《Scorching Ascension - [Progression Litrpg Apocalypse]》


 1.01: The default choice of monsters

    him


    Ethan gave it a second, but unfortunately nothing happened. The older man turned the corner, still grumbling because he had to maneuver his bulky frame in the aisles, then he was gone.


    The young man sighed and leaned down to pick up a dropped can when he felt his phone vibrate. He put the can in place and pulled his still-vibrating phone out of his pocket.


    Ethan looked down at the phone. ¡°Shit. What now?¡±


    He¡¯d hoped for a call from the placement agency he was supposed to hear back from days ago. They¡¯d said he did well in his tests and interview, and they¡¯d be in touch in two days.


    Ethan ran a frustrated hand through his dark brown hair. It¡¯d now been a week, and instead of that call, he found his phone screen flickering, turning on and off. When it was on, the image kept twisting and corrupting. Ethan narrowed his eyes¨C


    ¡°Ethan to the cash register, please. Ethan to the cash register.¡±


    Ethan looked up at the speaker, then down at the box of cans in front of him.


    This isn¡¯t working.


    He took two quick breaths, then stepped over the box he¡¯d been unloading and headed to the front of the store. When he got there, he found a handful of people waiting, one of whom had portable speakers blasting some annoyingly catchy music. Ethan made his way toward the second cash register, and as he was typing the register¡¯s password the music-playing kid spoke.


    ¡°Hurry up, broke boy.¡±


    One of the girls with him tittered as Ethan looked over. The man¨Cwell, he looked barely twenty, actually¨Csmiled, basking in the girl¡¯s laugh. The second girl, who Ethan recognized, met his eyes for a moment before looking away.


    ¡°Why you looking at my girl, broke boy?¡±


    This is really not working.


    Ethan exhaled slowly and let the taunts roll past him as he scanned the items before bagging them. The annoying prick kept smiling and jeering, blasting his shitty music, and then, thankfully enough, he took his little posse and left.


    Glancing to the side, he found his manager smiling at yet another apathetic customer as if they were some lost sibling.


    For someone who owned this damn store, the man was ready to tolerate nearly everything from his customers, and he insisted on the same from his employees.


    The rude young man¡¯s clique continued laughing and blasting music as they entered their car. It had been difficult to not throw the bag in their faces. If this had been three or four years ago, Ethan would have done much worse, but, unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t afford to get into trouble. He didn¡¯t need his name in yet another news article. Plus, he already owed rent to his roommates, and he just couldn¡¯t afford to be out of a job right now. Not when he wasn¡¯t able to get a better one.


    He knew it was because they¡¯d searched his name and found out about the events involving his dead parents. Somehow, his father losing his marbles made Ethan radioactive to potential employers. Same for college programs that didn¡¯t require him to pay an arm and a leg, and the rough few years that came after probably didn¡¯t help his case.


    Maybe I should just move. Canada could work. Change my name.


    The problem was, forging a new identity would bring him back out of the straight and narrow path he was trying to stay on. Not that playing by the rules was doing much for him.


    ¡°Some people, huh?¡±


    Ethan glanced up and met a man¡¯s eye. A tired office-worker, by the looks of him. The older man gave him a small smile and nod, and Ethan reciprocated. He didn¡¯t need to force the smile.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    The man gave him a chuckle and continued putting his articles on the counter. Ethan quickly scanned him and wished him a nice evening before he processed the rest of the customers. He pushed away the crappy memories, and considered speaking with the old man about potentially moving somewhere else. His ex-foster would most likely tell him to stop whining, but there¡¯d probably be a useful nugget of wisdom in that old codger¡¯s rants.


    With that done, Ethan trudged back to his peaceful corner. He paused for a second, looking at his own blue-eyed reflection on the refrigerator glass-door and grimaced. He was looking pale. When was the last time he spent more than a few minutes in the sun?


    Ethan sighed. He turned his attention back to the box of cans, and as he was leaning over, the ground began to shake.


    It started small, but the rumble quickly gained strength. Ethan stumbled as a sense of panic burst into his chest. The rows of products began dropping within seconds, while the lights flickered and turned off.


    Ethan rushed toward the exit, falling on the way. Screams filled his ears, coming from inside the store and outside it. Ethan pushed the door open and stepped into the cold evening. Lamp lights were flickering, but that was the least interesting thing he saw.


    The sky was full of lights, and Ethan knew for a fact those weren¡¯t the northern lights. Usually those were green and rippled in colors, while what Ethan was seeing was just¡­ blue.


    Slowly, the earthquake eased down. The night was filled with shouts, car alarms, and general building alarms. Something began to warm up in his chest. In his limbs. Like a shiver, but instead of feeling cold, it burned. Before he could make sense of anything, a bunch of glowing text popped in front of him, and Ethan¡¯s back hit the wall.


    Greater reality found¡­


    Sub-par mana levels detected. Tampering detected. Corrective measures in progress¡­


    Optimizing System to reality core¡­


    Number of inhabited realms: Calculating¡­


    Implementing standard load-out for inhabitants¡­


    At the same time he read that last line, the heat in his stomach and limbs turned from embers to a roaring fire. Pained screams rose from all around him, which he could barely perceive above his own. The pain built up, burning, tearing into his flesh and bones and then¨Cdarkness took him.


    ***


    Ethan¡¯s eyes fluttered open to a repetitive beep sounding in his head. He slowly pushed himself up, against the wall, limbs freezing. Bleary-eyed, he tried to look around, but a flashing prompt wouldn¡¯t leave his sight.


    Finally, he looked at it.


    Pick a class of wand to finish the load-out process. Countdown until random selection: 43 seconds.


    Spellcaster: A classic and flexible wand capable of rapidly casting all manner of spells. A popular choice with combatants and noncombatants. Free Modifier-class spell and free General-class spell will be provided.


    Armament: A wand that morphs into an offensive or defensive armament when the Armament-spell is placed in the Form slot, cast spells, and moderately boosts the user¡¯s stats. Often popular with warriors. Free Armament-class spell will be provided.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Enhancer: A wand that morphs into a body alteration to allow for various magical effects when the Enhancer-spell is placed in the Form slot, cast spells, and greatly boosts the user¡¯s stats. Often popular with hand-to-hand fighters, and the default choice of monsters. Free Enhancer-class spell will be provided.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes widened, and a sense of alarm began to swell as the countdown ticked lower.


    What is this? Wands? Load-out? Stats?


    Ethan had no clue what was happening, but clearly, he needed to make a choice, whatever that meant. He couldn¡¯t get stuck with something random. And what was that about monsters?


    ¡°What is even happening?¡± he breathed out, then shook his head. ¡°Focus, dammit.¡±


    Okay. Let¡¯s think this through. But quick. What are the options?


    Next was an Armament-class wand. What would that be like? Swords? Shields? Would guns be an option? He wasn¡¯t good with any of those, so that didn¡¯t sound too good. Moderate stats as well, whatever that meant. It also came with only a modifier.


    Lastly, the Enhancer wand. The part where it greatly boosted stats was attractive. Ethan had some experience with hand-to-hand fighting¨Cand an unfortunate amount of street fighting¨Cso this could be a valid option. But what did it imply? What kind of magical effects would it create? This one didn¡¯t come with a modifier. Only the Enhancer-spell.


    Countdown until random selection: 11 seconds.


    ¡°Shit. Fuck.¡±


    Spellcaster wands could give him something disappointing, but he could handle himself in a fight, so he could always leverage a physical boost¡ªif that was what stat-boost meant. Maybe later he could explore other options, if changing was possible, but right now, the choice was clear.


    Enhancement-class wand selected.


    ¡°Okay. Good.¡±


    His heart was hammering itself out of his chest, but before Ethan could recover from the choice he¡¯d had to rush and try making sense of what was happening, another prompt popped in front of him.


    Select a starting tier-0 Enhancement-class spell. Countdown until random selection: 60 seconds.


    Claws: Summon powerful claws to tear into your opponents


    Tail: Summon a flexible and powerful tail to catch your opponents unaware


    Scales: Summon protective scales to shield you


    Horns: Summon horns to empower your magic


    Eyes: Summon eyes to empower and improve your sight


    ¡°Okay. Alright, ¡± Ethan mumbled to himself. Hearing his own voice helped keep him on task. ¡°Let¡¯s see the options. One by one.¡±


    Claws looked interesting, but that was a large change from what Ethan was used to. He knew how to fight with his fists, not with his hands open, though something sharp would always be valuable.


    Tail¡­ no. It might have some interesting uses, but it would awkward for both offense and defense. Actually, now that he looked at the rest, most options were either awkward or too situational. The horns seemed interesting, and he knew a well-timed head-butt could finish up fights quickly, but were they as good as Claws or Scales? He didn¡¯t think so. Same for the Tail. Taking the legs from under someone was a nice trick, but it might only work once thanks to the surprise effect.


    Ethan nodded to himself as he went through the list again. So far, only Claws and Scales were appealing to him for a first pick.


    Scales look like the defensive option, which would be valuable if there were unknown dangers around. Assuming he wasn¡¯t the only one going through this selection process, there would be alot of offensive spells in the hands of all sorts of folks. Would scales work against that?


    Defense would only work if I don¡¯t get bogged down, though,


    Ethan exhaled and hoped he wasn¡¯t making a mistake.


    The Enhancement-class spell [Claws] was selected.


    Enhancement-class spell [Claws] successfully set as default spell of wand #1.


    A hot sensation sunk into Ethan and spread down to his arms. His fingers tingled for a few seconds, and then the sensation stopped. No new prompt appeared.


    Ethan looked around. Here and there, some people were getting up from the ground. He hadn¡¯t been the only one who¡¯d passed out. Carefully, he pulled out his phone and looking down at it, he found it turned off. He tried to turn it on, over and over, but nothing worked.


    He knew it had been fully charged. No mistake there. Whatever was happening seemed to have knocked it out, along with most of the electric grid. It was still night, but the only light Ethan could see was the blue lights and the stars beyond them.


    Some people began calling out for others. Some began to shout and scream, so Ethan kept his distance, which was when a new prompt showed up.


    Mana-less protocol activating¡­


    Integration tutorials will be made available shortly¡­


    Participation is not optional. Please find and enter the closest portal to your location.


    Early participants will be rewarded.


    Countdown until forceful integration in the tutorial: 60 minutes.


    First portal instance in 3¡­2¡­1


    The prompt reduced itself, and instantly the sky was filled with green globes of light, with the closest being almost directly above Ethan.


    He looked up, mouth open, then back down in the direction of the green light. A couple hundred yards ahead, a green-hued gateway shone into the night.


    A new start.


    An opportunity.


    Ethan couldn¡¯t help his nervous grin. He had no idea what was happening. He didn''t know if this was some sort of apocalypse, if these were aliens, or if this was all a dream, but he didn¡¯t hate any of it.


    Actually, he fucking loved it. And he definitely wanted that early-bird reward. So he started discreetly making his way toward the portal.


    People kept shouting, some began to group up, and to Ethan¡¯s alarm he began seeing flashes of light into the night, which he had no intent of approaching.


    Chaos, wands, and no electricity? Dead phones?


    Ethan grimly shook his head. That tutorial might be safer than being out here. Plus, it¡¯s a tutorial. What better place was there to make sense of all of this?


    A couple of people were already walking into the portal. They stepped into the green light and disappeared.


    That¡¯s not a vaporizing light, I hope.


    Ethan considered for a moment, then shook his head.


    Nah. If anything could do all of this, why would it¡ªor they¡ªneed to trick people to vaporize them? That¡¯d make no sense. Still, I gotta hurry up or I¡¯ll miss out on the bonus.


    As he continued making his way toward it, he remembered the old bastard and hoped he was safe. Then Ethan shook his head and smiled. Who was he kidding? That relic was probably already inside.


    The green doorway was only twenty feet away when someone called out to him. A familiar voice.


    ¡°Help!¡±


    Ethan looked to his right, and in the half-darkness he saw a black sports car. An upside-down sports car. Approaching it, he recognized the young man who¡¯d been taunting him only a short while ago. Beyond the man, the car was empty.


    It seemed like his company had abandoned him when he got into this accident. Though thankfully for the man, he didn¡¯t seem injured at all. Only a little stuck. Just needed a couple more minutes and he¡¯d be out.


    ¡°Help me, please. I¡¯m stuck. Please!¡±


    Ethan looked up at the doorway. More people were approaching it. He gazed back down at the young man who¡¯d spent a good while mocking him barely minutes ago, gave him a nod and a smile, then turned and continued toward the portal.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find you, asshole. I¡¯ll fucking kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Ethan turned, raised an eyebrow at the trapped young man, then chuckled and walked away. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    And with that, he stepped toward the green light and removed his red uniform vest, leaving him in a simple white t-shirt that matched his khaki pants. He shared a look with a young woman wearing a gray pants-suit whom he¡¯d never seen before, though he recognized that gleam of excitement in her eyes, and they both stepped into the rippling green light.

 1.02: Participant #68

    The feeling of being yanked by the heart through a dark and empty tunnel with no sense of up or down lasted for close to five seconds. When it was over, Ethan¡¯s lunch hit the ground at the same time as his knees.


    Welcome to the tutorial¡¯s first floor, participant #68.


    Congratulations, due to you being part of the first 100 participants of group #12, you¡¯re hereby granted 1 tier-1 spell token.


    Main Quest: Gain access to the second floor within 6 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes.


    Reward: 1 tier-0 wand.


    Ethan quickly examined his surroundings. He was in an empty stone room, the sort he¡¯d expect to see in a castle. The floor was bare, with large, uneven and cracked gray flagstones. Moss grew through the cracks, and light streamed in from the corner, where the wall and a good portion of the roof was just¡­ gone.


    Participant #68. Damn.


    Ethan grinned. He didn¡¯t know what was happening. His heart was hammering in his chest, but he couldn¡¯t help the sense of excitement coursing through his veins.


    ¡°Okay, first things first. I have a wand, right? Not sure why the reward¡¯s just another wand for finishing a floor, but alright. Now, how do I see the one I already have? Is that even possible? Also, is there a place where can see all of these details? Like an interface? Maybe if¨Cah, there we go. Awesome.¡±


    Ethan expected needing some password or keyword to view the details, if that was even a thing, but he was glad to find out that the interface did exist, and he just needed to think about it to bring it up.


    ¡°This is¡­ interesting.¡±


    Name: Ethan Voss


    Traits: None


    Level 1


    Might: 3


    Toughness: 2


    Spirit: 3


    Mana: 1


    Tokens: 1 Tier-1 spell


    Wand #1: [Form: Claws][Sequential: None]


    Class: Enhancer


    Tier: 0


    Unique Trait: None


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 1/2


    Cast refresh: 5s


    Mana regeneration: 0.01s (1%)


    Stat Bonus: +2 Might +2 Spirit


    Fragments: 0


    Available spells:


    General: None


    Modifiers: None


    Armament: None


    Enhancer: [Claws - In use]


    ¡°This is crazy.¡±


    Quests? Levels? Traits?


    Every small part was vying for his attention, but when he tried to focus on one element or another, hoping for a tool-tip or an explanation, he got nothing. But that didn¡¯t put a damper on his mood at all.


    Ethan was electrified. Worried. Excited. This all smelled like a challenge, and he was all for it.


    His eyes lingered over the wand section for a second, and he recalled the selections he¡¯d gone through barely moments ago.


    ¡°I do have a wand now¡­ How do I see it?¡±


    Looking for a trigger or some sort of button he could click, Ethan quickly found it. Like a new mental muscle he instinctively knew was connected to his hand.


    So he flexed it.


    Something both cold and warm rushed out of his stomach toward his shoulders, then down his arms. As it reached his hands, his skin toughened. His joints and fingers swelled, growing taut. Finally, two-inch-long black claws stretched down off his fingers.


    Ethan raised both hands and examined them, curling his fingers and watching the sharp black claws move, reflecting the light coming through the destroyed wall. He tightened his hands into fists, feeling the claws gently dig into his palms, but it didn¡¯t break skin.


    Even though his cheeks were sore from smiling this wide, Ethan laughed.


    ¡°This is fucking sick!¡±


    Throwing a couple of punches confirmed the claws were too awkward for that, but the claws were tough. Plus, whatever the magic did to his hands and joints, it made it so Ethan could claw at the wall with most of his strength without much pain.


    Enough strength to leave grooves in the damn stone.


    ¡°Damn. Now what¡¯s this about tokens¡­¡±


    Looking at the option he¡¯d seen on his profile, he clicked it. A new prompt appeared.


    Do you wish to exchange your token for a tier-1 spell?


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Ethan confirmed, then another menu appeared.


    General-class spells: The largest class of spells. All sorts of spells can be categorized as general. They can be offensive, defensive, supportive, utility, or any mix of all four. Scaling and potency depend on the nature of the spell.


    Modifier-class spells: Spells which combine with others to empower, improve, and modify. They cannot be cast on their own. Scaling and potency depend on the nature of the spell.


    Armament-class spells: When set as default, this transforms the wand into the armament form of the spell. Thus, the spell will allow the wand to empower the user by boosting their stats. Scaling and potency depend on the nature of the spell.


    Enhancement-class spells: When set as default, this transforms the wand into the physical form of the spell. Thus, the spell will allow the wand to empower the user by boosting their stats. Scaling and potency depend on the nature of the spell.


    Ethan examined the definitions. General spells seemed vague. Most certainly useful, and potentially a good choice. Armament spells were out. If he recalled the selection process and the interface he¡¯d just checked, there was a single form slot, and both armament spells and enhancer spells needed it to work. So picking an armament spell was objectively the worst choice he could make here. Same thing for another enhancer spell, which left him with a general spell, or a modifier. Considering the description, he leaned toward the latter. Modifiers seemed like literal power multipliers.


    After a moment of consideration, he went with a modifier. A general spell could be great, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d get a good option. On the other hand, boosting the spell he already had was a guaranteed increase in power.


    Select a Modifier-class tier-1 spell from the list below:


    Toxic enhancement: Coat your enhancement in a toxic substance


    Fast projectile: Your wand projectiles are faster


    Impactful enhancement: Impacts from your enhancement are empowered


    Flaming enhancement: Ignite your enhancement with burning flames


    Freezing armament: Coat your armament with freezing ice


    Ethan whistled and decided to sit down. Five options, but not all were good for what he already had. Clearly, only those meant for enhancement were useful for him at this point, so he eyed them carefully. Impactful, flaming, or toxic.


    The latter was interesting, but imagining his hands covered in poison or toxic slime grossed him out. He didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d be immune to it or not, but the image in his clawed hands dripping a toxic substance wasn¡¯t super attractive to him.


    Impactful was good. Ethan assumed that meant the claws would have more weight behind them.


    Which left flaming. He might not be immune to it¡­ But it was so damn cool he was willing to risk it.


    He wanted the flaming claws. He had to see it. But he shouldn¡¯t rush.


    Well. Impactful is about strength. Which¡­ sort of makes me think of the Might stat in my interface. Is there a way to raise that instead? I think it¡¯s possible, and that would allow me to recreate [Impactful Enhancement]¡¯s effect, in a way. On the other hand, there¡¯s no stat for creating fire. Plus, I might be stuck here for a few days, so fire might be useful.


    Hmm. Yeah. That¡¯s a good enough reason.


    Ethan grinned as he selected his option. Light collected in front of him for a second, and then sunk into his chest. A moment later, the new modifier showed up in his spell list.


    ¡°Amazing. Okay, how do I use that¡­¡±


    Wand configuration cannot be changed while in use.


    Ethan frowned. Alright.


    He dismissed the claws, and the magic dissipated, revealing his regular ol¡¯ hands. He grinned.


    Focusing on his wand, a menu popped up to allow him to put the modifier into the second of the two slots. When he tried, a message popped up.


    Tier-1 spells cannot be used in a tier-0 wand. Please upgrade your wand.


    ¡°Dammit.¡± Ethan felt scammed. ¡°Alright. Fine. How do I do that?¡±


    Ethan looked around as he wondered about the response to his question. He hoped the system¡ªor the universe¡ªwould give him an answer. Instead, the universe decided that it was time to shake things up.


    Screechy voices began sounding down the corridor, beyond the room¡¯s exit. Whatever was making them, they were getting louder.


    Ethan got up and glanced behind him at the torn wall, then hurried toward it only to discover a sheer drop, of hundreds of feet down, leading straight into tumultuous waves.


    ¡°Ah shit. A cliff. Great.¡±


    Looking back toward the exit, Ethan approached the wall and pressed himself against it, then activated his claws again.


    More mana¨Che guessed¨Crushed out of his chest and down to his arm, and Ethan felt dizzy for a second. He cursed himself for wasting the resource as he waited with bated breath for whatever was making the ruckus.


    A couple of seconds later, two bipedal, lizard-looking things came sniffing around, looking here and there while warbling at each other in their odd tongue. They were approximately four feet high. Pretty thin, with muted brown scales. At some point, one of them backhanded the other. Above each of them, a line of text popped up in Ethan¡¯s vision.


    [Lizardling - Level 2]


    [Lizardling - Level 3]


    What the hell is this?


    One of them was carrying a stone dagger in its hand as it sniffed, while the second had a short, rudimentary spear. They sniffed closer and closer, and Ethan was forced to take a step backward.


    Were they intelligent? Peaceful? Or was this about to become a fight to the death?


    Ethan exhaled and rolled his shoulders. The two lizardlings stepped into the room, and their slitted yellow eyes landed on him.


    They hissed and raised their weapons, then slowly began approaching him. A drip of saliva escaped from the toothy maw of the dagger-holding lizardling.


    Well, that¡¯s my answer.


    The spear lizardling screeched and rushed him, stabbing upward, while the second stealthily stepped around, trying to attack from the side.


    Cute. But Focus.


    Ethan didn¡¯t waste any time. He couldn¡¯t let them gain momentum.


    He dashed to the right, comfortably dodging the clumsy spear thrust, and swiped his claws down, hoping to knock the spear out of the lizardling¡¯s hand.


    Instead, his claws cut through the wood as if it were a mere twig.


    Ethan kept moving around the spear-wielder, keeping its frame between him and the dagger-wielder. From the corner of his eye, he saw a spear stab toward his foot.


    Ethan jumped back, eyes wide.


    The broken spear was gone, and the spear wielder had an identical, pristine¨Cthough still primitive-looking¨Cspear in hand.


    Oh. Armament wands.


    The duo rushed forward again, and Ethan decided he had to end things quickly. He didn¡¯t know why these two were after him, but he couldn¡¯t go for disarming maneuvers any more. Not when he could be left bleeding in this random place.


    Ethan dodged another spear thrust, stepped in, and drove his clawed hand into the spear-wielder¡¯s gut. The claws punched through effortlessly, and warmth spilled onto his palm as the lizardling doubled over with a soft screech.


    The dying lizardling looked up with eyes narrowed, its two clawed hands gripping his arm. From his right, the dagger-wielder stepped in and stabbed.


    Ethan tried angling away from the oncoming blade, but it was a lot faster than he expected. With that half-second it took him to free his right hand from the dying lizardling, the second enemy had enough time to land his hit.


    The dagger sunk into his arm, right above his elbow. The dagger-wielder had aimed for his side, but Ethan managed to cover his vitals in the nick of time. He groaned with pain, going for the lizardling¡¯s neck with his left claws, and punched a deep groove into its flesh. Blood spurted as the dagger-wielder stumbled backward. It stared at him for a second, blood flowing from its neck, then fell on its side.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 2]


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 3]


    You have reached Level 2. 1 stat point awarded.


    Side quest unlocked.


    Ethan panted as he looked down at his bleeding arm. The dagger was still in it. He knew he shouldn¡¯t be messing with it, but he couldn¡¯t walk with it like this, either. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t seem like it sunk in too deep. With his left hand, he reached over to take it out.


    As his clawed hand touched the dagger, the weapon turned to golden smoke and sunk into his claw. A new notification popped up.


    Wand #1: 1 fragment collected.


    The surprises just kept on coming. Ethan chuckled, then groaned from the pain shooting up his right arm. He looked down at it, turning his hand gently to assess the damage. It wasn¡¯t too bad, but it was most certainly painful. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t bleeding much, so no artery got nicked.


    Now, what should he do about it? Wrapping it with something would be great, but he didn¡¯t have much aside from the clothes on his back and he really didn¡¯t want to start tearing his clothes this early into this quest. Recalling what he¡¯d done before he stepped into the portal, Ethan clicked his tongue. He should have kept that store vest instead of throwing it away.


    For once in his life, it could have actually been useful.

 1.03: Find an edge

    Ethan grunted and slowly lifted his arm. After a couple of minutes of observing the injury, he decided to leave it as is. It wasn¡¯t bleeding. And he didn¡¯t really want to walk around shirtless. The temperature here wasn¡¯t cold, but it wasn¡¯t too warm, either. Though as he took in the state of his once white t-shirt, he hoped he¡¯d eventually find cloth-cleaning spells.


    That would be neat.


    Well, if it starts bleeding I¡¯ll tear a strip off my shirt. But for now it seems fine¡­


    Stepping closer to the dead spear-wielder, he poked the weapon with a foot. Nothing happened. Then Ethan leaned over, reaching for the spear with his clawed hand. As he touched it, it dissolved into golden smoke and a notification popped up.


    Wand #1: 1 fragment collected.


    Looking down at the two lizardlings, he found nothing else he could test his collecting ability on. He doubted a loincloth would dissolve into fragments, and honestly, he didn¡¯t know if he wanted it to.


    Ethan stepped toward the exit and slowly, carefully, looked down the hall. He didn¡¯t intend on leaving yet. He had a couple of things to check. But he needed to make sure no more of these lizardlings were on the way.


    It really looked like a castle. Corridors of stone stretched out on both sides. Light came down from a few spots where the roof had caved in, and as he listened, he neither saw nor heard anything.


    Actually, it was eerie how quiet everything was. No birds. No running water. No wind. Just¡­ silence.


    Ethan shook his head and retreated into his spawning room, then loaded his menus. Specifically, the side quest.


    Side quest: Reach level 5


    Reward: 1 stat point. Trait: Universal tongue.


    Ethan raised an eyebrow. Does that mean he couldn¡¯t understand what those lizardlings had been saying? Actually, were they monsters? He recalled the wand selection menu saying that enhancer wands were the default for monsters, but these had spears and daggers. Clearly armament wands.


    Did that mean they weren¡¯t monsters? Or did it mean monsters could select something other than enhancer wands?


    The questions kept piling up. For now, he had a point to assign.


    ¡°Alright¡­ The Might stat seems related to strength. Toughness is straightforward as well, and so is Mana. Which leaves Spirit¡­ Maybe that¡¯s for his wand¡¯s strength? Or some sort of resistance?¡±


    One thing was clear: whatever he decided to boost, it wouldn¡¯t be a waste. Every one of these stats seemed important.


    Ethan hummed as he eyed the stat points. There was something that had started bugging him a few moments ago, and it was time to deal with it.


    Considering the early-bird rewards and this new side quest, the tutorial might be some sort of competition. Or maybe it was just gamified objectives to reward their effort. Either way, Ethan fully intended on taking advantage of every leg up he could get. If this was all a competition, he needed to find an edge. Some way to push himself ahead of everybody else.


    Should he prioritize one stat over others? Focus on collecting spells? Clear every side-quest? How about wand fragments?


    A quick check showed him the options available to him.


    Wand #1: [Form: Claws][Sequential: None]


    Class: Enhancer


    Tier: 0


    Unique Trait: None


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 1/2


    Cast refresh: 5


    Mana regeneration: 0.01s (1%)


    Stat Bonus: +2 Might +2 Spirit


    Fragments: 2


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Tier: Increase by 1 - 25 fragments]


    [Stat Bonus: Increase by 1 - 5 fragments]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25 seconds - 1 fragments]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.04 - 1 fragments]


    Ethan sat down on the stone floor as he eyed the wands upgrades.


    First things first, he had a target. Increasing the wand¡¯s tier would allow him to use his modifier-spell. But that wasn¡¯t the only interesting option. He was curious about the cast refresh one and most intrigued by the mana regeneration upgrade.


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    So mana regeneration is handled by the wand, and the upgrade would speed it up?


    Noticing the percentage right next to the value then back to his own mana stat, Ethan theorized he was currently regenerating 1% of his reserves every second, which was probably very low considering his mana stat was at 1.


    Taking a second, he focused on his clawed hands and closed his eyes, looking for any clue about this regeneration business.


    One second.


    Ten seconds.


    When he closed in on a minute, he thought he felt it. A tingle that ran from his hand up his arm.


    ¡°Or maybe I¡¯m imagining it.¡±


    In any case, Ethan needed to collect more fragments. The more upgrades he had, the better his wand would become, and that would be another way for him to gain an edge over the competition.


    There was no way he will squander this new opportunity.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll focus on side quests and collecting fragments for now. For the stat points¡­ Well. The lowest is Mana. Might and Spirit are getting boosted by the wand, and that leaves Toughness.¡±


    Could it help him with his current injury? Maybe. Would it allow him to take bigger risks and speed up his progress? Probably.


    It¡¯ll really depend on how effective every Toughness point is. I¡¯ll have to test it.


    The other option was the Mana stat. Glancing down at his claws, he wondered; would they disappear if he didn¡¯t dismiss them? If not, if they could sustain themselves as is, he might not need the extra mana right away.


    Yeah. I can¡¯t afford to be incapacitated, he thought after a few seconds. If Toughness allows me to shrug off injuries or not even take them, then it¡¯s the most important stat right now.


    As soon as Ethan confirmed his choice, warmth filled his muscles, sinking into his flesh and bones. After a couple of seconds, Ethan could swear the stab wound was less painful. Even when he moved his right claws and slowly raised his arm the injury only protested, it didn¡¯t prevent him from moving the arm.


    ¡°Nice. One or two more points and I bet it¡¯ll feel even better.¡±


    Ethan stepped to the exit and stealthily glanced down the halls. He inhaled, then exhaled, then nodded to himself.


    ¡°Alright. Time to go exploring.¡±


    He slowly crept out, looking left, then right, then back to the left.


    That¡¯s where the lizardlings had come from. If a new patrol was coming around, he should know about it. Maybe he¡¯d find their camp as well. If there was such a thing nearby, he¡¯d be better off knowing about it.


    Quietly, close to the wall, Ethan made his way down the corridor, weathered stones crunching under his feet. Hand on the cold wall, he slowly looked around the corner only to find stairs leading down. A lit torch was on the wall facing the steps.


    Looks like another corridor.


    With extra care, he went down the stairs, hands against the right wall. Then, slowly, with every sense on alert after he made sure nothing was coming from the left, he peeked down the right corridor and instantly snapped his head back.


    He hadn¡¯t been fast enough.


    Screeches sounded down the corridor, and the sound of clawed steps became louder and louder as Ethan climbed the stairs two steps at a time.


    I can do four. Probably. Maybe. And why are they so hell bent on killing me?


    No sooner had the patrol seen him than their weapons appeared in their hands and they¡¯d begun running.


    Ethan waited around the first corner after the stairs. The footsteps slowed, but he could still hear the lizardlings speak in their scratchy tongue.


    Any second now.


    A tip of spear poked out of the corner, inches away from him. The signal.


    Ethan surged forward, and his left claws shot straight toward the first lizardling¡¯s throat, tearing into it. Blood splattered and gurgling filled the hall while he jumped back, dodging the stab of a second spear.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 3]


    You have reached Level 3. 1 stat point awarded.


    Ethan immediately put that into Toughness as he continued sliding backward while the three lizardlings approached.


    [Lizardling - Level 2]


    [Lizardling - Level 4]


    [Lizardling - Level 4]


    Heat sank into his flesh once more, and the pain of his injured arm lost more of its bite. He could lift his arm. He could even flex it, though that did cause some pain.


    He made that discovery as the second spear wielder rushed him. Ethan dodged right, pushing the spear away with his left arm. With an open palm, he punched up into the lizardling¡¯s chest and sunk his claws in. He groaned at the pain in his bicep, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop his movement. He tore his hand out then jumped back, creating some more distance.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 4]


    At this point, the two lizardlings shared a look. Ethan knew what would be coming next, so he rushed forward.


    ¡°Can¡¯t have runners.¡± That meant reinforcement, and Ethan would be screwed.


    The higher level lizardling raised a dagger and made a screech. The lower level lizardling turned and ran.


    Ethan cursed under his breath as he came to a stop from a safe distance from the lizardling¡¯s panicked swipe. It swiped at him again, but when that didn¡¯t work, the dagger-wielder took another step backward.


    It¡¯s stalling. Shit.


    Ethan feinted forward, earning him another panicked¡ªand expected¡ªslash, then he exploded forward, right hand reaching for the dagger while his left went for the lizardlings face and throat.


    A couple of seconds later, Ethan let the dead lizardling down.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 4]


    You have reached Level 4. 1 stat point awarded.


    Ethan grit his teeth. The runner was too far to catch.


    Change of plans.


    Ethan quickly bent over the three dead lizardlings and collected his fragments. Because he did it in quick succession, the notification grouped the total, instead of peppering him with notifications.


    Wand #1: 4 fragment collected.


    With that done, Ethan rushed up the corridor. As he passed his spawn room, he glanced back, but nothing was coming just yet.


    One more in Toughness. Then I can start investing points elsewhere.


    Ethan did that without stopping ¨C at this point, the pain was more of a soreness than anything else. He needed his limbs, especially if he was about to be fighting even more stabby lizards.


    Ethan grinned. At least, once this was over, he¡¯d be sitting on a small pile of fragments. He was gonna have a lot of spending money. And he was only a level away from his first completed side quest.


    Ethan turned the corner and something moved. His clawed hands shot up as his eyes widened¡ªand he barely stopped himself in time.


    The man in front of him, on the other hand, only smiled before a flash of light shot out of a pointed wand.

 1.04: Was this how it鈥檚 going to be?

    As Ethan¡¯s head snapped back and his legs failed to hold him up, a small part of his mind¡ªthat wasn¡¯t currently being jostled by the impact¡ªheld on to the short man¡¯s smile.


    As his behind hit the cold stone, he recognized that look. The feral gleam in the man¡¯s eyes. Bared teeth. The taut smile, filled with nerves and adrenaline.


    He just tried to kill me.


    Ethan groaned from the disorienting headache as he looked up. A part of his mind went quiet as he focused on his murderous opponent. In front of him, the man¡¯s smile winked out. His eyes went wide as he took a step back.


    ¡°W-how? What the f¡ª¡±


    Ethan tuned him out. The pain and disorientation were receding. Meanwhile the man raised a simple wooden wand and shook it. It reminded Ethan of trying to change a channel with a remote that ran out of juice.


    [Human - Level 4]


    Ethan jumped up, stepped in and swiped the man¡¯s arm with his claws. Blood splattered down as the talons cut deep into the man¡¯s flesh, who recoiled with a shout. The man raised his wand again and this time it began to glow, a familiar rictus of pain and rage on his face.


    Almost the same look Ethan¡¯s father had given him, all those years ago. The only missing thing to recreate the scene were the manic screams of his dying mother. And a knife in his father¡¯s hands.


    Ethan shook his head and pushed the memories away. Instead, he recalled his bastard of a mentor¡ªand for a time, foster parent. ¡°Stop whining and take responsibility.¡±


    The glow of the wand intensified, and a projectile shot out. Ethan slipped to the left, barely dodging the glowing projectile, while his right claws went for the man¡¯s throat.


    Blood spurted. The man¡¯s hand went to his throat and the rage and mania was replaced by surprise and fear. He gargled, falling to his knees. Still, he raised his wand, so Ethan kicked the arm away. The wand flew and hit the wall, and then the man fell, face forward.


    You have defeated [Human - Level 4]


    You have reached Level 5. 1 stat point awarded.


    Congratulations. Side quest completed.


    1 stat point awarded. Trait: Universal tongue has been granted.


    New side quest unlocked.


    Side quest:


    Reach level 10


    Reward:


    1 trait from a list of tailored options.


    3 stat points.


    Ethan stared down at the dead man, head still ringing. He felt nauseous. Cold. The image of his dead father kept trying to superimpose itself onto this person, so he looked away.


    He didn¡¯t care for this stranger. Not when the man¡¯s first impulse was to try and kill him in cold blood, only to try again seconds later when it didn¡¯t work the first time. But he hadn¡¯t expected things to get this nasty this quick.


    Was that how it was going to be? He couldn¡¯t even trust people?


    He thought he¡¯d be dealing with monsters and lizardlings. Not other humans.


    Behind, screechy shouts creeped closer and slowly filled the corridor, so Ethan shook himself out of his dark thoughts.


    Stepping over the pooling blood, he touched the wand. It dissolved into familiar golden light before being sucked into his hand.


    Wand #1: 3 fragments collected.


    Next, he glanced down at his stabbed arm. It was still caked in blood, still sore and glistening, but it was in a lot better shape than before. All thanks to Toughness.


    Glancing down at the man, he recalled his shock. He must have thought that one hit could have killed Ethan, but clearly, Toughness came through again.


    Ethan glared at the man. Level 4. Was he going around killing people?


    From the man¡¯s lack of hesitation, it seemed likely.


    The sound grew louder in the corridor. There were a lot more lizardlings. Ethan could run¡­ but he could also get a handful of levels and a lot more fragments.


    Fuck it.


    Ethan put one point in Mana, then dumped everything else into Toughness. He needed it. For the lizardlings and for backstabbing humans.


    He grit his teeth, opening and closing his fists, feeling the sharp edges of his claws as heat scoured his body. Looking at where the man had come from, he saw another flight of stairs leading down into darkness.


    He hoped that meant no lizardlings. It would be nice not to be pincered, otherwise he¡¯d have to try and push through.


    The lizardlings were half a minute away by the time the magic finished sinking into his flesh, so while he waited for his opponent to get closer, he decided to run a little test.


    Toughness was now his highest stat with six points. Slowly, Ethan pushed a claw against the skin of his forearm and dragged. As the sharp claw traced a white line across his skin, Ethan¡¯s eyes went wide. He was putting some strength behind the sharp talon, and it still couldn¡¯t break skin?


    Damn.


    The sound was growing louder, and the lizardlings were only seconds away when he managed to draw blood. Ethan couldn¡¯t suppress the stupid grin on his face. It had taken a surprising amount of effort for him to cut into his forearm.


    He didn¡¯t use his full strength, of course. He had a fight ahead of him. But the lizardlings would need to get their angle right and make sure their weapons were sharp to cut deep into him.


    Ethan rolled his shoulder and breathed deep. He had to win the next encounter. Then he¡¯d be able to afford a handful of wand upgrades.


    I got this. I can do this.


    His heart was thumping into his ears, barely audible over the ruckus of the lizardlings. This would still have to be a running fight. He couldn¡¯t just waltz into their group and hope for the best.


    He tensed as he waited against the cold wall, body low. And when the first clawed foot turned the corner, Ethan¡¯s claws shot forward and blood splattered the wall.


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    For the next five minutes, his world was filled with the smell of blood and the screeching of lizardlings.


    ***


    Ethan panted as he shoved the lizardling away. It gurgled as his claws slipped out of its chest, then it fell and Ethan stumbled backward.


    His joints and muscles were on fire. He didn¡¯t know how many notifications he¡¯d gotten; he¡¯d stopped counting at some point. He knew he¡¯d gotten three levels, because he¡¯d shoved two more points in Toughness and one into Might, hoping the latter would relieve the pain in his muscles. But even with that, Ethan struggled to stay up. One eye was shut, sealed with his blood from a close call that almost lost him his eye, while his thigh throbbed from a spear thrust he¡¯d gotten moments ago.


    And unfortunately for him, the fight wasn¡¯t over.


    [Lizardling - Level 9]


    The last lizardling wasn¡¯t looking much better. Ethan had gotten it a couple of times, but the dagger-wielder was spry, which resulted in only superficial injuries.


    ¡°We will feast on your flesh, hu¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, shut up and let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Ethan cut the lunatic off. The universal tongue trait was overrated. The lizardlings were complete nutjobs whose only goal in life was to kill and feast on the flesh of anything that didn¡¯t look like them.


    Frankly, he was sick of hearing them. He¡¯d rather have gotten another trait.


    The lizardling surged forward, body close to the floor. Ethan relaxed and slowly exhaled as the lizardling quickly approached.


    Focus. Don¡¯t fall for it.


    Ethan raised his hands, wincing at the pain in his shoulders, and waited for the feint. The lizardling took a step to the right and, as expected, his momentum changed and went lower.


    Ethan put his weight on his uninjured leg and readied himself to dodge.


    The lizardling lunged, straight as a spear, dagger aimed at Ethan¡¯s heart, but the young man was ready. Ethan sidestepped, and had the pleasure of seeing the lizardling¡¯s eyes grow wide as they tracked his movement to the right.


    A clawed hand flew up in an uppercut, catching the lizardling in its guts before it could even react, tearing into its flesh. A wheeze escaped the dagger-wielder as it fell to the ground, its blood pooling under it, while Ethan groaned from the pain and took a step back.


    The lizardling, trembling, began rising once more, only for Ethan to take a step forward and kick it in the face. The lizardling took the hit and rolled away, then somehow still managed to drag itself up to its feet, blood seeping down from its stomach.


    Ethan panted, and readied himself. He did not like the glare he was getting from his opponent. Not when it was this close to death.


    Unfortunately, before he recover any of his strength, the lizardling rushed him, dagger flashing toward his leg and when Ethan tried to jump back, his feet refused to leave the stone floor.


    Ethan grunted with pain as the dagger sunk into his thigh. The lizardling¡¯s mouth stretched into a toothy smile that turned into a grimace when a clawed hand fell toward its face. Ethan dragged his talons through the side of its neck, tearing arteries, veins, and even a windpipe on the way out.


    The lizardling stumbled backward, and its dagger clattered to the floor. It tried to stop the blood flow as it fell to its knees and a moment later, it fell to its side.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 9]


    You have reached Level 9. 1 stat point awarded.


    Ethan fell on his ass, grimacing with pain. He slowly dragged himself backward until his back was against the wall, and was immediately tempted to put that in Toughness as well¡­ but he held off on it.


    Maybe in a few minutes.


    Looking down the hall, he saw the many spears, daggers, shields and even a couple of enhancer wands. One had claws, similar to his own, while another had a significantly larger tail that he¡¯d used to whip at Ethan¡¯s face or feet.


    That last one was up the stairs.


    Ethan sighed. He had to get up and collect all of their fragments. Before anyone¡ªor anything¡ªshowed up.


    Yeah. I have to hurry.


    Eyes and ears peeled, Ethan dragged himself up and, painfully, began collecting the many fragments from his fallen enemies.


    He made his way through the bodies, then up the stairs, then around the corner. Once he was done, he couldn¡¯t help but smile at the loot he¡¯d been able to collect.


    Wand #1: 19 fragments collected.


    That put him at 28 fragments total. Next, he pulled his wand interface and went to the upgrade section. It was time to get the big item.


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Tier: Increase by 1 - 25 fragments]


    [Stat Bonus: Increase by 1 - 5 fragments]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25 seconds - 1 fragments]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.04 - 1 fragments]


    With the tier upgrade, he would be able to use [Flaming Enhancement].


    As soon as he made his selection, the dust around him was pushed away. Motes of golden light began appearing around him, circling for a few seconds, gaining momentum. His skin tingled. The hair of his arms stood straight, and then the lights rushed to his hands. His claws twitched as the electrifying energy sunk into them. Slowly, bit by bit, the feeling faded.


    Wand #1: Upgrade from tier 0 to tier 1 was successful.


    When Ethan brought up his updated menu, he couldn¡¯t help but whistle, his lips stretched into a pained grin as he saw his stats and the improved bonus from his wand.


    That was so damn worth it. And now I have even more upgrade options.


    Name: Ethan Voss


    Traits: [Universal tongue]


    Level 9


    Might: 7


    Toughness: 8


    Spirit: 6


    Mana: 2


    Unassigned: 1


    Wand #1: [Form: Claws][Sequential: None]


    Class: Enhancer


    Tier: 1


    Unique Trait: None


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 1/2


    Cast refresh: 5s


    Mana regeneration: 0.01 (0.5%)


    Stat Bonus: +5 Might +5 Spirit


    Fragments: 3

 1.05: Sizzled and smoked

    With the tier upgrade, the wand not only became capable of handling the tier-1 modifier, but it also boosted his stats. Now the goal was to save up again for the new big item: the unique trait.


    It wasn¡¯t too expensive. Only 20 fragments. While the tier-2 upgrade would cost a 100 fragments.


    That might take a minute to collect.


    Another new option was the capacity upgrade, which should allow him more spells and modifiers within the wand. The rest of options were the same. Cast refresh, mana regeneration, and stat bonus.


    Now he just needed to collect more fragments.


    I¡¯m so damn tired, though.


    Ethan leaned against the wall, wincing and hissing as he inhaled through gritted teeth from his many injuries, and closed his eyes for a second. He wasn¡¯t going to sleep. He just needed to rest his eyes. His ears were on high alert, listening for any noise. Whether it be wind, screeches, or steps.


    There were people around, clearly enough. Probably a victim or two of the maniac lying dead a few corridors away. Should he try to find them?


    If people were turning on each other, he¡¯d rather not. But the problem was, Ethan still needed to sleep. Probably needed to find food and water as well.


    That¡¯d be a lot easier with some people around.


    He opened his eyes and brought up his wand menu. He¡¯d cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he had a modifier to assign.


    Reluctantly, Ethan dismissed his claws. He probably had enough mana to bring them back at this point.


    Wand #1: [Form: Claws][Sequential: None]


    At first, he tried dropping [Flaming Enhancement] on the second box. The one that said ¡°none¡±. But it didn¡¯t work. So he dropped it on Claws, and both in the interface and within his chest he felt something click. He brought the configuration screen up again.


    Wand #1: [Form: [Flaming][Claws]]


    The second case that had ¡°sequential¡± in its name disappeared, while the default case now contained two cases, one for [Flaming Enhancement], one for [Claws].


    That¡¯s it? Well. Time to test this. Hopefully, it doesn¡¯t burn me.


    Ethan triggered the wand and put his proverbial finger on the off button. In case the fire burned him, he was instantly turning the wand off.


    Same as the last couple of times, mana rushed out of his chest. The magic layered itself against his hands, strengthening it, growing the claws. When that part was done, his hands ignited with a woosh that made him shrink back.


    Ethan waited for the pain to scream into his mind. A second. Two seconds.


    Nothing. No pain. Only a comfortable warmth, and dancing yellow and orange flames. And the sensation of his soul being sucked dry.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Ethan groaned and disabled the magic. It was like something had just scooped out a part of his heart and made firewood out of it. He had to breathe deep for a few seconds until the feeling lost its edge, but the verdict was clear.


    [Flaming Enhancement] was writing checks his mana reserves couldn¡¯t cash.


    I guess I need to invest in mana regeneration if I want to use the modifier any time soon. Oh well. A few fragments won¡¯t make a big difference.


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.04 - 1 fragments]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.05 - 2 fragments]


    That was convenient. Once the upgrade sunk into his arm, Ethan really noticed the flow of mana coming into his hands and up toward his chest. He might have been imagining it before, but with the regeneration rate being literally multiplied by ten, he could distinctly sense the tingly energy move up his arm. A quick glance to his status page confirmed the upgrade.


    Mana regeneration: 0.1 (5%)


    Within the minute, his chest felt full, so he ignited his hands again.


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    The fire surged around his claws, but Ethan didn¡¯t pay it too much attention. Instead, he focused on the feeling in his chest, where this mana seemed to be stored. After a minute, he still felt comfortable, so he opened his eyes and grinned.


    ¡°Problem solved, I guess.¡±


    Still sitting and resting, Ethan turned his hands this way and that. He touched one of the dead lizardlings with his right hand, and smoke immediately began wafting off its skin. He touched his own bicep, but only felt a comfortable heat, which made him smile for a second before he smelled burnt cloth and was forced to extinguish his hands and smother his burning sleeve.


    The flame didn¡¯t hurt his enhanced hand, but it could definitely damage his clothes. Which might become a problem. Ethan dismissed the claws and pulled up the new side quest.


    Side quest:


    Reach level 10


    Reward:


    1 trait from a list of tailored options.


    3 stat points.


    He was almost there. What kind of trait was he going to get?


    ¡°Now for the last order of business. Where does the stat point go?¡±


    Mana? More Toughness? Spirit? What did that one even do, actually?


    Ethan frowned for a second, then decided he didn¡¯t want to deal with that right now. Mana or Toughness. One was dangerously low. The second saved his life and he could use more of it right about now.


    ¡°Still. Toughness is pretty high. I just need to rest and let it work its magic. Some extra mana reserves would be good. Plus, who knows? Maybe there¡¯s something out there that can snuff out my claws. If I find myself in a situation where I need to keep recasting Claws, I¡¯m screwed.¡±


    With that, Ethan assigned the point to Mana, then leaned back against the wall. His body was slightly less sore. The many stabs¡ªmost were superficial¡ªstill radiated pain, but they were getting better. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t bleeding, as far as he could see.


    Well. Not externally, at least. Though he felt like Toughness should protect him a bit from internal bleeding. If not¡­ He¡¯d had a good run. He doubted there were hospitals nearby anyway.


    But maybe there¡¯s healing spells out there? That would be useful to have.


    Ethan closed his eyes for a few moments. Since an hour or two ago, he¡¯d been caught in the system messages, the lizardlings, the side quests. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to think about the outside world at all.


    What was happening? He recalled the message. Something about realities being found? They spoke about sub-par mana levels and tampering. Did that mean his home world has had its magic cut off?


    Lots of questions he¡¯d like the answers to. Eventually.


    For now, he needed to survive.


    ***


    A scratchy voice suddenly reached his ears and Ethan¡¯s eyes shot open. It took him a second to realize the voices were coming from down the hall, and that he¡¯d dozed off.


    Dammit. At least they¡¯re stupid enough to be loud.


    Ethan cautiously turned and saw only two lizardlings. Levels 4 and 5.


    ¡°We should go back. Tell the chieftain.¡±


    ¡°Shut it. We can harvest them first. Share their fragments.¡±


    The two slowly approached, and Ethan took stock of his body. He must have been asleep for a bit because he couldn¡¯t feel the stabbing pains anymore. Only soreness.


    Ethan chided himself as he tracked the two lizardlings. Dumb. If another person had come around, I would have been in trouble.


    He really couldn¡¯t afford to make those kinds of mistakes.


    The lizardlings stepped in front of him, and Ethan¡¯s claws ignited. The two screeched with surprise as Ethan clawed the throat of the first one. Blood sizzled and smoked as it hit the wall. The second recoiled in shock, but Ethan didn¡¯t kill it. Instead, he took its legs from under it with a well-placed kick. Then, aiming his claw at the lizardling¡¯s face, he asked. ¡°What level is your chieftain? And where are the humans?¡±


    The lizardling¡¯s lips stretched across its sharp teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. So he can break your bones and add you to the cage with the other humans. And then we¡¯ll feast on¡ª¡±


    Ethan touched the lizardling¡¯s bare chest, and it screeched with pain.


    ***


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 4]


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 5]


    Wand #1: 4 fragments collected.


    In the end, the lizardling had cracked pretty quickly. It could have lied, of course, but it really did seem to trust its chieftain.


    Ethan made his way down the stairs where the torch was still lit, then turned right. The hall was empty this time around. Light on his feet, he followed the tunnel, then turned left, killed two more lizardlings for 3 fragments, then took another left and followed the torches. A minute later, he found the camp.


    It was sparsely populated, and the few lizardlings he could see were armed. They seemed to be occupying some sort of reception area. A wide open space with a fire at the center, and torn clothes or just leathers to serve as beds. Beyond the fire, he could see cages, but he couldn¡¯t make out what was in them.


    Ethan didn¡¯t think of himself as a hero, but he wasn¡¯t going to let potentially decent people get devoured by these weirdoes. Plus, that chieftain sounded like a good bag of levels, and clearing the rest of the camp should net him a good haul.


    One last thing, though.


    Ethan still wanted to save up for the Unique Trait upgrade, but there was no need to be too greedy, especially when he was about to head into a big fight.


    [Stat Bonus: Increase by 1 - 5 fragments]


    Ethan grinned and applied the upgrade. When the process was over, he ignited his hands and stepped into the room.


    He had fragments and levels to collect.


    And people to save, too. Of course.

 1.06: Probably got lucky

    Liz


    When Liz had left her shop and walked into the strange portal, she had hoped to get through the tutorial quickly. Maybe watch a video or two then head home for a well-deserved shower and dinner.


    She hadn¡¯t expected to find herself in a cage this quick. She also didn¡¯t expect to have to comfort a stranger while they had a meltdown. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re fine,¡± said Liz as she studied the cage she was in yet another time. ¡°The aliens gave us a choice, didn¡¯t they? You don¡¯t give a tutorial to someone you want to kill, and it¡¯d make no sense for them to bring children in here. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re somewhere safe. We¡¯ve got to get out of here. Whatever has them riled up won¡¯t last forever, and I¡¯d rather not end up in a stew.¡±


    Martha loudly hiccuped and wiped at her eyes. ¡°But what am I going to tell their parents? It took me away without letting me make sure they¡¯re safe! What if¡ª¡±


    ¡°For the love of god, lady,¡± growled Gerald. ¡°We¡¯re in goddamn cages and these monsters keep smacking their lips at us whenever they come by. How about you worry about yourself for a second?¡±


    Liz gave the man an annoyed look. She agreed with the sentiment but not with how it was said, but whatever. Now wasn¡¯t the time to comfort the distraught young woman.


    The mechanic turned her attention back to the cage. She could break out of this. That was the easy part. The problem was, how were they going to deal with all of those lizard things surrounding them? Most of them were above level 4, while Liz, Martha, and the man named Gerald were all level 1.


    Her eyes fell on the pool of blood next to the broken cage and her stomach twisted itself into knots. If they broke the cage, the lizardlings would fall on them like a bunch of feral rats.


    Someone had tried, and the screams were still echoing in her ears.


    Liz shook her head and pushed the fear gnawing up in her chest down. She looked through her system again. The crossbow she¡¯d selected was a good weapon. But she¡¯d only discovered that she had a crappy aim once she was inside the tutorial. The thing took too much out of her. When she woke up and found the lizardlings, she was only able to shoot one arrow before getting dizzy. And then that was it. She got caught.


    As she stewed on her failure, she narrowed the cause down to one thing, and one thing only: Mana. She needed to raise that stat and its regeneration. But how? Why wasn¡¯t there a guide or a manual for this crap?


    She turned to Gerald and found him looking at her. He looked resolved, and he must have been thinking the same as her.


    We can¡¯t stay here.


    She gave him a small nod, then asked. ¡°Risk it?¡±


    The man looked at their surroundings for a second, then turned and nodded. ¡°Once they give us a chance,¡± he whispered back.


    They couldn¡¯t keep waiting. They couldn¡¯t wait for the lizardlings to get hungry.


    Liz looked away for a moment, wondering what the chance would look like when she saw it.


    Down the tunnel she¡¯d been brought in from, two torches were moving. At first, her stomach dropped. She thought it was the little army of lizardlings that was coming back. But when the young man stepped into the room, hands burning with fire, Liz jolted up to her feet.


    This was it.


    Liz gripped the flimsy rods that made up the cage and turned to the other two. ¡°Hey! Help¡¯s coming. Get ready,¡± she told them as her simple metal and wooden crossbow appeared in her hand. A glowing bolt was already set, and Liz exhaled and aimed.


    I have to hit something. I need the levels. I¡­ holy shit.


    Liz couldn¡¯t stop watching the carnage taking place. Within seconds of the newcomer stepped into the room, blood and smoking viscera began flying around him. A lizardling got knocked down with a punch, while another got grabbed and swung by its tail into another group right before he turned his attention back to the first one. The man stomped on the downed lizardling¡¯s neck and killed it.


    The level above the man¡¯s head changed from 9 to 10.


    In a way, it reminded Liz of an adult roughhousing with toddlers. Only the difference here was that the lizardlings were being stabbed, kicked, and left burning, bleeding out, or both.


    It was just so¡­ one sided. The remaining lizardlings rushed to the man, only to be quickly dealt with. The spear tips¡ªwhenever a lizardling managed to get to him¡ªbarely went into his flesh.


    They might as well have been toothpicks.


    Within seconds, barely a handful of lizardlings were still up.


    [Lizardling - Level 5]


    [Lizardling - Level 8]


    [Lizardling - Level 14]


    [Human - Level 10]


    ¡°He¡¯s already level 10¡­ How?¡±


    Gerald scoffed. ¡°Probably got lucky.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Liz looked sideways for a moment, then ignored the man. That didn¡¯t look like luck. The young man looked too comfortable fighting, and those feints and leg-grabs looked way too smooth for a beginner. This was either a very privileged person who¡¯d had personal trainers since they were four years old, or it was someone who¡¯d grown up around the wrong crowds.


    What am I doing?


    Liz shook herself awake and raised her crossbow, aiming at the closest lizardling. The level 5. She exhaled, then pulled the trigger.


    The bolt of blue light flashed forward and struck into the lizardling¡¯s back.


    Liz lowered her shaking arm and leaned against the wall as the world spun around her, but it was worth it. She¡¯d hit her mark. It would have been embarrassing to miss the lizardling when it was barely ten feet away.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 5]


    You have reached Level 2. 1 stat point awarded.


    You have reached Level 3. 1 stat point awarded.


    Liz immediately put the points in mana, then began working on the fibers that held the cage together.


    ***


    Well, they aren¡¯t completely defenseless, at least, Ethan thought to himself as he noticed the crossbow shot. He turned his attention back to the highest leveled lizardling. The chieftain.


    He¡¯d hit level 10, which meant there was a trait waiting for him. He wished he could get his trait right now or look at the new quest, but he couldn¡¯t afford the distraction. Not when his enemy was another enhancer-wand user who was slowly positioning himself to use that massive tail of his.


    Seriously. The thing was as long as the lizardling was tall.


    The two kept circling each other, which frequently opened Ethan¡¯s back to a wanna-be ambusher. Of course, they were quickly dispatched, which seemed to progressively worsen the chieftain''s temper until it finally spoke in a scratchy voice.


    ¡°You will pay, human. We will fea¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut it,¡± said Ethan as he lunged forward.


    The chieftain¡¯s eyes narrowed, and it whipped its tail forward, aiming straight at Ethan¡¯s face and at the last second, a smile stretched across his lips.


    Jackpot.


    He hadn¡¯t been sure where the tail was going to hit, but he¡¯d hoped for something high. High enough he could tear into it quickly. Toward his feet or knees would have been awkward, and he would have had to defend himself or jump¡ªwhich would open him to another strike. But eye level?


    Ethan parried with his left hand and grunted at the impact that rattled his shoulder. With his right, he swung down and tore four deep grooves which scratched and sizzled the lizardling¡¯s tail to the bone.


    It screeched with pain, but Ethan didn¡¯t let it recover. He stepped closer and aimed a clawed hand straight at the chieftain¡¯s neck, but that tail was a lot faster than he expected. It slapped Ethan¡¯s hand away before it could hit its mark.


    The second tail-whip went for his left foot and Ethan readied another strike, only to be caught on his side by a different tail.


    Ethan threw himself back and wheezed with pain. The chieftain had two tails now, and it leered at him with its slitted eyes. A forked tongue slipped out, tasting the air as Ethan straightened back up.


    ¡°Crafty little shit.¡±


    Ethan took in his surroundings again. The three prisoners had broken out of their cage and were fighting one of the lizardlings¡ªwell, two of them. One woman was still basically just standing behind the other two, doing nothing.


    Ethan noticed the level of their lizardling, and his lips drew into a line. A level 8 lizardling might be too much for them.


    He focused back on his own opponent and stepped forward. The lizardling chieftain dragged both tails back, ready to strike.


    Can¡¯t help them if I don¡¯t finish up this guy first.


    Ethan smiled at the lizardling, then ran a couple of steps and took a leaping jump.


    The lizardling was surprised for a second but it reacted quickly by whipping one tail at ground level and another at head level.


    Ethan tanked both tails, wincing from the impact while his right claws shot toward the lizardling¡¯s throat. A tail whipped up, barely deflecting his strike, but he still drew blood. Ethan raked the chieftain¡¯ shoulder, but not enough to be debilitating. The lizardling gave him a vicious look as it readied itself for another tail-whip, but Ethan was close enough. And he wasn¡¯t done.


    He took a small step and stabbed with his left arm, sinking his claws wrist-deep into the chieftain¡¯s chest. Yellow slitted eyes stared at him in surprise, and Ethan wrenched his hand back and wrinkled his nose at the smell of burnt flesh.


    ¡°No feasting for you.¡±


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 14]


    You have reached Level 11. 1 stat point awarded.


    Wand #1: 8 fragments collected.


    With the chieftain¡¯s fragments collected, Ethan went to give a hand to the other participants.


    As he approached, he found the lizardling toying with the man. The stranger had opted for a sword, and even though he didn¡¯t seem that proficient with it, it still kept the lizardling at bay. The second fighter, a young woman wearing blue and stained overalls had a crossbow in her hand, and she seemed to be struggling to breathe as she turned toward him.


    The lizardling finally noticed his arrival, then its eyes drifted to the smoking corpse of the chieftain.


    It began turning its dagger toward Ethan¡ª


    And he tore half of its neck out with a quick clawed swipe as a blue glowing arrow hit it in the chest.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 8]


    Ethan eyed the arrow for a second, then turned to the shooter, a question on his lips. Had she also received the notification?


    He quickly realized his question would have to wait. The crossbow-wielder stumbled, her weapon dissolving into motes. She panted, a hand on her chest, and Ethan recognized the phenomenon. Luckily for her, it should be easy to fix.


    Plus, well. She did help take the lizardling down.

 1.07: Not the only ones

    Ethan looked down at the dagger, then back at the panting woman. ¡°Hey. Come, take the fragment. Does it feel empty? In your chest?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Then come take the fragment. You need to increase your mana regeneration,¡± said Ethan as he dismissed his claws.


    The man lowered his sword, and Ethan raised an eyebrow at him.


    What was that about? Was he worried I was going to attack them or something?


    Well. To be fair, it did happen to Ethan earlier, so it wasn¡¯t that strange of a possibility.


    The man stared back for a moment before he looked away and began making his way past Ethan, only to find his path blocked by an arm that seconds before had been covered with fire.


    The man glared. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°For the fragments? Like you said?¡±


    The man said it like Ethan was a particularly dim child. Ethan tilted his head and blinked at the man. ¡°The ones behind me? The ones I killed? Those aren¡¯t yours to take.¡±


    Red began creeping up the man¡¯s neck. ¡°You let her have one,¡± he said, pointing at the young woman who confusedly tapped the lizardling with her foot. ¡°We were both fighting!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But she wasn¡¯t being an ass about it,¡± and turning toward the girl, he added, ¡°Touch the dagger with your wand. It¡¯ll absorb it.¡±


    The man was trying to shove his way forward, but to the level 2 human, Ethan¡¯s arm might as well have been a metal bar. Still, Ethan ignited his arm, and the man recoiled, eyes wide.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to watch your tone. And yourself. Do you know what my experience with people has been since this crap started?¡± Ethan let the silence linger for a moment. ¡°I got shot. In the head. No words. No hellos. No reason. I turned a corner, and a man smiled and shot me in the head.¡±


    Ethan let that sink in. Then he added after a moment while the young woman finally touched the dagger with her crossbow, and the fragments dissolved into the weapon. ¡°I¡¯m not threatening you. But this isn¡¯t a place where you can say or do whatever you want, whenever you want. So. Back up.¡±


    The man took another step back, and Ethan dismissed the wand once more. He could have it back up in an instant, so he wasn¡¯t worried much about ambushes.


    ¡°Where is he now?¡± asked the third woman, eyes glued to Ethan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°He''s dead. I¡¯m pretty sure I wasn¡¯t the first person he tried to kill, so¡­ yeah,¡± Ethan said, then turned to collect his remaining fragments.


    He left them standing there and went to the lizardlings. Still wincing at his earlier injuries and the new ones, he summoned his claws once more and went through the dead lizardlings, absorbing the fragments. When he was done, he sat down against one of the wide room¡¯s walls and checked his notifications.


    Wand #1: 6 fragments collected.


    Congratulations. Side quest completed.


    3 stat points awarded. 1 trait token awarded.


    New side quests unlocked.


    Side quest:


    Reach level 20 and upgrade your wand to tier-1


    Reward:


    1 trait from a list of tailored options.


    1 tier-1 spell token


    5 stat points.


    Ethan smiled. He just needed the levels for this one. His wand was already at tier-1.


    Next, he activated the trait token. After that, he''d assign his stats and see if there was anything worth upgrading in the wand, then get a move on.


    Select a trait from the list below:


    Enduring Brawler: Get more out of your Toughness stat and recover faster.


    Enhancer Specialist: Enhancer wands provide 10% extra stats.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Lucky Harvester: Improve chances of finding spellcores on dead opponents.


    Ethan leaned forward, eyes wide as he read the three options, then re-read them again before he ran a hand through his hair. He vigorously scratched the back of his head in frustration. ¡°Shit.¡±


    All three options were good. Too good, even. The system wasn¡¯t lying when it said they¡¯d be custom-tailored for him. What was he supposed to do now?


    Enduring Brawler would allow him to rack up levels and fragments at an increased pace, as he¡¯d need less time to recover. He¡¯d probably be safer, too. It was a good edge to have on other competitors.


    Enhancer Specialist would boost his stats, and clearly it was meant to be a long-term thing. It would also incentivize him to stick with Enhancer-wands, but then again, how many wands could he have? Two? Five? 10% extra stats on every wand would add up. It would cost a fortune to upgrade them all, but the gains would be tremendous. The cost was a problem that the third option might alleviate.


    Lucky Harvester. Which also taught him something he hadn¡¯t known: dead enemies could drop spellcores. He wasn¡¯t 100% sure what that was, but he had a safe guess. If this trait improved his odds of getting spells and modifiers out of his enemies, it might be worth a lot as well. Clearly, spellcores were rare, as Ethan was pretty sure he hadn¡¯t seen any such things yet.


    Okay. I love Enhancer Specialist. But that¡¯s a big commitment, and I won¡¯t see many benefits out of it for a while. If I got it now, I¡¯d get 0.5 stats. Was that even possible? Yeah. Not the best.


    Which left Lucky Harvester or Enduring Brawler. Now, he was making guesses, but how much better would Lucky Harvester make his odds of finding these spellcores? Were there any guarantees? Because if it doubled the incredibly low rate of their appearance, then it wasn¡¯t that good. Double of 1% is still abysmally low. It could be like 5% or 10%, but even then¡­ He didn¡¯t know. He also didn¡¯t know if a spellcore had dropped before and he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Lots of ifs and maybes with Lucky Harvester. While Enduring Brawler was straightforward. Clear and to the point. And it¡¯d give him a significant boost right now.


    ¡°I guess that''s it,¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Hopefully, these options show up on the next trait selection. I might know more by then.¡±


    With that, Ethan selected Enduring Brawler. As soon as he did, a rush of warm energy rushed into him, sinking into his flesh and bones, and Ethan closed his eyes.


    It felt like sinking in a hot bath. Something he definitely hadn¡¯t gotten to enjoy much.


    Maybe in my next place. Maybe if I do well in whatever this is, I¡¯d be able to afford something nice.


    The soreness from his previous injuries faded even further into the background, while the tail-hits from the chieftain lost their edge. Looking down on his arm and thigh, he noticed that both stab injuries were fully scabbed, though his thigh still felt pretty tender to the touch.


    Even before selecting the trait, Toughness was speeding up his healing to a supernatural degree. Seeing the state of both wounds, it should have taken days for them to get to this point. Was his healing about to become even faster with Enduring Brawler?


    I¡¯ll make note of the time, see what happens. Maybe I should experiment with that as well.


    It was incredible to see how fast he was recovering.


    Ethan shook himself out of his astonishment and focused on the task at hand. There¡¯d be a time for that. But not now.


    Next, Ethan looked through his points. With the side quest done, he had 5 free points to assign.


    Still not sure about Spirit. But now that I have Enduring Brawler, I should probably make sure my Toughness and Might stay high. Also, everything but Toughness is still pretty low, once I take away the wand boost.


    Ethan hummed for a moment, then decided to divide his points somewhat evenly. Toughness was so close to 10 he couldn¡¯t resist pushing it to the threshold, and he gave the other three stats one point each.


    Another surge of energy went through him, sinking into his flesh and bone. He even thought he felt the energy disappear somewhere in his chest¡­ Was that the Mana stat¡¯s portion? Or the Spirit¡¯s portion? He¡¯d have to find out, eventually.


    With that done, he turned to the last item on the docket.


    And now, for the wand¡ª


    Before he could bring up his wand menu, a close coughing sound made his head jerk up.


    The crossbow-wielder was in front of him, a nervous smile on her face. Ethan blinked. How long had she been standing there?


    There were still grease marks on her overalls and her hand. It seemed like she was in the middle of something when the messages had arrived.


    Ethan realized he was staring, so he looked away for a moment as he slowly stood up.


    What does she want?


    The young woman gave him a wide, practiced smile. ¡°Ah, sorry if I interrupted something. Just wanted to say hi. And thanks. Saved our bacon back there. I¡¯m Liz. I¡¯d shake your hand but um,¡± she showed him her still greasy palm. ¡°Didn¡¯t get a chance to wash up before this all started.¡±


    Ethan nodded and gave her a smile back, though he was still a bit on edge. He wasn¡¯t keen on having the head shot scenario repeat itself. ¡°No worries.¡± And then, because he didn¡¯t want to be an ass, he added, ¡°Ethan. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Nice to meet you, too. And thanks for that wand stuff. It worked. Now I can shoot more than one arrow every five minutes.¡±


    Ethan nodded, and she nodded back, and then an uncomfortable silence stretched for a few seconds before she spoke again.


    ¡°Listen, cards on the tables here. You clearly don¡¯t need our help. But do you mind if we go with you until we find some other people? At least until I can drop those two off. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re strong enough to be safe.¡±


    Ethan gave her a surprised look. ¡°You want to strike out on your own? You¡¯re not all together?¡±


    Liz went to scratch the back of her neck but caught herself. She looked down at her greasy hand and sighed. ¡°Yeah¡­ We¡¯re not together. Martha¡¯s nice enough, but she needs help, and I don¡¯t think I can afford to hold her hand. She¡¯d probably do well with more people around. The dude¡¯s an ass. But I¡¯d feel bad if I left them alone to die, you know? I¡¯d rather find a bigger group, drop them off, then go get some levels. Can¡¯t always count on someone else to come and save the day, can I?¡±


    She gave him an apologetic smile and Ethan had to nod at her logic.


    ¡°But um, yeah. That¡¯s basically it. We all got caught flatfooted with the end of the world and all that, and we could use a small push to set us back on track. We¡¯ll be out of your hair pretty quick. I promise.¡±


    She smiled, but Ethan could still feel her nerves. Looking around the camp, he could see how tough it would have been to be caught by the lizardlings with such low levels. He didn¡¯t mind having them tag along for a few hours until they found more people, though he¡¯d have to be careful and watch his back. They shouldn¡¯t be able to hurt him anyway with the difference in their levels.


    Besides, he appreciated the honesty and straightforwardness of the woman.


    As he was about to agree to her request, Ethan then stilled, recalling something she¡¯d said. His eyes met the woman. ¡°What do you mean, end of the world?¡±


    Liz blinked at him and her mouth formed into an ¡®oh¡¯. ¡°You went in pretty fast, huh? You didn¡¯t see what happened to the animals?¡±


    When Ethan shook his head and said nothing, she explained, ¡°We weren¡¯t the only ones who got powers. Everything went to shit really quickly out there.¡±

 1.08: I owe you one

    ¡°Obviously, I didn¡¯t stay long,¡± Liz said as she worked the grease out of her hand onto her knee. ¡°I hoped to get the bonus, but I didn¡¯t make it in time. When I was running to the portal, a freaking raccoon tried to get me. It had big claws¡ªkinda like yours, but without the fire. It was feral. I was hearing screaming and shouting everywhere. Gerald said there were crows spitting acid on people.¡±


    Ethan listened quietly, eyes wide, while Liz continued her retelling.


    ¡°They just¡­ went crazy. I hope cats and dogs didn¡¯t lose it as well¡­ otherwise¡­¡±


    She let that thought linger, and Ethan had to nod. He hadn¡¯t thought of that. He¡¯d known there was going to be some chaos, sure. But he never thought animals would turn against everyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be dangerous when we get back out there,¡± Ethan said after a moment.


    Liz snorted. ¡°You mean if? Who knows how long this is going to take? And who says they¡¯ll let us head back to our world after? Remember that ¡®inhabited realms¡¯ line when this all started? God knows what¡¯s out there¡­¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Anyway. I¡¯ll let you do your business. Whatever it was you were doing before I interrupted. Just let us know when you want to leave, okay? Thanks. Really. We owe you one. I owe you one.¡±


    And with that, she left. Ethan watched her make her way back toward the others, then shook his head.


    I hope the old bastard got out alright¡­ But as he would say, can¡¯t help others if you don¡¯t help yourself first.


    Ethan brought up his wand menu and eyed the available upgrades.


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Tier: 1 to 2 - 100 fragments]


    [Unique Trait: 20 fragments]


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 10 fragments]


    [Stat Bonus: Increase by 2 - 10 fragments]


    [Cast refresh: Reduce by 0.25 - 1 fragments]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.10 - 3 fragments]


    I don¡¯t have enough for the unique trait just yet. I would have if I hadn¡¯t gotten the stat bonus upgrade but then again, those stats are probably important as well. I¡¯ll need to sit down and test their effect soon.


    It wasn¡¯t a big deal. He just needed a couple of lizardlings and he¡¯d have enough for the unique trait upgrade. Now that he¡¯d gotten a preview of what traits could be, he was excited to see what the wand upgrade would give him.


    I wonder what¡¯s the difference between my traits and wand traits.


    He examined his stats for a few seconds more, and noticed the percentage of his mana regeneration had dropped. Which made sense, considering his regeneration rate was still the same while his capacity had grown.


    Ethan dismissed the menu. He¡¯d rather get the unique trait before he started investing in everything else. Who knows? Maybe he¡¯d get a trait that would net him more fragments.


