overdrive as I slashed out at the spriggan to release a Fungal Lock, then teleported down the cliff and dove inside the cave to dodge another lightning bolt.


    She had to be running low on those. Lightning Bolt was a third gate spell, and she was tossing it around like it was nothing. Even if she¡¯d taken enough pills to ruin her future, she shouldn¡¯t have many more in the tank¡­


    Unless she had a legacy that let her, or something else, which was always possible.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I felt the connection to the Fungal Locks end as the spriggan burst free, and I heard the woman curse.


    The woman. Why would she attack me? There had to be a reason, but why?


    The obvious reason was that she¡¯d been paid to do it, but I couldn¡¯t think of why. Was it more of Orykson¡¯s plot, like him trying to get me to maim Mallory?


    Maybe.


    Then it clicked where I¡¯d seen her before ¨C the carnival of color. When I¡¯d been competing with Kene, she¡¯d been there too, and had attacked me with the same giant hammer, but had been pulled out by the ref.


    Kene appeared next to me, giving me a wild eyed look.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± they asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± I admitted as they released their golden light and fire runes over me.


    Before I could thank them, or even say more than that, the woman was in the cave, panting. She pointed at me, and I teleported behind her.


    Right into the spriggan¡¯s spray of needles. They were slowed by my aura pin, most of them were knocked aside by my overcharged Briarthreads, and my suit dampened the ones that made it past further, but the attack still left three tiny, but deep and bloody stabs in my body before they dissolved back into energy in the environment.


    Kene and the woman were shouting at one another, and that caught my attention. I bounded forwards, bringing my Pinpoint Boneshards down at the woman¡¯s back.


    She wasn¡¯t going to be allowed to hurt Kene.


    The shards struck her, and though they left long, scoring wounds, they didn¡¯t dig deep at all. Judging by the fact that her wounds were already scabbing overr, I was guessing she¡¯d used a full gate spell to reinforce every aspect of her body ¨C that would explain the hammer too.


    I had to zip to the top of the cliff to dodge another massive root attack from the spriggan, and then teleported back down and behind it, throwing the alchemy bomb into her back.


    As the fire erupted, I shouted ¡®nose!¡¯ and hoped that Kene would understand, but they were distracted.


    green light flowed from Kene¡¯s hands, snaking to me as I teleported into the air above the woman and threw down another potion, while empowering a bit of ungated mana.


    My sense of smell vanished, just in time for one of the stink bombs that Dusk had prepared to explode into a cloud of noxious gas.


    It didn¡¯t seem to bother the spriggan, who was happy to take the moment to release a root, Briarthreads, and a spray of needles all at the woman and Kene. Kene¡¯s bracelet glowed, and they teleported out of the way, though they immediately threw up afterwards.


    The woman was not so lucky. She was immediately struck with the full force of all three attacks, and was still sickened by the stink bomb.


    She flew back into the darkness, her hammer falling out of her hands, and there was a loud and meaty crunch.


    Before I could even process that she might be dead, an eel made of mud exploded into the air, slamming into Kene. A moment later, Dusk erupted out of the forest next to it, blowing it off Kene with her shockwave, and the Spriggan released attacks at me.


    I teleported out of the way, and I felt a powerful wrenching in my spirit as Foxstep shifted from mastered to ingrained. It was¡­ doing something. Not some simple increase in efficiency or power, something else, but I couldn¡¯t tell what, and now wasn¡¯t the time to experiment.


    Then a lightning bolt exploded out of the cave at the spriggan, but the tiny, inane part of my mind wondered why Foxstep had taken so long to move to ingrained. I used it all the time.


    The lightning caught everyone off guard ¨C except for the eel and Dusk, who almost seemed to be engaged in a boxing match of some kind, trading bursts of mud and shockwaves back and forth.


    The spriggan was blown backwards as the woman marched out of the cave, tossing a vial to the side.


    ¡°I only had one arcanist level healing potion,¡± she growled, almost to herself, as she picked up her hammer, lightning began to crackle along its shaft and head, though I thought this was a lower gate spell. ¡°I¡¯m gonna make you pay for that.¡±


    She exploded forwards, using some sort of movement spell that enhanced her legs. The spriggan cast a spell that changed the grass and roots around her, causing them to bend and release bursts of energy to enhance her own movement.


    The pair skipped across the clearing for a moment, then the woman brought her hammer down at Dusk, cackling like a maniac. I teleported, zipping across the entire clearing, Briarthreads bursting off of me as I crossed my arms in an x shape, dropping my staff to take the blow myself.


    The force of the strike, even slowed by all of my defenses, was enough to cause an explosive pain in my arms, and I was pretty sure that my left forearm, which had been the one on top, was shattered.


    ¡°Predictable!¡± the woman crowed, even as she took attacks to her back.


    The eel used the opportunity to strike at my back, and I was thrown forwards at the woman, who seemed surprised by this. Dusk let out a cry and unleashed an explosion of light over the entire battlefield.


    I heard a grunt of pain as the woman was shoved away from me, and when my vision returned, Dusk had released her thousand hands spell and her shockwave spell at the woman. Kene was next to me, green and gold light flowing into my arm.


    ¡°Broken,¡± they said. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare put any weight on it.


    They pressed my staff into my right hand, and I nodded. Dusk, Kene, and I all retreated back towards the caves, while the spriggan and eel released spellfire down at the pinned woman.


    It seemed she had at least a few more good tricks left, though. A massive orb of wind erupted out around her, and she floated into the air, the orb shoving away the attacks of the spriggan and eel.


    She hung there, panting, and then the sphere collapsed, condensing into a tiny ball. She fell, and the momentum of her fall empowered her hammer further, as it slammed into the mud eel. The orb expanded again, and the eel exploded, its body dissolving into magic.


    Then her legacy activated, because that was the only explanation that made even a modicum of sense to me.


    The magic that had composed the body of the elemental eel ¨C probably made of telluric and lunar mana, not that it mattered any more ¨C condensed, turning into a vibrant red aura that swirled towards the woman. It grew denser, turning orange, then yellow, until it was a single spinning yellow spot, only the size of a grape.


    The yellow magic sunk into the woman¡¯s chest, and for just a moment, she blazed with mana, her third gate power refilling, then overflowing, growing from the power of the snake¡¯s death.


    She held out her hands as she floated into the air, pointing one at the spriggan¡­ and the other hand at me.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty-Three

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The lightning bolt lanced towards me, and was stopped by the power of the fox-bird creature.


    The fox leapt into the air, soaring out on its own wings, its strange auric armor spell drawing the attack to it like a lightning rod, then breaking it apart, bit by bit.


    I felt a surge of relief and gratefulness to the little creature¡­ Even if I did feel like it was starting to just win my battles for me, which brought a kernel of shame.


    The fox landed next to Kene, standing in front of them and letting out a little growl. Kene¡¯s own hands were glowing with magic that swirled out to sink into me and Dusk, continuing the patchwork on my arm and providing me with his blessing spell and flame runes.


    ¡°Primes,¡± growled the woman, rolling her shoulders. ¡°How many of you are there?¡±


    I teleported into a closer range and thrust my staff up at her, while the spriggan released its own wave of attacks.


    My briars and bones mingled with the spriggan¡¯s needles and roots, but the mixed attack was rebuffed by the woman conjuring her spherical windshield again. The spinning winds caught our conjured attacks and spun them round, while I teleported the bones back to me and slid them into my spirit.


    The woman swung her hammer, crackling with lightning, down at my head, and I teleported back, not even having the time to process how I¡¯d managed it.


    I glanced back to see the fox-bird maintaining a glowing blue aura over itself and Kene, and nodded.


    That did make some sense. The fox was a guardian creature of some sort ¨C it was doubtlessly strongest when protecting and defending something, and it had chosen that something to be Kene.


    I could try and lure the woman to attack Kene, which would open up the possibility for the fox-bird to counterattack, but¡­


    No.


    That was too risky. She was absurdly strong, and there was a chance that the fox¡¯s protection wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    I was caught off guard by the woman unleashing a green bolt of some sort at me, and I barely managed to teleport out of the way as I continued my battle analysis.


    Kene was safe and protected, and would support me from behind those protections, but I wouldn¡¯t likely get any help from the fox-bird unless we retreated into Dusk, which would just give the woman time to wait for us to come out.


    Speaking of Dusk, where was she? She must be hiding under a veil, which meant I needed to play distraction.


    I thrust my staff out and cast a three-layer fungal lock over the woman as the spriggan leapt into the air and dove down at her.


    The orb of air spun and flared with lightning, and the rootlike body of the spriggan began to burn, and was thrown back off of her, but the woman was distracted by my fungal lock, tearing it apart.


    I continued to add new layers as she tore them off. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what else I could do ¨C I didn¡¯t have anything strong enough to pierce that defensive sphere spell, and the only attack that¡­


    I was an idiot.


    I called out my Pinpoint Boneshard spell and wrapped it in the fire from Kene, then fired four at her. Right before they struck the shield, I teleported them through.


    It was rough. The winds that they had to teleport through were packed with mana, and teleporting through dense mana was hard.


    But it was still much easier than punching through it with raw attack power.


    The bones appeared behind her and slammed into her back, and I had to suppress a grin as I used the moment to overcharge and double layer more Fungal Locks on her. If she was going to hover there and provide me with a wonderful target, then I¡¯d be happy to accept.


    Then the grass at my feet exploded upwards and entangled me. I let out a long curse ¨C I¡¯d thought the spriggan was more angry at the woman, since she¡¯d killed the eel, but apparently she was still more than happy to try and kill me too.


    The woman thrust her hand out, and I Foxstepped as high as I could manage, leaving an afterimage behind me¡­


    Just in time to watch my illusion be torn apart by a blast of lightning.


    Teleporting out the constraints of a fourth gate mage, even a weak one, wasn¡¯t easy. The drain it put on my mana and energy was massive, and I felt my reserves tanking dangerously low. I¡¯d teleported a lot in the fight, and even though I¡¯d grown my spatial and temporal mana quite a bit, I was still no bastion of absolute power.


    As I caught myself in the air, I reached out for my connection to Dusk¡¯s realm, and drew upon the power of my plants, restoring my diminished mana, and I even fed a good amount from the red star tree into my Magister¡¯s Body to help it restore my energy a bit faster.


    Just in time, as the woman soared upwards, using the force of her flight to add power to the hammer swing. I teleported across from her and down several feet, catching myself with my Immovable Lock spell.Stolen story; please report.


    I hadn¡¯t had a ton of time to train in the movement style that Ikki and I had worked out, but the pressure was a great teacher. I drew out my bone shards and my Briarthreads as the woman spun in midair, then swung at me again.


    Up and to the left. Then down to the left. Up to the right. Backwards.


    Over and over, continually drawing upon the power of my emperor¡¯s sapling, transivy, and pointer moss to keep myself fresh.


    Occasionally, from far below us, the spriggan managed to launch a root, needle, or briar up high enough, but it was clear that she didn¡¯t have great aerial mobility.


    ¡°Hold still!¡± the woman grunted as I let go of a lock and fell down to get out of the way of another one of her swings.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± I shouted over the rushing wind as I teleported back up, then lashed out with Briarthreads and a Fungal Lock.


    ¡°Contract,¡± she said. ¡°Client wants you dead.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± I demanded, skipping backwards in the air as she struck out with rapid swings.


    I bit my lip as I lowered myself with each skip. My plants meant I¡¯d restored my mana, but this aerial battle had been taxing for it, and I was down to about a third of my reserves again, at least for second gate.


    My temporal mana especially was what concerned me. I¡¯d used my Temporal Basin against the serpent, and it hadn¡¯t had time to recover. While the emperor¡¯s sapling was strong, it wasn¡¯t as strong as the pointermoss and transivy together, so that was running low too, and I couldn¡¯t even draw on the spare death mana in my second gate, since that was locked up within my not-yet-operational Beast Mage¡¯s Soul.


    The woman clearly didn¡¯t see fit to answer, because instead, she turned and flew downwards as fast as she could.


    I used the moment to take a few potshots at her back, but her healing and endurance let her shrug them off.


    Then she smashed into the Spriggan with her hammer, unleashing a Lightning Bolt spell, the lightning infusion in her hammer, the concentrated windshield that she¡¯d used to kill the eel, and a strength enhancement spell, all at once.


    The hammer ripped the glowing heart right out of the spriggan, and it shattered, releasing an explosion of green light.


    Then Dusk¡¯s trap triggered.


    Hundreds upon hundreds of tiny hands rose out of the ground, and for a moment, I feared that would be all.


    But the hands began to fuse, melting together into a pair of giant arms, each one at least as tall as my body, and they kept growing, stones incorporated into the hands like bones, grass like hair.


    The hands began to glow with the distinct twisting of air, space, earth, light, and reality that I¡¯d come to recognize as Dusk¡¯s shockwave spell, and then the pair of massive hands clamped around the woman, releasing all of Dusk¡¯s power into her body.


    I thought the woman had to be dead for sure, but the instant before the hands struck her, the woman summoned another wind orb around her that spun like wild, lightning flickering through it. She began to glow with a potent green light, even as the hands clamped around her.


    The woman was fast, but not fast enough. The massive hands, glowing with the power of the shockwaves, caught her around one arm, and the power caused her arm to snap. I could see the bone sticking out of her in several places, and the woman let out a howl of pain before managing to ply her flight spell to shoot out of the grasp of the hand.


    And right into the spriggan. The spriggan was reconstituting itself, and though its heart was gone, and the mana felt even less dense ¨C maybe connected to the heart vessel somehow? ¨C it was still a fourth gate mage.


    The spriggan¡¯s claws dug into the back of the mercenary, and I landed next to Kene, who immediately started casting healing spells over my arm.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°Someone paid her to kill me, I don¡¯t know who,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know. Something¡¯s off about it.¡±


    ¡°Should we run?¡± they asked, though I could barely hear them over the sound of lightning and root meeting alongside giant hands of earth punching and releasing shockwaves.


    As I watched, the woman¡¯s hammer ripped apart one of the hands, and the other began to dissolve. A moment later, the earth shifted around our feet, and Dusk poked her head out.


    She looked exhausted, and I could feel she was on wisps of mana, but I had to admit, it was clever of her to hide under the earth to attack with the hands. She looked at Kene and shook her head, saying that we couldn¡¯t afford to run. If we ran, the assassin would kill the Spriggan, and get another boost, just like when she¡¯d killed the eel.


    Kene frowned, but nodded slowly in agreement.


    I picked up Dusk and put her in my pocket, then marched out into the fight between two spellbinders, unleashing wave after wave of Briarthreads, lacing them with the runes provided by Kene, and the woman¡¯s head snapped to me. The spriggan¡¯s did as well, and I looked at the spriggan before nodding to the woman, trying to tell it, to show it that we could settle our spat after we were done with her.


    I think ¨C think ¨C the spriggan understood, because even as the woman dove at me, the spriggan unleashed three powerful root attacks at her side, pushing her off course. I teleported bones in close to the woman¡¯s face, and she smashed them out of the way. Dusk released a shockwave at the woman with the dregs of mana she had left, and I caught her up in a Fungal Lock, before bringing down more Briarthreads.


    The spriggan leapt into the air and brought down briars of its own as it shoved its claws through the wind defense to rip and tear at the woman, but the mercenary rotated her hammer in midair and slammed it into the spriggan¡¯s head. The spriggan was blown back again, and I empowered my Brairthreads with everything I had left. I sketched out with one hand, and felt a click as my Material Echo spell came into existence.


    I drained my temporal basin, even though it barely had anything, and threw it into the echo, the air clogged around me with briars, the world nothing but a sea of green threads and paler copies.


    The woman smashed through them, until the fox-bird, which had been defending Kene, leapt forwards, conjuring Bluelight Fangs.


    The fangs sunk into the woman, who shouted and spun, her hammer striking the side of the fox¡¯s defensive auric armor. She unleashed another lightning bolt at point blank range, and even with the power of the fox¡¯s defenses¡­ It had chosen to guard Kene, not me.


    Her hammer slammed into the fox and sent it flying backwards. Kene shouted and started running to the fox, green light swirling from their hands, and I was glad to see it sink in.


    Healing magic didn¡¯t work on the dead.


    The fox¡¯s nearly sacrificial move had bought me a second, but a second to do what?


    The spriggan leapt at the woman, who brought her hammer down on its arm, ripping it off with more lightning ¨C though not a full lightning bolt. She had to be drained and tired too, after all this.


    My briarthreads and echoes faded as my life and time mana guttered to empty, and the woman stepped forwards, a crazed look in her eyes, as she hefted the hammer.


    Running on nothing but my body''s energy and the final wisps of spatial mana, I dragged myself through a Foxtstep to appear next to Kene,


    I snapped open a portal to Dusk¡¯s realm and dragged all of us inside before shutting the gate.


    Even if the mercenary waited, it was better to fight her while I had mana and help than just die now.


    I took several deep breaths, and then I saw it.


    A black clawed hand punched through the space in the air where I¡¯d opened the portal, and a moment later, it ripped back open, the woman standing on the other side.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty-Four

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Dusk watched as the crazed woman marched forwards to kill her older brother, and probably her too, and she made a choice, leaping off her brother and releasing the last bit of her mana in a shockwave spell to push the woman back, while re-sealing the gate behind her, locking them in her realm.


    The woman''s strange black gauntlet that radiated arcanist magic could get through, but even that took time. Time that Dusk could, and would, use.


    She reached into her vaults where they¡¯d stored a dozen assorted mana sources, and began to break them down for power, restoring her mana. She didn¡¯t like it ¨C they could all use that to get nice things and the silver coins too.


    But those weren¡¯t worth the death of her family.


    She restored her power, and then some, packing her gate to overflowing, packing it with twice the amount of mana it should normally hold.


    Her older brother and his partner were slow, since they had to train multiple gates. She only had one, so even though she¡¯d started later, she was already done, her natural spells perfected, and the hand spell knowledge had given her taking a prominent place in the center of her second gate.


    She retreated within her mana-garden, even though that cost precious seconds. She reached for the natural spells to manipulate the world that all worldspirits like her were born with.


    She could feel them on the other side of the elaborate, carved gates, humming, singing for her to open the gates and take the power that she knew was there.


    She¡¯d held off for the slight chance that she¡¯d be able to help her brother during the Beastgate Trial. She didn¡¯t think she would, but she hadn¡¯t wanted to risk ascending early and messing up that chance. She hadn¡¯t wanted to make her brother and his partner feel like they were weak, either.


    But those weren¡¯t worth the death of her family.


    She brought her mana to bear against the gate, stretching out for the simple truth of who she was, the truth of the worldspirit. Her silly older brother didn¡¯t seem to even realize she had it, but it had always been there, from the moment she first woke up.


    The resonance began to shake the gates as she slammed more mana against the gate. The call of the spells beyond grew louder and louder.


    She wanted to take her time, to delicately pry open the gates and ingrave the carvings into them that knowledge had provided her. That would help her mana flow ever so tiny bit better, be that tiny bit stronger. Engraving them after would help, but not until she ascended to fourth gate.


    But that wasn¡¯t worth the death of her family.


    With a cry of pain and rage, the gates exploded open, and mana surged through her, reinforcing her first two gates, and the ungated center where she¡¯d begun to dig.


    Within her, she could feel the three powers that hung in delicate balance grow, nurtured by Meadow¡¯s well. Void, resolve, or whichever other name, demanded to be fed.


    So she did. Her mana extended out, filling the entire clearing, swallowing it in darkness. With a hum, she ripped it out of Idyll¡¯s possession, and into hers.


    ¡°Careful,¡± came the voice of Idyll. ¡°Grow your own.¡±


    Dusk responded that she would ¨C she¡¯d just needed this bit right now, and Idyll simply grumbled.


    With mere seconds remaining, she integrated the clearing into herself, placing it behind the cabin where her brother and his partner often stayed. She diverted more power into growing out her forests more, and she could feel the small folk, crow shades, bugs, and others within her donating more power, letting her lay it out, expanding her lands.


    With the rush she was in, and the shortcuts she¡¯d taken, she wasn¡¯t able to grow it quite as nicely and neatly as she had when she¡¯d expanded into second gate, but even still, she could feel the rivers widen and expand, sections of the forest shifting and rearranging. The cabin moved, though she couldn¡¯t stop that.


    It would have to be good enough.


    Her eyes snapped open, and even she was surprised by the amount of mass she¡¯d been able to pull into herself during the ascension.


    Almost the entire clearing was gone, all save for the assassin, the spriggan, the five purple-gold destiny plants, and a pitted hole that led deeper into the earth, no doubt what was left of the caves. The rest of the land was just raw earth now, blank, with no gardening or growth, or even that much energy or mana.


    But Dusk couldn¡¯t admire her handiwork for long, so she reached for the newest controlling spell. Control over the winds, at least to some extent.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    She rose into the air in front of the woman, then thrust her hands out and released shockwave spells.


    They struck the woman, ripping through the winds around her and throwing her back, not unlike the blow that the woman just struck to the guardian.


    The spriggan looked around, then dove at Dusk.


    Dusk couldn¡¯t blame it ¨C if it ate her, then it could restore its now severely damaged heart back to at least half power.


    But just because she couldn¡¯t blame it didn¡¯t mean she could allow it. She snapped her hands out and reached for the treasure that her brother¡¯s partner¡¯s mentor, the crazy old witch, had given her ¨C the skull that could contain spirits.


    The spriggan vanished, and she leapt towards the mercenary, but was caught off guard when a portal opened next to her, and her older brother stepped out, holding his staff in his uninjured hand. She peeped at him, annoyed that he was coming out to fight while he was out of mana, and he shook his head.


    The woman had staggered to her feet to throw the hammer at her brother, guiding the winds to aim at her brother.


    Dusk flexed her new power and let the energy spin through the circuits within her clouds, then knocked the hammer off course as her brother called up his Briarthreads around him ¨C he must have restored some power from the plants within, but that meant he only had life and maybe some death in him.


    Dusk hopped onto the hammer. It was a nice artifact, powerful third gate, made to channel lightning spells, reduce their cost, and not drag on flight spells, so she slipped it into her vaults.


    Her brother had lowered his staff to point at the woman and was talking.


    ¡°You should leave,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve lost. Call the contract on me off, and report a failure. If my theory is right, you won¡¯t be in trouble. If anything, I¡¯ll be the one reprimanded.¡±


    ¡°Theory,¡± she spat. ¡°But you know that even if I do that¡­ I¡¯ll just¨C¡±


    The spriggan exploded out of Dusk¡¯s containment artifact, and she immediately launched several large shockwaves, overcharging them. They exploded, ripping through the heart of the spriggan.


    Its heart had already been crushed once, so it was already almost out of power, but Dusk decided to take a page out of her older brother¡¯s book. She hopped onto the Spriggans chest while her brother and the woman continued to argue. Dusk looked the spriggan in the eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t the most intelligent, but it had some cunning. More than enough that it understood Dusk¡¯s speech of nature as she told it that she¡¯d won the glade, and taken it from the spriggan.


    The spriggan nodded in agreement.


    Good, that made things simpler.


    Dusk told the spriggan to leave, and to not seek any vengeance, and the spriggan visibly struggled with itself. Everything inside the spriggan told it that it should die to protect its glade, but dying would do nothing.


    Eventually, the spriggan agreed, and Dusk focused back at the talk that her older brother was doing. He was better at that her.


    ¡°¨Ceed some sort of recompense for the arcanist potion,¡± the woman was saying. ¡°It was given to me by the client to help kill you specifically. I can¡¯t turn it down without returning it.¡±


    Her brother ran his hands through his hair, seeming stressed, then nodded.


    ¡°I know someone in Teffordshire who can make arcanist level potions,¡± he said. ¡°Take the boat back to the mainland. You¡¯ll be one of the first people to get off, and while you didn¡¯t get the maximum value from this, that was never what you came here for, was it?¡±


    ¡°No, bu¨C¡±


    But her older brother cut her off and kept talking.


    ¡°Good. Then you should be able to use what you¡¯ve gathered to sell at the highest price, before the market value drops from the glut of people selling. And here.¡±


    He tossed her the bundle of the remaining mana sources ¨C the ones she hadn¡¯t drained dry for her ascension.


    ¡°That should cover most of the costs.¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡±


    ¡°Am lucky I don¡¯t press charges,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve been attacked before ¨C you can look up the police report, it involved Malachi Roth Baker vs Mallory Emsley Cromwell. Since then, I¡¯ve carried a recording crystal with me at all times.¡±


    He removed a crystal from his pocket, and Dusk had to stop herself from laughing.


    It wasn¡¯t a recording crystal at all, just an ordinary shard of glass, probably from one of the broken vials of alchemy bombs, imbued with a bit of mana.


    But the woman¡¯s face went pale and she swallowed, so her brother slipped it back into his pocket


    ¡°I see,¡± she said.


    ¡°If you agree,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the portal when you¡¯re ready to leave, right before the auction, and crush it in front of you. That way I can¡¯t reasonably press charges, since it would be a case of my word against yours.¡±


    ¡°So I have two more days to gather materials?¡± she asked to clarify.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed. ¡°I think that¡¯s quite generous. You¡¯re strong, no doubt about that. You can use that to gather quite a bit, and you¡¯ll leave here richer than ever, with the evidence destroyed, and having grown your power a considerable amount from the beasts and elementals you¡¯ve doubtless been killing.¡±


    With a hesitant look, she nodded.


    ¡°I agree. I swear by the primes and my mana.¡±


    The oath was an old one, not backed by any actual magic, but people were still hesitant to break it.


    ¡°I swear by the primes and my mana,¡± her brother echoed, then relaxed. ¡°Do you really not know why you were supposed to kill me?¡±


    ¡°All I know is I was told to do it, and preferably to mock you for being weak, though that wasn¡¯t as easy to do when you were fighting up an entire gate.¡±


    A stormy look came over her brother¡¯s face, and Dusk agreed. This had to be the work of Orykson, trying to push them both back into his hands.


    ¡°Can I have my hammer back?¡± she asked, and Malachi pulled it out, then passed it to her, strain on his face.¡±


    Dusk didn¡¯t agree with that, but she wasn¡¯t going to argue. She could feel the treasures burning inside her, after all, so it wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d lost ¨C in fact, they¡¯d gained a lot.


    The woman and her brother spoke a bit longer, and then she lifted off the ground to fly away.


    ¡°Oh, and you should know,¡± her older brother said casually. ¡°I didn¡¯t use Burn Future in this fight, but if you were to think about reneging on our deal, it would do you well to remember that I¡¯ve got two full gate spells complete, and didn¡¯t use it. I can ascend whenever I want, much like my familiar could. But the last time I used Burn Future, I killed a war root. And that was before my second full gate spell was complete.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to threaten me,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m good to my word.¡±


    He waved his hand and summoned a portal back to her world, and the woman flew off.


    Dusk threw her hands up and let out a cheer.


    Victory!

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty-Five

    I staggered back into Dusk¡¯s portal and all but collapsed into the ground. I was absolutely exhausted, wrung out like a towel that had been soaked in water and then¡­ Wrung out a bit.


    I was too tired to think of any good analogies.


    If I hadn''t bluffed at the end, and she''d kept attacking...


    I didn¡¯t intend to pass out, but when I came too, Kene and Dusk had dragged me into the cabin, and I was clamped against Kene like a barnacle to a ship. Dusk was asleep on their chest, curled up like a cat. The fox-bird was curled up on the small rug at the foot of the bed.


    I slowly extracted myself from them and headed into the kitchen, feeling out through my mana, then paused and ststted laughing.


    Burn Future had unlocked, the seal that Ikki had placed on it gone entirely. Yesterday, I''d bluffed against the assassin, I hadn¡¯t realized it, but it had been more true than I realized.


    I still didn''t think I could take her in a proper fight. But I had one tool back, and honestly, I thought I understood Ikki''s lesson behind locking it.


    That brought a bit of cheer into my step as I opened the cabinet and whispered.


    ¡°Hey everyone!¡± I said to the brownies. ¡°Do you mind helping me make some quick breakfast bread?¡±


    An older brownie stumped out on his cane, and nodded.


    ¡°Aye, dear.¡±


    I wrinkled my nose at being called dear, but we got to start. I had plenty of flour, and some of the rations that Liz had packed included dried fruits, which I mixed in.


    Eggs were harder, and I wondered if it would be plausible to get some chickens. Could I take care of them? I didn¡¯t know anything about chicken tending.


    Well, without eggs, I dug around in the rations until I found a jar of apple sauce, then measured that out to use as the substitute. A couple of spices, though not many ¨C I needed to expand my spice cabinet.


    I cast a proofing spell over it, tossing a towel over the bowl. Though I didn¡¯t have the enchanted proofing box that my dad¡¯s bakery did, allowing the basic ungated mana to linger for a long time, I was ten times the mage I¡¯d been then, and my much more strongly reinforced ungated mana was more than enough to let it proof.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do a hearth bread,¡± I told the brownies, ¡°I don¡¯t have solar magic, so while I could try and use a temperature control ungated spell to cook it, I¡¯m not sure how well that would work. I don¡¯t think I can get it hot enough.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± agreed the old brownie. ¡°We¡¯ll start the fire.¡±


    As the brownies started the fire, I pulled out the heavy cast iron oven-pot, and turned the dough out onto a floured countertop. I massaged it a bit, punching it down to get air bubbles out, then rolled it into a ball before plopping it into the pot, with the smooth side up, and the side where I¡¯d gotten everything together on the bottom.


    I lidded up the iron pot and plopped it down into the fire, using a pair of tongs to place a couple of the charcoal briquettes on top of the pot, to keep the heat more even throughout the pot.


    Around then, Kene wandered in, the fox-bird at his side, and Dusk riding on their shoulder.


    ¡°Morning,¡± they said, blinking before yawning. Once they finished the yawn, they started talking again. ¡°Let me check over your arm and body before we go out today.¡±


    They glared down at the fox.


    ¡°You too, Siobh¨¢n¡±


    ¡°Siobh¨¢n?¡± I asked, resisting the urge to tease them about their phrasing.


    ¡°She¡¯s been following us around, and seems to have taken a shine to me,¡± they said, shrugging, ¡°I figured it was only fair to name her.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t realized the fox was a her. Oops. I hoped I hadn¡¯t been mentally misgendering the little fox¡­


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said. ¡°The bread should be done in¡­¡±


    I pulsed Internal Pocketwatch to check how long it had been.


    ¡°Twenty minutes, maybe thirty,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± they said, nodding.


    ¡°Least I can do,¡± I said, touching my arm. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m guessing you dragged me back last night?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Kene agreed. ¡°With some help from Dusk.¡±


    I glanced at the spirit, who was still half asleep on Kene¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± I said. ¡°You ascended, Dusk.¡±


    Dusk¡¯s eyes flittered, and she sat up some, yawning and nodding. She peeped out, explaining that she didn¡¯t want to, but wasn¡¯t willing to let me die.


    I scooped her off Kene¡¯s shoulder and pulled her in for a close hug, trying my best to ignore the jolt of dysphoria the motion caused me as I felt my chest a bit more than I was happy with.


    Why was it always able to creep in during what should, by all measures, be a perfectly happy moment?


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡­ I genuinely don¡¯t know how we could have survived that if you hadn¡¯t ascended. If we¡¯d just¡­¡±


    I trailed off and hugged her tighter.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I repeated.


    She peeped contentedly, saying she was just glad it turned out okay, and I nodded my agreement, then reached down to scratch Siobhan¡¯s head.


    ¡°And thank you too,¡± I said. ¡°You were really disadvantaged to attack her, but you stepped in to help.¡±


    The fox¡¯s tail wagged happily, and Dusk pulled out jerky, then tossed it in the air for the fox to catch and eat.


    ¡°And thank you,¡± I said, stepping over to Kene, slipping my arm around their waist. ¡°Your runes, blessing, and healing kept me going in the fight longer, long after I would have normally folded.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Kene said.


    ¡°Shush,¡± I said, leaning forwards and kissing them.


    A while later, Dusk yelled at us with the rushing of a waterfall, demanding that we come outside and look at her upgrades. I slowly pulled away, and Kene smiled, nodding.


    ¡°We should look,¡± they agreed, and I nodded.


    It was obvious from the moment I stepped out of the cabin that things had changed. For one thing, rather than a cleanly split parcel of land for each season, with the cabin surrounded by four rivers, the cabin was now deep in the autumnal lands. Pumpkins and gourds hung from mundane trees all around, their leaves a mixture of brilliant golds, reds, and browns, with bushes that hadn¡¯t quite given up their color yet providing contrast.


    There was a sharp caw, and I glanced over to see a crow shade, the magical spirit of a death crow now departed. It spread its wings and flew away a moment later.


    A winding footpath of smooth river stones led into the forest, and Kene and I wandered along them until we found ourselves in a familiar glade ¨C the same glade, in fact, we¡¯d just come from. There were even the same ripped up spots of mana-grass, and faint slashes in the stone where our battle had injured the surroundings.


    ¡°How?¡± Kene asked, almost sounding awed.


    Dusk let out a sigh that sounded like the sands of the desert, saying that when she¡¯d ascended, she¡¯d needed to take some shortcuts if she wanted to finish in time, so she¡¯d stol¨Cer, borrowed¨C some mass and energy arrangements from Idyll.


    My eyebrows rose, and I hoped that wouldn¡¯t come back to bite us, but Idyll was so strong that if she wanted to smite us, there wasn¡¯t anything we could do about it.


    ¡°Does that mean you took the natural treasures too?¡± I asked, letting my mana senses expand over the space. Sure enough, I could feel them there, the magical worms in the dirt, and the more magical bees in the trees. Kene actually turned to look at the beehive.


    ¡°Oh, very nice. I hadn¡¯t picked up on it while I was supposed to be looting, but those look like spell-light bees,¡± Kene said. ¡°Their honey can be mixed into potions to serve a similar function to mana-grass, or serve as a really good supporting magical component for solar potions. Mead made with¡­ oh, nevermind.¡±


    I gave Kene a curious look, and they flushed, shaking their head.


    I debated teasing them for a few moments, then let it go. We had more important things to do for now.


    Dusk pushed us towards the cliff, and we climbed up top. From there, we could see that this nexus of magic was the new center point of her realm, and that there had been more changes.


    The four seasons section had expanded, but it was less distinct. Rather than being a single forest in four seasons, the autumn seemed to be the standard forest. Summer slowly gave way to shrubs, rocks, and desert ¨C not the sandy kind, the dusty and flat kind. Spring was a forest so thick that it reminded me of rainforest, and winter was clearly full-on taiga.


    It was huge, too. The space, which had been about five acres before, was now more than eighty acres now.


    Dusk raised her hand, and four natural treasures floated out of the area. One rose from the riverbank, another from the grass beneath our feet, a third from one of the trees, and the fourth and by far the strongest treasure rose from the cave.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to be sorted out. The aquamarine gem that had risen from the water was a bog-standard natural treasure to help grow lunar mana, so we set it to the side to give to Liz.


    The one from the grasses wasn¡¯t, to my surprise, a life treasure, but rather a telluric one, a ball of clay that seemed to morph and shift when pressure was applied to it, so that went into the vaults alongside the mineral striation stone, the remaining alter-truffle, and the mental royal jelly.


    The one from the trees wasn¡¯t a life treasure either, but instead a treasure that was almost familiar to me ¨C a bug preserved in amber. It wasn¡¯t a scorpion, but rather a large beetle, but it still made me smile fondly.


    But rather than the arrays of the power being free to absorb and use as magic, they were bound up in magic, and Kene tossed it to me.


    ¡°Here, use it. It¡¯s going to increase your temporal magic¡¯s recovery rate, and I think the beetle should break down to expand your death gates.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, examining the stone. The Temporal Basin drew from my recovery rate to grow itself, so anything that could boost that would be infinitely useful to me.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡¯m not as sure on the beetle, but I know the amber will work that way.¡±


    I held off on absorbing it right away, wanting to finish this up first. There was still the strongest treasure left, and though it was hard to tell, it felt like it was at least fourth gate, and maybe leaning into fifth.


    The treasure was a long, jagged piece of pear-colored stone that almost resembled a dagger or a tooth, with a complex weave of magic that Kene and I both recognized immediately ¨C dragon magic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it does specifically,¡± Kene admitted as they rotated it. ¡°But I definitely can make out some parts of the arrays that remind me of flamethrower or breath weapon spells.¡±


    ¡°Octavian¡¯s partner would be able to make great use of it,¡± I said. ¡°It would be a good gift, and might get us a favor with his mom, if she hears about it.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Kene agreed. ¡°Still, something so strong is¡­¡±


    They trailed off, then whistled.


    Dusk then led us into the caves, which now held a hidden entrance to her vaults, which had also grown larger, and the wards that protected her treasures had grown stronger.


    More notable, however, was her construct. The armored ghost now stood proudly, and slammed a fist over its chest when we entered.


    ¡°Vault guardian?¡± I asked, and Dusk whistled her agreement, though she added that she wasn¡¯t afraid to use it in a fight if she had to ¨C like if the assassin came back.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, gently patting her head.


    ¡°What about those destiny plants, though?¡± Kene asked.


    Dusk clapped and opened a portal, waving us through, and I carefully headed out, double checking to make sure the mercenary hadn¡¯t come back for more, but the clearing was empty.


    There were five of the destiny plants, just sitting there in the barren soil, and Dusk explained that she hadn¡¯t quite been able to integrate them into herself, so she¡¯d had to leave them here. Kene and I harvested the plants, then returned to the cabin to boil them down. By unanimous agreement, Dusk got two drops, while the fox-bird, Kene, and I got one each.


    I invested the power into my full-gate spells, same as I had before, and felt their balance shift slightly, then I drew in the power of the amber. It crackled through my mana-garden, and I felt the thin channels that connected my temporal mana to the world widen slightly, not unlike when I¡¯d drank the witchlight bourbon with Orykson.


    The power from the preserved bug was more subtle, sinking into the foundations of my mana-garden¡¯s death gate, then rising up in a slow but steady tide that left my walls far higher ¨C not as high as my life walls, but higher for sure.


    As we all finished, I looked at Kene, who looked at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a thought,¡± they said. ¡°The strongest treasure came from the caves, right? And the auction is in two days. We¡¯ll need one day at least to get back. Do you want to try and explore in the caves for the rest of today, then head back? Try and look for another nexus first? Head back now?¡±


    I thought for a moment. The cave would absolutely have more stuff ¨C it was leaking mana even now. But it would also be dangerous, that much was certain, if even the nexus aboveground had been this strong. Then again, I had set up my retreating trail, the one I hadn''t gotten a chance to use when fighting the mercenary.


    Looking for another mana nexus was a gamble ¨C it could get us something great, like another hudau heritage stone, or we might just find more mana sources.


    Heading back now would be the safest, as long as we navigated out of the giant hawk¡¯s territory, but would also offer me the least.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty-Six

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Let¡¯s explore the caves!¡± I said, rotating my arm that had been broken the day before. It was slightly¡­ off, but it seemed fully operational. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to describe it, actually. Sore, but deeper than muscle soreness.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kene agreed. ¡°When do you want to go? Also, is your arm okay?¡±


    ¡°Just a bit sore,¡± I said, and Kene frowned.


    ¡°Bone is telluric and life, so while I¡¯ve repaired the damage, it won¡¯t be completely healed until your telluric energy patterns are repaired.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said, turning to Dusk, but before I could, Kene shook his head.


    ¡°Babe, no. It''s not an issue of power, it¡¯s an issue of healing and repair,¡± they said. ¡°Flooding your body with her mana and breaking it down into energy will just make the current state have more power, not heal you faster.¡±


    ¡°Will it hurt?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, no,¡± Kene admitted.


    ¡°Then it should be done anyways,¡± I said. ¡°Her mana¡¯s grown denser due to the advancement, so breaking that down should give my Magister¡¯s Body a lot to chew on, and deepen the amount of energy I have to draw on.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Kene said, nodding. Dusk put her hand on my leg and sent mana into me, and¡­ Wow.


    It zinged through me with an intensity unlike anything I¡¯d felt before. I¡¯d fought third, even fourth gate mages, but none of their attacks had actually entered my mana-garden or spirit. This was, and as I slowly peeled it apart into its component mana types, running it through my body, and allowing it to break down, I felt the Magister¡¯s Body chugging away as fiercely as it could, roiling and stretching itself as far as I could.


    Magister¡¯s Body was a growth spell, meant to grow and adapt to the power I exercised within it.


    But it was still only supported by the mana density of a second gate mage ¨C that was to say, me.


    The density of the power that Dusk had packed into me simply couldn¡¯t be processed well by Magister¡¯s Body, so it did what it could, diffusing it, almost as if doing the opposite of overcharging a spell. It soaked that power into me, and it took hold.


    The energy that ran through my body wasn¡¯t suddenly able to output the intensity of third gate, but the pool of power greatly expanded. In fact, I thought that I might have almost double the amount of energy running through me now.


    That didn¡¯t mean I was able to run twice as fast, heal in half the time, or that my strength had been doubled. It was still just the spare energy running through me, what my body didn¡¯t use, but it was still running through me, and the doubling of the energy did feel good. Great, even. I was stronger and faster, just not by a dramatic amount.


    I took a breath and opened my eyes, then smiled at Kene.


    ¡°Alright, now I¡¯m ready.¡±


    We headed out into the clearing, and I added a few more Spatial Anchors into my chain, putting one in the clearing, and one at the mouth of the cave before we descended.


    As we headed down, the mana began to grow thicker in the air, and the air also got warmer. I cast a simple ungated spell to cool me down, and Kene did the same.


    A mild pressure also began to build in the air, and Kene frowned.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, sweeping my mana senses around us.


    ¡°Nothing, just¡­ I don¡¯t think we could have gone deep enough for the pressure to have reached this intensity.¡±


    Dusk whistled in agreement, and I frowned, taking note.


    Deeper in we went, until the sunlight no longer shone down, and Kene conjured a ball of light in their hand. I went ahead and put another anchor down, since the one I¡¯d placed at the entrance was getting to the point I could barely sense it, even with my monocle.


    Down and down into the depths we went, and above us, we sensed powerful bats, filled with lunar mana, though it had the strains of other mana types and unusual constraints that made me suspect they were beasts, not lunar elementals.


    When our light came into view, several of them shuffled away, and I tensed, prepared for a fight, but they didn¡¯t swoop down to attack¡­ even if the guano all around the cave was powerful enough for me to cast another ungated spell, cutting off my sense of smell.


    Once we passed the bat cave, the underground leveled out, and we were walking a straight path. I placed down another spatial anchor, and felt a slight tremor in the earth. Kene and I exchanged a look, then pressed on. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    We finally emerged in a large, open cavern, lit by glowing orange, yellow, and red crystals in the ceiling high above. The cavern floors were smooth, polished tile¡­ Actual tile, complete with grout and everything. It was mossy in many spots, grown over, but clearly real tile.


    On the far side of the cavern was a large gateway, with wrought iron gates and a thick padlock. Lines of spellwork ran along the gate, glowing blue, and projecting a powerful ward along the wall.


    Above the gates was a sign that stated ¡®Herein lies the sleeping dragon¡¯, and on either side of the gates stood a stone statue of a drake. Each drake clearly had one half of a key on a heavy metal chain around its neck.


    Drakes weren¡¯t something I¡¯d experienced, but to my understanding, they were akin to terragon. More physically powerful than a cute little estragon, but not as smart, and definitely way less intelligent than the sapient dragons.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Kene said, glancing around. ¡°Another hidden trial within the trial, do you think?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. Something about this setup was strange, and the winds of fortune were singing loudly in my spirit. But something else too, a factor not fitting in right¡­ I focused my mana senses around the drake statues, since they were the clearest thing in the room.


    Then I felt it, a spark of dragon magic. Powerful, intense. Sixth gate, but carried on intensity that suggested greater power.


    The drakes transformed into flesh and blood, and their power blasted across the room. Each drake was well into third gate, and their power was dense and compact. In a fight between one of these drakes and the spriggan, I would have bet on the drake nine times out of ten, despite having an ostensibly lower mana-gate.


    Powerful, elegant, and deadly.


    Both drakes opened their mouths, and massive waves of force exploded out of them with even more ferocity than the Dragonblood Serpent¡¯s breath weapon had possessed. I shoved Kene back and teleported out of the way, then leapt into battle.


    I caught one of the drakes in an overcharged triple Fungal Lock spell while Dusk released a shockwave spell, enhanced by her ascension to third gate. The shockwave struck the drake and pushed it back slightly, but dealt virtually no damage.


    I teleported out of the way of another breath weapon and brought my Briarthreads down at its hide, then teleported backwards to dodge a swipe of its claws. Dusk¡¯s hand spells began to bind the one that I¡¯d caught up in my locking spell.


    And then that drake moved. One sweep of its tail, glowing with a dull gray power, ripped apart the hands and lock at once. The other drake clawed at me from behind, and I barely managed to overpower my Briarthreads in time to stop it from skewering me.


    Kene¡¯s golden light and runes fell over me, and for a half a second, the winds of fortune stilled, contented, before they started singing again for more.


    I didn''t have time to listen, though, as I spun, bringing out pinpoint boneshards in a blast, then using the distraction to teleport into the air. The rain of bones scored the drakes, but didn¡¯t deal any major injury.


    The drakes both blasted at me with a breath weapon, and I teleported down, only for one of them to barrel right into me. The sheer weight and strength of the drake caused my already sore arm to crack, and when his foot landed on my good hand, I was forced to draw my staff into my mana-garden to stop it from cracking under the force. What I wasn¡¯t able to withdraw, however, was my hand, and I felt my fingers and the long thin bones that made up the back of my palm crack.


    Dusk released a pair of shockwaves at point blank range, each one ringing with the power of a third gate mage, but the drake used some sort of anchoring technique that kept it in place. It snapped down, ready to bite my head off, and I teleported out of the way, just in time.


    But the other drake was there, lashing out with its tail, and I teleported into the air, only for the first drake to use a gravity-assisted leap to head right for me. Dusk tried to catch it in midair with a pair of giant hands, like the ones she¡¯d caught the assassin off guard with, and blow it back with her shockwave spell, but the first drake bashed apart both of the hands before they could grab it, and released a breath attack at us.


    The winds of fortune were practically screaming now.


    I frantically teleported to the other end of the cavern, and was met by continual long rays of breath weapons chasing me across the cavern, closing in on us with every second. I teleported behind one drake and slashed out with a crescent of blademoss. That left a few cuts, but like Dusk¡¯s powerful shockwaves, did far less damage than it should have, by my estimation, despite the hefty burden it put on my spirit.


    These cavern drakes were tough!


    Before I had even a second to think, the drake I¡¯d cut with the blademoss slapped out with its tail, glowing with gray mana, and I teleported to the side, only to be forced to teleport across the room again, landing near Kene.


    Worse than tough, they were strong, and coordinated, working together with an efficiency and willingness to put me down that left me stunned.


    Dusk whistled and leapt off me, catching Kene and dragging both of them into her realm.


    I was certain that if Dusk overcharged her shockwaves and hands, and I drained my mana like crazy, a bit of luck, and the use of Burn Future, I¡¯d be able to match this pair¡­


    But I had learned from the War Root. I wasn¡¯t going to rip my spirit apart to barely damage these drakes.


    But there was one thing that I could do better than these drakes, even with their absurd power.


    I reached out with my mana senses and touched the spatial anchor. With a flicker, I teleported there, then I reached out to my anchor in the bat room and teleported away again. Anchor to anchor, I chain teleported until we were in the small clearing from two days ago, just after we¡¯d escaped the hawk, and only then did I allow myself to take a breath.


    The drake¡¯s bite would have killed me, if I hadn¡¯t teleported out of the way just in time. I looked around, then opened up a gate to Dusk¡¯s realm.


    ¡°So, uh¡­¡± I said, taking a breath. ¡°How about we look for another mana nexus instead?¡±


    Kene looked at my arm, cracked again, and my bloody hand where the drake had stepped on me and closed his eyes, as if begging the universe to give him the strength to put up with my foolishness. He then opened his eyes and looked at me seriously.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you retreated,¡± he said.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°When you fought the war root, you could have retreated, but you didn¡¯t. This will take a while, and your hand will be weaker for a week or two, but you¡¯re alive, and you¡¯re not strained to the point of nearly breaking. I¡¯m glad you ran.¡±


    I smiled and kissed them.


    ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ve learned something after all.¡±


    ¡°Let me fix you up,¡± they said, ¡°and then we can fly and look for a nexus.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± I said. ¡°And¡­ thank you. I know I rush into dangerous situations, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re able to help me, and I appreciate it a lot.¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty-Seven

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    It took Kene half an hour to finish the repairs on my wrist and hand, but when he finished, I downed a healer¡¯s heart imbued potion, and was really feeling much better.


    More importantly, I was feeling confident in my choice to flee. I wanted to go back, but I wanted to do so better prepared than I was now. Maybe with an ally, too. Octavian seemed to be something of a dragon whisperer, maybe he¡¯d be willing to help? Liz and Travis would be a good choice too, as would Kamal or Aput¡­


    All things to think about.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Kene said as we soared through the air. ¡°I¡¯m almost done with my second gate. In fact, my life gate is ready, I just need to polish my solar mana a little bit more. My healing spells are up to par, but my newer ones aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Ascend,¡± I said, and Kene gave me a curious look.


    ¡°Just like that?¡± they asked. ¡°No reservations?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not holding me back,¡± I said. ¡°Okay, sure, my spatial and temporal gates aren¡¯t ready to ascend, but my life and death are. I¡¯m holding off to make sure I can enter the Beastgate Trial Trail. If anything, I¡¯m holding you back.¡±


    Kene relaxed a little at that, and nodded.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m not going to right now, because I don¡¯t want to risk missing out on an ascension-based treasure at the auction, but as soon as we¡¯re done, I¡¯ll ascend.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said. ¡°Have you thought about your spellbinder bonds?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡¯m actually somewhat torn. My grandmother designed my tattoos to be bondable by me, despite them exerting more power than I¡¯d normally be able to bond with. And Siobhan is a good choice too. But I¡¯m also thinking about trying to find a petalroot salamander. And what if I get something really good in the tower, since I assume we¡¯ll go in at some point? And¡­¡±


    They shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah. Decisions, decisions.¡±


    I thought about that as I flared and spread my mana senses out around us, quite enjoying the new range the monocle granted me.


    ¡°Well,¡± I finally said. ¡°Let¡¯s say that we did manage to hunt down a sepulcher and change your legacy to¡­ I don¡¯t know. Salmonlord Sorcerer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Salmonlord is a real legacy,¡± Kene teased.


    ¡°Hush you, I¡¯m being sincere,¡± I said. ¡°If we do change it, would bonding with your tattoos provide any benefit?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kene said. ¡°They¡¯re a soul barrier, which isn¡¯t an easy thing for mages to work on, especially not this early. It also helps me resist mental attacks, and even foreign mana trying to get into my spirit.¡±


    ¡°And spellbinding them causes them to naturally grow with you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kene hedged.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s one,¡± I said. ¡°Now for the other¡­ Siobhan has chosen you as her protectee, which means she¡¯s already formed a sort of bond to you. And she¡¯s shown that she¡¯s able to enhance your tattoos. It has the most synergy, in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Kene conceded. ¡°I guess I just¡­ I kind of always figured my bonds would be alchemy related.


    Dusk made a river-rushing sound, telling them to not worry. Life changed plans. If he wasn¡¯t sure, though, he shouldn¡¯t bond anything yet. After all, it wasn¡¯t as if someone needed to bond right away, the instant they reached third gate. Even if they took a year to figure it out, they could still work on mastering and ingraining spells, and the increased mana density in their other gates would make them a better healer.


    ¡°When did you get so wise,¡± I teased Dusk, and she playfully slapped my shoulder. I smiled, then focused back on Kene.


    ¡°But she¡¯s right, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± they said, then glanced down at their arm, which was now flickering with green. ¡°Oh! Got something!¡±


    We floated down to land, and I spread my mana senses out wide. Sure enough, I could sense¡­ Water.


    That was the overwhelming impression that I got, alongside some strains of other things.


    We wandered through the trees and into the clearing of a small pond, covered in lotus flowers, and I smiled at the pretty sight as I skimmed my senses along the pond.


    Most of the lotuses seemed normal, but I could sense a few things that weren¡¯t. In the center of the pond, most obvious, was a brightly glowing lotus flower that shed yellowish light over the entire clearing, lighting it up like a beacon.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Around the edges of the pond, however, I could sense other lotus flowers, each of which seemed to be made of strong mental, desolation, and telluric magic, with twinges of lunar magic.


    Then there was something off about the whole pond, and I thought there just might be something down at the bottom, I just couldn¡¯t tell. Maybe it was more lunar water that was blending in with the environment?


    ¡°Sun lotus,¡± Kene said, pointing to the large lotus flower in the center. ¡°That will let us make more alchemy bombs, and give you a fire based attack, since it can store up light and let it out in bursts of heat. The others feel like mercurial lotuses, which can be used to brew a strong poison that slowly eats away at the mind.¡±


    They paused for a second, wracking their mind for anything of note.


    ¡°Oh! They also can be used to make a minerally enhanced water, which¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to drink, but spread throughout an area, can actually help enrich the soil.¡±


    Dusk peeped that she¡¯d take them. The worms she¡¯d taken in were slowly helping, and the bees would too, but both were small compared to the amount of territory she needed to enrich.


    As we wandered closer to the pond to collect the lotuses, however, something felt even stranger. I didn¡¯t get a flicker from the winds of fortune, though. Then again, I hadn¡¯t against the serpent either.


    Did that mean it was safe? Probably not, but I kept my mana senses tuned as we slowly waded into the water.


    Then the water began to surge together, and the mundane lotuses¡­ weren¡¯t.


    They blazed with mana as their roots all twisted together, forming themselves into a roughly shaped, albeit slightly orblike body, with two arms and two feet, and a head. A strange, gray ooze had emerged from the water, and seemed to make up the belly and head of the beast, melting out of the sun lotus.


    It unveiled itself, a third gate monster of some sort, and I breathed a sigh of relief to sense that it felt¡­ average.


    I¡¯d seen too many exceptional third gates, between the dragonblood serpent, the assassin, the drakes, and Ivy¡­ I was relieved to sense someone who felt normal within the third gate range.


    Kene thrust his hand out and runes flew to me and Dusk. She punched out with her shockwave spell, runes running along it, and it sank deep into the monster¡¯s chest, burning and cutting away segments. I teleported into the air behind the monster and drew out my staff, unleashing a scattering shot of three bone shards. I could have easily managed more, but the real damage was coming from the flaming runes, not the bones, so I wasn¡¯t sure how much it would help.


    The giant flower monster roared and turned to thrust a hand out at me, only for Dusk, who was still on the ground, to let out a blasting shockwave spell and summon a giant pair of arms.


    Before her ascension, it had taken her several long seconds to compact the mana enough for her giant arms, but now it seemed to only take a bit more effort¡­ I definitely needed to thank the librarian for getting her spells that scaled so well.


    The giant arms grabbed the giant flower monster¡¯s legs and held them down letting me easily teleport out of the way of its swinging fist before releasing several shots of Pinpoint Boneshard, scattering and ripping it through its root network.


    The monster spun and threw a fist down at Kene, but a blue shield flashed over them before the fist could strike, and a pair of bright blue jaws bit into the monster for daring to try. Kene held their hands out and overcharged their fire rune spell, sending the power to Dusk, who wrapped it around her giant hands.


    That, apparently, was quite enough for the giant.


    The flower making up its head dissolved, and the entire root network collapsed. An ooze slipped out of the body, and began to slide across the ground, fleeing us.


    Dusk let her flaming hands vanish, and Kene sighed, shaking their head.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked as I teleported back down next to them, but I thought I knew the answer. When the sun lotus had melted into the oozelike body, it had also vanished from my mana senses.


    ¡°I¡¯d hoped to get you a fire lotus, that¡¯s all,¡± Kene said, and I hugged them.


    ¡°Babe, you still got us three flowers that can help Dusk and I expand.¡±


    Dusk waved her hand and whistled that it was nothing, but she did want to know what that thing had been.


    ¡°True,¡± they said. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the mimic was using them as a lure, alongside their natural lure abilities. Then when something came in to try and eat or take the lotuses, the mimic ambushed it.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense to me,¡± I agreed, taking the three mercurial lotuses. ¡°But is that really what a mimic looks like? I always imagined them as treasure chests.¡±


    ¡°I mean, they¡¯ll inhabit a treasure chest to lure people in,¡± Kene said. ¡°But yes, they¡¯re weird, goopy slime things.¡±


    ¡°Weird,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    Dusk sighed as she considered where to put the lotuses for a long moment, since she hadn¡¯t made many pools or lakes, apart from the one where the waterfall landed and spread out, and that was where the Naiads were. She didn¡¯t want to hurt them.


    I snapped my fingers.


    ¡°No, near the Naiads¡­ It¡¯s perfect!¡±


    She gave me a curious look, and I explained.


    ¡°Remember? They wanted more salts and metals in the water, since it was actually a bit too pure. If we spread these out across the lake, they should do a good job mineralizing the water.¡±


    Dusk happily agreed with the sound of a raven¡¯s caw, and we planted them around the central lake.


    Before we left, I spread my mana senses over the lake one last time, and I thought I felt something again. I glanced at Kene.


    ¡°Hey, do you sense something at the bottom of the lake?¡±


    ¡°Sorta?¡± they said.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get it,¡± I said, cupping my hands together and creating a spatial anchor in the air. As I did, I felt spatial anchor ingrain, and sighed at myself. In the months up to the Idyll-Flume, I¡¯d spent so much time injured that I had really slacked on advancement.


    ¡°Here,¡± Kene said, casting the blessing spell. ¡°That should help you move a bit easier in the water. I mean, it¡¯s no swimming spell, but it¡¯s the best we¡¯ve got.¡±


    I kissed them on the cheek, then waded in, before diving to the bottom.


    Without my vampiric senses spell ingrained, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see through the murk and gloom of the water. Even now, with just the ingrained effect, it was hard, so I fed a trickle of mana into it and let the world lighten.


    I swam around to the bottom, following my mana senses, until¡­


    There!


    I grabbed a small, black, crystalline orb. It seemed to have a highly complex mana composite, but as I took hold of it, I realized what exactly had tipped me off. While it was, at least to a degree, blending into the environment, there were strong aspects of mental and knowledge mana in it that didn¡¯t fit in.


    As I scooped it up, something in the mud stirred, and an earth elemental in the shape of a crab snipped at me with a staggering amount of power, enough that it had to come from a spell. I grabbed the orb, slipping it into Dusk¡¯s vault, and teleported to my anchor.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty-Eight

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Kene used a quick solar spell to dry me off, then looked at the orb once I summoned it, turning it over.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Looks like a recording orb natural treasure,¡± Kene said. ¡°Recording crystals were based on these, actually. They¡¯re able to record your thoughts, or even visual or audio recordings, but over time, they¡¯ll slowly erase everything. They also scan to a specific person, so if I was to use it, then you were, it would scan you and erase everything I¡¯d put in there, deleting it forever.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I commented, rolling the orb between my hands. ¡°Mind if I keep it?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kene agreed. ¡°It¡¯s not extremely powerful, and I don¡¯t think it will sell at auction. It has its uses for sure, but most of what you need can be done with normal, store bought crystals.¡±


    It was still interesting to me, so I put an anchor in it, then slipped it into the vaults again.


    We set off flying again after that, and while we did make a few stops to pick up some more natural mana sources ¨C our stock had been severely depleted, between Dusk using them to ascend, and me handing over a bunch to get the assassin off my back ¨C we didn¡¯t find much else of interest.


    We did make a brief stop to collect a single one of the destiny plants that was just growing along the stream. A large caterpillar had made the plant into its home, and I felt bad for the poor thing, so Dusk added it into her realm, joining the collection of forest estragon.


    We raided another small nexus for more mana sources, and picked up a strange glowing piece of glass that Kene identified as having something to do with lightning, but he wasn¡¯t sure what.


    That went onto the pile with the various interesting items we¡¯d accumulated, and we stopped to take the night before flying back to the main camp.


    It was a huge bustle of activity, with everyone coming back for the auction, and it took us a while to find anyone I knew, even with me using Crow¡¯s Shade Messenger to help send them messages and coordinate.


    First we met with Liz and Travis.


    Travis had gotten¡­ A lot stronger.


    Like¡­


    A lot.


    He wasn¡¯t a match for the strength of the dragonblood serpent or the drakes, but he was solidly stronger than the mud elemental eel had been.


    He must have been burning through pills and treasures like mad, though, because a quick flash of my Analyze Life revealed that his whole body was filled to the brim with mana toxin, his kidneys and liver working overtime to purge it.


    ¡°Got you a gift, Liz,¡± I said, tossing her the weightwater gem, and she grinned.


    ¡°Same here,¡± she said, tossing me a strange blue orb that warped space and time around it slightly, causing echoes to dance across the surface of the orb. It was first gate, clearly something meant to increase the mana in those gates.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I said. She glanced over Kene, and an eyebrow raised.


    ¡°You seem just about ready to ascend,¡± she said, and they nodded.


    ¡°After the auction. Your lunar gate feels the same.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Liz agreed. ¡°This gem will actually be perfect to push me over the edge, I think I will after the auction as well.¡±


    ¡°Very nice,¡± they complimented, lacing their fingers with mine. The four of us spent a while discussing plans, and eventually the topic of the trial that we¡¯d stumbled into, guarded by the drakes, came up.


    ¡°Oh?¡± she asked, eyebrows raising. ¡°Two drakes, and you couldn¡¯t take them on? Mister I-killed-a-war-root-as-a-second-gate?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°I¡¯ve learned since then.¡±


    ¡°Course you have,¡± she said, smirking. ¡°But sure, I think it¡¯s a good idea for us to come. It will let me exercise my new power.¡±


    We chatted a while longer, listening to Travis and Liz¡¯s recounting of how they¡¯d fought off a fire-lion, and also found a large anthill of ants the size of dogs.


    ¡°Myrmekes?¡± Kene asked. ¡°They guard all sorts of treasures!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, they¡¯re all second to fourth gate, and spit acid,¡± Liz said. ¡°We barely got away.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t using pheromones, were you?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Liz said. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Kene turned to me, looking excited.


    ¡°We have bluepetal, it can mimic all sorts of scents, including pheromones. Let¡¯s try!¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± I agreed. It sounded fun, and worst case, I was confident we could escape.


    ¡°You¡¯re mad,¡± Liz said, but she did seem faintly amused by the whole thing.


    After a while, they split off to get their stuff investigated, and we headed to find Octavian. When we found him, I was surprised to see that he¡¯d advanced to third gate, alongside Arceli and Roh both. Not only that, but he had a large salamander sitting on his shoulder, covered in roots that bloomed into bright pink flowers. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    He must have found a petalroot salamander after all. I felt a small pang of regret for not helping, but that was just how life was sometimes.


    ¡°Oh, hey,¡± he said, smiling as they approached. ¡°How are you all?¡±


    ¡°Good, you?¡± Kene said. After a bit of small talk, we got down to it, removing the tooth with fire magic in it and extending it to Arceli.


    ¡°Here,¡± I told the terragon. Her eyes widened, and she wiggled her butt before hopping onto the tooth, turning around and running away.


    ¡°Wait, no!¡± Octavian said, darting after her. They wrestled for a moment, and I had to suppress a grin. It was like watching someone chase after a cat that had stolen something she wasn¡¯t supposed to.


    When Octavian returned, flushed and tussling the braid in his hair, he shook his head.


    ¡°We can¡¯t take this,¡± he said. ¡°This is an arcanist tier treasure to enhance the power of a breath weapon and supporting spells!¡±


    ¡°Take it,¡± Kene said. ¡°We can¡¯t use it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± I followed up. ¡°Besides, if you really wanna help out, you can help us with a trial or in the tower.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Octavian hedged. ¡°It¡¯s still too much, and it¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t get a reward from a trial site anyways. Do you know how much this could go for at auction? Tons of people have bonded with an estragon here, and thus have breath weapons of one variety or another.¡±


    ¡°Oh just take it,¡± I said, shoving it back at him. He scowled, but took it, then grinned.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said, in a tone that was suspiciously agreeable. I immediately squinted.


    ¡°What?¡± Kene asked nervously.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± Octavian said, a mysterious smile on his freckled face, bright blue eyes mischievous. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    That just made me squint even harder, but Ovtavian just cast a couple of spells using will-o-wisp mana before claiming that he had to go take a shift on guard.


    ¡°He¡¯s up to something,¡± I said.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Kene agreed.


    After that, we wandered to the portal, looking for the assassin, and found her sitting on a rock.


    ¡°Finally arrived?¡± she griped. ¡°Let¡¯s see it, then.¡±


    I pulled the ¡®crystal¡¯ that was just a piece of glass from my pocket, and Kene tightened his grip around my hand. I paused, slipping it back in, and activated all of my sensory spells.


    I had a lot of sensory spells, and when all of them were on full blitz, there wasn¡¯t a lot that could hide from me. A knowledge mage might be able to do better, but I¡¯d pit myself up against any other non-knowledge mage.


    And what my senses told me was that this wasn¡¯t the assassin.


    Oh, she looked like the assassin, but she didn¡¯t smell like her. It was close, the faint sense of mental mana influencing me, but once I spotted the mental mana, the entire thing collapsed.


    Nobody was there at all, just a construct of mana, complex and using a dozen different aspects. One was solar, which was presumably how Kene had noticed.


    I unwound my senses and flared them out across the entire camp, looking for her. When I really cut loose with my senses, enhanced by my monocle, I was able to swamp over almost the entire camp, save for the healers tents, which were at the very edge.


    When I couldn¡¯t find her, I swore.


    ¡°Guess you saw through the ploy, huh?¡± the construct said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said tightly. ¡°I gave you money, and ¨C¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it!¡± the woman said fiercely. ¡°I can¡¯t fail. You don¡¯t want to know what will happen if I do. Besides, the paycheck was three hundred thousand silver! I could buy a house with that kind of money! Normal contracts are a tenth of that.¡±


    I felt a spike of disgust run through me. Killing people for some silver?


    People had to do what they had to do in order to survive. I wasn¡¯t going to look down on someone stealing food, or begging for change, or even robbing a store out of desperation.


    This was a cruel, callous disregard for human life.


    But as the disgust ran through me¡­ so did pity. She must have strong issues, to have arrived in this sort of life. Maybe she had been pushed, maybe she¡¯d chosen it, but either way, a healthy person didn¡¯t make the willing choice to kill people for money.


    Maybe that was why she had a sacrifice legacy.


    ¡°You need help,¡± I said.


    ¡°No!¡± she barked harshly. ¡°I am fine.¡±


    I kept my face a mask, but noted that seemed to be a sore spot for her.


    ¡°We know that you¡¯re going to try again,¡± Kene said. ¡°We¡¯ll be ready for you.¡±


    ¡°That just means I have to pick a better time,¡± she said. ¡°It will be glorious. Either I¡¯ll kill you both, mold your power into mine, and grow stronger, or you¡¯ll kill me, and I¡¯ll die in a blaze of glory.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    ¡°What?¡± she said, thrown off.


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you that,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    ¡°Then die!¡± she said, cutting off the connection.


    I raised an eyebrow. The bit at the end had felt a bit too theatrical, like it was an act she was putting on in order to get us to buy into it.


    Dusk whistled, saying we just needed to be prepared, and Kene nodded, then looked at me.


    ¡°Do you really plan to not kill her?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°The delegation from Delitone has some way to contain people, so I¡¯ll talk to them about it after the auction, then force her out of the portal and turn her over to the watches. Once she¡¯s in jail, she should be able to get the help she needs. You saw her. She knows that she¡¯s not right, but she refuses to admit it. Maybe she won¡¯t ever, but the mentalists that visit prison can help her, if she¡¯s willing to accept it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ yeah, you¡¯re right. She does need help, not death. But speaking of Delitone, we should get in line,¡± Kene said, and I agreed.


    After a long while, we arrived at the item identifier, and I could sense the web of knowledge mana in the air as they all organized the auction.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± the appraiser asked.


    I put down everything we¡¯d gathered.


    First, she touched the weird, mental jelly I¡¯d picked up.


    ¡°Royal mind jelly, used to raise a mindwasp queen,¡± the appraiser said. ¡°Two doses worth. Put both up for auction?¡±


    Kene and I glanced at one another and shrugged


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep one,¡± I said as Kene started pushing forwards all of the other items forwards too.


    ¡°Morphic clay. It can shift into a variety of shapes while keeping the strength of ceramics. Useful for any telluric mage with good mana control.¡±


    ¡°Mineral striation stone, used to fuse two magical minerals into a single new one.¡±


    ¡°Fulgurite glass, an ascension material to empower any lightning spell.¡±


    ¡°Alter Truffle. Mana sources¡­ These have low value. Do you want to sell them all, or keep some?"


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep five of each mana type,¡± I said. ¡°For first through fourth gate. But there¡¯s no need for duplicates.¡±


    We didn¡¯t actually have five full mana sources for every single type, let alone all the way out to fourth gate, but this would at least give us a good spread of potential resources, and help with future staff construction.


    ¡°Understood. Mana source, mana source, mana source, mana source¡­¡±


    With everything logged, she waved to the doorway.


    ¡°Please, enter. You have four hundred and thirty one points to use at auction, and it begins in thirty minutes.¡±


    It was only when we stepped in that Kene smacked themself on the forehead.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t ask Octavian. Do you wanna ask him? Kamal? Aput? I don¡¯t think all of them would be a good idea, since the trial¡¯s got to have a way to account for a group. After all, there¡¯s a reason it¡¯s suggested to bring a group of five plus their familiars into the tower. I¡¯ll trust your judgment here, I don¡¯t know any of them as well as you.¡±


    Dusk chided Kene, saying that I was the familiar, and Kene grinned.


    ¡°Sure, you¡¯re right. I just doubt the sage saw it that way¡­¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Twenty-Nine

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The inside of the auction house was broken up into a general assembly, with boxes for any team who¡¯d collected at least three hundred points, and luxury boxes for those few who¡¯d collected over a thousand.


    The basic box that Kene and I were assigned was nowhere near as fancy as the one that Orykson had brought me to, with chairs made of magically shaped stone and thin pillows, but I was frankly just impressed that the Delitone group had built it so quickly.


    Kene and I chatted for a little bit as we waited, Dusk chiming in from time to time, and Siobhan curled up at Kene¡¯s feet, but before long, Cettilyn stepped on stage


    ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, and other distinguished guests!¡± she said, her voice echoing around the room. ¡°Thank you all for attending tonight¡¯s auction. We¡¯re happy to have you, and we have quite a few interesting items up for auction tonight!¡±


    There was a murmur from the crowd, and Cettilyn smiled, then nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to begin with arcanist and above level, and then we¡¯ll have a brief intermission before we move on to the spellbinder and below, then another, and we¡¯ll end the night with items like mana sources¡­ Including the golden elixir plants!¡±


    ¡°Smart,¡± Kene murmured.


    I nodded my agreement as the first item was brought on stage. It was a silver feather, glowing with gold and white magic, and giving off a serious amount of power, enough to rival the crystal that Kene and I had found.


    ¡°One of the three rare items that has actually reached seventh gate!¡± Cettilyn said, and a hush fell over the crowd.


    ¡°And that someone decided to sell,¡± I muttered under my breath, and Kene chuckled.


    Cettilyn removed a cloth from a table to reveal a small purple sphere. I could barely make it out, since it was only the size of a marble.


    But I could feel it. At least as strong as the ascending crystal that Kene and I had found, with a blend of mental, knowledge, and temporal magic.


    ¡°A lilac-mind sphere,¡± Cettilyn announced. ¡°This is one of the ultimate mental enhancements, a natural treasure that will allow your mind to always operate at peak efficiency, process information smoother and faster, and more. Mentally taxing activities will become as easy as breathing.¡±


    ¡°Seven hundred,¡± Kamal called, and then I heard another voice, one I didn''t recognize, call out seven fifty. The bidding went back and forth, until eventually Kamal called out nine hundred, and won the bid.


    The next item to be brought out was a shield that looked like it was made of wood and scute, but that could completely shut down any magic below arcanist level, and would dampen the power of arcanist level magic. That was truly absurd, and four people got into a bidding war for it. In the end, Kamal shouted out ¡°Four thousand points, plus one and a half million sun-notes.¡±


    I had to take a moment to do the conversion in my head, and I hadn¡¯t checked the conversion rates in a while, but that was at least a hundred thousand Mossford silver standards.


    ¡°No exterior funds!¡± someone called, and I could hear Kamal¡¯s smirk as he responded.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t listed in the rules,¡± he said.


    ¡°We will accept Kamal¡¯s bid,¡± Cettilyn said, before introducing the next auction item, a sphere of naturally forming glass with warped space inside.


    ¡°Inside of this sphere is a large, fully aspected plains biome demiplane that can be bound to anyone who¡¯s blood is spilled on the glass,¡± Cettilyn said. ¡°It covers an area of just over one hundred acres, and by our estimations, will gradually expand over time as it absorbs ambient magic.


    I glanced at Dusk, who whistled that she wasn¡¯t impressed. She thought she¡¯d be that size, or bigger, when she ascended to fourth gate.


    ¡°That is also your entire body and magic,¡± Kene pointed out. ¡°Wor¡­ Living-bound things like you kind of break the rules.¡±


    Dusk shrugged and said it wasn¡¯t her problem that others weren¡¯t as skilled as she was.


    The bidding war over this wasn¡¯t as fierce, but it was still notable, going for just over five hundred points.


    With the occultist level items out of the way, we moved into the arcanist items. There was a surprising number of those ¨C strange spheres of roiling liquid that could temporarily allow you to take on the form of an elemental or magical beast, the heart of a giant baboon that had passed away peacefully that would bestow an absurd permanent increase in strength to the user, a gemstone that could absorb a portion of magic from any offensive spell and convert it into telluric energy in a manner that almost reminded me of temporal basin, and more.


    ¡°This is a half-grown crystalheart,¡± Cettilyn said, and Kene sucked in a breath. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A crystalheart is¡­ Possibly one of the most perfect treasures for you,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a crystal that fuses to your mana-garden and body, and acts as a reserve of mana and energy, while also generating its own power. In essence, it doubles the amount of mana and energy running through the body.¡±


    ¡°This particular crystalheart was broken before its generation core was completed,¡± Cettilyn said, ¡°and as such, it cannot restore its own mana or energy. It¡¯s fusing function is also somewhat damaged, as it won¡¯t be able to bind to you and grow indefinitely to match you, though we believe that the use of a bindingknot should fix this.¡±


    She held up her hand.


    ¡°I realize these are severe damages, however, even with them, this is a useful tool, allowing you to store away an average amount of mana and energy for a later date, perhaps more and of higher gates if you were to gather a bindingknot and repair it. We¡¯ll start the bid at thirty points.¡±


    ¡°Thirty!¡± I called out immediately.


    ¡°Thirty-five,¡± someone else called.


    We went back and forth, and in the end, I picked up the broken crystalheart for fifty-five points.


    A few more items went by until I spotted something that Kene might like.


    ¡°This rose is a natural treasure that will uniquely alter your ungated mana, making it more ideal for working with a wide variety of external mana sources. Perfect for the enchanters and alchemists in the audience! We have six roses, and the bidding starts at seventy-five.¡±


    ¡°Do you want it?¡± I asked Kene. I thought it would be better for me to keep mine unchanged ¨C I needed it for wardcrafting, and I¡¯d been doing that more than I¡¯d have liked to admit to Orykson¡¯s face. But for Kene? It was marvellous.


    ¡°It would be nice, but we don¡¯t need it,¡± Kene said. ¡°It¡¯s useful, but don¡¯t blow all our points on it.¡±


    I nodded and waited the first four roses out, where people were blowing a few hundred points apiece on it, then called out during the fifth round.


    ¡°One hundred and fifteen,¡± I said as the starting bid. Too high for anyone who¡¯d been trying to be miserly, but not so low that it would cause Kamal or the other whales to think that there was something freaky about it.


    ¡°Going once¡­¡± Cettilyn said.


    ¡°One twenty,¡± someone called out.


    ¡°One thirty,¡± I said. There was silence after that, and Cettilyn counted down, then called out sold. I sat back in the chair, and smiled at Kene.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± they said, lacing their fingers in with me.


    ¡°Now, something that will surely be of great note!¡± called out Cettilyn. ¡°This is a natural treasure that will transform life mana into a more complex composite, very similar to that of a caladrius.¡±


    My eyebrows crept up at that. If I¡¯d found that, would I have used it? Probably not, but it was interesting nevertheless. Kene, on the other hand, might have found some use of it. I glanced at them, and they shrugged.


    ¡°It¡¯s very useful to a healer,¡± Kene said. ¡°I would take it, but I¡¯m already able to mimic most caladrius spells, except the mental healing, but taking in the caladrius mana would make my plant divination and alchemy spells unusable. Too much of a tradeoff.¡±


    I nodded and watched as a small bidding war erupted. A few more mana-altering objects were taken out, but none I thought I could make much use out of. I didn¡¯t even know enough about what glass-eyed toad mana was to decide if I wanted to make use of it, for example. When another fifth gate hudau heritage stone was put up for sale, and Kamal bought it with an absurd amount of cash, as well as over a thousand points.


    It was a bit frustrating that the best items could just be bought by Kamal, but I dismissed it. I¡¯d never been rich, even if I¡¯d never truly wanted either. No sense in moping.


    Dusk fell asleep as we moved onto the next part of the auction, this time for spellbinder and below items. To my surprise, this was actually where most of the items I wanted were, as well as where the items we¡¯d sold were.


    Kene and I watched in some amusement as two incredibly brawny mages argued over the alter-truffle, and a part of me was debating seeking that girl out and trading for another perfectly suited treasure.


    Each of us purchased several items. I picked up things that could be integrated to help me catch up on the amount of mana I had, while Dusk bought a few things to help her push forwards in her third gate, and Kene bought a purification stone that he thought he could fold into his tattoos.


    ¡°This is the petrified egg of an omnieye,¡± Cettilyn announced. ¡°Quite difficult to crack open, but if you can manage to break it during an ascension, the power will wash out and enhance your mana senses and sensory spells of all stripes!¡±


    ¡°Fifty points!¡± I said, bolting up.


    When nobody challenged me over it, I felt a bit foolish, but I was just glad to get it. My mana senses were one of my greatest strengths, and I wanted to double down on them, especially with the power that my Foxstep spell¡¯s ingrained effect had given. I wasn¡¯t certain it was entirely based on my mana senses, but it seemed likely.


    ¡°This is a pile of lightening stones,¡± she said. ¡°Not lightning, lightening. For those of you who practice lightening skills and movement patterns, you may find them of some use, as they reduce the pull of gravity on whatever they¡¯re touching ever so slightly.¡±


    I grabbed one of those, since I figured I could add it onto my necklace and make use of it with Immovable Lock.


    Kene grabbed a glowing blue crystal shard that enhanced defensive auras, probably meant for Siobhan, and Dusk grabbed a treasure that would help her master the flight spell.


    Her flight spell was very different than the standard one that a tempest mage might use, integrating aspects of gravity control, force, and other, stranger effects, but it should still be effective.


    As the auction wound down, and the auctioneers brought out the vast number of destiny plants that had been brought in. I looked at Kene, confuse.


    ¡°Surely even if they¡¯re not alchemists, it would be easier to pay someone,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s an amazing long term advantage.¡±


    ¡°And a minor one,¡± Kene said. ¡°If you didn¡¯t know what it was, you¡¯d just think it was a flexible, yet powerful, elixir. For a lot of people, I¡¯d bet they¡¯re more concerned with rounding out their power via more specific treasures.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still¡­¡±


    I trailed off, then shook my head, sighing. We spent the last of our points buying up nine destiny plants, and then went ahead and headed to the back to pick up our items.


    Several other people had that idea too, and as we waited idly in line, I leaned down to pet the cat that had wandered up.


    Then I sensed it. Just the faintest flicker of lunar mana.


    I flared my mana senses out at full power, and for just a second I saw a blurry figure streak past me. The streak stopped next to Kamal, sliding between his guards, and tapped Kamal¡¯s finger. There was a flicker of spatial mana, and then the blurry figure turned and teleported a hundred feet back.


    Kamal jerked back.


    ¡°Someone stole my spatial ring!¡± he shouted.


    Chaos exploded through the hall.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    People were shouting, spells were flying ¨C mostly detection spells, but also attacking spells.


    What kind of idiot was letting loose attacking spells?!


    Then there was a resonating clap, and a surge of powerful mana rippled over the room. Everything twisted and spun.


    Was¡­ Was that Bohn?


    To my surprise, the massive spinning and ripping effect actually helped. Sure, for a moment, it made everything more chaotic, but once the spells that people had been firing off were done, they were spinning too much to keep attacking.


    ¡°No attack spells!¡± roared a voice. That was definitely Bohn.


    Reality reverted, and I glanced around, blasting all of my sensory spells at full strength.


    I was immediately assaulted by the aura of several hundred mages, none of whom were weak.


    Blood was filling the air, those who¡¯d been caught up in the attack spells released.


    Powerful abnegation mana charms on those from Delitone, with their vault in the back.


    And¡­


    There, for just a moment, I caught the flickering of a spatial distortion, then it was gone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to help,¡± Kene and I said at the exact same moment, before nodding to one another. I teleported in the direction of the warp, and then Maylee stepped into my path.


    ¡°You¡¯re a diviner, can you find the thief?¡± I asked, stretching my mana senses as far as they could go.


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s using some sort of cloaking device. But you shouldn¡¯t go after him, he was able to steal from Kamal twice now!¡±


    ¡°No time,¡± I said, teleporting out of her way. I heard her cursing behind me for a moment, but I was chasing the trail of spatial distortions.


    The thief had done something similar to my trick that had let me flee the drakes, setting up a trail of retreat points, but they hadn¡¯t used spatial anchors. These were something else, something I hadn¡¯t encountered before, and if I hadn¡¯t been pumping power into both Analyze Space and the lesser-known Sense Directionality spell, I never would have been able to pick up on them at all.


    The thief¡¯s strange magic might have let them set up an escape trail, but their teleport was still limited to roughly thirty feet per jump, with the odd instance of a hundred or so.


    I was gaining, slowly but surely.


    Then a black cat strolled out of the crowd, and shadows exploded through the hall. The shadows flooded the entire area with lunar mana, and worse, some sort of knowledge-based spell effect seemed to be dampening my mana senses as well. Even with power flowing into my spells, it was dampened.


    Several people let out muffled curses ¨C including me ¨C and then there was a fumbling as a few light spells appeared, but were snuffed out by the darkness.


    Then there was an overwhelming explosion of light from someone filling the entire space, so bright that it forced me to shield my eyes. When I opened them again, the darkness had evaporated. The cat was gone now, too, as if it had been a very part of the darkness itself.


    Even as I blasted my spells at full power again, looking for the trail, I realized that I¡¯d seen it several times before. It must have been the bond mate of the thief!


    Worse, whatever darkness spell the cat had used, it had wiped out the anchors I¡¯d been following.


    Dusk clambered out of my pocket then, peeping sleepily, and asking what the commotion was about.


    ¡°Did you seriously sleep through that?¡± I asked, and she shrugged. I shook my head. All of this was a distraction, and I didn¡¯t ¨C couldn¡¯t ¨C want to deal with it.


    I didn¡¯t love Kamal or anything, but the thief had targeted several people, including the entire stock of rice on the ship here, and their cat had watched me several times.


    If they tried to kidnap Dusk¡­


    Then I felt it. There was the faintest tilting of space, the blanket of reality tilting upwards, towards the roof.


    Of course it was the roof. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I tried to teleport up there, but the dense stone was far too much for me to teleport through. With a curse, I whipped my head around wildly, looking for a stairwell.


    There!


    I Foxstepped over to the stairwell, then looked up to the first landing, where they changed direction.


    Teleporting platform to platform let me blast up all three stories in moments, but the spatial magic on the roof was growing more intense. It wasn¡¯t enough that my normal mana senses could pick up on it, but it was probably being detected by those who also had Analyze Space now.


    Sure enough, a moment later, I felt people starting to run up the stairwell.


    I appeared on the top floor and looked around wildly.


    No ladder, not anywhere I could see. Primes, why wasn¡¯t there a ladder?


    Then I looked out the window and had a devilish idea.


    Teleporting through solid matter was difficult, almost impossible for me right now.


    But one Pinpoint Boneshard later, and I suddenly wasn¡¯t needing to teleport through solid matter.


    I teleported into the open air, caught myself with Immovable Lock, and then teleported up onto the roof.


    I looked around, but I couldn¡¯t see anybody. I poured mana into my sensory spells, looking for a flicker, but then there was a surge of knowledge and lunar mana, and my spells started to distort and warp, the feedback they were giving going completely chaotic.


    It was probably the thief¡¯s cat again. At least this time it wasn¡¯t mixing in a dome of shadows¡­


    ¡°I know you¡¯re here,¡± I said. ¡°Just come out and we can talk about this.¡±


    There was an increased freneticism in the building of the spatial warp, a stretching of the power as the veil began to flicker that I could sense even through the disruption in my mana senses. They were trying to complete their spell before anyone got here.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long this spell took to cast, but given the way the mage had been building power for over a minute, this had to have some degree of ritual to it.


    Then Kamal soared out of an open window, wings flaring out behind him, traced with a burning crimson light. He held out his hand, and feathers danced above his palm, then they flooded the air around the entire roof. Burning life-fire feathers swirled in every direction, and even as I conjured my Briarthreads to slash them apart and defend myself, I felt the feathers biting into the power of the spell in return, sapping away at my life mana.


    ¡°Can you not?!¡± I shouted at Kamal as the feathers continued to land on the roof.


    ¡°Just leave!¡± Kamal shouted as his feathery firestorm continued to spread across the roof. They¡¯d managed to get even stronger from the time we¡¯d sparred on the boat, and I had no doubt he¡¯d broken through to third gate as well.


    But why in the name of the sealed primes was he attacking me?!


    I took a moment to breathe, and realized it was actually obvious. He was looking for the thief by searching for the area his feathers couldn¡¯t touch, since the thief would presumably have defenses set up on their own.


    A scorched earth policy, and if I got caught in the crossfire, it was my own fault for being stupid and not running.


    The same moment I had that thought, the entire roof was swamped in shadows again. Kamal shouted a curse, and cut off his barrage of feathers.


    ¡°Primes,¡± I swore under my breath, though a part of me wondered if this was actually a blessing in disguise. If Kamal¡¯s assault had kept up, I wasn¡¯t sure how long my defenses would have been able to hold out. I didn¡¯t want to become a barbecued Malachi.


    Dusk let out a soft wind-in-trees noise, and I felt the flowing of a complex spell. Her mana composition shifted, changing to that of a pixie¡¯s, and then light blossomed around her. Literally, blossoming in the shape of a flower, like a prismatic rose of ten thousand colors.


    The petals swirled off the rose as if carried on a windstorm, and the darkness abated ever so slightly around me.


    I cut off the power to my sensory spells ¨C they were taking too much power for too little benefit, with the mana sense disruption spell up ¨C and focused all of my power and focus on a single spell: Vampiric Senses.


    With the surge of sensory enhancement, and the light of Dusk¡¯s rose petals, the pitch-black sphere of power around the roof transformed, becoming more akin to that of a murky, yet moonlit, night.


    ¡°Kamal!¡± I shouted. ¡°Light it up!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have light spells,¡± the prince shouted.


    ¡°With feathers!¡± I said.


    ¡°Those barely glow!¡±


    I cursed.


    ¡°Just cover the roof in feathers!¡±


    Kamal complied, blanketing the area in broad, fiery feathers that pushed the darkness back slightly, but not as much as it should have.


    But it was enough for me. I spotted it then, a tiny gap in the feathers where someone had to be.


    Overcharging my Briarthreads and clutching my defensive aura pin tightly, I sprinted at the space. As I arrived near it, the air turned to jelly, but Dusk shouted and released a sphere of her own energy, warping and pushing the effect back, not unlike when she¡¯d countered Bohn¡¯s power, or that of a spirit¡¯s.


    It was enough. I lashed my hand out and landed it in the space, and there I felt the surging and roiling of space, a spell almost entirely completed.


    My eyes widened, and I did something very stupid.


    I forced a spatial anchor into the person.


    It wasn¡¯t easy, and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to make it permanent if I wanted to. It was far too hard to cut through the resistance possessed by another person, and it was made worse by the fact they were a stronger spatial mage than I was¡­ But I was just barely able to force a temporary anchor into the space of the thief¡¯s body.


    Then, as the thief¡¯s spell came to a close, and I felt space beginning to fold around their body, I cast Foxstep. Instead of targeting a location with my distorted mana-senses, however, I focused on the one thing that I could feel and sense ¨C the spatial anchor that I¡¯d just implanted into their body.


    Space warped, and the nearly instantaneous warp seemed to stretch on for a thousand years.


    My body screamed with pain. I felt like I¡¯d run a dozen marathons without a break. Even with the effects of my harvesting spell and magister¡¯s body, my life energy was drained, my second gate spatial and temporal mana totally tapped out.


    A pressure built in them as they required more mana and energy, and I felt Dusk flow her power into mine. That alleviated the pressure, and I touched onto the pointer moss, the transivy, and the emperor¡¯s tree.


    I drew on all of them for power, hoping that it was enough. The moss ran dry first, and I was forced to draw more from Dusk as she emptied out her third gate to create more second gate mana.


    The pain grew worse as my body cannibalized my life mana, all feeding into the Magister¡¯s Body to repair itself.


    Then the warp ended.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty-One

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Foxstep was not a spell built for medium or long distance travel. It was a short ranged teleport, one that had been designed that way through thousands of years of evolution. It drew on the life energy in my muscles to do a lot of the heavy lifting for the movement, something I wouldn¡¯t have been able to accomplish without Magister¡¯s Body. It was tied to the senses, at first using the eyes to locate where I was going to teleport, and now using my mana senses, or at least being linked to them. Spatial Anchor was designed to be easy to grasp with the mana senses, and I had been physically holding the spell.


    More importantly for my purposes, this technically meant that the range of the spell wasn¡¯t limited, at least not by the spell design. The limit was in the amount of life energy it could draw on, the amount of muscle fatigue the body could take, and the amount of mana that was able to be pumped in.


    I also had my testing spell, Harvest Distance, an advantage the average spatial mage didn¡¯t, allowing me to recover mana based on the movement of my body. Something that Foxstep¡¯s genetic effect was able to trigger, allowing me to recover a chunk of my mana as I moved.


    The effect of teleportation spells were nearly instant, taking less than a second. I¡¯d never personally measured how long foxstep took, but it was fast.


    The teleportation spell that the thief had used was a complex and powerful one, halfway into being a ritual. I suspected that it would take nearly thirty minutes to complete under normal circumstances, but the thief had done something to hold all but the last minute of casting in place. Enchanting, maybe? Or a legacy ¨C those broke all the rules.


    But even still, once the spell was cast, the actual effect took less than a second.


    I smashed mana into Foxstep in the same instant that the thief had used his own teleportation spell, and in that instant, the thief had been both miles away, and in my hands.


    I teleported to my anchor, crossing twenty miles in a single instant, the same instant that the spatial distortion was present.


    It shouldn¡¯t have worked. If I¡¯d been working with the normal teleportation spell for a second gate mage. If I didn¡¯t have Magister¡¯s Body. If I hadn¡¯t been able to recover mana, and draw more from Dusk and my plants. If my teleportation had been off by even a millisecond.


    Any of those would have caused the spell to fail, and left me on the roof.


    But I had all of those things, and as the teleport spell concluded, we appeared in a camp. My body was absolutely worn out, having effectively just run an entire marathon, and I was hungry, dangerously thirsty, and in need of a good nap, but I pushed that off for now.


    It was a pretty camp, with two tents set up, a campfire, and wards that had been blended into the environment well ¨C better than I could manage ¨C around the perimeter. Underneath us was a cleared out area with spellwork drawn into the ground, infused with a powerful and complex anchor that had functions open that I¡¯d never really opened on mine, though one of them was definitely the teleport anchor function.


    There was also a tall man that I was attached to like a koala, who spun and shook me off. We both fell to the ground, and I heard him let out a long string of expletives as he fell before we both scrambled back onto our feet.


    I found myself staring down a tall, skinny man, with short brown hair and stubble over his face, and several long scars on his left arm.


    ¡°How did you follow me?¡± he demanded. ¡°You¡¯re not a third gate mage, and even if you were, you couldn¡¯t have gotten Seven League Step to work that quickly.¡±


    His eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Do you have a weird kind of spell-mimic legacy?¡±


    ¡°Why did you steal Kamal¡¯s ring?¡± I asked in turn.


    ¡°You first,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°You¡¯re the thief,¡± I said.


    Dusk was doing something as we spoke, tapping into the small folk within her. She cast some sort of naiad spell, then she began to cast a brownie spell.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    As the thief began to speak, I felt my aches and pains soothing, and my hydration returning. It wasn¡¯t undoing the stress ¨C far from it ¨C but it was like I¡¯d stopped to get water, food, and a short break¡­ After running a marathon.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make you mad?¡± he said. ¡°Kamal just blew close to half a million silver standards in there, and bought out the best items, just because he could. Because nobody would tell him no. I don¡¯t steal for no good reason.¡±


    He paused.


    ¡°Well, I stole his recording crystal collection for fun, but he can afford to replace them. The rest? I don¡¯t just steal that for no reason. I take from those who would have squandered resources on themselves.¡±


    ¡°And the rice?¡± I challenged.


    The man grimaced.


    ¡°I¡¯d brought potatoes in a storage ring, but rot got into them, and I needed to do something.¡±


    ¡°Then, what, you¡¯re going to donate all of the proceeds to charity?¡± I asked. ¡°You haven¡¯t touched the fifth gate stone you stole, of course, right?¡±


    In response, the thief waved his hand, and a large stone the size of a couch appeared. I actually felt my eyebrows creep up at that. Then he pulled it back into the ring.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, I haven¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°Explain how you followed me now. It¡¯s the least you can do.¡±


    So¡­ I did. When I finished, the thief¡¯s eyebrows had crept all the way up his face and into his eyebrows.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious,¡± he finally said, then shook his head and cursed before looking up at me. ¡°Alright. So what now? It seems like we¡¯re at a bit of an impasse. You can¡¯t stop me from running, but you¡¯ve got enough death mana left to try and hurt me. But I can¡¯t keep you in place or hurt you, not with just spatial mana. What now?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with Kamal¡¯s ring?¡± I asked. ¡°I doubt it¡¯s the only source of wealth that he has, but it¡¯s probably a substantial amount. Enough to set you up for life, if you¡¯re willing to settle down. At least a half million in money, more in elixirs and resources.¡±


    ¡°Well, my initial plan had been to use it as a sacrifice at the alter,¡± he said. ¡°But I had a buyer reach out and offer me ten million in Mossford standards for the ring and its contents.¡±


    The winds of fortune blew in my spirit, but I couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly they were trying to tell me. Was it a warning, to not trust the thief? Was it telling me that I should trust him, and that his intentions really were to help people? I was starting to understand what Meadow meant by the winds of fortune being fickle and difficult to interpret.


    But something there caught my attention.


    ¡°Sacrifice?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In the tower,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? It¡¯s called an altar for a reason.¡±


    I paused. The sage¡¯s challenge had put an altar at the very end, and I was pretty sure that Idyll had used the term altar to refer to the place where you got a gift at the end of each floor.


    If you could sacrifice stuff to make a stronger reward, that explained a lot, actually. There had been mention that the tower gave out various strengths of enchantments, like the odd fourth gate item. There was no way most people would sacrifice everything at the first floor ¨C most would save up for the third, or hope to push to the fourth. Enhancing a growth weapon was amazing for those of us who were still beginners, after all.


    ¡°And what are you going to do with that ten million?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Some of it will go to me,¡± he admitted. ¡°I have bills to pay. Half of it will go to my partner, since she helped me pull it all off, and she¡¯s due an equal share. But the rest will go to helping out my community.¡±


    ¡°Of course it will,¡± I said. ¡°How do I have any reassurances whatsoever that this will go to the charities you say it will?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± he admitted. ¡°But can you stop me? Your mana¡¯s drained, but I¡¯ve still got second gate magic. I can flee, and I don¡¯t think you can stop me. It would be inconvenient, but doable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your face,¡± I said. ¡°I could report you to Delitone, get you in a lot of trouble. You could be prosecuted. Even you will have to leave out the same portal as everyone else.¡±


    As I spoke, I held up the shiny black orb that was the natural treasure equivalent of a recording crystal.


    ¡°They can see your face. And by your own admission, you don¡¯t have the offensive magic to stop me.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re at an impasse,¡± he said calmly. ¡°How about this? You have the recording. And you know I¡¯m from Delitone. You can check the public donation records for the Changley Hall Orphanage and Orange Roof Recovery Fund. If at least four and a half million of the five I get isn¡¯t sent to them, you can go tell the constables.¡±


    A teasing grin spread across his face.


    ¡°Or, if you want, you can help prop up the child of a spoiled man who¡¯s had resources worth more than your home poured down his throat from the time he could walk.¡±


    ¡°How do you know my home?¡± I asked, a little too hashly.


    ¡°Just a guess,¡± he said. ¡°My partner has noticed you¡¯ve worn the same suit every day you¡¯ve been near camp. No changes at all. You have a lot of magic items, but they have no harmony ¨C they¡¯re a hodgepodge picked up on adventures, and at least one of them is so old that it barely registered on her spells. You¡¯ve assembled your power out of the bits and bobs that luck has sent your way, not out of being born in a position of power.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had more than my share of fortune,¡± I said. ¡°I stumbled into mentors a thousand times stronger than I ever should have. I wouldn¡¯t ¨C couldn¡¯t ¨C claim to be self made. I was guided just as much as Kamal. More in some ways. Not in raw cash, but nevertheless, I was given help that most would dream of.¡±


    The thief gave me a slightly disappointed look, then spoke.


    ¡°Well, either way. Do we have a deal? Or are you going to try and capture me, and I¡¯m going to try and run?¡±


    Again, fortune stirred, but there was no direction to it, nothing telling me one choice was better than the other.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty-Two

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Give him back his crystals,¡± I said.


    ¡°I grabbed the hudau¨C¡±


    ¡°Not that one,¡± I cut the thief off. ¡°The recording crystals you stole. Stealing someone¡¯s musical collection just because they¡¯re rich and can afford to replace it? That¡¯s just rude. It isn¡¯t some grand statement of rebellion, it¡¯s just petty.¡±


    The thief blinked.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll let me take the actually valuable stuff, but you¡¯re going to make me return his music collection?¡±


    ¡°As well as anything personal in his ring,¡± I said. ¡°Sell off the valuable stuff, but I don¡¯t know what he has in there. If he has something like¡­ Pictures with his mom¡­ return those.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± the thief said. ¡°Then¡­ What now?¡±


    ¡°You should run,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll fly back to the auction, and tell them you fled. I¡¯ll report where this is, and it¡¯ll get checked out for sure.¡±


    I pushed a hand through my hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a hard enough time explaining how I caught up to you, but that works in my favor. I¡¯m exhausted. But know that I will be checking up on your donations.¡±


    The thief nodded, then turned and teleported away in several short hops. I drew out my broom from Dusk¡¯s realm and lifted off into the air. As we flew off, Dusk asked me if I thought I¡¯d done the right thing, and I scratched my chin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I think so, but¡­ On one hand, I don¡¯t think Kamal deserved to be stolen from just because he¡¯s rich, but it¡¯s not like anyone gets absurdly rich from effort. It¡¯s¡­ Complicated. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Dusk then clambered up onto my shoulder and slapped my face.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I said. She let out an annoyed waterfall sound and yelled at me that I¡¯d been really stupid, and that I¡¯d put way too much strain on my body. I¡¯d been dehydrated to a dangerous level, and if she hadn¡¯t fixed it¡­


    ¡°I would have had to use Burn Future to keep myself stable, then flee into your realm,¡± I said grimly. Dusk sighed and nodded.


    ¡°I get your concern, I really do,¡± I said. ¡°It was a risk, but calculated. If he¡¯d been too much to handle, I would have run, I promise. I¡¯m not entirely stupid.¡±


    Dusk sighed, and we trucked along the flight. I was getting a little tired of how slow my broom was. It had been a great investment when I¡¯d first made it, but I¡¯d kind of outgrown it. The thief could teleport seven leagues in a single moment, once his spell was complete, and it took my broom forty-five minutes for me to do the same.


    When I did land outside the auction hall again, I was immediately wamped by Kene and Octavian, both of whom started talking immediately.


    ¡°Slow down!¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t understand you two, you¡¯re both talking at once.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kene asked. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°I followed the thief, but my method burnt out all my mana. When he saw I¡¯d managed to follow him, though, he fled.¡±


    ¡°Kamal is chasing him, but he had no idea where to go,¡± Octavian said. ¡°Did you see where?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, then pointed the direction I came. ¡°Seven leagues that way, almost exactly. He has a teleport circle set up in a camp.¡±


    I snapped my fingers.


    ¡°Oh, Octavian, you guys have prison cells, right?¡±


    ¡°On the other side, why?¡±


    ¡°An assassin,¡± I said. ¡°Also we have a trial we¡¯d love you to complete with us.¡±


    Octavian blinked and started playing with Roh between two fingers.


    ¡°What?¡± he finally asked.


    So I told him, best I could, about everything that had happened with the assassin.


    ¡°And you thought of telling me this now¡­ Why?¡± he asked, nose scrunching and head tilted to one side.


    ¡°Well, the thief did crime,¡± I said. ¡°And it involved you all. And the assassin did crime, and I thought it was wise to involve you all.¡±


    Kene and Octavian both stared at me, then Octavian started laughing and Kene shook his head.


    ¡°Are you safe?¡± Kene asked, and I nodded. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Really tired,¡± I said, ¡°but fine.¡±


    Kene cast a few quick spells on me, then pulled me in for a hud and a swift kiss. After they pulled away, Octavian smiled mysteriously.


    ¡°So¡­ As repayment for your gift, I got each of you something. Kene¡¯s already taken theirs, but here¡¯s yours and Dusk¡¯s.¡±


    He produced a strange looking piece of metal with natural magic pulsing throughout.


    ¡°A matter-core,¡± he said as he handed it to Dusk. ¡°If  my guesses about you, or at least, what you may become, are right, then this will be perfect for you. It allows you to more directly flow your mana and energy into the physical world for shaping-type spells. Not a ton, but even a small advantage is worth it, and it will add up.¡±


    He then turned to me and pulled out a vial of a golden liquid. For a moment, I thought that it was destiny mana, but it gave off far too strong of an impression of death mana for that to be entirely correct.


    ¡°I noticed that you have several linked things,¡± he said. ¡°Or at least, you will. You¡¯re linked strongly to Dusk, and you¡¯re planning to try and get a growth item, and you¡¯re trying to get a Beastgate mark as well, if Kene¡¯s to be believed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, a touch confused.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason that people typically only have one, maybe two, growth items,¡± Kene said. ¡°The soul can only take so many links before it becomes dangerous. Spellbonds being the exception. You¡¯re probably going to get a bit more leeway, with the fact you¡¯re pulling your soul and body into a more linked form, so the stress will be partially physical, but it¡¯s still a bit of a concern.¡±


    I did remember something about that, but so much had happened since then that I wasn¡¯t entirely sure on the details.


    ¡°This is called a golden soul elixir,¡± Octavian said. ¡°It¡¯s advised to only take one of these every year or so, but they strengthen the soul quite a bit. With your spells, I¡¯m not sure of the effect, but either way, it should help you maintain your multiple bonds, and give at least a small boost to your overall mana recovery and density.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s way too much,¡± I said, and Octavian rolled his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± he said shortly. ¡°My mother makes these.¡±


    I looked at Kene.


    ¡°My grandmother made me one,¡± they said uncertainly. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure on their value.¡±


    ¡°I gave you all arcanist treasures in exchange for an arcanist treasure and an invite to a trial site,¡± Octavian said. ¡°Seems fair to me.¡±


    With some reluctance, I took the potion from him, then glanced at Kene.


    ¡°I got a sealspark,¡± he said. ¡°It went right into my tattoo.¡±


    I glanced at Octavian, wondering how he¡¯d figured it out, but I didn¡¯t press, instead just downing the soul potion.


    Power coursed through my mana garden, through my body, then¡­ deeper. It spun out into the world around me, then pulled in, then flooded back through my mana-garden. The soil in the center of my mana, the ungated portion, compacted, crushing down. A moment later, it rippled into my first gate, then into my second.


    When my second gate mana compacted, the giant fungus that was my Beast Mage¡¯s Soul spell shivered, its mycelial network sinking deeper. There was a tear as it burst out into my spirit, spores spreading across the air of my mana-garden. My giant tree began to produce pollen then, the air filling with the mix of the two. It began to blend out, then swirl into strange formations in the air.


    Formations that resembled spell forms¡­,


    Then I felt the formation of the biological arrays that would be filled with energy.


    But¡­ that wasn¡¯t quite right. It wasn¡¯t just energy that filled them. It was a blend of mana and energy, fusing together like a dragon¡¯s or other magical beasts.


    Then it flowed backwards, out of my mana-garden, and into my body. My body, which was just energy, flooded with mana, and as the pool of energy that was my body and the pool that was my spirit mingled together, I stopped being able to distinguish where one was different from the other.


    Oh, on the far end, I could still feel the difference. I could feel the energy settled in my bones, and the mana in my spirit. But the spare power, what was able to be called into my spells? That was where it became hard to tell one apart from the other.


    When the mana flooded my body, I felt myself change. My chest shrank ever so slightly, and the sports bra I¡¯d been wearing was actually a bit loose on me. My shoulders broadened, just enough that I could feel the seams on my suit were not quite correct anymore.


    To my annoyance, I didn¡¯t grow taller. Not even a tiny amount!


    There was a discomfort in my eyes as they shifted a bit, though I couldn¡¯t tell what exactly was going on.


    But even as my second gate completed, the potion passed onto my third gate. It was a strange, strange sensation, feeling the gates that I didn¡¯t have. I distinctly felt them compact, but it wasn¡¯t quite the same, like what I imagined the feeling of a phantom limb would be like. From the third it rippled out to the fourth, then the fifth. It diminished a massive amount overcoming that barrier, but continued, diminishing again at the seventh gate, before dissolving away.


    My eyes snapped open and I sucked in a deep breath. Kene looked at me curiously, then their eyebrows shot up.


    ¡°Your eyes!¡± they said.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I responded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my eyes?¡±


    Kene pulled a compact from his ring and passed it to me, and I opened it to examine it.


    My eyes had always been a rather vibrant green ¨C they were one of the few physical features I could take some pride in, actually.


    But now they were truly strange. My pupils were a shimmering, shifting, prismatic mix, and the green of my eyes had gotten far brighter, to the point they were almost glowing. And scattered throughout the glowing green were dots of white light, with bands running through them. Spell arrays, so faint and small that they were almost impossible to make out.


    I closed the compact and passed it over to them.


    ¡°Well, I had been warned there would be physical changes,¡± I said. ¡°I guess this qualifies.¡±


    ¡°I think it looks cool,¡± Octavian said. ¡°It reminds me of Araceli¡¯s eyes when she¡¯s using magic.¡±


    ¡°Of course you got dragon eyes,¡± Kene teased, and I flushed some.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I told them, then looked at Octavian. ¡°Was everyone alright? I meant to ask.¡±


    ¡°No fatalities, and most of the injuries were simple enough to patch,¡± he said. ¡°Things have mostly settled down now. We should still be good to head out to the dragon¡¯s den in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said, smiling at him, then laced my fingers hand in hand with Kene. ¡°See you then?¡±


    ¡°Course!¡± Octavian said.


    Once we were a ways away, and were able to enter Dusk¡¯s realm, she took in the matter-core, and I turned to Kene.


    ¡°Ready to ascend?¡± I asked them.


    ¡°Now?¡± they asked, and I shrugged.


    ¡°Why not? There¡¯s plenty of plants to recharge and overflow your gates, and you can drain the sunset marigolds and spiritbalm for the solar mana.¡±


    Dusk cheered out for Kene to do it, and they thought for a second, but nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably best to do it tonight, so the plants can regain power over the night. Alright then, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

 Release Alert!!!

    Book One of Mana Mirror is now out on Amazon! It has a chapter that was added in, not seen on Royal Road, and has a lot of polish, as well as a few lore drops that have been sprinkled in.


    It is up on Kindle Unlimited, as well as for normal ordering. The audiobook is up for pre-order, releasing in July.


    And for those of you who care about the finale of The Journals series, fear not! It¡¯s up for pre-order now, and will release on September 26<sup>th</sup>! It can be found here</a>! Audiobooks for book three and four are in the works as well :)This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I know this may not matter to some of y''all, but this is perhaps the most important launch of my career.


    This book is the first Amazon release of a new series, and algorithmically, if book one is a flop, it becomes far harder to succeed. I''ve begun full time writing recently, and this book is going to be what ultimately decides if this will be a permanent career.


    If you can, please leave a rating or review. Even if there''s no text, having the stars is super critical to the all powerful algorithm.


    Amazon Link: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CYHQG7L4</a>


    Audiobook Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/Mana-Mirror-The-First-Gate-Audiobook/B0D5SB2784</a>

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty-Three

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Kene wandered around the garden, connecting to various trees to slowly recover his life mana, and then settled down next to the marigolds and spiritbalm. Before he began to overflow his gates, however, he removed the apple that Mallory had given him, and took a bite.


    He slowly chomped away at it as his mana built, and I felt the power sliding out of physical space and into him.


    Then, as gently as a spring breeze, it finished. Third gate magic began to slowly swirl out of Kene, and his eyes opened up.


    ¡°How was it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Harder than the last one,¡± Kene said. ¡°Not as bad as I feared. Third gate is the last easy one to open, as far as I understand it.¡±


    I nodded and proffered my hand to help them up.


    ¡°What was using the apple like?¡±


    I was curious. I¡¯d never used an ascension treasure before, so it was new and something I was very much looking forward to.


    ¡°Very satisfying,¡± Kene admitted. ¡°It was at least a month or two¡¯s worth of active growth for my spells, but without the need to prune them, and it did a lot to deepen their strength.¡±


    They flexed their arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m a stronger healer than I¡¯ve ever been,¡± they said. ¡°I could bench press a building!¡±


    I groaned, but it was really only to hide my smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel good,¡± I said. ¡°Can you spellbond things now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s strange. I can feel¡­ an emptiness, I guess I¡¯d say. It¡¯s something that should be there, but isn¡¯t. But I can easy ask for it.¡±


    They shrugged.


    ¡°That probably doesn¡¯t make sense. Anyways¡­¡±


    Siobbhan came darting out of the flowers and leapt into Kene¡¯s lap, then started licking their face. Kene laughed and fell back some, scratching her under her chin.


    ¡°Alright, alright, yes,¡± they said. A wisp of life mana floated out of them, and into the fox-bird creature, who responded in kind with their own blended mana. The link between them grew and solidified, and blue light spun up Kene¡¯s arms, through his tattoos, and then sunk deep into them.


    ¡°Well,¡± they said.


    ¡°Well?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well,¡± they repeated. After several long seconds, they composed their thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to describe it, really. It fit in really well with my nascent truth of succor, and I feel like¡­ Like the hag was pushed back? But not in the same way it usually is. More interestingly, I¡¯m pretty sure¡­¡±


    They trailed off as blue aura flared over them.


    ¡°I can channel the defensive aura,¡± they said.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± I said. Kene¡¯s solar and life mana was an excellent combination, but they hadn¡¯t focused heavily on defense, so it was lacking. This would do a lot to help.


    More interestingly, at least from my perspective, the aura seemed to flow from their tattoos and out into the world, like a projection of the defensive power that was normally tuned within.


    ¡°Did you bond your tattoos too?¡± I asked, and they shook their head.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Kene said. They closed their eyes again and their tattoos glowed a bright white color, then they opened them again. A moment later, the blue aura blazed around them, but a much lighter color, a sky blue, with flecks of gold scattered throughout.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± I said, clapping slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure on its limits or strengths,¡± they said. ¡°But it¡¯s definitely given me a large boost to my defenses. Spell resistance for sure, as well as general defensiveness? I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    I smiled at them, and we spent a while chatting as Dusk played with Siobhan, and the Peacepyre bobbed around contentedly overhead, but eventually we headed in for bed.


    The following morning, I was feeling great, and we met up with Liz, Travis, and Octavian before flying off towards the dragon¡¯s den.


    There were a few footsteps in the mud, and I leaned down to examine them. They were all small, all about the same size, too.


    Had the assassin been back?


    It seemed likely. I just hoped that she hadn¡¯t gotten through the dragon¡¯s den, or something of that sort. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Down the caves,¡± I said, then glared at Liz. ¡°And do be quiet, the bats will leave you alone if you don¡¯t disturb them.¡±


    Liz rolled her eyes, but nodded, and Travis gave me a salute. I glanced at him oddly, but then we moved deeper in and the light started to go out. Kene called a light to his hand, I called the peacepyre, and Liz removed a glowing stick from her ring.


    We pushed through the cave of bats without any trouble, but when we returned to the cave with the drakes, they melted out of the stone again, and I tensed.


    Then Octavian strode forwards, Araceli by his side, and third gate mana began to blast out from him. It buffeted at the mind-ring that I¡¯d been given by the Arcanist who ran an orphanage, and it wasn¡¯t even directed at me.


    Kene¡¯s tattoos glowed slightly next to me, and one of Liz¡¯s bracelets started to do the same.


    Travis, on the other hand, seemed to have no defenses against the mental incursion. He stood stock still, pupils dilated, and then took a half step back, his bright red aura blazing around him and forming into a suit of aura-armor.


    The drakes paced forwards and stared at Octavain, who crossed his arms and stared back. The pressure between the two of them built, and Araceli¡¯s mouth began to glow with bright yellow light. The drakes mouths began to glow gray, and Octavian snapped out a warning.


    Then the battle began


    I teleported behind the drakes and lashed out at each of them with Fungal Lock spells. In the same instant, both of them unleashed their breath weapons. Araceli¡¯s own breath weapon lanced out to meet one in a clash of power, but she was a new third gate, while both of these drakes weren¡¯t. Her power was steadily pushed back, even as runes flew from Kene¡¯s fingers to reinforce her breath attack.


    Liz and Travis launched into action then, and I was left stunned by just how effective they were. Whips of shadows appeared in Liz¡¯s hands, imbued with a cutting wave of water, and slashed out before her legacy made copies of them. In seconds, she¡¯d unleashed four spells worth of attacks, which were doubled to become eight spells worth. Her full-gate desolation enhancer let them actually leave long wounds in the armor of the drakes, while my cuts had done nothing.


    The drakes weren¡¯t exactly slow, though, so even as her shadows and water lashed them, they were sweeping out with tail strikes and breath attacks, but that was where Travis went into action.


    Tail blows were met with blades made from condensed aura, and though the drakes were stronger, they weren¡¯t so far beyond him that he couldn¡¯t at least divert his attacks. He covered for Liz, who used the opportunity to release more crescents of water attached to shadow whips.


    Octavian wasn¡¯t slow either, and blue fire lit itself around his hand. It felt like it was, in large part, death mana ¨C will o¡¯ wisp magic?


    He thrust his hand out, and it catapulted out in a solid bar of blue fire that struck a drake in their side. As it landed, I felt the drake¡¯s mana beginning to bleed out into the air. Roh launched an equal lance of fire from the other side, and when the drake¡¯s tail swiped through it, it just spun its small body back together. I thought for a second I might have heard some childlike laughter at it.


    Then a drake¡¯s tail was headed at me, and I teleported back. I stared at the sight, but I couldn¡¯t figure out any way to really contribute.


    Dusk whistled, and pointed out a spot to me, and I teleported there. She released a shockwave at one drake, then I teleported away.


    It felt a bit embarrassing to be the transportation for her, but it was the best way I could really help, so I swallowed my pride and did it, flashing around the cavern in quick Foxsteps. Each time I appeared, Dusk would release a shockwave or her hand spells, grabbing onto one limb of the drake, then we were gone again.


    In order to not be a total waste of space, I threw overcharged and multi-layered fungal locks over the drakes each time I had the chance, but the drakes mostly broke through them.


    Araceli fled to one end of the cavern and started doing something, a conjuration of magic appearing before her. Another thick circle of magic appeared in front of that, then Octavian started retreating to set up a third forged circle.


    ¡°Can you two kite one into the center of cavern, then lock it down?¡± he asked in between short gasps of breath.


    ¡°I think so,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, then looked at Kene. ¡°Get behind Araceli, and then release as much light as you can when she lets her breath weapon out.¡±


    Kene nodded, and with the instructions, I teleported in front of the drake that Octavian had been handling. Roh bobbled in the air around me, and spun, drawing more mana out of the drake, then burst another blue fire strike at it. Dusk punched it in the nose with a shockwave, and the drake burst forwards with a surge of its physically enhanced speed and strength.


    I spun and teleported to the side, then called out at it with a taunting noise. It turned and roared, releasing a breath weapon.


    Whoops!


    Roh drained some of the mana from the breath weapon, and I teleported out of the way, then Dusk punched its flanks with her shockwave. I started building up magic, holding it in place to release when I was ready.


    Holding spells with the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul spell was interesting, as it felt almost like clenching a muscle, as well as the normal spiritual act of mana control, and adjusting to the new sensation had almost caused me to drop the spell then and there, but I managed to hold it.


    Its tail lashed out, and then Roh released a wave of magic that sank into its mind, causing the whole thing to go askew, but I teleported to the center of the room, hoping to both draw it in and get a glimpse of the overall situation.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kene¡¯s new aura blazing, and Siobhan¡¯s blue magic forging temporary wards around Araceli, Kene, Octavian, and herself. I really hoped whatever Octavain was planning, it would be worth it¡­


    On the other side of the cavern, Liz and Travis fought together like a well oiled machine, force blades and shadow whips, with occasional ice binding spells, force shields, and other spells. Liz¡¯s legacy really was absurd. She was barely broken through, since she hadn¡¯t rushed through third gate like Travis had, but she was outpacing him, since every lunar spell was effectively a two-for-one supermarket bargain.


    That was all the time I had to survey the situation though, as the Drake was charging me. I teleported backwards in several quick hops, then when it got to the center of the room, I released the spells I¡¯d been holding, while Dusk did the same.


    Two huge hands made of earth rose up and locked down the drake as I unleashed a three-layer overcharged Fungal Lock, pinning it in place. Roh attacked its mind again, stunning it, and I teleported out of the line of fire.


    The entire center of the cavern was suddenly filled with a beam of dragonfyre, so bright it was almost blinding. It smashed into the drake, ripping through our petty binding spells like it was nothing.


    The drake glowed brighter and brighter gray, then it used a claw to rip the ribbon holding the key off its neck, and vanished with a pop of magic.


    I looked over at Octavian.


    ¡°What was that?!¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty-Four

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Octavian didn¡¯t bother to respond, though, instead dropping the multiple layers of forged mana and rushing in to help Travis and Liz.


    The duo had done an excellent job wearing down the drake on their own, but with Octavian, Roh, and Araceli joining the fray, it didn¡¯t take long for them to force the drake to surrender its key.


    I didn¡¯t even do much. Apart from the odd overcharged Fungal Lock spell, and Dusk casting her hands spell, we mainly just sat back and watched.


    With the drakes defeated, Kene went by each member of our group and checked them over, healing a few of Travis¡¯ wounds, and casting some spiritual healing on Octavian and Araceli.


    ¡°What was that light spell?¡± I asked Octavian as Kene cast the spells over Araceli.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, that? It¡¯s a sky dragon spell, Light Lens. It gathers ambient solar energy that exists in light, as well as some of the other things like tempest, and concentrates it. That doesn''t do a whole lot on its own, but where it really shines is when other spells are cast through the lens. Dragonfyre and a bunch of other spells are amplified massively by the lens. We set up four of them, then Kene cast a burst of light, and all of that was amplified and discharged at the drake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you overdid it?¡± I said, nodding at the golden light emerging from Kene¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Just a bit,¡± Octavian said, laughing and scratching the back of his head. ¡°It¡¯s power boosted up to mid fourth-gate level, and¡­ Yeah, it put a strain on our spirits to maintain that.¡±


    ¡°It was still impressive,¡± Liz said. ¡°I can¡¯t output that much raw power.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Octavian said. ¡°The two of you basically soloed the drake that took me, Araceli, Roh, Malachi, Kene, and Siobhan.¡±


    ¡°Well, I said can¡¯t output that much raw power,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°I can still output a lot, more than I should. And my legacy helps.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trade my legacy for the world,¡± Octavian said, ¡°but if I had to lose mine, yours isn¡¯t a bad pick.¡±


    Kene shot me a look, and I had to stop myself from smiling. Not at the joke that he¡¯d conveyed in his look, but for the fact he was able to joke. That meant he had at least enough hope to joke about his hag¡¯s status, which was fantastic, as far as I was concerned.


    With everyone healed, we let our mana restore itself to full, then put the two halves of the key together, and slid it into the lock. It clicked open with a clean, crisp sound, and the gates swung inwards.


    The sage appeared next to us, beaming.


    ¡°Well done, my children! You have found one of the seven hidden trail sites I have scattered throughout this land. This is the home of one of my three bonded familiars! While many know of Idyll, the greatest of them all, it is oft forgotten that I too had a mighty gem-cavern dragon, and an exotic Byangoma, from the rebel-lands of Tianzhu.¡±


    Dusk whistled in response to the sage, saying that of course Idyll was the best, and I saw Octavian¡¯s lip tremble in restraining a smile at that. Kene actually let out a short laugh, and Liz rolled her eyes.


    ¡°No,¡± a voice said, shaking the entire cavern. The illusion of the sage rippled like it was a pond that a stone had been thrown into.


    ¡°Do not make me hear the voice of that monster again,¡± the voice said, and a moment later, a dragon¡¯s head appeared. It was covered in angular, multicolored crystals, with golden eyes that stared down on us.


    Fear shot through my body, smashing through the defenses of my mind shielding ring without so much as a second of resistance. I was stuck, frozen to the spot, unable to do so much as twitch a single muscle. I couldn¡¯t even blink, and as the dragon¡¯s gaze swept over us each in turn, my eyes started to water from the dryness.


    Even my mana senses were completely frozen, and I couldn¡¯t sense a thing.


    ¡°You should leave this place,¡± the dragon said. ¡°Leave this cursed realm to wither and die in peace. There will never be another Sevenfold Celestial Sage.¡±


    The fear vanished, and Octavian stepped forward.


    ¡°Are you trapped here, great dragon? Unable to leave.¡±


    ¡°Impudent child,¡± the dragon said, steam billowing from its nostrils. ¡°Were it not for the one beside you, I would eat you myself. I am no more trapped here than a lizard can be trapped by an aphid!¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    I blinked and tilted my head. My mana senses were still suppressed, and I couldn¡¯t cast any active spells, but the passive sensory enhancement from Vampiric Senses wasn¡¯t picking up on anything.


    Was the dragon an illusion?


    Even as I thought that, the dragon¡¯s head dissolved. I started to open my mouth to tell the others, but magic far stronger than mine teleported me before I could.


    ¡°Congratulations on discovering my illusion!¡± another illusion of the sage said. ¡°Illusionists are oft tricky to deal with. Regardless of if you noticed the lack of heat, or the lack of smell, well done. Your next challenge is simple. Find the seven shards, guarded by minotaurs¡­¡±


    I blinked as I realized that this was the challenge Kene had described undergoing. Leaving the sage to ramble on, I started teleporting.


    I hadn¡¯t had much time to enjoy it during the battle upstairs, but having both Beast Mage¡¯s Soul and Magister¡¯s Body ingrained now really did make short range teleportation a breeze.


    Dusk peeped when she spotted a minotaur, and that was enough to nearly throw me off my rhythm.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± I asked. She said that of course she was, and I blinked, confused. In the last trial she¡¯d been treated as her own person, and had to go through her own challenges. Was this just because it was a different trial?


    Well, it was a mystery for later.


    Rather than engage the minotaur in combat, I used Transport Item to teleport the shard to me, then teleported away as the minotaur started to glow red and charge. A couple of Immovable Locks and Foxsteps, and I was in the air over the maze, running along.


    It might not have quite been flight, but the combined spells were certainly close enough to make running through the maze a breeze. None of the minotaurs had any aerial mobility, so even when they got angry, it was a simple matter to flee.


    For a moment, when I reached the center, I was sure that I¡¯d messed up. The central dias, where I was supposed to slot the shards, was absolutely surrounded by minotaurs.


    But¡­ Seven casts of Transport Item later, while hovering overhead, and the world dissolved around me. I found myself grinning, anticipating what came next.


    I found myself in a room with an old man. His hair was multicolored and stringy, and he radiated power. Seventh gate, but old, strong, the absolute pinnacle of what a seventh gate mage could be.


    As he looked over me, I noted that his eyes were multicolored too, just like his hair.


    ¡°I have interrupted your trial,¡± he said in a dry voice, nowhere near as booming or powerful as the illusory dragon¡¯s had been.


    ¡°The gem-cavern dragon, I presume?¡± I asked, bowing slightly.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± he said. ¡°Much of what the illusion said was true. Some of it was not. Before I decide if you and your companion should even be given the right to continue this trial, let alone my other considerations, I wished to speak with you. You can consider me to be your next trial guardian.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to answer most questions,¡± I said honestly, and Dusk chimed her agreement. ¡°What should I call you, sir?¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± he said, and a pair of chairs melted out of the floor. He sat in one, and gestured for me to sit in the other. ¡°You may call me Elio. First, I presume my sister has already verified and watches to ensure that you two treat one another with mutual respect.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mister Elio,¡± I agreed, and Dusk sighed, saying that Idyll had been quite mean about it.


    The old dragon took a sip of tea, and I blinked. Where had he gotten that from?


    ¡°Good,¡± Elio said. ¡°Unlike her, however, I have more subtle methods I can employ. I assume you don¡¯t mind if I check for myself?¡±


    I glanced at Dusk, then back at him.


    ¡°If she¡¯s okay with it, I am,¡± I said.


    The dragon put his teacup to the side, on a table that sprouted from the floor, then raised one hand. A shimmering crystal spun into place over it, and in the reflections of the crystal I could see my moments with Dusk. Almost all of them.


    It was¡­ Creepy, to say the least.


    Elio paused when he came upon the memories of us hiding the mantle estragon eggs.


    ¡°These eggs. You have not sold them, have you?¡±


    ¡°No sir,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯m going to bring them to a sanctuary in Delitone, where they have the resources to raise them right.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see,¡± the dragon said, slowly nodding. ¡°And why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I said, trailing off. ¡°Do you mind elaborating, Mister Elio, sir?¡±


    ¡°Here, in the Idyll-Flume,¡± Elio said.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said. ¡°I need to be strong. Stronger than I am now. My partner has a condition, do you know the Hexed Heritage legacy?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± the old man said, tilting his head in a nod.


    ¡°Well, we want to dive a sepulcher to let them fix it,¡± I said.


    ¡°What then?¡± the dragon pressed.


    ¡°I want to explore. See the world. Help people. Grow stronger.¡±


    ¡°For what purpose?¡±


    ¡°For that purpose. To help others, to step in where people can¡¯t help themselves. I started out as a mage by catching a toad. It wasn¡¯t a powerful toad. But it was messing up crops, and the locals couldn¡¯t seem to catch it. That¡¯s good work. Work that needs to be done. And work that I¡¯m happy to do.¡±


    Elio leaned back in his chair and took a long sip of tea. Then, he finally sighed and nodded.


    ¡°A childish, naive way of looking at things. One that will get you killed. But it is better to die a happy fool than rot as a bitter old man. Very well. You seek to help the world?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, bracing myself for another quest. Instead, a blue crystal, the size of my palm, and shaped like an egg, appeared in the dragon¡¯s palm.


    ¡°This is a metamorphic-egg,¡± he said. ¡°It was made by me personally, a very, very long time ago. Break it on the shell of an estragon egg, and it will provide the nourishment and magic to turn it into a terragon egg. Take it. Use it on one of the mantle estragon, one of the ones that you plan to leave at the sanctuary. It is not your place or right to take it¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I promised seriously as Dusk took the precious egg-stone-crystal thing. After a second, I asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± he said. ¡°I know all too well what it is like to be with little hope for the survival of your species. I cannot help the gem-cavern dragons. But I can help the mantle dragons.¡±


    He sighed out a long, weary rumble.


    ¡°I grow weary of this. It is clear you are not another monster like the sage, so finish your trial. You have but one room left.¡±


    I appeared on a flat stone floor, with a tunnel that branched off in either direction in front of me. In front of me was a placard, describing the left as the tunnel of wisdom, and the right as the tunnel of courage, and saying that I needed to choose one path and take it.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty-Five

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I turned and headed down the path of courage.


    Elio had told me it was better to die a happy fool, so courage seemed the right choice. It wasn¡¯t like I wasn¡¯t some wise old sage, and as Dusk happily burbled to let me know: I¡¯d never made wise decisions. Why would I start making them now?


    The path led in a straight line for some time, before finally emerging in the mouth of  yet another cavern. In the center of the cavern stood yet another statue, this time of a standard cavern estragon. I pushed my hair out of my eyes and studied it.


    We¡¯d fought drakes at the cavern entry. What threat was an estragon? They were so much physically weaker than a drake. Even if it was just Dusk and myself, I was confident we could take it.


    I used the moment while the statue melted into a real creature ¨C or at least, a convincing illusion of a real creature? I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a teleport swap, or something else entirely ¨C to prepare my spells. Multiple overcharged Fungal Locks were ready to go, Pinpoint Boneshards emerged from my spirit, and overcharged Briarthreads burst to life around me. I even managed to prepare a Transport Item.


    Under the influence of Beast Mage¡¯s Soul, the spells connected within my mana-garden as quickly as I could think about it.


    More interestingly, I got to try out the bio-spell function. I hadn¡¯t mastered Material Echo yet, so when I started to shape the spell, the energy array in the pollen within the air of my mana-garden stirred and helped, shaping it.


    It was very strange. I didn¡¯t think pseudo-mastery was actually the right term for it. Sure, I didn¡¯t have to sketch the spell, but I did have to manipulate the mana and energy in my spirit into the shape of the sketch. It took less time, and I was good at mana manipulation, so I wasn¡¯t too concerned over the minutiae.


    The instant the estragon finished transforming out of stone, I unleashed my barrage. It was locked and pummeled with bone shards, briars, and more. None of my mana-types were perfect for attacking, but when I unleashed everything in massive blows like this, it was impressive.


    But the estragon flowed with the power of a stone skin spell, one that almost reminded me of Ed¡¯s, and I abruptly realized something.


    Yes, an estragon might be weaker physically than a terragon, but beast magic wasn¡¯t pure energy. All of the body reinforcement and work that terragons did ¨C or I did, for that matter ¨C wasn¡¯t nearly as important for estragon. They¡¯d evolved to trade away the advantages of the body for a smaller, cuter form.


    Meaning that they were able to put all of their power into their mana.


    Not to say there was no advantage to the physical approach ¨C there absolutely was. This was just a different approach. The estragon was roughly an equal strength third gate as the drake had been, but it had bucketfulls more mana than it had.


    My attacks scattered and fell away under the power of the estragon, and while it wasn¡¯t strong enough to rip through my Fungal Lock, it was strong enough to immediately launch a powerful breath attack, right where I was standing.


    I Foxstepped across the cavern, and Dusk punched out, releasing one of her Shockwave spells.


    The estragon tried to turn, but hands rose up from the floor, keeping it pinned, while the strands of mycelium dug into its body and drained away its energy.


    That, of course, was a downside of its evolutionary approach. Where something with a stronger body could have ripped through my Fungal Locks, the estragon couldn¡¯t, or at least not fast enough. Each time the small dragon-slug-creature managed to break through a layer, I was able to release two new ones on top.


    With Dusk pinning it down as well?


    There was nothing it could do.


    The estragon released breath attack after breath attack, but I was able to dodge and weave out of the way.


    After a second, the estragon seemed to realize this, and its body began to sharpen and harden, then it spun.


    It couldn¡¯t break through Fungal Lock with its body, so it would do its best to break through using raw mana.


    I¡¯d seen just how powerful this scale-saw spell could be, so I eased back on the power I was putting into Fungal Lock.


    Sure enough, the spinning scales were able to drill through the hands and the fungi just fine, and a moment later, the estragon managed to slip out. Gravity warped around it, as it started to lift into the air, so I reached into Dusk¡¯s realm and pulled out a rod that Ed had given me. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    I tossed it at the estragon like throwing a javelin, and it struck. That wasn¡¯t the true strength of the rod, though ¨C even though it focused less on physical strength, a light rod like that wasn¡¯t going to damage it.


    But then gravity started warping, pulling down the estragon.


    Dusk leapt forwards and reached out with her strange domain power, pushing down further. At the same moment, two large hands of earth reached upwards and seized the estragon in place.


    I released a wave of multiple Briarthreads at the estragon, who conjured an aura of some sort that seemed to push away at things, throwing them back through the air not unlike Travis¡¯ aura did.


    That was a spell I¡¯d not seen from these cavern type monsters yet¡­ Interesting. Another advantage of how it focused on magic, I was guessing?


    The estragon used the moment its shell of repulsion bought it to gather light in its throat for another breath attack, but rather than release it immediately, the light spun and pulsed. It shrunk, and new layers added on, then it shrunk again.


    My eyes widened as I realized what was going on: it was overcharging its breath weapon.


    The estragon tilted its head, and the beam of force-fyre sliced through the hands holding it in place like a knife through butter, then up at me and Dusk.


    I teleported out of the way, but the beam followed me, so I teleported again.


    Again and again, I teleported, but the beam of the breath weapon was seemingly never ending, and worse, moved quickly ¨C faster than the drake¡¯s had.


    I had to cut this off¡­


    I whispered something to Dusk, who nodded. I flickered behind the estragon and reached out for my trump card.


    Blademoss erupted from my hands.


    I was a bit nervous with this ¨C I thought that an attack or two wouldn¡¯t strain my spirit again but it was still risky.


    I¡¯d used it on the Abyssal Shambler because I knew just how strong those could get, and against the snake because I knew it could handle it, and I hadn¡¯t had many things that could hit on that level.


    Now?


    Not only did I know from my time upstairs that the estragon would be removed from the fight before I killed it, but I had Beast Mage¡¯s Soul.


    I was a bit more willing to play around.


    At the same instant I struck, Dusk poured her own power into the moss, further boosting it. Our combined magic brought the silvery moss down on the estragon¡¯s body.


    The estragon fueled its defenses, but it was an instant too slow. Rather than trying to form the power to block the blow, it was trying to push it away¡­ and the estragon hadn¡¯t cast the repulsion spell. It must have expected my spells to be slower, like a normal human¡¯s.


    It had been wrong.


    Even as it switched to its shell of repulsion, Dusk and I struck out again. The moss crashed into the tiny dragon¡­


    And it vanished.


    I let out a sigh of relief. If there had been two estragon, I was much less confident that I¡¯d have been able to win¡­


    Honestly, if it had been a drake, I was still unsure. I was well suited to fighting magically strong, but physically weak, beings like estragon and humans. If it had been able to tear through my opening locking spells, it may have been able to kill or maim me.


    I reminded myself of that as I left the chamber ¨C a good matchup for my skills was not a reason to get cocky.


    In the other room an apparition of the sage appeared, but blew apart. An illusion of Elio appeared instead.


    ¡°The sage had a grand speech about the power and majesty of himself, and about you for mimicking him,¡± the old dragon said. ¡°I¡¯ll spare us both his prattling. Each trial site mimics the tower. You got enchanted things this round. Now you get a set reward, and another slice of the key.¡±


    He held out another two slivers of the disc ¨C the same sliver, just one for Dusk and one for me ¨C which I took and tucked away, then he handed me two thin sticks of wood, painted gold, with runes all over them.


    ¡°Snap one of these in a trial room and it will let you skip it,¡± Elio said. ¡°It works on the trial sites, or in the first two floors of the tower.¡±


    I took that and sent it into Dusk¡¯s vault as well, then nodded my thanks.


    ¡°Thank you, Elio.¡±


    For a moment, I paused, then spoke up.


    ¡°You, Idyll, and the other familiar I don¡¯t remember¡­ You¡¯re trapped here, aren¡¯t you? That line at the front. It may have been an illusion, but it wasn¡¯t a lie.¡±


    The ancient dragon stared at me impassively, his eyes smoldering.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to release you?¡± I asked.


    Dusk piped up, saying she would happily carry him out of here in herself, if that would work. She didn¡¯t think she could fit Idyll in her, but she was willing to try.


    ¡°No child,¡± he told Dusk. ¡°You¡¯re stable, but my full power would risk breaking you. If you were fifth gate, I might accept, but¡­ I won¡¯t kill my sister¡¯s cousin.¡±


    He turned and looked at me, then let out a low, rumbling chuckle.


    ¡°You already have helped me,¡± he said. ¡°But if you want a real answer? Don¡¯t stop it.¡±


    Before I could ask him what exactly he meant by that, I appeared at the entrance. Octavian was already there with a golden stick in his hand and a thoughtful look on his face.


    ¡°Elio?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Octavian said, then shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think, honestly.¡±


    I nodded, and we waited in silence before Kene stumbled out of nowhere, looking frustrated, Siobhan at his heels.


    ¡°We got a combat challenge,¡± they said, sounding just as annoyed as their face had suggested. ¡°We couldn¡¯t win.¡±


    Liz appeared a while later, clutching a stick of her own, and I grinned, holding my own up.


    ¡°Nice!¡± Liz said.


    Finally, Travis appeared.


    ¡°I got eaten by the dragon,¡± he said, sounding disappointed. I raised an eyebrow. Had he been stuck in the illusion array the whole time?


    ¡°We should exchange info,¡± I said. ¡°I got a challenge Kene got at our last trial site.¡±


    ¡°Your last site?¡± Liz asked.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. It¡¯s about seventy miles south-south-west,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see you still haven¡¯t bothered to check things before diving in. So much growth since the toad, all to magic, none to brains,¡± Kene teased, and I rolled my eyes.


    We spent a while going over what each of us had been through, then Liz and Travis peeled off to go fight the trial site. Octavian had to go meet up with Cettilyn, apparently, so Kene and I camped out for the night in Dusk¡¯s realm.


    In the morning, it would finally be time for the tower itself.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty-Six

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°It comes down to time and efficiency,¡± Kene said as they pushed their broom forwards. ¡°We have three weeks left. How long did Liz say it usually takes to clean out each level?¡±


    ¡°The first floor usually takes about a day, but the second floor is usually around a week,¡± I said. ¡°The third floor can take two, maybe three? It really depends on what you get.¡±


    ¡°Then it sounds like we need to use it on the second floor,¡± Kene said, and I nodded my agreement.


    Dusk commented that we should use it on any social or clearly time consuming challenges ¨C if we were dropped into a scenario where we had a week to prepare for an incoming battle, that would be a massive time save.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Kene agreed. ¡°I do wonder, though¡­ If the trials hidden around are meant to match the ones in the tower, could we get growth items by finding the next trial site?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°But I doubt it. This didn¡¯t give us elixir. I think we might get another tool to help pass third floor challenges, or even an item to empower the growth item we get, but I think it¡¯s more worth looking after if we pass the third floor. But we don¡¯t know where one is, and it took us almost a week to find one last time.¡±


    Kene nodded his agreement as we swooped down to land in front of the tower.


    Even if I was beginning to get a very unsavory view of the Sevenfold Celestial Sage, I couldn¡¯t help but admit that the tower was impressive up close.


    Eight stories tall, it soared into the air with a graceful elegance I¡¯d rarely seen in normal skyscrapers. Each story was made of a different colored stone, and caved with elaborate shapes of spell formulae. But it wasn¡¯t just arrays, which would have been impressive enough.


    Each of the spells carved into the tower had been placed and selected in such a way as to resemble the story of the sage¡¯s life, crawling up from humble beginnings to great power.


    I was a bit doubtful of the interpretations. While the spell-pictures on the first floor depicted him being born in a tiny hovel, they were also quite proud about how his father had been a dean of the now-defunct Selwit University, and how he¡¯d been outperforming collegiate mages by age sixteen.


    It felt a bit like the pictures were trying to have it both ways, claiming he had the best of the best while also being poor and humble.


    The spell-pictures wrapped around the entire base, save for one part: the entry gate. Made of some kind of polished, preserved wood that I couldn¡¯t recognize, they were carved with more scenes, this time of people fawning over the sage¡¯s power.


    There were clusters of tents and teams camped all around the entrance, and occasionally, one would get up and push open the gates, then vanish under a spatial warp.


    Kene and I landed, then looked around for a little bit. There was a Delitone representative who was ensuring that all of this land was considered neutral territory, and that nobody broke out into a fight, but most people seemed too tired to even think about fighting.


    ¡°Each time you lose or ¡®die¡¯, you¡¯re kicked out,¡± one of the teams groused to me at a water barrel. ¡°There¡¯s a four hour cooldown until you can head back in! That¡¯s not enough time to leave and gather stuff, but too much time to stay here. So we mostly just rest.¡±


    I nodded and thanked the team for the information, while Kene asked around about what sort of challenges the tower.


    Half an hour later, once we were confident that we¡¯d gathered as much relevant information as we could, we passed through the gates ourselves.


    There was a flicker of spatial magic, and we appeared in front of a massive stone monster. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it was a construct or if it was an illusion, since apparently the tower¡¯s magic would pull us out if we died, but either way, it gave off waves of power that I didn¡¯t like. Peak third gate, with dense and potent power that would have given the estragon a run for its money, and worse, a much tougher form.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t as bad as I feared. Then again, this was the first room of the first floor.


    There was a flicker as the apparition of the sage appeared.


    ¡°Welcome, challengers!¡± he said, spreading his arms wide. ¡°I can sense that you have already completed some of my hidden trials, and as such, I won¡¯t waste your time explaining. Indeed, you may find this challenge rather easy. But it is needed.¡±


    There was a flicker as the recording changed slightly. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°A valuable skill for any mage is the ability to punch over their weight class,¡± the sage said. ¡°This trial will test your ability to do that.¡±


    Then the sage vanished, and we dove into combat. Kene¡¯s aura flared up around them, and they slapped my shoulder. Golden light and fiery runes bloomed over Dusk and me, even as we prepared my own spells and exploded forward into battle.


    The earth monster lumbered forwards, swinging a massive fist at Kene, but their aura fused with Siobhan¡¯s, and blew the giant backwards. I teleported into the air over it and released a maelstrom of flaming bones and briars. None of them were strong enough to truly punch through the stone, but I hadn¡¯t overcharged any of them, so I hadn¡¯t exactly expected them to either.


    But it was enough to create a clear distraction. Dusk leapt out of my pocket and slipped between the stone giant¡¯s legs, and even as it swung at me, I teleported back.


    It clapped, and a spray of stones materialized, forged from telluric mana, and ripped out towards us. Kene and Siobhan tanked it easily enough, then they stepped forwards in unison. Bluelight Fangs forged in the air and snapped over the giant¡¯s form, then shook it like a ragdoll.


    I raised an eyebrow, even as I teleported out of the way of the giant and unleashed another wave of bones and briars at the giant¡¯s back. The giant staggered, thrown off by the combination attack, and Dusk unleashed her own attack.


    A thin lance of shifting, spinning sand and air stabbed through the giant¡¯s chest, and it exploded as the power eroded away at the stone composing it.


    This was one of the third gate spells that the library had given her, called Sandstorm Lance. While her mana did have a bit too much of a skew towards life to use the spell at its maximum power, it still had plenty of telluric, tempest, physical, death, and desolation mana.


    And against armored opponents, a thin, drilling spell like this was absolutely perfect. She hadn¡¯t had the time to use it against the drakes, since it was a completely new spell, still in the sketching stage, and hadn¡¯t even memorized it yet.


    But the giant wasn¡¯t dead yet, which meant it was time for me to earn my keep. I teleported in close and slapped my hand against the hole that Dusk had punched in the stone armor, then summoned Blademoss. I didn¡¯t focus on its magical side, not yet.


    Instead, I just let the moss grow rampant over the cracks and holes in the giant¡¯s body. It swung at me, but my aura pin gave me enough time to teleport backwards out of the way.


    Then I clapped my hands and sent power surging into the magical parts of Blademoss¡¯ arrays. Dusk joined her power into mine, easing some of the burden, and providing a denser mana for it to feed on.


    And the giant exploded.


    The illusion of the sage appeared, congratulating us, but I ignored him. Kene cast a quick solar spell over me to soothe my spirit, then we walked into the next challenge.


    In front of us stood a large, complex puzzle, with seven rings that had to be rotated around into the right pattern, but each time you shifted one, the other seven would shift. Above them was a painted sigil of seven rings, which I assumed to be the correct pattern.


    ¡°The power of senses is something that too many discount!¡± the illusion of the sage said. ¡°Once you reach into the tiers of true power, someone without some sort of sensory or mental enhancement will find themselves lagging behind. This is a test of your mana senses. Each ring will respond to your senses, moving where you push them. You must interlock them in the same symbol as my own personal crest! Perhaps if you do well enough, it will be your personal crest as well¡­¡±


    I was already moving my mana senses. I was pretty good at puzzles ¨C they kept my brain and hands occupied at the same time, which was nice.


    It took me a while to figure out the pattern that the seven were using, but Kene helped by noting down on paper how each movement shifted things.


    It seemed like there were multiple permutations that needed to be completed before I could get it into the right shape ¨C first altering around the red ring, then the brown one. After that, I needed to shift the green ring four times, the blue one, then the white one nine times. Finally, I could do two purple, and one black.


    Technically speaking, the challenge was quite hard. It took a lot of time, for one ¨C getting the permutations took Kene and I the better part of an hour. On top of that, the rings required a powerful push of the senses in order to even move, more than most mages had.


    Both Dusk and Kene could barely shift a single ring, and when they did, it left their mana senses tired, like a muscle that had been pushed too far. They could have completed it even without me, but it would have taken a few hours longer, at least.


    If I¡¯d had the same level of mana senses as when I¡¯d first started as a mage, then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to finish it in under a day.


    Now though?


    Shifting the rings took little effort. In fact, it was actually kind of fun. They provided just enough resistance that I wasn¡¯t able to push it around effortlessly.


    I was almost disappointed when it slotted into place, and the door swung open.


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± the sage boomed as we stepped into the next room. It was a massive pool of lava, glowing with bright red solar and dark brown telluric energy, and the heat blasted us from all the way over here.


    There was a door on the other side of the room, but it was over close to two hundred feet of lava.


    In the air, starting about four feet off the ground, there were spinning knives, making flying across the room a rather dangerous prospect.


    ¡°You must pass over the lava!¡± the sage declared.


    I considered Foxstepping over it, Dusk cheerfully whistled that this would be good for the eggs.


    Her power swept out over the river of molten rock, and a moment later, I felt the energy draining from it. The energetic core that produced the magma was sucked into Dusk¡¯s realm, and moments later, the lava began to cool.


    We waited a little while for it to cool, then got onto our hands and knees and crawled under the knives and to the door on the other side of the room, before pushing through.


    There was another flicker of spatial magic as I was suddenly separated from Kene, Siobhan, and Dusk, and I appeared in front of a familiar looking altar, with a statue of the sage in front of it.


    The illusion appeared, and started congratulating me, but I was already tapping into Dusk¡¯s realm to pull out the sacrifices.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty-Seven

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I had a specific plan if I got to the altar for the growth items, but for this one, I was a little more flexible. An item was far less important to my overall growth than a growth item ¨C which I supposed the name did a good job of implying.


    Still, a third or fourth gate tool was something that I¡¯d not turn down easily, and something that could be useful to me for years to come, or even forever. After all, spatial rings were third gate, and it wasn¡¯t like those lost any real value.


    All of that meant I wanted to put some good sacrifices down, regardless of which route I went with.


    As I worked through the mental list of potential sacrifice items, I called out to Idyll, hoping she was paying enough attention to respond.


    ¡°Hey, Idyll! Do you know why sometimes Dusk comes with me, and sometimes she¡¯s sent off to do her own thing?¡±


    ¡°The rewards are always meant to go to familiars as well, since they are a part of a mage¡¯s strength,¡± Idyll¡¯s voice said, echoing through the chambers. ¡°Which is what the enchantments mark her as. But since there¡¯s no spellbond, only a soul-link, they¡¯re uncertain. He didn¡¯t account for warlocks ¨C they were far less common in his day, and he only ever met one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, interesting,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you! I asked Elio this, but is there anything I can do to free you?¡±


    ¡°It would require severing me from this world, and reclaiming my power on Ddeaer as a genius loci, rather than a worldspirit,¡± Idyll said. ¡°You cannot do this now, but if you  ¨C or rather, Dusk ¨C gathers enough power, I would appreciate her help.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t speak for her,¡± I said. ¡°But I think she would. Know anything about Elio¡¯s mysterious warning?¡±


    ¡°No. My vision is curtailed by the sage¡¯s orders,¡± Idyll said, and she sounded rather sullen about it. I raised an eyebrow, but didn¡¯t push.


    Instead, I started putting things on the altar.


    First thing that I placed was my broom. It had served me well, and I was technically still making payments on it, but I was reaching a point where I thought I was beginning to outgrow it. I¡¯d gain the Seven League Step spell once I advanced my spatial mana, and even now, my Immovable Lock and Foxstep gave me a degree of near-flight that was impressive, and would only frow.


    After that came a delicate cutting of the Gibbeous Windbush. It was third gate, and powrfully wind aligned. More importantly to me, it was able to grow to fifth gate!


    Half of the Diaphanous Dandelions came next, alongside Mist Larkspur. Both were telluric as well, and they were good supporting ingredients.


    Then I put down two of the first through fourth gate mana sources for tempest mana that we¡¯d decided to not trade in for auction points. Mana sources had the lowest conversion anyways, so it wasn¡¯t exactly needed.


    I did worry that I might just get a potion out of the altar, given how many of my sacrifices were plants, but I had to put that aside for right now.


    I hesitated, the thought of alchemy bringing up another idea. It was a bit tenuous, but there were stories of some hags having one¡­


    I placed my larger cauldron into the altar as well, before following up with slices of Blademoss, a Blood Carnation, Emperor¡¯s Tree leaves, Stonesprout, Firecreep, Muddy Armroot, bundles of mana-grass and a single baby Red Star Sapling.


    Hopefully that would be enough. It cut into my own growing garden some, but giving away cuttings would just slow their growth, not stop it.


    With that done, I glanced around for a lever or dial or something. The thief hadn¡¯t told me how to activate the sacrifice part. Eventually I settled for just threading some mana in.


    Sure enough, all of what I¡¯d put down vanished. A moment later, light bloomed on the altar, and a cauldron appeared.


    It was large, coming all the way to my waist, and made of thick black metal that looked like cast iron. All in all, it didn¡¯t look especially magical. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    My mana senses told me differently. There were two distinct enchantments running through them, both powered by what was distinctly hag mana.


    I had to suppress a snort. Did Idyll have a sense of humor? Or had she just gotten what I was going for?


    The first enchantment running through the metal was the simple cauldron enchantment. Fourth gate density, so it would be able to serve me for a good while.


    The second, however?


    A flight enchantment.


    It was stronger than my own. I didn¡¯t think its output could reach the same top speeds as the model Orykson had offered, but it was close. Importantly, though, its wind-harvesting spell that it used for recharge was far, far better.


    Based on the fact it was slowly sucking in environmental energy even as it hovered, I thought it would actually recharge itself constantly, rather than needing a discreet charging and flying mode.


    I doubted it would be enough to allow it to sustain itself infinitely ¨C though that was possible, it took a strong generation core, stronger than I thought I¡¯d be able to get from the Idyll-Flume.


    I let out a low whistle, and was glad I¡¯d sacrificed so much to the altar now.


    I placed a Capture Moment and Spatial Anchor spell in the cauldron, then put it in the cottage, in the same place where I normally placed my large cauldron. A moment later, a pair of doors appeared. One matched the front gates almost perfectly, while the other was the entry to a set of stairs. I pushed the gates open, and appeared just outside.


    Dusk was already out there, wearing a tiny cape. I glanced down at it and ran my mana senses over it.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said. ¡°Another flight artifact?¡±


    She cheered her agreement, telling me that she could fly with her own mana, but it was rough and inefficient, mixing control of gravity, force, and air, but having too many other aspects in her mana to make perfect use of it.


    She¡¯d never be a soundbreaker, one of those lucky few arcanists with tempest, telluric, and physical mana, that much was certain.


    But this artifact wasn¡¯t one like mine, providing a flight of its own. Instead, it worked to integrate with her spiritual dominion, and allow her to more easily use that to manipulate the forces she was controlling, the pressure differentials and wind zipping.


    Not long after she finished explaining, Kene and Siobhan stumbled out. Siobhan was wearing a collar that distinctly glowed with mental mana, but I couldn¡¯t notice anything off about Kene.


    ¡°Communication collar?¡± I guessed, and they nodded.


    ¡°Yep. Our bond gives us a general sense for one another, but this should help convey images, senses, and even let us see through one another¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°Nice!¡± I said, and they grinned.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    They waved, and a box appeared. It was made of smooth, dark wood, inlaid with bronze and green jade, and they slid the top off to reveal that it was spatially expanded to the size of a duffel bag, but more interestingly to me, it radiated with early fourth gate power, made from a mana type I didn¡¯t recognize, but that was very heavily slanted to space. Some other aspects ¨C it was clearly beast magic ¨C but otherwise I couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked them.


    In response, they shut the lid and dropped the box. It vanished entirely ¨C not pulled into a spatial ring, simply¡­ Gone.


    I focused my full mana senses on the space where it was, and I thought I sensed a small spatial distortion, but it was so minor that I wasn¡¯t sure if I was placebo-ing myself into sensing it.


    ¡°Voidbox,¡± they said. ¡°Similar to a storage ring, but it¡¯s not bound to a ring or a spatial anchor, but instead to my ungated mana.¡±


    I sensed a brief flicker of mana, and the box re-appeared in his hands.


    ¡°Great for smuggling,¡± I said before I could help myself.


    ¡°I should have known,¡± Kene said. ¡°It started with your serial breaking-and-entering, now it¡¯s moved on to smuggling. How long until you become a criminal mastermind?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, and they nodded.


    ¡°It is, but it¡¯s more useful to deter thieves. Plenty of black alley ways to break open a spatial ring, but it¡¯s a lot harder to crack open one of these, they¡¯re basically the next best thing to being a spatial mage yourself. I¡¯m going to put my valuables in here.¡±


    I nodded my approval as Kene put the coins and their share of the mana sources we¡¯d kept inside, along with a few of the items they¡¯d be using later, to avoid mana-toxicity.


    ¡°What did you two get?¡± Kene asked.


    Dusk explained her item again, and then I gave Kene a sheepish look as I summoned the cauldron. They gave me a flat look, and I shifted.


    ¡°Really?¡± they asked, their tone dry. I thought there was some humor there too, but I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. ¡°Did you convince Idyll to give us a hag magic item on purpose?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I said. ¡°No, I would never. I just sacrificed all my flying stuff, and a bunch of alchemy stuff too.¡±


    ¡°So you were going for a hag vehicle?¡±


    This time I was more sure they were joking, so I ¨C very gently ¨C slugged them in the arm.


    ¡°Hey!¡± they protested, rubbing it.


    We made camp that evening, not wanting to make Dusk¡¯s true nature or power obvious, and not long after we¡¯d settled in, we were approached by a pair of familiar faces.


    ¡°Welcome to the grand show!¡± Liz greeted, her chipper demeanor earning her scowls from the tired groups around us. Travis greeted us much more simply, by nodding.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kene said. ¡°You two preparing for the second floor?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Liz agreed. ¡°Did you all want to go in together? With all three of our golden rods, we¡¯d be able to make great progress.¡±


    I was thrown off for a second by her ¡®golden rod¡¯ bit, before I realized she meant the sticks we¡¯d won from Elio¡¯s trial. I glanced at Kene.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked them.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty-Eight

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Why not?¡± Kene said with a shrug. ¡°It would give us three effective skips. That should let us get through most of the more time consuming challenges.¡±


    We spent the evening roasting some hot dogs over a campfire, before Kene and I ¡®left¡¯, hiding our portal in Liz¡¯s tent in order to get into our room. It probably made a few of our competitors draw the wrong conclusion, but I wasn¡¯t too horribly worried about that.


    The following morning, Kene absorbed the rose he got from the auction, since enough time had passed since his use of the apple for the mana toxin to clear out, we each downed a nutrition potion, then we all headed to the open gates.


    ¡°What can we expect from the second floor?¡± Kene asked Liz.


    ¡°This is just based on previous years, so it could be wrong,¡± Liz said. ¡°It usually takes about a week, with a combat challenge at the start and end. Both are pretty hard, usually. The middle often has more complex scenarios. Last cycle, twenty-whatever years ago, there was apparently a really complex scenario involving sneaking an entire nest of eggs out of the watch of a very angry chicken.¡±


    I stared at her, unable to tell if she was joking. Even Travis, who was usually so still and unmoving that he could be mistaken for a stone, frowned slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Liz said. ¡°It could breathe out four different elemental breath attacks!¡±


    She was cut off as spatial magic warped the air around us. We appeared in a large colosseum with seven ¨C what other number would there be ¨C gates around us. There was a roaring crowd, but as I focused my senses on them, they were almost entirely made of mental mana.


    In fact, everything here was. It seemed more like an incredibly elaborate dream than it did real.


    ¡°And our first set of warriors is up!¡± came the booming voice of an announcer. ¡°Can our fresh meat survive the arena? Or will they wind up being fed to the hounds?!¡±


    With a loud grinding noise, one of the gates began to rumble and rise into the air. A moment later, a giant¡­ thing¡­ emerged.


    I didn¡¯t know what to call it. It had the body of a bear, but with eight legs instead of four, In place of its head was a mass of writhing serpents, all tangled together at the base of the neck, and every single serpent¡¯s had a look of sheer bloodlust. Instead of a bear tail, the monster had a massive giraffe¡¯s neck, but instead of a head, it was an axe.


    When I¡¯d just started off as an apprentice, Orykson had told me he detested the word monster, and that it was inaccurate.


    I categorically agreed. A blink fox or estragon couldn¡¯t reasonably be called a monster.


    This¡­ Thing¡­ on the other hand?


    Yeah, no. This was a monster.


    ¡°Gross, kill it with fire!¡± Liz shouted, thrusting her palm out. Contrary to her words, a third gate spear of ice lanced across the distance, covering a hundred feet in seconds and slicing into the Thing. The powerful attack severed one of the monster¡¯s legs, and it let out a roar of pain. A moment later, Liz¡¯s legacy released a copy of the same spell.


    The Thing¡¯s magic burst out of it then, peak third gate, and dense. Stronger than the estragon had been, about on par with the guardian drakes. But while their mana was complex, this was far simpler.


    Physical and abengation mana swirled over its body, taking the complex, delicate power of Siobbhan¡¯s fox-bird mana and replacing it with brute force. Armor plates shimmered over the Thing, and Liz¡¯s second spell skittered away.


    ¡°Why are we always up against physical brutes?¡± Kene complained as he quickly cast a series of spells over us ¨C first, his golden blessing, then layers of runes, then his spell resistance circles.


    The spell resistance circles felt way stronger now, and were fused with trickles of energy too, making them more effective at pushing away beast magic ¨C probably an effect of his bond with Siobbhan?


    Siobbhan cast her own spells over us, leaving a tingling blue light mixing in with the gold, and we went to work.


    Travis¡¯ aura condensed around his arms and legs and he exploded forwards with a sharp, almost jerky haste. In a way, I was reminded of Qwin¡¯s tattoos, but this traded away precision for power.


    He crossed the space in an instant, and his aura focused into a blade, slamming down on the Thing¡¯s head-snakes. The Thing¡¯s armor rippled, but didn¡¯t break.


    Liz started walking to one side and released a barrage of ice knives, each one exploding on contact, and I teleported into the air above the monster. Dusk punched out with her shockwave spell, and under the triple assault, even the monster¡¯s powerful shields shattered.


    Travis¡¯ aura blade swept through the snakes, and they fell to the floor, dead.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    That didn¡¯t seem to stop the monster, though. It swung its axe-bladed tail right towards me, and I had to teleport out of the way. The blade came down against Travis, who¡¯s aura forged itself into a shield over his head and took the blow. He staggered, pushed back, and Liz and Dusk both leapt on the opportunity. Dusk started sketching, and Liz¡¯s shadow released a barrage of shadow darts, slamming into the Thing from every angle.


    The tail swung to the side to strike at Liz, and she quickly took several steps back, her dart trail trailing away.


    Dusk¡¯s spell completed at the same time as Travis¡¯ own. A needle-like spear of sand punched into the Thing from above, right as Travis released an equally thin beam of aura.


    In that moment, I got a great example of the difference between generalist mages like myself and Dusk, and combat mages, like Liz or Travis.


    Dusk¡¯s sand landed and damaged the creature, but Travis¡¯ beam punched through the being¡¯s entire body.


    That was enough for it to slump to the ground, and Kene quickly cast some refreshing spells over us as the announcer did a bit of drumming up the crowd.


    Then the next gate opened up, and we all tensed.


    Water began to flood the arena, and I arched an eyebrow. I¡¯d been expecting to see a monster of some sort.


    The water level started to rise rapidly, and Siobhan began to shake herself to shed it. Dusk bubbled like a stream, and I nodded, teleporting just over her and opening a portal.


    ¡°How about in here? You can remain high and dry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really making me wish I had spatial magic,¡± Kene griped as he and Siobbhan stepped inside. Travis shot me a look.


    ¡°Can I enter?¡±


    Dusk made a hesitant sound, then shook her head no. He just grunted and nodded.


    ¡°Liz?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You know,¡± she said delicately, as the water had risen to her chest. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to see why you ingrained so many non-combat spells. Waterbreathing is useful. If you don¡¯t mind, Dusk?¡±


    Dusk shrugged, and Liz swam to the surface, taking Kene¡¯s hand to haul her through the portal.


    I unlocked my left leg, then took a step forwards, casting Immovable Lock onto it, then unlocking my right leg and repeating it, slowly walking into the air and keeping ahead of the rising levels. I watched Travis, curious to see how the aura-focused combat mage would get out of this.


    He clenched his fist and solidified his aura into a shield, partially covering him. Another cast created another shield, then another. He ran out of usable aura then, but kept casting, calling ordinary physical magic shields. They looked¡­ weaker¡­ than the normal shield spell ¨C maybe a side effect of his aura? I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Still, before the water rose over his head, he¡¯d wrapped himself in a cocoon of shields.


    The water level rose until it was nearly ten feet high, then held there for thirty seconds before it started to spin.


    A whirlpool started to form, and I could see Travis¡¯ shields starting to crack. I gave Dusk a look.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure that you can¡¯t let him in?¡±


    She said that he gave her a bad feeling ¨C that was why she wouldn¡¯t let him in before the disease spell¡­ But fine. I took a deep breath and teleported into the water.


    Teleporting through water was harder than through air, burning through energy much faster. If I hadn¡¯t done so much work recently to keep expanding my total mana, and had Beast Mage¡¯s Soul expand the amount of energy my body could hold, it would have put a serious tax on my reserves.


    As was, it was hard, but far from impossible. Dusk snapped open the portal next to Travis, as I teleported back into open air, and the moment Travis was through, his shields dissolved, and Dusk¡¯s portal snapped shut.


    I just hung in the air above the water, Immovable Lock not taking too much power to maintain.


    The whirlpool spun for ten minutes, and I suspected that if Dusk hadn¡¯t possessed an easy cheat card for this challenge, we would have failed to keep our heads above water.


    After ten minutes, the water level started to recede, until it was only knee-deep. Well, knee-deep for me. For Liz, Kene, and Travis, it was probably mid-thigh.


    I sighed. I really wished that I¡¯d gotten taller from my full gate spells¡­


    Maybe when I used the Alter Truffles during my third gate breakthrough? That would be nice.


    It stopped draining, and a new gate started to rumble open. I teleported down to just over the surface of the water, then let myself fall the last foot or so, while Dusk opened the portal to let everyone out again.


    As soon as she stepped out, Liz grinned.


    ¡°They gave a lunar battlemage a battlefield of water? This will be easy¡­¡±


    The gate finished sliding open, and¡­ Nothing happened. I glanced around, and then flooded the area with my sensory spells.


    ¡°To your left!¡± I shouted. Kene jumped back, but Liz and Travis¡­ didn¡¯t.


    Liz swung both of her hands and I felt her third gate mana condense and overcharge. Four massive slices of water, not unlike the one she sometimes launched from her shadow whips, ripped through the air. A moment later, their echoes did the same, and Travis leapt forward, cutting down with an aura blade in each hand.


    Whatever the thing had been, after a furious assault like that, it was no longer that thing. The announcer cheered overhead, and I shifted uncomfortably, very glad about the fact that this all seemed to be projections.


    Dusk opened a portal to her realm, explaining that she figured that the next gate would be environmental again, and we all stepped through.


    Sure enough, winds began to scour through the arena shortly after, and I thought I was starting to put together the logic ¨C any mage with flight could survive the massive whirlpool, since it didn¡¯t go that high. This would weed out those who¡¯d cheated in the first round, and ensure they didn¡¯t just have one trick.


    Or if they did, that one trick was very good.


    When the winds grew so intense they started battering at the wards of the portal, Dusk snapped it shut and we waited. I used Internal Pocketwatch to track the time, and then¡­


    Rip!


    With a hard wrench, the spell ingrained itself into my spirit. It was something of a relief ¨C my temporal magic was far and away my weakest area, so it was nice to have such a clearly foundational spell ingrained. With its ingraining, I felt¡­ Different.


    It wasn¡¯t that I had a clock constantly in the back of my mind or anything like that, but at the same time, I was acutely aware of how time passed, and how long my every action took to complete.


    Combined with my powerful mana sense, especially my spatial sense, and it was¡­ Strange. I wondered if this was how people who used Analyze Physicality felt ¨C I knew they got a sense for forces and speeds.


    Kene noticed my expression and shot me a curious look, but I just shook my head to let him know it was nothing.


    When ten minutes had passed, I opened the portal again. Sure enough, the winds were dying down, and we all emerged, battle spells tensed, as we prepared for whatever would come out of the fifth gate.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Thirty-Nine

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    There was a slow drumming noise as the gate opening, which began to rapidly increase in tempo, until it was cut by a loud trumpet sound.


    A lion emerged from the gate, tempest mana swirling around it. Travis raised his hands and started sketching out another one of his spells, and Liz nodded, as if that meant something.


    Not sure entirely what she meant, I decided that locking it down was the best course of action, and overcharged my mana to cast a triple-layer Fungal Lock over the thing. Dusk must have reached the same conclusion, because she released her hand spell.


    Rather than forging them together into a pair of giant hands, she conjured the hundreds of tiny ones, dragging it down and into place.


    Liz summoned her shadow whips and lashed out, but instead of using them to harm, she wrapped one around each leg.


    The lion let out a massive, bellowing roar, and I realized my mistake a moment too late.


    The lion didn¡¯t have just tempest mana, it had tempest and mental mana mixed together. I just hadn¡¯t noticed, because everything here was permeated with mental mana, because it was an illusion.


    The roar rang in my ears and struck at my mind, rattling like the call at the end of the world. Fear flooded through my body and mind.


    This lion was too strong. It would kill me, kill Dusk, kill Kene, kill and kill and kill and kill. It would kill until it waded through an ocean of blood, then realize that wasn¡¯t enough for it.


    It was war.


    It was¡­


    Nonsense.


    Kene¡¯s spell resistance circle wove together with the Magister¡¯s Body empowered mental and knowledge mana in my mind, as well as the natural abnegation that stopped the desolation in my gut from spreading, and I shook off the spell.


    Our binding spells had dissolved in the grip of our fear, and the lion was charging us. Kene was spinning out more layers of generalized spell resistance around Liz and Travis, but it was left to Dusk and me to hold it off for now.


    I called Briarthreads, overcharging them the best I could, then adding more. Just because it had fear effects didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t have strong claws, and if I was alone, I wanted every advantage.


    I teleported right in front of its charge and in the moments where my aura pin slowed the monster, released my Briarthreads, alongside a scattering of Pinpoint Boneshards.


    Dusk punched out, compressing her mana tightly, and a shockwave threw the lion back into the air.


    I teleported back right in front of it as it landed and released another wave of attacks, but the lion wasn¡¯t entirely stupid. It swiped at us with its claws, but the moment it tore through my briars, I teleported back and out of the way.


    The lion charged at me, and I vanished, leaving an afterimage where I was. The lion tried to roar again, but I teleported into its face and Dusk hit it with another shockwave.


    ¡°Hold it down!¡± Travis shouted, and I repeated my earlier stunt with Fungal Locks. Liz leapt into the air next to me and whipped out.


    A moment later, Traivs¡¯ aura lanced through the lion, killing it. As it dissolved, the announcer cheered us on, and the next gate started to open.


    Once again, we all piled into Dusk, and I used the moment to recharge some of my mana. I wasn¡¯t awfully low, but my temporal gate was a bit behind, since it didn¡¯t have a harvesting spell and I¡¯d used it much more than my death gate.


    It gave me even more appreciation for Dusk, honestly. If we¡¯d had to burn mana surviving the water, winds, battles, and whatever was happening now, I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d have been able to make it this far now.


    It might kind of be cheating on the challenges, but it felt pretty great.


    When ten minutes had passed, we emerged to see a sand-filled arena, with winds carrying more sand through the area.


    ¡°Sand monster time?¡± I guessed.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Liz said. ¡°Not like it¡¯s going to be another Veilight Octopus¡­¡±


    Travis started sketching again, and Liz gave him a look. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Do you have enough power?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯ll need to recover during the next challenge, before we break a stick.¡±


    Liz nodded, and we tensed as we waited for something to emerge.


    This time, a swirling elemental sandstorm flowed out, blending tempest and telluric mana together in circular flows of combined mana.


    Liz cursed and shook her head.


    ¡°We¡¯re not gonna be able to Aura Lance through this, it¡¯s dominion makes it too disparate. Let me try. Kene, give me your alchemy bombs?¡±


    Kene passed them over, and she took one in each hand, then started sketching. Travis stopped sketching his own spell and sprinted forwards, drawing aura blades in either hand and swinging at the elemental.


    I had to hand it to him, he was determined. His slices did nothing, but he certainly tried.


    I tried to cast a Fungal Lock on the elemental, but it just sort of fell apart, with nothing to properly grab onto or physical body to grab.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Liz shouted as she jumped into the air. She soared up, and I noticed that her shoes were glowing.


    Was that the source of her incredible jumping powers? That would explain a lot, actually.


    Once she was overhead, she threw the two alchemy bombs down, then released a small bead of flame. The moment they were both right over the elemental, the bead expanded into a roaring ball of fire.


    I¡¯d seen third gate spells cast before, of course, and they were impressive. But Fireball is something of a famous spell for a reason. It¡¯s often called the pinnacle of third gate destruction, and as the huge sphere of flame, easily twenty feet across, sent heat lashing across the battlefield, I could see why.


    Then the vials broke, and two more explosions, substantially smaller, shook the room.


    The winds that spun to make up the tempest part of the elemental dispersed, and the sand all melted into slag in an instant. Liz landed and casually hopped forwards.


    ¡°Primes!¡± I swore. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Cyclone spells create a heat distribution, with a concentration of lunar energy at the top, and solar at the bottom,¡± Liz said, grinning like a cat who¡¯d just caught a mouse. ¡°By overheating the top, it blew the whole thing apart. Plus, the heat fused the sand into glass.¡±


    I just nodded, and as the announcer went on about our victory, a spatial warp took us to our next challenge.


    We appeared on the rocking deck of a boat, and all of us were wearing what looked rather like military outfits. Someone wearing a far less prestigious uniform came up to us and saluted.


    ¡°Captains,¡± they said. ¡°We can see the first of the pirate queen¡¯s three main vessels on the horizon. We expect we should be able to catch them by sundown, but they¡¯re going to have more mana canons than us twice over, and will have stronger ward generators. Are you still confident in engagement at night?¡±


    ¡°Belay that,¡± Liz snapped. ¡°Continue to trail at a distance until sunrise. Do we have invisibility wards?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the soldier said. ¡°But to run them, we¡¯ll have to cut power to the defensive wards and the propellant spells.¡±


    ¡°Primes,¡± Liz said. ¡°Alright, they¡¯ll know we¡¯re coming. We can outrun them, though, so bring us in close until we¡¯re just out of firing range, then cut power to the propellants down to eighty percent, and reinforce the defensive wards.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± the soldier said, snapping out another salute and scurrying off to spread her orders.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Kene said.


    ¡°My grandfather runs a naval guild,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m almost tempted to take this challenge¡­ If only our golden rods worked on the third floor.¡±


    ¡°Please stop calling them that,¡± I said, and Kene snickered.


    ¡°What?¡± Liz said. ¡°Not a fan of¨C¡±


    She was cut off by me summoning a stink bomb into my hand threatening me.


    Dusk peeped up, saying that she didn¡¯t understand what was going on ¨C why was Liz¡¯s phrasing weird. I put the bomb back in order to put my fingers over her ears and shook my head disapprovingly at Liz.


    Liz just laughed, then slapped Travis on the shoulder.


    ¡°Let me know when your mana¡¯s recovered, big guy.¡±


    Travis nodded, then wandered over to a bench to take a seat. Liz started walking over to the¡­ prow? Of the ship. The front part that stuck out over the water ¨C I wasn¡¯t a ship person.


    I looked at Kene and took my hands off Dusk¡¯s ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to look through the cargo hold,¡± I said. ¡°Want to come?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kene said. ¡°But since everything¡¯s an illusion, doesn¡¯t that mean that the cargo would be?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± I said. ¡°But also, I¡¯ve noticed the sage seems to like trickery, at least to some extent. I¡¯ve gotten away with a lot of it in my trials. I think there¡¯s decent odds that something¡¯s there.¡±


    We wandered downstairs, opening doors, but none of them seemed to lead to the cargo hold. We went down another few levels, then eventually spotted it, and opened it up.


    I doubted on a real ship that it would have been left unlocked, but this was all a mental mana projection, and I planned to use that fact to my advantage. I strode in and closed my eyes, then extended my mana senses. Rather than search with my eyes and hands, I let my senses wash through the room, going over each bit of mental mana in the air, turning it over, dismissing it, and then moving on.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long it took me, but I eventually found something. It almost slipped by me, since it was also made of mental magic, but it was just a bit more densely packed than our surroundings.


    Affixing that point in my mind, I walked over to the box and pried it open to reveal a single shimmering purple vial. I tossed it to Kene, who evaluated it.


    ¡°It¡¯s some sort of mental magic elixir,¡± they said. ¡°Feels like a fourth gate growth supplement? Pretty expensive stuff, it could be worth selling in the next auction.¡±


    They tossed it back to me, and I tucked it into Dusk¡¯s realm.


    I searched the rest of the cargo hold, but I didn¡¯t find anything, so we headed back up top and relaxed. Two hours passed by, and then Travis stood.


    ¡°Mana¡¯s recharged,¡± he said. Liz grinned and pulled out the stick Elio had given her, then snapped it.


    There was yet another flicker of spatial magic, and we appeared in a blank room. Stone walls, floor, and ceiling, but nothing more ¨C no doors, no window, no furnishings, nothing.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said. ¡°I wonder what the challenge is?¡±


    As if he¡¯d been waiting to say that, Travis¡¯ eyes began to glow a bright purple color, and I sensed the strain of mental and death mana of an Asomatous, and a fourth gate one at that. He opened his mouth, and spoke in a voice that wasn¡¯t his own.


    ¡°Me.¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think that all of the challenges would be illusions, did you?¡± the asomatous possessing Travis¡¯ body asked, a dark chuckle burbling out of his lips. ¡°Oh no. The sage was wise. He knew that he needed to test your skills, both in simulations, and for real.¡±


    Dusk leapt down from my shoulder and slapped her palm on the ground, spinning her mana into a strange bird skull ¨C the spirit trap that Kene¡¯s grandmother had given her. The power surged up, trying to rip the asomatous from it¡¯s body, but the Asomatous was strong. Fourth gate, judging by its mana. The fact it was able to take possession of someone suggested that it was higher, but if so, it was incredibly skilled at veiling. I was betting that it was a fourth gate, using a combination of its full gate spell, legacy, and dominion in order to possess Travis, while also resisting the pull of the spirit trap.


    If it really was fifth gate, then there would be nothing I could do at all.


    But if it wasn¡¯t¡­


    I connected my mind to Dusk, reaching out for the network of gourds that hung in my oldest Red Star tree.


    I hadn¡¯t had much reason to use my Spirit Gourds for a bit. Spirits-Walk had passed by, and the restless dead had quieted. The ones I¡¯d found in the competition, I¡¯d been able to lay to rest properly, so I¡¯d not needed to store them. And in the odd case we had needed to, the trap that Kene¡¯s grandmother had given Dusk had been more than sufficient.


    As such, my Spirit Gourds, much like the rest of my plants, had languished at second gate.


    That wouldn¡¯t do now.


    I sent life and death mana surging into Enhance Plant Life, targeting the power structures within the gourd. With my full gate spells transforming my magic into a blend of mana and energy, it connected with far more ease than it ever had before, the conversion smooth and quick.


    That was good, because I needed to pour a lot of power in.


    On my shoulder, I felt Dusk reaching out and doing the same, her power joining mine, not unlike how it had when we¡¯d combined our power to release the blademoss.


    Power poured into the gourd, and I felt it growing near a barrier, but before we could break through, Travis moved.


    His Auric Haste spell condensed around him as he formed a pair of aura blades around either hand and launched forward, swinging right at me.


    I teleported back, feeling a slight groan as my Magister¡¯s Body, tired from pouring energy into the gourd, protested.


    Before Travis could swing again, Kene stepped in the way of the strike. Kene¡¯s blue defensive aura met Travis¡¯ blade, and there was a moment of silence. Both had put a lot of effort and power into their respective attack and defense, and neither could overwhelm the other.


    Until a pair of Bluelight Fangs forged themselves out of Siobhan¡¯s mana and bit down on Travis.


    He dropped the haste spell, transforming it into thick armor plating, and layering a shield over it, which was enough to stop the fangs from biting into him, but not enough to stop them from lifting him off his feet and shaking him around like a chew toy.


    As he spun, Liz completed the spell she¡¯d been sketching, but seemingly did nothing. She grimaced and focused, but Travis managed to slip out of Siobhan¡¯s jaws.


    His motions were jerkier now, less like a person possessed, and more like a puppet being pulled around on its strings, but he was still unmistakably in the thrall of the Asomatous.


    ¡°Primes,¡± Liz swore. ¡°I can¡¯t crack into its mind, its defenses are way too strong!¡±


    A mental attack? I guess it did make sense ¨C desolation could throw about any type of attack spell. It just wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d expected from Liz.


    ¡°Keep it up!¡± I shouted. ¡°We¡¯ve almost got it!¡±


    And we did. Breaking through the barrier was hard, since it took four times the amount of power that gourd had already contained, but with Dusk efforts and my own, we were almost there. Almost¡­


    With Liz putting pressure on the Aomatous¡¯ mind, it would be forced to split its attention between that, avoiding the normal spirit trap, and the gourd.


    Travis swung a blade down at Dusk¡¯s spirit trap, trying to destroy it, but Kene and Siobhan grabbed his hand, their defensive magic pushing him back. Kene started to glow with his spell resistance magic, which wove together with his tattoos in order to grow even stronger.


    For just a second, the light in Travis¡¯ eyes flickered, on the verge of going out.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Then several things happened in very swift succession.


    Dusk and I completed our work, and the gourd broke through to third gate. Together, we pulled it from her realm and thrust it forwards, unleashing its draw on the elemental.


    A needle thin beam of aura, Travis¡¯ finishing move, a third gate spell that rivaled a Fireball for power, lanced out of his eyes like a laser.


    It caught everyone entirety by surprise, and if I hadn¡¯t stepped over to hold up the gourd at his face, it would have struck me dead in the chest. As it was, I was closer and slightly to the side, so it ripped through my left shoulder. I felt a flash of pain unlike anything I¡¯d ever felt before, and teleported almost on instinct.


    That also saved my life, as the beam of aura swept up , and would have gone right into my head had I not.


    Then Liz shouted, and the power attacking the mind of the Asomatous redoubled. It lost its grip on Travis, and with a sound like goop being pushed down a funnel, schlorped into the spirit gourd I¡¯d dropped when my shoulder had been lanced through.


    Then a power stronger than any of us released the Asomatous from its prison. For a half a second, the only thought running through my mind was that Idyll was trying to kill us.


    Spatial magic flickered, and we were pulled into the next challenge.


    That was the last thing I saw before things started to go black.


    I awoke to find myself laying in bed, inside


    My shoulder felt¡­ Better.


    Not good.


    But better.


    I sat up, and realized one of my arms was in a sling, and I was unable to move it much at all.


    ¡°Your scapula was¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say, it¡¯s a good thing that his beam is so thin,¡± Kene¡¯s voice said from the side. I looked up to see him sitting in a chair next to me, spells leaking from his hands and into my flesh.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, morbidly curious.


    ¡°A needle-thin beam like that left it mostly fractured and broken,¡± Kene said. ¡°Only a tiny amount of bone was actually missing, which the beam punched out. If it had been an inch or so across, I would have had to regrow the bone entirely, which isn¡¯t something I¡¯m able to do. As is, I fused it back together the best I could, but the bone is still tender.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and Kene smiled at me.


    ¡°Hey, at least it¡¯s not your spirit this time, right?¡±


    I grinned back, and then tilted my head.


    ¡°Where are Liz and Traivs?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been in a scenario for the better part of two days,¡± Kene informed me. ¡°It¡¯s a desert survival challenge. It would be hard for most mages, I think, who brought food but no water. But with Dusk¡­¡±


    She piped up from the nightstand, saying since she had a lake and small rivers full of water, it kind of negated the challenge.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been trying to find the exit to the challenge,¡± Kene explained. ¡°Figured that since you were taking the time to recover, there was no sense in not saving one of our free passes.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I said, nodding as I got out of bed. I wrinkled my nose.


    ¡°I stink,¡± I said.


    ¡°The sweat of sleep and healing,¡± Kene said. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you how to take off your sling, then go shower. Just don¡¯t use that arm!¡±


    ¡°Yes doctor,¡± I said, waggling my eyebrows. I was tempted to joke further, but dropped it when I saw the serious look on Kene¡¯s face.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Do¡­ Do you want help dressing?¡± Kene eventually asked. ¡°It¡¯s hard to do with one hand, and it¡¯s easier if I help, but I understand why it might be uncomfortable for me to help.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t actually thought about how I was going to get dressed until he¡¯d pointed it out, and now that he had, I felt my brain run through a thousand scenarios at once.


    What if they hated the way I looked? The way I¡¯d been born?


    It was stupid, I knew that. But just because I knew it didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t worry. And I felt¡­ Ashamed wasn¡¯t the right word, but it was the best one to come to mind.


    ¡°I¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to,¡± Kene said. ¡°I promise, there will be no offense or anger or issues between us if you say no.¡±


    I believed him with my conscious brain, but my subconscious brain didn¡¯t. Of course there would be issues. It wasn¡¯t like Kene wouldn¡¯t see me eventually, or hadn¡¯t gotten small glimpses, but this was¡­ different. More intimate.


    My spells had helped a lot. They¡¯d shrunk my chest more in the initial transformation than a sports bra could, but I wasn¡¯t perfectly content with my form either.


    I let out a long, slow breath.


    ¡°You can help,¡± I said. It would be uncomfortable for me, and maybe for Kene too, but I thought that it was important.


    ¡°You can change your mind whenever,¡± Kene said, and I nodded. They helped me out of the sling, and a while later, I emerged from Dusk¡¯s realm fully dressed and armored, to find myself in a desert.


    Hot, sandy, windy.


    Yep, this checked all the boxes of being a desert, at least to me. I glanced around, waiting to see if I could spot anything, but other than some birds way overhead, there wasn¡¯t much.


    ¡°Liz and Travis have cleared out this area pretty well,¡± Kene explained. ¡°The whole place was swarming with monsters. They think they¡¯re supposed to find their way out of the desert while keeping the monsters at bay, and managing your mana levels and water amounts.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. That would be a decently hard challenge,¡± I agreed.


    We hung out for a while, heading back into Dusk¡¯s realm, but leaivng the portal open. I was incredibly hungry after the healing, and so we broke into the stores of real food in order to bake a bit more bread, and I made a sandwich, heaped with meats and dried cheeses.


    It needed a sauce to pull things together ¨C no doubt, Bohn would have suggested a chocolate sauce or something ¨C but I was so hungry that it almost didn¡¯t matter.


    Liz and Travis arrived a few hours later, and Travis walked up to me, extending a hand.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said. ¡°The asomatous was doing all sorts of weird things to my head, and it somehow forced me to rive my aura beam spell.¡±


    I took his hand and shook it.


    ¡°No hard feelings,¡± I said with a small smile.


    But even as I said it, I felt the winds of fortune blow violently in my spirit, shaking my entire mana-garden like a leaf on the wind.


    I paused, but didn¡¯t let the smile slip off my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay,¡± Liz said, bumping my hip with hers. I smiled and nodded.


    ¡°So what¡¯s next?¡± I asked the group, and Liz patted me on my shoulder ¨C my good shoulder, thankfully.


    We¡¯ve found that there¡¯s a door in each of the cardinal directions, and we figure it leads to the next challenge. North door is white, and icey cold to the touch. South door is red and burning hot. The eastern door is green and warm, but not hot. And the western door is blue, and feels squishy.¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty-One

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°We have two, arguably three, plant mages,¡± I mused. ¡°Green and warm sounds kind of plant-y or jungle-y.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think plant-y is a word,¡± Kene mused. ¡°But I agree for sure, it makes the most sense, if it is a plant challenge. If it¡¯s not a plant challenge, then¡­ I mean, at that point, we may as well pick any door.¡±


    Liz and Travis agreed, and we set out to fly across the desert. A few large birds swooped down to attack us, but a combination of aura lances and ice spears was enough to push them away.


    When we arrived at the door, I was surprised to see just how¡­ Simple¡­ it was. I¡¯d been expecting another ostentatiously carved gate, with elaborately overdone designs of the sage battling monsters.


    Instead, it looked¡­ Normal. Like the kind of door I¡¯d see at any house, just painted green. Liz unlocked it with a key she must have found while I was in recovery, and pushed the door open. There was a flicker of spatial magic, and we appeared in a garden.


    Or rather, a greenhouse.


    It was large enough that I could barely make out the panels in the ceiling, but they were definitely there.


    The sage¡¯s illusion appeared next to us.


    ¡°Ah, you have chosen the route of plants¡­ Plants, what wonderful things. Much as a death mage can use the shades of the dead to unleash spells they lack, a mineral mage can use magical minerals, or a sufficiently strong knowledge mage can utilize the words of power, the humble life mage can direct and shape the power of plants.¡±


    I started to tune him out and shuffle around as he went on about how much skill and power it took, before he finally got to the point.


    ¡°Scattered throughout this greenhouse you will find seven tiles, each with a type of magic inscribed onto it. You must utilize the plants in the greenhouse to match the magic, and nothing but. Fail once, and you¡¯ll be booted from the tower! For those of you without a plant mage, a cauldron shall be provided.¡±


    ¡°Do we want to skip this one?¡± Liz asked. ¡°We¡¯ve made good time thus far, but this seems like it could take forever.¡±


    ¡°Nah, not at all,¡± Kene said. ¡°This will be an easy win. Let¡¯s save our skips that will take more time.¡±


    I nodded and started stretching my senses over the garden, searching for everything I could.


    Finding the plants was the easy part, but the tiles took a little more time, almost a full hour ¨C the last time had been hidden underneath the pot of an aloe plant.


    Once they were found, it was a simple enough matter of draining the plants of energy and crumbling the dried, mana-rich leaves onto the correct tiles. Kene had me do the bulk of it, then finished clearing out anything I¡¯d missed, his skills better at manipulating the leaves we were using than mine.


    Draining the mana out was odd, since the plants were clearly mental illusions, but my mana still reacted strongly to them.


    For all the faults the sage had, he¡¯d clearly not skimped out on the quality of his illusion work.


    As soon as we¡¯d sprinkled the plant dust on the seventh tile we were teleported away.


    We appeared in a caravan, riding along a massive, windswept, dry and dusty landscape that reminded me somewhat of the pictures I¡¯d seen of parts of Suntorch. As the wagon wheeled forwards, the driver at the front spoke up.


    ¡°Won¡¯t be but a day or two till we get to Halima,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯ll be¡­¡±


    I tuned him out as I glanced at Liz, Kene, Travis, and Dusk.


    ¡°We should skip this, too much time.¡±


    Nobody disagreed, so with a quick snap, space blurred around us.


    We appeared in the colosseum again, and I glanced at Liz.


    ¡°You said that this was usually the first and last challenge, right?¡± I asked, then turned to address the rest of the group.


    ¡°Want to use our last skip?¡±


    Even as the monster, some massive troll-giant hybrid creature, stalked from the first of the gates, there was a mumble of agreement, and I snapped the balsa wood stick.


    Space flickered, and we appeared in a ritual sacrifice chamber once more. This time, rather than a statue of the sage, there was a large fountain, with a spigot that led down into a glass vial.


    ¡°The golden elixir,¡± the voice of Idyll said, echoing through the room. ¡°Or, as you likely know it, destiny mana.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I did have a question,¡± I said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Idyll manifested a physical form next to me, and then let out a dry, unamused laugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare I spend so much time talking to a contestant,¡± she said. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not planning to do this,¡± I said. ¡°Just to be clear. You¡¯ve made it clear that if I do, then I¡¯ll be kicked out. But I was wondering, could Dusk grow the destiny plants? I mean, you¡¯re both world spirits.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still a child, with unformed roots, and no well to speak of,¡± Idyll said, shaking her head. ¡°She may have been born with the winds of destiny, but she¡¯s not yet strong enough to support the plants. If she tried, she would likely die, or worse, succeed, but at such a severe warp of destiny that she would write a tragic tale for the ages.¡±


    I shivered slightly, and nodded.


    ¡°Understood. I was really just curious. Oh, do you know why my legacy lets me get some fortune and resolve from it?¡±


    ¡°Is it a choice type legacy?¡± Idyll asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Mana Mirror,¡± I confirmed. It wasn¡¯t like it would be hard to guess ¨C few people had opposing mana types, after all.


    ¡°All choice legacies have¡­ Strange¡­ interactions with the deep manas,¡± Idyll said. ¡°You¡¯re not the first to ask me, even in this competition. If you want my advice, however?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I said, bowing slightly. Better to be over polite than not enough.


    ¡°When you delve, remember my words.¡±


    Idyll faded away at that, and I mentally noted down her words, even if I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she meant. Once I was sure I¡¯d memorized the conversation, I considered what would be a good sacrifice. I¡¯d already planned out what I was going to give for a growth item, but this¡­ I mean, what could I put that was even remotely close in value to the drops of destiny?


    In the end, I put a couple of leaves from my rarer plants down, most notably, three leaves from my Healer¡¯s Heart. That was probably the most valuable plant I had, and I figured that it had to be worth something¡­


    I considered if I had anything else to sacrifice, but when nothing came to mind, I sent a thread of mana into the fountain.


    Golden light filled the fountain, and a moment later, a drop emerged from the top of the fountain. It plopped down the sculptures that made up the fountain, then into the tube. A moment later, another drop followed, then another, and another.


    By the time it finished, I had thirteen drops ¨C a truly powerful haul.


    I carefully measured out four drops into a small, reinforced glass vial from the alchemy room, and sent it into Dusk¡¯s vault. I¡¯d be saving those four. What for, I didn¡¯t know, but third gate had some truly crucial and powerful spells for my development, and I wanted to be able to invest into my future.


    After all, I might have chosen to work with Meadow, but Orykson did know what he was doing, and he¡¯d said that third gate was where ¡®real magic¡¯ got started.


    While there was always a chance that someone could steal the drops, Dusk had broken through to third gate, and that had further improved her defenses, as well as allowed her to create a guardian. It might not be enough to stop someone like Orykson from breaking through her security, but I kind of figured that if he really wanted to get his hands on four drops of it, he¡¯d be able to crack me open like an egg and steal the yolk.


    Heh. Good luck ¨C I¡¯d cracked midway through highschool.


    I shook my head and downed the vial of nine drops. If I¡¯d had it my way, I would have given at least half of them to Kene, in order to enforce their tattoos, but I knew that Kene would have ever accepted it.


    As the power broke down into thirds in my spirit, I considered where to invest it.


    I¡¯d poured a lot of power into my full gate spells, and there was nothing wrong with that. They were pulling more than their fair share of weight, and even if they weren¡¯t enough to let me bridge the gap to third gate alone, they were absolutely a large part of the reason that I was holding on so long.


    But there was something that I¡¯d been told that they were able to do, but that I¡¯d not tried yet. I¡¯d experienced something similar with the elixir that Octavian had given me, though ¨C investing in the soil of my mana-garden.


    This was a guess, based on what I could guess with my limited experience, but I thought that it might have been the key to what allowed Ivy to feel stronger than many fourth gate mages I¡¯d met, despite not being anywhere near the peak of third gate.


    Even if I was wrong, though, investing in my mana-garden¡¯s foundation should be a powerful improvement to everything I did. Even if the boost was weaker than applying the power to a single spell, it would improve everything, not just a spell.


    I started with the fortune mana, letting it water the roots of my mana-garden, soaking down deep into my foundation.


    My mana surged and spun through my spirit like a cyclone, and I felt a thousand little connections between my spells all connect and improve. The imbued effects of my plant and fungal spells all had a synergistic effect, and that synergy surged forwards, growing together. It wasn¡¯t just my plant spells, though, my cumulative effects of my sensory spells grew stronger, the interlacing of my full gate spells with all of my body and all of my magic grew more intense. As it pushed through me, I felt the spells that were almost there slip into place, their roots coaxed deeper, their branches higher.


    I heaved in a deep gasp.


    That¡­ I¡¯d never invested so much power directly before, and it was quite a trip.


    I let out a dry cough, then touched the void that seemed to be resolve. I sent it pouring into me, and felt my mana go wild again. My mana surged again, but this time it boiled, gushing out of the foundations of my mana-garden like nothing I¡¯d ever felt. The connection to my staff grew deeper, and the trees and plants that made up imbued effects surged upwards, spearing higher into the sky. Those that weren¡¯t were ripped down as if pulled by a black hole, while also being yanked upwards, as if pulled away at the very edge between two great powers.


    I took a few seconds to recover, and even reached into Dusk¡¯s realm to pull out a leaf of spiritbalm and chew on it.


    That had been rougher and more intense than fortune had been, and if I understood myself, I thought that destiny would be rougher still.


    With a moment of focus, I pushed the destiny mana into my foundations.


    My power crunched inward, a force infinitely stronger than anything I¡¯d ever felt before pushing down on it. It was stronger than Orykson, stronger than Meadow, stronger than Ikki. It was fundamental, a part of me, but it did not suit me. Its power bore down like the wrath of an angry prime, and I felt my ingrained and mastered spells begin to splinter, all of their inefficiencies cracking off and falling to the floor.


    Worse was the effects on my unmastered spells, and I was confident that if I didn¡¯t have the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul pulling them into my body and inscribing them physically, they would have blown apart.


    Then the storm receded. I closed my eyes and let myself slip into unconsciousness.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty-Two

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I wasn¡¯t out for too long, but when I did awaken, I felt¡­ Amazing. My strength had surged in a way that it never had before. This had to be what it would have been like to take a Fundament Foundation Pill, but thanks to the power of the deep mana, I wasn¡¯t suffering from a week¡¯s worth of mana toxin.


    Many of my spells that had been on the border of ready to advance to the next stage, like Burn Future or Material Echo, had been pushed forwards, and the overall power jump meant that the only spells I still needed to master before I was ready to break into third gate were Spatial Tripwire and Lesser Psychometry.


    I hadn¡¯t gotten much use out of either of them, and I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d ever be a core part of my power, but each of them had enough utility that I wanted to make sure I integrated them into me, at the very least.


    More important than the spell progression, every bit of my mana felt entirely different. It was denser, not quite enough to be a full ascension¡¯s worth, but noticeably stronger. It was vaster, stretching further than it should have, even with the walls being higher. It was smoother, flowing like water instead of air, even with my Beast Mage¡¯s Soul.


    I conjured Briarthreads around me and felt the power burst out faster than ever before, fill a larger area around me, and be more tightly forged.


    I dismissed the spell a moment later, not wanting to waste any mana, and felt the imbued effect of my harvesting spells churn quickly, outputting mana faster than they ever had before.


    Even my body felt stronger and tougher, and I had a spring in my step as I headed through the gate and appeared outside, along with Travis, Liz, Dusk, Kene, and Siobhan. As my mana senses swept over them, I could feel just how much stronger each of them had grown.


    None of them had choice legacies, of course, which left them with both an advantage and disadvantage. They¡¯d gotten less overall power than me, but unlike me, all of the power they¡¯d gotten was that of destiny.


    Their growth had been markedly different than mine. Liz had invested heavily into her own full gate spell, and I could practically feel the power it was putting off, enhancing every one of her offensive spells. That choice was too limiting for me, but for a dedicated combat mage like her, I thought it was a wise choice.


    I¡¯d expected Travis to do the same thing, but he seemed to have made an entirely different choice, using the power to burn away the mists in his third gate mana-garden.


    Third gate was supposed to be one of the longest and hardest ones to push through, so I could understand the logic, I just¡­ didn¡¯t entirely agree. I thought it would be better to have invested the power, rather than burning it for something that he would have gotten eventually through training and dedication.


    Kene had clearly put some of his into his tattoos, since they now possessed a shimmering golden color, but he¡¯d invested some of it into his mana-garden. I thought he¡¯d spread it around, targeting a bunch of different spells, since I could tell he was stronger, but it wasn¡¯t entirely clear how.


    That just left Dusk, and I had to stop myself from smiling. Dusk had very clearly done the exact same thing as I had, investing almost all of her power into the soil of her mana-garden. With the fact she was pushing in entirely destiny mana, her mana¡¯s density had exploded. While that had been harder for me, it seemed to suit her, and I was almost tempted to compare her to Ivy¡¯s absurd power.


    It wasn¡¯t quite there ¨C she was still a rank beginner in third gate, and this investment wasn¡¯t quite enough to match him.


    But the mere fact that it was close was impressive enough to my mind.


    ¡°Well done,¡± I said, looking at everyone. ¡°I admit, a part of me was expecting for things to go horribly wrong, and for us to get thrown out.¡±


    Travis cracked a smile at that, and Liz grinned.


    ¡°Come on, you had me on the team. We could have taken on Kamal and his cabal.¡±


    ¡°I categorically disagree,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡­¡±


    As they trailed off, all of us looked up.


    The air itself was starting to crack, and on the other side I could see¡­ things. Shapes moving through the void of nothingness. Light peering through, then vanishing. For a moment, I thought I saw an eye staring at me, but then it resolved itself into the shape of a nebula galaxy.


    As the cracks began to spread, Travis¡¯ eyes lit up.


    ¡°They¡¯re freeing themselves,¡± he said softly. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t see how he could possibly know this ¨C he might be way stronger than me, but I was confident my senses were stronger than his, and I had no idea what was happening.


    ¡°Please remain calm,¡± Idyll¡¯s voice said, ringing out from everywhere and nowhere. ¡°A powerful spell has breached the dimensional integrity of this realm.¡±


    She appeared over the top of the tower and thrust her hand into the air. Power exploded out of it, a beam of prismatic light that sank into the void. The cracks began to slow, their speed moving to a crawl.


    Then a bird with the face of a human, glowing with seventh gate magic that blended knowledge, mental, tempest, and temporal, appeared in the sky across from her.


    ¡°Release it, sister!¡± the bird cawed. Unlike Idyll, her voice didn¡¯t come from everywhere, but it still somehow managed to reach every ear. ¡°Some may die, but if you act swiftly, you can¨C¡±


    A multicolored beam of force and fires struck the bird, and I saw the old form of Elio rising up into the air. He appeared to be mostly human, but as I used Surveyor¡¯s Eye to get a better look at him, it became clear that his hands and legs were tipped in claws, and red gemstone scales lined his arms.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, and his voice was loud enough to explode across all of the land. It actually hurt my ears slightly, with him so close, and it left a tinnitus-like ring.


    Idyll looked distraught as the dragon and the bird dove at one another. Elio forged a massive draconic claw and slashed out at the bird, who quickly spat out a word that resonated in the air, and a cloud of lights crowned around Elio¡¯s head.


    Elio¡¯s claw dissolved, and a massive wave of dragon¡¯s breath coated the sky, filling it like the sun, so bright that it was impossible to look directly at.


    Idyll let out a cry, and I could hear the pain and anguish ringing through everything. The cracks began to surge and spiral, and then a new person flew up in the battlefield.


    I focused my Surveyor¡¯s Eye onto them and slammed my mana-senses at them. They were a very pretty, androgynous human, and it took me a second to realize I¡¯d seen them on the boat, briefly.


    They were the one who had a pair of spirits that looked like cutouts in reality.


    Their spirits floated up behind them a moment later, each one of them grown to the size of a human.


    To my mana senses, they clearly had some sort of strange, multi-part spatial focused mana that also wove together both creation, desolation, telluric, life, and death.


    But they were only third gate. They had to be throwing themself into the jaws of fate if they really thought that they could actually make a difference.


    Then a familiar crystal appeared in the air over them, and my eyes widened.


    No¡­


    I looked at Dusk, who shook her head, whistling that it wasn¡¯t her ¨C she¡¯d buried it deep.


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. After all, this realm had been left undisturbed for a very long time. It was only natural that there would be more than one ascending-death crystal.


    The figure in the sky touched the crystal, and and power flooded through them. I felt their mana strike fourth gate, then fifth. A second later, it was sixth, then seventh.


    ¡°Showtime, I suppose,¡± a voice next to me said.


    I whipped my eyes down to see Travis removing a few items through his spatial ring. He popped a pill into his mouth, and I focused.


    His body was still wracked with mana-toxin, but he didn¡¯t even seem to care. More power rushed through him as his mana doubled, and a moment later, I understood why he¡¯d blown all his destiny mana on burning away the mists of his third gate.


    He wasn¡¯t focused on growing, not the way I was.


    As his mana overflowed, he shattered the barrier to fourth gate, even as with my lifesense I could feel the strain it put on him, his liver starting to scar with cirrhosis.


    Then a key floated out of his spatial ring, and my eyes widened.


    I admit, I looked down on people who used advancement treasures. They all came with a price. Ascending death crystals killed you. Keys blocked off all future advancement.


    But Travis didn¡¯t care. The key slotted into his spirit, and a moment later, his mana compacted as he broke through the fifth gate.


    It was a false ascension, reminding me of the person who¡¯d run the home for runaway teens more than Azalea or Kene¡¯s grandmother.


    But right at this moment? It barely mattered.


    Travis¡¯ aura grew dense, and then Liz smacked him gently.


    ¡°You idiot! I knew this was your plan, but¨C¡±


    Before she could keep talking, he raised two fingers and a lance of aura shot through her leg. I heard a loud crunch of bone, and Liz let out a scream of pain.


    The other tired climbers who¡¯d been around the tower were screaming too, but they¡¯d been doing that since the battle in the sky had started. I didn¡¯t think most of them even noticed.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t have you try and stop me. This is the best for everyone. For what it¡¯s worth, I do actually like you and your family, Liz.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you doing?¡± I demanded, keeping a handful of spells on a hair-trigger for if he so much as moved.


    ¡°Saving unjustly jailed prisoners,¡± Travis said. ¡°And the world too, if I can get away with it.¡±


    His fingers twitched, and a massive beam of aura roared through the air. It smashed into me and tore me apart, dissolving my body nothingness.


    Or at least, my physical body.


    With my newly mastered Material Echo, I¡¯d teleported around the bend of the tower and left a physical echo in my place. Travis had seen my illusory echoes, but those were clear illusions, shaky, indistinct. He¡¯d had enough time to sense me to know I couldn¡¯t have advanced, and he¡¯d never seen my Material Echo.


    Meaning he had every reason to believe that I was currently dead.


    A moment after the red light faded, Travis shot upwards into the air with a force that only an arcanist could achieve. He was joined by no less than six others, and as I felt them, I was confident that at least two of them were true ascensions too.


    Lacking in spells and power, yes, but there nevertheless.


    As I stared into the sky, I numbly realized that this must have been what had happened with the fifth gate hudau heritage stones.


    All of the arcanists released their power as one, flowing in with the person who¡¯d taken the crystal. They reached their hand out, and a powerful item appeared in it, a smooth crystalline sphere that was half amethyst, half onyx.


    I had no doubt in my mind it was a magic item made by and for occultists, and it stank of Elio¡¯s magic, but also something else.


    The power rushed through it, and with a strain, it just barely activated.


    Idyll vanished, and space shattered.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty-Three

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Orykson froze as he felt the planar membrane of the world crack at the very edges of his territory, and Aerde began to accelerate their way through the data as quickly as possible.


    Some, like the Storm King, questioned why Orykson had ¡®wasted¡¯ one of his three spellbinder bonds on a simple knowledge elemental that he¡¯d saved in the wastes of Aergarde.


    After all, Orykson was a remarkably intelligent man, and his variations of the Raise Dead spell were still in use to this day. He could have designed whatever spells he needed for himself, and ghosts would work just fine as a knowledge source.


    Moments like these were why he was so confident in his choice.


    He would have very little time to act before the other powers started to move, and if he¡¯d relied on a ghost network for his knowledge, he may have freed his spellbinder bond, but he would have been that fractionally slower to act.


    Before the Spatial King could extend her senses out of her Tower City, before the Keeper could warp time to arrive, before the Antqueen could raise her children¡¯s powers, and well before any of the false occultists in Delitone could move from their marble towers, Orykson cast a massive anti-teleportation ward over the entire island, preventing anyone from getting anywhere near. They could leave ¨C he wasn¡¯t going to waste mana to needlessly lock people inside ¨C but entry? That would be far harder.


    It wasn¡¯t impenetrable of course. Nothing was ¨C they¡¯d be able to get in eventually. But it could buy him critical moments to figure out what was going on.


    Aerde¡¯s senses allowed him to manifest an invisible eye with Revelatory Sight running through the construct over the island where the Idyll-Flume was anchored.


    The planar flume that the Sevenfold Celestial Annoyance had built had been broken, and Orykson felt his jaw grit in annoyance.


    Most people thought that the sage had simply warded the anchor point between Idyll¡¯s domain and the normal world, and truthfully, for most intents and purposes, that was close enough to accurate that Orykson felt no need to instruct them on the truth.


    But it wasn¡¯t true. The sage had constructed a secondary, incredibly small, but still functional astral plane, and moved Idyll through it, anchoring her entryway there, and altering the astral plane to conform to precise rules.


    Orykson had tried to slip past those rules a few times, but they were solid. The only way to get through the flume was to break it, and doing that would sever Idyll from this world. Her realm would vanish instantly, and the spirit would die within seconds, maybe minutes.


    Since Idyll¡¯s realm was where the sage had placed his own Destiny Well, Hereditament Headstone, and Gate-gifting Circle, her realm was far too valuable to risk hurting.


    Which is what made it utterly inconceivable that someone had blown up the flume.


    Orykson and Aerde split their focus, half of them working to act now, and half of them working to figure out what had happened.


    Aerde¡¯s eyes flickered and spells wove through the air, and it became clear that someone had used an item, activated by the power of a seventh gate mage, and the help of multiple supporting casters.


    A warlock who¡¯d been bound to a multi-local warpspirit, infused with a voidseed.


    What a waste, someone who had that much innate connection to Resolve could have gone on to do some truly impressive things.


    Then again, most of those who had a connection to Resolve wound up killing themselves in pursuit of their goals, so he shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Not everyone could be him, after all.


    But why bother? And who had created the artifact?


    Orykson and Aerde traced the lineages of the warlock and their supporting arcanists, and he had to resist a snort.


    All of them were descendants of people who¡¯d participated in the original Idyll-Flume, six generations ago. Four of them had gone on to lodge complaints with local powers about the fact that the sage had trapped his familiars within, and had been told that there was nothing to be done about it.


    Since then, all of their families had participated in the Idyll-Flume one way or another, almost every generation, though a few had missed some.


    The artifact had been commissioned from The Craftsman when the warlock had stumbled across the enigmatic man¡¯s wandering workshop.


    The Craftsman had created a preservation stone, but it had then been modified by the gemstone dragon.


    That made sense, the old dragon had been a master enchanter, only a few steps shy of the Craftsman. Shame he¡¯d focused on quantity, rather than quality¡­


    Orykson¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    That was their game, then. The dragon had provided the magic to allow Idyll to form as a Genius Loci, while the Craftsman¡¯s magic would keep her safely contained for a little while. It was a shame Idyll would lose so much of her power with the destruction of her realm ¨C she could have been a valuable asset.


    The Craftsman had been smarter than the kid, though. He¡¯d woven in magic to the stone¡¯s magic that also reforged the realms, creating temporary, unstable planes that would give each of the children time to escape, formed around the strongest points of magic in Idyll¡¯s old realm.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Annoyingly for Orykson, these temporary enforced several of the old rules, ensuring that the children would have a chance to claim most of the old prizes, all save the Destiny Well.


    The destruction of the well would be the perfect ground to produce a worldspirit, maybe even two or three. He¡¯d have to search out anyone who survived and escaped to see if they were willing to sell the infant spirits. He¡¯d been shocked when Malachi had formed one, he¡¯d be thrown into the maw of the beast before he lost an attempt to gain another. The lucky child¡­


    Orykson soothed his irritation by reminding himself that he could look over the enchantment work. He could build something similar, if he had time to prepare the enchantments, but he couldn¡¯t have fit it into such a small item, and examining it in the moments before it was used could be useful to pushing forward his skills.


    Calmer, he examined the rest of what had happened.


    Orykson had to resist a snort when he noticed that his ex-apprentice had tried to stop one of the supporters. That boy was far too much of a bleeding heart. At least he¡¯d been clever enough to use his new spells well. Of course, if Orykson had been guiding the boy, he would have made it to at least the fourth floor by the time these crazed sympathizers had made their move, but what was done was done.


    While half of him delved into that, the other half was dealing with the practicality of this situation.


    The bird and dragon, still battling in the air, appeared before him, the dragon clutching the orb that held Idyll in his claws.


    ¡°How could you!¡± the bird cried. ¡°You¨C¡±


    The bird was cut off as Orykson extended one hand and conjured his life and soul eating dragons, filling the air with six of the forged living spells. He then spoke, his smooth voice filling the air.


    ¡°What exactly are the two of you going to do, now that you¡¯re free?¡±


    They turned, and Elio extended the orb.


    ¡°I plan to re-establish my sister¡¯s domain,¡± he said, his voice dark, challenging Orykson to stop him.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to do so,¡± he said, inclining his head. ¡°While I suspect that the city of Delitone would object strongly to you claiming them as territory, you could attempt as much. But if you¡¯d prefer someplace with a little less¡­ Problematic¡­ guests, the Isle of Crysite has gone largely uninhabited for more than a century now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you just want to enslave me like the sage did,¡± Elio growled.


    ¡°The sage was no slaver!¡± the bird called out. ¡°Just because you were too much of a fool to listen to his benevolent wisdom is no fault of his!¡±


    Orykson¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he just turned to Elio.


    ¡°I am not a slaver,¡± he said, calmly but firmly. ¡°I allow those who work under me to operate by and large as freely as you wish. Certain societal changes are required, in order to keep ups in line with the greater nation of Elohi, but otherwise you are allowed to operate as you wish.¡±


    ¡°The unclaimed continent?¡± the bird asked skeptically. ¡°How many Occultists could they have?¡±


    ¡°Four magi and six true occultists,¡± Orkson said calmly. ¡°As such, I¡¯ve found it best to mimic many of their social policies.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Elio said, but it was clear he didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°The¡­¡±


    He trailed off as, in near unison, the Space King teleported into the air next to Orykson, and a portal appeared, the Antqueen poking her head through.


    The massive ant was easily the size of a house, and her head alone was massive. The compound eyes took in everything at once, and the antenna twitched, then the head receded and the portal snapped shut.


    The Space King turned to look at Orykson, clutching a bottle of Witchlight Bourbon in one hand. She¡¯d been drinking it with no refinement, straight from the bottle, and he had to wonder if she¡¯d done that solely to annoy him.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m willing to beat whatever offer this idiot¡¯s made the two of you for you to join my tower.¡±


    She sloshed the bottle and frowned.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m almost empty¡­¡±


    Orykson hit her with a banishing spell, tucking her away in a demiplane. It was incredibly wasteful ¨C the plane he was banishing her to had been one of his designed countermeasures to hold the Space King, and not one that was easy to get out of.


    But it felt so good.


    ¡°As I was saying¡­¡± he drawled. ¡°Elio, I¡¯m willing to provide ample, largely unclaimed but nominally under my control lands for you. You could re-establish yourself and your sister in the wider world as Occultists under my jurisdiction that way.¡±


    ¡°And if I want nothing of politics?¡± Elio growled, while the bird wisely turned and started to flee. With some interest, Orykson noted it was flying in the direction of Tianzhu.


    That would be interesting. The Shining Spirits would likely react poorly to the invasion, but none of them had managed to form a title. The bird and dragon were both close to titles, stymied for over a century and a half by the sage¡¯s interference.


    If the Shining Spirits and bird worked together, or if they fought, it might push one to form a title, and that would push the rebellious state closer to outright war with Daocheng.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need a physical space for Idyll to occupy,¡± Orykson pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s going to require some degree of politicking, unless you plan to stop anyone from living there, condemning her to a life even more lonely than the one she lived before¡­¡±


    ---


    Deep within the unclaimed lands, the leader of the cult of the primes watched Orykson and Elio argue through one of her scrying mirrors. On another, she had a recording of what each of the nine agents she¡¯d managed to slip into the Idyll-Flume had managed to do.


    The plan had worked flawlessly. It might have taken over a century to build and execute, cost an absurd amount of money to keep the Magi from noticing, and only have been the first of many steps, but finally, finally, it had worked!


    As a nice little bonus, she¡¯d managed to kill off the kid that Orykson and Ikki had taken an interest in. That was worth ensuring that Travis would meet an untimely death to stop people from looking too closely at his actions.


    Ikki would be sad, but Orykson had to be truly incensed, especially since he¡¯d deployed a contingency against the Spatial King. He was used to shaping monsters. Everyone he¡¯d personally tutored, even if it was only for a year or so as a reward for the Elysian Mastery Tournament, had reached at least sixth gate on their own merit, and most had gone to seventh.


    Having one of them die as a rank beginner?


    It was simply too rich!


    She took a break from laughing to examine the prizes of their actions. Some things were ordinary advancement tools, meant to help her and her Praetors push up in gates. Those were rare and expensive, but not the true goal.


    No, the most important byproduct was the birth of three infant worldspirits, one of which her agent was currently tending. The agent would keep that one, since there was no doubt that Orykson would notice it within seconds.


    That was annoying, but ultimately good. It would reinforce the cover that they were simply a group of freedom fighting extremists, entirely unrelated to the cult of the primes.


    But in the moment the realm had broken, in the moments where even Orykson¡¯s knowledge spirit would be unable to see, she¡¯d snatched one, moving across space to bring it to her, burning a fortune¡¯s worth of magical items and power to ensure she¡¯d go undetected.


    And it had worked!


    A private realm, one that could be raised outside of the watchful eye of the Magi.


    One that, better yet, would be impossible for the Magi to see or detect. A place for her and the Praetors to finally form their own titles.


    She and the others would need to go quiet for a while, but that was fine. She¡¯d stir up the publicly known parts of the cult from the shadows, and instruct her Tribunes to begin moving.


    Who knew? If she was lucky, they might even manage to retrieve a piece of the key to the Primes¡¯ prison¡­

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty-Four

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I woke up on sand, and pulled myself to my feet, glancing around. I hadn¡¯t even remembered passing out, but here I was.


    Speaking of here¡­ Where was I?


    There was a beach all around me, stretching out for miles to my left and right, far enough that I couldn¡¯t tell where they ended, and there was an ocean pushing off into the distance dead ahead.


    There were human bodies on the beach, but they were all breathing and alive to my senses. A few were even starting to get up on their feet, so I let them be for now while I examined my surroundings.


    The ocean went for a half a mile before it ran into a wall of cracks and distortions that were pulsing and slowly growing, changing, and pulsing.


    I focused, zooming my vision in with the power of the Surveyor¡¯s eye, and stretching my mana senses to the limit. My senses couldn¡¯t reach all the way out there, even with their strength, so I was forced to guess. It seemed like they were growing about a centimeter every second or two.


    I turned around, and saw that the beach stretched for a few hundred feet before turning into a thin, grassy area. The grass looked sharp ¨C not supernaturally so, but just enough that I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to walk on it barefoot.


    I summoned my cauldron, and it didn¡¯t appear right away. It slowly started to reach through space, but it was like it was moving through molasses. That made me frown and reach out to my connection with Dusk.


    It was there, but tennous. In a way, it reminded me of the time she¡¯d stayed in Kene¡¯s village, and I¡¯d been home in the capital, only even more amplified. She was clearly incredibly far away from me.


    I focused and pushed out a thought to her, trying to determine if she was okay. The thought began to send, but it was painfully slow.


    Since my cauldron was taking so long, I stopped trying to summon it, and instead teleported up into the air, then locked myself in place, sweeping out a Surveyor¡¯s Eye to examine the island we were on.


    And it was an island. Judging distance from this height was hard, but I guessed it to be about eight miles from the edge of the ocean to the center of the island.


    And the center of the island was certainly something. There was a crumbled slice of something incredibly familiar ¨C a trial entry gate. The magic still pulsed and glowed, so it couldn¡¯t have been too horribly damaged, but the four statues that made it up were in poor condition. The first looked fair enough, and I could make out a woman in classical witches¡¯ clothes, huddled over a cauldron. The second was missing most of its head, but otherwise appeared to be a wizard, holding a wand. The third was missing most of its torso, only displaying the legs of what looked to be plate mail, and the fourth was missing almost everything. I could make out a carved foot wearing a sandal, but nothing else.


    A trial site? Now that was curious. I¡¯d given up on getting a growth item the moment the sky had cracked, but Kene had suggested that clearing a third trial site might give a growth item, since it was meant to parallel the tower. Even a chance could make it worth it¡­


    I shook off my greed and kept looking around.


    Ringing the central trial point was portals. There were fifteen of them, and fourteen seemed to be composed of the strange spatial cracks, with a voidlike power running through it. The fifteenth, however, looked familiar ¨C the entry and exit portal.


    That caused me to breathe a sigh of relief. At least I wasn¡¯t going to be trapped here forever. That was good.


    Though, I suspected that if those spatial cracks got all the way to the portal, I would find my stay to be a little more permanent.


    Or I would die. I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Spatial magic wasn¡¯t supposed to be capable of cutting people or direct damage ¨C spatial particles didn¡¯t allow it. They were more focused on conserving energy. It was easier to fail a teleport or sift your teleport spell a foot forwards, backwards, or to the side than it was to fuse you into a rock.


    But¡­ I¡¯d never even heard of something like these cracks before. I¡¯d not seen them in Dusk¡¯s realm, nor in the Library¡¯s realm, or heard Orykson ever talk about them.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Dusk¡¯s response through our soul link finally got through to me then. She said she was fine, and could feel a way out, but also something else, and had attached a mental image of Liz being healed by a unicorn.


    As soon as the relief faded away from me, I felt a tiny bit disappointed. I wanted to see a unicorn! I¡¯d run into dragons galore, but no unicorns? That was supremely unfair.


    Glad that she was fine, I turned my attention to the rest of the island, since I¡¯d only really looked at the center and edges.


    I could see scattered palm trees, and wondered how exactly this realm had wound up so tropical? I was guessing when that artifact had gone off that it had somehow fractured Idyll¡¯s realm into a whole mess of broken, but linked parts, which broke the seal and would allow the bird and Elio to leave. Had it scrambled their planar aspect too? That would be impressive.


    Idyll, though¡­ If Travis¡¯ words had been true, then whatever group he¡¯d been a part of had been trying to free her too.


    I didn¡¯t see how that would be possible if they shattered her astral plane. A worldspirit was intricately linked to the astral plane that they possessed, and if that broke, I would bet every last dollar on it being fatal. It was like taking apart a human into little chunks and expecting us to survive ¨C it just didn¡¯t work that way.


    Then again, it had been an Occultist level artifact, powered by a suicidal power leap, six arcanists, and probably Elio as well.


    I didn¡¯t know what was possible when you threw that level of magic at a problem.


    Oh, I¡¯d gotten distracted again.


    Sweeping my vision through the realm, I could see several elementals moving through the area, as well as some glowing points that were probably mana sources or natural treasures.


    The strange thing was, the condensed mana and energy all around us felt¡­ Strange. New, almost, like it had been freshly constructed. I had no idea what sort of natural treasures would be around.


    No other trial sites or the like were obvious, so I teleported back down onto the ground.


    It still felt strange to me that teleporting down cost more than up. I was working with gravity ¨C shouldn¡¯t it be easier?


    But I shook that off as I started to walk down the beach, looking for people. Dusk may not be here, but that didn¡¯t mean that nobody I knew was.


    The first person that I found was Araceli, Octavian¡¯s terragon familiar. Octavian was nowhere in sight, but since Araceli wasn¡¯t freaking out, I assumed that he must have also been able to send her a mental message, much like I had with Dusk.


    As I approached the terragon, she bounded up to me like a puppy, jumping with her front claws retracted, but still enough weight and strength that if she hadn¡¯t been slowed by my aura pin, I would have been thrown to the ground.


    I scratched her head, then some behind her horns and under her chin.


    ¡°Hey girl,¡± I said softly. ¡°You doing okay? C¡¯mon, you can stick with me until your dad gets back.¡±


    Terragon weren¡¯t even as smart as estragon, being more like dogs, whereas estragon were more like ravens, but Aracelli seemed quite bright. A side effect of bonding with Octavian, maybe?


    Or maybe I was ascribing too much intelligence, and she was responding to my tone and familiar scent. Whatever it was, she happily trotted along by my side as I kept walking down the beach.