    With that out of the way, Ethan stood up. He felt good. His injuries were mostly faded into the background. He could certainly use a good shower and a nap, but he was far from exhausted. He could still go for a few more hours.


    Heading toward the trio, he found them sitting quietly in their corner. All three focused on him when he approached, with the man pursing his lips and looking away.


    I should just leave his ass right here.


    Liz stood up and gave Ethan a wide smile. ¡°Ready to go, boss?¡±


    Ethan nodded and held off his sigh. At least, if they found more people, he could find out if they¡¯d learned something he hadn¡¯t. And once that¡¯s done, he¡¯d be on his way.


    With the trio trailing right behind him, Ethan headed back to the tunnel he¡¯d come from.


    The old man would be laughing at him right about now.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ***


    A couple of minutes after passing the dead lizardlings Ethan had left near the second stairs, the group came upon another flight of stairs leading down. No torches lit this one up, though there was enough light filtering from some light wells. A few dead lizardlings here and there. A dead older man with a pool of blood under his head, which made the trio pale. Martha was hiccuping for a few minutes after they went past him.


    Ethan sometimes forgot that most people didn¡¯t experience death this closely.


    A couple of corridors later, they reached another wide room full of dead lizardlings.


    In fact, they weren¡¯t just dead. They¡¯d been massacred. Most were dismembered in one fashion or another, and no cut was clean, while a few had their heads crushed.


    And the blood hadn¡¯t dried yet.


    Ethan was still in the corridor looking for movement, for any hint at what caused this, when Liz spoke, almost making him jump out of his skin. ¡°Was this you?¡±


    The voice was quiet, and Ethan noticed the three of them¡ªespecially Martha and the other prick¡ªwere standing further away than usual.


    ¡°No. But whatever did this might still be around. If you want to stay safe, stay back.¡±


    Ethan began walking forward, then stopped. He needed to make something clear, in case it wasn¡¯t. He looked Liz and the other two in the eyes. ¡°If something shows up, I can¡¯t protect you. I might not even be able to. Don¡¯t forget it.¡±


    And with that, he turned and walked into the room. He was a bit intrigued by what had caused this, and wanted to find the perpetrator. With his recently acquired trait and boost, he believed he could take whatever it was. Lizardlings weren¡¯t that strong, so outside of the gore, this wasn¡¯t that impressive of a display.


    But it probably got a good boost from the kills. The fragments were gone. If this was a monster, would it give out more fragments when he killed it?


    Maybe.


    Behind him, Liz followed, but the other two didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Do you even know where you¡¯re taking us?¡± asked the man.


    Ethan didn¡¯t stop. ¡°No clue. But you¡¯re welcome to find your own way if that bothers you.¡±


    That shut him up. A few seconds later, he heard the two trailing participants huffing and whispering to each other as they followed.


    ¡°Are you trying to find what killed them?¡± whispered Liz.


    Ethan looked sideways at her. She seemed a bit incredulous, but clearly, the nerves were affecting her as well. ¡°Yup. Probably worth the experience. And the fragments.¡±


    She was quiet for a moment, then she asked, ¡°Can I help?¡±


    Well, he hadn¡¯t expected that. He gave her a begrudging look and nodded. Though that reminded him of something. ¡°Did you get a kill notification on that lizardling I killed? The level 8?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ethan nodded, eyes scanning the corridor ahead. That was good to know. People cooperate and take down stronger targets and each would get a share of the levels, at least. There might be a way to do the same with Fragments. He glanced sideways at the woman and down at the glowing bolt in her crossbow. ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s¡ª¡±


    His voice cut off as a loud croak filled the hall


    Ethan ignited his arms and leaned lower to the ground, ready to dodge, while the others froze. ¡°Back up. Quickly,¡± he said, eyes on the dark tunnel ahead.


    A heavy shuffle reached his ear. A loud plop sound, before another loud call filled the hall. Then another plopping sound that made Ethan think of something heavy and soft and a second later, the monster was out.


    [Toad - Level 16]


    A brown-skinned giant toad stepped out of the dark tunnel. Blood was still marring its face, while two large, yellow eyes stared dumbly at Ethan. It was easily as tall as he was, and significantly larger.


    Stay on it. Keep it busy, Ethan thought to himself as he stared at the monstrous beast. He didn¡¯t even dare to blink and he hoped the others backed up fast enough, because he couldn¡¯t stop this. His throat felt dry, but he didn¡¯t dare twitch a muscle. He was waiting. Waiting for the attack he¡¯d have to dodge.


    The toad¡¯s mouth opened, and a blob of pink peeked out¡ª


    Ethan threw himself aside and rolled. Behind him, there was an impact, then a loud scream filled the hall, followed by a sickly sounding squelch.


    Ethan got to his feet and didn¡¯t dare look away from his target. Instead, he surged forward, running full speed at the toad while its tongue was still out.


    A blue bolt hit the monster in its off-white stomach, but it barely cut through the thick hide. Still, the toad didn¡¯t enjoy that¡ªboth of its eyes swiveled to the left. Toward Liz. It pulled back its tongue, and Ethan felt a shiver at the dismembered human hand sticking to it, barely a couple of feet away from him.


    The distracted toad turned his attention back to him, its yellow eye swiveling to track him. It began opening its mouth to bite or maybe shoot its tongue at him, but Ethan was already upon it. He shoved his clawed finger into its eyes and the talons sunk into them with a sizzling squelch that was both satisfying and disturbing.


    The toad squealed and tried to bite down on him, but he¡¯d already jumped back. Its tongue shot out in his general direction, but its aim was off, considering the missing eye.


    Another bolt landed, and this time, it almost hit the left eye. Another squeal of rage escaped the toad as Ethan, capitalizing on the monster¡¯s distraction, jumped up and landed on the beast¡¯s back and as soon as his knees hit the tough¡ªand uncomfortably wet¡ªskin of the monster, he began tearing into it. It screeched, and Ethan, using his left arm as anchor, leaned forward and shoved his flaming right claws into its right eye socket as well.


    The beast shrieked while Ethan took a second to survey the scene. From this angle, he could see the other three.


    Liz was to the toad¡¯s left, eyes wide but focused as she prepared another bolt, while in the center of the room, Gerald was dragging a bleeding and dismembered Martha back. She was pale. Passed out.


    The toad had ripped her arm off at the shoulder.


    Whatever this toad was, it seemed to have put most of its effort and magic into its tongue. Ethan looked down at the smoking and torn hide of the toad and began clawing his way toward its brain, through its burst eye.


    The toad squealed even louder, and Ethan¡¯s world was filled with blood and the smell of burnt flesh.

 1.09: That鈥檚 a promise

    Ethan shoved his right claw deeper into the toad¡¯s eye socket while his left secured him, anchoring him to the bloody and weakened monster. It was lying on its stomach, occasionally twitching. It struggled to put its legs under itself while smoke filled Ethan¡¯s nostrils but he didn¡¯t stop. After a couple of minutes of the young man scouring and burning into the monster¡¯s head, it spasmed one last time, then stopped moving.


    You have defeated [Toad - Level 16]


    You have reached Level 12. 1 stat point awarded.


    Looking up, he saw Liz running to check on the unconscious Martha, while Gerald worked on tightening the cloth he¡¯d tied around her severed limb.


    [Human - Level 5]


    Liz had gained some levels as well, Ethan thought as he let himself slide down the toad¡¯s back, panting and bloodied. Then he leaned over and touched the purple tip of the Toad¡¯s tongue.


    Wand #1: 11 fragments collected.


    It was a good haul. But he wasn¡¯t in the mood to celebrate.


    Ethan was taking a step toward the group when he heard a whistling sound and jumped back.


    Right where he had been a second ago, a blue, glowing arrow zipped by. It hit the stone floor and went clattering further into the room.


    It sounded as if it was made of unbreakable glass.


    ¡°Arrows. Eyes up,¡± he called out and backed away from the tunnel.


    Ethan made his way to the other three, eyes peeled. He couldn¡¯t afford to be on defense against the monster, but with people¡­ Well. He could try to cover for them.


    He hoped Martha was all right. He didn¡¯t know the woman, but she seemed terrified by everything that was happening. She didn¡¯t deserve to bleed out in the middle of nowhere like this.


    Less than a minute later, three people stepped out of the darkness.


    [Human - Level 9]


    [Human - Level 7]


    [Human - Level 6]


    The first and highest level was wielding a bow. A blue-glowing arrow was nocked as the middle-aged archer scanned the room. His cold gaze studied the toad, then flicked to the three huddled together, two of whom kept nervously glancing toward him and toward Ethan. Finally, the archer looked at Ethan and met his gaze.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think there were people around,¡± said the archer as he lowered his bow, eyes still boring into Ethan¡¯s. He was wearing black cargo pants and thick boots, and a vest that had its tag torn out. Ethan guesed the man worked security.


    A small smile lifted the corners of the archer¡¯s lips, and Ethan noticed how the arrow was still knocked. ¡°You folks need any help?¡±


    Great. One of those.


    Ethan was familiar with the archer¡¯s type. The kind that¡¯d take a shot at your back if you¡¯d give them an excuse and then blatantly lie and act surprised when they fail.


    Ethan glared at the man while Liz and Gerald stayed quiet. They must have picked up on the tension, and must have realized the same thing as him. That arrow shot had been on purpose.


    Ethan wanted to pay him back for the attempt immediately, but he put his anger aside for now. There will be a reckoning for the man¡¯s attempt but for now, an innocent woman¡¯s life could be saved.


    ¡°Can any of you heal injuries?¡± Ethan asked as he eyed the other two. One was carrying a shield, a stout man still wearing a kitchen uniform, while the third was in dusty suit pants and shirt, and had a wand out.


    The archer slowly tilted his head back, eyes still on Ethan for a second before they flicked to his companion. They exchanged a couple of words before he looked back at Ethan. ¡°We might.¡±


    Ethan kept the disbelief out of his face and waited. What a piece of shit, he thought while waiting for the ¡°demands¡± to be voiced, but someone else cracked first.


    ¡°What is wrong with you people?¡± shouted Gerald and for once, Ethan had to agree. ¡°She¡¯s bleeding out. If you can do something, just fucking do it.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Ethan, eyes still on the group, pulled up his menu and readied himself to duck behind the toad¡¯s massive body. He didn¡¯t trust these three, and he didn¡¯t think they intended on starting a direct confrontation, but in case they started shit, he was going to be ready.


    Congratulations. After taking account of your performance, two options have been unlocked.


    Select a unique trait from the list below.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: Allows the user better control over fire spells and provides fire resistance.


    Wand of Claws: Only the spell Claws and its upgrades as well as compatible modifiers can be used on this wand. In return, the Claws spell is empowered.


    Ethan quickly parsed through the options, alternating between his interface and the archer every second.


    ¡°Well, this is all a competition. In case you didn¡¯t know,¡± said the archer as he eyed his still-knocked arrow. ¡°We¡¯re within the first few hours and we¡¯ve already had some of ours ambushed. You wouldn¡¯t know anything about that, would you?¡±


    Ethan had already read both upgrades by the time the archer started speaking. Both traits would lock him in a direction. He was tempted by the Wand of Claws. It seemed like the stronger for the short term, while the Wand of the Fire Elemental would give him more control¡ªwhatever that implied¡ªand more durability against other fire-users. Could he condense the fire over his claws and make it hotter? Could he project it outward?


    He looked up at the trio. Wand of the Claws would allow him to deal with them easier, but he wasn¡¯t allowing them to force his hand into his choice. Plus, considering the ¡°lesser¡± mentioned in the name, it could probably grow stronger, and Ethan had already gotten a powerful trait for the short term. Enduring Brawler was probably enough to guarantee this fight.


    He made his choice.


    His clawed hands warmed up and twitched as a rush of energy surged through them and through the rest of his body. Up ahead, the wand-wielder lifted his arm and whispered something to the archer, who began raising his bow, an excited glint in his eyes.


    In that fraction of a second, Ethan remembered what this new world was. A world where someone can shoot you in the head as you turn a corner for easy levels. A world where this archer who¡¯d just made an attempt on his life was yet again raising his bow.


    This was a world where, if he hesitated, he¡¯d be wand fragments for another. It made the next words easy to process and commit to.


    ¡°You attack, and all three of you are dead,¡± Ethan simply said as he stood his ground, though he was still aware of the toad¡¯s body. He could be behind it in the blink of an eye.


    His voice echoed in the hall, and the three strangers frowned.


    ¡°Is that a threat, boy?¡± asked the shield carrying man, eyes narrowed in a mighty frown.


    Ethan shook his head lightly. ¡°No. That¡¯s a promise.¡±


    The archer stopped raising his bow, but he didn¡¯t lower it just yet. ¡°My friend here says you¡¯re up to something.¡±


    Ethan smiled at them. It was a cold thing that didn¡¯t affect the even stare he was giving the trio. ¡°A small, little upgrade while you three waste the time of that poor woman. Nothing to shit your pants about.¡±


    The magic finished sinking into his hands, and Ethan felt the tingle run down his arms.


    He might need some time to test his newly acquired control and see what it was capable of, but for now, he¡¯d rather put a lid on his hostility and try and de-escalate things a bit. Especially if they could heal Martha.


    Ethan nodded to those behind. ¡°They were captured by lizardlings. That explains the low levels. I got ambushed by someone who shot me in the head, but I already had a few levels so that didn¡¯t take. I also cleared the lizardling camp they were in, and I killed that thing,¡± he said, pointing at the dead giant toad. ¡°That¡¯s how I got my levels. I don¡¯t know about your people or who got to them. Now, are you going to heal our friend here or are negotiations over?¡±


    The archer eyed him for a few more seconds, while the two behind him shifted nervously. Finally, he lowered the bow. He whispered back, and the well-dressed man stepped forward.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± said the man as he approached Liz and Gerald, while Ethan kept the archer in his field of view.


    He didn¡¯t expect to ever be able to trust this man, but he could start learning a few things.


    ¡°Do you guys have a large group? Find a lot of survivors?¡±


    If there were a lot more people, Liz, Martha, and Gerald should be fine among them. Things might be tense and they¡¯ll absolutely have to watch their backs, but Ethan couldn¡¯t afford to stay and watch over them. They were adults as well, and they could make their own decisions.


    The archer shrugged. ¡°We do. We help each other out. Why, you¡¯re looking to join?¡±


    It was clear from the tone what he thought of that. ¡°No. Just looking for a spot for them. But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to trade. Food and tips and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± said the archer noncommittally.


    Ethan approached the injured woman¡ªwhile still keeping the archer in his vision¡ªand saw the man pointing his wand at the gruesome stump. Green, smoke-like light was wafting off the tip of a simple-looking wand, and the injury was slowly closing up.


    It wasn¡¯t pleasant to look at. But it was an extremely interesting spell to have.


    Within a few minutes, the man slowly pushed himself up to his feet, sweat beading his brow, while Martha remained unconscious. She was still covered in blood, and must have lost quite a bit of it, but now she had a healed stump that ended around her left shoulder.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll be on our way. Our camp is down that tunnel, then two stairs down. Can¡¯t miss it,¡± said the archer as he finally dismissed the arrow. He looked from Ethan to Liz, then to Martha. ¡°We expect you to repay this favor, by the way. But we can talk about that once you join us.¡±


    Ethan watched them leave and disappear back into the corridor. They were all quiet until Gerald spat. ¡°Bastards.¡±


    Ethan nodded. ¡°Yup. But honestly, I¡¯m starting to think all groups will be like this. There¡¯s no group win here. Everyone¡¯s going to be out for themselves. As should you. And we¡¯ll have to be careful on the way there, in case they¡¯re full of shit and someone tries to ambush us.¡±


    Liz went to bite her fingernail, then grimaced when she got the taste of grease in her mouth. ¡°If it¡¯s real, it might be good for food and water, at least. A good starting area. And Martha can recover safely.¡±


    Ethan nodded.


    Gerald looked up at Ethan and it seemed that, for once, that there was a begrudging speck of respect in his eyes. ¡°Are you going to stick around once we get there?¡±


    Ethan met his eyes, then Liz¡¯s, then shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving to explore the area, but I might check back on occasion. We¡¯re here for a week. I intend to make the most of it.¡±

 1.10: I鈥檒l see you all soon

    Eyes closed, Ethan exhaled slowly. Then, focusing on his right arm, he triggered his wand.


    Mana rushed down his right hand, but it also wanted to head down the left. Ethan¡¯s frown deepened as he tried to pull it back.


    Only the right. Only. The right.


    The mana heading to his left slowed, while a comfortable heat surged around his right. Opening his eyes, he saw the fire-coated claws only on his right hand, while his left was normal.


    not


    Well, hopefully Martha would wake up soon. In the meantime, he could continue practicing with the new wand. A quick glance around told him the other two were doing the same, with Liz having lined up a few dead lizardlings against the wall to use as target practice, while Gerard was swinging his sword in a chopping fashion, repeating the drill every few seconds.


    His movements were less awkward than they¡¯d been an hour ago. Same for Liz and her accuracy. She wasn¡¯t getting head shots, but she was hitting more dead lizardlings than she was missing them.


    It was definitely gruesome, but they didn¡¯t have proper target practice, so he didn¡¯t begrudge her the mild desecration of lizardling bodies.


    Ethan focused back on his own exercise and looked down at the flames licking up his hand.


    Alright. With one hand, this should consume less mana.


    Ethan pictured a roaring fire. Heat that could melt into whatever he touched.


    Responding to his will, the wand pulled on his mana hard enough for him to groan. But it was worth it.


    The fire around his clawed hand went from an almost gentle coating to a roaring, blinding blaze that lasted for a few seconds before Ethan had to pull it back.


    The young man panted, leaning over, but even though he hadn¡¯t lasted any longer than the first few tests, the flames were much stronger this time.


    Mana rushed into his chest as the wand regeneration continued its work, but it was a mere pittance compared to what he¡¯d just burned through. Literally.


    Yeah, that settles it. Need to invest more in the Mana stat and mana regeneration.


    Ethan did just that. He assigned the point, then upgraded his mana regeneration twice with his remaining fragments, which now put his Mana stat at 5 points, while his percentage was up to 8% regeneration per second.


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.10 - 3 fragments]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.20 - 4 fragments]


    lot


    He also learned he couldn¡¯t control the flames of the lit torches. Only his own flames obeyed his will.


    As he waited for the upgrade to finish altering his body before he tested his fire control again, Ethan glanced around and stilled.


    Martha was awake.


    ***


    With both hands alight, Ethan walked down the dark tunnel into which the archer and his companions had gone. Behind him Gerard was supporting a still dazed but understandably silent Martha, while Liz had her crossbow loaded and ready.


    Ethan was ready for ambushes.


    Their steps echoed in the dark tunnel. The flames on his claws weren¡¯t too bright in their base state, but thanks to his recent mana upgrades, he could strengthen his flames without going into a deficit. Empty sconces lined the walls, and something tickled his mind as he recalled the first lizardling camp.


    Where were they finding wood? Both camps had wooden torches.


    I should have examined them closer. I was too focused on the fire to pay attention to the rest of the torch.


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    Ethan shook his head. He¡¯d find out soon enough.


    A few minutes later and after many side corridors and more stairs leading upward, they found the flight of stairs leading down. Ethan went in first, nerves on edges, but nothing happened. No ambushes. As his claws illuminated the space around, he found himself in some sort of antechamber with another flight of stairs leading down.


    They had said two stairs down.


    As they descended, Ethan noticed a slight difference in the stairs. They were in a worse shape, somehow, and when he reached the final step, his foot didn¡¯t land on cut stone.


    They were in a cave; a cave that extended downward. Further down, he saw the fires.


    A camp.


    As the four cautiously approached the loose camp, a couple of archers raised their weapons for a second before lowering them, while someone carrying a spear called out.


    ¡°Markus told us about you four. Come on in.¡±


    The spear-wielder was a tall man wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Even had a hat on.


    [Human - Level 6]


    Ethan took in the camp from a distance. There were a couple of modern tents. A few campfires here and there with people just sitting and staring at the fire.


    Beyond the camp, the cave stretch wider and deeper and on that side, a lot more participants were holding watch and as his eyes adjusted to the distance, Ethan picked up more details and wondered if they should have stationed more.


    There were more dead giant toads on that side, as well as the recognizable shapes and colors of lizardfolk and, further out, a small pile of bodies in modern clothing.


    That made his stomach twist a bit. He didn¡¯t expect there to be so many dead already.


    Looking behind, Ethan wondered how the toad he¡¯d fought had made it up there.


    He turned to the three. Liz and Gerald looked him in the eyes while Martha kept staring at her stump. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll see you all soon. I¡¯m going to go exploring a bit.¡±


    Gerard nodded to him and began helping Martha forward, only pausing when he was right next to Ethan. ¡°Thanks,¡± said the man, then moved on.


    Liz scratched the back of her head and smiled. She nervously eyed the camp for a second before speaking. ¡°I really appreciate it. I think I¡¯ll¡­ get my bearings for now. Maybe next time I can head out with you? No pressure, of course.¡±


    Ethan smiled. ¡°Sure.¡±


    They both nodded awkwardly for a second. Then Ethan recalled something. ¡°Oh, could you ask around if there¡¯s an old man by the name of Luther Voss? I doubt he¡¯s around, but just in case.¡±


    Liz nodded. ¡°Sure thing. Least I can do,¡± she eyed the camp and the archers above before glancing back to him. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to come in?¡±


    Ethan nodded. He didn¡¯t need the protection of the camp and, frankly, he just didn¡¯t trust it. Not when the archer he¡¯d met a few hours ago had been eying him like a fine piece of meat.


    But Liz and Gerard should have no trouble blending in, and Martha could get her bearings.


    ¡°Well. See you around then.¡±


    Liz surprised him with a small hug, then went on her way.


    Ethan sighed, then began making his way around the camp. He attracted a few stares and glares, but ignored them. Even when some of the scouts tried to call out or threaten him, he kept walking.


    He was probably right in keeping his distance from this camp and its politics, but maybe he¡¯ll come back to check up on his ex-companions once he was confident no one in it could threaten him. There could be some interesting news for him then. For now, though, it was exploration time.


    Ethan followed the downslope for longer than he expected. On his way down, he met two groups of participants, to whom he nodded while they stared. None of them were above level 8.


    I wonder who¡¯s got the highest level in that camp. How about the whole world? It must be more than 12. I¡¯ve had a lot of breaks and stops since this started, so I can¡¯t be the highest. Also, how in the hell is this place not collapsing on itself?


    anywhere.


    even


    Ethan couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    Large¡ªno, giant clumps of purple and glowing mushrooms filled the cave, while blue-tinted shrubs and vines spread around their stems. All sorts of animal calls reached his ears; some familiar, like the toads, while many more he had no idea of their origins. Some were screechy. Some were so sharp and high it made him flinch. Close-by, he heard rustled leaves and broken twigs, which immediately broke him out of his wonder.


    [Toad - Level 22]


    Nope. Well¡­


    As Ethan reconsidered his reticence and tried to hype himself to take the fight, another resident of this odd underground forest showed itself.


    [Mystic Toad - Level 31]


    through


    Ethan watched from afar, heart beating fast in his chest. He couldn¡¯t help the smile that drew itself on his face.


    He had his work cut out for him, that¡¯s for sure.

 1.11: You will pay

    Beyond the purple mushroom forest, Ethan could make out similar caves. It was like a network of caves connected by wide tunnels, not unlike the one which led up to the castle and the camp. How far this network stretched, Ethan had no clue. Technically, he hadn¡¯t even put foot into the forest. Not after seeing that mystic toad one-shot a level 22 toad.


    He needed something weaker to cut his teeth on. And he needed to work on his skills.


    Ethan hid behind a boulder and worked on his flames. This time, he tried concentrating the flames around his claws. He wondered if he could heat them up enough so they could pierce through anything; but if that was a possibility, it might take a moment. After around half an hour of practice, he was able to focus the flames to stay within half an inch of his Claws, but whenever he pushed for more fire or tried to condense it further, he¡¯d lose control and the flames would burst out.


    It didn¡¯t take too long for the toad to head back into the forest and, unfortunately for Ethan, it knew enough to harvest the fallen toad¡¯s fragments before taking its leave.


    No easy meal for me. Oh well.


    Ethan slowly made his way closer and decided to carefully and slowly edge his way around, staying near the walls.


    His focus, for now, was finding things he could kill for fragments and experience. He needed levels for the side quest and stats, and he needed more mana in his wand. Anything else could wait.


    Within a minute of stepping into the mushroom forest, Ethan found a decent target.


    A thinner, nearly imperceptible tunnel was hidden behind a few bushes and a few artificially placed dead branches, which was exactly what had attracted his attention.


    Just beyond them, barely visible, was a lizardling.


    [Lizardling - Level 15]


    Ethan was almost sure that tunnel would lead to a camp of lizardlings, and between them and laser-shooting toads, he¡¯d rather level through the aggressive little nutjobs. Although clearly, these were a lot stronger than the ones he¡¯d seen above. Or maybe it was just this one?


    Only one way to find out.


    Glancing around to make sure no other enemies were around, Ethan made his way to the small tunnel in a crouch. When he saw the lizardling suddenly shoot up, he summoned both claws and surged forward.


    me?


    ¡°Shut it.¡±


    When Ethan was in range, the lizardling thrust his spear out, but Ethan had been waiting for that. He knocked the spear aside and clawed at the lizardling¡¯s face, but the reptile-looking humanoid nimbly jumped back and hissed at him.


    ¡°Strong prey. Your fragments will do well in my spear.¡±


    Ethan paused as he eyed the creature.


    Should he have tried to talk to these things? They weren¡¯t innocent, that¡¯s for sure. But maybe some were more reasonable than those he¡¯d initially met. Plus, maybe they knew the area more. They might have a lead on the floor¡¯s exit.


    Worth a shot. Got nothing to lose.


    Ethan backed up and raised a palm. ¡°Wait. I want to negotiate an exchange.¡±


    inferioryou,rot!


    Ethan lunged forward, cutting off the racist weirdo as it braced once more.


    Clearly, negotiations were over and there was no need to stretch this encounter more than needed.


    Before Ethan could reach the lizardling, it stabbed forward, even though it was still out of range.


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    In that fraction of a second, as he saw the spear move, he recalled it was still a wand. And wands could do crazy things.


    Ethan threw himself to the side, hitting the tunnel wall, while a ghostly spear tip shot out of the physical spear and almost skewered him.


    The lizardling pulled back its spear and readied another thrust as Ethan straightened up. He couldn¡¯t rush in a straight line. He couldn¡¯t keep dodging either.


    Just as the lizardling said something, Ethan had an idea.


    He grinned, baring his teeth as well, then, as he drew back his arm, he increased its flames.


    Light surged behind as his flames roared, casting his shadow over the alarmed lizardling which pointed the spear tip away from Ethan, switching its hold and using the shaft to defend itself from the incoming projectile.


    Gotcha.


    With the lizardling on the defensive, Ethan lunged forward once more and got to his opponent before it managed to aim the spear head back at him. He punched up, palm out and caught the lizardling in its stomach. It grunted in pain, but Ethan wasn¡¯t done.


    Whenever it tried to angle its spear back at him, a flaming claw would cut into its scaly flesh. It defended its vitals well, but Ethan was in its space and it couldn¡¯t back away.


    He wouldn¡¯t let it.


    Finally, Ethan scored a deep hit. His flames, pushed to their limit, roared around his right claw, almost blinding him, and he slashed at the lizardling¡¯s throat, right as it emitted a strident call.


    The claw tore a chunk out of its throat and immediately cauterized for a second before blood broke through. It fell to its knees, its spear finally clattering to the ground as it stared up at him, eyes wide, while behind, the tunnel began filling with more strident calls.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 15]


    You have reached Level 13. 1 stat point awarded.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 9 fragments collected.


    Ethan picked up the fragment and ran back out. He couldn¡¯t deal with a whole camp of high-level lizardlings. But he could come back in a few moments when the alarm would pass.


    He carefully made his way back to his boulder, right outside of the mushroom forest, and took a quick look at the upgrades he had available before he narrowed his focus one one.


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.40 - 5 fragments]


    ¡°Alright. One more in the mana regeneration. I should start collecting fragments though¡­ Also, what''s the cast refresh for? I guess it probably has to do with the cast setting¡­ I¡¯ll need more spells to test that out.¡±


    Next, Ethan eyed his stats and tried to decide where he should assign his new free point. As he studied each stat, he paused on Spirit.


    you


    Might was putting more strength into his strikes¡ªsomething he should actually test as well as rag-dolling lizardlings and fighting giant toads wasn¡¯t a good indicator or reference point to understand the stat¡¯s effect. Toughness he was pretty clear on, as well as Mana, which left Spirit.


    Ethan activated his claw in a single arm and studied for a moment. The flames, the length of the claws, every small change. He decreased the flames, then pushed them further out, paying attention to the intensity of the change as well as how easy it was.


    With this, he could test the effect of Spirit. On both the potency of his spell and his control over them, because¡­ those were the only couple of things he thought Spirit could affect.


    into


    Behind him, the lively forest continued to be filled with calls and croaks, as the wildlife kept doing its things.


    Moment of truth.


    Ethan activated his claws, and began comparing their performance to what he¡¯d just tested. With every step, his grin grew wider.


    The claws were definitely thicker and longer. By 10%, at most, but the difference was there. The fires licked higher as well. It didn¡¯t affect his control, but he could now push the intensity of the flames higher.


    everything.


    A shiver ran through his body, and Ethan tensed, looking around. It felt as if the surrounding air had trembled for a second, but as he looked around, he saw nothing move.


    Was he imagining it?


    Ethan shook the feeling out and turned his attention back to the results of his small experiment. ¡°So that¡¯s what Spirit does. Just raw power for spell? Now it makes sense for the Claw spell to boost both Might and Spirit.¡±


    This was a productive break. But it was time to get back to work.


    two


    Ethan drew his lips in a line. They just had to go and make things more complicated.

 1.12: I鈥檓 on my way

    A blazing, blinding fist caught the claw-wielding lizardling in the face. It howled with pain as its scales and eyes immediately seared and bubbled from the intense heat held in Ethan¡¯s fist, right before he grabbed it and dragged it in the way of the second lizardling¡¯s spear. A speartip of blue light burst out of the burnt lizardling¡¯s chest, and Ethan let go before he sprinted forward, ignoring the notification that dinged in his ears.


    The spear wielder thrust once more, eyes squinted from the bright glare coming off Ethan¡¯s right claws, but it was easy enough to dodge. His claws went for the throat once more, like a ball of raging fire, but it was parried at the last moment by the terrified lizardling, knocking it off course.


    What hadn¡¯t been parried was the knee coming at the lizardling¡¯s nethers.


    Its clawed legs left the ground for a moment before it crumpled to the ground, and Ethan cut into its neck.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 14]


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 12]


    You have reached Level 14. 1 stat point awarded.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 11 fragments collected.


    He stood there panting, while the tunnel began filling up with more calls. Ethan looked down at his right hand as he considered running or staying. He was boosting the flame, trying to keep it close to his claws, creating an extra-hot and bright effect. He could push it a bit further, but then his mana regen wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up and it would get even harder to keep the flames under control. Whenever he tried to pull it closer to his claws and concentrate it, he could only keep it stable for a few seconds before it blazed outwards.


    Still, he was slowly getting better at it.


    too


    Ethan dismissed his claws, added the new point into Spirit, then applied a stat bonus upgrade to his wand. He considered going for another mana regen, but held off for now. Those were getting expensive.


    [Stat Bonus: Increase by 2 - 10 fragments]


    The shouts were getting closer. Ethan waited for the upgrade effect to finish sinking into him as he listened, and then a lizardling poked his head out of the corner. Ethan caught it by the throat and dragged it out, using his leg to trip it and bring it to the ground before stomping on its throat.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 11]


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 6 fragments collected.


    Enough for another upgrade, but the lizardlings were almost upon him. The sensation of cold smoke sinking through his flesh was fading, but it wasn¡¯t over.


    Come on. Hurry.


    Two lizardlings finally stepped around the corner, followed by one more. Then three. Then two.


    Ethan took a step back as he eyed the small crowd. Spears and daggers flashed, while familiar long tails and claws caught his eyes. Ethan took another step back, glancing behind to make sure he wasn¡¯t being sandwiched, then back ahead.


    A nervous grin stretched across his lips, and he felt a bead of sweat trickle its way down his back.


    At least they couldn¡¯t surround him.


    Ethan¡¯s upgrades finished right as a level 17 lizardling opened its mouth and spoke in a strident voice. ¡°Intruder. We will feast¡ª¡±


    Ethan summoned his claws, and the lizardlings recoiled from the raging blaze which surrounded his hands. The flames were intense. Much brighter than they¡¯d ever been, thanks to the three new Spirit points.


    Strong enough that they began licking up his shoulder sleeves and underarms.


    Shit.


    Ethan pulled the flames back and made sure his t-shirt wasn¡¯t on fire. There were darker spots, but that was it.


    I¡¯m going to need a change of clothes soon.


    Turning his attention back to the small crowd ahead of him, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but feel excited.


    His claws and flames were stronger than ever, and a volunteer had just stepped forward to let him test them out.


    ***


    Ethan kept his ears and eyes peeled as he tried to catch his breath.


    Well. As much as he could manage.


    and


    It would be better in a few minutes. Maybe an hour or two. Ideally, he¡¯d also find something to eat. All of this strenuous activity was making him hungry. And sleepy. But he wasn¡¯t about to fall asleep in the middle of enemy territory.


    He¡¯d made that mistake once, and he wasn¡¯t doing it again.


    He wiped his eye, scratching the blood away, and took in the bodies littering the narrow tunnel with satisfaction.


    This has been worth it. ¡°Definitely,¡± he said, then spat some more blood out before lifting his left arm. The spellcore bead was cold to his touch. But¡­ not regular cold. The sensation was somehow seeping into his flesh, but it wasn¡¯t painful. At all.


    Assimilate [Extended Enhancement (Tier-1)] from spellcore?


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    He knew what the spell did. It was from the tailed lizardlings. It had whipped its tail at him and, believing he was out of range, Ethan had only leaned backward. The lizardling¡¯s tail then suddenly gained half again its length and got him right over the ear. When that lizardling died, Ethan had found the spellcore right next to its tail.


    It was difficult to miss. The bead shone softly with a reddish-brown hue that kept changing and dancing as he looked at it.


    Well. No need to hold on to this. I can clearly use it.


    Ethan accepted the prompt, and the bead popped into a small cloud of smoke that sunk toward his chest.


    Now I need more capacity in my wand.


    Ethan checked all the notifications he¡¯d gotten from this little ordeal.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 19]


    ¡­


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 15]


    You have reached Level 15. 1 stat point awarded.


    ¡­


    You have reached Level 18. 1 stat point awarded.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 73 fragments collected.


    Worth it. Very much so. He was only two levels away from finishing the current side quest, and he was now sitting on 84 fragments and 4 stat points to assign.


    Ethan loaded his available wand upgrades and rubbed his hands together. It felt good, having this many options. Though maybe he should save up for the tier-2 upgrade as well. It might unlock some new upgrades, on top of the inherent boost to stats.


    Then again, it wasn¡¯t as if he was going to run out of opponents in this area. This fight alone had netted him 73 fragments, so he should splurge on some upgrades. With more power in his wand, he could cut through stronger opponents easier and faster. He¡¯d be able to afford the tier-2 upgrade in no time.


    You have to spend fragments to make fragments.


    ¡°Capacity and more mana for now,¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°As for the unassigned stats points I¡¯ve got¡­ Well. They¡¯re all pretty damn important, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    If he was to rank them, he¡¯d have to put Toughness at the top. That one just straight-up made it so he wasn¡¯t bleeding out right now. Might and Spirit were crucial as well, allowing him the strength and power to put his opponents down, even when they were higher level than him. Which left Mana, which might be the least impactful at the moment, but it wasn¡¯t something he could neglect either.


    ¡°Alright. One each, again.¡±


    Ethan made his stat assignment choices, then confirmed. As he waited for the weird and slightly uncomfortable sensation to finish, he made his choices for the wand upgrades.


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 10 fragments]


    [Stat Bonus: Increase by 2 - 20 fragments]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.40 - 10 fragments]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.40 - 20 fragments]


    Ethan waited through the changes, and when they were done, he ignited his right hand and held in front of him. Then he pushed the fire as much as he could.


    It was like holding a flamethrower. Fire surged around his arm, licking all the way up to the small tunnel¡¯s ceiling, and that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Mana was being sucked through his wand and into his chest at a prodigious rate, easily counteracting the raging fire his wand was producing. He could maintain this¡­ forever. If he wanted.


    Ethan stopped the spell and frowned. Could he maintain spells for that long? Was there some sort of mana fatigue he might run into?


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to test that later¡­ But if it¡¯s possible, I can¡¯t be exhausting myself right now. Alright, that¡¯s it for the wand upgrades. That leaves me with 24 fragments. Good haul. Now¡­ I just need a small break, then I¡¯ll check what¡¯s left in the tunnel. After that, food and a nap.¡±


    He had to find a safe spot to sleep, and he was most certainly not trusting the human camp. Maybe once he¡¯d gained 10 or 20 more levels. Then he doubted they could do anything to him, whether he was awake or asleep.


    Before taking a final glance at all of his progress, he slotted his new spell into his wand, then pulled his stats and grinned. ¡°Whomever it is that¡¯s holding the highest level at the moment, you better enjoy it while you can. I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    Name: Ethan Voss


    Traits: [Universal tongue, Enduring Brawler]


    Level 18


    Might: 14


    Toughness: 11


    Spirit: 15


    Mana: 6


    Unassigned: 0


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: [Form: [Extended][Flaming][Claws]]


    Class: Enhancer


    Tier: 1


    Unique Traits: [Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental - In use]


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 3/3


    Cast refresh: 5


    Mana regeneration: 1.6s (26%)


    Stat Bonus: +10 Might +10 Spirit


    Fragments: 24


    Tokens: None


    Available spells:


    General: None


    Armament: None


    Enhancement: [Claws (Tier-0) - In use]


    Modifiers: [Flaming Enhancement(Tier-1) - In use][Extended Enhancement(Tier-1) - In use]


    Side quest:


    Reach level 20 and upgrade your wand to tier-1


    Reward:


    1 trait from a list of tailored options.


    1 tier-1 spell token


    5 stat points.

 1.13: Detention

    Ethan¡¯s many injuries tingled and itched as [Enduring Brawler] worked on healing him.


    It was bothering him, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. Keeping himself busy was helping, somewhat, and right now, he was experimenting with his control over fire as well as with the new modifier he¡¯d acquired.


    Ethan held his clawed hand in front of him and triggered [Extended Enhancement]. Mana rushed out of his chest and, for a second, his claws grew to nearly twice their usual size. He took in their enlarged shape, and couldn¡¯t help the dumb grin that drew itself on his lips.


    This should make for some interesting applications mid-fight.


    For the next few minutes, Ethan played with his flames. He grew them larger, smaller. Tried to shape the fire around his hand. He hadn¡¯t been sure of the effectiveness of these small exercises at first, but after spending a couple of hours on them, he was sure his control was getting better.


    The fire responded faster to his will, and with every session his control of the flames slipped less often. As long as they were his own, of course.


    Ethan had also discovered that even if he was the one to propagate a flame¡ªlike lighting up a torch¡ªas soon as the created flame and his own disconnected, he lost control over it. In this case, the torch¡¯s flame would be completely independent from him, and if he touched it, it would burn.


    The fire resistance helped of course, but that meant if Ethan somehow ended up setting his environment on fire, he¡¯d be as screwed as the opponent he was fighting.


    At least I¡¯m immune to my own heat, too. But not the smell or smoke. Ugh.


    He was still in the tunnel, true, but even though the smoke had wafted out already, he couldn¡¯t get the scent out of his nose. Ethan shook his head, then stood up. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s at the end of the tunnel.¡±


    With his claws dimmed, he made his way deeper into the cave. It was quiet. A few torches dug into the wall lit his way, and he stopped to examine them. He realized they were made of wood shrub, but the top, the part that was burning, was a purple spongy thing.


    Mushroom-tree cap?


    He eyed the torch for a few moments, then frowned. He couldn¡¯t see much smoke wafting off. Even when he put his hand above it, it didn¡¯t darken . And when he tried smelling it, he didn¡¯t get much outside of the smell of burnt lizardlings already stuck in his nose.


    Weird.


    A minute or two later, Ethan arrived in a small, empty cave. A few small mushroom fires were still lit, with a few beds made of hide around them, but nothing else. No lizardlings.


    This might have been some sort of warband or raiding party.


    As he walked through the bed rolls and examined the surroundings, Ethan stilled. Right next to the closest fire was a limb. Ethan thought it was a skinned toad leg for a second, but then he noticed the yellowed bone and severed fingers.


    Ethan looked away, stomach roiling, but the image wouldn¡¯t leave his sight for a few seconds.


    He moved away from the fire and back toward the exit. Ethan took some calming breaths as he examined the cave for an extra minute or two.


    They¡¯re already dead. Calm down.


    Ethan wanted to leave the cave and find somewhere else to rest, but he forced himself to think rationally. That poor person was already gone, and god knew how many others were dead. Leaving the cave wouldn¡¯t change any of that.


    This is a safe spot. Better than the forest. Get some rest and move on.


    Ethan turned his attention to his surroundings, then leaned over and dragged one of the bedrolls to the exit. Over the next few minutes, he built himself a small barricade. It would block anything from coming in, and if something still pushed through, it would be noisy as hell.


    Finding the darkest area of the chamber, Ethan laid on his side and closed his eyes. As sleep took hold, he only had one thought; there must be a main camp of these things nearby, and he was going to find it.


    ***


    Ethan yawned and stretched his arms. His neck and shoulder hurt from sleeping on the ground, but Toughness was helping him with that. The pain was already fading, and he definitely felt more refreshed.


    Main Quest: Gain access to the second floor within 6 days, 11 hours, and 7 minutes.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    I was asleep for around¡­ 3 hours? Better than nothing. But man, I¡¯m starving.


    The feeling was dampened for a second as he recalled what he saw earlier next to the fire, but the gnawing came back with a vengeance. His stomach gurgled, and Ethan wondered about what he could eat.


    I don¡¯t know enough about mushrooms. Maybe toads? Aren¡¯t they toxic or something?


    Ethan sighed. Maybe there were deer in this forest? Then again, how was he supposed to catch something like that? Fish? Same problem.


    It¡¯d have to be something that came after him.


    Yeah. Hopefully I¡¯m attacked by something edible.


    There were a bunch of dead lizardlings still littering the tunnel¡­ But that felt weird. Eating something that could talk and all. Even though they were nasty little shits.


    Ethan stepped over the bodies and wrinkled his nose at the smell of stale smoke. The light of day was approaching¡ªor more accurately, the light of the mushroom trees¡ªand as the clearing appeared ahead, Ethan¡¯s steps faltered.


    [Mystic Toad (I) - Level 32]


    Ethan briskly stepped back behind cover and cursed as he saw the toad¡¯s mouth turn to face him. No lasers came at him, but one thing was clear; the toad was watching the exit.


    Seeing it from this close made his hands twitch. Ethan had never stood this close to an animal this large. It dwarfed cows or anything you might see in a farm. Maybe closer in stature with a stout, smaller elephant?


    It wasn¡¯t much larger than the toad he¡¯d seen up in the castle, but it felt¡­ more imposing. Could it be the levels?


    Focus.


    The toad was massive, with softly glowing, patchy purple skin on its back, and off-white thick hide on its stomach. It blinked slowly, one eye after the other, but at no time did the deep blue and almost luminescent eyes look away from the cave¡¯s entrance.


    What¡¯s it doing here? Was it the smell that brought it here? Was it feeding on the lizardlings?


    As shock faded into the background, Ethan began considering his options.


    First, he could just wait it out. It was bound to get bored and leave. To hunt or whatever. And then Ethan could get away and go on with his day.


    Second, he could throw out some lizardlings for it to munch on, then make a run for it.


    Third was¡­ kill it? Maybe?


    That prospect was more exciting than nerve-wracking, but it still sounded risky. Incredibly so. The toad had 14 levels on him, and he didn¡¯t miss how the name above its head was different from the other giant toads. That might mean something happened at level 30 that changed these things from regular toads to super toads. It also might have to do with the roman numeral of one. It could be some sort of upgrade.


    If that was the case, Ethan would bet it¡¯d get a boost as well.


    The young man took another step back.


    Yeah, the rewards would be amazing, but this was too soon. Still, Ethan struggled to stamp out the temptation to try a quick strike and see how he¡¯d fare against such a monster. But if he got hit¡­ he might be out for days, if didn¡¯t kill him outright. And he doubted he¡¯d be able to safely disengage, either.


    Alright. Plan number 2. Lizardlings.


    Ethan began dragging lizardlings over and chucking them out to the toad. It ignored the first. Then the second. Then when the third flew out, it gurgled and kept its eyes on the tunnel.


    On him.


    Ah¡­ Shit.


    him


    Ethan pursed his lips as he watched the monster, then he looked down at his hands.


    Can I wait it out? I don¡¯t want to be stuck here for too long.


    Ethan exhaled, then summoned the claw around his right hand. Carefully, he fed the flames more mana. The blaze grew larger. Brighter.


    Next, he tried to funnel the empowered flames into a narrow, tight tunnel that he pictured coming out of his palm. The gout of fire surged outward, easily a meter or two away, but it quickly got out of control. The flames reverted to their usual shape around his claws.


    This¡¯ll take a minute.


    Ethan panted as he glared at the toad, who stayed still and kept dumbly staring at him. ¡°Jokes on you, we¡¯ll be here for a while. You might starve before I do.¡±


    The toad inflated its throat and made its loud call, while Ethan went back to his practice. Minutes went by, with Ethan making sure to direct the flames outside. He was already thirsty, he didn¡¯t need to superheat the tunnel more than it already was. And then¡ª


    A regular giant toad stepped into the clearing. It gurgled, seeing the mystic toad, paying no attention to the cave walls or the tunnel Ethan was hiding in. Instead, it attacked the mystic toad, who instantly opened its mouth and carved a hole through the newcomer¡¯s head.


    The purple toad hopped twice, eye swiveling to keep Ethan in sight. It collected the newcomer¡¯s fragment, then ripped off one of its legs before hopping back and stationing itself in front of Ethan¡¯s cave. It began slowly munching, cracking the toad¡¯s bones as if they were made of biscuits.


    The message was clear. It wasn¡¯t leaving before it got him in its belly, and it could call for a meal at any time.


    Crap. Alright. Let¡¯s see if I can throw it instead.


    Over the next few hours, Ethan alternated between condensing the fire into a small ball¡ªwhich was significantly more challenging than just pushing the flames out¡ªand practicing his control over the flamethrower. He was seeing progress, of course. The flamethrower might be ready soon, but condensing flames to throw? Not yet. He was missing something in that process, and every time he stopped condensing the flame and readied himself to throw the ball, it would burst into a gout of chaotic flames.


    He needed to figure out how to stabilize it. But that was for another time. For now, he had to make a final test on his flamethrower, then deal with the toad.


    Hopefully the flames would be strong enough to affect it.

 1.14: The Mystic Toad

    Leaning slightly out of the tunnel, Ethan raised a hand and sent a gout of barely concentrated flames toward the mystic toad. It didn¡¯t reach as far as he wanted, but he hoped it would scare the beast away, or at least make it take a step back. Enough to give him time to make a run for it, but all it did was make the toad squint its large eyes.


    It refused to budge. Which meant Ethan would either need to spend a lot more time working on his skill to make it project the flames further, or he would have to come out.


    Damn.


    He didn¡¯t want to test his Toughness against that laser-thing. He didn¡¯t even know if that was all the toad was capable of. But he was running out of options. His stomach ached. His throat was parched. He didn¡¯t think he was about to keel over, but he couldn¡¯t wait this out.


    Shit.


    He had to come out. Would it even be afraid of the flames if he sprayed them point-blank?


    Ethan eyed the toad and grit his teeth. He wished his flames were strong enough to melt the damn thing away. In fact, if he somehow managed to get on its back, he¡¯d cook its brain in seconds. Then the levels and fragments he¡¯d get out of its carcass would make it so situations like these happened less.


    He had to get stronger. Enough to break through anything that tried to hinder him. He''d had enough of that in his past life, and he wasn¡¯t willing to take any more of that now that literal magic and aliens were a thing.


    No more.


    The air rippled around him, and Ethan stilled for a second before he looked behind him. Again, there was nothing.


    What is even happening?


    ¡°¡±


    Fourteen levels and a potential evolution. Against lengthened claws and a bunch of fire.


    His heartbeat echoed in his ears. His muscles felt taut as a haphazard plan began taking form in his mind.


    If you want an edge over the competition, you better be ready to take some risks.


    Ethan slowly exhaled. He rolled his shoulder and played through the scenario in his mind. That usually helped calm him down.


    First, he had to dodge the first ray. It all hinged on that. After which he¡¯ll need to close the distance and burn the damn thing to a crisp. Like everything else that tried or will try to stop him.


    The air shuddered once more, and Ethan realized he wasn¡¯t being stalked. But something was happening. Something linked to his thought process. He was sure it was important to understand and investigate, but not right now. Right now he had a fight to get through, and he was on the clock. Might and Toughness might be helping him with the thirst and hunger, but that won¡¯t last for long.


    Ethan slapped his face a couple of times. He stretched his legs and did a couple of hops, breathing deep. Then he summoned his claws once more.


    Don¡¯t overthink it.


    Ethan bent his knees, took one more deep breath, and the world stilled. The only thing he could hear was the blood rushing in his ears.


    Then he exploded forward.


    Ethan jumped over the bush and sprinted right and around the toad, which instantly reacted by shooting its purple beam at him. The glowing light flew at where Ethan had been and hit the stone wall.


    Ethan only felt an electrifying sensation from behind him, but he didn¡¯t stop.


    He had no clue how long before the toad could shoot again, so he began closing in, but the toad wasn¡¯t having it. It squeaked, and its purple-tipped tongue shot out. It barely missed him, tearing a large chunk of the mushroom-tree¡¯s stem.


    Now!


    Legs still pumping, Ethan rushed at the tongue, eyes peeled for another beam. The flames around his right arm roared as he swung down, and in an instant, the claws surged as [Extended Enhancement] activated.


    Ten-inch-long flaming claws fell on the wet tongue like a hot, sharp knife. Blood, smoke, and steam surged around the deep groove he carved into the toad¡¯s tongue, and it squealed. For a fraction of a second, Ethan felt a pang of hunger.


    It smelled like seared steak.


    The toad retracted its bleeding, smoking tongue. Ethan didn¡¯t fully sever the damn thing like he¡¯d hoped, but he¡¯d cut at least halfway through it, while the burn damage might make the tongue unusable.


    Ethan didn¡¯t waste time, rushing the toad as he pulled back on his flames. The claws were back to their usual length as Ethan approached his target, but before he could jump on it, its head snapped toward him and he had barely enough time to see a purple light.


    Ethan let himself drop, feet skidding, but the laser caught his left arm as he¡¯d involuntarily raised it as he fell. A searing pain cut into his flesh, and Ethan screamed as his feet glided against the soft soil, uprooting quite a few tiny mushrooms. He started to pull himself up, eyes watering with the pain, but he couldn¡¯t afford to look at his arm right now. He had to watch his opponent. He knew his arm was still there, which was both a source of relief and of incredible pain. He could feel the air against raw skin, but at least he still had it.


    Toughness saved his bacon, once again.


    Ethan got to his feet, expecting another laser or tongue shot, but the toad did something he hadn¡¯t expected. It hopped forward, mouth wide open, ready to snap down on him. Ethan scrambled back, cursing, and shot a gout of flame into its open maw.


    The frog screamed and shot its tongue out once more, but Ethan had already moved. He only stopped when was right next to the monster. He tasted blood, but still grinned as he panted for breath. His left hand was still killing him, but his right hand was ready.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The claws extended once more, swallowing a large portion of his available mana, and Ethan hopped, shoving his clawed hand into the toad¡¯s right eye, and dumped all of his regenerating mana into summoning as much fire as he could possibly manage.


    The toad recoiled violently away from him, but Ethan was up to his elbow in its eye socket. It tried to shake him off as the flow of pressurized flames filled its eye sockets and head, but Ethan would not let go. He even used his incredibly pained left arm to latch on harder to the monster. A few seconds went by, and there was a hissing sound. A final weak squeak escaped from the toad, then a popping sound followed by the flames freely flowing out of the monster¡¯s other eye.


    Ethan kept the fire pumping even when he saw the notification come in, then he let himself fall against the dead monster.


    His chest rose and fell, and even though his left arm was screaming with pain, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Ethan had never felt this alive.


    You have defeated [Mystic Toad - Level 32]


    You have reached Level 19. 1 stat point awarded.


    ¡­


    You have reached Level 21. 1 stat point awarded.


    Congratulations. Side quest completed.


    1 trait token.


    1 tier-1 spell token.


    5 stat points awarded.


    Congratulations. Hidden quest: <Defeat a tier-2 being> completed.


    10 stat points awarded.


    Ethan frowned as he laid panting against the smoking carcass.


    Hidden quests? How many of those are there?


    He smiled. Another interesting mechanic that could give him an edge. He¡¯d need to start thinking about what other achievements might be hidden behind a secret side quest. It was an interesting subject to explore, but he had a few more notifications to get through.


    Ethan lifted his left arm and examined it. It was beet-red and swollen, as if it had been scalded. In a few areas, the skin had peeled off, but it wasn¡¯t bleeding.


    Jeez.


    He could still move his fingers, at least. But it was incredibly painful.


    Would be nice if the spell-token had a healing spell.


    Ethan believed [Enduring Brawler] could manage this level of injuries. Stab wounds healed in mere hours, so this should also be possible to recover from.


    Seeing his new levels, he couldn¡¯t help but grin. The regular side quest rewards would also be fun to get through. He was about to get a new spell and new trait, and considering the traits he¡¯d been shown before, he had high hopes for this round.


    Actually, I wonder if traits are upgradeable. How about spells? That¡¯s bound to be a hidden quest if it¡¯s possible. Now, what¡¯s the new side quest¡­


    New side quests unlocked.


    Side quest:


    Reach level 30 and [hidden]


    Reward:


    [hidden]


    [hidden]


    10 stat points.


    Ethan frowned at the air in front of him.


    Hidden? Huh. Maybe it¡¯ll show up eventually. I wonder if it has to do with the number next to the mystic toad¡¯s name. Like, some upgrade of sorts? I guess we¡¯ll see. Still, that¡¯s a nice list of rewards. The 10 points reward alone is pretty attractive.


    Ethan considered picking up his spell, but it might be better to collect the fragments before anything dangerous showed up. He began moving¡ªthen paused. What if he had a trait available that could affect his haul?


    Nah. Something might show up at any moment. Not worth the risk. Not when I¡¯m already injured.


    With his clawed hand, he leaned over the purple toad¡ª


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 41 fragments collected.


    Ethan paused. ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    He looked at the toad, then at its extended tongue. The tip still had that different-colored sheen like the previous toad he¡¯d fought, so he made his way to the tip of the monster¡¯s tongue and touched it with a claw.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 23 fragments collected.


    Ethan looked at the tongue, then at the toad, then back at the tongue. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    Why did he get fragments twice? Did it have two wands?


    Ethan¡¯s stomach gurgled, cutting him off, so he filed the question for later.


    18


    Ethan glanced around at the forest, then down at the dead toad. The tongue had smelled good.


    He stared at the carcass for another second, then shook his head.


    Regular small toads were toxic. He was almost sure of that. It would be too risky to try this one¡¯s meat, even if his Toughness might protect him from the toxin. It just wasn¡¯t worth the risk. But that didn¡¯t mean he should trudge back to the camp.


    He just had to find something nearby.


    Ethan nodded to himself. He¡¯d give it an hour or two before going back, to find some water and something to eat. But first, he headed back to the safety of the tunnel and sat down right past the entrance with a wide grin on his face.


    He had some gifts to unwrap, and some stat points to assign. And no painful arms or gnawing stomachs were going to prevent him from enjoying the fruits of his labor.


    An image of a platter full of peeled and cut fruits popped into his mind, and Ethan groaned. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t think of fruits.¡±

 1.15: Child of Flames

    ¡°Let¡¯s do the stats first¡­ They might help with the pain and hunger.¡±


    Ethan eyed his current stats for a moment, noting how low his Might and Spirit were. They were being raised by the wand, which was all nice and good, but the wand stats should be a bonus, not his main source of strength.


    What if someone could disable his bonus somehow? Neither Might or Spirit were above 5 points. Mana was barely better at 6 points. The only one that wasn¡¯t as worrying was Toughness, and clearly enough, it needed a boost considering the state of his left arm.


    Glancing down at it, he noted how it had deflated a bit, but the reddish purple still looked far from healthy, and any twitching muscle sent a wave of sharp pain. Still, he didn¡¯t let that put a damper on the little haul he was sitting on.


    ¡°18 points. Damn.¡± Ethan grinned. The amount of stats he had to play with was incredible. He shook his head and brought his focus back to the matter at hand. ¡°Alright. 4 in Toughness to bring it up to 15. Then bring everything else to 10, which leaves me with¡­¡±


    Ethan moved the points around but refrained from validating anything. After a few seconds, he tsked. ¡°I can bring Spirit and Might to 10, which puts them at 20 with the wand boost, but Mana stays at 9. I could take a point out of Toughness, but¡­¡±


    He looked down at his mangled arm, then nodded to himself. ¡°10 in the Mana stat will have to wait.¡±


    Ethan confirmed his choice. As soon as he did, dust was kicked away from his feet in a wide circle. His dirty¡ªand frankly, stinky¡ªclothes ruffled from the breeze while a myriad of comfortingly uncomfortable sensations sunk into his flesh.


    It reminded him of something once said to him. Something about bad-tasting medicine being the most efficient.


    Ethan doubted that. But the muscle tremors, the bone burning, and the electrifying cold running through his flesh promised to make him stronger. More resilient and better equipped to deal with the monsters of this place.


    He would endure it with pleasure.


    When the transformative effect was over, Ethan leaned back against the cave wall and sighed with relief. He tightened his fist, feeling strength running through his veins, and when he summoned his claws and their flame, he noted how much longer and tougher-looking they seemed. The talons themselves were at least five inches long, while his hands had grown thicker and darker, allowing him to exert more strength through them.


    His left arm was also looking better. The purple hue was still present, but the pain was easier to ignore. It had deflated a bit, as well. Ethan believed it might get back to normal in a few hours, which was¡­ mind boggling.


    He glanced out of his tunnel for a moment to make sure nothing was sneaking up on him, then started with the trait-token.


    Select a trait from the list below:


    Enhancer Specialist: Enhancer wands provide 10% extra stats.


    Lucky Harvester: Improve chances of finding a spellcore on a dead opponent.


    Child of Flames: Your flames protect you and accelerate your recovery.


    ¡°God¡­ dammit.¡±


    Ethan sighed, then shook his head. It was a great problem to have, for sure. The traits were all great. The same argument still held from last time, but that didn¡¯t make the choice any less difficult. Still, with the traits persisting even though he didn¡¯t select them, he felt safe ignoring [Enhancement Specialist] for now.


    It was still a great option, but he also still had only one wand.


    [Lucky Harvester] was interesting as well. It might not be that impactful, considering how unlikely it was for a spellcore to appear, but the value was there.


    ¡°They must be worth something for trade, as well. For sure.¡±


    Ethan hummed and turned his focus to the new option displayed. [Child of Flames] was, frankly, too good to pass up. He needed more resilience and faster recovery, and he already had a lot of fire stuff going on. [Child of Flames] was a great fit. It would allow him to be out there more, fighting toads and collecting fragments.


    Ethan mulled it over for a few more seconds. It was just too good.


    Well. See you two next time, then. I¡¯ll pick up [Lucky Harvester] next, if the System doesn¡¯t throw something too good to ignore once again.


    Ethan selected [Child of Flames], then confirmed his choice.


    Flames burst all around him, making him flinch for a second before he smiled. The flames were a soft orange, with bright gold undertones. They danced and seeped into his skin like a healing balm and then, gently, they faded away.


    Ethan took his shirt off and pursed his lips at its sorry state. Suffice it to say, it wasn¡¯t white any more.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Next, Ethan summoned both claws and, keeping them to his side, he turned the heat on. Flames roared upward, easily taller than he was, and the comforting heat seeped into his arms and sides. Ethan closed his eyes and enjoyed the blissful relief. The pain in his left arm slowly melted away, replaced by a warm sense of vigor that coursed through his body. Opening his eyes, he examined the flames for a moment, and his eyebrow quirked up.


    The flames looked¡­ realer.


    Before this new round of upgrades, the fire had been thin and somewhat transparent. Now it looked more physical. Almost like flowing liquid.


    Ethan didn¡¯t want to cancel his flames, so he let them dance. The fire was reducing the pain in his arm and maybe accelerating its healing, but his arm still didn¡¯t look that great. He noted that the heat wasn¡¯t difficult to endure, either. Same for hunger and thirst, which thankfully would give him time to look into some wand upgrades and a spell selection.


    ¡°Spells first. Modifier or Enhancement spells? Wait¡­ can I use regular spells with this wand? Probably¡­ right?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t tested that. He had none to test with, but was that worth using his token for?


    ¡°What¡¯s the best scenario for an Enhancement? I¡¯d get something nice and useful, but if I¡¯m understanding things right, I won¡¯t be able to use it with [Claws]. Only one Enhancement-spell can be set as the wand¡¯s form. But it could be something crazy. Like wings. Or whatever that toad used to shoot its laser.¡±


    Because that was the only explanation of how he¡¯d gotten fragments twice from the same monster.


    ¡°For modifiers¡­ No clues. I could get anything, and I should be able to use it. So that¡¯s the safest pick. For spells, I might finally get something to hit from afar. Or a healing spell. Assuming the wand can cast it, which is something I need to actually figure out.¡±


    Both options were really good, so he wasn¡¯t going to regret either. As for picking which¡­


    Ethan turned off his right claws and dug into his pocket for a couple of seconds. When his finger touched cold metal, he grinned.


    ¡°Head for a regular spell. Tails for modifier,¡± he said to the universe, then flipped the coin and let it drop to the ground. He peered down at it, then shrugged. ¡°Heads it is.¡±


    Select a general-class tier-1 spell from the list below:


    Whisper: Send a telepathic message into the mind of a target you see within range.


    Firebolt: Shoot a bolt made of fire.


    Summon Illusion: Summon an illusion within range.


    Stonedart: Shoot a short dart made of stone.


    Gust: Summon a gust of wind in a direction of your choosing.


    Hmm. [Whisper] and [Summon Illusion] are great to lure out targets. [Gust] is¡­ interesting. I wonder if I can combine it with the flamethrower to add a kick to the fire. For range, [Firebolt] is the clear winner, especially if my wand¡¯s unique trait can help me control it or boost it.


    Now. What was it going to be?


    was


    That could be a hidden quest. It would be a challenge, if it¡¯s even possible.


    Not selecting [Firebolt] right here was a bit greedy on his part¡­ But it would put his back against the wall and push him harder to recreate the spell.


    He liked that idea.


    And if it doesn¡¯t work out, I bet I¡¯ll get other opportunities to get the spell later.


    Ethan stared at the remaining spells for a few more moments, feeling more confident by the second. He could do it. Probably.


    ¡°Screw it. It¡¯s worth a shot. Which makes this a choice between illusions or a quick simple message.¡±


    Luring out enemies would counter his weak range a bit, at least until he picked up something stronger for range attacks.


    [Whisper] will probably work against monsters and lizardlings, and it would also be useful to coordinate with trusted allies. I also like how simple to use it seems; the illusion spell could potentially do more, but it would take work. Planning. Imagination.


    Ethan grimaced. He really wanted the simpler options.


    Whisper (Tier-1) added to General spells.


    Next, he quickly looked through his available wand upgrades, and opted for one more mana regeneration upgrade, as well as an increase of capacity so he could test [Whisper].


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 0.40 - 30 fragments]


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 30 fragments]


    With that done, Ethan glanced at his remaining available upgrade and frowned.


    Can¡¯t upgrade the capacity and regen anymore, huh. I guess I need to upgrade the wand to the next tier soon.


    Finally, he slotted the [Whisper] spell into the wand. It didn¡¯t place it along the default chain with [Claws]. Instead, a new line showed up with ¡°Sequential¡± spelled in front of it, and that¡¯s where the new spell was slotted. Now he just had to find a target to test it on.


    ¡°Aaand we¡¯re done. Damn. That took a while,¡± Ethan said as he stood up.


    lot


    [Enduring Brawler], [Child of Flames], and Toughness. This is just¡­ incredible. I bet I could eat that toad and not die. But I still don¡¯t want to live through whatever those toxins would do to my stomach.


    Ethan stepped out into the forest once more and cracked his neck. ¡°Time to find some lunch.¡±

 1.16: Salt and pepper

    Ethan stopped behind a bush and brought up the main quest. He hadn¡¯t checked on it in a while, and after all that fighting and sleeping, it was time to check it again and see how much time he had left.


    Main Quest: Gain access to the second floor within 6 days, 3 hours, and 21 minutes.


    Reward: 1 tier-0 wand.


    ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ Around 21 hours since this stuff started. Alright, not bad.¡±


    He felt like he¡¯d progressed pretty well, all things considered. And thanks to his heightened Toughness, he was doing pretty well for someone who should be dehydrated right about now.


    Gotta find something soon, though.


    Ethan continued his advance along the edge of the giant cave wall, eyes peeled for movement. The forest was buzzing with life, as always, but the activity seemed mostly focused on the central part, which he wasn¡¯t keen on approaching just yet. As he navigated through the bushes and boulders, Ethan wondered about hidden quests.


    Creating a spell probably counts for one. If that¡¯s possible. Upgrading a spell or trait as well, probably. Though I have no idea how I¡¯d do any of those two. What else¡­ Killing a tier-3 being for sure, but that¡¯s probably a death sentence right now.


    Ethan heard movement and dropped into a crouch, grimacing from the whiff he got from himself. The bush rustled once more, then a large lizard broke out of the vegetation. It paused for an instant to taste the air with its forked tongue before veering away from Ethan.


    No vibrant colorations. Maybe edible?


    [Water monitor - Level 21]


    Its smooth and glossy deep blue scales reflected the glow of the mushroom trees. Its tail swayed as it continued trudging through the vegetation, and Ethan had a thought. A wild guess.


    Maybe the water monitor knew where to find water.


    Carefully, as stealthily as he could manage, Ethan tracked the water monitor for nearly five minutes, keeping his distance from the lizard and making sure nothing was creeping on him in turn. Finally, Ethan came up on a clearing.


    Nestled against the wall of the cavern was a pond that snaked away toward the center of the forest in a small stream. Ethan had to hold himself from sprinting toward the water, because the lizard he¡¯d been following wasn¡¯t the only monster around.


    [Water monitor - Level 21]


    [Toad - Level 27]


    [Water monitor - Level 28]


    The air was tense around the pond. All three monsters were wary of each other, but they kept to themselves, with both water monitors sharing the pond while the toad settled further downstream¡ªthankfully¡ªand just used the water to rub its face and skin.


    There was some sort of truce going on, and Ethan wondered if it would hold if he stepped out and got himself a spot to drink and wash up.


    Worth a shot. And if it doesn¡¯t work out, I could probably take them if they got aggressive. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get a drink then break the truce.


    The young man stepped into the clearing, and all three monsters immediately turned.


    Easy. We¡¯re all friends here. For now.


    Ethan moved slowly. He kept all three monsters in his vision, especially the toad. One of the monitors hissed, but none moved so he kept slowly walking. He crossed in front of the toad, who blinked at him and squeaked, but otherwise didn¡¯t attack. A few seconds later, Ethan was on his own side of the pond. All four of them continued eying each other, but the peace held.


    Ethan grinned as he lowered himself to the water; when he finally looked down, his eyes widened.


    It¡¯s a spring! On my side, too!


    A few inches ahead, the water rippled outward as the spring gently pushed it up. Up to this point, Ethan had been willing to risk unclean water, but a spring made everything so much easier. He wanted to plunge his face into the water and drink, but he couldn¡¯t take that risk. Instead, he cupped his hands and brought the clear cold water to his dry lips.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The crisp, cold water went down his throat, and it might have the tastiest sip he¡¯d ever experienced. Unfortunately, it was quickly marred by the hissing coming from the two monitor lizards, who bared their teeth at him.


    Ethan summoned his claws and glared down at them. ¡°Shut it.¡±


    That made them hiss louder, and they began swimming toward him. He turned to the toad, who stared dumbly at all three for a second before it turned and hopped away.


    Smart toad.


    The monitor lifted its head above water, and a glowing blue beam shot out. Ethan instantly ignited his claws and braced, only for the stream of blue light to hit the wall of flames and explode into¡ª


    Mist?


    Ethan looked at the steam and tentatively smelled it for a second before he looked down at the lizards. ¡°Was that water?¡±


    This time, both shot at him, and he allowed one to hit his forearm. The projectile was like a heavy punch, but it did explode into safe-looking water.


    Ethan grinned wider and put both hands in front of his business area. ¡°Alright. Keep them coming, but not the face. After that, I¡¯m cooking one of you.¡±


    ***


    Ethan merrily chewed on his piece of roasted monitor tail. He¡¯d taken his pants off and was sitting at the edge of the pond, letting his feet dangle into the crystal clear water. Right next to him, the fire he¡¯d made with a few mushroom branches crackled while a second skewered piece of tail roasted on top of the fire.


    ¡°Wish I had some salt and pepper,¡± he said as he lifted his feet and looked at them, then glanced sideways at the clothes he¡¯d washed and laid on top of a couple of bushes. ¡°And I need magic-resistant clothes.¡±


    His t-shirt hadn¡¯t been able to handle the increasingly powerful flames. The shoulder parts were already gone, while the sides were full of burnt holes. It had finally fallen apart from the pressurized jets of water.


    His pants were doing a bit better, but they still had a few holes from the lizardlings, and they had been incredibly dirty from all the fighting. The shoes were fine. They were mostly dirty¡­ but they might not last long, either.


    At least they were clean now. He¡¯d used his ruined t-shirt to wipe them up.


    ¡°Are there even stores around here? Doubt it¡­ But maybe after the main quest¡¯s done? Are magic clothes even a thing? Or do people just carry spare clothes on them at all times?¡±


    No one answered, so he bit once more into the tail. It was good meat. Plus, this little encounter had netted him 36 fragments and another level, which he used to make his Mana stat a clean 10.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t test [Whisper], though.¡±


    Ethan chucked the sharpened skewers he¡¯d carved with his claw and picked the next piece of skinned tail. It was well seared, with the fat glistening and rolling down as he picked it up. He blew on it a couple of times then bit into it, which was only possible because of the fire resistance he was getting from his wand¡¯s unique trait.


    It was still hot though, and he had to huff a few times to try and cool down the bite he¡¯d gotten.


    ¡°So good,¡± he said after swallowing the piece.


    As he was about to bite once more, there was a rustle of branches to his left, then a figure stepped out. When Ethan saw what it was, he bit into his still smoking piece of roasted tail and huffed to cool it off.


    [Lizardling- Level 17]


    ¡°Human thing,¡± the lizardling spat, then it clicked and two more lizardlings showed up. Both were under level 20.


    Ethan continued chewing. ¡°Hey.¡±


    One of them raised its dagger and pointed at the dead lizards. ¡°We will do the same to you. If you don¡¯t follow.¡±


    Ethan bit once more into the meat, which seemed to annoy the lizardlings. ¡°And then you¡¯ll feast on my flesh?¡±


    The lizardling clacked their jaws and made weird noises for a moment before the first one spoke again. ¡°Enough words. You will come with us. Alive or dead.¡±


    Ethan eyed the three lizardlings and chewed. They could lead him to another warband. Or maybe even a larger camp. It wasn¡¯t as if he couldn¡¯t escape or kill them if needed. He could just follow them for a bit. Find their camp and go from there. And who knows. Maybe it could help him find a lead about the main quests.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ethan got up, and all three raised their weapons, then lowered them in confusion as he put on his still wet pants and socks, then laced his shoes.


    ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°We give the orders,¡± spat out the spear-wielder.


    Ethan refrained from smiling and raised both arms. ¡°Alright. You got me.¡±


    As they led him along the cave wall, Ethan stayed hyper-vigilant of the spear carrier behind him. The leader stayed ahead, while a third scouted to the right, ready to warn in case something approached from the central area.


    Ethan assumed they wanted to put him in a cage like they¡¯d done with Liz¡¯s group¡ªwho he should probably go check on soon¡ªbut just in case these three tried something, he had to react fast. But as the seconds then minutes went by, it really did seem like they wanted to take him alive.


    Time went by, with Ethan being slowly escorted deeper in the cave. He was pretty sure they passed to a second forest after a while. The walls had closed in around them for a moment before they widened, as if they¡¯d gone through a mini-tunnel, after which they dove into the woods once more. Around fifteen minutes later, they arrived at another camouflaged entrance, and Ethan¡¯s smile widened.


    The cave entrance was larger. The camouflage was better, but most importantly, there were two lizardlings guarding the entrance¡ªboth above level 20¡ªand Ethan was pretty sure he was looking at fortifications as well.


    This might be the largest camp yet.


    ¡°Move, human thing,¡± said the lizardlings behind him before poking him in the back.


    Ethan slowly turned to face his captor, smile still on his lips.


    The lizardling looked up at him as he loomed over it. It tightened its grip on the spear, eyes narrowing¡ªand Ethan kicked it in the nards.

 1.17: Tunnel fighting 2.0

    The lizardlings didn¡¯t chase Ethan for too long after his escape.


    Killing the three escorting him had been quick, and by the time the camp guards reacted and came after him, Ethan had already collected the lizardlings¡¯ fragments and booked it.


    They tried chasing him through the woods, but quickly stopped once he went back into the first forested cave.


    The whole endeavor netted him a level and a decent chunk of fragments, which was always welcome, but now it was time to head back and start thinning them out. For that, some extra stats would be more than welcome.


    Ethan assigned the new point to Toughness, and clicked his tongue when he found himself around 15 fragments short of the wand¡¯s tier-2 upgrade.


    Oh well. At least the stat upgrade will give me another four points in Might and Spirit. But next buy is 100% the tier-2 upgrade. Maybe I¡¯ll have a tier-2 spell by then.