    People were mostly awake now, and that made things both harder and easier, as they started to form up into their own groups and make their own choices. I flexed my mana senses to their limit, trying to keep an eye out for anyone who felt familiar.


    As I circled the beach, I spotted a streak of red in the sky above me, and tensed. I pulled my mana-senses in and threw as strong of a veil around my spirit as I could, weaving into a group of people.


    Travis flew overhead. I held my breath as he flew out of sight moving in toward the center of the island. The instant he was out of sight, I took a long breath of relief.


    That had been too close for comfort. I shouldn¡¯t have jumped into the air ¨C what if he¡¯d noticed me?


    That did make me wonder why I¡¯d woken up faster than most, and the only thing I could figure was that it was my full gate spells helping me process the power faster. Either that, or my mind-shielding ring, but surely others had items like that?


    I started moving again, Araceli still with me, but I didn¡¯t send my mana senses out quite as far ¨C there was no need to advertise myself, after all.


    After a while more walking, I felt a familiar spike of mana in my senses, and made my way over to find Mallory.


    ¡°Mallory,¡± I said, smiling, but not too broadly.


    ¡°Malachi,¡± she said, dipping her head. ¡°Primes, that was¡­¡±


    ¡°It was absurd,¡± I agreed, then held my hand out. ¡°Want to team up against the monsters? At least until we get to the center? I know we¡¯ve had¡­ History. But you¡¯re a strong, skilled mage, and a better physical fighter than I am. Plus, you¡¯ve hit third gate. I¡¯m almost ready, but I¡¯m not one hundred percent of the way.¡±


    It couldn¡¯t hurt to soothe her ego, just in case she was still carrying a few bruises there.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she agreed, taking my hand and shaking it. ¡°I can work with you for a while. Doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s much of anyone else around here that I know. And at least I know you¡¯re competent, and won¡¯t get me killed in a fight. Plus, you have a pet dragon now.¡±


    ¡°That might be the nicest thing you¡¯ve ever said to me,¡± I teased, and she let out a dog-like ¨C or rather, wolf-like ¨C growl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it,¡± she said.


    ¡°She¡¯s not mine, by the way. She''s a sky terragon, belongs to a nice dude named Octavian. She¡¯s just sticking with me until we leave.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Mallory nodded. ¡°You know, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t get a legacy for animals. Anyways. What are we doing now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been able to get a good look at the island,¡± I said. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s formed around a trial, and we¡¯ve got a few days before the spatial cracks get close to the exit portal. Do you want to try your hand at the trial? Get out of here? Try to use the other portals to look for people while hopping from place to place to grab the newly condensed natural treasures?¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty-Five

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Primes,¡± Mallory said, shrugging. ¡°Why not? I was preparing for the third floor when the sky exploded, so I figure there has to be a chance at a growth item.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t pick up a few things on the way,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°My mana senses are pretty good. I¡¯ll spread them out around us.¡±


    Araceli let out a bark-like noise, wagging her tail and leaping forwards, ready to move.


    I did as I¡¯d said as the two of us started heading inwards, toward the center of the island, and we snagged a few mana sources on the way there. They were nothing special, but they were all strong ¨C the weakest was third gate.


    When we were about halfway there, though, something caught my interest ¨C a plant that sparked with solar, death, and desolation mana. There was more, too, tempest and lunar, but I thought that might be something else. I waved Mallory over, and started wandering through the tall grasses until I realized that the power was coming from a seemingly normal looking tree.


    It was a willow, with long, drooping leaves, and as Mallory and I stood under its sweeping branches, I felt like a dryad prince. Mallory glanced around and then raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The tree is weird, can¡¯t you sense it?¡± I said.


    ¡°Sort of?¡± she responded. ¡°But no, not really. I don¡¯t spend a lot of time sensing trees.¡±


    I was really tempted to make a joke about werewolves sniffing fire hydrants instead, but that was both too mean, and too much of a joke based on a stereotype about a group I wasn¡¯t.


    Besides, I did want to keep her working with me. Poking at her probably wasn¡¯t the best idea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a step back and I¡¯ll test it out,¡± I said instead.


    Once we were a safe distance away, I connected an Enhance Plant Life spell to the trunk, then flooded the willow tree with mana. I was pretty confident it wasn¡¯t going to burst into flames, but you never knew.


    I sent power coursing through the tree until it began to bloom, then the death mana and desolation set in. As the flowers began to wither, they popped into small, candle-sized flames, before sending spirals of ash and slightly on-fire helicopter seeds swirling around, through the air.


    I stopped sending mana into the plant as I watched the dancing gray and red light of the tree swirling out and around us. Mallory let out a dreamy sigh, and spoke under her breath. I didn¡¯t think she intended for me to hear it, and indeed, if I hadn¡¯t ingrained the Vampiric Senses spell, I don¡¯t think I would have.


    ¡°Pretty. I wish I could bring Qwin to see this.¡±


    I smiled at that, wishing Kene and I could do the same.


    Then again, why couldn¡¯t we? The tree wasn¡¯t going to be an offensive part of my arsenal, but I could keep it in Dusk¡¯s realm for as long as she¡¯d allow me.


    I walked under the tree and put my hand on it, sucking it into Dusk¡¯s realm. With the distance between us, it took minutes, but then with a ripple, the entire tree vanished.


    I spread my senses around me, but I could still feel the other sources of mana underneath me.


    I reached my hand down onto the earth and poked around until I felt it ¨C there were thin strands of mycelium under the ground. I poured life and death mana into them until mushrooms bloomed above ground. Thin tendrils of mist spun out of its gills, and I grinned.


    That would pair perfectly with the mist-larkspur, and with the two together, I¡¯d bet that I could create some powerful mist potions¡­


    I spent a while slipping the mycelial network into Dusk¡¯s realm as well, though Mallory started giving me an annoyed glances, and Aracelli curled up for a quick nap.


    ¡°Ready to move on?¡± she asked, tapping her foot, and I nodded, dusting off my suit pants and heading back towards the center.


    A few teams approached us, but when we didn¡¯t stop to fight them over anything, we were allowed to head on without much of a fuss. People were being opportunistic right now, not looking for senseless fights.


    Thinking about fights, I wondered how the assassin was doing. I did hope she was alright. She may have been sent to mess with me, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted her dead.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Facing criminal charges for attempted murder? I could accept that.


    But not dead.


    ¡°Who sent you after me?¡± I asked Mallory, curious. She glanced over and made a ¡®hm?¡¯ noise, so I repeated my question.


    ¡°Agent Dhar of the Nightwatch,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I said. ¡°Really?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think about the Darkwatch much. Why would I? What did the national intelligence and military officers mean to me? Even to Ed, they were just the big shots that got called in when something really crazy happened.


    ¡°Yeah, he said your mentor was nuts, and that you were showing early warning signs of going the same way,¡± she said. ¡°I got asked because of my mom¡¯s job, I was about the same age, and had already met you.¡±


    I jolted. I¡¯d forgotten Mallory¡¯s mom was a Cromwell. It was¡­ strange¡­ to me. I was suddenly making friends in high places.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯d hire an assassin to kill me?¡± I asked. ¡°I left Orykson behind, I¡¯m working with Meadow now, a lovely older lady.¡±


    ¡°Depends on when the trail was laid,¡± Mallory said. ¡°But you really have an assassin after you? Orykson¡­ I know the government hates him, but I didn¡¯t think it was that bad.¡±


    ¡°How much do you know about Orykson?¡± I asked, curious to get the perspective of the daughter of a senator and powerful werewolf clan head.


    ¡°I asked my mom and dad about them,¡± she said. ¡°My dad, head of the Emsley Clan, knew about him, but only sort of. The Emsley¡¯s get drop in¡¯s from the Avatar of Sin from time to time, and the Avatar doesn¡¯t seem to like Orykson very much, but he does respect him.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said. That must have been the connection between her and Riley ¨C both of them were under the Avatar¡¯s nominal banner.


    ¡°Mom on the other hand¡­ He apparently holds some sort of really high-up darkwatch position,¡± Mallory continued.


    ¡°Wait, but¨C¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense?¡± Mallory said. ¡°I know. Based on what mom could tell, he almost never actually does anything, just sits around to act as a counterweight to other nation¡¯s Occultists. Some of the Darkwatch apparently resent him for that, but he¡¯s too useful to get rid of. I¡¯m guessing it was that resentful faction that sent me after you, and sent the assassin.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s strong enough to do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s a true Occultist, not a false one,¡± Mallory said. ¡°There are, what, a couple thousand occultists on the global scale? Mossford University has three, if I recall correctly. But all of them used keys. He didn¡¯t. You¡¯ve seen the difference it makes between Arcanists, haven¡¯t you? It¡¯s worse with Occultists.¡±


    I slowly nodded my agreement. That did make sense, in a twisty sort of way.


    Bah, politics. I didn¡¯t want to deal with them, and this whole conversation just reaffirmed my choice to work with Meadow.


    When we got to the crumbling statues, there was a small line queueing up to enter from those who¡¯d flown in and made better time than us. We entered the line, and before long, stepped through the gate and into the trial.


    Spatial mana flickered around us, and we appeared in a wide-open space, with an illusion of¡­


    Not the sage.


    The image that appeared was a man, holding a wrench in one hand, and a wand in the other. He had bronze goggles on his head that reminded me of the kind that mass production heating and welding spellcasters used, but they weren¡¯t covering his eyes, instead resting in his hair.


    His hair was a tangled red bird''s nest, not from natural curls, but rather from just being a mess. The red was a strange color, too, looking more like his hair was spun from a ruby or garnet than that he was a natural redhead.


    His eyes were multicolored ¨C not in the heterochromia sense, but in the sense that they kept changing color with every second, shifting from yellow to blue to red to green to purple and more besides.


    He was short too, about my height, but stockier than I was, and he wore old, tattered work clothes that would have looked at home on the guy who came to the house to fix the mana conductivity lines that kept the lights.


    He looked young, but not young-young, maybe twenty-seven or twenty-eight.


    Aracelli leaned forwards and gave the illusion a sniff. After determining that it was indeed an illusion, she promptly slumped against my leg and started ignoring it.


    ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± the projection said. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to ruin your trial like that. Oh! Guess I should introduce myself. I¡¯m a recorded illusion from the Craftsman.¡±


    I blinked.


    This was the Craftsman? I¡¯d been imagining¡­


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d been imagining, but the Craftsman was apparently capable of dismissing powerful mages like Ikki and Orykson. Shouldn¡¯t he look more imposing?


    ¡°If you¡¯re curious what¡¯s going on,¡± the recording continued. ¡°I reformatted the power of the Idyll-Flume, in order to allow the sage¡¯s familiars, who¡¯d been trapped inside, to escape. That broke the astral plane, but I made some temporary ones with the orb that was used. Anyways! The trials should operate pretty much the same, illusions and all that. The sage was decent with his illusion work. Make sure you leave within five days, though, past that, it¡¯ll be hard to escape. I left portals to the other planes and the outside somewhere ¨C it¡¯s hard to guess, I made the orb about seven years before the next Idyll-Flume is supposed to happen, so¡­ Oh! You should know¡­¡±


    The recording paused and rubbed at one eye, leaving an oil stain on his skin underneath.


    ¡°You should know that I forcibly added a retreat clause. Kind of dumb the sage didn¡¯t have one. To leave the trial, just say ¡®corn needs popping¡¯. Anyways, I think that should cover it? Sorry again for the inconvenience. I¡¯ve got food on, bye.¡±


    The illusion wandered away, and after a second, it flickered out.


    ¡°What?¡± Mallory said.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said.


    A moment later, the illusion of the sage appeared, and told us to prepare for combat, and that group versus group was one of the truest, and so on and so forth. Frankly, I started ignoring him halfway through.


    I dropped into a fighting stance, and Mallory did the same. This was going to be my first real test of powers since I¡¯d drank all of the deep mana, and I was excited.


    Across the room, a trio of monsters appeared. One of them was kind of cute, resembling a giant eyeball with bat-like, red wings. The second was a spinning vortex of acid, leaking desolation and lunar mana, clearly some form of elemental. The third was a large, bulky glass creature that floated through the air, likely an elemental as well.


    I wished I¡¯d had Dusk here, both for her combat power and her spiritual powers. Her company too, but I¡¯d been missing that since I woke up on the beach.


    ¡°Begin!¡± the sage cried, and we let fly with our spells.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty-Six

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Mallory¡¯s claws forged around her hand, Araceli¡¯s throat began to glow with light, and I let briars and bones burst from my spirit.


    The monsters surged forward, and the eye focused on us, a ray of light bursting from its pupil. As the light fell over me, I felt something pushing against my mind, a fear effect.


    Unlike with the draconic trial, though, this wasn¡¯t overwhelmingly powerful. It was strong, but my mind-shielding ring pushed back, and I threw my will behind it, pushing back as well, even as the fear seeped into my bones.


    Mallory conjured her dark aura, the one that seemed to generate power from her wounds, and dove right at the acid elemental, while Araceli leapt up, spreading her wings and releasing dragonfyre at the glass elemental.


    I was left slack jawed for a second, simply astounded by Mallory¡¯s¡­ well, if she ever asked me, I¡¯d call it courage.


    I recovered quickly, however, and teleported into the air behind the eyeball creature, releasing a storm of briars and bones at it, but it cut off the cone of light and zoomed out of the way.


    I teleported in front of it, locking my position and calling the bones to my hand before launching them out in a scattered pattern. I created a diamond shape around the creature, but it had some intelligence, as it dove in between the pattern, and I was forced to teleport in front of it again.


    It unleashed a beam of light at me, and I felt a wave of disorientation and nausea come over me. If I hadn¡¯t fought Bohn, I would have likely thrown up on the spot.


    Even with my exposure and mild shielding ring doing a fair bit of heavy lifting, I still lost control of my mana for just a second. I fell out of the air and barely caught myself with another locking spell.


    Even as I teleported back up and lashed out with more briars, I felt frustrated at how much my lack of access to the plants I¡¯d stored in Dusk was limiting my combat power. If I¡¯d been able to call on an overwhelming slash of Blademoss, I could have cut this eyeball illusion out of the sky.


    I recalled the bones and tried a more triangular pattern, with one above and below, but the eye was able to just barely side out of the way, and fire another beam off at me. I teleported out of the way and brought my hand down with a briar on the trailing extraocular muscles.


    It left a thin cut, but didn¡¯t properly kill it. A splatter of white goop oozed from the wound, and the air was filled with a dizzying, powerful surge of mental, knowledge, solar, and life energy. It assaulted my senses, battering at my shielding ring, and my Magister¡¯s Body began to churn, drawing energy from the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul in order to fight and push it away.


    I teleported across the empty space and took a breath.


    What had that been?


    I refocused and called my bones to me. I needed to be smart about this, if I wanted to defeat it.


    Quickly, I glanced down at Mallory, just to make sure she was okay.


    She was¡­ Something. She leapt from place to place to dodge bursts of acid, the green light of a regeneration spell flowing into her, mixing with the black aura. Each time she landed on the ground, she slashed out with her claws, knocking drips of the acid and then hitting them with her freezing spell.


    She was fine.


    Mostly.


    Aracelli was currently sitting atop the glass creature, biting it, and then spitting the glass to the side.


    I wasn¡¯t sure that was safe, but I also wasn¡¯t going to tell a terragon what she could and couldn¡¯t eat, so I turned my attention back to the eyeball creature.


    It had flown across the room toward me, even in the moment I¡¯d simply been hanging in the air, so I sent the Pinpoint Boneshards at it in a continuous stream. It dove to the left, and I conjured Briarthreads, slashing at it. It locked its wings and dove, twisting to fire a beam right at me, and I saw my chance.


    I left a Material Echo in my place, which I hoped would trick the eyeball monster into thinking that I was caught in its mental distortion, then teleported behind and underneath it, before overcharging Briarthreads and sending all of them into the side of the eye.


    Before they could even hit, I teleported several feet back, out of the way of the goo¡¯s range.


    That was when I figured out why its goo released so much power. For several seconds as the goo was undulating out of the eye, it was frozen, disoriented. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I focused and set the spatial guidance onto the eye, then all of my bones slammed into it. It only took two more applications before the eye dissolved, and I recalled the bones to me.


    I focused on the acid elemental, considering what I could do. My normal bag of tricks was rather cut down, but I still had access to my spells¡­


    I tilted my head this way and that as I considered, then teleported over to land.


    Not really seeing much else I could do, I sent bones and briars into the acid. It dissolved the briars quickly, so I eventually just fired off bones, while Aracelli shot off beams of dragonfyre to evaporate sections, and  Mallory leapt around, freezing and cutting away chunks.


    It took us a long time, none of us being particularly well suited for this fight, but eventually we managed to remove enough chunks of its body that it collapsed apart.


    That must have counted as a win, because the door appeared. Mallory growled and shook herself, letting the aura fade. I checked myself over while she did. Honestly, apart from the acid burns ¨C which she¡¯d healed ¨C we¡¯d come out of this fight pretty clean.


    We waited a half hour, so I could let my death mana recover a little bit. I focused all of my regeneration into death, converting my mana down and then up again at the same rate that it recovered.


    Horribly inefficient for normal purposes, but my other gates had recovered while I was shooting bones, and there was no point leaving them empty. If nothing else, it gave for decent mana manipulation practice.


    Once I was recovered, we stepped through to the next room, and found ourselves standing on a large field.


    A large, familiar, field.


    It was the standard grass field, with patches of rocks and dirt where it hadn¡¯t been well tended. There had once been lines drawn onto it to define the right distance for various sports, but they¡¯d faded from generations of feet trampling over them.


    In other words, it was the sports field that sat outside of every school in Mossford.


    On the other side of the field were twenty-one people, each holding a ball, and a rather rotund referee in the middle, with a whistle in his mouth.


    ¡°Alright kids,¡± he said, wheezing slightly as he did. ¡°We want a good game of mana-dodgeball!¡±


    As he spoke, abnegation enchantments rippled through the field, and I felt the access to higher gate mana cut off. First my second gate, then first, leaving me with nothing but my ungated mana.


    No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. I had my ungated, but I also had my full gate spells. Their more active uses were suppressed, since I couldn¡¯t tap into my mana, and I thought that my burnt energy wouldn¡¯t recover any faster than normal, but I¡¯d still been modified by the spell. I still had more physical power than when I¡¯d started, even if the pools of power weren¡¯t entirely able to be tapped into.


    I hadn¡¯t played mana-dodgeball in ages, since it was mostly just used to teach basic mana manipulation.


    ¡°This was supposed to be throwing stones, but that¡¯s stupid, and kinda abusive, think? I¡¯m not a lawyer,¡± someone said next to me, and I leapt into the air. Next to me, Mallory whirled around, and we saw the Craftsman, holding a packet of pudding and shaking it out.


    ¡°Can it be called abuse if it¡¯s not your kids? Or is that just assault and battery?¡± the Craftsman asked, then shrugged. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll let you all get on with this.¡±


    He walked away, and the coach blew his whistle. A ball was soaring through the air at me a moment later, and I threw myself to the side, then grabbed it once it landed. I sent a spark of ungated mana into the ball, and it glowed slightly as its minor enchantments activated, then I flung it at the people.


    Mallory caught a ball, but the coach seemed to be using the stupid ruleset, because he pointed at her and whistled.


    ¡°You¡¯re out!¡±


    She vanished, and I paused, caught off guard by the sheer stupidity. I managed to dodge the balls that came at me, but twenty-one to two were hard odds, even with both Araceli and I possessing stronger than normal bodies.


    A ball struck me in the face before too long, and I was teleported out. Mallory glanced at me and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Did we really get caught out¡­ by a dodgeball challenge?¡± she asked, growling.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I said, leaning down against the statue next to her.


    ¡°Primes,¡± she groused. ¡°That thrice-cursed Craftsman, if he hadn¡¯t popped in for another chat, I would have gotten through just fine.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything to that ¨C it was pretty clear that she was coping with the loss by blaming it on someone else, and I was just glad it wasn¡¯t me.


    Aracelli appeared a moment later, so I closed my eyes and let my internal clock tell me when enough time had passed for us to be allowed back in.


    This time, the fight in the first room was against a giant flying bee, autonomous flying blade, and a bone elemental.


    This was a much better matchup for us, and we broke into the same strategy as before, with me taking to the skies to fight the bee with bones and briars, and Mallory cutting away at the bone elemental.


    This time, Mallory actually finished the elemental off faster than I could finish the flying opponent, who kept using a glowing golden honey to cure its wounds, and Mallory was the one standing on the sidelines, chucking Ice Knives at the bee whenever it came in range.


    We let our mana recover some, then headed into the dodgeball room.


    This time, we had a team of five, with two random people joining Mallory and me, but our opposing team held thirty-five people.


    ¡°Are you delvers too?¡± Mallory asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited for mana-dodgeball, it¡¯s my favorite day at school,¡± one of them said.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a no,¡± I said, and Mallory rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You think?¡± she snarked.


    We launched into mana-dodgeball, and this time, we focused on using the two co-operative illusions as human shields, and not catching the balls, only dodging.


    In the end, it took us several attempts at the dodgeball room to get through. No matter how many people ¨C or lack thereof ¨C appeared to join us, the opposing team always had seven times as many people. They could take seven times as many hits as each of us.


    It did make me laugh that the challenge that was forcing me to go the hardest wasn¡¯t some complex puzzle, but rather a children¡¯s game. Mallory didn¡¯t seem to find it nearly as funny as I did, but I thought Aracelli saw the humor.


    Or maybe not. She was a terragon, and they were supposed to only be about as smart as a cat. She might just be excited because I was laughing.


    We finally completed it on the fourth run through, and I felt a surge of relief pass through me as spatial magic warped me away.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty-Seven

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I appeared in front of a stone building, and glanced around. Neither Araceli nor Mallory had been teleported in with me, so this must be one of the solo challenges.


    There were a few things of note ¨C above the doors of the building was the seal of some college I didn¡¯t recognize. A few steps behind me, a large stone monolith stood, carved with spellforms. There was clearly a place to cast a spell into it, but none of my spells actually worked.


    With nothing else in sight outside, I figured the challenge would be within, so I pushed open the large oaken doors and stepped inside.


    The sage appeared before me and smiled.


    ¡°To have reached this far in the trials, you should have broken through to third gate. A critical time in a mage¡¯s development. For many, it is the last step they will ever take. For others, it is the first step into true power.¡±


    Hah! If only the sage knew that a hundred years after he died, a trans kid from the suburbs would hold off on advancement, in order to get a mark from a trial in another country.


    ¡°Of course, limited within this realm as you are, you¡¯ve likely to have had limited access to spell resources,¡± the Sage said. ¡°I present to you, my library.¡±


    He spread his hands wide, gesturing broadly.


    ¡°I, of course, had seven types of mana, but I collected information on all of the mana types. This challenge is both simple, and incredibly complex. Within my library lay many, many spells, but I¡¯ve removed crucial parts of them. You must study your magic and other, supplementary texts, until you¡¯re able to fix a spell. Then you can use your new third gate spell and cast it into the tablet outside.¡±


    He held up a hand and waggled a finger.


    ¡°Now, I know a few of you are thinking you¡¯ll simply use a spell you have, but don¡¯t you dare. The trial has already scanned your spirit and the materials you brought in with you, only a third gate spell that¡¯s new to you will work!¡±


    I sucked in a breath.


    This was going to suck. I couldn¡¯t actually cast third gate spells, and I wasn¡¯t willing to ascend for a basic challenge like this. I might try it, if I had no other option, but¡­ Giving up a chance at the Beastgate for a chance at power now felt incredibly stupid.


    No, the best thing I could do right now was to cheat. I¡¯d cheated in his other challenges, so I knew it was possible. The trial had scanned my spirit and items, but that didn¡¯t mean it examined everything, especially the bonds I had. Dusk was nowhere nearby, and our link was weakened by the distance. It was possible the things in her realm hadn¡¯t been scanned.


    The first thing I tried was walking out to statue and overcharging a spell, then casting it into the stone. It did nothing, but that wasn¡¯t exactly unexpected.


    Next, I tried holding my hands out and reaching for Dusk¡¯s realm. It took long minutes for me to connect, and minutes more for me to channel the blademoss out from my hands, but it did.


    The magic slashed into the stone and left thin chips and gashes along the surface of the tablet. I let out a sigh as the strain pushed through my spirit, and lowered my hands, the moss dissolving.


    It hadn¡¯t worked. That was far more disappointing than the failure with overcharging had been.


    With a sigh, I began to pull more items from Dusk. Even with the time it took, it would be faster than leaving and having to go through all the challenges myself, especially since I might just end up in this room again.


    I tried tapping a third gate mana source to the stone, but that did nothing.


    When I got my cauldron out, I got started on my next experiment.


    I hadn¡¯t made a third gate potion before, but I knew that it should, in theory, be possible for me to do. Meadow had said some true experts could even make potions two gates above them, and while I didn¡¯t think I could get to that level, I was willing to try jumping one.


    But what potion to make? I only had a few plants that had reached third gate already: my blademoss, gibbeous windbush, and mercurial lotuses. I didn¡¯t have any experience with those.


    A healing potion would be the safest, while simultaneously being the most time consuming. I¡¯d need to spent hours connecting to the various flowers, pushing them to third gate, and then summoning them back to me. I wasn¡¯t third gate myself, so I had to burn an absurd amount of mana to push them there, and I didn¡¯t have a conveniently placed war-root to tap into for mana.


    I could try to go for a mist potion, strength potion, or a scent potion, but all of those had plenty of problems of their own. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Sure, I only needed to connect to three plants for a mist or strength potion, but most of the plants for them were first gate, having only recently been acquired. Worse, I¡¯d never brewed them before, so I¡¯d be flying blind.


    A scent potion would only need two, but it was hardly even a spell, and might well not activate the trigger, and I¡¯d still be flying blind.


    For all of them, I¡¯d want to mix in Healer¡¯s Heart. The plant was strange, having mana, rather than just energy, and changing to reflect the mana of the person who used it, and I was hoping that would allow it to trick the tablet into thinking it was a spell.


    Thinking about the strange plant sparked a thought.


    I didn¡¯t technically need to spend all the time for healing potions¡­


    I reached out and connected to Dusk¡¯s realm, then started working to force a portal open.


    That was even harder than summoning something to me. It took me thirty minutes to brute force one large enough to let me through, and by the end, I was panting and gasping. When it finally snapped into place, stable, my vision blacked out for a second. I thought I might pass out, but managed to only stumble a bit.


    I flopped underneath the shade of a tree for a long moment, to allow myself to rest and recover, but I couldn¡¯t take too long. Once I was feeling better, I headed to the lushest area of rolling fields, where the flowers were, and cast multiple overcharged Enhance Plant Life spells, then began to pour mana in.


    I drained my mana, and began to convert mana from other gates into life mana, adding them to the task as well.


    That ran dry, so I ventured back over into the forest area and mana from my Red Star tree, then proceeded to dump it into the flowers.


    On and on it went, drawing from the Pointermoss and Transivy, from the Emperor¡¯s Tree and Blood Carnations, then taking a break to allow my mana to recharge.


    It took me close to ten hours, but eventually I had the Sunset Marigolds, Breath Aster, Dewdrop Feverfew, and Healers Heart, as well as the four basic alchemical plants at third gate.


    I¡¯d opted out of empowering the Soultoad¡¯s Seat, because while it was powerful and useful, the mushroom was incredibly toxic if not treated properly, and I wasn¡¯t going to risk that when using power beyond what I could call on.


    With that done, though, I laid down in the cabin for a brief nap, setting a thirty minute timer with Internal Pocketwatch. I¡¯d gone through a lot of fighting, and hadn¡¯t had much time to rest and recover.


    In the end, I slept for close to five hours, and when I woke up, I cursed at myself for turning the alarm off.


    I couldn¡¯t be that mad at myself, though. I¡¯d desperately needed the sleep, and the craftsman had said I had time.


    I just hoped I didn¡¯t get caught in any multi-day-long scenarios, like I had in the second floor of the tower. Without skips to burn, it would make things tighter than they already were.


    Come to think of it, this might be considered a multi-day scenario. Throwing together a spell out of incomplete parts wasn¡¯t easy ¨C there was a reason people got collegiate or mastery degrees in spell engineering.


    That thought relaxed me a little bit as I made my way over to my cauldron. I lit a fire under it, then activated the enchantments to evenly disperse heat throughout the inside. I poured in tap water, then spun my ungated mana through the enchantments, pulling out as many of the impurities as I could.


    I lifted my newly third gate breath aster and began to drain out the arrays.


    The third gate mana was a strain, too much for my mana-garden to handle, and it bucked like a horse, resisting my control. I steeled myself, and commanded it to drain away.


    The flower shriveled, the life draining away, and I focused on the arrays I¡¯d left within, the ones that helped to treat earache, stomach aches, fevers, and promote the flows of life energy in the body.


    I overcharged my enhancing spell and flooded power into the arrays. This time, rather than a bucking horse resisting my commands, it was trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom. No matter how much I poured it, the flower demanded more, and it became hard to cut the flow off.


    I gripped my mana tightly and yanked it away from the flower. My spirit rumbled uncomfortably, and I popped a spiritbalm leaf into my mouth and chewed.


    I tossed the newly enhanced flower into the pot and stirred, allowing the energy arrays to spread through the liquid, then quickly repeated the process with my other flowers. I added some mundane echinacea, and a bit of white willow bark ¨C not from the flaming flower willow, just from an ordinary tree ¨C taking breaks every once in a while, in order to allow my spirit to rest and recover.


    Each flower put about as much burden on my spirit as using Blademoss did, and while I¡¯d had multiple spiritual enhancements recently ¨C ingraining Beast Mage¡¯s Soul, the elixir Octavian had given me, and the massive investment of deep mana ¨C I wasn¡¯t eager to put enough strain to injure myself again.


    When my flowers were all boiling away in the pot, I turned my attention to the last component: Healer¡¯s Heart.


    Bringing it to third gate had taken more power than any other two plants put together, despite the fact it had been receiving regular infusions of mana since I got the thing.


    The same proved true here. As I drained away its unneeded arrays, the power crushed down one me more like a spiritual attack than anything, and when I fueled its powers, it took everything I could give it, and more besides.


    It kept drawing and drawing, and with a wrench, I pulled my staff from my spirit. Slamming it into the ground, I just barely managed to cut off the spell, then threw the leaf into the pot.


    Third gate energy and mana began to spin and swirl within the cauldron, and I shoved ungated mana through its enchantments, grabbing a ladle and skimming the gunk off of the top layer by layer, until finally, I was left with a tiny pool of liquid a the bottom.


    With trepidation, I ran it through some cheesecloth and into a glass jar, then set it aside. I packed everything away, making sure I had completely cleaned up after myself, before approaching the tablet.


    I tipped the jar over the tablet, letting a drop spill out. The spells on the tablet started to glow, but dimly, and it started to dim further. Before the light could go out completely, I poured more potion onto it.


    Green light raced through the lines of the spell array, and then a flicker of spatial magic came over me.


    I stood at a familiar crossroads, one that reminded me of the one I¡¯d faced within the dragon¡¯s trial. There were once again two paths, but rather than wisdom or courage, I had to choose between temperance or justice.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty-Eight

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I stood at the crossroads for some time, contemplating.


    On one hand, I was worried that if I chose temperance, my reward from this trial or floor or whatever it was would be lessened. But on the other hand, I didn¡¯t think that the Sage¡¯s idea of justice would match mine.


    There was a chance that the Craftsman had redone the justice floor, much as he¡¯d turned learning to dodge thrown stones into dodgeball, but then again, maybe he thought temperance was stupid and redid it too.


    Primes, for all I knew, the Craftsman could have already stolen all the rewards. At the end of the day, trying to predict the actions of someone with absurd levels of power, who I also had never even met was pointless.


    I could guess about the sage, though. If this was a test of justice in the modern world, then I might reasonably accept it, but the Sage had died over a century ago, and it was clear that even then, he¡¯d not had the keenest of moralities for the time.


    No, temperance was the best choice.


    I turned and headed down the temperance hall, and watched as space flickered around me to bring me to the next stage of the trial.


    I appeared in an empty room, with two boxes in front of me, and a door behind that. One of them was made of solid gold, while the other was made of iron. The door was made of wood, with a thick padlock, and a symbol on it that either meant one of three, or one third, I wasn¡¯t sure.


    The illusion of the sage appeared before me.


    ¡°Congratulations. Temperance, justice, wisdom, and courage, are the four great virtues which you, my prospective heir, must demonstrate. For now, however, we shall focus on the first of the four. Before you lie three boxes, each containing a reward commensurate with what lies within. You may claim to only see two, and that is true ¨C the third is hidden by powerful invisibility magic, and contains even greater rewards than the other two put together. Yet only one box holds the key to advance forward, while the others will grant you their treasure and send you back to the entrance to try again.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. This was perhaps the most classical fairy tale test of character possible. If I¡¯d had unlimited time, I might have looked for the invisible box and accepted starting over, but as things were¡­ The answer was obvious.


    Ignoring the golden box, I strode over to the iron box and opened it, removing the key and single vial of the first gate mana restoration elixir from within and unlocking the door before passing on.


    This time, I appeared next to a lake, with Kene next to me. I turned to glance at them.


    ¡°Kene?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Malachi!¡± they said, pulling me into a hug. ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I was just in a test,¡± I said, still a bit wary. I supposed it could be possible that one of us had been brought into the other¡¯s trial, but I doubted it.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Kene said, letting me go. ¡°I had to choose between wisdom and courage, and I chose courage.¡±


    As if on cue, the lake began to bubble and boil, and I felt the surging of power as a powerful third gate presence began to rise from the water.


    A large, serpentine head erupted from the lake, followed by a second, then a third. A huge, drakelike body emerged next, and I held still, priming a Foxstep, but not casting any offensive spells.


    Temperance. If the box room really had been challenge one of three, then this would be the second.


    The hydra let out a roar, and Kene¡¯s hands lit up with fiery runes. They spun through the air and wrapped around me, and the hydra¡¯s mouths filled with light. It exploded down at Kene, and I teleported back.


    The aura around Kene exploded, the magic of their tattoos and fox-bird-thing mixing into a shell of power.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    But the hydra was strong, and the shields began to crack.


    I teleported up and thrust my hand out, trying to call blademoss to unleash my strongest attack.


    The beam tore through Kene, and black ooze began to flow out of their form, then reformed into the shape of a strange, mimic-like monster. The runes around me, mental illusions, vanished, dispelled by the hydra¡¯s attack, and the mana around the ooze monster shifted, no longer appearing as the familiar mix of power that made up Kene¡¯s magic, but instead a mix of myriad powers, with a focus on mind, creation, and knowledge.


    I thought I understood the shape of this challenge now. If I got caught up in the heat of the moment, I¡¯d act to save what I thought was my partner, only for the ooze monster to attack me.


    Temperance, just like the box challenge. Just in a different way.


    The ooze monster formed into the shape of a man, easily eight feet tall, and armor forged itself out of its mana, alongside a spear. They threw the spear at me, and I teleported behind the monster, lashing out with overcharged Briarthreads, while using Transport Item to bring my Pinpoint Boneshard in front of the monster, attacking from both directions.


    The thing¡¯s armor was strong, though, and while my attacks left cracks, they didn¡¯t injure. The hydra blasted down with beams of its concentrated breath weapon, and I Foxstepped away, just in time to dodge as the ooze¡¯s hand turned into a sword and cut down at me.


    The hydra¡¯s beam shattered the armor, but did no more. I teleported my bones in and sent them right at the broken parts of the armor, while running diagonally, dodging the knifes of darkness that the ooze was throwing at me.


    Each bone¡¯s attack ripped off a chunk of the ooze¡¯s dark, gelatinous body, but did no apparent damage, and the Ooze simply scooped down, and the torn off chunks flowed back to refill its mass.


    I let out a groan.


    My lack of direct offense spells was seriously starting to be a pain. I needed to get a sunlotus, or a lightingbranch hazel, quickly.


    Even then, I¡¯d still only be half-effective, but at least it would be something.


    I narrowed my eyes.


    There was one thing that was different about this ooze from when Mallory had fought the acid elemental. This thing did have a physical body¡­


    I flicked my fingers and cast a Fungal Lock over it, watching as the mycelial roots began to spread through its goo.


    Normally, the semi-tangible roots only dug in a little bit in order to sap the opponent¡¯s energy, but this ooze was so permeable that they spread like crazy.


    I clapped and with a touch of deft mana manipulation, cast another four layers of Fungal Lock over the ooze, glancing up at the Hydra to see if it was planning to help. It just sat there, placid as the lake it had emerged from.


    I turned my focus back to the ooze, who was trying to use its blade arm to cut layers of the fungus off, but with the draining effect, each cut had less strength behind it.


    I overcharged a layer and recast it, and the ooze adopted a new strategy, calling out mana of its own and condensing it to form a new layer of armor, trying to cut off the entire attack at once.


    For just a moment, our spells clashed. Armor wasn¡¯t meant to cut things away, but the monster was a full gate above me, and not weak even within third gate. I¡¯d been reforged with the power of the drops and held on, fighting, but in the end, the armor crunched into place, and my spells faded.


    Then light gathered up in the hydra¡¯s mouth, and a powerful beam slammed down, cracking the armor apart again.


    I grinned and focused on Foxsteps, dodging out of the way of the ooze¡¯s thrown knives, giving it time to restore its armor.


    Each time the ooze¡¯s armor restored itself, the hydra broke it, and slowly but surely, the ooze¡¯s mana drained away.


    When it didn¡¯t bother restoring the armor again, I struck, lashing out with seven overcharged Fungal Locks that I¡¯d been building and holding in place as I performed my slow yet steady dodging routine.


    My spirit groaned in protest, unused to the weight of such powerful magic all at once. If I¡¯d been the same Malachi as the one who¡¯d walked into this trial, I¡¯d have lost control or else damaged my spirit again.


    But I wasn¡¯t the same, and while it wasn¡¯t easy, I kept the power concentrated on the ooze as hundreds of probing mycelial threads drank up the ooze¡¯s energy reserves.


    The ooze started to cut them off, but each cut was less and less effective, and it quickly became apparent that it couldn¡¯t cut them off fast enough.


    Even with my advantage, it still took me the better part of three minutes for the ooze to have lost enough energy to slump to the ground, all but dead, and then several lashings of bones and briars in order to actually tear its form apart enough for the Sage to count it and summon the door.


    I was pretty drained of mana, though. This might not be the test of wisdom, but there was still no point in jumping into a challenge while drained, so I took a while to rest and allow my Magister¡¯s Body and harvesting spells to refuel my energy and mana, while Beast Mage¡¯s Soul intermingled the two together.


    It was boring, though. The hydra wasn¡¯t real, just another illusion, and while the lake was pretty, it wasn¡¯t so pretty that I could sit there for an hour or longer.


    I was tempted to take the very elixir I¡¯d just gotten, but I was worried that would go against the whole ¡®temperance¡¯ theme, and just wind up sending me back, so in the end, I wound up reaching out to my plants in Dusk¡¯s realm, drawing on them for restoration.


    That still took time, several minutes for each plant, but it was better than waiting the full time for my natural restoration.


    Once I was back in fighting shape, I stepped through the door and into what I presumed to be the third and final temperance challenge.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Forty-Nine

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I appeared in a gray stone room, facing off against a large minotaur. The monster let out a bellow, and red light exploded around it, then it rushed me.


    I doubted that the lesson would be the same as the last one, but I also wasn¡¯t foolish enough to bet everything on that, so I spent some time dodging back and forth, teleporting out of the way of attacks, waiting to see if anything changed.


    When nothing did, I shifted to go onto the offensive, slicing at the minotaur with Briarthreads and Pinpoint Boneshards. It was slow work, but the minotaur was slow and predictable, and I eventually cut it down.


    The body vanished, and a door appeared where it had been slain. Beyond the door lay one of the altars with a statue of the sage, and I started to step towards it, ready to take my prize, but paused.


    It had to be fake, tempting me with the promise of easy power. I didn¡¯t think the final temperance trial would just be fighting a random minotaur.


    I took several steps back and waited, watching the stone walls around me, as well as the door.


    Minutes ticked by, and I started to get bored, waiting for anything to change. I waited, and waited, then turned and focused on the air, working to open a portal to Dusk¡¯s astral plane. That took a long time and continuous effort, after all, and while it wasn¡¯t fun, it was at least something to get my mind off the boredom.


    Only a short while into the summoning of the portal, however, another monster appeared, this time a large lion, glowing with golden skin, dense with telluric power. I grinned and spun, launching bones into its mouth.


    Nemean lions were a rare monster, and if I ran into one in real life, I¡¯d be focused on leaving it alone, or bringing it to a place that could preserve and protect it.


    As was, though? It was a classical battle, told in many tales, and its weakness was even more well known ¨C its skin was protected, not its inside.


    It felt incredibly gross, bouncing the bone around inside the lion¡¯s gut, but it was undeniably effective, as within a few moments, the lion dissolved, and another door appeared.


    I expected this would be a trap too, so I dedicated myself to working on opening the portal to Dusk¡¯s realm, until a new monster appeared, a giant spider. Its carapace was thick, and the webs it spat would have cut down my mobility, but Foxstep let me escape them easily, and I was able to cut it down.


    On and on it went, with the wait getting longer each time, and I was beginning to wonder if the sage understood temperance, or if he was really just tasting my patience.


    Finally, when I cut down the seventh monster, the Sage appeared.


    ¡°Well done in passing the tests of temperance. There remains but one test now, and I warn you¡­ This is a true one.¡±


    The hall slowly began to fill with physical mana. Blades of gray force forged themselves into the air and swung down at my head.


    I teleported out of the way, then spun as physical mana started to concentrate behind me. I just barely had the time to dance out of the way of this blade before it formed and sliced through the air.


    Already, though, mana was gathering to my side, and I lunged forward.


    Had that blade formed faster?


    As another formed in mere moments in front of me, and I turned, the blade striking my suit and leaving a thin slice in it, I nodded to myself.


    They were definitely forming faster.


    I ducked as one slashed out next to my head, then jumped as one appeared next to my feet.


    Again, I was grateful for the Magister¡¯s Body, my extra pools of physical energy allowing me to move faster than before. A blade sliced up, slowing only for a moment as my force aura pin pushed it back, and I teleported out of the way.


    A line of swords followed in my wake, and I jumped backwards, spinning and stepping back as another erupted from the ceiling.


    Not only were they getting faster, they were getting larger, too!


    I teleported forwards, getting out of the way of the blade that started to form under my feet, then ducked down in order to dodge a strike to my head. I dove forward and rolled, then teleported out of the way, popping up next to the sage.


    That was where I had an idea. I paused for a moment, then just barely stepped out of the way as another large sword lanced towards me¡­


    And struck the sage¡¯s illusion. The illusion vanished, as did the physical mana, all vanishing in a rush of abnegation mana. A moment later, spatial magic flickered over me, and I was brought into the next challenge.


    I had hoped that I¡¯d appear in the altar room, given how the last temperance challenge had teased me about it, but I had no such luck. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    I did suppose that was fair. The higher levels of the tower and the further you went in the trials, the more time they were supposed to take. I¡¯d only taken a day in the spell room, which had been a time saver to completing it regularly over the course of days or a week, but I still probably had one long haul room left before I was able to complete the trial.


    I appeared in a high tower, though, with a dragon curled around the base. It was a large one, easily able to wrap its body around the base of the structure, and it was a deep green color that reminded me of Ivy or Azalea. Judging by the mana it gave off, it was probably around fifth gate. Weak for its gate, a false ascension, but it was still fifth gate. I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d be killing it to escape, if that was the goal, so I really hoped that it was defending my tower, not keeping me as its prize.


    That set a pit of dread in my stomach, and as the sage appeared, it grew worse.


    ¡°Ah, fair maidens, you seem to have found yourself kidnapped by a fierce and powerful dragon,¡± the sage said.


    I gritted my teeth. I was not a maiden, no matter what he said. His stupid spells were probably going off of my biological sex, and he thought that was¡­


    Wait, maidens?


    I turned to see Mallory and Aracelli appearing next to me. Mallory¡¯s left wrist was poorly bandaged, likely something she¡¯d done herself. Aracaelli looked fine, but was clearly tired.


    ¡°Many a knight has come to make you all his bride, yet none have succeeded,¡± the sage continued. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡±


    ¡°He really is a prick,¡± Mallory said. ¡°He¡¯s lucky he¡¯s dead, or I¡¯d offer to punch him for you.¡±


    That might actually be the kindest thing that Mallory had ever said to me, come to think of it. I gave her a smile, trying to banish the embarrassment burning in my stomach, feeding it into the anger.


    ¡°He¡¯s not great, yeah. I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, after finding out he enslaved his familiars, but it still stings to hear someone so far above me degenerate my identity.¡±


    Mallory winced, and while the sage rambled on about the scenario, I tuned him out, waving Mallory over. I carefully redid her bandages, getting them wrapped tighter and stronger, and she tilted her head, like a confused dog.


    ¡°Are you a healer too?¡±


    ¡°No, but my partner is, and I¡¯ve seen them bandage me up a few times. I can also do some basic stuff ¨C do you know how many times I burned myself as a kid?¡±


    Mallory¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°No, not that way,¡± I said hastily. ¡°I grew up in a bakery. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°Well, I guess we should get going, looking for the supplies to kill this dragon, aye?¡±


    ¡°Is that our goal?¡± I asked, ¡°I honestly started tuning him out.¡±


    ¡°Apparently we need to assist the next knight coming to rescue us in two days,¡± Mallory said. ¡°There are warding, alchemy, and enchanting rooms in the tower. As well as our own combat abilities.¡±


    I glanced at Aracelli, who began to spin in a circle, then lay down to nap.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much help she¡¯ll be, but I¡¯m a fair alchemist,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know anything about the others?¡±


    ¡°A little bit of enchanting, picked up from Qwin¡¯s family,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±


    ¡°I can make alarm wards too, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that useful,¡± I said.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± she agreed, and we split off to our respective tasks.


    The sage may have have been a right belland, but at least he wasn¡¯t cheap. There was an entire room full of dried herbs, powders, crystals, and metals, alongside a set of three cauldrons.


    I got excited when I saw a row of sun lotuses. Even though they were all dried, there were still nearly thirty of them.


    I swept my mana senses over the room, checking to see if any of the materials were real. Most were composed of mental mana, just illusions, but there were a few things¡­ One of the crystals was radiating a mix of mental, life, and soft, warm solar mana, so I snagged that, and one band of metal was clearly glowing with fiery solar mana. Finally, the stock of the healing components and four cornerstones of alchemy seemed to be real as well.


    With the real items stored away, I took a stock of my dried ingredients. Twenty-nine sun lotuses, but only fifteen dried firecreep vines. I could try and supplement with my own, but I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how the illusion would react to me introducing new elements to it.


    No, it was best to work on just the resources I¡¯d been given.


    There was dried vigor camas and muddy armroot, which meant strength boosting potions were on the table¡­ I¡¯d never made them before, but in a way, that was encouraging. Since this was all an illusion, if I messed up, there would be far less of a problem than usual.


    There was a good amount of mist-larkspur, dried mushrooms that gave off mist, and the standard trifecta of breath-aster, sunset-marigolds, and dewdrop-feverfew for healing potions.


    Finally, there were huge stores of the four cornerstones: Slowleaf, quickflower, bindingroot, and managrass.


    That did give me an idea, though¡­ It was ambitious, but I could start working to combine some potion effects. I would make some ordinary healing potions, but I could also make some blended with slowleaf to spread the healing over time, then use that with bindingroot to try and combine the effect with a strengthening potion.


    I pulled down the vigor camas and drained it of the standard plant arrays, then studied what was left.


    There were two main arrays that I could clearly see, so I set it to the side, and drained the muddy armroot. That also had three arrays in it, but only one of them was also in the camas, so I drained the other two away, as well as the extra one in the camas itself.


    It was possible I was overdoing it ¨C I¡¯d never made a strength potion before, so the other arrays might have been beneficial, but it was better to not risk it.


    I measured out the slowleaf to spread the power of the array over about ten minutes, then overcharged my mana to fuel the array in the armroot and camas.


    Once it was as packed with energy as I could manage, I mixed it in with the armroot, then allowed the array to start to form in the simmering cauldron. I started prepping my healing potion, measuring out more slowleaf so the effects would have the same duration. That might do nothing, but I was hoping that it would make fusing the two spells easier.


    I tossed the leaves into the cauldron, and tried to guide the spell arrays to form. They started to, but some of the parts that hadn¡¯t connected together yet started grabbing onto the strengthening of the potion already in the pot, leaving me with a half form lump of sludge, rather than a viable potion.


    I poured it out, frowning. I didn¡¯t think my process had been entirely wrong, but there had clearly been a flaw in the process.


    I repeated my experiment, this time forming the healing potion in a second cauldron, then adding bindingroot to both.


    With nothing to stick onto, the bindingroot just sat there, the lines of its energy swirling, and I grinned, pouring the two cauldrons together.


    The bindingroot connected, and the two arrays, both complete, bound together tightly. The potion turned a vibrant green, with flecks of brown, and I dipped a finger in to taste.


    A slow trickle of illusory power and real healing, working together in unison, flowed through my body. I grinned.


    It was time to get to work.

 SALE + Audio Release!

    The audiobook for Mana Mirror is out now! To celebrate, book one is on sale for 99 cents!


    Amazon Link: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CYHQG7L4</a>This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Audiobook Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/Mana-Mirror-The-First-Gate-Audiobook/B0D5SB2784</a>

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Over the remainder of the prep time, I made fourteen firebombs, a half dozen healing potions, four strength potions, and four of my blended strength and regeneration potions. I would have made even more, but I needed to overcharge my mana to handle the higher gate materials, and in the case of things like the firebombs, materials were limited.


    When we could see the knight ¨C who was literally in shining armor ¨C approaching over the horizon, I handed one of the strength and regeneration potions to Mallory, one to Araceli, and drank one myself. Even if the strength they granted was illusory, bound only to this realm, it felt nice, and with that compounding my magister¡¯s body, I thought I¡¯d be stronger than most people who weren¡¯t using focused, strength boosting spells.


    As the knight grew closer, the dragon curled around the tower cracked an eye open, and then rose, letting out a bellowing roar.


    I immediately teleported all fourteen of the firebomb potions into the dragon¡¯s throat.


    It was a cheap shot, and not something I would have done normally.


    But as the dragon¡¯s mouth snapped shut, the potion vials shattered, and fourteen simultaneous fireballs erupted inside the mouth of the monster.


    Dragons are tough. The older or stronger they are, the tougher they are. This dragon was a full two gates above the potion, and judging by the raggedness of its scales, it was old too.


    Alchemy also doesn¡¯t tend to live up against a spell of its own level cast by a competent mage. If I¡¯d been in a competition with one potion against a fireball thrown by Liz, with her well constructed mana garden, then Liz¡¯s fireball would have been far more impressive.


    But even with all of those factors, there aren¡¯t many things that can prepare you for fourteen simultaneous fireballs exploding inside your mouth.


    Flame exploded from the dragon¡¯s mouth and nostrils, and it let out a bellow of pain.


    Mallory struck then, diving off of the top of the tower, shadowy claws extending from her hands. She landed atop the dragon¡¯s head and drove her claws down at the dragon¡¯s eye, while her shadow morphed and twisted, forming into a shadow wolf that attacked the other.


    With the element of, she got off a single good attack, which caused the dragon to shake its head wildly and throw her off, before gray cavern dragon armor spells flowed out of the dragon.


    The knight thrust his lance aloft then, and shining white light built around its tip, before blasting out in a tiny prick of fire, which struck the dragon¡¯s stomach and erupted into a fireball.


    Mallory summoned her broom from her storage ring, and barely managed to skim over the trees before she crashed.


    I glanced at Araceli, then turned back to the fight. I¡¯d burnt a lot of my spatial mana casting fourteen simultaneous Transport Item spells, so I couldn¡¯t resort to my standard tactics of teleporting around and being an overall pain.


    What could I do? Other than protect Araceli, of course.


    I had bought extra strength, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough to match a dragon, at least not while it was still this strong.


    The knight¡¯s lance, one the other hand, was clearly enchanted. Maybe that could help?


    I quickly cast a spell, and a shade slithered out of the forest, landing on the parapet next to me. I whispered in its ear, then handed it a potion vial. It swept down towards the knight, delivering the strengthening and recovery potion, while delivering my message explaining what it was.


    Mallory had flown back into the fight at this point, and circled the dragon, peppering it with her ice blades, but when she saw the potion delivery, she landed, several of her strengthening spells burning out around her as she slashed down at the dragon¡¯s head. I released a scattershot of bones and briars, targeting the wing of the dragon, but they did little more than bounce off the reinforced membrane.


    My Fungal Lock spell proved to barely be any more effective, the armor of the dragon resisting the mycelial tendrils.


    Mallory¡¯s attacks only scraped at the monster, and I expected it to open its mouth for another dragon¡¯s breath, but it didn¡¯t, instead making several slamming attacks down with its tail. Mallory dodged and rolled most, but when the dragon¡¯s claw lashed out, it struck her in the side and threw her back.


    Mallory¡¯s suit was stronger than mine, and that was probably the only thing that turned the attack from deadly to merely severe. Blood wept from the wound, even as my healing potion set to work, and she cast her own regenerative spell.


    But the knight had used the time to drain the potion I¡¯d given, and slammed his lance into the dragon¡¯s side, enhanced by the power of the potion. The dragon let out a roar, then cast a spell that I¡¯d never seen any of its lesser draconic kin use before.


    I supposed I should have expected it. The dragon was an arcanist ¨C of course it would have spells that I didn¡¯t recognize.


    Thick plates of stone appeared, overlapping the dragon¡¯s scales, horns, and claws, and the enhancement spell that ran through its body, claws, and tail suddenly redoubled, as if it had been overcharged by some new power. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The knight¡¯s lance struck out at the dragon and cracked, a chunk of the metal tip flinging off into oblivion.


    At the same moment, the dragon flapped its wings, and gravity began to warp around us. It wasn¡¯t an increase in the pull, like what Ed could manage, but rather a complete change in the way gravity worked. Mallory shot into the sky like she¡¯d cast a flight spell, and had to start actively using her broom in order to avoid being sucked away. The knight, on the other hand, suddenly pulled sideways, his feet lifting off the ground as he accelerated off into the forest, like the entire world had been rotated ninety degrees for him.


    I frantically looked back at Araceli, but she was still working.


    I let out a curse, feeling worse than useless as the Dragon materialized a giant claw out of magic, easily as large as my own body. This claw, too, was enforced by the strange thick plates of stone that the dragon was using, and I couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    I layered on multiple overcharged Fungal Locks, but they did nothing. Mallory conjured a pair of her wolves, but they were caught in the twisted gravity domain, and she dismissed them.


    The dragon started flapping its wings then, and I bit my lip. We couldn¡¯t allow that¡­


    If this was real life, this would be stupid, but in a simulation?


    I downed the remaining strength potions, all at once. My body exploded with the pain of the simulated mana toxin shredding through me, but I ignored it, leaping down off the tower.


    I didn¡¯t have my cauldron or broom, but I was caught in the gravity domain, and plummeted like a stone. The double gravity worked in my favor, though, as I slammed a kick into the dragon¡¯s wings, one of the only parts not coated in stone.


    There was a tearing sound as I slammed into the ground, and pain exploded through my legs. I was already in screaming pain from the simulated mana toxin.


    My vision was starting to black out, but I quickly cast the spell that Meadow had taught me to block out pain as I downed four healing potions, back to back.


    My vision restored itself as my ankles crunched back into place, and I saw a tail coming down on me. I couldn¡¯t dodge out of the way in time, I barely had time to raise my hands over my head in a block.


    I held the tail for just a moment, my strength contesting against the dragon¡¯s spells. The dragon was stronger, even with all the power ¨C more than I should have been able to hold ¨C flowed through me. The energy in my body was being wicked away, and my Magister¡¯s Body started to cannibalize mana from my other gates, just to keep me standing.


    That probably wasn¡¯t good, it had only done that once before, when I¡¯d drained my body dry chasing the thief.


    But still I stood, resisting the weight of the tail.


    It was probably only a few seconds, but it took everything I had and more, and I almost cast Burn Future, just to get through it.


    Then the knight appeared and knocked me out of the way. The tail crushed down on the knight¡¯s armor, which cracked and glowed.


    And then a beam of light and fire came thundering down from the tower above, as if sent by an angry magi. It struck the nose of the dragon, where it was already weak, and I looked up to see Araceli, the lenses she¡¯d been building from the very start of the battle cracking under the power of the blow.


    The warp in gravity vanished as the enforcement of the dragon redoubled, trying to resist the power that Aracali channeled. I was dry on mana, out of potions, and in extreme pain, but I still drove a fist into the dragon¡¯s side.


    It did nothing.


    But Mallory, the third gate mage that she was, wasn¡¯t out of mana. As she fell from the sky, her claws forged, her black aura that had fed from all the wounds and battering she¡¯d taken concentrating and providing mana.


    She slammed into the dragon¡¯s neck, and for just the briefest second, the dragon¡¯s thick stone enhancement that empowered all its other spells was gone.


    It was enough. Acaeli tilted the lenses, even as they cracked and shattered, and the beam of dragonfyre crunched into the dragon¡¯s skull.


    I let out a cheer of victory, then passed out.


    I awoke to find myself in an altar room. I called out to Dusk, then remembered she was gone, and called out to Idyll, before remembering she was¡­ Something.


    The pain in my body was gone, thanks to the fact that it had been nothing but an illusion, but my mana was only a quarter refilled. It hadn¡¯t been that long, then.


    I glanced at the altar, biting my lip. I didn¡¯t know how much the Craftsman had changed things up, but there was a chance this held a growth item. There was a chance that it held something else, too, something even better. I wasn¡¯t sure ¨C that last challenge had been tough, but had the challenge been fourth floor or trial level? I didn¡¯t know.


    But there was a chance it was something else, too. Maybe more destiny elixir, or a normal magic item. I didn¡¯t think that would be the case, I fully expected the Craftsman wouldn¡¯t have sent us to an island with challenges we¡¯d already completed, but I could be wrong. Maybe it had been truly random.


    With a sigh, I started forcing open a portal to Dusk¡¯s realm. Regardless of what the prize was, giving some sacrifices could only be a good thing. I had about a day left before the spatial cracks reached the point where I¡¯d have to leave, so it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d have the opportunity to attempt another trial.


    It took me a long time, but I finally opened the portal, and strode into Dusk¡¯s vault, nodding to the ghostly armored guardian.


    I¡¯d had a plan for when I cleared the third floor, and there was no sense in not using it now, so I retrieved everything I needed, and then approached the altar.


    First, I put down my mana sense enhancing monocle, since it was the basis of what I hoped to accomplish, then followed it up with the royal jelly that I¡¯d found. I set down the fourth gate mental and knowledge energy accumulating orb that the War Root had been clutching onto for power, then the strange, energetic binding-knot that I¡¯d found in the mad mage¡¯s lab.


    The mage had been obsessed with the energy found in plants and in animals, after all. That might not be a useful component for most people, but for me? It was perfect.


    Finally, I placed down the broken crystalheart.


    A true crystalheart that allowed for the doubling of mana and energy would be perfect for me, but I didn¡¯t know how to repair this, I was no enchanter. Even if I¡¯d gotten someone like Ivy¡¯s dad to perform the operation, as Octavian had pointed out, I would have a lot of soul bonds: Dusk had been firmly reinforced, and hopefully both the beastgate mark and a growth item.


    One strong bond, like a growth item, with maybe one weaker ¨C like the beastgate mark ¨C was considered the normal, safe threshold. I did get to bend those rules a bit, thanks to my full-gate spells stretching the strain over my body as well as my spirit, but I thought that a crystalheart might be a bit much to add on top of all of those things.


    But as a sacrifice? Even damaged, it was a powerful energy and mana battery, and if the enchantments of the altar took the energetic binding knot into consideration¡­


    I considered what else to add. I could add my mind shielding ring, but that felt a bit too foolish ¨C there was no need to put all of my eggs in this basket. My recording stone? No, recording crystals had been too valuable for me to give up.


    With a spark of ungated mana, I activated the altar. My sacrifices vanished away, and light erupted beneath the sage¡¯s staff.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty-One

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The lights dimmed, and four items appeared on the altar: a smooth stone disc covered in runes, a slip of paper, and two burlap bags tied with leather cords.


    I picked up the paper, hoping it would have an easy description of what it did. Instead, there were three letters on it: I O U, followed by a doodle of the craftsman winking, sticking his tongue out, and giving a thumbs up. A thin lattice of mana ran through the paper ¨C ungated mana, yet woven so finely that I didn¡¯t even know how I would possibly begin to mimic it.


    I carefully placed that on one of the vault¡¯s shelves. If it really did represent a favor owed from the craftsman, then it might be even more valuable than the other rewards from the trial ¨C if I could track him down and find him, at least. Given that Ikki apparently had trouble doing that, I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d be able to anytime soon, but it was still worth keeping in my back pocket.


    I moved to the stone next, flipping it over and focusing my mana senses over it. It felt¡­ Strange. Almost like beast magic, a mix of mana and energy. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure that it would work for someone who wasn¡¯t a beast, or didn¡¯t have some sort of effect blending the two, like my own dual spells. It seemed to primarily be made of knowledge and mental magic, but it was complex, rivaling the complexity of dragon magic.


    It was also very clearly a growth item, and I felt a spark of excitement rise in my stomach.


    When Orykson had offered me growth items, I¡¯d very nearly taken the Argos Millia eye. I didn¡¯t regret my choice in the slightest, given that the key had eventually formed Dusk, but the eye had been tempting.


    Given the mana that this focused on, it just might do something similar¡­


    I touched the disk and sent a spark of ungated mana into it, and immediately felt as it slid into my spirit, locking into place.


    My mana regeneration tanked for a moment, dropping to nothing at all, and I started to panic, then it slowly started to return. It built back up until it was lower than where it had been before, but not completely unmanageable. It had offset most of the regeneration from ingraining my harvest spells, but those would grow as I continued using them.


    Far more concerning, spikes of crystal burst out of the ground in all four of my first gates within my mana-garden. They somehow didn¡¯t seem to eat up any mana at all, yet they did take up space.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right. They seemed to be emitting mana, rather than draining it. Only a trickle, and it mixed with the energy of my mana-garden, then surged out, touching the energy in my body.


    I¡¯d built up a considerable pool of extra knowledge energy in my mind, from all of the casting of sensory spells, but I felt that flow away, locking down into the disk. My mental energy fared far worse  ¨C the item took an equal amount, but it didn¡¯t have quite as large reserves.


    It locked away portions of telluric, tempest, and abnegation energy from my body, and the rest in lesser amounts, and they flowed into the item. Within its heart, I felt a core sparking to life. Like the one that formed formed in my self-sustaining Spatial Anchor spells, only a thousand times more complex, it took from the energy and mana and created a generation core, one that provided its own constant stream of energy.


    The flow reversed and swept into me, and suddenly my mental and knowledge energy pools began to recover far quicker than they had any right to. Within my mana-garden, the spires of crystal began to emit more power, not mana, but almost as if they were an ingrained effect in and of themselves.


    As it worked, my mana senses grew¡­ Deeper. They couldn¡¯t reach any further, but the amount of information that I was able to gather from them was stronger.


    Finally, all of the power accumulated, forming itself into a channel within my spirit. I opened the channel, and felt it drink from my energy, while blending together with the power of the stone and its mana production. If I hadn¡¯t had the Magister¡¯s Body spell, I would have been¡­ Worried¡­ about how fast it drained away my energy, but as was, I thought it should be manageable.


    A serenity flowed over my mind, concentrating and assisting it. It paired well with my mind shield, almost forming a film over my thoughts that would allow me to keep working even if I was pressured from external attack.


    Wrapped within the membrane, it was easy to sort the details my mana senses fed to me. What might take me several seconds to discern instead took moments, the fine precision of my senses were so improved. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    I drew my mana senses in, and felt them reinforcing the film over my thoughts, pushing against an attacker that wasn¡¯t there, directly pushing away mental assault with my mana senses.


    Placid Mind.


    The spell¡¯s name came to my mind unbidden, and I wondered for a moment if it had been built into the spell.


    I stopped feeding power into the channel, and approached the bags, untying the smaller one to find a small pearl of purple power that radiated second gate mana, a green crystal with a mix of mana that was quite similar to the item, a bundle of died moss that bled with a variety of powers, and a dried mushroom that was shaped unnervingly like an eye.


    I sighed. I supposed it had been too much to hope that they¡¯d be living samples I could add to my garden.


    These must be the materials that I needed for the advancement of the item to second gate, though, which probably meant that the third bag contained the materials to advance it to third gate.


    I took the disk from my spirit, and it rotated around my head. I snatched it and fed the items into it, pressing them to the disk¡¯s surface until they vanished.


    The spell advanced, and once again, I felt the spikes forming within my mana garden, and the crystal grew in thin, shaky tendrils over the vast tree that was Magister¡¯s Body, and the fungal stem of Beast Mage¡¯s Soul. It truly sparked and reacted then, diving deep into the foundation of my mana-garden and doing¡­ Something. I couldn¡¯t understand what.


    No more of my energy or mana was locked away, and yet a second channel formed in my spirit. I flowed power into it, and felt my mana senses pull in, before projecting out through my eyes.


    Witch Eyes.


    Again, the name of the spell came to me unbidden.


    I swept my gaze around the room, and under the power of the Witch Eyes spell, I could see clearer. Not just as if the lack of light was less important, but as if the senses projected from my eyes were pushing away anything that might be in my way.


    Could the witch eyes peer through illusions? That would be useful ¨C I¡¯d seen plenty of illusions recently.


    I opened the third bag curiously. Inside of it were more materials, as well as a scroll of paper, which I picked up and unrolled.


    It listed out the materials for raising the item ¨C which it identified as the Runelight Lens ¨C to fourth through ninth gate. I snorted as I looked at the items required for ninth gate. How exactly was one supposed to get their hands upon the petrified liver of a thousand year old three-eye toad? And that was one of the less egregious items it listed!


    I rolled the scroll up and tucked it into Dusk¡¯s vaults as well, next to the bag of items to raise the gate of the lens. Ninth gate was a long way away, if I ever got there, and if it even really existed. For now, I just needed to look one step in front of me.


    Then I frowned as a random thought struck me. I was currently inside of Dusk, in a very literal sense. She was the realm, and the realm was her. Could I mentally speak to her like normal? The metaphysical distance had slowed communication before, but now that distance should be zero.


    I shot a thought to Dusk, asking if she could hear me, and this time, rather than fighting through soup to sent it, it zipped out like normal. A moment later she sent back the equivalent of mild curiosity and agreement, so I asked her to come into the vaults.


    She told me to wait, she was currently working on a project above the vaults, to which I had no response other than to shrug in acceptance. A few moments later, she sent that she was having trouble with opening the portal she needed, and thought it was because I was maintaining my own. She¡¯d see me soon, just meet her on the island ¨C not the one we¡¯d been stranded on, the normal island in the real world.


    With a sigh, I stepped back into the altar room and shut the portal to let Dusk do her work¡­ whatever it was.


    I glanced around the altar room for another moment, trying to see if there was anything else I could do, any last moment hidden challenges. Upon seeing nothing, I stepped through the gate and appeared in the center of the unstable astral plane again. Araceli was there, a locket around her neck that was a growth item. It was strange, a core of mana not unlike my own within it, mingling with her body¡¯s energy.


    Had I gotten an item meant for a beast? That would¡­ make a lot of sense, actually. Huh.


    Mallory was sitting there too, a new bracelet around her wrist that felt like a spatial and abnegation focused growth item.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± she griped, rising to her feet. ¡°We¡¯ve got a few more hours before we need to get out of here. Up for some last minute exploring?¡±


    I focused and let my mana senses bloom around me. They stretched out, stronger than ever before, and as I let them settle around me for nearly a hundred and fifty feet in every direction, I could feel the rents in the air creeping towards us.


    Maybe once I would have stayed. Dodged the tears in space, looking for spiritual treasures and items to add to my garden. But I liked to think that, if nothing else, I¡¯d learned a few things from the war root and the drake about throwing myself into high risk, low reward situations.


    I liked to think it, at least, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was actually true or not. Still, I shook my head and pointed at the rainbow portal, the one that would lead back out onto the island in the real world.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Mallory said. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and grab a few extra things while I still can.¡±


    With that, my erstwhile rival slipped away into the plains, and I looked down at Araceli.


    ¡°Ready to go, girl?¡± I asked her.


    She slumped against my leg for a moment before standing up and striding towards the portal, while I stepped into the rainbow alongside her. Its light washed over me, and moments later, I found myself standing in a green valley between four mountains, back in the outside world.


    I had done it. I might not have been some legendary hero who climbed the entire tower, or who had taken advantage of the sundering to dive between the pocket worlds and collect power from all of the remaining trials and floors.


    But as I rolled my new growth item between my fingers, I thought that I¡¯d still come out of the trial pretty well off.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty-Two

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The valley was swarming with people. Some were leaving their own trials, emerging from the portal behind me, while others seemed to have been set up for some time, with tents and even roughly constructed earthwork buildings.


    The food resupplying depot that the ship unloaded with was swarming with people, and as I channeled my mana through Surveyor¡¯s Eye, I was eventually able to pick out Octavian, and made my way through the crowds and over to the lanky man.


    As I approached, though, I noted that there was something off about the man. He seemed strained, stressed somewhat, and as my mana senses settled on him¡­


    When I¡¯d first met the man, there had been two powerful spiritual bonds on him. Then, he¡¯d found the salamander, there had been a third.


    Now there were only two again. The third felt¡­ Frayed. Like a rope that had been cut, and now the fibers were slowly unraveling.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I said immediately as I approached him. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Before he could respond, Araceli leapt from my side and tackle-hugged her dad in the chest, knocking him to the ground entirely. Octavian let out a yelp as he toppled over, slamming into the ground. She curled up and started licking his face with her long serpentine tongue. Octavian lay there for a second, scratching between her horns, before he looked up at me.


    ¡°Hey Mal,¡± he said, sounding tired. I extended a hand to help him rise to his feet, and he took it, gently shifting Araceli off of his body.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked, and Octavian made a so-so gesture with his hand.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t talk here,¡± was all he said. ¡°Though first, is Dusk safe? And Kene?¡±


    ¡°She is the last I checked on her,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s still in there, working on some sort of project. Kene¡­¡±


    I hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°I think Kene is okay, but I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± I said finally.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Octavian said, before pointing to one of the stone buildings that was being used as a combination of offices and healing station. ¡°Let¡¯s talk more in there.¡±


    We headed in, and into a small conference room that was unoccupied. Octavian cast a few spells, and I threw a line of the spatial tripwire temporary wards over the hall to know if anyone was approaching, then turned back to Octavian.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked him, and he slumped into a chair.


    ¡°Were you attacked when the sky broke?¡± he asked, and I knit my eyebrows together, nodding.


    ¡°I was,¡± I said. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°So was I,¡± Octavian said. ¡°As was Veronica and her partners. Her boyfriend actually died in the attack. And Saladin.¡±


    ¡°Veronica?¡± I asked, my heart aching, but also¡­ A little distant. I had no idea who Veronica was. ¡°And Salidain?¡±


    ¡°Ah, she was another warlock. Different legacy than mine, hers was more human oriented¡­ And Saladin was a warlock with a weapon oriented legacy. The only other warlock on board the crew ship, at least as far as the paperwork showed, was the one who sacrificed themselves to break the idyll-flume. I think they mistook you for a warlock too, and attacked you. I mean, I mistook you for a warlock when we first met.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I said before trailing off and shaking my head. ¡°Why? This isn¡¯t some backwater wild village who thinks that all warlocks sacrifice babies to fuel their magic.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± agreed Octavian. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know. I think maybe they knew that Idyll gave us more attention, and needed to ensure we couldn¡¯t warn her? Maybe their artifact could be messed up by a warlock? It was a warlock who had to use it, after all. Or maybe they feared that we held the attention of one of the unseen who would be able to stop them?¡±


    ¡°Then why not attack earlier?¡± I asked, then paused. Maybe they had attacked earlier¡­


    ¡°Was your assassin not sent by them?¡± Octavian asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t at all. This feels like we¡¯re only seeing the surface, but the lake goes deep.¡±


    ¡°It goes too deep,¡± Octavian agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s at the bottom. Just¡­ be careful, alright?¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± I said. ¡°Was your salamander¡­?¡±


    Octavian froze, and a deep laugh rumbled out of him. He kept laughing, and laughing, before he finally shook his head. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Primes, no. Oh, you meant my spirit when you asked what happened?¡±


    ¡°Yeah..?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d heard about my injury,¡± he said, shaking his head.


    ¡°You were injured?!¡± I demanded. He tapped his chest, just below his heart.


    ¡°The arcanist who tried to kill me nearly mannaged it. I¡¯ve been healed¡­ Mostly. But I¡¯ll need a few weeks to recover to combat readiness, and months to fully heal, as long as my moms can provide treatment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Kene if they can do anything,¡± I said, ¡°and I can give you a few leaves of healer¡¯s heart, too. Your mom should be able to do something with that for the healing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Octavian said after several long moments, before he smiled at me and shook his head. ¡°How do you do it?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± I asked, tilting my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re so¡­ Benevolent,¡± Octavian said.


    At his words, I felt something stirring within me. It wasn¡¯t like the truth of mercy, which had nearly forcibly manifested on its own, but the winds of fortune still blew.


    Benevolence was a bigger concept than mercy. It could encompass mercy, empathy, or kindness. It could encompass protection, like when I¡¯d saved the kids from the asomatous. It could encompass the constant struggle to do what was right, even if you had to fight for it.


    At that thought, another wind kicked up in my spirit, blowing slowly and steadily for a long second before it faded.


    I couldn¡¯t manifest the Nascent Truth of Benevolence, not yet. I¡¯d only touched on its edges, on the faint outlines of what could be, what I might be able to do.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± continued Octavian. ¡°You have mercy for people who try to kill you, but past that, you see that they¡¯re not right, and that they¡­ I don¡¯t know. Need help, I suppose. You give away valuable components ¨C you could get thirty silver a leaf for healer¡¯s heart!¡±


    I actually hadn¡¯t known that, but that wasn¡¯t the point. It was hard to grow, and I only had a limited store of leaves. Even if I spent all day every day tending to this one plant, I¡¯d struggle to procure enough to sell and


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, even as the brush of the nascent truth passed. Octavian tilted his head slightly, and I quickly brought us back on topic.


    ¡°Your salamander?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Alive and well, but the bond is severed,¡± Octavian said. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to find something else before I advance to fourth gate, or else I might cause some serious problems within my mana-garden.¡±


    ¡°You can break that sort of bond?¡± I asked, and Octavian gave me a so-so gesture.


    ¡°Spellbinder bonds aren¡¯t normally easy to undo, but my legacy¡­ Changes things some. If the beasts I bond turn out to be poorly suited for me, the bond severs. I can¡¯t do it often, since it does a bit of soul damage, which takes a bit of time to get over.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to look for now?¡± I asked. ¡°Maybe I can help?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about that, honestly,¡± Octavian said. ¡°It was clear I had some talent with alchemy ¨C it¡¯s hard not to when one of your moms is an alchemist ¨C but plant magic didn¡¯t work for me. Maybe I¡¯ll try a Kanko, or look for a Nian. Or perhaps I¡¯ll try something related to wardcrafting. I do like wards.¡±


    ¡°Primes, no, please,¡± I begged in a joking tone. ¡°Wards are the worst. Literally the worst. Maybe enchantments are worse, actually, though. Wards are the second worst!¡±


    ¡°Oh, in that case, I¡¯m definitely finding a pithos-tortise,¡± Octavian grinned. ¡°They¡¯re amazing at wards. Or maybe an Alebrije, or an Enfield, like your partner has.¡±


    I smiled, glad to have gotten the man¡¯s spirits up after he¡¯d been in the dumps from his injury. Octavian¡¯s face slowly grew more serious as he turned back to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to just let this lie,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to take them in, and they¡¯re going to the obsidian crypt house.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think murder is a reasonable response,¡± I said, and Octavian shook his head, grinning.


    ¡°No, not like that. I forget you¡¯re not from Delitone sometimes. The obsidian crypt house is our high security prison.¡±


    ¡°That is a terrible name for a prison, it makes it sounds like a murder house!¡± I objected.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cultural thing,¡± Octavian said, waving his hand. ¡°A crazy foreigner like you wouldn¡¯t get it.¡±


    He grinned at me, his blue eyes sparkling brightly.


    ¡°But in all seriousness,¡± he continued. ¡°They attacked you and Kene. Your help tracking them down and testifying would be good. They¡¯re arcanists, it won¡¯t be easy or short, but we both can punch above our weight. I think we could do it as we near the peak of third gate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I said. ¡°Vengeance doesn¡¯t hold any special place in my heart, but they do need to serve time for what they did. Speaking of which¡­ Does this side of the portal have any sort of prison?¡±


    ¡°These are better prisons, actually,¡± Octavian said. ¡°If you can find her, we¡¯ll take her in. Actually¡­¡±


    He glanced down at Araceli, who had curled around his feet, and whistled. She perked up, rising to her feet and stretching her wings. Roh, the blue will-o-wisp spirit, floated out of Octavian¡¯s shirt, emerging from a thin chain locket that I¡¯d never noticed was there before.


    ¡°You two go with Malachi, okay?¡± he asked them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that,¡± I objected. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can repa¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, quiet you,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve done plenty already. Plus I¡¯d come myself, but¡­¡±


    He touched his chest, and then head.


    ¡°Not doing so great.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but only if Roh and Araceli don¡¯t mind,¡± I said.


    Roh bobbed through the air over to me, and then bonked me on the forehead, while Araceli rose to her feet and leaned on me, like an affectionate dog.


    ¡°They don¡¯t mind,¡± Octavian said dryly.


    ¡°Thank you both,¡± I said, then nodded to Octavian. ¡°And you too.¡±


    I turned and left the room then, and as soon as I stepped outside, I started to channel my Placid Mind spell, followed by Analyze Life, Analyze Space, and Vampiric Senses.


    As my mana senses exploded outward in every direction, I felt the power of Placid Mind increase as well, concentrating the membrane that formed around my mind and speeding how quickly I could sort through the information.


    Normally, in such a large crowd, with well over a thousand spread across the small valley, and more people slowly trickling in from the portals, I¡¯d struggle to get much that was meaningful. It would just be a chaotic mix of mana and power. I might have had a lot of skill and power with my mana senses, but at the end of the day, I wasn¡¯t a knowledge mage.


    Under the influence of my new growth item and its spells, however, I was able to make better use of the data. Sure, I might not be able to tune it to search for one specific person, but I quickly was able to dismiss anyone without tempest mana, and strong tempest mana at that.


    As I made my way towards the strongest tempest mage I could sense, someone who was very nearly on the border of fourth gate, when something passed through the border of my senses. A connection within my mind solidified, one that went past my mind shielding ring and thick membrane.


    Dusk was back.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty-Three

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I dropped my sensory spells, allowing the Magister¡¯s Body to chug along and replenish where my energy had been drained, and turned to face the portal. I was tempted to chain some foxsteps and get there quickly, but I didn¡¯t want to leave Araceli and Roh behind.


    Still, I moved through the crowd as quickly as I reasonably could until I spotted Liz and Dusk walking through the crowd. When Dusk spotted me, she started running, slipping between people¡¯s legs and under their feet before leaping up and smacking me in the chest with a tiny hug.


    I winced a little at that. I was getting¡­ better¡­ about my chest, especially since it had been shrunk by the Magister¡¯s Body and Beast Mage¡¯s Soul spells, but it was still not a great thing for my attention to be drawn to. In all honesty, it was one of my worst sources of dysphoria.


    Still, I grabbed Dusk out of the air to stop her from falling and held her to my shoulder in a tight hug. She peeped that she¡¯d missed me, and I nodded.


    ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    I gently placed her on the ground and smiled.


    ¡°So what is this secret project you were working on?¡±


    Before Dusk could show me, Liz finished walking over, though she limped slightly.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked her, and she grinned, though it was tired.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said. ¡°Bone just takes a bit longer to heal. How about yourself?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, waving a hand. ¡°No big deal, really.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Liz said. ¡°How are you?¡±


    I paused for a second, then let out a slow breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not perfect, but I¡¯m alright. I think I¡¯ll need to talk to my mentalist about this whole situation once it calms down, but it¡¯s¡­ not going to be something I want to think about forever.¡±


    I licked my lips as I considered my last fear, then said it.


    ¡°I¡¯m also worried about Kene. They¡¯ve been gone for a while, and I don¡¯t have an easy way to contact them. At least I could reach out to Dusk, even if it took a while. They¡¯re¡­ I¡¯m worried about them.¡±


    ¡°Kene¡¯s a tough one,¡± Liz said. ¡°They¡¯ve held off their¡­ issue¡­ for years, and if it''s what I think it is, they¡¯re doing better than most. Any, really. They¡¯ll make it out of there just fine. Just have some faith in them.¡±


    I nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t have faith in Kene¡­ I was just worried.


    ¡°The secret project?¡± I asked instead.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Liz said, clapping. ¡°That was something, yeah. Dusk, care to do the honors?¡±


    Dusk peeped her agreement and the portal to her realm snapped open. We stepped through, Liz as well, and Dusk closed it.


    ¡°Sense,¡± Liz instructed me.


    I tapped into my sensory spells and flared them out around me, and felt¡­ Life.


    Dusk¡¯s forests had always had life in them. Plants, a few bugs, a few animals¡­


    But now?


    Now they were absolutely teeming with life. There were forest estragon in the trees, alongside soundlight moonbats, solbees, and even dryads.


    The ground crawled with rubyworms, the rivers had river estragon, and the sky had deathcrows winging over it. I even spotted a deer that radiated out peak second gate magic that I could only describe as deer magic.


    I sucked in a breath and looked at Dusk.


    ¡°You¡­ did all this?¡±


    She proudly burbled out that she¡¯d eaten nearly every living thing that was willing to come with them while they were looking for things.


    ¡°Not all of them were willing,¡± Liz said. ¡°And many of them left on their own, especially the things that could fly or swim easily. But¡­ I think we did a good thing.¡±


    Araceli sneezed at that, and I scratched between her horns.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I said, nodding. Dusk patted my cheek and whistled at me to go to the vault now. With a small laugh, I headed there, moving slowly so that Liz could keep up with us. Dusk sat down outside of the cave with Araceli and Roh, while Dusk and I descended, and Dusk scampered over to a leather bag that sat next to a single, glowing white pearl.


    Running my mana senses over the pearl, it felt¡­ Strong. Nearly fifth gate. Yet, despite the fact it was so strong, it was soft, like a fluffy pillow of clouds.


    A lot like clouds, actually. In some ways, it reminded me of Araceli¡¯s magic.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, and Dusk laughed, saying that she didn¡¯t know, but she thought that it would help enhance her ability to fly a lot. Probably. She wasn¡¯t sure, which was why she hadn¡¯t taken it yet. But Liz had taken a destructionpetal that would enhance her full gate spell.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± I complimented.


    I opened the bag next, only for my mana senses to be struck with a cacophony of powerful mana sources of all sorts, and even some natural treasures dedicated to the growth of mana for third gate and higher magic.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Quite a haul.¡±


    Dusk said she agreed, and she¡¯d be happy to give me some of the natural treasures. But this wasn¡¯t all ¨C she¡¯d found lightbright sunflowers and brainplants!


    I stared at her.


    ¡°Brainplants?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°No elaboration?¡±


    She shook her head, and I sighed.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    I tied the bag shut and showed Dusk the I O U from the craftsman, as well as my new groth item. When we finished, we left the vault to find Liz half dozing. I gently poked her shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, wake up. Araceli, Roh, and I were about to track down the assassin. Care to join me? Just so long as you promise to stay in the background and not charge in to fight like your life depends on it.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Liz groused. ¡°But you can¡¯t just dive in to take attacks either. Also, that was a terrible way to wake me up!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, chagrined. ¡°But in my defense, I thought you were only half asleep.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so it was only half an insult?¡± she groused as she rose.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect too much trouble, honestly,¡± I said. ¡°Attacking me in the middle of a forest is a far cry from attacking with dozens of people around. While she might be a menace, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s stupid. It¡¯s more about the principle of the thing.¡±


    ¡°The principle of the thing?¡± Liz asked, and I nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, you can¡¯t just go around trying to kill people for money. There¡¯s a reason that¡¯s illegal.¡±


    Dusk laughed at me, and even Liz shook her head at that as Dusk opened the portal and we headed outside. I closed my eyes and channeled Placid Mind then, as well as my other sensory spells, allowing my power to expand out across as much of the island as I could, until I caught a hint of familiar, strong tempest magic. I made my way over there, but she must have sensed me coming, as she started moving away, trying to get out of my range.


    I curled my senses in from all around me and then started streaming them at her, getting the best lock I could on her position, but she was moving fast, slipping through people. I glanced at Liz.


    ¡°Catch up when you can!¡±


    Then I chained a series of quick teleports, until I was standing in front of the hired assassin, Dusk on my shoulder. She let out a groan and leaned against her massive hammer.


    ¡°You found me,¡± she said, ¡°Are you ready for a blaze of glory? Or do you really think you can tal¨C¡±


    I ignored her. She¡¯d nearly caught me with illusions before, after all.


    I channeled Witch Eyes, and the image of the woman before me started to warp and bend, until it slowly became apparent that I was looking at a woman, but one with a different face, hair, eyes, and stature than the one that I thought I was.


    ¡°Your hair looks different,¡± I commented. ¡°The natural blonde suits you.¡±


    She froze at that, shifting her hammer.


    ¡°You are a good illusionist,¡± I continued. ¡°Or¡­¡±


    I focused harder, pushing more power through my Witches¡¯ Eyes, until I spotted a glowing bracelet. It was veiled, but it felt a lot like a growth item.


    ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s just a growth item,¡± I said.


    ¡°How¡­?¡± she asked, her voice hoarse.


    ¡°It explains why you were so willing to overlook the recording crystal, I suppose,¡± Liz called out from a few paces behind me. She couldn¡¯t be able to see through the illusion too, but she must have picked up on what I was saying.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ no. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes you do,¡± I said. ¡°And the fact you¡¯re using a growth item makes it easier, actually. I¡¯ll report you, and your growth item. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to get a record on it. You bought it from the Ghost Market, right?¡±


    That was a guess, but an educated one. She¡¯d been wearing a false face before she attacked me in the tower, after all. This identity must be the one she used for wetworks, while she maintained a separate, normal identity. Which meant if I could get records, her entire criminal career would come tumbling down.


    It paid off, as her face went even paler.


    ¡°How do ¨C¡±


    ¡°How do I know so much?¡± I continued. ¡°Come on, you should know that I¡¯m not going to answer that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what,¡± she said. ¡°This identity is separate.¡±


    ¡°Separate enough for an investigation to find nothing?¡± I asked. ¡°Even when they have a record of your real face?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, but her fingers twitched. She was bluffing.


    ¡°And to guard against a terragon¡¯s senses?¡± Liz asked, putting her hand on Araceli¡¯s head. ¡°Do you know how hard those are to fool?¡±


    The assassin took a step back, as if to run, and light instantly sparked itself in Araceli¡¯s throat, while Roh began to glow with blue light. I shook my head.


    ¡°Give it up. Your game is over.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I have bills to pay. It¡¯s not so simple as ¨C¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do a cost benefit analysis,¡± I said. ¡°First, can I assume your whole ¡®going out in a blaze of glory¡¯ was nonsense? You have some sort of item that could pull you out at the last second, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re staggeringly well equipped.¡±


    She worked her jaw for a second before she nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re down and out an arcanist potion, and the mana sources I gave you ¨C which I want back now, by the way ¨C aren¡¯t going to sell as well because the market¡¯s going to be flooded. If you kill me ¨C and that¡¯s a big if ¨C then you get three hundred thousand silver.¡±


    ¡°And why is that a big if?¡± she asked, hands on her hips.


    ¡°Because, idiot,¡± Liz butted in. ¡°He¡¯s friends with¡­ Four arcanists? Your mentors and my grandpa.¡±


    ¡°Five,¡± I said. ¡°Wait. No. Six. Does Azalea count? She owes me a favor, but I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re friends. Also, does the witch count? She¡¯s more of a grandmother-in-law than a friend.¡±


    ¡°Alright, jeez, fine, I get your point,¡± the assassin said, shifting from foot to foot. ¡°But I really do have bills to pay. And it doesn¡¯t seem worth it to upset my guild or the sponsor by reneging on a contract.¡±


    ¡°Like you reneged on our deal?¡± I asked, and her jaw worked for a second.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she said.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m going to report you,¡± I said. ¡°I know you have bills to pay, you keep saying that, but murder isn¡¯t the answer. The only question is if you¡¯ll come along quietly, or if you want to fight us, activate your escape spell, and live life on the run until a diviner picks up on your growth item and you¡¯re caught.¡±


    She stared down at me, and I stared back, until she eventually sighed.


    ¡°Primes kid, I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    She shook her head and sighed.


    ¡°This is why I don¡¯t let people talk. If it weren¡¯t for the fact I was supposed to mock you for being weak¡­ I did gather some stuff towards the end. I¡¯d be willing to give some to you, to pay you back and put the deal back on the table.¡±


    ¡°The deal that you¡¯ve already broken once?¡± I said. ¡°Destroy the crystal and let you go?¡±


    ¡°And you could expose my real face, or close enough,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good reason to not, now.¡±


    I considered it. I could, but even if she was good to her word ¨C which there was no guarantee of ¨C I¡¯d still be letting a murderer roam free to continue her work. But if she escaped, she¡¯d definitely continue to try and kill me, if for no other reason than to try and mitigate the number of people with knowledge about her true self.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty-Four

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    If she was coming after me, that meant she wasn¡¯t coming after anyone else.


    And I couldn¡¯t let her go.


    She was a cold contract killer. She needed a mentalist, because there was clearly a problem here. I hoped she could get it ¨C mentallists were the largest pillar of Mossford¡¯s prison system, unlike in somewhere like Nightflock, so I thought she would, but with the fact she was a murderer¡­ it was hard to know.


    I stepped forward, prepared to fight. I knew she¡¯d use her escape spell or item, whatever it was, but if I could get her in one blow¡­


    It was no use. The moment my Fungal Lock spell landed on her, she vanished in a warp in space.


    I sighed and turned back to the group.


    ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± I said. ¡°I knew it was a long shot, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ve got to report it now,¡± Liz said, before lightly adding. ¡°Good thing Ed¡¯s a member of the lightwatch.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I said. ¡°Yeah. This cutting short should give me just enough time to get back, report her, and then head out again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, your beastgate thing, right?¡± Liz asked, and I nodded. Dusk whistled that she couldn¡¯t wait for me to get that done, so I¡¯d finally stop lagging behind her and I gently bonked the tiny spirit over the head.


    ¡°Rude,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯ll report her to Delitone as well. She¡¯s from Mossford, but it can¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Liz nodded her agreement, and we headed back, filing the report for their guard ¨C they were named something weird that barely registered, gray something or other.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can,¡± Octavian said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that you weren¡¯t able to get her.¡±


    ¡°It is what it is,¡± I said. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, she doesn¡¯t seem to want to kill me either.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s more to do with you being an inconvenience than anything,¡± Liz said.


    ¡°I am rather annoying to kill, aren¡¯t I?¡± I said, a note of pride entering my voice.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to fight you,¡± Liz said.


    ¡°Not because you hit especially hard,¡± Octavian chimed in.


    ¡°Right. You¡¯re just a pain,¡± Liz agreed.


    ¡°Bullies, the lot of you!¡± I said, throwing my hands up in the air.


    I stayed with the auction house that night, officially speaking. In reality, I slept fitfully in Dusk¡¯s realm. I wished that I¡¯d given Kene a binding knot, rather than taking one for myself. That would at least have let Dusk know if they were dead or not.


    I couldn¡¯t think that way. They were fine. Fine, I was sure of it.


    The following morning, I was getting really nervous. I even tried to push my way back into the portal, but the Craftsman¡¯s voice rang in my head, saying tha portal couldn¡¯t accept me back in once I¡¯d left.


    That was stupid ¨C I was still only second gate, it should have let me in, even if there were only a few hours left before the realm collapsed.


    I guessed that the rules had changed when Travis and his group of half-cultish freedom fighters had upended the board, but I swore that if the craftsman let my partner die while I was locked outside a collapsing world and could have done something about it, I was going to track him down and force him to apologize. To me, the witch, and to Kene¡¯s entire family. Maybe I could get him to give the kids who were interested in enchanting an apprenticeship.


    The worst part was that my mana senses were finely tuned enough that I could tell just how unstable the portals were getting. The interior connections were starting to fray. One would vanish every few seconds, only to reappear a moment later. But each time one vanished, it took a little longer to come back.


    Someone stepped out of the portal, but their magic was all wrong, so I didn¡¯t even spare them a glance, starting down into the depths of the shimmering rainbow magic.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything. Dusk couldn¡¯t either ¨C she whistled to me that she was strong, but she couldn¡¯t stabilize fourteen other realms that were nearly the same size as her.


    There was no mana spigot where I could pour power in, and I was pretty sure that even if there was, it wouldn¡¯t do anything. This wasn¡¯t a matter of power, but of complex planar membrane fraying.


    Maybe if I¡¯d been Orykson¡¯s apprentice, he could have swooped down from the sky and plucked Kene out.


    I tried, shouting for Orykson to get down here. I tried pleading and begging, threatening, and bargaining, but he didn¡¯t answer.


    I tried for Ikki and Meadow, but neither one of them answered either. I called for the Craftsman, for the witch, for Azalea, for anyone I knew with a scrap of power that might, maybe, be able to do anything. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Nobody answered me. For the first time in my life, I was truly alone and unsupported.


    It was scary. Meadow had told me that if I got hurt or killed in the Idyll-Flume, she couldn¡¯t save me. On some level, I¡¯d known that I was alone here.


    But to experience it was another thing entirely.


    Finally, someone passed through the gate, and the moment my mana senses touched on them, I knew it was¡­


    It wasn¡¯t Kene.


    It was, but it wasn¡¯t.


    It was their body, and their spirit still lay within their form, leaking out solar and life mana.


    But their tattoos were gone, and their skin was an unnatural shadow-flesh. Their teeth were iron, and their eyes glowed a sparking purple.


    The hag¡¯s mana crashed out into the air, already in the middle of third gate, stronger than Kene¡¯s early third gate.


    I clenched my fist and prepared to unleash every spell I could, while Dusk thrust her hands out, and the world began to warp under the strange spiritual power she had.


    ¡°Get out of them,¡± I said. ¡°Go back to your shadowy corner, before I make you.¡±


    ¡°Careful,¡± the hag rasped, stepping up to me, putting its hand on my shoulder and squeezing tightly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want Kene to bleed out, would you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    In response, the hag let go and spread its hands wide.


    ¡°Look deeper. I¡¯ve not eaten the proginitor¡¯s soul yet, as per our deal. After all, that would kill me too, we share a body. Better to maintain the body with Stave Away Death until it can be healed.¡±


    I focused, concentrating my new Witch Eye¡¯s spell, and through the shadow flesh, I could see what the hag meant. Underneath the layer of hag magic was Kene¡¯s normal body, but it was covered in lacerations. Chunks of their flesh were missing, like something had taken a bite out of them, and their left hand was a completely mangled mess that looked like it might fall off at any minute. Their shirt had been torn to shreds, and in the center of their chest was a glowing red spot.


    I sucked in a breath.


    Dusk and I were moving in unison then. I turned, and before I could concentrate, she¡¯d already snapped a portal to the Healer¡¯s Heart open. I tore leaves, only to see something land in the ground next to me and release an explosion of lunar mana.


    I looked down to see a tiny blue pyramid-ziggurat thing. It took me a moment to remember even what it was.


    Ages ago, when I¡¯d gone to dinner with Kene¡¯s family, the witch had shown up and given me a copy of the Surveyor¡¯s Eye spell.


    But she¡¯d given Kene something entirely different ¨C a red and blue miniature ziggurat ¨C and ominously stated that they might need it.


    I turned and looked closer at the red speck, and sure enough, that was the red twin to this one.


    Magic kept pulsing out of the pyramid next to me, but I ignored it. I didn¡¯t think it could be harmful, even if the hag had thrown it, and it was shedding increasingly powerful amounts of Lunar mana.


    I turned back to the Healer¡¯s Heart and was plucking leaves when the lunar magic stabilized at seventh gate. A portal rippled into existence, a twisted gate made of shadows, and a moment later, the witch stepped through it.


    Her eyes were burning with darkness as she surveyed the scene, first looking at the hag, then the healer''s heart in my hand, then poking at Dusk¡¯s realm.


    ¡°Quickly.¡± she said. ¡°Give me the leaves, I have a sample of my grandchild¡¯s mana, and can attune it to them. You get me six of the seeds from the ash willow, at least four flowers of breath aster, seven of sunset marigolds, six dewdrop feverfew, five handfuls of managrass, three firecreep, two spirit gourds, a handful of stonesprout, and three soultoad¡¯s seat.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I said, bolting into action. Dusk started to move too, ready to split off to make my job easier, but the witch grabbed her off my shoulder.


    For a moment, I was afraid she was going to slip into the nonsense, or try to eat Dusk or something.


    ¡°I need you to control your dominion and realm, and shape me a tub in the earth near the healer¡¯s heart,¡± the witch said, and I breathed a sigh of relief, then took off again.


    I grabbed the things she¡¯d asked for. I didn¡¯t know what exactly she needed, so I didn¡¯t dare drain any of them, but I did overcharge my mana and start fueling the healing functions in the plants I¡¯d used for healing potions before.


    When I arrived back near the healer¡¯s heart, Kene¡¯s body was in the tub that Dusk had made. The witch was pouring water into the tub, slowly filling it, while a sphere of glass floated in the air over the tub, the blood that was pouring out of Kene¡¯s wounds slowly drifting up and into it, so it wouldn¡¯t contaminate the bathwater.


    ¡°Idiot grandchild,¡± she muttered under her breath, too low for me to hear without my enhanced senses.


    I thrust the armfull of plants I¡¯d collected at her and she picked through them. Her eyes narrowed, and she nodded her approval.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll need to drain and enforce these more, but at least you have the general idea.


    Her hands flashed, mighty magic swirling over the plants.


    I flared my Analyze Life spell, trying to pick up what the witch was doing.


    She was clearly using the mass versions of the Enhance and Drain Plant Life spell, and I watched as some sort of wind kicked up around the plants. They lifted into the air, then sank into the bath.


    The arrays within them began to spread and connect, and I realized the water that she¡¯d poured in wasn¡¯t ordinary water. It wasn¡¯t mana¨Cwater either, which I¡¯d expected, but some sort of¡­ healing water. It was permeated with life, solar, telluric, death, and other things in trace amounts. It was strong, too, sixth gate.


    ¡°I took it from a spring in the unclaimed lands,¡± the witch said, noticing me watching. ¡°Watch closely.¡±


    The power of the healing components I¡¯d given the witch was only third gate, yet as they streamed into the bath, they flowed in easily. Rather than simply breaking apart, they slid into the array where they were needed, directed by the witch.


    I¡¯d heard that my diaphanous dandelions could make a good supporting component, and I¡¯d thought I knew what that meant. But as the power of the array trickled down into that of the third gate components, and I watched them elevate beyond what the flowers normal limits were, I realized that I still had a lot to learn about alchemy.


    The spirit gourds floated out next, and they spun, their death magic that connected to the realm of spirits falling away, leaving only solid binding magic, which the witch spun into the spell, reaffirming the connections to¡­ something. I thought she was using it to enhance Kene¡¯s connection to the tattoos, since they were shredded, but I¡¯d never seen something like that done before.


    The firecreep and ash willow came next, and she broke down the spells, using the warmth producing array to heat the bath, and keep it at the optimal heat to soak into Kene, and she mixed in a handful of dried herbs from her cloak, that changed the way it worked. She moved so fast I coudn¡¯t track what she did.


    The stonesprout moved and connected to the water, helping repair and refine their bones, then the soultoad¡¯s seat, enhanced up to sixth gate, and connected in so intricately I couldn¡¯t trace it.


    Kene¡¯s blood, hanging in the sphere over the bath, started to drip down, and the hag spun it, somehow using it as a base template for what Kene should be.


    When she finished, she slumped down, staring at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need to become¡­ Off¡­ for a while, boy. Keep an eye on the bath.¡±


    Then she exploded into a cloud of ravens.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty-Five

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    When the witch reformed, she muttered something about holidays being made of eggs, butter, lemon, and pepper. I thought she meant hollandaise at first, but she was very stubborn and insisted that a beach vacation should absolutely be made of those ingredients.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it, honestly. I thought the old witch was probably suffering a drawback from her immortality, but I honestly couldn¡¯t tell. She did attempt to teethe on my arm, as if she were a toddler, but when I shoved her back and commented how gross it was, I thought I might have seen a mischievous spark in her eyes.


    It was¡­ strange.


    What was less strange, but far more fascinating, was the bath that Kene was in ¨C not because they were in it, that actually made me feel bad, like I was spying on something private.


    No, the interesting part was the alchemy.


    The bath seemed to effectively be a giant, complex healing potion. Studying how the weaker portions integrated with the healing water and the dried herbs that the witch had added actually did a lot to clarify a few of the points of confusion I had with my own healing potions.


    In a way, it was like when I added echinacea into my healing potion. Sure, it was a simple, mundane ingredient, but with the intermixing of energy, it was raised to the same status as the other components.


    That weakened it, sure, but not as much as I expected. The energy might be spread through more arrays, but each of those arrays was critical to the performance of the potion, and when they interlinked, it made everything stronger, a strange form of¡­ potion symbiosis.


    The bath had a few different arrays too, namely that it was designed to be soaked in, rather than drank, and continually imbued the power into the person.


    That had confused me too ¨C how was that possible without slowleaf? I¡¯d given her mana-grass, but nothing for slow release.


    Eventually, I concluded that either she¡¯d either added in dried slowleaf, or else there was some sort of strange principle at play that I had no idea about.


    Honestly, despite telling me to mind the bath, there wasn¡¯t much for me to do. Each time it got cooler, the power provided by the ash willow and the firecreep reheated it, and sent another pulse of¡­ something. I didn¡¯t know what, not recognizing the array, but at least this time, I was confident it had to do with the dried herbs she¡¯d tossed in.


    That was another thing I had to study. Whatever the witch had done, she¡¯d thrown together one of the most powerful alchemical potion-bath-things I¡¯d seen in minutes, where it would have taken me hours, even pretending I could actually work with the ingredients that she¡¯d used.


    Fascinatingly, she seemed to have connected the arrays to the ones in the ground that Dusk had set up for the growth of the Healer¡¯s Heart. That, at least, explained why she¡¯d needed the bath here specifically.


    ¡°The landed ones,¡± the witch muttered very seriously, putting her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Watch out for them. I don¡¯t want you to die, I remember that I care about you and the one in the tub.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I responded, trying to sound as genuine as I could. In a way, her degraded mind reminded me of my paternal grandmother¡¯s descent into mental disease, slowly losing her awareness of where she was, and even who she was.


    I shuddered, and was suddenly thankful that I had a pair of grandparents, even if they were divorced. When I got back home, I should send a letter to my maternal grandma, the one who was working as an archeologist in Elohi. Maybe I could see if she had set up enough of a permanent camp to have a communication mirror.


    Maybe even my grandpap too. Aergarde was far away, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t send a letter.


    Sure, he didn¡¯t even send letters to Ed and me for the unlit candle feast or our birthdays, like my grandma did, but communication went both ways. I was an adult now, I could reach out to him.


    Then the moment was broken.


    ¡°Salmon swords!¡± cried the witch, hopping on top of the bath.


    ¡°Wait, no!¡± I shouted, trying to pry her off the tub without damaging her. She hissed like a cat, then turned into an actual cat, scratched my face, then darted away.


    ¡°Sealed primes,¡± I cursed as I dabbed at the bits of blood that were starting to bead up on my face. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for feeling complex about her.¡±


    It probably wasn¡¯t a great sign I was talking to someone who was passed out in a stone bathtub.


    When the witch didn¡¯t seem to show any signs of returning to coherency after a few hours, Dusk whistled that she¡¯d keep an eye on Kene, since I needed to get to the boat.Stolen novel; please report.


    I agreed with her, and left her realm, rejoining with Octavian and Liz as we trudged onto the boat. It was far less exciting this time ¨C I wasn¡¯t willing to push and fight to be one of the first people on board, so I just waited, mentally reaching out to Dusk every few minutes for a status update.


    Eventually, she waspishly sent that she would tell me if anything changed, and sealed the connection between us.


    I blinked, not even knowing that she could do that. I supposed that I had been rather annoying, though, so I couldn¡¯t blame her.


    Once I was on the boat, I knocked onto the door of the cabin next to me, and Riley opened the door.


    ¡°Hey,¡± they said, their eyes lingering on me for a moment. ¡°You look good. The eyes are¡­ fancy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, shifting uncomfortably. It was always hard to tell if Riley was flirting with me or not, especially since flirtatious seemed to be their default state of being.


    ¡°Oh, hey Malachi,¡± Mallory called from the bed. ¡°Need something?¡±


    ¡°No, I just wanted to check and make sure that you made it out.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did, I¡¯m not incompetent,¡± Mallory sniffed.


    I pressed my lips together and nodded, then left.


    Without much else to do, I headed into Dusk¡¯s room within my cabin and sat next to Kene, then retreated into my mana-garden to tend to it.


    It was in amazing shape¡­ But also rough shape. It had been reformed by the Idyll-Flume, there was no doubt about that. But all the pressure and cracking of all of the inefficiencies off had left a veritable mountain of solidified mana that I wasn¡¯t using.


    Some of it I extracted from my spirit, then started working into the shape of my spells. When my staff had broken and I¡¯d reformed it, I¡¯d updated the spells, but that had been before the massive influx of the three deep manas that had pushed me even further, which meant I needed to update the staff again, in order to get it to be a true external reflection of me.


    That took several hours, and I left to get dinner. As I was headed down to the dining car, a blurry form shot at me, knocking into my legs. I looked down to see Siobhan, the fox-bird that I thought Octavian might have called it an enfield.


    I let out a sigh of relief. I had been caught up with Kene, and not thinking about the newest addition to our group. Siobhan rubbed at my legs and let out a curious yip, before scratching at her collar.


    ¡°You can¡¯t sense Kene,¡± I realized. ¡°Here, let¡¯s get some food, and I¡¯ll bring you back.¡±


    I got some for myself, Siobhan, the witch, and Kene, just in case they woke up. They didn¡¯t, but the moment Siobhan saw Kene, it released a wave of five complex spells, each of which sunk into the bath, spinning into Kene¡¯s form. Siobhan yawned then, and curled up near the tub, munching on her food.


    The following morning, I gathered the rest of the spiritual detritus in the ungated portion of my mana-garden, where it just¡­ sat there. It ate up a good bit of the space, locking me out from having my maximum amount of ungated mana, but I didn¡¯t exactly use a lot of ungated mana anyhow, so it wasn¡¯t a real loss.


    I supposed that I could have extracted it and sold it to an enchanter, and probably should have, but the effort was too much for me at the moment. I¡¯d do it another time.


    I shifted my focus to my two least used spells ¨C lesser psychometry and spatial tripwire. The tripwire at least had some use, and within my spirit, it had grown to the point that it was nearly mastered.


    Lesser psychometry, on the other hand¡­ I¡¯d never used it, but Ikki had given it to me for a reason. Why?


    I pulled out the small orbs that he¡¯d given me to practice with, then shifted my mana, allowing my temporal mana and energy, along with knowledge and a bit of mental energy to shape into the spell array.


    I had to admit, being able to do that, rather than having to sketch it out the normal way, was pretty useful.


    As I tapped each of the stones that Ikki had given me and channeled the spell, I got half-broken images before the spell shattered.


    I tried again, and each time, I was able to hold on a little longer. Bit by bit, I started to piece them together.


    The first marble had strong impressions of being used in a sling to hunt a bird. I felt a bit bad about that, but people had to eat. I had worked in a butcher¡¯s shop, after all, and while I felt bad for the animals, I wasn¡¯t about to go full vegan or even vegetarian.


    I might be able to swing pescetarian, though. Fish was one of my favorite types of food, and being able to eat it as the only type of meat¡­


    I realized I was getting distracted and turned back to the marble. As I continued to press in on it, I got more and more detail.


    The marble had once been enchanted. The enchantment had been used, but it had been there, and I could feel it. There were faint¡­ echoes. Impressions. Impressions of magic that had once been there, but was now gone.


    I raised an eyebrow at that, then moved onto the second marble, ignoring the witch who delightedly mentioned that she¡¯d loved to play with marbles when she was a child, but it was a shame that they didn¡¯t fit into people¡¯s eyeballs the way that they used to.


    This marble had been a part of something bigger than itself, and with a bit of amusement, I realized that the marble had once been a part of a larger stone ¨C a chunk of stunstone, which I¡¯d run into a few times in the trial. The stone had been removed, but it still had the imprint of being there, even though it wasn¡¯t.


    The third marble was more complex by far. It had begun as mud, laying in the ground in a mana and energy rich environment. I wasn¡¯t sure if it had been magical itself, some sort of¡­ sublime mud¡­ or something, but it had been surrounded by magic.


    Then it had been harvested by someone. An old man of Daocheng¡¯s descent. He¡¯d then separated it further, done¡­ Something¡­ with the rest of the mud, but rolled out a ball of clay and set it by the fire to dry.


    I felt like there were layers to this that I was missing, so I delved further. The mud¡­


    My mana ran dry, so I ambled over to the emperor¡¯s tree sapling and regained some.


    I spent most of the day practicing, working on the mud orb, but I also looked at the other three marbles that Ikki had given me. One of them seemed to be made from compressed plants, crushed down and dipped in lacquer or varnish or something, while another was clearly a half-active enchantment. Part of it had broken, but there were other parts that were active, and I couldn¡¯t figure out what or why. The sixth and final orb seemed¡­ violent.


    It gave me impressions of a fight, but I struggled to pull out what those impressions truly were, let alone who was fighting or why. There were many impressions, but they clashed and conflicted.


    I had definitely made progress by the time my temporal mana was so dwindled that I couldn¡¯t practice any more, then moved onto working with Spatial Tripwire. When it had just clicked into place, mastering itself from raw repetition, Kene¡¯s hand stirred in the bath.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty-Six

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I rushed over to the tub to see Kene shifting and looking around. Siobhan shot to her feet and let out a yip, nosing at Kene¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Where¡¯m¡¯I?¡± they asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re on the boat home,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re currently in Dusk, your grandmother set up some sort of powerful healing bath.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± they said, then blinked and looked at me. ¡°Oh, it worked. I was¡­¡±


    They shook their head, while scratching behind Siobhan¡¯s ears with one hand.


    ¡°I was pretty sure that the hag would swallow my soul.¡±


    Their eyes traced down their body to the sliced-to-bits clothes that they wore.


    ¡°I need to take a real shower and change,¡± they said. ¡°Then we have¡­ A lot to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to help you get to the cottage?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No!¡± the witch cried. I turned to see her doing a headstand, staring at us. ¡°The grandchild will be melted by water. Witches and water! Terrible combination.¡±


    I blinked, then shook my head. I thought I¡¯d seen a hint of her true mind in that, but it was always hard to tell. Kene let out a dry laugh, then shook his head.