    With the purchase made, he glanced back at the wand upgrade options left.


    [Tier: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25 seconds - 1 fragments]


    Yeah. Tier 2 is needed at this point. Though I wonder if getting all the upgrades first matters. Cast refresh doesn¡¯t seem expensive. But I¡¯ll do that later.


    Ethan summoned his claws and grinned. The boost in Spirit gave them yet another inch, and now they were around 6 inches long. He glanced into the direction of the new lizardling camp and took a deep breath. ¡°Good. Now I¡¯m ready. Tunnel fighting 2.0 is about to begin.¡±


    ***


    Liz Taylor


    Relax. You got this. You can do this.


    Liz took a step out of cover and stood among the dead and dying lizardlings. She lifted her crossbow and lined the sight to the last running lizardling. The crossbow felt hefty in her hands, but not heavy. Just the right weight. She exhaled, held her breath, and pulled the cold metallic trigger.


    The magic bolt shot out, and before she could inhale, a shout of pain reached her as the glowing bolt sunk into the lizardling¡¯s back.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 8]


    You have reached Level 11. 1 stat point awarded.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she whispered to herself as she lowered her crossbow. She was finally getting good with it.


    I just need more fragments. Then I¡¯ll be able to shoot faster. But for that¡­


    Liz eyed the dead lizardling for a second before she cautiously looked behind for any overseer. When she saw none, she turned to her right. ¡°Let¡¯s harvest these.¡±


    Gerald raised an eyebrow at her, furtively looked up toward the camp, then nodded. Audrey¡ªa towering young woman still in gym clothes¡ªleaned over her bloodied and still smoking tower shield and continued quietly chewing on a piece of jerky, but her eyes lit up and she nodded. Her much shorter sister¡ªwho was also in gym clothes¡ªglanced back toward the camp far behind them as she twirled her wand around her fingers.


    ¡°You sure we want to give them more ammo?¡± asked Amelie. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, they can get stuffed, but we¡¯re already on their shit-list, and at this point we might be better off leaving before that archer fuck and his cronies take us on one of their ¡®joint expeditions¡¯. We all know how those things go.¡±


    Gerald dismissed his sword and winced as he studied a stab wound on his right thigh. Amelia took a step closer, waved her wand at his injury, and Liz watched the wound close up within seconds. Gerald nodded to the girl and mumbled a quick thanks before turning back to Liz. ¡°I agree. We¡¯ve rested, and we got some levels under our belt. I think we should be on our way before we get dragged deeper into Lance¡¯s weird politics. We already have to give them half our fragments because of the quick heal they gave Martha. And it¡¯s clear that Lance is just waiting for an excuse to shoot us in the back.¡± The man shook his head and re-summoned his sword to collect his share of the fragments. ¡°That boy was right. We should have gone with him.¡±


    Audrey raised an eyebrow. ¡°The one your other friend keeps cursing? The psychopath?¡±


    Before Liz could respond to that, Gerald answered. It was for the best. She had nothing good to say about Martha. That two-faced snake.


    ¡°The boy did nothing wrong. It was an accident, and if it wasn¡¯t for him, we¡¯d be dead twice over. Plus, he told us to stay back, and we didn¡¯t. She¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Looking for something to blame,¡± said Amelie as she came back, wand still twirling in her hand. ¡°An overseer¡¯s on the way. Bronson. Level 16. What are we doing? Are we staying or are we leaving?¡±


    The four shared a few looks, a bit taken by surprise at how fast they had to make a decision.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind it. We work well together. We can take it easy and level. In a day or two they won¡¯t be able to mess with us,¡± said Audrey, leaning over her shield. Liz was reminded of the fitness influencers she¡¯d often see on her social media, which technically made sense. Audrey was a personal coach, if she recalled correctly.


    Her sister¡ªtheir team healer¡ª aimed for a rock, and a gray-white projectile zipped out of her wand. Even though it seemed it was about to miss, the projectile slowly arced back on target and hit the large rock dead center.


    Liz wished she had hurried to get to the portal. Missing out on an extra free spell was biting her in the butt.


    ¡°Your friend sounds like fun,¡± said Amelie as she aimed for another rock.


    Liz noted it¡¯d been barely a couple of seconds since the short girl cast the first projectile, which told Liz the young woman was investing heavily in Cast Refresh, given the naturally low refresh of the standard wand.


    Amelie dismissed her wand and put her hands on her hips as she faced the team. ¡°It would be worth teaming up with him if he¡¯s not dead yet. You sure he was above Lance in levels?¡±


    Liz nodded and nervously glanced at the oncoming overseer. He was still minutes away. ¡°Yes. But we can talk about that later, we¡¯re running out of time.¡±


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    Why does it feel like I¡¯m in charge?


    Liz turned to each of her co-conspirators and shared a nod with them. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s let him take half the fragments then. And once he leaves, we¡¯ll go. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Amelie as she summoned and shot her wand in quick succession, testing how far she could push her projectile off target before it failed to correct itself.


    Gerald and Audrey nodded, and Liz exhaled.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if she was ready, but with this team, they had a chance.


    I miss my bed,


    Wand #1


    [Default:[Crossbow]]


    [Sequential:[Crossbow - Mana bolt]]


    Class: Armament


    Tier: 0


    Unique Traits: None


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 2/2


    Cast refresh: 3


    Mana regeneration: 1 (10%)


    Stat Bonus: +3 Spirit


    Fragments: 11


    Liz rubbed her forehead and breathed deep the smell of car grease that still lingered on her hand.


    Never thought I¡¯d miss my garage this much. Even the rude customers.


    Looking down at the mushroom forest, she wondered what was waiting for them in there.


    ***


    Ethan wiped the blood off of his cheek and, leaning against the tunnel wall, bent over and collected his fragments. He knew he¡¯d gotten a level or two, but he couldn¡¯t spare the time to look.


    After having finished with his upgrades and assigning his points, Ethan made his way back to the large lizardling camp. He¡¯d considered luring one of the sentries out with [Whisper], but he worried that if he gave them enough time to react to his presence, they might alert the whole camp and then he¡¯d have to leave again.


    So he just walked through the entrance and started fighting them right then and there.


    Another bolt of flames shot toward him from the second fortification, lighting up the dark passage as it rushed toward him, only to be engulfed and dissipated by the bonfire around Ethan¡¯s right hand.


    Ethan lowered his right arm and reduced the flames around it. ¡°You guys are definitely the toughest lizardlings yet,¡± he called out, voice echoing in the narrow tunnel.


    Stealth had stopped being a priority after the third lizardling was burnt to a crisp.


    ¡°Leave us be, human thing,¡± said a screechy voice hidden behind the dirt wall.


    Ethan chuckled at that. ¡°You found out you couldn¡¯t capture or kill me, so you want me to leave? That¡¯s not how this works, lizard thing.¡±


    ¡°Leave! Or you will die!¡±


    In response, Ethan stepped forward while keeping an eye on the walls. He was ready to jump back or forward, just in case they somehow had a way of collapsing the tunnel, but other than that there should be nothing they could do to stop him.


    He was wiping out this camp. Though it was a bit odd how he wasn¡¯t being actively chased out already. Barely six of them had come to push him out so far, while last time, he¡¯d been practically swarmed with lizardlings.


    Either they¡¯re busy with something, or this camp is mostly civilians. Hopefully the former.


    Lizardling were nasty little shits, but if this place was full of children and whatnot¡­ Well, he¡¯d rather not murder children, even if they¡¯d probably grow up to become the murderous and violent lizardlings he¡¯d learned to expect.


    A new individual popped up from behind the dirt wall, and Ethan tensed. This one was wearing a lot of jewelery. If you could call it that. The ornaments were made of stones, barely polished gems, and even bones tied around its neck and limbs. And the jewelery was the only thing this lizardling bothered to wear.


    Ethan didn¡¯t enjoy the view, though his sense of alarm spiked.


    [Lizardling (I) - Level 30]


    The buck-naked lizardling pointed a bone-white wand at him, and a small ball of glowing flames shot out.


    It wasn¡¯t the fastest or the brightest, but something about it immediately made Ethan raise both arms to guard his face while pushing out as much fire as he could, quickly creating a barrier between him and the projectile.


    The ball touched his flame¡ªand Ethan¡¯s ears rung.


    He only heard a sharp whistle as flames engulfed him. The explosion didn¡¯t throw him back, but it most certainly rattled his bones and gave his brain a good shake. Ethan rushed backwards, just in case this portion of the tunnel collapsed.


    His ears were still ringing. The fire hadn¡¯t burned him. His own flames had protected him from most of the deflagration, and whatever had gone through wasn¡¯t enough to burn him through his fire resistance, but the shock waves did a number on his ears.


    Still, Ethan grinned. How amazing would it be if that lizardling dropped this ability¡¯s spellcore? He needed a ranged spell. This could be it.


    Next time I have to take the [Lucky Harvester] trait.


    not


    The fortification came into view as he emerged from the dust and smoke, and when he met the widening eyes of the lizardling, he screamed at it.


    Ethan had no idea why. He was sure if someone had seen that, they¡¯d think he was crazy. He must be looking crazy. He could feel the wild smile on his face.


    The lizardling raised its wand once more, but Ethan was already upon it. He swung down with an extended claw, and the sharp appendage sliced into the lizardling¡¯s hand. It shrieked at him, but Ethan barely had a chance to see its expression before he pointed his hand, sending an almost five-foot-long gout of flame right in its face.


    Ethan let the flames roar, and only cut them off when he felt the gnawing ache in his chest.


    The fire parted, revealing a still living and cringing lizardling. It lowered its hands to hiss at him, and scrambled backward when Ethan jumped over the small rampart. One of its eyes was permanently shut, while a few of its scales were discolored. It pushed itself backward, and then something unexpected happened.


    In the time it took Ethan to inhale and understand what he was looking at, a skeletal armor made of bones appeared over the lizardling¡¯s naked flesh. It didn¡¯t cover everything. The arms and legs were unprotected, but the glowing symbols over the skeletal helmet as well as the similarly magicked ribs that surrounded the lizardling¡¯s chest told Ethan that this fight might take a moment. He suspected that even though the limbs seemed unprotected, they might not be.


    This bone armor was probably a wand. And Ethan had only begun learning of their capabilities, so he wasn¡¯t underestimating this one.


    The lizardling snarled and re-summoned its wand, grimacing when it gripped its weapon with a deeply cut arm. Eyes wide, Ethan shot forward, slashing down with his right claws while simultaneously throwing another gout of flames with his left. The armor glowed brighter, and Ethan watched with amazement as the flames parted around a spherical barrier that glowed with the same soft blue as the runes engraved in the armor.


    The lizardling raised its wand, snarling. There was a flash of light, and Ethan¡¯s ears rang again.

 1.18: Tension

    Ethan stepped in, teeth bared, and leaned into the uppercut with his whole body. His flaming fist slammed into lizardling¡¯s rib, and the gout of flames hit the bone armor point-blank. The glowing symbols shone as the flames diverged around the lizardling¡¯s body, but no matter how magic the armor was, it wasn¡¯t that effective at protecting the lizardling from the incredible heat his flames were generating. It screeched, but Ethan barely heard it over the ringing in his ears.


    The lizardling reeled from the hit, but the impact itself had been mostly absorbed by the armor. It panted, teeth bared, and once more summoned that damn wand.


    It raised the wand, and Ethan braced for another explosion as he prayed the tunnel wasn¡¯t about to drop on top of them.


    Toughness might save me here as well, but I seriously don¡¯t want to experience being buried alive.


    will¡ª


    The skeletal armor dissolved into motes.


    Ethan blinked, while the lizardling¡¯s eyes went wide.


    Now!


    The young man surged forward, flames blazing. The lizardling aimed and shot one more of its exploding spells, only this time, Ethan was a foot away from it.


    It still hit the wall right next to him, and the miniature explosion rattled everything inside Ethan. Once again, his flames shielded him from the worst of it, but he felt something trickle down his ears. Hee hoped he wasn¡¯t going permanently deaf because of this.


    In any case, he was going to live. Unlike the stupid lizardling who kept using explosions in a narrow tunnel.


    God, I hope it drops the spell.


    The lizardling was on its back, thrown down by its own spell. It was trying to turn to get its knees under it, but it struggled. Like a boxer trying to get back up after getting knocked down.


    ¡°You could dish it but you couldn¡¯t take it, huh?¡± Ethan asked¡ªor at least he thought he did. He couldn¡¯t hear a thing. In any case, the lizardling didn¡¯t answer. It fell back on its side and gurgled something as it looked at him with eyes full of hate.


    Ethan took a step toward him and winced. His right shoulder was dislocated.


    Flames surged around him, muting the pain for a moment, and with a quick shake and pull, he cracked his shoulder back into place.


    Ethan grunted. He gently moved his shoulder.


    His flames roared, covering his shoulders. [Child of Flames] should accelerate its healing, hopefully. Every bone and joint in his body was in pain, but the fire was helping.


    Ethan stood over the lizardling, then sliced into its neck with his left claws. Seconds later, he heard the much waited for pings, but to his great and expected chagrin, he couldn¡¯t see any spellcores around the lizardling¡¯s body. ¡°Dammit.¡±


    He barely heard his own voice. Ethan cupped both flaming claws over his ears and hoped the fire would help.


    I really need to test how effective the new healing is. It certainly works, but I need specific numbers.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 22]


    ¡­


    You have defeated [Lizardling (I) - Level 30]


    You have reached Level 24. 1 stat point awarded.


    ¡­


    You have reached Level 26. 1 stat point awarded.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 76 fragments collected.


    Ethan quickly eyed his rewards and the fragments he¡¯d collected since this assault had started, then turned his attention to his free stat points.


    Everything can benefit from a boost¡­ but considering the damage I took from this dude¡¯s spells¡­ Let¡¯s push toughness a bit higher.


    Ethan assigned all three points to Toughness, bringing it up to 19, then he reached over and paused before tapping the lizardling¡¯s fallen wand. He narrowed his eyes, then touched the lizardling¡¯s body first.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 26 fragments collected.


    ¡°Alright. And now for the wand itself?¡±


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 39 fragments collected.


    Ethan grinned. So it did have something to do with level 30 and its hidden rewards? Did the body itself become a wand of some sort when one got to that level? Or was it a reward for something else?


    There was a wand in the mix, Ethan was sure of that. That bone armor would otherwise have no logical explanation¡ªas far as everything he¡¯d seen from this world¡¯s magic and rules, at least.


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    The ringing in his ear was getting better, but he could wait a few extra seconds before dismissing his claws. It wouldn¡¯t be for long though. Ethan had 170 fragments burning a hole in his figurative pocket and, who knew, there might be a way in there to improve his healing.


    He doubted that. But he could always hope.


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Tier: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25 seconds - 1 fragments]


    It¡¯s time. Time to see what the next tier has for me. And maybe it¡¯s a hidden quest, if I¡¯m lucky.


    Ethan eyed the upgrade for a few more seconds as he continued cupping his ears. The ringing was mostly gone¡­ so he hoped it was healing.


    The tier upgrade would boost his stats. It would most certainly unlock better upgrades, and maybe even new ones.


    Yeah. There¡¯s nothing else to spend the fragments on anyway, aside from the cast refresh.


    Right¡­ He had said he¡¯d try to buy everything before tiering up the wand. Just in case that netted him a reward or something.


    Ethan quickly bought the first cast refresh upgrade and winced at the price of the second.


    25 fragments for another 0.25 seconds. That''s a lot.


    He bought it as well, and thankfully no new cast refresh upgrade showed up, leaving him with only the Tier upgrade.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fail me now,¡± Ethan said to himself.


    He peeked down the hall, then behind him. Nothing was creeping up on him.


    Odd.


    Ethan blinked. Did he just hear himself? ¡°Testing,¡± he said, and actually heard himself over the annoying ringing still muffling his ears. A wave of relief washed over him.


    The flames were healing him. It was only a matter of time, then.


    Ethan confirmed the upgrade and braced.


    Similarly to his last wand tier upgrade, he was quickly surrounded by a whirlwind of golden light that slowly sunk into his flesh. It was a bit more intense than the usual upgrades, but soon enough it was over. Once the confirmation message came through, Ethan¡¯s hands shot up. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: Upgrade from tier-1 to tier-2 was successful.


    Congratulations. Hidden quest: Upgrade a wand to tier-2 completed.


    1x tier-2 spell token awarded.


    It had been a hidden quest. Though an easy one. Ethan expected everyone to eventually get this reward, so it might be some sort of clue for participants to look for hidden achievements.


    He¡¯d take that. He¡¯d take that any day. Though, as he examined everything else, it didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d gotten anything for buying every available upgrade.


    Oh well. Worth a shot.


    Glancing at the stat boost, he realized it had gone from 14 to 24. ¡°Damn.¡± He recalled it being boosted from tier-0 to tier-1, and he expected some stats but not a whopping extra ten points.


    Ethan ignited his claws, and couldn¡¯t suppress the shiver that ran through him when he saw how long they¡¯d gotten. The hand itself had grown thicker and more muscular. And for good reason; the talons were now nearly 8 inches long. They were thicker and curvier as well, reminding him of an eagle¡¯s talon, with a narrow and sharpened underside near the tips, perfect for slashing.


    But something wasn¡¯t right.


    too


    He ignited them, and fire licked all the way up to his shoulders, bathing his sides and bare chest in the comforting heat. Ethan chuckled as he took in the flames, marveling at how high they were getting, but his smile turned tight when he felt the tension in his hands swell.


    He turned the wand off and shook his hands, trying to loosen up the discomfort as he began to suspect the cause. ¡°[Claws] run on Spirit and Might, and I just crossed 30 in each. Also, [Claws] is still tier-0.¡±


    Could that be it? Too much power being funneled into the spell?


    Over the next few seconds, the tension began slowly turning to pain. Ethan didn¡¯t know what to do. Should he try and get a new enhancement-spell from the tier-2 token? Had [Claws] reached its limit?


    Thankfully, before he could reach a decision, a new soft ping rang in his ear, and a notification popped up.


    Congratulations. Claws (Tier-0) can now be upgraded. 20 fragments will be required.


    Ethan sighed with relief and accepted. He was glad he wasn¡¯t going to have to endure the weird tension in his hands for long.


    Claws (Tier-0) has been upgraded to Claws (Tier-1)


    He didn¡¯t need to slot the spell back into the wand. It was already there. Ethan summoned the claws and found them to be mostly similar to how they¡¯d been minutes ago, but now no tension or discomfort marred the sheer sense of power he felt well within them. After examining them for a moment, he noticed that the transformation extended a bit higher up his hand, nearly halfway up to his elbow.


    Probably to reinforce my wrists more. Seems like there¡¯s no hidden quests for a spell upgrade though¡­ Unless tier-0 to tier-1 is too low? Oh well. We¡¯ll see.


    All in all, a nice upgrade. He summoned his healing flames once more, and then, as he considered his options when it came to the tier-2 spell, he cupped his ears again. They still needed healing.


    Now¡­ Which tier-2 type of spell should I go with? Another general spell? A tier-2 enhancement-spell? Or a modifier?


    It really was a difficult choice, especially considering he had no idea of what was going to be offered to him.


    What about armament?


    Ethan grimaced a bit at that. He had nothing against armament-spells, but right out of the gate it didn¡¯t feel like the most efficient option. A long-range weapon would be nice, but his claws would become useless. A spear? He had the same range with his gouts of flames, and they were bound to get stronger and go further as he got better with his flame control.


    Well¡­ there¡¯s another option.


    Ethan could just wait. He was getting pretty close to level 30, and there would be a new wand at that level, if his theory was correct. Would a tier-2 spell be more useful there?


    As he considered the different paths he could take, Ethan felt something. A tremor in the air, but it wasn¡¯t the same as the stuff that had happened to him a couple of times.


    Ethan found himself looking down the tunnel, and his skin crawled.


    Those lizardlings were doing something weird, and he was wasting time.

 1.19: None will step out

    Ethan decided to wait on the tier-2 selection. He didn¡¯t want to rush it, and he didn¡¯t want to get the wrong kind of spell now that he was getting close to level 30. In any case, he didn¡¯t have a lot of time to dally. He couldn¡¯t afford to sit down and think his options through.


    Something was happening, and he didn¡¯t want the lizardlings to succeed.


    Ethan carefully and briskly made his way through the tunnel, and it barely took him a minute to find himself at a dead-end.


    He frowned, looking left and right for a second. ¡°The hell¡­?¡±


    Ethan raised his arms to illuminate the walls. Within seconds, he found a section that was a bit darker than the rest.


    He took a step back and studied the mismatching stone. The longer he stared at it, the clearer it was that a tunnel was supposed to be in its place. There were even tracks being cut off by the fake wall.


    Ethan grumbled. If he¡¯d gotten that explosive spell, he could have broken through this wall a lot faster.


    With his claws, he tried scooping the earth out, but it refused to come loose.


    Why is it so tough?Might have to cash in that tier-2 token. Unless¡­


    He moved a few steps to the left until he found a regular section of the wall and dragged his talons against the brown carved stone. The talons drove into the earth as if it was made of butter, which told him he couldn''t cut through the fake wall because it was made of magic.


    Interesting. What if I could overpower that, just like the lizardling¡¯s bone-armor? Would it dissolve away?


    Ethan stood in front of the off-colored portion. Then he raised both arms and let loose.


    Fire geysered out of his hand and flared against the darker stone. Ethan ate through his mana, trying to match his rate of regeneration, but his control was off and he needed to slow down on occasion.


    Another thing to work on. And I hope I¡¯m right about this wall¡­


    The temperature was rising in the tight tunnel, and it was getting uncomfortable even for him. Ethan gave it a couple more seconds before lowering his arm.


    The air was shimmering from the heat. The stone wall glowed red-hot for a second before it cooled down, but it refused to melt or dissipate.


    I don¡¯t feel like touching that just yet.


    Ethan sent another gout of flames, but this time, he put all of his focus on narrowing the fire into the center of the walled-off tunnel.


    anything.


    The world shivered around him and, as if deciding to obey his will, the fire narrowed into an almost straight jet of bright flames. The stream of fire beat on the tunnel wall, spreading outward and melting the surrounding stone. The heat was becoming unbearable. The air around Ethan rippled like an open oven. Just as he considered a retreat back toward the cooler sections of the tunnel, the jet of flames punched through.


    The fire pierced through the fake wall, leaving a still melting and glowing wall of baked mud.


    them,


    It looked full of¡­ cultists?


    He could hear them. Chanting. Going up and down on their knees. There was a great fire in the center of the room, but before he could make out some more details, a spear shot out of the hole and tried to take his eye out.


    Ethan comfortably dodged, and decided to move back away from the hole just a tiny bit. For a couple of seconds. He couldn¡¯t touch the wall just yet, fire resistance or not. Plus, considering what was happening in there¡­ Maybe he should actually cash-in the tier-2 token?


    There were at least two lizardlings above level thirty in there.


    Ethan rolled his shoulders. Yeah. It would be dumb to walk in there with an unspent advantage.


    another


    Congratulations. Flaming Enhancement (Tier-1) can be upgraded. 100 fragments are required.


    Nice. I can¡¯t afford that, though. What¡¯s this other one?


    Congratulations. Gout of Flames (Tier-1) can be learned. 50 fragments are required.


    He could afford that. He could only afford that, actually, aside from another cast refresh upgrade. Every other wand upgrade was more expensive than what he had available. But would it be worth it to spend that many fragments on an ability he could recreate? Would it be better than what he could manage by himself? The spell would be taking a slot in his wand, as well.


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    Probably not. Though he would still get the spell at a later time, as that might qualify him for a hidden quest.


    Ethan nodded to himself, then expended the token for a general tier-2 spell. He needed something that hit hard from range. A modifier might not be enough, but he remembered seeing projectile spells the last time he¡¯d had to select a General-class spell.


    Still haven¡¯t used [Whisper]. That might have been a wasted token.


    Ethan shook his head. That was a thought for a later time.


    Select a general-class tier-2 spell from the list below:


    Force Barrier: Summon a barrier made of force.


    Healing Touch: Heal a target you are currently touching.


    Ice Shard: Shoots a shard made of ice.


    Small Fireball: Shoot a small flaming projectile which explodes on impact.


    Force Lance: Shoot a lance made of force.


    Everything else is good too¡­ Aside from Ice Shard. It doesn¡¯t synergize well with anything I¡¯ve got, but I¡¯m going to eventually need something other than fire, in case I fight something with a resistance to it.


    Healing and the Barrier were interesting¡­ but they weren¡¯t what he needed right this second. He had high Toughness, and barriers only worked if he could hide behind them, which wasn¡¯t an option in his fighting style. As for healing, he had [Child of Flames] which would heal him, even though it wasn¡¯t that fast. He just sorely needed a ranged spell at this point, and he couldn¡¯t afford to delay it any further.


    Small Fireball (Tier-2) added to General spells.


    Ethan quickly replaced [Whisper] and angled himself to target the hole in the wall. He raised his hand, aimed, and shot out the [Small Fireball]. The spell flew out of his right palm; a familiar, red-glowing orb that set his nerves on edge. The spell hit the wall in less than a second, detonating in a violent explosion that shook the ground Ethan was standing on. One moment he was looking at the flying projectile, and a second later there was a flash, dust, and the damn ringing was back in his ears.


    Ethan gave it a few seconds, then slowly approached.


    The artificial wall was mostly gone. The walls were blackened, and both lizardlings were on their asses, struggling to find their weapons while they coughed out their lungs from the kicked-up dust.


    Ethan opened and closed his mouth to help with the pain in his ears.


    Must be the 34 points in Spirit.


    The spell had been a lot more potent than the ones he¡¯d tanked from the bone-wearing lizardling, and he was going to have to be careful with it. This spell would absolutely demolish him if he cast it too close. He might not be too vulnerable to the fire, but the explosion and shockwave would definitely do him in.


    Ethan stepped through the widened gap, and before the lizardlings managed to get their bearings, he cut their throats and collected their fragments. Then he slowly approached the end of the tunnel. When he stepped into the room beyond he felt his ears pop, as if there was some pressure change.


    At the center of the circular cave, there was a pyre. Something was at its center, but Ethan couldn¡¯t see it well, considering the flames surrounding it. Around the pyre, there were three naked lizardlings above level 30, their hands extended toward the flames. They wore similar jewelry to the one Ethan had fought, a mix of bones and rough gems, while at their feet, around ten glassy-eyed lizardlings were kneeling, the fire dancing in their empty eyes.


    But that wasn¡¯t what immediately pulled his gaze and made his hands twitch, cold fury building in his guts.


    Each of the kneeling lizardling was holding a severed human head in their lap.


    Beyond that circle, more lizardlings stood, chanting along with the three. Beyond those, closer to the wall, there were warriors whose heads snapped to Ethan as soon as the ritual conductor barked the order.


    Ethan wasn¡¯t sure why they hadn¡¯t moved when they heard the explosion. Maybe there was some magic muffling the noise away from the ritual? That would explain the ear-popping he experienced when he stepped into this cave.


    Well. No big deal. They¡¯d hear the next one. There were close to 50 lizardlings here, and any other time they would have been a pain to fight with his usual strategies. But not anymore.


    He had more tools at his disposal now.


    Ethan raised his hand and shot the first [Small Fireball] at the oncoming warriors. He tried to immediately shoot another at the ritual conductors, but the spell refused to trigger. As if the wand¡¯s mental trigger had disappeared.


    Probably linked to the cast refresh. Should be at four seconds and a half.


    Dust filled the space. Death notifications rang in his mind, and further away, he noticed the ritual conductors manifesting their bone armor.


    Ethan glared at them. He felt rage bubble in his stomach for those poor bastards who got captured by these filthy things. Ethan had relished the challenge, but he knew not everyone was like him. These people might have had families. Loved ones. They might have been separated from their friends. They would have been absolutely terrified when this all started, finding themselves thrown into an unknown world filled with danger and death, only to be immediately preyed upon by these things and used in¡­ whatever this was.


    No lizardling will step out of this cave.


    ¡°Four.¡±


    The dust settled and a few lizardlings continued approaching. Those who survived the explosion. A couple of them had armor and shields.


    ¡°Three.¡±


    Some of them, hidden behind the shields, raised their wands and took aim.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    Ethan increased the flames from his left hand and held his arm ahead, creating a wall of fire to weaken the lizardling¡¯s spell.


    ¡°One.¡±


    Fire projectiles. Rocks were summoned out of thin air. Off-white bolts of light. They all hit his flaming barrier and burned away. Only the stones got through, but they lost their momentum and fell to his feet.


    Ethan tried to cast [Small Fireball] once more, and this time it felt right. He triggered his wand, and the ball of exploding flames shot not at those who¡¯d just attacked him, but at the bone-wearing figures that tried to continue whatever it was they were doing.


    A white shimmer appeared right before the fireball impacted, intercepting the projectile. The fireball exploded, but the fire only spread against the white pane of light and not through it.


    A barrier.


    Ethan ignited his right arm and cracked his neck. He was going to start upgrading Cast Refresh soon.

 1.20: The master

    <div>


    The lizardlings approaching him were in rough shape. Even though they had protective measures, it just wasn¡¯t enough to shake off a close-range detonation. They came at him, slow and steady behind their shields, with their wand-users casting spells at him, and Ethan only took a few steps toward them in response.


    Beyond, the chanting continued, like a countdown in his mind. He had to interrupt them. The high-level ritualists. He had to stop whatever it was that they were doing, but he had to turn his attention to the bunch of warriors at his back.


    He shouldn¡¯t let himself be surrounded.


    Ethan took a step to the side, pointed a hand backward and drowned the oncoming lizardlings in a gout of concentrated fire.


    Shields grew red hot in seconds. Barriers cracked, and armors couldn¡¯t cover the whole body. Certainly not the eyes, unlike the magic bone-armors used by the high-level lizardlings.


    The warriors screeched and howled with pain, but Ethan didn¡¯t let off his flamethrower until they¡¯ve gone silent. He was mostly watching the conductors, but he still spared a look behind him. Where there used to be a dozen or so warriors, a mound of charred and smoking flesh littered the cave floor. The only still living lizardlings were further away, and they were already down from the fireball.


    Good enough.


    Ethan turned his attention back to the ritualists and this time, he threw a fireball at the pyre itself. He was leery of rushing the three conductors, so he hoped his provocation would drag one of them to him. One of them raised a hand, and a new barrier intercepted the blast midway to the pyre, engulfing a handful of chanting lizardlings that died instantly.


    Ethan glared at the leading lizardlings. And they glared back.


    You don¡¯t want the pyre damaged, huh? How about the singers?


    Ethan began burning through the ranks of chanters while the chanting grew more feverish. Something trembled in the air, and Ethan stole a glance toward the fire at the center of the cave. It had surged up. Whatever the lizardlings were doing, it was progressing quicker than Ethan liked.


    He cursed. If only he could use the fireball faster.


    Ethan resolved himself to take the cast refresh upgrade more seriously in the future.


    By the time he¡¯d gotten through half of the chanting lizardlings, one of the leading ritualists pulled out a dagger out of thin air, then stabbed the first kneeling individual in the heart. A moment later, he pushed the dying lizardling in the fire, along with the human head in its lap.


    Provocation isn¡¯t working. Plan B.


    Ethan abandoned the chanters and rushed at the dagger wielding conductor. He managed five steps before he slammed into a translucent white-tinted wall. To his left, another conductor stepped forward, wand raised, bone-armor ready. It said nothing.


    The dagger-wielder stabbed and pushed a second lizardling into the pyre.


    Ethan pointed at the wand-wielder and pushed against the barrier with a gout of flame. It lasted for a second before it cracked, making the mage¡¯s slitted eyes narrow. It shook its wand as Ethan rushed it, and another barrier went up right as Ethan¡¯s flames burst toward it.


    A third lizardling was thrown into the fire. Ethan didn¡¯t know how many there were, he couldn¡¯t see what was happening behind the pyre.


    He punched the barrier and threw as much fire as he could once more, overtaxing the wall of light. It shone brighter for an instant before it cracked like a glass pane and dissolved into motes. Ethan raised his left hand and shot a [Small Fireball] at the defending conductor before it could manage another barrier. A new wall of light appeared and Ethan was about to curse, but he stopped himself and a chuckle escaped his lips. The barrier separated Ethan from the fireball.


    It had come up too late.


    The spell blew up into the barrier-creator¡¯s face while two more lizardlings were pushed into the fire. Ethan saw two different body parts go flying, one of which he was pretty sure was an arm. A couple of seconds later, he got the notification for its death, but he couldn¡¯t pay attention to it. The fires of the pyre were growing wilder and brighter.


    Ethan raised his arm and aimed at the dagger-wielder as it plunged its dagger into another glassy-eyed lizardling and before he could shoot, a part of his mind ground to a halt. Something was off with the scene ahead of him. Something very important. As panic filled his chest, he realized what was off.


    Wasn¡¯t there a third shaman?


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    In the same instant he realized one of his opponents had disappeared, Ethan felt the air right next to him move. He barely had enough time to flare his flames around him and to raise his arms to protect his neck and chest when the third lizardling shed its invisibility and stabbed.


    Ethan felt the cold metal sink into his side. The blade sunk into him like a punch in his gut, cutting and tearing. The shock was distracting, as well as the odd sensation of cold metal against his flesh, but it was all wrenched away and smothered with another wave of pain when the lizardling pulled its dagger out, twisting for good measure.


    Air escaped out of his lungs through his gritting teeth and Ethan stumbled along with the dagger. The lizardling began fading once more, reactivating its invisibility when Ethan pointed with his palm and grinned with bloodied teeth.


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    A narrow gout of intense fire surged at the almost invisible lizardling. Ethan saw its eyes go wide right before fire engulfed it and it screeched. Not even the bone armor was enough for this new focused flamethrower.


    A couple of seconds later, Ethan heard the thud and stopped the stream. He turned, flaming hand on his bleeding gut and walked toward the last shaman, leaving the charred remains of the second.


    Ethan aimed at the last one and shot a fireball. He didn¡¯t look if it landed or not, instead, he pulled his level notifications and dumped every new stat point he had access to in Toughness.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 19]


    ¡­


    You have defeated [Lizardling (I) - Level 32]


    You have reached Level 27. 1 stat point awarded.


    ¡­


    You have reached Level 30. 1 stat point awarded.


    Side quest was updated.


    Warning. Cannot level further at the moment.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 31 fragments collected.


    ¡­


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 45 fragments collected.


    Ethan grimaced from the sharp pain as he dismissed the message, while another lizardling was pushed into the fire.


    Blocked from leveling? Shit. I can¡¯t look at the quest right now¡­ but the stat points should help.


    Ethan raised a hand and shot another fireball at the pyre, only for one of the chanters to run and jump in its path.


    ¡°Forgot about these.¡±


    They were mostly under level 20. Too busy with the ritual to be of any danger to him compared to the leaders, and in any case, there weren¡¯t that many of them left. If Ethan was to put a number on the surviving lizardlings, he¡¯d say there were ten at most, with only one being dangerous to him.


    The remaining ritualist has to die.


    Ethan felt a worrying wave of hot and cold in his stomach. He pushed more fire on the stab wound and forced himself not to panic.


    Think of something else. Where¡¯s that last lizard?


    Pain continued pulsing in his stomach, and Ethan felt cold sweat bead down his back. It wasn¡¯t a great sign. He tried to shape the flames of his left hand into some sort of wrap around his midsection.


    Finally, he laid eyes on the remaining shaman. The lizardling was holding its bloodied knife against its second palm and as Ethan met the reptilian¡¯s gaze, he thought he saw a gleam of triumph in them, right before it sliced its palm open and let the blood flow over the flames.


    The fire surged up in a column of bright yellow flames, making contact with the cave¡¯s ceiling for a few seconds and then¡ªit winked out.


    ¡°A master!¡± screeches the shaman as it fell to its knees, and its call was echoed by the remaining lizardlings. ¡°A master comes! To guide us! To SAVE US.¡±


    ¡°TO SAVE US,¡± echoed the rest.


    Ethan gritted his teeth from the pain. Still, he frowned. It was as if they forgot all about him. Looking down at the pyre¡ªor what remained of it¡ªhe saw blackened bones. Charred flesh and, in their midst, an ember.


    A large one. At least a couple of feet wide. Glowing red lines were spreading among its surface and from the bones, a glowing mist was flowing into the ember. Fragments.


    Ethan saw something move in the corner of his eye and tensed, but it was only more fragments flowing toward the ember from all around the room.


    The young man blinked, and his mouth opened in disbelief. Wait¡­My fragments!


    But it was too late. The fragments were sucked in in a matter of seconds. The cracks in the ember deepened, spreading out all over the surface and then, the first chunk fell out. Another was kicked out, and a gout of flame surged out of the egg as whatever was within it tried to break free and then, as if it got annoyed, the ember exploded in deflagration of fire and embers.


    The flame faded. Ethan¡¯s eyebrows shot up at what he saw, then he stilled when he saw its levels.


    ¡°No¡­ no no nononono!¡±


    The shaman lizardling clawed at its face, surprising both Ethan and the newcomer, who didn¡¯t seem to enjoy being startled like that.


    ¡°It is not one of the masters! It¡¯s¡ªaaaaAAAAAH.¡±


    The lizardling was drowned into a gout of flame at least twice as wide and intense as the best Ethan could manage. Then, the creature turned its attention to the rest of the cavern and its gaze finally landed on Ethan.


    The creature¡¯s pupils dilated, as it began walking toward him. Small wisps of fire danced all around its fur, its legs, and over its ears whenever it moved. As if the flames had always been around the creature¡¯s small body, and it just needed to move for them to be revealed.


    [Feline Fire Elemental (I) - Level 50]


    Ethan swallowed and restrained himself from panicking as he eyed the fire-cat that slowly, confidently was making its way toward him and he only had one thought as flames danced around his stabbed stomach.


    I wish I had some cat treats on me.

 1.21: Willing to negotiate

    Ethan didn¡¯t twitch a finger as he watched the orange cat approach. Not out of fear, though he was a bit worried. This thing had twenty levels on him and, well, it was a cat.


    They were unpredictable.


    Ethan didn¡¯t have a lot of experience with cats aside from the one time he tried hand-feeding one and got a nasty scratch for his trouble. He didn¡¯t hate them. He knew they could be adorable and cute and all that, but he also knew they could be¡­ jumpy.


    The cat finally reached his feet, and it sniffed up at him. It had fire-orange eyes with dilated charcoal-black irises and when it stood on its hind legs and waved its front paw, Ethan nearly moved down to pet it but refrained. Instead, he just watched for a moment, confused at what the elemental wanted.


    Oh.


    Ethan looked down at the flames licking up his wrists. The wand. Or maybe it was sensing his traits? [Child of Flames] and the wand¡¯s unique trait might be attractive to it.


    Ethan gently boosted his flames and slowly leaned over, groaning in his throat at the pain that shot through his stabbed stomach. The cat reached higher¡ªand rubbed its face on the fire a couple of times before it started licking it.


    Ethan had expected it to play with the fire or something. He didn¡¯t expect to see it munch on the fire as if it was made of cotton-candy. Neither did he expect the satisfied growl and purring as it progressively grew more and more excited.


    I guess I did have cat treats.


    Ethan fed the cat while he kept a constant healing flame around his stomach. He wasn¡¯t feeling as cold anymore, but there was still healing to do. And the flames helped keep the pain at bay.


    Glancing down at the wound, he found it nearly closed up but of course, that didn¡¯t mean the internal damage was all healed though at this point, he was almost sure his healing flames and [Enduring Brawler] would be able to fully heal him.


    Which was mind-boggling, considering the gravity of the injury.


    Ethan slowly breathed out and continued feeding the cat. The growly purrs were comforting, for some reason.


    Maybe he could make a friend out of this powerful cat-elemental-thingy.


    It took close to five minutes for the cat to stop devouring Ethan¡¯s flames. He didn¡¯t dare stop and none of the remaining lizardlings dared to move either, though he¡¯ll deal with them once his safety from the feline was assured.


    Ethan kept the flames on, but soon he began suspecting he was growing tired. Magic-wise. It hadn¡¯t been obvious at first, but as he was feeding the cat and calming down, he felt an odd sense of fatigue that seemed to emanate from his chest and down his limbs. He felt hollowed, a bit. At first he wondered if it was because of the stab, but as that wound continued healing, the tiredness in his limbs only kept growing.


    This was confirmation that channeling too much mana might create some sort of fatigue.


    Ethan slowly exhaled while the cat licked its chops. He reduced the flame of his left hand to a minimum, keeping it against his stomach.


    Might be worth taking a small break. After I deal with the remaining lizards.


    The cat rubbed at its face for a few seconds and when it was done, it looked up at Ethan. It flicked its ears, sending a small gout of fire around them, meowed once, and a prompt popped in front of his eyes.


    <Unnamed> Feline Fire Elemental is offering you a pact.


    <Unnamed> Feline Fire Elemental is offering to keep you alive. In exchange, you will provide flames whenever it desires.


    Ethan blinked at the prompt, then looked at the cat. ¡°No.¡±


    The cat growled at him, and its ears turned backward. ¡°Wait,¡± said Ethan as he ignited his right claws once more, hoping to distract the cat for a moment. His chest ached at the expenditure, but at least his little gambit worked. The cat straightened its ears and waited.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this,¡± said Ethan as he coughed in his throat to buy himself a few seconds to think. Pain shot in his stomach, but he dismissed it.


    This was huge. If he could somehow recruit this cat, it would give him an edge on a lot of participants. Plus, it was a fire cat. A fire elemental. If he was actually trying to learn fire magic, there was no better practitioner to observe.


    Ethan reeled his excitement in for a second and considered the downsides. Will this pact stuff be dangerous? Is it like those soul-selling deals in stories? It didn¡¯t seem like it¡­ there was no fine print that he could see. It seemed straightforward enough.


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    Also, how would it be enforced?


    His thoughts were cut off as the cat growled once more. He looked down at it, then condensed some fire in a small ball and offered it as a bribe. The cat curiously peered at it and tapped it with a paw. ¡°I can offer you three meals a day. In exchange, you do what I ask.¡±


    A low-ball offer. But it gave room for negotiation. The cat growled once more, twitching its ears, but its ears didn¡¯t go in airplane-mode. It gave him a long and low meow and a new prompt appeared.


    <Unnamed> Feline Fire Elemental is offering you a pact.


    <Unnamed> Feline Fire Elemental is offering to keep you alive. In exchange, you will provide flames whenever it desires.


    Ethan shook his head. Why did I think it would be willing to negotiate?


    Though it was clear enough the cat could understand him perfectly well. It was just being stubborn.


    Fitting, really.


    Ethan eyed the cat and the dancing flames all over its fur. It was still paying very close attention to his claws and to the fires coating them. Which gave him an idea.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Ethan. ¡°I¡¯ll give you flames at least three times a day. In exchange, once a day, you do at least one thing that I ask you to. We can negotiate more meals or more favors on a case-per-case basis.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ethan flared the flames of his right hand a bit more and made them dense in the cat¡¯s excited eyes. It couldn¡¯t help but track the fire and then¡ª


    Ethan snuffed the flames out.


    It surprised the cat, and it definitely annoyed it. Ethan forestalled it. ¡°Accept, and you¡¯ll get to see the fires every day. I get into a lot of fights. You can travel with me. And you¡¯ll be able to taste a lot of different fires.¡±


    The elemental swished it tails left and right and stared up at him. It flicked its ear once or twice as it thought it through, and then it gave him a resolved meow.


    <Unnamed> Feline Fire Elemental accepts the pact you offered.


    The cat¡¯s fur ignited. Its paws left the ground as it rose in the air, while Ethan¡¯s body locked up. The temperature rose around them, and Ethan found himself locking eyes with the cat. Something snapped between them in a second. A connection. And through it, he felt a foreign emotion leak into his own mind. He felt curiosity from the elemental. Boredom. Confidence.


    Typical cat things.


    And then the magic was over, and the odd energy holding him in place relented.


    Ethan exhaled in relief. That had been more intense than expected. Looking down, he found the cat swishing its tail, staring up, so Ethan ignited his hands once more, ignoring the worsening ache in his chest, and watched as the cat excitedly focused on the flames. A second later, it jumped up, trailing flames, and Ethan expected the fire to feel hot or maybe even burn him, but it didn¡¯t. It was just warm. A bit like his own flames.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to finish off those lizardlings and then we can leave.¡±


    The cat turned to him and meowed.¡°[Food?]¡±


    The feminine voice in his head made him jump. He looked left to the cat on his shoulder. ¡°You can speak?¡±


    In response, it rubbed at its face with its paw for a second and then gave him a bored look. It meowed in its throat. ¡°[Yes,]¡± the cat said, and its voice definitely sounded exasperated. She flicked its head at the lizardlings. ¡°[Food?]¡±


    How about that? Talking cats. Well, elementals in this case. Wait. Was she a cat with elemental powers, or an elemental in a cat form?


    Ethan couldn¡¯t tell, but he could ask her later. He glanced at the lizardlings and shook his head. ¡°Not food for me. And I think you can do better.¡±


    The cat jumped off his shoulder and went to lie near the door, then it closed its eyes. Clearly, it wasn¡¯t willing to deal with whatever it was he intended to do and instead was more interested in a micro-nap.


    Well, Ethan didn¡¯t mind that and in the end, something good ended up coming from these lizardlings. But they were still going to pay for the poor people they decapitated and fed to the flames.


    He glanced at them. There were a dozen or so still alive, but it seemed the fight had left their bodies once their ritual ended up summoning a cat and not whatever it was they¡¯d been expecting. They sat there on the bare stone floor, listlessly staring at him or at the cat.


    Ethan frowned. He didn¡¯t like that. He¡¯d rather they fight back or just attack him.


    Before he could consider letting them walk out and wallow in their defeat, the image of the decapitated heads flashed in his eyes, and he knew he couldn¡¯t let them walk out of the cave. Not if there was any risk they¡¯d start their shit again with some new unsuspecting victims. But before he got to that unpleasantness, he wanted to check on another problem.


    What¡¯s going on with my levels? And what¡¯s happening with the updated quest?


    Side quest:


    Reach level 30 and declare your true path


    Reward:


    Prime Wand


    Body Reforging


    10 stat points.


    Ethan mumbled. ¡°What does that mean? What¡¯s a true path?¡±


    Looking away from that for a second, he checked the rewards and whistled. ¡°It is a wand. A new one. And what about this body reforging? Is that why I can¡¯t level anymore?¡±


    He looked up at the lizardlings, and found them staring at the ground. None of them was above level 20 and he just didn¡¯t want to deal with them, but he couldn¡¯t have them around either. Not when he needed to spend time on his interface.


    It would have been better if there was still a shred of a fight within them. But I can¡¯t risk it.


    Ethan extended his hand and, ignoring the fatigue weighing him down, he lobbed a small fireball in their midst.

 1.22 The declaration

    The cat¡¯s tail swished as Ethan finished off the remaining lizardlings. She was lying on her stomach, pupils narrowed in a line. Her flames were more agitated as well, flaring up in bursts over her back and chest, but soon enough, there was quiet in the cave and she seemed to relax. She put her head down and the flames quieted.


    Ethan moved to the other end of the cave, away from the smoke and smells, and sat against the stone wall. He expected the cat to move or do something, but she stayed still.


    Did it fall asleep already?


    Well, he didn¡¯t mind that. He had a puzzle to solve, anyway.


    Declare your true path¡­


    Was this some sort of resolve thing? Like a promise or an oath? Or was it about general life stuff?


    Ethan wanted to delve into it deeper, but the gnawing emptiness in his chest and body was becoming too much to bear. He knew it was a mana-thing at this point, so he glanced down at his stomach and found the skin fully closed. Gently probing it, he found the area a bit painful, but not debilitating. Ethan turned off the wands and instantly, a weighted blanket was lifted off his chest. He groaned in relief, closing his eyes as he leaned against the wall.


    Mana exhaustion is a thing. It might be related to my stats too. Maybe it wasn¡¯t too taxing when I had low a Spirit stat but if that¡¯s the potency of my magic, it would make sense if it exhausts me faster.


    Thankfully, that might be resolved by this body reforging reward. Once he figured out the path stuff.


    Couldn¡¯t they make it simpler? I have no time to waste on this.


    He didn¡¯t want to be solving riddles right now. He wanted to find the exit of the floor. He¡¯d hoped the lizardlings would be connected to it, but clearly, they weren¡¯t. This had been worth it and he¡¯d gotten a new ally out of it¡ªpotentially¡ªbut he¡¯d made no progress on the main quest.


    Ethan thought back on the raid and grinned. It had gone well, all things considered. Really well.


    They hadn¡¯t managed to stop him.


    As Ethan recalled himself cutting through the wall, tearing into the barriers and forcing his way through the lizardling¡¯s defenses, the air shivered around him, and his eyes widened.


    He¡¯d had that happen a few times. Especially when he¡¯d been thinking of this new life and how he wanted to be.


    Ethan looked down at the quest description one more time and whispered. ¡°A path. A way of doing things?¡±


    Ethan cleared his thoughts and looked up at the cave ceiling.


    I will burn through every obstacle until I¡¯m standing at the top. Wherever that is.


    The air trembled around him, and his breath caught. He glanced up and saw the cat looking at him, still lounging on the floor.


    He should think of a name for her.


    Ethan turned his attention back to the quest. His heart beat loudly into his ears. Maybe he needed to say it? And what was the top, really?


    How long would he climb?


    Ethan shook his head. It didn''t matter how long he needed to climb. He wasn¡¯t going to keep the past or anything else chain him down. If there¡¯s a ledge above him where someone might stand and look down on him, he was reaching up for it.


    The idea percolated in his mind. His resolve. It didn¡¯t need to be complicated or wordy. It was short, really.


    It was something he lived by, in a way, since he was a child.


    ¡°I will not be stopped.¡±


    Something whooshed around him, and the air suddenly grew tense. Electric. Whatever energy was coalescing around him, it kept building up. Both outside and within his chest.


    It reminded him of his first interaction with the system.


    Ethan had barely enough time to see the ¡°side quest completed¡± message before more text appeared over it.


    Body Reforging beginning in 3¡­ 2¡­1


    His body seized and his teeth clamped shut. The mysterious energy around him began pouring into his skin, sinking through his flesh and bones like molten metal. His veins bulged. His eyes watered while pain and spasm racked through his body.


    Ethan gritted his teeth harder, tasting blood. He might have been smiling as well, he couldn¡¯t tell. But this was a small price to pay for power, which was exactly when the process got worse.


    A new wave of energy swelled in his chest. It reminded him of mana, but he didn¡¯t feel it in his flesh or bones. No, it was¡­ somewhere else. His soul, he imagined, and the pain easily eclipsed the one of his body.


    Ethan felt like wax. Like he was being molten right before he¡¯d be put back together, and next thing he knew, he found himself looking at the ceiling while his body and soul were thrown into the proverbial forge.


    Worth¡­ it¡­


    Then the screams tore themselves out of his throat.


    ***


    Ethan laid in a pool of his own stinking sweat, panting. He was tired, but the feeling was quickly fading as his new body finally finished changing and as his Toughness began to take over.


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    I need to go back to that pond and wash-up. And I¡¯m starving. Again.


    He slowly got up and took in the cave, winking his nose at his own smell. The cat was still asleep, uncaring about whatever happened to him.


    Typical cat.


    His claws appeared over his hand, larger than ever, and fire ignited. They were nearly ten-inch long now, and Ethan realized the mana fatigue was gone.


    Looking down at the stab wound, he didn¡¯t find it. None of the other wounds were present, either. Not the cuts, nor the bullet scar that should have been on the left side of his lower abdomen. He couldn¡¯t see the exit wound and when he reached with his fingers for the entrance scar, he couldn¡¯t feel the smooth scar tissue.


    Ethan grinned.


    Incredible. I wonder if this grew back my kidney as well.


    He stretched his limbs for a moment and marveled at the strength and energy he was feeling. Was this all thanks to the body reforging? If so, he wanted more.


    Ethan lowered his arms, and another whiff entered his nostril. This time, he almost gagged.


    I¡¯ll need some soap and water on hand for the next upgrade.


    For now, he decided to spray his upper body with a small gout of flames. Maybe the fire would help with the smell. As the flames covered his upper body, he looked at his notifications and checked the timer on the main quest.


    Main Quest: Gain access to the second floor within 5 days, 15 hours, and 52 minutes.


    Congratulations. Side quest completed.


    Prime Wand


    Body Reforging


    10 stat points.


    The body reforging process was completed successfully.


    The Prime Wand formation was completed successfully.


    Right. The wand. And I guess I¡¯ve got some stat points to assign as well.


    Prime Wand of the Juggernaut:


    Tier: 1


    Form: None


    Stat Bonus: 5


    Fragments: 0


    Available wand upgrades:


    [First Form - 150 fragments]


    ¡°Damn. That¡¯s a cool name for a wand.¡±


    Ethan was grinning widely as he took in the details of this new wand and when he realized its stat bonus applied to all of his stats, he chuckled. ¡°This is amazing.¡±


    Though Ethan didn¡¯t miss the not so small differences of this new wand. Its profile was very different from what he was used to, but then again, this wand seemed special. It was more¡­ personal. He suspected the other stats and upgrades like mana regeneration and capacity would show up once he unlocked the first form and for that, he needed fragments.


    Should have waited before collecting them from that sorry lot. I¡¯ll look for something to hunt when I go wash up.


    Next, Ethan turned his attention to his stats. He had 10 points to assign. His Mana was falling behind while both Might and Spirit were still pretty low, even though both were technically the highest thanks to the Wand of the Lesser Elemental.


    ¡°Two in Toughness for a clean 30 before the new wand boost. Four each for Spirit and Might. Mana will get something next time.¡±


    Good enough. Next, he checked if there was a new side quest and found out that yes, there was one. In fact, two side quests were available. One was to unlock three forms for the Prime Wand and it would reward him with one tier-2 spell token, while the second quest was to reach level 40. The reward for that was another 10 points in stats and a trait.


    Ethan rubbed his bare hands together in excitement as he began walking toward the exit. ¡°We got a lot to do¡­ um. What do I call you? Do you have a name?¡±


    The cat looked up at him for a second, then put her head back down and flicked her ears.


    ¡°Well, the prompts said you were unnamed earlier. How about¡­ Blaze?¡±


    Ear flick.


    ¡°Paprika?¡±


    Another ear flick.


    ¡°Ash? Enya? Kindle?¡±


    The cat growled in her throat, and a clear sense of annoyance came through the link.


    Ethan hummed. ¡°Well, you came out of some sort of glowing charcoal. How about Ember?¡±


    No ear flicks. It might be the closest thing to acceptance he was getting out of the elemental.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go with that. I¡¯m going to go wash up. You want to come along?¡±


    The cat looked up and gave him a narrow-eyed look for a second before she meowed. ¡°[You can go. You should be easy enough to find smelling like you do.]¡±


    Then it closed its eyes and rolled itself in a ball, making sure to tuck her nose under her paw.


    Ethan stared down at her, mouth open. That actually hurt a little. He turned away and shook his head. Why couldn¡¯t he have found a dog instead?


    At least I have all of these nice stats to comfort me. Plus, I should go check on the others soon.


    He smiled at that. He wondered what kind of face the archer would have if Ethan showed up with his current levels.


    Name: Ethan Voss


    Traits: [Universal tongue, Enduring Brawler, Child of Flames]


    Pacts: Ember - Feline Fire Elemental (I) - Level 50


    Level 30


    Might: 43


    Toughness: 35


    Spirit: 43


    Mana: 15


    Prime Wand:


    Tier: 1


    Form: None


    Stat Bonus: +5


    Fragments: 0


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental:


    [Form: [Extended][Flaming][Claws]]


    [Sequential:[Small Fireball]]


    Class: Enhancer


    Tier: 2


    Unique Traits: [Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental - In use]


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 4/4


    Cast refresh: 4.5s


    Mana regeneration: 2 (12%)


    Stat Bonus: +24 Might +24 Spirit


    Fragments: 186

 1.23 Violent and hungry

    It didn¡¯t take Ethan long to find the first candidate to test his new abilities. It actually approached him as he was washing up. But unfortunately, the fight had ended too quickly for him to get a good feel for the changes.


    At least I know the fire¡¯s defensive abilities got a bit stronger. Almost completely stopped the tongue attack.


    Ethan leaned down and touched the badly burnt tongue of the toad with his bare hand. Not with his claws. Light detached from the amphibian¡¯s appendage and sunk through his flesh, and a notification soon followed, confirming his new wand was part of his body and didn¡¯t need to be manifested to absorb fragments.


    Prime Wand: 19 fragments collected.


    Ethan sighed and glanced down at his arms. Summoning the claws on his right hand, he dragged one of the sharp talons across his left forearm. He cut deep. Enough for the blood to spurt a bit. Then he took note of the time left in the main quests and covered the injury with his flames.


    It was time to take some measures and get a better idea of his healing capabilities. From what he observed from the last fight, [Child of Flames] had grown a bit stronger, making his flames thicker and more vibrant. If his ¡°body¡± upgrade had made his traits stronger, then both his trait¡¯s healing capabilities should have been boosted as well. He just needed to confirm it.


    I should have put my pants on first, though.


    Ethan sighed, then began maneuvering his pants around his ankles, using only his right hand. They were getting too crispy, no matter how hard he tried to keep his fires away from them. Scorch marks and holes were multiplying rapidly, especially near the waist.


    I need to find some fire resistant clothing soon. I don¡¯t think my underwear will last long once the pants are out.


    Just as he was zipping up the pants, his old phone, barely holding to the edge of his pocket, fell to the forest floor with a soft thump.


    Ethan picked up and examined it for a second, wincing as he noticed the cracks on both its front panel and back. ¡°What should I do with this?¡±


    Turning it over in his hands for a few seconds, he decided to put it back in his pocket. It was an old model. Pretty small and light, which is why he mostly forgot about it and it still didn¡¯t work, but he felt weird about throwing it, so he might as well keep it in his pocket.


    If it got lost over the next few days, then so be it.


    Ethan glanced down at the cut in his left arm. The blood was clotted and as he scratched it away to look at the wound, he found it had almost halfway healed. The edge had already fully closed up.


    It¡¯s been¡­ only three or four minutes. Damn.


    In the end, the whole cut closed up in around ten minutes. Fifteen for the scar tissue to heal away and disappear.


    It was astonishing, honestly. But he¡¯ll still have to be careful. This level of healing was perfect for an after-fight recovery, but it won¡¯t be that beneficial to him in the middle of the action.


    Still better than nothing, though.


    While he waited for the water to dry off his skin, he loaded up his other wand and checked the upgrades. The air was chilly, but even though he was all wet, he didn¡¯t really shiver. Sure, he wouldn¡¯t mind some fire or a towel, but it really wasn¡¯t at all uncomfortable.


    Toughness will come in handy if I ever have to deal with extreme weather.


    Ethan eyed the upgrades and as he looked through them, he saw a couple of options he¡¯d sort of forgotten about; the spells he could learn and upgrade.


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Tier: 2 to 3 - 500 fragments]


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 80 fragments]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 1 - 80 fragments]


    [Stat Bonus: Increase by 6 - 120 fragments]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25 seconds - 50 fragments]


    [Learn: Gout of Flames (Tier-1) - 50 fragments]


    [Upgrade: Flaming Enhancement (Tier-1) - 100 fragments]


    It¡¯s odd how [Claws] just upgraded by itself, while [Flaming Enhancement]¡¯s upgrade costs fragments. Does it have to do with the tier? Or was it spontaneous because of the pressure my Spirit stat was putting on the spell?


    Or maybe it was both. A combination of the pressure on the spell to upgrade so it could handle more power, and the fact that tier-0 spells are weaker.


    Ethan would like to know, but he wasn¡¯t likely to get that answer down here in the underground mushroom forest, so he moved on for now.


    [Gout of Flames] can be learned, though I don¡¯t really care about it as much. But I do have the fragments for it, and it¡¯s worth it if it nets me a hidden quest.


    Ethan hummed. ¡°It might be a bit better than my own version, too.¡±


    That was an exciting thought. He could learn from it if it was better, though his main goal was still to uncover another hidden quest.


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    Ethan nodded decisively. He would do that, but he had to get a move on. He needed to finish with the upgrades and get back out there. The timer was ticking, and he still had no clue where the exit could be.


    Ethan put his hands on his hips and paid up the 100 fragments first.


    Select one of the following upgrades for [Flaming Enhancement] upgrades:


    Flaming spell (Tier-2) - Modifier-class


    Scorching Enhancement (Tier-2) - Modifier-class


    Flaming Claws (Tier-1) - Enhancement-class


    Ethan crossed his arms and studied the options for a few seconds.


    The first was apparently increasing the compatibility of the spell. It wasn¡¯t limited to enhancements anymore, aka it would work on regular spells and on armaments.


    Ethan didn¡¯t care for that upgrade at all. It might be useful eventually, sure, but it was nothing he could use right now. It wasn¡¯t something he could benefit from right now, and it paled compared to the next option.


    Yeah. That¡¯s a pass from me.


    Ethan next tapped the second option, and grinned as he read the description.


    Scorching Enhancement (Tier-2): Unleash searing heat and flames from your enhancement.


    He was tempted to select the second option already. Compared to the first and the last, [Scorching Enhancement] felt like an upgrade. Still, he gave the last option a few seconds. It was a combination of [Claws] and [Flaming Enhancement], which would leave him with an extra wand slot, but it would keep the spell at tier-1 on top of locking both spells together.


    Ethan didn¡¯t want to lock his [Claws] to fire only, even though the element was becoming his specialty, thanks to [Child of Flames], [Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental], as well as his pact.


    He liked the straightforwardness of fire, but it might not always be the most effective weapon. For example, what if he¡ªfor no particular reason¡ªneeded to fight fire elementals? He¡¯d be completely powerless. His magic would only be a meal for them. On the other hand, if he had a couple of different modifiers set aside for special cases, like [Watery Enhancement] or like¡­ [Electric Enhancement], wouldn¡¯t that be much more optimal?


    ¡°Yeah. Specializing with fire might give me an edge in some situations, but I don¡¯t want to restrict myself too much either and in any case, [Scorching Enhancement] is the superior upgrade. It¡¯s both a specialized upgrade, and it doesn¡¯t exclude future variations to [Claws].¡±


    Ethan confirmed his choice, then paid the fragments.


    His wand manifested by itself, but there were no flames. A small cloud of gold appeared around them and began swirling around his clawed hands, then slowly began sinking into his claws. His hands glowed gold for a few moments. It felt as if they were being dipped in molten gold, but it wasn¡¯t painful. It was as if his mind was telling him about the incredible heat, but he could only feel a comfortable warmth on his skin. Then the wand was dismissed, while the searing yet comfortable heat flowed up his arms and into his chest.


    Flaming Enhancement (Tier-1) upgraded to Scorching Enhancement (Tier-2)


    He looked down at his bare hand for a second, then took a deep breath and grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s see this upgrade, then.¡±


    Ethan activated [Scorching Enhancement], and his breath caught in his chest.


    The familiar and quick transformation started as it always did. His skin toughened, while his joints and musculature bulged to support the long claws. But while his flesh barely changed color with the tier-1 spell, his hand was now charcoal black and almost scaly. Cracks of glowing red pulsed beneath the surface while heat began to radiate out in visible haze that distorted the air around his hands and when Ethan willed the fire out, it surged out, violent and hungry, as if he¡¯d just poured gasoline over an open flame.


    Even though he was immune to the fire and heat generated by his own wand, he wasn¡¯t impervious to their effects on his immediate area. Already, sweat began beading across his forehead as he marveled at the intensity of his new claws, eyes wide with glee.


    Ethan felt like a superhero from some movie or comic he¡¯d never had the chance to read.


    Just as he considered experimenting more with his new power-up, the sound of a crashing tree shook him out of his wonder. He dismissed the claws and glanced toward the center of the cave segment. The source was nearby. Probably within minutes.


    Ethan looked at his remaining upgrade, then shrugged.


    I guess I¡¯ll do that later. I do want something to test these new hands on. Plus, I do need some fragments for the Prime wand, so let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on.


    ***


    Liz grit her teeth and cursed as she tore the arrow out of her thigh, back against a mushroom tree. It wasn¡¯t anything Amelie couldn¡¯t heal, but man, she just wanted a break. Behind her, Lance continued to speak.


    ¡°You four hurt one of my men. Bronson is still down for the count, and why? Because we asked you to help? After we saved your friend¡¯s life?¡±


    Liz stole a glance around the wet-smelling mushroom trunk and the archer waiting, arrow nocked.


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± spat out Amelie from behind Audrey¡¯s tower shield. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have had to knock him out if he let us go. We don¡¯t fucking work for you, asshole. You don¡¯t own us.¡±


    To Liz¡¯s right, hidden behind another tree, Gerald vehemently nodded, sword gripped tight. She could see the frustration on the man¡¯s face while she lifted her crossbow once more.


    ¡°Whatever it is you folk are fighting about, go do it elsewhere! You¡¯re going to draw the monster to our camp, for god¡¯s sake!¡± shouted the third party. A group of high schoolers and their coach. Football team, by the look of it. Most had shields in their arms, while a few had bows and crossbows and they were lined up near the fallen tree, both facing Lance¡¯s group and Liz¡¯s.


    ¡°We have a camp you can join if you¡¯re worried about your boy¡¯s safety,¡± Robert called out. The shield-bearer in Lance¡¯s party seemed confident. He didn¡¯t even have the shield up.


    Amelie laughed scornfully at that and called out to the coach. ¡°Those three will hoard the kills and fragments for their own damn self and feed you scraps while calling it a favor. Trust me, you¡¯re better off on your own.¡±


    The clearing was quiet for a second, then Lance spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s sad that it came to this, but I can¡¯t have you attack and almost murder innocent people and let you get away with it.¡±


    What a piece of shit¡­


    Liz tightened her grip. What was he going to do? Did he have a way of seeing them? Did he have something explosive?


    She winced as she shifted her weight. What was happening back there? She didn¡¯t want to risk poking her head out again. He could be waiting for it, now that he saw where she was hiding.


    But if he misses the first shot, we can get him.


    Liz paused, then strongly shook her head.


    Nope. Not worth taking an arrow to the eye.


    She slowly exhaled and took stock of the situation. Lance and his two cronies had levels on them, but her group had the numbers. They just needed a good shot. One good bolt.


    Who am I kidding¡­ the weakest of them is level 21 while Amelie just made 17. Lance is 23. We don¡¯t win this.


    As she considered her options, the heavy silence was finally broken by one of the high schoolers. ¡°Fuck¡­¡±


    She glanced toward the coach¡¯s group and saw them all staring toward her right. The coach was mumbling instructions to his people, and they began rearranging themselves and backing away while he turned to Liz and Lance¡¯s group. ¡°Goddammit people. Something¡¯s coming and it¡¯s all your damn fault. At least help us clean up your damn mess.¡±


    Liz looked to her right but she couldn¡¯t pick up much aside from Audrey and Amelie shifting away from their position. Whatever was approaching, it had been coming behind the two.


    When they were finally close, Audrey whispered. ¡°Use the distraction and leave?¡±


    Liz considered that for a second, then nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It was for the best. They weren¡¯t ready to tangle with Lance. Not yet. Liz exhaled and prepared to run when someone began cackling.


    ¡°Gerald?¡±


    The man was using his sword like a cane as he laughed, and a second later, Liz lowered her crossbow as she saw the bare-chested figure step out of the woods.


    ¡°Holy¡­ crap.¡±


    Human (I) - Level 30

 1.24: Any clues?

    Amelie


    Amelie stared at the bare-chested stranger for one more second then broke the silence. ¡°What happened to him? Not that I mind some skin, don¡¯t get me wrong. But what¡¯s up with the burnt pants?¡±


    Gerald, Liz, and Audrey turned to the short woman.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you a med student or something?¡± Gerald asked.


    Amelie raised an eyebrow at the older man. ¡°Yeah, so?¡±


    Liz blinked. ¡°Well¡­ aren¡¯t you like, not supposed to say stuff like that?¡±


    Amelie shrugged and continued peeking at the stranger from behind her sister¡¯s shield. Lance had a nervous smile on his face while he pointed his bow at the stranger. She nodded toward the approaching young man. ¡°He¡¯s not a patient and I¡¯m not in a hospital. And it¡¯s not as if I was ever going to graduate. This crap spared me from getting kicked out of the program. Anyway, shush. This is about to get good.¡±


    The clearing was quiet as Ethan rubbed the back of his head. He glanced around, met Amelie and Audrey¡¯s eyes, then nodded to Liz and Gerald.


    Damn. Liz and Gerald weren¡¯t lying about his levels.


    Amelie grinned as the archer¡¯s smile grew tighter and clammier by the second.


    Serves him right.


    The newcomer cracked his neck and spoke, nodding down at the armed bow. His voice was clear, and Amelie thought she heard a note of amusement in it. ¡°Put that thing down before someone¡¯s eyes get poked out.¡±


    His meaning quickly clicked in her mind, and her grin grew wider.


    Lance gave him a confused look before he regained his smile. His little group had grown tense, while the nocked blue arrow began crackling with electricity. ¡°You mean before I poke someone¡¯s eyes out? Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Ethan shook his head as he continued approaching. She couldn¡¯t see any wand or weapon on him, but he didn¡¯t seem worried at all. ¡°I said what I said. Don¡¯t think I forgot that potshot you took at me yesterday. So put the bow down before I come and shove it up your ass.¡±


    ¡°Again with the threats, brat,¡± spat out the shield bearer. Robert, if she recalled right. Something about management or construction? Didn¡¯t matter. He was just another asshole drunk on power.


    Ethan shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not the one threatening you with a weapon, am I? I don¡¯t even have my wand out. But once more I promise you this: you won¡¯t like what happens the next time you point those toothpicks at me. So. Lower your weapons, and let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Lance glared at the approaching young man, his smile gone while the gear turned behind his dead eyes. The drunkest on power of all. He used to work in security, she believed. Those black pants and boots looked like they might fit the role, but who knows.


    The archer began lowering the shortbow, but Amelie noticed he wasn¡¯t relaxing his pull.


    Is this guy for real?


    Amelie shook her head. How stupid could he be? She wished he¡¯d do it. She¡¯d love to watch him get the shit kicked out of him. There was no chance he could hurt the newcomer. She¡¯d seen the monsters that cracked through level 30 and how tough those things could be. There was no way that arrow would be able to do any permanent damage. Shit, it might not even reach him and even if it did, it would barely affect her mana to heal what little damage the projectile would do.


    Her eyes were opened wide. She didn¡¯t want to miss anything. By god, she wanted to see what happened. For a second, she considered scaring off Lance somehow to force him into action. Unfortunately, the archer¡¯s caution won out. Lance relaxed his bow and a moment later, his two companions lowered their wand and shield respectively.


    ¡°Coward!¡± heckled Amelie as she poked her head out from behind her sister¡¯s shield, earning her a surprised look and a wider smile from Ethan, and a tasty hateful glare from Lance. The archer¡¯s grip tightened around his bow, but he didn¡¯t dare lift again. The worried glanced he shot at the still wand-less Ethan told her all she needed to know.


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    Amelie was first to step out from cover. Audrey scrambled after her to shield her, and Liz and Gerald quickly followed suit.


    ***


    Ethan had found the source of commotion pretty fast, all things considered. He¡¯d stopped for a second or two to read a notification, because he just had to. He¡¯d been right about the hidden quest. He hadn¡¯t noticed it at first as he¡¯d been absorbed in testing the new wand form, but as he made his way, he saw it.


    Congratulations. Hidden quest: <Upgrade a spell to tier-2 > completed.


    1 tier-2 spell token awarded.


    He wondered if he¡¯d get something as well for learning [Gout of Flames] as well. But it will have to wait. For now, Ethan let the archer and his two companions stew as he turned his attention to Liz and her teammates.


    Gerald greeted him warmly, and even gave him a surprisingly wide smile and a handshake. The man seemed a bit more gaunt since last he saw him, but he most certainly had been investing in Might, if his handshake was of any indication.


    His clothes are fine too, lucky bastard.


    Liz, still wearing her greasy¡ªand now bloodied¡ªoveralls enthusiastically gave him a few bullet points about what happened since they¡¯ve last met. Martha hated his guts, apparently, which he honestly couldn¡¯t care less about, while old man Luther had not been in Lance¡¯s camp. As far as they could tell, of course. Liz and Gerald hadn¡¯t been allowed to ask too many questions or roam as they wished. As soon as they got there they had to ¡°pay back¡± the favor Lance had done them, which quickly turned to straight-up exploitation.


    Lance¡ªthe archer¡ªand his little group seemed to have put themselves in charge. Liz even alluded to a couple of disturbing things that made the archer and his troupe shuffle uncomfortably.


    Ethan didn¡¯t miss that.


    Liz paused after a few moments, finally unable to ignore his current attire then waved at him. ¡°Look I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re alive¡­ but what happened to your clothes? It looked like you just stepped out of a burning building.¡±


    Ethan glanced down and grimaced. ¡°Ah well¡­ they got burnt. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to lose the pants soon as well.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± said the shorter girl in gym clothes, right before she caught an elbow from an impressively fit woman. Her sister, if Ethan recalled right. Amelie and Audrey.


    He could see the familiarity in both of their features. The eyes were the same, a clear green that almost looked blue. Amelie had more of an average height and two streaks of white-dyed locks, while Audrey was as tall as he was and definitely more muscular. Her hair was cut short, and she still had her tower shield in her arm.


    Liz and Gerald had gotten themselves some good teammates, it seems.


    Ethan was most impressed with Liz and Gerald, to be frank. He¡¯d left them barely a day ago and here they were, each almost at level 14 and 15. That was decently fast progress but before he could congratulate them and turn his attention back to Lance, someone else stepped closer.


    The coach was a tall and fit man. He was still wearing a green and yellow tracksuit with a small high school logo near the chest that Ethan didn¡¯t recognize. Aaron stopped a dozen or so feet away, creating a loose triangle with three factions standing a good distance away from each other.


    Amelie kept openly glaring at the archer, which was fair, considering that man¡¯s attitude so far. She did call him a coward too, and Ethan agreed. He had definitely wanted the archer to take a shot just so he could beat the living crap out of him. Ethan didn¡¯t think another half-assed shot at his life was worth killing for, but the man did deserve a good punch and if what Liz alluded to was real¡ªwhich he believed, considering she had no reason to lie¡ªLance definitely deserved a couple of kicks as well. Enough to make him lose a few days in recovery.


    They soon started talking, with the coach telling them how he found himself with his class at the mouth of a cavern, which contrasted with Ethan¡¯s experience. ¡°We started exploring the cave and came upon those lizard-things. They tried to capture us at first but when we pushed them off me and the boys, they¡¯d gotten a lot more aggressive¡­ we ah¡­ had to kill a few. But ever since we¡¯d been hunting toads and lizards and whatever else we could find for levels.¡±


    Ethan nodded along. This implied that there might be more drop points around and potentially more camps like the one Liz had stopped at. The underground network might extend a lot further than expected, so he needed to pick up the pace. There wasn¡¯t a lot of days left and unfortunately, he didn¡¯t expect many to share where the exit lay if they ever found it.


    Main Quest: Gain access to the second floor within 5 days, 14 hours, and 14 minutes.


    Time continued to tick down and it was somewhat understandable that some would keep such valuable knowledge to themselves. But not everyone was a good liar, and Ethan believed he had a good sense about this sort of thing so when the three factions plunged into an uncomfortable silence after a few seconds, he threw the grenade in their midst and watched.


    ¡°Any clues on the floor exit so far?¡±


    As soon as he asked it, all of his focus was on Lance and his group. Liz¡¯s group might know something, and so might the coach, but Lance was the only one he felt would deserve to have the figurative coins shaken out of his pockets.


    Lance¡¯s face was blank, and so was the shorter shield-bearer. But the healer cracked. When Ethan had voiced his question, the office-worker had glanced at Lance.


    Ethan kept the smile off his face. It seemed like he might be walking away for this meet-up with some actionable information after all.

 1.25: Upside-down shakedown

    While Lance and his cronies kept their secrets to themselves, Liz and her companions all shook their heads and swore that they had no clue¡ªwhich Ethan believed. He didn¡¯t know the two girls, but he didn¡¯t doubt Liz and Gerald¡¯s honestly. They couldn¡¯t have cracked the main quest so fast, considering their delayed start.


    As for the coach, he was just as apologetic, if not more. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but we haven¡¯t dared move too deep. I have to make sure my boys stay safe,¡± he said as he glanced back. Ethan followed his gaze to see the many young faces hidden behind lowered round and tower shields. Most looked resolved and ready, but the dirt and dark circles under many of their eyes could not be missed. The coach turned back to him. ¡°Please. Please let us know when you find it, I really don¡¯t mind if we go last as long as I can get them out of here.¡±


    Ethan stared at the man for a second then nodded. He couldn¡¯t help but feel awed for a moment. As far as he could tell, there hadn¡¯t been any subterfuge or deceit from the man. None. It almost made him uncomfortable, but Ethan had met one or two of the man¡¯s kind.


    In a way, that kindness reminded him of Luther. As long as you¡¯d ignore the rudeness and sarcasm that made up the rest of the old man¡¯s personality.


    Those boys were lucky, and for a second, a what-if scenario tried to form itself in the back of his mind. A scenario of what would have happened if he¡¯d met someone like this early enough, but he quickly quashed the thoughts away.


    This wasn¡¯t the time for ifs and buts and useless speculations. Plus, if he hadn¡¯t had lived through his troubling childhood, he might not have had the tools and mindset to let him live through this mess.


    Hell, he might already be dead.


    Ethan shook his head. He didn¡¯t have much time to consider such far fetched scenarios and in any case, the moment was ruined by the shield-bearer. Robert scoffed at the surprised coach. ¡°Save us that sap story, would ya?¡±


    Ethan exhaled. He was brought back to the world he was more familiar with. At least the office-worker behind them stayed quiet but man¡­ Lance and the shield-bearer were really making things easier for him.


    Before Ethan could say much, Amelie had her wand drawn and everyone reached for their weapons. She pointed her weapon at Lance¡¯s group and spoke. ¡°What is wrong with you, you fucking sociopaths? Not everyone¡¯s so hell-bent on fucking over every single person they meet. You weirdos.¡±


    They all began shouting and yelling at each other, and instead of trying to match them, Ethan summoned and ignited his claws.


    The air around him immediately rippled, as if the door to an invisible furnace had been cracked open. Ethan had a chance to see Gerald¡¯s eyes squint as he took a step back from the heat and in fact, everyone within a few feet of him did, mainly Liz and her group. The only one who didn¡¯t flinch at the heat was Audrey, the tall and fit woman who was staring down at his clawed hands with wide eyes.


    Lance began raising his shortbow toward him, only to freeze when Ethan glanced at him. The archer lowered his weapon and Ethan nodded at him. ¡°Smart man.¡±


    Ethan cracked his claws as he turned and fully faced Lance¡¯s group. He pushed some fire out of them, as if the flames had to be vented.


    He didn¡¯t need to. It just felt cool, and it might look intimidating to the trio, which will help in the next coming part.


    Lance realized where this was going, so he gritted his teeth and hissed. ¡°We don¡¯t know where the exit is, and you threatening us won¡¯t make the damn thing pop out of thin air.¡±


    Ethan nodded along the empty words and took a few steps closer. This time, weapons were fully trained on him, but he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Listen, Lance. I know you know something. And here¡¯s the thing; If the roles were reversed, you¡¯d be doing the same to me. If not worse. So far, you tried to kill me once and apparently you¡¯re extorting other participants and even if I¡¯m willing to look past the attempts on my life, they might not,¡± said Ethan, nodding toward Liz¡¯s group who stared daggers at the archer. ¡°But,¡± said Ethan as he pushed his flames a bit further, enough to make Lance and his group take yet another step back, ¡°if you were to¡­ compensate us for the shit you pulled so far. If you were to share what you know about the exit, then we might go easy on you. I might even forget about the promise I made you about pointing your weapon at me. Which you are doing. Right now.¡±


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    Ethan gave them a second to process his words while he prepared himself. This might all blow out of proportions at any moment, so he needed to be ready. He knew he was bullying them, technically, but he had no qualms bullying bullies. Especially unrepentant ones that should know better.


    He stared them down and saw them step in position. The shield was raised. The arrow was nocked. The wand was aiming.


    Ethan just had to flex his wand and protective fire would consume everything around him. Though he had to be careful with his mana. The new form was guzzling mana like no tomorrow. ¡°Looks like you want to fight this out. Tell you what. Let¡¯s have a small bout. You three against me. If you win, then you get what you want: my head. If I win, you spill the beans. That should be easy enough of a fight for you three? No?¡±


    Lance was fuming. Teeth bared. Ethan wasn¡¯t sure if the archer was about to take the bait or not, but he knew for a fact Lance was burning to shoot that arrow. The gears turned for a few more seconds and then, the archer spoke up. ¡°Fuck you. I¡¯m not playing your games. We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    He began signaling his two companions¡ªwhen a loud whistle cut him off.


    Ethan lowered his left hand from his lips and summoned [Scorching Claws] around it once more. He gave the archer a confused look. ¡°Did I not make myself clear? You¡¯re telling me what you know before you leave, Lance. I was giving you a chance of potentially getting something for your sorry self out of this, but you¡¯re talking.¡±


    Realization sunk into the man¡¯s eyes as they narrowed. The shield-bearer was equally as enraged, but the third somehow kept getting paler by the second. ¡°This is barbaric,¡± spat out the archer.


    A snort came from behind him, and Amelie¡¯s voice rang into the clearing. ¡°When someone pisses them off, they get taken on an expedition and no one sees them again.¡±


    The coach took a step back. ¡°What is happening to you, people? Have you all lost your damn minds?¡±


    Audrey turned to him. ¡°New world, coach. I think you better go to your group. We¡¯ll let you know if we learn anything new. Right?¡±


    Liz nodded, a somber expression on her face, and so did Gerald. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°So. Lance. Are you going to take your shot or would you rather I turned my back first?¡±


    The bowstring twanged, and the arrow zipped at his chest. Ethan grinned, and with a flick of his wrist, a gout of flame surged upward, vaporizing the arrow and setting fire to a portion of the mushroom-tree cap above.


    ¡°Back up you four. and let us know if any monster shows up,¡± Ethan said, without looking away from his opponents. Then he paused, frowning for a second before he added. ¡°If an orange cat shows up, don¡¯t attack it.¡±


    All four of his allies stared at him, then Amelie asked. ¡°An orange what?¡±


    ***


    Ethan stood in the clearing and faced the three opponents ahead of him. Lance and the wand-user were hidden behind the bulky shield, shooting at him and failing to pierce through the screen of flames.


    No signal had been given. Lance had lashed out earlier and hasn¡¯t stopped since.


    Now should I go for a quick finish or toy with them?


    He shouldn¡¯t be wasting time. He should get the information he needs and get going. Plus, this wasn¡¯t safe for the others. He intercepted yet another arrow that was suspiciously off-course, most likely aiming at the other four.


    Alright then.


    Ethan raised a hand toward the group, and the shorter man¡¯s shield shone while a larger barrier was projected a few inches in front of the group.


    Ethan was curious how resilient that barrier was.


    I guess I¡¯ll find out in a second.


    A ball of concentrated flames shot out of Ethan¡¯s palm and crossed the distance between them in a second. The ball touched the barrier and detonated like a crack of thunder. The defensive barrier shattered nearly instantly, as if it was made of glass, and fire engulfed the group in an instant. The shield-bearer seemed to resist for barely a second before he was thrown back, knocking the other two behind him like a bowling-ball through pins.


    The flames washed over them, tearing a scream out of their throat, but Ethan didn¡¯t follow up with anything and gave them a second.


    He slowly made his way toward the fallen three and winced when he got a better view of their state. They sported multiple burns and a good chunk of their clothes and hair were gone. The office worker was barely awake, while the shield-bearer was already up on his feet. He didn¡¯t lose hair, because he didn¡¯t have any, but at least he didn¡¯t get burnt too badly. It looked just like a mild case of sunburns.


    Points in Toughness, I bet. Good call.


    Lance was trying to get off-the ground. His pants had large holes in them, while his vest and hair were smoking. He was on all four and then, as he tried to get his foot under him, he leaned forward and threw up.


    Ethan hadn¡¯t expected his opening salvo to basically end the fight. He actually felt bad. A tiny bit.


    ¡°So,¡± he said after a second, and the shield-bearer looked up at him, the whites of his eyes showing while Lance struggled to get his gagging under control. ¡°You boys want to surrender instead?¡±

 1.26: Good news. Ish

    Ethan¡¯s claws smoothly carved out another chunk along the felling-cut before he took a step back and called to Gerald. ¡°Now!¡±


    The man huffed and pushed, and it barely took a second for the soft-crack to resound out of the mushroom-tree right before it careened down and slammed against the soft forest floor, then it continued merrily burning in the small clearing while Ethan moved back toward Lance and his group.


    Gerald was going to cut off everything that wasn¡¯t on fire, and the remains should burn out safely in the center of the clearing. They¡¯ll be watching it to make sure the fire doesn¡¯t spread, but it should be fine.


    He passed Audrey and Liz, who¡¯d been watching the trio, and came to a stop a few feet away from the defeated group. The healer, back on his feet, fearfully glanced at him, then went back to fussing over his companions. The burnt wounds were slowly fading as sweat beaded down the office-worker¡¯s forehead, making Lance wince and grit his teeth hard enough Ethan believed he could hear the grinding if he just leaned over just a bit.


    Dude needs to relax.


    Ethan didn¡¯t pester them and gave them a second. From his right, he saw Aaron come back with one of his students, who raised a wand and began spraying the giant mushroom cap with a thin jet of water.


    That looks like a useful spell.


    Ethan had been expecting Amelie to jeer and rub the defeat in Lance¡¯s face, but it seemed like the short battle had rattled her a bit. Instead, she went to check on a couple of injured students. Apparently, out of around six spellcaster-wand users, none had gotten a healing spell.


    Healing spells might not be that common¡­ even if there are two right here and now.


    After a few seconds, Lance cleared his throat, and Ethan looked down at him. It took the man a second, then finally he spoke between gritted teeth. ¡°There are tunnels leading down in a few caverns.¡±


    Ethan waited, then began frowning when nearly ten seconds passed without Lance adding any more details. Amelie¡ªwho had come back already¡ªspoke up. ¡°Details. What¡¯s down there? How do you know? Etcetera.¡±


    The man¡¯s lips tightened, and Ethan could clearly see his temples throbbing. There was even a vein pulsing down his forehead, but he relented after a few seconds. ¡°High level monsters. Stronger lizardlings. It keeps going down. We have someone who can move discretely and they didn¡¯t get too far down there. That¡¯s all I know. If there¡¯s an exit, it¡¯s probably down there.¡±


    Ethan felt a thrum of excitement run through him. Stronger monsters and lizardlings? He liked the thought of that. He didn¡¯t believe there was still too big of a challenge in this area. Certainly not Lance and his group. ¡°How high are the levels?¡±


    ¡°Thirty and higher. Our¡­ person had to stop when the monsters in the 40s and 50s became too common.¡±


    Both the coach and Liz cursed at that, while Ethan couldn¡¯t help the grin that stretched across his lips. Gerald had a worried frown on his face, while Audrey had both eyebrows raised in surprise, but she didn¡¯t look scared.


    Amelie had a wide-eyed smile that Ethan found a little disturbing, though he was very aware he wasn¡¯t one to talk.


    He shook his head and turned his attention back to Lance. The archer stank of defeat and could barely look at their faces for more than a second. Ethan knew he had just created a vendetta for life and he wasn¡¯t naive enough to think things weren¡¯t about to turn sour.


    Still, he gave the chance. Knowing it wasn¡¯t going to be taken. Not with the hatred he was seeing in the man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°We appreciate the tip, Lance. We¡¯re square. And I don¡¯t think I need to say anything more about our next meeting, right?¡±


    The archer grit his teeth and gave him a tight nod. Ethan nodded to Liz, who then gestured to the others and they began walking. A few seconds later, once they were far enough, Ethan exhaled.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± he said, then turned and walked away as well. He went through the motion, knowing what was about to happen. Knowing the unpleasantness wasn¡¯t over. His feet crunched on the dried mushroom and brush bits. The silence was heavy and he could almost hear his own heart beat in his ears.


    He was ready. But he wasn¡¯t happy about it and in his mind, he only thought of the words he¡¯d like to say once.


    Don¡¯t do it.


    Unfortunately and as he expected, within five steps, a hushed and urgent voice reached his ear first, followed by a crackle of electricity. Ethan heard a ¡°no¡± from behind, followed by the twang of a released bow just as he flared his flames in a barrier around his back and ducked his head.


    He winced as the arrow slammed against his shoulder-blade, barely cutting into his skin. It had been weakened by the barrier, then it didn¡¯t have enough momentum to punch through his high Toughness. But the damage was done and the mild pain he felt in his back was relief, in a way.


    If the man had taken the peaceful option, Ethan would have still needed to find him at a later time and dismantle his operation. But he had given the man a chance, and Lance proved he couldn¡¯t be trusted. Even if he were no danger to Ethan, he would continue being a menace to everyone else.


    Ethan turned and found the archer nocking another arrow, teeth bared, eyes dark and unblinking. The healer was wide eyed, stumbling back and away from the archer, while the shield-bearer was grim, but he also was taking steps away from his companion.


    Lance raised his shortbow, aimed, and shot another arrow.


    Ethan extended a hand and sent out a wide gout of scorching flames. The fire vaporized the arrow, his magic easily overpowering the archer¡¯s glowing arrow. Lance stumbled backward, a streak of spit hanging from his mouth, while he waited for another arrow to materialize into his trembling shortbow.


    But that would be too late.


    Ethan felt cold when he took the final step. He could smell the man¡¯s burnt clothes.


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    Ethan¡¯s 8-inch talon sunk into Lance¡¯s chest and through his heart with barely any resistance. Smoke instantly bellowed out of the wound, as if Ethan was tempering a piece of white-hot metal into a bucket of oil.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ you¡­¡± breathed out the archer. A second later, his body fell, and Ethan got the notification.


    He took the fragments into his Prime wand and then, without another word, he turned away and left.


    ***


    Ethan and the group walked in silence for a while. A couple of them were pale, but the rest of them were growing familiar with the new world. On their heels, Aaron and his students followed. They¡¯d been hiding in a pretty small and open cave, so Ethan told them about the couple of lizardling caves he¡¯d cleared and when they learned about the pond, they¡¯d been very willing to move.


    They might have also been trying to get away from him, but he didn¡¯t mind that. He didn¡¯t mind being the big bad guy if that meant no one else would have to take an arrow from Lance. Or be shot through the head by a random stranger as they were to turn a corner.


    He checked his notification for a second, then quickly dismissed them.


    You have defeated [Human - Level 23]


    Prime Wand: 27 fragments collected.


    After they left Aaron and the high schoolers in the first cave Ethan had found, they made their way toward the center of the second forest.


    He didn¡¯t mind hanging out with Liz¡¯s group for a bit.


    Minutes after they left Aaron, Liz finally broke the silence. ¡°Do you guys think someone will come after us for¡­ you know. Lance? Like the person that found the tunnels we¡¯re looking for?¡±


    Ethan glanced at her for a second, then shrugged. ¡°No clue.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem worried about it,¡± Audrey noted. She had dismissed her tower shield, but Ethan noted how her head was on a swivel, continuously scanning the brush and their surroundings for any danger.


    ¡°Not much I can do about it, and I don¡¯t plan on resting on my laurels. Either they¡¯ll make for a good challenge¡ªwhich I doubt¡ªor that¡¯ll be curtains for them. I¡¯ve got more to worry about than people with a grudge.¡±


    Gerald grunted. ¡°We should do the same. Get stronger. They might still come after us.¡±


    Liz peered over her shoulder, then nodded as well, crossbow still in hands. ¡°I think next time we see them, we¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    Ethan eyed the crossbow for a second. No bolt was primed, which he assumed was a safe habit to get into. She seemed a bit different from the first time he¡¯d met her. More focused and less nervous. She turned to him, her eyes bright. ¡°What are you planning? Do you need backup? I know we¡¯re still low level but we can help watch your back.¡±


    ¡°Mmmhm¡ªugh! Stop that,¡± Amelie said as she rubbed her side and glared up at her sister.


    That made him chuckle. The overt flirting, that is, not the proposal. Frankly, he wouldn¡¯t mind having them around, as long as they were a few steps behind. They were too weak to help in big fights, but they could clean up behind him and level. At this point, anything below level 25 was barely worth the effort for him, so he¡¯d rather focus on stronger opponents.


    On top of the company, he¡¯d have a fallback point to get some sleep and rest. Once he was sure he could really trust them.


    Which was supposed to be Ember¡¯s job. Where is that cat?


    Ember was no show as of yet, and who knew when she¡¯d show back up. Also, now that the adrenaline was out of his system, maybe he should have included something about his safety in that pact. Were there some inherent protection clause in the pact, or could that cat turn on him when he was asleep? He had something it wanted, sure, but was he really safe from it?


    Oh, well¡­ I just need to be at a higher level than her. And maybe pick up something other than fire in case I need to fight her.


    Ethan turned to Liz and her teammates and finally gave them his answer. ¡°I plan on finding those tunnels and exploring them. I don¡¯t mind if you join up, but you¡¯ll need to stay back and work on your levels. We can work our way down the tunnels once we find them. We need to locate the exit as soon as possible¡­ because I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll just be a door that leads out. This all started in the castle with weak lizardlings, and the deeper we go, the stronger everything¡¯s getting¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªso there might be something watching the exit. A boss,¡± breathed out Amelie, eyes shining.


    Ethan glanced at her, surprised. After a second, he nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of it that way at first¡­ but yeah, probably. If there¡¯s a guardian, we might not have to beat it for the main quest, but I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be a side quest for it.¡±


    Amelie grinned. ¡°Yes. Classic game logic.¡±


    ***


    Robert


    Robert and Barry walked in silence back to their camp.


    ¡°Daniels¡¯ going to be pissed,¡± said the shield-bearer after a bit. ¡°We should have dealt with that fucking punk the first time we¡¯ve met him.¡±


    Barry kept quiet, as always. Robert glanced sideways toward the ex-insurance broker and found him worriedly looking around.


    ¡°Barry,¡± Robert said, and refrained from showing his distaste when he saw the grown man practically jump from being startled. Like a fucking child.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    This was their best healer? No wonder they couldn¡¯t stand up to that thug.


    ¡°We need to speed up our leveling. We need to step up our game or we might not even¡ª¡±


    A meow cut him off.


    Robert stopped and tightened his grip on his shield. Barry whimpered, and any other day, he would have scolded his acquaintance for such a cowardly display, but this time¡­ it might have been warranted.


    A few yards ahead, an orange cat was sitting at the foot of a mushroom-tree. The ground was smoking around it, but that didn¡¯t bother it. It kept licking its paw and rubbing its face.


    [Feline Fire Elemental (I) - Level 50]


    Robert saw the text above it and his eyes boggled. He felt Barry¡¯s breath quicken and, just in case the young man decided to book it, he gripped it by his arm and whispered. ¡°We can¡¯t outrun it. Stay still.¡±


    The cat continued its cleanup routine, uncaring of them. Cold sweat dripped down his back as Robert took a first step back, dragging Barry along with him. ¡°Slow,¡± he whispered. ¡°Easy¡­¡±


    Barry began speaking, but his voice cracked. ¡°Did¡ªdidn¡¯t Ethan mention a cat?¡±


    Robert narrowed his eyes, then shook his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Keep walking. Slow¡ª¡±


    As if it had heard them¡ªand it most probably did¡ªthe cat got up. Robert froze, and then the feline began walking toward them.


    Robert¡¯s stomach tightened, and he found himself holding his breath. Should they run? They couldn¡¯t outrun a cat. Just wait and pray?


    He hated that.


    The cat continued its relaxed march while Robert swallowed. His throat felt dry. He scrambled for something to do as the orange cat approached. He took an involuntary step back¡ªand then the cat just veered to the left and stepped around them.


    It didn¡¯t even look up at him.


    Robert and Barry watched the monster as it continued on its way, not even sparing them a glance, and seconds later, it disappeared behind the foliage.


    The two were quiet for nearly a minute and now that the encounter was over, Robert realized how close he¡¯d been to disaster. Was that a message sent to them?


    Was that boy still threatening them?


    He swallowed, exhaled, then nudged Barry.


    ¡°Back to camp. Then we¡¯re heading down those tunnels. Daniels should be back.¡±


    The two briskly walked out of the underground forest and as the camp came into view, Robert spoke. ¡°We took it easy long enough.¡±

 1.27: Going down

    In a small clearing, not unlike the one Ethan and the team had left, a new fight was taking place.


    Audrey jumped in front of Liz and summoned another shield as the tongue of the toad shot out once more. The fleshy appendage hit the tower shield with a loud squish, then it pulled, but this time, the muscular woman held her ground. Her feet skidded on the ground, digging a groove in the soft earth while a blue bolt from Liz and a gray bolt from Amelie flew past her. In the meantime, Gerald surged from behind a tree, roaring as he ran at the extended appendage and swung down, severing the tongue.


    Audrey didn¡¯t even stumble as the pull on her shield suddenly vanished. She¡¯d been ready.


    Blood sprayed out of the tongue as the toad squealed and pulled it back. Two more bolts found the giant monster next, one of which lodged into the roof of its mouth and through its brains.


    Ethan watched from the sidelines, impressed at the team¡¯s teamwork. They handled themselves well against the level 25 toad and none of them got injured. They might not be ready for a mystic toad, but it was only a matter of time before they could take on something of that level.


    Ethan heard the sound of crunching branches behind and instantly summoned his claws. Fire ignited over the ember-like skin as he looked behind him, drawing the team¡¯s attention as he did, only to find an unruffled orange cat that meowed at him. ¡°[I require sustenance.]¡±


    Ethan stared down at the cat for a second, heart hammering in his chest, then sighed as plopped back down on the rock he¡¯d been using as a seat. ¡°Alright.¡±


    He dismissed his right hand and extended the left down, then produced a thin jet of scorching flames. The cat wasted no time and scampered toward the fire, only sniffing once before she began chomping through the flames quickly enough that Ethan had to increase his output to match the cat. She was growling and purring at the same time, devouring the flame as if she¡¯d been starved. More and more flames danced around her fur, while her eyes began glowing brighter, as if the light of the fire she consumed shone through them.


    Ethan was tempted to pat the cat, but they might not be there yet. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re liking my recent upgrade.¡±


    Ember did not answer, and only purred louder as she ate her way through his mana reserve.


    Actually, that¡¯s something I need to address soon. The last upgrades are doing a number on my mana.


    He wasn¡¯t regenerating mana fast enough now that he had two tier-2 spells in his wand and even though the new Prime wand might be helping him regen faster, it was not nearly enough to counter the expensive new flames and it would only get worse once he started to lob spells faster.


    It¡¯s all in the fragments. Gotta get back out there soon.


    Ethan glanced up at the four as they finished up the toad, then down at the cat. ¡°Those are friends. Please don¡¯t hurt them. And maybe keep an eye on them in case of danger?¡±


    Ember continued devouring the flames and ignored him. Ethan frowned, then he reduced his flames until they were barely a candle¡¯s worth. Instantly, the cat pawed at his hand and growled louder at him, then gave him an annoyed meow that rang in his mind. ¡°[Fine.]¡±


    Ethan grinned and increased the flames so they were thicker than they¡¯d been moments ago. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you.¡±


    ***


    Amelie¡¯s eyes were trained on the cat lounging on top of another boulder while Ethan spoke with the team about what he found out, while they shared some of their own discoveries. The most interesting tidbit had been the difference between ¡°sequential¡± and ¡°selective¡± in the wand settings.


    ¡°So why shouldn''t we always have it in the selective mode?¡± he asked as he eyed his wand status. ¡°I haven¡¯t encountered the sequential mode issue as I didn¡¯t have a lot of spells, but it sounds like a pain to only be able to shoot spells in a set order. Using the spell you want whenever you want sounds a lot more practical.¡±


    Liz, Audrey and Gerald instantly looked at the fourth member of the team, who was making soft clicking sounds with her tongue to attract the cat¡¯s attention. Amelie looked up to find them all staring at her and slowly straightened up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why all of you are looking at me. Liz¡¯s the one who figured it out.¡±


    Liz was suddenly fascinated by a tear she had gotten in the side of her overalls.


    Amelie drew her lips in a line, then summoned her wand. She aimed at the toad¡¯s corpse and shot a gray-hued projectile. ¡°Basically, what sequential-mode does is that it primes the second spell in your wand as soon as you cast the first. Picture it as a¡­¡± she trailed off, looking around for something, then she snapped her finger. ¡°A gun. No, a revolver. Picture a revolver. If you have just one spell, then it¡¯s as if all six cylinders have that exact spell ready. You just pull the trigger, and the gun fires, then it lines up the next bullet. If you have different bullets, you can organize them in order, and the gun moves through them in order. You shoot one, it prepares the next. You just have to pull the trigger.¡±


    She shot a gray projectile, followed by green smoke, followed by another gray projectile in quick succession. Ethan put her cast refresh at around 2 seconds.


    She dismissed her wand, stared at the air for a second, then summoned it again. The wand looked the same to Ethan as she pointed it at the dead-toad once more.


    ¡°If you set your gun to selective-mode, then what you¡¯re basically doing is that you¡¯re reloading your gun one bullet at a time. You get to choose the exact bullet you want, at the exact time you want it. But you waste time.¡±


    She did the same with her wand, but this time, the spells did not alternate in the same order. She just called a spell randomly, just before she shot them. The time between spells was easily doubled, if not more.


    Amelie dismissed her wand and put her hand on her hips, then blew on a lock of white-hair away from her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet about how to get the most of this¡­ feature. But it¡¯s there. Now, what did you say about hidden quests? We already found a couple, but I¡¯d love to know more.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Over the next few minutes, Ethan shared the few hidden quests he discovered, which matched the couple that the team had found for themselves. He hadn¡¯t learned anything new¡ªaside from a hidden quest to heal someone back from the brink of death¡ªbut he didn¡¯t expect to earn that one.


    Liz and her team were deep in thought when they¡¯d learned the other venues they could pursue for easy rewards, and Ethan felt good about sharing such leads. For a moment, he¡¯d felt a bit cagey about keeping his advantages to himself, but he quickly stomped those thoughts out. He didn¡¯t want to gain an edge by hoarding secrets and power to himself. He didn¡¯t want to do it by starving out everyone else when he himself had benefited from a free meal and a safe roof when he most needed it before this all started.


    He wasn¡¯t going to be that sort of person. Plus, knowing a path was possible didn¡¯t mean everyone could pursue it.


    After they were done chatting, Ethan, Liz, and her team searched the area and within a handful of minutes, they all stood in front of a depression in the ground that funneled down into a tunnel and as he examined it, it made sense to him why he hadn¡¯t encountered these tunnels earlier.


    While he had previously explored at the edge of the caves and refused to dive deeper into the mushroom forests, the tunnel they were now looking down into was practically dead center in the cave and as Ethan looked up ahead at the other connected caves, he could now picture more access-tunnels leading down within them.


    What kind of caves are these? Did something create this?


    Ethan was no geologist, but it didn¡¯t seem like this environment could occur naturally.


    ¡°I hate saying this now that we might go down the tunnels¡­but have you guys seen what an ant-nest looks like?¡±


    Ethan looked back toward the woman for a second, then glanced up at the cave-network that stretched ahead, before looking back down to the tunnel.


    Ant-nests?


    From this angle, he could see somewhat deep within it. It stretched down evenly and in a mostly straight line. It was illuminated with small glowing mushrooms growing around the path and along the walls. The only reason Ethan thought there were no mushrooms in the middle of the tunnel is because it must be frequently used.


    Insects dug this cave?


    A shiver ran down his spine. He didn¡¯t have a phobia of creepy-crawlies, but he didn¡¯t like them either and if this had been dug by insects¡­ then those things would have been giants.


    Liz, Gerald, and Audrey all shuddered at the thought.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Liz said as nervously scratched the back of her neck. ¡°I grew up on a farm and we¡­ uh, made a mold of an ant nest once. But if this place was made by ants or any other insect, then I¡¯d rather not meet any of them.¡±


    Amelie shrugged as she rubbed her chin. ¡°Just a thought. They¡¯re probably gone. I mean, if this had been an active nest, it would have been crawling with them. So we¡¯re safe. Ish.¡±


    Ethan agreed. He stood up and cracked his neck. ¡°I¡¯ll head down first and take a quick look. Shouldn¡¯t be long. If things get dicey up here, follow. Otherwise¡­ well. Keep leveling. Ember should help if something dangerous shows up, but um¡­ safe.¡±


    He didn¡¯t think the cat would murder them, especially after she had agreed to Ethan¡¯s request. But he doubted she would actually help unless they were literally about to die.


    Ethan stepped past them and descended into the tunnel. He needed a t-shirt soon. He didn¡¯t like being the only shirtless person.


    ***


    Liz Taylor


    ¡°Amelie, for the love of god, stop bothering the level fifty monster,¡± Audrey snapped as she nervously eyed her sister as the latter slowly approached the cat. She reached out with her hand, making cooing noises, trying to appease the fire elemental, and the cat swiped at her hand and hissed once more.


    ¡°Ouch! I almost have it!¡± She pointed at her hand and quickly healed the claw marks. ¡°Dammit, I should have gotten a fire spell instead of healing. It would have trusted me faster.¡±


    The cat hissed once more, tail raised, then hopped away from the rock it¡¯s been resting on and climbed up a mushroom tree.


    Amelie shook a fist at it. ¡°Just you wait. We¡¯ll be best friends in no time. Do you like meat? Let me find you some meat.¡±


    Liz smiled as she sat down while Gerald took over, watching their surroundings for threats. It¡¯s been an hour or so since Ethan had headed down the tunnel, and they had already been attacked by a water monitor.


    It didn¡¯t last long against their organized assault.


    Amelie rushed toward the dead lizard and when she got there, she tapped her pockets for a knife she didn¡¯t have, then asked Gerald for his sword. Moments later, she came back toward the cat with a slice of lizard meat. She tried to tempt the animal with the glistening red meat, but Ember pointedly ignored her.


    Liz felt a weight off her shoulder. Not that they were safe or anything. They still had to survive on their own and do their best to defend themselves from monsters and from other participants. But with Ethan nearby and with a powerful cat watching over them, she felt that for the first time since this all started, she could go to sleep peacefully and get more than five minutes of shut-eye at a time.


    Ahead of her, Audrey was also getting some rest. The fit woman was doing some shoulder stretches, back straight as always, while she worryingly watched her sister continuously fail to get the cat¡¯s attention.


    Liz pulled some of the roasting lizard and blew on it. She would kill for some utensils. Or a pan. Or a water bottle.


    I wonder if Sonya and Mathew are alright. And I hope my apartment is still standing.


    The mechanic softly shook her head. To think I just got done paying for it.


    Liz chewed in silence and eyed the two sisters. At least she had no family to worry about. Both her parents had passed when she was young, and her extended family never reached out past the funerals, and neither did she.


    Amelie soon joined the campfire and picked up a skewer of roasted lizard. When both Liz and Audrey stared at her, she grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m just giving it a break. I¡¯m not stupid enough to piss it off too bad, but I wish it would give me a chance¡­ It¡¯s so damn cute.¡±


    Audrey picked up two skewers, one of which she took a moment to give to Gerald before sitting back down. ¡°How did he end up getting a cat, though? It¡¯s barely been two days since this all started¡­ And how is that da¡ªhow is that cat at level 50? Did he explain anything to you?¡±


    Liz shook her head and shrugged. ¡°No clue. He¡¯s not very chatty.¡±


    Amelie turned the skewer in her hand and blew on it. ¡°He¡¯s strong though.¡±


    Both Audrey and Liz eyed the girl as she bit into her skewer and fought the meat to tear a piece. After a second, Audrey asked. ¡°That¡¯s it? You¡¯re not gonna make any other comments like you¡¯ve been doing when he was around?¡±


    Amelie gave them a confused look and a ¡®hmm?¡¯ as she chewed.


    ¡°You were practically slobbering over him,¡± pointed-out Audrey. ¡°I know you¡¯re not usually shy, but I¡¯ve never seen you flirt that aggressively before.¡±


    Amelie shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s cute. It¡¯s the end of the world. Sue me. Why? Are any of you calling dibs?¡±


    Audrey chuckled. ¡°Not interested.¡±


    ¡°Same. I¡¯m more interested in surviving all this than looking for a new relationship,¡± Liz said, waving the question away with a hand. ¡°So¡­ yeah. Go right ahead.¡±


    Amelie raised an eyebrow as she chewed. She swallowed, then spoke. ¡°Who said anything about a relationship?¡±

 1.28: First form

    The sounds of muffled steps echoed in the sloping tunnel as Ethan made his way down. His claws were out, but they weren¡¯t ignited yet.


    The tunnel was bright enough thanks to the blue and purple fungi lining the walls, and there were no monsters to fight just yet.


    He was looking forward to that. His new and improved claws had not gotten a real test just yet. Meeting Liz and her people had been a nice change of pace, but he had side quests to finish. Levels to acquire, and a new wand to feed.


    Before I head down there though, I should maybe spend some fragments. And how about the spell token from the hidden quest?


    Ethan came to stop and hummed. A new spell could be useful. But it would be a tier-2 so it would tax his mana even more.


    Which would mean I should upgrade my mana. And I just have enough for that.


    Ethan started with the mana regeneration upgrade which boosted the property to 3 mana units per second, then considered his option for the spell.


    Do I really want to crack this open just yet?


    What did he really want? A way to heal quickly would be nice. A ranged attack was less of a priority now that he had [Small-Fireball], so variety and utility were once more attractive.


    Though I don¡¯t know how the Prime wand¡¯s going to work. It may be better to see how that turns out before I commit.


    Ethan nodded to himself. He should hold on the spell token for a bit more. Maybe he¡¯d want to get a weapon or another Enhancer-spell for the new wand and, in any case, the first form was not too far off. He was already at 46 fragments from the required 150.


    A handful of minutes later, the slope eased up and the tunnel¡¯s exit came into view. The smell of wet soil filled his nose, sending pulses of excitement down his arms and finally, the room came into view.


    Ethan¡¯s mouth dropped.


    A tapestry of blue, purple, and? every color in between stretched below and ahead of him. The cave was nearly twice as large as all the above rooms combined. Easily as wide as three or four stadiums and as for the length, he couldn¡¯t see the end. The giant space sloped down near the horizon then continued around the corner, far in the distance. More fungal trees spread out in clumps, but they seemed more sparse than above, most likely due to the higher number of ponds in this area.


    ¡°How is this place even standing?¡±


    Ethan was no geologist or engineer, but it was shocking how the cave hadn¡¯t caved in on itself yet.


    Standing near the edge of the tunnel¡¯s exit, he climbed down as he kept his ears and eyes open for any nearby dangers. Along the nearby cavern walls, he noted holes in the wall, not unlike the tunnel he just came through, which meant there might be even more entrances to this space from above.


    The air was full of the humid scent of underbrush, while a mix of throaty calls and roars filled his ears, but fortunately, none seemed too close to him.


    Nearing the bottom, Ethan hopped down and landed on the soil with a soft squelch, which was quickly followed by a surprised garbled screech from behind.


    Shit!


    Ethan turned in a crouch, claws ignited, and came face to face with a small fire-camp of groggy lizardlings. One had been on watch, and it had its spear brandished at him, while four more were scrambling up, still dazed. One of them was a stout warrior who was the first up, and the only one at level 31, while the rest hovered between 20 and 28.


    Ethan slowly exhaled with relief. This could have turned ugly, but thankfully, the lizardlings had been as surprised as he¡¯d been.


    He hadn¡¯t expected a fight this fast, but he didn¡¯t mind it.


    Ethan extended a hand and waved. ¡°Hello there,¡± he said to the alarmed lizardlings.


    The high-level one narrowed its eyes and summoned a second dagger, but before it could speak or do much else, a small ball of concentrated fire zipped out of Ethan¡¯s palm and hit the soil at their feet.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 21]


    ¡­


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 27]


    You have reached Level 31. 1 stat point awarded.


    Ethan took a step back and brushed off some of the dirt that showered him.


    Easiest level I¡¯ve gotten to date.


    The fire and smoke began to clear, but Ethan didn¡¯t let his guard down just yet and just as he took a step forward, the smoke rippled and a gray arc of magic came zipping at his head. Ethan braced with his hands up and summoned more flames to shield himself. The arc of energy cut through his flames and hit his forearms with a sting of pain, leaving a shallow cut right as the form of the warrior came hurtling out of the smoke.


    Smoke drifted off its loincloth while burn marks marred its scales, but it was still standing. It came at Ethan low, daggers out and in response, Ethan pointed both clawed hands out and let his flames surge and fill the shallow cave until he had to squint from the glare.


    There was a muted screech, then he received another notification.


    You have defeated [Lizardling (I) - Level 31]


    His heart was loud in his chest as he exhaled and studied his surroundings for a few seconds. When nothing else moved or made a sound, he dismissed his wand and went around collecting the fragments into his Prime wand. The warrior lizardling could have been dangerous if it had gotten close or if there had been more than one. So even though he¡¯d made quick work of this camp, he¡¯ll have to be careful from now on. If he¡¯d dropped on a camp with two or three dagger wielders, he might have been in trouble. His fires were effective in closed spaces such as these, but he might not always get the terrain advantage.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Ethan leaned over and collected the last fragments, which brought his total to 167 in his Prime wand. He almost clicked the first form upgrade, but refrained and quickly scampered up the wall to the tunnel.


    Just in case this takes longer than expected.


    Ethan brought up the menu once more, then selected the first form upgrade.


    Prime wand - [First Form] upgrade confirmed.


    Select a form to unlock for your Prime wand:


    Spellcaster


    Armament


    Enhancer


    Damn. No details?


    Still, a few puzzle pieces began clicking in position. The prime wand would have three forms he could access, which meant he would be able to access every type-advantage, eventually.


    He had no clue if he could have all three at once or if he needed to pick a form each time, but that would come into play once he had more than one form unlocked.


    Speaking of¡­


    Ethan furrowed his brows as he took in the three options and began thinking through them. Spellcaster would have been a regular wand, but would Armament or Enhancer come with their own form, or did he have to provide his own spell?


    The upgrade is called form though. And I already have the wand itself.


    It did seem like he won¡¯t have to provide a spell, but in case his assumption was wrong, he was glad he had the tier-2 spell token. Even if a tier-2 spell might not be compatible.


    Well, form or no form, I¡¯ll be unlocking all of them eventually, so it¡¯s not the end of the world if I don¡¯t make the most optimal choice right this second.


    Though it was still a bit irritating to not know what he was paying for.


    So. What should I start with?


    He was the least tempted by the spellcaster wand. He could cast spells just fine as is and even if the spellcaster would cast them faster, it wouldn¡¯t be as large of an addition as a new Enhancer form or a weapon.


    Ethan nodded to himself. Yes, offensive and defensive options were best, considering he was in a new area.


    He read through his options for a few more seconds until he heard the breaking of nearby branches.


    Furtively, Ethan glanced out of the tunnel and further into the woods. The mushroom-tree tops swayed and rustled as something large made its way toward him.


    Must have been the explosion from earlier.


    Ethan turned his attention back to the form selection and selected the Armament option. He would have liked to choose exactly the form the wand would take, but it didn¡¯t look like that was possible.


    He took a step back into the tunnel as the light coalesced around him. Ethan summoned his claws and was glad to find the process wasn¡¯t interfering with them.


    There was hissing and more rustling outside, but he didn¡¯t dare peek out just yet. Thankfully, the upgrade didn¡¯t take long to finish, and the light sunk into him, almost making his bones vibrate with the flow of strength that coursed through his whole being.


    A second later, a new message popped in front of him.


    Armament form: Lance of the Juggernaut


    Summon an adaptable lance to pierce through your opponent''s defenses. Impacts of the lance as well as the spells cast by it can provoke explosion if willed.


    Ethan summoned the new wand and grinned as the large weapon fell into his open palm. His claws tightened around the pommel as he eyed the guard that covered his hand. It didn¡¯t feel too heavy at all, even though the whole thing was taller than he was.


    It did say adjustable, though.


    Ethan felt at the wand with his mind and willed the lance to grow smaller. Instantly, the wand shrunk, growing smaller until the whole thing became slightly longer as a shortsword. Something he could maneuver a lot easier.


    Magic¡¯s awesome.


    Ethan took a second to admire the pearly-white metal-coating of the lance. He couldn¡¯t tell what material it was made of, but no matter what he did, every couple of seconds he¡¯d find himself looking back up at the incredibly sharp point of the lance.


    This thing could do so much damage. Especially if I manage to put some momentum behind me. Imagine this with wings¡­


    He could drop on monsters with this thing pointed down for an incredible amount of damage.


    Ethan shook himself off his admiration and glanced at the wand page.


    What else? Can I slot a spell in this now?


    Prime Wand of the Juggernaut:


    Tier: 1


    Form: [Lance of the Juggernaut]


    Essence: 5


    Stat Bonus: +5


    Fragments: 17


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Second Form - 300 Fragments]


    Ethan carefully read through the updated wand page and if he was understanding things right, the classic wand functionalities were still not available, but they might be once the three forms were unlocked.


    No other upgrades either¡­


    A growly hiss shook him out of his daze and Ethan finally peered out and saw what it was that had come looking for him.


    [Water monitor (I) - Level 42]


    [Water monitor (I) - Level 37]


    Two particularly large lizards were dragging the smoking corpses of the lizardlings and tearing into them.


    Their tongue flicked in the air. The higher level one tilted its head to the side, and a surprised Ethan met the yellow-slitted eye.


    How did it detect me so fast?


    It hissed, and the second one looked up at him as well. Bright-scaled and sharp toothed, they bared their teeth at him while thick strands of viscous saliva dripped down and clung to their jaw. They didn¡¯t seem to mind each other, to Ethan¡¯s chagrin. Which might be a problem.


    Cooperating opponents were more annoying to deal with.


    Ethan ignited his claws as he looked down at the two lizards. He raised his left hand and shot a [Small Fireball] at the higher level monitor, only for the lizard to open its jaw and shoot back a jet of concentrated water that hit the fireball and snuffed it out. Before Ethan could register what had happened, the second shot came at him from the side, punching right through his flames and clipping him on the right shoulder.


    The jet of water hit him like a sledgehammer. Ethan felt the world twist and turn for a second before he crashed into the wall and hit the ground once more.


    Ethan groaned at the pulsing pain in his shoulder. The skin was bright red, but other than that, it wasn¡¯t really injured. Still, it really stung.


    He got back to his feet and carefully peered out at the lizards. With alarm, he saw them climbing toward the tunnel and a quick glance around told him he didn¡¯t want to get stuck in a tunnel with them.


    He¡¯d have no chance of dodging those jets of water.


    Run away or get out there. No other options.


    Ethan looked at the short-lance in his hand and then at the 300 fragments he needed for the next form. This was going to be dangerous, but he just needed to bring one of them down. If any more showed up, he¡¯ll re-adjust.


    I¡¯m not running.


    Ethan exhaled and peered out of the tunnel once more. He shot another fireball, but this time, he hit the soil between him and the lizards.


    Soft earth and stone geysered out of the point of impact, throwing the lizards back to the flatter soil. The monsters quickly recovered and looked up at the screen of smoke and dust in time to see a pearly gray metallic point shine through the cloud of debris, with Ethan right behind it. With the lance held overhead and aimed down, he came down on giant lizards like a falling spear.

 Announcement: Lance Encounter Edits - Done

    Hey all,


    As I mentioned and as some of you have seen, there was a problem with the chapters 1.23 to 1.26. The characters were not behaving in a consistent manner and Ethan was too forgiving considering the transgressions alluded to. It was all off.


    There''s a link up top (I can''t link in the body of the chapter) or you can navigate back to 1.23. I recommend rechecking the chapter from 1.23 to 1.26 but if you''d rather not, here''s a recap of the changes:


    - The injuries of Liz and her group are more severe. (fleshed out Amelie''s healing a bit as well)


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    - When Ethan gets there, he''s more forceful with Lance and his group. Forces them to dismiss their weapons and to get on the ground.


    - Hears more of what has been happening and things are alluded to (that we won''t dive in) and gets to the resolution that they can''t be let go. Especially Lance and the shieldbearer. If they are let go, he''s somehow complicit to their behavior.


    - Barry (their healer) is let go with a severe warning and a promise of future judgement ( if he survives). He''s a coward and his hands are dirty, but he wasn''t as bad as the main two.


    You can start reading here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/95647/scorching-ascension-progression-litrpg-apocalypse/chapter/1877335/123-violent-and-hungry</a>

 1.29:The second layer

    Wind whistled in Ethan''s ears, ruffling his hair as he flinched from a blue ray of concentrated water that barely missed him. Water droplets hit his bare chest as he descended upon the hungry water monitors. The largest, the one he was aiming for, closed its mouth as the blue glow in the back of its throat faded, and the mighty reptile took a step back, hissing at him, but there was no stopping now.


    The lance was glowing with a soft red, but Ethan couldn¡¯t look away from his target just yet.


    The tip caught the larger reptile in its flank as it twisted itself to move away from Ethan. The lance cracked through the thick scale and Ethan triggered the explosion just as a layer of even thicker scales materialized over the reptile.


    His feet hit the soft soil hard, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as the impact on his shoulders. Even though his grip slipped from his fall and from the violent pulse that ran through his Prime wand, he didn¡¯t let go. The reptile hissed as its red blood spurted out as Ethan pulled hard to dislodge the lance when he noticed the blue glow in the corner of his left eye.


    The lance came out just in time for him to launch himself backward. A thick beam of water flashed in front of him and hit the stone cliff. Rocks and dirt geysered out of the wall and Ethan had a realization as he his feet skidded against the wet soil.


    If that hits me in the face, it¡¯s taking my eye out.


    Ethan tightened his grip on his lance as the lizards began circling. He eyed the one he injured and cursed under his breath when he saw it move as if nothing had happened. The hole he had dug in its back was still bleeding, but that didn¡¯t seem to hamper it much.


    It summoned scales too¡­ Is that a Prime wand or a normal one?


    If it were a Prime wand, it meant that he could push it hard enough to dissipate and now that he had his own Prime wand, he believed he knew why.


    Triggering the lance¡¯s special effect consumed one Essence. Maybe mana too, but I¡¯m not sure. If that¡¯s what a Prime wand needs to function, then it explains why those bone-armors turned off when I pushed them too hard.


    Ethan moved to the side and watched the lizard as their yellow-slitted eyes tracked him. He was waiting for the blue glow and as soon as the larger one began preparing another ray, he raised his left hand and shot a [Small Fireball] at the ground between them.


    Moss and soil geysered between him and the lizards while another jet of water went wide. Ethan ran toward the left-most reptile and saw it scanning for him in the other direction. The larger reptile saw him and hissed, but it also just missed its shot, so unless his count was off, he was safe from its water-gun for a few seconds.


    Red-color inscription snaked down his lance as he primed the explosive effect. He took one more step, jumped, and stabbed downward at the lizard¡¯s neck. Right before his lance impacted, the scales swelled and grew rougher as a darker glow emanated from below them. The lance impacted and detonated, but when the bit of smoke cleared, Ethan saw that his lance barely cut through the reinforced scales.


    Shit.


    Then a thick scaly tail caught him in the throat.


    Ethan fell back, stumbling at first, but quickly regained his balance. The air going through his throat made a worrying whistle as he labored to inhale through the pain. Something seemed to have been damaged by the larger lizard¡¯s attack, but the flames surging out of his left hand were pushing back the pain and slowly helping heal whatever had been damaged in his throat.


    In the meantime, Ethan tried to keep calm. Panic would not help him here. He considered retreating for a second, but his mana was full. The lance still had 3 Essence charges, and one of the lizards was already injured. He just had to confirm if the scales were the Prime wand. If they were, then the fight would get a lot easier once they were down.


    Just need to push their magic scales hard enough to dissipate. And that raises the question¡­ how would I regain Essence? Question for later.


    The lizards prowled forward, each rounding on him at an angle that oddly looked like a pincer. They were holding on to their water attack, believing him to be injured¡ªwhich he was¡ªbut while his throat hurt and his previous offensive attempts had failed, he still had some options. Well. One, really.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The right-side and smaller monitor lunged, jaw open, and Ethan jumped back and filled its mouth with a thin and concentrated gout of flames. The larger lizard hissed at the fire and sprayed more water at him, but Ethan raised his right arm and lance fast enough to catch the pressurized water on the shoulder and biceps.


    It still sent him flying.


    Steam filled the air as Ethan picked himself off, flames dancing around both hands, and when the smoke faded, Ethan saw the burnt lizard rolling on the wet mud and clacking its jaw in annoyance. It turned back on its feet and hissed at him, mouth smoking.


    He couldn¡¯t let them recover.


    Ethan shot another fireball at their feet, expecting it to be countered, but it didn¡¯t. And when he saw how close the spell had gotten to the reptiles before it exploded, he covered his eyes from the wet soil and mud that pelted him and rushed in.


    That explosion had been too close. He had to capitalize on it.


    Ethan ignored the pain still pulsing in his throat and shoulder, and took in the scene as he approached the lizards. As the dust and smoke cleared, he grinned.


    The lower-leveled lizard had lost its summoned scales and seemed woozy. It stood low on its feet, shaking its head as it blinked its half-lidded eyes. It turned to face him, but it was most definitely out of it.


    I need to finish it off. But first¡­


    Ethan turned his attention to the second lizard. It was the one he¡¯d gotten the drop on, and it was still manifesting its scales. Its throat was glowing as it watched him approach, but it didn¡¯t shoot it yet. It prowled closer and hissed, trying to intimidate him away from its dazed companion. It slowly raised its head as the blue light in the back of its throat glowed brighter¡ª


    ¡ªAnd Ethan jumped to the left, putting the injured lizard between them once more.


    Ethan sent a barely controlled gout of flame at the larger monitor as a distraction before he rushed the still stunned lizard as red runes appeared on the lance once more. Ethan took a small running jump and once more aimed at the monster¡¯s neck and stabbed.


    The lance¡¯s tip sunk through the tough scales like a toothpick through burnt meat, but it still went deep. Ethan triggered the explosion and grimaced as his whole shoulder and upper body were rocked by the vibrations coming off his weapon.


    But the damage was done.


    The water monitor thrashed with pain while a gargled hiss came out of its throat. Blood sprayed from its neck and mouth, but it still didn¡¯t fall, so Ethan triggered the wand once more. Blood spurted out of the wound and the reptile shuddered, then it fell.


    You have defeated [Water monitor (I) - Level 37]


    You have reached Level 32. 1 stat point awarded.


    Ethan panted as he crouched behind the dead monitor. The surviving lizard raised its head and screeched, an odd ululating call, and Ethan capitalized on it by sending a [Small Fireball] at it that it snuffed once more with a quick jet of water.


    It narrowed its eyes at him. Ethan braced. Ready for anything the beast might throw at him and then¡ª


    It did nothing.


    Heavy seconds went by while the reptile stared at him. Its forked tongue flicked outward every few seconds to taste the air, and a cold, slimy feeling began sliding down Ethan¡¯s back as he slowly got his breath under control.


    That wasn¡¯t just some sort of mourning call. It had called for reinforcement.


    Ethan glanced at the surrounding brush. He couldn¡¯t see movement yet, but it was only a matter of time. He had one last shot at ending things quickly, otherwise he needed to make himself scarce and get the heck out of here.


    Ethan stepped from behind the dead lizard and opened his offense with another fireball that hit the soil in a geyser of dirt and dust. He ran toward the lizard at an angle, wary and watchful for the jet of pressurized water that might come out at any second, and tried slowing for a second, hoping it would take the bait and shoot, but it didn¡¯t. It only turned its body to face him, jaws open, ready to blast him.


    Ethan saw the open jaw and had a terrible idea. But if it worked, he¡¯d be able to kill this thing really fast.


    This is really dumb. Even for me. But at least I¡¯ll save the remaining Essence.


    Ethan dismissed his Prime wand while flames surged up and around him while he ran straight at the lizard. A jet of pressurized water came at him, but Ethan was ready this time. He angled himself low and took the reptile¡¯s attack over his crossed arms.


    The water hit him with the force of a falling wave, threatening to bowl him over, but his Toughness, Might and flames allowed him to resist the impact for the second or two it lasted.


    Steam filled the air as the intense flames coming off his claws vaporized the water crashing into them. His feet dug into the soft soil and mud slipped into his boots. As much as he hated the sensation, he couldn¡¯t afford the distraction.


    The attack pushed him for a handful of feet but it was soon over. Ethan jumped forward once more, arms numbs while the lizardling hissed at him for a second before Ethan shoved his right hand down its throat.


    There was a half second where Ethan thought he saw surprise in the reptile¡¯s predatory gaze, right before he felt the sharp teeth clamp down on his biceps while he burnt every ounce of mana he had in his chest to create a point blank inferno inside the reptile¡¯s throat.

 1.30: Crown

    Fire exploded out of the monitor lizard¡¯s jaw, but Ethan didn¡¯t have a lot of time to consider the impact of his attack as his body was wrenched to the side and slammed into the ground like an uncoordinated chew-toy.


    As soon as he¡¯d begun pouring his flames into the lizard throat, the powerful jaw had clamped down on him like a vice and twisted. The lizardling thrashed with pain, dragging and wrenching Ethan¡¯s arm along with its powerful body as it did, but Ethan grit his teeth and endured the pain. His claws dug into the softer tissues within the reptile as he screamed with pain, hoping his arm wasn¡¯t about to be torn off. A terrifying crack resounded through his bone and body but thankfully, the lizard¡¯s thrashing was already slowing and a handful of seconds later, it finally dropped on its stomach, and the notification rang in Ethan¡¯s ears.


    You have defeated [Water monitor (I) - Level 42]


    You have reached Level 33. 1 stat point awarded.


    Congratulations. ¡°Hidden quest: Reach the highest level of your group¡± completed.


    One magical item token awarded.


    Ethan dismissed the messages. On his knees, he gently dislodged the sharp teeth out of his arms, then slowly dragged his mangled arm out of the jaws of the beast. The air was acrid in his still painful throat, but he couldn¡¯t dally. The notifications and rewards were nice, but he couldn¡¯t celebrate just yet. Not when he could barely feel his fingers.


    Ethan forced himself to take longer and deeper breaths as he slowly stood back and took in the state of his arm. He slowly lowered, then ignited his right claw and pulled his flames up to cover the torn flesh and everything else that wasn¡¯t as straight as it should be.


    Instantly, the nauseating pain lessened. The healing flames didn¡¯t fully smother the agony, but it definitely helped.


    I¡¯m gonna need to set these¡­


    Ethan wasn¡¯t sure if he could heal the arm by himself or if he needed to head back up and find Amelie. The damage was not life threatening, sure, but it was extensive.


    First, the broken bones. His forearm, elbow, biceps, and shoulder were all fucked. Some were most definitely broken, dislocated, or both. The pain from that alone was barely being held back by the flames and by his Toughness and the latter¡ªeven though it was quite high¡ªhad not been enough to prevent the lizard¡¯s teeth from shredding and gouging his arm pretty badly.


    He couldn¡¯t see bones, thankfully, but it will take a minute to heal, which he didn¡¯t have.


    Ethan looked up and drew his lips in a line.


    At first he thought he was hearing things, but now he was sure. Hissing and crackling noises were getting close to him, and he needed to get the hell out of here. He considered disappearing into the area, but after thinking on it for a second, he decided to climb back up and out.


    At least, in the safety of the cave, he could take the time to recover and if they still followed, he might be able to drop the tunnel on their heads with [Small Fireball]. Plus, in case he couldn¡¯t heal himself quickly enough, he could get a hand from Amelie.


    Probably should also tell them about the level of monsters down here.


    Ethan moved toward the fallen lizards to collect his earnings. Liz and her group were going to need to pick up the pace if they wanted to have a shot at surviving down here.


    He got the first batch of fragments and was about to head to the second when Ethan froze and grew excited. Right next to a large lizard¡¯s still smoking corpse, a round blue-colored bead was lying on the churned soil. Right next to its open jaw.


    Ethan picked it up, finished collecting his fragments, and briskly made his way up the cliff. His right hand was not liking the movement at all, but the flames helped him push through the pain and within a few seconds, he slipped back into the tunnel.


    Ethan coughed, breaking the monotony of his echoing steps in the purple-lit tunnel, then pulled the flames tighter around his mangled arm so they wouldn¡¯t burn the mushrooms and moss lining the walls of the tunnel. He was going to be in here for a few minutes, and he didn¡¯t need to asphyxiate himself.


    He¡¯d done enough self-damage for the day.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Ethan got as far as he could from the tunnel exit while keeping eyes on it, then sat down and began examining his arm. He slowly exhaled and gently prodded at the most painful areas. The lacerations around his biceps were slowly patching themselves up already, but after some gentle testing, he believed something was broken near his forearm. His elbow and shoulder were both dislocated as well. Maybe something was broken in them too, but he couldn¡¯t tell. Not yet.


    Shit. This was going to hurt.


    Ethan gripped his biceps with his left hand and winced when the tough claws touched the wounds. He took a few quick breaths and twisted and pushed upward. There was a crack and click as the shoulder was put back in place.


    Ethan groaned, panting, then before he could over-think it, he gripped his forearm above the breakpoint and pulled down.


    A groan-curse escaped from his gritted teeth. The pain was unbearable, but it will only get better now. There was still a break in his forearm, but he wasn¡¯t sure what to do about that one. Would it heal by itself, or did he need a splint or something stiff?


    Ethan glanced down the tunnel and was glad to see nothing was coming at him. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes as the pain flares slowly receded. Both his elbow and shoulder were still screaming at him, but now that they weren¡¯t dislocated, healing them should be easier and if the break refused to patch itself up, then maybe he could go see Amelie.


    We¡¯ll see. I¡¯d rather not have to head back up just yet, but if healing a break takes too long, then it¡¯d be dumb to pass up the faster heal. If she can heal breaks, of course.


    Ethan blinked. That was an odd thought for him. Relying on strangers like this.


    Was he part of a team?


    Ethan considered for a second, then shook his head. No, he didn¡¯t feel like he was really part of their team. Not that he had anything against them, but he felt more like a temporary contractor. He preferred to keep things that simple. For now, at least.


    Enough stalling. Time to see what I¡¯m working with.


    Ethan reached into his pocket and pulled down an oddly cold and wet bead of glass. He glanced down at it, then up at the prompt that popped in front of him.


    Assimilate [Breath Gland (Tier-2)] from spellcore?


    A wide smile stretched across his lips, then it broke out in a chuckle that quickly turned to a groan as his injured arm protested the movement.


    That looks like an Enhancer-spell. Something to cast spells out of one¡¯s throat?


    It was perfect, though he didn¡¯t have a wand for it. Not yet, at least.


    Speaking of¡­ what¡¯s going on with the Prime wand?


    Prime Wand of the Juggernaut:


    Tier: 1


    Form: [Lance of the Juggernaut - In use]


    Essence: 1


    Stat Bonus: +5


    Fragments: 169


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Second Form - 300 Fragments]


    I¡¯m close to the second form. Only need 130 fragments or so. It would be amazing if I could get it done before I had to go back up, but we¡¯ll see. Oh¡­ I should also get some fragments for the other wand. I still need to buy [Gout of Flames] to see if that gets me another hidden quest. And I need more mana regen.


    The to-do list kept getting longer, but Ethan didn¡¯t mind that. He felt good about the progress he was making.


    He rolled the bead in his fingers. There was a lot he could do with this little spell, though he would have to replace [Claws]. [Scorching Enhancement] coupled with the wand¡¯s fire manipulation¡¯s trait would allow him to breathe fire at his opponents and it wasn¡¯t as if his hands would be empty. He could use the lance as a weapon.


    The explosive effect needs Essence though¡­ and that¡¯s not replenishing. It¡¯s still stuck at 1.


    Ethan rolled the bead once more, then, not wanting to risk losing it, he assimilated it.


    The spell dissolved into a clear blue light, then sunk into his chest.


    Next, Ethan checked his remaining notifications. Specifically, the hidden quest. As he perused his interface, he noticed a small change that drew another smile on his face. A little reward for having reached the highest level in the group, he assumed.


    Right next to his name, on his stat page, there was a small crown. It was silly, but he kinda liked seeing it.


    Let¡¯s see what kind of magical item I¡¯m getting for this achievement.


    Select a magical item from the list below:


    Shardpurse: A soulbound wallet to hold your fragments.


    Spellblade robes: A set of clothing enchanted to be highly resistant to the user¡¯s own magic.


    Dimensional pouch: A low-grade pouch with a spatial enchantment to increase its storage capacity.


    Harvester¡¯s dagger: A low-grade dagger that improves the odds for the formations of a spellcore or primagems.


    Fire primagem: A low-grade gem holding the concentrated essence of fire.


    Ethan blew out his cheeks and glared up at the tunnel ceiling. ¡°Can you make my choice easy? For once?¡±

 1.31 Unhand me

    Ethan gently moved his injured arm and cursed under his breath as he felt something move in his swelled forearm.


    Yeah, I¡¯m going to need some help for this or it might take a while to heal.


    But, before he could go get some healing, he had to pick a reward, so Ethan focused back on the list of magical items he was offered.


    Shardpurse is a way to hold the fragments outside of the wand. Maybe it¡¯s so they could be used as currency?


    Even if that were the case, Ethan needed to invest in his own wand first before he thought of hoarding fragments to sell or exchange for stuff. As for the soulbound term, he had no clue what that meant, but considering he was probably not picking this option, the answer to that question could wait.


    Next, Ethan moved his attention to the second option; the robes. It was a way for him to not be reduced to his underwear before the day was out. A useful and functional choice, but clothes felt like a luxury right now, and the magical item token would be wasted if he only got something cosmetic out of it.


    Maybe I could borrow a t-shirt from whoever tries to start trouble, though.


    The third item was the dimensional pouch and Ethan couldn¡¯t help but think it might be the most valuable. If not the pouch, then it would have to be the dagger.


    The problem is, what happens if I get spellcores I don¡¯t want? They might be worth something. And what about these primagems? Are they something I can use right away? Because otherwise, if I need to carry them around, they might not fit in my pocket. I might lose them.


    Ethan hummed. Both options were tempting, but considering he¡¯d already seen a trait to increase the chances of spellcore drops, the dagger might not be so rare. As for his argument about spell storage space, it might take a lot of spells for the clutter to become a real issue, while in the meantime, he could find himself a lot of useful spells. And what if these primagems were valuable? What if they had something to do with Prime wands? What if it helped with recovering Essence?


    Ethan adjusted his seating position and grimaced at the pulsing pain coming from his arm. The flames were keeping most of it at bay, but the bone needed to be set.


    It was between the dagger and the pouch, though Ethan had an inkling Ember would love the fire primagem. It might be even useful to him, though that sounded like a risky leap of faith for now. He had to know more about what they were first, which brought him back to the two options; dagger or pouch.


    I¡¯m probably making excuses, but maybe the low-grade part means the dagger might not last that long? Then again, both pouch and dagger are low grade.


    Ethan could see pros and cons in both options, but even though he really didn¡¯t want to have his pockets full of beads, it would be dumb to pass on the dagger, even if it might create some clutter. He hoped it would be possible to get rid of some spells if he never intended to use them or if he ran out of space somehow, as a quick look through his spell list didn¡¯t offer him an option for such, so he might be stuck with every spell he assimilated.


    I could find some other way of carrying my stuff. Someone¡¯s bound to have a backpack they¡¯re willing to exchange for something.


    As he thought it through, he started to lean toward the Harvester¡¯s Dagger, but there was still one last con; the dagger itself.


    How was he supposed to use it? Was carrying it alone enough to trigger the magical effect? That would be ideal, as he had no place for a dagger in his fighting style. Even his claws were longer, while the lance was a much better weapon.


    Maybe I just need the last blow to be done with the dagger? Or maybe I just need to tag a monster once to apply the magic?


    Ethan will have to test that out, but the possibility of acquiring more resources to power-up was too much to dismiss, so he selected the Harvester¡¯s dagger.


    A whitish glow of light materialized in front of him, and out of the light, a small sheathed dagger came tumbling down.


    Ethan grabbed with his left hand, then took a second to examine it after he unsheathed it with his thumb. The dagger was sleek, with a straight double-edged blade that had odd symbols engraved along its length. The dagger¡¯s blade came to a fine point, and it had a simple yet elegant wooden handle.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    At least there¡¯s a belt loop on the side.


    Ethan got up and painstakingly set the dagger and its sheath in place on his hip, then took a second to check his Prime wand¡¯s screen one more time. It was still at 1 Essence.


    This might be a problem.


    ***


    Ethan stepped over the edge and into the light once more and came face to face with a glowing blue bolt loaded on a familiar crossbow.


    ¡°Oh! Sorry,¡± Liz said as she lowered her weapon. She was panting as she dismissed her weapon. In fact, both she, Gerald, and Audrey seemed to be catching their breath.


    They were also soaked.


    ¡°Stupid lizards,¡± said Gerald after a bit as he flicked water off of his short black and gray hair. ¡°There¡¯s more and more of them.¡±


    A few yards behind the group, Ethan made out a couple of dead water monitors. Much smaller than the ones he just had to deal with, but it still made him frown, because past them, he could see a handful of other dead lizards, some of which had their tails missing.


    Didn¡¯t think there were that many of them¡­


    When he¡¯d gotten down to the mushroom forest after passing the camp, it had taken him hours to meet any of the reptiles. Sure, he¡¯d been a bit stealthy and stayed on the sides, but he felt he should have seen at least a one or two if they¡¯d been this common. Were they coming from somewhere?


    ¡°What happened to your arm?¡±


    Ethan glanced back at the mechanic. She was leaning a bit forward to get a better look through the flames, eyebrows knitted, but before he could respond, Audrey sucked the air between her teeth. She stepped around the tower shield she¡¯d been leaning on and peered at his arm. ¡°That looks broken,¡± she said, then looked up, frowning. ¡°Is it that bad down there?¡±


    Ethan was a bit surprised at their concern. Even Gerald had gotten close and asked him if he needed anything.


    Their attention was both heartwarming and uncomfortable. Ethan glanced at the cave he came from and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s intense, yes. Lizardlings above twenty. Two monitors, one of which was above forty, and plenty more I haven¡¯t gotten the chance to see yet. Both fights happened right outside of the tunnel¡¯s exit.¡±


    Liz paled, while Gerald just cursed under his breath. Audrey stared in the distance, eyes thoughtful, then took a deep breath before she looked back at Ethan. ¡°Good to know. For the arm, Amelie can probably help. She¡¯s over there, bothering your cat.¡±


    Before Ethan could turn and find the elemental and as Liz and Gerald stepped away to have a seat, Audrey spoke again, but this time, she kept her voice low. ¡°Is it¡­ safe? The cat?¡±


    It took Ethan a second to realize what she was talking about. He glanced back and saw the cat arching its back as Amelie tentatively scratched behind its neck for a short, peaceful moment, right before the cat snapped out of its enjoyment and swiped at the girl. ¡°I asked Ember to keep an eye on you guys. She agreed. I think she plays hard to get, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯d hurt you guys. Well¡­ not seriously,¡± he added as Amelie pointed her wand at her own hand.


    Probably got scratched.


    Ethan turned back to the tall woman and found her staring into his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want my sister to get hurt. If you think the cat is dangerous, please take it away.¡±


    Straight to the point.


    Ethan nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    With that, Audrey went back to the others, while Ethan stared at her back for a moment. Maybe it had been a bit irresponsible for him to leave such a powerful being with them. Then again, he mostly did it to keep them safe.


    He didn¡¯t really take her request as an insult though, as the point was fair, but if they were worried about the cat being a danger to them, then yeah, he should take it away with him.


    Ethan turned to see Amelie on the other side of the clearing, cradling a very annoyed but still surprisingly placid cat. The elemental¡¯s eyes met his own for a second before Ethan heard Ember¡¯s voice into his mind.¡°[Tell your pack-mate to unhand me.]¡±


    Ethan began walking toward them.


    Was she actually dangerous? The elemental really seemed to be behaving like a regular capricious house cat. He¡¯d seen her vaporize a level 30 lizardling, sure. But no one had been seriously hurt so far, and Ember was most certainly pulling her punches, no matter how annoyed she seemed.


    Still, it was surprising how Amelie had managed to catch the cat. You¡¯d think with her levels and flames she¡¯d be impossible to get a hold of, but it seemed like the cat might not mind the attention that much.


    ¡°Ember asks to be let go,¡± he said, startling the young woman. She blinked, then smiled sheepishly.


    Ethan gestured to his arm and turned off the flame to reveal a still swollen black and blue forearm. ¡°Also, do you mind taking a look at my arm? It doesn¡¯t seem to be healing well.¡±


    Amelie was still processing the first thing he had, and her smile slowly turned to shock. ¡°She? She speaks?! Why didn¡¯t you tell us before?¡±


    The woman completely ignored his limp arm as she stared at the cat that was trying to shimmy itself out of her grip, mouth open. Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s uh¡­ like us.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you¡ªouch! Shit!¡±


    The cat, out of patience, flared some flames out of its back, which both surprised the girl and burnt off some of her hair. She tamped out her smoking locks as the cat quickly climbed up a nearby tree, and when Amelie looked back up, Ethan noticed some of her left eyebrow was missing.


    He kept his expression flat. No matter how funny she looked, he probably shouldn¡¯t smile, but this was yet another reminder; the feline elemental was still a cat. She could have done a lot more damage, but she didn¡¯t.


    Ethan coughed into his arm while smoke wafted off the young woman¡¯s hair. ¡°So ¡­ Can you help me out?¡±

 1.32 Time and purpose

    ¡°This is fascinating¡­¡± mumbled a frowning and focused Amelie. Her wand hovered right above Ethan¡¯s forearm while green filaments crawled on and through his flesh and bones like some sort of ghostly lasers. Only moments ago, they¡¯d been significantly thicker¡ªcloser to glowing ropes¡ªas they¡¯d put back his fractured bone into place before healing it.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    Amelie was hunched over his forearm, as if trying to see through his skin. Any other time, this would have made him uncomfortable, especially considering he still hadn¡¯t managed to find a shirt, but Amelie didn¡¯t seem to care at all about him and was completely focused on his arm. ¡°Your bones. They¡¯re dense. A lot denser than mine or Gerald¡¯s. How come? Was it the body reforging thing at level 30?¡±


    She straightened up and winced as she extended her back before wiping the thin film of sweat off her brow. The observation part hadn¡¯t been too taxing, but healing had taken a lot out of her and Ethan didn¡¯t mind answering her questions. She¡¯d just done him a favor and saved him at least a couple of hours if he¡¯d tried to heal his arm by himself.


    ¡°I think so, yeah. It was painful and I think I passed out at some point, but that could have been it. The other option might be the high Toughness. Also¡­ did your spell change or something? Wasn¡¯t it like some green smoke before?¡±


    Amelie gave him a triumphant smile that faded when she brushed back her now missing lock of hair. She sighed and twirled her wand. ¡°I upgraded it to tier-2 and even got a reward for it, just like you said. This spell is a bit more difficult to use, but it gives me a lot more information and control. As for bone density¡­maybe. I¡¯ll have to test with the others. How high is your Toughness, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    That seemed a bit more private, but Ethan didn¡¯t mind. He went to check his status, stilled for a second at an unexpected change he saw, then answered. ¡°35.¡±


    ¡°Jeez¡­ Yeah, that might do it.¡±


    Ethan heard her, but he couldn¡¯t help but recheck his status. While he was up here recovering, someone had already taken the crown away. At least, that was his interpretation of the disappearance of the little decoration.


    He wondered if it was the previous owner who claimed their crown back, or if this was a new challenger, but whichever case it was, it made him itch to get back down there. His arm was still painful and sore, but it should heal up pretty fast now that the bone was set.


    I need so many fragments. For the Prime wand¡­ and the regular wand.


    Ethan was looking forward to it. There was something intoxicating about having his efforts be rewarded so quickly and so well. There were no doubts and no waiting for phone calls. No history to make him fail, no matter how hard he tried. He just had to find the biggest monster and beat it up and voila. Levels and rewards.