    ¡°Physically, I¡¯m¡­ Mostly fine.¡±


    ¡°Mostly?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mostly,¡± agreed Kene, then held up their left hand.


    The bath had repaired it, but I could see scarring around it where it had been mangled. As they curled and uncurled their fingers, I saw the muscles bulging and jumping unnaturally.


    ¡°I think this may be a problem,¡± they said mildly.


    I felt guilt boil up in my gut. If I¡¯d been there with them, I might have been able to do¡­ something.


    ¡°Mentalize the physical and make them invert into the academia,¡± the witch advised, still upside down.


    I frowned. That had almost ¨C almost ¨C been real advice, talking about physical therapy to help the muscles recover to their normal strength.


    Either that, or I was reading too much into it.


    ¡°Can you keep an eye on her while I clean up?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said.


    They nodded and headed to the cottage, Siobhan trotting along behind them, while Dusk turned to the pool of sticky blood-water. It had a bit of power left in it, but not enough that I thought it was worth saving, and apparently she agreed, because she started moving her hands, shifting and altering the composition of the bath, spreading the water and a lot of the life energy out over the dry desert area, allowing it to soak into the water for the Healer¡¯s Heart.


    The blood and mana that the witch had used, she compressed into a tiny ball, then paused, clearly unsure what to do with it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten better at that,¡± I complimented, and Dusk whistled her thanks, saying that with three powers working in harmony, it was much easier to manipulate. Even if one of those three wasn¡¯t fully manifested yet.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what she meant, but the intricacies of her magic weren¡¯t for me to delve into. She understood them just fine, and was her own person, she could be trusted to guide her own growth and skills.


    She let out a raven¡¯s caw, asking if I knew what to do with the blood.


    ¡°Sausage,¡± the witch whispered into my ear conspiratorially, causing me to jerk. She¡¯d moved right up behind me without me noticing.


    Creepy.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Dusk shrugged and waved her hand. The blood burst into flames, and the peacepyre floated out of the trees, slipping the fire into itself. It grew larger before turning and floating away.


    When Kene finally returned, we¡¯d scrubbed everything back to how it had been before, with the exception of the tub ¨C just in case.


    ¡°Hey,¡± they said, slipping their right hand into mine as they watched Dusk quack at the witch, who was running around on all fours and barking at her.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, then voiced a creeping fear that had crept in while I was practicing. ¡°Do you know what happened with the hag?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± they said, then let out a long sigh. ¡°I was thrown¡­ I don¡¯t even know. It was like the ruins of a city, crawling with monsters. There were rats that could bite through my armor, despite only being second gate. There were these hulking brutes made of muscle and acid that moved with impossible speed, and who¡¯s acid could burn horribly all over, who were third gate. But worst of all were the weapon-people. They looked like a human made of bronze, silver, or gold, but their hands were fused to weapons of all sorts.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Kene paused to swallow thickly.


    ¡°They were all lethal fighters. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. They fought with no mercy or hesitation. If they could scratch your leg, but would die in the attempt, they¡¯d take it. It was¡­ The bronze ones were third gate, but the silver were fourth, and the gold were fifth gate. Real ones too. And there were a few dozen of them.¡±


    ¡°The cuts?¡± I asked, though it wasn¡¯t really a question, and Kene nodded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kene nodded. ¡°I ran every time I encountered one, but they¡­ They were so strong.¡±


    Kene shuddered.


    ¡°When I ran into a gold, I couldn¡¯t do anything. It crushed my hand with its hammer, broke my ribs, and would have killed me if someone hadn¡¯t interveined. I used the red pyramid, but I couldn¡¯t call grandmother, because I was still in the realm.¡±


    ¡°Who drove it off?¡± I asked.


    ¡°One of the sky people, I think?¡± Kene said. ¡°The ones supporting the artifact? Either that, or someone else who used their strategy.¡±


    I groaned internally. Of course, they had to go and make things complicated. Why couldn¡¯t they just be a group of malicious cultists I had to go beat up until they agreed to stop being evil?


    Instead, they had to be working to free a group of people from a prison and save the life of my partner, while also trying to kill me and throwing things into chaos. How was that fair?


    ¡°I know,¡± Kene said, reading what I hadn¡¯t said aloud. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Complicated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you went through that,¡± I said, gently running my thumb along their knuckles.


    ¡°Anyways, after the gold was occupied, I ran¡­ Right into a silver. They had twin swords, and were cutting me up. They left me for dead, and probably would have succeeded. At that point, the regeneration pyramid was doing its best to keep my heart beating, and the only reason I could even keep it working was forcing it to with my nascent truth.¡±


    ¡°You were in rough shape,¡± I said with a nod. In the back of my head, though, I was impressed. They¡¯d kept an artifact like that operating longer than it should have with nothing but their nascent truth?


    ¡°Exactly. As I was laying there, dying, I felt the hag fighting through the seal. I was out of mana, and was too mentally exhausted, so instead of fighting, I reached out too.¡±


    They shivered.


    ¡°I could never do that before. I think¡­ I think it might have been a side effect of me bonding to the tattoos? But when I reached out to her, we spoke. She wants to consume me, yes, but she can¡¯t do that if I¡¯m dead, and she knew that nobody would help a hag on the other side. Her spells could keep us from death, but not infinitely. If she could have¡­ Well, I wouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    ¡°So she agreed to save you?¡± I asked, ¡°Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Not just like that,¡± they said. ¡°But she did agree to save me.¡±


    ¡°What was the cost?¡± I asked, my throat going dry.


    ¡°An open backdoor,¡± they said, compressing their lips. ¡°Or a hole in the enchantments, if you prefer. Not a large one, but enough that she can speak to me directly when she wishes.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°So then she¡¯s whispering in your head right now?¡±


    ¡°Not now,¡± Kene said. ¡°Right now, the hag is resting, but¡­ She was speaking to me a lot when I was in the tub.¡±


    Kene shook his head and shivered.


    ¡°Hags are¡­ Strange. She has impulses, and she pushed them to me. Instincts to hunt on humanity, prey on the weak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. We stood there for a while, looking out over the forest, and not even the witch or the hag stepped in to stop it.


    ¡°I did get something good out of it,¡± Kene said finally, shifting their hand and pulling out a small, clouded quartz crystal. I glanced a little deeper, and realized that no, it wasn¡¯t clouded. There were actual mists shifting inside of the crystal, like those that rose off the rivers early in the morning.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No clue,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen or heard of a treasure like it, but it feels strong.¡±


    It did. Death and tempest and knowledge and abnegation and life and other things too.


    ¡°As nice as baubles are,¡± I said, shaking my head, ¡°I¡¯m just glad to have you back. And alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to be alive too,¡± Kene said, then their stomach rumbled. ¡°Also, I¡¯m hungry. I had a nutrition potion before I was attacked, but that was two days ago. The baths are designed to loop water into your body, but I am still very hungry.¡±


    I laughed at that. It was absurd to think he¡¯d been running through some sort of post-apocalyptic city, fighting for their life, nearly died, activated a pair of super-powered enchanted items, called his ancestral witch from her hut, who¡¯d then cast a grand healing spell on a scale I¡¯d never seen¡­ and for the first serious complaint they had to be that they were hungry.


    A moment later, Kene started laughing too. We stood there laughing for a while, until Dusk and the witch both came over to stare at us, which only made us laugh harder.


    ¡°I have some food in the fridge for you,¡± I said finally, ¡°but we should probably head to the cafeteria for something fresher.¡±


    As we headed out of Dusk¡¯s realm and onto the boat, I noted the chill in the air.


    ¡°We must be getting close to Dragontooth,¡± I commented.


    ¡°Get used to it,¡± Kene said. ¡°You¡¯ll have, what, a month to complete the beastgate trial trail?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know all the rules, honestly.¡±


    Kene nodded and we moved to get some stuff to eat. For whatever reason, the cafeteria was serving omelets, despite it being close to ten at night. Kene loaded his up with peppers, onions, spinach, tomatoes, chives, chicken, turkey, sausage, mozzarella, cheddar, ricotta, and swiss. I settled for a far more meager shrimp, pepper, and pimento cheese omelet myself.


    By the time Kene had torn through their first omelet, and was going back for second ¨C slightly less overloaded ¨C serving, I had finished and put mine aside.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Kene asked between bites, ¡°I feel bad, I didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    I caught Kene up on everything that had happened, from waking up, to contacting dusk, to the trail and growth item, to the assassin.


    ¡°Oh, that runelight lens should be great for building your mental reserves,¡± Kene noted. ¡°Combined with the beastmark, you should be able to build up a considerable amount of power of different types.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I agreed, then tilted my head when I saw a curious look spread over Kene¡¯s face.


    ¡°Do you wanna get off in Dragontooth? It¡¯s not like Delitone, it¡¯s part of the alliance, so we shouldn¡¯t need our passports, just our IDs. Could save you the trip of flying there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be almost two weeks early,¡± I said, but considered it.


    After all, I didn¡¯t know the rules that I¡¯d be operating under. If I made it to the base of the trail and met with the turtle beforehand, I¡¯d be able to get a grip on those, and if there was anything extra I needed, then I¡¯d be able to try and get it.


    On the other hand, it would be another week and three quarters where the assassin could come after me without a report to the watches. I could, in theory, report her to whatever the enforcement in Dragontooth was, but I wouldn¡¯t have the support of Octavian and Cettilyn, like I would in Delitone, or Liz and Ed like I would at home. There were high odds it wouldn¡¯t go anywhere, and that I may be detained for my own safety.


    But on the other, other hand, if I could bait her out into an actual attack, that would simplify things for the local enforcement a lot more. Things would still be complicated, but the evidence would be a lot easier to sift through. Assuming I lived through her attack, of course.


    It was a risk either way, I just had to figure out which risks I was willing to accept.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty-Seven

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Sure,¡± I finally said. ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine with it?¡±


    ...


    Kene and I disembarked the boat at the Dragontooth stop before hurrying to the harbourmaster¡¯s office, which had four lines for people coming into the country, a faster one for simple one day or less visits that basically only required an ID check, and then a longer one for longer stays.


    As we waited in line, my eyes were drawn to the person who, judging by the fact she rod straight on a balcony that was open to the air, had to have been the harbourmaster.


    She was a worn looking old woman with steely gray hair, and she absolutely radiated the power of abnegation mana, dripping over us even from her elevated position. She was a false ascender, I thought, but she¡¯d polished the falsely opened gate to the point that it was almost hard to tell. If it weren¡¯t for my mana senses being so strong, I never would have picked up on the shaky foundation at the edges of her mana.


    It was weird to me how many arcanists there were on and around boats, but I dismissed it. I wasn¡¯t a sailor, and honestly, I preferred flying. I paused at that. There were multiple types of beastial flying spells¡­ That might be worth looking into.


    When Kene and I made it to the front of the line, the woman nodded to us.


    ¡°Alright, IDs please?¡±


    We each passed them over, and the attendant held them over an enchanted plate made of marble, each one for thirty seconds.


    ¡°Alright, since you all are from Mossford, you can stay here in Dragontooth for up to one hundred and one days. Neither of you are here with the MossU expedition, right?¡±


    It took me a second to realize she meant Mossford University, and I shook my head.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said, jotting down a few things, then passing us a list. ¡°Please check off and ensure that you¡¯re not carrying any of these items, signing at the bottom, and place any spatially extended bags, extraspatial rings, and ordinary luggage on there.¡±


    She pointed to a series of baskets, and Kene put their ring in the basket, which began to glow with knowledge mana. Kene passed over their paperwork, but I was unable to put anything on the scale. If I summoned my old expanded briefcase, then she¡¯d assume I pulled it out of a spatial ring ¨C a spatial ring that I didn¡¯t own.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any,¡± I lied. ¡°All of my stuff was destroyed when the Idyll-Flume exploded.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the attendant said, sounding bored, then she opened her desk. Within, I could see a case of glimmering silver potions.


    I¡¯d run into these before ¨C truth potions. Dusk, however, hadn¡¯t, and peeped curiously from my pocket, causing the woman to start.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± she asked, and Dusk seized on the opportunity, leaping out of my pocket and floating onto the woman¡¯s Desk, where she proudly announced that she was Dusk, the best nature spirit on all of Ddeaer!


    ¡°She¡¯s my familiar,¡± I said. ¡°Is there any extra paperwork I need to fill out to register her coming with me?¡±


    The attendant shifted through the desk¡¯s contents and pulled out some more papers for us to fill out, then turned to Kene, holding her hand out for the first round of paperwork. She checked it over, handed them back their ring, and waved them to go.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll wait for my boyfriend,¡± they tried.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to wait in the waiting room,¡± the attendant said in a monotone, then gave Kene a bland but firm smile. Kene nodded and ambled away, but I was sweating as the attendant pulled out a truth potion and passed it to me.


    ¡°I just have a few questions while you fill that out,¡± she said.


    I drained the vial. Not doing as much would be incredibly suspicious, after all. But before she could speak, I started talking.


    ¡°No problem. Here, I¡¯ll go ahead and knock out as many as I can. I really am Malachi Roth Baker, I¡¯m not bringing in any of the things on the list.¡±


    The potion shivered in my veins, but I was telling the truth. Technically. Dusk was the one who was bringing in the endangered species


    ¡°I do have a couple of battle spells, but I¡¯m a registered auxiliary member of the Spirit and Wildwatch, and they¡¯re useful in the course of my work. Dusk and I really are soul-bound, and neither of us means any harm to any people in Dragontooth. Or anywhere, really. I¡¯m just here to compete in the Beastgate Trial Trail, then go home.¡±


    I gave her an easygoing grin.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°This is a bit annoying, but I¡¯m not mad at you. I understand why I look suspicious, but I really don¡¯t have any spatial rings, bags, or any other items or spells to stor¨CAgh!¡±


    Pain exploded through me, and the attendant shot to her feet, a wand pointed at my chest.


    ¡°So you do have a spell,¡± she said flatly. ¡°I thought so, with you being a spatial mage and all. Please come with me and we¡¯ll scan your spirit.¡±


    ¡°The only spell I have that stores something within my spirit is Pinpoint Boneshard, one of the battle spells that I mentioned earlier,¡± I said. ¡°I really just wasn¡¯t thinking about that when I spoke. Other than that, no storage spells. But of course I¡¯ll submit to a spiritual scan.¡±


    The attendant did relax a little bit when I said all that without the potion causing a spike of pain, but she still gestured for me to follow her through the side door.


    I did so, quite glad that people tended to overlook the intelligence and thought of spirits. If Dusk had been given a potion too, that could have easily gone far worse.


    In a weird way, this was also good practice. The border security getting into Delitone would be far more intense, and knowing to prepare my briefcase with a week or so of clothes and living supplies was a good call.


    It did make me feel a bit like a criminal.


    Actually, come to think of it, it was criminal. For a good reason, but still criminal.


    Ah well.


    The attendant led me to a circle on the floor engraved with all sorts of spellwork, and pointed to it.


    ¡°Stand there, raise your arms above your head, and lower your veils. If the enchantment has to break through a veil, it will hurt and can potentially cause spiritual damage, so I highly, highly advise that you don¡¯t.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t been actively veiling myself in that moment anyways, but I tried to still my mana as best I could, then held up my hands.


    ¡°Three, two, now,¡± the woman said.


    There was a flash of knowledge mana across my senses, and I felt a powerful spell slam around and rattle around in my spirit. It was powerful fourth gate, though that was just a guess based on the moment that I¡¯d had to sense it.


    Still, I did take note of the potential fact. I¡¯d given up the ability to cast Analyze Mana-Garden, but whatever spells that this enchantment was based on might possibly be able to be redone with death mana. Fourth gate was a long way away, but it wasn¡¯t impossibly far, like becoming an arcanist was.


    ¡°You can lower your arms, but don¡¯t leave the circle,¡± the woman instructed, while she examined the output of the spell. She poked at them a few times, then nodded and gave me what I thought might be the first genuine smile so far.


    ¡°Everything looks clear, though the Pinpoint Boneshard spell didn¡¯t come up in our databases, it was still at least an eighty percent match, and it seemed fine. Sorry for the hold up.¡±


    She led me back to the front, where Dusk was sitting, kicking her feet, chatting to the person in line behind me. When she saw me, she waved to them and then floated over to land on my shoulder. The attendant passed my ID back, and I headed out to meet Kene.


    ¡°Everything go okay?¡± they asked, and I nodded, not wanting to say more while still in a governmental office.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go report the lady who attacked me to the lightwatch,¡± I said. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll go anything, but at least if she attacks me here, there will be a record for me reporting that.¡±


    ¡°Your first day in Dragontooth and you want to spend it hopping from government office to government office?¡± Kene teased me, and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Yes, I definitely want to do this, and it¡¯s not a legal and social obligation,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, I know, you love sitting still and doing paperwork. Also, I think they¡¯re called the frostwardens here,¡± they responded.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Their lightwatch. It¡¯s the frostwardens. Or warden? I can¡¯t remember if it was singular or plural, but that was the idea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± I said as we left the doors, and then I immediately revised my opinion.


    I¡¯d seen the country from the boat, of course, but seeing it with my own eyes, up close, was entirely different.


    The entire country was cold and mountainous. The entire city we were in, despite it being a port, was ringed with massive peaks coated in white snow that large juts of purple-gray-blue stone emerging from underneath. They spanned higher than any of the hills or mountains I¡¯d seen in Mossford, and as the snow fell in flakes around us, I could feel an ancient glacial energy within, one that reminded me of Aput¡¯s strong draconic magic.


    Fainter, of course, it was ambient snowfall on the mountains, not actual power condensed into a natural treasure or mana source. But the type matched.


    I turned my vision to the town itself. The entire place was¡­ different. Mossford had a utilitarian layout, with numbered streets that ran in more or less straight lines, but the streets here were windy, with names like ¡®iceflower fruit lane¡¯.


    There were lights everywhere, to the point it almost looked like a festival to me. In between the tall street lamps were rows of multicolored globes of pastel light that stretched from post to post, swaying in the wind. All of the businesses on the snowy streets had warm, orange light, like that cast by a fire, pouring out onto the snowy streets, and each shop¡¯s sign was also lit up, often with both an image and a name glowing against the dark of the sky.


    The entire place still somehow managed to come off as quaint and charming, rather than garish. It was probably something to do with the fact that they kept all of the color palettes muted, but I didn¡¯t pretend to understand color theory.


    Where in Mossford I would have expected to see the streets filled with enchanted carriages and brooms sweeping overhead, the streets of Dragontooth were¡­ not bare, but foot traffic only. A street vendor had a cart set up that was selling warm drinks of hot wine, spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, orange zest, and a splash of sherry, and not too far away, another vendor was selling Tambapanni tea that had been seasoned with dried fruits and flowers from Tianzhu and the Redsummer Isles alike.


    I squinted into the sky and used both Surveyor¡¯s Eye and Vampiric Senses to look in the sky. There were a few people flying around, but it took me a moment to realize what was different about them.


    All of them were flying under their own power. Be it wings, wind, force, gravity, or other, stranger methods, none of them had any sort of visible flying items.


    The effect, though, was strange. The lack of people made it easier to look up and behold the constellations above, the faint humming lines of power that connected the bright and burning lines splattered across the canvas of the void.


    I did wonder exactly how people got around, but I¡¯d figure that out eventually.


    ¡°I want one of those,¡± Kene said, pointing at another street vender that stood in front of some sort of stairwell that headed underground.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty-Eight

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The vendor sold long strips of smoked eel with a lovely tangy mustard. I¡¯d never had eel before, be it smoked, fried, raw, or any other way, but it was pretty good, and it was more than long enough for Kene and I to share.


    Kene¡¯s grandmother apparently asked to leave Dusk¡¯s realm around then, and so Dusk waved her hand, and the witch ambled out.


    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Kene said, putting the chunk of eel he¡¯d had down. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Mostly, if most is toast and toast is elbows,¡± the old witch muttered, then squinted at Kene. ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡±


    ¡°Can you?¡± I asked. ¡°We¡¯re in¨C¡±


    I was cut off by the witch leaping into the eye and melting into the form of a giant owl. It wasn¡¯t as big as the huge falcon that had attacked Kene and I in the Idyll-Flume, but she still had a wingspan as large as one of the industrial metal prep tables at the bakery.


    ¡°Caw!¡± she said. ¡°Wait. No. Hoot!¡±


    Then she started flapping her wings and rose into the sky. That got a few odd looks from people on the street, and I turned to Kene.


    ¡°Will she be okay?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t survive as long as she has without learning to survive,¡± Kene said as they sat and started snacking on the eel again. ¡°M¡¯ also pretty sure she¡¯s got a low-grade version of immortality. But it¡¯s not like any of us could have stopped her. If she wanted to leave, she would have left. The fact she announced it meant that she had enough of a mind to remember to tell us.¡±


    We polished off the eel in silence, watching the street. During the time we¡¯d been here, at least thirty people had entered or left the stairwell down that the eel vendor was in front of, so I pointed at it.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°No clue,¡± Kene said. ¡°I basically rushed off the boat, then to the library, grabbed a few quick spells at the suggestion of the librarian, and then headed back.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind looking around.¡±


    We headed down the stairs, and found ourselves in what almost looked like the terminals at the harbor. The signs in the air above directed us left for inter city, and right for intra city.


    ¡°Oh, I always mess those up,¡± I said with a groan.


    ¡°Inter city is between two cities,¡± someone grumbled as they pushed around us. I shrugged, and Kene and I headed right.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to visit the library to figure out what city the Beastgate Trial Trail is in,¡± I told Kene. ¡°But want to look here for now? It¡¯s not like we can travel out there so quickly. Probably.¡±


    On the left side of the terminal there was a massive city map, and we looked around until we figured out where the library was. Kene, having rushed to it once already, was able to use his experience to orient us.


    The library was located around a street called eldersap, and it had a small star marked on it, about a half a block north. Given our location was marked with a large star, I figured that it was likely that each of the stars was where these connected. There were different colored lines of thread linking the stars. The northern and southern streets seemed to have alternating red and blue lines, while the eastern and western had yellow and green.


    What the lines actually were, I still wasn¡¯t sure. A portal network was possible, but those were difficult and expensive to maintain, given that they required Arcanist level magic, and the constant movement of people had them. Outside of the Tower City, I didn¡¯t know of anywhere that used portal travel as anything other than luxury transit.


    Was this some sort of mass-flying tunnel?


    Kene and I shifted away and deeper into the facility, where we finally spotted a platform that led out into a massive tunnel, carved out of the earth and reinforced with a white stone. It wasn¡¯t marble, but I didn¡¯t know what the stone was. It was covered in enchantments, though, a massive blazing source of winter magical power that sent a continuous gust of tempest energy spiraling in wind and more.


    People would step, or in the case of one person I spotted ¨C seated in a wheelchair with layers of bright red abenagation energy (not mana, energy) swirling around them ¨C wheel off of the platform. As soon as someone was off the platform, the winds and warped gravity caught them, and they were sent rushing down the tunnel, headed north. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said.


    ¡°I feel like brooms are more convenient when it comes to a personal level,¡± Kene mused. ¡°But this is probably better for people who don¡¯t have the enchanting skillet to fix one up themselves, the money to buy one, or the fortune to inherit one.¡±


    ¡°I wanna try it!¡± I said, and Kene gave me a nod. We stepped off the platform, and a moment later, the unmistakable feel of glacier dragon mana surrounded us. The mana infused into our bodies, the pressure flexed, and we began rocketing down the tunnel, pulled by the magic.


    Interestingly, as we moved, I felt my mana regeneration sharply drop. It wasn¡¯t a problem, exactly, given that I wasn¡¯t in urgent need of recovering my mana, but the tunnel seemed to be draining everything that my spirit would have naturally produced in order to restore me.


    That must have explained how they were able to power such a massive spell like this. While any passengers that didn¡¯t have absurd mana regeneration, or else have an absurdly high potency of mana, would still be draining more power than they gave, with the sheer number of people riding, it would still be a noticeable offset.


    What''s more, there were seemingly lanes within the windstream. People closer to the wall were burning mana, releasing it out into the environment. The more mana they were releasing ¨C as well as the denser it was ¨C the faster they were moving. One person who was releasing mana dense enough to suggest she was nearing the peak of fourth gate shot past us like she¡¯d been fired by a mana cannon.


    I still didn¡¯t think that would be enough to actually sustain the enchantments, especially since kids weren¡¯t able to even provide a trickle of ungated mana, but it would absolutely reduce the strain on the power cores.


    And?


    It was fun.


    Kene and I each began to release mana, and skate forwards, shifting closer to the wall so that we didn¡¯t slam into anyone. Before we knew it, a platform rushed by us.


    ¡°Which one was that?!¡± I shouted over the rushing winds.


    ¡°No idea!¡± Kene laughed.


    As we raced down, passing stop after stop, the tunnel began to split, a wedge that was glowing softly with impact cushioning spells splitting off. One of the tunnels had a bright yellow stripe over it, and the other a green one.


    ¡°Which way?¡±


    ¡°Gree¡­ No, yellow!¡±


    We had to rapidly shift lanes in order to get into the yellow line, and it slowly curled until we were rushing back the direction we¡¯d come, but one street over.


    I felt like two-way lanes, one heading each direction, like Mossford¡¯s carriages, would have probably been more efficient, but it was possible there was another reason for the looping system.


    Primes, I¡¯d barely managed to enchant a cauldron. I should probably tone down the judgements about efficiency. The odds I¡¯d ever be able to do this, even if I ascended to become a magus, was exactly zero.


    As fun as racing around the tunnels was, we disembarked as we got closer to the library, only to check the map and see that we¡¯d overshot it by nearly four blocks.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s pretty, we can look around.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Kene laughed, and we headed upstairs to walk around the city. I purchased one of the cups of mulled spiced wine, and we sipped from it.


    It was a bit early for alcohol, and I¡¯d never been a huge drinker, but it was a good tool to fight against the chilled winds.


    The library was a medium sized stone building, much smaller than the massive castle in the capital of Mossford, but that was hardly shocking.


    When I entered, however, it was a little more surprising. There was a massive map of the solar system, made of whirling brass. I focuses on Ddeaer, which was the size of a pumpkin. It was exquisitely detailed, with delicate stained glass shaping out the nations, while flat, hammered sheets formed the unclaimed lands, and the oceans were empty air that let me peer into the combination of enchanted gears that kept the planet rotating.


    ¡°Ah, interested in our exhibit?¡± came the voice of one of the librarians. I blinked, caught off guard. They must have had an exceptional veil ¨C or no power ¨C to have sliped past my senses


    Kene, who had been examining the glass-giant ¨C heh ¨C Kyrbyr, jumped, caught even more flat footed than I was.


    The librarian was tall, and muscular, built like a professional body sculptor, with a bright purple, neatly trimmed beard. Their nametag identified them as Rubi.


    ¡°The Mossford alliance may not have a leg in the lunar landing competition, but it¡¯s fun to speculate,¡± Rubi said.


    ¡°Has there been any more news?¡± Kene asked. ¡°We¡¯ve been away from people for two weeks.¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet,¡± Rubi responded, scratching their beard. ¡°Last I heard, the probes kept getting torn apart by the hyper-condensed solar and lunar mana out there.¡±


    Kene nodded as if that made perfect sense, and I shrugged. If it was important, I¡¯d hear more about it eventually.


    ¡°How can I help you two?¡± Rubi asked with a laid back smile.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the beastgate?¡± I asked. ¡°And how do I get there? What are the rules?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the northwest,¡± Rubi said. ¡°You¡¯ll want to take the sluice westward for about ten hours, then shift to the north track until you arrive in Puinen, probably about four days if you stop each day. As for the rules¡­ No clue.¡±


    ¡°No clue? There aren''t any records?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°Only a hundred or so try it each year,¡± Rubi shrugged. ¡°And each batch has different rules. You¡¯ll like Puinen, though. Pretty place, loads of hiking. Cold, though, not like here.¡±


    They said it seriously, too, as if this snowstorm of a town was as warm as a Redsummer Isles beach town.


    ¡°If you take the full month to complete the trail, you¡¯ll end just in time for the unlit candle feast, and in such a lovely place, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it,¡± Rubi continued, completely ignoring the absurd comments about the weather.


    Kene and I chatted with the older librarian for a while longer, before spending the night in Dusk, and embarking on the sluice ¨C which was a terrible name for a flight based mass transit system ¨C and headed west, before spending the night in Dusk once more and starting the ride northward, to the small town that hosted the Beastgate Trial Trail.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Fifty-Nine

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    It was easy to dismiss Ed as stupid. Even he admitted that he¡¯d struggled in school, and he¡¯d been called stupid plenty by the kids who he¡¯d gone to school with. It was a nice school, after all. Not one his dad would normally have been able to have them attend, if he hadn¡¯t plopped his bakery down in an upper class neighborhood. And like most nice schools, the students there were all smart, driven by coming from innately more educated backgrounds and opportunities.


    So they¡¯d called him dumb, because he couldn¡¯t focus on the lessons, forgot things a lot, had an organization system that seemingly only made sense to him, and was good at sports.


    Where his brother had retreated from people, folding in and becoming a bit of a loner, Ed had accepted it. He¡¯d leaned into the jibes and turned them into his power. He¡¯d turned himself into the stereotypes of being dumb, nice, and built like a fridge.


    Which meant it was even easier to forget that he was smart. For all that he¡¯d struggled in school, anyone who became a full member of the Mossford Lightwatch was made to undergo a multi-year training program.


    A part of that program included a two year degree in law, a half dozen courses in ethics and privacy, a full year of training in de-escalation, and more. He¡¯d struggled in those courses, that much was true, but he had completed them. Even if he¡¯d had to retake a few of the more complicated law courses.


    People also discounted how strong Ed was.


    Yes, they acknowledged that he was physically strong, but they tended to overlook his magical strength.


    Even his own dad and girlfriend underestimated his strength. It was true that he wasn¡¯t some sort of mage savant like Malachi was, able to reach third gate in just nine months with incredibly solidly built power, but he was still well above average in terms of magical strength. Early third gate he might be, having yet to push the mists over his first set of steps, but he was still strong, especially with his rebuilt first gate, a reflexive first and second gate mana meditation, and the passive parts of his legacy boosting all of his stone spells.


    His combat instincts were good too. While Ikki¡¯s might have been better, Ikki was a few hundred years old. Much like comparing his magical skills to those of his prodigal brother, comparing his combat skills to Ikki¡¯s just wasn¡¯t fair.


    But he was good in a fight. He knew how people moved, and how they held themselves. And in a fight, that knowledge was important.


    That instinctive understanding of how people moved was the only reason that when a woman walked into the bakery, he picked her out of the crowd immediately. She moved with a balance and confidence of someone who fought, and kept her mana tightly veiled, making it impossible for him to tell what exact kind of mage she was.


    At first, he just thought it was interesting. There were plenty of people who fought for multiple reasons, after all ¨C she could have been a pro fighter, or a member of one of the combat guilds in the city, or even just someone who enjoyed fighting.


    It was interesting, but he would have put her out of his mind if it weren¡¯t for Kerbos.


    His large, half-dragon, half-dog, half-blender was laying down upstairs, gnawing away at the lid to a galvanized steel trash can, and the moment that the woman¡¯s presence, veiled though it was, entered the range of Kerbos¡¯ mana senses, Kerbos sent a warning growl through the bond that they shared.


    Kerbos¡¯ instincts didn¡¯t inherently mean she was a bad person, but he trusted his dog-dragon enough that he kept an eye on her as he packaged someone a baked apple tart to go and handled the flow of customers.


    She was short, not even five feet. Curvy and attractive, and maybe a couple of years older than he was ¨C twenty five or so.


    As she came to the head of the line, she gave him a sweet smile as she crossed her arms and held them tightly together. He was tempted to snort at it. She¡¯d have better luck with that trick on Liz. At least Liz was able to be attracted to multiple people.


    ¡°Hey, is Mal in?¡± the woman asked.


    The interest and observation from Kerbos and his own noticing of her shifted into a note of alarm.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a friend of his, my name¡¯s Emily,¡± she said, then frowned, putting on an almost-pout. ¡°Did he really not mention I¡¯d be coming in to try¡­¡±


    Her eyes flickered over the display case for a second.


    ¡°One of those delicate, swan shaped cream puffs?¡±


    ¡°No the primes you¡¯re not,¡± Ed said, stepping closer to the counter. ¡°My brother has exactly three friends, and one of them¡¯s my girlfriend. He definitely doesn¡¯t have a robust enough social life to have a friend I¡¯ve never heard of.¡±


    The woman gave him a look that sent an actual shiver down Ed¡¯s spine at that. It was flat, but not in the emotionless mask that some wore to hide anger. This was more like the completely impassive look of a debt collector coming to repossess a house after someone took out a bad loan.


    Then it was gone and she shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re weird. I just want a cream puff.¡±


    ¡°Totally!,¡± Ed agreed, giving her a big, stupid, goofy grin. He boxed it up and charged her for it. She actually paid with a smooth black creditstone, and he arched an eyebrow. She frowned and shook her head.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°It¡¯s my dad¡¯s,¡± she laughed.


    ¡°Lucky girl,¡± he said with a smile, and she nodded.


    As she walked away, though, Kerbos put down his chew toy and padded down the stairs, slipping out the back door to keep an eye on her. She ate the cream puff on the street and headed away, but stopped at the small corner garden, sitting there. When Kerbos relayed this to Ed, he asked his familiar to hang back, but keep an eye on her.


    She was good. She shifted her position every half hour or so, making sure that she wasn¡¯t in one place for long enough to stick out in anyone¡¯s mind, but she always stayed in a fairly close radius to the bakery, skirting around it in a roughly three mile radius circle.


    That was strange enough to Ed. While it was technically possible that she just lived around here, and he did everything he could to give her the benefit of the doubt, there were just too many suspicious things about her for him to accept it easily.


    Kerbos trailed her, and despite the fact that he didn¡¯t blend in at all, his cute appearance of an armored dog-dragon with metal horns, the fact that most people in the nearby neighborhoods had already seen him, and that he stayed back, keeping her within his scent but not his vision, not after she started to move, meant that she was mostly unaware of her tail.


    Either that, or she¡¯d become aware of Kerbos, but then continued her evasive swapping and shifting even after to further obscure her trail, but Ed hoped that wasn¡¯t the actual reason. If it was, then she was more than just someone with a vendetta against his brother, like that werewolf girl had been.


    If she was paranoid to keep shaking a trail that she¡¯d lost hours ago, then she had been trained in this sort of thing, either by the Nightwatch, Sinners, or plain old experience.


    As the evening moved on, and his dad retired to bed early, Ed kept Kerbos on her trail.


    When she slowly started moving back towards the bakery, Ed came to the unfortunate conclusion that his hopes that she was just some random, innocent person were almost certainly untrue.


    He headed out back and used his Stone Sculpting spell on the large brick of stone outside. Despite the name, the spell was more like a crude chisel, simply slicing stone apart wherever he fed mana into it. The harder the stone he had to crack, the more mana it took.


    It was actually one of the spells that made up part of the reason he was glad that Meadow had insisted that he learn Analyze Earth. The sense for the flows of telluric energy within the stone did a lot to tell him where the natural fracture points were, and as he cut chunks from the stone to reshape into a spear with his legacy, he was left with a tool that was tougher than it would appear, with the weak spots very intentionally chosen.


    When he channeled his Strengthen Stone spell into it, reinforcing it, the power he¡¯d gained from Kerbos¡¯ bond flowed into it.


    Bands of thin purelectrum ¨C one of the five metals Kerbos¡¯ legacy let his spells become ¨C forged themselves within the energetic arrays of the spear.


    He wasn¡¯t good enough to use it to form enchantments yet, but it still served to remove the worst parts of the stone, reinforcing it and transforming the spear into a high quality work.


    He leaned the spear over his shoulder and stepped into the shadowed corner of the yard, where the house and block of stone would hide him, then pulled a tight veil over his spirit, using the Still as the Stone technique to blend his mana into the environment and the very stones he was hiding behind.


    When he heard footsteps, he checked in with Kerbos. Sure enough, her scent was still headed this way.


    The footsteps stopped, and he felt a slight shift of knowledge and abnegation mana in the air.


    The perfect mana for wardbreaking.


    He held on though. While all evidence suggested she would be cracking the wards Malachi and Orykson had put around the house, it could also be something else, and she was still innocent.


    Suspicious as the left toe of the telluric prime.


    But innocent.


    Not only that, but if he stepped out now¡­


    There was a slight warble in the spatial mana of the wards tremble, then someone hopped the fence, landing delicately into his yard. Ed stepped out of the shadow and past the stone, tensing his mana, ready to release it at any second.


    ¡°The deliberate breaking of civilian protective wards is a summary offense, you know,¡± Ed said smoothly. ¡°Not a great look, especially when you lied about knowi¨C¡±


    He was cut off as the woman exploded towards him, moving with some sort of variant of the haste spell that caused her body to glow green, while swirling winds wrapped around her body, accelerating her speed. A hammer appeared in her hand as she moved, and lightning blazed down its shaft and to its head.


    But for all that she was faster than Ed, he¡¯d already been pushing power at three spells, holding it in place to stop the three from forming.


    Now, though, those flooded with power.


    Harvest Earthen Excess wasn¡¯t exactly staggering, but there was almost always excess earthen power, and it trickled into his mana-garden from his feet, a slow but constant source of extra mana for the fight.


    Telluric magic flooded his bones and muscles alike, improving their density and strength, and when it came to an end at his skin, the power transforming the outermost layer of it to be as stone itself. The same natural effect granted by his bond with Kerbos flowed in, and purelectrum wrapped itself along his veins and muscles, appearing as swirling, half-complete spell arrays on his skin.


    At the same instant, a shield appeared on his arm, Stoneshield forged, its own metal bands running through it, strengthening the already powerful defensive spell. It appeared on the arm that hadn¡¯t been holding the spear, of course.


    The same side which the woman had attacked.


    Her hammer exploded against his shield, and the lightning discharged, running through the bands of metal on his shield, spear, and body¡­


    And shunted down into the earth.


    Attacking a stone mage with lightning wasn¡¯t impossible. But it was generally considered to be a bad idea. And this woman, at the peak of third gate, wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough for her power to make up for the natural advantage.


    Ed stepped forward, even as she whipped around, the winds launching her into the air.


    He threw his spear, and his newest mastered spell transformed it. Even as she smashed down on it in midair, it broke into three parts, clicking into place around her body.


    With his other hand, Ed flicked his shield and overcharged his mana, fueling it into a spell that caused gravity to increase over his attacker, pulling her slowly down to the ground.


    ¡°Why is every thrice cursed member of your family a mana monster?¡± the woman demanded under her breath as she packed more and more magic into her flight spell, straining to pull her upwards with inverted air pressure, while Ed negated it with the increased gravity. She probably hadn¡¯t expected Ed to hear her comment, but he seized on the opportunity.


    His dad was just a baker, but there was no reason someone who clearly had a vendetta against his family needed to know that. If she thought he was really some arcanist in disguise, she¡¯d think twice about pulling any funny business. Of course, he¡¯d be reporting this to the Lightwatch, and getting someone to keep an eye on this neighborhood, but it couldn¡¯t hurt to be extra careful.


    ¡°If you think we¡¯re insane, you should see our dad when he stops veiling and lets himself cut loose,¡± he lied.


    Then he snapped, and the gravitational magic that had been pulling her down in a contest of power against power, flipped from pulling her down¡­


    To up.


    His assailant was caught entirely off guard at that, and didn¡¯t have the time to cut off her overcharged and frenzy fueled flight spell.


    She rocketed up into the sky, moving faster than most attack spells.


    Ed closed his eyes and began tracing his connection to the spells he had around her, then started running.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty

    Puinen, as it turned out, was absolutely frigid. Coming from Mossford, I thought I was used to the cold. Even the snowy port city we¡¯d landed in had been chilly, but manageable.


    As we left the station and walked into Puinen, however, I could feel the freezing cold energy biting through my defensive aura pin and suit, and stinging at my hands and feet. Kene raised his hand and caused an orb of fire to bloom in it, but even the warmth of the spell was quickly stolen by the snowstorms that swept over the region. Siobhan, who had been out with us, simply whined and as swept back into Dusk¡¯s realm.


    Despite the cold, Puinen was beautiful. The jagged mountains that seemed to dominate most of Dragontooth grew even sharper and narrower here, resembling massive teeth rising from the earth, and the black-purple stone was glowing softly with some sort of magic I was too far away to feel. In between them, immense glaciers sat, some of them as large as the mountains themselves, and shedding a white-blue light that served as a contrast to the mountains, like a tapestry woven out of the world itself.


    The mountains and glaciers weren¡¯t barren, however. Trees, mainly pines of both mundane and magical varieties, coated the landscape as well, adding splashes of green to the landscape, peeking out from under their snow crusted foliage.


    Many of both the glaciers and mountains alike pierced through the veil of clouds that made up the sky, continuing up to heights unknown.


    Within the clouds, I could see faint shapes flitting from place to place, but even with the combination of Surveyor¡¯s Eye and Vampiric Senses, I couldn¡¯t make out many details, the snowstorm was too thick.


    And the snowstorm¡­


    There was no end to it, as far as the eye could see, and the snow just kept drifting down. It had to be siphoned away somewhere, or it would have built up and crushed the town, but I couldn¡¯t make it out.


    The town itself was quaint and cute. Log cabins seemed to be the dominant style of choice, and nearly all of them had actual fires burning in them, not just the basic heating and cooling enchantments of Mossford, at least judging by the smoke that drifted out of their chimneys.


    There was an abundance of lights all over the streets here too, helping keep the entire place lit and walkable.


    Walkable in theory, at least. The thick snow hadn¡¯t built up, but it had formed thick sheets of ice. A few of the locals seemed to be traipsing through it without problem, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a mundane or magical means that allowed them to do such.


    Strangely enough, there also seemed to be a massive number of white-shelled tortoises roving the streets. There were more tortoises than there were locals, in fact, and I started to wonder if the tortoises were the locals, perhaps. I extended my mana senses to peer at the nearest one who wandered by.


    It felt¡­ Oddly reminiscent of the temporal basin spell. A different structure ¨C I could feel large amounts of telluric magic flowing into the shell to improve the crystalline structure, layers of lunar mana that seemed to be strange moonlit ideas and esoteric concepts of the slowness of movement brought on by the snow, solar magic movement and speed. The last two were there in smaller amounts, the tortoise¡¯s magic mainly the mix of telluric and temporal, but it was distinctly there.


    I was drawn out of my musing by Kene, who was now flooding enough mana into the ball of flame to make it the size of a pumpkin.


    ¡°Can we find some sort of hotel or something?¡± Kene said, chattering, and Dusk whistled her agreement, though she didn¡¯t seem to be nearly so bothered by the cold.


    Making our way into the central square ¨C though it was really more of a circle ¨C we were only able to identify a single, two story hotel, but it seemed to be bustling with people, the most active part of the town by far. That¡­ did make some sense, truthfully. While I was sure the town got some tourists during the summer, to travel along its hiking trails, we were nearing the lunar peak, the darkest day of winter. The only reason that you¡¯d have to travel so far north during this time of year was either because you, friends, or family lived here, or if you were here for the Beastgate Trial Trail.


    We headed inside to find a large common room with over two dozen people milling about, and a tired looking older woman sitting behind a counter, who stood as we came in.


    ¡°You two here for the Beastgate?¡± she asked, and Kene jerked his thumb at me.


    ¡°He is, I¡¯m just along for the ride.¡±


    ¡°Ah, very kind of you,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°A room for¡­?¡±


    ¡°One,¡± I said. While we could stay in Dusk ¨C and probably would, it was so much warmer ¨C it would draw too much attention if we just said we didn¡¯t need a room. Besides, Kene would need one while I was gone. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°For the full month, that¡¯ll be two thousand silver,¡± she said, and I jerked my head back, then reconsidered. It was actually a reasonable price, it was just also a lot of money.


    ¡°You can pay seventy silver a day, if that¡¯d be easier?¡± she asked, and Kene pursed their lips.


    ¡°Do you have an alchemist or doctor in town?¡±


    ¡°An alchemist, old Agnes. But are you actually skilled enough to do the part time work? She has high standards.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out,¡± Kene said, then glanced at me. ¡°I¡¯ll try and work for her, if I can. If I can¡¯t, then I¡¯ll probably head back to Mossford, and I¡¯ll meet up with you down at the village. I¡¯ve enough to stay here until you leave, and by then, I should have a good idea one way or the other.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°But let me get at least a few days of the room.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Kene said, smiling at me.


    I paid for the first night, and we were handed a room key, after which the hotel worker smiled at us.


    ¡°Breakfast is included, as is a soup for dinner, but if you want lunch or a fancier dinner, you¡¯ll have to get it in town. You¡¯re welcome to lounge in the common room or your room, and you can probably get the basics of the Beastgate rules from your fellow contestants over there, but you¡¯ll have to meet with Edgar yourself at the mouth of the trail, to hand over your wardstone, and you¡¯ll get the rules from him anyways.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and she nodded.


    Dusk peeped, curious if an arcanist level tortoise was really named Edgar?


    ¡°I thought he was an occultist,¡± the older woman said. ¡°But yes, that¡¯s his name.¡±


    Meadow had definitely referred to him as an arcanist, but then again, she was hardly omnipotent.


    Hi, editing Tobi here. I¡¯m actually going to be swapping this conversation so that it takes place on the boat, when they¡¯re deciding if they¡¯re going to dragontooth or not. But it¡¯s going here to keep things simple, so you all don¡¯t lose out on it.


    I glanced at Kene.


    ¡°Will you be okay waiting that long? With your condition¡­¡±


    Kene made a so-so gesture.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine. Meadow said we couldn¡¯t delve until mid-third gate anyways, and if you can break through on the trail, we¡¯ll both advance. If not¡­¡±


    Kene let out a dry chuckle.


    ¡°Well, I should still be fine. My tattoos are strong, and the only reason anything happened last time was that things went so poorly.¡±


    They didn¡¯t seem totally convinced, and I shook my head.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll break through right now. We¡¯ll head home, and start looking for the cure as soon as we can. A month is a long time. I¡¯m hoping to complete the trail faster than a month, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± Kene said, taking my hands. ¡°But I really think I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°Only if you¡¯re sure,¡± I said.


    Editing Tobi out!


    I glanced at the woman behind the counter.


    ¡°Do you know where I can get cold weather gear?¡± I asked. ¡°I want to get some before I go to visit Edgar. I thought I¡¯d packed some, but I clearly underestimated just how cold it gets here.¡±


    After she gave us directions, we left to visit the largest store in town, which served as a combination grocer¡¯s and clothing store. It was strange to see, like an actual general store from the tales from the Suntorch expansion.


    We were greeted by a bald man in his early thirties, who gave us one glance, then let out a laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be wanting back that way,¡± he said, pointing towards the eastern end of the store.


    We headed back to see racks full of cold weather gear ¨C warm flannel shirts, blue denim pants so thick they were slightly hard to move, coats, scarves, gloves, socks, and sunglasses.


    ¡°What are these for?¡± I asked, picking one up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think the snowstorm is permanent, do you?¡± asked the bald man. ¡°No, when it lets up, the sun reflects off the ice, and it can be blindingly bright, despite the cold.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    I turned over one of the coats, a slim black one that had a strong thermal insulation, and my eyes nearly bulged out of my head at the price.


    No coat should cost three hundred and fifty silver.


    ¡°Do you accept mana sources as payment?¡± I asked. ¡°Or potions?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the clerk said. ¡°Though Agnes might. Come to think of it, I¡¯m almost certain that she will.¡±


    Kene and I exchanged a look, and then left the store to head to Agnes¡¯, which was trickier than I thought it would be, since more than a quarter of the houses had a greenhouse of some sort.


    We did eventually spot it by the mortar and pestle sign that hung over the entrance, and entered to find a cross between a modern pharmacy and a witch¡¯s hut. In a way, it actually reminded me of Kene¡¯s old pharmacy shop.


    There were bundles of herbs hung high up to dry, shelves of ordinary medicines, a low counter behind which sat a bubbling cauldron, and magical supplements behind that.


    Sitting in a rocking chair not far from the cauldron was an older woman, appearing to be in her seventies, who squinted at us as we entered.


    ¡°What¡¯d¡¯ya want?¡± she spat at us, in a rather unfriendly manner.


    ¡°We were hoping to sell some mana sources and natural treasures,¡± I said.


    ¡°And I was hoping I could work for you during the month he¡¯s on the trail,¡± Kene said. ¡°And get some things identified, if possible.¡±


    ¡°Humph. We¡¯ll see, then.¡±


    She gestured to the potion.


    ¡°Finish that, and we¡¯ll see about getting you a position. If you mess it up, you¡¯ll be repaying me. As for the treasures, I¡¯ll buy some of them off you if you clean my shop. I don¡¯t want to see a speck of dust, hear me?¡±


    Kene and I traded glances, and they walked over to the potion.


    ¡°What were you working on?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°Figure it out,¡± Agnes said.


    ¡°Where are the cleaning supplies?¡±


    ¡°Figure it out,¡± Agnes repeated, this time with the addition of a hacking cough.


    Kene muttered something under their breath about her being just like his grandmother, and I started to look for a supply cabinet. Dusk then tilted her head, and a moment later, a magic that I recognized as belonging to Brownies swept out of her hands, pulsing in soft waves that started to clean things.


    ¡°Thank you all,¡± I told her, then started looking for a supply cabinet. Even with Dusk¡¯s help, there was still quite a bit that needed to be cleaned. Eventually, I found that she kept them behind the counter, right next to the register.


    Dusk seemed to be having fun with the whole thing, sketching out and casting her flight spell to hover from shelf to shelf, blasting at them with brownie magic. It was less fun for me, but I toiled away while Kene muttered, mixing, adding, and studying with spells.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty-One

    It took us nearly two hours, but eventually, the shop was clean. Agnes seemed to know with uncanny accuracy when we¡¯d missed even the smallest patches of dust.


    The old woman, of course, would never do anything so helpful as tell us where it was, just telling us that we¡¯d missed a spot.


    It was slow, humiliating work, but when I finished, Kene was still bent over the potion, studying it and giving it the odd swirl, a look of interest on their face.


    ¡°Can you check out the mana sources and ¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Agnes said. ¡°Wait until the alchemist is done, then we¡¯ll see.¡±


    It grated on me, but I took a seat on the floor with Dusk and dozed off. The work had been menial, but tiring, and I was more than ready to nap.


    I was finally woken by Kene saying that they were done, and the popping of Agnes¡¯ bones as she rose from her rocking chair. She walked over to the potion, which was currently a shade of lilac.


    ¡°It should be lavender colored, not lilac,¡± the old woman sniffed.


    ¡°No it shouldn¡¯t,¡± Kene said. ¡°It would only be lavender if you were using fresh lungoak leaves, but you used dried ones. That makes it lilac.¡±


    A smile flickered across Agnes¡¯ face for a moment before it was gone.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you condense it into a pill?¡± she asked. ¡°People like pills. They¡¯re easier to take than a liquid supplement.¡±


    ¡°It would have lost more than half its potency,¡± Kene said. ¡°If you want to burn that much power to make things slightly easier, you can. But you want an alchemist to help you, not a mindless construct.¡±


    Agnes squinted at them, then picked up a wooden spoon from the side of the cauldron and smacked it. The liquid within began to boil abruptly, then shot out in a stream, flowing into ten lined up mason jars on the back counter.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bottle it,¡± she said. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t make that mistake. But fine, one month. One eighty silver a day.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Kene said, shaking her hand, and she turned to us.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got. The items you want me to identify first.¡±


    Dusk leapt onto the counter and pushed out the pearl of clouds that she¡¯d found, while Kene placed down the quartz orb with shifting mists.


    Agnes picked up the pearl first, and I felt knowledge mana play between her fingers.


    Wait, was that how she¡¯d found dust in her shop? That¡­ Made too much sense, actually. She must be a life and knowledge mage.


    ¡°This is an immortal-cloud pearl,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. It won¡¯t make you immortal. But it¡¯s referring to an old myth that immortals were able to ride on clouds. It can modify an existing flight spell to produce a cloud of mana and energy under your feet, sharply reducing the amount of power it takes to hover. Might not be as good as spellbinding a flight spell, but it¡¯ll keep you ahead of most who don¡¯t dedicate multiple support spells to flight.¡±


    Dusk let out a mouselike squeak of excitement and dove for the treasure, swallowing it in a single gulp. The mana surged through her body, and she passed out, so I snatched her out of the air and put her in my pocket. Agnes didn¡¯t even blink, moving onto the orb of shifting mists that Kene had gathered.


    ¡°This is a tribulation-stone,¡± she said. ¡°If you take it after a new ascension, no more than a month or so later, it will increase the thickness of the mists in your new power. Makes them harder to push back, but when you do push them back, the mana the cleared area releases will flow through your whole mana-garden, making it denser. Not quite as much as a full ascension, but still a considerable amount.¡±


    ¡°Take it,¡± Kene said, pushing it at me. ¡°You¡¯re going to be the main combat mage for the sepulcher, more than likely. You¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I cut them off, refusing to pick the sphere up. ¡°You were forced to expend so many of the treasures on your tattoos. I got to invest it all in my foundation. My power¡¯s already much denser than yours. This will improve yours.¡±


    Kene grumbled, but didn¡¯t protest, and I pulled out the bag of assorted mana sources and natural treasures from Dusk¡¯s bag, then poked around inside of them.


    Any of the treasures that could be used for life, death, time, space, solar, or that I thought would be suitable for Dusk were left out, as well as the knowledge and mental treasures, since I hadn¡¯t gone through them to check if they were useful for the Runelight Lens. It left me with a couple jars filled with swirling white goop that felt like creation mana, a fat acorn that crackled with lightning, and a handful of assorted mana sources.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, pushing them forward. ¡°What¡¯s this worth?¡±


    She examined it, then picked up the jars of goop, opened one, sniffed it, and put it down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll offer you five and a half thousand for the lot,¡± she said.


    ¡°They¡¯re worth at least three times that!¡± Kene protested. ¡°The amount of pills you can make with those mana sources alone is worth four. With the shift-plasma and the lightning-acorn?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s been a big influx of just about every kind of mana source and in the cities, so the prices for all of these have dropped,¡± Agnes said. ¡°And as you so astutely point out, the mana sources need to be processed before they can be made into anything useful. I can¡¯t sell anything but the plasma and acorn as is.¡±


    ¡°Primes,¡± I cursed under my breath. I hadn¡¯t really been thinking about the fact the Idyll-Flume would impact the market, even though I knew that it would. I¡¯d kind of just assumed that a tiny town like this wouldn¡¯t see the inflation, but of course they would. I¡¯d bet that at least one of the people at the beastgate had been in the Idyll-Flume too.


    ¡°Four is my final offer,¡± Agnes said. ¡°Try and barter, and I¡¯ll throw you out.¡±


    With how curmudgeonly the old woman was, I didn¡¯t doubt she would.


    I exchanged a glance with Kene, who pressed their lips together, but nodded. Agnes counted out several shiny gold coins, and then swept the items into a spatial ring.


    Kene and I split it three ways, with one third going to Dusk, one third to Kene, and one to me. I then set aside ten percent of it for Orykson, as our contract stipulated, and was left with sixteen hundred and fifty silver.


    It was a lot of silver, but it also wasn¡¯t a lot, and I felt a little disappointed at how little cash the Idyll-Flume had generated for us.


    Then again, maybe I was being greedy. I¡¯d pulled out several good quality plants, increased my power by a massive amount, gained the alter-truffles and a petrified omnieye egg, and a growth item. Each of those was worth quite a bit of money ¨C especially the runelight lens. I just wasn¡¯t willing to sell them.


    With our new riches, we headed back to the general goods store and purchased some clothes. Spending more than six hundred silver on cold weather clothing felt absurdly wasteful, but I was also going to be spending a month or so on a trail in the frigid cold.


    Our shopping also revealed how the locals traversed the ice. It wasn¡¯t some magical spell or powerful adaptations to the environment¡­ it was a pair of ice cleats. The firm metal dug into the ice, and while it definitely took a bit of getting used to, once we¡¯d mastered the art of moving around with them, it made things far easier.


    I placed a spatial anchor and kissed Kene goodbye when we returned to the inn, then began following the path out of town that led to the trailhead. In the summer months, it was one of their biggest tourist attractions, but in the winter it was closed off for everything but the trial trail.


    The hike out had me passing several of the temporal tortoises again, and I wondered if I might be better suited to learn their spell. It seemed to store their mana in the thick crystal of their shells¡­ I didn¡¯t have a shell, though. Would it store it in my bones? My teeth? Nails?


    I didn¡¯t know, but I resolved to try and catch one of the tortoises later, so I could examine the magic around its shell and write down the spell array.


    ¡°Beautiful creatures, aren¡¯t they?¡± came a voice from the snow off to the size. The voice was deep and rumbly, with a strength that spoke of crushing mountains and glaciers underfoot. I studied the forest where it came from, and a moment later, an absolutely enormous tortoise stepped into view. It was almost the size of a house, with each of its legs larger than my entire body. Its head was the size of a horse, and its eyes ¨C larger than my spread hand ¨C stared down at me.


    ¡°They are,¡± I agreed. ¡°You would be Edgar, I presume?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the tortoise ¨C Edgar ¨C said. ¡°What were you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a beast mage of sorts,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can tell. I¡¯m not exactly veiling myself.¡±


    Edgar nodded very slowly.


    ¡°I also have temporal mana, though,¡± I said. ¡°I was thinking about trying to catch one to get a good look at its shell and the array, then letting it go.¡±


    Edgar let out a roar. For a moment, I braced for an attack, but the turtle¡¯s body was trembling in a¡­


    He was laughing at me!


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try,¡± the huge tortoise finally said. ¡°You may find them harder to catch than they seem. I am glad that you weren¡¯t trying to poach them for their shells ¨C you would be surprised. About half the beast mages I meet have a deep respect for nature. The other half care only for what they can gain from it. Ah, but here I am, rambling on like an old man. You are here for the trial trail, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, I like to think I respect nature for both. It¡¯s beautiful, and shouldn¡¯t be torn down for resources. But it also produces miracles, and those can help people and save lives. It¡¯s all a balance.¡±


    ¡°Well said, child. Now come,¡± Edgar responded. ¡°This is not the place for such a discussion, nor for a talk about the rules of the beastgate.¡±


    He started moving then, and despite his bulk, and being, well, a tortoise, and thus not the fastest thing in the world, he was so large that he was actually able to keep pace with me. He might even have been moving faster than me.


    When we arrived at the Beastgate, I had to admit that it was aptly named.


    The entire gate, which was currently closed, was carved and painted with various animals. I saw a dragon spiraling along one of its planks, battling a hawk. Another plank held a depiction of an arctic fox locked in battle with a fire fox. Yet another showed a massive aura bear defending its territory against a school of freezing bladefish.


    Edgar settled down in front of the gate, folding his legs beneath him and resting on his massive shell. This was the first time I¡¯d ever gotten a good look at it, and my eyes widened as I realized that Edgar¡¯s entire shell was a single massive hudau heritage stone.


    No wonder his veils were so strong. I¡¯d have strong veils too, if people would want to hunt me down to kill me for my guts.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°This is why I watch over the temporal tortoises. Their shells store temporal mana very well, and fetch a high price. We have a certain degree of kinship. Now, what was your name child?¡±


    ¡°Malachi,¡± I said.


    ¡°Malachi,¡± Edgar said. ¡°I see. Now, tell me Malachi, what do you think of Dragontooth?¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty-Two

    Edgar and I spoke for nearly an hour about Dragontooth¡¯s environment. The tortoise was ancient, well over two hundred years old, and remembered when the glaciers had been in entirely different positions. He told me that these were slow glaciers, but even still, across the span of his life, they had shifted over a hundred meters.


    I was starting to shiver, even through the highly insulated parka and the ungated heating spells I was casting inside of it, when Edgar finally wrapped up the discussion.


    ¡°Well, you must be getting cold. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering what the rules of the beastgate trial are.¡±


    ¡°I have enjoyed the conversation,¡± I said through chattering teeth. ¡°But I did want to know some things, yes.¡±


    ¡°The Beastgate Trial Trail is, first and foremost, a test of survival skill,¡± Edgar said. ¡°If you wish to abandon the trial, you need to only call my name three times, and touch the nearest shadow. But to properly complete it, you will hike the entire trail, from here to my home, over a hundred and fifty miles north of here. And allow me to clarify that I do mean hike. Things like flight or teleportation are fine for you to use in combat, but they do not test your survival skill.¡±


    That was¡­ A lot. To do it in a month would be doable, though. The hardest part would be fighting through the ice and the snow, and that would be difficult.


    At least there was an out condition, though. If I got too far over my head, I could be pulled out. I just needed to be sure that I didn¡¯t get into a situation where I couldn''t even say his name three times.


    ¡°My power will stir the beasts in the land,¡± Edgar warned. ¡°They won¡¯t hunt you down at all hours of the day and night, but when passing through their territory, they will be more quick to attack than normal.¡±


    Ah, that would add a bit of a challenge then. Still, with the Foxstep, I was confident that I¡¯d be able to make it through. Edgar had said that combat teleportation was fine, after all.


    ¡°And as I said, this is a test of your survival skill. Not your bonded partner, nor your wallet. Apart from whatever unenchanted clothes you wear, a single tarp, and whatever magic you have made with your own hands, you may bring nothing to the test.¡±


    I sucked in a sharp breath. That would be¡­ Hard. Almost suicidally hard, in fact. The clothes I¡¯d bought were nice, sure, and could fend off some of the windchill. I supposed that would be what the tarp was for, but¡­


    ¡°To clarify¡­ Magic that I¡¯ve made with my own hands would include potions I¡¯ve made, right? So long as I was the one to make them, and they weren¡¯t just purchased from the store. You¡¯re not going to trap me on the technicality of the glass used to hold them being purchased or anything.¡±


    ¡°Potions are fine, I¡¯m not trying to trick you,¡± Edgar said, dipping his enormous head in a nod. ¡°So long as they were made by you, you may bring as many as you can carry. Not as many as your partner can carry ¨C you.¡±


    A plan started to form in the back of my mind then, and I nodded slowly.


    ¡°Can I break through?¡± I asked. If I could, then the surge in potency that was offered by the ascension would massively increase my odds.


    ¡°You may,¡± Edgar said. ¡°But I do not recommend it. If the mark is placed at third gate, even if you earn the highest quality mark I can produce, it won¡¯t mesh into you as well. The gap in soul and body strength and rigidity between a practitioner and a spellbinder is too great. And if you do intend to spellbind it, you want it as meshed as possible.¡±


    That was good to know. I¡¯d break through if I had no other option, but I¡¯d avoid it if at all possible. I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d spellbind the mark or not, but¡­


    ¡°How?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°Surely power is power. My growth item is bonded to me too, and it doesn¡¯t seem any weaker because I bonded it while I was a second gate.¡±


    ¡°Growth items are a new phenomena, only emerging when I was around twenty or so,¡± Edgar rumbled. ¡°This uses a different method. It¡¯s a combination of a mana and energy bond, like your growth item, but the marks nature is that of an artificial improvement upon a natural treasure. Incidentally, that¡¯s the only reason I think you¡¯ll be able to even remotely handle it. With your body and soul growing into a single meshed gestalt, you¡¯re able to spread the pressure of the magic across both body and soul.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve got such a strong bond to Dusk, and a growth item?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Edgar said. ¡°Your bond with the worldspirit ¨C Dusk, you say her name is? ¨C is quite impressive. Not just magically speaking, but¨C¡±


    ¡°How did you know she¡¯s a worldspirit?¡± I asked nervously, interrupting the massive tortoise.


    ¡°I could feel her mana,¡± Edgar said, ¡°and I can feel the power running through your spirit. She was born from the destruction of the astral plane, no?¡±


    ¡°Something of the sort,¡± I said vaguely. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Well, the bond you share is remarkable in both magic, and trust. She is actually leaking some of her dominion into her body, if I understand it correctly.¡±


    ¡°What does that do?¡± I asked, knitting my eyebrows together. I was fairly sure her dominion was the strange magic she called on that seemed to warp reality, but I didn¡¯t know a ton about spirit progression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the turtle said. ¡°But it is interesting. I do believe we¡¯re drifting off topic again. Did you have any other questions?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the grading system?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I watch the actions you take, and judge them,¡± the tortoise said. ¡°I have a scorecard I keep for each contestant, with a maximum of a hundred points. If you have to use the enchantments to shadowstep you out of the trial, you¡¯ll lose thirty points, and your trial is considered over. If you survive to the end of the month without calling on them, but don¡¯t make it to the end of the trail, you¡¯ll lose up to twenty, depending on how far you got.¡±


    ¡°What are the categories? What does each mark do?¡±


    ¡°The strength of the mark directly correlates to the scores,¡± Edgar said. ¡°So even if you lose a few points, you may still qualify for the highest strength of mark. If you score below a fifty, you gain nothing. Fifty, sixty, seventy, so on and so forth.¡±


    ¡°But what does the mark do? And what criteria are we graded on?¡±


    A twinkle that reminded me of starlight appeared in the tortoises¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°That, I¡¯m afraid, is for me alone to know. Is there anything else?¡±


    I cast my mind about, trying to think of anything, but when nothing came to mind, I shook my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you again, for both the conversation, and for the information on the rules.¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± the tortoise said, then slowly pulled his head into his shell. I turned and foxstepped back towards the town.


    When I got back to town, I purchased a thick tarp that was designed to hold up against some of the worst temperatures that I might encounter on the trail. It had holes poked into its corners, with little bits of metal around it to stop the tarp from fraying, which was perfect for my plan.


    I also purchased another two shirts and pair of pants, and a better fitting sports bra. The one I¡¯d worn in the Idyll-Flume was too small for me now, which gave me a surge of elation. Progress ¨C real progress!


    But Edgar had said whatever clothes I could wear would be allowed, so I was going to bring a spare set of clothes.


    With my remaining funds, I purchased a collection of three hundred small potion vials, before finally fulfilling my promises to the bwbatches. After their help in the Idyll-Flume, I¡¯d promised to buy them some beer, and there was a shockingly well stocked liquor store in town, for how small the town was. I purchased some cheap grain alcohol at the store too, as well as some saltpeter from the general goods store, and went to find Kene.


    ¡°So,¡± I told them back in our room. Dusk was still asleep, processing the power of the natural treasure. ¡°Here¡¯s the plan¡­¡±


    Thanks to the Idyll-Flume ending a bit early, and our decent food budgeting, I still had a small stock of nutrition potions, and expanding it out to be enough for the entire month trip, along with a couple of extras in case a potion broke along the way, would only take a day or so of brewing.


    Having the nutrition potions would take care of food and water, which would be two of the biggest concerns on the trail, and should let me get far ahead of my competitors. While they had to hunt for food and melt the snow, I¡¯d be able to treat this much more like a normal hike in extreme weather than a post-apocalyptic survival scenario.


    Warmth, on the other hand, would be much harder to manage.


    In theory.


    But I¡¯d just seen the witch using my firecreep and ash willow to create a part of a potion that kept the bath warm for hours on end. I didn¡¯t understand how she¡¯d done it, but she¡¯d also used it to seep into Kene, and add some sort of purification factor.


    I didn¡¯t need any of that. I just needed a potion that would help me resist the freezing temperatures, especially while I slept. I might not need it quite as much while I was walking around, but even then, with how cold it was, it may be better to over prepare and have them for the day, too.


    ¡°Ah, I see why you tracked me down now, even with me unable to directly help. I can probably show you how to make a potion that does that,¡± Kene said. ¡°I know a spell to create alchemical heat packs, which is absurdly simple. Converting it to spread through the body and linger for a day should be possible for sure.¡±


    Couple that with some potions to remove my scent, courtesy of the blueshade plant, and my alchemical arsenal should be pretty well rounded to help me survive.


    I already had a knife made of bone stored inside my Pinpoint Boneshard spell, which would give me some degree of flexibility with my tools, and I could use Sense Directionality and Analyze Space to figure out where I was and where I was going. My Internal Pocketwatch could combine with those to ensure that I kept up the pace of at least five miles a day.


    That was a decent clip. Doable under normal conditions, certainly, but with the need to constantly keep a watch out for animals, landslides, and more, it would be a difficult pace. I couldn¡¯t imagine having to try and keep that pace without even being able to track how far I¡¯d gone, hunting for food, and trying to boil water every day.


    When I did stop for the night, I could use the Spatial Tripwire spell to alert me if anything came at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good plan. What about attack potions?¡± Kene asked. ¡°You can push up to third gate, and having a couple of firebombs that are about on par with a fireball is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯ve got the time,¡± I said. ¡°But if not, then¡­¡±


    I shrugged, and Kene nodded their agreement.


    ¡°You do have a bit over a week to get it done. That¡¯s a lot of time to spend on alchemy, especially if you¡¯re using your big cauldron. How are you going to carry all of these, though?¡±


    I gestured to the tarp.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to create a backpack out of the tarp,¡± I said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that need string?¡±


    In response, I held up my hand and focused, dragging out one of the thin, yet strong, branches of excess mana I¡¯d trimmed off the tree that was my Pinpoint Boneshard spell. It resembled a bone in my hands, yet could flex like a branch, and it took a ton of effort for me to snap.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I grinned. ¡°After all. This is magic I¡¯ve made with my own hands.¡±


    ¡°Color me impressed,¡± Kene said. ¡°You¡¯ve got a decent plan here.


    A teasing tone entered their voice.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go charging into the woods to try and catch an acidic frog without even looking up what it can do?¡±


    ¡°That was months ago!¡± I protested. ¡°How rude!¡±


    ¡°Have you taken a look at the temporal tortoises around here?¡± Kene asked innocently, changing the subject. ¡°It could be interesting for you. If you had it storing temporal energy in your nails and bones, and your temporal basin¡­ Well, your temporal recovery is already lagging, and it would make it lag further, but it could add a second reserve of temporal magic!¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty-Three

    I scratched my chin in thought, and then my eyes flew wide as I let out a gasp.


    ¡°What?!¡± Kene asked, magic spiraling out of his hands already.


    ¡°Feel my chin!¡± I said, elated, jutting my chin out a little bit. Kene ran their fingers over it, feeling the tiny amount of fuzz on the tip of my chin, and their face lit up.


    ¡°You¡¯re growing facial hair!¡± Kene said, and I bobbed my head in a goofy grin.


    It was only a little bit of hair, the kind of thing you¡¯d see on someone in a traditionally masculine body that was just entering puberty. But it was more than I¡¯d ever had before, and it left me absolutely delighted.


    I was still running on that high when Kene and I set off to hunt one of the tortoises. Though, admittedly, using the word ¡®hunt¡¯ was something of a misnomer ¨C I wanted to get close enough to examine one¡¯s shell and the spells running through it, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt the poor tortoise.


    My first approach was simple. I tried to walk up to the nearest tortoise, moving both firmly and confidently, while also moving slowly enough that it shouldn¡¯t ¨C hopefully ¨C view me as a threat.


    Apparently, it thought I was a threat anyways. The moment I tried to bend down and take a good look, the world around me warped. I felt like I was moving through molasses as the tortoise took off. It was still only moving at tortoise speed, but I was moving so slowly that by comparison it was practically an Elysian level runner by comparison.


    A brief pulse of my Internal Pocketwatch confirmed my fears ¨C I¡¯d been caught in some sort of temporal slowing field. Time was passing slower for me than it was for the world as a whole.


    By the time the slowing magic that had caught me had faded away, the tortoise was at least ten paces away, its shell glowing a little bit less brightly, but still bright. Kene approached this time, running at it in a dead sprint, but they got results that were barely any more effective than my own, as the tortoise simply waddled away.


    I Foxstepped right in front of the tortoise, but before I could get more than a cursory inspection in, the tortoise had already caught me in its slowing field again, and was wandering away.


    I bit my lip as I reconsidered my options. I could try and bind it down with Fungal Lock, but that was a lot more aggressive than I was intending. Draining its life energy wasn¡¯t the goal ¨C I didn¡¯t want to hurt it.


    I didn¡¯t even especially want to drain the temporal mana it kept built up in its shell. That was its own power. I just wanted a look at the patterns it held, so I could integrate them into my own magic.


    I tried a different approach, focusing my Surveyor¡¯s Eye and Witch Eyes spells together to focus in on the shell from afar, but the lingering mana and energy in the air where I cast the spell was apparently still enough of a threat that the tortoise released another wave of slowing magic around itself and quickly loped away, moving at the absolute top speed¡­ for a tortoise.


    But even still, as the magic settled around me and I fought to push it off with my own mana, I wasn¡¯t able to keep my eyes tracking over the shell long enough to get a good look.


    Kene and I tried various ways of tracking down the tortoise, though we lost the specific one we¡¯d been following after a bit and had to turn our attention to a new one, but no matter what we tried, we couldn¡¯t catch one or get it to hold still long enough to actually examine the spell.


    We finally gave up around noon and headed for one of the three bistros in town, one that specialized in Vinopaen fare. Kene got a thick cut of beef, marinated in red wine and spices, cooked into a stew with vegetables. It was quite tasty, but it was also so rich and heavy that I wound up ordering a crusty bread sandwich with butter, thinly sliced smoked sausage, ham, and olives with a side salad.


    I¡¯d never put butter on a sandwich before, but I had to admit that it had a certain something to it that was quite tasty.


    As I munched away at the sandwich, I felt a source of mana starting to approach, and I closed my eyes, letting out a groan.


    ¡°What?¡± Kene asked.


    In response, I pulled several lettuce leaves out of my salad and placed it on the ground. There was a soft crunching a moment later, as one of the temporal tortoises started chewing on the salad leaves.


    Kene hung his head in his hands and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Okay,¡± they said.


    I studied the tortoiseshell as I ate, and slowly started to notice some strong similarities to the temporal basin, but some strong differences too.


    I was no expert in spell design, but I did have the basic temporal basin, and I made use of enough beast spells to make out some details.


    For one, since it had evolved to integrate with the body, it didn¡¯t need a continuously updating captured moment, which made it a little more flexible about how it drew and stored power. When I drew on the basin, it was a surge of power, unleashing everything that I¡¯d built up in a single burst.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    This spell, on the other hand, could draw the power out in smaller amounts. It was still in a chunk, but it could be smaller ¨C breaking off a bit of a candy bar, as opposed to eating it whole.


    For me, who didn¡¯t have a shell, it was going to most likely redirect to the internal bones, as well as on my nails, and when I drew the spell array out for Kene to see, they gave a nod.


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely going to store in your nails first, then your bones.¡±


    ¡°What about my teeth?¡± I asked, and Kene hesitated.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± they finally said. ¡°They¡¯re definitely mineral enough for the spell to take root, with the telluric mana running through them, but there isn''t any life energy flowing into the teeth, unlike nails. Nails aren¡¯t testudinal, but they¡¯re at least connected into the life flows in the body. ¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ Testudinal?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tortoiseshell,¡± Kene said, blinking. ¡°It¡¯s a common word.¡±


    ¡°It is not, I assure you,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°Did you look up everything there is to know about tortoises before coming here?¡±


    ¡°Your lack of research capability is not my fault,¡± Kene sniffed haughtily before smiling back at me. ¡°But not everything. Just a little bit.¡±


    ¡°It will be bones and nails, probably,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°That¡¯s not so bad, then. I don¡¯t know if I love the idea of having sparkly diamond nails, though.¡±


    Kene held up their own nails, painted black.


    ¡°I know,¡± I groaned, ¡°It just still feels off.¡±


    ¡°We can try and modify the spell,¡± Kene said, but there was a hint of doubt in their voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°Besides, with how it interacts with the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul and Magister¡¯s Body, that would be unpredictable for a spell engineer, let alone us.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Kene acknowledged.


    I put down more of my salad and started rifling through the tortoise¡¯s other spells. It would have been easier to do with Analyze Mana-Garden, and if the tortoise hadn¡¯t been a beast, and thus had its spells engraved in its body as well as spirit, it would have been impossible.


    But the tortoise was a beast, so I did, focusing my considerable mana senses into the creature¡¯s shell and looking for spells.


    There were a few interesting ones, which I wrote down alongside the Testudinal Reserve. One spell, which was meant to accelerate the healing process of a damaged tortoiseshell, but it was even more focused on the shell than the Testudinal Reserve was, and using it on my own bones would be horribly inefficient.


    I still considered it for a moment, but discarded the idea after a bit. The spell was good, but I didn''t need something else eating into my temporal mana reserves, especially with how much I used it in Foxstep. It was easy to forget that the short range teleport was about half temporal mana as well.


    The slowing spell it used seemed interesting to me, so I wrote it down too. It was third gate, so not anything that I was going to make use of right now, but it could be interesting for use later on, once I was third gate myself.


    The rest of the spells were so highly specific to the biology of the tortoise that I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to make any use out of them at all.


    With the spells extracted, I turned my hands back to the napkin that I had written the Testudinal Reserve spell on, and took a breath.


    If the spell worked even remotely like how I thought it would, casting it once would be enough to divert the drain, much as it had with my Temporal Basin spell. I¡¯d need to sketch ¨C or more accurately, mana shape ¨C the spell out when I needed to draw mana from it or put extra mana in, but establishing the link should only require a single casting.


    The natural treasures and drops of destiny that I¡¯d found in the Idyll-Flume had done a lot to improve my mana, but my temporal mana still recovered at a slower rate than even my death mana. This was going to drop that slow recovery even further.


    I tried to reframe how I was thinking about it. It wasn¡¯t lost, just¡­ invested differently. Instead of helping my mana recover, it was going to go to expanding my reserves, slowly but surely.


    I raised my hand and flexed the mana and energy within my spirit and body, shifting them into the pattern of the Testudinal Reserve. I felt the power reach within me, an almost uncomfortable warmth. The probes of life searched for the telluric energy that should be my shell, but I had no shell, and so I guided the mana to my bones. Some tendrils found my hands and spread through to the nails, connecting them before moving off. The magic flowed through all of my bones to some extent, but the majority of them latched onto my spine, feet, and hands.


    That was slightly unnerving. For some reason there was a difference between discussing my bones in the abstract, and imagining my spine slowly transforming into a sort of temporal diamond.


    Kene studied me, eyes burning with green light that suggested use of Analyze Life.


    ¡°Try and move a few off of your hand bones,¡± they said. ¡°Aim for your ribs and skull too. Having a strong spine is good, but those protect your lungs and heart, as well as your brain.¡±


    I closed my eyes and tried to do what they¡¯d suggested, but it was harder. The flows wanted to converge on my spine and nails, not my skull. It was like trying to force two ends of the same magnet together, with the telluric fields repulsing one another.


    But like a magnet, with enough strength, it was possible to force them together. Slowly, one strand at a time, I spread the spell out until it was concentrated mostly around my spine, skull, and ribs, with a secondary focus on my hands and feet.


    That was good enough for me, so I let go of the spell. The threads shrank slightly, but they were still there, just not actively powered.


    More importantly, I could feel the drain. There was a slight, but continuous strain on my bones as it drew on the telluric energy to power the changes it was making, reinvesting that power in more efficient patterns for storage.


    For a normal mage, this might have resulted in slightly weaker bones, but my Magister¡¯s Body surged to meet the demand, replenishing the energy even as the spell took it away. The effects on the other magic in me, the life energy, solar, lunar, and creation, was less demanding, but still there, drawing on the Magister¡¯s Body.


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin. I think I was starting to understand the benefit of choosing a growth spell. The Magister¡¯s Body was going to slowly but surely adapt to this strain, and I¡¯d wind up stronger from that pushing. If only I had a pair of lushloam seeds, I could really kick the spell into overdrive¡­


    I stopped myself from going too far down that line of thought. That was just being greedy.


    Next, I focused on the temporal mana and energy, and I could feel it slowly layering itself onto my bones and nails, like a canvas slowly being painted with new paint.


    My recovery rate¡­ Well, it wasn¡¯t great, now sitting at about half of death¡¯s, and far below spatial or life. But I¡¯d known that was the price when I went in, so I accepted it.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Kene asked.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty-Four

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a lot,¡± I said as I gave the tortoise some dried apple slices from dusk¡¯s realm for it being so helpful.


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± Kene said. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite a mishmash of beast magic at this point. Primes, you might be as inhuman as me or Kamal now.¡±


    They smirked at that, and I actually felt a bit lighter, gladdened by the fact they felt confident enough to joke about their condition. After finishing up our lunch, Kene and I went back to brewing for the day.


    Dusk woke up that evening, just in time for dinner, and raised her hands, cheering triumph that she¡¯d integrated the treasure directly into her flight spell nearly perfectly, and begging Kene and me to come see.


    It took a little bit of coin at Agnes¡¯ shop, but the potion to allow me to see into her mana-garden was cheap enough, a box of four costing no more than a six pack of energy drinks.


    When I passed into Dusk¡¯s mana-garden, I realized that it was actually the first time that I¡¯d done this. At the time Dusk had been formed, she¡¯d already had a good grip on her own magic, and I¡¯d already learned to enter my own mana-garden through focus, rather than relying on a spell or potion.


    The center of Dusk¡¯s mana-garden was wider than mine, her ungated mana amount larger, and floating over the center was a shape that somewhat resembled an egg, or perhaps a seed. The outside of the seed was shaped with what looked like continents and oceans.


    ¡°Is that a Nascent Truth?¡± I asked, and Dusk rolled her eyes at me, cawing like a bird to say that was obvious, wasn¡¯t it? She¡¯d been using it to tap a dominion since she was born.


    A soft wind swept through the ungated mana, moving in a tingling direction that I¡¯d never felt before. Kene spoke before I could, however.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Kene asked, and I agreed on the sentiment, but Dusk was already moving into her first gate, which was covered in carvings.


    I stopped and examined the blown open gates. The gates that had once served as barriers in my mana-garden were made of wrought iron, while these were wood, but I could chalk that up to natural differences between us.


    The carvings on the wood, however? There was no doubt in my mind that these had been carved by Dusk. They somewhat resembled spells, but not in any style or sort I recognized, and they didn¡¯t crackle with mana or energy. Instead they seemed to flow¡­ Elsewise.


    I didn¡¯t know how else to describe it. They were channeling something, but not in any sort of way I recognized.


    Dusk whistled for me to catch up, and I groaned and followed.


    ¡°Fine, but we¡¯re not done with this,¡± I warned.


    She led us through her second gate, and into her third, which I noted was the only one that was still midway through being carved.


    Her third gate was interesting, a sandy basin with wind whipping across it, and I wondered if her raising of the healer''s heart was part of the reason why, since it had created a desert area within her own mana.


    Her own natural spells stuck out from the desert like saguaro cacti that were still growing, and there was a fused together lump of sandy glass that formed her Sandstorm Lance, but the flight spell was even more obvious.


    It was a massive cloud that hung over the entire region, soaking in mana, all the way out to the walls of mist. Sand swirled through the cloud, making it some sort of strange fusion of a sandstorm and a normal cloud, and lightning crackled through it every once in a while.


    The power and pressure coming off of it was also quite intense, stronger than anything else in the region. It was obvious that a lot had been invested into the spell, more than it really should have been able to hold.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Kene said, studying the megaspell.


    I let out an impressed whistle, and Dusk laughed, waving her hand and kicking us out of her spirit. The moment we were back in the real world, she formed a cloud of shifting sands and clouds under her feet and zipped away. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I said a moment later. ¡°You were going to tell me about the carvings¡­¡±


    Her laughter echoed through the room, and I teleported out, then down the hall so I stood in front of her.


    After she crashed into me, she pulled back and sighed, saying it was something that had been in the book of spells that she was using, and she could tell it helped mana flow.


    I glanced over at Kene, who had stepped over to the


    ¡°Have you heard about that.¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Kene said, popping the ¡®p¡¯ sound as he spoke.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said, adding it to my mental list of things to ask Meadow about when I got back.


    The following several days were filled with little more than brewing and filling vials, preparing for the upcoming trial. I hoped that Edgar wouldn¡¯t dock any points for the amount of potions I was using, but I figured that the amount of time I could save by their use should hopefully offset the loss.


    When the day finally came, I left my enchanted suit, engraved pin, and lightening stone in Dusk¡¯s vault, dressing in three layers of clothing and turning the tarp I¡¯d been allowed into a backpack, which I packed with all of the potions I¡¯d been able to make. Kene bundled up, held Dusk in their coat pocket, and hiked out with me, as well as the rest of the contestants.


    There were about eighty-nine of them this year, a lower haul than average, and I did wonder if the Idyll-Flume was perhaps to blame for that. Of the gathered people, I vaguely recognized the feel of one of them, which I thought likely meant they¡¯d participated in the Idyll-Flume, but held off on advancement, much like I had.


    Edgar sat in front of the Beastgate itself, chewing on a pile of at least a dozen cabbages. When he finished, he looked over each of us, bobbing his preponderous head.


    ¡°Welcome, children,¡± he said. ¡°To the Beastgate.¡±


    The ancient tortoise¡¯s veil slipped away then, and the comments that had been made about his power began to make more sense.


    He was an Occultist, but I could understand why the Avatar of Sin and Meadow had both called him an Arcanist. The pool of seventh gate power that shone from his shell was weak, unstable¡­ False.


    He¡¯d used an elixir to break through to his seventh gate. I thought it was a bit rude to call him an arcanist for that ¨C false or not, he¡¯d still be stronger than most arcanists could hope to be ¨C but I understood at least.


    And I wondered ¨C had it been an intentional choice? His shell was so valuable that I was certain that he already had people coming after him for it. How much worse would it be if he had ascended for real?


    Then again, maybe he¡¯d simply hit a wall. Advancement got¡­ strange¡­ past spellbinder. I didn¡¯t know the details, but reaching Arcanist was a wall that couldn¡¯t be bridged normally. Kene¡¯s grandmother had done it, but she¡¯d been stuck as an arcanist for at least a century.


    I shook the idle thoughts off and focused on Edgar. His mana, which felt deeply strange, more like a hudau heritage stone¡¯s balanced, intermixed blend than that of any specific theme I could think of, surged into the ground and the beastgate. It began to glow with magic, shining white, and then I felt the lunar energy that hung in the air, the power of the darkest day of the year, begin to condense. It started to rush through the trail, the combination of the two powers intermingling until I couldn¡¯t tell where the day ended and the tortoise¡¯s magic began.


    ¡°I have spoken to each of you about the rules, and answered what questions you may have had,¡± the tortoise said. ¡°Please, take out your crystals and step up to me, one at a time, and be cordial about it. Your month begins when you pass over the barrier. Being the first to hand me your crystal will not win you any points.¡±


    Despite his words, fifteen or so people still jostled to be the first, which made them look inordinately foolish when, after handing the crystal to the tortoise, they were made to go stand back with the rest of us.


    I hung back, waiting until the middle of the pack, where I was easily able to claim a place without knocking anyone out of the way, and approached Edgar, holding out the token.


    He took it and nodded slowly, magic sinking into it and causing it to shimmer slightly.


    ¡°Run a strand of your mana through the crystal,¡± he said, and I did, funneling ungated mana. When my mana touched the crystal, it turned a rich shade of brown, like loamy soil.


    ¡°So long as you live, this crystal will glow,¡± the tortoise said. ¡°There is always some risk of death, even with my safety measures in place. If your partner ¨C bonded by magic or love ¨C wishes to check on you, they are welcome to come examine the crystal.¡±


    His eyes studied me, and I felt his mana sweep over the tarp-turned-backpack filled with potions. A deep rumble passed through him, turning into a roar of laughter.


    ¡°You are not the first to attempt the like, and many people bring a few potions, wardcircles, or enchantments, but most don¡¯t take it as far as you have,¡± Edgar said. ¡°A few years ago, someone did something similar with enchantments, and they did quite well, but I will admit you¡¯re the first I¡¯ve seen who¡¯s used solidified mana to turn their tarp into a backpack. Well, then. You have stuck to the letter of the rules, at least, so there is nothing I need to remove from you. Now, return to the group, and may the winds carry you to your destination.¡±


    I thanked Edgar and returned, explaining the system to Dusk and Kene, who looked a little relieved ¨C at least, Kene did. Dusk had the ability to check on me in a more direct sense, after all.


    Once everyone had handed over their trial token, light began to gather at the back of Edgar¡¯s throat, and he unleashed a beam of his staggeringly strange mana into the center of the gates. They flared brighter and brighter, then finally swung open.


    ¡°The Beastgate Trial Trail has opened,¡± Edgar declared. ¡°One month. Over a hundred and fifty miles. A true test of survival and magical strength, cleverness, and skill. Begin!¡±


    The moment the tortoise¡¯s thundering command faded, the world turned into an explosion of mana.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty-Five

    Out of the eighty plus people who were standing there, more than twenty of them immediately broke through to ascend. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how they all managed it, without the excess amounts of mana that were needed to manage the breakthrough, but they did.


    I had theories, of course ¨C Edgar had literally just said that people tended to bring a few potions or enchantments or wardlines, after all ¨C but it didn¡¯t really matter.


    What mattered far more was the spike of mana I felt in the edge of my senses, headed right at me. Moving more on instinct than anything, I teleported a few feet to the side, leaving an afterimage in the air.


    One of those who hadn¡¯t broken through, a twenty-ish year old man with electric blue hair, had released a series of conjured blades at me.


    ¡°We¡¯re allowed to attack each other?!¡± I shouted, shifting to the left in a pivot that Ikki had drilled into me to allow a bolt of crackling green force to whizz past me.


    I felt a ripple of spatial mana trying to teleport my bag away, and I targeted it with Immovable Lock. It wasn¡¯t designed to block teleportation, but it did anchor the bag in place enough to make it too hard to pull away.


    I turned and started moving as fast as I could to the trail, but the blue haired boy who¡¯d attacked me before leapt forwards, hand glowing with a gauntlet that flowed with creation mana. He punched out, and I teleported to the side again.


    He let out a growl and a tide of creation mana rushed out of him, forging into a pair of stone spears in the air, which shot towards me. Turning to protect my backpack, I took several long strides backwards, getting out of the way of the dual spear thrusts. With the space, I started steadily heading to the trail head again.


    Only a few moments later, ripples of ice appeared on the ground in front of me, making it harder to walk with the uneven elevation. The blue haired boy swung at my back, not even going after me any more, just targeting my backpack. I teleported two feet back, putting him in front of him.


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± he shouted, slipping on his own spell and staggering back up to his feet. ¡°Why should you get an advantage? Give me your backpa¨C¡±


    I felt the flicker of mana from behind me, and took advantage of it. I teleported back in front of him, and tossed a Fungal Lock over his body.


    The spell that had been fired at my back struck him in the chest, and flickering purple magic began to blaze around his head.


    For a moment, I considered trying to steal his tarp. A second tarp was going to do a lot to help me, since I wouldn¡¯t need to pack and unpack each night but in the end, I let it be.


    Edgar was watching us and monitoring our actions. Thievery might be within the rules, but I suspected that it would actually lose me points. In a test of survival, stealing from strangers seemed like a good way to bring needless enemies on your head, and decrease your odds of survival in the long run.


    Despite what some people thought, humans were social creatures. We worked in groups. Friendship and alliances were what had built the world, not being strong enough to rob and murder people to death. That worked fine in the short run, but as a long term strategy, all it did was guarantee someone would grow stronger than you in order to seek revenge.


    No, the blue haired guy had been a prick, but I was confident in not stealing from him.


    As I passed under the gates and onto the trail properly, the attacks and chaos of battle began to fade away. There were still a few people who shot me envious looks because of my tarp-turned backpack, but I honestly thought that most of them were probably jealous, rather than angry, the way the


    One of them shot a pair of force hands at me, aiming for the bone branches of solidified mana, and I released a pair of pinpoint boneshards, tearing through the force hands before they could approach. I set five bones spinning around me in a staggered hexagon pattern and kept walking, peeling off the trail about twenty minutes in to shed the extra layers and store them in my tarp-backpack.


    More importantly, I nestled the nearly hundred vials of potions and spatially-anchored vials into the spare clothes, cushioning them so that if I got into any sort of intense fight again, I¡¯d at least reduce the risk of them breaking.


    I put two fireball potions in my jacket pockets, though, just in case. Between the chill that swept through me even against the potion of warmth, and the gloves that I wore, my hands were a bit less dexterous than usual, but I should still be able to toss them without too much effort. And if not¡­ Transport Item was always an option.


    Speaking of options, though, I returned to the trail and cast several spells of my own. Harvest Distance came first ¨C a brisk hike was barely enough to do more than break even on the spell, but over the course of the day, that would still be a decent amount of mana.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The I cast my mana senses broad around me, stretching them out for at least a hundred feet in every direction.


    If I were good at it, veiling my mana would probably be for the best. I was strong, but nowhere near strong enough to go blasting my presence everywhere. But while I would be able to hold my veil over myself while I walked about, I¡¯d not be able to hold it in a fight, nor would I be able to while I slept. Since I¡¯d be forced to reveal my presence either way, I thought it was best to at least know what was around me.


    After that, I used a pulse of Sense Directionality and Internal Pocketwatch to figure out the speed I needed to go.


    It felt a little bit slow. I felt like I could turn up the pace and easily move twice, maybe even thrice the speed, but I didn¡¯t know if that was reasonable or not. I¡¯d get tired throughout the day, after all, and while I was in good shape ¨C better than ever, thanks to my abuse of the Foxstep spell ¨C I wasn¡¯t an experienced hiker, and with how sharp these mountains and glaciers were, the elevation changes would definitely mess with me as I hiked.


    Bearing all that in mind, I kept myself moving at the slow but steady six mile day pace ¨C just a bit faster than the minimum needed to get there safely within the month.


    The first several hours were shockingly peaceful, especially after the explosion of mana and violence that had been caused by the opening of the gate. The trail was serene: old, fresh pines that were gently draped in a coating of snow, and the air was still.


    Still, but not silent.


    There was the creaking of the branches as they caught the wind, sounding like rusty hinges on a thick oak door. Every once in a while, there would be a loud, yet somehow muted, ¡®wumph¡¯ as a tree branch, its burden of snow too heavy for it, bent, and the snow slid off, skidding to the ground. Rarer still, there was the loud cracking as a branch or twig snapped, spiraling downwards in an arc.


    The air was crisp, sharp and clean in a way that things could only be when they¡¯re left undisturbed by humanity. Pine intermingled with tangs of the air¡¯s snow.


    Despite the fact it was the shortest day of the year, it was staggeringly bright. Anywhere the light shone through the canopy of trees, it caught on the snowfall and bounced, scattering around to light up the forest in a bold display that was unique. I¡¯d seen snow plenty, but I lived in a city. The snow there could get greasy, muddy, and oily, worn down by the urbaneness of humanity.


    Mountains and glaciers still stood tall in the distance, imposing like the magisterial might of an ancient magus, but truthfully, I wasn¡¯t sure that even the mythical magi would be able to move the world like this. Could one person really bend nature to their whims? Somehow, I doubted it was really that simple. There was a purity that existed here, where there were so few people, and truthfully, I felt somewhat bad about interrupting it.


    But that purity wasn¡¯t a purity from life, just from humanity. Winter it may have been, but there was still life. Wintertail Deer stalked through the forests with a grace and silence that no mundane creature could accomplish, arctic foxes burrowed in their dens, moonlight hares scampered among the sparse berry bushes. Most seemed to see me as a non-threat, and that made me wonder about the nature of my mana senses. I was launching them around me, but despite the power of Edgar¡¯s beastial magic supposedly making the monsters more violent and unwilling to share territory, none of them had attacked me.


    I was sure that would change, but for now, I simply enjoyed the peace around me.


    I encountered the first creature liable to get violent with me a bit after noon. I¡¯d picked up the pace a little bit when after three hours of moving, I still felt I was going slow, but I paused when my mana senses picked up on the touch of a powerful creature a hundred feet up the trail.


    An aurora bear.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± I called out to the bear, announcing my presence in a low, but not whisper-quiet voice, while walking forward. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna move through the area, okay?¡±


    I caught sight of it then, a massive, lumbering frame. It was massive, its shoulder easily coming up to my chin, and it burned with the aurora that gave it its name, a shimmering rainbow of blues and greens, streaked with violet.


    When the bear looked at me, I felt the touch of Edgar¡¯s strange power in the air and groaned.


    It charged, moving with a speed no human could match, galloping on all fours. It was on me in an instant, and rearing back, a brightly glowing paw ready to slam down on my head.


    I Foxstepped behind a nearby tree, leaving a material echo in its place. The bear punched through the echo in an instant, turning it to ash, but I was already moving. I heard the sniffling of the bear scenting for me, and it let out a chuff of confusion when it wasn¡¯t able to smell anything.


    The blueshade plant¡¯s scent magic might not be the flashiest in my arsenal, but its potions had already proven their use.


    I hid behind a tree when I saw the bear starting to look around, and while I had to hide for a while, the bear must have decided that it had killed me, as I felt the touch of Edgar¡¯s magic fading away, and set off again.


    It got dark fairly early, but I kept moving regardless. The night vision provided by the ingrained effects of Vampiric Senses might not have been a match for the full spell, but i wasn¡¯t going to waste time, and I only stopped once I¡¯d gotten eight miles from the trail site. As I was getting ready to bunk down for the night, I felt something at the very edges of my mana senses and wandered over.


    There, nestled among the snow, was a cluster of snowdrops that hummed with a faint telluric mana. They were only first gate, and I couldn¡¯t see anything too special about them, until I shaped a basic lighting spell from ungated mana.


    In the light of the spell, the leaves of the bell-shaped flowers glimmered like opals, an iridescence that was almost hypnotic.


    I let the light fade, and considered my options. Plucking all of them would vastly increase the bulbs would survive the month, but would it be too greedy? I didn¡¯t want to be the kind of beast mage who exploited the environment, like Edgar had talked about. But there was magic in these, faint though it may be, and I wanted to know more. For all I knew, I¡¯d just discovered a solution to my money problems! I doubted it was that simple, but it was technically a possibility.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty-Six

    I bit my lip.


    Surely Edgar couldn¡¯t object to me taking a few of the bulbs, right? I would leave plenty of them growing in the surrounding area, which should ensure the environment was able to make up for the small loss.


    Extending a touch of life mana into Enhance Plant Life, I connected to three of the opal snowdrops, gently pushing through the snow to dig them out.


    My quarry in hand, I headed back to where I¡¯d be setting up camp for the night, and with the help of a stick, dug out a small space for snowdrops to rest in. I unslung my backpack and marched around the site I¡¯d be sleeping, moving in three large squares, forming Spatial Anchors at the edges, and then connecting them with my tripwire spell.


    With that done, I buried the mass of vials from my backpack in the snow, sprinkling them with one of my scent suppression potions, and leaving three out for the morning.


    I pulled the spare sticks of solidified death mana back into my spirit, added on the extra layers of clothing, then wrapped myself up in the tarp like it was a massive blanket, bunding myself into a cocoon.


    Even with the power of my warming potion running through me, and swaddled in the tarp, it got cold, and it wasn¡¯t normal cold. There was a depth to this cold that I¡¯d never experienced before, forced to sleep on the ground in the middle of winter. There was a bitterness and harshness to the chill that felt every bit as sharp as the bite of a spell in the middle of a battle, but where a fight was a hot, rapid affair, this was a cold, long slog. There was no mercy from the frigid air, even as I continually tried to bury myself deeper


    At several points throughout the night, I was awoken by the snapping of twigs as the snow built up. At one point, a clump of snow smacked down onto my face, and I burst up in a panic, thinking that I was under attack.


    Worse was when something crossed over the ward lines, and the mental alarm bells triggered. I burst up, teleporting out of the makeshift sleeping bag that I¡¯d made, and spread my Briarthreads out around me, while fueling my Vampiric Senses.


    As the darkness of the night faded into a blue-gray that was easier to make out, I felt another alarm pinging in my mind, and then a third, and a fourth. I sniffed the air, but they had no scent I could pick up on. The forest was full of smells, of course, magnified many times over by the power of the spell, but nothing was coming from the direction of the pings.


    They were still some ways away, having only broached the first layer of my alarms, but I spread my mana senses out in that direction to get a sense of what was going on.


    There were four of them, much like my mana had suggested, but each of them was draped with a mixture of lunar, mental, knowledge, and abnegation mana that made it hard to get a solid grip on their power, like trying to hold a shadow in my hands.


    If I¡¯d been in the middle of a crowd in Mossford, I¡¯d have let that be. But as it was¡­


    I slammed into them with the full force of my senses, and while I couldn¡¯t get a sense for the specific spells they had, I was more than able to distinguish their levels of power.


    One of them was third gate. They weren¡¯t an especially powerful third gate, far weaker than any of the monsters I¡¯d faced in the idyll-flume, but still a third gate. Another was second gate, on the upper end, ready to break into third gate soon, while the last two were first gate, and only on the upper end.


    With my spatial and life sense, I got a general idea of their shape ¨C larger than a fox, but smaller than a wolf. Coyote, maybe?


    Interestingly, as I slammed my mana senses against them, they flinched back, despite them having a power advantage. Given their magic, I thought they were likely ambush predators, so I might be able to drive them off by just scaring them.


    Channeling Witch Eyes, I chained a few Foxseps forwards, and watched with my mana senses as the forms reacted to my rapid approach. A moment later, they turned and ran, and I let out a sigh of relief.


    At least until Edgar¡¯s mana filled the air, and suddenly the coyotes turned and started running at me.


    ¡°Primes,¡± I swore, then began preparing my mana.


    As they entered my line of sight, I was glad that I was channeling Witch Eyes, because each of them was coated in a dark substance that made it hard to see them, even Vampiric Senses improving my night vision. The stronger pair was wrapped in an additional layer of purple fuzz that I thought might be some sort of blurring or invisibility spell, but the power of Witch Eyes helped me punch through it. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I created a Material Echo of my Briarthreads to give me a touch of static defense, then held my ground as they charged. Even with Edgar pushing them, they were still reliant on their instincts, and from the comments Azalea had made, I knew he couldn¡¯t push them forever.


    The largest coyote leapt into the air, and I saw purple shadows start to condense on its claws as it fell towards me, but I flicked my fingers and caught it in a three layer Fungal Lock. It crashed to the ground, and the other pack members flinched back.


    It bought me only a second, but it let me throw more locks over the other pack members. They were only a single layer, but I quickly threw a second over the second strongest coyote.


    The leader struggled to its feet, its claws digging at the locking spell as it scratched, and I waved my hands, sending a gust of my Briarthreads at it. They landed and pierced into the coyote, who let out a howl.


    The two first gate coyotes broke free of their locks then, but I didn¡¯t even turn to face them. The first was caught up in my echoed briars, while I used my spatial sense to mark the other and struck it with three Pinpoint Boneshards.


    As the second coyote also struggled to its feet, I let out a sigh and spoke. I knew Edgar was watching, or at least could, so I tried to talk to him.


    ¡°Do you really have nothing else for me to do than beat up a bunch of kits? Actually, are young coyotes called kits? Pups? Anyways. I really don¡¯t care to go around beating up wildlife.¡±


    As I spoke, I set points in the air over the heads of each of the coyotes, while tossing out multiple Fungal Locks, gradually encasing them in more and more layers of power until even the third gate member of the pack was having trouble struggling to its feet.


    It took several moments ¨C Edgar might have to be supervising multiple people, or maybe I just met the criteria for having defeated the pack ¨C but Edgar¡¯s power faded from the air. I waved my hand and released them, but I left the shards of bone floating over them, just in case they decided to keep the fight going.


    They did not.


    As the pack turned and fled, I recalled my bone and threw a couple of Harvest Plant Life spells over the nearest trees, draining what power I could from them without harming their future development.


    I was strong enough now that normal trees only sped my mana recovery a little bit, but it was all I really had access to, so I nestled down in my tarp and closed my eyes. I must have drifted off and lost the construct, though, because I woke up to another snapping sound in the forest not long after.


    I was awoken twice more that night, the first time by an arctic fox who I managed to spook away before Edgar could infuse it with his beastial control, and the second by a flock of stink bugs. Each of them seemed to have a small, weak core of mana within them, which was what had triggered my alarms.


    The moment the bugs caught¡­ Sight? Antenna vibration sense? Spiritual sense? Whatever they used, the moment they spotted me, they dove, moving right at me. Edgar¡¯s magic filled the air a moment later, though it was barely needed.


    This was going to be annoying.


    I flexed my mana and cast the spell that cut off my olfactory senses, then launched into battle against them, my Briarthreads whipping out around me. Each strike downed a stinkbug, and I considered how strange it was as I moved.


    I did feel a slight twinge of regret from smacking down these bugs, but it was nowhere near the level of compassion I had for the coyotes. Was it a simple matter of mammalian bias? Humans tended to like mammals more than they did other types of creatures, after all, and I was a human. At least, mostly. I wasn¡¯t sure how my dragon eyes and energy-infused body altered that, but I wasn¡¯t a biologist.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said to the cloud of stink bugs, then immediately gagged as I got a mouthful of bug guts. The faltering allowed several of the bugs to slide past my spell, where they landed and stung me, which cause me to let out a sharp sound of annoyance, and


    I teleported away and spat into the ground several times, wishing I¡¯d brought something to rinse my mouth out with, but the swarm narrowed in on me and I snapped my mouth closed, drawing more briars out from my spirit and diving into the fight.


    It was also probably not a good sign I was already talking to Edgar and to a bunch of bugs, but I was sure it was fine¡­ Probably.


    Still, I thought I had a point. If I had a bunch of mammalian bias, I wouldn¡¯t have fought to defend the slipshark, or chosen to let the troll go, instead of finishing it off, or chosen a lot of things, honestly.


    Was it intelligence?


    That felt more likely to me. Sharks and trolls and estragon and coyote might not be fully sapient, but they had intelligence, at least after a fashion. More than a bug did, at the very least.


    That answer still didn¡¯t sit entirely right with me, though. I didn¡¯t think it was incorrect, but it still felt incomplete. Maybe it was because bugs were a nuisance? That was at least partly true.


    Then there was also the fact that the stink bugs didn¡¯t seem to show any desire to run. They were throwing themselves at me, and getting shredded by my briars as quickly as I could. That definitely played a factor, but I wondered if it went back to the intelligence problem, just in a roundabout way.


    Then again, I had to draw a line somewhere. I felt like it was reasonable to only feel a little bit bad about killing stinging, stink-empowered bugs, especially when they wanted to attack me.


    I finished dispatching the swarm, then retreated back to my camp and let my smell-neutralizing spell fade away.


    Even at the camp, I could smell the pile of bug guts, and I let out a sigh, then used a pulse of Internal Pocketwatch.


    It was only about two hours from dawn, so I started packing up my campsite, destroyed the anchors and wards, dug out my potions and plants, then went out to continue the hike.


    I took it very slow at first, since it was still dark, even under the power of my powerful senses and the ingrained effect of Vampiric Senses, but as the dawn rose over the trees again, I started to pick up the pace, shifting until I was moving at the comfortable speed of eight miles a day, faster than my minimum speed.


    After all, there was a chance there would be points awarded for getting there early!

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty-Seven

    As I trudged along throughout the day, I was once again left more or less unscathed. While I did have to spook away another small pack of coyotes, and one arctic fox got a little too defensive over my intrusion into its territory, but all things considered, it wasn¡¯t too terribly difficult.


    My second night passed similarly to the first, with the odd attack I had to fend off, but nothing too horrifically strong passed by. The broken sleep was definitely starting to get to me some ¨C I was always a light sleeper, but the constant adrenaline jolts every thirty minutes while I was trying to sleep made it far worse.


    I did wonder about the fact I was having such an easy time, though. Even with the powerful glowing magic of the mountains, and the overall sense of nature that this place had, the trail was still hiked in the summers, even if only by those truly dedicated to the sport, and that created a strong contrast between it and the magic of the idyll-flume. There was still an un-disturbed serenity, but it was somewhat tamed, and by the third day, I¡¯d started to pick out the odd signs of human passing ¨C small areas that had been cleared of trees for people to set up tents or spatial storage, mounds where the snow had mixed with the ash of what had once been a fire, and even once the odd nutritional potion vial ¨C labeled with the mark of Agnes¡¯ shop.


    I collected that one, since littering was a scourge on both the earth and the soul, and as far as I was concerned, letting others litter without helping was nearly as bad as littering yourself.


    As noon was drawing closer on the third day, I noticed something that flitted at the edge of my senses. It was different than the shade-coyotes, who had some sort of veiling technique, or more likely, a natural spell that they could use to slip my senses aside.


    This felt more¡­ Deliberate.


    For a flicker that was so short it was hard for me to be sure that it was there at all, I felt a mana signature, about third gate. I wasn¡¯t able to analyze where in third gate it was, but I got a touch of the composition, and it was absolutely glowing with abnegation mana. There were other things mixed in ¨C knowledge, desolation, time, and a surprising amount of solar ¨C but it was strongly abnegation focused.


    The moment I sensed it, however, it retreated, out of the range of my senses. I empowered my Analyze Spells and stretched out to follow it, but the creature was fast, faster than I expected, and managed to keep out of my range, even as I expanded it.


    The first time it happened, I thought little of it. Maybe something had gotten curious, but I¡¯d simply spooked it off.


    But then it happened again, only a few minutes later, and I frowned.


    It was¡­ possible¡­ that I was skirting through its territory, and it was simply keeping an eye on me, so I didn¡¯t want to push too hard and drive it to attack.


    But in case it was something a little more sinister, I kept my mana tensed and ready, prepared for a fight.


    When I got the peeks five more times in the next hour, I was confident I wasn¡¯t just wandering through something¡¯s territory, and was really tempted to divert off of the path. The path was such an obvious spot for an ambush that if I was to stay on it, I¡¯d be begging for an attack. Even predators knew enough to follow deer trails, after all.


    But going off the path would mean more than just losing sight of where I needed to go. That was no big deal, in the end, since I could use my Sense Directionality spell to steer me back on course.


    No, the trouble was that the trail had footing. It was slick, coated in a layer of ice that had a bit of powdery snow atop, but my cleats were able to mostly handle that. The wilderness didn¡¯t even have the somewhat compacted lanes of snow, though, just wilds. Pitfalls could become a real hazard, and I¡¯d have far less guarantee that anything would be able to hold my weight.


    I was a decent combat mage, a decent survival mage, and a decent scout. But I wasn¡¯t an expert in any of those things, and trying to pretend I was would just end with me failing the challenge.


    Reluctantly, I pressed forward, and after another half an hour, I triggered the ambush that was lying in wait for me.


    Two large cats entered the range of my spatial sense, larger than any housecat, but still smaller than the coyotes. Their mana was a match for what I¡¯d been feeling, and now that they¡¯d gotten close enough for me to see, I could get a good read on their actual strength as well. Middle of third gate, I¡¯d guess.


    The cats flanked me on either side, which meant there had to be something ahead of me. But what?Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I focused my mana senses and allowed myself to slip into the power of my Placid Mind spell, mentally turning over every speck of snow until¡­


    There!


    My senses locked onto something. It was veiling itself, and doing it well, but my senses were strong.


    The creature felt somewhat like the mana of Aput, the glacier dragon, but it had far more death in it, and a far heavier emphasis on desolation. It was strong, slightly ahead of the cat creatures, but not quite on the level of the estragon or drakes that I¡¯d fought.