    ¡°Liz said you¡¯re looking for someone. Family?¡±


    Ethan was brought out of his musing and glanced up to find Amelie staring at Ember with her arms behind her head.


    ¡°Yeah. Sort of. You?¡±


    A troubled look entered her eyes, but she nodded. ¡°Yeah. But we think they¡¯re fine. They¡¯re the outdoorsy and survivalist type, so I¡¯m expecting them to handle all of this much better than us. ¡±


    Ethan nodded, then glanced back at the other three. ¡°Liz and Gerald?¡±


    Amelie eye flicked sideways toward him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask them?¡±


    That caught him a bit by surprise. It¡¯s true that he could have been a bit more social and asked, but everyone¡¯s been mostly focused on survival and if he was honest with himself, maybe not knowing much about them would have made difficult decisions easier.


    After a couple of seconds, he shrugged. ¡°Simpler that way. Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought at first.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Amelie sighed. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to give you shit. We¡¯re all going through it right now and we¡¯re all trying to manage. Liz¡¯s parents passed when she was young and she¡¯s estranged from her remaining family. Got a couple of close friends she wants to find. Gerald has a brother in Alaska, and a mother in a nursing home.¡±


    They both stared at the cat for a quiet moment. ¡°Hopefully all of them are all right,¡± he said after a while, then he nodded to the healer. ¡°Thanks for the heal. I really appreciate it.¡±


    Amelie grinned at him and gave him two finger guns. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± she said right before she headed back to her team.


    Checking back on the others, Ethan found that Audrey was on watch duty, while Liz and Gerald chatted about something he couldn¡¯t hear. For a second, he thought of sitting down and learning more about them. Enjoying that feeling of camaraderie for just a bit, but he couldn¡¯t afford to slow down and, frankly, he just wanted to get back down there and find the exit. He wanted to explore and challenge himself. He wanted to test out the new dagger and see how effective it would be.


    Still, a small part of him worried that his allies might be taking things too easy. He wanted to emphasize the dangers down below, but it wasn¡¯t his place to rush them or pressure them.


    Well, at least they¡¯re leveling. Hopefully, they¡¯ll keep it up.


    Now, before he could head back down, he had one last person to talk to.


    Ethan approached Ember before Amelie could corner her again. He quickly found out that she had come down from the mushroom tree¡¯s skirt and was instead sitting on a boulder right under that same tree.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading back down there,¡± he told the cat while sending some flames her way. A small bribe to keep her in a good mood. ¡°Do you want to come along?¡±


    The cat peered at him, then her black and orange eyes flicked behind him to the group. ¡°[No.]¡±


    Ethan blinked while the cat yawned, then nibbled a couple of times at the fire before she laid back on her stomach and twirled her tail.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°[I agreed to a task here.]¡±


    Ethan raised a brow at that, but he didn¡¯t argue. He felt a bit of relief, even. Audrey might not be super excited about having the elemental still around, but this also meant the cat was taking its protective duty seriously. With that out of the way, Ethan moved one to the next subject and skipped the question he had about the cat¡¯s nature, whether it was an elemental in cat form or a cat with elemental powers. He could always learn about that some other time. There was also the question about why it had been Ember who showed up and not whatever the lizardlings had been trying to summon, but again, that would be better to ask when he¡¯d be getting some rest.


    ¡°Do you know how to recharge the Prime wand? I¡¯m assuming you have one as well.¡±


    Ember continued swishing her tail, eyes half-lidded.¡°[Time. And purpose. Have you unlocked all of its forms yet?]¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ember closed her eyes and continued twirling her tail as she yawned once more before she put her head down on her paws.¡°[Do that first, then. Things will become clearer when the wand awakens.]¡±


    Ethan stared at the sleeping cat for a moment. Awaken?


    He wondered if this had anything to do with the true path stuff and whatnot.


    Is it going to be some other quest or a vow?


    Ethan shook his head. For now, he had an actionable goal, so he thanked the cat¡ªwho ignored him¡ªthen moved back toward the tunnel. He¡¯ll figure it out. It needed time and purpose? Well, time he had no control over, but maybe the Essence would replenish faster if he acted in a way that mirrored the declaration he made.


    Right before he dove back into the tunnel, Ethan paused. Then he turned back toward the cat. ¡°Do you know what a primagem is?¡±


    The cat¡¯s eyes instantly shot open. She even stopped swishing her tail. ¡°[Where?]¡±


    A thrum of excitement ran through him as he put his hand on his newly acquired dagger. That meant they were valuable, and he hadn¡¯t made a mistake taking the enchanted weapon.


    ¡°It was listed as a choice for a reward. I didn¡¯t take it.¡±


    The cat growled before it closed its eyes again. ¡°[Take it the next time you find it, then. You¡¯re going to need them soon.]¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°[Everything. Spells. Wands. Traits. Trade. Now, let me sleep.]¡±


    With his question barely answered, Ethan finally stepped into the tunnel and made his way down to the deeper biome. Flames licked up his right arm, accelerating its healing while he considered the last few hours.


    He wondered what these primagems looked like and how he could use them, and as his steps echoed in the dimly lit tunnel, Ethan set himself a goal.


    He wasn¡¯t coming back up unless he had all three forms of his Prime wand unlocked and ideally, he¡¯d pick up one of these primagems. He was curious to find out what the fuss was about.

 1.33: Poke em with the pointy end

    The bright blue lights of the second layer came into view as Ethan assigned all of his three free points to Mana, bringing it up to 18. It was still the lowest of his stats but to be fair, he just started feeling its limitation so he probably wasn¡¯t too far behind.


    Well, he hoped, at least.


    Ethan slowly climbed down and this time, he was careful but he couldn¡¯t help but notice the change since the last time he¡¯d been around; the space seemed to be a lot livelier than it had been barely a couple of hours ago.


    Roars were quick to reach his ears. Flashes of light occasionally flared up from under the mushroom canopy and he could make out some movement in the sparser areas deeper into the cave. Though he was a bit far to see the details.


    Ethan hurried down. He had to take cover before he was noticed.


    His boots hit the wet ground with a squelch and Ethan didn¡¯t waste time. He quickly made his way to the cover of the mushroom-trees. The water monitors he had killed were mostly gone. Only splatters of blood, shredded scales and chunks of viscera littered the space and from how it was spread out across the area, the dead lizards had been fought over before they were devoured.


    Ethan¡¯s claws were out and ready as he prowled through bushes. The odor of blood and smoke was strong, but it barely stood out from the earthy and musty smells of the underground forest.


    It took less than a minute for him to find his first target and once again, it was a monitor lizard.


    Ethan crouched and took in the surroundings for a moment before he focused back on the reptile. It was chewing through a piece of something and from the red glistening gashes along its back and from its partially missing tails, it looked like it had just gotten out of a pretty big fight, which would make his dagger testing a lot easier.


    It was also only level 31.


    After making sure once more that nothing else was nearby, Ethan grabbed the dagger with his right hand while he kept his claws manifested in his left, fireball ready to shoot. Slowly and carefully, he moved around the reptile and its meal until he was behind it, then he stepped forward and out of cover.


    First test: quick stab then use everything I¡¯ve got to kill it. See if the timing of the stab matters.


    Ethan made it halfway through before the reptile lifted its head and flicked the air with its forked tongue. A yellow slitted eye landed on him but before it could react, he rushed forward.


    He had to bring it down before it could call for reinforcement and as expected, it did something he was ready for.


    The reptile shot a jet of pressurized water at him but he easily sidestepped it and stabbed at the lizard¡¯s extended neck. The dagger sunk into its throat with a soft crunch, piercing through the thick scale.


    It barely did any damage.


    A trickle of blood seeped out as he pulled the dagger out and before the monster could retaliate, Ethan jumped backward, creating some distance between him and his opponent. He doubted the dagger even got through the muscle but that did not put a damper on the smile that stretched across his lip.


    The wound was glowing blue.


    The monitor¡¯s jaw snapped at him, but he was already too far. The light stuck to its throat moved along with it, leaving a surreal and ethereal after-image as it followed the beast.


    It was like it had been magically marked, and seeing the magical effect, Ethan felt comfortable moving on to the next phase of the plan.


    He lobbed a [Small Fireball] at the reptile and waited a beat for the explosion to take place before he rushed forward. When the smoke and dust cleared, he found the monitor staggering as it tried to maintain its balance. There was no Prime wand manifestation, as far as he could tell. But considering the state he had found the monster in, it might be out of Essence. After all, that was the only explanation he could think of as to why a Prime wand would disappear, considering their use consumed Essence.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The monster shook its head and hissed, smoke rising from its scales as it tried to orient itself to face its human opponent, and before it could fully recover, Ethan held a hand barely a couple of yards away and sprayed its head with a concentrated gout of scorching fire.


    The death confirmation came through a few seconds later. He got no levels, but that wasn¡¯t too surprising. It seemed like he had to seriously push himself to level at this point, and easy fights weren¡¯t netting him much but then again, that wasn¡¯t the goal of this little experiment.


    It stayed.


    The hazy ball of blue light was still lingering on top of the blacked and smoking scales. It flickered for a bit, and it seemed to be glowing a bit brighter now that the flames have been extinguished.


    Or maybe it¡¯s getting stronger because the monitor¡¯s dead?


    He¡¯ll have to make sure his own spells were not interfering with the dagger¡¯s magic but for now, he observed.


    The blue light pulsed and grew smaller and brighter over the next few seconds. Ethan expected something to happen, but after reaching a certain brightness, there was a longer pulse that he even felt in his own body, and then the light dispersed. In its place there was no spellcore. No primagems, as far as he could tell, only fragments.


    I guess it¡¯s not guaranteed to form spellcores or primagems.


    That wasn¡¯t the end of the world. At least now he knew that he didn¡¯t really have to fight with the dagger. But maybe there were other variables he could test when he gets the chance. Would multiple stabs increase the odds? Would a faster kill without disturbing the dagger¡¯s magic change things?


    Ethan leaned over and collected 59 fragments into his Prime wand before he made himself scarce. The fireball was most certainly heard and he wanted to know what he was dealing with first.


    Once he was a bit further away from the site of the fight, he crouched and watched for curious third parties as he continued his train of thoughts. A final blow might also have an effect, but he wasn¡¯t trying that unless it was against something small. Like the lizardlings. Trying to fight large monsters with such a small dagger was an exercise in pointlessness. He might as well try spitting on them.


    Ethan exhaled and waited. A couple of minutes later, another water monitor showed up and wasted no time to sink its sharp, massive teeth into its weaker cousin.


    Level 37. This must be their territory or something. There really are a lot of them.


    Well. He was going to have a lot of targets to work with. He just hoped the dagger wouldn¡¯t take too long to give him something.


    Ethan gripped the Harverster¡¯s Dagger tighter and readied himself. This time, he might have to throw it to the side once he scored the first hit but even if he got nothing out of it once more, this fight might allow him to unlock the Prime wand¡¯s second form.


    After all, it was only 72 fragments away.


    ***


    Ethan stood panting over the lizard as the blue light he scored in its flank pulsed. The other sites he managed to hit were normal, which meant the dagger¡¯s magic only worked on the first stab.


    Good to know. Now come on. Come on come on.


    This one had been a bit more difficult to bring down and it had made a ruckus which is why he was in a rush to get the heck out of Dodge. He¡¯d already collected his fragments, putting him all the way up to 277. Not enough for the Prime wand¡¯s second form, but he was really close.


    The magic of the dagger pulsed one last time and Ethan was ready to be disappointed, but to his surprise, a small glowing bead of dark gray hit the soft soil with a barely audible thud.


    Ethan grabbed for it and was ready to retreat, but he¡¯d taken too long.


    Out of the bushes a party of five lizardlings came out and without a word, their archer lifted its bow and shot a flaming arrow at him. Effortlessly, Ethan raised a hand and blew the blue glowing projectile away with a gout of concentrated flames as the remaining lizardlings stepped out into the clearing.


    Ethan lowered his right and rolled his shoulders. He considered running and taking them out one at a time for a second, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He would take a couple of hits, sure, but that was what [Enduring Brawler] and [Child of Flames] were for. Plus, he did want to test the effect of conforming to his true path.


    A grin spread across his lips. He will not be stopped. He will burn through everything.


    He had a juggernaut¡¯s wand. He should try doing some juggernaut things, so before the lizardlings could spread out and surround him, he shot a [Small Fireball] in their midst and rushed forward.


    After all, he needed a lot of fragments and a target for his new dagger, and he just got delivered a whole batch of them.

 1.34: Second Form

    Ten-inch long claws tore into the first lizardling¡¯s throat, sending smoking blood on another¡¯s shocked face right before he drowned all of them in an inferno of scorching flames.


    An arrow flew at him from further behind, and Ethan jumped back. The archer had posted itself a bit to the left and as it waited for another arrow to appear, Ethan¡¯s flames faded to reveal an already dispelling barrier. The defensive magic had caught most of the blaze, but some of the fire had gone through and, to his surprise, the one he¡¯d just torn into was having its neck healed by the barrier caster.


    Barriers and heals. And it¡¯s the highest level too.


    It was at level 32 and it wasn¡¯t the only one above thirty. There was one more. A warrior. But Ethan didn¡¯t let that intimidate him and as his mental countdown reached zero, he extended a claw and shot another [Small Fireball] toward the caster and this time, it didn¡¯t manage another barrier on time.


    The warrior jumped forward and threw down its little buckler, only for it to be replaced by a larger round shield. The fireball hit the shield with a soft click and the next thing Ethan saw was the fireball heading back to him.


    Shit!


    Ethan jumped to the side, unwilling to be anywhere near the explosion right as another arrow flew at him. He shot fire at it to weaken it, but the projectile curved around the flames and only missed him because he dodged to the side at the last moment.


    Ethan stood panting, eyes wide as he recovered, then a chuckle escaped his lips.


    This is a good challenge.


    Ethan itched to grab his dagger and mark the lizardlings, but he needed to thin them out first a bit. The archer and the healers were a priority, but first, he needed to push that reflecting shield. That might be the form of a Prime wand, so before the lizardlings could recover much, Ethan raised both hands and drowned the group in fire once more.


    Reflect all of that, you little shit.


    It turns out, the shield could reflect his raw flames, but it was only a small portion and it did nothing to the remaining flood of mana. From the corner of his eyes, Ethan saw the archer line up another shot while he felt a twinge of unease in his arms and chest.


    Shit. Getting mana exhausted again.


    Ethan moved to the right, putting the lizardlings between him and the archer, and lobbed another fireball in their midst. This time, it worked. The lizardling¡¯s loose formation was scattered. Some were thrown violently away, while a couple managed to stand their ground. The only one mostly unaffected was the shield-bearing warrior, while even the healer struggled to stand-up straight.


    A first notification came through, but Ethan ignored it as a lance dropped in his open palm. He sprinted forward and lunged, stabbing at the still dazed healer while red glyphs shone across the length of the lance.


    A shield tried to interpose itself between him and his target, but put more weight in his step and barreled through the flimsy defense while flames burst around him. He might take a couple of hits, but anyone that tried to approach him will pay dearly.


    The dazed healer finally realized Ethan was coming for him and cowered away, summoning yet another barrier with a simple bone-wand that disappeared out of his hand once the barrier finished forming. The lance hit the barrier, blew up the gray wall of magic in motes, then pierced through the lizardling¡¯s chest.


    Ethan expected the lance to disappear. Wasn¡¯t it only at 1 Essence? Had he been wrong?


    Green light began emanating out of the lizardling¡¯s throat, but Ethan shoved the lights back where they were coming from with a narrow jet of flames out of his left hand right as someone drove a spear through the back of his thigh.


    Ethan grimaced and whirled back with a backhand that cracked the spear like a twig, followed by a wave of flames. The lizardlings cringed away from the flames and in the end, his offense had been a success. Ethan had hit his mark.


    You have defeated [Lizardling - Level 27]


    You have defeated [Lizardling (I) - Level 32]Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    You have reached Level 34. 1 stat point awarded.


    With the healer down, the fight was about to become a lot easier. Ethan suddenly ducked, and another arrow zipped above him as he glared at the archer while ignoring the aching pain in his thigh. I¡¯m taking that little shit next.


    In the end, the shield-bearer was the only one who could stand up to him for more than a couple of seconds. Whenever Ethan got close to one of the lizardlings, they crumpled as soon as he tagged them with the dagger then burnt them to a crisp and as for the shield-bearer, it only lasted until its Prime-wand ran out of Essence, which was when Ethan took its head off with a point-blank fireball to the face.


    The explosion hurt him a bit as well, but it also felt good considering the couple of times this specific little shit threw his fireballs back at him.


    No spellcores. No primagems.


    That was a bit disappointing, but Ethan couldn¡¯t be too sad considering the haul of fragments. He still felt a bit iffy about taking all the new fragments into the Prime wand as he climbed up the wall and stepped back into the cover of the tunnel, but he¡¯d set himself a goal. He needed to unlock all three forms before he could focus on something else and the sooner he did, the quicker he could turn his attention to other matters. With that in mind, he pulled up his Prime wand¡¯s screen and checked his total.


    Prime Wand of the Juggernaut:


    Tier: 1


    Form: [Lance of the Juggernaut]


    Essence: 1


    Stat Bonus: +5


    Fragments: 477


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Second Form - 300 Fragments]


    Oh? The Essence¡¯s at 1?


    That might have been why the lance hadn¡¯t dissipated when he¡¯d used its magical effect. His own theory and Ember must have been right, even though she hadn¡¯t said as much. Behaving in a manner that reflected the nature of the wand helped it recover Essence faster.


    So I just need to rush headlong into fights and it¡¯ll keep recharging?


    Ethan smiled and shook his head. Even his bad habits were becoming an advantage, somehow. Or it might have just been a matter of time. In any case, it will soon become clear.


    He took a seat on the ground and dismissed his claws, then confirmed the second form¡¯s upgrade.


    I¡¯ll do this, then take an hour or so of rest before I get back out there.


    It really did seem like something was going on in the area. The giant underground forest was like a kicked anthill, boiling with activity and fights. That was good for him, as it meant plenty of targets and challenges, but he would still like to figure out what was going on, just in case it had anything to do with the main quest.


    Questions for later. Time for a new form.


    Prime wand - [Second Form] upgrade confirmed.


    Select a form to unlock for your Prime wand:


    Spellcaster


    Enhancer


    What would be the secondary effect of the wand? That lizardling¡¯s shield could reflect attacks. My lance can blow up on impact. What would the wand do? What would the Enhancer-form do?


    Ethan was worried the wand wouldn¡¯t bring much to the table, while the Enhancer-form would most likely to be immediately useful.


    Alright. I¡¯m getting both soon, anyway, so let¡¯s not agonize about every little choice.


    Ethan confirmed the Enhancer selection and sat still. Magic appeared out of the ether and slowly revolved around him, soon followed by a cloud of golden flecks that reminded him of the fragments he collected. They swirled and blended around him for a few seconds, then sunk into his chest.


    The magic spread through his limbs, reinforcing his flesh, and then it seemed like it began flowing upward. Through his chest, the neck and they only stopped near his forehead.


    I have a bad feeling about this, Ethan thought to himself and right as he did, a message popped into his interface.


    Enhancer form: Horns of the Juggernaut


    Summon formidable horns that empower your magic. Additionally, when charging toward your quarry, your Might and Toughness are greatly empowered.


    Ethan grinned, and his smile turned to a chuckle that echoed in the blue-lit tunnel. With a flex of will, the horns materialized on top of his forehead, near his hairline. They were a deep brown, almost black in the blue light, and they jutted out for an inch or so before they curved backward. Ethan followed their rough texture with his hand. They swept backward and only curved back up near the tip.


    He wished he had a mirror to see how they looked, but suffice it to say, he was very happy with his new ability. Now he just had to get back out there and test it out, and finish getting the fragments for the third and final form.


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Third Form - 500 Fragments]

 1.35: The offer

    With the second form unlocked, Ethan took a bit of a break and rested while the underground forest continued boiling with activity and once more, he assigned his newest stat point to mana, bringing it up to 19 points.


    Once I have the third form unlocked, I¡¯m gonna focus back on the other wand. I can probably boost it pretty fast now that higher level monsters are on the menu. Oh. And learn [Gout of Flames] too. See if that nets me another spell token.


    Ethan was nearly forty minutes into his break and had been re-tying his boots when his brows furrowed. He looked up, worried, and slowly scanned his surroundings. The tunnel was the same as it had always been. A long dug-out and smoothed passageway that stretched to his left and right, lit up by a network of glowing mushrooms not unlike the forests above or below. But other than that, it was empty. Not really quiet, as roars, screeches, and the occasional bangs were still reaching his ears from the deeper forest.


    But something was off. Ethan didn¡¯t feel like he was alone. He felt watched. And the more he thought he was being watched, the more confident he became.


    Something¡¯s here.


    Ethan got up as his eyes scanned the darkness, looking for movement in the shadows. Was this something new?


    With every second that went by, he grew more annoyed and, after nearly a minute, he summoned and ignited his claws, ready to drown the tunnel in fire.


    ¡°If you understand me, show yourself. Now.¡±


    Nothing.


    Ethan extended his arms in both directions. He was about to fill the tunnel with fire when something moved in the corner of his eyes.


    ¡°There will be no need for that,¡± said a feminine voice as a pair of thin translucent wings unfurled to reveal a woman in charcoal trousers and a bloodied white dress-shirt. She wore dark-rimmed glasses and her dyed-blond hair was tied back in a bun, accentuating her sharp features. Ethan¡¯s eyes were drawn to the dagger set on her hip, which made him touch his own to make sure it hadn¡¯t been stolen without him noticing.


    He hadn¡¯t been the only one who went with the greedy option.


    Ethan eyed the large insectile wings. They wouldn¡¯t have been out of place atop a giant moth or butterfly, though they were a bit translucent. Plus, something about them made his gaze slide away, which might explain why he hadn¡¯t noticed the camouflage.


    One thing was clear, though; that odd magical effect, coupled with her quasi-invisibility made this person into a worrisome opponent to have.


    The woman gave an apologetic smile, and even though the expression did reach her blue eyes, it only put Ethan more on edge. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to sneak up on you. You¡¯re Ethan, right?¡±


    [Human (I) - Level 31]


    Ethan stared back at the woman and didn¡¯t dismiss his claws. ¡°I might be. Who¡¯s asking?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t worried about being overtly polite toward someone who¡¯d just been caught snooping on him, and nothing she could say would change his mind. If he hadn¡¯t threatened to turn the tunnels into an oven, she might have said nothing. What had her plan been? Stab him in the back or something?


    ¡°My name¡¯s Amanda Daniels and I came in person to apologize for what some of my¡­ acquaintances have been up to. I heard there had been a scuffle between your people and mine and I wanted to come extend an apology in person and see if we could reach an arrangement,¡± she said, glancing around at the empty tunnel before she sighed. ¡°I miss chairs. It¡¯s barely been a couple of days, but somehow it feels like weeks.¡±


    Ethan watched the woman as she shook her head for a moment before she crossed her arms and leaned against a flat portion of the wall. ¡°It was unacceptable what Lance had been doing. I was scouting and looking for more allies, and I should have been more aware of what was going on with the little camp I organized. My initial goal had been to create a safe spot for those unable to brave the new dangers and I hadn¡¯t expected it to quickly be turned into a misguided and frankly stupid operation to collect some extra fragments. I¡¯ll make sure what occurred doesn¡¯t happen again. At the end of the day, we stand a better chance of surviving all of this if we pool our strengths.¡±


    Ethan watched quietly as Amanda pushed herself off the wall and began pacing a few feet away from him, and he couldn¡¯t help but notice she was standing between him and the others.


    Amanda stood with her arms behind her back, looked him in the eyes, wings swaying and reflecting the lights of the tunnel. ¡°I¡¯m organizing the high-level individuals so we can push our way down there,¡± she said, nodding toward the deep underground forest. ¡°And that¡¯s only for starters. There will be more challenges. More quests. And eventually, we might find ourselves back on Earth and when we do, I don¡¯t want us to fall under the thumb of a better organized faction. Whether it''s from our own world or another.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Ethan didn¡¯t miss the intense look she was giving him, and he fully believed that this tutorial wasn¡¯t her end goal. Now the question was, was she looking for partners or was she looking for soldiers because so far, she hadn¡¯t said much about that, though he had a good guess from the glimmer he was seeing in her eyes.


    He wasn¡¯t interested in either, but he had to get a good read for this person.


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to lead this team you¡¯re building?¡±


    Amanda gave him a confident smile. ¡°Everyone¡¯s voice will be heard, but someone needs to call the shots when a decision has to be taken, and I have the experience with the latter.¡±


    There it is.


    For a second, Ethan felt a large hand trying to wrap itself around him. To pull his string and make him do what it desired. He didn¡¯t miss the subtext of her words, that this will be no partnership but a job.


    After having gotten a taste of complete freedom, of being rewarded well for his own efforts, Ethan¡¯s mind bristled at the threat of having his own will be overridden by anyone else. At having to put his own goals and desires aside to work on someone else¡¯s vision.


    The thought alone made his soul smolder. But Ethan kept his expression and flames in check, no matter how much he wanted to ignite them. Not to attack her, of course. Just as an outlet to his agitation, and to ward away anything that tried to nudge him in any way or form.


    The flame had become a source of comfort, in a way. Though he did wonder, how did she intend to keep those more powerful than her in line?


    If yet another Lance showed up, one powerful enough, how was she going to stop them?


    Ethan nodded along, feigning interest. ¡°And what¡¯s your plan once these tutorials are over? If we make it through, of course.¡±


    Like a manager who¡¯s just been given a question they had prepared for, Amanda launched into a prepared response, though he didn¡¯t like how her eyes were training on him.


    She won¡¯t like it when I tell her no.


    ¡°We need to first make sure we¡¯re secure and safe, then we should get in touch with other survivors. Other groups. Find out what¡¯s happening with our government. There are so many variables we don¡¯t know just yet, but with a high-level team, we¡¯ll be equipped to deal with most challenges that pop up.¡±


    Ethan continued nodding along as he mentally recapped what Amanda wanted. A team of high-level individuals that she would lead, punch through the tutorial, then coordinate and potentially set her own little fiefdom when they¡¯ll be back on Earth.


    ¡°I appreciate the apology and I appreciate the offer. But I prefer to work alone for now.¡±


    Amanda raised an eyebrow at him. Ethan thought she was about to say something, but then she nodded back. ¡°I understand. I do hope you¡¯ll see the benefit of what I¡¯m offering and eventually change your mind. Can we agree to stay out of each other¡¯s hair for now, at least?¡±


    Ethan blinked and couldn¡¯t suppress the incredulous smile that stretched across his lips. Did she mean he shouldn¡¯t intervene if another ¡®Lance¡¯ popped up and started abusing their powers? ¡°What does that mean, exactly?¡±


    Amanda smiled and waved a hand away. ¡°Nothing as bad as you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯m not looking to get in your way or anything like that. I meant if we¡¯re working on something¡ªlike assaulting the monsters down there¡ªdon¡¯t just start throwing spells in our general direction without cause. Don¡¯t attack my people if they don¡¯t start trouble with yours. If they do, let me know before you cut their head off. We¡¯re not working together, but we can at least coexist peacefully, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    That was a reasonable request, though he didn¡¯t like how vague it sounded. But this wasn¡¯t a fight he needed to pick up right now. Plus, the situation was tense enough, considering both of them still had their wands manifested.


    Trust was clearly not on the table and as impulsive as he knew he could be, Ethan didn¡¯t want to make an enemy of this person. Better to let things lay for now and go from there.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay out of your way as long as your people stay out of mine.¡±


    He considered adding more stipulations, but he didn¡¯t want to sour the mood and ratchet up the tensions. Schemers were difficult to deal with and even though he thought of adding a warning to leave his allies alone, he didn¡¯t want to risk painting a target on them.


    Still, I¡¯m gonna need to warn them.


    Amanda straightened up and nodded, giving him a polite and lukewarm smile. ¡°Well, it was nice meeting you. Feel free to reach out and ask for me in one of our camps if you ever change your mind or if you want to pool our strengths.¡±


    Ethan raised a brow. ¡°Camps?¡±


    Amanda gave him a chuckle and a wink. ¡°A lot can be done when you¡¯ve got the right people. We¡¯re already setting up a camp in the second layer, to help our best level faster. And we¡¯re still finding some isolated folk that had to face all of this by themselves. After all, there were a thousand of us thrown into this mess. Well, this group, I mean.¡±


    After a couple more exchanges, Amanda stepped past him and went back down into the deeper cave. Ethan followed her with his eyes and couldn¡¯t help but picture her turning invisible yet again before sneaking back into the cave.


    He didn¡¯t trust her. She might not be a problem right now, but she could become one.


    Ethan considered going to tell the others about her right away, but he also didn¡¯t want to hold their hands too much. After mulling it over a few seconds, he decided on a compromise.


    Finish up the third form, then go tell them and get some real rest. After that, I¡¯ll push deeper into the cave. See where Amanda and her people are setting up.


    All of those water monitors were coming from somewhere, and it might have something to do with the main quest.

 1.36: Swarm

    Ethan quickly had eyes on his first victim, barely minutes after stepping out of the tunnel.


    He was going to watch his back¡ªjust in case Amanda had any ideas¡ªbut the sooner he got the third form and unlocked whatever Ember had alluded to, the sooner he¡¯d be able to take a break, rest up, and hopefully recharge his Essence.


    Ethan eyed the level 35 monitor and summoned his horns. He had a point of Essence, but he wasn¡¯t sure if the boost of the horns required any. He was under the impression that the running part might require some, but not the boost.


    He probably should have tested it beforehand, but he¡¯d been in a bit of a rush to get out of the tunnel and carry-on with his self-imposed schedule and now was as good a time as any to find out.


    Ethan looked down at his claws. He hadn¡¯t ignited them yet, but they did feel thicker. Tougher. There was a thrum he could feel running through them, though he¡¯ll be more sure once he ignited them and tested his fire output.


    He turned his attention to the monitor as it tore through a lizardling¡¯s corpse. It would be nice if he would always have access to the horn¡¯s boost. It would be even nicer if he could access both the horns and the lance, too.


    That Ethan had remembered to test and, unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like he could have both out at once. Though he hoped it would be an option, eventually.


    Ethan exhaled and focused back on his current hunt.


    No fireballs unless I want everything in the area to hear us.


    That left close-range flames and claws as his main weapons. He¡¯d have to get close.


    With that settled, Ethan surged from cover and rushed the large reptile. He was halfway to his prey when the large yellow eye turned to him just as he ignited his arms, but while Ethan expected it to shoot him with water, it raised its head, opened its jaw, and let out a loud ululating hiss.


    Ethan drove his claws into the monster''s throat. The talons met the tough, thick scales and tore through them like a hot poker through wax. Blood sprayed while the lizard¡¯s call was cut off. It stumbled under the impact of Ethan¡¯s attack, and when he tried to rip his claws out, there was a small resistance as deep-blue scales surged around the wound and smoothly spread to cover the rest of the monster¡¯s body, but if the reptile had been planning to immobilize him by encasing his claws, it was sorely mistaken.


    Ethan comfortably ripped them out in another spray of blood and as more calls began resounding all around him, his fist met the lunging maw, delivering a burst of intense fire that made the creature shriek right before he pointed at it with his palm and drowned it in an inferno of concentrated fire.


    Glancing at his Prime wand¡¯s stat, Ethan grinned.


    The horns are definitely boosting my magic, and it¡¯s not eating in the Essence. Perfect.


    ***


    Amanda watched the young man exit his tunnel and climb down the soft cliff before he started creeping forward into the blue-lit brushes.


    Any other time, tracking the small figure would have been difficult, but her new eyes made it trivial. She could see him clearly. See the mana rushing into his arms. See the haze of power around his horns.


    It was definitely a striking manifestation for a Prime wand, and she knew it was. The rippling magic around them matched every other Prime manifestation she¡¯d seen. Not the color, of course. There was a certain ripple in the air that surrounded such manifestations and even though she was still new to this new sight, she could pick up the similarities. She noticed them in the summoned scales of water monitors. In the throat of mystic toads. In Ethan¡¯s horns. In her own eyes as well, though that wasn¡¯t as easy to see.


    Amanda wondered what her new eyes looked like. She¡¯d give anything for a mirror. She¡¯d tried seeing her own reflection in her own dagger, but it was too foggy and wavy to see much aside from the purple.


    Barely a couple of minutes later, the first water monitor was dead, but the damage was done and from what she could see, Ethan¡¯s Harvester¡¯s dagger gave him nothing for the encounter.


    What a ripoff.


    She¡¯s yet to get anything out of hers. Well, there was one modifier, but it was useless to her.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Amanda sighed and focused back on the scene below her. The first reptiles had already arrived, and it seemed the young man intended on facing them.


    He couldn¡¯t see the swarm approaching. Otherwise she¡¯d bet he¡¯d be running right now.


    Maybe that¡¯d be enough to put him down.


    Amanda refrained from biting her nail as she watched and considered her options. He was now fighting the newcomers, but he clearly underestimated the reptiles¡¯ numbers and from her discussion with him as well as from observations, it didn¡¯t seem like he was aware of the rift that kept spawning the damn things.


    He might become a pain in my ass. But is that worth escalating things?


    There was a flare of dust and fire. Chunks of monitor lizard went flying, as if to answer her question.


    No, it wasn¡¯t worth it. As long as she steered clear of him and of his people, they could coexist. He didn¡¯t seem the sort that¡¯d be interested in leading or in politics, and she¡¯d rather not have him gunning for her. Though if things went sideways, she had a couple of half-baked ideas for suitable responses that didn¡¯t require her fighting.


    Because she was very much aware she couldn¡¯t fight someone like him directly. Same went for the people he¡¯d been hanging around.


    ¡°And that damn cat. How is there a level 50 cat watching over them?¡±


    Amanda was pretty sure that thing had noticed her, which is why she¡¯d made herself scarce and resolved to stay from them.


    What if he does become a problem, though? How could I handle him?


    Amanda re-tied her hair as she watched the fight down below. She might not have to. His impulsive actions might be the end of him, if she got lucky.


    Amanda chuckled and shook her head. As if her life would ever be that easy.


    No, Amanda needed to think of contingency. Solid ones. She needed to get her own people under control and keep them away from him. No more disasters like the Lance fiasco.


    ¡°Fucking dumbass,¡± she cursed under her breath.


    She hadn¡¯t known of the little racket the security guard had been running, of course. She¡¯d been too busy scouting, leveling, and trying to find worthwhile allies. If she¡¯d known, she would have killed the moron herself along with anybody else who¡¯ve had a hand in what happened.


    What a stupid idea. Jeopardized everything for barely a 100 fragments. Died for it, even.


    Amanda continued watching the fight from her perch atop of her own tunnel exit. Well, not her own, but the one she used most often. She beat her wings and looked longingly at them while the fight raged ahead, creating a thin mist over the area as fire and water clashed.


    Maybe at tier-3 I¡¯d be able to more than just glide with them? It would make so many things easier if I could just fly past the swarm and past the rift. The exit must be past it. Unless it was within it?


    She watched as Ethan was slowly being pushed deeper and deeper into the cave. Slowly approaching Diego¡¯s hunting grounds.


    Another problematic variable that just kept leveling¡­


    As Ethan filled the space around him with bright fire, Amanda¡¯s eyes widened. Not because of the bright flames, but because of a potential solution to some of her problems.


    Yeah¡­ that could work. If things went sour, of course.


    Amanda continued watching as she planned out her next steps. She was suffering from mana-exhaustion and she needed the rest, so she might as well watch one of the strongest individuals of this group.


    At least he¡¯s a loner. And I doubt he¡¯d get along with Diego. Much less Savannah.


    It would be perfect if they went at each other¡¯s throat. All three of them. Amanda would then take over the rest, but she didn¡¯t believe in luck.


    She created her own opportunities.


    For now, we need levels, and we need to conquer the rift.


    She couldn¡¯t see the jagged tear in reality from up here. It was much deeper into the cave. Past the corner. But the sheer amount of monsters it was releasing¡­


    If those rifts are common in the new world, then they are a resource that will be fought over. Finding and controlling them will be key, she thought as she continued watching the young man running.


    ***


    Ethan pumped his arm and ran as the wall of hissing reptiles chased after him.


    Fuck fuck fuck. Where do they keep coming from?!


    He was all for rushing into the fray and living up to his wand¡¯s theme, but there were way too many water monitors to take them on. Especially now that he was out of Essence.


    Ethan raised an arm and shot a fireball without looking back. He heard the angry hisses behind him as he jumped over a wood long and ignored the ache from all the fragments he was missing out on. Above him, water-jets of pressurized water flew past, adding to the humidity of the space and bathed his surroundings in the bright blue lights of the mushroom trees.


    The problem was, he was cut off from his exit. He either had to find another way up, or he was going to be forced deeper into the elongated cave.


    Where the hell are the exits?


    Ethan scanned the walls, but he couldn¡¯t see any. If he could just find one, he could lure the dumb lizard within and roast them.


    There!


    Ethan finally saw a small cliff that led up into a familiarly carved tunnel and swerved toward it. He was out of breath, but a wide grin stretched across his lips that quickly turned to pain as a jet of water hit him in the back of the shoulder and forced him down. Ethan rolled and jumped back to his feet, surging toward the tunnel while the cacophony of broken trees, hisses, and missed water-jets filled the air.


    Finally, he stood at the entrance of the tunnel and looked back. Dozens of reptiles gnashed their teeth and chased. Ethan was ready to aggravate them so they would follow, but there was no need.


    The first level 40 monitor was already climbing.

 1.37: The Path

    Ethan drove his dagger through a water monitor¡¯s under-jaw, wrenched it back with a spray of blood that splattered against the narrow blue-lit tunnel wall, then proceeded to fill the monster¡¯s face with an intense, bright ray of flames while he grit his teeth as a column of water threatened to blow him back into the tunnel. Ethan resisted, skidding along the muddy ground, chest on fire from exertion and from mana exhaustion, and when he got the death notification, he fell to his knees for a second before he stumbled forward and collected his fragments.


    There were no other drops. No spellcores or primagems so far, but he already had enough fragments to get the third form and had begun channeling the newly acquired fragments into the Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental.


    I¡¯m gonna be able to afford a bunch of upgrades after this. But I might need to run.


    He panted and watched another reptile make its way into the tunnel through the messy swarm of predators, then pushed its way through the small wall of dead monitors.


    He¡¯d already gotten four levels from this battle, but the lizards were still coming, and Ethan¡¯s mana exhaustion was becoming too much to bear. Every time he cast a spell, it felt like he was channeling broken glass out of his chest and into his hands.


    He hated leaving such a bounty of fragments and levels, but it was time to rest.


    And it¡¯s not as if these things are going anywhere. They¡¯ll still be here when I get back.


    With his horns still glowing atop his head, Ethan extended his hand and aimed above the oncoming lizard. It was a safe distance away from, he hoped, but he still needed to brace. Both from using his mana and from the explosion that he was about to set off in a thin and narrow space.


    Ethan shot his [Small Fireball] and continued backing away.


    The fireball hit the ceiling and detonated in a painful flash of light and fire that made Ethan¡¯s ear ring. The lizard died instantly and was quickly buried as the stone tunnel caved in on top of it, raining stone and dust enough to fully condemn the tunnel.


    Ethan continued watching for movement while his ears rang, and when nothing moved after nearly a full minute, he let himself fall on his behind. He exhaled, ignoring the scent of burnt flesh and acrid dust, and dismissed the wands before he closed his eyes for a few moments.


    Calm. At last.


    Ethan opened his eyes and glanced behind him toward the ascending tunnel. Now that he was not being pursued by a swarm of water monitors, he realized something he hadn¡¯t considered just yet; this tunnel would take him into a new area he hadn¡¯t been to before. It was still up on the first strata, but what if he found himself in front of someone like Amanda? What if some of the powerful lizards managed to get up there from another tunnel?


    I should take a small break. Just in case I have to fight anything off.


    Ethan dragged himself and leaned against the wall, and decided to check on his wands. It was time to get the third¡ªand maybe final¡ªform of the Prime wand.


    [Third Form - 500 Fragments]


    Prime wand - [Third Form] upgrade confirmed.


    Ethan waited as the reinvigorating magic filled his body. It felt great, but he didn¡¯t let that distract him too much. He still kept an eye on his surroundings. Just in case something or someone new sneaked up on him.


    I¡¯m going to need something for better perception or detection.


    Now that he knew someone could be standing a few yards away from him without him noticing, Ethan found it harder to relax.


    At least I¡¯ll be able to get some rest when there¡¯s someone on watch. Now, let¡¯s see about the new form.


    Spellcaster form: Wand of the Juggernaut


    Summon a classic wand to cast spells. Spells cast can be empowered to suppress magic and spells in their path.


    As soon as the text appeared, there was a shudder in the surrounding air. Motes of lights began drifting in and out of existence, and the air slowly began feeling¡­ heavier. It reminded him of the very first interaction he had with this interface and its system. Seconds later, new text began popping in front of him.


    Prime wand awakening...You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Path of the Juggernaut activating...


    Examining affinities¡­


    Examining achievements¡­


    Examining traits¡­


    Path specialization possible¡­


    Warning: Controlled cultivation method detected.


    Contacting Administrator¡­


    As soon as the last line appeared in his vision, Ethan¡¯s lung seized. He breathed shallowly, but panic filled his chest at the alien sensation that took over. He felt gripped, as if a phantasmal hand had slipped into his chest and wrapped its clawed fingers around his heart.


    What the fuck is happening?


    He didn¡¯t dare move or make a peep. Cold sweat beaded down his neck and as suddenly as it started, the sensation stopped.


    Ethan felt himself fall back into his own body, somehow, and he could breathe easier. Then the text continued.


    Approval granted¡­


    Path of the Burning Juggernaut activating...


    A whoosh of fire suddenly flashed into existence around him, as if the air had been full of combustible gas and someone had ignited a match. It danced around him, sending its warmth into his tired body and Ethan felt a smile draw itself on his face, and slowly, it faded and left him with one last message.


    It also set his pants on fire.


    Ethan cursed and tamped the fire out, wincing from the sting of little flames that stuck to his pants. Then he looked at the new text in his interface.


    Path of the Burning Juggernaut:


    A path for the unstoppable warrior. A path of fire and destruction that makes kindlings out of every obstacle.


    Ethan read the text and blinked.


    What does this mean? Do I need to set the monitors on fire? Will that give me Essence?


    He loaded the Prime wand page and found it had changed.


    Huh. I guess it really was still asleep.


    Prime Wand of the Juggernaut:


    Tier: 1


    Form: [ Lance of the Juggernaut, Horns of the Juggernaut, Wand of the Juggernaut]


    Essence: 1


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 1


    Cast refresh: 5s


    Mana regeneration: 1 (6%)


    Stat Bonus: +5


    Fragments: 112


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Tier: 1 to 2 - 500 fragments, 100 Essence]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments, 10 Essence]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25s - 50 fragments, 5 Essence]


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments, 10 Essence]


    Oh. Oooh. This¡­ interesting.


    Ethan was very excited, but he still grimaced as he went through the updated menu. He didn¡¯t like that the wand¡¯s upgrade would cost Essence, considering the special abilities of the its forms used Essence.


    It means I¡¯ll have to be careful and selective about my Essence use. Unless it¡¯s easier to collect than I¡¯m thinking.


    Ethan sighed and closed his eyes for a second. Hopefully, Ember would give him more details this time.


    A grin stretched across his lips.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit proud. He had set out to only head back to camp once he finished unlocking the Prime wand¡¯s arm, and he did. He even got quite a few levels along with it.


    Speaking of¡­


    You have reached Level 35. 1 stat point awarded.


    You have reached Level 36. 1 stat point awarded.


    You have reached Level 37. 1 stat point awarded.


    You have reached Level 38. 1 stat point awarded.


    I¡¯m catching up to Ember.


    Ethan quickly looked through his stats.


    Push mana to 20¡­ then one point each for everything else.


    He nodded. That sounded fair. Ethan assigned and confirmed his choice and then, he pulled his first wand and tried to take a mental note for later to test [Breath Gland]. He¡¯d mostly forgotten about it, but he wondered if it would work with his Prime wand. Maybe not right now, as it was still at tier-1, but later.


    Lots of testing to do. So much testing.


    For now, Ethan decided to finally deal with the potential hidden quest of learning a tier-1 spell.


    [Learn: Gout of Flames (Tier-1) - 50 fragments]


    He accepted the cost, and after a quick light show of magic, the spell was added to his catalog.


    Congratulations. Hidden quest: <Learn a tier-1 spell > completed.


    1 tier-1 spell token awarded.


    I would have been legitimately pissed if I hadn¡¯t gotten the hidden quest for this. I¡¯m glad it did. And once I¡¯m back to camp, it might be time to crack both tier-1 and tier-2 spell token open. See if I get something for faster healing, but honestly, more defense, mobility, or a way to detect skulkers would be welcome as well. Oh¡­wait a second.


    Ethan quickly scrolled back through his notification and chuckled when he found one of the side quests. Of course, he¡¯s not at level 40 just yet, so the first wasn¡¯t done. But the one about the Prime wand was.


    Congratulations. Side quest <Unlock all three Prime wand forms> completed.


    1 tier-2 spell token awarded.


    Three spell tokens to crack, then. Nice. And I still have a bit over 200 fragments in the Elemental wand.


    Ethan leaned against the wall and smiled.

 1.38: Resting and testing

    ¡°Moment of truth,¡± mumbled Ethan to himself.


    He was still resting, and it hadn¡¯t been more than thirty minutes since he sealed the exit leading down into the swarming mushroom forest behind him. Now that he finished up the bulk of his upgrades, he had a few tests to take care of, the first of which was to see if his Prime wand could allow him another Enhancer form. And he did have one form he wasn¡¯t using, though it was at a higher-tier than the Prime wand itself.


    Still worth testing to see if it¡¯s any different from my regular wand and if it doesn¡¯t work, I can try moving [Claws]. That one is still tier-1 so there shouldn¡¯t be a clash between tiers.


    Ethan mentally dragged [Breath Gland] and slotted it into the empty Prime Wand, and it clicked in place, but he couldn¡¯t celebrate.


    As soon as the spell was set, a groan escaped from his throat. It was as if he just tried to swallow something too large, and he could feel it move and stretch his insides as it tried to make its way down. The spell wasn¡¯t really moving, but it was pushing to make a space for itself, somewhere deep in his chest or soul.


    Still, a pained grin stretched across his lips as he saw the updated stats of his Prime wand.


    Prime Wand of the Juggernaut:


    Tier: 1


    Prime Forms: [Lance of the Juggernaut, Horns of the Juggernaut, Wand of the Juggernaut]


    Spell Form: [Breath Gland]


    Essence: 1


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 1


    Cast refresh: 5s


    Mana regeneration: 1 (6%)


    Prime Bonus: +5 to all


    Spellform Bonus: +5 Spirit, +5 Mana


    Fragments: 112


    Ethan removed the spell and breathed out in relief. He hadn¡¯t tried triggering it, as it really did feel like he was pushing his soul too much and didn¡¯t want to risk worsening his mana exhaustion, but he could always move things around. Ethan could set [Claws] as a form, then use [Breath Gland] in his tier-2 wand. He¡¯d lose [Scorching Enhancement] on the claws until he upgraded the Prime wand¡¯s capacity, but he could assign it to [Breath Gland].


    It might be able to breathe fire. Like a dragon.


    Ethan grinned. He was definitely testing that setup before he headed back up. Next, he considered his spell tokens for a second. With this new possibility, it wouldn¡¯t be a waste to get another Enhancer-spell. Something with more oomph than just a [Breath Gland].


    Ethan couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement. He had thought of cracking the spell tokens later when he found his allies, but he was resting anyway and he still had time, so why not?


    Two tier-2 and one tier-1. What do I want? An Enhancer tier-2 for starters, that¡¯s for sure. But what¡¯s after?


    He still wanted a more direct healing. He wanted more resilience and, if possible, some way to not get mana exhausted often. A way to detect enemies before they could sneak up on him was up there on the priority list as well.


    So¡­ enhancer-spell for the first tier-2 token. A general-spell for the tier-1, because I just want healing from that one, which leaves another tier-2.


    Ethan hummed. Most of his needs would probably be met by Enhancer-spells, aside from the healing, but he still should remember he didn¡¯t have infinite slots for them.


    Unless I can slot more than one in the tier-2 wand as well? I don¡¯t think I tried that¡­


    A quick check told that no, he couldn¡¯t. He could replace [Claws] with [Breath Gland], but he couldn¡¯t have both.


    Ethan tsked.


    That might be a future upgrade, though. The prime wand can handle multiple forms, so it might be a possibility¡­which means I should hurry up and push the wand to tier-3. See if I get a new upgrade that would allow me more forms.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    That would be perfect for him. If he could have his wand support multiple forms, he¡¯d be able to stack up Enhancer-spells and reap their benefits and become a real-life juggernaut.


    Ethan glanced at his stats and felt a twinge of excitement and a bit of worry. He hadn¡¯t gained back the crown, even though he just gained four levels.


    They¡¯re bound to need some rest as well. Otherwise, that¡¯d be complete bullshit.


    Ethan nodded to himself. He¡¯ll finish up with the spell selection, then he¡¯ll go up and take a nap, then back to grinding.


    Still undecided on the last spell-token, he decided to start with the first one for an Enhancer, the tier-1 token for a general spell, and then he¡¯ll decide on the last token depending on what he got.


    Select an enhancement-class tier-2 spell from the list below:


    Beetle¡¯s Mandibles: Summon a pair of mighty mandible to rend and immobilize your opponents


    Feathery Wings: Summon light and powerful wings that empower wind-based magic.


    Reptilian Scales: Summon resilient scales to shield you from physical attacks (Inert).


    Greenwood Antlers: Summon antlers to empower your life-attuned magic.


    Minotaur¡¯s Frame: Reinforce your bone and muscular structure. (Inert).


    Ethan leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he studied the options with a smile on his face. ¡°These are a lot better than what I was offered back when this all started.¡±


    The options were intriguing, to say the least. Clearly, specialization was becoming a large component of the options offered to him and he didn¡¯t miss the new ¡°inert¡± tag being added to the description. He wasn¡¯t sure of what it was exactly, but he thought it might mean the Enhancement spells couldn¡¯t cast spells, which would make sense in the case of [Minotaur¡¯s Frame], though less so with the scales. He didn¡¯t remember seeing the keyword back when he read the tier-0 [Scales]¡¯s description a few days ago, but then again, it might have something to do with specialization.


    Now I¡¯m really looking forward to upgrading [Claws]. I bet there¡¯ll be some pretty cool options once I get there. For now¡­ what do I want? Not the mandibles. The wings are very tempting and it would have been an immediate pick any other time, but the wind-based magic stuff is not that relevant to me at the moment. As much as I want to have wings and use them to drop on monsters with the lance, the remaining options are just better.


    [Reptilian Scales], a strong contender. [Greenwood Antlers] which didn¡¯t mesh well with his theme of fire and destruction, and [Minotaur¡¯s Frame], the second top contender.


    Damn. These are really good options. I really hope it¡¯ll be possible to have multiple forms in the future.


    Ethan rolled his shoulders and focused. Another read-through made him narrow down his selection to two options: the scales, or the frame.


    Frame is good. Toughness and more strength are amazing¡­ but the scales seem better. I know they have a limitation with the description being specific about the type of damage, which probably means they aren¡¯t that great against magic, but they¡¯re tier-2. I¡¯m sure there are higher tiers and better options in the future to strengthen them. And if an inert enhancement form still allows me to use modifiers, then I could mix the scales with [Scorching Flames], and that should be plenty when it comes to magical defense. And I won¡¯t be naked in less than 24 hours.


    Ethan looked down at his hole-riddled and burnt pants, then at his big left toe that had begun peering at him from the tear in his shoes.


    I¡¯m sure the frames are great¡­ and I hope I¡¯ll get them again in the future, but I think I¡¯m going with the scales this time.


    Before he could doubt himself, Ethan confirmed the selection, and sighed with relief. He didn¡¯t set the new spell in the wand just yet, though, and instead moved on to the next selection.


    Alright. Give me something good.


    Select a general-class tier-1 spell from the list below:


    Light Arrow: Shoot an arrow made of light.


    Detect Life: Sense living organisms within range.


    Light Flare: Create a flash of light to temporarily blind your enemies.


    Ice Bolt: Shoot a bolt made of ice.


    Gust: Summon a gust of wind in a direction of your choosing.


    Well. [Detect Life] is great for sneaks and skulkers, but I still don¡¯t see a damn healing spell. How rare are these things? And I¡¯m pretty sure I saw Gust before¡­


    Ethan shook his head and made his selection. He wanted a detection spell, and he got it, so might as well get that over with and move on to the third and final token.


    Now. Another Enhancement spell? Or something else? What else do I still need?


    Ethan began counting on his fingers.


    Better healing. Do I need modifiers? Not really. They¡¯re great, but they¡¯re not the highest priority right now. Another general spell?


    He grimaced. He didn¡¯t want to waste a tier-2 token to yet again not get a healing spell.


    I honestly would rather get a great enhancement-spell that I might not be able to use right away than something barely useful. Like [Whisper].


    That really hadn¡¯t been a great choice. Though he believed he had done better since.


    Screw it. Give me another enhancement.


    Select an enhancement-class tier-2 spell from the list below:


    Draconic Arms: Summon powerful clawed arms capable of great elemental affinity.


    Raptor¡¯s Eyes: Summon sharp eyes to see from afar and detect the most minute of movements.


    Lion¡¯s Legs: Empower your legs and feet for might and speed. (Inert)


    Mana Heart: Greatly increase mana regeneration and delay the effects of mana exhaustion (Inert)


    Spiked-tail: Summon a prehensile, long, and heavy tail studded with bone-spurs.


    Ethan shook his head, but he couldn¡¯t do much about the smile on his face.


    This will take a while.


    Still, he was grateful. Having great options to pick from was a pain in the ass, but it was still a great problem to have.

 1.39: Compatibility

    Ethan got up from the ground and did some stretches while he went through the options of his final selection.


    [Draconic Arms]. Amazing. But I might have it as an upgrade to [Claws]. Probably, even. The area changed by [Claws] grew when it was upgraded to tier-1. Will that always happen? If it does, [Claws] might become something like this.


    Ethan didn¡¯t fully dismiss the option, though he much preferred to unlock it himself, so he moved on to the next item.


    [Raptor¡¯s Eyes]. It¡¯s pretty great as well. It might not allow me to see magic, but it should be a lot easier to detect and see stuff without being caught unaware. Then again, I just got [Detect Life], which knocks this one¡¯s usefulness down by a bit.


    [Lion¡¯s Legs] is solid as well. [Spiked-Tail] is trash if I¡¯m grading on a curve and that leaves the best option for last, hands down. [Mana Heart.]


    Ethan took a deep breath and ignored the lingering smell of burnt flesh. It didn¡¯t bother him much, at this point, and instead eyed the description of the enhancement-spell.


    If this reduces the time I need to rest, then it makes the choice automatic. Plus, now that I know this exists, I just can¡¯t ignore the possibility that some other participants have gotten something like it, which means I¡¯m bound to fall behind them no matter what I do. After all, they can just keep leveling and training while I¡¯m forced to let my body recover from the mana usage.


    Ethan hummed. The problem was that both the scales and the heart were inert, which made him hesitate a bit, but the pros still outweigh the cons.


    Ethan confirmed his choice of the [Mana Heart], then, with a quick switch through his elemental wand, he slotted [Detect Life] and triggered the spell.


    A pulse of shimmering magic spread out of his extended claws, eliciting only a mild discomfort from his chest. It spread into the surrounding space, making contact with every surface and lighting up the mushrooms with a soft green light that matched his own. A second or two later, the color faded, and it confirmed to Ethan that only he and the mushrooms lighting up the space were alive.


    Next, he moved [Claws] to the Prime wand, and slotted [Reptilian Scales] in its stead. Instantly, he got his confirmation.


    [Extended Enhancement] is not compatible with [Reptilian Scales]


    [Small Fireball] cannot be used without a spell-casting form.


    Damn. So inert does mean the form can¡¯t actively cast spells. What do I do now? I still have control over fire through [Scorching Enhancement], but I¡¯ll lose the fireball until I can do more forms or until I upgrade the Prime wand to tier-2 to handle the new forms. How much does the capacity increase again?


    Ethan brought up his Prime wand upgrade and quickly found what he was looking for.


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments, 10 Essence]


    Ethan raised his brows and nodded. It wasn¡¯t as bad as he expected. He had the fragments already, he just needed the essence and then he¡¯ll be able to slot [Small Fireball] and switch it up with [Detect Life] when needed, at least until he figured a way to have more forms.


    Though I¡¯ll have to do some testing¡­ The Prime wand allows for higher-tier spells than itself, but considering the pressure I felt, using powerful spells through it might exhaust me faster. If not worse.


    More factors he had to keep in mind, but he could test such things at a later time. For now, he wanted to see the scales.


    Ethan felt at the Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental and triggered the slotted form.


    A rush of dense mana coursed out of his chest and spread out like a wave across his body. His skin tingled for a moment and tensed, and as he looked down, he saw the smooth scales spread across his chest, each rounded and dovetailed atop the other. They were around half an inch wide, rust-red. and Ethan felt like he could control their coverage but for now, he let them spread across all of his body.


    Eats up a lot of mana, though.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Ethan looked at his arms, touched his face, and realized his hair had been covered as well. He glanced down, then checked under his pants and chuckled.


    I got the doll treatment. I guess that works if I ever lose the pants. Now¡­ Can I take this stuff off of my face?


    Slowly and in the same manner he controlled which hand the claws would appear on, Ethan slowly willed the effect to be dismissed and it only took him a couple of minutes to regain his features.


    He was about to test one more thing, then recalled he was still wearing clothes. Flammable ones. So he took them off.


    Alright, should be fine now, he thought as he kicked out his remaining sock.


    Ethan inhaled, then activated [Scorching Enhancement], and the rust-red scales instantly darkened. Air began to shimmer across his arms and chest, and the gaps between his scales began glowing orange. Ethan raised an arm and summoned a gout of flame and it surged, same as it did with his claws, but this time he felt he could summon more. Much more.


    His whole body could be wreathed in a corona of fire. As long as he could pay the mana cost.


    This was a good call. And this still boosts my Spirit stat, but not Might. Spirit and Toughness. Makes sense, I guess.


    Ethan dismissed the fire and the wand, then quickly put his clothes back on before giving them a wistful look. Their days were numbered.


    One more test.


    Ethan swapped the scales with the [Mana Heart], and unfortunately, received the warning that [Scorching Enhancement] was not compatible.


    Dammit.


    That meant he had to choose between the heart or between his flames.


    Ethan frowned and looked through the menu of both wands. Was that it? He wanted to use the heart. It was just too good. It¡¯ll allow him to extend his hunting sessions without suffering from mana exhaustion too fast. But he also needed the flames, and so he had to have the claws or the scales in his Elemental wand.


    But the heart was tier-2. His prime wand couldn¡¯t¡ªwait.


    Ethan paused, and a thrum of moderate excitement ran down his spine.


    Unless [Mana Heart] manages to work on the Prime wand without being too taxing?


    It was worth a shot. So Ethan moved [Claws] back to the Elemental wand, shelved the scales, and slotted [Mana Heart] in the Prime wand. He groaned at the weight of the spell in his chest, then after a couple of quick breaths, he activated it.


    A thump spread through his chest and instantly, some of his exhaustion was washed away, like gunk under a power-washer. A soft, tingling flow of mana rushed into his chest from his surroundings, and a grin spread across his face. The spell felt heavy in his chest and he¡¯ll have to see if that would be detrimental, but he could use it like this.


    This could work.


    Ethan observed his own state for nearly a minute, waiting for pain or something of the sorts. A quick peek at the Prime wand told him the heart single-handedly boosted his Mana stat by ten, though he couldn¡¯t see the effect on mana regeneration.


    Damn¡­ My stats are going to soar once I start upgrading the Prime wand.


    With that part of his load-out decided, Ethan took a quick moment to test [Breath Gland] a bit more. He expected [Scorching Enhancement] to get booted, but it didn¡¯t. Instead, Ethan felt a well of potent energy at the back of his throat, and when he exhaled, the air rippled with heat, and a few flecks of yellow flames escaped into the cold and humid air.


    Damn. This one¡¯s so cool. And kinda stealthy, too.


    The [Breath Gland] boosted his Spirit and Mana. It was a powerful spell, though it would fit better as a secondary form and not his main.


    With all of his tests done, Ethan slotted [Claws] back into the Elemental wand, along with [Extended Enhancement] and [Small Fireball]. He could swap the latter with [Detect Life] whenever he needed, as he recalled his conversation with the others about the sequential mode and its inconveniences. The selective mode would allow him to cast whatever spell he wanted whenever he wanted, but the time penalty was just not worth it and even if he could improve the cast refresh as he had enough fragments in the Elemental wand, he didn¡¯t want to spend anything just yet.


    He wanted to unlock the tier-3 update and see if he could get more forms, and this time, he wasn¡¯t getting every upgrade before he upgraded the tier. He hadn¡¯t gotten anything for that the last time. So unless it rained fragments soon, he was getting the tier-3 upgrade as soon as possible.


    Alright. I think I covered everything.


    Ethan was excited to see how effective his new spells would be and as he climbed up the tunnel, he almost switched the claws with the scales once more as he was really tempted to test them and see how resilient they were. The problem was that they burned through mana like crazy, and he didn¡¯t want to exhaust himself too fast. Just in case.


    Next time I head down, I¡¯ll use the scales. I¡¯ll miss [Claws] and the fireball, but if I¡¯m as tough as I think I am, the lizards won¡¯t be able to do much to me, and I¡¯ll be able to burn through everything. Just like the path says.


    He was going to need a lot of fragments, and he couldn¡¯t wait to head back down and collect them. But there was no denying the fatigue that filled his muscles and mind. It had been an incredibly long day, and stats could only do so much before the body just needed some rest.


    Sounds of battle trickled to his ears as he slowly neared the exit and as he stepped out into the fresh air of the higher cave, he recognized the water monitor¡¯s hissing and ululating calls in the distance.


    I guess there¡¯s more and more of them out here.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Ethan¡¯s head snapped to his right to find a man in t-shirt and jean-shorts sitting at the foot of a boulder, legs crossed. Next to him was the largest monitor lizard Ethan had yet seen. As for the man, well¡­ he might be the record holder.


    [Human (I) - Level 39]

 1.40: The Goat

    The man stood up as he studied Ethan. Ethan studied him back, and the first thing his eyes picked up was the man¡¯s bare feet.


    Where are his shoes? I¡¯m not one to talk, but that can¡¯t be comfortable.


    The stranger wore a black t-shirt with a popular metal band¡¯s logo on it. Baggy washed blue jeans that may have been intentionally made into shorts, if Ethan was to go on with the rough and uneven tears. A bright smile stretched across the man¡¯s deep olive skin as he rubbed his buzzed head with a hand.


    ¡°You must be the one who took the crown for a minute, huh? What¡¯s your name, dude? I¡¯m Diego.¡±


    He seemed pleasant. Ethan wasn¡¯t about to drop his guard, but he wasn¡¯t getting any unsettling or uneasy energy from the man.


    ¡°Ethan. And yeah, I had it for a couple of hours before it was gone. Did you take it back?¡±


    Diego chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Nope! I thought I would have had it back by now, but it looks like someone else took the lead.¡±


    A small silence fell around them for a second, and Ethan wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the guy. Were things about to get violent, or could he just move on with his day and go find the others?


    Though Ethan would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t curious about the man¡¯s ability.


    I wonder what he picked from the hidden quest. No daggers or pouches that I can see, and it doesn¡¯t look like he needed the change of clothes.


    Ethan wondered what kind of fighting style the man practiced for his clothes to survive for so long.


    A few yards away, Diego¡¯s smile widened, and Ethan tensed a bit. His curiosity must have shown in his eyes, because the next thing the man said was both exciting and alarming.


    ¡°Wanna spar?¡±


    Ethan blinked, taken aback, but he didn¡¯t dismiss the idea. Knowing how the man fought was surely valuable.


    And I kinda want to see how I would fare against the previous champion.


    Ethan reeled his enthusiasm back a bit and considered his options, and there were really two. If he said yes, he¡¯d have to be ready for low-blows and attempts on his life, just in case he was misreading the man. He was also close to mana exhaustion, and so he couldn¡¯t keep the fight going for long, while the man seemed to have been resting. Plus, [Mana Heart] still felt heavy in his Prime wand, which felt like thick bands were wrapped around his chest.


    On the other hand, if he said no, the man might let things be, or if he had any nefarious intent, he might take that for fear or weakness and he¡¯d still come after him.


    Ethan realized even those two simple options could diverge into even more scenarios, and he didn¡¯t like overthinking things, so he eyed the man¡¯s face and just asked. The man¡¯s reaction might tell him what he needed to know. ¡°Are you not worried I¡¯ll try to kill you?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and then he burst out laughing. ¡°What?! No! What kind of crazy question is that?¡±


    This dude¡¯s either the most genuine person I ever met, or the best actor I¡¯ve ever met.


    Ethan shrugged and gave the man an apologetic smile. ¡°There are some weird people out there. You never know, I guess.¡±


    The man shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. ¡°Nah man. It¡¯s just a spar and you don¡¯t have to. I know what you¡¯re talking about, though. Had some weird people try and pick fights or get me to join up their weird-ass plans, but they moved on pretty fast once I told them to fuck off. Crazy how fast they backed up once they saw the levels.¡±


    He gave him a wide grin, and Ethan had to agree. The sense of freedom was pretty addicting. ¡°Alright, sure. Let¡¯s do a minute. Magic?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I knew you were fun. Yes, to magic, but let¡¯s keep away from the dangerous shit. Deal?¡±


    Ethan grinned and decided he¡¯d test his scales in this case. They¡¯d be perfect. He nodded in response and asked. ¡°Weapons?¡±


    ¡°Just these,¡± said Diego as he raised his fist and a knee, a cheeky smile on his lips.


    ¡°Prime wand?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m keeping some cards hidden. Just in case you try to kill me.¡±


    Ethan grinned as he began taking off his shoes as he moved the scales in the Elemental wand. ¡°Fair enough. By the way, was one of the weird people you met someone named Amanda? Has wings and can go invisible?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    For the first time, a dangerous look entered the man¡¯s eyes, and he tsked. ¡°Yeah. Got some weird vibes from her. I¡¯m not interested in that stuff, man. I just want to win this thing and find my family. I just hope they¡¯re alright.¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t comment on that. Instead, he summoned [Reptilian Scales] and felt them spread out of his chest, down to his arms and feet. When they tried inching up his face, he stopped them at the neck while the man¡¯s eyes went wide.


    Diego began walking around Ethan in the small clearing, jaw hanging as he marveled at the rust-red scales. ¡°Dude¡­ that¡¯s awesome! It¡¯s defensive, right? Maaan I was offered the scales but I passed on them. Now I gotta pick them up the next time.¡± Diego came to a stop and did a couple of arm stretches. ¡°Alright, let me show you why I¡¯m the goat.¡±


    Diego¡¯s legs swelled and grew thicker. The thighs and leg lengthened, while the knees bent slightly, while coarse brown and white fur grew thickly to cover his lower limbs, which ended with a pair of thick hooves.


    The man gave him a shit-eating grin. ¡°The goat. Get it?¡±


    Ethan tried to not smile at the crappy joke, but the man¡¯s mood was infectious.


    ¡°Ready?¡± called out Diego from fifteen feet away.


    Ethan would have been a bit more comfortable with his claws. But those were lethal. Worst comes to worst, he could summon the horns if he needed. ¡°Ready¡ª¡±


    Ethan barely finished sounding the last letter when Diego launched off the ground. The goat-legged man crossed the fifteen feet in a single bound, gauntleted arm wound back, and Ethan instantly thought he didn¡¯t want to take a hit with that much momentum behind.


    But his path was that of a juggernaut. And pulling the gauntlets out was dirty.


    Ethan put his scaled arms in high guard in front of his face right and ignited them right as the metal-studded fist came crashing down.


    Both of their eyes met, and both of them had wide-eyed grins.


    The metal-fist cracked into his scales like a battering ram. It was like an explosion went off against Ethan''s forearms. His bones groaned and shook from the impact and his scaled feet slid against the soft and muddy ground, but he didn¡¯t fall. And he didn¡¯t buckle.


    Ahead of him, Diego shook his right hand, a look of shocked surprise on his face. ¡°Hot damn. You¡¯re sturdy! How high¡¯s your Toughness? And those flames hurt. I could feel them through the cestus.¡±


    Ethan grinned and lowered his arms. They were pulsing with pain, but his Toughness was currently at a whopping sixty points, and the pain was already fading.


    To be honest, Ethan himself was a bit surprised he managed to tank that hit, but when he thought about it for a second, it made sense. He had lost the points in Might, but his tier-2 wand was now boosting his Toughness and Spirit¡ªwhich was boosting the scales¡ªwith twenty-four points each.


    He might not hit hard with his fist, but both his magic and durability were through the roof right now.


    Ethan cracked his neck and smiled. ¡°Had to counter the gauntlets. I didn¡¯t think there were going to be gauntlets. You¡¯re not going to complain about the fire, are you?¡±


    Diego barked out a laugh. ¡°Of course not!¡± the man said as he jumped and twirled in the air, and a dangerously large and fast hoof came at his unprotected face. But Ethan was already moving.


    Ethan lunged forward, and the hoof cracked onto the scaled forearms. The impact was painful, but not as painful as it would have been if Ethan had given Diego the space to fully extend his leg, and before the man could react, Ethan kicked at the remaining foot.


    Diego instantly saw what Ethan was going for and launched himself backward, and Ethan ended up kicking nothing.


    ¡°Damn dude. What the hell?¡± said Diego as he landed gracefully on his hoofed, furry legs before he dismissed them. ¡°And I thought I could hit hard.¡±


    Ethan lowered his guard and shook the arm that took most of the hoof¡¯s impact. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Diego began doing stretches, face flush and eyes shining. ¡°Yeah man. I can¡¯t be wasting my energy right before I head back down there. But we should do this again sometime! And if there¡¯s a big bad boss down there, maybe we¡¯ll team up. After I try to solo-it, of course.¡±


    Over the next couple of minutes, the two said their goodbyes and wished each other luck, then Ethan headed back to his allies after taking a couple of minutes to locate himself.


    The tiny flames he could see up in the distance helped.


    ***


    Savannah stood over the rumbling, bleeding demon summoned by the primitive reptiles and stomped with a bare foot atop of the monster¡¯s eyes socket. The bone crunched. The horn twisted and the brains of the creature splattered around her as if she¡¯d stomped an overripe fruit.


    You have defeated [Fire Drake (I) - Level 53]


    The creature¡¯s soul coalesced around the mark her Prime dagger had left in its throat and Savannah grabbed for the nebulous ball of light and raw power. Mechanically, she lifted it, then pushed it into the dim coloured lurid-green crystal set in the center of her chest.


    The organ pulsed with lurid green light, and Savannah felt the power course through her. Joining the strength of the rest. She lowered her hand, and she felt something brush against her palm again.


    She looked down and saw her badge. It had her name on it.


    Savannah vacantly stared at it for a second before her sight drifted away and down to the dagger in her hand.


    The Path of the Redeemed Soul. A dagger to mark them. A heart-gem to host them and offer her their strength, and wand to leverage the power at her disposal and to bring down her enemies.


    Starting with the lizardling. All of them. And all those who hadn¡¯t helped.


    Her body screamed with fatigue. With pain. If she sat down, she might never get back up. So she didn¡¯t. She trudged to the pink backpack at the cave¡¯s entrance, steps slow and shuffling. She gently checked it for damage or spillage. When everything looked fine, she put it on her back, and walked out of the blood-soaked cave. To find more of the lizardlings and the demons they were summoning.


    In the back of her mind, she could see some logic to what the creatures were doing. Something to do with the ever rising number of water monitors. But she didn¡¯t care. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to care.


    She only cared about the lizardlings and their summons, and the quests that gave her the tools to quench the gnawing hole in her chest.

 1.41: There might a rift

    Ethan trudged toward the light of the higher camp he could see in the distance, eyes peeled for Liz and her group. He tried to sense Ember, thinking it might be possible through their pact, but if it were, he¡¯d have to do more testing because he got nothing.


    Still, he kept the scales on and his [Mana Heart] pumping. The pressure in his soul wasn¡¯t getting any easier, but it wasn¡¯t the sharp pain of mana exhaustion and well, if he were to build a tolerance to the taxing weight of higher-tier spells, it wasn¡¯t about to happen in just an hour, so he kept both spells on.


    On the way, Ethan quickly dispatched a couple of sub-thirty water monitors that quickly fell to an improvised gout of fire after being marked by the Harvester¡¯s dagger.


    He hadn¡¯t been expecting much from the dagger, considering its disappointing showing back in the cave below, but something new happened.


    As the blue light pulsed around the monitor¡¯s ruined eye, a strand of smoke-like blue thread drifted out of the wound, materializing just past the scales. It began folding up on itself, twisting, pulling more of itself out of the corpse and then it brusquely shrunk with a flash of light, almost as if it had imploded, and a fingernail-sized stone clinked against the scales and fell to the ground.


    Ethan lunged forward to catch the object, afraid it would be lost in the mud and growth of the underbrush, but there was no risk of that. The stone kept emanating a soft blue glow, and it was frankly impossible to miss.


    It was like a tiny blue-gem. It felt wet and cold against his fingertips, as if it was made of solid water. Not ice. It wasn¡¯t that cold. But the tactile sensation wasn¡¯t too far off.


    Assimilate [Primagem of Water (low-grade)]


    What?


    Ethan looked down at the small gem and back at the interface. What would this do? Was it similar to fragments? Was this a spell?


    He rolled the gem for a few seconds in his hand, then accepted the prompt.


    The gem dissolved back into blue droplets that sunk into his arm. They flowed up his arm like a breeze, and came to a stop near his chest, and as Ethan eyed his interface for changes, he found a new line under his stats and above the tokens.


    Primagems: Low-grade: Water


    I guess a use for this will come up, eventually. Ember alluded to something as well. I could ask her.


    Ethan grinned. Just like that, the dagger redeemed itself. The tier-2 spell was great, sure, but he¡¯d expected more from it. Now that he¡¯d gotten something else from the dagger, he was feeling better about the choice.


    Good thing I didn¡¯t select the fire primagem. Though the shardpurse would have been pretty useful right about now. I could have gotten to the 500 fragments for tier-3 faster.


    Ethan quickly collected the fragments into the Elemental wand, cut off a good portion of the monitor¡¯s tail and roasted it as he walked through the biomes until finally, around ten minutes later, he saw the familiar lights of a campfire a bit closer to the cave walls.


    He washed his hands from the grease in a nearby stream, then approached, unsure of who he was about to find, when a familiar voice called out from above.


    ¡°I see you figured out a solution for your clothing problem,¡± Liz said, sitting atop a smaller mushroom tree. She let herself slide, then drop, and Ethan was alarmed for a second before he realized that she¡¯ll be just fine.


    Liz landed from a nearly twenty-foot drop as if she¡¯d just jumped down a pair of stairs. Her clothes were in a rougher shape, with a nasty tear around her right knee and when he saw her face, he thought he¡¯d noticed some redness around her eyes, but Ethan didn¡¯t comment and instead, he returned the smile and tapped the clothes wrapped under his left arm. ¡°Less chance to burn these.¡±


    They walked back to the camp and, as she kept eyeing her surroundings, Ethan noticed a small bit of reserve. They exchanged pleasantries in the few steps that separated them from the camp, but there was noticeably less energy in the woman¡¯s voice. It didn¡¯t seem like hostility. Just fatigue.


    Maybe now that the rush and scares of the first couple of days were over, people were beginning to process what was happening around them.


    When she saw him glance around the new camp, she added. ¡°We had to move. Too many water monitors. Both living and dead.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Ethan nodded, recalling the tunnel he had to collapse. ¡°I don¡¯t know how bad it has gotten up here, but¡­ yeah. It¡¯s literally swarming with them down below. Had to collapse a tunnel behind me so they wouldn¡¯t follow me up.¡±


    Liz sighed, and her shoulders drooped as they closed on the small campfire. ¡°Oh. Of course.¡±


    Audrey came behind her and gave her a firm pat on the back of the shoulder that made the mechanic tumble forward. ¡°We might get to thirty tomorrow, then. About time.¡±


    At that point, everyone else showed up. Gerald had been resting, but you couldn¡¯t tell from the dark circles under his eyes, while Amelie seemed in an alright mood, if not a bit tense. She stood a few feet away, gave his scales a once over, then nodded appreciatively. ¡°Yup. It works.¡±


    Audrey grabbed her sister by the shoulder, forced her to sit on a stump, then shoved a still smoking skewer in her hand.


    Ethan smiled at that, while Audrey bossed the others, ordering them to eat and drink some water, and as he looked around for the cat, he was quick to find her. Ember looked up at him from her boulder, yawned, then curled back and went to sleep.


    Ethan shook his head. Classic cat behavior.


    ***


    Main Quest: Gain access to the second floor within 4 days, 23 hours, and 41 minutes.


    Reward: 1 tier-0 wand.


    Ethan filled in the group with his recent discoveries, though he still kept the details vague about his Prime wand, just in case. Even though he checked his surroundings with [Detect Life], he felt instinctively that such information shouldn¡¯t be shared willy-nilly.


    While he recounted his encounters, Ember had come closer and requested a meal, which he obliged. The team now knew about Amanda and her vague plans, about Diego, about the ever-increasing number of water monitors, and about what to expect once they finish getting the three forms of their wand.


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna take us a minute,¡± Liz said after a moment. The food and conversation had energized her a bit.


    ¡°And the cost for the forms? All of those fragments? At this rate¡­¡± Gerald said, lips drawn into a line as he stared pensively into the fire, a frown on his face.


    ¡°It would take us days. While everything keeps getting worse under our feet. If we want to matter, we¡¯ll have to start pushing down,¡± Audrey said, voicing Gerald¡¯s concerns. ¡°We can do it. The more we level, the easier it will get,¡± she added encouragingly.


    Amelie twirled her wand, staring thoughtfully at the purring cat. ¡°We could try doing something in a tunnel. Lure them in and kill them?¡±


    The others nodded appreciatively at the idea, while Audrey winced but still nodded. Ethan could empathize. If it was her job to hold off all those jets of pressurized water, he didn¡¯t envy her position.


    Then again¡­ I could work with them on this. There¡¯s plenty of water monitors down there for us all. All of them have passed the twenty-five mark thanks to the increased number of monsters and soon they¡¯ll hit thirty. It might take them a minute to get through the path stuff, but once they do, they¡¯ll start leveling faster.


    Ethan didn¡¯t mind the idea that much, but he kept it in his backpocket for now. It was risky, and it might be too much for them. Instead, he glanced down at the cat he was feeding.


    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on with the lizards? Why are there that many of them?¡±


    Everybody else looked down at the cat as it chomped into Ethan¡¯s flames and when it was clear it had no intent to answer, he lowered the fire output.


    The cat growled and finally answered. ¡°[Rift. Probably.]¡±


    Ethan relayed the information to the others. Amelie blinked and tilted her head. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Ethan was ready to pull the flames back, but he didn¡¯t have to. The cat stopped eating and sat on her haunches as she licked her paw and wiped her face.


    ¡°[A small world connected through a tear in the larger world. They happen sometimes. That¡¯s probably where the lizards are coming from.]¡±


    Ethan relayed the information, but he never looked away from the cat. This confirmed that the cat had a life elsewhere, and she hadn¡¯t just been born in the ritual. How old was she? How did she end up in this place?


    ¡°[I don¡¯t want to answer all of those. I¡¯m sleepy. Pick one.]¡±


    Right. She could hear him.


    ¡°Two questions. Why were you summoned, and where did you come from? It didn¡¯t look like those lizardlings were too happy to see you.¡±


    Ember looked up at him and flicked her ears in annoyance, but she still answered. ¡°[We were hunting. The magic tried to catch the fat lizard we just killed, but it was dead, so it picked me. I come from a world of fire. I don¡¯t know where it is or if it''s even¡­ connected to this world. Everything feels different. But I don¡¯t mind it.]¡±


    Ethan relayed the details, and the four listened, enraptured, and to be frank, so was he.


    Other worlds? Small words attached to larger ones? What was even happening out there?


    ¡°I wish this had come with a guidebook or something. This sucks,¡± complained Liz as she threw a piece of bone into the fire. ¡°When I get a new apprentice, I don¡¯t just give them the toolbox and point them at a car. You can¡¯t just throw someone off the deep end and expect them to do well. Some might, but that doesn¡¯t work for everyone.¡±


    Audrey and Gerald nodded at that, while Ethan scratched at his chin and said nothing. It worked for him and clearly it worked for Diego, but he was aware enough to know his reactions to things weren¡¯t very¡­ conventional.


    ¡°What was the name of the lizard? Was it like these monitors?¡± asked Amelie, eyes shining as she leaned forward.


    The cat stretched her back while the others stared at Ember and at Ethan. ¡°[I don¡¯t know. There are no titles above anything back there. Unlike this place. And they look nothing like these things. Their hatchlings might. Now, let me sleep. I¡¯m tired.]¡±


    Ethan stared down at the cat as it curled under his feet. Tired from what? Sleeping?


    The cat kicked him with her hind leg. Ethan chuckled and shelves his remaining questions for later. After all, he needed some rest as well.

 1.42 Around the campfire

    Soon after the revelation about rifts and other worlds, Liz got up and went to continue her watch. Amelie was quiet for a few moments, and then she sighed, then leaned over and scratched the cat behind the ears.


    The cat purred happily, little flames dancing over its fur, which didn¡¯t seem to hurt the healer.


    ¡°I should continue my watch as well,¡± she said as she got up. She gave him a weak smile and a heavy-lidded wink before trudging back to her spot. ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    Her sister watched her, eyes full of concern and she only looked away when Gerald spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll take over her watch in a few minutes.¡±


    Audrey stared at the man for a second and nodded. ¡°Thanks Gerald.¡±


    Ethan excused himself as the two continued eating and found a secluded spot to put some clothes on. With his pants and torn shoes back on, he turned off the scales and the heart and groaned as the pressure in his chest suddenly abated. It really did feel like some too-tight bands had been wrapped tightly around his soul. Ethan took a few deep breaths, enjoying the cool underground air, then triggered [Mana Heart] again.


    The pressure came back with a vengeance, eliciting a grunt out of him, but he quickly got used to it, and he even felt it wasn¡¯t as bad as the first time he activated the form. Maybe it¡¯ll do him good to get used to such pressures. After all, one day he might need to push the wand more than it would like, and he should for such.


    He went back to the fire and found Gerald sitting alone. He¡¯d been staring into the fire and when he heard the crunching under Ethan¡¯s shoes, he leaned over and picked up a roasting skewer and handed it over.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ethan said as he took a seat on one of the stumps.


    The two ate quietly, and at some point, Ember took over one of the stumps and laid on it, watching the fire with half-lidded eyes.


    After a few minutes of silent eating, Gerald tossed his bare and burnt skewer into the fire, and as he rubbed his hands together, eyes still on the fire, he broke the silence. ¡°I wanted to say sorry, about that first day.¡±


    Ethan grimaced internally, and shook his head as he stared at the burnt skewer in his hand. He¡¯d been pretty full when he¡¯d arrived already thanks to the tail he picked up on the way, but the skewer might have been a bit too much. Still, it didn¡¯t distract from the unease he felt from the man¡¯s apology. ¡°No, I was being a dick. I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s just¡­ move on.¡±


    Gerald nodded, and seemed to relax. He rubbed the back of his head the glanced around. Audrey was coming back toward the camp, having gone to the stream. She looked about to get some rest on a shared bed made of leaves and branches. ¡°They¡¯re good kids. You all are,¡± he said, and for a moment, the man seemed older. Ethan always assumed he was in his thirties, maybe late thirties at most, but suddenly, he seemed to gain a decade. ¡°But I think this stuff¡¯s starting to get to everyone. Rolling with the punches early was easier, when everyone¡¯s running for their lives. But now that we all had the chance to lay down and be alone with our thoughts for a couple of days¡­ it¡¯s starting to get heavy.¡±


    Ethan nodded quietly. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say, but he didn¡¯t disagree. He was doing alright as he didn¡¯t feel he had much to get back to in the old world, but most others were struggling.


    It¡¯s time I give a hand, I guess. I can¡¯t help out everyone caught in these trials, but I can help these people at least. But what if my help¡¯s not enough?


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Gerald said as he got up. ¡°We really appreciate your help. Knowing what to expect from this stuff really makes a difference.¡± He rolled his shoulder and gave Ethan a small tap on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go relieve the others so they can get some rest. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    With that, Gerald walked away, leaving Ethan and Ember alone. When he glanced at the cat, he found her staring back at him, her black and orange eyes reflected the bright flames of the campfire, contrasting with the soft blue lights of the canopy around them.


    ¡°[They are not well.]¡±


    Ethan blinked at the cat, then nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    At first, when he¡¯d asked Ember to watch over the group, he hadn¡¯t felt that attached to them. He liked them, sure. They were decent people and like many, they didn¡¯t deserve to end up as sacrifices or die to some lizards in the middle of nowhere. It was easy enough for him to have the level fifty cat watch over them. Now though, seeing them like this, he felt conflicted.


    Soon enough, Ember won¡¯t be enough to stave off the swarm of monsters. He wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d been actively helping, but whether she did or not, she might not be able to stand up to a swarm of water monitors.


    ¡°[I resent the thought, but it is not wrong,]¡± Ember said as she twirled her tail back and forth. ¡°[The rift will keep spewing stronger and stronger monsters as it stabilizes, and soon I will not be enough. They handled themselves well so far, but rifts are no trivial matters. Even where I¡¯m from. It doesn¡¯t help that their edge is being blunted. They¡¯re losing motivation.]¡±


    ¡°We were all on higher alert when this started and as Gerald said, now that time had passed, they¡¯re acclimating, in a away. Or maybe it¡¯s just exhaustion.¡±


    ¡°[Whichever the cause, the result is the same. They¡¯re losing their bite. One of them will slip-up, and then someone would die.]¡±


    Ethan nodded. He knew that logically, he couldn¡¯t save every innocent person in this tutorial. He just couldn¡¯t. He was no hero. Ethan didn¡¯t want that kind of responsibility and would probably never accept it. Not to mention he already had blood on his hands so he was in no position to speak of morality or ethics. But these four? They¡¯d been nothing but friendly. He saved their bacon once or twice, but they never stopped working hard and it wasn¡¯t a weakness that they were being pushed. Even Ethan, with all of his levels, had to retreat back from the swarm below.


    He had enjoyed the feeling of freedom and adventure for a couple of days, and nothing said that it would need to end. But would still be fun knowing he left this group to die when he could have just stuck around and fought closer to them?


    No. Not at all. That¡¯s not who I want to be.


    Ethan stared into the fire. He didn¡¯t want to take responsibility for every living being, but if someone was decent in his vicinity and he could help, he owed it to himself to do so. He had to.


    Luther helped me when he didn¡¯t have to.


    Ethan sighed and considered the situation. He had a feeling the main quest had something to do with this rift. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. Would the tutorial be over once they finished the quest? Would everyone be thrown back to Earth or would there be more tutorials?


    I guess I¡¯ll know when it¡¯s done, which should be in a bit more than three days once I¡¯m done resting. It would be nice if people get the choice though. I¡¯d love to do a tutorial where everyone signs up to be in it instead of being dragged against their will. But that¡¯s for another day. For now¡­ the rift.


    ¡°How did you deal with them, back where you¡¯re from? Rifts? Is there a way to close them?¡±


    The cat stood up and sat on her haunches, facing him. ¡°[We don¡¯t. We leave, and we let those who can handle them do so. There is a lot to be gained from rifts, but we find it too dangerous,]¡± she glanced to the figures of Audrey and Amelie sleeping, then her eyes roved around as she continued. ¡°[If you care for their safety, it is time to fully commit or to leave them fend for themselves. When me and my sisters hunt, we don¡¯t stand in front of our prey. We either attack or we retreat. Waffling in between is how you get gored.]¡±


    Ethen exhaled slowly and looked down at his hands, then at the tree Liz had climbed. At Audrey and Amelie, holding hands in their fretful sleep, at Gerald, hunched but still vigilant, head on a swivel.


    He could be their vanguard. He could push into the fray and they could work on the stragglers.


    With my new upgrades, I could output a lot of firepower. Heh.


    Ethan chuckled at the pun, then focused back on the new strategy. He keep the bulk of the monitors off of them. He¡¯d still get all the fragments and level he wanted, but he¡¯d have an eye on these four.


    ¡°[What will it be? Will you help them, or do we leave them to level or die?]¡±

 1.43: How do you know

    Ethan raised an eyebrow at Ember¡¯s question. ¡°What if I don¡¯t help them and let them fend for themselves? You¡¯d rather come with me than stay with them?¡±


    The cat yawned. ¡°[I have a pact with you, not them. And I¡¯m not done exploring this world.]¡±


    Ethan snorted. ¡°Exploring? When? All I¡¯ve seen you do is sleep.¡±


    The cat¡¯s ear flicked back and went into airplane-mode as she gave him a narrow-eyed look.


    ¡°Fine. Calm down. I¡¯ll help. I¡¯ve been leaning toward helping them already as soon as I saw how they were doing. I¡¯ll stick around, at least until the end of the tutorial.¡±


    The cat tilted her head, then began circling in place before she fell on her side and lounged once more.


    ¡°[Good. Because I like them. Not let me sle¡ªmeditate.]¡±


    Ethan chuckled. ¡°Right. I¡¯m gonna go meditate as well, then. Last thing. What can you do with a primagem?¡±


    Ember opened a single eye. ¡°[You got one?]¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Ember swished her tail and closed her eye. ¡°[Maybe I¡¯ll tell you, then. Eventually.]¡±


    Ethan stared at the cat and pursed his lips. ¡°Fine. Yes. I got one.¡±


    ¡°[I know.]¡±


    ¡°Do you have to be annoying?¡±


    Ember looked up at him and tilted her head back, and it even looked like she was smiling. Ethan had never seen a cat look so smug. ¡°[I don¡¯t. But I like it.]¡±


    ¡°Smartass. So what¡¯s the primagems for?¡±


    ¡°[When you upgrade spells or traits, a primagem can be consumed to unlock extra options. I think it¡¯s useful for some other stuff, but I don¡¯t know much about that. It¡¯s valuable. Good for trade. If whoever you trade with doesn¡¯t try to kill you for it.]¡±


    Ethan eyed the line in his interface. That was an interesting function. Though how was he supposed to use it for trade? Was there some sort of pouch he could use to store them instead of assimilating them?


    With a flex of will, Ethan tried to use the primagem, but nothing happened. Trying to summon it didn¡¯t work either.


    Yeah, assimilating seems final. Like spellcores. As for using them, it seems like they¡¯re part of the upgrade process for spells and traits, but they won¡¯t trigger it.


    He glanced at this interface for a few seconds, then remembered something. He turned to Ember and whispered. ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t sleep. Tell me about the path stuff. How do I get Essence back?¡±


    From his little spar with Diego, he had gotten two points in Essence. But that could have also been a time thing. Ethan wanted a faster way to collect Essence, especially now that he knew the resource was needed for fighting and for upgrading the Prime wand.


    Ember yawned and tilted her head. ¡°[Have you not figured it out yet? Fine. You just have to live and act true to your path. If your path is about drinking the blood of your enemies, you do that. If it¡¯s about having the resilience of a mountain, you cover yourself with rock and take on your opponent¡¯s attack. If it¡¯s about barreling through obstacles and setting things on fire, you do that.]¡±


    The cat stared at him, and Ethan stared back. She had said so offhandedly that someone na?ve enough might think it was a coincidence, but it was obvious to Ethan.


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Ember gave him another smug look. ¡°[I watched your Prime wand form. I can sense it from here and I can sense it better through the pact. A path of fire and unstoppable destruction. I don¡¯t know the wording or the details, but I know enough. I like it,]¡± she said, and for an instant, her fur had rippled with barely contained flames. Which brought another question to mind. ¡°What¡¯s yours? Also, do you have an armament form as well?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Ethan didn¡¯t see how the cat could use a weapon. He wasn¡¯t sure how she could even use a wand.


    ¡°[You¡¯ll see. Eventually. For the wand¡­ I¡¯m awakened, so I get the three forms. Other monsters don¡¯t. Their prime wand is focused on a single form. Which makes it more powerful.]¡±


    Ethan nodded. It was an interesting tidbit and explained why some of the most powerful water monitors still only showed scales as a Prime wand. A couple might have been different, but he hadn¡¯t seen them yet, but such musings would have to wait.


    Ethan stifled a yawn, then got up. ¡°Thanks. But jokes aside, I¡¯m going to get some rest. Keep an eye out, alright?¡±


    The cat closed her eyes back and rolled her tail closer. She didn¡¯t answer.


    Ethan smiled and shook his head, then went to find himself a spot to sleep. A minute or so later, he found himself a somewhat dry patch of vegetation and laid on his back. It took a while for him to fall asleep, but the exhaustion ended up overpowering the discomfort, plunging him into an uncomfortable but still restful sleep.


    It felt like barely one or two hours had passed when the screams and shouts woke him up.


    Ethan jumped up to his feet and blearily looked around and was met with a flash of orange light, and it took nearly five seconds for the image to become clear and when it did, he activated [Reptilian Scales], picked up the dagger he¡¯d hidden under the clump of grass he used as a pillow and surged forward, cursing under his breath.


    ¡°Fucking lizards.¡±


    A spray fire surged off the blazing form of Ember and washed over the yellow barrier summoned by a lizardling, while a horse-sized giant of a red lizard belched out a ball of fire at a singed Liz. Audrey leapt forward and interposed herself between the oncoming attack and the archer, shield glowing with blue light, while Amelie kneeled next to a screaming Gerald. Lizardlings were trying to surround the group like the vultures that they were, but they were being kept at bay by Ember.


    A quick scan told Ethan that this might have been a difficult fight for the team any other day, but the giant lizard tipped the scales a bit much into the attacker¡¯s favor. Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly a lizard, but it must have been what the lizardling had intended on summoning that one time, considering they could order the thing around.


    [Fire drake (I) - Level 43]


    It was a massive creature, and Ethan couldn¡¯t help but think of tigers when he took it in, considering its form and proportions. It looked like a bronze-orange scaly feline, with horns and sharply-ridged back. The creature roared as its rider ordered it ahead, and Ethan decided to deal with them first.


    There were five lizardlings as far as he could see, and only one was above thirty. The one riding the drake. It had the same ceremonial looks as the ritualists he had killed in the past, and it seemed to be the leader of this little party.


    ¡°Take out the weaker ones,¡± he shouted as he ran past a panting Liz, while Gerald struggled to get up. From this close, Ethan could see the nasty burns around his arms.


    Ethan did not stop running. He summoned the horns and felt a surge of power run through his scaled form as another barrier appeared, intent on stopping him. He ignited his form as he pumped his arms. The distance between him and the drake shrunk. He felt a rush of power build into his chest. Every stride was launching him further, making him hit the ground harder as the world blurred around him.


    This was the perfect time to test the horn¡¯s second ability.


    As the lizardling leader pointed at him and as the drake¡¯s throat began glowing, Ethan reached the barrier and had one last thought as he eyed the impressive horned drake.


    Too bad I can¡¯t have my lance out at the same time as the horns. Yet.


    Ethan crashed into the golden barrier like a runaway train, instantly popping the defensive magic like a soap bubble. It might as well have been made of cardboard and did not slow his momentum in the slightest. The drake belched out another ball of fire and Ethan pushed the flames coating him further, fully neutralizing the drake¡¯s attack, and when he was around ten feet away, he jumped.


    The lizardling summoned its bone armor when it saw him sprint at it, but the defensive form did nothing to stop Ethan¡¯s arm from violently clotheslining the rider off of its mount.


    The drake bucked and twisted, biting at the air where Ethan had been, but the man¡¯s momentum had carried him way past the beast already. His scaled feet skidded against the soft ground for nearly fifteen feet before he came to a stop. Ethan considered switching weapons, but the dagger was still in his hand and he had to mark his targets first and so he kept the horns and advanced on the dismounted lizardling.


    The creature wheezed, blood seeping out of its nose and mouth as it tried to get back up. Its armor was gone, and when it saw him approach it brandished a dagger and waved it weakly at him, but Ethan just slapped the weak swipes away and shoved his own dagger in the creature¡¯s chest, and followed it up by a point-blank gout of flames.


    You have defeated [Lizardling (I) - Level 32]


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 36 fragments collected.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 29 fragments collected.


    You have reached Level 39. 1 stat point awarded.


    Ethan collected his earnings and straightened back up as the agile drake prowled closer. He raised his dagger and grinned as fire wafted off his body, reveling in the powerful flow of mana coursing through him thanks to [Mana Heart]. ¡°I hope you got something for me, little guy.¡±


    The drake growled in response, and pounced.

 1.44: Fire and scales

    The ground rumbled as the drake¡¯s powerful form sprinted toward him. Its clawed legs sent large chunks of soil behind as it huffed. Its throat began glowing as it closed in on Ethan, but he didn¡¯t move.


    He waited.


    The drake jumped, forelimbs stretched forward, black claws gleaming in the blue-lit clearing, and its outline was backlit by the fires it had set behind it. It was an impressive sight, but Ethan couldn¡¯t admire it as he¡¯d already jumped to the side.


    The monster rushed past him and Ethan felt like he just dodge a speeding car, but that had always been the goal. As the monster moved past him, Ethan drove the Harvester¡¯s Dagger in its thigh, hoping the blade wouldn¡¯t break from the impact, and managed to barely tag the monster as it went past him, skidding against the soft ground.


    When Ethan saw the blue glow where the dagger had barely cut through the tough scales, he threw the dagger close to a fallen mushroom-tree and raised a hand to counter the ball of flames coming at him with a gout of his own.


    The drake¡¯s attack hit Ethan¡¯s flame and expanded, spreading its reddish flames wide and when it saw its attack countered, the drake growled, and a second set of horns appeared above its head.


    Oh?


    They were larger. They curled forward, as if they¡¯d been made to gore the monster¡¯s opponents. But Ethan couldn¡¯t stare at them for long as the next attack was coming.


    A deep glow quickly built up in the monster¡¯s throat, and another ball of concentrated fire shot out. This one was significantly brighter, and it slowly grew in size as it approached. Ethan wasn¡¯t sure if the regular gout of flame would stop it, but he had no access to fireball in this form, so he dropped the horns and summoned the lance, primed an explosive charge, and threw at the ever-growing ball right as the drake lunged forward once more.


    Smart.


    The drake crossed the distance fast, intent on capitalizing on its empowered attack, and it was halfway to Ethan when the lance impacted the drake¡¯s own flame orb.


    There was a crack as the lance¡¯s explosion went off, and Ethan grit his teeth as something burned deep within his chest. The strange heat turned to a flash of pain that pulsed through his chest, and Ethan knew the lance had been destroyed by the flames, but thankfully, it was enough to destabilize the fire orb. The drake¡¯s attack erupted in a wave of fire that got to the man in a second, like a tsunami of dangerously red and yellow fire.


    Ethan summoned his horns back¨Cwincing at the discomfort he felt¨Cthen coated his own body with his own flames to meet the drake¡¯s. The red fire ate into his own, but Ethan grit his teeth and pushed more mana into [Scorching Enhancement] flaring his flames stronger until finally, the wave of fire was expended.


    The drake was visible once more, unhurt by the flames.


    Ethan lowered his arms, a bead of sweat trailing down his brow as he grinned. ¡°Come on, big guy. Is that all you got?¡±


    The drake growled at him and began circling while Ethan watched. He had an idea, but he had to get the timing right, so for now, he dismissed his horns and stole a glance behind him. The others were finishing up the lizardlings and, as far as he could see, things seemed to be under control.


    Aside from the growing wildfire, that is.


    Ethan faced the drake once more and took a step back, hoping that¡¯d trigger some hunting instinct in the giant lizard. ¡°Come on, you coward.¡±


    The drake huffed, slowed, then broke out into a sprint once more.


    Ethan stood still as a predator as tall as he was and many times as heavy sprinted toward him.


    It¡¯s about to jump.


    Ethan swallowed. His muscles were tense and his eyes unblinking. He couldn¡¯t make his move until it did or it might stop, so he waited, teeth bared, and held his breath.


    Then it jumped.


    Ethan summoned his lance and held it with both arms with a shout, going down to one knee and propping the butt of the lance against the ground as the monster flew at him. The drake flailed its limb and tail gracelessly, but its momentum was dictated by its powerful jump. He enlarged the weapon as much as he could in the short time he had, arming an explosive charge as he did and when the drake made contact, it was easily eight-feet tall.


    Ethan shook when the point of the lance impaled the falling monster. It sunk into the tough defenses and detonated, shoving Ethan and the butt of his weapon further back and into the ground.


    The drake fell on top of him, screeching, while Ethan erupted his scales with fire and created a defensive barrier around himself as he kicked and pushed to get himself out from under the beast.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    He didn¡¯t want to attack the drake with fire. He worried that could heal it or empower it, somehow, considering the term ¡°fire¡± was in the creature¡¯s name.


    This is where a thunder or water spell could have been useful.


    The monster roared, clawing at the lance impaling it as Ethan got up to his feet. It glared at him, throat glowing, then screeched once more as its movement pushed the lance deeper in its chest.


    Ethan decided it was time to make one more switch.


    Quickly, he dismissed the scales and slotted [Claws] and [Extended Enhancement] back in, only to realize a couple of seconds later that he was buck naked.


    Goddammit.


    He had been wearing his clothes when he¡¯d gone to sleep. He forgot to take them off when he got up to fight. But it was too late to do anything about it.


    Ethan summoned his claws and rushed up onto the back of the drake.


    I have to kill the damn thing fast. Before the others could pay attention to what¡¯s happening here.


    Ethan drove his extended claws into the back of the monster¡¯s neck and it roared, bucking and trashing to get him off of its back, but there were enough ridges for him to get a good hold.


    With the claws, he had a better feel for the drake¡¯s toughness, and it was definitely up there, but he could cut into it.


    Ethan began slicing and tearing with his claws, triggering the extending modifier over and over again until finally, once nearly only the bones were left intact, he got the death notification.


    He didn¡¯t look just yet. Instead, he dismissed the wand, jumped down from the creature and put [Reptilian Scales] back in, and covered himself.


    Ethan panted as the drake finally died. At some point, the lance had disappeared, which was something he had to test soon. He didn¡¯t know how long a weapon could stay summoned once he stopped making contact with it, but he should test that soon.


    Before he could check his notification, Ethan called out to the others. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡±


    Liz waved back. ¡°We¡¯re okay!¡±


    Ethan exhaled. Good.


    You have defeated [Fire drake (I) - Level 43]


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 52 fragments collected.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: 39 fragments collected.


    Still panting, Ethan stepped around the dead creature and found what he was looking for. The dagger wound pulsing with magic, and Ethan giddily opened and closed his hand. ¡°Come on. Give me something good!¡±


    He waited, hoping and after a few too-long seconds, a thin, red filament began floating out of the light.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A few more moments later, Ethan picked up a small red gem from the churned soil.


    Assimilate [Primagem of Fire (low-grade)]


    Ethan grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡±


    He was sure Ember would have loved this, but that little rascal didn¡¯t miss an opportunity to sass him, so he was keeping the primagem to himself. After all, he needed the power-ups as much as her.


    She is telling us a lot, though. And protecting the others.


    Ethan hummed. Maybe he could give her the fifth primagem he¡¯d get. Or the tenth. Depending on if she¡¯s got a way to get them herself, that is. Because if she does, she can get them for her own damn self.


    With his loot collected, Ethan eyes the drake for a moment, considering cutting off its tail, then realized he had nothing to cut with.


    Then again, they won¡¯t have the time for any cooking, considering the state of this cave.


    Shit.


    The fires were spreading fast. This area¡ªat least this sub-cave¡ªwas probably done for. Ethan hoped the small natural barrier between caves would be enough to prevent the fire from filling the whole first layer, but it might be time to head down or find another spot.


    Ethan went and picked up his dagger from the crackling dead mushroom-tree, then looked up to find the others approaching. Amelie looked pale, while Audrey was limping. Some of her hair had been burnt away as well.


    They looked around as they closed in toward him, eyes lingering on the dead drake. Ember was ahead of them, and Ethan noticed some blood on her fur. Near the back. ¡°Your blood?¡± he asked.


    ¡°[No,]¡± she answered before letting herself fall on her side in a typical cat fashion.


    Ethan eyed the four quiet companions. Amelie was approaching Audrey to heal her leg, but the taller woman gently but firmly pushed her sister¡¯s arm down. Liz looked worried at the fire all around them, while Gerald just sat down on the floor, still panting as he stared around.


    They looked exhausted.


    ¡°We should move to another cave, just in case of the smoke,¡± said Ethan, and he saw a few nods at that. ¡°Then one or two hours of rest, and after that, we head down to the cave below.¡±


    More nods. Then it was quiet. While Amelie blinked, and Gerald asked, eye wide. ¡°We?¡±


    Audrey raised an eyebrow, and a tired smile stretched across Amelie¡¯s lips while Liz stopped stressfully looking at the burning trees nearby, eyes surprised and intent as she waited for his response.


    Ethan nodded. ¡°We. If you¡¯ll have me.¡±


    It was both gratifying and uncomfortable seeing their expressions, and Ethan didn¡¯t think he deserved it. Thankfully, it stopped once Liz asked a question. ¡°Where are your clothes? Did you leave them back there?¡±


    Ethan grimaced. ¡°Forgot I was wearing them when I woke up. Not much of them left.¡±


    Slowly, every head turned to Amelie, who seemed to be about to say something, but when every gaze fell on her, she faltered.


    Ethan hadn¡¯t been the only one expecting a mildly inappropriate comment out of the girl.


    Amelie¡¯s ears reddened, eyes narrowing for a second before her features relaxed. She gave Ethan an innocent smile and tilted her head back. ¡°Well. I hope you¡¯ll find something soon. Shall we go?¡±


    She gave the other a pointedly triumphant look and walked away.


    Audrey shook her head while Liz and Ethan chuckled quietly, and they all soon followed.

 1.45: So close

    Ethan sat at the ledge of the tunnel, gazing down at the agitated mushroom-trees of the second layer after he assigned his new point to mana and checked his fragments


    I¡¯m at 405 fragments in the Elemental wand. I¡¯m almost at 500. I have more than a 100 in the Prime wand but if I could just transfer them¡­


    He couldn¡¯t. He tried over and over. Tried to meditate and visualize them moving about, but nothing happened.


    Oh well.


    Ethan really hoped the new tier in the Elemental wand would allow him a new form. He had to keep the scales, because he had no clothes. He also had to keep [Mana Heart] going, because he didn¡¯t want to exhaust himself and be forced to rest some more.


    I hope the tier upgrade will be enough to give me another form. I need [Claws] back.


    He had the lance for now, of course. He could also generate an inferno of flames and empower them even further with the horns, enough to roast the swarm of water monitors before they could even get near him. But it still felt like something was missing without the powerful talons.


    And now I have to hold the dagger in my hands¡­ because I have nowhere to store it.


    Ethan sighed. Glancing behind, he saw the others resting. All but Gerald, who just sat and watched the other end of the tunnel, just in case something snuck up on them. Finding the tunnel hadn¡¯t been too difficult, and after the battle and the hastened retreat from the fire, Ethan thought a break could be beneficial to everyone.


    He felt fine himself. It probably had something to do with his stats and with Enduring Brawler.


    He looked back down at the agitated biome ahead and reviewed the loose plan they had. The goal was for the team to stay up here and shoot down everything Ethan would lure to them. Amelie and Liz would benefit the most from that strategy and hopefully they¡¯ll level quickly. Gerald and Audrey might not get a lot of levels that way, but sooner or later, the lizards will start climbing, and they¡¯ll be able to get their levels then. Ember would be their backup. She would watch their back and only intervene in case of emergencies, while Ethan would take on the bulk of the water monitors as they came.


    That should net me a nice chunk of Essence as well.


    After the earlier battle, Ethan noticed his Essence count had gone up to five. Even though he¡¯d used its special ability earlier.


    I should also make sure the horns don¡¯t consume Essence¡­ I know the horn¡¯s magic empowering doesn¡¯t consume it, but maybe the running thing does. If it does, it¡¯s probably cheap¡­ but not free.


    Well, he might not be able to confirm that right away, but he was most certainly gaining a few more Essence points soon. Ethan was sure a swarm would be created in minutes, which would be plenty of levels and fragments to him, though he was still a bit worried for the others.


    I¡¯ll be able to collapse the tunnel if we need to retreat.


    Next to him, Ember was peering down, ear flicking back and forth as she watched the occasional flashes of light and jets of water break through the canopy.


    She seemed excited to get down there, and so was Ethan. He was itching to get his hands on the missing fragments and get the last level.


    I¡¯m just one level short of finishing the side quest as well. One more trait and 10 stat points at level 40.


    He was so close. Though unless he could sneak a couple of water monitors and retreat, it might be a minute until he could find a safe spot to assign his points and trigger the wand¡¯s upgrade.


    Ethan glanced down at his bare hands. He¡¯d managed to uncover them, just as he did with his face, though he¡¯ll have to cover them up when the fight gets going.


    Maybe I should replace [Mana Heart] with [Claws]?


    He shook his head. This was good training. He couldn¡¯t let [Claws] become a clutch and unless something resistant to fire showed up, he¡¯ll be fine. And even then, worse comes to worse, he could just switch the heart or the scales with [Claws].


    But now that he thought about their opponents, Ethan gave the cat a sidelong glance. He could pick her brains a bit while he waited for the others to rest up. ¡°Are you weak to water? Will you be okay in this fight?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Ember tilted her head up at him, then stared back down at the giant cave ahead of them and yawned. ¡°[It depends. But I don¡¯t enjoy it.]¡±


    Ethan raised a brow. So being strongly attuned to an element could cause issues?


    ¡°Were those fire drakes weak to water?¡±


    ¡°[No. They¡¯re resilient bastards. They might not be the best at handling water, but it doesn¡¯t affect them more than any other element. Well. Basic ones, at least.]¡±


    Ethan hummed. ¡°Does that mean I could have blasted them with fire? And what kind of elements are there? Outside of basic?¡±


    The cat¡¯s ear began twitching more and more, and Ethan took that as his signal that this might be the last answer he was getting. ¡°[It¡¯s not immune to fire. But it¡¯s used to it, so you weren¡¯t wrong to prioritize other types of damage. For elements¡­ The basics are These; Fire. Water. Air. A few others. Non-basic are combinations and specialization. Magma. Cursed elements. Metal. There are countless, and some can be very¡­ unpredictable. So you should always be careful. You never know what you might encounter.]¡±


    Ethan extended a hand and flared a bit of fire out of his rust-red scaled hand. The cat nibbled on the thin stream of fire, and the two continued watching the world below them.


    ***


    It took less than two minutes after Ethan had stepped into the brush to find the first water monitor.


    Its dark scales reflected the blue and purple light of the mushroom trees. It was tearing into a dead mystic toad, twisting and pulling at the strip of meat and using its clawed forelegs to manoeuvre the carcass.


    Level 39.


    Ethan didn¡¯t waste time and jogged forward, dagger in hand and horns jutting back along his hair. He might not have the chance to use the weapon much soon, so he thought he¡¯d better make the most of it. By the time the lizard began turning, hissing at being disturbed in its meal, Ethan shoved the dagger in the side of its bloodied jaw. The lizard thrashed away, but it was already marked, so Ethan jumped on the creature¡¯s back and grabbed it in a chokehold.


    ¡°Night night,¡± Ethan said before summoning a blaze of flames out of his hands and against the reptile¡¯s throat. He saw a flash of magic as it tried to summon its reinforced scales, but it was too late.


    Within a couple of seconds, Ethan felt the throat crack and give, and as he got up, blood seeped out of the decapitated beast, while flakes of charred flesh and ash fell out of his hand.


    The dagger wound pulsed a few times, but there was nothing to pick up aside from the fragments.


    84 fragments. Dammit. I¡¯m so close.


    Ethan briskly made his way back to make sure the others weren¡¯t under attack, only to see a couple of water monitors shooting water up at the tunnel. Audrey was taking the sprays on her shield while Liz and Amelie shot down at the monsters. Then one of the creatures leaned back and ululated.


    Welp. Time to test the horns again. Essence is at¡­5. Okay. Let¡¯s see.


    Ethan began with a relaxed jog, but quickly accelerated toward the monsters. As his strides sped up, a rush of power washed over him, seeping into his flesh and bones. His stride lengthened, and a mound of earth that would have tripped him was blown to dust as if an explosion had gone under it.


    Ethan¡¯s momentum was completely unaffected, but his mood was.


    He couldn¡¯t help but grin as the world blurred around him.


    A corona of yellow-orange slowly built up around him as he streaked toward the reptiles like a comet. Ethan felt like nothing could stand in his way at this point, and he was only a few seconds away from impacting the two creatures. One of the water monitors, a level 41 creature, saw him come and shot a thick jet of concentrated water at him. It hit him right in the chest, and he barely felt it.


    It was like being hit with a nerf-gun.


    Ethan laughed as he left geysers of upturned earth in his wake, and when he noticed that he did consume an Essence point in this manoeuvre; he didn¡¯t care.


    It was worth it. And he was confident he was about to get it back. He was getting the gist of his Path, and this just felt natural to him.


    Ethan impacted the level 41 with a kick. There was a small resistance and weight against his bare-scaled foot for a fraction of a second before something gave out. Blood and entrails exploded ahead of him and as he tried to slow down, Ethan found himself sprayed and showered with blood and viscera, which forced him to stop laughing as the stuff was getting into his mouth.


    You have defeated [Water monitor (I) - Level 41]


    You have reached Level 40. 1 stat point awarded.


    Gross. But fucking worth it.


    Ethan managed to stop around fifteen feet later. He hopped out of the grove into the earth he¡¯d created, then grinned at the remaining monitor. It opened its mouth, a blue glow in the back of its throat, and a glowing crossbow bolt caught it in the neck. From the corner of his eyes, Ethan saw the first water monitor step out of the bush.


    This should be fun, Ethan thought as he collected the fragments, which finally put him at 547 fragments.


    Ethan paused, then sprinted at the lizard just ahead of him and broiled it in a second before he scrambled up the tunnel.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Liz, alarmed.


    Ethan grinned at her, and she saw her gulp while Amelie continued shooting at the lizards but still gave him an excited look and a nudge. ¡°It blew up like a watermelon. That was awesome.¡±


    Right. He was covered in blood water monitor chunks, But there was no time to dally.


    ¡°Upgrading my wand,¡± he said as he already began looking through his interface. ¡°Buy me some time. And no peeking!¡±


    Ethan slipped past them and dropped on his behind. He quickly plugged [Detect Life], confirmed nothing was around, and triggered the upgrade.

 1.46: Had to watch

    Ethan grit his teeth and restlessly tapped his foot as the magic dust swirled and slowly sank into his naked body. He was facing away from the team, but he wasn¡¯t worried about anyone peeking. The sounds of frantic battle told him all that he needed to hear.


    So while he waited for the upgrade process to finish up, he assigned the stat points he had gotten from finishing the side quest, but he couldn¡¯t enjoy the process or take too long. The fight was raging behind him. It hadn¡¯t even been a minute, but the shouts and orders were getting more desperate. The rings of focused water hitting metal were getting more frequent.


    The monitors were showing up faster than he thought they would.


    As he waited, Ethan had pulled up the notifications waiting for him. The side quest was completed, and he¡¯d gotten his points and his trait token, but he didn¡¯t think he was going to have time for the latter.


    Eleven points. Three on Toughness, two on Mana because it got a point from the last level, three on Might and Spirit. That¡¯s eleven.


    Thankfully, point assignment was a much faster process and with it done, Ethan pulled his stats and whistled. He couldn¡¯t see the boost of the Elemental wand as it was still being upgraded, but even with just the Prime wand¡¯s boost and Mana Heart, the stats looked impressive.


    And it¡¯s about to get even better with the tier-3 wand. Right about¡­ now.


    Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental: Upgrade from tier-2 to tier-3 completed.


    Congratulations. Hidden quest: Upgrade a wand to tier-3 completed.


    1x tier-3 spell token awarded.


    Ethan, with his blood rushing in his ears, pulled the new wand upgrades available to him and even though he saw a few extremely exciting ones, his heart still sunk down to his stomach.


    There was nothing about extra forms.


    ¡°No, no come on.¡±


    There was no upgrade for forms. What was he supposed to do now?


    Maybe it¡¯s not something that¡¯s not linked to an upgrade?


    Loading his wand, Ethan desperately tried to slot [Claws] next to [Reptilian Scales]. The spell moved in his interface and he could picture it bouncing off from the spell slot as he mentally resigned himself to not having his new form. But it didn¡¯t. The spell didn¡¯t bounce back.


    Spell Forms: [[Scorching][Reptilian Scales]], [Claws]]


    Ethan blinked, the air still stuck in his throat, and then realized it had worked.


    A bark of laughter escaped his throat, and it was quickly cut off when Amelie called his name.


    Crap.


    Ethan jumped to his feet and quickly slotted [Small Fireball] before he summoned the scales and his claws. The hands changed, and the talons surged out while a pulse of strength filled his body. The scales spread out and, as always, he kept them off of his face.


    He didn¡¯t want to fully look like a lizard. Then again, the horns didn¡¯t help his case.


    Ethan couldn¡¯t help but giggle. He picked up the dagger, and decided to keep the claws only on his right hand. [Mana Heart] continued working as always, and as he jogged back to the exit, he stole a quick glance at his stats.


    Level 40


    Might: 45 (18)


    Toughness: 56 (29)


    Spirit: 67 (18)


    Mana: 33 (18)


    Huh. I guess it makes sense that I don¡¯t get a boost from every single spell form. The bonus gets shared between them. But this certainly makes the wand prize more worthwhile. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Ethan wondered what was the limit of wands per person. If each gave this many bonus stats, then he could see how they¡¯d be considered extremely valuable.


    He slipped past the cat. There were a lot of new things to digest. New possible upgrades to think about, traits to choose, and side-quests to consider. But not right now.


    Ethan slid past a roaring Audrey as she shoved a water monitor back. She glanced sideways at him and made space so he could get past her. Her lips were bloodied, but she still grinned as she took in his appearance. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    The water monitor she¡¯d been blocking lunged at him, jaw open, and Ethan¡¯s clawed hand split the air and embedded itself through the beast¡¯s skull with a soft and wet crunch.


    You have defeated [Water monitor (I) - Level 36]


    Ethan pushed the corpse forward and kicked another as it tried to bring itself over the edge, sending blood and teeth flying. Next, he created a roar of fire from two outstretched hands, and then Ethan jumped, leaving Gerald and the other two to finish off the dying creature he had kicked.


    Reptilian eyes tracked him as he fell down through the air, body surrounded by fire. There were at least twenty, and more kept stepping out of the brush.


    Ethan hit the ground with a geyser of soft earth and slowly stood up. A first jet of pressurized water came at him, but he only raised an arm to block it.


    It felt like being targeted by a garden hose. It was refreshing.


    ¡°Hope you¡¯re ready, you little shits.¡±


    Ethan threw the first fireball and the violent explosion killed at least three lizards in the largest deflagration of fire Ethan has yet to see.


    Right. Not only is my Spirit stat near the seventy mark,but everything is being boosted by the horns.


    Ethan chuckled and began tearing into the creatures with gusto. That explosion would surely attract every hostile creature that could walk, but he didn¡¯t care. His [Mana Heart] made him feel like he could throw fireballs and scorching cones of fire all day and it won¡¯t even break a sweat.


    Ethan alternated between devastating claw swipes and fire. He tried to tag as many monitors as he could with the dagger, occasionally stopping to see if anything came off of it and to collect some of the fragments. He also alternated between the horns and the lance to get some of the valuable resources into his Prime wand.


    I¡¯m going to afford so many upgrades after this.


    Ethan tried not to kill every monster. He left a few to the others, occasionally glancing back to make sure they weren¡¯t being overrun. When he saw an arrow sticking off the back of one of the monitors, or saw one being knocked away or stabbed or shot, he would quickly put it down if it was within range, guaranteeing some of the levels to the others.


    Still, the creatures slowly surrounded him, and he let them. When they were close enough, Ethan spread his arms and flared as much as fire as he could, laughing while he turned everything in his immediate vicinity to chars and ash.


    ***


    What a little monster.


    Amanda watched from a good distance away as the cave darkened once more and as the flames faded. Ethan stood in a smoking, torn crater of charred lizards and glowing rocks after having literally lit up his portion of the cave. For a couple of seconds, it was as if the sun had managed to show its face down here.


    Glancing at the tree-line and everything she could see through giant-mushroom caps, she watched the creatures continue to swarm toward him from all over the cave, excited by the magic and the noise. Here and there, she saw lizardlings, watching from a safe distance. Some were fighting, forced to clash with the water monitors.


    This attention might have been catastrophic for most, her included, but in this scenario, Ethan was like some sort of giant crocodile, sitting there with his jaws wide open while his food just strolled down his gullet.


    This would further propel him ahead of the pack. If he did not have the highest level already, he was about to get it. Amanda bit her nails and watched as the man burned through the monster and through her plans.


    I have no leverage. I won¡¯t have any leverage if this goes on.


    She could already picture herself having to work around him once they¡¯ll be back in the real world. If the governments were still around, that¡¯d be different. But if they fell apart and if everything started revolving around personal power, then she would always have to plan around him and people like him.


    Amanda turned to the right. She couldn¡¯t see the rift from here, but she knew there were other people past it. Would she find allies over there?


    I won¡¯t really be able to get to them. Not with the number of monsters around there.


    Amanda tasted blood and forced her hand away from her mouth.


    Maybe she needed to change her focus. Instead of chasing the martial power of a few individuals, maybe she could do something with everybody else? Focus on the quantity instead of the quality?


    It¡¯s not as if all of them are loners, anyway. Gain the trust of their friends and they¡¯ll fall in.


    Amanda wasn¡¯t stupid enough to attempt threats and overt pressure. That could easily backfire in this new world. Though she couldn¡¯t wait to find out how the other worlds¡¯ societies functioned. If she could find that out, she could start prepping and set herself for success. But for now, she was just working blind, which was both frustrating and exciting.


    Amanda smiled from her perch. This was so much more fun than dealing with greedy executives and short-sighted shareholders. This was chaos. Waiting to be molded and controlled.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to see how this all turns out. Then her eye caught a movement from below her.


    Activating her Prime form, her vision sharpened, and she recognized the blue grocery-store jacket and the lurid green magic surrounding the figure. Amanda¡¯s mood sobered and, after checking her surroundings once more, she leaned forward.


    She couldn¡¯t move now. This had all started as a routine outing to see if anything new was taking place, but now that Savannah was entering the picture, she had to see what happened. She didn¡¯t root for them to fight each other, even if that might make her life easier. The poor woman was grieving and Amanda was many things, but she was not that monstrous. That was a step too far.


    But she had to see. Whatever happened between Ethan and Savannah might impact the rest of the trial. Amanda was not going to intervene, but she had to watch.

 1.47: Why

    Ethan¡¯s scaly feet crunched on the charred flesh as he stepped out of the small crater carved by one of his many fireballs.


    The terrain was becoming too uneven to fight comfortably, but that was alright. The water monitors were finally slowing down, but that didn¡¯t mean his work here was done. Not even close.


    There¡¯s less of them coming out, but they¡¯re still coming.


    Ethan raised the little bead he¡¯d gone down in the crater to collect and examined it. The interface told him it was a tier-1 scale spell, which he didn¡¯t need. In fact. It was the second [Scales] spell he¡¯d gotten. The third was another [Breath Gland], and one water primagem, which he already assimilated.


    A level 42 water monitor noticed him and hissed. A blue glow collected in the back of its throat, but Ethan just lobbed a fireball in its face while he made his way to the little spot right under the tunnel.


    The creature was thrown away, having summoned its scales in time, but it was disoriented and shaken enough for his teammates to finish it up.


    Ethan eyed them for a moment as he walked. Only Audrey hasn¡¯t hit thirty yet. But she¡¯s almost there.


    Once she had level thirty, they¡¯d retreat in the tunnel for a bit. Enough to rest up a bit and to get through the leveling process. Hopefully the path stuff won¡¯t take them too long.


    Ethan stood over a tiny little groove in the wall, behind a boulder, where he hid the spellcores. He couldn¡¯t hold them in his hands. Not while he had the dagger in his hands.


    Hopefully I can trade these eventually.


    He put down the new one next to the other two, then covered the little hole up with loose soil before he made his way back closer to the tree-line and waited for newcomers and thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to wait for long.


    Ethan grinned and tightened his grip on the dagger as two fire drakes ambled out of the clearing. Two high-level lizardlings rode on them, each above level 35, and their slitted eyes took in the ruined space before they found Ethan.


    He was pretty sure one of them gulped. At least he¡¯d like to imagine they did. After all, he¡¯d just hit level 44.


    Four levels for a swarm of water monitor might not seem like a lot, but he¡¯d been at this for the last hour or so and if it hadn¡¯t been for [Mana Heart], he¡¯d already be needing to rest from all the mana he¡¯d burned through.


    He was fine though. He could still go. But a little break after dealing with the lizardlings would be very welcome and most importantly, it would allow him to really sit down and look through his new available upgrades. He¡¯d stolen a glance here or there, but he couldn¡¯t afford the distractions often and once more, he had to focus on yet another threat.


    The drakes rumbled as they were directed toward him, and more lizardlings on foot began spreading, trying to surround him while a couple eyed his teammates.


    Ethan glanced down at his scaly hands and sighed as he summoned the scales on his face and head. If only there was a way to hide his identification. It would have been funny to trick the lizardlings. Tell them he was one of them before he marked them with the Harvester¡¯s Dagger.


    Unless¡­


    Ethan stepped toward the war party and saw a few of them shuffle uncomfortably, eyes narrowed. ¡°Brothers!¡± he called out, arms raised. But he didn¡¯t get further. The highest level lizardling, a level 41 warrior, spurred his mount. The drake roared and spat a ball of swirling flames at him in response.


    Well. I tried.


    In response, Ethan sent his own fireball at the clumped up lizardlings and began to circle to the left. It was the area that was still the most intact, which would allow him to run in a somewhat straight line as the horns¡¯ special ability didn¡¯t work if he needed to dodge craters and make detours.


    A thick panel of blue light materialized in the fireball¡¯s trajectory, and the impact sent spider-webs crawling all through the barrier for an instant before it was vaporized as the spell exploded. As Ethan began picking up speed, he ignored a couple of death notifications and focused on the drake. He needed to down one of those creatures fast. Two were too much, especially when combined with their riders and the remaining war party.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The warrior hopped off its mount, but the other just pointed a bone-wand at Ethan and shot him with its own fireball. The small ball of concentrated fire zipped at him, and Ethan grit his teeth and raised his arms defensively as his momentum picked up.


    He could probably take it. But the explosion will definitely be uncomfortable. Hopefully it won¡¯t be enough to throw his momentum off and fortunately¡ªor unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t sure¡ªthe fireball homed in on him and impacted against his fire-covered forearms before detonating.


    It was painful. It felt like a sledgehammer had been slammed against his scaled forearms, but even if his arms were as durable as steel, it still sent a pulse of pain and shudder through his entire body.


    But it didn¡¯t slow him down.


    Ethan burst out of the fire, slightly burnt and pissed off, running full speed and sending clumps of disturbed soil in his wake. The lizardling warrior hissed, holding a dangerous-looking gem-tipped spear while the mage behind him cast another barrier to try and slow him down.


    Prime wand, probably.


    The warrior readied its spear, and the two drakes'' throats glowed. Ethan would impact in less than two seconds. He readied himself to leap over the spear or try to dodge it, but before he could decide, a green-hued dagger flew out of the brush and embedded itself into the throat of the right-drake. The one being ridden.


    The creature roared just as Ethan crashed through the barrier, popping it like a soap bubble. But the spear was still pointed at him, so he jumped into a fully horizontal flying kick that made the spearhead pass just above his face, almost grazing his nose for a second before it was wrenched away his scaled feet made contact with the warrior''s raised arms.


    The lizardling was thrown back like a ragdoll, rolling head over heels a couple of times against the soft ground as Ethan continued past him. His feet hit the ground and slid, digging another groove into the soil while the drake swiped its giant claws down. In response Ethan stabbed upward with the dagger. The knife punched through the scales and the creature shrieked, but it still sent Ethan skidding backward just by the sheer weight difference. A couple of feet away, the lizardling, rolled over and tried to push itself up, and even though Ethan was surprised it survived the impact of his kick, he had no time to waste on it, so he sent a fireball that sent the creature¡¯s limb flying in different directions while he took a quick glance around to understand what was going on.


    The drake he¡¯d stabbed was still focused on him, but the second had turned away along with its rider. From the other direction, someone was lobbing some powerful spells that were making the giant creature roar with pain and back away, but Ethan couldn¡¯t make them out from this angle. To his right, his team was dealing with a water monitor and a couple of lizardlings, but they were fine, and Ember was helping, but all five of them were accounted for.


    This is someone new. Or something.


    He had to finish off his side of the battle fast. Just in case.


    His own drake leaped at him, completely unaffected by the stab wound. Ethan jumped back, and glancing down at his hand, he threw the dagger behind him and rushed forward, summoning [Claws] on the second hand while the creature growled and pounced once more to meet him, only for Ethan to skid under it and stab up with both hands.


    With his high Toughness and his own protective scales, he wasn¡¯t as worried from the creatures¡¯s physical attacks.


    Even though the scutes covering the creature''s underbelly were thinner than those on top, they were still difficult to cut through, but Ethan managed to dig his two talons pretty deep before the creature roared with pain and jumped back, though Ethan wasn¡¯t done. He dug his claws deeper and grabbed on, while the creature tried to swipe at him and throw him off. Next, Ethan began pumping fire straight into its flesh and its screech grew sharper.


    This is a bit slow. I need to get to the neck. Or a bit lower.


    The rib-cage was proving difficult to punch through, but as Ethan worked his way a bit lower, wincing and groaning as a few kicks and soil-slams threatened to tear him off the monster, he found an angle where he could really get his arm in the creature¡¯s stomach, where he really began to do some damage.


    It took a couple of minutes to finally bring the drake to its knees, and even though it was a bit of a challenge, Ethan managed to push the drake off of him, just enough to roll it away and drag himself out.


    ¡­


    You have defeated [Lizardling (I) - Level 37]


    You have defeated [Fire Drake (I) - Level 47]


    You have reached Level 45. 1 stat point awarded.


    Ethan painfully got up to his feet and dismissed the two notifications. Panting, he took in the scene quickly. The team were doing well, but they were inching toward the tunnel. Below him, the dagger-mark on the drake was pulsing, but he couldn¡¯t focus on it just yet, because right in front of him was a frowning, haggard woman with a green glowing crystal embedded in her chest. She had a wand pointed at him and a dagger hovered next to her.


    ¡°Why¡­does it say you¡¯re human,¡± she asked, in a reedy quiet voice that sent chills down his spine.


    [Human (I) - Level 47]

 1.48: Savannah (Pt.1)

    Ethan removed the scales from his face, but he didn¡¯t extinguish the low-flames still dancing all over his body, nor did he dismiss the claws or the horns.


    ¡°It says human because I am,¡± he said as he furrowed his brows. The woman was slightly familiar, but he couldn¡¯t recall where from. Her cheeks were gaunt and pale, strongly contrasting with the smears of blood and dark circles under her unblinking eyes. Her hair was burnt in patches, and whatever wasn¡¯t burned was matted with dirt and blood.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes looked lower and took in the burnt pants, the bare feet, the bits of blue still visible from her jacket, and a name tag.


    Savannah?


    And then it clicked, and his stomach twisted.


    He remembered seeing her on occasion in the morning bus. They¡¯d often get off at the same station. She would usually be with a young girl¡ªher kid, he assumed. She¡¯d be adjusting the girl¡¯s hair, chatting with her and then they¡¯d get off hand and walk down the street.


    Ethan had never spoken to her, but he couldn¡¯t believe how changed she was. And her look¡­ it was both vacant and so full of rage it almost made him flinch. He had a couple of ideas about what had happened, but he found himself at a loss for words when he met her gaze.


    With his ¡°humanity¡± confirmed, Savannah turned away, and her head slowly swiveled as she took in the scene around her. She dismissed the water monitors, twitched at the dead lizardlings and at the drakes, and when she faced his companions, she froze. Then she took a step forward.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his thoughts snapped back to the current situation. Why was she focused on his companions?


    ¡°Hey,¡± he called out. He already had a bad feeling about her, and when she ignored him, the dread only grew worse. The glow around the dagger strengthened, and it floated a bit higher as if it was trying to get the angle right.


    Further near the cliff and the tunnel leading upward, Audrey looked up and said something that made the others turn toward him and Savannah.


    Then the dagger zipped forward.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes widened in horror. The dagger flew out like an arrow and crossed the hundred feet separating her from his companions in half a second. He didn¡¯t know who she targeted, or why, but thankfully, her target had as fast reflexes as any of them. Probably the fastest, even.


    Ember leaped off the ground like a spark while the dagger embedded itself into the ground. Her fur ignited and stood up, and her eyes narrowed into a dangerously glowing slit while the others confusedly called out for the woman to stop.


    But Savannah only recalled her dagger and seemed ready to try again. Which really pissed him off. Ethan lunged forward and although he didn¡¯t want to blow her up just yet, he had to take her to the ground until whatever this situation was resolved. Misunderstandings happened, and there was no damage yet so this might still be salvageable. ¡°Stop! They¡¯re my¡ª¡±


    The woman whipped her arm back, snarling, and crescent of gray, translucent like light rushed at him. Ethan barely had enough time to guard his face when a wall of solid air slammed into him like a runaway truck and sent him tumbling up in the air.


    Ethan had a full two or three seconds of air-time before he slammed back in the ground. It took him half-a second to realize what had happened, and as he jumped to his feet, he noticed his dagger a couple of feet away.


    He picked it up and ignored the pulsing pain in his arms. Liz and Amelie had their crossbow and wand raised, and they were yelling for the woman to stop and back off, but Savannah had no eyes for them.


    She pointed once more and the dagger flew at the cat elemental, tearing through the air, a trail of green motes left in its wake. Amelie screamed, and Audrey jumped forward, shield glowing. The shield¡¯s magic instantly broke like a glass panel, and the dagger punched through the shield, only stopping at the hilt.


    Savannah raised her wand to cast something at Audrey, and Ethan extended his clawed hand at her and shot a fireball at her feet. Before the spell even made contact, he was already running. An empowered fireball should at least buy him a few seconds.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    He had a bad feeling about all of this. So as he ran, he decided to take a risk and pull his list of available traits. He may have been able to get a tier-3 spell, but aside from the problem of rushing, he couldn¡¯t risk dismissing his spell-forms, so he focused on the upgrades he could start and not have to focus on.


    Which meant the traits and stats, if he managed it fast enough. He had five points to assign, and five points were nothing to scoff at.


    The fireball detonated like the crack of thunder. The woman disappeared into a shower of soil and flames, but there were no notifications. Not that he expected any. Ethan sprinted around the smoke and billowing flames, expecting Savannah to step out of the disappearing flames at any second, and came to a halt right in front of the others and triggered the trait token.


    Select a trait from the list below:


    Enhancer Specialist: Enhancer wands provide 10% extra stats.


    Harvester¡¯s flames: Opponents vanquished through fire have a higher chance of forming primagems and spellcores.


    Vanguard: When fighting alone or in a small team, your total Toughness is improved by 20%


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is she attacking us?¡± Liz asked urgently as he speed-read his options. Her eyes slid away from the sight of her crossbow to glance at him before focusing back on the screen of smoke. Gerald was disturbed as well, while Amelie was just pissed at having her sister attacked.


    Audrey was just quiet, and kept her eyes on where the woman had been.


    Ethan took a couple of seconds to read through his options, cursing under his breath. He hadn¡¯t expected to be attacked by a lunatic, otherwise he could have done this earlier. Fighting water monitors had been a lot less stressful than this.


    Focus. Enhancer Specialist was still around, but the boost was still limited by wands. He had two right now, technically, but he wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d give him the full boost or if he was better off to keep waiting until he had more wands. Harvester¡¯s Flames was new, and he liked it a lot and if he wasn¡¯t facing a dangerous opponent he would have been very tempted to pick it, but it was mostly the same as the dagger. Which left the Vanguard.


    The final option matched his style pretty well and even if it had a restriction built in, he didn¡¯t mind it. He didn¡¯t intend on ever joining an army or big groups, so he selected it and turned his attention back to Liz, and finally answered her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She almost attacked me for having scales and she doesn¡¯t seem to like¡­Ember,¡± he said, glancing down at the cat next to him. The cat was on guard. Flames danced around her fur, and she seemed a bit larger than usual. There was also a rose-gold anklet around hind-legs, and two black sharp canines peeked out of her mouth, giving her a slight resemblance to a tiny saber-tooth.


    Ethan, with eyes still on the smoking crater in which Savannah had vanished, dumped all his new stat points in Toughness and as he waited for the magic to finish sinking into his body, he watched the disappearing screen of smoke and dust. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s alright. Mentally.¡±


    Ethan felt for the woman. Clearly, she¡¯d been through hell, but she was dangerous. The attack she had hit him with could have seriously injured any of his companions aside from the elemental, so with that in mind, he made the call.


    ¡°If she¡¯s still aggressive, shoot to kill.¡±


    Liz¡¯s eyes widened imperceptibly, then they steeled, right as Savannah stumbled out of the small crater that had formed around her and as he took in her state and her features, Ethan¡¯s words were instantly vindicated.


    We can¡¯t take chances.


    Her eyes were blood-shot, but not from Ethan¡¯s fireball, which only managed to singe her clothes and hair, and barely gave her a couple of red-splotches across her skin. Definitely not as much as he expected.


    No, the biggest change seemed to be coming from the green gem in her chest. It was pulsing, matching the color of her iris and sending its light through green glowing veins that spread out of her chest and out toward her neck, arms, and  even her bare feet. A simple kite shield was in her left hand, while a right held her wand with a green gem that matched the one in her chest.


    Wait¡­


    Ethan was ready to lunge forward, but a part of his mind was still bewildered. How did she have so many forms out? How could she both hit so hard and be so tough? Was it her prime wand? Was it the thing embedded in her chest? The color matched the dagger and the wand in her hand, which left the shield.


    She has all three forms of her prime wand out¡­


    Ethan pushed the questions away and focused on the dangerous woman in front of him. Her lurid, unblinking green eyes narrowed at him, before flicking back to Ember and as soon as they landed on the cat, the dagger shot forward again. Ethan trusted the cat would dodge and just as the strengthening magic finished its modifications on his body, he lunged forward, dagger in hand.


    He felt as durable as he¡¯d ever been.


    Savannah glared at him and at Ember, teeth bared and eyes crazed and without a word, her dagger zipped at Ember once more. The cat leaped, and the dagger abruptly brightened and changed trajectory, but Ember¡¯s anklet glowed in response and she jumped again.


    The air under her paws rippled with a hazy-pink matching the anklet, and she dodged once more, hopping closer to her assailant. She opened her jaw and shot a thin jet of concentrated fire, right as Ethan¡¯s dagger cut the air toward the gem in Savannah¡¯s chest.


    In response, the woman wailed.

 1.49: Savannah (Pt.2)

    Amelie¡¯s and Liz¡¯s bolts of magic turned to dust as the visible green ripples of Savannah¡¯s wail reached them, and Ember¡¯s powerful, thick jet of fire was reduced to flickering flames, much like those of a candle.


    For Ethan, it felt like he¡¯d just been subjected to a wave of sapping energy.


    It was deeply unpleasant. It made his soul ache, but none of his forms faltered. When she saw that, Savannah flicked her wrist and a nearly-white crescent shot out of her wand right as Ethan swung his dagger. The magic slammed into his stomach with an audible crack as if she¡¯d swung a giant bat through his midsection, but it wasn¡¯t enough to get through his scales. Once more, the spell threw him back, but not nearly as much as last time. Even though it had been significantly stronger than earlier.


    Whatever that gem¡¯s doing, it¡¯s boosting her magic. Way more than my horns are empowering mine.


    Ethan landed on his feet a couple of yards away and winced at the pain radiating through his torso, but he wasn¡¯t the only one who hit the mark. Savannah didn¡¯t even look at it, but a thin stream of blood was now trailing down her collarbone and even though the wound looked superficial, it was enough for the magic mark to find purchase.


    She¡¯s tough.


    Ethan had put some weight behind the stab, but the dagger had not gone as deep as he thought it would and maybe unconsciously he hadn¡¯t tried that hard. But to be fair, it wasn¡¯t as if a little stab would kill her. He hoped it¡¯d give her pause and force her to reconsider, but clearly, she didn¡¯t even seem to feel it.


    In any case, whatever happened next, she was marked by the Harvester¡¯s Dagger.


    He swallowed and readied himself for the next onslaught. He hoped she wouldn¡¯t cross the point of no return, but if he was honest, she was already stepping on it. Trying to kill Ember and openly attacking them like this was enough for him to fight back, but he could still picture the smiling woman in the bus. Ethan could understand if she were extremely distraught and lashed out, and it might be possible to pull her back from the edge and even if he felt he didn¡¯t need to, he wanted to give her a chance. For her sake and his own.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your problem with Ember is, but she¡¯s done nothing to you. Stop this and leave us be. Or we¡¯ll be forced to defend ourselves.¡±


    She glared at him with bloodshot eyes. Tears dripped down from the corner of her eyes, but it was as if she wasn¡¯t noticing them. Ethan hoped she would back down, but her expression only twisted further, and Ethan knew he couldn¡¯t hold back anything anymore.


    Not if he didn¡¯t want to regret it.


    Her green-hued dagger shot at his chest right as he flared out a blaze of fire from his frontal scales. The dagger still sank through the burning orange flames, but its tip barely cut through the scales. In exchange, Ethan blasted her with two streams of scorching fire. Even though she raised her shield on time, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Savannah screamed again, a sound full of pain and rage, and Ethan felt something drain out of his chest as his flames weakened. As if he was running out of mana. Which should not be the case.


    Before Ethan could figure what was happening, a crescent of green-tinged light came at him once more. It looked more real than the ones before. More substantial, as if the earlier ones had been made of loose smoke while this one looked almost liquid. He expected to hurt like hell so he braced and flared his protective flames around, and thought of his counter-attack.


    Then the green crescent made contact.


    If the earlier spell had been like a bat to the stomach, this one might have been a literal giant swinging a tree-sized club into him.


    Ethan went flying. Wind rushed around him, whistling in his ears, and he couldn¡¯t tell which way was up for a few seconds as he was sent tumbling head over heels through the air for god knows how far. For a second, his forearms and stomach were numb before the pain made itself known. Still groaning from the impact, he hit the ground hard, sending clumps of dirt flying and then he proceeded to roll and skid as he tried, until his momentum was spent and he finally came to stop, back against the soil.


    He stared at the cave ceiling for a second, waiting for the disorientation to hit, but it never did. He was in pain, especially his forearms, which had dug deep into his stomach and sides when he was hit, but it was already fading into the background.


    Ethan had never been kicked by a horse before, but he imagined this was pretty close.


    He jumped to his feet and groaned as the world oscillated a couple of times, then he sprinted back to the group. The other had been fanned out around him, thankfully, or he would have probably hurt one of them, and as he eyed Savannah from across the battlefield, he could only notice how the gem in her chest had dimmed. It was slight, but he was sure of it.


    She¡¯s storing her magic in that thing. Somehow.


    That was the only way her insane strength could be explained. She was only two levels up on him and maybe she¡¯d completed a couple of extra hidden quests than he did, but that couldn¡¯t explain the difference in magic.


    That last spell had been empowered by her reserves, and she will eventually run out. It also again confirmed how dangerous she was. She might not be able to keep this level of fighting prowess for long, but she could do some real damage with it.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Savannah turned her wrath on Ember once more, spittle flying, teeth gritted as she threw spell after dagger after spell, but the cat was extremely slippery. Ember kept hopping away, kicking off the air, dodging seamlessly and slowly pushing further and further away from the group, luring the dangerous assailant away. Any stray attack of Savannah could do some real damage. But his companions weren¡¯t cowed and as he sprinted back toward the battle, Ethan was shocked at how savagely they fought back for the cat.


    Liz and Amelie peppered her with spells and bolts, with Audrey standing grimly in front of them, but Savannah held shield high and managed to block most of them. Those that slipped through barely did any damage, bouncing off the green-veined skin. One or two had seemingly found their mark, but they barely broke skin, and that was enough to get on Savannah¡¯s nerves.


    As Ethan pumped his legs to get back to the fight, he knew he had to go all out. Savannah wasn¡¯t backing down in the slightest and the longer this fight lasted, the higher the odds someone was going to get hurt.


    And where¡¯s Gerald?


    Ethan¡¯s questioning was cut off as Savannah shot her remotely-controlled dagger at the cat and within the same movement, she swished with her wand. She missed Ember, but a white-crescent shot at a furious but relentless Amelie. The healer saw the spell coming at her but she refused to relent, either too mad to back down or she fully believed in her sister. Audrey jumped forward and put herself in front of the spell, and the pale crescent hit the shining metal like a gong. Audrey was violently hurled back, slammed into Liz and both hit the ground hard.


    Liz screamed as Ethan¡¯s legs ate through the distance separating him from the unhinged woman as fast as he could. An orange haze had started forming around him as he sprinted, but he couldn¡¯t run in a straight line so it kept guttering out. The terrain was uneven and just as he found the right angle, a water monitor lunged at him but he clipped it with a knee, without even realizing it had tried to stop him and kept going.


    Savannah whipped her wand once more, this time at Amelie. The girl was running toward her downed comrades to check on Liz while Audrey struggled to get off the ground, but she still continued to shout and curse the unhinged woman.


    The crescent flew at the three girls, and Ethan¡¯s heart dropped, only for Ember to jump in front of the attack and practically explode in blaze of fire. The wall of force hit the flames and was stopped, but it still sent Ember flying out like an uncoordinated smoking comet.


    Ethan grit his teeth. He was almost there. Only a couple more seconds but every one of them felt like minutes.


    The dagger flew after the cat, tracking her to hit her right as she hit the ground¡ªand Gerald stepped out of thin air, right behind Savannah, and thrust his sword through her guts.


    The dagger faltered mid-flight and fell to the ground, as the woman took a shuddering step. Then her features tightened before she whipped around and elbowed the man hard enough to send him rolling.


    Gerald tumbled a few times and when his momentum stopped, he didn¡¯t get up, but she couldn¡¯t finish him off.


    The sword had stabbed right through her stomach and even as the blade dissolved into motes, the site pulsed with green light, and the jewel in her chest dimmed even more, as if it was barely lit by an inner candle instead of the bright shine from before and aside from a grimace of pain and a subdued trail of blood that seeped into her grimy t-shirt, she looked fine.


    But she won¡¯t be in a second.


    Savannah turned to see Ethan take one final step and leap up at her, a corona of orange light surrounding his form. Ethan kicked the kite shield with both scaled feet and felt the metal deform under his feet. The shield¨Cand her elbow¨Cdug into her side. Something crunched and snapped as he body twisted around his legs and the next thing he knew, the thin woman hurtled away from him.


    Ethan fell on his back and instantly got up. With a hand, he tracked the rolling ball of metal and limbs, hesitated for a beat as he glanced around. He saw Liz still screaming and gritting her teeth. Her leg was bent the wrong way. Audrey was stumbling. Gerald was still passed out, and Ember¡¯s was picking herself off the ground.


    His eyes firmed, and looking back at Savannah, he saw her getting back up. So he let the fireball fly and turned to the healer.


    ¡°Amelie! If they¡¯re good go check on Gerald,¡± Ethan shouted as he ran at the explosion. He readied the flames around his arms as he approached the dissipating dust and smoke.


    Savannah stumbled out. Panting. Soil and soot stuck to the trail left by her tears, and blood seeped out of her mouth. Somehow, she looked paler than usual. Gaunter, as well.