    The moment the snow where the creature was hiding started to shift, I unleashed my Briarthreads and cast Pinpoint Boneshard, setting it to spin in two, slightly offset pentagons around me ¨C one at my head, and one at my torso. The other three, I kept hovering over my head, ready to attack.


    Edgar¡¯s mana filled the air, and I launched a Pinpoint Boneshard at each of my enemies. The cats both glowed with power, and a bolt of gray light launched from their bodies, striking the bones in mid-air. I could feel the magic on them dissolve away, and the bones fell to the forest floor.


    The shard I launched at the creature emerging from the snow seemed to sink in, but it struck a core of something hard. As I frantically recast the spell, recalling my offensive bones, the creature ahead of me released a powerful cone of ice-white destruction, tinged with streaks of black. It resembled the breath attack of a dragon, but more focused on light than fire, and it carried an air of danger. I teleported behind the mass of snow, leaving an an image where I¡¯d been, and lashed out with briarthreads.


    As it ripped apart snow, I got my first look at the creature underneath. It resembled some sort of¡­ Crystal.


    The size of my entire torso, it looked like it was ringed in an outer shell of quartz, with an interior made of lapis lazuli flecked with silver.


    It was very pretty, but annoyingly hard to damage, even as I brought a series of three bones down on top of it. When nothing happened, I drew them back and Foxstepped to the side, certain that it would unleash another one of its beam attacks.


    At least, I tried to foxstep out of the way.


    A pair of gray bolts hammered into my body, and my spirit fuzzed for a moment, embroiled with a chaotic energy unlike anything I¡¯d ever experienced. With my spirit so interconnected with my body, I felt my strength fluctuate for a second, the pools of energy still there, but thrown into equal chaos. I stumbled and almost fell, and if it weren¡¯t for Ikki¡¯s training, as well as the grips on my shoes, I would have fallen for sure, and likely tumbled off of the path and into who knows what.


    As it was, I barely managed to get my feet under me long enough to dodge the beam of crackling white and black light that the living rock emitted, then forced my mana and energy back into order.


    The crystal-thing created a vortex of spinning white and black light over its head and threw it at me, and I foxstepped behind it. The spell was draining, my spirit still somewhat out of order, but as I appeared, the disorientation in my magic faded.


    I took in a sharp breath and overcharged my mana, then hammered into the crystal from either side with bones and briars, but it did little more than knock more snow off, and scratch the thick, quartzlike layer.


    As it struck, however, I realized something about the lapis and silver buried beneath the crystal.


    It wasn¡¯t a stone at all.


    It was flowing and moving in an almost oozelike manner. I¡¯d never seen an ooze before, they¡¯re far more common out to the east, but I thought I might be dealing with one that had somehow crawled its way into this thick shell. Or maybe it had grown it somehow?


    Whatever the reason, I barely managed to skid out of the way of several more of the cat¡¯s bolts, and Foxstep away from another beam.


    That beam had been weaker¡­ Was it running low on mana?


    I ducked a crescent that the crystal emitted, then felt a pair of binding spells land on me. Gray magic wrapped around my body, weighing me down, not unlike my own Fungal Lock spell. I tore through it with my somewhat enhanced strength, then threw a triple lock onto the crystal ooze creature.


    I¡¯d initially held back because I didn¡¯t think it would work. Honestly, the only reason I¡¯d thrown it then was because I was thinking about the Fungal Lock already.


    But to my surprise, the veins of ethereal mycelium began to wind their way through the crystalline shell around the ooze, latching onto the squishy contents within and draining its energy.


    And it drained a lot. Shimmering light shot through the Fungal Lock, and the mushrooms began to multiply, even without me pumping more mana in. It tried to unleash another one of its rippling crescents, but it was eaten away before it could even form properly.


    My attention was pulled away from the crystal as the cats released real attacks for the first time, rather than just playing support to the ooze. One of them released a stream of fire that felt distinctly like pure solar magic. In fact, I could even name the exact spell ¨C flamethrower! An infamous first gate offensive fire spell.


    As I teleported several feet up and onto the sturdy branch of a tree, I spotted the second attack, a wave of condensed light that shimmered many colors, like the auroras that could dot the sky.


    I frowned. That attack had felt a lot like the wintery mana that many creatures around here possessed. It was closest to the aura bear I¡¯d seen on my first day, but it wasn¡¯t an exact match.


    Interesting.


    Then one of the cats teleported onto the tree, only a few feet from me, and released a burst of three of those strange gray darts. I leapt off the tree, and only managed to not crash and break my legs by teleporting mid-jump to land several feet back, away from any of the three enemy combatants.


    These things could steal spells?! No wonder they were content to just hit me with those bolts and let the crystal wear me down.


    It also explained the cause of my earlier Foxstep costing so much. I thought my mana and energy had just been disoriented and chaotic, but the cat had been skimming a spell off of me.


    My theory was only confirmed as the one that had teleported into the tree began to scale down manually, and the other released a bolt of sharpened ice at me.


    I dodged to the side, snapping out with Fungal Locks.


    Then a massive crash ripped through the trail.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty-Eight

    I jumped, but so did the cats, which probably indicated that all three of us needed to get better at fighting.


    On the other side of the clearing, the massive crystal that the ooze had been within had cracked cleanly in two, and a much diminished ooze, only about the size of a sportsball ¨C okay, I was never that sporty, but Ed could probably have said what game was closest. But the fist sized orb of ooze turned and began to roll away.


    Note to self. Oozes are very, very weak to draining spells. Good to know!


    I spun back to the cats and blazed my Briarthreads out around me in an overcharged display of power and dominance.


    The cats, unfortunately, hadn¡¯t heard of the sunk cost fallacy. They¡¯d already burnt some of the spells they¡¯d stored up to try and eat me, and they weren¡¯t about to pull out of the fight now.


    With a sigh, I teleported back and released my Pinpoint Boneshard at them instead.


    Caught off guard by the sudden swap of attack, one bone struck each cat before they were firing those gray bolts at me. I teleported behind one and struck at it quickly with the overcharged Briarthreads, then teleported off to the side again as another flurry of bolts came at me.


    I had to admit, for all that I¡¯d pushed to avoid expanding my mana pool, instead focusing on progress, now that the natural treasures from the Idyll-Flume had done their work, I had to admit that it was pretty nice to not have to worry quite so much about running out of mana.


    The exception, unfortunately, was temporal mana. With both of my storage spells draining it away, and the constant use of Foxsteps, I was already starting to run low. With an effort of will, I shaped my Testudinal Reserve spell, stepping to the side to dodge the sudden burst of forged stone that shot at my head from one of the cats.


    As soon as I finished, I drew power out of my bones and into my spirit. To my surprise, the mixture that flooded through me wasn¡¯t pure time, but rather a mix, not unlike the temporal tortoise I¡¯d gotten it from. My spirit filtered the temporal out and filled my gate with it, while breaking the rest down into energy and replenishing what it could in my body.


    In retrospect, I really shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, but I¡¯d still been caught off guard, at least enough for a sizzling acid pulse to fire out of one of the cats.


    If I¡¯d had my usual gear, my aura pin and suit, then it wouldn¡¯t have done much.


    As it was, though, my Briarthreads tried to cut the attack apart, and only managed to divert some of it. The rest splattered over my outstretched hand, burning, and I let out a yelp.


    With a growl of frustration, I released all five Pinpoint Boneshards at the cat that had struck me, and while some of the cats disruption spells knocked the bones out of the air, two still managed to land, striking the cat and drawing blood. I teleported right up close to it and slashed out with my briars, then shouted.


    The cat turned and ran, and I whipped around to face the other, chaining together three quick teleports until I stood before it. It seemed ready to fight for a moment, until I layered it in three Fungal Locks. Grayish armor filled the air around the cat, and it turned and fled as well, its self-preservation instincts able to overwhelm Edgar¡¯s weaker control over them.


    I examined my hand, trying to remember what all Kene had told me about acid burns. I¡¯d managed to disperse most of the acid here, but before anything, I needed to cleanse the wound.


    I had no way to track water sources, nor did I have a pot that I could boil water in, so I¡¯d have to make do. I gathered together some snow, then used a single drop of my firebomb potion, lighting it up with a pulse of ungated mana. It let out a popping sound, and some of the snow started to melt. I slowly added more, drop by drop, until I had a pool of relatively clean water.


    It would have been far more preferable for me to boil the water, but I didn¡¯t have that as a real option, unfortunately. I¡¯d just have to rely on the antibacterial properties of the healing potion to do its work.


    I used splashes of water to rinse out the wounds as best I could, then drizzled my healing potion over them, watching as they slowly closed up and healed.


    I¡¯d have to keep an eye on myself to make sure I didn¡¯t develop a fever or any other signs of an infection, and that none of the acid spots re-appeared, or had weakened my bones or anything of that sort. There could be some nasty side effects to acid burns, but I was fairly sure this should take care of it.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Still, if things got too bad, I¡¯d pull out. It was better to lose the points, or even fail the entire competition, than to lose a hand for something that could be easily prevented.


    With that done, I checked over the large shell that the ooze had been within, running my mana senses over it to try and make out what I could. I was in need of a new crystal for my temporal basin, after all. The one that I¡¯d grown with Ed¡¯s help was nice, and did store my mana alright, but it had hit the point of diminishing returns.


    Unfortunately for me, the large crystal seemed to be mostly nonmagical. There were faint tinges of telluric energy, sure, but that was about it. Nothing really stood out to me as especially useful, no matter how deep I pried.


    Ah well. I¡¯d had plenty of fortunate encounters, more than my fair share. It wasn¡¯t reasonable to expect everything to have the right tool for me.


    I left the crystal there and started walking again, speeding up my hike a little bit to make up for the lost time. The fight, cleaning, and examination of the crystal had only taken about fifteen minutes, but lost time was lost time.


    Two more days passed in a similar fashion, and I thought I was probably in the clear.


    At least, I was in the clear from the acid burns.


    The weather was an entirely different conversation.


    Up to this point, I¡¯d had reasonably nice weather. It had snowed off and on, sure, but it had mostly been sunny, and I hadn¡¯t needed to take more than basic weather precautions.


    But another snowstorm was starting to brew in the clouds, and the look of it had me nervous. The storm core within it seemed powerful, and I wasn¡¯t sure that I¡¯d be able to just hike through it.


    Arguably even worse, I could see large, winged forms circling within the clouds. Casting my mana upwards, they felt like some sort of bird things with a mixture of physical, desolation, tempest, and telluric mana, but they were far enough over the ground that I couldn¡¯t get a complete sense of the picture.


    At least, I wasn¡¯t able to until one dove out of the clouds to attack me.


    The creature was far larger than I¡¯d thought it would be, bigger than a dog. It had the body of a bird, with wickedly sharp talons that looked like they could cut through a block of stone. Its face was that of an elks, and it had antlers like a deers, only unlike a deers, these ended in wickedly sharp points that I had no doubt could gore me. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the tips glowed with magic, clearly the conduit for some sort of sharpening spell.


    The creature was only in the middle of second gate, much magically weaker than me, but it was still a predator of the blizzard, and its body was more than strong enough to give me pause.


    Not to mention, there were still hundreds of them circling in the clouds overhead. I took a little bit of solace in the fact that they didn¡¯t seem to be pack hunters, at least, descending to fight one on one.


    It was a cold comfort, though.


    The deer-bird dove down, its horns pointed to run me through, and I teleported into the air over it, catching myself with Immovable Lock while leaving a Material Echo of my body behind. The sharp horns struck the construct of temporal mana and drove through, and I used the moment of distraction to launch a stream of bones and briars at the strange monster.


    I missed having Dusk around. If I¡¯d been able to slash out with a crescent of Blademoss, I¡¯d have been able to do much better. There was no sense in complaining, though, so I focused on making my attack as impactful as I could, targeting the wings and neck.


    Thankfully, the creature¡¯s body seemed far more focused on offense than defense, and my attacks found purchase. I skipped my bones over the edges of the wing, doing my best to mess with its ability to fly.


    The creature slammed into the ground, catching itself on its talons and turning up to focus on me. It flapped and tried to take off at me, but I refocused my attack on the wings again, and it turned to fly away.


    I let myself slowly descend to the ground and started running.


    Well, not running-running, that would just result in me slipping and breaking a bone. It was more of a quickened shuffle that let me cover more distance.


    As I moved, snow started falling, and the winds picked up, powerful gusts that were nearly enough to throw me off of my feet. I was forced to stabilize my body with Immovable Lock to hold against the wind more than once.


    It was clear that I was going to need somewhere to stop and wait until the storm had softened, at the very least.


    I missed Dusk again. If I could just pop open a portal to this realm, I¡¯d have no trouble with the weather at all. Maybe more importantly, it would give me someone to talk to. I was getting unreasonably bored while I was out hiking. Oddly, not having my medicine didn¡¯t seem to be as much of an oimpediment as it was in the city ¨C maybe it was something with the constant movement and constantly needing to keep an eye out for danger keeping my brain occupied?


    Whatever the truth of it, I missed my friend, and my partner. An occupied brain didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want anyone to talk to, and it didn¡¯t solve my predicament of needing somewhere to stay.


    The only real question I had was where. I could stop at the nearest cleared area of a reststop and try to set it up for a slightly longer stay than my usual camps, but I wasn¡¯t an expert in survival, and I wasn¡¯t entirely confident that I¡¯d be able to make something that could weather the storm. Then again, with my heating potions, I didn¡¯t inherently need to worry as much as a normal person might have to.


    I could search out a cave or warren large enough to hold me, but that came with some risks of its own. I¡¯d have to clear the mouth out frequently to stop myself from getting trapped, but more importantly, there was every chance that whatever was already residing within the cave would take offense to the fact I wanted to stay with them. They might not, but given Edgar¡¯s power driving the beasts to act more territorially, I doubted I¡¯d get off that lucky.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Sixty-Nine

    I


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    spread my mana senses out around me in as wide of a net as possible, empowering my Analyze Space spell to try and get a sense for any gaps that would indicate a cave. Finding none, or at least none I could sense, within range of my senses, I ignored the site that had been set aside for campers and started searching for a cave. I chained together several Foxsteps, which began to take increasingly more mana as the snow continued to thicken, and I was forced to push through the thick eddies and whorls of energy that moved through the storm.


    Worse, the thickening snow obscured not just vision, but mana senses. It was like trying to feel my way through thick syrup, rather than air, as once again the powerful energy in the storm fought to push my mana senses back, and was forced to flare several more of my analyze spells to life, just to beat back the power glowing in the storm.


    My temporal mana ran dry, and I shaped out the Testudinal Reserve spell with my energy, drawing the mana out of it to restore myself as I kept pushing through.


    I felt a pulse at the edge of my senses. If my senses weren¡¯t so sharp, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to sense it at all, but I felt the delicate brush of another¡¯s mana senses against mine, totally unimpeded by the power of the storm. If anything, it seemed to ride along the powerful currents, casting its senses through them like a stone skipping over the surface of a lake, or perhaps a fisherman casting their lure into a swift moving river.


    Another one of the strange deer-bird creatures dove out of the storm, horn glowing with a physical-heavy composite, and I barely had time to teleport out of the way, cursing the murky power in the air that made it all too difficult. The monster facing off against me felt near the peak of third gate, as strong as one of the powerful drakes that I¡¯d had to battle with the help of Octavian, Araceli, Roh, and Kene.


    I¡¯d grown since then, but I could admit to myself that I hadn¡¯t grown enough to take this on completely alone. Maybe if it had been a good matchup for me, like the war root had been, or had strangely weak power like the spriggan or the war root, I would have been willing fight, but as things were¡­ I needed to run.


    Come to think of it, why was it that there seemed to be such an extreme difference in spellbinders? I¡¯d thought that maybe it was just a simple matter of well-built mana, but it seemed more extreme than that.


    The deer-bird roared, drawing me out of the contemplation, and I felt an attack buffet at me, cast through the scream. It buffeted at both my body, my mind, and my senses, and the way the monster¡¯s power seemed to ride the winds gave it a solid advantage.


    Not enough of an advantage.


    I poured energy into Placid Mind, and I felt the membrane form around my mind. The monster¡¯s attack was strong, puncturing the bubble in several spots, but I drew my mana senses within, pushing them out. Like air blown into a balloon, the defenses around my mind expanded, pushing out the foreign intrusion.


    At the same time, I began to draw power into Foxstep, using it to push against the boundary-like effect of the spell. I teleported out of its grasp and over the monster, releasing a stream of overcharged bones and briars at the bird-deer¡¯s wings, doing the best I could to make myself not worth the effort of fighting.


    Before it could even attack back, I pushed out another foxstep, draining nearly half of my temporal and spatial mana as I teleported to the edge of my sensory range and caught myself with an Immovable Lock.


    A lance of magic shot through the air, and I teleported forwards again, catapulting myself at least another sixty feet away from the creature, then dove into the treeline. That wasn¡¯t a move I normally would have risked for more than a few moments, since going off the trail more than a couple of steps could get dangerous shockingly quickly.


    With the power of the storm, however, there was already a thick enough layer of snow over things that I was having trouble making out where the path was anyways. That didn¡¯t make predators lying in wait, unexpected pitfalls, or injury from unstable footing any less real or present, but I kept Immovable Lock primed and ready, prepared to do the best I could.


    But I figured that it would at least make it more likely for me to find a cave, and being hidden under the thick canopy of trees should, in theory, make it harder for the creatures in the sky to hunt me.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    I slogged through the thickening snow, and it quickly became apparent that I¡¯d need to find something soon, or I was going to have to drink another warming potion. I¡¯d packed a couple of extras for both nutrition, warming, and scent suppression, in case of emergency or destruction, but I wasn¡¯t exactly teeming with extras. Glass vials of liquid, even ones that only held a couple of ounces, got heavy shockingly fast, and I¡¯d needed to carry over a hundred in total.


    As I spread my senses out again, I kept trudging on, until I felt the gentle gust of winds within my spirit. They carried me off course, and I allowed them to.


    As the tips of my fingers and nose were starting to grow from a cherry red color to a fainter pink, I felt a gap in the mountainside in my spatial sense, and trudged towards it at my absolute top speed. That top speed was still painfully slow, as I had to be careful with every step, but I still forced myself forward.


    The entry of the cave was hidden, and if I¡¯d not had my senses guiding me to the gap, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to spot it at all. There was a massive, glowing, purple boulder that blocked its mouth from view. There were a gap between the boulder and the edge of the mountainside that it was jutting over, but not so much that it made me think there would be a cave hidden in the crack. Worse yet ¨C or perhaps better ¨C the mouth wasn¡¯t visible from any angle, as I had to press myself into the cold stone and shimmy my way around a slight bend before it finally opened up into the cave itself.


    The cave was¡­ Surprisingly roomy. More like a mineshaft than a proper cave, in fact.


    I traced my hand along the edge of the cavern, even as I conjured a small light out of ungated mana. I missed the peacepyre. It¡¯s flickering and darting silver illumination would have been a familiar comfort.


    But the pale yellow-white light of my spell was fine for getting a closer look. The faint purple glow of all of this mountain stone was enough that I could see the tunnel outlined against the darkness, but it wasn¡¯t the best for looking at fine detail.


    The smooth walls of the tunnel looked¡­ strange. Cut, almost. I knew Ed¡¯s stone cutting or shaping or whatever he called it, left long, flat marks, not entirely unlike the ones I found here.


    That might be normal if this was basalt or obsidian, which were want to create such flat marks, but this definitely wasn¡¯t either of those stones.


    I paused. Ed¡¯s newer studies into different types of rock and how to use them must have been rubbing off on me somewhat, because I wouldn¡¯t have known that before I started working magic.


    Well, either that, or I¡¯d learned it in school and totally forgotten it. That was also entirely possible. Reading and learning were fun, but school was¡­ a struggle.


    I focused, feeling the walls, and I could find that they had ever so slightly more power running through them than the rest of the mountain seemed to, but it was slight. Either the cut had happened long ago, or this was simply natural variation, and I was using it as evidence to bolster my theory.


    The faint purple glow led deeper into the earth, and I pushed my mana senses out along the path it traced, feeling for anything.


    There was nothing more than patches of lichen and moss, as well as the power of the mountains, steadfast as always.


    That, even more so than the oddities of the stone, convinced me that there was something deeply unnatural about this place. The blizzard and hunters that used the storm to bolster their power should have caused animals to flock to this place for shelter. Even if they couldn¡¯t find it, there should have been a few creatures who could ¨C those whose magic focused more heavily on the layout of the earth and stone, like a cavern estragon, should. Bats that were looking for a place to nest and rest, who had the echolocation or magically enhanced senses to find this place. Even creatures who had strong senses in general, like those spelltheif cats should have stood a reasonable chance.


    I¡¯d found it, after all, and I was no master of survival. It was well hidden, but not so well hidden that it should be completely empy.


    I felt a growing sense of unease at this, and decided that I¡¯d be sticking nearer to the entrance. It was a touch colder there than it was in the rest of the cave, but it was still much, much warmer than the outside. So long as I made sure to keep the snow at the entrance clear, I should be able to teleport out if things went poorly.


    Then I had the horrible idea of a cave in, like what had happened to those poor kids during the Idyll-Flume.


    I frowned, then let out a sigh and headed out into the storm, just long enough to reach a nearby tree and pump a spatial anchor into it. I spent a few minutes smoothing out the ripples in space that the spell created, then pushed my way back into the cave.


    There.


    I slowly unpacked my vials. Unable to bury them or the flowers, I stuck them behind a decently sized stone, then wrapped myself in the spare clothing I had to help myself warm up.


    With nothing better to do, I started shaping my energy into the my last pair of unmastered spells ¨C the brand new Testudinal Reserve, and my still-fairly-neglected Lesser Psychometry.


    I shaped the patterns out over and over again, starting with Lesser Psychometry, since it was the one that was closest to mastery. I¡¯d started practice with it on the boat, and I¡¯d made a bit of progress in reading the history of objects¡­


    I felt like slapping myself.


    I had a spell that was specifically designed to read the history of objects, the moments that had left a powerful enough impression on the temporal material to create an echo of it.


    I could use that on the strange cuts in the cave. It might not reveal anything, but it was better than nothing at the very least.


    I stood up and walked over to one of the strangely flat, cutlike impressions on the wall. I pressed my hand onto it, and cast Lesser Psychometry.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    A middle aged man stood in a small crack.


    Strength of the earth flowed from him as he raised his hand and brought it down in a sharp cut.


    The stone, conjoined for eras beyond human understanding of time, a timescale on which even those who reached the status that they called immortality were insignificant, split.


    The stone-self stayed.


    The stone-self was broken, dissolved and absorbed by the man.


    Both true, both alive, both dead, both neither, created destruction of time forgone for the now.


    Then time.


    A small knip of time, nothing more. Mortal time.


    I pressed my hand to the stone, and called on the echoes of the memories of the stone.


    I pulled my hand back from the stone and parsed the feedback. It had been stronger than the items that Ikki had given me to train with, more¡­ alive. Like diving into a living memory, rather than the simple echoes of the past that I was used to.


    It gave me my answer, at least. This tunnel had been cut, but given the way that time flowed through the stone, it could have just as easily happened only recently as it could have happened a hundred years before Edgar was born.


    To the mountains, the effort of a mere few hundred years was nothing. Even the glaciers, as vast and powerful and slow as they seemed to me, were like quick moving squirrels to them.


    Still, I didn¡¯t think it was likely that it happened that recently. Not within a year, probably. I wasn¡¯t sure that little time would have been more than a half a blink to the stone composing the mountains.


    That still left a lot of time when this could have happened, though. For all I knew, this could have been a previous competitor in the Beastgate Trial Trail who was cutting themselves¡­


    No, that didn¡¯t make sense. If I¡¯d stumbled across a small, hidden alcove, then sure, I could believe it had been built by a competitor.


    But it wasn¡¯t.


    It descended into the depths of the mountain, far too deep for a casual competitor.


    Maybe they¡¯d been trying to tunnel their way to the end?


    Sure, I could accept that. It would help me sleep tonight, even if it was probably not true.


    ¡°Primes,¡± I swore, keeping my voice low so that it wouldn''t carry down the tunnel. ¡°This was totally built by a person for something terrible, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    There was no response, thankfully, but that didn¡¯t exactly make me feel better.


    I debated pushing in, but this location was remote enough that I doubted ¨C or maybe just hoped ¨C that it wasn¡¯t being used for something truly, horribly unethical. I also hoped that there would have been imprints of that on the wall if there were.


    If it was just some person driving themselves away from society in an attempt to advance and grow in power, then I really didn¡¯t care. If you needed or wanted to lock yourself away and dig tunnels forever in order to advance, then go for it. As long as others weren¡¯t getting hurt by it, I really didn¡¯t care. Maybe the man had really wanted to be an ant, for all I knew.


    That might also explain the lack of animals. If the crazed mage had been killing anything that disturbed his attempts to break through, then it could have created a memory in the animals of this place that the tunnel was a bad idea to try and follow.


    I couldn¡¯t make a judgment call without knowing more and putting myself in dangerous circumstances, and I didn¡¯t especially want to risk injury while on a time crunch. This wasn¡¯t the Idyll-Flume, a carefully constructed set of rules and challenges by an ancient Occultist.


    Okay, it was, but not in the sense that there would be random trial sites scattered about. The goal was simpler and clearer than that ¨C survive.


    So I parked myself by the entrance of the cave and started practicing shaping my spells again. When I grew bored with that, I moved on to experimenting with my mana senses.


    The strange deer-bird creatures had been able to have their mana sense ride the wind without difficulty, and in that way, they were able to spread their senses through the storm stronger and further than I could, despite the fact that I¡¯d had stronger senses than either of the creatures I¡¯d fought, even the peak third gate opponent. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    I didn¡¯t know if it was a technique, a spell, or some combination therein, but I did know that I was going to try it out.


    As I sat near the mouth of the cave, wrapped up in the blanket that was my tarp, I practiced, slowly extending my mana senses out of the mouth of the cave and into the thick sludge of the storm.


    Then I tried to let go.


    In the basic mana sensing classes I¡¯d had in highschool, the entire technique had been about extending the spirit outward, either directly or in a field around you, how to identify the basic mana types, power input, activation and deactivation switches, all that sort of thing.


    That was all you needed for day to day life. It let you use most magical devices like brooms or carpets, after all.


    I¡¯d learned a little bit more in the bakery ¨C how to use it to check for more niche functions in the more high powered ovens, mainly, or using it to guide a spell to a stabilization enchantment.


    But all of those built off the idea of pushing your spirit out of you, extending the barest trickles of it out in the direction you wanted.


    I figured that if I was going to ride the storm, the most effective method I could use would be to let go. Give up control. The storm was a wild and protean thing, and it had strength of its own, and I figured it could just as easily push my power around as I could.


    But the moment I relaxed my control over my spirit, it collapsed back into itself, rather than drifting being pushed around by the storm.


    With a frown, I tried again, extending out my mana senses, then relaxing them, trying to let them get swept up in the storm, but again, they just collapsed back into myself.


    My third and fourth attempts didn¡¯t fare much better, and I was on the verge of giving up when I finally got something.


    It was only for the barest of moments, but I felt my senses leave my control. They left it, but they were still a part of it, still a part of me. They whipped around in the wind, drifting over a stone, and then snapped back into me.


    I frowned and tried to reframe the way that I was thinking about it. When I¡¯d been letting go earlier, I¡¯d still¡­ cared. I¡¯d stopped forcibly pushing out my mana senses into the air, but I¡¯d still been paying attention.


    On that final experiment, though, I¡¯d barely cared.


    Had I been self sabotaging by caring? I¡¯d stopped pushing out my mana senses, sure, but I¡¯d still been paying attention to them, and in doing so, I¡¯d truly let go of control.


    It was harder than I¡¯d thought to let go completely, and to surrender over to the environment. Giving up control was hard, and counterintuitive to everything I¡¯d learned about mana sensing.


    It cheered me slightly that I¡¯d been on the right track, just not fully dedicating myself to letting go.


    Now that I knew I could, however, it would be easier to do it a second time.


    At least, that¡¯s what I thought.


    The reality the situation was the opposite, if anything. Knowing that I could do it just made it more frustrating when I kept failing, putting too much effort into it. My attempts to surrender control only caused me to cling tighter to it.


    After a while of frustration, I returned to the shaping of my Testudinal Reserve and Lesser Psychometry spells, working on trying to bring them close to mastery.


    As my internal clock ¨C bolstered by the internal pocketwatch spell ¨C began to let me know it was getting on in the evening, I felt the near-painful rush of power from mastering a spell. Lesser Psychometry splintered out of the ground in my spirit.


    A part of me hoped that I¡¯d have used it enough to push it over the edge into becoming ingrained, as well as mastered, but I had no such luck.


    I tapped my newly mastered spell onto the floor and channeled power into it, curious to see if I could get any more detail, but the overwhelming impression that I got from the floor was almost identical to the wall ¨C the rock spent a very long time being a rock, and then was cut apart by the middle aged, bearded man¡¯s spell.


    I sighed and tapped another spot on the wall, and this time, I activated my Internal Pocketwatch, trying to weave the ticking of time into the spell to see if that could give me a better measure of when the man had appeared.


    Once again the echoes of the rock, and the vast amount of time in that was too much for my pocketwatch spell to handle. The throughput of tens of millions of years was all I could get the vague sense for.


    I tried again, this time only activating Internal Pocketwatch when the man appeared in the image.


    This time, I got a more useful bit of information.


    Sixty-seven and a quarter years flowed through the pocketwatch in the single blink of the stone¡¯s lifespan before the moment of now re-asserted itself.


    I bit my lip.


    That ruled out the odds of it being an old competitor trying to tunnel their way to the end ¨C for multiple reasons ¨C but that had always been a long shot.


    The odds that it was a random person seeking seclusion to push themselves to arcanist¡­ That had raised some, though. I didn¡¯t really mind that, though it was strange they¡¯d cut so far down, such a long tunnel. The entire place really did resemble a mineshaft more than it did anything else.


    I shoved my curiosity back down. If it was some hidden arcanist or occultist, there was a good chance they¡¯d not take kindly to my intrusion.


    I shifted back to practicing the new mana sensing technique, and strangely, the tiredness from the late hour made it slightly easier.


    I shifted to try a couple of new variations to see if I could improve the technique that I was already working on, concentrating as much of my focus as I could in one spot. That made it much harder, so I flipped to the other method, spreading my mana senses out wide and thin, forgoing precise detail for sheer area.


    That made it easier, and the edges of my mana senses seemed to catch themselves in the storm on their own accord. Each time I noticed and focused on that spot, it stopped doing it.


    I knew I needed to stop focusing, but that was harder than it sounded, especially since I liked doing it.


    Still, after a bit more time practicing, I¡¯d gotten to the point where I was able to get my mana senses to be carried by the storm about one out of every three attempts. Progress!


    With it getting late, I curled up in my bag and laid down to sleep, glad I¡¯d found the well-sheltered cave.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy-One

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I was woken up by a tiny man standing right next to my face. He was about the size of a pixie or brownie, and appeared to be older, about in his sixties for a human, with a full, long beard, broad mushroom cap hat that was bright blue, and clothes that reminded me of an old timey prospector, setting out to explore Suntorch in hopes of finding riches. He was even leaning on a pickaxe, scaled down to the size of a toothpick.


    He was also ugly as sin ¨C though, thinking about it, I¡¯d seen the Avatar of Sin, and the Avatar had been quite pretty. But the little man was quite ugly, with wrinkles and hair exploding out of his ears and nose, dried snot dripping down his beard.


    I mentally smacked myself. That was uncharitable of me to think.


    ¡°Wha?¡± I managed to get out, blinking my eyes, before the old man spat to the side. The spit made a strange tinging noise, as if it had hit metal.


    ¡°You there!¡± the prospector said. ¡°Boy-thing!¡±


    ¡°Just boy. Or wait, no. Man,¡± I said, frowning in annoyance at the smallfolk before me.


    ¡°Hmph, fine. Man-thing.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no -thing, I¡¯m just a man. And human.¡±


    ¡°Man-thing human-talls?¡± the smallfolk asked. ¡°That¡¯s a weird name.¡±


    I stared at him.


    He stared back.


    ¡°Are you messing with me?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± the man said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know if you¡¯re messing with me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly deal with¡­¡± he trailed off and gestured up and down at me.


    ¡°With the what?¡± I asked, a touch acerbically, still a little on edge from how I¡¯d been woken up.


    ¡°Tall folk,¡± the prospector said, squinting at me. ¡°Or¡­ Human-talls? Not like you can blame me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can blame you or not,¡± I said, running a hand through my hair, pushing the black strands out of my face.


    ¡°I think we got off on the wrong foot,¡± the smallfolk said. ¡°Let¡¯s start over.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me,¡± I said. ¡°My name is Malachi. I¡¯m a human and professional mage, and I decided to take shelter in this cave because of the storm going on outside.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, a professional mage? Magic is just something you do. It¡¯s not a career,¡± the tiny man said, then shook his head. ¡°Wait, no. Let me introduce myself.¡±


    He took a deep breath, spat on the side of the ground again, and bowed slightly.


    ¡°I am Deep-cave-mushroom-thing,¡± he said. ¡°I am a coblynau, and my occupation is that of a chained miner for the king of the depths.¡±


    ¡°So if I understand correctly, your name is Deep-cave-mushroom-thing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. I earned deep from being able to visit the depths of the mine. Cave from my occupation as a miner. And mushroom from my hat.¡±


    ¡°May I call you deep-cave?¡± I asked. ¡°Deep-cave-mushroom-thing is a lot to say, but if it¡¯s your preference, I can use the full thing.¡±


    I winced, suddenly fearful he¡¯d misinterpret my use of the word ¡®thing¡¯ at the end of my sentence.


    ¡°Deep-thing,¡± the minor said. ¡°Deep-cave has no meaning.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°I think by your name system I¡¯d be called Malachi-thing? Or maybe Apprentice-thing.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, is Malachi your hidden name?¡± asked the coblynau.


    ¡°Maybe? What¡¯s a hidden name?¡±


    ¡°A name that is unique to you. There are at least a dozen named cave-things, and apprentice-cave-things. But you only tell your hidden name to family, close friends, betrothed or the like.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. ¡°Yeah, in my culture, we have a very different name system. Our hidden names aren¡¯t hidden, and we don¡¯t use -thing at the end to describe what we do.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°But how does that work?¡± Deep-thing asked.


    I spent a while explaining how names worked in Mossford and the Mossford Alliance, which wasn¡¯t exactly something I¡¯d ever thought I¡¯d need to do. In return, Deep-thing told me about how names worked in his settlement¡¯s culture.


    ¡°But how can one be an apprentice-mage-thing?¡± Deep-thing asked, stroking his beard. ¡°I asked that earlier, but now that I¡¯m a little more certain that we¡¯re not just talking past one another, I am very curious.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I frowned for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I learn about magic, because it¡¯s not innate to me, the way it is to estragon.¡±


    I nearly said ¡®beasts¡¯, but then realized I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if small folk also had innate spells, and didn¡¯t want to upset him or cause another misunderstanding.


    ¡°Really?¡± the elderly small folk asked, leaning forwards. ¡°Fascinating. I never knew tall folk were all crippled.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± I said with a wince. ¡°We do have a lot of versatility with our magic. I might not have innate spells, but I can teleport like a blink fox, store magic in my bones like a tortoise, and have dragon eyes because I¡¯ve got an entire suite of sensory magic.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. So I guess learning to be a mage is a common thing in your culture?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat,¡± I said, then hedged. ¡°Everyone learns a little, but most people learn it for a job, or only learn ungated magic.¡±


    That led down another path of discussion about how jobs worked, and he seemed amazed by the entire thing, before looping back to his original question.


    ¡°If many learn magic for their job, what job do you perform?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Mainly I go around, find problems, fix problems or fight and capture monsters, and then hope I get paid for it,¡± I said, then paused. ¡°Haven¡¯t actually gotten paid for something in a little bit. Things have kind of been crazy with the Idyll-Flume and the Trial Trail.¡±


    ¡°The what?¡± the coblynau asked, which launched us down an entirely new series of discussion.


    ¡°You mean to tell me that there¡¯s an entire town of tall folk not that far from here?¡± Deep-thing demanded. ¡°What? How? How long has it stood there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just a town. I¡¯d guess a few hundred years? But that could be entirely off base, since I guess Edgar never actually talked about the town being around when he was born¡­¡±


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°In the sixty-four years since I hatched from the stone, I¡¯ve never heard of something like that. I thought¡­ I mean¡­ The king of the deeps said that we were entirely alone, and¡­¡±


    ¡°It is several miles away,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, you should probably head that way, if you¡¯re interested in joining with a larger community. If not, do what you will. But who is this king of the deeps? Is he the leader of your village or something? You¡¯ve mentioned him a few times now.¡±


    The coblynau shifted uncomfortably, and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Well, apprentice-warrior-thing,¡± Deep-thing said.


    I was tempted to cut him off and tell him that warrior wasn¡¯t really the most accurate of terms, but I decided to let it go.


    ¡°The king of the deeps is the one who constructed this place,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°And in a fashion, he is the leader of our village, but the word leader has the wrong concept. Things weren¡¯t always so bad, but ever since he died, things have gotten far worse.¡±


    ¡°Start from the beginning,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve used a bit of psychometry on the stones and saw a middle aged man cutting the start of this cave.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a cave, it¡¯s a mine shaft, but yes, the king of the deep began the digging. That action was what caused us to begin emerging from the stone. He called himself king of the deep, and was as obsessed with digging through the earth for precious metals and stones and minerals as we were. He would leave every once in a while, and claim he was traveling thousands of miles back to civilization, then would return with items for us and begin digging once again.¡±


    ¡°He was either lying, or the town is way, way younger than that. Actually, come to think of it, he had to be lying. Even the capital isn¡¯t thousands of miles away, and while I didn¡¯t do great in my history classes, I¡¯m sure that it was established at least a few hundred years ago.¡±


    ¡°Aye, well, we know that now,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°But regardless, back to my story. We dug up many things, smelted them, processed them into ores and cut them into gemstones, and the king of the deep was amicable enough. But as he aged, he got more and more demanding. He stopped doing the work himself, but kept ordering us to dig deeper, claiming we were close to what he needed.¡±


    I winced, since I could take a few guesses about where this was going.


    ¡°We started refusing,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°We coblynau respect the earth. We wish to release its treasures, but we seek to do so at a rate that will not damage things. We overlooked the construction of the mineshaft as something that was dark but needed. When he pushed us too hard, we put down our pickaxes and started turning our magic to restoring the earth. And then the King revealed a saturated loyalty-lazuli.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a mineral mage,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s some sort of mind controlling stone?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Deep-thing agreed. ¡°An Arcanist natural treasure that someone who works with the empowering of stone can use to enforce loyalty. He shouldn¡¯t have been able to control it, he was too weak, but he did, and he died in doing so. And so, for twenty years, everyone in our village has been made to follow the bidding of the king, while the king himself digs ever deeper.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said he was dead,¡± I said.


    ¡°He is,¡± Deep-thing agreed. ¡°He is dead, yet his corpse still moves. His mind is deteriorated, focused only on mining for the source of power he claims to know is down in the depths.¡±


    ¡°A revenant,¡± I said, shivering. Weaker than the person they were in life, as far as I understood them, they were rare instances of a shade and fragments of a ghost re-animating the body.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Deep-thing agreed. ¡°But you¡¯re the second to come since his death to the cave. The first immediately started seeking for treasure, so we feared she would be the king by another name. But you seemed content to just sit up here and wait for the storm to pass.¡±


    I got a bad feeling in my gut.


    ¡°You want me to fight the king and destroy the stone he¡¯s still holding onto, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We do,¡± Deep thing agreed. ¡°Though, if you fear for your life too much¡­ Please, tell one you would trust, who would have the power to save us?¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy-Two

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I gritted my teeth.


    The smart thing to do would be to just complete the Beastgate and tell Edgar. He was an occultist, false or otherwise, and could crush the revenant in a second.


    But¡­ I couldn¡¯t leave people enslaved, even if it was only for a few more weeks. It just wasn¡¯t right. I had to try, at the very least. While there was a chance the revenant could use its stone on me, I knew that Kene and Dusk would come for me.


    I had to try.


    Not to mention, no matter how slim the odds were, there was always the chance that in the weeks it took to complete the trial, the revenant might unearth whatever it was it was digging for.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I said.


    The coblynau patted my side with one tiny hand after I agreed.


    ¡°Thank you. I need to return to my work soon. I¡¯ve had to forgo my usual rest period to speak to you, and I need to get some in before the chains recall me. Follow me back to the village.¡±


    With that, the old man turned and began walking down the tunnel. His stride was small and short, so even taking the time to rebuild my backpack, fill it with my potions, and throw my best attempt at a veil over my spirit, I was able to catch up with him without too much difficulty.


    ¡°Do you want me to carry you?¡± I asked Deep-thing. ¡°My companion ¨C the nature spirit I spoke about ¨C is used to riding on my shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± the coblynau said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve got some pride. I can walk just fine.¡±


    I shrugged and kept following him, barely needing to take one step for every ten of his. We made slow and steady progress down the tunnel, which grew steeper for some time before it came to a flat stop in a massive, dug out cavern.


    The cavern spanned a space easily the size of one of the generic fields that Ed and my high school had used to accommodate every possible sport, and at the center was a hole large enough to fit a house that kept descending further down and down. A winding corkscrew path that was only a foot wide circled its way down the pit, and at the edge I could see tiny steps cut out for small folk to make their way down. Several of them were making their way up or down the steps, and I spotted a group of five of them working on carrying a large chunk of what looked like slightly glimmering stone up the steps. I could see translucent chains around their feet, made out of forged mental and telluric mana, and when I glanced at Deep-thing, I was able to spot the ethereal chains around his feet too.


    Cut every few dozen feet into the hole was a cavity of varying depths, and several of the ones near the top of the chasm had been filled with houses built from stone, mud, and metal. One of them had a forge puffing away, another had what looked like a town hall, while others were obviously residences for the small folk.


    I kept walking until I was near the edge of the pit and glanced down, struck with the desire to ask the coblynau for a pickaxe and walk down to the bottom. I shoved off the impulse to take a better look.


    The pit circled down far.


    Really far.


    Past the first fifty or so feet, the coblynau residences became scarce. By two hundred feet down, they were gone entirely, and without their small lights and glowstones to serve as illumination, I wasn¡¯t able to see the bottom of the pit. I spotted tiny pricks of light down at what I assumed was the bottom, which I thought might be the lights on the miner¡¯s helmets, but I couldn¡¯t be certain.


    I could have used my Vampiric Senses and Surveyor¡¯s Eye spell, but not without dropping my veil, and I didn¡¯t want to risk alerting the revenant.


    Most disturbing of all, at least to me, was the fact that the glowing purple magic of the mountain that I¡¯d grown used to being around me at all times¡­ wasn¡¯t in the pit. The entire pit was dark, as if it were ordinary stone.


    ¡°This is our village,¡± Deep-thing said with some pride, puffing his tiny chest out.


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful village,¡± I complimented. ¡°Well. Save for the thing at the bottom of the pit.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Deep-thing said falteringly, then smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re here to help with, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to drop my veil now, to see if I can get a sense of how strong he is. Do you all need to evacuate?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Deep-thing said with a grim smile, and I felt my heart tug, but only nodded to him.


    I cautiously lowered my veil and spread my mana senses out over the cavern.


    Naturally, I could feel the power of the coblynau, a heady, earthy, mineral power. It reinforced the entire structure, keeping the stone from collapsing, and doing something in the soil, though I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what.


    But hanging over their magic was an oppressive energy that spun through the cavern, a mix of mental and telluric mana. It ran most strongly along the chains that were on each of the coblynau, but it still flooded the air, and even tapped at my own mind, though not too harshly.


    That had to be the power of the loyalty-lazuli. It was like the power of an arcanist, that was true, but there was something¡­ else. I had expected for mineral magic to operate like plant magic, but instead of a power that was being fed into the mineral to create an effect, a self defense mechanism to stop the plant from being eaten, or a trait that had been constructed and bred by humans, it was more like the stable power of a generative core. Like when I took my spatial anchor or captured moment to a permanent state that was capable of supporting itself.


    After a moment of consideration, I realized that I shouldn¡¯t have been so surprised. After all, my lightening-stone that I had on my necklace just¡­ worked. It didn¡¯t need me to feed telluric mana into it in order to work. It was stable and capable of producing the effect without expending its energy.


    I shook my head. The differences between a mineral mage and plant mage were interesting, but also not exactly the most relevant right now.


    Underneath the power of the loyalty-lazuli, I could feel another source of power. It was faint, emanating from the very bottom of the pit and barely wafting its way up to me, but I could still make it out.


    The magic was oily, stained with death and cruelty. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with death magic ¨C I¡¯d be more than happy to have a chat or a meal with a ghost ¨C but this felt¡­ Gross.


    It wasn¡¯t a part of the natural cycle of life and death.


    It wasn¡¯t the echo of what had once been.


    It was a perversion, a twisting of the natural order, the obsession of someone so driven to seek power and wealth that they were willing to die in the pursuit.


    I tried to probe at the grossness with my mana senses to get a feel of how strong it was, and was left more confused than anything.


    The revenant was weak, barely having stepped into first gate.


    The revenant was strong, at the very peak of fourth gate, seeking the path to fifth.


    The mana flickered around, the density changing moment to moment, and I wondered if the decayed power of the shade and ghost was partly to blame here. The shade was a copy of the magical matrix, but it wasn¡¯t a soul, it had no way to replenish its power on its own.


    If the revenant had been digging for years, it may be running low on power.


    On the other hand, it had definitely been absorbing power from the items it dug up, but it couldn¡¯t have been enough to properly sustain itself.


    I licked my lips.


    I could do this, I was sure of it.


    Relatively sure of it, at least.


    ¡°If I destroy the stone first,¡± I said carefully, ¡°can you evacuate the pit?¡±


    I did have my offensive potions, which were easily my strongest tools, but my firebombs would catch innocents in the blast, and I couldn¡¯t accept that.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the coblynau said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how the king will react.¡±


    I nodded my assent, suddenly really wishing Ed were here. His Analyze Earth spell would have let him figure out the fracture points on the stone, and he could have used his other spell to break it.


    ¡°Can you tell me where to hit the stone?¡± I asked Deep-thing, who shook his head. I grimaced. I hadn¡¯t expected he¡¯d be able to, but it had been worth asking.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I told Deep-thing. ¡°I¡¯m going to start thinking of solutions to this. You go get your rest, okay?¡±


    As the old coblynau stomped away, I put my pack down and double checked my pockets to make sure I knew exactly where my potions were. Once I was confident my stock wouldn¡¯t get caught in the crossfire, and that I had my combat potions, I moved back to the edge of the pit and stared down, this time tapping into my magic.


    With my spells running through me, I could see that the pit went down for over a thousand feet, and the cavities in the walls from mining kept growing larger and larger, the spellcraft straining to keep the entire place from falling in on itself.


    There were indeed at least a dozen of the small folk mining away with a combination of magic and their pickaxes. There had to be spells running through the pickaxes, because they were capable of tearing through stone at a prodigious rate.


    The revenant was¡­ Gross.


    It had mostly decayed into a skeleton, but there were still ragged strips of what had once been flesh hanging off of it, a grayish-black color. A few of the strips still had writhing maggots within them.


    I felt my stomach churn slightly at the grossness, but kept looking over the corpse.


    It held a pickaxe in one hand, made entirely of a silvery metal. It wasn¡¯t silver, and it reminded me slightly of one of the metals that Kerbos was made of, with the glimmering specks of sunlight running through it. Socketed on either side of the head of the pickaxe was what I assumed to be two of the mage¡¯s minerals. One was a ruddy red, the color of rust, that I might have mistaken for a spot of decay if it weren¡¯t for the burning desolation mana it emitted, while the other was a polished black stone that looked like obsidian or onyx or jet that emitted lunar mana.


    Around the head of the skeleton, where there were still a few greasy gray hairs, there was a large crown. It seemed to be made of ordinary material, since I could feel no mana coming off of it, but I thought that the entire thing might be made of gold.


    I didn¡¯t consider myself a greedy person, but the thought of that much gold was enough to make me salivate.


    I shook myself and kept looking for the stone, creeping around the edge of the pit. Finally, I spotted a necklace slotted with a bright blue stone that glowed with mental mana. For all of the trouble that the stone had caused these people, it was small, only about the size of my pinkie fingernail, but the power it gave off was strong.


    I bit my lip as I studied the gemstone, trying to devise some sort of plan.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy-Three

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    In the end, I thought that the best choice was, unfortunately, the grossest choice.


    Using Transport Item to try and teleport the item up to me would drain my mana dry, and it might not even work, since the stone had absurd amounts of mana in it. I doubted the small size would be enough to offset that.


    Trying to snipe the stone with Pinpoint Boneshard might just fail entirely and reveal myself to the revenant. It might be too mindless to bother with me while I was just standing here, but attacking it would definitely draw its ire. If I managed to break the stone, that would be fine, but I had no confidence in that.


    Which left the gross option.


    First, I tapped a spot on the ground a few feet from the edge of the pit and condensed a small spatial anchor into the stone, then I turned and started walking over to the path that led down into the heart of the pit.


    I stepped over the invisible line that separated the slope downwards and the flat cavern ground and tensed, watching the revenant at the bottom.


    When he didn¡¯t react, I relaxed and kept walking down. The long, winding spiral reminded me of what I imagined the stairs in a lighthouse would be like, though admittedly, I¡¯d never been in one to see.


    When I got to the bottom and stepped behind the revenant, it paused in its ceaseless digging.


    I didn¡¯t wait to figure out what it was doing, instead leaping into motion. I grabbed the chain from around the neck of the skeletal creature and then yanked it upwards, trying to pull the silver chain over its head.


    I managed to get the necklace halfway over its head before it spun and sliced out at me with its pick. I let out a yelp and teleported back to my anchor.


    My power stretched and strained, and the world seemed to slow. My mana-garden drained, my spatial and temporal mana both nearly emptying out completely.


    My life energy churned within me, and I felt it flowing into the spell structure, far more power than it should have taken for even a teleport of several hundred feet.


    In the moment of frozen time, I felt the tip of the pickaxe press against my coat and slammed even more power into my spells.


    Then I appeared at the top of the hole, where I¡¯d put my anchor, and I sucked in a deep breath.


    That had been way too close. What kind of mana draining field was¡­


    I paused as a glint of silver caught my eye, and I raised my hand to eye level.


    That wasn¡¯t a mana drain.


    I was still clutching onto the necklace.


    But that shouldn¡¯t be possible. It was so dense with mana that it shouldn¡¯t be able to be moved by one of my teleportation spells, and unlike Dusk, it wasn¡¯t linked with me in any way. I should have just teleported upwards and left the necklace behind.


    It clicked a moment later.


    If I¡¯d been using my Transport Item, sure, it would have failed.


    But I¡¯d been using Foxstep, which drew on the power of the body to supplement the movement, and while the necklace was dense with mana, and thus hard to teleport, it wasn¡¯t heavy.


    It wasn¡¯t really a burden on my movement, not in any sort of physical sense, so my spell had compensated by enforcing more strain on my life energy until I was able to just barely manage the teleport.


    I had to stop myself from laughing.


    Foxstep was an amazing spell, and I couldn¡¯t even imagine what I¡¯d do without it. It had been so incredibly critical to my development, and even now, it was pulling its weight and then some. What would it be like when I had third gate mana density? Fourth?


    Then a horrifying scream ripped out of the pit, and I felt power surge. It flickered wildly, at times far stronger than me, and at times, far weaker than I was.


    I sucked in a breath. I knew I had a few seconds, since there was no way its power was stable enough to let it fly, so I turned and slammed the necklace into the ground. Two more swift strikes against the hard floor, and then the stone cracked in half.


    Given that Loyalty-Lapis was an Arcanist material, I expected it to release some massive explosion of power when it broke. Maybe it would send out hundreds of those ghostly chains and flood the air before vanishing, or I¡¯d suddenly have my mind attacked by an onslaught of visions, or even feel the pressure of incredibly powerful mana bearing down on me. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Instead, it was like closing an oven that had been open for so long all the heat had spilled out.


    Nothing happened immediately, but over the next few seconds, I could feel the mental mana in the air and ground beginning to disperse.


    It was almost disappointing. I¡¯d destroyed a treasure worth thousands, maybe more, and all it had done was break like an ordinary stone? That was so¡­ boring.


    Then my mana senses flickered, and I spun to see the revenant emerging from the pit, clutching its pick. In the empty sockets where eyes had once been, a bright green light burned instead, and even though it was just a light, I could sense the vitriolic hatred rippling out of it.


    I had destroyed a tool for it to achieve its purpose.


    I was to die.


    I shook the thought off, then turned and ran, sprinting up the tunnel towards its mouth.


    I wasn¡¯t just being cowardly, though. If I could pull the revenant away from the pit while the coblynau were evacuating, then I¡¯d be more free to fight it with everything I had, since I didn¡¯t have to worry about one of them getting caught in the crossfire.


    The revenant followed me, and swung its pick. A rippling crescent of light, glowing with desolation mana, erupted from the swing and arced up the corridor at me. I threw myself to the side, using the series of steps that Ikki had shown me, glad for the training he¡¯d put me through. I might not be a fighter like him, Ed, or Liz, but at least I could dodge some.


    Having to move to the side slowed me, though, and the revenant gained a bit of distance, swinging again, this time in a horizontal slash. I ducked, rolling under the crescent of cutting magic. The revenant was above me then, slamming its pick down, but I conjured my staff in my hands and blocked the blow. The runes in my staff glowed brighter, but it didn¡¯t break.


    That seemed to catch the revenant off guard for long enough to allow me to slip back to my feet and allow an overcharged Briarthreads to burst out around me, while catching the revenant in a triple-layer Fungal Lock spell.


    My lock didn¡¯t seem to do much, not having any life energy to drain from the corpse, but my Briarthreads lashed wildly, like the tentacles of a kraken breaking apart a ship, and the revenant was thrown backwards, long scratches appearing along its bones.


    I slammed my staff down, and a pair of Pinpoint Boneshards fired out to strike at the skull of the revenant, but then the power flickered upwards, suddenly midway through third gate.


    The revenant, who had been almost pathetically weak, suddenly was coated in thick plates of black stone. It half reminded me of Ed¡¯s skin of stone spell, but more externally focused, conjuring the plates, rather than internally enforcing the body and skin with telluric mana.


    It exploded forward, and the bones I¡¯d launched bounced off of its skull without so much as leaving a scratch. Relying on long-held instincts, I tried to teleport out of the way¡­


    And failed.


    I started moving, but I was still slow. The fraction of a second of extra speed that my biological spells bought me was likely the only thing that saved my life in that moment, as the pick swung through the space where my head had been a moment before.


    Telluric power flooded the pick, and darkness swamped the room, everything save for the power of the burning green hatred in the revenant¡¯s eyes.


    The darkness muted my mana senses, and cold crept into my body, a sensation that was entirely new to me. It felt like my mana channels were being frozen, but with the channels engraved into my body directly, it caused me actual, physical pain.


    I grabbed the power in my Temporal Basin, and drew all of it into me.


    It had been weeks since the Idyll-Flume, and the power had built up, reaching the maximum store and then pushing to expand the capacity of the stone. As it poured into me, my temporal mana overflowed.


    I knew that the revenant would use this cloud to try and kill me, so I moved as quickly as I could, straining my mana manipulation skills to their absolute limit as I converted enough into my second gate spatial garden for a single quick spell.


    In the same moment, I blasted all three of my Analyze spells, Placid Mind, Vampiric Senses, and Witch Eyes, forcing the darkness to abate, and my mana senses to peirce through the cloud.


    I saw the revenant, armor gone, swinging its pick up at my stomach. The pick sliced through my thick jacket and clothes, and I felt a drop of hot blood welling up against


    And then I Foxstepped up the tunnel, leaving a Material Echo behind.


    The pick drove through the echo and shattered it instantly, and I sucked in a breath. That had been way too close.


    With the revenant confused for a moment, I drew potion vials from my pocket and launched one down the hall, and several things


    The power of the revenant exploded up to fourth gate, and the ground around me suddenly warped, flowing like water. Churning heat, drawn up from the earth, began to glow, and obsidian knives that were still glowing spiked from beneath me, even as I cast Harvest Distance and drew more mana into my second gate to teleport out of the way. The obsidian spikes, now easily the size of my entire body, flowed up the corridor, following me.


    But at that moment, the revenant¡¯s pick struck the vial out of the air, and fire exploded along the corridor. The firebomb, pushed to third gate, was comparable to the strength of a fireball spell.


    Admittedly, Liz¡¯s fireballs were better, since she had ingrained spells supporting them, as well as a full gate spell pushing them to go further beyond their normal limits.


    But my firebomb was still impressive, fire rippling out and coating the revenant, overwhelming the darkness that it had conjured around it.


    One of the obsidian knives slammed into my arm, and without my usual aura pin and suit to stop the strike, the only thing protecting me was my overcharged Briarthreads.


    They were strong, but they weren¡¯t strong enough, not against the thick yet sharp pillars of obsidian.


    A spike of obsidian lanced through my left arm, and I let out a cry of pain. The potion vial I¡¯d been clutching fell out of my hand and clattered to the floor.


    Why couldn¡¯t it have been my right hand? That would have been so much better. Then again, my off hand was being used to hold my staff, so maybe it was for the best.


    But I couldn¡¯t focus on that, I had to move. The powerful obsidian was flowing beneath me, ready to stab again, so I barely managed to force out a Foxstep up the mineshaft, straining my mana senses as far as I could to make it as far as I could go.


    In the instant before I teleported, I spotted the revenant, the bits of flesh and hair that had once been clinging to its body burning, stepping towards me, free hand extended, mana flickering around its bones in a complex pattern.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy-Four

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    As soon as I appeared up the mineshaft, I fumbled for one of my small stock of healing potions and drained it, while teleporting my other potion, the one that I¡¯d dropped, into the air in front of the revenant, while in the same instant encasing it in another fungal lock, just to try and slow it down.


    The potion smashed down and another ball of fire bloomed in the cave. I felt the power of the revenant flickering wildly, before settling around third gate, and its armored form emerged from the fire.


    I drew on my still-overflowing temporal mana and really wished that I had an offensive spell I could use, but instead I just used it to finish restoring my mana-garden to full while the skeletal form sprinted up the hall toward me. When it got close, I teleported behind it, leaving another material echo that it ripped apart with a slash of light from its pick.


    Then the power of the revenant faded back down to first gate, and I leapt onto the offensive, overcharging my Briarthreads and Pinpoint Boneshard to strike out at the skeleton form from behind.


    My attacks left a long series of cracks and scratches along it, but the skeleton¡¯s power flickered again, and I was suddenly facing off a second gate opponent.


    The skeleton¡¯s weapon expanded to twice its size, then three times, and the crystals embedded on either side began to glow brightly. Flashes of light-force exploded down the tunnel, supersized, and I teleported behind the revenant, but it seemed to expect it, spinning and bringing its weapon down. I barely ducked aside in time to unleash another barrage of bones and briars at it, but the light caught the attacks in mid-air, and they struggled for a long moment.


    Then its power exploded up to fourth gate, and my bones and briars were shredded apart. The light seemed to crack and break, and I saw the veins of cracks running along the length of the expanded weapon.


    I didn¡¯t even try to fight, especially as I felt the floor under me gathering the heat and glassy obsidian surface of its earlier spell. I turned and teleported up the corridor again, but then I found myself at the mouth of the cave, with nowhere else to run.


    I cursed under my breath as the obsidian flowed up, and I reached out for the anchor I¡¯d placed in the tree outside, thanking myself for the foresight to prepare a way out that didn¡¯t require squeezing myself between rocks. I teleported away and started running, and a moment later, the obsidian splintered through the tree.


    The skeletal revenant clambered out of the cave, flickering down to essentially powerless, but I couldn¡¯t take advantage of it, not with my arm bleeding and the snowstorm swirling like wild around us.


    I looked to the sky, where the deer-bird things swarmed, and I did something stupid. I lit my power like a beacon, exploding raw mana out of myself. I was practically announcing myself as a weakened human, lost in the storm.


    I had to stop as the skeleton jumped to second gate and expanded its weapon, unleashing massive swings of force again.


    At least it wasn¡¯t trying the darkness trick again, seemingly having deduced that I had a sufficient enough counter to make the tactic worthless.


    I thrust out Briarthreads in defense as I teleported up a tree, onto the largest, most stable branch I could.


    I was running low on mana again, though, and without my plants to restore myself, I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do¡­


    Then the revenant buried its pick into the tree I was standing on, and the large, rust colored desolation stone exploded.


    A massive wave of light, easily mid-fourth gate, exploded through the air. I teleported upwards and caught myself in a lock, then teleported up more as the light kept expanding. I chained upwards several times, until I felt a burst of mana near my side, and was forced to teleport backwards to dodge a swooping attack from one of the bird-deer things, its horns glimmering with force. I dove aside again, but I was caught in the light, as was the creature.


    Pain shot over me as long, thin cuts ran all over my body, and blood started trickling from them. I felt pressure on the glass vials in my pocket, and the second healing potion I had in the pocket shattered, the healing liquid splattering all over me.


    A moment after the light touched me, I managed to teleport out of the way, as far upwards as I could go.


    I watched for several seconds as the powerful light and blades cut through everything in the surrounding area, and even the monsters in the storm seemed unwilling to descend into it. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Then the light abated, and I got a look at the destruction.


    Everything in the space around the cave that was weaker than stone was gone. The snow was evaporated, the trees were nothing but churned chunks of kindling and splinters. Even the stone was chipped and pitted, long, thin gouges ripped out of it.


    The only thing not caught by the explosion was the revenant, who was completely unharmed.


    Or¡­ maybe not completely.


    Its pickaxe was a melted puddle of slag, at least, and I breathed a sigh of relief before teleporting down in a chain of several steps. I kept myself over the head of the skeleton, but then teleported to the side as a mid-third gate creature tried to grab me.


    A spike of obsidian shot through the creature¡¯s chest as it stood where I¡¯d been moments ago, and I squeezed in two more quick teleports, landing inside the cave as I did. I quickly shaped the Testudinal Reserve spell and drew out what power I could from it to restore my flagging temporal mana.


    The revenant clambered back inside, and I cursed. How was this thing able to track me with such absurd accuracy? I¡¯d been trying to lure it into an ambush of the bird-things outside.


    I turned to face it, and quickly flicked through my options. I had two more firebomb potions in my pack down near the village, but I couldn¡¯t get to those in time.


    I forced my mana senses into the storm, letting them drift on the currents of energy, and managed to teleport back outside. The tree, and the anchor that had been in it, was destroyed, but the new technique ¨C unreliable it may be ¨C had just barely been enough.


    I was tempted to reach for Dusk¡¯s realm, but with how far away she was, it would take minutes to even call Blademoss or restore myself.


    So as the revenant turned back to me, its armor appearing as it flickered to third gate, I drew on the only source of power I had left.


    The power of Burn Future lit itself in my mana-garden, and power flowed out. The revenant charged, and I overcharged Briarthreads as I stabbed my staff at it, flooding the spell within me with power until the briars that were hammering against the stone armor looked more like a beam of green magic than any individual briar.


    At the same time, I cast Capture Moment on the massive swarm, then echoed it. I teleported to the side as a weak fourth gate deer-thing from the storm dove at me, but kept up the stream, spreading my echoes through the spell, then teleported up above the revenant.


    Within moments, the revenant was locked in a cage of briars so thick that it was hard to make out its skeletal form.


    I stopped the stream of power the moment I felt the fourth gate mana surge out of the cage. Spikes of obsidian shattered my cage, and the revenant launched itself at me, gleaming pillars of deadly black stone screaming behind it. I teleported back, throwing power into my Foxstep spell like it was nothing.


    Truthfully, it was nothing, at least not when measured against my life.


    The revenant¡¯s obsidian shattered through several trees, and the monsters in the air retreated, suddenly uncertain about facing off against a threat stronger than even the strongest of them.


    I shot into the air amongst them, and for once, they didn¡¯t attack, even as Edgar¡¯s mana surged into the air around me. Their instincts in the face of a greater predator held too much sway.


    Then the revenant¡¯s power fell down to first gate again, and I teleported back down.


    A half dozen of the bird-deer dove after me, their horns glistening with powerful mana. I froze, holding still as the revenant came at me from one side with a blade of mana compressed in its hand, and the screaming herd of creatures came down on the other side.


    At the last second, I teleported straight up, two hundred feet into the air, leaving an echo of myself behind.


    The revenant crashed into my copy, blade piercing its chest, while the lead monster¡¯s horns gored it from the other side. The echo exploded, and the pair¡¯s attacks met each other.


    The bird-deer let out a roar of indignation, the same attacking roar I¡¯d felt earlier, and the revenant flickered up to third gate, armor appearing around it. It swung a fist at the lead monster, whose horns glowed bright and sheared through the armor of the skeleton and took off a finger. The revenant howled in a scream that shouldn¡¯t have been able to exist without lungs, yet carried anyways.


    I teleported down, landing on the boughs of the largest tree I could spot, then cut off my Burn Future, and cast Harvest Plant Life. I flicked two more onto the nearby large trees, and then took a moment to study my wounds.


    My clothes were in tatters, and I really hoped that the coblynau had some tailors among them who didn¡¯t mind working on tall person clothing. Maybe they also had healers? That¡­ Wasn¡¯t completely impossible. I was pretty sure that there were some crystals that had healing properties.


    I would definitely need a healer, though, because, there were a series of long, thin parts of my arm that were still pink, even when I managed to wipe away the blood, and as the adrenaline from the fight began to wear off, I could feel that the obsidian spike had gone fairly deep. My basic healing potions, even if they were boosted to third gate, might not be able to fix damage to the bone.


    My legs also felt strange, and I turned my boots to see that the thick soles had melted. I didn¡¯t want to take my shoes off, not until I was in the village at least, but I would bet every silver I had left that my feet had been burned from the obsidian. At least that shouldn¡¯t be untreatable by a healing potion, unless they¡¯d progressed past first degree burns.


    But if I had second or third degree burns and a fractured humerus bone, then it honestly might be a good idea to throw in the towel.


    Then I picked up on one of the bird-deer diving for me, and cursed, teleporting away. I landed in the new clearing, grabbed the golden crown off of the revenant¡¯s head, and then slipped into the crack.


    My feet hurt.


    My bones hurt.


    I¡¯d need to pay at least two full days of mana into the debt of Burn Future, even draining every scrap of mana I could from nearby trees.


    But I¡¯d won.


    I staggered down the mineshaft, my body sagging under my own weight, and when I finally made it in sight of the coblynau village, my vision faded, and I slumped to the ground.

 Some Updates!

    Hello everyone! A BUNCH of announcements to make right now, but in short, the final book of the Journals series is now out! It can be found here</a> or in the links below.


    In addition, the audiobook for book there is out now as well, and can be found here</a> or in the link below! The audiobook for the Archmage should be out in January!


    Finally, book two of my new series, Mana Mirror, is up for pre-order here</a> also! The link can also be found at the bottom, and I hope you check it out! Book three is already written, and I¡¯m about a third the way through book four!


    If you can, please leave a rating or review. Even if there''s no text, having the stars is super critical to the all-powerful algorithm.


    ¡­


    "There are so many excellent things I could say about The Enchanter, about how fresh its conflict is, how much fun the magic and setting are, but, in the end, the most important thing I can say about it? I stayed up late reading it until my eyes hurt, and then kept reading it anyways."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    <ul>


    <li>John Bierce, author of Mage Errant</li>


    </ul>


    "Deeply creative and intricately imagined, The Enchanter is a masterclass in crafting fantasy with a gentle but vibrant heart.¡±


    <ul>


    <li>Phil Tucker, Author of Bastion</li>


    </ul>


    "I wish I''d come up


    with the system of unique arch-stars myself."


    <ul>


    <li>Sarah Lin, Author of the Weirkey Chronicles</li>


    </ul>


    "Mana Mirror is an exciting new magical progression fantasy where Malachi, our hero, awakens a long-lost family legacy and trains to unleash its full potential. With a fascinating magic system reminiscent of Sarah Lin''s Weirkey Chronicles, but a setting slanted more toward classic wizardry, Mana Mirror is an exciting start to a fantastic new adventure. I couldn''t put it down."


    <ul>


    <li>Andrew Rowe, Author of Arcane Ascension</li>


    </ul>


    ¡­


    Art by the lovely Luminita Pham: https://www.artstation.com/luminitapham</a>


    The Archmage Ebook: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0D7J73SRR</a>


    The Abjurer Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Abjurer-Audiobook/B0DGZD58BR</a>


    The Second Gate Ebook: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CWTNXYCP</a>


    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tobiasbegley</a>

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy-Five

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    When I awoke, I wasn¡¯t miraculously healed, but I did feel somewhat better.


    That was a shame. I¡¯d kind of been hoping the coblynau would be able to use something to fix me up, like a heartgem or some other magical healing, but I supposed that they didn¡¯t have anything of that sort lying around.


    I blinked and looked around, and realized that I¡¯d been moved slightly. I was pushed to the edge of the pit, and laying on a bed of moss and lichen.


    It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable, but it was actually somewhat of an improvement over the hard ground and ice that I¡¯d been sleeping on since I began the trial trail, so I marked that as a win.


    I was wearing my clothes, but they¡¯d been cleaned and mended, some sort of thin, silvery thread that looked almost metallic running through them. That was also an improvement, so I made a mental note to thank the coblynau for their assistance. It was a minor thing, but if I¡¯d had to give up on the trial because my clothes got shredded, that would be beyond pathetic. Kene would never let me hear the end of it.


    I took a moment to run my mind over my body, searching out what I could. All of my muscles, especially the ones in my leg, ached like crazy, and I was fairly sure that not all of my scrapes and scratches had healed over properly. My arm where the revenant¡¯s obsidian spike had struck me was a dull, throbbing pain, and as I rotated and moved my arm, I realized I didn¡¯t have my full range of motion. Attempting to lift my arm too high, or pull my elbow in, turned the dull throbbing into a sharp, searing pain.


    I flicked Analyze Life on and took a good look at my arm.


    The muscles were torn, a portion of my bicep ripped in two. The healing potion had closed the wound, and there wasn¡¯t any internal bleeding, but it would take more than a simple regeneration-based effect like a potion to actually fix it. I¡¯d need the muscles to be knit back together, the tendons reconnected. I was confident Kene would be able to do it, given how he¡¯d managed to re-connect the far more delicate muscles around my hand after it had been crushed, but I doubted it would be a pleasant experience.


    I continued studying, looking for bone damage, and to my chagrin, I found some. It wasn¡¯t a break, thankfully, but there was a hairline fracture running up and down my humerus. That would be a pain and a half to heal, but between my Magister¡¯s Body, Beast Mage¡¯s Soul, and my Testudinal Reserve, I actually thought I should be able to pull through without permanent damage.


    From there, I shifted to examining my feet, where my shoes had melted.


    They¡¯d been fixed up as well. The rubber soles were beyond repair, but they¡¯d been replaced with several layers of thick leather that had been treated expertly, and I thought I even felt faint traces of telluric energy moving through them, reinforcing the structure. A moment later, I realized that they¡¯d used some sort of spell, instead of nails, and that was the source of the residue.


    Like my clothes, the new soles had been attached with the silver thread.


    I pulled my boots off to study the burns from the volcanic heat, and winced. My feet had several thick blisters on them, and wherever there weren¡¯t blisters, the skin was a deep reddish-pink of mild burning.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re up,¡± a voice said, pulling me out of my inspection. I turned to see Deep-thing exiting the steps to the village and looking at me.


    ¡°We only had about two people injured from the rage of the king. That¡¯s much better than we¡¯d even dreamed to hope. For a long time, we thought the only way out would be collapsing the mountain on top of us all.¡±


    Even though he said it like it was a good thing, it sent a pang of guilt, fear, and even a touch of self-loathing through my chest. I might not have killed those coblynau myself, but if I¡¯d been stronger, or faster, or more clever, I might have been able to take out the revenant with a single surprise blow, while it was weaker.


    ¡°Are they going to pull through?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The doctor thinks so,¡± the coblynau said. ¡°Though there¡¯s a limited amount we can do. Palliate-blacksalt isn¡¯t the ideal solution, but it¡¯s the best we can manage.¡±


    I nodded wisely, though I had no idea what exactly palliate-blacksalt was.


    ¡°I also had the doctor place some on your feet and your arm," Deep thing said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the effects of the blacksalt,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°It is a strange mineral,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°It''s seeped in the mists of time, and when sprinkled over a wound, it can ensure a wound does not get worse for nine days, and allow the body¡¯s natural recovery to handle the rest. It¡¯s the closest to healing we¡¯ve got now, since the bloodstone fractured while treating the king¡¯s age and ailments.¡±


    A week¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be enough time to complete the Beastgate Trial Trail, but if Deep-thing was right in that my natural recovery could help, then it should hopefully take care of my feet. My arm would still be injured, though. That wasn¡¯t within the realm of natural healing.


    "What is your next move?" I asked the coblynau.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be making our way out of the mines and towards the town you spoke about,¡± Deep-thing said, looking a touch pensive.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s wise,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°If you want to get into a bigger city, take the¡­ Windstream thing. I forgot what they called it. But they¡¯ve got tunnels with wind magic connecting a bunch of their cities."


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Deep-thing said, nodding. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    I considered that for a moment, then shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try and get back to the competition I told you about, though admittedly, I¡¯m¡­ not sure how far I¡¯ll be able to get. If the snowstorm has abated, I¡¯ll head on, otherwise I¡¯ll try and stay in the cave for a bit.¡±


    A pulse of my Internal Pocketwatch suggested that I''d slept for two days, so I hoped that would be enough.


    ¡°The snowstorm¡¯s core seems mostly depleted,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°It¡¯s likely only got a day or so left before it¡¯s down to a light flurry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and Deep-thing nodded. I paused and then decided to offer.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "If you''d prefer, you could wait another month or so, let me finish the competition, then Dusk and I could come back and pick you up."


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± the man said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m not meaning to be disrespectful, but I¡¯d prefer the odds of moving on our own. It gives us the freedom to go as we wish and make our way, rather than rely on you, nice enough though you may be."


    "Of course," I said, and he seemed to relax a little more, then focused on me seriously.


    "On a more serious note, at least for you, you have served and saved our community. In doing so, you suffered harm, which we have done our best to undo, but you are still owed a payment."


    "You don''t need to do that," I said, and the old man waved his hand.


    "You followed the old ways, and helped without asking for a price, and as such, threefold payment is stipulated."


    He seemed to trail off in consideration for some time, then waved his hand. I felt a surge of magic, and the earth churned. A moment later, a stairwell appeared. It was tiny, meant for the Coblynau, but led into a chamber that was absolutely massive.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°This is the treasury. We have mined here for a very, very long time, and while the king took much from us as tax, we¡¯ve managed to amass a few treasures. Those that can be used, like stringsilver, are given to the tailors, to make leather from the bats in the deeper, far caverns, or the blacksalt to the healers. But your magic is strange. We felt it in the fight, and we may have a few things that can help you. I think. Though we¡¯d love to give you much, the rest must be sold or traded when we get to lands with other people. You may take three, as I said.¡±


    I glanced around the treasury while muttering my understanding. It was a beautiful mass of sparkling and gleaming stones and metals, and unlike the treasury of the castle that Kene and I had long ago raided, it hadn¡¯t been robbed. As I spread my mana senses through the room, I realized that several of these weren¡¯t magical at all, and I initially dismissed them, before reconsidering.


    I had a considerable debt to Orykson that was eating into my purchasing power, and while I had masses of stuff, I didn¡¯t have much liquid funds at all. Some gold might not be entirely unreasonable, especially since much of it had been shaped into items fit for humans, presumably once having been tribute to their tyrant. The largest was the crown that had once been on the head of the king, now retrieved.


    First things first, I searched for anything that had life, death, spatial, or temporal mana coming off of it, and to my surprise, found a strange, cut and polished blue gemstone, which glinted with spatial and loads of telluric mana. It was only about the size of an apple seed, but when I tried to pick it up with my good arm, it was shockingly heavy, like lifting a watermelon.


    ¡°Spread-crystal,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°It slowly but surely grows, but not in the manner of which most crystals do. It has a small dimensional pocket in it, which it expands out into. It¡¯s not very quick, but it doesn¡¯t stop. It¡¯s saturated at third gate, right now, but has saturation points all the way up to sixth.¡±


    I arched my eyebrows. That had some fascinating implications if I used it to construct a temporal basin. Even if the rate of growth was slower than the storage of mana, the near constant expansion would doubtless be useful.


    I didn¡¯t pick anything up yet, though, and kept pursuing, stumbling across bars of metal that had the fierce light of fire burning in them, and after a beat, I realized that the blade of the mineral mage, the one who I¡¯d fought in the Idyll-Flume, had been made of this same metal. They¡¯d only had a small amount of it, lined along the blade, though.


    ¡°Strikespark steel,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°With only a small impact, or a pulse of mana, it will burst into flame. It¡¯s potential is incredible, and it¡¯s frequently used in our community.¡±


    I nodded. I wasn¡¯t a weapon fighter, but I had no doubt that it would have some uses. Maybe I could coat my bones in it...?


    A large stone, the size of my closed fist, that seemed to be made entirely out of liquid blood, roiling and rolling wildly, caught my eye next, and Deep-thing¡¯s nose twitched in disgust.


    ¡°That is a conquest-gem,¡± he said. ¡°It formed itself from the condensed blood of countless beasts that came to try and take the cavern, before we had the diverting wards, and when the king was young. Its functions are not known to us, but it has powerful blood magic of a sort. More natural treasure than gemstone, in truth, and not one we know much of."


    I arched an eyebrow. I might actually learn a bit of blood magic, if I decided to pursue some more vampiric spells.


    I picked up a small, heavy stone that resembled a seed carved out of marble, more than a normal stone. It felt oddly like a halfway point between a stone and a seed, in terms of magic.


    ¡°Marbletree,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°A potent source of telluric mana that is useful in many telluric potions. It is somewhat alive, so perhaps useful to a beastmage like you? Plants are not so far from beasts, in truth. Slow growing, though. We never managed to keep one alive, not without the sun.¡±


    I tapped my chin with a thoughtful nod. The uses of that were obvious.


    I passed by several more items before spotting something I knew ¨C structure-ore. Dusk had consumed several beads of the rare mineral while forming herself, and Orykson had said it would be useful for third gate spells and beyond. They had it in large chunks that were closer to a tomato, and weighed almost a pound each.


    Definitely worth considering, but I wanted to see all my options, and my eye was immediately drawn to what looked like tall, spike-tipped mushroom growing completely out of crystal. There was an entire cluster of them, all likely linked to one mycelial network, at about third gate.


    ¡°Ninelight morels,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°They¡¯re a¡­ mana source? Of kinds. Instead of recharging your mana, they can fuel fungus spells with increased efficacy and power. We¡¯re sure they can grow quite strong, but we aren¡¯t plant or fungal mages.¡±


    That could have endless uses, not only for powering my fungal lock, but for enhancing any other magical mushrooms I came across, like the ones that produced mists.


    A chunk of dull gray metal caught my eye next, and I picked it up. It was about as heavy as it looked, and while it had faint traces of other magic, it was overwhelming seeped with ungated energy. Unsure why the coblynau couldn¡¯t make use of what felt so broad an item, I glanced at Deep-thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s an enchanting tool, one that can be used to carry mana from one point to another,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°But we don¡¯t have much need for it. We strengthen the lines ourselves with a simple spell. I do believe it could be used in ward creation or alchemy too, but I¡¯m even less sure of those.¡±


    I nodded, and frankly had no idea what the cost or use for this kind of item would be, so I moved on.


    There was a small bead strapped in leather, and Deep-thing explained.


    ¡°A dousing stone, to lead you to valuable materials underground. We can do the same with our legacies, almost all of us. It¡¯s strapped down so it doesn¡¯t constantly roll between treasures. That sample is a stable third gate, and I believe it has saturation points up to fifth.¡±


    I chuckled at the mental image of the small bead of stone bouncing around wildly.


    The next item that caught my eye was a stone that dripped with ink. The ink felt strange, almost like a hudau heritage stone, or Edgar¡¯s mana, but it evaporated just moments after it dripped from the stone. I glanced at Deep-thing, who shrugged.


    "We''re not sure. It cannot be absorbed for power, the king tried and failed, but it must have some use. Our ancestral memory of stone is uncertain, however, and it may not be a stone at all."


    I bit my lip. That was a large gamble, certainly.


    The next item to draw my attention was the fossilized tooth of some ancient drake. Their mana was deeply strange, and while I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d be able to use it, Deep-thing suggested that it could be used to enhance my own teeth, perhaps even allowing the Testundinal Reserve spell to connect into them.


    I''d nearly completed my circuit around the room when I spotted a final curious set of items, and plucked one to examine it. It was a grape sized green sphere that didn''t look like stone, or natural at all, but rather like it was made of rubber. To the touch, however, it was solid, smooth stone, and to my mana senses, it felt strongly of solidity and toughness.


    "A forger-stone," the coblynau said with a nod. "It can be taken into the spirit, and when used during an ascension, it can enhance the effect of a spell that forges something out of mana."


    That could be of great use with Fungal Lock, Briarthreads, or even Material Echo. A thought struck me, and I glanced at Deep-thing.


    "If I pick my things, can you carry them to the village, then give them to Dusk, my spirit? Some things are heavy or harder for me to carry with my pack."


    "Certainly," Deep-thing said. "Not a problem at all. I know several of our researchers wanted to speak to her anyhow."

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy-Six

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The first and easiest selection to make was the spread-crystal. That was a massive improvement over my current, alchemically grown crystal, and it¡¯s constant, if slow, expansion would be invaluable for expanding my storage capacity.


    It was heavy, but I didn¡¯t think that would be a problem.


    The next pick was harder, if for no other reason than the abundance of good options, so I was forced to take a step back and consider my future.


    I was a beast mage and a plant mage, and I was¡­ Honestly happy with that. I wanted to expand my repertoire of plants and beast magic. After all, hadn¡¯t I just been thinking about how amazing Foxstep was?


    The path of beast magic might not be a reasonable option for most, since it required mixing so many mana types together, but between me already having four, and my full-gate spells, I was practically purpose built for it.


    Plant magic was a little more complex. It branched off into alchemy and fungal magic quite well, and thus offered incredible versatility. Fungal Lock alone might not be as flashy as Briarthreads, but it had taken out its share of enemies.


    That had me leaning towards the marbletree or the ninelight morels, but as I thought more about it, I started leaning towards the morels. I could grow them better than I could grow the marbletree, since I didn¡¯t have telluric mana to feed the marbletree, and if they could really be used to cast fungal spells directly, that was invaluable.


    There was also the name. Ninelight¡­


    I might be overthinking it, but it reminded me of the prismatic, rainbow swirls of fortune. I didn¡¯t think there was a drop of fortune inside the morels, since I was confident I¡¯d be able to sense that, but it was still enough to give me pause.


    That left me ruminating on my third pick. A few things, like the gold, mana-conducting ore, and sparksteel, were easy to dismiss. The dousing bead could potentially lead me to more treasures, but I had no way to reliably extract things from the earth, so I set that out too, and considered my remaining options.


    The tooth would be good to pair with my current path ¨C morels for plants and fungi, the tooth for beast stuff, but honestly I wasn¡¯t sure that storing and reinforcing my teeth was that huge of a benefit. It almost felt like a waste of a reward, so I was able to put it aside.


    The forger-stone was amazing, but it only enforced one spell. I had loads of spells that forged mana, and funnily enough, that was what stopped me from picking it. If I¡¯d been able to reinforce everything, then it would be amazing, but just one¡­ It wasn¡¯t entirely worth it.


    A pound of structure-ore was worth a ton, and Orykson had suggested that I should pick one up for practicing, but that was before I¡¯d embarked on a more beast mage path. It also was something I could purchase normally, even if the market price had risen back to normal levels. I marked it down as a maybe and moved on to other things that attracted me.


    The conquest-gem¡­ I had mixed feelings about. I wasn¡¯t opposed to learning more blood magic, especially with how useful Vampiric Senses was, but this felt a little too¡­ Murder-ey. I was sure it would be useful, but I couldn¡¯t see myself going heavily on the more depraved, conquest, and murder aspects of blood magic, and I felt like there was a solid chance this gemstone would push me down that path. That was a no.


    I¡¯d already dismissed the marble-tree for the ninelight morels, but I considered picking it up too. It would doubtless have uses in potions, but I wasn¡¯t keen on spending both of my choices to expand on my garden, especially not with all the new plants I¡¯d already picked up in the Idyll-Flume and had yet to get used to.


    Which left the inkstone.


    Far and away the strangest of the items, I walked back over to it and probed it sharply with my mana senses. Again, the ink that dripped from it felt strange, like a hudau heritage stone, or edgar¡¯s magic, or his shell.


    I rolled the stone between my hands and watched as, for a moment, my skin was stained with black and white ink. The color faded a moment later, and I sighed. It wasn¡¯t a hudau heritage stone, but it was clearly¡­ something. Maybe Edgar would know what it was?


    ¡°This will be my third,¡± I announced.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    It was a gamble, but the hudau heritage stones were absurdly valuable. Even if this couldn¡¯t match its value, it would still be useful. Probably.


    It was also small enough I could carry it with me, and not have to rely on the coblynau¡¯s sense of direction, like I¡¯d have to with the Ninelight Morels. At least with it, I¡¯d be assured that I¡¯d get two of the three rewards.


    Not that I thought the Coblynau would back out on their word. Not in the slightest. I was more worried about the practical concerns of them getting lost along the way.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Deep-thing said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, turning and exiting the room, so he could close it back up. I turned and placed the morels near him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be relying on you to deliver these to Dusk,¡± I said. ¡°The other two I should be able to carry.¡±


    ¡°What about the weight of the crystal?¡± Deep-thing asked, and I winked at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan.¡±


    I drew my staff out from my spirit, placed it down, and allowed it to dissolve into the ritual components. I picked out the alchemically grown crystal broke my link to it, then turned to the spread-crystal and cast Capture Moment.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay here until the snowstorm¡¯s finished, unless you¡¯d prefer I move up to the mouth of the cave,¡± I said, and Deep-thing waved my concern off, then left to go take care of his own people.


    The moment I established the Temporal Basin spell in the spread-crystal, yellowish light began to glow inside the blue crystal, turning it a vibrant green color. In the same instant, I felt¡­ changes¡­ begin to flow into my mana.


    Much like when I¡¯d felt the tinges of death seeping in when I¡¯d used the amber with the scorpion in it, I felt tinges of space and crystal flowing through my mana now. It wasn¡¯t a massive change, but the magic lent itself a little bit easier to the use of my Foxstep spell now.


    I had to suppress a grin. I could get used to that¡­


    Then I looked over my staff. I hadn¡¯t added in solidified temporal mana to mark out the Testudinal Reserve spell yet, so I started the slow process of drawing out some of the excess from my spirit and shaping it. I then began to move through the rest of my spells.


    I¡¯d done a decent job shaping them, but I¡¯d not had a ton of downtime since the powerful boosts that the Idyll-Flume had provided, and not everything in the staff was entirely accurate anymore. I took a few bits and shifted them, added a bit more here, took away a touch there, until I felt like it was a more accurate representation of my mana-garden.


    It wasn¡¯t truly an exact method, but rather instinct that guided me, trying to match that which existed in my spirit to that which existed in reality.


    Once I was finished, I sent my power swirling through the ritual, and held onto the expanding magic until I felt the edges of my spirit tingling, then released it.


    My reformed staff looked somewhere between my first staff and the second staff. It was made of a dark, reddish wood, with swirling patterns of gold and silver, which glowed purple and blue. The spread-crystal sat atop the staff, oriented in such a manner that it resembled a true mage¡¯s staff, catching the faint light of the glimmerstone and refracting it out into green specks. At hand height, a prismatic pattern formed a grip, banded by a single black band on the bottom, and a golden band above.


    I lifted the staff, and as I¡¯d suspected, since it was connected to my spirit, the physical weight of the spread-crystal didn¡¯t weigh it down much at all. With a few testing swings, I grew used to the slight changes, and then drew it back into my spirit.


    The next two days were slow, but simple. I practiced my newest sensory technique, and with time I found it easier to surrender my control over my mana senses to my surroundings, and allow them to carry me as they saw fit.


    I thought part of that might be from the lessening of the snowstorm¡¯s power. It felt less like giving up in the face of a force beyond me, and more like allowing something that was almost a peer to guide me.


    But another part of it was practice, plain and simple. With little to do but to practice magic and my mana sensing, I was able to cram in effort, if for no other reason than to force the pressure of the boredom away.


    I eventually found that I could practice the surrendering technique even within the stone halls. There was energy everywhere, after all, and the earth pulled my mana senses down in a slow but steady dripping. It wasn¡¯t a match for Analyze Earth, not even close to it, but it helped me learn to slowly sink my mana senses through thick stone.


    But the sensory technique wasn¡¯t the only thing I practiced, and with gradual and continual shaping practice, I was able to pull Testudinal Reserve closer to mastery.


    It wasn¡¯t there yet, let alone anywhere near close to being ingrained, but progress was progress.


    Having the company did a lot for my mental health, honestly. I¡¯d grown lonely, without Kene or Dusk to speak to, and in some ways, it was incredibly healing to have simple conversations, even if they mostly centered around what life was like outside of the cave.


    I may have been mentally healed, but the physical healing was a lot slower. The palliate-blacksalt was doing its job and stopping things from getting any worse, and in the two days, my blisters had shrunk a little bit, but It wasn¡¯t much. It was still painful to walk around, but it was survivable and unlikely to get infected, and that was what was most important.


    As the third day dawned, and the snowstorm finished its last flurries, I said my goodbyes to Deep-thing, thanked Doctor-thing as he applied a fresh coat of the blacksalt to give me nine days, and promised to meet up with them in Puinen, after the Beastgate Trial Trail was over.


    Then, with some trepidation, I cast the pain relieving spell that Meadow had taught me, and left the cave. I took a moment to glance around, then spoke aloud to myself.


    ¡°I have no idea where the trail is.¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy-Seven

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Thankfully, between Sense Directionality, Analyze Space, and my ability to teleport up into the air and hold myself there to survey, I was able to make my way back to the trail and keep hiking. With my pain suppression spells, hiking was bearable, if annoying.


    I tried to distract myself with calculations. I was about a third of the way into the month, if I was counting my days right, and based on my senses, I¡¯d managed to get about forty miles.


    I was suddenly very grateful for the fact that I¡¯d decided to go at eight miles a day, rather than six, because if I¡¯d stuck to the slower pace, the days of rest waiting out the snowstorm would have sent me horrifically off schedule.


    As it was, with twenty days left, I¡¯d need to keep a six mile a day minimum to make it. That wouldn¡¯t have been a problem before, but with my feet in the condition that they were in¡­


    I shook my head and redid my math. I had nine days, since Doctor-thing had put a fresh coat of palliate-blacksalt on my feet, and while it may be painful for me to walk on my blisters right now, I didn¡¯t have to worry about them bursting and the constant wear causing an infection.


    I needed to maximize the amount of time on my feet during this nine day period. If I could push to a ten mile day, instead of the eight that I¡¯d been doing before, that would give me a bit of time against any potential snowstorms that popped up, and would mean the last stretch of the journey, when my feet were no longer protected from harm, would only be twenty-ish miles.


    A ten mile day would be hard, and it would be extremely painful, but¡­ I thought it might just be doable.


    Hopefully.


    I picked up the pace until, with an aching pulse in my feet, I was matching the ten miles a day hiking pace along the trail, crunching over the fresh snow, and occasionally having to catch myself with Immovable Lock as I pushed myself further and further.


    Even with the forced march, a small part of my mind was still marveling at the beauty of the world around me. With the freshly fallen snow, the entire mountain felt like I was riding on the back of some ancient, mythical sheep, wandering the world on a mountain of wool.


    The sun was bright, reflecting off of the snow so sharply that it actually hurt my eyes, and as the day drew on, I was forced to hold my hands around my eyes to shield them, suddenly wishing I had sunglasses.


    I was sure there was an ungated spell, or maybe a potion, that would be able to achieve the same effect, but whatever it was, I didn¡¯t know it, nor did I understand spell construction well enough to actually attempt to construct one on the fly.


    I kept my mana senses spread out wide around me as I walked, but most of what I found were simple prey animals, looking for food after the snowstorm. At one point, I spotted an arctic fox that was digging up some berries, and waved to it without thinking. The fox yipped, then went back to digging.


    I paused and considered that, then shrugged and moved on.


    That night, when I set up my wards, made camp, and bunked down for the night, my entire body was sore, and I felt tired and frustrated to the point where I wouldn¡¯t have trusted my ability to have a pleasant conversation with others. Undoing my pack with only one hand was hard, way harder than I¡¯d expected, and I didn¡¯t look forward to having to deal with it in the morning.


    That morning, when I woke up, my entire body was throbbing with aches and pains. I¡¯d improved my cardio a lot with the Foxstep spell, but apparently not enough to allow me to push myself while doing high elevation winter hiking.


    I drew out the spell to reduce pain, and with a lot of frustration, managed to get my pack back together, then headed out on my hike.


    The day was a touch more eventful, as I was forced to repeat the trick of letting an aura bear tear through a copy of myself, and then hide. This time, Edgar¡¯s mana lingered longer in the air, as if punishing me for using the same trick twice in a row. With his power driving the bear to search around, and I was forced to teleport into the branches of a tree in order to avoid detection.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Once the bear had wandered off, I started moving, hastening my pace to make up for the lost couple of minutes, even though the aching in my feet caused it to become a hobble.


    A few more animals attacked me that day, and I wondered if Edgar was able to spend more time herding the animals now, since I was sure that a few people would have dropped out already.


    As I set up camp that night, I resolved that I definitely needed to get some form of healing spell in the future, or at least a plant that could heal me in a more direct manner. I didn¡¯t need it to be perfect, but I needed something that could help me in cases like this. I doubted I¡¯d usually be so far away from Kene and Dusk, and unable to brew potions, but it was best to have some sort of plan for emergencies.


    It didn¡¯t even need to be true healing, like what Kene could do, knitting muscles back together. I could settle for regeneration. Sure, that wouldn¡¯t have fixed my arm, but it would have at least fixed my feet.


    Primes, it didn¡¯t even need to be high levels of regeneration. Just¡­ something?


    I was attacked four times that night, and as I pushed my walking the following day, the weariness was starting to set in. None of the coyotes that had attacked had been anything resembling a threat, but they¡¯d still woken me up, and I was getting grumpy.


    By the fifth day of my nine day period, I was convinced that this was a special sort of torment, designed by some long dead magi with the express purpose of making people suffer. The palliate-blacksalt might not have allowed my feet to get worse, but without rest, they weren¡¯t getting any better either.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the fact that burn blisters could take weeks to heal completely, I would have taken a day off just to let them rest and recover. But even though my Magister¡¯s Body did help speed my recovery rate some, with the excess life energy flowing through me, I doubted it would be enough to allow even the remaining four days of rest to heal them completely. More than that, I was worried about what would happen if I stopped while the skies were clear.


    No, I could rest when this accursed trial was over.


    As noon approached that day, I heard a slight shifting in the cliff off to my left, a flickering in my spatial sense, and I turned, just in time to see a massive slab of ice hurtling towards me. I yelped and teleported to the side, only for my feet to be swept out from under me. I caught myself in midair with my Immovable Lock, only for a chunk of compressed snow the size of a large dog to slam into my chest. My Immovable Lock sucked on my mana greedily, forcing me to stay in place, but the pressure of the snow was mounting as more began to pile onto me.


    I heard my ribs begin to creak, I let the locking spell go, teleporting upwards and out of the way of the massive avalanche. I teleported to the side as more snow began to accumulate, burying the path in a mountain of winter.


    I stared with a somewhat horrified amount of fascination as trees that had likely stood since before I was born were torn out of the ground and slammed down with a resonating crash, stones that were the size of my entire body began to tumble down, caught in the massive tidal wave of ice and snow.


    I shivered. If something like this happened while I was asleep¡­ Would it even trigger my wards? I thought so, but I didn¡¯t understand enough about the construction or design of the warding spell to say.


    If they did, then I¡¯d probably be able to survive, teleporting upwards to watch, much as I was now.


    If they didn¡¯t¡­ I would die.


    It was a somewhat terrifying reminder that no matter how much one prepared, how much power on held, there were things in the world that simply went beyond what humanity could manage.


    Could Meadow or Orykson or Ikki have stopped the landslide? I didn¡¯t know. None of them had ice magic. I expected that Orykson could have simply teleported out of the way, and Ikki¡­


    I didn¡¯t know how Ikki would survive, nor Meadow. Could they?


    Even if they could, I didn¡¯t think any of them would have been able to stop it.


    And even if someone with ice magic was at their level, and was actually able to prevent an avalanche, could they prevent a hurricane? A rockslide? A volcanic eruption?


    I doubted it. One person might be able to stop a few of those, but they couldn¡¯t stop all of them. Ddeaer was simply too vast.


    Or maybe I was wrong. Maybe personal power really was able to control every facet of the world, stop every natural disaster in its tracks.


    But if that were the case, why were there still natural disasters?


    Even as I hung in the air, watching and ruminating, the avalanche slowed, then stopped. The entire spectacle had taken a bit less than a minute, and destroyed at least three acres of land.


    I sighed and teleported downwards, then  I rubbed my ribs slightly.


    They were going to bruise from where the pressure of the first moments of the avalanche had struck me, I could already tell.


    Wonderful. Because that¡¯s what I needed. More aches and pains.


    I shook my head and turned, leaving the landslide behind me, as I continued my resolute march onwards.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy-Eight

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I didn¡¯t get nearly as much sleep as I¡¯d hoped that night, nor the night after that, but at least I got a touch of variety, as the coyotes gave way to a handful of large, crab-shaped ice elementals.


    I wasn¡¯t sure why exactly ice elementals were shaped like crabs, but who was I to question the will of their domains?


    As I was tracking on through the eighth day, trying not to think about the fact that the power of the salt would wear off tomorrow, and leave my blisters unprotected, I noticed something.


    I was descending from a glacier, into the valley that would serve as a breaking point before I began heading up the next mountain, and in the valley, there was a huge lake. It was frozen over on top, but the lake wasn¡¯t what caught my eye.


    What caught my eye was the absolutely massive toad sitting atop the lake, cycling in power from the environment.


    I¡¯d sensed a handful of boreal toads moving around the winter wilderness before, but this one was¡­ Different.


    It was fourth gate, and well into it. It wasn¡¯t quite as strong as the revenant, but it was far stronger than the war root or the spriggan had been. Its power was dense and thick, and while it might technically have fallen short of my previous opponent in terms of raw power, the Revenant had been locked into only the four or five spells that its shade had managed to cling onto, and was in a state of decay, only able to touch its full power for moments at a time.


    This hefty toad suffered no such consequences. It had the full suite of boreal toad magic, and wouldn¡¯t randomly be forced to drop its power.


    I sucked in a tight breath and immediately began to draw my power in, drawing it tight around my spirit, and then setting up the upside down whirlwind of a veil that Alvarro had taught me.


    I couldn¡¯t cast with my veil active, but that was¡­ Fine. Mostly. Probably. It also limited my mana senses quite a bit, which was much less fine in my estimation, but I didn¡¯t have a better alternative.


    The potions in my bag weren¡¯t exactly veiled, however, and there wasn¡¯t anything I could do to hide them, and the moment I started moving towards the frog, I could visibly see the eyelid of the massive frog slightly crack open and Edgar¡¯s mana filled the air.


    I took several rapid steps back into the treeline, then took a breath. I knew, based off of the comments that Azalea had made, that the beastial Arcanist ability to direct and command animals was weakened against stronger creatures. Edgar might have been stronger than she was, but he was also stretching himself over a massive distance and keeping his eyes over all the contestants.


    As long as I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to dive into a fight with it just because I felt Edgar¡¯s mana, it might be able to shake the influence off¡­


    There was a slight shifting, and I heard the lake snapping and cracking slightly as the frog shifted. I took several steps back, hiding behind a tree.


    A moment later, the frog closed its eyes and settled down.


    I bit my lip and considered. I couldn¡¯t veil myself, and I couldn¡¯t really go around it, not easily. I¡¯d have to circle around the range of its senses, so I¡¯d need to go well out of my way, off the path.


    It didn¡¯t seem like there was an easy or obvious way out of this.


    I closed my eyes and thought.


    I could maybe attempt to set up camp now, and see if it would move during the night? But that would be a massive waste of time, and wouldn¡¯t guarantee any results.


    But the thought of setting up camp had sparked a small idea to life in my brain.


    I didn¡¯t know a lot about veiling, but I¡¯d learned how to blend my spatial mana into the weave of space around me when I was setting up a ward. My current veiling technique involved spinning my mana in a circle that forced all of my magic to stay within me, but I was fairly certain that I remembered Alvarro alluding to there being other methods.


    Could this be one? If I matched my mana to the environment, then I might be able to blend in and veil myself that way.


    I flicked Analyze Space on in order to get a good picture of the weave of space, then began to leak small amounts of my spatial mana. Not much, just a little more than I normally would have.Stolen story; please report.


    Then, as if I was smoothing out the ripples around a Spatial Anchor spell, I began to match my personal mana to the weave of space around me. It took me several attempts, since personal mana, undirected by a spell, was very different from a normal spatial anchor.


    In the end, the try that finally managed some success felt uncannily similar to the technique of allowing my mana senses to ride the environment. That made a certain sort of sense, in truth, since both involved harmonizing and surrendering control to the world around me.


    I took a step back, and immediately my mana stood out like a beacon, no longer matching up with the world, then I shook my head.


    I had proved the theory, I just needed to actually get it working.


    I took slow, methodical steps, working on matching my spatial mana with each step, but that was actually somewhat backwards, in the end. Rather than changing it each step, I needed to change it constantly. The weave of space shifted slowly over time, subtly, but it did shift. And whenever there was motion, space moved too. Trying to change it in bursts wasn¡¯t the solution. I had to change with every motion, constant, unending change, not something sharp and discreet.


    Once I¡¯d matched my spatial mana, I moved onto my other mana types. Temporal was easier, to my surprise. Time did fluctuate somewhat, but all things considered, the amount it changed was like a mosquito landing on top of an ocean ¨C it really made almost no impact. Once I learned to blur the temporal mana in with the steady stream of time that my Internal Pocketwatch told me about, it required almost no on the fly adjustments.


    Feeling optimistic, I dove into my life mana.


    It was awful. There were small specks of life and death everywhere, in the air and soil, but they were so diffuse and broad that it was hard to match them. This far north, there was also much less for me to ride along, and I kept slipping into the technique of riding the wind, and in the end, it took me over an hour to manage to get my veiling-not-veil technique to the point I could walk around with it.


    Death was slightly easier, but it still wasn¡¯t exactly easy.


    Once I finished each of them alone, I started working with them together, hiding all four aspects of my mana at once. I started by combining life and death, since I figured that would probably be the hardest.


    It was hard, but not in the way that pushing a boulder uphill was hard. It was more like trying to do math in your head, while also patting your head and rubbing your stomach.


    Once I finally worked out matching life and death to the environment, I moved on to space. That was easier to work in, but it still wasn¡¯t exactly easy. It was adding in the need to read some poetry while doing all of the previous tasks.


    Thankfully, adding time was easy, hardly an extra task at all.


    Once I had all four together, I started walking, until I was confident that I¡¯d be able to walk by the toad without losing the technique, before I finally moved onto the next step, coating the potions in my mana. By saturating the air around them with spatial mana, matched to the weave of space, I was able to overpower my potions and effectively hide them.


    That took even more time, and the sun was hanging high in the sky by the time I was finished, but I still thought it was quicker, and it was definitely safer, than going through the wilderness and trying to get around the frog''s senses safely.


    Then with some trepidation, I took a step out of the treeline and into the clearing with the pond, and almost slipped control from sheer nerves.


    Nerves causing my limbs to shake slightly, I slowly made my way, step after step, across the clearing, until I heard a creak. My heart started hammering, and I turned slowly to the giant toad, trying not to make any sudden movements.


    The toad was just settling himself on ice.


    I let out a soft wuff of relief and continued my slow, yet steady, gait, until I was past the toad. Once I was quite a ways out of the clearing, I allowed myself to sag in relief.


    My method had worked.


    I doubted that I¡¯d been the first person to discover it, and I¡¯d definitely be swinging by a library to check out some materials on learning how to do this more effectively.


    But I¡¯d still done it. And I thought I could use this method with a lot more ease than I could have used the standard whirlwind method, since it did so much riding along with my mana senses.


    If I didn¡¯t have an aching arm and pounding, blistered feet, I¡¯d likely have literally jumped for joy.


    As was, I just allowed myself to smile before trudging on. As I walked, though, the path of the mountains started to curve, almost moving away from the direction that I needed to go.


    I continued on at first without much thought. The paths needed to wind around the mountain in order to get up it without having the need to perform literal rock climbing.


    But as the path continued to wind, and when I got a good look at it using Surveyor¡¯s Eye and floating overhead, I thought I was moving in a large C shape. It seemed to be absolutely massive, from what I could tell, but based on the feedback I was able to get with Sense Directionality and the very changing angle, I did think I should end up at the end of the Beastgate Trial Trail.


    But the curve was going to be long, and it would take a lot of time. I tried to do some calculations to figure out how long, but I¡¯d never been able to do math well, and trying to figure out how long it would take, and my own speed was too much for me to manage.


    Instead, I focused on the more social aspect of it, trying to figure out what Edgar had expected.


    When he had said that the path was a hundred and fifty miles, had he meant in a straight line? Because if that was the case, I¡¯d need to book it in a straight line through the wilderness in order to get to the end on time, and my extra time would probably still only barely be enough to allow me to pass if I kept up a strong pace.


    If Edgar had meant along the trail, then cutting through the wilderness could potentially save time at the cost of a lot of risk to myself, but it wouldn¡¯t be needed at all, and would be throwing myself into a bunch of risk for nothing.


    I bit my lip as I contemplated.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Seventy-Nine

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    For a moment, I considered simply cutting through the wilderness to save time.


    If I¡¯d been fresh and healthy, I would have given it serious thought, but¡­ One of my arms was almost completely useless, and I wasn¡¯t confident that using my Foxstep and Immovable Lock to navigate my way through the sheer cliffs wouldn¡¯t count against me.


    And all that was ignoring the fact that away from the trails, there would be far more powerful beasts, ones that had learned to avoid where the humans often tread through.


    No, it was better to stay the path.


    I let out a long, rattling, sigh and started trudging onwards, occasionally fending off the odd attack from a magical creature. That night while I was asleep, I was forced to abandon my camp briefly, as another powerful aura bear decided to investigate. I let it tear through a Material Echo while I grabbed two handfuls of my nutrition potions and teleported away.


    It nosed around in the remains of my scent suppression and warmth potions, but those seemed to bore it, and after half an hour, it wandered away, and I was able to return to camp and restless sleep.


    As I resumed my plodding walk, I could feel the palliate-blacksalt starting to finally wear off. My arm, which had been partially immobilized and achy, but not overly painful, started to have thin spindles of pain turning through it. My feet, which had been painful, started to devolve into a fiery mess, like they¡¯d been stung by plasmatic ants.


    Worse, the blisters started to pop, and the yellow-white blister slime started soaking into my socks. I was sure the fluid had some sort of official name, but I didn¡¯t really care about it. It just¡­ Hurt.


    But still, I kept going. My pace slowed to a crawl, and though I thought that I probably only needed about a three or four mile day, that became a tall order.


    Combat became worse. My body¡¯s reserves of excess energy were drained into keeping me running, since a month of constant hiking and pushing had driven them to the brink of empty, and I wasn¡¯t getting enough rest each night to actually recover them, not with the need to fend off three or more attackers throughout the night.


    By the third day after the palliate-blacksalt wore off, the infection started to set in, the blisters turning from a white-yellow to a yellowish green color, and the skin around them turning bright pink.


    I was running a fever, and with the warming potion combined with the fever, I was burning through water and energy even faster than before, and I wasn¡¯t sure that the nutrition potions would be able to provide enough.


    It was a horrid sort of misery, forced to put one foot after the other, even with the pain swirling through my body, without the energy to keep going, but needing to keep going, or else I¡¯d fail, only a stone¡¯s throw away from the finish line.


    I considered giving up anyways. What was thirty points, in the grand scheme of things?


    But Edgar hadn¡¯t shared the method he used to score things. It was possible that losing thirty points from giving up would let me get a C or D grade mark, but it was also entirely possible that it would mean I failed the test entirely.


    It was almost a relief when I was able to detect the snowstorm setting in the following day, and the air began to fill with more of the deer-bird creatures. I threw my mana out around me, doing what I could to match it to the environment, though honestly, with my exhaustion and lack of focus, I was doing a terrible job.


    One of them charged me, and I just teleported out of the way, leaving another echo behind me for it to tear through, then kept moving. Each time it dove, I repeated the strategy, since I didn¡¯t have the energy left to fight it.


    Scattering my senses around, I eventually found a small cave, occupied by two other sources of mana, a boreal toad and¡­ Something. It was hard to get a proper sense for it, but it had strong tinges of lunar, abnegation, death, mental, and other, more subtle aspects. Whatever it was, it was at the peak of second gate, and probably just needed to absorb enough mana and energy to try and break through, while the toad was early third gate, probably having just broken through.


    I drew my mana up, only just now noticing that it wasn¡¯t cycling in the pattern of the Depths of Starry Night technique. Considering that I¡¯d mastered the first and second layers of that technique enough to cycle my mana reflexively, that¡­ Probably wasn¡¯t a good sign. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    By the time I got to the cave, my vision was flickering and fading, and I was struggling to even stand upright. I had just a moment to take in the appearance of the two creatures.


    The boreal toad was about the size of a small grapefruit or large orange, and was pale blue and white, with streaks of greens and browns that probably gave it a versatile camouflage in the trees. A boreal aura of cold light surrounded it, but drawn in close, so as not to alert the bird-deer-things.


    Its companion looked like a ferret of some sort, maybe a fisher cat or an ermine? Unlike the normal, nonmagical ones, its coat was speckled with blue, black, and silver, in a pattern that reminded me of a mage¡¯s cloak wrapped around a normal ermine.


    The mana rushed out of me in a sudden burst, as it slipped my control, and I started falling. I threw my hands out, barely managing to catch myself before I cracked my head open. My bad arm failed to fully support me, but my good arm was enough that I only hit the floor sort of hard, angled to land on my chest, so I didn¡¯t explode my backpack¡¯s potions.


    Then my vision blacked out, and I wondered if I was going to die.


    I didn¡¯t die, which was actually somewhat surprising, but I was fading in and out of lucidity. I had faint memories of one of the deer-bird creatures trying to force its way into the cave, and the fight between the three of us and it. I was still on the floor and couldn¡¯t stand up for some reason, but I threw Briarthreads at it. It didn¡¯t do a whole lot, but the ermine and toad unleashed their own magics.


    The ermine unleashed bands of darkness that rotated around itself, but the magic seemed to cloud the eyes of the deer-thing, while other spells slipped into its spirit, binding it down and slowing the deer-bird¡¯s magic.


    I remember deciding to name it a hex-ermine, while streaming out more Briarthreads.


    The boreal toad, on the other hand, had a far more straightforward method of attack. It let out a loud croak and released a wave of multicolored aurora light like a breath weapon, which struck the deer-thing and left freezing burns along it.


    I didn¡¯t remember much after that, and I think I passed out again.


    I remembered undoing my backpack briefly, tossing the solidified mana aside, and wrapping myself in the tarp. I thought I might remember the boreal toad sitting on my forehead, while the hex-ermine curled up in my arms.


    That memory was shaky, though, and I wasn''t entirely sure it happened.


    After that, I remembered gathering up some snow in my empty potion vials, and using a quick ungated spell to melt the snow. It probably wasn¡¯t entirely safe to drink, but I was already infected, and I needed more fluid than what I¡¯d attached to my potion. It was better to risk catching something else than to accept certain death from dehydration.


    I thought I also remembered the hex-ermine lapping out of a second vial, while the toad sat on top of my head.


    I had several memories of melting the snow and drinking from a vial, and they started to come closer together. This time, I was pretty sure that the hex-ermine was cuddled up against me, probably trying to steal some of my warmth, not that I honestly minded. It was the closest to sleeping alongside Dusk that I¡¯d had in a long time.


    By the time I was fully coherent, the snowstorm had dissipated. Fearful of what I¡¯d find, I used a pulse of Internal Pocketwatch.


    Seven and a half days.


    I¡¯d been out of commission for over a week, which meant I¡¯d gone over the one-month time frame.


    I let out a low, quiet curse, not wanting to disturb the toad that was currently still sitting on my head, nor the ermine against my stomach.


    I considered my options. I¡¯d gotten pretty close to the end of the trail, and I hadn¡¯t needed to activate the shadowstep enchantments in order to escape. I could probably, hopefully, possibly, complete the trail. I might complete it late, but that would cost me a maximum of twenty points. Hopefully less.


    I swept my attention over my body. My feet were achingly sore, and I thought the blisters might turn into scars, but they weren¡¯t as brightly painful as they once had been. My socks were crusty with puss, which was frankly disgusting, but I could still walk.


    My arm¡­ Well, it wasn¡¯t really entirely operational, and I thought my fall may have strained it even more, but I hoped that it wasn¡¯t anything that Kene wouldn¡¯t be able to fix.


    Hoped, at the very least. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. But at this point, my arm was so damaged that taking an extra few days to get to the end of the trail wasn¡¯t going to actually improve the odds of it being able to be healed.


    I packed up my things, and to my surprise, the boreal toad hopped onto my head, while the hex-ermine grabbed onto my pants with its little claws, and then hauled itself up onto my coat, then draped itself around my neck like a tiny, footed scarf.


    I scratched it under the chin, then stroked the back of the toad, and took a step out of the cave. The motion was tender, and it pulled at my unstretched muscles, but I kept walking, slowly feeling better, save for my arm and feet.


    A couple of pulses of Sense Directionality and Analyze Space let me get my bearings, and I started heading back to the trail again.


    While I wasn¡¯t able to manage a ten mile day again, nor even the eight mile per day that I¡¯d done at the start, I was able to manage a solid four to five mile day.


    Even with the couple of spare potions I prepared, I was down to two remaining nutrition, heating, and scent suppression potions when I finally spotted the end of the trail in the distance. It wasn¡¯t much, just a small cluster of perhaps five or six large wooden cabins, situated around a lake, with multicolored glowing lights in the windows and scented blue smoke rising from their chimneys. The hamlet ¨C though it was so small I thought even calling it a hamlet was generous ¨C looked like it was still another seven or eight miles down the mountain from where I was now, but just seeing it sent a flood of relief flooding through my body.


    Being that close to the finish line gave me the burst of energy that I had needed, and the following evening, I finally stumbled under the massive arch made of a carved, blue-white stone that emitted an icy magic, marking the end of the Beastgate Trial Trail.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Eighty

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    It was so late by the time I arrived that Edgar wasn¡¯t there to greet me, but an older man that worked for Edgar picked me out of the snow. He was wearing thick, round spectacles and led me to one of the spare bedrooms in the house. It was warm, and the wood they were burning that gave off the colorful place gave off a heady, herbal scent that was almost like a mix of rosemary, clove, and pine.


    Accepting the hospitality of a random man who just said he knew Edgar was monumentally stupid, but I was so drained that I just accepted it.


    Moving on autopilot, I set up some wards around the room, put the toad on the nightstand ¨C it let out a loud croak and hopped down, moving to cling to the chilly window instead ¨C and put the hex-ermine at the foot of the bed ¨C it scampered over to the low fireplace and sprawled out in front of it, before I finally passed out.


    It was a small guest bed in a strange cabin, with only the protection of my basic alarm wards to keep me safe, but after the month of sleeping in the dirt with nothing but a tarp, it was the best night of sleep I¡¯d had in my entire life.


    The following morning, I awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs, and wandered downstairs ¨C slowly, since my feet were still tender. I found the old man cooking. The dish he was making wasn¡¯t super familiar to me, some sort of half omelet, half savory crepe. The eggs had been beaten with some flour, then topped with some tomatoes, chives, and bacon, only to be folded and finished in the oven.


    My stomach let out a loud, angry rumble, and the man laughed.


    ¡°Hungry?¡± he asked me, and I nodded. The nutrition potions might have taken care of my caloric needs, but they weren¡¯t exactly satisfying. The moment I returned to Mossford, I intended to gorge myself on all the food I could get my hands on ¨C within reason.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made plenty,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°With my age, I don¡¯t eat as much, but I did a three egg version for you, and a one egg for me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, nodding. Now that I was more lucid, I ran my senses over the man.


    He was a solidly average third gate solar mage, which was strong, but nothing remarkable. His power felt solid from a lifetime of use, rather than something that had been trained to a peak, like comparing the muscles on a farmer to those of a professional athlete. Living this far north, separate from the actual village, his level of power was probably a minimum requirement, though, so it didn¡¯t set off any major alarm bells.


    Without Analyze Mana-Garden, I wasn¡¯t able to get an exact feel for what kind of solar mage he was, but even if the man was a full battlemage, I thought I could run from him. I¡¯d won the competition, so I only needed to get far enough to allow me to hide and force open a portal to Dusk. She was distant, but I could probably still manage it in half an hour or so.


    He could be veiling his power, but I doubted it. I wasn¡¯t exactly being subtle with my prying, and he gave me a chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯m no danger to you,¡± he said as he pulled the two pans from the oven. ¡°But I don¡¯t blame you for being cautious. Based on the state you were in, you had a rough time of it on the trail.¡±


    ¡°Blistered my feet, and they got infected,¡± I said as I shifted my eyes from him to the pan of food. ¡°Also, I seriously messed up my arm. It¡¯s going to need some serious attention, since the muscles will need to be knitted back together.¡±


    The man shook his head and let out a low whistle.


    ¡°I do wish Edgar wouldn¡¯t do that to you all,¡± he said. ¡°Just seems cruel. Even for a trial.¡±


    ¡°I signed up for it,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°More than that, actually. I fought a duel for the crystal.¡±


    ¡°Still, I feel like there are kinder ways to go about it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a test of determination and focus, as well as cleverness,¡± I said.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± the old man said. ¡°By the way, I never caught your name. I¡¯m Tommy.¡±


    ¡°Malachi,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± he said, and I agreed as he plated the food, and pushed one over to me.


    I took a bite, and it was really good! There was a surprising amount of flavor packed into the simple ingredients, and while I¡¯d been uncertain about mixing flour into eggs without actually forming a full crepe batter, it worked out well, adding body to the dish.


    We lapsed into silence as we ate, and I did my best to not tear through the dish like a starving wolf. When we finished, I headed over to the sink.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to do that,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re a guest, and you¡¯ve had a rough time of it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just basic courtesy,¡± I told him. ¡°Indulge me.¡±


    He grumbled, but took a seat on an old wooden stool, reading through an almanac while I worked on the dishes. Figuring out how to do them with essentially one hand took some finagling and experimentation, but I eventually got the hang of it. When I finished, he pushed up his spectacles, put a bookmark in the book, and set it aside. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll be wanting to meet Edgar, then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± I said. Despite my defense of the trial, it had been pretty horrible, and I was looking forward to it being finished. Not only could I get the mark, but I could also finally advance to third gate.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be out in the snow, soaking up the light of dawn,¡± the man said. ¡°Some spell or another he uses. Never could keep track of all the strange magic Edgar had.¡±


    He trailed off and shook his head, then went to the front to start lacing up his boots. I reluctantly put on my disgusting socks, laced up my own boots, and together we marched out in the snow.


    True to the man¡¯s word, Edgar was standing atop the lake, a nexus of solar, lunar, tempest, telluric, and creation energy rushing into him in a vortex that was quite obvious to my mana senses. My cleats let me walk onto the ice, and after a month of practicing, it wasn¡¯t even really difficult.


    As I approached, Edgar turned his head to me, then took a step out across the ice. I was worried for a moment that it would crack, and we¡¯d all wind up drowning, but the frozen surface held itself solid. The old man, seeing I had Edgar¡¯s attention, waved his goodbyes and headed towards his home.


    ¡°Ah, Malachi,¡± Edgar said. ¡°It is good to see you. You had me worried towards the end ¨C had your infection not shown signs of abating, I would have pulled you out by force.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, bowing my head slightly. It was a little humiliating, how close I¡¯d come to complete failure. Arguably, I had failed. I hadn¡¯t done it in under a month, after all.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Edgar said, nodding. ¡°Now, shall we get down to business before I send you back to Puinen?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I said, though I caught something odd at the end of that sentence. ¡°Send me back? You¡¯re not coming?¡±


    ¡°Of the eighty-nine contestants who participated in my trial this year, fifty-four of them were forced to retreat within the first week. The lack of food or water was the most common thing that caused this, as many of them were unable to track down a source that could sustain them, though there were other causes too ¨C a few got caught in a fight they couldn¡¯t win,¡± Edgar explained.


    That wasn¡¯t exactly relevant, but I¡¯d learned that it was best to let people ramble. I might have teased Kene to get to the point, but our relationship made things different.


    ¡°Of the thirty-five remaining contestants, twenty-eight of them were forced to retreat over the following three weeks. Once again, food and water were common, but so too were infection, beasts, and exhaustion.¡±


    ¡°That leaves seven left,¡± I said, trying to make sure I knew he was listening.


    ¡°Yes. Three of those had already completed the trail  by the time you did. You are the fourth. Three still remain on the trail.¡±


    Edgar let out a slow, weary, sigh while blinking his enormous tortoise eyes.


    ¡°I suspect that only one of the last three will make it before I am forced to either pull them from the trail. But still, I will stay here, and I will watch, keeping them as safe as I reasonably can.¡±


    That felt like a really long and convoluted way to say that there were three people people left before he could leave, but who was I to judge the machinations of a two-hundred year old tortoise?


    ¡°You can¡¯t abandon your duty, I understand,¡± I said, nodding, and Edgar dipped his massive head to me, then a smile cracked across his enormous face.


    ¡°But onto lighter topics. You must be anxious to hear your score, no?¡±


    ¡°I am curious,¡± I said. I was really more than curious ¨C he¡¯d hit the nail pretty well on the head with ¡®anxious¡¯.


    ¡°Seventy-five,¡± Edgar said, and I let out a sigh of relief. That was a C. Not nearly as bad as I had feared. I¡¯d gotten plenty of C¡¯s in school, and look at me now!


    Okay, maybe that wasn¡¯t the best comparison.


    But still, a C was far from the worst score I could have gotten! I¡¯d been worried I¡¯d get no mark at all, or that it would be an F or D.


    ¡°You gained some points for your ingenuity,¡± Edgar said. ¡°Especially the physical ingenuity of constructing a backpack out of the tarp and solidified mana. That was a good trick ¨C I¡¯ve seen bindles before, but never a pack. You also gained some extra points for not asking about violence.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I asked, confused, and Edgar let out his low, rumbling laughter.


    ¡°Before the trial, little one,¡± he said. ¡°When I gave you the opportunity to speak to me about the rules ¨C you did not ask if you could use violence against the other competitors, or steal their tarps or enchanted items from them. I approve. It was only a few points, but every little bit helps, no?¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, still a bit caught off guard. That was such a strange thing to award points for.


    ¡°We should discuss your actions under the mountain. In truth, I was unaware of the revenant, or I would have freed the small folk before now. But my sight is dim compared to that of which a true occultist holds, and stretched between as many contestants as I need to manage, a single revenant who had not yet broken through to Arcanist had an easy time escaping my gaze. The coblynau¡¯s own wards made it harder still, and when you pierced them with your blessing of the small folk, I was caught quite off guard,¡± Edgar said. ¡°But you saved a community of people from abuse, defeated a revenant who was threatening to strip the earth bare with unsustainable mining, and all at quite a bit of personal risk to yourself. That gave you many points, but it also caused you to take injuries. ¡±


    ¡°Which caused me to lose all of the points I gained, since I was late?¡± I half-guessed.


    ¡°Not all, but some, certainly,¡± Edgar said, shifting his head to the left, then to the right. ¡°I deducted ten points for your lateness. You made it a good way, after all, but you were also many days late. Had you arrived early, before the end of the month, you''d have gained several points from an early arrival, and would have scored better on the test. But you''ve gained the esteem of the small folk, which is not to be underestimated."


    That was¡­ Fair. I wished he¡¯d knocked off five less, so I could have gotten a better mark, but I wasn¡¯t going to protest and risk losing points for being whiny.


    ¡°Were there any other sources of points or deductions or additions?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your plucking of three snowdrop opals was a net zero. Had you left them, you would have gained a small amount, and had you taken them all, you would have lost points. But you took a sustainable amount, which I cannot blame you for. Finally, you gained a couple of points for your light hand with the animals ¨C many of your contemporaries simply kill those that they crossed. That is fine, when they hunt for food, but there is no reason every confrontation needs to end in death. But you scared off the winter coyotes, rather than kill them.¡±


    I grinned, suddenly quite glad that I was such a bleeding heart. It had paid out this time. And with the slipshark. And¡­ most of the time, come to think of it.


    ¡°I get a C, then?¡± I asked, and Edgar inclined his head.


    ¡°You do indeed. Now, please follow me to my lab¡­¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Eighty-One

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Edgar¡¯s lab, as it turned out, was located underneath one of the mountains, through a wall that he used some complex spell to unlock. I glanced around, interested to see what he¡¯d have. Meadow¡¯s small hut in Mossford just had a cauldron over the fire, but Orykson¡¯s¡­ wherever he brought me¡­ seemed to have endless rooms, and I had no doubt there was a lab tucked away in there. The glimpses of the Craftsman¡¯s lab that I¡¯d seen had been a chaotic mess.


    Edgar¡¯s lab, as was perhaps to be expected, was incredibly naturalistic.


    The room was lit by scattered, glowing crystals ¨C not glimmerstone, but some sort of faint blue-green light that washed over everything and made me feel like I was under the ocean in one of the commercials for a Redsummer Isles cruise. Various bright pink mushrooms sprouted from rocks, with broad, thin caps like oyster mushrooms, and they let off traces of rose colored light, as well as plenty of warmth, to the point my jacket was actually making me feel a touch stifled.


    In the center of the lab, a large spring babbled away, drawing up a faintly glowing water that felt strongly of solar mana, tuned towards the purification and cleansing that I¡¯d seen Kene use to burn away infection after a healing, and helped repair my spiritual damage after the War Root fight.


    Along the right side of the room there were large, long tables, with neatly organized piles of materials, all sorts of alchemical and enchanting-related instruments I couldn¡¯t put a name to, and what looked like a straight up, normal tattoo gun.


    On the left side of the room was a collection of books, trinkets, scrolls, diagrams for all sorts of different spells and enchantments, and other research materials.


    Finally, in the back of the room, there was a large vein of ore. It was surrounded by dozens, maybe even a hundred, of layers of wards and enchantments that pulsed with all sorts of power, but with Edgar¡¯s grayish, colorless power most of all. The ore itself seemed to be slowly dripping ink, which the enchantments were siphoning away, storing in spinning, three dimensional circles of spellcraft.


    But it was¡­ strange. Not right, somehow. For every blob of ink that the enchantments siphoned into storage, almost all of it seemed to simply¡­ fade out of existence. It left only the smallest amounts, not even enough to be called a drop of ink.


    I withdrew the strange stone from my pocket, the one that I¡¯d taken from the Coblynau as a reward for saving their village, and squeezed it. Ink dripped from the stone, and the enchantments in the room caught it, and it began to flow towards one of the containment spells. But, much as with the ink produced by the ore vein, the ink dissipated.


    A rumble rolled through the room, and then another, and then another. I glanced at Edgar, who had shrunk down to about the size of a person in order to fit more comfortably in the lab, only to see him laughing so hard that it was causing his shell to quiver.


    ¡°What?!¡± I asked defensively. Why was he laughing at me? What exactly was this stone?


    Edgar raised one of his legs and used it to wipe at his eyes.


    ¡°Do you remember what exactly a Beastmark is?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°I remember you saying something about it being halfway to a growth item and a natural treasure,¡± I said hesitantly.


    ¡°Partially,¡± Edgar said. ¡°I said that it was an artificial improvement upon a natural treasure. That makes it halfway to a growth item, that is true, in that it is bonded to your spirit, and it is able to increase its mana density, if not grow with you.¡±


    He gestured at my hand.


    ¡°What you have there is the original natural treasure upon which I improve to create the beastmarks.¡±


    I turned the stone over in my hand and frowned.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± I said. ¡°It feels like your mana, or like a Hudau Heritage Stone.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Edgar said, pausing to take a sip out of the fountain. ¡°I think you may have a misunderstanding of what a Hudau Heritage Stone is. Or, for that matter, what my mana is.¡±


    ¡°Kene told me that it was all fourteen types of mana in perfect balance,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not untrue, simply¡­ incomplete. It is not a pie with fourteen slices, each slice an aspect of mana.¡± Edgar lectured. ¡°A fireball can be made with both wholly desolation mana, and wholly solar mana, no? Analyze Space is both completely knowledge, and it is completely spatial.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°Then¡­ Your mana is completely¡­ everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Edgar agreed. ¡°It is all fourteen flavors made into a single pie, not fourteen slices. Though it does have limits ¨C I would be unable to cast fireball, for example. Its mana is far too simple and pure. Conversely, many beast spells are open for me to use, especially those with more complex mana types, such as dragons. There are other limits too, primarily that the more of a certain type of spell I have in a gate, the closer my mana becomes to that particular flavor. If I were to take only forest dragon spells, it would not take me long before my mana was simply forest dragon mana.¡±


    I took a moment to consider the ramifications for that. No wonder Edgar spoke about beast mage attitudes so intimately ¨C he was, in essence, the perfect beast mage. It also explained some of how the beastmarks worked. If the Hudau Heritage Stones were the power condensed into a mana advancement booster, the inkstone must be one that shifted to the affinity of a beast.


    ¡°Wow,¡± was all I was able to say, and Edgar let out a low chuckle.


    ¡°There are many things in this world, Malachi, many of them stranger and stronger than I. One day, you will look back, and realize I was not so impressive. But I thank you for the compliment.¡±


    The tortoise shifted its feet in a way that somehow conveyed the impression of a mad alchemist rubbing his hands together.


    ¡°Now. Let¡¯s get to work on your beastmark. As you received a C, the mark that you would have gotten would have been able to store a single spell of each first, second, and third gate, and each one would be able to become mastered. You would have needed to either choose the spell from the selection I have prepared¡­¡±


    He bobbed his head over to the bookshelves.


    ¡°Or else would have needed to be able to flow the mark¡¯s power through a creature casting the spell that you wished to copy.¡±


    ¡°But I have an inkstone,¡± I said, holding it up again, which¡­ probably wasn¡¯t needed, but oh well.


    ¡°Indeed. And there are some interesting possibilities that I can work with there, but less than you may have hoped,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. I knew that the odds that I¡¯d be able to shift from getting a C all the way to an A, or even beyond, was definitely unlikely, but I also didn¡¯t want to let him waste the material for no reason, especially if Kene or Dusk could use it.


    ¡°Your spirit-body gestalt,¡± Edgar responded. ¡°You have burdened it with a powerful link as an anchor and guardian of an astral plane, then increased the strain even further with your growth item. If your soul and body weren¡¯t interconnected more deeply than a normal humans, you would already be at the limit of what you could accept. As is, I am severely curtailed in the power I can add, since I can¡¯t detonate the stone.¡±


    My mind flashed back to the revenant, detonating the magical mineral in the pickaxe. That had produced an absurdly massive explosion, even for a fourth gate mage, more like what I¡¯d expect to see from the fury of an Arcanist.


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ go over options,¡± I said, but I felt an idea forming in the back of my mind.


    ¡°The simplest thing I can do would be a straightforward upgrade of the mark. I could likely enforce its highest tiers, so that it could copy a fourth gate spell, in addition to the first through third.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t bad, but nor was it so amazing that I immediately wanted to jump on it, so I nodded for him to go on.


    ¡°I can also enforce it from the bottom up,¡± Edgar said. ¡°I could likely allow it to take on two extra first gate spells and an extra second gate spell.¡±


    I made a humming noise. That wasn¡¯t bad at all, but it also wasn¡¯t enough for me to immediately want it.


    ¡°Finally, I could use it to reinforce the power of the cores within the mark,¡± Edgar said. ¡°That would grant no additional spells, but the mark draws on your energy for fuel, and then supplements the casting with the mana component, which it generates. Since you¡¯ve decided to walk a beastmage¡¯s path, you would likely find the mark¡¯s mana component to be more limiting than your body¡¯s reserves in the long run. This would also allow the mastered spells to reach a sort of... pseudo-ingrained state. They wouldn''t become truly ingrained, with unique effects, but each could eventually increase their efficiency as your energy adapts them.¡±


    I tapped my chin. It wasn¡¯t exactly scruffy, but I¡¯d gotten far enough along that the month of trail hiking had given me a fair bit of peach fuzz.


    ¡°And what if you did decide to detonate the stone, and worked all of the power into the mark?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You die. Likely after a week, perhaps two. A month, if fortune truly favors you,¡± Edgar said. ¡°Your spirit would start to slowly split and peel open, like water that has become too great for a dam to hold back. At first, it would be thin cracks that leaked mana, but before long, it would have torn you apart entirely.¡±


    ¡°Even with my full-gate spells?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They, as well as the strengthening you attained in the idyll-flume, are the only reason that you would last as long as a week,¡± Edgar said gravely.


    My mind started churning, coming up with ideas.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that if a person creates a spellbinder bond with a growth item, it removes the spiritual pressure. It makes it weightless, so to speak,¡± I said. ¡°What if you detonated it, and I immediately advanced and bonded to the mark?¡±


    Edgar was quiet for a moment, then another.


    ¡°It should, in theory, work,¡± he finally said. ¡°But I won¡¯t pretend to be the pinnacle of soul-engineering, with a complete understanding of the mechanics behind a spellbinder bond. If anyone claims that, they¡¯re lying or deluding themselves. It would be risky ¨C if you failed to advance, it would kill you. Even if you did, I would be unable to predict the exact effects, since it would be compounding two dangerous forces. Not only that, but you would certainly need to bond it to your death mana. That is most closely tied to the spirit, and has the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul spell.¡±


    ¡°But it would be strong,¡± I said. ¡°Right?¡±


    Edgar let out a snort.


    ¡°Children, always obsessed with strength, rushing from one power to another. Yes, it would be strong. But before you give your answer ¨C think about it. Is the risk truly worth the potential reward? Bonding the mark normally, if you chose to do so, could still give excellent results, without the risk. Think. Contemplate. Give me your answer only then.¡±

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Eighty-Two

    I


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    didn¡¯t pick my answer right away, instead turning to the wall of beast spells.


    ¡°Do you mind?¡± I asked, gesturing.


    ¡°By all means,¡± Edgar rumbled. ¡°None of what I have collected there is exceedingly rare, and you would have been able to pick through it for the beastmark anyhow.¡±


    I strolled over to the pile of papers, scrolls, and recordings, and started poking through the pile. Most of the pile were simple things that Edgar had doubtless sourced locally ¨C I saw spells taken from winter deer, spells that resembled the horn sharpening spell that the bird-deer things had used, spells from boreal toads, arctic foxes, and more. As I poked through it, I reached out my mind, calling for Dusk. We were far ¨C not as far as when we¡¯d been stuck in different astral planes, but still far ¨C so it would take a good amount of time to reach her.


    I continued to glance over the spells, then curiously turned to Edgar.


    ¡°You must have a method to get back to Puinen that isn¡¯t hiking.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need it, technically speaking. I could force a portal to Dusk¡¯s realm open, but if there was an easier method, then I¡¯d take it.


    ¡°The gates are linked,¡± Edgar said. ¡°With the right application of mana, they can be used to transport yourself back and forth. It takes a lot of mana to condense the spells, at least for the third gate humans who live here, but I can power it easily enough.¡±


    ¡°Could I go back?¡± I asked. ¡°My partner is a healer, with some ability to repair and heal the spirit. I want to consult with him as well. Not that I doubt you, but¡­¡±


    I gestured to the water, bubbling with spiritually healing energy in the center of the room. At least, I tried to gesture, but my arm hung limply, and I let out a mental sigh.


    ¡°I think you can see the point of spiritual healing,¡± I finished lamely.


    ¡°That is a good idea,¡± Edgar said. ¡°Your body and spirit are fusing. You should be in peak physical and spiritual condition if you were to attempt the detonation. Even if you weren¡¯t, it would be a good idea to heal first. And the unlit candle feast is in two days. It would be a good idea to spend the time with your partner. That is healing of a different sort. Would you like to go now?¡±


    ¡°Soon,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just about done looking through these.¡±


    I picked out a few more interesting scrolls, ones that I thought were likely actually a part of Edgar¡¯s own spellcraft, like a fourth gate spell from portalants that enhanced and improved spatial anchors to allow them to act as a better conduit for portals, or a first gate spell from cavern estragon¡­


    I let out a laugh.


    I recognized this spell ¨C I¡¯d once had a ring that empowered my forged mana, before Ivy¡¯s dad had reformatted the power to build the habitat for the estragon eggs. This looked like the spell that enchantment had been based on. It did nothing on its own, but it could be woven together with other spells to improve them.


    I put it to the side as something I might actually want to incorporate. Temporal echoes were powerful, and I was getting better at combining them into my fighting style, plus Briarthreads and Fungal Lock could both improve¡­


    I was still working through the pile when I got a response from Dusk back. It was a mix of emotions: relief that I¡¯d completed it, that I was ready to advance, that I was safe and relatively unharmed, mild amusement about the coblynau, and the desire to see me again.


    That second one caused me to pause. I wasn¡¯t that far behind, was I? Then again, Kene and Dusk had both had a month to sharpen their spellcraft, while I¡¯d been stuck.


    I put down the current scroll I¡¯d been looking at ¨C a spell from a siren that would create a song that slowly sapped away mana and willpower from everyone else in the area ¨C and looked at Edgar.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to head back, if you are.¡±


    The tortoise, who had been busying himself moving around the lab, doing some sort of test that I couldn¡¯t understand with his mana and a bright orange fruit that resembled a crossbreed between a papaya and an earthworm.


    ¡°Just a minute,¡± Edgar said, and I nodded, then went out to collect my newest friends, the hex-ermine and the boreal toad. They seemed to understand me without needing me to communicate with them directly, and the ermine scampered up onto my shoulder, while the toad hopped onto my head again. We met Edgar at the edge of town, where the carved gate of ice marked the end of the trail, and Edgar reached out, tapping his beak to it. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Colorless gray mana flowed out of Edgar and into the archway, and a moment later a shimmering portal of white light appeared.


    ¡°I will return when the last few contestants are either pulled out or complete the trail, which will be within a week at most,¡± Edgar said, then nudged me forwards with one massive turtle-y foot. I nodded and thanked him, then passed through the portal.


    A moment after I stepped through, I let out a curse.


    ¡°I should have asked why Edgar and Idyll¡¯s portals are planes of light, but Orykson¡¯s portals are see-through!¡± I said, then realized that I wasn¡¯t talking to anyone, because I was alone.


    I reached out to Dusk, and with her so much closer, it snapped into place almost instantly. The sensation of having my partner so close sent a wave of relief through me like applying aloe to a burn, and I let out a relieved sigh.


    Halfway back into town, I spotted Dusk zooming out to meet us, flying on her cloud and spell. She paused when she saw the toad and ermine, then her tiny eyes narrowed, and she shot over and knocked the ermine off. The ermine dodged, scampering around to sit on my other shoulder, and Dusk let out a little huff of clouds drifting through the sky.


    ¡°Hey Dusk,¡± I said, patting her back gently. ¡°How are you?¡±


    Dusk let out a sound like the cawing of several ravens at once as she cheerfully filled me in on everything that had been going on with her, Siobbhan, and Kene, and all of the small folk that she¡¯d eaten. I did my best to remind her that she hadn¡¯t actually eaten them ¨C things in her space weren¡¯t in her stomach, but as ever, she didn¡¯t seem to care. In fact, to prove me wrong, she hopped onto my head and ¡®ate¡¯ the boreal toad, then the hex-ermine, chattering away about how they, alongside the other wildlife she¡¯d eaten, would be a great way to expand her winter forest biome.


    At that, I brought out the opal snowdrops, and she excitedly ¡®ate¡¯ them as well. Two of them had died on the trail, but that left me with one! I still had no idea what it could be used for, but it was probably something.


    After that, Dusk filled me in on how Kene had been working with the old woman ¨C presumably Agnes, the potion master he¡¯d decided to work for ¨C and how they¡¯d been quite surprised when the coblynau had shown up out of nowhere, claiming that I had saved them, and that they¡¯d come bearing my payment, as well as a desire to speak to her.


    She was still filling me in when I got to Agnes¡¯ potion store, and stepped inside to see Kene laboring over the cauldron. They glanced up, and the moment they saw me, relief and happiness exploded over their face. They dropped the ladle that they¡¯d been stirring the pot with and practically teleported over to me, wrapping me up tightly in a hug.


    ¡°Malachi,¡± Kene said, burying their face into my shoulder. I hugged them back as tightly as I could with only one fully functional arm, while putting the damaged arm on their waist.


    We held one another for a long time before Kene finally pulled back, and if their eyes were a little misty, well, so were mine. Dusk flew between the two of us, landing on Kene¡¯s shoulder one moment, then on mine the next, babbling contentedly. It wasn¡¯t even speech, as far as I could tell, just¡­ contented noises.


    Kene¡¯s eyes flicked over me, taking in my limp hanging arm, destroyed and re-stitched clothes, and backpack of empty vials, and they let out a long sigh.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± was all they said, rather than chastise me. I smiled at that.


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± I said, then Kene gently pulled me to an examination chair in the back.


    ¡°Coat, shoes, and socks, off and roll up your shirt sleeve or take the shirt off entirely,¡± they instructed, slipping into the commanding, yet professional, presence of a healer.


    ¡°Yes, doctor,¡± I said, waggling my eyebrows. They rolled their eyes, but I caught the flash of a grin hidden underneath.


    I did as Kene had ordered and watched as their eyes glowed green with their analysis spell. They shook their head and let out a low whistle.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting infection in your feet for days, and that arm¡­ If it weren¡¯t for how much you¡¯ve pushed your body¡¯s growth function, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be standing here right now.¡±


    ¡°Edgar would have pulled me out,¡± I said, and Kene pressed their lips together but nodded.


    ¡°First, I¡¯m going to burn out the infection,¡± Kene said, and a shimmering yellow light washed over my toes and up to my ankles. It began to create a faint burning sensation in my feet, which slowly ramped up to being moderately painful, and I bit my lip to stop it from showing.


    After that, Kene moved on to fixing the mangled mess of blisters that was the bottom of my feet, using a combination of general regenerative spells with skin knitting spells. By the time they¡¯d finished, I had several round, irregular scars on my foot, and Kene told me there was nothing to be done about those.


    With my feet as healed as they were going to get, Kene used another solar spell to work on continuing to burn out the infection where it had spread to the rest of the body, burning out small splotches wherever they found them.


    Finally, they turned their attention to my arm.


    ¡°I can fix it,¡± they said as green light began to trickle into my muscle, reattaching broken lines and allowing life energy to flow once again through the limb in proper coordination.


    ¡°I¡¯m hearing a but coming,¡± I said.


    ¡°There is,¡± Kene confirmed. ¡°Your arm is going to be in a sling for two weeks. After that, it¡¯ll be another month before you¡¯re ready and able to do combat or anything intense with it.¡±


    I opened my mouth to protest, and Kene leaned in to kiss me quickly, stealing my words before I could say them.


    ¡°It¡¯s only this fast because of the fact I¡¯ll be able to provide regular treatments to stimulate the healing, and your full gate spells.¡± Kene warned me. ¡°If they weren¡¯t improving your condition constantly and learning from the experience, it could be three times as long.¡±


    I nodded my agreement, then held up a finger.


    ¡°Edgar wants me in peak condition for the beastmark to be applied,¡± I said. ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re going to be staying here for six weeks?¡±


    ¡°Your body and soul aren¡¯t that intermingled yet,¡± Kene said. ¡°Just wait the two week period. Maybe you can help Agnes too. And besides, it will be good for us both to have some time together. The Unlit Candle Feast is in a few days, that will be fun.¡±


    ¡°It will,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t just portal us back to Mossford, so we could do it with family ¨C mine or yours.¡±


    ¡°Maybe one day,¡± Kene said with a faint smile, then started to ready the sling of bandages for me. ¡°So, now that you¡¯re pretty much as patched up as I can get you, why don¡¯t you tell me about the trial? We had a collection of smallfolk come by recently, claiming you saved them from an evil king¡­¡±


    And so, I told them everything.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Eighty-Three

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The Unlit Candle Feast was an old tradition, older than the founding of Mossford itself. I didn¡¯t know where it originated, nor did anyone as far as I was aware, but I had always heard it was born from a need to push off the cold of winter, in the days where fire was the main method used to heat the home, instead of spells, in the days before every city had a graveyard with wards that stopped the dead from haunting the streets, the days where a monster could slip out of the darkness and swallow you whole.


    It came from the celebration that even in the deepest of darkness, people can find kindness for their fellows.


    Not that it was celebrated on the longest night of the year, but it was still absurdly cold and dark outside most of the time during the later half of Deep-Night and going into the month of Last-Breath.


    Everywhere celebrated the feast a little bit differently, but the way that Kene and I had celebrated it in Mossford, all lights were turned off from dusk till dawn, and you would have a feast with your family using nothing but the light you could conjure with ungated mana, as a way to respect the past while honoring the abundance that you lived in today. After food, everyone would exchange a gift with everyone else.


    The way it was celebrated here in Puinen was a little different. Rather than each family holding its own feast and using ungated spells, they turned the center square into a massive bonfire, and that was the only source of light allowed in the village. The feast was prepared by every member of the community, with everyone pitching in what they could. The only part that was kept separate and private was gift giving.


    That relieved me, because if I¡¯d had to have my gift for Kene judged by the entire village, I would have died of embarrassment twice over.


    In the days leading up to the feast, I was given various jobs in the village, but the one that I most often found myself filling was the role of a butcher. I might have only worked as one for a few months and currently be down an arm, but that still gave me enough experience to assist the butcher in town, a large man named Hammond.


    He also lent me access to his shop¡¯s communication mirror, and I traced out the identification of the bakery¡¯s own mirror onto it, calling my dad and brother, both of whom were relieved to hear from me. We stayed on the call for a few hours after the butcher¡¯s and barkery had closed, chatting about what I¡¯d been up to ¨C my brother in particular took an interest in my escapades on the trail and inside the Idyll-Flume.


    As my father drifted off to go to bed, Ed¡¯s face grew a little bit more serious.


    ¡°Malachi¡­ Do you know a short girl, uses a hammer in combat?¡±


    A jolt of terror rushed through me and I nodded.


    ¡°Someone took out a hit on me. I¡¯m not sure why. I¡¯ve filed a report with the lightwatch here in dragontooth. Or, wait. They¡¯re called the gray guard or something like that? She attacked me a bunch in the Idyll-Flume. Her face isn¡¯t real, she has some sort of illusion growth item.¡±


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± Ed said leaning forwards.


    I did, going over all of the details I could remember about her, from the comments she¡¯d said, the comment¡¯s she¡¯d been told to say, the growth item, her legacy allowing her to harvest power from things she killed. When I finished, I gave Ed a look.


    ¡°She came to the house, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°She did, at first just asking for you, but Kerbos picked up on something. I caught her that night, breaking into our backyard, and she tried to kill me. I threw her into the air, then tried to trace her, but she used some sort of spatial artifact to escape. I¡¯ve filed my own report, but¡­ Be careful, and think about staying up there until she¡¯s found?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be scared out of my own home,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°Once I¡¯m healed and advanced, I¡¯m going to find her and turn her in. She¡¯s not going to escape again.¡±


    ¡°Then stay there until you¡¯re healed,¡± Ed said. ¡°Dragontooth has plenty of things you can do. Maybe you could go visit Octavian in Delitone, taking a really roundabout way home.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. That was a good idea¡­ I did need to drop off the eggs, and Octavian had said it would take a week or so for me to be vetted by the sanctuary. But I¡¯d also be asking Kene to take a risk, and I wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable with that.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I conceded. ¡°Can you ask Meadow to meet me in Delitone in a bit? I¡¯d love to introduce her, get her opinion on the sanctuary¡­¡±


    ¡°And do some training?¡± Ed asked, a teasing note entering his voice.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, then grinned. I couldn¡¯t help it. I liked getting stronger, but I also liked helping people and animals. This would allow me to do both at once. It was perfect!


    We moved onto lighter topics then, with me asking after Liz and Kerbos, and despite the rather concerning topic that had cropped up briefly, I was feeling refreshed when I left the butcher¡¯s shop.


    The following day, I worked a bit as a butcher again, but shifted my focus to procuring my gift for Kene, which was¡­ harder than I¡¯d expected.


    When the librarian had said I¡¯d finish the trail in time for the Unlit Candle Feast, I¡¯d kind of blown them off, and I was regretting that now. I¡¯d been a touch arrogant in assuming that I¡¯d be able to get through the trial quickly, and we¡¯d be back home in time for the feast.


    Ah, well.


    I scoured through just about every shop in town, doing the best I could to get a good gift for Kene, because I was sure that they¡¯d have picked out an amazing gift for me. Puinen had a limited selection of shops, and my budget was pretty limited too ¨C I might have picked up a lot of magic, but I hadn''t made much actual money.


    Once I found something, I did the best I could to wrap it in some brown butcher paper with only a single arm.


    Dusk was thankfully much easier to shop for, though convincing her to let me go shop alone was harder than I¡¯d expected. In the end, I just brought her along with me, and gave her the piles of various nutritional packets that she wanted and could use in her realm right away. In return, she gave me a pat on the head, then flew away, returning a moment later with a braid of garlic and onions that she¡¯d managed to grow in her spare time, and had braided using the combination of her legacy, nascent truth, and still-not-quite-congealed dominion.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I said, heading into the house and hanging them in the kitchen. She let out a happy peep and then conjured her cloud, flew to my shoulder, and hopped onto it again.


    Once Kene was done working, we headed to the steadily growing bonfire. The village had several piles of roasted meat, with more spinning over the fire, thin rivers of fat dripping into the fire and creating splashing sizzles.


    But it wasn¡¯t just meat. There were assorted root vegetables ¨C turnips, celery root, and parsnips, all roasted over the fire as well until the outsides were a touch on the crispy, almost burnt side, and the insides were soft and slid off the fork.


    I thought it was all a touch on the salty side, but there was still a certain quality to eating food fresh off the fire, outside under the stars that was hard to replicate. The fact that Kene helped me make the plates and fretted over me as I ate was also a benefit ¨C their concern was frankly adorable.


    Even Edgar joined the celebration, reaching his massive head into the bonfire with seemingly no concern at all to snap up three entire ham hocks, back to back.


    As the night continued, the food was depleted, and people started bringing out drinks, both alcoholic and otherwise. I had a slender glass of a clarified milk punch, and I found that I liked it quite a bit, before I shifted over to a non-alcoholic rosemary and apple shrub. Kene had a mug of posset, then swapped over to hot cocoa.


    Dusk didn¡¯t need to drink in the traditional sense, so she spent most of the feast zipping from spot to spot, looking at people and things. That comforted me a little on its own ¨C she was relaxed enough to not feel the need to cling to my side.


    Most of the people who lived here didn¡¯t have nearly as much concern about drinking, and before long, several had broken out into impromptu karaoke. Someone dragged out a large soundstone and started organizing people into actual groups, which was my cue to dip away to one of the benches with Kene and pass over the gift I had purchased. It wasn¡¯t much, just a set of silver earrings that I thought they would like, and a silver necklace with an old healer¡¯s sigil on it.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± they said, delightedly pulling it on before passing me my own gift. I opened it to reveal a small, smooth, slightly waxy looking pill.


    ¡°I spent some of the time you were on the trail refining that,¡± Kene told me. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but¡­ It should be helpful?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, rolling it between my fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯s a refined source of knowledge energy,¡± Kene said. ¡°It¡¯s not strong enough to really register as a specific gate, but it should push through the knowledge flows in the brain and widen them slightly. In a normal person, that wouldn¡¯t do anything, since their flows are only cycling as much knowledge energy as they have. But you have an excess.¡±


    They held up their hand


    ¡°It won¡¯t make you any smarter, it¡¯s not a miracle pill or anything. It will just help more of the energy flow through you, and that will sharpen your senses slightly. Its main benefit is that it will let you build up your reserves faster for your runelight lens.¡±


    I popped the pill into my mouth and let it dissolve. Its power was gentle, like Kene had said, but I could feel it rushing through my mind, eyes, ears, mouth, skin, and more.


    ¡°It¡¯s tingly,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kene said, then grinned. ¡°I needed to give you something to help you catch up.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I said, and they laughed, dancing back from the jabbing finger I sent at them.


    Someone brought out some butter cookies and apple cakes then, and Kene was spared from my vile machinations.


    It was a good night, and even the following day, as I joined the clean up crew with my good arm, it was strangely peaceful and relaxing, idyllic in a way that I hadn''t really experienced since before my mana testing had happened, with the only flaw in the foundation being the fact that my family was so far from me.


    But all good things must come to an end, and before long, I was out of the sling and standing in front of the gates to the trail with Dusk and Kene, charging them with mana in order to get to the other side.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Eighty-Four

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°You have decided to detonate the stone, then,¡± Edgar said, watching the three of us as we strode into his lab.


    ¡°I have,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a risk, but I need to be strong.¡±


    In the end, Ed¡¯s talk about the assassin had been what had convinced me. I needed strength if I was going to face her. Up to this point, my clashes had only been won through circumstance. In a head to head, as I was now, I would lose. This would hopefully be a small step towards fixing that.


    But she had gone after my family. My brother, and worse, my father, who had no combat magic to protect him. I wasn¡¯t going to take that lying down.


    ¡°But we¡¯re doing what we can to minimize that risk,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡¯m going to preemptively lay some spells on Malachi to stop his spirit or body from breaking, and Dusk is going to be prepared to pass power to him, strengthening his body immediately after the ascension. And, of course, we¡¯ll have his plants ready for ascension. Then, we have healer¡¯s heart, which should help reduce the strain on his body.¡±


    I withdrew three leaves from the small healer¡¯s heart shrub as Kene spoke.


    ¡°And finally,¡± I said. ¡°I have three alter-truffles. Breaking open my death mana to third gate should trigger the one placed in my death gate and the connection point, at least to some degree. That will better help me.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to try and crack open the petrified omnieye egg ¨C that could wait for space or time or life, when I wasn¡¯t under so much pressure.


    ¡°I see,¡± Edgar said. ¡°I am glad that you have given this decision the gravity that it deserves, Malachi.¡±


    I flashed him a cheeky grin to hide my nerves.


    ¡°I like to think I¡¯ve learned something from all of my fighting,¡± I said.


    The massive tortoise just studied me, then inclined his head. As he did, things began to shift and float up into the air, weaving together in a strange mix of alchemy and enchanting. The ink from the inkstone vein served as a base, and Edgar¡¯s magic wove through it, tapping into something that reminded me of when Dusk manipulated reality with her legacy. His mana forged into shapes, which dissolved into the swirling ink a mere moment later, then the leaves from the Healer¡¯s Heart spun and rotated in.


    A thin plate of shed scute from his shell floated up next, breaking down and mixing into the glowing blob of ink, followed by a flow of what felt like knowledge, life, and death mana and energy in concert, braided together into a strange purple construct.


    The ink in the air began to roil and churn, spinning into a potent power, and I watched with fascination. This was what a C bought me? How much more could I have managed with an A?


    But it was too late for me to improve my grade.


    Dusk let out a wind-rustling-in-trees sound, and opened a portal into her plane, near the field of flowers we cultivated. All I would need for this would be the blood carnations, so I made sure I knew where they were before I took a seat in a chair, rolling up my sleeve.


    The tattoo gun lifted into the air, and my own personal inkstone rose up as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to detonate it,¡± Edgar announced gravely. ¡°That power will flow into the ink, and I¡¯ll lay the mark on you. When the pain becomes too much, or when the ink runs dry, you should draw on your plants and advance. Don¡¯t take more than you can handle. It¡¯s better to have a powerful, incomplete mark than to die.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said, then cast a quick spell, attaching myself to the carnations, though I didn¡¯t draw on their power yet. Kene took my hand, and Dusk patted my shoulder.


    The inkstone I had received started to glow, then it exploded into a massive wash of gray, almost colorless fire that was somehow also ink. The power rapidly condensed, sliding into the ink, and the tattoo needle touched my upper arm.


    The pain from the tattoo itself wasn¡¯t too bad ¨C I¡¯d had far worse in fights. All the needle made me want to do was let out a hiss.


    But the power flowing into me was a lot. It was unstable, wild, chaotic in a way that I couldn¡¯t describe. As the needle continually stabbed into me, millimeter after millimeter, it started to build.


    It was unpleasant, but nothing I couldn¡¯t handle.


    Edgar continued working, and slowly but surely, the pain started to build.


    At first, it was like the spiritual equivalent of the pain that I¡¯d felt when the drakes in the cave had crushed my hands and snapped the bones in them, or when the revenant had burned me and stabbed me at the same time.


    That was only the beginning. I gritted my teeth, and Kene put a bit of leather in my mouth for me to bite down on instead. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    That helped.


    The pain started to build higher and higher, and I could feel my spirit starting to quail before the weight that was crushing down on it.


    I felt the weight stop growing, and spat the leather out of my mouth.


    ¡°Keep going,¡± I said.


    Kene put the leather back in my mouth, and a moment later, I felt the weight on my spirit start to increase. It began to bridge across into my body, and my arm started to tingle, as if a thousand hot needles were stabbing into me.


    It expanded out, moving through my body and spirit, and it felt like ten thousand fire ants were biting onto every inch of flesh. I must have started screaming, because I felt the weight stop a second time and could faintly hear someone screaming in the background.


    I choked down the scream.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop,¡± I whispered.


    It took them longer to start back again, and when they did, I was no longer able to hold in my screaming. I heard it echoing through the cave, until I didn¡¯t hear it any more.


    Everything went black around me then, save for the faint green and amber color of Kene¡¯s spells.


    Weight crushed down on me, and I felt bones snapping. I didn''t know if it was real, or if it was my spirit and mind trying to account for what I was feeling.


    The power kept coming, and the light of Kene¡¯s spells started to waiver, flickering like a candle on its last breath.


    I felt the weight stop growing.


    ¡°More,¡± I managed to grunt out.


    The weight increased, and my heart was being torn apart by knives that glowed like the surface of the sun, my skin was being peeled off by vegetable peelers, my eyes were being sliced to ribbons with razors.


    I felt something start to strain, then Kene¡¯s spells snuffed out.


    The pain doubled, then doubled again. I could see it, floating in the darkness of the void overhead, bearing down on me like the wrath of an angry magi, and I threw my power and will up to meet it. I slammed into it with my body and spirit, and I was crushed. The weight was simply too much for me.


    I hung on anyways, pushing back the weight with every scrap of willpower I had. I just needed to let them finish.


    Light flickered in the space around me, more green and amber, and the weight lessened some. The silver leaves of the healer¡¯s heart manifested, and I felt the weight stop growing.


    It was still crushing, bearing down on me, destroying me, body and soul alike, but it wasn¡¯t growing.


    I tried to tell them to keep going, that I could take more, but I wasn¡¯t sure if they could hear me. I wasn¡¯t sure I could hear my own words.


    I tried to tell them again, but it was all I could do to stop myself from exploding into a splatter of blood and soul against the weight. It might have stopped growing, but it was still heavy, far too heavy. I didn¡¯t think I could last another hour, let alone a week.


    I drew my power and will up, gripping the leaves and lights, and spat out a command for them to continue.


    Instead, I heard Edgar¡¯s voice ring out in the darkness.


    ¡°It¡¯s done! Bond it now.¡±


    I reached out for the thin connection to the blood carnations, and tried to focus on my mana-garden. There was something wrong, the pressure was there too, but the mana-garden seemed to float up around me, spinning like I¡¯d been running in circles.


    I clenched my fist and tugged, and death mana started to fill me. I marched into my first gate death mana, but the world kept spinning and spinning and spinning.


    I fell to my knees, but I kept clutching onto the mana, not allowing a single trace of it to dissipate, even though I was overflowing with more power than I could handle many times over.


    One hand.


    The other hand.


    Inch by inch, I crawled out of my first gate, and under the massive mushroom that was the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul. It was practically raining spores, and the weight somehow seemed even stronger here.


    My body gave out, leaving me laying flat on my stomach under the pressure.


    I reached out with my hands and grabbed the mycelium tendrils.


    I forced myself to move forwards with nothing but the strength in my arms. This wasn¡¯t physical, it was spiritual. I could move. If I didn¡¯t move, I would be crushed under the enormous pressure.


    My arms grew weak, and I pulled myself along with nothing but the grip of my hands, then my fingers, then¡­ there.


    My fingers brushed the cool wrought iron that was my third gate. I could barely even breathe, but I had clutched onto my mana with a death grip. I slammed it into the barrier to my third gate, yanking for the power that would be there.


    It didn¡¯t open. I felt a moment of despair.


    Then I felt Kene¡¯s spells crack for a second time, then explode.


    I was going to open my third gate, or I was going to die.


    I brought the mana in for another hammer blow, then another, and another.


    It wasn¡¯t the fifth strike that finally did it, but somewhere in the battering rain of mana, my third gate blew open, and for just a moment, I felt another wind, one I¡¯d touched on for a few moments, flicker. I thought I even heard faint snatches of laughter on the wind, but then it was gone.


    Strength rushed through me, flowing through my death gate like the cold wind of midnight slipping through a graveyard.


    With it running through me, my eyes snapped open, but I still couldn¡¯t stand up, the pressure was too great.


    But it let me see the changes in my mana-garden. A shimmering blue-gray light shot up from the mushroom of Beast Mage¡¯s Soul, as well as from the ungated mana, where mycelium met roots.


    Beast Mage¡¯s Soul exploded upwards and outwards, until the massive cap was covering everything in all four gardens, everything except for the distant tree in my life garden. Something in my body was changing too, though I couldn¡¯t tell what it was.


    The power that my death gate could express was¡­ So much. I had received a tempering in the drops of destiny, fortune, and resolve, as well as a golden soul elixir, and they¡¯d let my second gate mana keep up with third gate mages. But now that I was a third gate mage¡­


    Everything was different.


    It was like I had spent my entire life with a noose tied around my neck, strangling me half to death, and finally I could breathe.


    And somewhere in me, beneath my mana, a slot carved from my spirit opened, a space begging to accept power into it, to help me grow and connect to all things. It manifested in my mana garden over the gate that led to my third gate garden as a socket for a gemstone atop the gate, but with nothing there to fill it.


    It was surprisingly intuitive to connect that space to the pressure bearing down on me, and the power flowed in. The pressure started to lessen, and I felt Kene¡¯s spells flicker back into place, helping heal me.


    Slowly, I dragged myself to my knees, and tried to stand.


    Then the pressure slammed back down on me, and I was in the void of darkness again.

 The Twin Trials: Chapter Eighty-Five

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I stared up into the sky and screamed. The power was crushing me, but I wouldn¡¯t fall.


    But I could feel doubt creeping in.


    I had done it, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The pressure was too much, my soul and body were shaking. I hadn¡¯t cracked like a dam yet, but I could feel that it was just a matter of time. There was simply too much pressure, more than my body or soul could handle. Energy and mana were rushing into me, and I knew that the moment I let this form fade, my spirit would crack.


    I drew my everything up into a sharp point, then slammed it against the darkness.


    I could hold on. It might not be perfect, but I would not die.


    I hammered my will against the pressure, and slowly but surely, I began to understand it.


    The power of the spellbinder bond had alleviated the soul bond, but not removed it. Too much of the bond had been spent elsewhere, trying to keep up with the racing potential of the detonated beastmark inkstone.


    But the beastmark wasn¡¯t my only source of pressure. I could feel three others, one much stronger than the other two.


    It took me a long time to understand them. Cognitively, I knew what they were, but cognition was of limited use in this fight. I needed a different kind of understanding, one that ironically enough, I didn¡¯t understand.


    The weakest was featherlight, practically carrying itself, the power of my staff. It strengthened my spirit as much as it weighed on it, and connected me to something ¨C or somethings? ¨C that I didn¡¯t understand.


    That was¡­ strange. The power of a staff was focused internally, why was it connecting to something else?


    But I didn¡¯t have time to ponder. Whatever the other thing it was connecting me to was, it added no weight.


    I dismissed the staff from my mind.


    The second weakest was the Runelight Lens, my growth item. It was strong, a well crafted growth item that had a valuable natural treasure and multiple resources poured into its creation at the sacrificial altar. It was perfectly suited to expanding my senses, one of my strongest weapons.


    The lens added pressure. A lot of pressure.


    But not even a quarter as much as the third.


    Dusk.


    My oldest soulbond, one that I¡¯d doubled down on with an extra binding knot. Dusk was an entire astral plane, a pocket world. Dusk was a person, with curiosity, hopes, and dreams.


    And she was in distress. Her own power was adding to the pressure that was crushing my spirit and body, and she wasn¡¯t able to do anything about it.


    But I could.


    I reached for the pressure that was Dusk, and I allowed it down. My body splintered and cracked in the spiritual space, but Dusk appeared next to me. Her eyes widened, and she reached out, taking my hand in hers.


    With her tiny frame, I looked like a giant.


    She looked at me, squared her shoulders, then focused.


    I didn¡¯t know much about spirits, but I knew that they achieved a dominion, a sort of¡­ realm of control. It helped them specify their power, and was part of how more granular spirits appeared. It was the power they unlocked at spellbinder, but Dusk¡¯s legacy and nascent truth had let her channel bits of it before, though they¡¯d exhausted her quickly.


    Up until this point, Dusk hadn¡¯t solidified her dominion, like a beast who hadn¡¯t chosen their form, or a human who hadn¡¯t bonded to something.


    In that moment, Dusk¡¯s dominion formed, and I could see it. I stood there, present within her dominion, Dusk on my shoulder, and the world spread out around me, a river to my left, trees to my right, mountains capped with snow behind me, and sand beneath my feet.


    Capturing me within her dominion had taken an inordinate amount of power, and I could feel that if she¡¯d chosen to develop her dominion without me, she could have easily painted a much larger picture, given herself more to work with. She was a worldspirit, after all.


    But she hadn¡¯t.


    Dusk had incorporated me into her spiritual dominion, and I felt that settle around me. Like a half-baked cake, it was helping with the spiritual pressure, but it wasn¡¯t done yet.


    Dusk slapped my hand, and I felt life mana, extracted from the red star tree, fill me. She gave me a serious look, and let out a sound like the whipping wind in the mountains.


    She told me to not die.


    I seized the mana, and with an effort of will, I forced myself to reappear in my mana-garden.


    I was still on my hands and knees, near my newly opened third gate death mana, and I could feel the overflowing power of life filling my life gates. I clamped down onto it, not letting it go to waste, and started crawling towards my life gate. I saw something glowing in my ungated mana as I crawled through, but I couldn¡¯t spare the effort to tilt my head, I needed everything for this. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    I crawled under the boughs of my massive tree, over the roots, until I stood near the third gate for life mana.


    Then I staggered to my feet, using the bars of the gate to lever myself up. I thrust my hand into the air, conducting as much mana as I could, and I felt more flowing in from Dusk, flowing into me. I brought my fist down on the gate.


    Unlike the death gate, life blew open in a single strike. It was as if it was out of balance, and wanted to return to its correct orientation.


    I supposed in a way, that was true.


    Light exploded from the tree behind me, and the connection point, and I saw the bark of the tree begin to turn a shimmering rainbow color, while the mushroom became the black of ink. The branches of the tree began to weave their way under the gills of the mushroom, forming constellations, though not ones I recognized. I changed, spirit and body.


    Again, there was the stable flow of more power, freeing me from bonds I¡¯d worn around my ankles all my life, and letting me walk unobstructed for the first time.


    And again, I felt a socket open in the gate, a place I needed to fill with power.


    I reached out for Dusk, and with her already working me into her dominion, it was even easier than directing the flow of the beastmark into my death gate.


    Death resonated with the power of the bestial.


    Life resonated with the power of the spiritual.


    Ungated mana, where the two opposing powers came together as one, resonated with the power of humanity.


    It was like a key clicking into a lock, like the last puzzle piece slotting into place, like spell-machined gears in a clock.


    The pressure lifted from my spirit and my body, and I could breathe again.


    The last thing I heard before I passed out was the rustling of Dusk, calling out one word.


    Victory.


    The first thought I had upon waking up was that I felt bad for Kene. They¡¯d had to tend to me after I passed out too many times.


    The second thought was that I seemed to pass out a lot. I needed to talk to Kene about that. They were the medical mage, they¡¯d probably be able to tell me. But maybe it was nothing to worry about? I was in a lot of stressful situations, after all.


    The third thought was pain. So much pain. I had been in bad shape after the trial trail, and this was like that, but everywhere in my body and spirit at the same time.


    The fourth thought was that I was awake!


    I blinked my eyes open to see Kene sitting in a chair next to me, with Dusk on their shoulder. We were in a somewhat familiar room ¨C the guest room of the old man who¡¯d taken care of me and fed me after the Idyll-Flume.


    I sat up gently, and Kene flicked the book they were reading closed and gently pressed me down.


    ¡°You need to sleep,¡± they said. ¡°Get some rest.¡±


    I collapsed back into bed and slept without dreams.


    When I woke up the second time, it was to find Kene feeding me broth. I blinked and reached for the spoon, taking it in shaking hands, then slowly taking a sip.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, and Kene screwed up his nose.


    ¡°You pushed way too hard, and forced yourself to take the full power of the detonation. Even Edgar has no idea what effects the mark is going to grant now. But even though you were only under its pressure for a few hours, you managed to deal yourself a lot of damage ¨C I¡¯m going to chew you out for that later, once you¡¯re feeling better.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± I admitted, taking another sip of broth.


    ¡°Your body basically stopped working,¡± Kene said. ¡°It was like all of your organs were suddenly shutting down at once. Your spirit was faring better, but not by much. I was pumping power into you like crazy, drawing on everything in Dusk¡¯s realm, and Edgar was even using some sort of spell to directly restore my mana reserves.¡±


    Kene let out a slow sigh.


    ¡°Then you managed to bond it, and the pressure lessened, but it was still bad. Edgar said that you would only have a few days left to live, and tried to wake you, but you didn¡¯t let the spell slip through. You were still fighting. That¡­ Scared me. It scared me a lot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, letting the spoon clink into the bowl and reaching out for Kene¡¯s hand. They took it, and I gently ran my thumb over the back of their hand.


    ¡°Dusk and I were both in a bad state then, when she froze. We had moved you into her realm, just on the off chance it would help, and it¡­ When I say she froze, I mean the entire world froze. It was like someone had entirely stopped time. And Dusk said you were reaching for her. It took you two hours, but you connected to her, and she sent power into you. Edgar had to help her this time, but then you broke through again and bonded her.¡±


    ¡°That lines up with my memories, mostly,¡± I said. ¡°Though it felt like seconds or minutes for me. How bad is the damage?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been out for the better part of a week, and if you hadn¡¯t been showing steady signs of improvement, Agnes hadn¡¯t been force feeding you potions nonstop, and Dusk couldn¡¯t feel you getting better¡­¡±


    Kene shook their head and squeezed my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad to have you back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to be back,¡± I said with complete honesty. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad.¡±


    ¡°Neither did I,¡± Kene admitted. ¡°If I had, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± I pointed out. ¡°How bad is the damage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not great,¡± Kene said. ¡°You¡¯ve done something to your mana channels, something I don¡¯t understand. They¡¯ve somehow fused into your body. Like extra cardiac veins, but made of purely mana and energy. That could be explained with your full gate spells, much like the other changes. But the channels, they¡¯re¡­ Wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± I asked, though I was interested to know what other changes the alter truffles had accelerated. My entire body was numb and sore at the same time, so I couldn¡¯t really tell.


    ¡°It¡­ depends on how you want to measure it,¡± Kene said haltingly. ¡°I consulted with both the hag, Edgar, Agnes, and my grandmother, and we don¡¯t think it can be fixed. Edgar says that he¡¯s not even confident that direct attention from the Healer, an Elohian Occultist specialized in healing, is going to fix it.¡±


    They drew themself up and took a deep breath, but my mind was caught on the fact that they¡¯d consulted with the hag.


    For me.


    ¡°That¡¯s the bad part. The good part is that you should be able to cast, once the spiritual strain and bodily strain is gone. How much, we don''t know. What effects these... rooted channels... will have, we also don''t know."


    Kene held up two fingers.


    ¡°Two months. If you can wait two months, then you¡¯ll be able to cast again. You should be able to walk in a few days. But I don¡¯t even want you to think about touching your mana for those months, not even ungated spells. Don¡¯t try to slip into your mana-garden, don¡¯t try to use mana senses. Nothing.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said seriously. I might take risks, but I wasn¡¯t completely stupid. I could feel just how bad of a shape I was in.


    Two months¡­ That was just in time for the vision of falling stars that I¡¯d had when I¡¯d been working on my Depths of Starry Night happened. That sent a shiver down my spine.


    Two months to cast.


    A few days to walk.


    I reached my hand out to Kene and squeezed it.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I would need to adjust my plans again, but maybe this wouldn¡¯t be all bad.


    I¡¯d been running for a long time now.


    It was time for a rest.

 The Third Gate: Chapter One

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Two weeks after I¡¯d awoken in the guest bedroom at the edge of the Beastgate Trial Trail, Kene and I stood back in Puinen, where I was chopping firewood for Agnes, the old alchemist who was using Kene as hired help.


    There was still a long way to go before I¡¯d be able to even think about tapping into my spirit or mana-garden ¨C six more weeks, at the very least ¨C but my physical strength had partially recovered. My full-gate spells operated continuously, even with me refusing to touch my spirit, and they, alongside a copious amount of healing magic, and a strict potion regime, had allowed my body to recover to slightly above the strength of a normal person¡¯s.


    More importantly for me, the alter-truffles had pushed my transition along nicely. I was a bit stockier, a bit better muscled, and my voice was deeper, alongside other things.


    I hadn''t recovered fully in my body ¨C I shouldn¡¯t get into a fight anytime soon ¨C but I was strong enough to help out in the village.


    And so, I was chopping firewood for Agnes.


    Dusk floated up to me on her cloud, staring into my eyes, which shimmered with prismatic color, and had spinning constellations drifting through them, like the eyes of a dragon had been combined with a rainbow.


    Dusk let out a warning sound, telling me that I had better not be pushing myself too hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, Dusk,¡± I said, unable to stop the smile from spreading across my face. She whistled that was good, because if I was, she would have to crush me like an ant.


    I raised an eyebrow in amusement.


    ¡°You can try it,¡± I told her. Dusk had grown a bit, that was true, but she still wasn¡¯t even six inches tall.


    In response, Dusk made a river-rushing noise, warning me that she would kick me inside my ear holes. On that horrifying mental image, she spun her cloud around and zoomed away, presumably going to find Kene and bug them about something.


    I appreciated the spirit¡¯s worry, in its own way. There was more to it than lay on the surface, and I¡¯d let her ease it however she needed to.


    Not that I could say I wasn¡¯t worried either. The damage to my mana channels from when the strain had melted them into my body looked like pulsing veins of ink, visible through the skin of my chest, practically soaking in the light to the point that in a white shirt ¨C which I was delighted to feel comfortable wearing now ¨C the black color was visible.


    That was¡­ concerning. The worst part was that I didn¡¯t even know how it would impact my ability to cast ¨C not until I was able to reach into my spirit for power again.


    Almost as bad, I couldn¡¯t tell what powers the shimmering tattoo on my left bicep was going to do. It was shaped in a twisting arcane sigil that vaguely resembled the long, thin claws of some sort of ancient dragon, made of an ink that was all at once ink-black, shimmering with an entire rainbow worth of color, and the colorless gray power of Edgar¡¯s mana. I¡¯d thrown my soul and body through a gauntlet for power that this mark would grant me, and I had no idea what it had actually done.


    The worried thoughts caused my tail to lash in irritation, and I had a moment of strange cognitive dissonance, because it felt natural, as if it had been there for a long time¡­ which of course, it hadn¡¯t been. That was what caused the dissonance. When I didn¡¯t think, it felt completely normal, but when I thought, I realized how strange it was.


    It was shaped vaguely like a fox tail, and not completely substantial, rather being made of a mixture of magical energy and illusions that half reminded me of Lesser Image Recall or Material Echo, and it seemed to create faint ripples in the air when it lashed. That, at the very least, was a blessing ¨C the insubstantial nature of the tail had meant that there wasn¡¯t a need for all of my clothes to be adjusted.


    Though I wasn¡¯t sure insubstantial was the right word for it. The tail was partly energy, and while it passed through matter, I did receive some feedback from it, just not as much, or the same sort, that I would receive from my normal senses.


    If I could have changed anything about the tail, it would have been the color scheme. The body of the tail was a shimmering mixture of a yellow so deep it was almost orange, the vibrant green of fresh ivy, a rich sapphire blue, and a deep purple that reminded me of the interior of a plum, while the tip of the tail was made of a grayish energy that trailed off into smoke and rippling, half-dreamt images.


    Though the tail, heart, and eyes were the most obvious changes, there were others that wouldn¡¯t appear at a casual inspection, and while I wasn¡¯t completely contented with my appearance, it was better than I thought I¡¯d be able to get, especially so soon.


    If I¡¯d followed the plan I had so long ago, working in magical beast containment or soothing spirits, I wouldn¡¯t even be halfway through the first rounds of spells and alchemical treatments, with months before even the first surgery could be done. I was already well ahead of that.


    I took just a moment to smile to myself, and let myself be grateful for just how fortunate I had been, then returned to chopping.


    Once I¡¯d gathered up enough firewood, I tossed it into Dusk¡¯s realm. That, at the very least, I could manage without straining my spirit. Ever since Dusk had incorporated me into her dominion, and I¡¯d bonded to her, it had been easier than ever to connect to her realm, to a frankly absurd degree.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    If anything, the readings that Kene, their grandmother, Agnes, and Edgar had taken suggested that the more I worked with Dusk, the faster my spirit would recover, like a restoration therapist helping to repair the function to a freshly-healed knee.


    More importantly to me right now, the connection let me cheat on my chores, and not strain my body.


    I walked over to the shed where Agnes kept her firewood, then waved my hand and called the wood back into physical reality. I couldn¡¯t manipulate the physical location it appeared it well, so I still had to order it and stack it in the right orientation, but at least I hadn¡¯t had to lug all the wood across the yard and to the shed.


    Once it was stacked, I stepped into Dusk¡¯s realm, then out next to where she was standing. Our deeper connection had removed the need for me to force open a portal whenever I wanted to enter or leave Dusk¡¯s astral plane. We suspected that it would remove some of the distance limitations, too, but we hadn¡¯t tested it yet.


    I was bound to the plane, bound to her, taking a guardian role of some sort. I didn¡¯t fully understand the implications of that, but I did still enjoy certain privileges.


    Kene jumped as I stepped out of the air next to them, then shook their head.


    ¡°That¡¯s spooky, Mal,¡± they said, while Siobhan, the fox-bird creature ¨C wait, no, Octavian had identified it as an enfield ¨C yipped out a merry greeting to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been able to teleport for a long time,¡± I pointed out, bending down to give Siobhan some well-deserved head scritches. ¡°Not exactly fair for it to only be now that you¡¯re spooked.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but when you teleport it feels¡­¡±


    They pantomimed something with their hands, as if that would explain it.


    It did not, so I stared at them, and they let out a sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s just different,¡± they said, exasperated. ¡°This is less fair.¡±


    Dusk raven-cawed her disagreement ¨C this was so much more fair and logical than me being able to zip around like a blink fox. At least with this, she was able to follow it.


    ¡°Monsters, the both of you,¡± Kene said, throwing their hands in the air in mock-anger, though they couldn¡¯t hide their grin. ¡°It¡¯s not fair in the slightest if you gang up on me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like fair fights,¡± I said. ¡°I tend to lose those.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true,¡± Kene said. ¡°You still win. You just take horrible damage from overexerting yourself. I mean there was the fight against Mallory, though I wasn¡¯t there for that.¡±


    ¡°No, I¨C¡± I started to say, but Kene pushed on, a malicious smirk on their face.


    ¡°Then, of course, there was the fight with the war root. Perhaps the single most prominent example of what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but¨C¡±


    ¡°Then in the Idyll-Flume, you¨C¡±


    ¡°Mercy!¡±


    ¡°And with the revenant king¨C¡±


    ¡°Stoppppppppp,¡± I pleaded, and Kene relented, laughing. I started to laugh too, but was cut off in a flash of darkness.


    ¡°Whom do we mock?¡± the witch asked, stepping out of Kene¡¯s shadow. ¡°I enjoy mocking. Mockingbirds, much less so. They¡¯re bullies, even if they do sing pretty songs. Like sirens, but human-fish, instead of birds, like sirens are.¡±


    I was¡­ fairly confident she¡¯d gotten that the wrong way around, and also that the average mockingbird wasn¡¯t magical in the slightest.


    Then again, she was a witch who had been practicing her art since before my grandfather had been born, so maybe I was the one in the wrong.


    No, that was ridiculous. It was just Kene¡¯s grandmother being her strange self.


    ¡°Nobody, grandmother,¡± Kene said, and the witch squinted, staring at them. They turned to stare at me next, then stared at Dusk, who waved happily to the old crone.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± the old woman said. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to cook dinner. Malachi, you are going to cook with me. Not cook me, nor be cooked. Though if you had to cook a person, marinate them for a¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Agnes called out, interrupting the witch¡¯s rambling. Agnes was also an old woman, and was one of the strongest people in the town of Puinen, their local healer and alchemist. She stepped out from the back rooms, where she kept the stock of herbs and dried monster parts that she used for alchemy.


    ¡°Why not?¡± the witch whined, sounding like a child more than an old woman.


    ¡°You can use your own kitchen,¡± Agnes said. ¡°The last time you used mine, you caused the soup to explode.¡±


    ¡°It looked at me funny,¡± the witch sniffed. ¡°It deserved it.¡±


    Agnes thumped her cane on the ground.


    ¡°I said no.¡±


    The witch sighed and melted into the shadows of the floor. I glanced at Kene.


    ¡°Think she¡¯s going to stick around with us, or return home?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± they said. ¡°They are worried about us both. Much like after my accident, they¡¯ll stick around as long as they can, but then leave.¡±


    I nodded ¨C I had more to talk with her about.


    But not now.


    I glanced at Agnes, who squinted at me.


    ¡°Have you been taking your iron and vitamin supplements?¡± she demanded.


    Kene winced, and I took their hand. I knew that they still felt guilty about that.


    It was, perhaps, the most surprising thing to come out of my treatment for nearly dying under the weight of too many powerful soul bonds. Since my body shared some of the pressure, the old healer had used her knowledge mana to cast a variety of body scans that were more comprehensive than the Analyze Life spell, including ones to look at aspects outside of life.


    What she had found was that I was moderately to severely lacking in iron. My diet had only made it worse ¨C we weren¡¯t poor, but as a part of owning a bakery, I¡¯d had a diet heavy in bread, and I hadn¡¯t really started picking up cooking until I was in my teens. Even then, it had been for flavor, not nutrition.


    The month of nutrition potions on the Beastgate Trial Trail was perhaps the first time ever that I¡¯d had remotely close to enough iron in my diet. But it went beyond diet ¨C my blood itself wasn¡¯t producing enough iron.


    It was more than just not getting enough in my diet ¨C my nutrition had only exacerbated an underlying problem. I¡¯d likely been lacking in the needed iron in my blood for years. Agnes speculated that it had started when I was twelve or thirteen.


    Kene, Meadow, and even Orykson had never caught it because while it was in blood, it didn¡¯t show up under the Analyze Life spell, and none of them had ever used the larger medical ritual spells to look deeper. Why would they? I seemed healthy.


    Well, Orykson¡¯s spirit might have caught it, but then again, it wasn¡¯t human, or even humanoid, like Dusk. It might have not realized it was an issue.


    With the use of my full-gate spells, the lack of iron would slowly be rectified as I built telluric energy up, but even then, it would be a slow road.


    For now, it meant supplements.


    In hindsight, it had been obvious. The frequent fainting, the absurd paleness, and my constantly cold hands and feet?


    Ah, well. Such was the way of things.


    ¡°Well?¡± Agnes snapped, and I blinked, realizing I¡¯d been lost in thought.


    ¡°He has,¡± Kene said, stepping in for me. ¡°I¡¯ve been making sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Agness sniffed. ¡°Malachi, you¡¯re welcome to cook dinner, now that the old bat is gone.¡±


    She said that like I could say no, but acting as her private chef was part of how I earned my keep, so I nodded my agreement, kissed Kene on the cheek, patted Dusk on the head, and went to go make something.


    Hopefully without blowing something up.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Two

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Under a mountain, at the edge of the Beastgate Trial Trail, I met with a massive tortoise.


    ¡°It is good to see you back on your feet,¡± Edgar said. ¡°Your partner charged the array?¡±


    Dusk made a wet leaf patter, saying that she¡¯d done some of it herself, and Edgar simply nodded.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± I said seriously. ¡°Can I trust you to keep a secret? You¡¯re a beastmage, and there aren¡¯t many of us, but¡­ I think I¡¯m going to have to leave soon. Before I¡¯m fully healed.¡±


    Edgar shifted uncomfortably, his massive shell settling down.


    ¡°I do not think that is the best idea,¡± Edgar said. ¡°I think it would be best to heal completely, then experiment with the beastmark here, before you go.¡±


    ¡°I agree completely,¡± I said, and Dusk chimed in, agreeing as well.


    ¡°Then you won¡¯t go?¡± the tortoise asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    I closed my eyes.


    ¡°Swear to me that you will keep what I have to show you secret from everyone, and I can explain why. You helped save my life, which is the only reason why I¡¯m willing to show you this at all.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re making me worried,¡± Edgar rumbled. ¡°But¡­ I do so swear on my mana, that so long as what you show me will not hurt yourself or others, I will keep it a secret.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t any true power in that, but most people were still loath to break an oath sworn on their own mana. It had never been proven, but many said it would weaken the density of your mana over time.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, nodding to Dusk. She waved her hand, and a massive portal, sized large enough for Edgar to enter, spun itself out.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said, startling both of my companions. Edgar jerked, and Dusk¡¯s portal snapped shut. ¡°I forgot. Why are some portals see through, while others aren¡¯t?¡±


    Edgar paused to sip some water from the magical spring in the center of his lab, and I took a sip as well.


    I was already stuffed to the gills with every spiritually healing pill, potion, herb, and tincture I could handle, but this power was gentle and stable. It might not help much, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°It is a matter of skill and clarity,¡± Edgar said. ¡°I have met arcanists who¡¯s portals are far clearer than my own. I am not a specialist in the field ¨C the mana of a portal ant is too close to pure spatial for me to have ever truly become a master of their spells ¨C but those who are can prevent any mana leakage.¡±


    Dusk poked my cheek and asked me if that was really necessary.


    ¡°It was,¡± I said, and she asked why.


    ¡°I was curious!¡± I defended myself.


    Dusk rolled her tiny eyes at me, then clapped, and her portal spun back to life. It revealed the treasury, complete with the armored, ghost-fueled construct that Dusk had assembled as its protector, but that wasn¡¯t the real draw.


    Dusk had opened the space to the magma estragon eggs, and even through the portal, I could feel the heat radiating from the room. In the center, the natural magma core that Dusk had stolen from the Sage¡¯s trial sat, spinning gently, keeping the eggs safe and healthy.


    The eggs themselves shone like shimmering orange, yellow, and brown jewels, and inside each of them, I could see small shapes. The estragon took on a surprising array of different forms. Some resembled the slug-dragon mix that most estragon I had seen were, but others had hardened magma around them to wear more like a shell, while others looked like scales. Others still diverged into thinner, sleeker shapes.


    And the shapes were beginning to stir, poking at their shells.


    I didn¡¯t need Analyze Life or access to my mana senses to know that meant they were getting close to hatching.


    ¡°Magma estragon,¡± Edgar said, his voice filled with reverence. ¡°Where did you find them? It¡­ How did you find them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long story, and one that I probably shouldn¡¯t tell,¡± I said. ¡°It could get a lot of people in trouble. I need a way to get to the Delitone Dragon Sanctuary, so they can hatch, without reporting it to customs.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Edgar said, and his colorless gray mana began to flow around him. ¡°May I lay some protection on the eggs?¡±


    I glanced at Dusk, then back at him. If Edgar was going to steal the eggs, neither of us could stop him, and I¡¯d chosen to tell him for a reason. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Dusk crow-cawed, and Edgar¡¯s mana began to shift into rivers of amber, green, purple, and gray light, enveloping them in a soft cushion of power, while gentle, chiming notes sang out, barely audible. I wished I could use my mana senses, because I¡¯d love to take a peek at this working ¨C it looked different from most that I¡¯d seen.


    The magic slowed, then stopped, and Edgar inclined his head.


    ¡°That was the song of the Hiisi,¡± he told us. ¡°It will protect them.¡±


    ¡°The fact you think they need protection means that you can¡¯t portal us right to Delitone, true?¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Edgar said. ¡°I have never been there, and as I have already told you, my skill with portals is¡­ Lacking. I can¡¯t send you there. This is the limit of what I can do to help you.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it regardless,¡± I said, and Dusk emphatically agreed. I smiled and patted the tiny spirit¡¯s head, then glanced at Edgar.


    ¡°So, do I have your permission to leave?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You do,¡± Edgar said, then paused. ¡°Wait.¡±


    He shifted through his research table, before withdrawing a device that looked like half of an hourglass fused to a smooth disc covered in spellwork.


    ¡°This is a communication device,¡± Edgar said. ¡°Like one of those mirrors I keep meaning to get. When your spirit is healed, and you are prepared to tap into your spirit, send me an update.¡±


    I nodded as I passed the hourglass into the alchemy lab in Dusk¡¯s realm.


    ¡°I can do that. And¡­ Thank you for the help.¡±


    Edgar snorted.


    ¡°The help of almost killing you?¡±


    ¡°Still, thank you anyways. Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°You should load a few gallon jugs with the water of the healing springs,¡± Edgar said. ¡°It makes for a potent alchemical base, and is beneficial on its own. It won¡¯t help you advance, nor do much to hasten your healing, not with everything else, but it should help smooth the path some.¡±


    I thanked him and began to remove jars from Dusk¡¯s realm.


    It took me a few hours after Dusk charged the portal up and we returned to Puinen for me to track down Kene¡¯s grandmother, but I eventually found her sitting on a bench, watching a group of temporal tortoises meander past.


    ¡°I wanted to talk about something.¡±


    ¡°Is it the recipe you used to make the codfish stew?¡± the witch asked, looking up at me. ¡°I¡¯ll trade you my recipe for a hair-regrowth elixir for it.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure I needed a hair-regrowth elixir, but I was also strangely tempted. I glanced at Dusk, who just let out a ringing chime of amusement.


    ¡°I might take you up on that later,¡± I said. ¡°But I wanted to ask if you know anything about the location of the assassin.¡±


    At the thought, my tail lashed in irritation again. She had been the other thing that had been bugging me while I rested.


    I¡¯d spoken to Ed several times about it, and while both the lightwatch of Mossford and their local equivalent in Dragontooth had been on the lookout for her, there hadn¡¯t been any news. Either her bracelet had more configurations that allowed her to hide with more identities ¨C very possible, it was a growth item ¨C or she was simply good at hiding.


    Which was why I¡¯d asked the witch to see if she could do it, as well as used a communication mirror to reach out to Azalea and update her on the fact I would be heading to the sanctuary soon.


    She owed me a big favor for the transportation of the eggs, and while she wasn¡¯t willing to do much until the estragon were safe and sound, she¡¯d agreed to at least keep half an eye out. With the senses of a true arcanist, she was capable of sensing a much larger area than an average person, so if the assassin entered Teffordshire, there was a decent chance Azalea could catch her.


    I was hoping that the witch would have more useful information.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± the witch said. ¡°I cannot travel between countries so easily, you know, even if they do share a border. I had to burn a small fortune¡¯s worth of my enchanting and alchemy skills to arrive within a day of when my grandchild summoned me to tend to you. And what do I find, hmm? Nothing! You¡¯re fine, at least mostly, and the rest I can¡¯t fix, I couldn¡¯t hear with my ears. Besides, that damage is tasty, tasty potato salad, pasta salad, not egg salad, and not fruit salad.¡±


    I stared at her, then squinted.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± the witch said. ¡°No. My skills in divining the future have told me, however.¡±


    She spun and stared at me, and I felt the winds of fortune kick up in my spirit, then blinked. Were they¡­ Reacting to the witch?


    ¡°You two will meet again, one way or another. I can promise you that. It might be by chance, it might be her hunting you down, or you might seek her out yourself, but you will meet. I cannot say when. I cannot say how it will go. But be wary.¡±


    I nodded gravely, and the witch patted my shoulder, then blinked, her eyes fuzzing.


    ¡°Oh, grandchild-in-law. Did you know that if you mix pasta water with cream cheese, you can make a delicious treat?¡±


    I was thrown off by the sudden shift, but I scratched my chin as I thought about it. It wasn¡¯t a totally terrible idea. Pasta water was starchy, and if you added some other cheese in, the cream cheese could make a decent substitute for cream¡­


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said, and the witch nodded sagely before erupting into a flock of ravens. I glanced at her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that every time, you know,¡± I informed her.


    ¡°Yes I do,¡± she said. ¡°Caw. Caw.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the cawing of a bird. She said it like a person.


    ¡°The conversation isn¡¯t over,¡± I told her. ¡°We¡¯re going to be leaving soon. You¡¯re welcome to join us, if you want to head to Delitone as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bird, I can¡¯t hear you,¡± the flock of ravens said, before turning and winging off into the sky.


    I rolled my eyes and went to find Kene, who I¡¯d shown the estragon eggs to already. The witch could make her own choices ¨C she was immortal, or close to it, and she seemed to have recovered from the backlash of¡­ whatever it was¡­ when she helped Kene.


    We packed up that night, not that there was much to pack up, since we were mostly living out of Dusk¡¯s realm, and said our good byes to the people in the village ¨C the butcher I¡¯d worked with, Agnes the healer, the innkeeper we¡¯d stayed at for a while, and most of all, Edgar. He had made an appearance to wave us off.


    I hadn¡¯t thought a tortoise could wave, but Edgar did an admirable job of it, and I actually felt my eyes grow a little bit wet as we headed down and into the tunnel of wind spells that allowed for the transport between cities. I had to wear a child¡¯s ward bracelet, since I couldn¡¯t afford to let the tunnel drain my mana.


    I had grown in Puinen as both a mage and a person, and I¡¯d made connections and friendships here. I hadn¡¯t expected to spend as much time there as I had, but¡­ It had been nice.


    ¡°When I get stronger, and can open portals across countries with ease, I¡¯m definitely setting one up in Puinen,¡± I told Kene. I expected them to make some joke, but they just intertwined their fingers with mine, and nodded.


    ¡°That would be nice.¡±

 The Third Gate: Chapter Three

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    It took us much longer to reach the port town where we could take a ship to Delitone than it had taken for us to travel to Puinen, since we couldn¡¯t speed our flight along with mana. Dusk suggested that she could use her dominion to forcibly move me with them, but Kene was quick to ban that ¨C while that had been part of what Dusk got out of our bond, there was much less certainty in that being harmless to me.


    I could have just hidden in her realm, of course, but while we were on something of a time crunch, we weren¡¯t on nearly enough of one for it to justify locking myself away for a bit more speed. A couple of hours wasn¡¯t going to make the difference between the eggs hatching and not hatching, and acting like we were in a rush was going to just make us seem suspicious when we went through customs.


    There were a couple of things we could do to help ease suspicion, though, and we¡¯d taken those steps. I¡¯d been flagged when I was returning from the Idyll-Flume for being strange, but now I was hoping that I¡¯d stand a better chance of blending in. My tail twitched nervously at the thought, and I reconsidered.


    I¡¯d definitely be thought of as strange, given that the image of me in my ID didn¡¯t match my current eye color, mention a tail, or anything of that sort.


    Kene seemed to sense my nerves and took my hand, squeezing it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and check through customs when we get to the port,¡± Kene offered. ¡°They¡¯re generally looser when leaving than entering, but it¡¯ll be something, at least.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°What all do you think I should pack in my suitcase? I¡¯m thinking some clothes, toiletries, and some dried nuts.¡±


    ¡°You should probably throw in some silver,¡± Kene said. ¡°Just to have on hand. It doesn¡¯t need to be a ton, but it¡¯s probably still worthwhile to have it. It¡¯s normal to have cash when you travel abroad.¡±


    I nodded my agreement, and we made a bit of small talk about the trip as we moved through the tunnel.


    When we did arrive in the port, Kene and I headed right to the harbormaster¡¯s building to go ahead and check through. Kene was waved through without any problems, but again, I was stopped.


    ¡°Mister¡­ Malachi Roth Baker, and familiar, Dusk?¡± the man behind the desk asked.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I said, and his eyes crawled over me, stopping at the half-real tail, then up to my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± he asked, and I sighed.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I repeated. ¡°I can swear it under a truth potion.¡±


    The attendant opened the drawer and removed one of the silvery vials, and I drained it.


    ¡°I¡¯m Malachi Baker, younger brother of Edward Baker, lightwatch member. My tail, eyes, and other bodily modifications are the result of my full-gate spells, Magister¡¯s Body and Beast Mage¡¯s Soul. I¡¯ve suffered some hefty spiritual damage, so I¡¯d prefer not to be scanned, but I¡¯m willing to submit to one if needed. I¡¯m not carrying any contraband, and I intend no violence to anyone on the boat.¡±


    I was careful to say that I had no contraband, because Dusk most certainly did, but I wasn¡¯t Dusk. I was her guardian, but she was her own person.


    ¡°I see,¡± the man said. ¡°I will still need to scan you, I¡¯m afraid. If you were headed back to Mossford, I could let you slip through, but it says on the application you want a ship to Delitone¡­¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± I sighed.


    Once again I was led into the back and made to stand on a circle of spellwork, raise my hands, and drop my veil. I wasn¡¯t veiling myself, since I wasn¡¯t allowed to touch my mana, but I nodded.


    Once again, there was a flash of knowledge mana, and something ran through my spirit, which twisted and rattled. It felt like a hot knife running through me, and I let out a scream of pain, collapsing to the floor.


    The attendant let out a gasp and ran over, pulling me to my feet.


    ¡°I told you to lower a veil,¡± he said, and I glared at him. My spirit was aching and throbbing, and my heart felt like it was going to tear itself out of my chest at any moment.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t veiling,¡± I said irritably. ¡°I told you that I have spiritual damage!¡±


    ¡°Primes, I didn¡¯t realize it was that bad. Do you not have a doctor¡¯s notice of the damage or anything?¡±


    ¡°Kene¡¯s a doctor,¡± I said.


    ¡°Your partner? They¡¯re a healer and have an alchemy certification, not a medical doctorate,¡± the man said, then sighed. ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll attach a note to your file, mentioning the damage, but I can¡¯t guarantee that you won¡¯t be scanned at your arrival in Delitone. It¡¯s pretty suspicious that you don¡¯t look anything like you do in your identification papers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I grunted.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The attendant turned and walked back to where the information had printed itself neatly onto a little card, then examined it. His eyebrows knitted together, and I tensed. I was tempted to ask what it was, but he just shrugged and said.


    ¡°Ah yeah, that¡¯s some pretty nasty damage. Never seen that fifth ¨C fourth and a half? Sixth? ¨C one before, machine had a bit of trouble with it, but it didn''t register as dangerous. Alright, you¡¯re free to go.¡±


    He tossed the card in the trash, and I had to work had to not send a longing glance at the card or ask questions, so it was with a dull ache in my spirit that I returned to Kene, and the two of us purchased some tickets on board a ship that was headed to Delitone.


    We were sharing a room, which brought the price down, and we weren¡¯t picky about where we stayed, since we full intended to sleep in the cabin, but it was still enough to wipe out the dregs of my bank account. I¡¯d been doing odd jobs around the village, and Kene had been working as an alchemist, so we had the money, but with the recurring payments for my no-longer-extant broom, I was left with a double-digit amount of silver.


    Once the payment was processed, an attendant brought us some more papers stating we¡¯d already checked through, and apart from a simple bag check, we wouldn¡¯t need to go through anything when our ship arrived in a few days, as well as me a note to give to the people in Delitone.


    ¡°Want to get some lunch?¡± I asked, ¡°I think I¡¯ve got enough silver for a bit of street food.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take us to a cafe,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡¯ve actually got a lot more than I¡¯m used to having on hand. Agnes didn¡¯t pay a ton, but a lot of the work that I did in my village was either on trade or was only enough to keep the store afloat.¡±


    They let out a sad sigh then, and this time I was the one to take their hand.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to come with me,¡± I said. ¡°I know you miss your home some. You can go back, and meet me when I get home.¡±


    ¡°We just spent a month apart, you can¡¯t shake me again that easily,¡± Kene said with a wry smile.


    ¡°But you do miss it,¡± I pressed, and Kene nodded.


    ¡°I do,¡± they agreed. ¡°You just need to hurry up and get to be an arcanist already, so you can set up a portal network.¡±


    Their face froze, and they glared at me.


    ¡°That was a joke. If you so much as think about touching your mana in such a state, then I swear by all the primes¡­¡±


    They let the threat hang, but I pressed my hand to my chest, where I could still feel the aching from the spiritual scanner.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got no desire to¡­ Actually, hold on, no, that¡¯s not true. I do have a desire to do magic, but I have no intention to actually do magic until I¡¯m healed. The scan was painful enough.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Kene relented. ¡°Drink some of the water from the cave while we eat.¡±


    I nodded my agreement, and Kene took us out to a lovely little cafe that served open faced sandwiches topped with pickled fish, eggs, and cabbage, and served alongside a side of potatoes. I wasn¡¯t sure on the abundance of pickled food at first, but it was good, if a touch too salty for my tastes.


    ¡°That¡¯s just more of an excuse for you to drink water,¡± Kene pointed out as we talked.


    As we did, I turned my mind over the problem of Kene¡¯s home, and myself. I¡¯d seen guilds busying themselves during the month of Spirits-Walk, working on tackling jobs of all sorts, and at the time, I¡¯d thought about how nice it would be to have a guild of my own someday.


    I wasn¡¯t strong enough to really lead a guild of fighters, nor was I skilled enough in alchemy to run an alchemy guild, or baking, or anything else. Meadow was strong enough, but I didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d handle my proposition for her. Would she even want to do such a thing?


    I did faintly remember someone ¨C Orykson, maybe? ¨C mentioning that thanks to Dusk¡¯s unique nature, I might be able to establish portals earlier than a normal person could. The first normal portal spells opened up at fifth gate, to my understanding, but if I was able to set up a portal network earlier and cheaper, then I certainly wouldn¡¯t complain. I hadn¡¯t looked too much into the finances of it, but I knew that establishing portal networks was extremely expensive, and there were at least a few people who made a living opening portals between permanent gates for emergency goods transport.


    What would a portal network between Kene¡¯s village, Puinen, and the bakery even look like? That was such a strange mix of different things that I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it could even become anything at all.


    Then again, maybe it could.


    Regardless, before I went about making any such decisions, I¡¯d need to speak to everyone about it. A brief portal for personal use was one thing, but opening a true network was an entirely separate conversation, and I didn¡¯t even have magic back at the moment. It could wait.


    After dinner, Kene and I went shopping. Not shopping-shopping, I didn¡¯t have money, and I wasn¡¯t going to let Kene just buy a bunch of stuff because I wanted it, but we did look at things. I checked the prices of a communication mirror, just a basic one that was capable of making calls, rather than one that could connect to the networks for shows and movies, but it was still a cost in the thousands of silver.


    And yet two and a half thousand silver was no longer the absurd price that I¡¯d considered it to be. It was a lot, certainly, but I was able to sell potions for a reasonable price, and with the use of healer¡¯s heart, I would make a great return on time for my investment.


    Of course, that was only possible due to my advantages. Not just anyone could grow healer¡¯s heart, keep an entire field¡¯s worth of flowers fresh year round, and had the resources, time, the connections with the ghost market to be able to sell without a license, and training to reach third gate with life mana.


    But I was lucky enough to have those on my side, so I didn¡¯t see any reason why I shouldn¡¯t sell some potions. Besides, I¡¯d be selling healing potions ¨C it wasn¡¯t like I was selling poisons, love potions, invisibility potions, or other unethical stuff.


    But I should probably look into getting a license, like Kene had.


    ¡°How do you get licensed?¡± I asked Kene as we shopped.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a two year course, but if you¡¯re willing to take a bunch of tests to test your practical knowledge, then you can skip over most of it, and just do a three-month ethics course for it,¡± Kene said. ¡°Are you thinking about getting a license? You¡¯re not ready for it  yet, but once you¡¯re healed, we could work on it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not?¡± I asked, surprised. Kene gave me a faintly amused smile.


    ¡°Love, you¡¯re a perfectly serviceable combat alchemist, don¡¯t get me wrong, but¡­ Can you make verdant pasture pills? How about earthen refinement pills? Windsoul pills? Those are all common first gate advancement pills. And that doesn¡¯t touch on all of the ungated medicines you need to be able to make: fever reducers, pain relievers, antibacterials¡­ On top of that, there¡¯s the entire field of enhancement alchemy.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ take your point,¡± I said. I¡¯d never really thought it, but there was a lot of alchemy that I¡¯d never touched, since I stuck to the basics of healing potions and combat potions, and even then, I¡¯d only begun to dip my toes into the combat ones.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind learning, though,¡± I said with a grin.


    ¡°Soon,¡± Kene promised.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Four

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    As we boarded the boat that was headed to Delitone, I was struck with how different it was, while also being similar. The one that had taken us to the Idyll-Flume was a pure passenger ship, with some standards for luxury. Less than a full, prince-of-the-ocean style cruiser, but it was still able to carry thousands of people in comfort.


    This was about the same size, but while it had small cabins for people, it was also partly a trade ship. I could see boxes filled with, presumably, all sorts of all sorts of different things being loaded up onto the ship, but it was disappointingly samey-looking mass cargo containers, each with the same standardized spatial bending and weight altering enchantments to allow them to pack everything in.


    The room we were given was small, barely containing enough room for a full sized cot, and was located not far from the whirring of the ward generators that acted to protect the ship from water creatures that got too curious.


    ¡°So, this is where we¡¯ll be staying?¡± I said, glancing around. Dusk cawed like a raven, saying she¡¯d be inside. This room was boring.


    I nodded my agreement and opened the portal to her realm with a wave of my hand, then glanced at Kene.


    ¡°Care to join us?¡±


    ¡°Siobhan would probably enjoy a game of fetch,¡± Kene agreed, heading into Dusk¡¯s space.


    The two of us played with the enfield for a while, while Dusk zoomed about, doing her own things. There wasn¡¯t meals provided with this journey, so Kene used a bit of solar magic to light up the stove in the kitchen, and we cooked some simple beans and salted pork. My time in the butchers in Puinen had given me a fair bit of preserved meat, and with the brownies help, we¡¯d been able to pack it all away neatly, with some extra preservation spells, just in case.


    Siobbhan ate some of the pork, a raw egg, and some mashed fruit, while Dusk joined us just for the company, and before long, we made our way to bed.


    ¡°Malachi,¡± someone said. I flipped around and blinked, then glanced around. It was still dark out, and my internal pocketwatch said it was three in the morning.


    ¡°Sleep,¡± I said, before I closed my eyes again.


    ¡°Malachi,¡± the voice said, a touch more insistent, and I realized that I was alone on the bed.


    That was strange.


    I opened my eyes and glanced around spotting Dusk curled up, asleep on the nightstand, an empty bed next to me, and¡­


    Sitting in the chair on the far end of the room, near the wardrobe, was Kene.


    But it wasn¡¯t Kene.


    Their tattoos were shining with a misty, dark gray light, their teeth were like iron, and their eyes were as dark and callous as the grave. There wasn¡¯t a swaddling shell of spellcraft around them, the way there had been the last time the hag had taken control, but it was obvious.


    My heart was pounding as I slowly sat up and focused on the hag, while at the same time, my mind began to run very quickly.


    The hag had to want something. If she wanted to consume Kene, then she wouldn¡¯t have woken me, and the binding structure of the tattoos would have


    ¡°Shhh,¡± the hag whispered, pressing a clawlike finger to Kene¡¯s lips. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to wake Kene up.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± I said, my voice pitched in the low tone that was not quite a whisper.


    The hag wearing Kene¡¯s skin smiled, teeth broadening.


    ¡°I want to live, Malachi Roth Baker. I want to live.¡±


    I took a moment to study the hag silently for a moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re a parasite who consumes the soul of a host, hollowing them out,¡± I finally said.


    ¡°I cannot help the circumstances of my birth, no more than you can,¡± the hag said. ¡°I can only attempt to change them.¡±


    ¡°Why now?¡± I said. ¡°I can understand saving Kene in the Idyll-Flume. You didn¡¯t want to die any more than he did, but now.¡±


    ¡°Now you''re going to kill me, no?¡± the hag said. ¡°That¡¯s why you venture to the sepulcher.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not heading to the sepulcher yet,¡± I said. ¡°As things are, I think I¡¯d just die, if it¡¯s anywhere near as deadly as I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the hag agreed. ¡°But you will.¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± I eventually agreed. ¡°I can understand not wanting to die. But you¡¯ve tried to devour Kene several times. Can you say you¡¯re going to stop? Or is that in your nature?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    A hint of bitterness touched my voice in the end, even though I tried to keep it out.


    ¡°I¡­¡± the hag said, then halted.


    ¡°You?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°I cannot stop,¡± she finally said. ¡°But I have slowed.¡±


    I gave her a suspicious side-eye. I could see well enough in the dark thanks to my spellcraft, and I was sure she could too.


    ¡°I am not lying,¡± she said. ¡°I am here now only because of the bargain between my host and me.¡±


    ¡°If I recall correctly, that bargain was to allow you to see through their eyes,¡± I said. ¡°Not speak or puppeteer their body.¡±


    ¡°Except to save us from death,¡± the hag corrected. ¡°And you, Malachi Roth Baker, are going to kill me.¡±


    A spark of fear touched me then, because this ran deeper than the hag was saying on the surface. I didn¡¯t understand pact magic well, but I¡¯d found plenty of loopholes in the use of truth potions before, and if this was similar¡­


    The hag could fight for their life in the sepulcher, against Kene.


    Already, I was beginning to grow uncomfortable with the idea of simply shattering her for fuel within the sepulcher. It had been one thing when she¡¯d been a formless mass of power, rather than a person, but¡­ this was uncomfortably close to murder for my tastes.


    ¡°I understand your threat,¡± I said, forcing the anger down. ¡°But it still doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ve slowed yourself at all.¡±


    ¡°I am, as you so eloquently put it, a parasite. When I formed within this one¡¯s soul, I was a barely-alive bundle of instincts, with just enough magic to crush them,¡± the hag said. ¡°I lashed out, but I did not know. I did not understand. I was hungry, and there was a feast to be had.¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯re all charitable and philanthropic?¡± I asked, raising my eyebrows.


    ¡°I am what I am,¡± she said. ¡°Nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    ¡°The riddle speak works for Kene¡¯s grandmother, less for you.¡±


    ¡°I would not call myself charitable,¡± the hag said. ¡°But as I have said many times now, I do not wish to die.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve danced around how you¡¯ve slowed down,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    ¡°I have slowed,¡± the hag insisted. ¡°My magic grows, because I have nothing to do but magic. If I do not do magic, I descend into madness. But I have tried to slow the pace of my advancement. Kene is already mostly caught up to me. I have to take bites of their soul, or I cannot sustain myself. I am, well, I would call it something like formless.¡±


    ¡°Formless?¡±


    ¡°I inherit much of the structure of my spirit from the host I consume. But I have not consumed the host, and as such, I struggle to fully be. So to stop myself from dying, I feed when I must, battling the tattoos to take just a sip, just a nibble. It sustains me, but it doesn¡¯t help anyone.¡±


    Despite not trusting her, it seemed like there was real fear in those words. The hag didn¡¯t want to die, and had done what it could to stop itself from being crushed.


    And I wasn¡¯t sure I could be content sentencing her to die.


    ¡°Now what?¡± I asked. ¡°From what it sounds like, this is a bit more complex than just trying to find someone who¡¯s body remains after their soul passed on and shoving you in it. You need a soul to consume.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± the hag agreed. ¡°At least enough of one to allow me to finish forming.¡±


    ¡°What about an animal?¡± I suggested. ¡°Or a mindless elemental?¡±


    ¡°Is the beastmage unaware of how the beast soul works?¡± the hag said waspishly. ¡°Is the one bound to a spirit unaware of the differences between a spirit and human soul? I am closest to a human, I cannot take a different soul so easily.¡±


    I remembered Azalea mentioning something about that, how hags and vampires used composite mana types, but were more similar to humans than to a beast. I¡¯d check with Meadow, because if I could unload the hag into an animal, I¡¯d be happy to, but she made an uncomfortable amount of sense.


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem.¡±


    The hag looked at me as if I¡¯d just said something incredibly stupid, which in fairness, I kind of had.


    ¡°Dusk was born of nothing,¡± I said, ¡°Is there a way to create a¡­ blank soul? Something for you to consume?¡±


    ¡°I have no more knowledge of magic than you do,¡± the hag said, finally sounding somewhat irritable. ¡°I have been stuck in the dark for years now, starving, alone, with the only magic I could grow an understanding of being my own. But she is a spirit, no? Spirit souls manifest, formed from magic. I am not.¡±


    That was fair. Unfortunate, but fair.


    ¡°Then what do you want from me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Look for a solution,¡± the hag said.


    ¡°Kene and I can talk about it and loo¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the hag hissed. ¡°You mustn''t tell them. If you do, then functions within the seal will activate, and they will hurt us both.¡±


    The hag¡¯s mouth split into a feral grin, and I could see the sharp, gnashing teeth within.


    ¡°You do not like this answer.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me to lie to Kene,¡± I said. ¡°No. I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯m going to ask the witch who designed the seal if that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°You should not,¡± the hag warned, pressing her claws together. ¡°She will tell you that what I said is true, yes, but she will worsen the problem. The magic cast from her has hurt me many times. Contained me in a space too small to fit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to force any pain on you,¡± I said. ¡°I can acknowledge that your circumstances are unusual. Most hags don¡¯t develop to the extent that you do. But you¡¯re still asking me to lie to Kene and keep them on the dark about you on nothing but your word, when this is something that they should know.¡±


    The hag¡¯s smile seemed to stretch even wider, looking out of place on Kene¡¯s face.


    ¡°Then let me give you a new reason, Malachi Roth Baker. If you force that pain upon me, I will not be so cooperative next time. Nor will I have any incentive to keep my hunger contained¡­¡±


    I stared at the hag hard, and she met my gaze with flinty determination, her smile manic.


    ¡°Get back in the dark,¡± I said, and my voice was as cold as ice.


    The hag let out a laugh, and rose, then climbed into bed with me again. A moment later, her presence seemed to fade from Kene, and their tattoos returned to normal.


    I tucked Kene in and rose, stepping out of the house and into the crisp night air. I took a breath to steady myself.


    Kene and the witch needed to know this, but at the same time, if the hag was willing to make good on her threats, it might put us on a ticking clock.


    I was going to speak to Meadow no matter what. I¡¯d talked to Ed about getting her to visit us in Dragontooth, and she was probably the most knowledgeable person I could easily ask.


    But there was one other person who I could attempt to contact, someone who might be even more knowledgeable than Meadow.


    I stepped out of Dusk¡¯s realm and into the room. If Kene woke up, Dusk should be able to tell them where I was.


    I slipped through the halls and to the stairs, then out onto the deck of the ship. I wasn¡¯t sure this was needed, but it couldn¡¯t hurt, and this late at night it offered me some privacy, since only the sailors were moving about, and even then, infrequently.


    I took a moment to breathe in the salty air and steeled myself, then called out to empty air.


    ¡°Orykson, I figure there¡¯s a good chance you and Aerde are spying on me in some capacity. Please¡­ Come talk to me. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking.¡±


    I closed my eyes as I felt tears sting them.


    ¡°Please, Orykson.¡±

 The Third Gate: Chapter Five

    "


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    It¡¯s not becoming of a gentleman to cry when they ask for help,¡± a stern, yet gentle voice said from behind me. I turned and wiped at my eyes, looking up to see Orykson standing on the deck, his arms tucked in his pockets.


    I was relieved that he¡¯d come. A part of me had been convinced that he wouldn¡¯t hear, or more likely, that he would hear, but not care.


    ¡°What did you need?¡± Orykson asked, sounding not quite businesslike, but not quite sympathetic either. ¡°I am quite busy. The settlement of the Isle of Crysite is taking up more of my attention than I would have liked, and even I cannot produce an infinite amount of simulacra.¡±


    Despite the tension I was feeling, and the fact he had just told me he was on a time crunch, I was tempted to ask about the Isle of Crysite, since if I recalled my history correctly ¨C an iffy thing to stake my bet on ¨C the island had fallen apart after their royal family died, and over the last century or two or three or something, had become overrun with wildlife. Why would there be re-occupation attempts now?


    ¡°Idyll,¡± Orykson said, letting out a small, exasperated sigh. ¡°She and the dragon Elio needed territory for her to re-establish a domain, since her world was destroyed. She¡¯s vastly reduced now ¨C weaker than you are ¨C but Elio is not. Dragons are inherently territorial, much as humans are inherently skilled at ignoring the incredibly short lifespans which they begin with. Elio can clear out some wild animals for us, allow us to establish some new settlements and ease the food importation burdens, and in exchange gets some territory to claim. Now it¡¯s a matter of politicians, which is simultaneously difficult, boring, and slow.¡±


    That¡­ didn¡¯t sit quite right with me, but I nodded along, not willing to try and argue with the powerful occultist standing near me. At least Idyll and Elio were doing alright. After the chaos of the Idyll-Flume, I¡¯d been concerned for the both of them.


    ¡°Now, what is it?¡± Orykson said. ¡°If it''s about your soul damage¨C¡±


    ¡°Not that,¡± I said, and my tail lashed in irritation. Orykson noticed, and arched a single eyebrow.


    ¡°You will need to learn to control that.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I grumbled. ¡°But I only have a new limb just now, I¡¯m still getting used to it. While I¡¯d be happy to get your analysis on the soul damage, that isn¡¯t why I called you. It¡¯s about Kene.¡±


    ¡°Ah. You want me to fix them, I take it. Frankly, I¡¯m surprised it took so long to ask. Are the tattoos failing, despite the bond?¡±


    ¡°An improperly made bargain is offering a loophole. The seals are holding,¡± I said. ¡°But¡­ Can you fix it? Pull the hag out, firm up her soul, and stick her in an unoccupied body?¡±


    Orykson seemed to study me for a long time, before he finally spoke.


    ¡°The most efficient method would be to simply tear her from their spirit, then force the power into someone else, likely a teenager, or someone in their early twenties. I assume you don''t want that?"


    "Of course not," I said. "What about another way?"


    "Creating an artificial soul that''s complex enough for her to consume, as well as a new body for her to occupy... Even for me, creating an artificial humanoid soul structure is a difficult, expensive, and even somewhat risky undertaking. Doing it could risk putting me in a state where I''m unable to use mana for days, or even weeks."


    ¡°What would the cost be?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m willing to pay.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already in my debt,¡± Orykson reminded me. ¡°Over a million silver in debt. And on top of that, the most valuable things you have at the moment are any drops you have remaining from the Idyll-Flue, and your body.¡±


    I stared at him.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked flatly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be perverse,¡± Orykson snapped. "You¡¯re not powerful enough to assist me directly, but your body contains multiple unusual components that I could use as a basis for certain experiments. But while I am nothing more than an ancillary mentor, that doesn¡¯t mean I want you dead.¡±


    ¡°Then we need another way,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not powerful enough to assist you now, but what about in a year? Five? Ten?¡±


    ¡°What if you¡¯re dead in a year?¡± Orykson said, sounding remarkably calm. ¡°I¡¯m not certain that it¡¯s worth the investment."


    ¡°And you won¡¯t do it to save two lives?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You do not want to measure lives with me,¡± Orykson said mildly, taking out a pocketwatch, clicking it, and then slipping it back into his pocket. ¡°Do you want to know how the world really works, Malachi? At least a portion of it. You¡¯re bright enough, you must have guessed it.¡±


    ¡°What, you rule the world, or at least all of Mossford?¡± I snarked, then paused. I¡¯d repeatedly heard that Orykson was somehow different from the other Occultists in Mossford, and had some rivals and powers within the Darkwatch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a child, it¡¯s unbecoming of you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. What I know is that you¡¯re powerful. For some reason, you¡¯re more powerful than any other Occultist in Mossford by leagues, probably eighth gate, even though you implied seventh. You serve as a counterweight to the other super powerful mages in the world.¡±


    Orykson nodded for me to continue, so I did.


    ¡°Thinking that through, it makes you a living weapon, who the government needs if they want to remain completely independent from, say, Dragontooth invading south. They can¡¯t get rid of you. But you also can¡¯t rule everything with might-makes-right. That doesn¡¯t build schools and hospitals and all that, because even if you had the best of intentions, that kind of political system is innately prone to failure, as we saw during the warlord age.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°There is a touch more nuance to the politics than that, but not entirely wrong,¡± Orykson agreed. ¡°Every nation larger than a city-state like Delitone essentially needed an Occultist. A real one.¡±


    ¡°Needed?¡±


    ¡°Kijani seems to be getting by without one for now,¡± Orykson said. ¡°Their unified council has managed to subdue several Occultist level beasts, and even drove off the Occultist called Corpselight, which proved their strength.¡±


    ¡°So it isn¡¯t needed.¡±


    ¡°All of history is not rewritten simply because of a single exception. I commend Kijani, and will watch it with interest, but without an occultist, they spend nearly two and a half times as much on stopping wild spirits alone as Mossford does on the Lightwatch, Wyldwatch, and Spiritwatch combined.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why?¡±


    ¡°The effects from one so strong settling into the land is more than just combat power,¡± Orykson said. ¡°Regardless, we have gotten off track. Ignoring Kijani, in order to expand past a small city-state, a government needs the strength of someone at least truly seventh gate, who has claimed a Title. I protect Mossford, and am the strongest of the Mossford Alliance. The Occultists of Thornfront, Suntortch, and Dragontooth, and a few city-states all prosper as much as they do because I support them, and they support us.¡±


    I was pretty sure that saying he was the strongest was Orykson being cocky, but I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, and that uncertainty gave me pause.