    Ethan wasn¡¯t underestimating her, but he still gave her another chance though her once rage-filled eyes were telling him she wasn¡¯t looking for any.


    She looked tired. Done. With everything.


    ¡°Stop. Please.¡±


    She took a step toward him. Then another. Her clothes were smoking and smoldering, and, finally, the gem in her chest completely dimmed, and dissolved into motes.


    Ethan exhaled, and readied himself to dodge if one of those green crescents showed up again.


    Savannah¡¯s legs failed her.


    The woman¡¯s knees shook for a second and then she fell to the ground. Blood gushed out the stab wound, seeped through the burnt-holes of the polyester and cotton. Wordlessly, she tried to raise the shield stuck to her left hand, but it was too heavy, and only her shoulder moved. Her lids were growing heavy, and tears continued to stream down her face.


    She looked up to him, silent, then she looked back down and her bleeding stomach, as if it was someone else¡¯s body. Savannah sighed, and her shoulders relaxed.


    The shield disappeared, and as she closed her eyes, she reached to her side and sunk her hand into a small leather pouch attached to her frayed belt. A second later, a pink backpack appeared in her hands.


    Ethan didn¡¯t move, but he let the flames gutter out. It was over.


    Savannah hugged the bag to her chest with her unbroken arm. Her features relaxed, and she closed her eyes, then sighed.


    The calls and roars in the mushroom forest continued as always. They seemed a bit lesser, now that a good portion of the water monitor died in this improvised battlefield and only moments later, as the others approached the still standing Ethan and the kneeling woman, a message appeared in all their interfaces.


    You have defeated [Human (I) - Level 47]


    You have reached Level 46. 1 stat point awarded.


    Main Quest: Gain access to the second floor within 4 days, 15 hours, and 12 minutes.

 1.50: Grief

    Ethan stood quietly over the unmoving body of Savannah as the cut near her collarbone continued to pulse. A spellcore had already fallen out of it, and now, green filaments were floating out of the blue magic and to his untrained senses, they felt different. One was sickly and pale. While the second was deep and vibrant. Both twisted around themselves, growing smaller and focusing their energies until they coalesced into two small gems. A few moments later, the two primagems dropped to the ground, and Ethan picked both up, along with the spellcore.


    Assimilate [Primagem of Lifeforce (low-grade)]?


    Assimilate [Primagem of Sapping (low-grade)] ?


    Assimilate [Force Arc - (Tier-2)]?


    He looked at the three little gems in his palm, then back at the frozen smile of the woman.


    Ethan had never been a believer and honestly, he¡¯d never had cause to yearn for an afterlife where he¡¯d meet those that passed. On the contrary. But as he looked down at the woman, he sincerely wished it was real.


    That she could reunite with her daughter after this hell she¡¯d been through.


    Ethan glanced at Gerald and the others. Liz¡¯s leg was mostly healed, and Gerald was awake. He¡¯d been mostly concussed and bruised, but he was alright. Physically, at least.


    Ethan had checked the backpack and he saw what had been inside. All of them had, and as far as he was concerned, he might never be able to remove the image from his head.


    It was true that they were all getting used to the violence of this new world, but some things were still difficult to stomach. But they had to. The quest continued to tick forward and at this point, most of them were confident that they would be left to die in this place if they didn''t find the exit in time.


    Ethan glanced down at the little pool of still forming fragments. Turning to Ember, he asked. ¡°Do you know how we can share this?¡±


    The cat was busy licking her injured paw, and she answered without looking up. ¡°[I can control what I take in, but you¡¯ll need to practice. Otherwise an enchanted item would do.]¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem that affected by the death of the human. Or by being attacked. It was as if this was all a common occurrence to her.


    Ethan glanced back at the little treasure of fragments. He hadn¡¯t fought alone, so it didn¡¯t feel right to take all of Savannah¡¯s fragments. When he said as such, Gerald stared at him. The man seemed haunted, but then he shook his head, and Liz broke the silence first. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been around she might have killed us.¡±


    Gerald seemed the most distraught. Maybe it was the content of the bag, or maybe because he thought his attack had been fatal. That he was the one who killed the woman.


    Ethan doubted that. Savannah had clearly been burning the candle at both ends, only holding on and lasting thanks to the ability of the gem-like organ in her chest and once its content had been consumed, all the damage, fatigue, and grief hit her all at once.


    Ethan¡¯s explosions and Gerald¡¯s stab would not have been enough otherwise. They had tipped her over the edge for sure. They weren¡¯t innocent. But in a way, it felt like Savannah had been looking for a way out and clashing with them over Ember just happened to be it.


    She could have lived through this, if she¡¯d backed down. The stab wouldn¡¯t have been enough. Ethan had been severely knifed when he was barely level 30 and had been fine after a couple of hours. Even though he had a trait that accelerated healing, he couldn¡¯t see how a level 47 person would die of a stab wound that didn¡¯t target her heart or brain. He wasn¡¯t even sure if those were still as fatal as they¡¯d been before.


    Lots of ifs and maybes he might never get the answer to.


    Looking around, Ethan took in the state of his companions. Amelie¡¯s face was still tense. She forcefully wiped at her eyes, and she almost flinched at Liz¡¯s words, about how they¡¯d be dead if it wasn¡¯t for him. Her knuckles were white around her wand. This fight had lit something in her.


    For the others, Liz was sad, but she never stopped glancing around to make sure the scavenging monitors weren¡¯t coming toward them. As for Audrey, she stared gravely at the slumped woman and at the pink backpack in her arms, then she shook her head. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have attacked if it wasn¡¯t for Ember,¡± she said. The words dropped on all of them like a bucket of cold water, and Ethan gave her an even stare. Dropping her shield to the ground, Amber proceeded to sit down and wince. She looked down to Ember who¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°But Ember saved our lives more than once. Attacking her is the same as attacking us.¡±


    Ethan exhaled, while the others nodded. Audrey continued, nodding toward the fragments. ¡°I¡¯m good. I got enough from the monitors.¡±


    The others voiced the same opinion, then after a couple of quick words, they went back up to the tunnel. Liz wanted to bury the woman, but Ethan told her he would do it, and told all of them to get some rest and start on their path declaration. Ember stayed, so Ethan turned to her. ¡°You want to take half? She came after your life.¡±


    ¡°[I¡¯ll take some. But not half.]¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The cat got up, softly limped to the luminescent nimbus of fragments, then closed her eyes. As if she¡¯d been inhaling smoke, a tendril of fragments rushed toward her, sinking in her body for a few seconds before she cut it off and stepped away. She sat on her haunches and looked up to him. ¡°[If there are humans with tier-2 Prime wands, then you need all the help you can get. You should take this. But if we¡¯re sharing, I wouldn¡¯t say no to a primagem or spell if you have spares.]¡±


    Ethan glanced down at the woman, and at the absent gem that used to be in her chest.


    Tier-2, huh?


    Glancing back at Ember and considering her request, he thought it was fair. Ethan glanced down at the two green gems in his hand and when the cat growled in her throat. ¡°[I said spares. Those aren¡¯t spares. They¡¯re valuable, but right now you need them more than I do. And it¡¯s your dagger that made their harvest possible.]¡±


    Which reminded him. Ethan eyed the stretch of soil he¡¯d flown over. The dagger should be somewhere there, still. He looked down at the cat and nodded. ¡°Alright. In that case, I got a couple of extra scale spells. And a tier-2 breath-gland.¡±


    The cat¡¯s little features twisted in distaste. ¡°[Not scales, and I¡¯ve got a breath-gland already¡­ so next time.]¡±


    He sighed, shaking his head, and sat down. ¡°You¡¯re really choosy,¡± he said, glancing around the still smoking battlefield. ¡°Is the tier-2 Prime wand why she had that many forms out?¡±


    ¡°[Yes. The second tier allows for such. And more.]¡±


    Ethan looked down at the pool of fragments, then dismissed the horns and summoned his spellcaster form.


    A twelve-inch cylinder of red-engraved metal fell into his open palm. The wand had a thick pommel, much like every other spellcaster wand he¡¯d seen, and fit perfectly into his closed hand. Red glowing runes shone down its length, and it came to a thin point near the end. No crystal or gems adorned it, which Ethan liked.


    It reminded him a bit of his lance.


    Leaning over, he tried to do the same as Ember. Touching the nimbus of fragments, he tried to control the flow but unfortunately, it happened faster than he expected. The fragments rushed into the wand and by the time he managed to stop the flow, only scraps were left.


    ¡°[Good start. But you¡¯ll need to practice.]¡±


    Ethan could only agree, then he collected the remains with his regular wand.


    Prime Wand: 167 fragments collected.


    Wand of the lesser fire elemental: 16 fragments collected.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bury her. Do you mind checking up on the other? They¡¯ll probably start on their path stuff soon. I¡¯ll join you in a bit.¡±


    The cat nodded, then began making her way toward the tunnel and instead of climbing, she hopped on the air with the anklet of hers.


    Cool ability, he thought. Then he turned back to the dead woman, and got to work.


    By the time he finished up, more water monitors had crept out of the brush and while most were busy tearing into the dead lizardlings and drakes, a couple were making their way toward him. Ethan ignored them and instead, he found a nice stone with a flat surface and with one claw, he slowly carved out the words ¡°Savannah and Emily Miller¡±, only pausing to blow up the two water monitors before he put the headstone on top of the improvised grave.


    He didn¡¯t believe anyone would ever find it, but it felt right.


    Next, he picked up his stash of spellcores, tracked down the dagger he¡¯d dropped, and put everything in the little pouch he took from Savannah. He was pretty sure it was a dimensional pouch. One of the items he¡¯d been offered as a choice when he¡¯d hit the highest level in the group, which, as of right this second, he was once more.


    Though he didn¡¯t get a hidden quest for it.


    Just need a belt and some clothes, and I¡¯ll be set, he thought as he made his way back to the tunnel.


    Ethan came to a stop near the entrance, and glanced back at the improvised grave.


    Hope you find some rest. And I¡¯m sorry.


    Then he joined the others.


    ***


    ¡°Is it done?¡± Audrey asked as soon as he stepped in.


    The mood was grim as he walked into the tunnel. No one had felt that bad after Lance¡¯s death, but this was different. What happened to Savannah could have happened to any of them. It may have already happened. Their loved ones might have already fallen to a similarly gruesome death and worst of all, they had no way of knowing.


    Ethan took a seat near the entrance while Ember stationed herself near the back.


    Savannah had snapped. Understandably so. Ethan had told them how the lizardlings had been summoning the drakes and how Ember had come to be. But to have her daughter die in such a manner? Ethan couldn¡¯t tell which was more awful: losing her child and finding her dead, or being captured and having to watch as your child was used in a sacrifice by the creatures.


    Amelie opened her eyes, and there was none of the usual mirth he¡¯d learned to expect from her. Her gaze was smoldering, and her cheeks were flushed as she looked at the glowing mushrooms ahead of her. ¡°We got our asses handed to us.¡±


    No one answered, but there were a couple of nods. A couple of seconds later, Liz spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the system and its classifications, but honestly, lizardlings are a terminate-on-sight for me from now on. If we get back to earth and these things come with us¡­ we¡¯ll have to warn everyone. If the system doesn¡¯t do it for us.¡±


    Ethan was about to say something when there was a ripple in the air. Not visibly, but he felt it in his chest. He glanced to his right, and found Ember¡¯s ear twitching before her eyes slid to Gerald.


    It seemed the process had already started, but not all of them seemed ready to begin their own process. As for Ethan, he wanted to look through his earnings and plan for the next step: Finding the rift.


    It was time to get a move on and find the damn exit. But before that, he had to spend his ressources. He had to upgrade the Prime wand. He wanted to ask Ember about how spells were evolved, because so far, it was taking longer than he wanted. And most importantly, the fight had revealed a weakness he intended on addressing.


    Ethan had been sent flying way too many times. He had the resilience, but not the weight to tank the hits. He wasn¡¯t too concerned though. Only a few days ago, he had seen a solution to such problems. Something like [Minotaur¡¯s Frame]. And it so happens that he was sitting on a tier-3 spell token.


    He looked away from the interface for a moment. The others had their eyes closed. He stared out toward the exit for a couple of seconds, feeling the fatigue ever so slowly recede out of his sore joints, then got to work.

 1.51: Claws

    As his companions closed their eyes and tried to trigger their tiering-up process with varying success, Ethan turned to the cat. Not wanting to disturb the others, he focused on his connection to the cat elemental and tried to push his thoughts through the link they shared. Just like Ember herself did.


    The first couple of tries, nothing happened. But after the third, he felt something snap in place between him and the cat. Holding on to that link, he spoke in his own mind. ¡°[Hey. Ember.]¡±


    The cat flicked her ears and turned her head toward him. ¡°[Yes?]¡±


    ¡°[How do you upgrade a spell exactly? It happened once or twice with me, but it¡¯s been days and it hasn¡¯t happened since. What¡¯s the trick?]¡±


    Even though both of [Claws] and [Flaming Enhancement] had both triggered somewhat spontaneously, Ethan had assumed it¡¯d happen again as long as he kept using his spells and practicing, but it didn¡¯t. Which meant there might be a trick of some sorts he was unaware of, and Ember might know of it.


    After all, he had a small stockpile of primagems, and he wanted to start using them.


    The cat swished her tail for a couple of seconds while Ethan patiently waited. He was already considering potential bribes when she finally answered. ¡°[Try to recall. Have you been doing anything special when you¡¯ve gotten the spell evolution option? There is a trick to trigger the process, of course. But even the trick requires a minimum of familiarity with the spell.]¡±


    Ethan frowned and tried to remember the circumstances regarding the upgrades of his previous spells.


    For the tier-0 [Claws], it had been the ache he¡¯d felt that spurred the upgrade process. When Ethan had realized his heightened stats were overloading the weak spell. For [Flaming Enhancement], he didn¡¯t remember the exact moment or how it happened, but he remembered it had been when he¡¯d been assaulting the lizardling ritual site. Right before Ember was summoned, around the time he¡¯d melted a hole through the magically summoned wall that led into the ritual site.


    ¡°[When you push a spell too hard?]¡±


    Ember licked a paw then rubbed at her face. ¡°[Close. That¡¯s a part of it, but what I¡¯ve been taught is that spells need a mix of these three: understanding, familiarity, and a vision of what it might become. Only then a spell can be evolved. That¡¯s why battle is effective. You¡¯re using it and pushing its limits, and the more familiar with it you are, the more you want to push it toward what it can¡¯t do until something clicks and you unlock an evolution.]¡±


    Ethan looked down at his list of spells and frowned. Was that the trick? It did make sense.


    He eyed his list of primagems for a moment. ¡°[Is that how primagems work then? By coupling them with your vision of a spell might be?]¡±


    ¡°[Yes. A primagem can let an evolution reach further than it would have been by itself. Vision has limits, and those limits can be bent by primagems. In the example of [Claws], your vision still has to be within the concept of claws. Sharpness, elemental abilities, weight and durability. All of that is valid. But let¡¯s say you want your [Claws] to¡­ cut magic. It¡¯s possible, but that¡¯d be a high-tier spell. On the other hand, if you get your hand on a primagem of anti-magic or dispelling or anything of that nature, you could theoretically access such evolution of [Claws] much earlier than you would have without it.]¡±


    The more he heard of the process, the more it made sense to him.


    After thanking her, Ethan turned his attention back to interface. Specifically, his list of owned primagems and spells.


    Primagems: [Low-grade: 2x Water, 1x Fire, 1x Lifeforce, 1x Sapping]


    Available spells:


    General: [Detect Life (Tier-1), Gout of Flames (Tier-1), Whisper (Tier-1), Arc of Force (Tier-2), Small Fireball(Tier-2) ]


    Modifiers: [Extended Physicality(Tier-1), Scorching Enhancement (Tier-2)]


    Armament: None


    Enhancement: [Claws(Tier-1), Breath Gland (Tier-2), Mana Heart (Tier-2)(I), Reptilian Scales (Tier-2)(I)]


    Which ones am I most comfortable with? Which is closest to be upgraded?


    [Claws] had been on tier-1 for a while, and he¡¯d done a lot of work with it so he believed it was on the cusp of evolving. [Scorching Enhancement] should be close as well, but he didn¡¯t feel like he was really pushing the spell just yet. He¡¯d gotten it around the time he¡¯d started unlocking the prime forms, so those had taken some of his attention away, but who knows, maybe he¡¯d had enough practice with it to trigger its tier-3 upgrade?This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Ethan shrugged. He would start with [Claws] and deal with the rest after that though he¡¯d be surprised if he could upgrade both. Otherwise, [Small Fireball] was a strong contender for evolution as well but once again, it felt like he hadn¡¯t spent as much time on it. He¡¯d just been using the basic form and hadn¡¯t tried modifying the spell or boosting its flames just yet.


    Looking at the rest of the spells, he realized they were either too new, or he had barely used them.


    For now, Ethan summoned [Claws] and stared at the long, thick talons stretching out of his fingertips. At the tough, hide-like flesh surrounding his skin all the way up to his wrists. This spellform had torn through countless lizardlings and water monitors. It was familiar enough that Ethan hadn¡¯t felt right when he had been forced to use the scales and leave the claws on the sideline. He was familiar with the damage the sharp claws could cause and how much he could push them. If there was a spell that had earned an evolution, it was this one. But if he were to couple it with a primagem, which one would have the best effect?


    Water? How could that affect the claws?


    Ethan couldn¡¯t picture this one. Not really. Maybe an extended effect with water? Claws he could throw at his enemies?


    He shook his head. It didn¡¯t feel like a great fit.


    How about fire?


    That instantly reminded him of one of the evolutions of [Flaming Enhancement]. One of them had been to fuse the latter with [Claws], and he hadn¡¯t been too excited with the option. He liked the fire theme, but he didn¡¯t want it to be his only thing. He had to have something else for the inevitable fire-resistant opponent. Which made him reluctant to use the fire primagem on the evolution of [Claws].


    Then, how about the new ones?


    Ethan turned his attention to the two new additions and he hummed. Both could provide interesting evolutions. Could he use both at once? What if the injuries he inflicted with his [Claws] stole his opponents¡¯ strength and transferred it to him? Some sort of lifesteal?


    I feel like that might need a theft primagem. A theft and lifeforce combination.


    Ethan liked that idea better. As for the primagem of Sapping, it would fit much better on the scales. Being his main defense, if the scales started to weaken the spells that reached it, that would count as some sort of defense against magic.


    Ethan glanced down at his clawed hands, then closed his eyes. He didn''t have a primagem for this evolution. None that felt right.


    So. What did he need to think of? Last time, it had been realizing the spell was too weak for his stats. How about now? It was handling what his stats well, but he could use some more oomph. A higher cutting and piercing ability. A bit more flexibility and adaptability. Now that he had the lance, he didn¡¯t need the claws to just keep getting longer and larger. He was happy with them right now. Just more¡­ durability. More compact strength.


    One of the options offered to him in his tier-2 spell selections had been the clawed draconic arms that were supposed to be good with elements. He hadn¡¯t chosen them because he wanted the upgrade to [Claws] to be that, so could it? Those would be perfect.


    A tingle ran down his arm, and it was as if everything around him had gone still. There were no notifications, but it was as if something was waiting for him to justify his desire. To show what he envisioned. So Ethan did.


    He pictured these claws. The talons were shorter, and nastier. As if they were made of metal. They could amplify his fire or anything else he could push into them. They could glow like white-hot iron. They could crackle with lightning and tear through steel. His hands and arms would be greatly empowered, but would also be protected by thick scales that made [Reptilian Scales] look like fish scales.


    A set of clawed arms that he could punch and slash with. To cut through what was left of this tutorial and go find Luther. To give a hand to those who need help, so what Savannah had been forced through happened less.


    A second pulse itched through his hands, and as if the universe had agreed with his train of thought, a message popped in his vision.


    Congratulations. [Claws](Tier-1) can be upgraded. 100 fragments are required.


    Huh. That was¡­ easier than I expected.


    Ethan paid the fragments, and held his breath.


    Do you wish to alter the unlocked options with a primagem?


    Ethan refused that, and was then shown his available upgrade options.


    Select one of the following upgrades for [Claws]:


    Crystal Claws (Tier-2) - Summon dark crystalline claws that can break into explosive and extremely painful shards within your opponent¡¯s flesh.


    Draconic Claws (Tier-2) - Summon dense, indestructible claws capable of great elemental affinity.


    Bear Arms (Tier-2) - Summon powerful clawed arms to rip, tear, and crush your enemies.


    Ethan let out a sigh of relief and grinned. It wasn¡¯t the exact spell he¡¯d gotten before, and he was a bit confused on the difference, but he didn¡¯t mind this at all.


    Those Crystal Claws though¡­


    It was an interesting option. It didn¡¯t seem to extend to his arm, but in a way, it seemed more offensive than both other options. But as great as it was, it wasn¡¯t what he had asked for.


    Turning his attention to the option he wanted, he noted the differences between [Draconic Arms] and [Draconic Claws]. This option, just like [Crystal Claws] was focused on the claws themselves and not the arms. Ethan also didn¡¯t miss the ¡®indestructible and dense¡¯ keywords, which he was pretty sure hadn¡¯t been mentioned in the [Draconic Arms] spell.


    He felt good about this. It might mean he got the better, more specialized spell, which would allow for stronger evolutions in the future and finally, he was glad to see the trait he was most interested in. The elemental affinity.


    Would be interesting to see these dragons. Someday.


    For a moment, Ethan forgot about the tutorial and the suffering within it and thought of his future adventures. Of the crazy monsters and creatures he could find and fight.


    Ethan smiled. Soon, he thought to himself as he glanced around. Just gotta get through this tutorial business and make sure everyone¡¯s back home and safe.


    He turned his attention back to the list of choices. Even though he thought all of these options were great, he knew what he wanted. He wanted the magic, and even if the other two might be more powerful in the strength department, he wanted the elemental affinity. He wanted his fire to always be empowered.


    Just need to find the next element. Lightning sounds fun.


    Ethan hummed as he selected his new upgrade. He liked the idea of fire and electricity, though at this point, anything would be acceptable as long as it gave him variety.

 1.52: Lots of work

    While his hands rippled and tingled as the [Claws] spell changed, Ethan stole a quick look at his current side-quest. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to check it in detail as he¡¯d gotten it when they¡¯d been in the middle of the swarm, but now that he was waiting and resting, he could finally take a good look at it.


    Side quest:


    Reach level 50


    Reward:


    15 stat points


    1 magic item token


    1 custom trait.


    Already half-way there, he thought excitedly, and by the time he finished going over his promised rewards, the transformation of his claws stopped.


    The talons, still black, were now shorter. Around six inches each, they had a thicker base and a narrow, straight and sharp edge. The hands themselves were thicker, and as he opened and closed the scaled palms, Ethan felt like he could reduce a rock to dust with his grip force alone. And that wasn¡¯t the only change, either.


    The scales covering his hands were graphite-black. Their shape was more triangular, compared to the circular scales covering the rest of his body, and they looked dense and tough enough Ethan believed he could catch a sword or a dagger with his open palm without the blade being able to cut through them.


    Worth it. So much worth it.


    Ethan grinned. He looked forward to going back out and testing these new bad boys. But before that, he had more work to do.


    Next, Ethan turned his attention to [Reptilian Scales]. He didn¡¯t have high hopes, but he really wanted to fuse the Sapping primagem to them. It would also be nice if he could get rid of the inert attribute.


    He paused. Technically, the sapping effect could work just as well with the [Scorching Enhancement]. Something like [Sapping Scorching Enhancement], maybe?


    Or maybe not¡­ a sapping effect directly on the scales would mean I don¡¯t need a second spell to apply it.


    Ethan closed his eyes once more and focused on the scales. Hopefully he¡¯d be able to score a couple of more upgrades before he uncorked the tier-3 spell. For that one, he wanted something that¡¯d help with the weight issue.


    He had a good feeling about all of these little upgrades and whether he might get them or not. So far, the system¡¯s rewards and selections hadn¡¯t been random, aside from the very first spell selection, maybe. Everything else seemed to have been affected by his fighting style or by his affinities and so he hoped something was listening to his desires, somewhere.


    Alright. Focus up.


    Ethan considered the [Reptilian Scales] covering his body. He pictured the rounded and dovetailed rust-red scales. He¡¯d had them for close to a day or so, which to be fair wasn¡¯t that long, but he felt he¡¯d gotten a lot of use out of them and they¡¯d proven themselves invaluable already.


    Aside from covering him up, they allowed him to tank hits powerful enough to send him flying. If it hadn¡¯t been for the scales, Ethan was confident that Savannah¡¯s spells would have broken bones at the very least and that had been only within the last couple of hours.


    Ethan recalled more of the attacks the scales had dealt with. Diego¡¯s kicks and punches. The water monitor¡¯s jets of pressurized water and bites. The drakes and their claws.


    Now, he pictured all of those spells reaching his scales, and hitting a pale, green light that sapped them out of their force. Weakening them before they even reached the scales, upon which they¡¯d break like waves on rocks.


    A trill spread out of his chest and down his limbs, and Ethan opened his eyes to find a notification waiting for him.


    Congratulations. A lateral evolution to [Reptilian Scales](Tier-2) had been unlocked.


    Reptilian Scales (Tier-2) -> Sapping Scales (Tier-2)


    100 fragments and 1x primagem of Sapping required.


    Ethan raised a brow at that. A lateral evolution? Not an upgrade?


    Hovering over the new spell, a short description popped up.


    Sapping Scales: Summon resilient scales to shield you from physical and magical attacks (Inert).


    Ethan was about to confirm when he paused and eyed his companions, and when he was sure they were too deep into their own advancement process, he triggered the change.


    This one might end up with him being naked for a minute or two. Better be safe.


    A surge of electrifying energy coursed out of his chest and into his skin. The scales rippled and gained an unearthly green shine for a few seconds, and slowly, the color of the light changed from a pale green to a muted red, then it faded away.


    Looking down at his scales, he found they were mostly the same, but rust-red had turned into a brighter red that seemed to have its own shine. The scales themselves didn¡¯t change in size or shape.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    All in all, Ethan was happy. He was glad they hadn¡¯t become green, somehow. That¡¯d really make him look like a lizard. Or a snake.


    Over the next few minutes, Ethan tried to upgrade his other spells, but it seemed like none was ready to step into tier-3 just yet. Not [Small Fireball], and not [Scorching Enhancement], even when he tried combining them with the priamgem of fire.


    I haven¡¯t spent that much time using them¡­ and I feel like that criteria in particular would only get more important as tiers go up.


    Tier-0 and tier-1 spells had been easy to upgrade, but it seemed that tier-2 required a bit more work before they were ready to be evolved to the next rank. So, for now, Ethan decided he¡¯d try thinking of his spells a bit more in the midst of battle. To push them further, to try and alter them, and to explore their capabilities.


    He felt like that could help.


    Next, Ethan turned his attention to his wands and to the tier-3 spell selection.


    Now¡­ If I do get something for weight, would I be able to use the form?


    Ethan hummed. Even though the non-Prime wand now allowed him two forms, he didn¡¯t think it could do three. On a future upgrade, sure. But right now?


    Well I could test that, actually.


    After another check to make sure he wasn¡¯t being watched, Ethan removed [Scorching Enhancement] and tried to slot [Breath Gland] as a third spellform into the elemental wand.


    It didn¡¯t work.


    Putting everything back in place, he summoned his scales once more and drew his lips into a line.


    A tier-3 regular wand is limited to two forms, I guess. Would it get a third when I upgrade to tier-4?


    Ethan glanced at the tier-4 upgrade and grimaced. It¡¯d cost 1500 fragments for that upgrade, and that¡¯d take a minute to collect. Thankfully, the Prime wand was about to get an upgrade so he might be able to slot any new form he¡¯d get in there.


    With a deep breath, he eyed the tier-3 token, then paused before pulling the trigger.


    A tier-3 general spell or modifier could be amazing as well¡­


    Did he want to commit to a form here just yet?


    Ethan eyed his two wand menus and the amount of fragments waiting for his attention, then back to the tier-3 token.


    Actually¡­ I¡¯m better off waiting a bit. Maybe look into the wands and their upgrades first.


    There was no need to rush the tier-3 spell selection. Not when he might not even be able to slot the new form just yet. This was his one and only tier-3 spell token at this moment. He didn¡¯t want to waste it, so he¡¯d rather leave it for last.


    With that, Ethan pulled up the menu of his Prime wand.


    Prime Wand of the Juggernaut:


    Spell Forms: [Mana Heart]


    Prime Forms: [ Lance of the Juggernaut, Horns of the Juggernaut, Wand of the Juggernaut]


    Traits: [Universal Tongue, Enduring Brawler, Child of Flames, Vanguard]


    Tier: 1


    Essence: 27


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 1


    Cast refresh: 5s


    Mana regeneration: 1 (6%)


    Prime Bonus: +5,


    Form Bonus (10): +10 Mana


    Fragments: 641


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Tier: 1 to 2 - 500 fragments, 100 Essence]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments, 10 Essence]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25s - 50 fragments, 5 Essence]


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments, 10 Essence]


    Ethan cursed.


    I forgot how expensive the tier-2 upgrade was. Shit.


    He had the fragments, but even though he accumulated a good chunk of Essence from diving head-first into the swarm and rushing headlong into battle, it hadn¡¯t been enough to meet the cost of the upgrade.


    Damn. I guess that¡¯ll have to wait. How about the other wand?


    Wand of the Lesser Fire Elemental:


    Spell Forms: [[Scorching][Sapping Scales]], [Dragonic Claws]]


    [Sequential:[Small Fireball]]


    Class: Enhancer


    Tier: 3


    Unique Traits: [Lesser Wand of the Fire Elemental - In use]


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 4/4


    Cast refresh: 4.5s


    Mana regeneration: 2 (%)


    Form Bonus (88): 44 Spirit, 22 Toughness, 22 Might


    Fragments: 803


    Available wand upgrades:


    [Tier: 3 to 4 - 1500 fragments]


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 80 fragments]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 1 - 120 fragments]


    [Form Bonus: Increase by 6 - 120 fragments]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25 seconds - 50 fragments]


    [Unique Trait: 200 fragments]


    [Upgrade Trait: Wand of the Lesser Fire Elemental - 300 fragments]


    Ethan¡¯s eyes were first drawn to the tier-4 upgrade, but he was pretty far from that one still. He¡¯d need a couple of swarms at least. On the other hand, there was a lot he could start investing in. He could get a new wand trait¡ªwhich he wasn¡¯t that tempted by but he realized it might be a game changer, so he had to consider it seriously¡ªor he could upgrade his current trait, which was much more interesting.


    He could also increase the bonus stat points, increase the capacity, get more mana, and a lot more. He just had to be willing to spend it.


    Ethan cracked his knuckles. He had a lot of work ahead of him.

 1.53: Tempting choices

    Ethan eyed the two options at the bottom of the list and hummed.


    He was very much interested in both. Considering regular wands¡¯ traits were called unique, he assumed he could only have one active at a time so even though he was very happy with [Wand of the Lesser Fire Elemental], he wanted to see what else he could get. Then he could upgrade his current unique trait.


    Though once I get the new unique trait, would I be able to immediately upgrade it? Or is it going to be the same thing as spells and I¡¯d need time and experience before it¡¯s ready to be evolved?


    Ethan hummed. Well, he was about to find out soon enough and with that, he purchased the new unique trait and rubbed his hand as the interface loaded up the wand traits available to him.


    After taking account of your performance, three options have been unlocked.


    Select a unique trait from the list below.


    Wand of Claws: Only the spell Claws and its upgrades as well as compatible modifiers can be used on this wand. In return, the Claws spell is empowered.


    Wand of Forms: The wand supports one additional form over the limit. In exchange, no general-spells can be cast or slotted into the wand.


    Lesser Prime Auxiliary: The wand attaches itself to the Prime wand, boosting all of the latter¡¯s capabilities, capacity, forms, mana regeneration, and stats, but rendering this wand inert. Rate of transfer 50%.


    Ethan eyed the three unique traits and whistled.


    These are powerful¡­


    He recalled the [Wand of Claws] trait, and he wasn¡¯t too interested in it right now. But the other two were pretty great, though each had their downside.


    The Wand of Forms would allow him one more form, which was amazing. But he wouldn¡¯t be able to cast general spells. So no [Small Fireball], no [Detect Life], and no [Whisper.]


    Ethan grimaced. Every time he remembered that last spell, it hurt a little. He was sure he¡¯d get some good use of it eventually, but that had happened just yet.


    He shook his head and eyed the description of [Wand of Forms] once more. He might be able to work something out around the restriction, he believed. He could focus on boosting the Prime wand¡¯s capacity and cast his general spells from there. Only problem was, that would delay the tier-2 upgrade a bit more as all Prime wand upgrades cost Essence.


    Hmm¡­ I guess I¡¯ll mull it over, he told himself before he turned his attention to the third proposed trait.


    It was possibly one of the best traits he was being offered, but not as it was right this moment. Ethan was more interested in its future potential. It was not giving him any bonus as far as he could see, but it would take away the headache of managing multiple wands. It wasn¡¯t bad now, but what would happen when he had two regular wands on top of the Prime one? What about three or four? What was the limit?


    His gut told him an overpowered Prime wand was much better than 3 separate, regular wands, but only time would tell. Plus, the fact that only half of the wand¡¯s potential would transfer was too big of a downside at this junction, but if this trait could get better in the future, if it could be improved until somehow all 100% capabilities of a wand could be merged into the Prime wand? That¡¯d be amazing. He wouldn¡¯t have to juggle multiple wands and he could just focus on just one.


    And who knew, maybe there was a way to push it above the 100% mark.


    Ethan eyed the three options one more time, then selected the Wand of Forms and waited for the process to finish up. It was just the best option at the moment, and even though it might cut into his spells, it would allow him an extra slot for the next spellform a lot faster than waiting for a tier upgrade in either wands.


    Once the process was finished, Ethan checked the available wand upgrades and grimaced. For two reasons.


    The first was that there was no option to acquire a new trait. Which meant he¡¯d have to wait to the next tier, at the very least. It wasn¡¯t the end of the world, as he wasn¡¯t in a rush to get the auxiliary trait, but the second detail told him he had to get [Lesser Prime Auxiliary] and start getting familiar with it.


    Because the fact that there was no trait upgrade available for [Wand of Forms] made it clear that a unique trait could not be upgraded as soon as it was purchased.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Alright. No need to dwell on this for long. Let¡¯s move on.


    Next, he triggered the upgrade option.


    Wand of the Lesser Fire Elemental -> Wand of the Fire Elemental:


    Allows the user stronger control over fire and provides a greater fire resistance.


    Ethan read the description with a raised brow. It seemed like the restriction limiting his control to spell-generated fire had been lifted, and that he might have some measure of control over all fires? The resistance was heightened as well.


    Not bad, all in all. He would still need to do a couple of tests, but it seemed like a solid upgrade.


    I¡¯ll just need to be smart about switching the wand traits around. For now, there¡¯s no rush. I still need my control over fire more than I need an extra form on the regular wand. So let¡¯s look into some general upgrades here before I move to the Prime wand.


    After those two purchases, Ethan still had 303 fragments in the regular wand, which would be enough for a mana regeneration upgrade and a stat upgrade for a combined 240 fragments. There would be some left-over fragments, but he wasn¡¯t in a rush to spend those.


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 1 - 120 fragments]


    [Form Bonus: Increase by 6 - 120 fragments]


    Ethan closed his eyes as the modification took place as the newly gained stat points were divided between his Toughness, Might, and Spirit through the wand¡¯s current forms. One might think the handful of points wouldn¡¯t make a difference, but he felt them, and it only stoked his desire to get back out there.


    Almost done. Now, the Prime wand. Do I get the capacity right now or wait until I unlock tier-2?


    The capacity would allow him to use the Wand of Forms trait on his other wand, as he¡¯d be able to slot [Small Fireball] in the Prime wand. On the other hand, waiting until he unlocked tier-2 would mean he¡¯d have access to all of his Prime forms at the same time, and maybe more.


    Mana Heart would stop being such a pain, too.


    With reticence, Ethan decided to wait. He really wanted to upgrade the Prime wand first and in any case, he had to test and use the freshly upgraded elemental trait first. As for all of the fragments in the Prime wand, they would be eventually useful. He wouldn¡¯t mind spending them right now but unfortunately, all of the Prime wand upgrade cost Essence as well as fragments, and he had to hoard the former until he could upgrade to tier-2.


    This only leaves the tier-3 spell token. Everything else either is done or needs waiting.


    Ethan eyed the token, and revisited his earlier question. Was an enhancement-spell the best option here?


    He leaned against the stone wall, and felt a luminescent mushroom squish against his back.


    A tier-3 modifier or spell could be pretty amazing. The problem was, he didn¡¯t really know the pool of options and possibilities.


    But neither would fix the weight issue. I need to get heavier. And I¡¯ve seen something like that in the enhancement spells.


    Ethan sighed, then activated the token. Once this was over, he resolved to do everything he could to try and find a list of spells somewhere. He hoped he wasn¡¯t missing out on some amazing spells in the other categories but maybe once he fixed the weight issue¡ªand maybe also wings¡ªhe would seriously branch into other types of spells.


    Select a enhancement-class tier-3 spell from the list below:


    Ripper¡¯s Tail: Summon a tail lined with flesh-ripping spines.


    Draconic Wings: Summon powerful scaled wings to fly and shield yourself from spells.


    Banshee¡¯s Eyes: Alter your eyes to perceive your opponents¡¯ fears and weaknesses.


    Giant¡¯s Hide: Summon a thick and resilient hide to defend against physical and magical attacks. (Inert)


    Rock Rhino¡¯s Skeleton: Empower your bone structure to greatly increase its weight and resilience (Inert).


    Ethan inhaled, held his breath in his chest, then slowly exhaled and looked up. I hate you so much, he thought at whatever created the list of options.


    Not everything was that amazing, thankfully. But two options called to him and even though he was very much aware he needed to increase his weight, it felt awful knowing he might be walking away from the wings.


    They were defensive. They¡¯d allow flight. And they were ¡®draconic¡¯ as well. Was there a bonus of some sorts if he had two enhancement-spells from the same family? Was he missing out on something?


    I¡¯d sort of have the momentum to use the lance from high above. I could carpet bomb the water monitors. I could go check the rift without getting bogged down with monsters.


    Ethan bit his lip. He still needed the weight and the system had come through for that part, but it also had to dangle another spell he really wanted.


    He looked from one spell to the next for a few moments, hesitating.


    ¡°This sucks,¡± he grumbled. Behind him, three of his companions were on their backs, going through the body upgrading process. Liz was the latest, but considering the rippling air around her, she¡¯d join them soon.


    Ethan turned his attention back to his impossible choice and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and smile.


    Wings or Skeleton?


    Whatever he picked, he would still be leaving something amazing on the table. He just had to live with the fact that it might be a while until he got what he needed once more. Because, after all, he was not guaranteed to see the same options ever again.

 1.54: Gamble

    Ethan paced while the tier-3 list of spells floated in front of him.


    Wings, or weight?


    On one hand, he had just been thinking and hoping for a spell to fix the weight issue so he wouldn¡¯t get tossed around by monsters or powerful spells just like Savannah had done. It would allow him to ram through swarms and anything else that stood in his way, especially when combined with Horns of the Juggernaut. It fit his fighting style well, and it would synergize with his Path of breaking through anything that tried to stop him.


    It was an amazing fit. But it didn¡¯t feel as exciting as the wings. Even though the latter didn¡¯t have the oomph of brute-forcing obstacles, and even though it was less offensive in nature, they were still wings. It was flight. If his Path was about breaking through obstacles toward what he desired, the wings could provide the speed to do so.


    Ethan pictured cities and hills stretch below him as he beat his giant scaled wings, right before he dove down with terrifying speed with the lance.


    Nothing would resist such impacts. Not even himself, probably. Not yet.


    Ethan opened and closed his new claws. Just the idea of soaring into the air made his heart flutter.


    The wings would allow him to fly over great distances and even though they weren¡¯t as offence-focused as the rock rhino¡¯s form, he could still use that speed and momentum to ram through his targets. He could drop on his opponent with crushing force. It would allow him to not get bogged down by lines of monsters or people and to rush straight into the heart of enemy territories. They could be used as shields against spells as well.


    And there¡¯s also the ¡®draconic¡¯  part.


    Ethan wasn¡¯t sure of that part, but what if there was some sort of hidden mechanic involving forms of the same nature? You¡¯d think there¡¯d be a connection between [Draconic Claws] and [Draconic Wings]. It would be a small gamble, as he was not guaranteed such a thing, but if there was such a mechanic, then that¡¯d make the wing¡¯s choice even more attractive.


    Deep down, Ethan felt like there was something there. It couldn¡¯t just be a coincidence.


    He paced, humming. Even if there was no such mechanic, having two spellforms with the same theme might unlock a special trait. Unique or personal.


    He looked back at [Rock Rhino¡¯s Skeleton] and bit his lips. It was the safe choice. He needed something for the weight, sooner or later. But the wings¡ªaside from gambling on a synergistic mechanic¡ªwould also patch up some important weaknesses. What if there were flying monsters? What if he needed to get somewhere really fast? The weight won¡¯t do much there.


    And even if I get knocked around some more, I¡¯m not really getting hurt. It¡¯s just a pain in the ass.


    Ethan vigorously rubbed the back of his head. He was going to regret whatever he didn¡¯t pick, but he¡¯d regret it more if he passed on the wings. It was flight. It was the most superpower-like ability he¡¯d seen so far, and considering he¡¯d been offered [Minotaur¡¯s Frame] and now [Rock Rhino¡¯s Skeleton], he was sure he¡¯d get something to fix the weight issue soon.


    If I¡¯m lucky, it might end up being something draconic as well. And if there¡¯s synergistic combinations between spells, then that¡¯d be even better.


    Ethan closed his clawed hand, exhaled, then made his choice. He had to have wings. He had to feel what that was like. Soaring through the air. Unfettered and unchained from gravity.


    He stopped pacing, heart hammering in his chest. Then he made the call.


    As the spell sunk into his chest and as the notification came through, Ethan turned left toward the tunnel¡¯s exit and up at the cave¡¯s ceiling, then back at the maxed slots and his wand and the unique trait that¡¯d allow a third form.


    He glanced around, then back at the wand.


    Just so I can test if something happens with both forms. And maybe a quick flight test.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ethan removed the fireball from the wand and switched out the unique trait to the new one he¡¯d gotten.


    Alright. Moment of truth, he thought as he dragged the [Draconic Wings] spell into the wand. The spell clicked in place, and something echoed the click in his chest.


    Ethan tensed. It was as if two miniature heartbeats were trying to get in sync. They pulsed. At different frequencies at first, but as the seconds went by, the energetic pulses he could feel in his soul were slowly merging, until finally, they pulsed one last time, in unison, and a message came through, appearing over his interface.


    Draconic set activated


    Set bonus (2 forms): +5 Toughness and +5 Spirit  per form.


    Ethan laughed and pumped his fist up. ¡°Yes!¡±


    He had been right. There was a bonus to spellforms of the same family. Now he just needed the next spellform to be a draconic weight upgrade. Something like an [Draconic Skeleton] or [Earth Dragon¡¯s Frame]


    ¡°[What is it?]¡±


    Ethan turned back and saw the cat sitting on her haunches, staring at him.


    In answer, Ethan summoned the wings. A prodigious amount of mana instantly rushed out of his chest and to his back, and a small weight dropped on his shoulders. A moment later, he felt them. Like extensions of his own limbs.


    Ethan grinned at the dark gray wings, and as he unfurled them, he raised a clawed and scaled hand. ¡°I just found out about sets and their bonuses.¡±


    Ember stilled, and her eyes narrowed. She got up, stepped closer, then tilted her head. ¡°[Congratulations. What set is that? It looks¡­very lizard-y.]¡±


    ¡°Draconic,¡± Ethan said, wincing as he tried to stretch the wings out. He couldn¡¯t sync their movement just right, and they were scraping against the wall. He had to go outside to really get a feel for them. But as he considered heading out and trying them out, he paused.


    He expected Ember to say something about the set or react. But she¡¯d gone quiet and through his link to her, he felt such a profound sense of stupefaction that his heart rate picked up. He looked at her, and his eyes widened in alarm when he saw her.


    The cat was standing, back blazing with excited flames. Her ears were standing straight, and her tail was swishing around with gusto, and as he watched her, the stupefaction turned to a mix of malice and amusement.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ember¡¯s flames softened, and her shoulders began to shake. Ethan thought she was having a seizure for a moment, until he realized she was laughing.


    It was a disturbing sight. He¡¯d never seen a cat laugh before and he was pretty sure they weren¡¯t supposed to.


    The cat approached him, eyes bright. She hopped over their companions and began circling him as she examined the forms. ¡°[That is perfect. What do you know of that word?]¡±


    ¡°[Which word?]¡±


    Ember paused and blinked at him, and her ears flicked back in annoyance. ¡°[Draconic. Do you know what it means?]¡±


    ¡°[It¡¯s related to dragons?]¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t know where she was going with her line of questioning, and he didn¡¯t mind giving her the answer, but the cat was so easy to provoke that he couldn¡¯t resist. She swatted at his foot.¡°[Obviously. Do you know what they are?]¡±


    Ethan laughed. ¡°[Yes. Fantastical creatures. Scales. Breathes fires. Hard to kill? Why are you asking? Are they real?]¡±


    The cat sat back down on her haunches, flames still merrily dancing on her back. ¡°[I thought you didn¡¯t have magic in your world. It¡¯s curious how you know so much of them without having had to suffer their existence. Yes. They exist. They¡¯re tyrants. Monsters. Some even see them as gods. At least, the most powerful of their kinds are. So the fact that you, as a tier-1 human, is using their forms is utterly hilarious.]¡±


    Ethan paused at that, but as he considered giant lizards getting mad at him for using their abilities, he couldn¡¯t help the smile that stretched across his lips. He glanced at the sharp black talons, and wondered if they could cut through a real dragon¡¯s scales. ¡°[You think they¡¯d find it offensive?]¡±


    Ember swished her tail back and forth, and her pupils narrowed into a slit.¡°[I heard a kingdom was razed to the ground because of a painting. They keep to themselves, off in their own dungeons and towers, but when they come out of hiding, it''s to enslave, burn, and take whatever it is they want. So yes. I think they might take offense to someone using their form. Or maybe they¡¯d see it as a tribute of sorts. Who knows. I know they¡¯re supposed to be temperamental and proud, and if you know one¡¯s around, you should be on the other side of the world but at the end of the day, they¡¯d have to notice you exist for them to get mad. But long story short, yes. They¡¯ll probably find your appearance offensive.]¡±


    The two shared a look. He sensed a morbid sense of excitement from the cat but while he understood such prospects should at least worry him a bit, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but think of old medieval illustrations. Specifically those portraying dragons and knights armed with lances.


    Ethan was no knight and he didn¡¯t intend on being one. But he did have a lance.

 1.55: Visions

    A/N: One of the dev edits on the todo list is to have a vision for the prime wand activation! I have to go back and add Ethan¡¯s, but here it is for now. This would happen as the ¡°body upgrade¡± is ongoing.


    ¡ª Ethan¡¯s POV ¡ª


    As the magic poured into his body, burning, crushing and tempering him, Ethan¡¯s mind was whisked away. The pain faded into the background and for a moment, there was nothing. Then Ethan opened his eyes, and he was someone else. Or at least, it felt like it.


    He was watching over the shoulder of a stout, dark skinned man. Korin. Ethan didn¡¯t know how he knew the man¡¯s name. Somehow, information had made its way into his consciousness without him realizing.


    For example, he knew that Korin was right now in a challenge dungeon. A separate, small dimension where one could test their mettle against whatever the dungeon masters had created, and the challenge, in this scenario, was to carry a bowling-ball-sized enchanted gem to a remote temple, through a path that cut through the wilderness. On this path, there would be monsters, which was a classic, and there would also be some crafty bandits who wanted to claim the temple¡¯s bounty for themselves.


    The journey was supposed to be done slowly and methodically. The challengers were to take on the threats one by one, recovering whenever they could, and then keep going. It would take nearly three days to whittle the distance down, and he was supposed to save his strength for the last push through the temple guardians.


    But Korin had other plans, and to be honest, he had never been a patient man. He liked to keep things simple and for this dungeon, his plan was easy: he was going to run.


    A set of curved horns appeared atop of his shaved head as he stretched his legs. He went through a couple more exercises to lubricate his knees, hips, and shoulders over a handful more minutes and then, Korin picked up the large gem, tucked it under an arm, and started running.


    Ethan watched as a deep golden glow began forming around the man as his leather boots sent the soil flying behind him. The corona of light was hazy, trailing softly behind him, and for a few minutes, Korin ran unbothered. But it didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive at the site of the first encounter, and as he stepped under the dark forest¡¯s canopy, three direwolves crept from behind their trees and onto his path.


    Korin¡¯s cloak of golden light flared, suddenly gaining in density, and the man blurred forward. The wolves growled, took a step and leapt, teeth and claws bared.


    Korin barrelled through them like an uncaring foot through a child¡¯s sandcastle.


    Ethan laughed, and he didn¡¯t even know if it was his own laugh or Korin¡¯s that he was hearing. Over the next few hours, the man charged through obstacle after obstacle, tearing through haphazard barricades, monsters, walls of summoned bramble, and anything else that tried to slow him down. Ethan found himself looking forward to more obstacles to blow through, until finally, the man arrived at the temple, panting, just as the sun began to set over the horizon. The destination was set right into a mountain¡¯s face, barely an hour out of the dark forest, and just as Korin began to slow, the last barrier appeared, rows and rows of monks in red robes, with weapons of all sorts in hand; the temple guardians.


    Unfortunately, the vision had decided Ethan had seen enough, and as much as he wanted to see the next part, the orange glow of the cave came back into his vision, and he woke up.


    ¡ªEnd of Ethan¡¯s POV¡ª


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    It was amazing how fast one¡¯s perspective could change.


    As Amelie sat with her back against the wall, ignoring the sore pain pulsing in her back and up the arm that had caught her fall, the last few months flashed into her mind.


    Barely a couple of years ago, Amelie had been the pride of her overachieving parents. They had her schedule filled with manicured activities, from music practice to swimming lessons to socializing events and best of all, Amelie had just gotten into med school and was on track to ace her first year.


    She was a model daughter. Overachieving, just as they claimed they were. They said she was smart. Popular. Athletic. Pretty. She never back-talked or said anything out of line, unlike Audrey who¡¯s name was barely ever mentioned in family dinners or around guests.


    A perfect daughter, that¡¯s what they¡¯d called her. She¡¯d smile and bask in their approval, and deep down, the weight of their expectations would gain an extra couple of pounds, while the fear of disappointing them would claw at her throat and chest every night, filling her ever-worsening slumber with nightmares and anxieties.


    Today, Amelie couldn¡¯t even recognize who she had been. Had they been medicating her without her noticing? Had it been the constant barrage of stress and activities that never allowed her a second to step back and realize the tailor-made mold she¡¯d encased in?


    Whatever it was, one day something gave. Maybe they missed a dose, or maybe Amelie had just snapped out of it. That day, as she sat sobbing, clawing at her throat for breath in the swimming pool¡¯s hallways, she finally understood why Audrey had left the family home at eighteen. The countless fights, the praise Amelie would get while Audrey would be ignored or berated. It all clicked.


    Hours later, after she¡¯d managed to collect herself and calm down, Amelie had spent the night staring at the ceiling of her room. She¡¯d keep the facade for a bit. But as she tried to untangle the mess in her own mind, she realized she had no idea of who she was or who she wanted to be. But she very much knew what she didn¡¯t want and over the next few days, she reconnected with her sister. They talked. More than they ever had through the occasional texts and checkups. They really talked. About their parents, about why Audrey had left, and about what Amelie could do. Because she wanted to get away. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    She worried she¡¯d somehow get shoved back into the mold and back then, she didn¡¯t know if she could fight back as well as she would today. After all, who she was now was the product of a lot of therapy, games, and a drive to enjoy life as it came.


    A few weeks after her breakdown, Amelie pulled the trigger and hopped on a plane, went to see her sister, and has not gone back to the east coast since.


    Of course, her parents had flipped out. At first, they were shocked, but that quickly turned to concern, then anger and resentment, followed by threats, but at that point Amelie wanted her independence and in any case, she was an adult. There was nothing for them to do. And apparently, Audrey had dealt with the same crap from them, so her sister¡¯s support had helped her weather the storm.


    If an inheritance was the cost of her being a puppet for her parents, then she would pass. She had been incredibly lucky to be born in an affluent family, of course, and she was grateful. But she had to step away.


    Thankfully, with her high grades, Amelie had been able to transfer to another med program. She still liked medecine. She still wanted to help and heal people. But even though she still liked school, she couldn¡¯t get herself to fully immerse into it once again. As much as she enjoyed learning and challenging herself, something had changed, and before she could come to a decision, whether to step away from it as well and figure out what she wanted to do, the system messages had begun, and the world had been irrevocably changed.


    On that fateful Thursday evening, Amelie had been in the gym with Audrey. Both of them had quickly gotten into the portal and secured themselves the early bird bonus and shortly after, Amelie had been offered a healing spell, which she had been happy to take.


    It had been perfect. She might not become a doctor, but she could be a healer. And unlike the videogames she¡¯d been enjoying over the last few months, she didn¡¯t want to be damsel or just a support. This time, she knew what she wanted to do.


    Amelie wanted to fight her own battles. She wanted to carry her own weight in this dangerous new world, filled with monsters and monstrous humans alike, and with her newly acquired healing spell, she wanted to become some sort of fighting healer, someone that, if you¡¯d cut off their arm, they¡¯d grow another and smack you with their severed limb.


    That realization had made the air shudder around her. At first, she thought she¡¯d been imagining it but after meeting Ethan and hearing about Prime wands and that whole process, she knew she¡¯d been on to something. Which was why the process had been so easy to trigger for her.


    As the expected vision began, Amelie opened her eyes above some rolling hills, and in the distance, she saw walls. Towers.


    A city of brick-red stone with white and black spires.


    Below her, a woman was tying up her hair. She wasn¡¯t tall. She might even be around Amelie''s size¡ªwhich was to say, a bit short¡ªand she wore a blue, glowing suit of armour that seemed to be literally made out of flowing water. Along with the rippling magic, blood was being flung aside, sliding up from the chest piece and out of the flaring shoulder-guards.


    Amelie couldn¡¯t see the source, but she found that she could move in this odd vision, so she floated in front of the sapphire blue-eyed woman and recoiled.


    The armored woman¡¯s left eye was missing, as well as a good chunk of her socket and cheek. But seeing her demeanour, it was as if she''d been barely scratched and as Amelie watched, the remaining eye flashed with a soothing blue glow, and the wound began closing up. The flesh reknit. The bone mended and not even five seconds later, the terrifying wound was completely and fully healed.


    The stranger cracked her neck and grinned. ¡°So. Before we get into this, do you boys mind telling me who ordered this? Was it Magnus? Was it the assassin¡¯s guild and if so, mind specifying which world and or faction ordered this little action? Or is this about the rift core I borrowed from Red Barry?¡±


    The right most figure stepped forward, white mask leering at her. ¡°That was a warning shot, Tempest. The Red Baron wants his property back. If you comply, we have orders to let you go. Otherwise, your corpse would do.¡±


    The woman gave that a hearty laugh. ¡°Barry hired you to come after me? For a measly little rift core? And please, call me Maleera. No need to get all formal with me. We¡¯re waaay past that,¡± she added, wiping at the blood still stuck to her cheek.


    With a flick of her left wrist, a ball of glowing purple and blue appeared in her palm, and Amelie¡¯s eyes widened. Even though this was supposed to be a vision, she could sense the power radiating out of the snow-globe-sized item, pushing against her chest and spirit.


    The three shadowy figures tensed, and in turn the woman just rolled the ball on and around her hand before she made it disappear once more. ¡°I guess I should have stopped at his treasuries first. If he¡¯s getting mad about a tiny little rift core, maybe I should have picked him clean and set myself up for winter.¡±


    Two of the figures surged, one wearing thick, red-glowing gloves while the second¨Cthe one who had spoken¨Chad a purple short-sword. Right as they moved, their third swung upward with a hand. In his grip was a curved, crystalline brown wand and following his movement, a pillar of earth-colored stone shot up from under the woman, ready to impale her.


    But she¡¯d already moved.


    Maleera lunged at the gloved assailant, a maniacal grin on her face. She swung a fist, and the masked figure guarded. But it was as if they¡¯d tried to stop a tsunami with a rotted wooden palisade.


    The gloved figure tore through the air, as if catapulted, and was sent hurtling across the ground, skidding like a ricocheted stone.


    Amelie watched, captivated. This was it. This was what she wanted to be like. She was thankful for Audrey¡¯s shields and protection, but she needed to be able to take such hits and keep hitting back.


    The second figure suddenly appeared behind the woman, and Amelie almost shouted, but it was too late. As soon as he¡¯d appeared, the masked man stabbed forward and straight through Maleera¡¯s heart.


    Amelie expected to see the woman flinch or stumble. She expected to see her breath catch and potentially cough up blood if her airways got hit. Instead, the blue-armored woman swung back with an elbow and clocked her attacker right in the temple, and without bothering to remove the sword, she surged toward the spellcaster.


    Over the next minute, the woman proceeded to dismantle the trio. She got stabbed, sliced, crushed, electrocuted, then burned, and she still kept going after them, although by the end of it, she was cursing and cussing more than just laughing.


    Her ability to heal was unbelievable. At one point, a chunk of her head had been blown off, but it was as if her body didn¡¯t even need her organs to function. No stabbed heart or damaged brain were enough to slow her down.


    Amelie could have watched the scene play out for hours, unfortunately, the vision began to fade. The sounds and sights of the battle faded to black, and the blue lights of the glowing mushrooms crept back into her sight.


    Prime Wand of the Battle Healer


    She stared at her interface, trying to recall what she had seen in her vision. The memory was already growing hazy, losing its clarity as the seconds went by and as she tried to hold on to it, a new earth-shaking roar filled the cave.

 1.56: Lords

    ¡°[That sounds... Like a giant pain in the fur],¡± growled Ember as both of them stared out into the agitated cave. The loud roar had finally begun to abate, but no sooner than it did, the call was picked up by the frenzied water monitors. Their screeching was sharper. Frantic. As if the first call had made their blood boil.


    Ember had her ears flattened in annoyance, but Ethan didn¡¯t agree. As he watched and listened to the increasing clamor of battle and savagery up ahead, he found himself leaning forward, claws itching for a test drive.


    To him, it actually sounded like a lot of fun. Those unable to handle the monsters should stay back and maybe retreat higher, but for Ethan, it sounded like a great opportunity to get out there and test his new capabilities. Especially the wings. Though at the moment, he couldn¡¯t have both the wings and flames and so, he had to pick. The scales and claws could not be taken out. Same for the heart, which meant he had to choose between the unique trait allowing for an extra form¡ªaka the wings¡ªor revert back to the newly upgraded [Wand of the Fire Elemental].


    I¡¯ll have to switch out the trait after that, though¡­ Unless I can do without the fire spells for a short bit?


    ¡°What was that? Wait¡­ are those wings?¡±


    Ethan glanced back into the tunnel and saw Amelie was stumbling up to her feet, hair jostled as she squinted at him. Gerald was sitting as well, but both Audrey and Liz were still out.


    Amelie stepped closer, and as she took in the dark gray wings, her eyes seemed to shine. ¡°They¡¯re gorgeous. Can you fly? Have you tested them yet? I¡¯m so jealous¡­¡±


    Ethan would be jealous too if he¡¯d seen someone else with them. Amanda¡¯s insectile wings didn¡¯t count. ¡°They¡¯re a bit hard to control but I¡¯m about to test them out. Can you three keep an eye on the others?¡±


    Gerald nodded vacantly as he slowly got up to his feet, while both Amelie and Ember¡ªwho was summerly picked up by the girl¡ªfollowed after Ethan.


    When he gave them a questioning look, Amelie raised a brow at him. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I gotta see this! If you can actually fly, I¡¯m picking enhancement-spells non-stop until I get wings as well. I mean, I already saw a levitation general spell, but wings are so much cooler.¡±


    Ethan couldn¡¯t argue with that.


    Stepping closer to the ledge with Amelie and a mildly protesting Ember in her arm, Ethan stood above the boiling, glowing mushroom forest ahead, and unfurled his wings out. He felt the joints and tendons stretch comfortably. He felt the well of strength within them as he moved them about, testing their limits and range of movements.


    After a few seconds, Ethan was ready to give it a shot. He was giddy at the prospect. He might fall, but if the few hours before had told him anything, it was that he could handle a fall just fine. Might hurt a bit and it might break something, but he had his own healing, and Amelie could patch him up if need be.


    Moment of truth, he thought, as he lifted the wings. Ahead, water monitors began streaming out of the forest, agitated and gnashing at each other.


    Ethan flapped the wings down, hoping he¡¯d lift himself an inch or two off the ground. Instead, it was as if the wings had moved in the most efficient way possible, and Ethan rocket upward, instantly shooting up close to twenty feet up in the air with a shout.


    Air rushed through his hair and whistled in his ears as he laughed and shouted all at once. Instinctively, he beat the wings once more, but the angle was off and he propelled himself right into the cave wall.


    Ethan landed on the rocks with a grunt and, and barely slid down a couple of feet before he drove the [Draconic Claws] through the stone as if it had been made out of styrofoam, then he frowned back at the large wings.


    That was a lot more force than I expected.


    They were as tall as he was and their wingspan was at least twice his height. Ethan adjusted his stance and readied himself to jump once more, but this time, he wasn¡¯t underestimating the wings. At this point, he was almost sure the thrust wasn¡¯t just from their physical shape and strength. There was a bit of magic happening. Now that he was past the shock and surprise, he felt the soft drain and knew it would increase significantly once he pushed off.


    Ethan inhaled, primed his wings into a half extended form, then jumped.


    The wings snapped wider, and the mana drain increased, but it was worth it. Because Ethan was flying. Gliding, to be accurate, and he was still jittery and barely stable.


    But he wasn''t free falling.


    His heart hammered as he took in the clearing below him. From the tunnel¡¯s lip, Amelie, Gerald, and Liz were watching, slack-jawed, while Audrey was elbowing them to get ready for the monsters coming out of the forest and heading toward them. In fact, it seemed like every single tunnel leading up was being targeted by the agitated monsters.


    Ethan beat his wings once, gaining some altitude, and took in the scene as he floated above it all.


    This was the right call.


    If he had had any regrets about not picking the weight option, they were already gone. Ethan angled himself downward to get closer to his companions before they were swarmed, but he didn¡¯t intend on pulling them out of the fire unless their lives were at stake. They had just gone through their body upgrades, and they needed a lot of fragments to start unlocking their wand¡¯s forms. Plus, sooner or later, they would part ways and they had to be ready for it.


    He turned his attention back at the monsters below him and began making plans.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    I¡¯ve got my forms, and though I have no [Small Fireball] and no [Scorching Flames], this¡¯ll allow me to get some practice with the wings.


    Summoning the lance, Ethan dove down toward the largest monitor, a giant nearly twice as large as any other. Air rushed around his wings, and he marveled at the speed and sensation of flight. Which might have been a bit distracting.


    Ethan missed his target by nearly ten feet, but he still broke the spine of another large monitor.


    The beast under him screeched, and all around him, the monitors¡¯ gleaming jaws snapped in his direction, throats glowing with blue magic for a beat before countless concentrated jets of water shot at him from all directions but thankfully, wrapping himself with the wings was a lot easier than trying to control his decent.


    The jets of water slammed into his wings hard, but through his connection to the spell, he knew it was just fine. There was only one area that was taking a beating, and it was the one coming from the large monitor he¡¯d just missed.


    [Water monitor (I) - Level 51]


    Ethan waited until the brunt of the attacks was spent, and as soon as it did, he dismissed the lance and flapped his wings as he leapt forward. He flew at the car-sized monitor, his feet barely a yard off the ground and with his clawed hand pulled back. The creature screeched, sending foamy spittle as it ambled toward him, its magical scales shining, and Ethan swiped at its throat.


    The [Draconic Claws] tore through the manifested scales and the flesh below like scissors through yarn, but the creature refused to go down. Blood surged out of its throat as it roared, eyes crazed, and its sharp, dagger-like teeth clamped on the wings.


    Shit.


    Ethan hadn¡¯t been aware his new enhancements were so close to the monster, so before it could drag him and throw him around, he dismissed them and watched as the creature gnashed its jaw and wrenched its head back, only to realize there was nothing in its mouth. It almost seemed confused for a moment, but Ethan was being swarmed so with a quick leap, he drove his right claws through its neck and wrenched whatever he could grab out, then turned his attention to all the creatures around him.


    Ethan clawed, sliced, and stabbed with his shortened lance every so often¡ªall the while, he considered the next steps.


    Work on the wings and mobility. Test the new elemental trait. Get essence.


    That was his to do list for the next few hours. After that, he¡¯d go looking for the rift.


    Main Quest: Gain access to the second floor within 4 days, 13 hours, and 41 minutes.


    Ethan cut the head of a monitor, then jumped up and summoned the wings. He beat them once, dodging the new jets of water as he flew up, and glanced toward the others for a second, then grinned.


    They were handling themselves well with the crazed monsters, and he was happy his companions were keeping up. Even Ember didn¡¯t seem to want to laze about anymore. She was like an orange blur, stepping over the air and blasting the lizards while the others used the chaos to cut, shoot, and kill anything that got near them.


    Ethan had explained the next steps to them. They had to collect fragments through their body¡ªnot their regular wand¡ªso they could use them for the Prime wand¡¯s upgrades.


    Lots to do. Lots to test.


    Ethan hovered over the monitors, ignoring the shots that barely missed him, then dove back down.


    This time, he only missed his target by a couple of feet.


    ***


    After the fight between Ethan and Savannah had concluded¡ªif you could even call it that¡ªAmanda had retreated deeper into the cave and checked on her small camp. Her followers were doing well, leveling and gaining in experience and fragments, but once more, she came back to find one or two individuals missing and this time, it hadn¡¯t been a casualty.


    He¡ªa store-clerk turned ranged fighter who had been doing fairly well with his crossbow¨Chad cracked under the pressure, and had decided to retreat back up to the safer layer, which left her with eleven warriors. They were all barely above level thirty, with only one having unlocked all of his Prime forms.


    Amanda eyed the tired men and women, and noticed the vacant stares on some, the pale and gaunt features, and she knew a few more would crack soon.


    She tried encouraging them for a bit, even had a bite with them and offered some advice, but as she flew off toward the rift, she wondered if she should delay building her faction until she was out of the tutorial and if she should just focus on powering-up, just like Ethan and Diego were doing.


    And where are the others?


    Amanda had been roaming and exploring ever since this had all started and from the data she¡¯d collected, there should be at least nine hundred people in this tutorial group, considering the highest participant number she¡¯d found was in the high eight hundreds. Quite a lot had passed, sure, but from everything she¡¯d seen, there couldn¡¯t be more than three to four hundreds in this stretch of the cave.


    So where were the rest¡ª


    Amanda saw the shift in the world first. There was a ripple in the air, then a green-tinged hue spread out, quickly encompassing all of the space around the rift. Before she could understand what was happening, a roar filled the world.


    Her heart screamed in her chest as she dove down, terrified out of her mind, and it took her too long to realize that even though the fear was well placed, it had been empowered. The roar had not been normal.


    Amanda crept closer to the source. She knew it had come out of the rift. The wave had spread from there. So she made her way closer to the cave wall and after camouflaging herself, she climbed up to her usual perch and looked out toward the rift.


    Instantly, she found the culprit, and the words tumbled out of her mouth in a single, low breath. ¡°¡­ What the fuck is that?¡±


    Barely a hundred yards away from the rift was yet another monitor lizard. But while the ones she had seen had been ranging between deep blue and black, this one was a deep, murky green. Its scales caught the light and did not reflect it back, and Amanda quickly realized it was covered with moss. All around it, more water monitors¡ªand a few green tinted ones¡ªpoured out of the rift and around the behemoth, barely reaching its shoulder, while the largest monster she had seen yet stood there, black tongue flicking and tasting the air.


    [Lord of the Swamp (II) - Level 70]


    Amanda watched, dazed. She tried to jump-start her brain and figure how they were supposed to take on this creature and as she tried to digest this new variable, minutes went by, while the forest under her lit with battle. At which point, something became clear.


    I have to tell the others to head back up. This is too much.


    Her little new team couldn¡¯t handle this kind of threat. She wanted to push them, but not crush them.


    Amanda began turning when another shrill roar tore through the air and this time, she found that it wasn¡¯t fear that filled her chest. But numbness.


    She couldn¡¯t move her limbs.


    It lasted seconds, but when she turned back, another head had pulled out of the rift, and the Lord of the Swamp was not happy about it. Not one bit.


    Another giant lizard stepped out of the rift. But while its sibling had been covered with moss, this one was studded with crystals and gems, shining with otherworldly purple and pink lights, and Amanda, for the first time since this all started, wondered if this tutorial was setting them up to fail.


    [Lord of the Cave (II) - Level 70]

 1.57: Pressure

    Liz had opened her eyes to the loudest roar she¡¯d heard so far, and barely thirty minutes later, she already had managed to pick up enough fragments to unlock her first Prime form. Heck, she was only minutes away from unlocking the second, as long as the prices were the same as Ethan had told them.


    If I could even stop for a second, she thought as she took aim from her perch, just above the tunnel¡¯s entrance. With a flick of her finger, her crossbow unloaded and blasted a water monitor¡¯s brains off moments before it could get to Audrey and Gerald.


    Once more, they were holding the tunnel, shooting from above and dealing with the stragglers while Ethan thinned the herd out from below. The swarm had turned relentless over the last few minutes, and Ethan had been forced to back off and switch back to his controllable flames instead of the wings, just so he could hold off the creatures from overrunning them.


    Why? What is even happening?


    Something seemed to have whipped the monsters into a frenzy. Liz suspected the two mighty roars they¡¯d heard had something to do with it. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what her first form was going to be.


    Considering it¡¯s about scouting¡­ I bet it¡¯s going to be related to mobility. Or my senses.


    The name of the wand was growing on her already. At first, she¡¯d been disappointed and a bit embarrassed, but with every glance around, with every dodge and surprisingly accurate shot she made, she felt it fit.


    Prime wand of the Plucky Scout. Not bad. I¡¯ll just not tell anyone about the plucky part. Now¡­ How long are we going to hold this spot for?


    Liz channeled an [Exploding Projectile] into the blue glowing bolt, exhaled, and pulled the trigger.


    They couldn¡¯t hold the area forever, and as she took a quick glance around, she saw a couple more tunnels being contested. One of which drew her attention more than the others.


    ¡­ Are those the high-schoolers?


    ***


    Flames raged around Ethan¡¯s new claws, pouring out of the scales and talons like a blowtorch. Creating gouts of concentrated fire was seamless. Easy. As if the new [Draconic Claws] were both amplifying the flames and helping him guide them.


    Could also be the upgraded trait. Wand of the Fire Elemental is definitely boosting my control as well.


    A second moss-covered monitor ambled out into the clearing and screeched when it saw Ethan before it spat a globe of green-coloured water.


    [Swamp Monitor (I) - Lvl 57]


    Ethan didn¡¯t intend on getting hit by this one either, so he flicked a wrist and sent a fireball to intercept it. He wasn¡¯t sure why that water was coloured that way or what it would do, but he found it safer to vaporize it.


    Where are these swamp monitors coming from? And how come they¡¯re different without being of a different tier?


    Either way, he wasn¡¯t saying no to some extra fragments and maybe a level.


    The fireball detonated in a blast of intense orange flames, sending droplets of the foul water all around. Green acrid vapor rose out of the area in which the two spells met, and Ethan wrinkled his nose when some droplets hit his protective flames and sizzled, sending some of the vapor up his nose.


    Nasty¡­


    He didn¡¯t know if it was poison, acid, or just gross water. He just didn¡¯t want to be touched by it, even if his [Sapping Scales] or his Toughness could neutralize it.


    ¡°[Do you mind telling me before you send such disgusting filth my way?]¡±


    Ethan glanced aside and saw the cat hop atop a water monitor¡¯s head and bite down on its neck before summoning a point-blank jet of fire, punching straight through the scales.


    ¡°Why are you not with the others?¡± called out Ethan as he sprinted toward the moss monitor. Usually the cat would stay around the weaker humans, watching over them and generally keep its distance, but right now, she was only a few paces away from him, in the thick of it.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°[They awakened their wands. They¡¯re not cubs anymore and so, they need to rely on their own selves.]¡±


    Henry tore the throat of a water monitor on his way to the big one and jumped to the left to dodge another lurid green orb before he stole a glance back and saw the freshly levelled team holding up the tunnel.


    He focused back on his opponent. The swamp monitor lunged, jaw glowing green, and Ethan took a step to the left and punched up at the oncoming maw, fist blazing with concentrated fire.


    The black, shining, talons met the summoned green-hued scale with an impact that made Ethan¡¯s feet dig into the soft soil and for a moment, he thought he saw shock in the creature¡¯s feral eyes before it disappeared into the storm of flames he summoned.


    A second later, the flames dissipated to reveal a smoking and burnt monitor. It wasn¡¯t dead yet, but it''s summoned scales were gone, and one of its eyes was burnt shut and from then, the monster was easy to bring down.


    You have defeated [Swamp Monitor (I) - Level 57]


    You have reached Level 48. 1 stat point awarded.


    A few yards away, the cat leapt into the air and blasted a group of lizards with a fireball. ¡°Any clues about what those roars had been?¡± Ethan asked.


    ¡°[Something we both need more levels before facing.]¡±


    ¡°We? And what makes you think we can¡¯t deal with it as we are right now?¡±


    Ember hopped on thin air and came to a stop on top of Ethan¡¯s horns. ¡°[Yes. We. I spared your life for meals and loot. I don¡¯t intend on going home empty handed. As for levels, that roar had whipped even level 57 monsters into a frenzy. It could only be at a higher level to control all of these things. I¡¯m thinking level 65 at the minimum. Maybe even a tier 2.]¡±


    Ethan looked up, unsure how to react to this new development. Not about the monsters and danger. No, that part sounded a bit exciting. He was more worried about the cat taking a liking to his horns and wanting to sit on them.