    ¡°Do you know how many people live in these combined territories?¡± Orykson asked.


    ¡°A lot. I don¡¯t know the number.¡±


    ¡°Close to half a billion,¡± Orykson said. ¡°On such a scale, two lives is a rounding error. That is what I help protect. So, no. Risking putting me out of comission for days or weeks is not worth it.¡±


    I felt a flush of anger at that, no matter how irrational. My brain knew Orykson was making good points, fair points, rational points.


    My heart hammered, thudding against my chest.


    Because while my head understood, my heart disagreed. If you had the power to help, you had a responsibility to help.


    It might be a rounding error on the grand scheme of things, but that was how lives were lost. Because it was more efficient to let people die.


    My mana flowed out of me, strength unlike anything I¡¯d ever felt before, and for just a moment, I saw a hint of surprise on Orykson¡¯s face.


    Then the pain hit, and I slammed into the decks. I pulled myself to my feet a moment later, and stared at him.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Orykson asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re busy, arranging the Elysian Mastery Tournament, getting the island settled, doing research, and protecting billions,¡± I said. ¡°But you¡¯re still here. You want something from me. What is it?¡±


    ¡°You think too highly of yourself,¡± Orykson said. ¡°You¡¯re lucky and stubborn, and those are good traits. But you¡¯re not my apprentice anymore, and you¡¯ve drifted so far afield that I¡¯d no longer take you in that role, though I''d be happy to raise you up as a champion."


    ¡°But you want something,¡± I repeated. "Is it the drops of destiny? Something else?


    ¡°I do. I¡¯ve given up on your apprentice contract, but you could become powerful in your own right. It¡¯s distressingly common for those who resolve favors to die, and for those that fortune follows to retire and live a peaceful life. You have persisted thus far, and you may make it further yet.¡±


    ¡°So you want future service?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In short, yes,¡± Orykson said. ¡°I¡¯m not the Storm King, to leash you to my will. I detest the very idea.¡±


    His voice cracked with anger at the end, and an idea clicked into place.


    I remembered how much it had struck him when I reminded him that Dusk was a person, not an object, and thus I couldn¡¯t sell her. Orykson was old, I knew that, and Ikki had spoken about his time with Orykson, about how they had done a lot of things in a time that was long gone now.


    He had said that some of those things haunted him to this day, and that they had walked in an ocean of blood and violence and war.


    But he had said other things. They hadn¡¯t mattered as much at the time, since I was mainly concerned with the violence, but hadn¡¯t Ikki said there were things he was proud of?


    Slavery and indentured service had been outlawed in Mossford since it was founded more than seven hundred years ago.


    At the time, it had been called radical.


    ¡°How old are you, Orykson?¡±


    He blinked, caught off guard by the rapid shift.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain,¡± he said. ¡°My birth date was never recorded, nor was my birth year. But a millennium would not be inaccurate, in generalities.¡±


    A millennium.


    He had been born over a thousand years ago.


    He had to have become immortal before he was fifty, judging by his appearance, though I supposed as powerful as he was, he could look however he wanted.


    ¡°Were you around for the founding of Mossford?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was,¡± Orykson said, ¡°I was a rebel, then. At the time, my title was the Undying King, not the Analyst¡±


    He cringed slightly at the memory, but then a ghost of a smile spread across his face.


    ¡°Ikki helped us. It was quite the battle. The Death King was old, and he was powerful, and he had built up legions of the undead. In those days, anyone who died was conscripted into his service. Ikki and I had killed his sort before, but never anyone this old.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, and I smiled too, because I thought that I might have just figured a few things out about Orykson¡¯s act.


    He was strong and self-important, because he had to be. It had been the only thing stopping him from being crushed. But the world was changing, and being an immortal killer wasn¡¯t how things worked. Ikki had told me himself that Oryskon adapted slowly, always copying the best from one step behind, and staying one step ahead of the worst.


    ¡°So, what do you want?¡± I asked, and Orykson peered at me, and he seemed to realize what I had realized.


    ¡°You have spent entirely too much time around Ikki,¡± he said. ¡°Well. I¡¯m not providing a complete body and soul structure. I''m going to make that clear right now. But I could be convinced to point you in the right direction. The world is a large place, and there are many resources buried in the ruins of once-mighty kingdoms, fallen city-states, and laboratories of dead mages. I can point you to the ones that have tools you need."


    ¡°And in exchange?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I want you to join in on taming the lands on the Isle of Crysite. Beastmages are rare, and beasts respond to them, so you¡¯ll be able to do some good. That one is practically a favor to you, though, given you¡¯ll be able to see the dragon and spirit and help people. In addition, I want your body upon death ¨C I will provide a visually identical replacement for your family to burn or bury as they see fit, and they will not know the difference. And finally, three favors. Given that you seem to be a staunch pacifist, I will allow you the right of refusal for favors that go against your code of ethics, and you may argue with me over favors you dislike. But you cannot outright refuse a request that you find to be annoying, unpleasant, or simply to spite me."


    As he spoke, he removed a contract from nowhere, and for just a moment I was reminded of our talk in the coffee shop.


    A pen appeared in his hand, he extended it and the papers to me, and I took them.


    ¡°When you¡¯re ready, simply sign. Now, or after you talk to Meadow, or another time.¡±


    Then Orykson paused.


    "You said you did have drops of destiny? How many?"


    "I have three," I lied, wanting to make sure I kept one in reserve, just in case. "Would that change the contract?"


    "No," Orykson said. "But they are valuable, even to me."


    He seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, before he spoke again.


    "I... will not ask for them, by favor or barter. But should you find yourself not knowing what to do with them, just let me know."


    He sighed and pulled out his pocketwatch again.


    "I''ve allotted time to teach you properly after your recovery, since you''re finally able to do some actual magic instead of just parlor tricks. But now, I really do need to be going. Elio is struggling to subdue a seventh gate wasp queen with a partially formed title, and I''d prefer her to be relocated into the unclaimed lands so I can continue stealing her paper, and so our dear dragon is not turned into larvae food."


    With that, he vanished, leaving me standing in the cold sea air at night, holding a contract.


    "Primes," I swore after a moment. Orykson hadn''t given me his full analysis on the soul damage and rooted channels!

 The Third Gate: Chapter Six

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Finally!¡± Elio roared as Orykson appeared over a battlefield. Orykson resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He did appreciate snark, especially coming from those who didn¡¯t have the power to challenge him, like his young ex-apprentice, but he didn¡¯t like it right now.


    Thinking of Malachi caused a faint twitch at the corner of Orykson¡¯s mouth, a pleased smile. Despite the boy¡¯s sappy words ¨C and probably thoughts, though Orykson could not, nor wanted to, read those ¨C he had some spark of a warrior in him.


    When Orykson had received the report from Aerde about Malachi¡¯s condition, he thought for a second that Meadow must be tricking him, or maybe one of her allies. She had too many among the wandering Occultists.


    But then he¡¯d gotten the excuse to go and see for himself, and looking at the sheer amount of spiritual damage had almost caused Orykson to not respond.


    Right up until he used his analysis spells to look deeper at Malachi''s spirit, as well as the new roots that had physically fused into Malachi¡¯s chest.


    Aerde had been completely right, as usual.


    That had left him absolutely elated. He¡¯d nearly been proud enough to hug the boy.


    Sure, the bonds hadn''t been what Orykson would have preferred, and with all the damage, the benefits weren''t even finished congealing yet, but he could guess. This was just going to push Malachi even further afield from the optimal use of his powers.


    But he''d still been quite pleased with the results overall.


    ¡°Orykson, I do not believe processing your emotions is the optimal choice at the moment,¡± Aerde said, and Orykson agreed. Together, they considered what the best course of action would be, calculating angles, patterns of attack, and identifying targets.


    The sky swarmed with massive hornets, with the smallest easily the size of a dog, and the largest being able to challenge even the largest of oak trees for size. Most of them participating in the battle were third gate, but there were fourth, fifth, and even a couple of sixth gate wasps peppered throughout, as if one was picking out bits of specific vegetables within a stew.


    And far beneath them, in a nest of paper tubes that made up a fortress of wasp-domination, the queen sent out her orders, using her pheromone to direct the battle, relocate mana from one child to another, and counter Elio¡¯s magic.


    The aged gemstone dragon was in his fully draconic form, and at his power and age, he had grown to the length of a redwood tree, and was considerably thicker around. Three pairs of glimmering wings caught the light, amplifying it and sending searing rays of fire from the sky, enhanced through his gemstone magic. He opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of magic that was a riot of color, not unlike the northern auroras, but many times more... sparkly.


    The power struck the fortress walls and washed over it, but the paper sparked and sizzled as the insect¡¯s warding magic went to work, blocking off protection from every angle. The hive queen¡¯s still incomplete title ¨C which probably would have been ¡®The Hive Queen¡¯, as benal as that was ¨C reinforced the magic of the walls, and seemed to give them endless mana, while Elio¡¯s own half-formed title thundered through the power of his breath.


    Orykson¡­ found the entire scene rather dull. If he extended his power as the Analyst out, he could find every possible flaw in the wards and shatter them, then correct the spell form that Elio was using. The battle would be over in moments, with Orykson not having to spend more than a touch of ungated mana.


    But that wouldn¡¯t assist Elio in forming his title. That was a road that everyone had to walk on their own, expanding their clarity of focus and empowered resonance into the world around them.


    He had found the process rather easy, and the moment he had ascended to seventh gate, his first title had simply fallen into place, with no effort needed on his part. He knew that the Sun and Moon Queens had been much the same.


    But others took longer, like Ikki, who had never even been able to start forming a title, only to have it snap into place fifty years after he¡¯d ascended to seventh gate.


    Elio seemed to be taking the same path as the Kraken Liege, who had operated her ¨C or his, or their, or other things besides, depending on the day ¨C fleet for more than eighty years, slowly but surely grinding away at the creation of her title, bringing it from a bare stone all the way to the force it  was today.


    Orykson realized he was getting distracted when a sixth gate wasp¡¯s stinger ripped through his stomach the third time. He glared at it and cast Dessicate Flesh, causing it to fall apart into fine, white powder.


    ¡°Aerde, do you have the targets?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had them, then the battle changed so much that I picked new ones, then I had to repeat that several more times while you were busy acting senile,¡± Aerde said. Orykson paused. Everyone was a critic today, it seemed. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Orykson waved his hand and opened the bone vault. At least, he opened one of them. He did have a couple, sorted for various sizes and creatures. This vault was full of common animal bones designed to be used with Pinpoint Boneshard.


    As he released them into the battlefield, he empowered the spell, then passed the magic off to his partner. Aerde set the points all across the battlefield, and Orykson¡¯s magic spun through it. There was a roar of bone rushing through the air, then a wave of death energy erupted from the battle, as so many creatures died at once.


    Orykson used a harvesting spell and pulled most of it into himself, restoring his lost mana, then funneling it upwards into his higher gates to help them recover as well. There was no sense in letting the power go to waste, and if that much death energy settled into the land, it would begin to spawn spirits far too quickly.


    What he left he allowed to slip into the soil, where it could fertilize future plants alongside the bodies of the hornets. Even with her power reduced to almost nothing, he thought that Idyll should be able to handle such a simple task as improving decomposition.


    ¡°Thank¡­ you¡­¡± Elio said, huffing as he used a blast of his gemstone breath to suppress a group of three Arcanist level wasps.


    ¡°Just doing my duty,¡± Orykson said, then flicked his other hand. Multiple Spatial Anchors formed around the castle of paper, their magic reaching out and connecting together to form a circle, which he poured more magic into.


    ¡°That, when activated, will teleport the entire castle and the queen into a spot in the unclaimed lands, eight hundred miles southwest of the City of Sin,¡± Orykson informed Elio. ¡°It will only activate once you¡¯ve been able to break the wards of the castle.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t last forever, of course. The mana expense to create a teleportation platform of that size and scale would take far more than he was willing to give to such a simple task. But if Elio was able to use this to nudge along his burgeoning title, then it would be worth the expense, and if he simply overpowered the wards the old fashioned way, then that would be acceptable as well. Orykson liked situations where he won, no matter what route was taken.


    Elio nodded his massive, serpentine head in agreement, and Orykson vanished, re-assigning himself to another task.


    He and Aerde spun possibilities through the air, looking for things that might be able to assist Malachi and Kene with their hag situation.


    Despite the fact that sounded simple, it really was not. Aerde was casting spells to locate magical items of a thousand different sorts, and applying just enough pressure to allow him to overcome any ancient wards that were still standing, without applying so much pressure that it would batter against the other world powers, and they would think of it as a spying attempt. Most of this was done by limiting the searches to unclaimed lands and lands in his territory, but even those limits brushed up against the wanderers, those who¡¯d never integrated their titles into the land.


    He knew that the other powers of the world and history had done research into the creation of artificial souls, soul surgery, and more, before ¨C Most of their research had never panned out, of course. Souls were deep, complex. Orykson was still finding new facets, depths, and deep mysteries within even the most mundane of them to this day, and he¡¯d had longer than most people to study them, as well as tools uniquely suited to the study.


    But there had been research.


    Tom had attempted to nullify entire souls at one point, Corpselight had been obsessed with the idea of stitching the souls of the dead into his army to make them as powerful as a person while being completely loyal to him, and Silver Tide had¡­ Well, the Silver Tide had actually probably seen the most success, with his creation of a seventh gate soul-severing spell. It had been clunky, and unable to scratch Orykson¡¯s defenses, but he¡¯d commended the man for his accomplishment.


    More importantly, Silver Tide had also crafted a powerful enchanted amulet that was capable of temporarily severing apart a pair of linked souls. Silver Tide had hoped to use it to briefly break the bond between the Sun and Moon Queens, then kill them and take over Elohi.


    The Sun Queen had simply turned him to ash without needing the power of her wife, and then proceeded to destroy the amulet, as well as several of Silver Tide¡¯s more heinous experiments. With the Spider¡¯s webs of detection assisting her, she¡¯d caught almost all of them.


    But almost all was not the same as all of them.


    There, located in unclaimed territory to the north-east of Kijani, hidden by spells that had begun to decay, was the research lab that contained the prototypes of the amulet Silver Tide had used. Too weak for anyone of real power to use, but it could be a start in separating the hag and the child.


    Orykson and Aerde marked that down and continued searching.


    There, on the shores of an island that had once been part of Greater Daocheng and technically still was, though almost no population remained. If they could fight their way through the sect master¡¯s sanctum¡¯s defenses ¨C they had mostly faded by now ¨C they could claim a jewel with a soul and mind trapped within that had become tortured by over a thousand years of complete solitude, with nothing to do at all. Now it was a gibbering mass of madness that the hag could eat, once they drained the gem nearly entirely of its mana reserves.


    He paused.


    No, his ex-apprentice was too much of a do-gooder. Malachi would probably insist on breaking the gemstone to allow the soul to move onto whatever came after life.


    Even he didn¡¯t know what came after death. Souls without a tether lasted moments, perhaps a minute, if one was lucky. Their imprints and cast offs, ghosts and shades, could linger more or less indefinitely, provided they had mana, but¡­ Not the soul.


    There wasn¡¯t much that truly frightened Orykson these days. Even if the container in which his soul was stored, he had plans.


    But that mystery did.


    He shook his head. He was being far too emotional today. He blamed the conversation with his ex-apprentice for that.


    He refocused, discarding the sect and looking for other options.


    And there were many to sort through.


    People, in his experience, tended to forget how long time truly was. Over the course of even the last century, many Occultists had risen up, fallen in battle, died in peace, died from failed ascension, or gone another many ways. Outside of that, there were still options: abandoned research labs that had never turned up research, false occultists endlessly seeking ways to fix their broken power, strange things from the depths of space that possessed odd powers.


    There were many options for Malachi. The trouble was finding them. And with Aerde, the second greatest knowledge mage on all of Ddeaer, on his side, Orykson could find them.


    And best of all¡­ he knew that Meadow, despite her might and skill, could not.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Seven

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I stared into the space where Orykson had been, then sighed and tucked away the contract. I was exhausted, and my emotions were running all over the place. I could check it over in the morning, then with Meadow, and then contemplate signing off on it. Doing it now was just unduly rash.


    I wandered back down to the room that Kene and I had booked, then stepped into Dusk¡¯s realm. I probably could have done it while I was up top, but I didn¡¯t want to risk straining my spirit, especially after already flexing it against Orykson and under the scanner.


    The night passed restlessly, and the following morning, Kene seemed to notice that something was off.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± they asked as we started making breakfast.


    I froze in mid-step, and my tail flicked one way, then the other.


    ¡°Malachi, are you okay?¡± they asked, turning to face me completely.


    ¡°If¡­¡± I started, then trailed off. A moment later, I started again.


    ¡°If I learned something that could make things bad, even dangerous, for you if I told you, and lying to you meant that things would be less likely to go that way¡­ Would you want me to tell you? Or would you rather I keep quiet, and keep you safe by lying to you.¡±


    Kene paused, and a moment later, the corner of their lip quirked up.


    ¡°And here I was expecting it to be something like a bad dream where you caught me in bed with someone else. When you¡¯re concerned, it¡¯s not something light, is it?¡±


    I gave them a helpless shrug and wrapped my tail around my stomach for comfort.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not your fault,¡± Kene said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know yet. Give me a moment to think about it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed. We cooked together, making some scrambled eggs with sliced tomatoes and salt, as well as toast with butter and honey. It was only midway through breakfast that Kene finally spoke again.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t eliminate the risk of harm completely, does it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. The hag was probably good to her word, but there was no contract or bargain, just threats. She could decide to start seriously attacking Kene at any point, even if I never told them.


    ¡°I think¡­ I want to know. Even if it makes things worse for me, I¡¯d rather know and be prepared than to be ignorant because it makes the harm less likely.¡±


    I nodded and then told Kene everything ¨C waking up in the middle of the night, the talk with the hag, calling out to Orykson, and the contract that Orykson had offered me. By the time I finished, Kene¡¯s face was a riot of different emotions all at once.


    ¡°I¡­ Okay. Wow. That¡¯s a lot,¡± Kene said, then their face grew angry. ¡°That thrice cursed hag threatened me in an attempt to control you. If she really is willing to play along and save herself, then why, by all the primes, is she doing that?¡±


    ¡°Pain,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s afraid of the tattoos, and said they would activate to contain her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true,¡± Kene said. ¡°But I am bonded to them, they are mine. They¡¯re complicated and powerful, and I can¡¯t control all of their functions until and unless I¡¯m as powerful as they are, but I can bloody well stop it from lashing back at her, and she should know that.¡±


    They closed their eyes, and I thought that Kene must be reaching within, to try and speak to the hag, but when their eyes opened, they were just Kene¡¯s.


    ¡°And now she¡¯s gone dormant. She¡¯s sleeping, like she did when I was younger and she was weaker.¡±


    They stood up and stormed out of the house, cursing like a sailor. I followed them, but kept at a distance, allowing them to work off some steam. They began tending the herb boxes in a rather aggressive manner, plucking out weeds and pouring water over them in a torrent, rather than a drizzle.


    After a few minutes, they¡¯d worked through enough of their anger to come back in, wash their hands, and finish breakfast. Before they sat down, I pulled them into a gentle hug, and they slumped their weight against me.


    ¡°I hate her,¡± Kene whispered, and I could feel their tears dampening my shirt. ¡°Primes, I hate her. She took away my childhood and forced me to grow up too quickly. I spent my entire childhood thinking I was living on a clock. I advanced, she advanced. It was like everything I ever did was to just add a few more grains of sand in a draining hourglass.¡±


    They took in a deep, shuddering breath, and I gently rubbed their back, supporting their weight.


    ¡°In a way, I feel like I still am living on a time limit. I bond my tattoos to keep her contained, then I immediately have to turn over freedoms to her or die. I get a shred of hope from the sepulcher, and she develops enough consciousness to be a person, instead of just a parasite. It¡¯s like everything I do, no matter what, she¡¯s one step ahead. She can¡¯t even leave the person I love alone, she has to hook her claws into you too.¡±


    I held onto them and let them get their emotions out, then when the food had grown cold, and their tears had dried up, I gently led them to their seat, then moved my chair next to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hopeless, no matter how much it feels like it is,¡± I said. ¡°I¡­¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    I paused.


    ¡°If I need to, I¡¯ll sign the deal with Orykson.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to owe someone favors without an end date or great conditions just because of me,¡± Kene said, and I shook my head.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I care about you. I¡­ I love you. And I¡¯ll do more than this, if I have to. But I mean, there¡¯s no way to tell that this is even going to be needed. Maybe Meadow or Ikki knows of a way to give the hag a body and enough of a soul that it can solidify itself.¡±


    Kene¡¯s jaw worked for a second, and then they spoke, very quietly.


    ¡°And what is that doesn¡¯t work? They don¡¯t know, and Orykson¡¯s treasures fail, or we don¡¯t get to them in time? You shouldn¡¯t even be dating me, I¡¯m a pressure cooker that¡¯s about to explode.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even talk like that,¡± I said firmly. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out, then we¡¯ll work on a new way to manage it. But we won¡¯t know unless we try this way. And if the worst comes¡­¡±


    ¡°I could kill her,¡± Kene said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the sepulcher works exactly, but Meadow and my grandmother both thought it could fix me. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to have changed, just because she¡¯s more sapient. Maybe it has, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You could kill her,¡± I agreed, uncomfortable with the idea.


    Kene was quiet, but my thoughts were loud.


    I didn¡¯t like having to kill someone just so that Kene could live, but this was different.


    I didn¡¯t get a say, not really.


    This was Kene¡¯s fight, and while I could do everything in my power to help them, if Kene decided that they were going to kill the hag to save themselves, I wasn¡¯t sure I could stop them, nor would I want to, if that was the only option left.


    As much as I thought every person¡¯s life was precious, I was still human, and Kene¡¯s life mattered more to me than the hag¡¯s.


    Even if Kene had other options, and chose to kill the hag anyways, as revenge, would I stop them?


    I didn¡¯t know.


    Killing her for revenge felt wrong, very wrong.


    But I wasn¡¯t some universal arbiter of justice, and I was sure that plenty of people would say that Kene was justified in their actions.


    I took a breath.


    At the end of the day, it would be up to Kene to make that choice, not me, and I had confidence in Kene¡¯s choices.


    ¡°If I have to, I will,¡± Kene finally said. ¡°But I¡¯d rather just have her¡­ gone. Gone for good. Never have to deal with her again.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that,¡± I agreed, reaching down and squeezing their hand. They squeezed back.


    It took us a while longer to finish breakfast and clean up, and then Kene went to go practice magic. With the extra months of practice that they had over me, even the tribulation-stone hadn¡¯t been enough to stop them from making progress, and their healing and alchemy had taken leaps and bounds.


    I tried to not be jealous. I¡¯d made this choice for power, and I¡¯d have to live with it. If Kene was rushing ahead of me, well, they¡¯d always been ahead of me.


    I forcibly calmed the swishing of my tail and went to go look over the contract with Orkyson with fresh eyes. I didn¡¯t see any obvious traps or loopholes hidden in it ¨C it seemed to be what Orykson had described.


    There were more details in the complete contract, of course, like defining the where and how I would be helping in the settlement of Chrysite ¨C a minimum term of three months of good faith employment under Elio¡¯s supervision, wherein I¡¯d be subject to local law and the overall laws of the Mossford Alliance.


    But apart from simply filling in the details, it seemed to be reasonable. A part of me found that surprising, but another part of me wasn¡¯t that shocked. After all, Orykson¡¯s contract for my apprenticeship had been played on the level, and while having ten percent of any money I received garnished to repay him was annoying, it wasn¡¯t the end of the world. While he¡¯d made it clear he thought I was a fool, he hadn¡¯t done anything drastic to me.


    And after our talk last night, I thought he probably could have. He might not be the end-all-be-all in Mossford, but I did believe him that he was invaluable to the continued survival of Mossford as a state.


    At least for now. The fact that Kijani didn¡¯t have someone acting as a counterweight was interesting. I knew that it had unified a few years ¨C or maybe decades? ¨C before I¡¯d been born, but I¡¯d spent all my life just knowing it as just another country, not as anything radical and strange.


    As the day wore on, and night rose, I was worried I might be in for another conversation with the hag, but thankfully, she seemed to still be dormant. I was glad ¨C while telling Kene had been a weight off of my shoulders, I was not ready for another restless night.


    The rest of the travel followed a more normal routine, with me whiling the days away. Without a job to occupy my time, like how I¡¯d been a butcher in Puinen, I spent a lot of time reading.


    The book that Kene had given me some time ago, about the introductory spells used in witchcraft, was an interesting read. Witchcraft was more of a general approach to magic that focused slightly more on the ritualistic side of things, like potion craft, as well as emphasizing a connection between the self and magic, the self and nature, and nature and magic.


    Most of the enchantments in the book were simple ones, like setting up some old fashioned lightning enchantments, and I thought I¡¯d read that passage before, but I was finally able to really sink my teeth into it. I might not be able to practice, since I was still on magical bedrest, but I did learn a lot.


    There were a few first and second gate spells in the book, including a version of Enhance Plant Life. This version looked different than mine, so I went to ask Kene about it.


    ¡°Hmm? What does yours look like?¡±


    I wrote it out, and they leaned in.


    ¡°Oh, interesting. It looks like it¡¯s in the style of most Kijani spellforms, rather than the Mossford one. As far as I can tell, the effects are exactly the same. Even the core of the spell is the same. See how they match here, here, and here? It¡¯s just design and orientation.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said. ¡°I do think Meadow is from Kijani, and she gave me the spell, so I suppose it makes sense¡­¡±


    I also finally got an answer to a question that had been rattling around in the back of my mind, while reading through the spell-design portions of the witchcraft book.


    For a while, I¡¯d been wondering why I couldn¡¯t simply sketch out Analyze Mana-Garden with my third gate mana. After all, it was all death mana, and my lower gates did get stronger when I opened a new gate.


    The analogy the book used was complicated and involved concentrations of alchemical ratios, which I thought I kind of understood, but I wasn¡¯t sure.


    So I asked Kene.


    ¡°Think of it like color,¡± they said. ¡°Your first gate is a really, really dull red color. Your second gate opens into a slightly-less-dull orange. The pressure from opening the gate turns your really dull red into a slightly-less-dull red. Then you open your third gate and get kinda-bright yellow, kinda-bright orange, kinda-bright red, and so on and so forth. Your first gate is still going to be red, no matter how bright it gets.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± I said, nodding slowly. ¡°But you¡¯re going to tell me there¡¯s exceptions, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kene said. ¡°This is just an analogy. And while red is always going to stay red, spell engineers spend a lot of time and effort on trying to work out ways to strip down spells and rewrite them entirely to create versions of them at lower gates. Less research the other way, but there is some.¡±


    I snapped my fingers.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the library was so happy with me testing Harvest Distance for them. There¡¯s a higher gate spell that does something similar, but this one is way more accessible.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Kene said.


    I thanked him, then continued reading, and it seemed like no time at all before we were approaching Delitone for the second time in my life.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Eight

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Watching the city of Delitone brought several emotions to mind. The first and most basic was nerves.


    If I was caught by the border guards, then I¡¯d be looking at prison time, and who knew what would happen to the eggs?


    Past the nerves, there was some pride.


    I was getting close to the dragon sanctuary, and if the eggs could be securely placed there and given good conditions, they might help to boost the numbers of a species that was critically endangered.


    Past both of those, there was a hint of awe, as I watched the city approach.


    The entire city was carved out of marble on the cliff, but despite being made of marble, it wasn¡¯t pure white. The entire cliff, every house, and every tower, pulsed with thin blue streaks that spun through the structure, like the veins on some absolutely enormous being.


    The sunlight caught on the veins and marble, making the entire city sparkle and shimmer  with a blue-white glow.


    The only thing that broke up the gentle, soothing blue and white was the spots of color that decorated the houses, especially the roofs. The colors were all vibrant, neon, electric colors, with the odd splotches of pastels and duller shades. Blue seemed to dominate half the houses, but there was every color on the rainbow and beyond.


    Scattered around the outside of the city, forming the circumference of a half-circle, with the cliffs as their diameter, stood thirteen tall houses, each one practically crackling with magic. With my spirit so injured, my mana senses were dull, only the instinctive blob that mana senses naturally formed, but even from a boat nearing the docks, I could feel the soft abnegation magic flowing through every street of the city, forming the protections.


    The docks were made of a carved marble as well, kept aloft using some sort of telluric magic enchantment. They fed into the sheer cliff of stone, and I could see small windows, doors, and pathways all carved into the cliff face.


    Unlike when we¡¯d arrived here for the Idyll-Flume, there was no stampede of people waiting to join the boat. Instead, there were small groups of friends and family waiting to welcome people back.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s Meadow,¡± Kene said, pointing. I followed the line of his finger, and sure enough, there she was, her frumpy old woman dress standing out against the white docks. Standing next to her was Ikki, proper and at attention, as if ready to break into combat with the entire dock at once if need be.


    I let out a breath of relief. It felt like it had been a year since I¡¯d seen Meadow or my family, and seeing Ikki here was a strange sort of relief. Since Orykson was bonded to a knowledge elemental who had to be at least close in terms of power, I had kind of always felt like he was watching me, or at least was aware of me. He was powerful and distant, like one of my grandparents, but with enough power to make him more like a mythical figure.


    Ikki and Meadow were both much more¡­ human. They chatted and saw me regularly, and weren¡¯t always watching from afar. Their limits were more real, and they felt more like an aunt and uncle than a grandparent. Not that I had an aunt or uncle ¨C at least, none that I knew of.


    Dusk appeared out of the air over my shoulder and let out a cry of excitement, conjuring her cloud underneath her and zooming down to greet them cheerfully. It took Kene and I a while longer to disembark, but we we made our way over to my mentors. Meadow gave us a broad, dazzling smile, and spread her hands wide, the cane leaning against her stomach to stop it from falling.


    ¡°Well, look at you, Malachi!¡± she said, flicking her hands to indicate my body. ¡°You look all grown up and mature. And Kene, sweetheart, it¡¯s so good to see you.¡±


    I stepped into the hug, and Meadow gave me a tight squeeze, holding me for a long moment, then let go and spread her arms to Kene. While they hugged, I turned to Ikki.


    Ikki was calm and professional looking, as always, but he did have the ghost of a smile on his face. For Meadow, that might not have been much, but on the serious time mage, it meant a lot.


    He inclined his head to me in a slight bow, then held out a hand for me to shake. I copied his bow, then shook his hand. His grip was firm, but not crushing.


    ¡°Well done, Malachi,¡± Ikki said. ¡°Your path is not what I expected, but you have begun to put your feet on the ground as a mage, and as a man. People speak well of you. That has more weight than you know.¡±


    He was quiet, but there was a firm warmth and pride in his tone that set my heart fluttering - not in the romantic sense, but like getting the approval of a parent


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that this was what I expected either, but... I''m happy with it."


    ¡°That is what is more important than anything,¡± Ikki said seriously, and I saw the flicker of a smile on his face. ¡°Now, introduce me to your¡­?¡±


    ¡°Partner,¡± I said, turning to Kene, then back to Ikki.


    ¡°Kene, this is Ikki, the person who taught me how to fight, and has been acting as a mentor for my temporal magic. Ikki, this is my partner, Kene. They¡¯re an alchemist and a healer, and they¡¯ve got a few blessing spells.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you sir,¡± Kene said, extending a hand.


    ¡°Not at all, the pleasure is mine,¡± Ikki said, shaking Kene¡¯s hand as well. Then the placid time mage looked at me.


    ¡°You have good taste,¡± he said, dark eyes containing a fraction of mirth in them. ¡°If I were your age, I would likely have picked similarly.¡±


    I laughed awkwardly, but my stomach flopped some, glad that Kene had met with Ikki¡¯s approval.


    ¡°Sorry, but old men aren¡¯t my type,¡± Kene said with a teasing grin on his face. I froze for a second, but Ikki simply raised his eyebrows slightly.


    Dusk, on the other hand, fell off her cloud with laughter. It re-appeared beneath her feet a moment later, and she shot over to sit on my shoulder.


    ¡°How did you know I was so old?¡± Ikki asked.


    ¡°Eh, you give off the vibe,¡± Kene said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed it among the really old people.¡±


    ¡°Very astute,¡± Meadow observed.


    I glanced between them, then fired out a question before the conversation could drift too far afield.


    ¡°What are the two of you doing here?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you outside of the backyard, Ikki. Primes, that sentence sounds weird out of context.¡±


    ¡°I convinced him that since it was his suggestion for you to wander around, fixing people¡¯s problems, he should accommodate your lifestyle,¡± Meadow said. ¡°Especially since it had been months since your last lesson.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I will be updating to account for this,¡± Ikki said. ¡°The ascension to third gate is also an important one. For much of history, you would have been strong enough to rule as a landlord or even a minor baron. A military would award you rank and status. Within a sect, you would have certainly become an inner sect member.¡±


    A faint smile touched his face again, and I wondered if this was some kind of record.


    ¡°I am not much of one for history, but I do believe that the celebration of reaching this stage is one worth keeping, no matter how much the universities and sects have moved past it, as power has become more common.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said seriously. I didn¡¯t know what he was going to do, or if his mere presence was the celebration, but I appreciated it.


    ¡°Well,¡± Meadow said, clapping. ¡°I believe that you need to work your way through the security checkpoint, yes?¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± Kene agreed, and Dusk whistled her own agreement.


    ¡°We will meet you in the city,¡± Ikki said, then gently touched Meadow on the shoulder. A moment later, they faded out of existence.


    I glanced around, worried someone would grab us to demand answers, but barely anyone seemed to have noticed their vanishing act.


    I picked up my briefcase, filled with the sparse few coins that I had left in my bank account that wouldn¡¯t be for covering the broom payment, then hooked arms with Kene, and we headed towards the queue.


    Kene, as always seemed to be the case, was let through without any real problem, but the older woman who had me studied the papers, then up at me. She glanced at the note that the man in Dragontooth had written, mentioning the spiritual damage and the condition, then raised an eyebrow. I gave a smile that I hoped looked innocent.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to take a potion and answer some questions,¡± she said.


    I held out my hand.


    ¡°Of course. I get that this is a bit of an unusual situation.¡±


    She ran through the checklist of contraband items ¨C it was slightly shorter than the one in Dragontooth, to my surprise, missing out on several of the laws about battle spells and weapons and stuff ¨C and I answered honestly. I told her about the storage from Pinpoint Boneshard, as well as confirmed that was the only spell I had that could store things.


    ¡°What is your purpose of visit?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m touring as much of the world as I can,¡± I said. ¡°And I wanted to see the dragon sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°I am going to have to scan you. I trust that won¡¯t be an issue? A little pain is worth it to prove you¡¯re innocent, right?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I said, but a tired sigh managed to escape my lips. She gave me a stern look, then led me to a large ring of concentric spellwork. It was bigger and bulkier than the spell array they used to scan me in Dragontooth, but the spellwork was much the same, and she blasted me with a burst of knowledge mana.


    Pain exploded across me, and I fell to the floor, gasping for air. She pulled me up to my feet, then pointed to a chair.


    ¡°Sit and wait while I get your results¡­¡±


    I agreed, and she read through them, then tossed them into a shredder.


    ¡°Alright. You¡¯re free to go. Understand that while in the city, you are under local laws and ordinances, so don¡¯t go thinking that just because you¡¯re from Mossford you can get away with something crazy.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± I said, and Dusk river-sounded her own agreement.


    Then I was pushed through the line, and to a massive round chamber, carved with all sorts of force and telluric enchantments on the walls. Several other people were entering from other lines and doors, and the moment they stepped into the circle, they began to rise into the air. Others seemed to be going the other way, falling down to arrive at the bottom, presumably leaving Delitone.


    I stepped into the circle, and felt gravity neutralize on me, then a gentle burst of force began carrying me upwards.


    I emerged in a large center square, with a half dozen fountains trickling water through statues of assorted figures. There were bushes set into recessed coves, and along the streets were colorful tents, with merchants selling from them. There were a lot of fish for sale, and the air smelled of salt and sand, even from this high up.


    Strangely, despite the fact that it was slightly brighter than I was used to, the late afternoon sun reflecting off all the smooth marble wasn¡¯t painful on the eyes. I wondered if that was the result of some harvesting spells cleverly draining away light to manageable levels.


    I spotted Kene, Meadow, and Ikki sitting on a low, marble bench, and made my way over to them.


    ¡°I trust you made it without any issues?¡± Meadow asked.


    Dusk called out that we had, and both Meadow and Kene let out sighs. Ikki simply inclined his head, as if this was simply how the world should be.


    ¡°I should probably head over to the sanctuary,¡± I said. ¡°If their office has normal business hours, they¡¯re likely to close in an hour or two, and Octavian said it would take them a few weeks to verify my identity. Best to get that started now.¡±


    ¡°After you knock that out, we can head to the Seadrake¡¯s Scale,¡± Meadow said. ¡°My treat.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that,¡± Kene and I objected at almost the same time, and Meadow just waved the complaint off.


    ¡°Good food is one of life¡¯s greatest pleasures. Let me indulge my apprentice and his partner, and a friend, if you wish.¡±


    She addressed the last part to Ikki, who paused, then nodded.


    ¡°If it is not too much of a burden.¡±


    Ikki turned to me.


    ¡°In the morning, I will reset our lessons, and get you and Dusk a celebratory gift, one that will be practical. Tell me, would you prefer for us to visit a tailor, a barber, or a furniture store?¡±

 The Third Gate: Chapter Nine

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    While Meadow and Ikki went to make a reservation for dinner, Kene, Dusk, and I made our way towards the dragon sanctuary, which was¡­ Disappointing.


    Not that the sanctuary was disappointing.


    It was disappointing that we didn¡¯t actually get to see any of the draconic beings they were taking care of.


    The sanctuary straddled the warded walls of Delitone, then stretched out for over three hundred acres. Just from looking around near the entrance, I could see spots of all sorts of strange environments that ran the gamut from a large peat bog, to sculpted caves that dug deep into the earth, to multiple small oceanic environments, to warps in space that hurt the eyes to look at for too long.


    Before I could take in any details, however, a woman in her mid-forties bustled over to us and smiled, extending her hand. I shook it, as did Kene, and then to my surprise, the woman extended a finger for Dusk to shake. Dusk did so vigorously, letting out a sound of approval.


    ¡°You must be Octavian¡¯s friends,¡± the woman said, giving us a smile. ¡°I¡¯m his mom, Thea.¡±


    As she spoke, the winds of fortune in my spirit seemed to stir without me needing to put any effort into it, simply reacting to the woman¡¯s presence, not unlike they had to the witch¡¯s prophecy.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kene, this is Malachi, and this is Dusk,¡± Kene introduced, nodding.


    ¡°I remember,¡± Thea said with a smile. ¡°Alright, come with me.¡±


    I glanced at Kene and then at Dusk, before shrugging and following her into a large administration building.


    ¡°I thought you needed to verify our identities with Azalea and stuff?¡± I asked, frowning. Hadn¡¯t Octavian said that normally took weeks?


    I caught a flicker out of the corner of my eye, then someone appeared next to me, wind scattering my hair and tail like wild from their sudden stop. She was also in her forties, but from the fact her eyes had spinning constellations in them, the patches of scales over her forearms, and the fact that she had curling, sharp, almost ram-like horns, I took her to be a dragon.


    She was projecting her power out, enough that I could get a sense for it even without needing to actively use my mana senses. Her blend of power wasn¡¯t quite like Azalea or Ivy, so she wasn¡¯t a forest dragon, but it felt closer to forest than to any others I¡¯d encountered. Definitely not magma or ocean, though sky didn¡¯t feel too horribly far away either.


    And she was strong. I¡¯d never gotten a proper sense for Azalea, since she used the veiling brooch, but between this woman and Kene¡¯s grandmother, it was hard to call who was stronger. This woman definitely would edge out the old witch in mana density, but the witch might have more capacity, multiple affinities, and who-knew-how-many tricks.


    ¡°Hello dear,¡± Thea said, catching the woman¡¯s hand and pulling it to her mouth, like a knight errant in some old story, then she turned to us and gave us a placid smile.


    ¡°Kene, Dusk, Malachi, this is my wife, Olive. Say hello, Olive.¡±


    Olive¡¯s face softened as she looked at Thea, then she looked at us with a serious frown.


    ¡°I¡¯m also the security for the sanctuary. It will be my job to verify exactly what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Before you speak to Azalea, you should know something,¡± I said, and Olive grew tense, but Thea continued to smile, seeming quite unconcerned.


    ¡°I swear by the fourteen primes, if you¡¯ve sold what she entr¨C¡±


    ¡°Do you know ¨C or I guess, know of ¨C the dragon named Elio?¡± I asked. ¡°Old, powerful, seventh gate gemstone dragon?¡±


    Olive blinked, but Thea responded.


    ¡°Yes, we did hear about your little delve from Octavian, and about the rather¡­ explosive¡­ end to the Idyll-Flume.¡±


    Olive¡¯s eyes lit up in recognition, and she nodded.


    ¡°Oh, he was the one who gave Octavian a couple of artifacts that are quite useful for rearing terragon and estragon,¡± she said. ¡°Did he give you something as well?¡±


    Kene shifted and glanced at me.


    ¡°You could say that,¡± I said, then glanced at Dusk. She let out a series of erupting-earth, shifting-sand, and lapping-lake sounds, explaining the metamorphosis-egg that the old dragon had given her, and how it had transformed one of the estragon eggs into a terragon egg.


    Olive¡¯s eyes grew wide, and she let out a breath.


    ¡°Then¡­ incredible¡­¡±


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Truly incredible.¡±


    Thea tapped her wife¡¯s hand and looked up at her.


    ¡°Dear, they¡¯re no threat to us. I can promise you that. Even if they¡¯re not who they say they are, I have a good feeling about them. They¡¯re going to help the sanctuary.¡± Stolen novel; please report.


    Again, fortune spiraled in my spirit, and I had to stop my confusion from showing on my face. Was Thea using the winds of fortune to gauge our connection? I knew connections ¨C both friendly and hate filled ¨C were the purview of fortune. But how was she doing it on command?


    Was it another wind, like Dusk¡¯s wind of destiny? Or was it the next stage, the one Meadow had referenced a few times in passing? Or something else entirely?


    Olive paused, seeming to fight herself for a long time, then nodded.


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. I still need to check on things, to make sure that you¡¯re not a threat to the sanctuary, but since Thea¡¯s vouching for you, I¡¯ll fast-track some of the usual security measures.¡±


    ¡°That would be wonderful,¡± Kene said, and I nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Thank you dear,¡± Thea said, and Olive kissed the top of her head, then looked back up at Dusk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to check on the eggs now, I hope you understand. We can¡¯t bring you through the ward scheme and to the environment we¡¯ve prepared, but Azalea told us her husband had set up some enchantments to keep them in a secure environment.


    Dusk clapped, and a portal opened, heat blasting out across the office. Light shimmered around Olive as she stepped through the portal and began to examine the eggs. Thea watched anxiously as her wife studied the room, including the massive core of energy that Dusk had stolen from the Sage¡¯s tower.


    ¡°I had no idea her husband was so powerful or thorough,¡± Olive commented, and I shook my head.


    ¡°That was a later modification. Dusk took it from the Idyll-Flume before it exploded.¡±


    I frowned when Kene stared at me.


    ¡°What? You were there? Remember, the room with the river of lava?¡±


    ¡°I remember the room, but why did you just announce it?¡±


    ¡°Because Olive commented about it?¡± I said, and it came out as more of a question than a statement.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t hear her,¡± Kene said, and Dusk whistled that she¡¯d heard Olive.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± Thea said. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the bond you have with Dusk. What are the brownies talking about?¡±


    ¡°There are a bunch of brownies,¡± I said. ¡°How should I know?¡±


    ¡°Mmmm, and the ones in your cabinet, near the flour?¡±


    ¡°How should I¡­¡±


    I trailed off, as I realized that I could tell exactly what they were talking about. An older brownie woman was sewing a dress, and talking to her nephew about the techniques of making patches.


    I shuddered. That was¡­ creepy.


    It was useful, yes, but it was also incredibly creepy. I didn¡¯t want to know everything that every person was doing.


    Then again, I supposed that I did need to focus on it. I knew I had the ability now, but that didn¡¯t mean I needed to use it to spy on people. In fact, I was determined to not use it that way. I could use it to find things I¡¯d misplaced, or to search out specific components, but that was it.


    ¡°How did you know about our cottage?¡± Kene asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think we told Octavian about it, and it¡¯s not visible from the portal.¡±


    Thea simply shrugged.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know for a fact, but I¡¯m a very good guesser. If you¡¯re bound to a realm, it makes sense that you¡¯re going to build a home inside. You don¡¯t seem like the type to build an elaborate mansion. Thus, a cottage. The flour, well, most homes have flour.¡±


    I stared at her. That was¡­ Definitely a leap of logic. It had worked out, but there was no way that could normally just¡­ work.


    Olive emerged from the portal, covered in sweat.


    ¡°Alright, looks good,¡± she said, taking in deep breaths. ¡°Primes, you practically singed my scales off. It¡¯s good. Better, maybe, than our environment.¡±


    Dusk whistled that she would be happy to integrate it with whatever they had, since she didn¡¯t have much use for a room full of powerful energy aligned to magma.


    ¡°You could dump it on an enemy,¡± Olive pointed out, and I stared at her.


    ¡°That was a joke,¡± she clarified. ¡°We¡¯d be happy to take it. Alright, I¡¯m just gonna ask you all to fill out some paperwork, and I¡¯ll get back to you in a few days or a week.¡±


    I groaned, but we filled out the paperwork, describing our relationship with Azalea, the official story of our work with the forest terragon, and a bunch of other random stuff. By the time we finally left the sanctuary, my stomach was rumbling, and we made our way over to the Seadrake¡¯s Scale.


    It was a nice restaurant, the kind that had operated near the bakery, since dad had tried to market upscale, but that I¡¯d never been able to afford to eat at. Kene looked even more out of place than I did, smoothing down their skirt and their cut-off jacket and t-shirt.


    ¡°Maybe I should change?¡± he said. ¡°I mean. Uh. I think I should.¡±


    I waved open a portal for him, and went to go get changed as well. I kept on the black slacks from Orykson¡¯s suit, with a white button down, and left that as is, since I thought the jacket or a tie would be over the top. I threw on some black shoes, tamed my hair, and then did a quick freshen up on my teeth.


    Kene changed into a button down flannel shirt and some nice jeans, then sighed.


    ¡°I look terrible compared to you,¡± they complained.


    ¡°You look great,¡± I said, before Dusk chimed out that she was hungry, and leaving without us. She¡¯d put on one of the nice dresses that the brownies had made for her, and spun around to show it off before opening the portal.


    Moments after we entered the restaurant, a server approached us and brought us to a booth, where Meadow and Ikki sat together, chatting easily. Meadow had a glass of wine, and Ikki had a glass of water. In the center of the table was a dip of some sort, with a mix of vegetables and flatbread ringing it. Meadow had piled her plate with some, while Ikki had taken a far more reserved portion.


    ¡°Welcome, welcome,¡± Meadow said as we took our seat. ¡°I took the liberty of ordering some baba ganoush for us, and the salad should be out soon.¡±


    ¡°I hope we didn¡¯t make you wait for too long,¡± Kene said, spooning some of the roasted eggplant dip onto his small appetizer plate.


    ¡°You did not,¡± Ikki said. ¡°Now, if I am to be here for dinner¡­ Catch me up. What happened in the Idyll-Flume and the Beastgate Trial Trail?¡±


    ¡°I admit, I am curious as well,¡± Meadow said, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. ¡°We can¡¯t all have powerful knowledge spirits to keep an eye on things, and while I can see some changes, I want to hear the story.¡±


    Kene, Dusk, and I all told the story about the Idyll-Flume and the Trial Trail, and I was surprised with just how long it took to get through everything. Though it had only been a few months, so much had happened.


    By the time we were done talking about the Idyll-Flume, we¡¯d worked through the baba ganoush, as well as the panzanella salad, and it was time for the main course. I attempted to order the appetizer portion of muscles, to save Meadow the money, but she¡¯d glared at me until I relented and ordered alight pasta tossed with butter and lemon, and absolutely packed with mussels, clams, sweet scallops, and a buttery fish that fell apart on my fork.


    That set the mood for everyone else to order freely, so Kene got a luxuriously braised chicken, served over some rice, and drizzled with a cream and sundried tomato sauce, while Ikki got a dry aged steak, potatoes, and a side of baked clams. Meadow ordered a dish with scallops served alongside basil, tomato, and a soft local cheese, all drizzled with oil, salt, pepper, and a vinaigrette, and Dusk finished off with a small-sized portion of grilled sea bass.


    We picked up on the story as we ate, only stopping when we were each brought a dessert of a creamy gelato, covered in a layer of melted chocolate.


    By the end of the night, I was stuffed and extremely happy, so I thanked Meadow several times before opening a portal to allow Kene and I to return to Dusk to sleep.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Ten

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The following morning, I emerged from Dusk¡¯s realm to see Ikki sitting on a park bench, reading a book. The moment I stepped out, he shut the book and nodded.


    ¡°Before we begin with your gift, I should transfer the simulacra.¡±


    I nodded my agreement, and Ikki headed to our house, pulling at threads of temporal magic and energy. He used Capture Moment over himself and then began casting spells I didn¡¯t recognize at all. As he worked, he spoke.


    ¡°You can likely only get a vague sense of what I am doing, since your mana senses are still limited, but it would be good to pay attention regardless. I told you that Capture Moment was a foundational spell, and this is what I meant. Even though I am weaving together seventh gate magic to form my simulacra spell, I am still interfacing with a first gate spell.¡±


    Something about that statement caught me off guard.


    ¡°Seventh? I thought it was sixth.¡±


    ¡°No. Why?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I paused to consider it.


    Orykson had said Meadow was a shade weaker than he was, and I¡¯d interpreted it to mean that she was sixth gate, and he was seventh. But he was stronger than seventh, that much was apparent now, and I was also starting to see just how wide the gulf in tiers could be. I could fight some fourth gate mages, while also being stomped by other third gate mages.


    I considered if Meadow had ever talked about her gate, but she hadn¡¯t, not that I remembered.


    ¡°Is Meadow seventh gate?¡± I finally asked, and Ikki paused his work, then gave me an odd look.


    ¡°She¡¯s far stronger than most seventh gate mages,¡± he said. ¡°Her last apprentice, Darius, is currently a seventh gate mage, and is preparing to ascend to eighth gate.¡±


    ¡°Are magi real? Not just rumors. True ninth gate mages capable of accomplishing anything, with the power to call upon an infinite amount of mana.¡±


    ¡°Not in that sense,¡± Ikki said, resuming his work. ¡°There are dangers to the world that are presented by having too many powerful people. I cannot say much more, and I do not mean that I do not wish to, I mean that I cannot.¡±


    I frowned, thinking through the problem.


    ¡°Then there are ninth gate mages, but their power isn¡¯t unlimited mana. That makes sense, I always thought that sounded kind of like nonsense, which is why I dismissed the idea that magi were real. That makes a lot of sense, actually. So Orykson¡­ Is he a ninth gate mage? He implied seventh when we met, but I think he might be a magi. Meadow is either eighth or ninth.¡±


    Ikki smiled, but touched his lips, indicating that he couldn¡¯t say much more. After a few moments, however, he did speak.


    ¡°Normally, that alone would only be revealed to you if you were operating as a member of the government that worked with someone like Orykson, Meadow, or myself, or were a powerful and promising Arcanist, like those in the major league division of the Elysian Mastery Tournament.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ makes sense,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s probably why there are rumors of a ninth gate. You said it was dangerous to the world, though, which is why it¡¯s less publicly known than seventh and eighth.¡±


    ¡°I cannot say. Please, as a favor to me, do not push me further on this.¡±


    I nodded as my brain processed the implications. None of my mentors had lied to me exactly, and it seemed like they were all bound in oaths. I was a touch annoyed at being misled, but I couldn¡¯t truly be mad at them.


    And it was interesting. What danger did it present to have too many Magi? If there was a ninth gate, was there a tenth? Every rank had a pair of gates, other than the rankless ungated mana.


    Were the deep mana of fortune, destiny, and resolve involved? I felt like they had to be, at least in some regard, since it was apparently a threat to the world itself, and such forces were immense.


    Unless maybe it was the other way around, and having too many Magi was too much for the world¡¯s planar membrane or something like that. If it caused the world to break around them, like what had happened in Idyll¡¯s realm in the final days, that would be a good reason to limit ninth gate mages.


    I really didn¡¯t know, at the end of the day, so I dismissed some of my speculation and watched Ikki continue to work. He completed the spell, and I felt a tidy knot of spellwork form in the air.


    ¡°Done,¡± Ikki said, dusting his hands off. ¡°That spellwork can be triggered to form a simulacrum of me with up to peak third gate power for two hours, and it will take a week to replenish itself. It can be used up to one hundred and sixty times.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°And after that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You will have to convince me to set a new one,¡± Ikki said wryly. ¡°It could be a reasonable investment for performing well in the minor leagues of the Elysian Mastery Tournament. Perhaps if you were to win an event for time mages, or place well in the main tournament.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s the footrace, isn¡¯t there?¡± I asked. ¡°With life and time magic, I¡¯d be good at that.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ikki said, then gestured and opened a portal out of Dusk. I stared at him.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I captured the portal¡¯s moment in time, and simply echoed it now,¡± he said, striding out. I followed him through, and Ikki tapped his chin.


    ¡°I have noticed that you are beginning to grow some facial hair,¡± he said as we walked. ¡°Also, your hair is an unruly mess.¡±


    ¡°It is getting kind of long,¡± I admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it getting a bit long, but¡­ Yeah. I was planning to get it cut soon. But yeah! I¡¯m growing some!¡±


    I rubbed at my chin, and Ikki gave a soft smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you. Do you plan to continue growing your hair out, or would you prefer to shave it and keep it clean shaven?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your opinion on the matter?¡± I asked, because in honesty, I was torn. On the one hand, I really wanted a beard or goatee or mustache, because now I COULD have one, when not so long ago, I couldn¡¯t.


    But on the other hand¡­ I kinda didn¡¯t think it would look good? A beard might, once I was older, but I wasn¡¯t sure I could grow a beard yet, and I thought a mustache would just look weird.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Ikki said. ¡°I want your opinion first.¡±


    I debated back and forth, before finally speaking.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to shave it off for now,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not convinced it would look good, and knowing that I have the ability to grow one makes me happy.¡±


    Ikki nodded sagely.


    ¡°I think that is reasonable. You are young still, and likely couldn¡¯t grow a true beard yet. Perhaps when you are older, you might choose to grow a beard and keep it manicured, but for now, I think shaving is the best look to present a groomed, competent appearance.¡±


    He didn¡¯t smile, but I caught a hint of amusement around his eyes and in his tone.


    ¡°I would have tried my best if you had wished to attempt to grow it out.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, touched by his thoughtfulness. We stopped outside of a barbershop, and Ikki held the door open. I entered, and the air was filled with a soft buzzing of mana-powered clippers, the snipping of scissors, and a soft scraping noise. One of the barbers, an older man in his fifties with an open chair, headed over to us.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± he asked, and Ikki put a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Whatever haircut he wants, and a hot towel shave. In addition, do you have hair products for purchase?¡±


    ¡°I certainly do,¡± the man said, gesturing to a wall with a series of bottles and jars on it. I¡¯d seen similar shelves in most salons I¡¯d gone to, but this one had a rather different selection of products.


    Ikki and I walked over, and he looked over them with a critical eye, before reaching out and picking up a brown jar filled with a creamy paste.


    ¡°This is shaving butter.¡±


    He picked up a bottle.


    ¡°Shaving cream.¡±


    He tapped a tin.


    ¡°And shaving soap. All three of them can be applied to the face before you take the razor to it. The soap is whipped into a lather that is then applied to the face, while the butter is rubbed on in a thin layer, and the cream is liberally smeared on.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°In truth, preference. A high quality shaving soap, butter, or cream is going to be good for the skin. Low quality may not. The soaps often have pleasant scents to them, which I enjoy, but they do take longer. I find it¡­ meditative, in a fashion. But others prefer to simply shave and be done with it.¡±


    He put them to the side, stacking them up, then picked up a pair of razors, one of which was like the cheap disposable ones that I used to use on my legs, but made of metal and with only one blade. The other looked almost like a folding knife.


    ¡°This,¡± he said, indicating the first one. ¡°Is a safety razor. I recommend you start with it, as it is less likely to slip and cut your skin, though that can still happen, of course. The other is a straight razor. It offers a touch more precision, but also is easier to cut yourself with. Regardless of which you use, you should change the razor regularly, every five shaves or so.¡±


    He placed them with the stack, and then picked up two bottles.


    ¡°Aftershave is applied after you have shaved and washed your skin. There are two varieties, generally speaking ¨C alcoholic and nonalcoholic. The alcoholic kind does sting, which some find satisfying and cleansing, while others find painful. It does clean more, but it also strips some healthy oils, so you should apply lotion after. The nonalcoholic does not sting, and is often a lotion in and of itself.¡±


    He put both bottles to the side, then paused to consider it.


    ¡°I think that is all for now. Though, when or if you decide to grow out a beard, you should remember to wash it, brush it out, shave, wash again, and then apply some beard oil. I would purchase some, but it has a shelf life of less than a year.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re purchasing all of that,¡± I said, gesturing to the pile of things, and Ikki nodded.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t need to do that,¡± I said, though I felt warm inside, touched by the fact he was going through all of this for me. ¡°It¡¯s way too much.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Ikki said, bringing the items to the counter and paying, then gestured for me to go to the chair.


    The haircut itself was normal, with nothing major to note other than the fact I was in a space that was mostly dominated by men, unlike most of the salons I¡¯d been to as a teen. In a way, I was reminded of being a kid and going to the barber with my dad.


    The hot towel shave was entirely new, however. A soap that smelled like sandalwood was lathered onto my face with gentle brushstrokes, before a warm, damp towel was wrapped around my face, covering everything but my nose. The barber let it set for a while, before removing it and layering more soap on me, after which he took out a straight razor from a basin of sterilizer and added a new blade into it. He stretched my skin to get the hairs to pop out, then sliced the hair off with gentle scraping motions.


    I thought he¡¯d be done after that, or that he¡¯d rub in some aftershave, but instead the barber shook out the towel to cool it, and wrapped the cool towel around my face. It felt nice on my skin, which had grown warm from the shave. Once it had sat for a bit, it was removed, and a lotion aftershave was rubbed in, before a powder was dusted over my neck and chin.


    He fixed up my hair, which had gotten a bit messy from laying back for the shave, and let me go.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Ikki asked, handing over the bag of shaving supplies.


    ¡°It was¡­ nice,¡± I said, taking the bag, then pulling Ikki into a hug. Ikki stiffened for a moment, then patted my back uncertainly. I let him go a moment later.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and he smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Of course.¡±

 The Third Gate: Chapter Eleven

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Without much to do in Delitone until I passed the sanctuary¡¯s security clearance, I tracked Meadow down. She was in one of the city¡¯s parks, sitting in front of a shallow pond, tossing some cracked corn and oats out for the ducks to eat. I took a seat next to her on the bench, and she passed the bag to sit in between us, so that I could feed the ducks as well.


    ¡°We should talk,¡± I said. ¡°There are certain elements of the story that I left out last night.¡±


    ¡°The hole in Kene¡¯s tattoos?¡± Meadow asked, and I nodded, then took a deep breath before launching into an explanation.


    I told her about the hag, about the deal to allow the hag to speak to Kene, and how she had abused the loophole to take control of Kene while we were asleep. How she had threatened Kene, and me, and how I¡¯d spoken to Orykson. Meadow listened, patting my thigh on occasion.


    ¡°That¡¯s not easy,¡± Meadow said, nodding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that the two of you have to go through that.¡±


    I let out a humorless chuckle and just nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not great. Is there anything you can do to help? You told me about the sepulcher, but will that be enough?¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Meadow agreed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. ¡°If the hag had remained a bundle of magic and instincts, I¡¯d see no problem with crushing it for power, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t,¡± I said.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t,¡± she echoed. ¡°Let me think for a bit?¡±


    I nodded, and we sat there, feeding the ducks for a while longer. Eventually, Meadow broke the silence.


    ¡°I know of a few ways and people who may be able to grow a body for the hag. But the body is only one part of the problem. The soul surgery to remove the hag is the next. I couldn¡¯t do it myself, and I¡¯m not entirely confident in being able to find an artifact that can. Perhaps the Craftsman could, but the last I heard, he was near one of the poles, trying to study the extreme energy fields there.¡±


    ¡°And creating a soul-like structure to give the separated spiritual mass structure?¡± I asked, and Meadow shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone who I¡¯m confident would be able to. Ama is a powerful creation mage, but she¡¯s never tried to delve especially deeply into creating something like a soul.¡±


    ¡°Ama. I met her and her wife one time, didn¡¯t I?¡± I asked. ¡°They gave me the Healer¡¯s Heart in exchange for remaining independent at the Elysian Mastery Tournament.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s them,¡± Meadow said.


    ¡°Are they ninth gate mages like you or Orykson?¡± I asked bluntly.


    A smile split Meadow¡¯s face, and she patted my shoulder like a proud grandmother.


    ¡°You ferreted that out for yourself, did you? Well done lad. Yes, both are ninth gate mages.¡±


    That did explain some things. Elohi was absolutely massive, bigger than the entire Mossford alliance and Kijani put together. If they had two magi protecting it, though, it explained why they were able to keep so much territory without losing it to wild spirits or magical beast attacks.


    ¡°But if they were that powerful, couldn¡¯t they just¡­ Snap their fingers and solve this?¡± I asked. I sounded whiney, and I knew that I did, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. This was Kene¡¯s life hanging in the balance.


    ¡°No,¡± Meadow said, shaking her head. ¡°They can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Because they protect too many people, like Orykson?¡± I asked, sounding admittedly bitter.


    ¡°No,¡± Meadow said, and her voice was calm.


    ¡°The Sun Queen scoured a continent and ambushed you outside of your home because she was excited to meet my new apprentice.¡±


    A smile touched her face then, and she nodded.


    ¡°They do keep some power in reserve, to defend people in the case of something happening, but they¡¯ve worked hard to distribute their power, so that is less needed. As a result, they¡¯re able to spend more of their on helping people. I won¡¯t pretend it¡¯s perfect, but they are not like Orykson. No, the problem here is that even Ama can¡¯t simply wave her hands and conjure up a pseudo-soul.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to believe,¡± I admitted. ¡°I mean¡­ they¡¯re Magi. They can do anything. You can do anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± Meadow said, and shook her head sadly. ¡°And I cannot do anything. Trust me, Malachi. The further you reach, the less you find that you can do.¡±


    I studied her. She did seem completely serious, and even though she¡¯d mislead me about her power, she hadn¡¯t lied. I could appreciate that.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said after a moment.


    ¡°I am not completely out of ideas,¡± Meadow said. ¡°You could petition the Death Queen for help. She is a petty tyrant, and unlikely to listen, but she also has a longstanding grudge as Orykson¡¯s last apprentice.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the ruler of Nightflock, right?¡± I asked. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Her allies also run Grim and the Obsidian Forest,¡± Meadow said, and I blinked.


    ¡°Wait, isn''t the Obsidian Forest a nice place to live?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Politics is complicated,¡± Meadow said. ¡°The Headsman has established a reasonably run government, much like Orykson has in Mossford and the Mossford alliance, but the Headsman is still a terrible person. Life is not so simple as having good people at the top creating good for people at the bottom.¡±


    ¡°You work against Orykson,¡± I said. ¡°Why not try to kill the Death Queen? Or at least work against her.¡±


    I frowned, thinking.


    ¡°Or¡­ do you work against her?¡±


    ¡°I work against her as much as I can,¡± Meadow said. ¡°Vivian ¨C that is her name ¨C is vindictive and jealous of her territory. If I spend too long in her territory, she is willing to escalate from taking a few blows to actively trying to kill me. I would survive.¡±


    She paused to toss a handful of seed to the the ducks.


    ¡°But the people around me? They would not. The same is true of the Tower City of a Thousand Worlds.¡±


    ¡°Some people would say that you had a responsibility to sacrifice their lives to overthrow a despot,¡± I pointed out, and Meadow fixed me with a serious look.


    ¡°Some would. I cannot. When people¡¯s lives are weighed, there is no victor.¡±


    That resonated with me, with how I¡¯d felt with Orykson when he¡¯d explained that two lives was nothing but a rounding error. It may have been a rounding error, but lives were lives. Someone didn¡¯t have more worth as a person just because they were or weren¡¯t strong.


    ¡°Besides, Vivian has gotten on the wrong side of destiny. It very nearly killed her last year, and she was saved at the last moment. But she cannot be saved every time. And when destiny is moving to free the people, its hands are far more gentle and subtle than my own.¡±


    She waved a hand.


    ¡°We have gotten far afield. Vivian may be able to help you, but I doubt it. The Dreamer could perhaps take her mind into his dreaming realm, but without the soulstuff, it would be risky, and may kill her. The Great Raven may be able to create a pseudo-soul for her, but I¡¯m not entirely sure.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the Great Raven?¡± I asked. ¡°I think I heard of the Dreamer. Wasn¡¯t he one of the leads for the designing of the communication mirror relays?¡±


    ¡°He was, along with several others,¡± Meadow said. ¡°The Great Raven is a death-crow, which grew to seventh gate. She lives deep in the wilderness, far from civilization, and she¡¯s mostly sapient. She can converse, and is far smarter than a normal crow or raven. But her magic is focused around decomposition, not in creating things. It would also strain her immensely to try and form one, if she even could. She could certainly remove the hag, but little more.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ it sounds like Orykson is our best bet,¡± I said, and Meadow reluctantly nodded.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t your only option, but he is your best. He managed to form the title he did for a reason ¨C he is one of the best spellform designers, researchers, and data analysts on the planet. But think it over. He gave you fair terms as my apprentice, but that isn¡¯t the same as being terms you¡¯re willing to accept. If you don¡¯t want to, then we can try to search out another option. Think about it, okay?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    We fed the ducks in silence for a while longer, before I asked a question.


    I tapped my chest, where you could faintly see the pulsing darkness of the ingrained, half-melted mana channels through my shirt.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on here? I think it might have something to do with resolve, but I really don¡¯t know. There¡¯s also damage of some sort, and I don¡¯t know how bad it is. Are you able to tell me?¡±


    ¡°No easy questions today, hmm?¡± Meadow asked, smiling. ¡°I can¡¯t blame you. A lot has happened. Well, do you mind if I touch your chest? I can focus my senses stronger through touch, and for something so far outside of my field, that would help. But I understand if you don¡¯t want it.


    ¡°Go for it,¡± I said, a bit of a goofy grin on my face.


    I wouldn¡¯t lie and say I had completely shaken my dysphoria around my chest, even though it was how I wanted it to look now, but I was rather elated to have gotten this far, and perfectly fine letting her do her test. A part of me was debating trying to convince Kene to go to a pool.


    She put her hand on my chest and closed her eyes. After many long seconds, she opened them.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that interesting. Your mana channels would have likely eventually fused with your body, given the nature of the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul and Magister¡¯s Body. But the pressure that you put them under created long, thin cracks in them.¡±


    I remembered Edgar¡¯s words about my spirit forming cracks first, and like a dam, eventually bursting. Meadow must have read the panic on my face because she spoke quickly.


    ¡°The cracks might have killed you, if they hadn¡¯t infused into your body earlier than they normally would have. As is, you¡¯re going to always leak mana faster than a normal person as it fizzes out from the channels, which will slow your mana recovery rate by about a third, and there¡¯s not much to be done about that. It¡¯s also going to be much harder to veil your power.¡±


    A part of me was relieved that the damage wasn¡¯t worse, but I couldn¡¯t help myself from letting out a groan.


    ¡°I finally figured out a way to blend in, and immediately curse myself so that it¡¯s harder for me to veil myself?¡±


    Meadow chuckled, but didn¡¯t respond, instead opting to continue her analysis.


    ¡°The interesting part is that inside of those cracks, you¡¯ve forged resolve mana, in a way that almost resembles roots, like the second stage of developing a connection to deep mana. Most people forge these roots within their spirit, and there is a limited number that can be forged ¨C eight large roots, and twelve smaller roots. These four aren¡¯t a part of those twenty. They¡¯re extra, more than a normal person could have.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­ good. Right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Most people who have the right drive, destiny, or luck to make it to Occultist wind up with something ¨C or multiple somethings ¨C that marks them. They have many names, but I like to call them imprints of deep mana,¡± Meadow said, avoiding my question entirely. ¡°Each one is unique, presenting a different power. But each one also has its own limitations or conditions.¡±


    She sighed and looked up into the sky.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how yours will work. Like I said, each and every one is different in subtle ways. Perhaps yours will be clogged, and will remain as such until you can cleanse it in the third sepulcher. Perhaps it will only align itself to spells that you don¡¯t want in your mana-garden, and force you to take power you don¡¯t want. Maybe it will only work when you¡¯re following the drumbeats of your deepest resolve. The truth is, for all the power that I have, I don¡¯t know. There are a lot of things in this world I don¡¯t, and never let anyone convince you that having power means you have all the answers.¡±


    ¡°My eyes are rainbows now,¡± I observed. ¡°Are they an imprint of fortune mana?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ they could be,¡± Meadow said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, though. They¡¯re certainly nothing as obvious as the roots around your heart. If they are, it¡¯s likely that it will empower your winds.¡±


    I nodded seriously to her, and took her hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re tired,¡± I observed, and she nodded.


    ¡°I am. Looking that deep is hard for me, and I¡¯ve been spending too much power too quickly. And¡­¡±


    She let out a happy, but tired laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting old, Malachi. It¡¯ll come for us all one day.¡±


    I put my arm around her shoulders and held her, and without conscious thought, my tail wrapped around her waist and settled on her lap. We sat there in silence, as I held the woman who had been more of a grandmother to me than any actual grandmother I¡¯d had.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Twelve

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Kene and I spent the following week wandering through Delitone, doing all of the fun, tourist stuff that I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have had the opportunity to before. We looked at the massive ward wall that surrounded the city, and watched it repel a massive alligator-elephant-oxen thing, one that was easily the size of an entire building.


    We visited the fresh fish market, which had several species caught from the ocean, but also some oysters that had been grown in specialized water tanks, the cheapest and largest scallops that I¡¯d ever seen, and shrimp galore.


    We watched the stone-moving operations within the cliffside, where they shaped and reinforced new rooms that looked out over the sea, moving the quarried stone up to the top side to reform it into buildings above.


    That alone was rather interesting. In Mossford, most homes were individual things, but Delitone seemed to take a more family oriented approach. It seemed like all of the homes here were in what I¡¯d almost have called a mansion or manor house back home, but instead of being overly opulent and wasting space, they were packed to the brim with a person¡¯s parents, friends, cousins, siblings, and more.


    We asked Thea about trying to meet up with Octavian, but learned that he was currently out on an expedition into the marshes, driving off a group of hodags.


    But we couldn¡¯t just do the fun, touristy things, as two more somber duties needed attending: checking public donation records, and returning a ring.


    The first was simple enough, as Kene and I visited the Changley Hall Orphanage and Orange Roof Recovery Fund, checking over the donations that they¡¯d received since the events of the Idyll-Flume. I couldn¡¯t exactly make good on my threat to track down the guy who¡¯d stolen Kamal¡¯s ring right now, but I could at least see if he¡¯d made good on his promise.


    In the end, we saw that someone using the pseudonym Enigma had donated a bit over a million silver to the orphanage, and three and a half million to the recovery fund.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit surprised,¡± Kene said as they looked at the donation record.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be,¡± a lazy drawl came from behind us, and I very nearly teleported backwards, but stopped myself from reaching for my mana at the last second.


    ¡°Chill, it¡¯s fine,¡± the thief said from where he was leaning against a stone column holding up the relief fund¡¯s roof.


    ¡°Were you tracking us?¡± Kene asked, a touch on edge.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not an idiot,¡± he said, then gestured to the books. ¡°I put a subtle enchantment on those.¡±


    I paused as I pressed my hand to the book. Even without my mana senses directed, I could feel the faint hum of spatial magic over the book, blending in with the space of the world, but still there.


    I whistled.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    Kene frowned and put their hand on the book.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything,¡± they reported a second later.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright,¡± I said. ¡°Performance issues are very common, nothing to be ashamed of.¡±


    Kene let out an indignant squawk, and the thief laughed at my joke.


    ¡°As fun as it would be to watch you flirting, I came here for a reason,¡± he said after a second. ¡°We¡¯re even now, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re even,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea who you are now.¡±


    The thief let out a sigh and then extended a hand.


    ¡°Nice to meet you two. I¡¯m Travis Enigma.¡±


    I stared at him.


    ¡°That¡¯s not your last name,¡± Kene said.


    ¡°No, it is!¡± he protested.


    ¡°No it¡¯s not,¡± I said.


    Dusk made a wind-in-trees sound of confusion as she said that it was a perfectly normal sounding name to her. Travis Enigma ¨C if that was his name ¨C rolled his eyes and dug his ID out of his pocket, then passed it to us.


    ¡°Primes,¡± Kene swore. ¡°This has to be a fake ID.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± I agreed.


    He snatched the ID out of my hands, and shoved it back in his pocket, while Dusk commented on how weird it was that humans needed pieces of paper to tell us who we were. I nodded, but was distracted by the thief speaking up.


    ¡°And you weren¡¯t a fox-boy the last time we spoke. Does that mean your tail isn¡¯t real?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good argument,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m Malachi, this is Kene. Nice to meet you.¡±


    I paused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose that you¡¯ve got any relation to Travis¡­ Ugh, I don¡¯t remember his last name, but the tall, bland guy with a red force aura around him?¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The thief stared at me blankly, and I just shrugged.


    ¡°It was worth a shot,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, pleasure to meet you. If you¡¯re ever in need of someone to get things where they don¡¯t need to be, or get things out of places they should, just ask around for Enigma, especially here or the orphanage. They¡¯ll find me.¡±


    With that, he stepped back and vanished in a rush of spatial magic large enough that I could feel it even with my reduced mana senses.


    ¡°I think Orykson would have called that a sloppy teleport,¡± I observed.


    ¡°I think you care too much about what Orykson would think,¡± Kene teased, taking my hand in his. ¡°Onto our next serious job?¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± I said, growing a little more grim.


    In the Idyll-Flume, Kene and I had stumbled across a spot where three kids had died in the competition some twenty-odd years ago, and after feeding their ghosts and laying them to rest, we¡¯d collected their storage rings. When we had, we¡¯d gotten a flash of knowledge of where each of the kids had been from.


    One of them, Garrett, the large brawler of the group, had been from Delitone.


    Kene and I tracked down the house that Garrett had come from and knocked on the door. I shifted nervously from foot to foot, my tail lashing in anxiety as we waited for someone to answer.


    Eventually the door swung open to reveal a bulky older man in his mid forties. If I took the mental image of Garrett, added thirty years and twice that many pounds, I thought they might have been brothers.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked, frowning.


    I took a deep breath and looked up at him.


    ¡°Did you know a kid named Garrett, who died in the Idyll-Flume about twenty-one years ago?¡±


    The man¡¯s face morphed through a half dozen emotions at once, before it finally settled on sadness, tinged with some anger.


    That was pretty reasonable. I had just walked up and asked him about a dead relative.


    ¡°What about him?¡± the man asked warily.


    ¡°During the Idyll-Flume, we encountered his ghost,¡± Kene said. ¡°We laid him to rest, alongside his companions, Sarah and Alexander, and we retrieved the storage ring that he¡¯d left behind.¡±


    The man¡¯s face jumped through a half dozen other emotions again.


    ¡°Come on in,¡± he finally said, leading us into a massive, open-air courtyard and living room combination. There was a roof overhead, supported by magically reinforced marble pillars, but the back end of the house was open to the elements, an old, decaying wardline serving as the protection against storms.


    A half dozen kids were running around, being watched by a group of three older people in a corner, one man and two women. The man and one of the women were middle aged, but the third woman was probably in her eighties.


    We started picking our way through the room towards the older people when I felt someone tugging at my tail, and phased it through their hand.


    ¡°Hey mister, I like your tai¨C Woah!¡±


    I turned to see one of the kids, presumably the one who had grabbed onto my tail, staring in amazement as it passed through their hand. I ruffled his curly dark hair.


    ¡°Lorenzo!¡± the middle aged woman said, crossing the room so fast she had practically teleported. ¡°We do not grab onto other people.¡±


    She looked up at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± I said, waving my hand. Another kid had come up to Kene.


    ¡°Did getting your tattoos hurt? My dad says tha¨C¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough, enough!¡± the man who¡¯d brought us in said, waving the kids away. ¡°Go play outside. We¡¯ve got some adult business to talk about.¡±


    Dusk hopped off my shoulder at that, summoning her cloud, much to the amazement of the kids, and they excitedly followed her outside as she chimed for them to try and chase her. Siobhan materialized a moment later and started chasing, yipping and jumping into the air.


    I sent Dusk a grateful feeling, and Kene and I took a seat on a couch across from the grandmotherly woman and the man who¡¯d let us in. He gestured to us, then to the grandmother.


    ¡°My name is Andrew, and this is my mother ¨C Garrett¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Sofia,.¡± the grandmotherly woman said. ¡°And if it¡¯s not too much trouble, can you tell us everything?¡±


    Kene and I did, explaining how we were hunting down a natural treasure that took fifty years to reach maturation, and found the cave in. How we had made some food for the ghosts, and met Siobhan, buried their bodies, then finally how we had found the rings, and learned where they¡¯d come from.


    By the end of the story, Sofia was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, and Andrew looked a little remorseful himself.


    ¡°I knew he was gone,¡± Sofia said. ¡°But a small part of me did hope, you know. Hoped that maybe he had taken everything, sold it, and ran off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, shaking my head, and Kene reached out a hand to gently pat her shoulder.


    Andrew cleared his throat and held out his hand.


    ¡°May I see the ring?¡±


    I pulled it from Dusk¡¯s realm and passed it to him. He studied it for a moment, a sad smile over his face.


    ¡°Do you remember how proud you were that you had saved up enough for this ring?¡± he asked Sofia, who matched his smile.


    ¡°I do,¡± she said. ¡°We had so many hopes riding on our little prodigy.¡±


    She let out a sigh and wiped her eyes, then looked up at us and shook her head.


    ¡°We can¡¯t thank you enough. Even if the ring is empty, it¡¯s good to have the memory.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do,¡± I said, and Kene nodded their agreement.


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Andrew said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do these sorts of things in Mossford, but in Delitone, we have a longstanding tradition of how to deal with explorers who return comrade¡¯s belongings to their family.¡±


    I blinked as I realized that I didn¡¯t actually know how it was handled in Mossford.


    It made sense that Delitone would have that kind of policy, since they lived in the unclaimed lands, and had monsters knocking at their proverbial doorstop. Losing explorers and workers had to be a far more common occurrence here than in the comparatively tamer lands of Mossford.


    But were there similar policies in Mossford? I thought it would be more likely for the family to post a reward with the watch¡¯s freelancers for the recovery of remains, if they had the money, or to just file it with the lightwatch if it was more normal.


    ¡°It¡¯s tradition to offer the person who recovered the remains something of what the deceased explorer had found,¡± Andrew continued. ¡°I¡¯m not certain that there will be anything left of value, but if there is, you two are welcome to take half of it.¡±


    I paused for a second, glancing at the worn couch, the decaying wardline, and the nearly hairline cracks on the pillars holding up the ceiling, suggesting that their reinforcing enchantments had started to wear out.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°How about a tenth,¡± Kene offered.


    There was a bit of relief on the faces of Sofia and Andrew, but then Sofia shook her head.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind. A quarter.¡±


    ¡°An eighth,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not likely going to be able to make the most use out of it anyways,with my spirit as damaged as it is.¡±


    I felt one of them scan me and they both frowned.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not in need of advancement resources at the moment,¡± Kene said, even though that was definitively untrue.


    ¡°You barter against your own interest,¡± Sofia pointed out, ¡°surely a quarter is more reasonable.¡±


    I waved my hand dismissively.


    ¡°I have a home, family, and enough to keep myself afloat,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. You¡¯ve got kids to support.¡±


    ¡°An eighth is fair to me,¡± Kene said.


    ¡°No, no,¡± Andrew said. ¡°How about this¡­¡±

 The Third Gate: Chapter Thirteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    We bartered back and forth for a bit, before Kene and I finally accepted that we would each take a suitable item for ourselves if there was one, as well as an eighth of whatever was there.


    After that, it really just came down to cracking open the ring and getting its contents evaluated. Andrew called in a cousin who did professional ring-cracking and item analysis, though he seemed a bit awkward about the whole thing, like they felt ashamed to not be using a neutral party.


    That cleared up quickly when Kene commented that they knew enough to identify most natural treasures, and that there was no concern about fairness.


    Things moved quickly after that, with the cousin spending half an hour working on the defenses of the ring, grumbling all the while about how outdated and over-energized the enchanting work was, before the contents were finally spilled out on the table.


    I couldn¡¯t help but admit that I was impressed. Garrett had been traveling with someone who had a legacy to seek out powerful and useful items, but after twenty years, I¡¯d expected a lot of them to fade.


    Some certainly had ¨C pretty much all of the plant-based treasures and items were little more than dust now ¨C but others were in completely fine condition, stones and crystals and even a few bags.


    It took Kene and Andrew¡¯s cousin a while to sort through everything, and I wound up leaving to head to the kitchen, where I helped Sofia with cooking a massive bowl of a hearty white bean and lamb soup. Sofia tried to insist I didn¡¯t need to help, since I was her guest and had helped them, but I insisted I was happy to help, and was set to work dicing up some aubergine and onions for the soup.


    Sofia and Andrew insisted that Kene and I stay for dinner, and it was only after the kids had gone to sleep that Kene, Dusk, and I were led to a small pile of mana sources, as well as a couple of minerals, and some assorted natural treasures. None of them looked like anything especially interesting, but they should fetch an alright price, once the inflation from the Idyll-Flume calmed down.


    Then again, we¡¯d  been in Puinen for a long time after the end of the Idyll-Flume. Maybe the prices had already fallen back to normal levels?


    ¡°This is your eighth,¡± Andrew said, ¡°but your¡­¡±


    ¡°Partner,¡± Kene supplied.


    ¡°Your partner picked this out as your item,¡± Andrew said, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a smooth blue and gray stone.


    ¡°It¡¯s a teleportation core,¡± Kene said. ¡°Once you¡¯re healed up, if you break it over your Foxstep spell, it should help it grow. Kind of like the healing apple I had. Nothing as dramatic as the alter-truffles, but still useful.¡±


    I took it and tossed it into Dusk¡¯s realm, then waved my hand and made the pile of things we¡¯d gotten vanish as well.


    ¡°What did you get?¡± I asked, unable to repress the curiosity.


    ¡°Animation-silver,¡± Kene responded. ¡°I¡¯ve got a theory I¡¯m testing out, something that should pair with my flame runes and blessing. This might help.¡±


    I nodded, tempted to ask more about the theory they were testing, but trying to be respectful of Andrew and Sofia¡¯s time and family, I didn¡¯t.


    Kene and I said some goodbyes, and were thanked one more time for bringing them some news, before we finally left.


    Truthfully, I just hoped that what they¡¯d gotten out of the ring would be enough to help their family. They didn¡¯t seem to be in dire straits, but things were clearly not going perfectly for them either.


    We visited one of the open air night markets, selling most of the mana sources and advancement resources that we couldn¡¯t make use of, and then splitting the money between us, which left me with just over four thousand silver ¨C more than I¡¯d had in a long time.


    Dusk did notice something interesting as we worked our way through the market, however ¨C a ghost market. She led us into the shadows of a large tower with a bright red roof, and poked around in the shadows for a few moments before opening a path to a shadow realm of the night market, one where they were selling far more dubious products, as well as others who were looking to dodge the high sales tax here in Delitone.


    I did have a bit of money burning a hole in my pocket, but the main thing I needed wasn¡¯t something I could find at the ghost market ¨C new clothes! Ones that fit me a bit better, and ones that meant I wouldn¡¯t have to wear Orykson¡¯s suit literally everywhere I went.


    I also didn¡¯t want to burn all the money right away, since there was a good chance that I would be in the city for a while longer, and I needed to continue to make payments on the broom that I legally owned, even if it no longer existed, so after a bit of back and forth deliberation, we left both the ghost market and its more legal cousin of the night market, and headed back to Dusk¡¯s realm for some sleep.Stolen story; please report.


    The following morning, while Kene and I were drinking some coffee and snacking on yogurt and a pastry, we heard someone call out to us.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Octavian said as he walked across the street, Aracelli bounding over far faster. She slammed into my stomach, like an overly affectionate big dog, then sat down and started begging for food, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Dusk let out an excited cry and pulled a t-bone steak from nowhere, tossing it into the air.


    I glanced at Dusk, because I didn¡¯t think that we had any steak in her realm. In fact, as its guardian, I knew that we didn¡¯t. Dusk just gave me a pretty smile and laughed, while Aracelli gnawed at the treat.


    ¡°We heard that you were out on an expedition to the marshes,¡± Kene said, rising and shaking Octavian¡¯s hand. I waved to Roh, the will-o-wisp, who waved his tiny little hands back at me, then I shook Octavian¡¯s hand as well.


    ¡°We were,¡± Octavian said, his nod causing his single braid to bounce. ¡°We just got back last night. Mind if I sit with you all?¡±


    I gestured for him to go ahead, and Kene nodded, so Octavian pulled the chair out and ordered a coffee and yogurt for himself.


    ¡°My moms told me you were here with the delivery,¡± Octavian said, ¡°But Mal, you¡¯ve changed a lot!¡±


    He grinded, his gemstone-blue eyes sparkling.


    ¡°The changes look good on you¡­ but I have to ask. How did the tail happen? The eyes I get, but a tail?¡±


    Kene laughed at me as my tail lashed at my self-consciousness and wrapped around my side.


    ¡°Bully,¡± I said, poking them in the side, before launching into an explanation of the effects of the Beast Mage Soul and Magister¡¯s Body, as well as everything that had happened since the Idyll-Flume.


    ¡°So¡­ Yeah. That¡¯s most of what¡¯s been up with us,¡± Kene said. ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into the group that shattered the Idyll-Flume,¡± Octavian said, sipping his coffee. ¡°Not much of interest, annoyingly. The two I was able to identify all have family members who went into the realm five cycles ago, and the families I spoke to admitted openly to the fact that they had been planning to free Idyll for over two generations, and that the Craftsman had told them to stop any warlocks from getting their hands on the device he made.¡±


    Dusk frowned, leaning forwards on my shoulder, and told us that wasn¡¯t right. There was something more to this, she had a gut feeling, a whisper of an instinct from within herself.


    I glanced at her, then back to Octavian, who was frowning.


    ¡°I¡­ Maybe? It seemed pretty cut and dry, but I admit it does seem like a pretty big leap to go from keeping an artifact hidden to, ya know, murder.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Kene agreed, and for a moment we lapsed into silence as we considered it.


    ¡°Oh, I also got a job offer from Elio, to join him in the settling of Chrysite,¡± Octavian said.


    ¡°Think you¡¯re taking it?¡± Kene asked. ¡°Malachi got a similar offer.¡±


    ¡°Beastmage. That makes sense.¡±


    Octavian leaned back and sighed, scratching Aracelli¡¯s horns.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I probably will, if for no other reason than to check on how they¡¯re handling it, and report to the sanctuary and our allies.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of the sanctuary, any progress on getting our¡­ delivery¡­ in for your moms?¡± I asked as I finished up my own coffee.


    ¡°Mo-Olive is almost done vetting you all, she¡¯s already on your school records and family stuff¡­ But in the meantime, do you want to visit the public portions of the dragon sanctuary?¡±


    It was clear he felt a little bit strange calling his dragon-mom by her first name, as he stumbled slightly on the word ¡®Olive¡¯, and then rubbed his freckled nose, but I barely even was paying attention, since I was caught in the absolute mortification of realizing that Olive was looking through my horrible school life and terrible grades.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been doing tourist stuff,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡¯d love to visit the sanctuary, though¡­ Can we? We were told we couldn¡¯t come in until the security clearance was finished. I didn¡¯t know if that included the public sections or not.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still welcome to visit the public parts of the sanctuary,¡± Octavain said with an amused grin, that slowly turned more serious as he talked. ¡°It¡¯s just the behind the scenes stuff ¨C so many of our creatures need some really delicate enchantments and wards to keep their habitats running. Back when my moms were just starting it up, they had a couple of employees who used the backroom access to break the wards and steal some creatures to sell as exotic pets, or to kill and use for parts.¡±


    Dusk rustled, asking why Olive couldn¡¯t just take the delivery and bring it through the wards herself.


    ¡°Your¡­ package¡­ needs some pretty extreme conditions. Removing it for transport would risk cooling it so much that it becomes¡­ non-viable,¡± Ovtavain said, struggling to figure out a way to phrase it in public.


    Dusk nodded, and Octavian snapped.


    ¡°Oh, hold on, before I forget, Malachi, Kene, my mom ¨C Thea ¨C told me to give this to you.¡±


    He pulled out a note and passed it over to me, and I froze as I opened it.


    Thea had drawn a map, and labeled it ¡®the path of the meteor shower¡¯. It showed how the meteor shower ¨C the very one I¡¯d had a premonition about when I¡¯d been practicing with my Depths of Starry Night technique ¨C would begin off the northern tip of the Isle of Chrysite, fall across the sea and over the southern moorlands of Mossford, before stretching across the sea again and coming to a stop on the bogs outside of Delitone.


    Within my wounded spirit, the winds of fortune spun in a lazy circle, accepting that this outcome could work just as well as the one in Mossford.


    I considered that for a moment. I wasn¡¯t sure returning to Mossford was the wisest option right now, since I didn¡¯t have magic, and staying here for the shower would give me a bit more time to recover after my power came back, rather than immediately rushing off to go try and catch the stars.


    Eh, I¡¯d figure it out another time. At least I had the option now, though how Thea had known about my vision was beyond me.


    I tucked the paper away and gave Kene a brief explanation, then finished my yogurt.


    ¡°To the sanctuary?¡± Octavian asked, and Kene, Dusk, and I readily agreed.


    The three, or four, or five of us ¨C depending on how you counted Araceli, Dusk, and Roh ¨C left then, heading out towards the dragon sanctuary on the edge of town.


    Octavian shepherded us through the lines, the people who worked the ticket stand letting him through when he showed them a card from his pocket.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that, we can pay,¡± I objected, but Octavian shrugged.


    ¡°Two friends skipping admission isn¡¯t going to make much of a difference in running this place.¡±

 The Third Gate: Chapter Fourteen

    O


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ctavian waved us through the gates, and we passed by some vendors selling assorted snacks, even though it was early in the morning. There were the classics, like pretzels and iced drinks and popcorn, but there were other things too, like a man who was selling flatbreads that could be baked into something almost like a pizza, or served unbaked with loads of vegetable toppings. That stall almost distracted me ¨C almost.


    Seeing a bunch of cute draconic creatures was ultimately more tempting, though, so I pulled away.


    The sanctuary¡¯s public path was essentially a massive ovallar tunnel of protective wards that wrapped around the massive space, occasionally branching off one way or the other. The wardwork was good, almost completely invisible to the naked eye on this side, and blending into nature on the other sides, so that we could get a good look at the various environments that had been created to nurture and protect the creatures, without being able to disturb them.


    Even if a kid banged their fists on the ward, the protective spell wouldn¡¯t do anything, and the estragon and other draconic breeds would have no idea that they were being watched.


    ¡°Better to start on the right and loop around to the left. The crowd usually goes the other way.¡±


    Kene and I shrugged, and with no especially pressing reason to disagree, we followed him through towards the right end of the loop. The first environment that we found ourselves in was a massive freshwater lake, with an artificial waterfall that pummeled into the rocks on one side, and several lakes that split off from the center. The warded path ran through the lake itself, allowing us a view of the underwater species.


    I spotted river estragon, visually quite similar to the blue scaled and white bellied ocean estragon, as well as lake estragon, who had a touch more green in their flipper-like appendages, and long strands of what almost resembled seaweed floating around their heads. There was also a breed I didn¡¯t recognize, hanging around the waterfall. There were only two that I could see, but they had the blue scales of an ocean estragon, but spotted with dark brownish underbellies, rather than white, and slightly more angular, sleek features, as well as more defined sharp tips to their flippers, which looked strong enough to slice through stone.


    But there weren¡¯t just estragon ¨C there were a half dozen fish that swam through the lake, and rivers which some of the estragon caught, seaweed at the bottom that was also being munched on, insects that skittered across the surface, and more.


    Dusk let out a sound of amazement, and I pointed to the sharper, brown-bellied estragon.


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    I could have read the plaque in front of us, but I had an Octavian, so I might as well use him.


    ¡°Those are a rare breed, and the reason for this environment,¡± Octavian explained. ¡°Waterfall estragon. They¡¯re a threatened species, since they used to be hunted to make enhancement potions for water-focused mages. Their magic is a bit rockier and sharper than an average freshwater aquatic estragon, and their breath has a certain¡­ cutting power¡­ than most others lack. We¡¯re hoping to get some viable egg clutches and do some repopulation.¡±


    We studied the lake for a while, watching as a river and a lake estragon seemed to get into something of a territory struggle, battling over where the river ended and lake began, then slowly walked forwards into the next environment.


    It took longer than I expected. This sanctuary wasn¡¯t a small, cramped zoo where you could look at the animals and move on, but rather a full, designed set of environments. The rivers that fed into the lake transitioned into a thicker forest, which held forest estragon, and even a single forest terragon, who was napping on a rock, lording over her domain.


    But the transition was slow, rather than a sharp cut-off, and it gave us time to watch as the forest and river estragon worked together, their magic rushing out of them and into the forest, enriching it in every aspect.


    Scattered throughout the oak, ash, and mistletoe and blackthorn were strange creatures, ones I¡¯d never seen before. They looked like wolves, but with scales as well as fur. In an odd way, it reminded me of Kerbos, though they lacked the living metal that formed horns, sharp spines, and a breastplate-like chest covering.


    ¡°What are those?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°They¡¯re some of the last remaining known draig-blaidd,¡± Octavian answered.


    ¡°I thought those were extinct?¡± Kene asked. ¡°Hunted to extinction by the people of Mossford over two hundred years ago?¡±


    ¡°They almost are,¡± Octavian said, a note of sadness in his voice. ¡°Without a packlord, they¡¯re struggling, even with our help. We¡¯re hoping that one will be born soon, so its magic can enhance its chosen pack.¡±


    Siobhan yipped at that, and Kene reached down, scratching her head.


    From there, bamboo became gradually more common, and the forest estragon started to shift as well. The broad, ash-tree leaf shaped scales were replaced with thinner, longer scales. The root-like horns became straighter and less gnarled, and even the estragon body shape shifted slightly, becoming somewhat sleeker and quicker, able to jump from stalk to stalk.


    Octavian gestured to one of them as we moved.


    ¡°When people say forest estragon, they¡¯re almost always referring to whatever local forest they have, but forests aren¡¯t a monolith. This bamboo forest, for example. The estragon that inhabit it are similar to the ones you might find in Mossford¡¯s forests in some ways, but remarkably different in others. I wonder if we¡¯ll be lucky enough to spot the real reason for this area though¡­¡±


    It took us a bit of walking, but Dusk suddenly let out a gasp and pointed. Atop a small hill, sleeping, was a beautiful creature. It had a deerlike body, but was covered with golden scales, and a dragon¡¯s head, complete with antlers, and a long, flowing white mane, as well as a white beard.


    The winds of fortune were blown back, cowed by the very sight of this creature, until a moment later, another one, this one who¡¯s scales shimmered in a rainbow of colors, rose from where it had been lying asleep behind the golden one. This one was smaller, but every bit as regal and commanding.


    It studied us, even through the ward, and then it locked its eyes with me, and I found myself staring into nearly identical rainbow eyes.


    Then it shifted, curling up and lying down next to its mate again.


    ¡°The Kirin,¡± Octavian said, his voice falling to a whisper, even though they shouldn¡¯t have been able to hear us. ¡°One of our most powerful creatures, and one of the stranger cases. We typically rear the creatures until they¡¯re able to survive in their more native habitats, or else create habitats for them to survive if that¡¯s too dangerous, but the Kirin just¡­ stay here.¡±


    ¡°Are they rare?¡± Kene asked in a whisper.


    ¡°They¡¯re critically endangered, though I¡¯ve heard that one was spotted in Feng Chui. These two approached my mo¨C approached Thea ¨C and seemed to settle down here when we built them this habitat. Granny Kater is hoping that they¡¯ll spark an egg to life, but¡­ We¡¯re not sure.¡±


    As we continued to walk, the forest continued to change. It became denser and populated with thick trees that I could only describe as jungle-like, and even through the wards I could feel the humidity rising. The estragon here were different too, with thicker bodies of darker green and brown, moving through the roots of the tree, while blue and gold sky estragon winged above the canopy far overhead.


    ¡°The tropical rainforest estragon are an interesting one, but much like the lake we saw earlier¡­ ah, there we go. Look!¡±


    He pointed to a large tree, which bore several brightly colored fruits.


    I squinted. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    No, some of those weren¡¯t fruit at all. They were bright red dragons, each the size of a mango, curled up to sleep, with their wings stretching over everything but their head, which was biting onto the tree, like some sort of reverse bat.


    ¡°The rainforest, much like the lake, aren¡¯t threatened or even uncommon in the right parts of Ddeaer,¡± Octavian informed us. ¡°But those? Fruit-mimic winged serpents. They''re strong enough to drive off most of the herbovores and birds that try to eat them, but not humans. Unlike the more common pollinator draigs that you¡¯ll find throughout Vinopae, the Redsummer Isles, and parts of Elohi, the fruit mimic is endangered.¡±


    ¡°You said humans. They¡¯re hunted?¡± Kene asked.


    ¡°They are,¡± Octavian said with a sad smile. ¡°They only mate once a decade, and the eggs can be used to replace four different components in creating a pill of immortality, so they¡¯re quite hunted.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the tour to be so sad,¡± I admitted, and Octavian let out a soft laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of it the wrong way,¡± he said, putting a hand on my shoulder and squeezing gently. ¡°Yes, it is sad. But the world isn¡¯t just a cruel place. We work incredibly hard to make sure that each and every one of these little buggers lives in comfort, and ideally produces more. The sanctuary has already helped get several species out of critical endangerment!¡±


    Kene took my hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand.


    ¡°And you¡¯re helping too, Mal.¡±


    I smiled at both of them, my tail flicking back and forth at the thought of working to save endangered species. This, more than most things I¡¯d done with my magic, was worthwhile.


    We continued our walk, and the landscape slowly became drier. At first it was just an abundance of stone, as what looked like the oldest, worn-down mountains might have, but the rocks continued to rise, giving way to a variety of caves, which the warded path slowly snaked through.


    The cave systems were covered in cavern estragon, and there was a host of almost fifteen lindworms, as well as three cavern terragon.


    ¡°This is one of our most successful environments,¡± Octavian said happily. ¡°Thanks to some of the contributions of Elio, we¡¯ve even managed to start setting up an environment that might be able to produce a gemstone estragon!¡±


    He turned to us and winked conspiratorially.


    ¡°I¡¯ve even heard that there¡¯s a slim chance that mantle estragon could be hatched there, but¡­ that part isn¡¯t open to the public yet.¡±


    I laughed, and Kene smiled, while Dusk just peeped out a question as to why we thought it was funny, because it was a terrible joke.


    I patted her head as we moved up from the deeper caves and the mountains slowly transformed into dry flatlands, full of geysers, multicolored geothermal springs, and sparse patches of lichen, moss, and acacia trees.


    ¡°Estragon who have evolved to live in these pools are a cousin of mantle estragon,¡± Octavian explained as he pointed to the brightly-colored dragon-kin splashing around. ¡°They¡¯re more common, but still a threatened species, and quite dangerous. The springs look pretty, but they¡¯re often hot enough to boil a person alive.¡±


    We took a long winding route through the rocks, watching as lizards scurried about, vultures mixed with the sky estragon overhead, and a cacti stood up and walked away from a sand-colored shrew that tried to nibble on it. As we moved, the environment slowly shifted towards increasing levels of dust and dirt.


    ¡°Most deserts aren¡¯t just big piles of pretty sand,¡± Octavian said. ¡°Though those do exist, obviously. They¡¯re also a lot more filled with life than people think. Look carefully, and you¡¯re likely to spot some desert estragon.¡±


    We held still and watched as a yellowish-red rock shifted, then started skittering across the sands. A moment later, it became clear that it wasn¡¯t a rock, but rather, some sort of enormous crablike thing. The moment it moved, a half-dozen estragon with ruddy-red bodies started sliding around the sand, zooming away in a quick motion that reminded me slightly of the slipsharks that I¡¯d seen on the beach, gliding through the dust and sand.


    A hawk with glowing talons dove down at one of the estragon, and I let out a gasp as the estragon suddenly spun up a whirlwind of sand, knocking the bird off course, then darted across the sand in a burst of speed.


    Octavian hurried along as he saw that happen, which was probably wise. I was accustomed to violence, somewhat, but I didn¡¯t enjoy it, and nature could definitely be violent when it wanted to be or needed to be.


    There was something odd about that thought, but I put it out of my mind as we followed the desert out. It slowly transformed, becoming sandier and sandier, before I started spotting my friends, the slipsharks, hanging out on the beach, alongside what looked like some sea jellies floating in the air, and ocean estragon.


    ¡°Ah, this is one of my favorite parts of the sanctuary,¡± Octavian said with a grin as the warded path began heading underwater.


    I gasped as I saw why.


    Under the surface of the water was an explosion of life, a hundred different colors mixing into a vibrant tapestry. Fish and octopodes and smaller sharks swam through the coral, saltwater clams, and sponges. Sea turtles and sea horses and hippocampi moved through the water, and¡­


    I took in another sharp breath as I saw one of the most majestic creatures yet. While it might not have been a match for the Kirin, I thought it was every bit as amazing in its own way.


    A coral terragon swam through the water, long, coral horns protruding from its head, shimmering scales blending in with the multicolored background. It was idly forging armor of coral around its body before letting it bleed off into the environment, and it came to a stop near a bed with a hundred starfish, the smallest of which were the size of my head, and the biggest of which were taller than I was.


    The coral terragon chomped down, cleanly breaking off one leg and swimming away with the limb in its claws, munching on its snack. Before my eyes, the starfish began regrowing its missing parts, a soft glow emitting from the gemstone-like center.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fascinating symbiotic relationship,¡± Octavian said, pointing to it. ¡°The strengthening sublime starfish has a variety of healing and regeneration spells, and can regrow itself quite quickly.¡±


    ¡°That sounds more parasitic,¡± Kene pointed out.


    ¡°Ah, well, you might think so, but each time the damage is repaired, the energy cluster in the core of the starfish is drained for power, and when it restores itself, the total stores increase,¡± Octavian said. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not overfed on, the creatures in here snacking on their limbs actually serve as a crucial part of their development.¡±


    I stared at it. That might be perfect for me. I doubted its limb-repairing would be quite the same, since I wasn¡¯t a starfish, but hadn¡¯t Octavian said it had regeneration? That would be perfect for me, if it could interface with my full gate spells in the same way.


    ¡°Tavi!¡± someone called out, and Octavian turned. I saw Thea and a woman I hadn¡¯t met yet, but who looked about five years older than Thea or Olive, approaching, hand in hand. Octavian brightened.


    ¡°You all met my mom, Thea, right? This is my other mom, Granny Kater.¡±


    ¡°Why do you call your other mom granny?¡± I asked. ¡°She¡¯s like¡­ A few years older than Thea.¡±


    ¡°And your other-other mom, Olive, is a dragon,¡± Kene added. ¡°Who knows how old she actually is?¡±


    ¡°He started calling me Granny Kater as a tyke, and it just stuck around,¡± Kater said, laughing. ¡°Nice to meet you. And oh my goodness¡­ You must be Dusk!¡±


    She reached out with her claw-like hands and shook Dusk¡¯s hand. I glanced at Kene and mouthed ¡®hag¡¯ questioningly, but they shook their head.


    I nodded as Dusk proudly introduced herself, as well as all of us. I glanced at Thea.


    ¡°Thank you for the note, but¡­ how did you know?¡±


    Thea¡¯s eyes sparkled as she gave me a mysterious smile.


    ¡°I listened to the winds.¡±


    ¡°Can you teach me to listen?¡± I asked seriously. If she was able to predict things that accurately, then she was skilled beyond anything I¡¯d ever seen. Maybe Meadow could match, but Thea wasn¡¯t a magi, which only made it more impressive.


    ¡°I can try,¡± Thea said. ¡°Stick around for a bit after your magic is back up and running, and we¡¯ll see if you can learn to listen the way I do.¡±


    ¡°Did you just come over to say hello?¡± Octavian asked as Kater and Dusk finished their talk, and Thea and I turned to face him.


    ¡°No,¡± Thea said. ¡°Olive¡¯s almost finished with her searching. I wanted to ask if you all were going to attend the hatching of your forest estragon eggs? I think they¡¯re going to hatch in eight or nine days. Well after Olive finishes.¡±


    She threw me for a loop by saying forest estragon, before I realized that she was probably just lying in order to make things less suspicious to passersby.


    ¡°Beast and spirit in human form,¡± Thea said after a moment. ¡°It could be interesting for you all to attend the hatching, but I can understand if you have other plans. I¡¯ve some advice for you either way.¡±


    She looked over us, her eyes fixing on me, then shifting to look at Kene, then back to me.


    ¡°Estragon frequently imprint on someone who¡¯s there at the hatching,¡± Kater supplied. ¡°Double for humans or humanoids who could present a good partner. In those cases, the imprinting almost always means a bond is going to ¡±


    Aracelli let out a soft growl as she headbutted Octavian, who chuckled.


    ¡°If I get imprinted, you¡¯re just gonna have to learn to share,¡± he told her. ¡°But the odds are low. Most people don¡¯t get imprinted by two different dragon-like species.¡±


    ¡°So, will you be there?¡± Thea asked, her eyes darting up to look at the ocean above us, then over to the coral terragon, then over to a slipshark.


    I paused to consider. I still didn¡¯t know the full breadth of what had happened with my bonds with Dusk and the Beastmark, but I¡¯d clearly mirrored a beast and spirit, with humanity in the middle. That had been clear.


    I could do that again, certainly, bonding an imprinted estragon to either time or space, and a spirit to the other.


    But did I want to? That was a heavy investment in familiars, and would stop me from bonding to the intersection of my full-gate spells. I was far enough along that I no longer felt a burning need to do that, but they were still a foundation of my magical power. Bonding them had to be beneficial.


    On the other hand, a mantle estragon familiar would be a massive boon to my direct combat power, and I kept getting myself into combat situations. Then again, maybe I could use the Beastmark to pick up some sort of magma spells?


    Whatever spirit I tracked down to bond could then compliment my skills or cover a weakness, making me incredibly well-rounded, but it was also possible that the Beastmark would let me round out my skills too.


    And it wasn''t as if I had to make things mirror. I thought it would help, but I could always bond the estragon and still bond the connection point.


    And all that was based on the idea that an estragon would imprint on me. It might well turn out that, due to Dusk¡¯s claim over me, their primal brains would see me as taken. If that was the case, then I¡¯d get to attend a once-in-a-lifetime event without having to stress over my future.


    Ugh, why did everything need to be so complicated?

 The Third Gate: Chapter Fifteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be there,¡± I said. ¡°If it turns out that I¡¯m supposed to have a magma estragon as a familiar, then I¡¯ll take one. If I¡¯m not fated to, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Dusk and I had carried the eggs for a long time, and had risked a prison sentence for them. I couldn¡¯t just skive off from being at the hatching.Thea met my eyes and nodded, then she slipped her hand into Kater¡¯s and leaned against the spirit-woman¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I think it would be a good idea for Thea to get some rest,¡± she said. ¡°She¡¯s strained herself recently.¡±


    ¡°Had to,¡± Thea mumbled. ¡°Things keep changing¡­¡±


    Kater glanced at her and then sighed, slipping an arm around her legs and hoisting Thea up bridal style. She tilted her head towards us.


    ¡°It was lovely to meet you two. Our wife should be finished with her analysis soon.¡±


    Then Kater and Thea¡¯s bodies dissolved into motes of purple and black, flowing up into the sky. I stared at it, wondering what, exactly, that was.


    ¡°We should probably finish our tour,¡± Octavian said after a moment of silence.


    Dusk agreed cheerfully, and our little group continued deeper into the oceanic depths, passing a drop that had dozens of lines of wards and enchantments. Even under the ward tunnel, it began to grow dark, and I could feel the pressure closing in.


    I was suddenly very glad I wasn¡¯t claustrophobic, because it felt uncomfortably like being in a tomb.


    I glanced around, and through the murk and gloom, I could see the shapes of squid-like creatures, gray-black estragon with underbellies of blue, and the thin, serpentine forms of what I could only assume were powerful sea drakes of navy blue and gold. We watched as one of the drakes released an arc of a breath weapon at a squid, which released a cloud of ink in retaliation.


    To my surprise, the breath attack of the sea drake was a brilliant white-gold, that flared through the water like a beacon. The light sent the estragon ¨C and several fish that I hadn¡¯t noticed before ¨C fleeing.


    The cloud of inky darkness tried to consume the bright light of the breath weapon, but it failed, the light dispelling away the ink. But even as the cloud dissipated, the sea drake swam away hungry, as the squid-like being had escaped.


    We watched for a while longer before we started the trek back upwards. On the other side of the artificial depths, light began to peek through, and the pressure receded to reveal a bed of oysters and clams and mussels, with long stalks of kelp and algae blooms, through which brightly colored fish swam.


    A terragon with long, hair-like strands of kelp forming a mane and beard swam past, and my eyes widened some as I studied it.


    ¡°We keep him and the coral terragon separate,¡± Octavian said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a shame, because there¡¯s a lot of mutualism between coral, kelp, and algae, but for whatever reason, whenever the two terragon get too close, they wind up in a territory dispute, and it got¡­ bad¡­ a few times. Now we keep them on separate sides.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what mutualism was, but based on the context, I thought it probably meant the same thing as symbiotic? I took a moment to curse researchers for needing a dozen words for one thing.


    I was sure a wildlife researcher would claim that they were incredibly different things, but¡­


    I realized I was getting caught in my own head and went back to looking at the sanctuary.


    We passed through some plains, which looked rather boring to me on a personal level, just lots of grass with shallow bowls of water interspersed throughout, but Octavian went on a lecture about the incredible biodiversity of the area, and how much it, alongside solar capture, worked to mitigate the more extreme fluctuations of solar energy.


    It was kind of amusing to watch the estragon. They had thin, spiky scales of green and brown, and slid through the grass on their bellies, moving with a shocking amount of speed. Several small raptors ran around in the grass, hunting for field mice and other small game, and occasionally the raptors and estragon would interact, which usually ended with the raptor turning tail and fleeing.


    There was apparently a couple of grassland terragon in the area, but they weren¡¯t anywhere near the ward tunnel.


    Octavian did point out some massive shapes in the distance, that I had thought were hills. After a moment of study, however, I realized they were enormous, furry beasts, with long tusks, almost like a shaggy elephant.


    ¡°They¡¯re sleeping right now, but world-mammoths are native to this environment. They¡¯re not dragons, or even dragonblood, but they¡¯re rare and extremely powerful. Their legacies compress their mana even more than most dragons. They have almost no offensive spells at all, though, all of their magic being about enhancing the power of the world around them.¡±


    The trail moved in their direction, and as we got closer to them, it got increasingly chilly. A while after we had passed them, it began to get thick and snowy. Dusk chimed out a complaint that we¡¯d just gotten away from this kind of weather, and Kene laughed at her, thinking she was joking, only to receive a raindrop-sized slap. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have too many creatures in our taiga habitat,¡± Octavian said. ¡°But the two we do are the entire reason for it.¡±


    We passed by many familiar looking creatures ¨C hex ermines, aurora toads, arctic foxes, and winter deer ¨C along with some new ones, like winter estragon, who¡¯s horns resembled moose horns made out of ice, and who¡¯s scales resembled ice crystals.


    But it quickly became apparent what Octavian was talking about when we saw a four-headed hydra with frosty blue-gray scales, a thick body, and powerful wings, munching on what looked like half of an entire pine tree. Standing next to it was the biggest wyvern I¡¯d ever even heard of, easily tall enough to tower over a three story building.


    ¡°They¡¯ve sparked several eggs. Mostly terragon or wyvern, but two hydra as well, and once a full dragon egg,¡± Octavian said happily as we passed by their cave.


    I noticed the bones littering the ground beneath the pair, and wondered why exactly the hydra was eating a tree?


    ¡°You keep saying ¡®sparked¡¯,¡± Kene commented. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, dragons and most pure blood draconids like drakes, estragon, hydra, and terragon don¡¯t have kids in the normal sense,¡± Octavian explained. ¡°They produce eggs on irregular cycles ¨C usually, the higher the baseline strength and sapience, the less common it is for their cycle to begin, or for the sparking ¨C and then they invest a fertilized egg with power, and cause it to begin absorbing power from the environment and making a core of its own. That grows into a dragon. You can have multiple people investing into one egg, but the odds of sparking it to life doesn¡¯t usually change that much. There¡¯s a small increase, but nothing crazy.¡±


    ¡°If stronger ones have a harder time sparking their eggs to life and laying eggs at all, why would you allow people to bond to the estragon?¡± I asked, careful to not say what type of estragon I was talking about.


    ¡°I said baseline strength and sapience, not final strength and sapience,¡± Octavian said. ¡°Terragon, for example, don¡¯t hatch until third gate. Drakes usually around second, though some deep sea drakes are third. Dragons hatch with nothing, but they possess sapience right away. All of those have a harder time producing an egg¡­ If they stay at that level.¡±


    He held up a finger, and Roh took a bite out of it. A smile flickered over Octavian¡¯s face as he scooped the will-o-wisp up and plopped him into his hair.


    ¡°But if they grow stronger, it increases the odds significantly. That¡¯s why we allow bonds to happen ¨C getting an estragon to third gate makes it more likely to lay eggs of any sort, and makes those eggs have a better chance of sparking to life. In addition, the odds of them producing a terragon or hydra or lindworm or whatever also skyrocket.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said, thinking through the implications of that.


    ¡°The life cycle of dragons is a very unusual one,¡± Octavian agreed, bobbing his head.


    We moved back out of the taiga and high winter peaks and through a wardline that cut off the nature of the taiga entirely. It was strange ¨C no gradual contrast, just a sharp wardline that led into gently sloping foothills that were absolutely covered in vibrant flowers.


    There were flowers in reds and blues, yellows and greens, purples and oranges. Some were roses that looked as small as the nail on my pinkie finger, while others were sunflowers that towered the size of a small tree. Bees, hornets, beetles, and other insects swarmed through the air, alongside butterflies and moths and fruit flies and more, but I didn¡¯t see any mammals.


    ¡°Welcome to the most dangerous habitat in the entire preserve,¡± Octavian said, sweeping his hand over the fields of flowers.


    ¡°I would think you were joking, but I saw those wardlines,¡± Kene said. ¡°I¡¯m no expert, but they looked¡­ serious.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not joking,¡± Octavian said. ¡°We call this the bone fields. There are multiple highly potent flowers that Granny Kater uses in her alchemy.¡±


    I stared at Octavian, waiting for him to explain the dangerous part.


    ¡°Bonesprout?¡± Kene asked in a horrified, questioning whisper, and Octavian nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a disease that can take root in plants that have crossed into fifth gate,¡± Kene said. ¡°It gets inside of a person and begins to cause their bones to grow. Small spurs at first ¨C if it¡¯s caught early enough, it¡¯s treatable. But it keeps progressing, and if it¡¯s not caught, it can cause the skeleton to begin to bloom out of a person, sprouting spikes, and then eventually¡­¡±


    I shuddered at the rather visceral image that popped into my head.


    ¡°The thick amounts of telluric, life, and death energy also make for the perfect environment for two of our also dangerous specimens,¡± Octavian said. ¡°We have a pair of basilisks, and a clutch of cocatrice.¡±


    He reached out and tapped on the ward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the ward is strong enough that even if we spot one of them, you¡¯ll be fine. The poison, murderous gaze, and the cockatrice¡¯s breath can¡¯t pass through. Or the bonesprout, for that matter ¨C the field has been infected for over a decade, and there hasn¡¯t been a single instance of the wards being breached.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised Kater, Thea, and Olive didn¡¯t just burn and raze the field to get rid of it,¡± I commented.


    ¡°That¡¯s the usual strategy to deal with bonesprout in most places, but for all that it¡¯s horrible for humans, it¡¯s great for plants,¡± Kene said. ¡°It can assist their growth significantly, and the slow killing of animals around it creates nutrients, at least until animals learn to avoid it. There are also several potions that use bonesprout infected plants.¡±


    ¡°And like I said, it gives us a cheap way to support the environment for basilisks and cocatrice,¡± Octavian said. ¡°Not to mention, the sale of the components and potions is one of the things that helps keep the sanctuary afloat. Running this much infrastructure while also only allowing a limited staff is¡­ Difficult.¡±


    I hummed my agreement, and we started walking through the field of horrifying, yet beautiful, death flowers, when I spotted one rustling and pointed.


    Slinking through the flowers was the large, black, serpentine body of a basilisk. It didn¡¯t look directly at us, but even through the ward and my damaged spirit, I could feel a pulse of life and death mana wash through the air around us.


    This was definitely my least favorite habitat, even if it looked beautiful from the outside, I just couldn¡¯t get over the mild horror and worry that I was going to somehow catch bonesprout.


    When we passed through, we had completed the loop and Octavian sighed.


    ¡°Sorry if I went a bit too tourguide.¡±


    ¡°No, it was fun!¡± I said, grinning at him.


    ¡°You did sound a bit like you worked here,¡± Kene said. ¡°But it was interesting.¡±


    ¡°I used to,¡± Octavian said, rubbing his freckled nose. ¡°I still do, in some ways. But¡­ yeah. You can probably find me somewhere around here if I¡¯m in town. You¡¯re staying for a bit ¨C we should hang out some? Maybe Malachi could even pick up part time work at the sanctuary, once he gets clearance.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good!¡± I agreed, while Kene nodded.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Sixteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The following week was surprisingly busy for us. Olive completed her checks on Dusk and me, and after allowing our spirits to be scanned and copied into the wards as ¨C still painful for me, but no longer to the point of sending my body into a total collapse ¨C we were finally able to pass through the thick warding into the back rooms of the sanctuary.


    It was rather different than the upper, touristy levels. There were endless, long hallways that ran underneath the habitats, and as I passed through, I could see why the sanctuary was so selective about who was allowed back here.


    The hallways contained dozens, maybe hundreds, of spellwork nodes, plinths with solidified mana inset into them, swirling cores of spellwork, and boxes of natural treasures and mana sources in circles of script that funneled their power out into the needed environment. In addition to that, the ceiling was covered in trap doors that led upwards into the various habitats.


    In short, the entire thing was so complex and expensive that if I¡¯d had ill intent, it would have been easy to steal several thousand silver of various items and book it. If I¡¯d had even more ill intent, it would have been easy for me to slip into the sanctuary above and steal eggs or even live specimens.


    ¡°If you¡¯re interested in working with us, we can always use some more people who we can trust to help take care of the animals,¡± Thea said as she walked down the hall with Dusk and me.


    Olive, to her left, grunted.


    ¡°I suppose I can allow that,¡± she said.


    ¡°Please, the boy¡¯s fine, Olive. You just don¡¯t like foxes after the¨C¡± Kater started to say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Olive cut her off.


    I raised my eyebrows, but lowered them quickly when Olive turned her head around to glare at me.


    Dusk found the whole thing endlessly amusing, and cheered out her laughter.


    We stopped in the depths of the cavern habitat, where a clearly newly constructed branch of the tunnel lay. Kater waved her hand, and the trapdoor flipped open. A rush of heat exploded through the tunnel, and Dusk peeped out, thrusting her hands out. There was a sudden burst of cold as she channeled power from one of the winter creatures inside her, and then a moment later, the temperature around us stabilized.


    ¡°Up there, inside the magma pool,¡± Thea said.


    Dusk nodded, and I climbed up the ladder and into the cavern. It was¡­ well, it was a cave. The only special thing about it was the extreme pressure beating down on my aura pin, and the heat being staved off by Dusk.


    And the magma pool.


    In the center of the room was a basin that almost resembled the healing bath that Kene¡¯s grandmother had made Dusk create, or like a crater left by a meteor impact. Running all around the lip was a ring of enchantment, and the basin was filled with brightly glowing magma.


    Dusk waved her hand out, and I felt her dominion concentrate as she pulled the eggs out of her and into reality, alongside the massive magma core that she¡¯d stolen from the Idyll-Flume. They settled into the pool, then there was a flare of reddish-white light as energy pulsed off the core and into the enchantments. They seemed to fuse, and the temperature and pressure in the room began to rise rapidly.


    Dusk shouted at me, sounding like the burbling of a river, telling us to get out before the core advanced. My eyes widened, and I sprinted for the hatch, jumping down without using the rungs of the ladder. Dusk¡¯s magic swept out and caught us from falling, and then the hatch slammed shut a moment later.


    There was a pulse of power through the hallway as the magma core shuddered, then began to shed power like nothing I¡¯d felt before.


    Judging the relative strength of the energetic cores of natural phenomena is difficult. A storm might have an absurd amount of power, but it¡¯s diffuse, shifted through a massive area. It¡¯s nothing like measuring against a mage, not really.


    But I would have contested that the magma core was putting off enough power to rival an angry arcanist. Maybe even a false occultist, like Edgar, but I wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Olive shouted at me, green light flaring around her arm, while next to her, Thea cackled like a maniac. I glanced at Thea.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to figure that out,¡± Kater said. ¡°You put the eggs in, then the enchantments started going crazy!¡±


    Thea¡¯s cackling laughter grew louder as she slapped her hand against the wall.


    ¡°It worked!¡± she said, wiping her eyes a moment later. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s wonderful. Olive, dear, do you remember how the eggs were?¡±


    ¡°There was a ma¡­¡± Olive said, then her sentence trailed off. ¡°It connected to the enchantments?¡±


    ¡°I do good work,¡± Thea said proudly. ¡°Though I think we¡¯re going to need to build some harvesting enchantments in, because it¡¯s shedding power. It might actually be able to help the mana budget some¡­¡±


    She turned and started walking away, humming a song to herself. I thought I caught the word saucepan, but I wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    Kater relaxed, and the light vanished from Olive¡¯s arm. They both shook their heads as their wife wandered down the hallway. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°I wish she¡¯d have told us,¡± Kater muttered.


    ¡°I wish I¡¯d thought of it,¡± Olive said. ¡°Alright kid, we¡¯ve got work to do. If you want to help out with feeding the creatures and keeping the ecosystems balanced, go talk to the desks near the stairs.¡±


    I nodded my agreement, but left the sanctuary, wanting to talk to Kene first about it. They had no problem with it, especially when I mentioned that the sanctuary paid a salary of twenty-seven silver an hour.


    We started to settle into a routine after that. I followed around one of the employees who had the authentication to pass through the wards and learned the ropes of manipulating the environments, the schedule on which food was brought out for different areas, and what amount of fighting was considered natural, and when it was needed for us to step in and put a stop to it.


    I found that I enjoyed the subtle alterations of the environment. I didn¡¯t have the magic to do it, but Dusk¡¯s worldspirit dominion allowed her to, and we worked together, with her providing the power, while I guided her shaping to make sure energy was flowing smoothly through the environment, and that there weren¡¯t any large gaps that needed to be worked on.


    In a way, it reminded me of alchemy, but on a scale that far exceeded anything that could be done in a cauldron. Thea said it had principles similar to enchanting, but it also had some commonality with warding, particularly the techniques that Orykson had taught me to smooth out the ripples in space that spatial magic created.


    He¡¯d commented that I picked up on that sort of large scale formation better than I did on classical wardcrafting, and I thought I understood why that was now. Altering the environment to produce the right flows of magic definitely took a lot of focus and concentration, but it was different from standing in one place, etching lines into the earth, or connecting delicate points together. It was more like gardening or cooking. There was a science to it, but it was an art as well.


    A few of the animals in the preserve seemed to take a dislike to me ¨C there was one specific bamboo estragon who really didn¡¯t like me, for whatever reason ¨C but most of them seemed quite happy about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a quality of beastmages,¡± Octavian said one day, as we were putting out large chunks of ¨C in my professional opinion, poorly butchered ¨C meat for the hydra and wyvern to snack on.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Our aura,¡± Octavian said. ¡°People with a lot of beast and plant magic tend to feel natural, like they belong. Some animals see it as a threat or predator, but most don¡¯t.¡±


    I agreed ¨C Orykson had said something similar, after all.


    I tried to approach the Kirins at one point, but while neither of them fled from me, I didn¡¯t get that strange sense of connection that I had the first time I¡¯d seen them. They were powerful and majestic, though, and I caught the rainbow one trailing me through the habitats of the sanctuary a few times.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what, if anything, was going on with that, but I let it be, not wanting to provoke them.


    The draigg-blaidd seemed to get weirdly excited around me whenever I approached, and we played fetch with them a few times, as if they were dogs, rather than the dragon-wolf-creatures that they were. Octavian warned me that the adults could be dangerous, and too always keep my aura pin on.


    He was almost proven right when on the one day I realized I''d forgotten the pin, one of the draigg-blaidd bounded up, slamming a headbutt into me with its not-inconsiderable strength, and I got something of a surprise when it didn¡¯t shatter my ribs, despite the flare of pain it sent through me. I staggered, but I with the energy flowing through my bone and muscle, I was left with nothing but a large purple bruise.


    I wasn¡¯t strong enough to match something draconic, but after all the spellcasting I¡¯d done, the refinement of the alter-truffles, and breaking into third gate, I was far stronger than I¡¯d expected to be.


    I even ventured into the bone fields a few times with Kater, wearing heavy, protective enchanting gear. We were checked thoroughly by a mage each time we came out, as were the plants we brought out. Kene also checked me over when I got home, just in case.


    There were some interesting and powerful plants growing there ¨C some I had, like Stonesprout, but others like Mindwarp Dandelions or Stillfield Asters. I was actually allowed to take a sample of third gate Stillfield Asters ¨C they shed pollen that gradually increased the gravity as it accumulated, which could be used in several telluric-heavy potions, as well as in sleeping potions and strength potions.


    Between it, the Muddy-Armroot, and the Opalescent Snowdrops, I was excited to see what new potions I could cook up once I was able to cast magic again.


    The hatching of the estragon eggs came almost exactly as Thea had predicted, with the first one hatching the night between the eighth and ninth day. Octavian, his moms, his bonds, Kene, and myself all donned heat and pressure resistant enchanted bracelets that Thea had made, then waited in the cave for them to emerge


    We watched as the brown-red-white shells of the magma began to crack and splinter, and one slipped out. It was long and thin, like the more serpentine breeds of dragon tended to be, with gray-brown scales and horns of white hot power. When it moved, glowing red magmatic light leaked from between its scales.


    It turned and leapt into the air, pouncing onto the shell it had hatched from and crunching into it. It slowly ate its shell, and I was amazed that it could fit the entire thing in its small, slender body.


    Midway through the feast, it was joined by a larger, more snail-like estragon, with a thicker, heavy plated shell, and a crusty helmet of rock. It also turned and started devouring its own shell, slurping it up and dissolving it.


    When the terragon broke free from its shell, the energy in the room trembled. The terragon had massive, black and red wings, thick plate-like scales that leaked red and blue light, eyes that resembled white-burning fire, and horns of stone that curled to a deadly sharp point.


    The four estragon who had already hatched all seemed to grow excited in the presence of the terragon, swarming around it. It reached out, and for a horrified moment, I thought that it was going to bite one of the mantle estragon.


    Instead, it gently lifted it, like a cat lifting a kitten, and moved it to the side, then walked over towards us, the other estragon following curiously. It eyed us, staring down Araceli in particular. Araceli leapt to her feet, and the two terragon circled one another for a long second. I held my breath as I watched, unsure what would happen.


    On one hand, Araceli was older, and had her bond to Octavian.


    On the other hand, we were in a highly advantageous area for the mantle terragon, the breed was renowned for having exceptional power, and both were still in the third gate. Plus, Araceli¡¯s bond might actually not have been the most advantageous thing ¨C she had hatched early, after all, and her development had been stifled because of it.


    The two circled each other twice, and then the mantle tarragon started to gather light in the back of its throat.


    Araceli unleashed her dragonfear. Power rippled through the cave, striking down on the mantle terragon, who took two staggering steps back. The light in its mouth faded, it dipped its head to her, and then paced back to the basin with the magma core, curling up around it like a cat. The estragon clambered up onto its wings and stomach, but it closed its eyes, content to sleep.


    All the estragon but one, that is. The noodley estragon who was the first I¡¯d seen hatch wandered to the egg of the terragon and started to eat it.


    Araceli paced back to Octavian and curled up, slumping against his leg. Octavian reached down and patted her gently.


    No estragon came over and imprinted on us, all of them seeming to find far more interested in the terragon, but it was still a beautiful sight to watch. For all of their power, they seemed¡­ happy. And watching them emerge from their eggs one by one, I felt happy too.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Seventeen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The last month of recovery before I could use my magic passed quietly but contentedly, Last-Breath turning to Final-Ice without any fanfare.


    I wound up splurging and spending some of my money ¨C which was starting to stack up, given how I was working at the sanctuary six days a week ¨C a few times for food and fun in the city with Kene, but the biggest purchase I made was in a communication mirror.


    It didn¡¯t work inside of Dusk unless we opened a portal to the outside world right next to it, but the ability to make calls to Ed and my dad whenever I wanted was quite nice. I missed them, and wanted to see them, but it still helped a lot to be able to call them when I needed to hear their voices and see their faces.


    Ed and Liz had finally moved in together, and Ed carried the mirror through the apartment they¡¯d gotten. That brought a sense of melancholy to me, though I only allowed Ed to see how excited I was for them.


    Still, I felt like I should have been there, helping him move his things in. I resolved to get him a good housewarming present. It wouldn¡¯t make up for my absence, but it would be something to help apologize.


    For all that the period of working at the sanctuary was nice and relaxing, I could also feel my feet starting to itch, being stuck in Delitone for so long. That wouldn¡¯t have been so bad on its own, but since I was unable to practice magic, it was made so much worse.


    Which meant it was a relief when Kene and Meadow agreed that my spirit was healed enough to start practicing again.


    ¡°Now I want you to listen to me,¡± Kene said, giving me a serious look. ¡°You¡¯re healed enough to handle normal magic use. You can train lightly, use spells, that sort of thing. But you are NOT healed enough to go running off and injuring your spirit again.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Kene warned. ¡°No heroic shenanigans. Your spirit has only just knitted itself back together. If you damage it again so soon, you¡¯re likely to tear it apart to the point of killing you.¡±


    I paled slightly, but nodded.


    ¡°I promise that I won¡¯t do anything that will strain my spirit,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t even advance my space and time gates, or upgrade my growth item.¡±


    ¡°You should advanceme,¡± Kene said, ¡°There¡¯s pressure created by imbalanced gate levels. It might hurt you some to break through, but the balancing in the spirit will help more than hurt. But don¡¯t upgrade the growth item for a few days at least.¡±


    I brightened at the news I¡¯d be able to break through.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± I said. ¡°Now let¡¯s go find Meadow, just in case?¡±


    We found her at the edge of the wards, sitting and watching them, turning to us as we approached.


    ¡°Ah, Malachi, Kene, Dusk,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I assume today is the day?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Kene said with faint reluctance.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± she said, pulling a water bottle filled with inky black potion from her robes. I recognized it a moment later ¨C it was a larger amount of the potions she used to let us all look into my mana-garden.


    She took a long sip, then tossed it to Kene, who drank, then Dusk, before I finally took a sip and sat on the bench before diving inside of me.


    I seemed to sink though nothingness for several long seconds before I materialized in my mana-garden.


    And immediately spotted something wrong.


    Perhaps wrong was the wrong word. Different would be more accurate.


    In the center of my ungated mana, there was an archway of crystal. Carved at the top of the arch was the same symbol that Edgar had tattooed onto my arm, glowing with a colorless gray smoke.


    Through the arch was what I could only describe as a mana-garden.


    It wasn''t¡­ normal. It had a hexagonal shape, and it was made up of hexagonal tiles, rather than rich earth, but in the center of the garden, three of the tiles were missing, and instead there was a mound of soil, normal and natural looking.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d be able to pry up the tiles, but I had a sense that was a generally bad idea, though I thought that it might be possible if I was willing to pry up everything for a single full-gate spell.


    I paused for a moment to get a better sense of what my spirit was telling me.


    No, I felt certain. I could use this¡­ quasi-artificial mana-garden for three normal spells, or a single full-gate spell. That was a fair trade off, I felt.


    I took a breath and felt the power of the mana-garden. First gate, with a density that reminded me of highly potent second gate mana.


    The type of mana it was¡­ That was harder to place.


    Meadow and Kene, who had been experimenting with the two sides of the arch, trying to see if they led to the same artificial mana-garden ¨C they did ¨C stepped next to me. After a moment, Kene spoke.


    ¡°It feels almost like Edgar¡¯s mana?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ does,¡± I said. ¡°But also a little bit like ungated mana, and a little like life and death mana, and forest mana? I¡¯m not sure. But it¡¯s definitely almost Edgar¡¯s.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I was almost entirely certain that it wasn¡¯t entirely mana, but rather, mana and energy, like the magic of a beast.


    ¡°I expect the rules will work similarly to the Beastmark itself,¡± Meadow said. ¡°It will slowly change and adapt its mana to try to match the spells you store in it, but it will work best the more aspects it has.¡±


    ¡°That would make sense, given that¡¯s what created it,¡± I said, nodding before continuing to examine the garden.


    On the far end of the hexagon was another archway with the Beastmark symbol carved into it as well. It was open, leading into a second gate, which also contained three mounds of soil.


    Its flavor was distinctly second gate, and again, the same general type as Edgar¡¯s, but with subtle differences.


    It had its own archway to third gate, but there was shimmering light filling it, blocking us from going further. The light was a shimmering mix of amber and royal blue ¨C the same colors as my space and time mana, both of which weren¡¯t third gate yet.


    ¡°Do you think it goes all the way to nine?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, spellbinder bonds are supposed to grow with you,¡± Kene said. ¡°It seems likely.¡±


    Meadow made a sound of agreement, and I sucked in a deep breath, trying to stop myself from getting too absurdly excited.


    It was hard, and I couldn¡¯t stop the grin from spreading across my face. Then an idea popped into my head.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll get another spellbinder bond because of this?¡± I asked excitedly. I could always use another bond slot¡­


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Meadow said. ¡°If it does, though, I expect that it would work more like a beast¡¯s than a human¡¯s, allowing you to alter your form.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still more than happy with that,¡± I said honestly. ¡°And if I don¡¯t get anything¡­ Oh well. I¡¯ve still got a bunch of new beast spells. But¡­ how is this even possible? This seems a lot more extreme than Kene being able to channel Siobhan¡¯s defensive aura for free.¡±


    ¡°It does seem a little unfair,¡± Kene agreed, gently elbowing me in the ribs.


    ¡°I suspect it was the confluence of several factors,¡± Meadow said. ¡°First and foremost, your twin full-gate spells allow you to build up reserves of energy within your body, like a beast. Then you bonded with power that was too much for your spirit to handle, and were brought into the fold of a worldspirit¡¯s dominion.¡±


    Dusk peeped out a question, pointing to herself.


    ¡°Yes, you,¡± Meadow said. ¡°Worldspirits are unique, strange, and difficult to explain. Even among complex spirits like will-o-wisps, klagmuhme, or peacepyres, worldspirits are different. They can shape and change things on a deeper level. To say nothing of the fact that her mana is also a blend of all fourteen, providing the mana bond to match the energy of your body.¡±


    ¡°It did almost kill you to get it,¡± Kene said. ¡°It makes sense that the results are pretty extreme.¡±


    ¡°That too,¡± Meadow agreed. ¡°That¡¯s the way of the world, at times, though the mechanisms elude me.¡±


    I nodded slowly, then raised my hand. Mana began to swirl and spin around it, so I looked at them.


    ¡°I can manipulate it just fine. It feels¡­ thicker¡­ than normal mana. Not denser, but more viscous? I¡¯m not sure how to describe it, but it¡¯s definitely still controllable.¡±


    I pushed it out the archway and into my ungated mana, and felt it convert down, then I pulled it back in, not wanting to waste the mana needlessly.


    ¡°And I can convert it just fine,¡± I said.


    ¡°I must say, while it¡¯s not my path, you¡¯ve certainly made the most out of this bond,¡± Meadow said proudly. ¡°Well done.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty neat,¡± Kene said, then adopted a teasing tone. ¡°You know. For something that almost killed you, at least.¡±


    Dusk chimed in that it was cheating and not allowed, because now I was going to be even slower to advance.


    I paused. I hadn¡¯t considered that, but it was true. With four mana types, I was already pushing my limits. This beastgarden was going to take up more time, effort, and resources to grow.


    But at the same time¡­ I was quite happy with it.


    I nodded and patted Dusk¡¯s head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you get too far ahead,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Shall we look over the rest of the garden?¡± Meadow asked after a moment.


    The four of us left the beastgarden and stepped back into my ungated mana, then out into my life gate.


    The spells were in rough shape. With the beating that my spirit had taken, even the well-ingrained spells of Enhance Plant Life had hairline fractures running through the trees, and limbs missing ¨C not excess that had been trimmed off, but healthy limbs, parts of the spell that I would need to regrow.


    My full-gate spell seemed to have held up the best, with only hairline cracks running through the bark.


    ¡°Nothing to do but use the spells and give it time,¡± Meadow said. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that you¡¯ve lost out on some growth and power, but it¡¯s not the end of the world.¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s a trade-off,¡± I agreed. ¡°But¡­ Hold on, look.¡±


    I pointed to the tree¡¯s roots, which extended deep into the soil of my mana garden. There, woven around the tree, was a circle of pencil-thin black roots, like those of a flower.


    ¡°The lesser roots of resolve,¡± Meadow said quietly. ¡°They¡¯re lying dormant, and don¡¯t seem to be interacting with your spell at all, but they¡¯re there. I suspect activating them will be part of your challenge.¡±


    I nodded my agreement.


    Beyond the full-gate spell was the tiny circle of open power I had in my third gate life mana, followed by a thick wall of mists. Irrationally, I was relieved to see it ¨C a part of me was convinced that I¡¯d destroyed all future advancement.


    We headed through the death gate then, and it was much the same ¨C the spells were all in rough shape, sometimes missing parts of useful growth and power, but none of them had been destroyed. Once again, I spotted the lesser roots of resolve threading their way through the mycelium of the full-gate spell, left inactive.


    We passed through my space gate next. The spells here had suffered much less damage than the ones that had been in my life or death gates, but there were still chunks missing from multiple spells.


    Taking in the damage was disappointing, but there was also some degree of relief. A part of me had been convinced that I¡¯d have completely wrecked my spellcraft, and would have to start over from scratch. I couldn''t even imagine how painfully frustrating that would have been.


    We looked around my garden a little longer, checking time mana and going over everything again to look for the strong roots of resolve, but we were unable to see it moving through any spell. Meadow even closed her eyes and tried to call on her winds of resolve, but just circled around my ungated mana for several minutes before we found it.


    It was almost hidden under the portal to my beastgarden, but it was there, twining in the intersection point of my full-gate spells. It was thick and gnarled, like the roots of an oak compared to the lesser root.


    One major root where they intersected, and one minor on either side.


    And one missing, hiding even from Meadow¡¯s senses.


    ¡°Well then,¡± Meadow said. ¡°Well done. You¡¯ve found yourself with quite the new powers.¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± I said, the grin spreading over my face again.


    ¡°Would you like to start looking at some spellcraft?¡± Meadow asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I responded. I leapt to my feet and sent my mana senses out.


    They always existed around me, even when I wasn¡¯t using them, but with my spirit healed, I was able to really let them stretch and expand. It felt like having been in a cast for months, and finally having it cut off.


    My senses stretched out, expanding for over a hundred feet in every direction¡­


    And kept stretching.


    Under the power of my new advancement, I blanketed the city around me for just over six acres before I was forced to pull back into myself.


    I let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to try out some spellcraft now,¡± I said. ¡°Then? I¡¯m ready to advance.¡±

 The Third Gate: Chapter Eighteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I flexed my spirit and Foxstepped onto the bench behind Kene and Meadow, then back to the point I¡¯d been standing before.


    Even without opening my third gate for space and time, the teleport was easier and smoother than I¡¯d ever experienced before, and far less draining.


    I allowed Briarthreads to explode out around me, then pulled them into my spirit. I spun Pinpoint Boneshards, empowered my suite of sensory spells and examined the park, teleported into the air and ran with Immovable Locks to stop me from falling, leaving trails of echos behind me.


    Once I¡¯d finished testing out all of my spells, I flicked the portal open to Dusk¡¯s realm and reached for the Emperor¡¯s Tree with Harvest Plant Life, then reached within myself.


    I had two ascension treasures left, and two gates with which to use them. I picked up the petrified omnieye egg as I walked towards the gate to my time mana.


    I drew power from my life and death gates into my time gate until it was overflowing, then drew more power from the tree until it was shedding out, four times more power than my gate could hold.


    I brought the power down on my time gate, and smashed the omnieye egg against the gate at the same instant.


    A thin crack ran along the surface of the egg as the gates shuddered and cracked open, just a peek.


    With some effort, I wedged my fingers into the gap of the egg, leaned one leg on the opening gates, and shoved.


    The egg shattered into bits in my hands, the fallen pieces sinking into the foundation of my mana-garden, while a pulse of white light shone out from the inside, like a divine yolk.


    The light was caught up in the sudden flow of new power that emerged from my newly opened third gate, and spun through my mana-garden, sinking into the foundation as well. The grass all across my garden began to look greener, and even the tiles of the beastgate looked a little more polished.


    As it happened, my mana senses grew stronger, richer, and more finely detailed. It wasn''t as dramatic as ingraining an entirely new Analyze spell, but it was noticeable. Ascension treasures were no joke, it seemed.


    A part of me expected the surge of strength that was flowing through me to be accompanied by pain, but even as the mana density within my first and second time gates increased, there wasn''t a single whisper of pain. Within the beastgate, the yellow on the barrier to third gate faded away, leaving a shimmering blue of my spatial mana as the only obstacle left.


    I picked up the orb that Kene had chosen as my reward for returning the spatial ring and turned it over in my hand. I still felt bad about taking it, since it was clear that the family was down on their luck, but it was too late to undo the choice now. I walked over to Foxstep and nestled the orb down in the roots of the tree, then connected to my Pointer Moss and Transivy and drew on their power, reinforcing my spatial gate until it overflowed.


    I threw the power at my final, unopened third gate, and as smoothly and easily as a key turning in a lock, the new stage of spatial power flowed through me. The power reached the teleportation core, and the blue-gray stone melted, sinking into my Foxstep spell. The tree branches speared upwards, the damage from my spiritual injury smoothing over as it grew. At the same time, the roots reached deeper into the soil, expanding it and improving it.


    Unlike the truffles or even the omnieye egg, there was no dramatic change, but rather simple growth. The power bound up within me had grown, improving and refining the spell.


    As the flowing power of my newly opened gate reached my gunated mana, the new beastgate opened, and third gate power rushed down out of it as well, reinforcing the other two beast gardens. Within the garden itself, I could see two mounds of dirt, and then a wall of mist.


    I drew myself within my beastgate, and examined the now unsealed archway to third gate.


    Despite the fact that it was the result of a spellbinder bond turned up to the extreme, a part of me had hoped that it would allow me an extra spellbinder bond, or perhaps would allow me to change my shape, like a beast.


    I could feel¡­ something¡­ radiating off of the arch, but it wasn¡¯t a bond, and it was already set and determined. It felt like the tattoo itself, the one physically on my body.


    A tiny part of me was disappointed, but I buried that part of me quickly. I still had accomplished quite the feat of magic.


    And it seemed like third gate would allow me to select more than three spells, which was excellent. Given how hexagonal the tiles and garden was, I was guessing that it would hold six, once I pushed the mists back.


    A sense of calm and stability flowed through my spirit as the gates opened, and my power stabilized. I was a full spellbinder now, not just someone halfway there. My staff would need upgrading before it could begin resonating with my third gate mana, but that would have to wait until my spirit was fairly recovered.


    The density of my power had gone up a considerable amount with the enforcement, and it felt like thick honey compared to the weak tea that had been my second gate mana. It wasn¡¯t as absurdly potent as the power that Ivy had radiated, or even as strong as the assassin¡¯s, but as a starting point for third gate, it was certainly above average.


    Meadow nodded contentedly, then turned to Kene.


    ¡°How about you, dear, are you ready to advance?¡±


    My eyebrows shot up, and Kene made a so-so gesture with his hand.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you were ready to advance to fourth gate?¡± I said, though it came out more like a question than a statement. Kene glanced at me and shook his head. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Do you remember what I said about compacting the soil of your mana-garden being more important as you grow?¡± they asked.


    Dusk chimed out her agreement, saying that he was ready for his first set of steps. I had no idea what she meant.


    ¡°Uh,¡± I said. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s pretend I do.¡±


    ¡°It may be easier to show him,¡± Meadow suggested, pulling out the bottle of potion again.


    This time, we entered Kene¡¯s mana-garden. In the center of their ungated mana was a blooming rose with dark petals, shedding an alchemical power into their spirit, making it more suitable for use with a cauldron. Above the rose was a mass of dark power, wrapped in chains of light, which I took to be the hag.


    The chains speared off of the power, though, striking dead center on the entry to Kene¡¯s mana types, down into the soil, and up into the sky, higher than my eyes could see.


    On the wall around the ungated garden, I could see a ring of spellwork crafted out of tiny beads of an elaborate, larimar-esque stone, glowing the soft blue of Siobhan¡¯s magic. I assumed that was how Kene called up their aura.


    ¡°Come on,¡± they said, not looking at the hag or the script, instead heading into their life gate. I followed, and we passed through the neat rows of plants ¨C their spirit was far more neat and orderly than my own. I did note that in the grass, smooth blue gemstones created walking paths that circled around each spell, allowing us to examine them from all angles, before continuing to the next gate.


    That was fascinating, and made me wonder what lay under the surface of their bond. It wasn¡¯t just that Kene could use Siobhan¡¯s defensive aura, of that I was certain.


    When we entered Kene¡¯s third gate, I could see four spells growing in smooth rows, two larger ones, and two smaller shrubs.


    The density of their mana was good ¨C the treasure they had taken to improve it, alongside the power of the drops of destiny, had done almost as much for them as it had for me.


    Their mists had been pushed back, but not to the wall. Instead, they looked strangely¡­ solid. Almost like bricks forged of mist, instead of the normal stone walls of the garden.


    I frowned and touched it with my hand, only to meet resistance.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard people use the terms early, mid, and either late or peak of a gate, right?¡± Meadow said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. I¡¯d used them myself. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but gauging how far from completion that area of the mana-garden was could be a useful tool.


    ¡°Third gate is where those terms move from general descriptions to far more real ones,¡± Meadow said. ¡°It¡¯s also where advancement begins to get¡­ Strange.¡±


    I suddenly remembered Orykson asking if I knew how to advance, and my response being ¡®good enough until spellbinder¡¯, or something like that.


    ¡°Basically, I¡¯m left with two options,¡± Kene said. ¡°Quick and easy, or slow and hard. The quick option is for me to just gather up my mana and punch through the wall. It wouldn¡¯t even be hard, and then I could keep expanding until I hit the second wall of mist.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that has a downside, or else you would have done it already,¡± I responded.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t increase the power of the gate at all,¡± Meadow said. ¡°It gives you more mana, but not denser mana.¡±


    ¡°The hard option is to compact my foundation with a lot of effort, though some things can also help, and then, using my hands, I carve out a set of steps that go under the wall. That also shatters the wall, but it triggers the release of denser power into my garden.¡±


    Kene paused and sighed.


    ¡°And it¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. I need rapid advancement to stay ahead of the hag, but I also need quality advancement. You can¡¯t go back and dig out the steps later.¡±


    That¡­ explained a lot, actually.


    The War Root and Spriggan had clearly both been fourth gate, but both had been weaker than third gate mages I¡¯d encountered in the past.


    At the time, I¡¯d found it strange, but written it off as the power of draconic legacies and well built spells. It hadn¡¯t been a perfect explanation ¨C I¡¯d seen elementals with that strength ¨C but it had been the best I could come up with.


    That probably did explain some of it, but this was the rest.


    ¡°So when you made the so-so gesture¡­¡± I started.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready, in the sense that I¡¯m prepared to begin digging. I¡¯m not ready in the sense where I can break through,¡± Kene finished.


    ¡°How did you know this? Know you weren¡¯t supposed to just break through the wall?¡±


    Dusk gave me a funny look and told me that it was just common sense. Even Meadow gave me a somewhat confused glance.


    ¡°Mal,¡± Kene said gently. ¡°There are advancement guides. You can find them at the library. There are also accounts of people who worked their way through Spellbinder.¡±


    ¡°Hm, sounds like nonsense,¡± I said jokingly, trying to cover the fact I had never thought to look at it.


    Advancement had been easy, and when I hit a problem, I just asked Meadow.


    I coughed and we returned to the real world once again.


    ¡°Dusk, how are you progressing?¡± I asked the little spirit.


    She stood up on my shoulder and proudly announced that she had already begun digging, and her dominion was expanding nicely. Not only that, but her ability to channel the spells of those within her was developing quickly. She wasn¡¯t sure on its combat potential yet, since it took time to focus and connect, but she was confident in out of combat uses. She had even learned to thread together several bird spells to improve her flight.


    I gave her a quiet round of applause while Meadow and Kene congratulated her.


    ¡°Excellent progress for all three of you,¡± Meadow said contentedly. ¡°And how¡¯s Siobhan?¡±


    Dusk waved, and the enfield bounded out of nowhere, hopping up to sprawl across Kene, Meadow, and my laps. Meadow put her hand onto Siobhan¡¯s stomach and closed her eyes, then Meadow let out a surprised noise.


    ¡°She has already dug out her first set of stairs,¡± Meadow said. ¡°Quite impressive. She¡¯s also done quite a bit with her form.¡±


    I reached out with my own mana senses and after a moment of searching, found what Meadow meant.


    Siobhan had forgone most of her ability to bind a new form in order to bond to Kene. It wasn¡¯t entirely unlike how Dusk had to shrink her dominion in order to bond with me.


    But forgoing most still allowed her some.


    Siobhan had been able to condense a sphere of energy inside of her body, which pulsed with the same energetic types as her mana. It reminded me of the knots of power running through Ivy¡¯s body, but focused in a single spot, rather than spread throughout the body.


    ¡°A beast core,¡± Meadow said. ¡°Not uncommon for beasts choosing to pursue more magical arts, rather than physical ones.¡±


    Siobhan wiggled, and I scratched under her chin.


    A moment of inspiration struck me, and I focused on my arm, where the shimmering gray, rainbow, and black tattoo of the beastmark lay.


    Sure enough, there was a small knot tied in my energy, which radiated with the same . It wasn¡¯t even a quarter of the size of Siobhan¡¯s, but it was still an extra reserve of energy, not unlike a beast core. A beast tattoo, then.


    ¡°Now, on the topic of energy,¡± Meadow began, pulling me from my thoughts. "You should decide if you¡¯re going to bond the intersection of your full gate spells.¡±


    ¡°And if so, to space, or time?¡± Kene added.


    ¡°Do I need to decide now?¡± I asked, a little bit of concern creeping into my voice.


    ¡°No, but it should be sooner, rather than later,¡± Meadow said. ¡°You¡¯ve balanced out your spirit almost completely, but your life and death gardens have a head start of two months. Even not using it, that much time isn¡¯t nothing.¡±


    Tomorrow would be the night of the meteor shower, and even as I turned the thought over in my head, I felt a pulse from the winds of fortune, urging me to decide now.


    It wasn¡¯t pushing me to bond, nor was it suggesting I shouldn¡¯t.


    But it wanted me to choose one way or the other.


    I wondered at how much skill Thea must have, to be able to read the pulses of the winds so well. I couldn¡¯t even untangle why I needed to choose now, only that I did.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Nineteen

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    The combination of Beast Mage Soul and Magister¡¯s Body had become the foundation for my role as a beast mage, which I was embracing with gusto. More than that, it acted as a powerful support for all of my magic ¨C every single spell in my mana-garden intersected with them, in some way or another.


    Their existence had paved the way for the beastmark to evolve into an actual, real, new gate, and since my mana and energy were intertwined, provided a way for me to build up basically every aspect of my body¡¯s energy.


    The point where they came together was the part that pulled my soul to directly influence my body, and though I¡¯d made more progress on transitioning in the past few months than I¡¯d expected to in two years of following the more normal methods.


    And the magic had been marked by resolve in some strange way that I didn¡¯t understand. I didn¡¯t know how to activate the roots running through my magic, but they were there nevertheless, and the large root was twined into the connecting point.


    I reached within myself, to the empty space over my third gate for space, and to the empty space within time, then hummed.


    I could see an argument for either one being a good choice. I had both Spatial Anchors and Captured Moments within myself, after all, and both helped me cast those spells on myself easier. This could well do something similar.


    I considered the magic that leaked from my chest in a slow but constant trickle, slowing the rate at which I recovered my power.


    If anything could speed the rate of mana recovery, it would be time.


    Of course, that was just a shot in the dark. Even Meadow couldn¡¯t predict what the exact effects of a bond were going to be.


    I reached for the connection between my full gate spells, and drew up the emptiness of the unformed bond. The roots and mycelium both sunk into time, and I felt temporal power, mana and energy blended until they were indistinguishable from one another, rush through my body, through the veins around my heart, through the veins that pumped blood, through my mind and bones and even through my semi-tangible tail.


    Then it passed into my spirit. It swept through my mana-garden, the most basic and accessible part of the soul, but then it kept going. This was harder to feel, and staring into the sensation of my own soul was like looking into a fractal pattern that reflected inwards forever, but at the same time, was young and new, and ready to fold in on itself a thousand more times.


    For a moment, I was aware of my entire body and spirit all at once.


    Then the sensation faded.


    The first thing I felt was the time that flowed into my full-gate spells. It wasn¡¯t much, but I felt them¡­


    I was tempted to call it growing faster, but that wasn¡¯t quite right. My spells were growth spells. They were designed to grow as I pushed them. Each time I drew on power from them, it would recover stronger.


    It was that second part, where the spells recovered stronger, that had improved.


    The energy circuits that the beast mage¡¯s soul held, which gradually expanded to contain more energy, as well as the free floating power that flowed through the flesh, bone, and blood of my body that the Magister¡¯s Body drew on to add into my casting would both recover somewhat faster.


    It wasn¡¯t much, no massive surge of instant gratification like the Alter-Truffles had been, nor as dramatic as the churning that happened when I enforced them with drops of deep mana, but it was steady. A slow but minor benefit that could run in the background without thought or conscious effort from me.


    That was the minor part of the effect, like the neat and orderly paths of blue crystal from Kene¡¯s bond to Siobhan.


    The broad impact of the effect was, unfortunately, not a cure to the mana leakage problem, nor even a boost to the rate at which I restored my already slow to recover time mana, burdened by two spells as it was.


    Instead, I felt an aperture open within the twisting mycelial and oaken roots of my full gate spells, a hollow knot that could hold a vast sea of my energy-mana blend within it. It could hold easily fifty times more than all of the free flowing power that Magister¡¯s Body could call upon and what the magical circuits created by the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul held, put together.


    But that was looking at it as a whole, which it wasn¡¯t.


    It was all in specific, strange ratios. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    It took time most of all, but there was a staggering amount of creation, life, and death energy required, while only the tiniest touches of desolation energy were needed. Everything else was in balance, with some aspects needing more, like telluric, and others less, like abnegation.


    The space that had opened was entirely open and begging to drink up my power, but it didn¡¯t feel like my Testudinal Reserve or Temporal Basin spells, like I could take the power when I needed it.


    Just to experiment, I fed some life into it, then tried to pull it out. The hollow space accepted the power greedily, and within the hollow, I could feel it compressing, spinning, condensing towards a purpose¡­ just not one I understood.


    I tried to activate the power in the hollow space, forcing my will onto it, but the hollow refused to budge. It was empty, and it would only activate when it was full.


    Even with my ability to pull magic from my plants, filling up this hollow would take a considerable amount of time.


    I opened my eyes to find Meadow studying me.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, a bit self consciously.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not a knowledge mage, able to analyze your powers, or a death mage, able to peer inside your spirit, but I am a life mage, and your body and soul are¡­ interestingly linked.¡±


    Kene¡¯s eyes were glowing as they leaned in and studied me.


    ¡°An empty space for a second body and¡­ spirit maybe? Is it like a simulacra?¡± they asked. ¡°A body puppeteered by a motive spirit?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Meadow said.


    The ratio clicked into place, and I realized exactly what it was. Like Kene had said, the ratio was enough for a second copy of my body and a semblance of my spirit ¨C at least, the surface levels. It was no perfect copy of a soul or anything like that, but even with my own spells pulling my soul into my body, that was also only the surface layers, not the infinitely refracting depths.


    It needed more power for all of the functions that were vital, the energy bound up in my body too tightly for me to draw on. I could draw on the tempest energy in my lungs, and it would leave me short of breath, but I couldn¡¯t draw on so much it rendered me unable to breathe.


    But it wasn¡¯t making a copy.


    No, it was more like the arrays within the emperor¡¯s tree, the ones that, now that they¡¯d hit third gate energy density, could be used to heal by dragging forwards the echo of health into the body.


    This was similar.


    ¡°A life saving measure,¡± I said reverently. ¡°It will activate when I¡¯m hurt enough that I might die, and it¡¯s got enough power to restore my body and mend some of my spirit. Pull me back together when I¡¯m on the verge of death.¡±


    ¡°Restore or even replace,¡± Meadow said. ¡°It is a time based ability, so it¡¯s likely going to call upon the echo of the last time you were at full bodily strength and health.¡±


    Kene punched me in the shoulder ¨C gently.


    ¡°Ow!¡± I complained.


    ¡°Your abilities are so much better than mine!¡± he said.


    ¡°In my defense,¡± I said. ¡°You two complained a lot about me almost killing myself. I¡¯ve done it several times. This will help me stop.¡±


    Meadow chuckled at that and shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will,¡± she said. ¡°I think it¡¯ll give you another excuse to throw yourself into danger even more.¡±


    Dusk whistled that she agreed with Meadow.


    I glared at all of them, then sighed.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I conceded. ¡°But it¡¯s not set in stone!¡±


    ¡°Nothing ever is,¡± Meadow conceded.


    I stood from the bench and stretched out. All of the work ¨C opening new gates, exploring all the changes to my mana-garden, and bonding my full-gate spells ¨C had left me hungry.


    Kene, Meadow, Dusk, and I all got some food from a street vendor, some sort of wrap that was loaded with meat and vegetables, and seasoned heavily with cayenne and long pepper, then Kene had to leave to take the closing shift at the pharmacy they were working at, Siobhan bounding alongside them.


    I removed the strange hourglass like artifact that Edgar had given me and glanced at Meadow.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a few minor things I need to take care of before I can get a chance to work on spellcraft,¡± I said. ¡°Mind watching over me?¡±


    Meadow gestured for me to go ahead, so I activated the artifact. A moment later, I was drawn into a blank space.


    It was strange ¨C it wasn¡¯t black, nor white, nor gray. It was an utter void of color, a colorlessness that hurt my head to even think about.


    It took several long moments, but then a massive tortoise appeared in the space alongside me. A craggy, turtle smile spread across his face and he rumbled a laugh.


    ¡°Ah, Malachi,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re healed enough to look at the bond already? Impressively quick. You must have a resilient soul.¡±


    I coughed as I thought about all of the things I¡¯d thrown my soul through.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± I said. ¡°But yes! It went even better than I thought it would¡­¡±


    It took me some time to fill Edgar in on all of the effects, and by the time I had finished, Edgar was doing the turtle equivalent of a slack-jawed stare.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, shifting slightly.


    ¡°You bonded to detonating power and nearly killed yourself, so perhaps I shouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± Edgar said. ¡°But still, I¡¯ve never seen a result so¡­ extreme¡­ before. Are you going to be in Chrysite?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± I said. ¡°Assuming I have time, I will. I¡¯m not entirely sure how long my partner has before the hag and them hit a tipping point.¡±


    If I had the time, I¡¯d absolutely go, even if I didn¡¯t sign Orykson¡¯s deal.


    But not if it took away too much time on Kene¡¯s limited clock.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you much there,¡± Edgar said. ¡°But if you do visit, then you should come and see me. I have a spell that I believe you would be uniquely situated to take with your beastgate mana. It¡¯s not quite the same as my hudau mana, but it is close.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked, and a mysterious twinkle entered Edgar¡¯s eye.


    ¡°It¡¯s only first gate, but it¡¯s uniquely suited to us,¡± he said.


    I squinted at Edgar.


    ¡°You¡¯re being vague and mysterious on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± I asked, and he let out a rumbling laugh.


    ¡°Perhaps. But I do so for good reason ¨C more than one of my kind¡¯s eggs were stolen to create magical items or pills that use this technique.¡±


    I felt a touch of sadness at that and reached out a hand to put it on his snout.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°It is not your fault, little one,¡± he said. ¡°Our time grows short. Let us discuss your gate some more¡­¡±


    We spoke about the gate some more, but eventually, the spell wore thin, and I appeared in the grass with Meadow and Dusk once again.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Twenty

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    ¡°Are you ready to learn some new spells?¡± Meadow asked. Dusk said that she didn¡¯t think she was, but I nodded.


    Meadow tipped her head to Dusk.


    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. Most of what I¡¯m showing is more for Malachi anyhow, but you¡¯re welcome to listen in.¡±


    As she spoke, she flexed her mana, and I felt life rush out from her and weave through grass all across the park.


    ¡°Mass Enhance Plant Life?¡± I asked, tilting my head.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Meadow said. ¡°If you¡¯d like to learn it, I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m fairly locked into using plant magic, even if only as a supplement,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks to my connection to Dusk, I can carry my garden with me anywhere, grow rare plants, and disregard most of the standard downsides.¡±


    ¡°It makes you a unique plant mage, certainly,¡± Meadow agreed. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d teach a plant mage several spells like Briarthreads now ¨C there are ones to root yourself in the ground and draw power up through it, spells that create a cloak of ivy that can absorb and redirect force that punches through your Briarthreads, spells that create sharpened sprays of needles¡­¡±


    I remembered the needles the spriggan had thrown at me, and nodded.


    ¡°Spells to form adaptive fungal armor?¡± I asked somewhat hopefully.


    ¡°Not normally, but it may be worth it for you, given you have the ninelight morels, as well as mana that can approximate mushroom mana.¡±


    ¡°What are the ninelight morels?¡± I asked. ¡°I thought with the name, it might be related to fortune mana.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not completely unseparated,¡± Meadow said. ¡°But we¡¯re getting off track. The point is, there are many plant spells that I would normally teach a plant mage. They have ingrained effects that all build on plant magic, creating quite a beneficial resonance. If you want, I can still teach them to you, so don¡¯t think I won¡¯t. But you also have somewhat less of a need for them than a normal plant mage.¡±


    She held up her hand and a dangerously sharp looking apple leaf forged itself over her palm, then shot forwards in a spinning arc, digging into the ground before dissolving.


    ¡°What do you need to do that for? You can call blademoss to cut, no need for cutting leaves. You could of course integrate these spells into your fighting style, and it may even be a good idea, for the ingrained effects, as I said. Think about it, there¡¯s no need to choose now.¡±


    I nodded my agreement, since I could see her point. There were lots of ways I could use my life mana, after all. A haste spell that used life and time mana would be quite strong, especially with my beast body. I needed to pick up a regeneration spell of some sort.


    The third gate was bigger than my first or second gates were, but they still weren¡¯t infinitely huge.


    ¡°I will say that I believe Mass Harvest and Enhance Plant Life would be good for you,¡± Meadow said. ¡°They will assist in caring for Dusk, with alchemy, and their ingrained effects will benefit you, particularly the harvesting spell. Even if you don¡¯t expand into plant magic more, they will combine with the standard versions to make you a shockingly diverse plant mage.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°What do you know about meta spells?¡± Meadow asked.


    ¡°Now who¡¯s changing the subject?¡± I asked teasingly, then answered. ¡°Not much. I¡¯ve heard them talked about, but¡­¡±


    ¡°In essence, they¡¯re spells that strengthen other spells,¡± Meadow said. ¡°Some people define anchor spells, like Spatial Anchor or Capture Moment to be meta spells, but I don¡¯t, personally.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem of any categorization,¡± I said. ¡°Estragon often get into territory fights because of it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Meadow said wryly. ¡°In any case, Mass Enhance and Harvest plant life are almost always classified as meta spells.¡±


    She held out her hand.


    ¡°May I have some paper?¡±


    Dusk, who was sitting on my shoulder, clapped, and paper appeared in Meadow¡¯s hand, alongside a thick black marker. Meadow started to draw out the spell arrays, talking as she did.


    ¡°While there are designs for these spells that operate fully on their own, they¡¯re large, have poor mana efficiency, and yield worse results,¡± she said, then passed the papers over to me.


    The spells that Meadow had drawn out were quite simple, only barely more complex than my fungal lock spell. They were certainly easier than the standard harvesting and enhancing spells were, and I studied them, arms crossed.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way this is it,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is. All it does is connect to the standard versions, then apply the different magic of your third gate to them, activating them and spreading them out.¡±


    I focused on the harvesting spell and shifted my mana around to form the circuit within me, then let power flow through it.


    Within my mana-garden, I felt my Harvest Plant Life spell light up and resonate, and the newly formed shape of the Mass Harvest spell started to drain mana to activate. I flicked it into the grass, and I felt the spell connect. Moments later, I felt power flow in as I pulled from all of the grass around me in a massive circle.


    The grass didn¡¯t have much extra power to spare, since it was just ordinary grass, and the spell cut off only moments later, but it was enough for me to get a sense for the spell, and I could tell that there were a few strange things.


    First, it had only drawn from the grass, not from the tree, even though there was a tree within the radius I could draw from. I wondered if there was a way to draw power out from the tree as well?


    Second, it had drawn the excess power from the grass in the same way. Exactly the same way ¨C some of the blades of grass still had knots of excess energy that they could use to grow that I could have harvested, but the harvesting spell hadn¡¯t touched.


    Finally, the range seemed to be mostly limited by my mana sense, but not quite. It was similar to the effect that Foxstep had gained when it had been ingrained, where it was mostly reliant on my mana senses, but where Foxstep had been drawn mostly to the spatialsense ingrained into it, this had drawn more from the lifesense. It didn¡¯t have the complete range of my full mana senses, but it was still quite a good range.


    That one made sense, but the other two were still confusing.


    I shaped the spell again, flowing power through the array, then flexed the power out, trying to connect to everything, but nothing happened. Instead, I focused on the tree, and drew power from it, as well as from several of the other trees within the range of my lifesense.


    The tree I had connected to was an olive tree, but the spell was still able to connect to other trees just fine ¨C there were several cypress trees in the park that I was also able to draw power from.


    I let the spell fade and tried for something a little more complex, draining specifically the regions of the olive tree that would go on to produce olives, then spread the power out again.


    This time, as I had expected, no power flowed in from the cypress trees, only the olive ones.


    Interesting¡­


    I narrowed my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s only able to do identical things,¡± I said, thinking out loud. ¡°So¡­ It can target similar things, since both cypress and olive trees have similar flows of life to harvest, but it can¡¯t manage both the grass and trees.¡±


    That explained both of the points of confusion.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Meadow said. ¡°With time and skill, you can learn to match things in broader strokes, and draw more power. In the meantime, a good solution is to connect to multiple things ¨C grass, trees, flower stems, that sort of thing.¡±


    I nodded, then studied the Mass Enhance spell, wove it out with my energy and flowed power through it. Again, I felt it resonate with the power of Enhance Plant Life, so I connected the spell to the grass, then the body of the tree, then to where it would produce olives, and pushed power out, restoring all of what I had taken and then some.


    My third gate life mana guttered dry a second later, and I had a moment of confusion, before remembering that I had only started practicing with it today. Even if it had been sitting open for two months, it had gone entirely unused, and hadn¡¯t expanded all that much.


    It had just been a while since I¡¯d had to deal with a freshly opened gate, and restoring all that power had drained it quicker than I¡¯d expected.


    I reached for the power of the red star tree, then paused and looked at Dusk, my eyes narrowing. I could draw power from the red star tree, sure, but now was the perfect time to try out my new spell.


    I converted some mana from my first gate up, just enough to move power through the Mass Harvesting spell, then drew power from grass all across Dusk¡¯s realm.


    I had hoped that it would be able to reach across every single blade of grass in Dusk¡¯s entire realm, but unfortunately I was able to draw it out only in small sections, about as large as I could in the real world.


    Still, with some sweeping arcs, I was able to restore my power. It took too long to be practical in a fight, but as a secondary method of recovery, it wasn¡¯t bad.


    I released the spell, thankful that both Mass Harvest and Mass Enhance were small, and thus wouldn¡¯t eat up too much room in my mana-garden, then turned back to Meadow.


    ¡°What next?¡± I asked, and she laughed at me.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You just got two brand new spells, and you¡¯re already asking for more?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have a lot more space I need to fill!¡± I protested.


    ¡°True enough, though I think you should already have one spell picked out,¡± Meadow said. I stared at her for a second.


    ¡°The pocket space one that I got with Orykson at the auction?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, maybe, but that wasn¡¯t what I meant,¡± Meadow said.


    ¡°The Tortoise Time spell to slow an opponent?¡±


    ¡°That also could be a good pick, but I was referring to the Enhance Forging spell that cavern dragons have,¡± she said, laughing.


    ¡°Oh! Yeah, that was on my list.¡±


    ¡°You have a list?¡± Meadow asked.


    ¡°A metaphorical one,¡± I said, waving a hand. ¡°But yeah, that was the one that my old cavern dragon ring was based off of.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go grab it?¡± Meadow asked, gesturing to me.


    I leapt to my feet and started teleporting across the city, only stopping at the ward boundary to the dragon reserve, then passed into the employees only section and began heading over to the caverns. I waved to Eryka, one of the workers there, who was currently in the middle of washing a cavern estragon that was absolutely covered in goo from a slimbat.


    The estragon was wiggling around, slipping out of her hand every couple of moments, even with the goo slowing it down.


    ¡°Want a hand?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure!¡± she agreed.


    Together, Eryka and I worked on cleaning the estragon, with me holding it in place while she scrubbed. The entire time we worked, I sent my mana senses rushing through the little creature until I found the spell I was looking for, then shifted the mana in the first layer of my beastgate, shaping it into the pattern and running power through it.


    Power flowed out of my garden, but without another spell to interface with, it vanished.


    I reformed the energetic array several more times, until I was certain I could make it without trouble, and once Eryka was done cleaning the estragon, I brought it back to its habitat, then stretched.


    I needed to look at the preserve again, this time with my mana senses.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Twenty-One

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Though there wasn¡¯t much visually different about the preserve walking it with my mana senses extended, there was everything different about it magically.


    When I¡¯d been unable to direct them, and could only use Dusk and the vague impressions I got from things that were close to me, I¡¯d gotten the sense the preserve had a lot of powerful magic, and that there was a lot of complex geomancy and terrain manipulation going on.


    Now¡­


    I could see so much better.


    There was power rushing through the entire place, like a massive web of spellcraft that I was unable to entangle. The work I¡¯d done with Dusk had been little more than trimming the excess, like I did with the spells in my spirit.


    Fifth gate power flowed everywhere, supported by lower gate power. Not unlike the complex bath that Kene had been submerged in by the witch, there was supporting magic that ran the gamut from first gate to fourth, all leaning in to help shape and improve the fifth gate power that was keeping the preserve running.


    The creatures were like candles that lit up in my senses, often drawing power in from the environment in order to restore or improve their power, releasing their power as they squabbled over territory, or going still and blending into the environment as they rested.


    I walked through the preserve, noting down easily a dozen spells that I could use, while Dusk peeled away to go talk to the world mammoths, since their magic had so much overlap.


    I nodded and wished her the best while I retrieved some paper and a pencil and started making a physical list.


    For first gate, I knew for a fact that I wanted the cavern dragon¡¯s Enhance Forging spell. I¡¯d seen how much of a power booster it had been when I¡¯d worn it as a ring, and being able to wield it would help with Briarthreads, Material Echo, Fungal Lock, and any future spells that formed constructs out of mana.


    I also wanted to leave one of the mounds open for whatever mysterious deadly spell Edgar was willing to share with me, but that still left one more slot open, and I started taking notes. I didn¡¯t need to inherently pick up a dragon spell ¨C I was sure there was an infinite amount of useful spells out there ¨C but I wasn¡¯t going to lose out on listing my options at least.


    I spotted the Coral Dragon¡¯s Claw, which forged extra large claws of coral over the terragon''s natural claws, and for me could probably forge the claws over my fingers for a melee strike. I might not be as strong as a dragon or draigg-blaidd, but I was stronger than an average mage.


    The fruit mimics weren¡¯t the best source of spells, but they did have a first gate spell that used their magic to shift energy around them to help them blend in. It wasn¡¯t quite a veil spell, but it could definitely be useful when I combined it with the new veiling technique I¡¯d worked out during the Beastgate Trial Trail.


    The draigg-blaidd had a spell that I thought might qualify as a meta spell, like the forging one, but I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. It was dangerously tempting, since it seemed to increase the output of whatever spell it was directed into far more than just directing in extra mana would, but it put a strain on the user¡¯s body to use it, since the draigg-blaidd were left panting and exhausted after sustaining it for a few seconds.


    Pretty much everything, from waterfall estragon to frost hydra, had some sort of sensory enhancement spell of some sort, and while there were arguments for all of them, I thought that the best one I might possibly pick up was from the sky estragon, which helped them diffuse their senses out through the winds, lights, shadows, and surrounding creatures, while skipping over the earth and giving a general sort of sense of where the ground was. It wasn¡¯t exceptionally powerful, but it could be used just about anywhere, while something like the desert estragon¡¯s was a bit more specific to the desert.


    When it came to filling the second level of the beastgate, there were even more options.


    The Coral Dragon¡¯s Armor, which formed twisting coral armor over the body, and could be layered atop of the scales of the terragon. I thought that meant it could probably be integrated on top of other armoring spells, so if I was to pick up something like the Fungal Armor spell, it wouldn''t create a conflict between the two.


    The desert estragon had an interesting mirage spell that projected false limbs out all around the user, while also blurring the edges of their body into whatever was around them, making them hard to hit. With Foxstep and Lesser Image Recall running alongside it, I could get even harder to hit.


    There was also a spell that the kelp terragon used, which forged bands of kelp around a person that slowly tied together into knots, which could definitely combine with Fungal Lock quite well. The interesting thing about it was that it wasn¡¯t a channeled spell, like Fungal Lock, but rather a single cast that forged the binding kelp, and then the kelp stuck around for about a minute before fading.


    And of course, much as with the first gate, there was no pressing need to pick up all of my spells here at the preserve.


    It did somewhat have the issue that Meadow had talked about with me not really needing plant spells the same way a normal plant mage would, but at the same time, I didn¡¯t have any plants that could perform any sort of binding ability, and even if I did, it would need to be a continuous channeling of mana, while this one wasn¡¯t, so it went on the list anyways.


    A spell from several of the more general ocean estragon seemed to allow them to change their bodies slightly to adapt to their environments better, be it on the coral side, kelp side, or even briefly in the deep sea. I didn¡¯t expect to need to dive into the depths of the ocean, or down, but who did expect to drown? Having contingencies was good. On the other hand, I didn¡¯t want to be wasteful with the spells I picked up. After a moment, I put it on the list.


    The lens of forged mana that I¡¯d seen Arcelli use before went on the list. It was shockingly flexible, able to enhance most spells that used solar mana in any regard that passed through it, but also able to concentrate mana senses when they were sent out through a specific direction. For me, I could see it having endless uses.


    Though it wasn¡¯t from a dragon, I¡¯d gotten a good taste of how powerful frost and ice creatures could be, so while I moved through the arctic section, I went ahead and added a spell from the boreal toads that lived in the area, a sort of song that they croaked out that built up winter magic around them, stealing away the breaths of those within the radius of the song and encumbering them. Though I¡¯d been passed out most of the time I¡¯d spent with the boreal toad and hex-ermine, they¡¯d still helped keep me safe.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    I debated entering the bonesprout fields to check out some of the cocatrice and basilisk spells, but eventually decided against it. Most of their magic was completely and utterly deadly, with no uses other than killing. It wasn¡¯t even like a flamethrower spell, which could kill, but could also be used in combat. Basilisk spells were deadly poisons that could eat a person from the inside out, and¡­ I didn¡¯t want that, even if I did want to increase my power.


    While I was thinking of improving my offensive power, I decided to pick up a type of dragon¡¯s breath. I was at the dragon reserve, after all, and the entire reason I¡¯d accepted such a risk when having my beastmark tattooed on was to gain the power I needed to help protect my family. Ed had stepped up, but the assassin was still out there, and said assassin had arcanist level healing potions, could heal on her own, and was incredibly strong.


    Last I¡¯d seen her, she felt like she was peak third gate, presumably using her sacrifice legacy to improve the density of her mana, rather than cutting out the steps. Either that, or she¡¯d used some sort of potion or pill to form the steps for her. Whatever method she used, she was stronger than I was, even if we were standing on the same stage.


    Not only that, but when I¡¯d fought the revenant, I¡¯d struggled to make a dent in its armor when it flickered up to third or fourth gate. If I¡¯d had a harder hitting spell then, maybe the coblynau and I would have gotten less hurt.


    Besides¡­ It was freaking dragon¡¯s breath! Who didn¡¯t dream of being able to release dragon breath from their hands?! I wasn¡¯t willing to devote both of the currently-exposed mounds within the beastgate to only dragon breath, but I needed one, for sure.


    The obvious choice was Mantle Dragonfyre, and as I donned the heat protecting enchantments, I studied how the estragon and terragon used it.


    Given the way that most offensive spells seemed to be fairly simple, I had expected for this one to be the same, just plug mana in and release a blast of powerful offensive magic.


    I was quite incorrect, as it turned out. The dragons would start the spell, and it would rotate through their entire body, layering extra energy and more of their mana into it. That added power was then compacted, improving the power of the dragon¡¯s breath. The more times they cycled the spell, the more power they could compact into it, but the harder it seemed to be to hold the spell, as it began to tear apart under its own weight.


    If the spell did break, then all of the power that they had worked to compress and build up was just released in a harmless wave of raw mana. It didn¡¯t seem to strain their spirits ¨C thankfully ¨C but the mana was entirely wasted, and their body had to rebuild its lost energy.


    But if they released it after they completed a cycle, then they would release an incredibly potent beam of red-brown light that felt far stronger than what a bunch of hatchlings should be able to manage.


    I fed them a bit extra for allowing me to watch, then left to go look at some of the other rare variants of dragon¡¯s breath, and found myself examining a bunch of water related ones to my surprise.


    The waterfall estragon¡¯s breath weapon instantly released a large, intense pillar of condensed and forged water that allowed it to reign supreme over its fellow lake and river estragon. It didn¡¯t have the same extreme power as the mantle estragon¡¯s did, but it seemed incredibly cheap for the power that it had, as it could be sustained for quite some time, keeping continual pressure on something.


    The deep sea drake¡¯s breath was a stream of light that punched through the nonmagical shadows of the deep sea, and it seemed to operate not dissimilarly from the mantle estragon¡¯s. It didn¡¯t rotate through the entire body, but instead charged up power in the back of the drake¡¯s throat, and the longer it charged, the more powerful the eventual blast was. It didn¡¯t seem to hold the same risk of wasting mana, but the effects of charging seemed less intense than the cycling of the mantle¡¯s breath as well, making it a good in-between.


    The coral terragon¡¯s was quick, thin, and smooth, and while it wasn¡¯t as cheap as the waterfall estragon¡¯s, it wasn¡¯t horribly draining either, as it could be sustained to cut through the water and earth. It seemed almost as sharp as a blade as it speared through the world, unlike the bludgeon that was the waterfall dragon¡¯s breath.


    The kelp terragon, on the other hand, seemed to have a slightly sticky breath. It was mana intensive but fast, releasing a bar of blue-green light that struck and then clung to whatever it struck, digging in and dealing lingering damage, which only grew more intense if the breath was sustained.


    While it wasn¡¯t rare, I did also consider the breath weapon of the desert estragon. It fell pretty solidly in the middle for most things: it wasn¡¯t mana hungry, but nor was it cheap. It wasn¡¯t powerfully concentrated, but it was still a dedicated offensive spell. The reason I considered it, however, was its secondary effect. When the rush of simultaneously hot and cold destructive breath was unleashed, it warped the air, creating illusions of itself from multiple, slightly off angles and curves, making it difficult to tell where the actual breath was.


    As I was wandering through the preserve, I noticed the rainbow kirin following me, so I turned and waved to it. Normally when I did something like that, it turned and left, but this time, it trotted up.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, holding my hand out for it to sniff. It did, then pressed its nose into my hand. I gently stroked its mane for a few moments before the kirin pulled away.


    I ran my mana senses over the rainbow creature, hoping that there would be some sort of ultra-powerful kirin magic that I could appropriate, but it was like running my hand through mist ¨C I could see that the kirin was there, but I only got the faintest impression from my senses.


    The kirin looked at me, and our matching eyes locked. Again, I felt a moment of understanding pass between us.


    And a spell bloomed to life in my mind.


    It was a full-gate spell, a second gate one, from the kirin, but it was incredibly strange, unlike any that I¡¯d seen before, and entirely unlike any beast spell I¡¯d ever sensed, while also definitively being a beast spell, one for pure hudau mana, and would work with the approximation that I had.


    If I¡¯d only had the spell to go off of, then I¡¯d never have been able to make a guess as to what exactly it did, and would have had to get Meadow.


    But the kirin had passed along a sort of understanding, and I closed my eyes as I digested the spell.


    The Ninelight/Prismatic/Rainbow/Fortune/Constellations Bindings/Depths/Connection/Integration/Vibrancy.


    I flinched as I tried to parse the strange translation of the spells name, which felt¡­ Wrong, somehow.


    It took me a long time to understand it, but there was an instance of text that the monolinguistic spell didn¡¯t translate ¨C the library¡¯s motto was written in an ancient language that didn¡¯t translate, and this felt¡­ similar.


    I let the name of the spell wash away to focus on what it would do, but to my disappointment, it was difficult, the understanding that the kirin had passed along being only of limited help.


    It would improve the potency of ingrained effects, that was clear and easy to understand, but that felt more like a byproduct than its intent. The purpose of the spell was to help to create synergies even when they weren¡¯t explicitly there, whatever that meant.


    It would make all of my mana and energy ¨C not that there was that much of a difference now ¨C work together smoother, while improving the unity of bond and purpose, which¡­ honestly just felt like another way of saying that it would make my body and spirit more cohesive.


    It was also very clearly a growth spell, but what it required me to push was even more vague and unusual, and I couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it. The closest feeling I got was pushing existence, which made no sense at all to me.


    I reached within myself to consult fortune, and felt it loop in lazy, almost amused swirls. It was happy, even interested, in seeing what could come of this bout of connection, but the winds didn¡¯t impart some deep need onto me ¨C if I wanted the utility of some of the other beast spells, that would be just as reasonable, and perhaps better in some ways, though worse in others.


    I opened my eyes to try and ask the kirin for assistance, details, a better understanding, anything of the sort, only to find that the kirin had vanished.


    I sighed and went back to looking over my list.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Twenty-Two

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    I paced through the reserve and towards the aquatic habitats ¨C not to pick up a spell, but to pick up a spell.


    I paused as I realized how ridiculous that train of thought was, then shook my head and sighed.


    I was still working my way through the pros and cons of each spell on my list, so I wasn¡¯t picking up anything from that. I was, however, picking up a spell that I¡¯d spotted on my very first tour: Starfish Regeneration.


    I didn¡¯t have all of my energy tied up in a gemstone in the center of my being, but I did have an energy rich tattoo that was somewhat like a beast core. I also had an urgent need for regeneration magic. I might never be a healer like Kene was, but if I¡¯d had even a simple regeneration spell on the Beastgate Trial Trail, I could have healed my feet, and might have been able to reduce some of the pain and swelling from the damage that the revenant had inflicted.


    The starfish specifically used a blend of life, death, abnegation, time, solar, telluric, and creation to regenerate by isolating and sectioning off damaged parts of the body, breaking down what couldn¡¯t be repaired, then using the flow of power used to rejuvenate what could be restored while drawing from my mana¡­ energy¡­ blend to rebuild the missing parts back stronger.


    There were two problems with it.


    First, while it could do some repairs to bone, it wasn¡¯t a guided spell, nor was I versed enough in the use of healing to make use of a guided healing spell. For healing a cut, hairline fracture, a sprain, or really taking care of most damage that the body was able to handle alone, it would be excellent. But it wasn¡¯t a miracle worker ¨C bone could heal wrong, it couldn¡¯t take care of a ruptured organ, that sort of thing. I¡¯d still need a real healer for serious damage.


    But if I got stabbed in the guts by an assassin with a dagger, I¡¯d rather have spell that could repair some of the damage and keep me alive until Kene could treat me than nothing at all.


    The second problem wasn¡¯t my spells fault. It was mine.


    My mana wasn¡¯t just mana, it was energy and mana blended together. Even in my beastgate, it was a blend of mana and energy all into an approximation of Edgar¡¯s Hudau mana and energy.


    But I still had pure energy flowing through my body, and my Magister¡¯s Body still called on that energy when I was spellcasting. They were blended, but there was still some separation.


    I bit my lip as I thought. For simplicity¡¯s sake, I should probably just refer to what was in my spirit as mana, and the excess that was hanging around in my body as energy. It wasn¡¯t entirely accurate, but I needed some way to break it down. ¡°Excess, currently unconverted free floating energy within my body¡± and ¡°energy-mana blend produced by the combination of my spirit and body working together¡± was just a hassle to think about.


    With that decided ¨C it was incredibly important, after all, completely critical for my future development and not at all a derailed train of thought ¨C I went back to the starfish spell.


    I didn¡¯t have the condensed core that they did, nor did I have the full-gate spell that they seemed to have, or the first gate spells that served to further structure and empower the healing, so I definitely wouldn¡¯t be regrowing a limb like they could. Did I still want the spell?


    Yes.


    Like I¡¯d thought earlier, it was better to have an okay patch-job than to die without one at all. I didn¡¯t need to be regrowing limbs ¨C hopefully.


    If I did, I had bigger fish to fry. Though, fried fish was terrible and objectively the worst way to eat fish.


    I shook my head. I was getting distracted a lot today. I should probably get my medicine re-checked, but getting it while in another country was already hard enough, I didn¡¯t want to try and think of the pain that I¡¯d need to go through if I wanted to get its dosage increased.


    I studied the starfish with my mana senses until I was certain I could write down the array, then whistled. It was a pretty large spell. Not as big as the Analyze spells, at least when compared proportionally to the size of the garden, but it was definitely big. It was also very strangely designed ¨C probably because it wasn¡¯t designed, but evolved.


    I shaped it out slowly and carefully, and even with the Beast Mage¡¯s Soul turning it into an energetic circuit within my body, it still took a long time for me to finish getting the spell written out. When I did, I flooded the spell with life, death, and time mana, allowing the Magister¡¯s Body to cover for the rest.


    A cool, almost minty sensation washed over me as the spell took hold, and I could feel all sorts of tiny wounds that ran through my body begin to die off, fuel the healthy tissue, and draw on my mana to build back better. It paired well with Magister¡¯s Body assisting with the repairs and building back of my body, and I felt myself relaxing under its effects.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    After several long moments, though, the spell guttered to a halt as it ran out of anything it could heal. Sure, each step created microscopic tears in the muscle, but they were so small that a third gate spell couldn¡¯t really pick up on them until they¡¯d had a good amount of time to accumulate.


    Still, I could see the use of pairing it with Foxstep. That strained my body as if I was physically walking the distance, so something that could help me recover at the cost of mana. Or if I took Ed up on his offer to join him with workouts, I could use it to heal myself afterwards. Or even to just help stave off physical exhaustion in a fight.


    Possibilities¡­


    I wandered through the habitats for a while, trying to track down the rainbow kirin or its less-friendly golden counterpart, but to my annoyance, I couldn¡¯t find them at all, as if they were intentionally avoiding me.


    I headed into the plains and found Dusk hovering next to a world mammoth on her cloud, happily conversing with it. She would pause after asking it a question, then it trumpeted back. I frowned as I approached, since the trumpeting sounds didn¡¯t have any meaning in my mind.


    Dusk¡¯s speech sounded like nonsense ¨C birds or wind in trees or a rushing river or whatever ¨C but the meaning was always clear. Even at the worst of times, I still could hear the translation, if not the meaning behind it. I attributed that more to her talking nonsense, or about things I didn¡¯t know about, rather than an error in translation.


    These world mammoths weren¡¯t clear at all. It wasn¡¯t as if they were speaking, even in the strange ancient language that the library used for its motto or that the Kirin had used to describe the full gate spell it had shown me.


    Dusk waved to the mammoths, and I nodded my head to them, then glanced at her.


    ¡°Do you understand them?¡±


    Dusk cheerfully exclaimed that she did not!


    I stared at her. She stared back.


    ¡°So what were you talking about?¡± I finally asked, and she told me that they were teaching her to reinforce the energetic underpinnings of reality to oppose the dominions of spirits and certain more powerful spells.


    I stared at her again.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t understand them?¡± I asked, and she nodded, confirming that no, she could not understand a single trumpet-sound they made. She wasn¡¯t even entirely convinced that they were sapient, though they were definitely sentient, and might be partially sapient.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said, then shook my head. ¡°Alright. Can I get your opinion on spell selection?¡±


    Dusk agreed, and I spent a while going over the spells that I¡¯d picked out. When I got to the Ninelight Bindings or Prismatic Depths or Rainbow Connection or whatever translation-name it was supposed to have, she whacked me on the head. Her hand was tiny, so it felt more like a raindrop, but the sentiment was there.


    ¡°Ow! What was that for?¡±


    Dusk gave me the most exasperated look I¡¯d ever seen on her tiny face and asked if I was seriously going to turn my nose up at a full-gate spell designed to work with huadu mana that clearly invoked or imitated the power of deep mana in some way.


    I bit my lip.


    ¡°You know, when you put it that way, it really does sound kind of ridiculous,¡± I finally admitted. ¡°But the focusing lens spell is so good! It could enhance most dragon breath varieties, and it could enhance other attack spells I learned. Empower sensory spells¡­¡±


    Dusk shrugged and suggested I pick up the Sky Dragon¡¯s Senses, if I was worried about losing out on the opportunity to enhance one of my strengths. It wasn¡¯t going to be a revolutionary part of my magical spell loadout, but it could be a consistently useful bonus. If nothing else, the passive boost to my already impressive mana senses would be nice.


    ¡°But what about using the fruit mimic to hide, or the draigg-blaidd to amplify, or the¡­¡±


    I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re all good picks, I just can¡¯t take them all.¡±


    I tapped my lip in thought and turned towards the dragon breath variations. Studying them, two popped out at me: Kelp Dragon¡¯s Breath and Mantle Dragonfyre.


    The kelp spell¡¯s lingering power would pair well with my hit and run fighting style, and if I locked down opponents and kept them under a steady stream of it, it could be the punch I was looking for. Given that it came from a kelp dragon, I also thought that there was a chance ¨C however small ¨C that it would interact positively with my plant magic and boost the synergies.


    But that was exactly the problem. It could be the punch I was looking for, but it wasn¡¯t inherently on the raw power level that the others offered.


    Mantle Dragonfyre, on the other hand, was every bit of raw power that I wanted. Nothing else even came close. The fact that it could cycle through the body to build up energy paired well with my existing full-gate spells and benefits, adding more power.


    I wasn¡¯t planning to kill people. Far from it. But there were defenses that quick little hit and run tactics simply couldn¡¯t punch through. I could fight above my gate, but it consistently wound up with me taking hits as I whittled them down.


    And there were things I was willing to kill. Killing a revenant wasn¡¯t killing a person, it was destroying a bundle of bones possessed by a restless spirit.


    I really wanted both. I was tempted to get both. I did have two open piles of soil in my third beastgate, after all.


    But I resisted. I¡¯d written down the spell arrays for both. As I revealed more of my third gate, traveled, and picked up more options, I¡¯d consider it. I wasn¡¯t a dragon mage, after all, there were good odds I¡¯d wind up finding other spells I needed more than a second dragon¡¯s breath.


    I flickered into Dusk, appearing in the desert region that she cultivated, and she appeared next to me, having decided to come with.


    As she formed a large mound of sand roughly the size of a fridge, I started working on the spell form.


    It was slightly more complex than most attack spells were, likely due to the cycling effect, but it was still smaller than the starfish spell. I gripped onto my beast mana and shaped the spell,


    Power built in my hands, and I started letting it slowly move through my body.


    The spell bucked and writhed, trying to escape my grasp, to run free and explode out in a cloud of aimless mana, and caught by surprise, I released the magic, which dissipated.


    Getting a firm grip on the spell was hard, but on the fourth try, I managed to complete a rotation within my body, then felt it pause. I could keep cycling, release it now, or try to hold onto it to release later.


    I released the spell. It exploded from my cupped palms, a wave of red and brown light that blinded me for an instant. When I lowered my hands, the ground was smoking, and the pile of sand had turned to molten glass slag and scattered across the desert in front of me.


    Dusk let out a cheer.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Twenty-Three

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    Testing and training with the Mantle Dragonfyre revealed several key elements.


    First was that I could change the rate that it cycled through my body using some basic mana manipulation techniques. Moving it slower reduced the amount the spell bucked and fought, while moving faster caused the spell¡¯s resistance to quickly grow.


    I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever have an opportunity in combat to just stand there, charging and cycling a technique at a slow and comfortable rate to build up power, but if I ever needed to destroy a wall, I could see it coming in handy.


    Forcibly cycling it faster had a lot of combat use, but at my current skill level with the spell, I was only able to speed up the time fractionally. Still, I was resolved to master this new application. Not only was it good training for my mana manipulation skills, but being able to squeeze out a faster version of the spell could be lifesaving.


    By the time I was out of beast mana in my second and third gate, I¡¯d gotten to the point I could reasonably handle a single cycle release of the spell at the default speed or a tiny bit faster, or I could cycle it twice, if I wanted to take the better part of ten seconds.


    I also learned that I could project it easiest when I used both hands or my mouth, but I could also release it from a single palm or from the tip of my tail. Using it from the tail was difficult, but it could be good for surprising people.


    I was quite happy with it, all things considered. The power it packed was entirely unlike any of my offensive spells, and I could feel Magister¡¯s Body hard at work to produce more solar and desolation energy inside my body with every cast of the spell.


    I was satisfied. It was a hard spell to master, but the power it promised was every bit what I needed to keep up with elite combat mages like the assassin. It was also going to be a nasty surprise ¨C she had known me only as a life, death, space, and time mage.


    With the second and third beastgates empty, I moved on to practicing Sky Dragon''s Senses. The spell was hardly anything revolutionary, but as it rode the winds and light to spread my mana senses further, I was satisfied as well. It might not change much about my sensory powers, but it would serve to spread and amplify them, and that was alright with me.


    Then I drew myself into my mana-garden and began prying up tiles in the second beastgate, to prepare myself for the kirin¡¯s spell. If I was honest with myself, I expected this to be easy, maybe take me a few minutes.


    I spent the rest of the day removing just four tiles.


    Ripping them up from the ground wasn¡¯t painful or damaging to my soul ¨C if it was, I would have stopped. I was a fool, not an idiot.


    But it was extremely hard. It was like trimming a spell, forcibly having to apply my will towards bending and breaking away only the tiniest chips of the tile. I wished I had some sort of¡­ spiritual chisel¡­ to speed along the work, but if something like that existed, it was likely well beyond my price range.


    Whenever I was worn out from chipping away at the tile, I spent the time practicing shaping my various spells and running a bit of power through them, getting myself acquainted, or helping Dusk form her steps. There wasn¡¯t much actual work to be done there, I was just moral support, but it was nice to see someone else struggling to push through mere millimeters of spiritual dirt.


    Between working at the preserve, spending time with Kene, working with Meadow to improve my skills with Mass Harvest and Enhance, training my new sensory spell, forging spell, starfish regeneration, and dragonfyre, the days leading up to my vision of the falling stars went by incredibly quickly.


    Orykson didn¡¯t even appear for our normal lesson, instead just teleporting a note to me that said since we were both busy, he¡¯d save the mana on the trip, and would teach me about the basics of third gate spatial magic when I had a grasp on the new spells I was already learning. That annoyed me a little bit, but I understood his reasoning.


    Trying to get a grip on six new spells and a full-gate spell on top of that was definitely a lot. I was beginning to see why people with multiple gates tended to hit bottlenecks or find their progress slowing to a halt. There was just only so much time in the day, and everything needed practice.


    There was one instance where I took a break, however ¨C at least, outside of the breaks to make dinner and eat with Kene.


    I¡¯d asked Thea¡¯s mom to teach me how to listen, and we¡¯d finally found a time to try.


    ¡°Fortune, connections, and movement between people,¡± she said, walking along the edge of the lake, tossing a handful of chopped meat into the pond for the estragon to squabble over. ¡°They create ripples.¡±


    She pointed at the pond, where the ripples from the meat she¡¯d tossed in moved through the lake.


    ¡°Create ripples, and you ripple out,¡± she said. ¡°Fortune is those ripples. They are the constellations, the streaks of light between the stars of the sky.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    I nodded slowly.


    ¡°I think I understand that. There¡¯s a sort of¡­ cause-and-effect that interactions create, right? If I were to stab you¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you not,¡± she said placidly.


    ¡°Bah, you know what I meant,¡± I said. ¡°Pretend. In this hypothetical, I stab you.¡±


    Dusk whistled, asking if she could stab Thea instead, and I resisted the urge to burry my face in my hands.


    ¡°Okay, so Dusk stabs you. That¡¯s an action she takes, throwing the food into the pond. But it will ripple out through our connections. You are connected to Olive and Kater and Octavian, they¡¯ll view her negatively. I¡¯m connected to Dusk, and so I¡¯m also going to be viewed negatively by association.¡±


    ¡°That is the surface level, yes,¡± Thea agreed. ¡°That¡¯s what normal people see. In this analogy, the ripples are fortune, the food is resolve, and the lake is destiny. Everything in the world is made of mana and energy, and underpinning that is the three deep mana.¡±


    She waggled her hand back and forth.


    ¡°The term ¡®deep mana¡¯ has issues, namely that whatever it is, mana is not correct, but it¡¯s the generally accepted term. But yes. It lays under reality, as far as I can tell.¡±


    Thea looked up and glanced at Meadow, as if expecting the old woman to correct her, but Meadow gestured for Thea to keep talking.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Thea asked. ¡°I feel quite under-qualified to give this lecture when I¡¯m standing next to the Springbringer.¡±


    ¡°My dear, you¡¯re an oracle,¡± Meadow said. ¡°I might be your superior in magical strength, but you¡¯re better at reading the winds than I am.¡±


    ¡°Oracle? Those are real?¡± I asked. ¡°Like, the ancient sense. Weird old person who can see the future and stuff? I always figured that they were just knowledge mages.¡±


    ¡°Some were,¡± Meadow said. ¡°But the term was originally meant to describe someone who was incredibly adept at reading the winds. Between you and Dusk, you¡¯ve developed the winds of destiny and fortune, and touched on the wind of resolve.¡±


    ¡°The winds react and change to their wielder,¡± Thea said. ¡°I can get them to divulge information about my wives or son far easier than I can about you, and I can get more about you than I can about the expiration of eggs in a grocery store in Daocheng.¡±


    ¡°How do you get them to divulge information?¡± I asked. ¡°Fortune just kind of¡­ blows. It pushes me around when it wants to, and when it doesn¡¯t, it just sort of spins lazily. Sometimes I get flashes of danger or inspiration. That¡¯s why I met your son. I had a good feeling about him, and it turned out that he was from the sanctuary that I needed to deliver eggs to.¡±


    ¡°An unformed connection trying to manifest from the sea of possibilities,¡± Thea said. ¡°As for how you get them to divulge information, you need to listen.¡±


    She closed her eyes.


    ¡°I draw myself into my mana garden and listen to the words of the wind. They¡¯re not words, not really, but they¡¯re¡­ impressions. Half formed impressions carried on the wind to me. Destiny is the easiest one to listen to. It¡¯s the natural course of the world, and it follows nice, predictable patterns. Tyrants rise, so heroes rise to follow them. Those heroes might turn into tyrants and the cycle continues.¡±


    ¡°I thought the ripples and cause and effect were all fortune?¡± I asked, and Thea sighed, opening her eyes again.


    ¡°Reality isn¡¯t as simple as a pond. They¡¯re all ripples, fish, lakes, ponds, frogs, herons, and the sky. They¡¯re all that was, all that is, and all that might be.¡±


    Dusk peeped a question ¨C Thea had said might be, not will be. Was that on purpose?


    ¡°Might be,¡± Meadow agreed firmly.


    ¡°The future is constantly changing,¡± Thea said. ¡°I didn¡¯t even begin picking up hints of you until relatively recently, and then you blazed in many of my visions.¡±


    ¡°Now they¡¯re visions?¡± I asked, growing increasingly confused. Hadn¡¯t she just said they were barely there at all?


    ¡°Yes. No.¡±


    Thea sighed and looked at Meadow, who shrugged.


    ¡°Just try to still your mind, your body, and focus,¡± Thea said.


    I was tempted to point out that being still and focusing was something that I was historically bad at, but I did as she said, drawing myself into my mana- garden. I stood in the center, in the midst of the ungated mana and the entry to the beastgate, then closed my eyes inside my spirit.


    I reached out, trying to listen to the wind of fortune as it formed its lazy loops.


    Nothing.


    I shifted, and felt a hand grab me. My eyes fluttered open to see Thea grabbing my arm, stopping me from falling face first into the lake.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, and she nodded.


    I tried, I really did, giving it an earnest effort, but the winds of fortune just seemed to spin. There were no flashes of insight or visions or words on the wind.


    The only time I¡¯d ever heard anything on the wind was when I¡¯d heard the laughter of resolve. At that memory, I felt a weight in my chest, where resolve had marked me with its inactive roots.


    What did that laughter mean?


    Who or what had it come from?


    Why was fortune silent?


    I had ridden fortune to get this far, but it was quiet now, not responding.


    Wasn¡¯t it?


    Had the prismatic kirin approached me because of my winds of fortune? Because of my beastgate? Neither? Both?


    I strained my senses, trying to listen to the wind, to hear or see anything at all, but nothing.


    I let out a frustrated sigh and tried to grab onto the wind, to pull on it and get it to react, to speak, to laugh, to give me the faintest impression, to do anything at all.


    There was no reaction at all from the wind.


    ¡°Fortune is fickle,¡± Meadow said gently, patting my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a beginner at a skill that not everyone ever masters.¡±


    I glanced at her.


    ¡°How good is Orykson at reading the winds? Who is the best at reading the winds?¡±


    He had hoped to train me up to be his perfect mage, after all, so I felt it was a good bar to measure against.


    ¡°When it comes to reading the winds, Orykson¡¯s skill lies in finding the future where he keeps going,¡± Meadow said. ¡°I¡¯m excellent at ferreting out where powerful people are trying to make the lives of common people worse, or where disasters might happen, and following them. The Knowledge King sees far ¨C they see very far, more than anyone I know, but they see so far that their predictions often never come to pass. Oracles like Thea tend to have the broadest range.¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°In theory, nothing stops anyone from mastering the winds to such a point that they can always find a way out like Orykson, see as far as the Knowledge King, find the plans of others like me, and have as much breadth and depth as Thea here.¡±


    ¡°The reality does,¡± Thea said. ¡°Olive and Kater each only have one wind. Many never develop any. Many never find a way to ply theirs meaningfully.¡±


    She sighed.


    ¡°Sometimes I think the fact that I¡¯m weaker than them is the only reason I can see so far at all.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so I turned to help feed the estragon.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Twenty-Four

    When the day of the falling stars came, it looked like many others. There wasn¡¯t much of a buzz ¨C apparently there were some amateur astrologists who were interested in seeing the shower, since this particular one happened once every thirty three years, but it was ultimately just another meteor shower.


    Sure, meteors and meteor showers were uncommon, but across the planet, a few happened every year. Most were over the ocean or unclaimed territory, admittedly, but I¡¯d still seen a few. They were cool, worth going outside to watch for a bit, but that was about the end of where I normally thought about it.


    Apart from the amateur astrologists and the people who were planning to climb onto a roof or lay out in the park, the last remaining group of people who were excited for the falling stars were the little folk.


    All of the ones Dusk¡¯s realm abandoned her seemingly without thought or care, surging out to wander around in the bog outside of the city, passing through the defensive wards without a concern.


    ¡°Should I be concerned?¡± I asked Meadow.


    She gave me a strange look.


    ¡°I¡¯d think that someone who¡¯s at least twice benefited would have realized,¡± she said.


    I blinked, caught off guard.


    ¡°The lushloam seed?¡± she said. ¡°Your ninelight morels?¡±


    ¡°I got those both from the small folk, yes,¡± I said, nodding slowly. ¡°What¡­ What exactly is the point you¡¯re making?¡±


    ¡°The small folk know things and follow old ways,¡± she said. ¡°They know that what falls from the stars can have great value, and they collect it, often bartering what they collect with humans or use it for themself.¡±


    I bit my lip as I thought about that. The small folk who I¡¯d saved from a fungal tyrant had said something having used up their gifts from the meteor shower, and I knew there was something funky about the lushloam. It had felt like deep mana, though I hadn¡¯t known much about the subject at the time.


    ¡°So this is normal behavior for them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is,¡± Meadow agreed. ¡°It may be strange for us, but I¡¯ve known a few people who like to comb around after meteor showers. Most of the time, they just expose intensely concentrated solar or lunar mana, and occasionally a lushloam, hollowvoid, or purestar seed, or hudau heritage stones. More rarely, they¡¯ll find even stranger things.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said. If I could get a lushloam seed¡­


    But the talk about it brought something new to mind. Seeds were kind of like spores and spores had mushrooms and that meant morels.


    It made sense in my head, at least.


    ¡°No wiggling out this time ¨C the ninelight morels. I asked about them. What¡¯s up with them? And with my Kirin spell, too. It used the term ninelight. And I don¡¯t understand it or why.¡±


    ¡°Ninelight, constellations, prismatic, and more are all ways to describe fortune and connections,¡± Meadow said. ¡°Frequently, ninelight is meant to refer to something that empowers someone in an imitation of fortune. This can take various forms ¨C often I see it as adding new mana types to empower the user, acting like an ingrained effect, or helping things grow better. Sometimes it can simply attract luck.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes.


    ¡°Empowering a garden, acting like a second legacy to give more energy in the body or adding it to spells¡­ Those are all things a lushloam can do.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Meadow agreed. ¡°A lushloam contains a drop of fortune within it, as well as a complex blend of environmental magic that can easily shift from plants to bodies to spirits. The name¡­¡±


    She pinched the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°It comes from a mistranslation. I believe the Librarian has been attempting to rebrand them as blendconnection seeds. It is not going well.¡±


    She smiled, released her nose, held up a hand.


    ¡°Before you ask¡­ a hollowvoid seed can be used to empower the body or spirit as well, through resolve, as can a purestar seed through destiny. They can also be planted and grown into trees, with massive effects that can completely reshape terrain, not unlike the lushloam can.¡±


    I really wanted an exact list of what each seed could do in each scenario, but I had a mission and I couldn¡¯t get sidetracked.


    At least, not more than I already was.


    ¡°And my Kirin spell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s likely meant to imitate effects not unlike a gradual feed of fortune to your foundation as it grows. I doubt it will have all the effects, but¡­ Some. Especially as it grows.¡±


    I had seen firsthand just how intensely potent a stream of deep mana could be, so having a stream of it would be amazing, even if it didn¡¯t quite work the same. The knockoff version of incredible was still great.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Are there things to imitate the other deep manas? There are other seeds, after all.¡±


    ¡°There are indeed. golden soul is often meant to refer to something that acts as an imitation of destiny, and empty whispers is used for something that imitates resolve.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of empty whispers, but I drank a golden soul elixir,¡± I said, knitting my eyebrows together. ¡°It did compress down my mana a lot, kind of like drinking a drop of destiny did.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not hard and firm categories,¡± Meadow warned. ¡°Nothing can truly replicate the power of a deep mana, not really, but it can try. And the names are often just names. Not everything ninelight is related to fortune or imitating it, and some things that do imitate it call itself prismatic. Golden is the worst of it. At times it seems like everything is called golden. Golden Raiment, golden soul of power, golden armament blade.¡±


    She frowned.


    ¡°Come to think of it, fortune is just as bad for entirely different reasons. Lots of things use constellations or rainbow in the name, and most aren¡¯t related to fortune, despite constellations being a translation of fortune. And don¡¯t even get me started around void¡­ There¡¯s a reason the Knowledge King tries to forcibly retool it to empty-whispers when it imitates resolve. Void is¡­¡±


    She waved her hand dismissively.


    ¡°Well, nevermind. Use your senses and guess. You¡¯re strong enough to have an idea. Better than most, I¡¯d say.¡±


    I flicked my hand and opened a portal to the ninelight morels. The tall, spear shaped mushrooms glowed a shifting rainbow of pastel colors, forming a circle that shed a soft light in the middle of the fungal folk village. Just their mere presence seemed to have infused more vibrancy into this area of the forest, as completely mundane mushrooms that came up to my knee were growing all over and were converted into houses for many of the fungal folk, there was vibrant orange chicken of the woods growing off of the trees, and my soultoad¡¯s seat mushrooms had absolutely exploded in number.


    ¡°It is quite a good find,¡± Meadow said, looking at them. ¡°Even if you only pick up a few useful fungi to add to your garden, it will help them grow, and of course, it can be used with Fungal Lock.¡±


    I nodded seriously, then looked at Meadow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, but you¡¯re also way stronger than me. Do you mind if I test those benefits for myself?¡±


    Meadow gestured for me to go ahead, so I flicked a finger to the morels and drew mana from them.


    Drawing mana from the Ninelight Morels was¡­ strange. Mushrooms were largely life and death, but they had deep tinges of lunar and telluric, a surprising amount of knowledge, and fainter hints of many other things.


    It felt almost like when Dusk passed me power, and I had to manually break it down into what I could use, and then have the rest break down into energy for my body. I could tear this apart and restore my life and death mana, but the power just hung in my mana-garden, and the pressure it put on me was gentle.


    I flicked my fingers at Meadow, feeding my Fungal Lock spell with a stream of my own mana, but also with the flowing power of the ninelight morels. The mushrooms that made up the locking spell within my mana-garden flared to life, glowing brighter, and I felt all of my harvesting spells hum a bit.


    The ingrained effect of Fungal Lock improved draining spells, and with the ninelight morel¡¯s magic flowing into the spell, even the passive restoration of mana that each of their ingrained effects offered was enhanced.


    The flow from Meadow was even more dramatic. The spell forged threads of mycelium that dug into her form and drained her life energy, sucking it away to fruit more mushrooms made of mana and tendrils of mycelium all over her. The spreading and draining effect was akin to when I threw out a three-layered version of the Fungal Lock, despite the fact I¡¯d only created a single layer.


    Meadow swayed, and I cut the spell off immediately, then let out a low whistle.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Quite an improvement,¡± I said. I hadn¡¯t even activated Enhance Forging to further improve it! Yes, the power of the ninelight morels was limited, as it was a small mana source, but even still.


    My fungal lock had fallen behind a bit in power, but with this¡­


    I had to stop myself from cracking a grin as I thought about the Fungal Tyrants armor. It was able to adapt to various attacks, and was made of forged mana. It was a life and death spell that triggered my legacy. If I ran everything together, how strong could it be? I really needed to track one down and subdue it in order to steal its spell¡­


    I shook my head and looked back at Meadow.


    ¡°Back to training my Mass Harvest and Enhance?¡±


    ¡°If you wish. Though now that you¡¯re third gate, there are some potions you need to start working on¡­¡±


    We trained until the sun began to set, at which point Meadow, Kene, Octavian, Thea, Kater, Dusk, and I all gathered up at the edge of the wards. I raised my hand and summoned my flying cauldron, while Dusk formed her cloud underneath her, Kene retrieved their broom, and Octavian nodded to Araceli.


    Araceli was about the size of a dog, but at the nod, she began to change. Her muscles and scales rippled and bulged, then she started to grow. Within moments, she¡¯d grown large enough to be compared to a horse in size.


    That doesn¡¯t sound big, but a dragon the size of a horse essentially comes bundled with wings the size of horses as well, and the overall effect is quite intimidating. Octavian leapt up onto her back, and as the first star began to fall from the sky, we streaked off over the bog.


    The stars flew past us, and I found myself caught up in a flurry of lights. To my left there was a flash of white, then red to my right, then behind me there was more white, then blue.


    A dazzling display of thousands of tiny shards of space dust and ice and stone fell around us and through us, and within moments, I¡¯d lost track of everyone but Dusk, and the only reason I could still find her was our connection.


    The falling stars didn¡¯t harm us, and they didn¡¯t even seem to trigger my defensive aura pin, only cascading down with a gentle pattern, like being caught in a snowstorm of light and sound and color and existence, like burrowing into the sand at the beach, like bathing at a spa, all at once, while also being none of those.


    As I flew, I felt my mana meditations begin to speed up and cycle faster, moving in a steady, churning rhythm, sending power up into the sky of my garden, then down into the soil, over and over again until its pace was faster than I¡¯d ever managed to get it to run without actively paying attention.


    Dusk and the others were further away now, and Dusk¡¯s connection felt muted as the colorful dust swirled, not unlike she did when we¡¯d been stuck in separate astral planes.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if I was caught within the shower for seconds, minutes, or hours, but eventually I felt spots of power falling from the heavens above, and strained my mana senses to the furthest they could go.


    Amidst the swirling tide, I couldn¡¯t extend them far, but I felt four powers falling within my grasp, strange things that were kings yet peasants, that were fractions of a fraction of a fraction that is whole, that were many things yet nothing, things that could devour and devour and devour and devour and devour and¡­


    I shook myself and pulled back to my senses, focusing them on the powers I that I might have a chance for myself, feeling them in multiple directions. I focused my cauldron and shot off.

 The Third Gate: Chapter Twenty-Five

    The first thing I could sense was a thing that felt strange and resonant, like a staff, yet not a staff, like a nascent truth that wasn¡¯t true, and felt like upgrading, improvement, refinement, adding new things, evolving, changing, and¡­


    I shook myself. It was getting into my head again.


    I focused and spun through dazzling stardust, and then I saw it.


    A small meteor, streaking down from the heavens, a crystalized ball of ice that felt deeply intense to my mana senses. Within the meteor, I could feel the thing that was resonance, adaptive and changing. I stretched out my fingers to try and catch the meteor, not thinking at all. If I had been, I¡¯d have been worried about it taking my hand off.


    It struck my palm and bounced, and I took off after it, angling my cauldron to chase it across the bogs. I grabbed it, and it flew from my hand again, then I Foxstepped over and snatched it. My cauldron started to plummet, so I flickered back inside, holding the¡­ thing¡­ tightly.


    I came to a stop in the cauldron and watched as the ice slowly melted away, turning into steam as the item was revealed.


    It was a smooth black orb that hovered in mid-air, slowly spinning. I reached out and touched it with one finger.


    It bit me, a tiny probe stabbing into my finger like a mosquito, then I felt a wash of knowledge mana, strange and warped, with aspects that I couldn¡¯t understand, rush through me.


    The moment it found the slot in my spirit where my staff lay, I felt it narrow in, locking onto the staff like the inevitability of a Pinpoint Boneshard spell aiming for its designated target.


    Without any intention, my staff appeared in the air next to me, and the black orb unfolded like the maw of a squid or lamprey, and it ate my staff.


    A horrified jolt of panic flooded through me as I felt my connection to the staff snuff out, and the orb-mouth-thing replaced it entirely. It then expanded outwards, establishing a spirit bond of some sort, though I couldn¡¯t make out the details.


    I braced myself for searing pain, but having bonded both Dusk and the Beastmark, there was actually a bit of room for more connections.


    The orb ate this space greedily, and I had a moment of fear that it was going to keep expanding, outpacing my power and risking breaking, but then it stopped. The orb folded back in on itself, and it went silent.


    Strange lights with a color that I couldn¡¯t describe began to spin across the surface of the orb, then it began to transform and shift again. This time, rather than some vast mouth, it warped and shifted, bucking unnaturally. Another moment of fear passed as it shifted, and I was worried it was going to eat me.


    Instead, it transformed into a staff exactly as tall as I was. It was a matte black, covered in swirling green spell designs. The spread-crystal that I used for my Temporal Basin floated a finger¡¯s width above the staff, spinning gently, like someone had created a spinning pedestal of force magic for it to rest on.


    Orbiting around the spread-crystal, like planets orbiting a sun, was three strange bits of metal. They looked like they were made of silver, or maybe steel, and were covered in markings so thin and fine that I would have needed a lens spell or a magnifying glass to make them out.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    I felt the automatic spinning, empowering, and restoration effects of the staff slide neatly into place again, but they were noticeably weaker than they¡¯d been before. It wasn¡¯t devastatingly weak, but it felt like it was maybe three quarters of what it had been initially.


    A part of me had been hoping to get the staff to automatically upgrade, since the orb thing had given me the overwhelming impression of evolution, but it hadn¡¯t. Still, I thought it had simplified it somewhat ¨C I could feel a way to slide mana sources and solidified mana trimmed from my mana-garden into the staff to grow it automatically, without the need to collapse and reform the staff each time.


    I was a bit disappointed, honestly. Losing a quarter of the increases that the staff gave to mana regeneration and power for just the ability to not need to redo the ritual¡­ Wasn¡¯t worth it.


    More than that, it had taken several seconds. I could feel things passing me by in the cloud of starstuff, things that I could have used!


    Then the three silver shards rotating around the spread-crystal began to glow. The runes or whatever they were seemed to scan me, and I felt them reach out.


    I had almost formed a Nascent Truth of Mercy once before, and when I¡¯d rejected it, I¡¯d forcibly evolved it into a Nascent Truth of Benevolence. Benevolence had never gone away, I¡¯d always had it lingering around my spirit as an option, if I were to decide to cast away my staff. I¡¯d simply never had a reason to.


    I liked Benevolence as an ideal, and I strove to follow it, but the staff offered practical benefits that I wasn¡¯t sure benevolence would. After all, an ill suited Nascent Truth was going to do more harm than good, and I did enjoy fighting.


    Two of the three spinning metal shards went dull, but one of them began to glow faintly, as it reached out and connected to where I¡¯d touched on Benevolence. It created some sort of strange artificial connection to the Nascent Truth, then funneled that connection into me. I felt a bit of Benevolence¡¯s power trickling into me.


    It wasn¡¯t much, not compared to what it could be, at least in theory, but it was still there. I flexed my spirit, and felt the resonance flow through it and into me.


    I didn¡¯t have a good baseline example of what a Nascent Truth felt like, but I¡¯d experienced other forms of resonance briefly, and this felt like roughly a quarter of what a complete form of resonance should be.


    It felt¡­ strange. Like trying to walk after my legs had fallen asleep. But the moment the Benevolence connected to me, I immediately felt it yank on me.


    For an instant, I thought that my newly evolved staff was going to try and consume my spirit, but no, it was distinctly the Truth that was pulling me. I let my cauldron fall into Dusk¡¯s realm as I Foxstepped through the cloud of spacedust, catching myself with Immovable Lock and teleporting again.


    Before I knew it, I was on the ground next to a¡­ a¡­ Well, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what it was.


    It looked like a long and thin dragon or tarragon, the sort with a more serpentine body and no wings, but with antlers and a mane. Its body was made entirely out of burning light, like the sun. Like the sun, it was capable of growth, but it was also capable of burning to ash anything that opposed it.


    But it was small, young, vulnerable, more than a tarragon or dragon should be.


    And its body was translucent and felt intangible. I couldn¡¯t sense any energy in its form, but rather the strange sort of spiritual power, like when Dusk had used her legacy and spiritual truth to call upon her Dominion early, or how she used it to shape the world now.


    But I could feel something deeply wrong with it.


    Of the deep mana, destiny was the one I had the least experience with, but I could feel it here.


    And it was bad.


    It wasn¡¯t twisted into a perversion of itself, like the Loyalty-Spark that Ikki¡¯s father had tried to offer me, forcing destiny to bend to the whims of the Storm King.


    It was more like when I used Burn Future to push my way through a fight. It had somehow, through some magic and spiritual property I didn¡¯t understand, drawn on destiny to survive the fall, but it owed destiny now.


    And it hadn¡¯t drawn enough.


    Hadn¡¯t, or maybe couldn¡¯t.


    It needed support in order to live. It was fading and dying away even as I watched, and while I might be able to feed it drops of destiny to nullify the debt, that wouldn¡¯t matter if it didn¡¯t live.


    I remembered what Octavian had told me, a long time ago, about how he¡¯d bonded to Aracelli in order to save her life when her egg had been cracked.


    I had one bond left, I could save this spirit¡­ dragon¡­ creature.


    I knitted my eyebrows together. Hadn¡¯t I heard of a spirit dragon before? The river dragon at the library had mentioned it.


    I mentally slapped myself. Focus. I needed to focus.

 Release Alert!

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    </a>