    And what¡¯s this about loot?


    The cat jumped off and blasted another clump of monster before she landed once more on the soft soil. He was about to point out that they never agreed on loot distribution or anything of the sorts, but refrained. As much as Ember could be prickly and standoffish, she often provided answers. Hell, she just gave him the key to spell upgrading barely an hour ago and she¡¯d helped protect the others.


    I don¡¯t know about using the horns as a seat though, he thought as sent another fireball at the monitors approaching the tunnel before he shouted. ¡°What kind of loot are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°[Information. Spells. Rare primagems. Anything valuable, really. Enough to afford living comfortably and in luxury.]¡±


    Well, at least she knew what she wanted. Still, Ethan frowned as he sprayed his surroundings with fire, finishing off a few dazed lizards. ¡°Didn¡¯t I offer you spells and a primagem recently?¡±


    ¡°[Those were neither rare nor valuable. Plus, if you get stronger, I could get my hands on something better.]¡±


    Ethan chuckled and glanced toward the deeper end of the cave. He couldn¡¯t see much but glowing mushroom trees from this angle, and occasionally a flare of light of a random color here or there, but not much else.


    Can¡¯t wait to get the wings back and go take a look.


    Ethan was about to ask what would be considered valuable when Liz called out to them and slowly, the two made their way back to the tunnel, clearing any monster too stubborn to die or too distracted to pay them any mind only for the three companions to come down into the clearing themselves, while Gerald rush to the side, running as fast as his feet could carry him.


    Ethan gave Liz a puzzled look while Amelie and Audrey took turns picking up fragments, eyes vigilantly scanning their surroundings as they did.


    ¡°The coach needs a hand. The high-schoolers?¡±, Liz added when she saw the confused look he gave her. ¡°Gerald went ahead and I just wanted to give you a heads up. After that¡­ I think we should talk.¡±


    ***


    As he took stock of their state and numbers, Ethan was surprised the coach and the high schoolers had not lost any of theirs. True, they looked absolutely awful, many of them were sporting bruises and bloodied clothes, but they were levelling, and they were alive.


    Ethan ignited his right hand to burn away the blood as he felt at his own body. [Mana Heart] was still doing its thing, staving off the exhaustion and fatigue, and this swarm had allowed him to get a few points in Essence, though he will still need some more before he could afford the tier upgrade for his Prime wand.


    I can still go, he thought. And he would, in a few minutes.


    Ethan took a look around. The wave had finally abated, but it had taken nearly ten minutes of non-stop fighting for the monsters to stop coming at them. A few of the high schoolers were sitting, gasping for air, while their coach went around checking on them one by one. In the meantime, Liz made her way to Ethan, hurriedly hobbling toward him to get away from an irate Amelie. Audrey was already standing close to him, and Gerald was catching his breath, eyes closed.


    I wonder what he¡¯d seen.


    The man had a different air around him ever since he¡¯d woken up from his vision and as the others finally approached, he opened his eyes, and if Ethan hadn¡¯t been with the man over the last few days, he¡¯d think he was looking at somebody else. The steely resolve in his eyes as he looked at the coach and his students, the straight back, the confidence he exuded.


    The older man gave Ethan a smile as Liz scratched the back of her head, sheepishly looking away from Amelie while the latter examined her foot. As for Audrey, she was just resting an elbow on her tower shield, waiting to see what this was about.


    Gerald looked around at them, took a deep breath, then spoke. ¡°I¡¯m leaving the team.¡±

 1.58 Grateful

    ¡°I¡¯m grateful to you all and to you especially, Ethan. I wouldn¡¯t be alive if it weren¡¯t for you. But after seeing how things are going, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out for what¡¯s to come. I¡¯d prefer to make myself useful to those who can¡¯t defend themselves. Or to those young people over there. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve got what it takes to push ahead like you do. So I¡¯m taking a step back. I hope you¡¯ll all¡­forgive me.¡±


    Gerald stood straight, chin held up, and as Ethan eyed the others, thinking he¡¯d see some shock or surprise, there didn¡¯t seem to be any.


    Liz was staring at him, waiting to see his reaction, while Audrey nodded appreciatively. Amelie, on the other hand, seemed to be in deep thoughts. She glanced at Ethan and at the napping Ember for a second before she turned her attention back at the high schoolers, then around at the still smoking and charred carcasses of water monitors.


    As for Ethan, he shrugged and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive. You¡¯re free to do what you need to do.¡± He reached forward for a handshake as he dismissed the claw, and Gerald shook it. ¡°You take care,¡± said Ethan, and Gerald¡¯s shoulders seemed to relax.


    Ethan didn¡¯t mind going back to the solo-adventure. Not at all. But now that the first crack had showed up, he wasn¡¯t sure if the others would stay, or, if he was honest, if he wanted them to stay. Gerald might not have been pivotal to the team, but he helped alleviate the load on Audrey and gave Amelie and Liz space to shoot their spells. With him gone, Ethan would have to step in and be closer to them, which he didn¡¯t feel would be in his or their interests, especially now that he had his wings and the [Mana Heart] to keep pushing while others needed to rest.


    Now that Gerald is out, it¡¯ll be different.


    Ethan hadn¡¯t minded helping and feeding them some kills so they¡¯d grow stronger and be more self-reliant, but with one member down and with the heightened numbers and levels of the monsters, they¡¯d be a bit out of their depth. If it wasn¡¯t for him and Ember taking on the bulk of the monsters, they would have already been overrun.


    As Ethan tried to figure out a way to voice his concerns, there was a sigh, and every head turned to Liz who froze like a deer in the headlight. She raised both hands, a nervous smile on her face, then after a quick clear of the throat, she spoke. ¡°Well-um. I guess this is as good a time as any to say I¡¯m thinking of the same thing.¡± She looked at Ethan. ¡°This is what I meant when I said we should talk, and basically¡­ This is becoming too dangerous for me. For us. And I think we¡¯re holding you back.¡±


    Audrey nodded as she stretched her leg, and her eyes swivelled to Liz. ¡°I think we should have talked about this a bit more, as a team, but I don¡¯t disagree,¡± she said, giving Gerald and Liz a mildly stern look for a second before the corner of her lips curved up. She turned to Ethan. ¡°I think we worked well as a team, but now that we¡¯re losing at least a person, then it might be time to disband. And not to get too mushy, but yeah. Thanks. To you and to Ember. We owe you.¡±


    She stepped forward, and Ethan shook her hand as well. For some reason, he expected her to apply some extra force to the handshake, but she didn¡¯t. It was just a normal, firm handshake. Next, she stopped in front of Ember and reached down tentatively. Ember flicked her ears at the tall woman, narrowed her eyes, and then got up and let the outstretched fingers stroke the fur atop of her head.


    The cat was surprisingly soft sometimes.


    ¡°[Watch your thoughts,]¡± Ember said, glaring up at him as Audrey stepped away.


    ¡°[Whatever you say, softie.]¡±


    Ember tilted her ears back and gave him a narrow-eyed glare, then got up and moved a few yards away only for Amelie to snatch her off the ground.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The cat gave a couple of barely audible protesting growls, but in the end she still let the healer pick her up. Amelie buried her face in the fur, held the cat high and looked at her, then she put her back on the ground. She sighed, then shoved her hands in her pockets. ¡°I guess it¡¯s for the best. This way I can work on the basics and get better by myself. I can¡¯t catch up if you¡¯re constantly shielding us from the worst of it. So you just wait¡­¡±


    Her eyes seemed to shine at the thought, but not as much as the blue gem in her forehead. Or the one between her clavicles.


    Ethan frowned. Since when did she have those?


    The young woman brushed her white-dyed locks back, and gave him a sharp grin. ¡°Like what you see? I got the Enhancement form. But I won¡¯t say what they do. You¡¯ll have to figure it out next time we meet. Just make sure you survive ¡®til then, alright?¡±


    Ethan chuckled and nodded, then gave the four companions an appreciative look. They were already leveling once more, and they were getting their forms. He really hoped they¡¯d survive and make it through this, but with himself being free to move as he liked, he could go around and ensure there¡¯d be more survivors. By pulling others out of the fire or by taking the fight to the monsters and even though his stint with these four had been short, it had been beneficial for him.


    Ethan shoved a hand into the little pouch he¡¯d hung around his thigh, and pulled out a handful of glowing beads as he gave the four one last tip. ¡°Your prime wand should soon support a spell, which should allow you to use spell-form, and I have some spares. Are any of you interested in a tier-1 [Scales]?¡±


    Ethan had plenty and if these could help them survive, then he didn¡¯t want to hoard them for himself. In any case, he¡¯d get more and at this point, he had five of the things, and two tier-2 [Breath Glands]. He hadn¡¯t gotten any more primagems since the last haul, but he had high hopes for a few new ones, especially now that some new creatures were showing up.


    The four stood still for a moment, and it was interesting seeing how hesitation and embarrassment showed up in their features.


    Audrey and Amelie seemed struck for a moment, and they both shared a look while Liz was quick to smile and step forward, awkwardly thanking him as she picked up one of the spells and assimilated it. Gerald was surprised, but seemed genuinely grateful as he did the same and finally, both Amelie and Audrey picked theirs. They thanked him, and promised him they¡¯d pay him back, which Ethan shrugged at.


    That wasn¡¯t the point for him. He liked them and wanted them to survive, and these were defensive spellforms. The two girls insisted, and he agreed, though he didn¡¯t see what the fuss was about.


    With that done, Ethan exchanged a few more pleasantries with them, wished them luck and after saying goodby, he stepped back into the humid air of the second layer.


    ***


    Ethan walked past the first few mushroom trees and breathed in the fresh air as he made his way deeper into the agitated cavern ahead. He felt¡­ free. Less worried about the others, now that they retreated above. They might be in danger, but it was their choice and maybe, with the increased amounts of monsters, they¡¯d be able to quickly finish up awakening their wands and be able to hold their own better. But for now, Ethan would just dive head first into the fray. As a vanguard. And he would get all the Essence and fragments he needed to reach the next tier of power.


    ¡°[Carry me.]¡±


    Ethan drew his lips in a line and without moving his head or stopping, he looked down at the flaming cat walking beside him. Ember had been keeping pace ahead, but more and more burrs were catching on her fur and now, she was looking up at him as they walked, meowing and making a ruckus. ¡°[I want to sit on the horns while we travel. This is dirtying my fur.]¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your dirty fur on my head. These things aren¡¯t a seat,¡± he said, pointing up at the jutting horns.


    The cat took a few fast steps ahead then sat on her haunches right in front of him, raising a barely dirtied-paw. ¡°[Please?]¡± she meowed, then fell on her side. ¡°[I¡¯m tired. From saving your friends while you starve me to death. I¡¯ve been nothing but helpful. Am I asking for too much? Please¡ª]¡±


    Ethan stepped over the cat and kept walking.

 1.59: Burn

    Ethan let himself fall on his ass, panting, then pushed himself back just enough so he could rest his back on the crystal-studded monitor.


    ¡°Goddamn this bastard was tough,¡± he said, wincing at the muted pain he could feel across his stomach and back. Ember was lying on her side a few feet away, eyes squinted and mouth opened as she gasped for breath.


    The smoking and ashy clearing had only two of the creatures, but the largest of them had taken nearly ten minutes to bring down.


    ¡°[At least you got something for it.]¡±


    ¡°That I did,¡± said Ethan as he raised the small bead between his fingers.


    Assimilate [Crystal Dart - (Tier -2)]?


    Ethan shoved the bead into his dimensional pouch, then pulled his notifications as gave the cat a sidelong glance. ¡°Not showing any interest in this one? It could work with your fire, you know. Imagine those crystals when they¡¯re hot.¡±


    The cat yawned. ¡°[If you get it one more time, I¡¯ll take it off your hands. Now let me take a quick nap. Then we take a swing at more of these bastards if you¡¯re still suicidal.]¡±


    You have defeated [Cave Monitor - Level 55]


    You have defeated [Cave Monitor - Level 61]


    You have reached Level 49. 1 stat point awarded.


    Wand of the Fire Elemental: 143 fragments collected.


    Ethan opted to funnel the fragments into the regular wand. His prime wand was sitting with close to 800 fragments, and he had no way of spending them, considering everything cost Essence. And he couldn¡¯t spend Essence just yet, as he had to save up for the tier-2 upgrade.


    It might be better to try and get one more level to finish up the side quest. Getting my hands on those extra points would do me well, especially before we try tangling with the larger specimens. Considering how long it took to kill this one. As for the points I¡¯m currently sitting on¡­ let¡¯s do something about that.


    Ethan had been sitting on a few unassigned points, but now was as good a time as any to find them a new home.


    Level 49


    Might: 45(18)


    Toughness: 77 (34)


    Spirit: 72(18)


    Mana: 33 (18)


    Unassigned: 4


    Toughness is carrying me through these fights, but I need the Might to catch up or it¡¯s about to become a wet-noodle fight between me and the monsters.


    The fire had been effective, but the claws had not cut through the monsters as easily as he¡¯d hoped. The rock-like hide of the cave monitors might be the toughest he¡¯d seen so far, and even through Ethan¡¯s many bonuses, the fight had taken a while as both him and Ember chipped at the beefy lizards until it keeled over.


    Mana¡¯s falling behind too¡­ Well, not really. It¡¯s not getting as many bonuses as everything else, but my base stats are still pretty evenly distributed.


    Ethan considered the number for a few moments, then decided to go with the healthy approach of giving every stat one point.


    Gotta keep upgrading the wands and their form bonuses. That¡¯s where most of my stats are coming from anyway.


    Ethan took a quick look at his wands next.


    I¡¯m at 52 Essence¡­ still barely halfway through. How the hell did Savannah manage to upgrade her prime wand so fast?


    Ethan believed he might have the upgrade by the end of the day, but it was still shocking how fast the woman had managed to progress.


    Then again, she wasn¡¯t doing so well mentally. Probably never even slept since this all started¡­


    Ethan glanced at the large body behind him, then eyed the tail for a second before he shook his head as he pulled the upgrades he had available in the Elemental wand.


    Probably too tough. My teeth hurt just thinking about it¡­


    With 443 fragments, Ethan could afford a handful of upgrades.


    [Form Bonus: Increase by 16 - 300 fragments]


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 80 fragments]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25 seconds - 50 fragments]


    The extra capacity was bound to be useful, while the cast refresh seemed negligeable, but Ethan was almost sure he just wasn¡¯t taking advantage of that property at all. It¡¯s been a while since he¡¯d selected a modifier-spell or a general-spell, and he was sure some wands were getting more out of the cast frequency than he was. Sooner or later, he would meet someone who could cast their spells blindingly fast.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Ethan was looking forward to seeing what that was like. But not that he was complaining, of course. He had the stats, and they were allowing him to wrestle creatures much larger than he was. If he¡¯d invested in some other strategy that allowed him fast spells, he might not be able to face creatures like these by himself. He¡¯d have to hide behind someone or shoot from far away.


    He much preferred this way of doing things.


    Ethan took another gander at the wand¡¯s profile and slotted in [Extended Enhancement] now that he had the extra slot.


    I can¡¯t wait to have another wand¡­ the form bonuses are just insane.


    Wand of the Fire Elemental:


    Spell Forms: [Sapping Scales], [[Scorching][Extended][Draconic Claws]]


    Sequential: [Small Fireball]


    Class: Enhancer


    Tier: 3


    Spell forms: 2/2


    Unique Traits: [Wand of the Fire Elemental - In use, Wand of Forms]


    Cast Setting: Sequential


    Capacity: 5/5


    Cast refresh: 4.25s


    Mana regeneration: 2 (5%)


    Form Bonus (110): 55 Spirit, 27 Toughness, 27 Might


    Fragments: 13


    With that done, Ethan decided to close his eyes and rest for a few minutes. He¡¯d never tried meditation before. Not willingly, that is. But maybe there¡¯d be some benefit aside from giving [Mana Heart] and his body some rest.


    Just a few minutes, and then, one more push to get the remaining Essence needed.


    ***


    Ethan had never been a jogger. He didn¡¯t hate it. He also didn¡¯t love it. It was just something he never really worried about. Whenever Ethan had had to run before, it was either to run away from trouble or to trouble. Aside from that, it was to catch the bus because he really didn¡¯t want to have to wait for the next one. Running for pleasure had never been on his to-do list, so Ethan was a bit surprised at not hating the current state of things.


    ¡°[I hate this. Can you slow down?]¡±


    ¡°You can go down and run by yourself. I¡¯m already at 80 Essence, and I¡¯m only stopping once I hit the 100.¡±


    Ethan pumped his arms while Ember hung on for dear life atop of his horns. He¡¯d tried to put her on his shoulders, but she was more uncomfortable to both of them over there. He had to move his arm and shoulders, to dodge, and cast his spells, so up on the horns she went.


    ¡°New group, heads up,¡± he called out as he jumped into a new clearing, and was surprised to see some of his old friends.


    [Lizardling (I) - Level 48]


    A bunch of lizardlings and their pet drakes were fighting swamp and water monitors and without decelerating, Ethan ran into them, clawing, kneeing, and sending fire at anything that moved.


    He was a whirlwind of burning sharp edges, and most of the monster needed one or two attacks before they keeled over. Whenever one of them managed to retaliate or hit him with something, it washed over his scales, stinging or burning a bit but quickly enough, the scales sapped the magic out of his enemies¡¯ abilities and within a minute, only one of the swamp monitors was still alive.


    88 Essence. Fuck!


    He just wanted the upgrade so he could just sit down and do everything all at once, but if this encounter isn¡¯t enough to give him the last few needed Essence points, then he couldn¡¯t keep postponing the side quest anymore.


    But he had an idea.


    Ethan eyed the remaining opponent and wondered; what would be the most juggernaut-y way he could take it down?


    Wait¡­ It¡¯s not just ¡®juggernaut¡¯. It¡¯s the path of the Burning Juggernaut.


    [Swamp Monitor (I) - Level 57]


    ¡°Leave this one to me, Ember,¡± he said, shooing the cat away from his horns.


    The elemental hopped off, annoyed, and stalked toward the foot of one of the mushroom trees. ¡°[Fine¡­]¡±


    Ethan took a deep breath, and ignited his claws as a rumbly breath escaped from the four-feet high monsters. It was massive. At least ten feet long, from snout to tail. Green glistening moss covered its join and back, and lurid green smoke wafted out of its mouth.


    This thing looks venomous. Or toxic, at the very least.


    Ethan shook his head and reminded himself of his plan.


    Burning juggernaut. Can¡¯t be stopped. Burns everything in his path. Even toxins and oversized lizards.


    He took a step forward. Then another. The lizard hissed, and Ethan flared the flames around his claws stronger.


    Burn everything. Burn it all.


    The monitor opened its jaw and spat a green ball of murky water. Ethan raised one hand and pushed everything he had in his chest. Every ounce of mana was ignited, creating a pillar-sized gout of intense flames that lit up the clearing and banished every bit of shadow within a hundred feet.


    The water was vaporized, then the vapor itself was burnt so only a scalding, rippling haze of heat was left.


    The monster opened its eyes, having recoiled from the intense light and fire, but Ethan wasn¡¯t done.


    He had never stopped walking.


    The air seemed to tremble as he kept his mind on his path¡¯s mantra, but the swamp monitor wasn¡¯t easily cowed. It hissed once more, then surged forward, sending clumps of overturned earth as it dragged its massive body with surprising speed at the small human ahead of it.


    Ethan saw it coming, but something had stolen over him. The train of thoughts seemed to have induced some sort of trance. Or maybe it was his imagination, but he quickly ignored the doubt and focused on the feeling that permeated his being.


    He didn¡¯t care about the savage beast running at him. It wasn¡¯t his problem. Its efforts will be in vain. He was a juggernaut, and he would not be stopped. It will move out of his way, by its own volition, or it will be burnt, and he will step over its charred bones as he keeps walking.


    The monster loomed ahead of him and its teeth came down at Ethan, clamping over his shoulder.


    It couldn¡¯t move him.


    Ethan didn¡¯t blink and took one more step, and the reptile was dragged along with him as if it were weightless, which finally managed to surprise him enough to snap him out of the trance.


    Ethan blinked and felt the weight of the monster drop on him. He grunted, and tried to recapture the fading feeling, but he knew he wasn¡¯t getting it back. He glared at the fat lizard as it tried and failed to punch its sharp fangs through his scales, and shoved his black, burning talons into its chest before he cooked it from the inside out.


    You have defeated [Swamp Monitor - Level 57]


    You have reached Level 51. 1 stat point awarded.


    Ethan took a quick glance at his prime wand, and grinned.


    Essence: 103


    I wonder what that feeling was? Would Ember know?


    Either way, it was finally time to evolve the Prime wand and take a rest.


    I wonder what the new side quest will be¡­

 1.60: Echo

    Ethan turned away from the dead swamp monitor, looking for Ember with a question ready on his lips, only to find her staring at him. Their eyes met, and her voice reached his mind.


    ¡°[What¡­was that? How did you do that?]¡±


    Ethan blinked, then frowned. ¡°I was about to ask you about it¡­ you don¡¯t know?¡±


    She tilted her head. ¡°[I¡¯ve never seen such a thing in my life¡­ was it a spell? Was it something this new system gave you?]¡±


    Ethan shook his head and paused, trying to recall. ¡°No I just¡­ thought of my path and just tried to act in a manner that reflected it the best. I tried to channel its mindset so I could get more Essence. And I did get a bunch, but I don¡¯t think it was a special trait or spell. It just happened,¡± he said, then eyed the cat. ¡°Have you not met one of your kind who could do such a thing?¡±


    Ember sat on her haunches and shook her head. ¡°[The highest Ignisra I¡¯ve met was tier-2, and I haven¡¯t seen her do such thing.]¡±


    ¡°[Ignisra? And only tier-2?]¡±


    Ember flicked her ears back in annoyance. ¡°[Well, we don¡¯t call ourselves ¡®feline fire elementals¡¯. And it¡¯s not as if we were some high and mighty city or faction to have anyone stronger. We¡¯re just a¡­small tribe of Ignisra. One of many in the realm.]¡± She paused, staring off for a distance. Ember licked her paw for a couple of seconds, then lay on her stomach. ¡°[Well, we were¡­ I guess.]¡±


    Ethan hesitated. He liked to tease the Ignisra, and sometimes gave her a hard time, but if he were honest, he didn¡¯t know much about her life from before she was summoned. Or even if she had wanted to be summoned. He¡¯d asked a couple of times, but only got soft snores and barely twitching ears for a response. The cat could be cute and friendly on occasion, only to turn cagey and quiet the next second. Still, he asked. ¡°What happened?¡±


    The cat stared at him for a second, its orange and black glowing in the dark like lit candles, and then, she put her head on her paw and closed her eyes.


    ¡°[We were hunted, as is common to those who were born within rifts. As we are doing to those oversized lizards. Everything and everyone is all but fragments and kindling to be consumed to reinforce your own wand. And life goes on, but this is all a story for another time. For now, we should probably rest. I don¡¯t expect raiding the rift will be an easy matter.]¡±


    ¡°Raiding?¡±


    ¡°[That¡¯s what it¡¯s called, when you go into a rift to conquer it. Now let me sleep.]¡±


    Ethan looked around for a moment, then took a seat, leaning on the still smouldering carcass of the reptile and eyed the cat sleeping a few paces away.


    [Feline Fire Elemental - Ignisra (I) - Level 56]


    I guess the system¡¯s learning. And looks like Ember ended up gaining a few levels ever since she arrived here, then again, I already caught up with her, in a sense.


    Ethan might not have her level just yet, but he could fight off and win against opponents of that level. Though it clearly meant the Ignisra could have easily killed him back when he¡¯d met her. As much as he could fight off things above his level, that wide of a gap would have been the end of him.


    Alright, enough wasting time. Let¡¯s get started.


    Ethan activated the upgrade, and watched as 500 fragments and a 100 Essence disappeared out of his balance. He barely felt the sting of loss when the world shuddered around him.


    A buzz. The air tingled around his skin, and he could feel the hair on his arm stand on end. A swirl of invisible power began pulsing and twisting around him and then, it began sinking into his body and soul. Ethan felt a swell of power surge into him, as if he¡¯d just jumped five whole levels. His muscles pulsed and twitched, as if his body was urging him to run and jump and set everything on fire. He was simultaneously filled with power while also a huge weight was dropped off of his shoulders.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Off his chest, actually.


    Ethan felt [Mana Heart] suddenly become much more bearable. Like a kink in his neck he was finally able to relax and with that, the energies around him died out, and a new message popped up.


    Prime wand of the Juggernaut: Upgrade from tier-1 to tier-2 completed.


    Restriction on Prime forms lifted.


    With a flex of his will, Ethan summoned the horns and felt the pulse of magic course down his body, reinforcing his claws and scales. Next, he summoned the wand in his left arm, and the black and red rod appeared against his palm. In his right, he summoned the lance, and the hefty weapon dropped into his grip.


    Now I have all three, and I have an extra spellform spot in the Prime wand¡­ but I¡¯m not putting the wings in there. I¡¯ll move the scales here, and the wings in the other one. I know I got used to the weight of carrying a tier-2 form in a tier-1 wand, but I¡¯m not doing that again unless I seriously have to¡­


    A quick gander through the wand interface told him of the main changes.


    The first interesting point was the increased spellform limit.


    When I upgraded the other wand to tier-2, I didn¡¯t get an extra slot¡­ only when it reached tier-3 could I use a second form spell with the wand. The Prime wand on the other might get an extra slot per tier¡­ which is double. Interesting.


    The second change concerned the stats. The Prime Bonus¡ªthe property boosting all of his stats¡ªwas raised from 5 points to 10. Already, that was a full 20 extra stat points, but it wasn¡¯t over just yet. Next, the form bonus that would be allocated depending on his spellforms got raised to 20 points instead of 10, which currently made his Mana stat spike.


    Ethan didn¡¯t pay that much attention considering he was about to shuffle things around. Then he paused.


    Shit. The Prime wand can now handle two spellforms, but I only have a single capacity slot.


    Ethan sighed. It wouldn¡¯t take him long to unlock the extra capacity slot, but it was slightly annoying so for now, he just turned his attention back to studying the evolved wand.


    Ethan checked the upgrades, and there were quite a few interesting ones listed.


    [Tier: 2 to 3 - 2000 fragments, 250 Essence, ???]


    [Prime Echo: Add an echo slot - 500 fragments, 50 Essence]


    [Form Bonus: Increase by 20 - 300 fragments, 20 Essence]


    [Mana regeneration: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments, 10 Essence]


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments, 10 Essence]


    [Cast refresh: Decrease by 0.25s - 50 fragments, 5 Essence]


    What did the three question marks meant? A secret requirement? And what¡¯s this new echo stuff?


    Ethan leaned over, studying and thinking of the words floating in front of him. He had a couple of suspicions of what this new ability could do. Maybe it would double the effect of a spell or duplicate it? Maybe it would allow this wand to copy a spell of another wand? Whatever it was, it sounded interesting and most certainly useful, but it would take a moment for him to confirm it. For now, he would love to get some extra stats and capacity, as well as some mana regeneration if he could afford it.


    With a flick of his hand, Ethan dismissed the prime forms and leaned back on the ground.


    All in all, he was happy with the upgrade. He had a lot more stats, and he¡¯d be able to manage more forms, though the collecting of Essence was slowing him down.


    Unless I manage to channel that state again¡­


    Ethan closed his eyes and kept his ears peeled for danger.


    It wasn¡¯t that big of a deal that he couldn¡¯t upgrade everything he wanted all at once. After all, Essence took time to collect, and it has barely been a couple of days since he could even use it, so he just had to be a little patient. For now, he could plan things out and first things first, he was getting some extra capacity for the prime wand, which should allow him an extra form.


    Once that¡¯s done, I can have [Mana Heart] and [Sapping Scales] in the Prime wand, then [Draconic Claws] and [Draconic Wings] in the other wand. After that, more stats in the Prime wand. Now, I only need to convert [Breath Gland], [Sapping Scales], and [Mana Heart] to something draconic, and I¡¯ll have the whole set.


    Ethan wondered. What kind of bonus would that give him?


    It¡¯d probably be something awesome, he thought to himself as he sat back up.


    Ethan cracked his neck, and pulled up his freshly finished quest.


    Congratulations. Side quest completed.


    15 stat points


    1 magic item


    1 custom trait


    Alright, let¡¯s look through all of this, now. After that, a capacity boost, then some scouting to see the big beasties.


    Ethan rubbed his hands together. Now that he was about to have a permanent spot for the wings, he couldn¡¯t wait to see where they could take him.

 1.61: Reshuffle

    While the screeching and roars continued to fill the blue-tinted mushroom forest, Ethan tried to talk himself into a plan he knew he was going to fail.


    Eyes on the prize, Ethan. You need clothes. And the knife¡¯s tip is already cracked and the rest is beginning to bend in a weird way. That trait for the loot would be great here. Might be even better than the dagger, considering it gave me nothing lately. Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s damaged? Anyways, that trait and clothes. That¡¯s what I need right now.


    Ethan exhaled. If his last few interactions with the multiple choices given by the system were of any indication, he was about to be driven off-course once more. Something better than what he planned on getting would be proposed to him, and once more, he¡¯d have to pivot and pick something else.


    No plan survives enemy contact. Or something like that.


    A quick glance toward the cat told him Ember was completely conked out, sleeping on her side with her mouth open, so without further delays, Ethan began with the traits.


    Select a trait from the list below:


    Enhancer Specialist: Enhancer wands provide 10% extra form stats.


    Harvester¡¯s flames: Opponents vanquished through fire have a higher chance of forming primagems and spellcores.


    Scorching Ascendency: Once a day, when fighting creatures above your level, all your stats are improved by 10%


    There we go, Ethan thought as he clicked his tongue, but a smile still crept across his lips. Once again, he was forced into a tough choice, but he didn¡¯t hate it. It was slightly annoying of course, but it was a great problem to have.


    Now, permanent boost in loot, or 10% across the board when I¡¯m fighting something stronger than I am? The latter happens pretty damn often, I gotta say.


    Ethan lay back on the soft soil with his hands under his head.


    Loot, or boost?


    The looting trait was great, but it was greedy. It would be great in the long-term, but at his current level and stats, the 10% stat boost represented more than 20 points of raw stats. It was only once a day, sure, but that was not a negligible boost, and it would only grow larger as he grew stronger.


    Yeah¡­ I can always get another dagger, or pick the Harvester¡¯s flames next time, but Scorching Ascendency is a no-brainer.


    Ethan made his choice, and felt the magic sink in his body. He wanted to give the new trait a test, but that would be incredibly dumb. He needed to hold it in reserve for the big monsters still lurking around.


    Which made him itch to get back out there even more, but while the [Mana Heart] allowed him to go for a long time, he still needed to rest a bit.


    Next, Ethan turned his attention to the last token, and a new menu popped up. He was supposed to get clothes here, but he doubted that¡¯d happen.


    Select a magical item from the list below:


    Shardpurse: A soulbound wallet to hold your fragments.


    Spellblade robes: A set of clothing enchanted to be highly resistant to the user¡¯s own magic.


    Reinforced tent: A robust tent to allow rest and sleep in the wilderness.


    Speaking Stones (2): A pair of enchanted stones to allow communication between two users across up to a mile.


    Longsight goggles: Enchanted goggles to see your targets from afar.


    Right¡­ forgot about the shardpurse. And it¡¯s most definitely more useful than the clothes.


    Ethan stared at the prompt for a second, sighed, then selected the magical wallet. He¡¯d still be naked under the scales, but at least he can organize his fragments more efficiently, which should allow him to quickly upgrade the new wand when he¡¯d get it, instead of having to funnel fragments to it.


    A quick flash of light, and a little intricately carved deep-blue gem dropped out of thin air. As soon as Ethan touched it, a new prompt popped up.


    Claim shardpurse?This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Ethan agreed, and the gem exploded into a mist of blue and gold motes then sunk into his hand, burning into his right wrist, and when he looked down, he saw a ring of symbols that quickly faded into his skin.


    Collect all wand fragments into the shardpurse?


    Ethan agreed once more, and felt something twinge and move within his soul for a couple of seconds before a final prompt showed up.


    Shardpurse: 462 fragments


    And now, it¡¯s all in a single place.


    For a quick test, Ethan turned his attention to the elemental wand, and triggered one of the upgrades he had available.


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 200 fragments]


    The upgrade finished up, and the shardpurse¡¯s balance went down as expected.


    This will help. Now, for the new stat points.


    Ethan started by assigning a point each to Might, Spirit, and Mana to get them to 20 points each, and five to Toughness so it¡¯d crack 40, which left him with 7 points. After a quick look around, he put those in Might.


    My base stats are growing nicely, and the Toughness has been doing great, so it¡¯s time to help something else catch up. Now, what¡¯s the new side quest?


    Side quest:


    Reach level 60


    Reward:


    20 stat points


    1 tier-2 spell


    1 tier-3 spell


    More spells on the menu? Looking forward to that.


    With his base stats updated, Ethan took a quick rest. He just needed a few more Essence points, and he¡¯d be able to reshuffle his spellforms around. He was looking forward to seeing what his final stats would look like once that was done.


    ***


    A couple of hours later, the duo went back to hunting. They¡¯ve only been bothered a couple of times when they¡¯d been resting. Once by a little group of water monitors, and the second by a warband of lizardlings. Both have been dealt with pretty fast, and now Ethan was only a couple of Essences short from upgrading the capacity of his Prime wand and having a second spellform spell on it.


    As he eyed the peeved and smoking cave monitor ahead, he tilted his head to the right. The cat didn¡¯t even need to dig her claws into the horn. That tiny nudge was nowhere enough to dislodge her.


    ¡°Get off, Ember.¡±


    ¡°[I want to see the thing from up close. Try again.]¡±


    Ethan went to poke her with a talon as the reptile ambled toward them, and she swatted his scale covered digits. Ethan sighed and turned his attention at the creature ahead as he stepped forward.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to recreate the effect without you distracting me up there. What makes you think it¡¯ll work this time?¡±


    The cat did not respond, so Ethan exhaled and rolled his shoulders, then tried to sink back into the odd mindset.


    The monitor opened its maw and shot a clump of crystallized rocks, and Ethan summoned a wall of flames to ward it off, but the projectile punched right through and slammed into his left shoulder like a swung sledgehammer. A sharp pain came next, followed by wetness as a bit of blood seeped out of the wound.


    One of the sharp crystals had managed to punch through the scales.


    Motherfucker¡­


    Ethan grimaced. He didn¡¯t feel like eating another of those, so instead of walking slowly to recreate the feeling, he ran, quickly eating through the distance separating him from the monster and at the last second he leapt and summoned the lance, then stabbed down.


    The lance head drove into the stony scales for only a few inches, but it was enough to drag a screech out of the monster. Ethan dismissed the lance, unwilling to waste Essence on a detonation, and instead began tearing into the creature''s face with his claws while blasting it with fire.


    The talons couldn¡¯t cut well into the tough scales, but they most definitely could pop an eye or two, and the fire would do the rest, so Ethan let the flames roar.


    He didn¡¯t want to waste time here. He wanted to go explore, so he held nothing back, and a few minutes later, the monster fell, charred and smoking, and Ethan found he¡¯d had enough Essence for his much desired upgrade.


    You have defeated [Cave Monitor - Level 58]


    Shardpurse: 73 fragments collected.


    [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments, 10 Essence]


    He waited as the magic did its thing. Ethan had high hopes. He knew Toughness was about to lose some points considering it won¡¯t be propped up as much by the tier-3 wand, but the loss shouldn¡¯t be bad and then again, everything else should see a strong boost. With that, he began moving things around and once he was done, he had a wide grin on his face.


    Prime Wand of the Juggernaut:


    Spell Forms: [Mana Heart], [Sapping Scales]


    Wand of the Fire Elemental:


    Spell Forms: [[Scorching][Extended][Draconic Claws]], [Draconic Wings]


    Finally, he pulled up his updated stats.


    The wings are boosting Spirit and Mana, but too bad I can¡¯t see the effect of the new trait just yet¡­ but soon. At least Vanguard is active, and so is the draconic set bonus.


    Might: 64 (27)


    Toughness: 77 (40)


    Spirit: 95 (20)


    Mana: 67 (20)


    I¡¯m close to hitting a 100 in a stat. Would that give me something? I doubt it¡­ it might though if it had been a base stat. Everything else is being inflated by spells and wands.


    Ethan hummed as his wings spread and unfurled behind his back. He guessed he would find out eventually but for now, it was time to go exploring.


    ¡°[Don¡¯t fly too fast. It makes me sick.]¡±


    Ethan glared upward at the furball lounging atop of his horns. ¡°Don¡¯t puke on my horns or I¡¯ll throw you in a lake,¡± he said, then jumped.


    He was ready to go see the rift.

 1.62: Chains

    The purple canopy flitted below Ethan as he beat his wings and flew deep in the cave. From this high, the stalactites of the cave¡¯s ceiling were a bit more visible, and Ethan eyed them with concern. Was this something he was going to care about? If any of those things could drop at any time, he¡¯d have to do something about it.


    I can fly now. If I¡¯m going to rest somewhere, I can just go up and knock a few down.


    Ember adjusted her grip on his shoulders and he went back to watching the battles below. It was mostly lizardlings and monitors, but soon enough, he started to see more and more of the new variants, until finally, he lay eyes on the largest creature yet.


    [Lord of the Swamp (II) - Level 70]


    That¡¯s a big one. And tier-2?


    It was being bombarded by fire and spears, but it was as if the creature was made of metal. The spears couldn¡¯t pierce through, and the fire of the lizardlings and their drakes couldn¡¯t even manage to singe the sparse coating of moss of the monster.


    Though a bit beyond, Ethan noticed some movement.


    People?


    ¡°[We probably shouldn¡¯t get too close just yet¡­]¡±


    Ethan raised a brow and tilted his head back, but he couldn¡¯t get a good angle to see the cat. ¡°Why?¡± he shouted over the wind ruffling his hair.


    ¡°[It¡¯s a tier-2, and it has nearly 20 levels on the both of us. We¡¯re not ready. And they most certainly are not, either.]¡±


    Ethan hummed and looked away from the monster, focusing instead on the movement he perceived. The cat wasn¡¯t wrong about the gap being still too wide, but he wanted to give it a shot. Especially now that he was rested and had just gone through a round of upgrades.


    Plus, this could be a good test for Scorching Ascendency. And¡­


    Ethan¡¯s thought trailed off as he saw the first person step out of the brush, followed by one more, and then a third he recognized. A man with a black eye, multiple contusions, and a concerning discoloration on his left arm.


    Diego?


    The lively man he¡¯d met a couple of days ago looked dead on his feet, and as he looked at the new people being forced into the battlefield, he noticed all of them were showing all kinds of signs of distress. Some had torn clothes. Some were shaking, the white of their eyes showing as they took into the beast ahead, and Ethan realized that all of them had decent levels.


    The lowest was level 35, while the highest was Diego with 49 levels.


    Then a sixth person was pushed out in the clearing at the end of a spear, and Ethan knew then he might have just found a new and dangerous group.


    Amanda came tumbling into the clearing, face muddied, but she quickly and smoothly got back up and eyed the battlefield¡ª


    ¡°[Watch out!]¡±


    Ethan dropped out of the air, instantly disabling his wings¡¯ thrust and letting gravity pull him down, and a flare of purple zipped above him. To his alarm, he saw it hit the ceiling and flash toward him once more, intent on hitting its mark.


    Bring it.


    The [Draconic Wings] were supposed to shield him from spells, so Ethan wrapped the giant limbs around him and Ember and took the bolt of jagged magic between two joints, on the almost black, leathery membrane.


    It was like the wings had been hit by lighting, mighty and powerful, but he was also connected to a grounding rod. The magic spread instantly up his joints, making them twitch and burn for a second, and almost as quickly as it came, it faded.


    Ethan looked down to see three more identical spells coming toward him and past them, a man was staring up at him, a mane of purple hair crackling around his features.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Military?


    The man was wearing thick boots, cargo pants, and a black t-shirt riddled with holes. He raised the wand, and shot more of the jagged purple spells while shouting something behind him.


    [Human (I) - Level 51]


    Ethan dropped out of the air, mind churning as a few more people wearing a mishmash of para-military garb popped out of the woods. Should he head toward these new people or back away? He could use this distraction to rush for the rift, which he could finally see from this height, like a scar in reality itself that distorted the air around it.


    As soon as the thought came to him, he knew he couldn¡¯t do it. Something within him revolted at the idea of allowing others to be subjugated in such manners. Something deep inside blazed, seeking to burn such chains, even if Ethan himself wasn¡¯t subjected to them.


    While air rushed around his face as he lost altitude, Ethan stole a glance at the giant monster still nearby. It was still being bothered by the lizardlings, but aside from the occasional swatting, it didn¡¯t seem to care much for the buzzing insects around it¡ªincluding the scheming humans¡ªso Ethan turned his attention back to the ever-closing ground.


    He needed a bit of cover. Just a little time to decide how to go about things.


    Amanda¡¯s a schemer and I don¡¯t want anything to do with her, but being used as fodder, even though it might be something she¡¯d do herself, isn¡¯t acceptable. Diego¡¯s a decent dude, and some of those strangers might be innocent. Those last two are enough for me to intervene. Amanda¡¯s just lucky.


    Ethan dipped behind the cover of the mushroom trees, and landed on his feet quietly and stood still, staring north as Ember hopped off his horns.


    Paramilitary? Mercenaries?


    Whatever they were, it seemed like they didn¡¯t take kindly to being refused. Diego seemed like a wildly free person, and being beaten and bruised as he was said a lot about these new people.


    They¡¯re not weak, either.


    Ethan felt a nervous smile creep up the corners of his mouth. Most were in the high forties, and two had cracked fifty. Could he handle them? What were they capable of? Ethan still hadn¡¯t gotten the highest-level crown back. Was it one of them that was holding on to it?


    ¡°[I take it you¡¯re not retreating as I recommended?]¡±


    Ethan looked down at the cat and at her swishing tail. She didn¡¯t seem that put out. Not even close. In fact, he believed he could see something peeking in her slitted eyes.


    Excitement.


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯ll hold off on antagonizing the big bad monster, but I got a batch of shitty humans to deal with first.¡±


    These people would have used Amelie and the others the same way. As disposable pawns to be sacrificed, and it seems like their brutal methods had allowed them to amass quite a few levels.


    Ethan cracked his neck and stretched his legs as he looked down at the cat. ¡°What will you do?¡±


    ¡°[Hmm. I don¡¯t know yet,]¡± the cat said, licking her paws while her eyes never stepped staring past him. She was acting as if she wasn¡¯t that interested, but Ethan noted she hadn¡¯t even blinked yet. ¡°[Do you need my help?]¡±


    He grinned. ¡°Maybe. I guess if it gets bad, give me a hand?¡±


    A bracelet of pinkish-gold appeared over the cat¡¯s ankle, and her sharp stare swivelled up to him for a second before returning north.¡°[Alright. I want part of the loot, if there¡¯s anything that crappy dagger would give.]¡±


    Ethan reached down and pulled the Harvester¡¯s Dagger out of his dimensional pouch. The blade was growing more and more chipped by the day, and for a second, he felt a bit of regret at not selecting the looting trait. Then again, this was a scenario where a boost in stat was more valuable than loot.


    Alright, dagger, one more fight. Don¡¯t die on me just yet.


    He changed the grip so it¡¯d point down, and took the first step. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Something pulsed deep within his chest, and in his mind¡¯s eye, he could easily picture this new group as chains. Chains that hadn¡¯t tried to get a grip on him just yet, but they would in time. And he wanted to tear them apart. Melt them. Burn them.


    Ethan ran. Step after step, he picked up speed, and a corona of red-orange light began building around him, trailing in his wake like the tail of a comet. His red scales reflected the light of the bonfires surrounding his black talons and within seconds, the first spell hit him and plinked uselessly against his scaled forehead.


    Ethan grunted. That spell might have had a chance of doing a little bit of damage if he hadn¡¯t been running. After all, his Toughness and Might were being bolstered by the horns.


    Another sharp metallic dart slammed into his shoulder, followed by the jagged purple spells and soon, more and more spells showered him as he kept gaining momentum until finally, he saw their faces, and the face of their leader.


    Some cold ran through his veins, but Ethan didn¡¯t stop running.


    A fit, stocky man. A scar on the right side of a sharp chin. A crooked nose that¡¯s been broken too many times, and frigid blue eyes that had watched Ethan bleed out in an abandoned warehouse before the man disappeared and for years after, Ethan had to constantly look over his shoulders. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. For the man to make him pay for having brought his actions to light. But Ethan didn¡¯t have to wait anymore.


    [Human (I) - Level 56]


    Edwin Davis.


    Ethan roared, and the fire around his black-scaled hands raged along with him. The corona around him flared with fire, shielding him from the onslaught of spells as everything fell away. An old nightmare was back, but this time, he could do something about it.

 1.63: Two and a half (Pt. 1)

    Approximately five years ago.


    His footsteps squeaked and echoed in the empty halls. The air was musty. Hot. But it wasn¡¯t enough to warm his wet socks and to chase away the cold seeping into his fingers.


    The new foster home had been further than he expected, as for this new guardian, she said walking would be good for him.


    Ethan didn¡¯t need to dwell on that. After four different foster homes, he began to recognize the pattern. Foster parents didn¡¯t like spending money. Not all, of course. The first one had been generous and to be fair to them, Michael and his wife had really tried to bond, but at that point, Ethan had not been ready, to say the least.


    He didn¡¯t even know if ever would or if he deserved it. He had killed his own father, and no matter what the therapist would say, no matter how ¡®none of it was his fault¡¯, his hands had done the deed, so could he really blame any foster parent for not wanting to invest time in him? After all, who¡¯d want a murderer under their own roof. Not even his mother could look at him at this point. Not that he¡¯d gone to visit the ward recently.


    Ethan shook his head, his breath had slowed. He was fine like this. He¡¯d survive. Two years and nine months, and he¡¯d be eighteen. He could then get a job and get his own place then.


    Then what?


    The silence of the hall and the muted voice coming through the door were his only answer. Ethan stood in front of the classroom door. It was supposed to be history, this morning. He could hear the nosy voice of the teacher. Ethan didn¡¯t remember his name. The year had just started.


    Ethan looked down at his wet shoes and his throat tightened.


    I should have worn my black socks, he thought. Then he paused. No, he couldn¡¯t have. He¡¯d lost them in the last move.


    I¡¯m running out of socks, and these ones stink¡­ I should be careful later. Tighten the laces real hard so they don¡¯t come off. Then I¡¯ll wash them when I get home. Hopefully they¡¯ll dry up by the morning.


    Ethan felt embarrassed, but then, the emotion, like many others, was smothered away by the ever present fog of¡­ what? Apathy? Numbness?


    He felt that was accurate. In a way.


    Ethan considered heading to the former foster home and picking his second pair, but the house was a bit far, and when he¡¯d mentioned having forgotten a couple of personal items to his case worker¡ªincluding the socks¡ªthe man had blinked at him and just moved on to another subject.


    Ethan looked down at the white bit of polyester peeking out of the hole near his small toe. He didn¡¯t need to give those clowns more ammo.


    I should have accepted the transfer.


    He looked at the wooden door, then down the hall. What if he left? What if he just went¡­ out?


    Ethan let the thought float for a moment in his mind, then recalled there was a gym later, so he gripped the door handle and twisted. There was a hubbub of chatter as the teacher went around picking up homework for an instant before it died out, and a twenty-something pair of eyes swiveled toward him. Taking him in. Judging him.


    What if I had just let him stab me as well?


    For a second, Ethan imagined that could be preferable, but he quickly snapped out of the thought and saw the eyes once more. He felt them push him toward the exit, but he stood his ground, and a moment later, the teacher spoke up. ¡°Fischer, right? You¡¯re late. What is it this time? Missed the bus again?¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t respond. He just stood in the doorway, and let the snickers of his classmates wash over him, but he was soon let in, so for now, he tuned out everything, and tried to care about the lessons.


    ***


    The class went by as usual, somehow quickly enough he couldn¡¯t recall much of it aside from the couple of tidbits he wrote down, and fast enough that it was already lunch time.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The teacher gave some more homework and nearly sprinted out of the classroom, disappearing in the midst of the chatting students, and Ethan briskly picked up his stuff and began zipping-up his bag as he walked but alas, he¡¯d taken too long.


    The door swung shut in his face, and two unpleasant faces leered at him as they positioned themselves between him and the exit.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s here, Zach. The freak. Didn¡¯t we tell him something last week?¡±


    The shorter of the two, a pale redhead named Damian, asked, turning up to the said Zach who leaned back against the door and grinned, showing his crooked teeth. The teenager wore his hat to the side and even Ethan with his stunted fashion sense knew that looked weird.


    ¡°We told him to bring ten dollars every Monday. I don¡¯t have ten dollars. Do you have ten doll¡ª¡±


    The door opened, and the teacher came rushing back. The man was surprised for a second, then he frowned. ¡°What are you three doing here? Get out. Out! All of you.¡±


    The history teacher had been running, but Ethan took the chance and slipped out, throat dry. He didn¡¯t want to get in trouble, so he¡¯d just been dodging the bullies and stonewalling them, but it wasn¡¯t doing him much good and sooner or later, things were going to escalate.


    Already, his desk and lock had been messed with, and he¡¯d had to clean the latter a few times already.


    Should have just moved to another high-school when the counselor offered.


    Ethan swallowed as he weaved within the crowd toward the gymnasium. He was skipping lunch today, no matter how unhappy his stomach was going to be. It wasn¡¯t as if he was hungry, either.


    Already, the anxiety and frustration from the two clowns had faded, and at the moment, he was just looking forward to some exercise. Arriving at the gymnasium, he found only a couple of students eating lunch in the stands, and a few paces away, the new gym teacher, a cranky old man by the name of Luther who was always busy fixing or cleaning something or another. This time, Ethan found the man writing stuff up on a white-board paper, stared at his scribbles for a few moments, then tore the page out and mumbled something at it before he threw it in the trash bin and started over.


    Ethan found himself a seat away from the two girls eating, and ignored their stare and the whispering that followed. Instead, he leaned over and tightened his shoe-laces. He hoped there¡¯d be wrestling this year.


    ***


    With the gym class over, Ethan found himself in the locker room and there was no amount of stink or sweat that could tamp down the heat spreading through his chest. In the end, they¡¯d done some wrestling, and Ethan had done well. He won a few rounds, lost some others, but that didn¡¯t matter.


    Putting his back into the spars and every ounce of force he could muster did miracles for his mind. Gone was the fog that ate through his emotions. He felt alive. And now, he felt angry. Because the two clowns had found him again, and they were going on once more about their ¡®ten dollars¡¯ shtick.


    Ethan had considered trying to slip away or call for help, but all that would do was attract more spectators.


    Zach shoved him, and Ethan¡¯s bare shoulder slammed into the cold metal, bringing him back to the present moment and out of his musings.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my ten dollars, freak?¡±


    Damian wasn¡¯t laughing this time. Well, he sort-of was, but there was too much rage boiling through his features for his expression to be called a ¡®smile¡¯. Probably because of how handedly Ethan had beaten him barely twenty minutes ago.


    Ethan could still hear the redhead¡¯s back slamming against the cushioned floor.


    Now, how could he get away from here? Ethan paused. Actually, why should he?


    He stared up at the leering face ahead of him. At the beady, rat-like eyes. And the crooked teeth of the young man, and next thing he knew, there was a loud, blissful crack of hand meeting an unsuspecting cheek, and a sharp, burning pain against his palm.


    The locker room went quiet, while buzz filled his ears. There was a lull, then a dam broke. A fire was lit.


    Ethan exploded forward and shoved his fist deep into Zach¡¯s gut, and it was like a life was breathed into his chest again and as he rained punches and kicks into the teen in front of him, he realized he was smiling.


    Was that all it took to feel alive? Because this¡­ this he could do. He could spare the effort to pay some bullies back. So what if people thought he was yet another bully? So what?


    It wasn¡¯t as if his friends wanted to talk to him anyway. It wasn¡¯t going to fix anything. It wasn¡¯t going to bring his father to life or fix whatever happened to the man¡¯s mind.


    Ethan tasted blood and lost himself in the action, and for the first time in close to a year, he felt alive.


    ***


    Ethan stood next to the case worker in front of yet another door, with his duffel bag of belongings and a backpack over his shoulder.


    ¡°Talk to your therapist and counselor, and if it all goes well, you¡¯ll be back to a foster home in time. With your own room and everything. If that¡¯s what you want. For now, you¡¯ll need to spend a few weeks here. At the least,¡± the man next to him said. Then the man coughed, and added, voice low. ¡°Don¡¯t do... what you¡¯ve done in your school. Keep a low profile, okay? Pick your battles and all that.¡±


    Ethan gave the man a sidelong glance, and couldn¡¯t help the frown on his face. The man had never seemed like he cared about Ethan¡¯s wellbeing. As if he was just moving a plant from a window to the next. So what¡¯s with the mood shift?


    Ethan grit his teeth.


    Doesn¡¯t matter. If anyone starts shit, I¡¯ll put them in their places.


    He was done with bullies. He was done with being walked on and talked about behind his back.


    Two years and a half. Then I¡¯m free of all of this shit.

 1.64: Two and a half (Pt. 2)

    The door opened up, and a smiling middle-aged couple stood in front of Ethan and his case worker.


    ¡°Hi!¡± they both said, then the woman continued. ¡°Please come in. You must be Ethan. I¡¯m Clariss, and this is Matthew.¡±


    The couple stepped back to reveal a spotless entrance, with colorful and immaculately organized shoe-racks. Ethan inhaled and his brows twitched, but he didn¡¯t frown. The home smelled odd. Like a mix of detergent and alcohol and suddenly, Ethan worried about his shoes and about the socks he was wearing.


    ¡°Please, come in, both of you.¡±


    Ethan followed after the adults and went through the pleasantries quietly, nodding on occasion while the couple and Paul confirmed a few details. At some point, the woman called out for a ¡®Marvin¡¯, and a young red-headed kid came along. He must have been around thirteen or fourteen, and he wore a few well-worn but clean jeans and t-shirt.


    ¡°Marvin,¡± Clariss said, ¡°would you show Ethan here to his bed? He¡¯ll share a room with Ed.¡±


    Marvin¡¯s smile flickered for a fraction of a second, then he nodded. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. Is he back?¡±


    Clariss, having turned her attention back to Ethan¡¯s counselor, slowly turned back to look at Marvin who seemed to shrink right in front of her. She smiled, but her eyes did not lose any of their sharpness and Ethan knew he was going to have to watch himself around her. ¡°Ed? No. But he¡¯ll be back with us in a week. Now, go on.¡±


    Ethan followed Marvin, carefully maneuvering his duffel-bag so it wouldn¡¯t knock down any of the decorative elements in his way. Pots, books, lanterns here and there. The group home was¡­ unnerving. It was definitely homey and warm, but everything was spotless. Everything smelled of chemicals. It was just too clinical.


    A few twists and turns later, the boy stopped in front of a simple wooden door, with two name slots neatly nested at eye level. One was empty, and the upper one had a name in it, hand-written on a cut piece of paper.


    Edwin Davis


    Marvin gently rapped on the varnished wooden door. Once. Twice. Then after there was no response on the third knock, he twisted the round handle and looked up at Ethan with a smile. ¡°This is your room.¡±


    Isn¡¯t this Ed not supposed to be here? Why did he knock?


    Ethan shelved the question and looked past the guide into a neat and tidy room. There were two beds, each on one side, with a draped window and matching rug in between. He glanced down at his guide and at the wide-eyed look Marvin was giving the room.


    Weird.


    Ethan stepped in, looking around, and when he glanced back, he found the kid still standing behind the entrance.


    ¡°Which bed is mine?¡±


    The kid jumped, then a glassy smile spread on his face. ¡°That one,¡± he said, pointing to the right one. ¡°You can put your stuff there and there, in the lower two compartments,¡± he added, pointing to a couple of hidden drawers under the bed and to the dresser under the window. He was still unwilling to step in. Marvin looked down the corridor in both directions for a second, then looked back at Ethan. ¡°You should keep the room clean, okay? Them¡¯s the rules.¡±


    ¡°What happens if you break the rules?¡±


    The kid¡¯s face slacked for a second, then his brows knitted. ¡°Don¡¯t break them, alright? It¡¯s better for everyone.¡±


    And with that, the boy turned and left, and after a few muffled steps, a door clicked open then shut. Ethan stared after him for a second, and felt a cold sensation trail down his back.


    What was that about?


    ***


    ¡°Fisher, come give me a hand with something once you¡¯re done,¡± said the gym teacher before he turned and walked toward the end of the gymnasium.


    Help him with what?


    Ethan blinked, then sighed and continued sweeping the mat. He didn¡¯t mind giving a hand and frankly, the last few weeks have been amazing in school. After the small debacle with the two bullies, no one had tried to start anything with him. Of course, the whispers and chatter had not stopped, hell, they might have gotten worse, but Ethan didn¡¯t care.


    He had this. Sports. Wrestling.


    It was fun. It pushed away the fog that generally hovered in his mind without making him all tired and woozy. Unlike the meds he¡¯d been prescribed at first. He was even sleeping better. He¡¯d still frequently wake up in cold sweat, thinking he was back in that kitchen with a knife in his hand, but unless he was mistaken, it was happening less often.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t have gym-class everyday, but the odd and foul-mouthed teacher¡ªLuther¡ªmanaged to talk the principal into getting an assistant that knew enough about wrestling, and he¡¯d gotten them space to practice.


    ¡°Go ahead, Ethan, I¡¯ll finish up,¡± said Jonathan.


    Ethan thanked him and picked up his bag. There were just five of them in this club so far, but it was nice to talk to other people who didn¡¯t tiptoe or act weird around him. His fellow wrestlers didn¡¯t talk about much aside from the spars, to be fair, but it was a nice change of pace.


    I should look into some other clubs. Maybe chess or something.


    Ethan found Luther dragging a few bags full of all sorts of balls out of storage. The coach was an old man. Forty or so. Cranky. He was well-spoken when he was teaching a full-class, but when he was just with the wrestling club, the crankiness turned all the way up, and so did his vocabulary.


    All of them in the wrestling club found it funny, so no one said anything, but Ethan couldn¡¯t help but feel intrigued by the man.


    Luther dropped the bag and grimaced, putting his hands on the small of his back as he turned to Ethan.


    ¡°Look, Ethan. You¡¯re good. You got that grit in you. It¡¯s a lot of fun to watch your spars and even though you haven¡¯t started as early as some other kids, this could take you far. I talked to some friends and we might be able to organize something between high-schools. Maybe you could even get a spot in one of them. Bigger teams. Better coaches and all that. What do you say? Want me to put out the word for you?¡±


    Ethan hadn¡¯t expected that, but the words still lit up a small fire in his chest. Hope. ¡°You think I could get a scholarship?¡±


    That would be amazing. That would be his way to a better life. Away from this city. From the people who knew what had happened. A new start.


    Luther stared at him for a moment, surprised. ¡°What? No! What do you think this is? You think scholarships get handed out that easy? Kid trains train since middle-school and they don¡¯t get into those fancy sport programs. No no, this is just good for you. It¡¯s a good use of your time, I meant. Shit it might allow you to get a scholarship, but that¡¯d be a nice bonus and anyway, there are other ways to go to college aside from scholarships.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The flame died out in Ethan¡¯s chest.


    The coach winced and rubbed the back of his close-shaved head. ¡°Shit. Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡ªlook. I¡¯m saying this because¡­ you know. You got history in this school. Sometimes it¡¯s not easy to move on from stuff if you have to keep seeing it and be reminded of it every single damn day. A new start, that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. A change of scenery. And practice. Sports. It¡¯d be good for you, kid. When you¡¯re busy and too tired after a long day in school, you¡¯re less likely to get yourself in trouble. Know what I¡¯m talking about?¡±


    Ethan tightened his jaw. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who started anything.¡±


    Luther raised both arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that you did. Look, I¡¯m not giving you shit. You got enough on your plate. I¡¯m just saying that spending all that stress and anger in here,¡± he said, gesturing to the mat, ¡°is way better than doing it out there. You know, it¡¯s like a balloon. If you keep blowing air into it, it¡¯ll blow up. But if you come here a few times every week and let some of that pressure out, safely, then you¡¯ll find it a lot easier to manage. And if you do that in a new spot that¡¯s better equipped than our shitty little mats, then that¡¯d be better for you. You just gotta do well in the next inter-high tournament. Win a game or two, and we¡¯ll get it done. If you¡¯re interested. It¡¯s just a suggestion. And what do I know of stress management, it¡¯s not as if I studied any of this shit. Oh wait. I did,¡± he said, giving Ethan an even stare.


    Ethan couldn¡¯t help the smile that stretched across his lips.


    Luther grinned and picked up the bag of tennis balls. ¡°Oh you think that¡¯s funny? Ha. Ha,¡± he shook his head and picked up another ball then nodded toward the exit. ¡°Alright, get out of here. I got shit to do. See you tomorrow.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to help him? Ethan shrugged, then said goodbye and left, a smile on his lips.


    What a weird man.


    ***


    Ethan removed his shoes at the door. He put on the plastic-sock thingies, tip-toed toward the restroom then sat over the edge of the bath. He washed his feet, threw out the plastic socks in the bin set aside for them. He dried his feet, put in his slippers, then shuffled his way to the living room where he ¡®checked in¡¯ with Clariss and Martin, then he could finally go to his room.


    Ethan chafed a bit at the rules and regulation, but it was a small price to pay for a roof over his head. He ate well, slept well, and had clothes and shoes in his size. None were brand new, but that was fine. He had a dry room he wasn¡¯t cold in, and he had more than two pairs of socks. None of which stank.


    Ethan turned the door handle. This was a good deal. He was enjoying school, mostly, and he had a safe place to sleep. He could wait out the two years until he turned 18 and then¡ª


    There was someone.


    The bed that had been empty the last eight days was occupied. A young man was sitting on it, reading. A small book was in his hand. With a slightly loose cover jacket. He didn¡¯t look up, and Ethan, for once, wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed. Then again, this was his room, so he said hello and walked in while Edwin¡ªhe assumed¡ªturned another page and said nothing.


    Works for me.


    Ethan put his backpack at the foot of his bed, stood over his bed, and frowned.


    Didn¡¯t he leave some folded clothes on here?


    ¡°You¡¯re Ethan, right? I see you made yourself at home in my absence.¡±


    Ethan turned to find the teenager standing at the foot of his own bed. He had his arms behind his back, and was staring at Ethan. His brown hair was loosely brushed back, and even though his expression seemed welcoming, Ethan quickly noticed his smile was as fake as Clariss¡¯s had been and this time, not because it wasn¡¯t reaching his eyes.


    No, what was unnerving was how genuine his expression seemed. All of it, aside from the unblinking, cold blue eyes that were trained on Ethan.


    ¡°Was I supposed to wait for you before I made myself comfortable?¡±


    Edwin tilted his head a fraction, then spoke. ¡°Welcome in. And I hope we get along,¡± he said before turning and sitting back down on his bed, seemingly uncaring of Ethan¡¯s response or reaction.


    He opened his book once more, so Ethan turned away and for the first time in a while, he felt that he shouldn¡¯t show his back to this guy. And he wished he¡¯d gotten any other room with anybody else.


    Something tightened in Ethan¡¯s guts, but he took a deep breath.


    Two years and a half. Then I¡¯m out.


    ¡°Oh and do me a favor. Next time, knock before you open the door,¡± Ed said, without looking up.


    Yeah. We¡¯ll get along, alright.

 1.65: Two and a half (Pt. 3)

    Ethan turned away and began unpacking his notebooks without responding to the young man.


    The hell is wrong with this guy?


    He grit his teeth. The thought behind knocking before entering was fair, but the way he said it rubbed Ethan the wrong way. Who did this guy think he was?


    Ethan¡¯s hands itched. He wanted to hit something. Someone. But no. Just like Luther had said, it was better to keep the frustrations to the ring and not get himself into trouble. Already, his outbursts with the bullies in high-school had landed him in a group home. No need to make things worse.


    Ethan breathed out slowly and didn¡¯t turn when he heard the bed creak behind him.


    Shower. Dinner. Homework. Stay out of trouble. That should be ea¡ª


    An arm wrapped around Ethan¡¯s neck and dragged backward, digging into his throat.


    Ethan reached up, alarmed and confused, and Ed spoke between his teeth. ¡°I asked you something. Answer me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± rasped Ethan. His heart hammered in his ears as he struggled to free himself, but Ed only tightened his grip.


    ¡°I told you to knock. You ignored me. That¡¯s rude,¡± he whispered, tightening his grip even further to the point Ethan¡¯s head began to swim, and an image wormed its way out of his nightmares.


    The stench of alcohol. The image of his father ambling toward him and his mother. Eyes red. Knife glistening.


    Ethan drove his elbow backward and felt it dig into Ed¡¯s side. The teenager grunted, and the grip loosened. Ethan refrained from head-butting backward and instead, he drove his elbow backward again but this time an arm stopped the impact. Ethan shoved himself away, gripping at his throat as the air whistled through his windpipe.


    Ed stumbled back, knocking a lantern at the edge of his bed and looked up. Two unblinking, icy-blue eyes narrowed at Ethan, teeth bared in a furious grin. and Ethan raised his fists, blood pumping in his ears.


    The door opened up.


    Clariss took in the scene, and Ethan¡¯s heart dropped. He was about to explain that he¡¯d been attacked, when Ed spoke. ¡°Is it dinner-time, miss Shepard?¡±


    The woman met Ed¡¯s eyes for an instant, lingered on Ethan¡¯s then nodded.


    Ed smiled at her. ¡°We¡¯ll be right down, then. Thank you.¡±


    Clariss blinked, and her gaze flicked toward Ethan for a moment, before she stepped back and closed the door.


    Ethan¡¯s fists were still raised, and his mouth hung open.


    What?


    ¡°There are rules in this place. Politeness is one of them. I strongly suggest you get with the program, or you¡¯ll find yourself in a place much worse than a group home,¡± said Ed, brushing down his clothes. He leaned to the side a bit, wincing at the pain in his side, and met Ethan¡¯s gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s just call it even. And it¡¯s time for dinner,¡± he said, and began stepping toward the door.


    Ethan moved back, and the edge of the bed dug into his thighs, but he didn¡¯t lower his guard. Ed continued to the door, opened it, and stepped out.


    ¡°You should wash your face. Your eyes are a bit red. And oh, keep all of this to yourself. Or I promise you, you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t respond, still utterly confused at the nonsensical situation he was in. The door shut, but there was only one thought in his mind.


    What the fuck?


    ***


    As always, the high-school hallways were loud in the morning as Ethan made his way to his locker in a daze. His head hurts. He¡¯d ended up staying up all night, unwilling to sleep that close to a potential threat.


    What the hell is happening in that place?


    Dinner had gone smoothly. There was a long, large table in the living room, and everyone had sat down and eaten quietly, including the two owners of the home, two helping-staff, and six kids. No one mentioned any altercations. No one said anything about what had happened in the room. Everyone just spoke a bit about their day and what they were up to for the rest of the week, and then everyone helped clearing out the table for homework.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ethan already felt a lump in his throat at the thought of going back there. There was something going on in there, and the more oddities he noticed, the less he wanted to be there.


    Should I tell Paul?


    Could the counselor do anything? Ethan wasn¡¯t confident in that. Especially considering Clariss had completely ignored what had been happening in the room. He had no proof, and Paul would just give him the same excuse as the last time Ethan had complained about a foster situation.


    Should I snoop? Find proof?


    There must be something going on. Why would Clariss just ignore one of her wards being violent? Clearly, it wasn¡¯t new, considering Marvin¡¯s reaction when the boy had shown Ethan to his room.


    Ethan swallowed. It felt like there were ropes wrapping around his chest, restricting his breath.


    What can I do?


    ¡°Fisher. You alright?¡±


    Ethan looked up and found Luther frowning at him. The man had a spool of rope wrapped around his arm.


    When did I get here?


    Ethan shook his head. ¡°Sorry. I-uh... I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    For a fraction of a second, Ethan considered mentioning the situation at home, but he didn¡¯t want to create complications for himself. What could the coach do? No¡­ he needed to think about things a bit more. He couldn¡¯t be impulsive.


    ¡°Huh. Alright, I guess. Are you getting sick? If you¡¯re sick you can leave, you know. Your voice¡¯s a bit weird.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s throat tightened. He was looking forward to the wrestling club. To take his mind off things. He most certainly wasn¡¯t ready to head back home, and when he said as much, Luther shrugged.


    ¡°Alright then, suit yourself. Let me know if you need anything, alright?¡±


    ***


    The next night, Ethan barely rested. He¡¯d tried to stay awake, but no matter how much he willed it, no matter how hard he resisted, he just couldn¡¯t hold his eyes open anymore, which resulted in him frequently waking up startled, expecting to be attacked, and when the light of day began filtering through the window, he got up and went out, and after breakfast, he found a public phone and made a call.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®weird¡¯? We can¡¯t initiate a transfer on a gut feeling, Ethan. Do you have proof? Is this just you not liking the new home?¡±


    Ethan swallowed. He had no proof. Nothing. Maybe some of the other kids knew something, but he wasn¡¯t guaranteed they¡¯d say anything.


    ¡°Maybe there were complaints in the past? About Edwin Davis? I think he¡¯s the source, but no, I don¡¯t know of any proof. It¡¯s just that it seems like¡­ he¡¯s getting away with a lot.¡±


    There was a sigh on the other end of the phone, and Ethan felt his ears heat up. ¡°Fine, Ethan. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    The line hung-up, and Ethan looked down at the beeping handset, then hooked it back in place and shoved the counselor¡¯s card in his pocket.


    He had a bad feeling about the call. Like he knew he¡¯d just thrown a stone at a tiger, but he didn¡¯t know what else he could do. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t wrong.


    A few days later, Paul showed up with another agent, and they went around the group home, inspecting it and talking with everyone, staff and kids included, after which they¡¯d left.


    That evening¡¯s dinner was quieter than usual, but nothing happened. Not until the next day. Ethan had turned the corner, humming on his back from school, and blue light flashed into his eyes.


    His steps faltered.


    Red and blue lights alternated, lighting the neighborhood in pale and blaring lights. The police car was parked in front of the group home¡¯s and out of the door came out a pair of grim policemen, dragging a crying teenager. Kevin, Ethan believed his name was.


    ¡°It¡¯s not mine! I swear, please. Miss Shepard tell them, please.¡±


    No one answered Kevin, and slowly but firmly, he was shoved in the back of the police car before being driven away. Ethan watched the car disappear around the corner, horror gnawing at his insides, and when he looked back at the group home, he found the door closed. The couple had seemingly gone back inside, as if they¡¯d just taken some trash out.


    An orphan no one cared about.


    When he¡¯d gone in, the mood was slightly grim, but everything else went on as always. Quiet dinners. Showers. Homeworks and when Ethan returned to his room, he found his bed occupied. Ed looked up and away from the smartphone in his hand, then picked up a cookie from a plate and bit into it. Ethan watched the crumbs fall down on his covers, and felt his breath pick up.


    ¡°You talked,¡± said Ed, still chewing. His hair was held back by a hair clip, and his face was as impassive as always.


    Ethan tightened his jaw, and resisted from swallowing, no matter how dry his throat felt.


    ¡°No need to deny it. Paul¡¯s your case manager, and you said something, so he came snooping. Even though I told you to keep quiet.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    Ed chewed, then brushed the crumbs off his blue jeans. Ethan watched them land over the carpet. ¡°You have a choice to make. Either you get hauled off just like Kevin,¡± he said, getting up, and started to type on his phone.


    Ethan waited, guts churning and he wondered. Was he bluffing? Or did he really do something that got Kevin in trouble? The thought of being dragged out toward a police station was terrifying. Ethan didn¡¯t want to end up in juvie. He¡¯d heard enough horror stories about such places.


    Finally, Ed looked up from his phone, face lit up by the bright screen. ¡°Or you do three tasks for me. No questions asked. And I mean none. And let me be clear this time; you do as you¡¯re told, or you¡¯re done. Work for me, and you can get your own room, and finish up your stay. I could even get Clariss to put in a good word for you. Get you back to a small foster gig.¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t move. His thoughts felt both sluggish and frantic at once. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. You can¡¯t get the cops to carry me away just like that.¡±


    Ed smiled without showing his teeth, and Ethan hated how relaxed his eyes seemed.


    ¡°Sure. You¡¯re innocent until you aren''t. I guess you can try and see what happens. I¡¯ll let you think it over. Sleep on it. ¡±


    With that, Ed picked up his plate of sugar cookies and stepped toward the exit. He extended the plate for a second, but when Ethan didn¡¯t reach for it, he shrugged and continued on.


    ¡°Three tasks. No questions asked. Then you get a room and a bed where you can actually sleep. Think about it.¡±


    The door shut behind him, and Ethan felt the walls close in on him.


    What do I do?

 1.66: Two and a half (Pt. 4)

    The spotless ceiling stared back at Ethan as his mind scrambled for a way out. The covers felt too heavy on his chest. The bed too narrow. The room too small.


    Thankfully, he was alone in the room. Edwin seemed to disappear somewhat often. Ethan didn¡¯t know if he was just going out or if he was sleeping in another room, but he wasn¡¯t complaining about not having to share space with the teen.


    He took a deep breath, and steeled his mind on the matter at hand; what should he do?


    Can I call Paul? No¡­ no time. And even if I could call him, he just came and inspected the group home. He wouldn¡¯t believe me.


    Ethan blinked at the ceiling and for a moment, he felt¡­ isolated. From everything and everyone. What if he just left? What if he got on a bus and moved across the country? What if he moved to Canada?


    He could afford the ticket, he had some little savings. Enough for a bus ride across the border. But he had no passport and getting one of those would take a few days at least.


    And I¡¯d leave this asshole to do whatever the hell he wants. Maybe even accuse me of something without me being able to defend myself.


    Ethan didn¡¯t like that thought.


    I need proof. I need something to show Paul and the cops.


    Speaking of¡­ could he just go talk to a cop?


    He shook his head. No, that would come back to Paul, then to Clariss, and considering the woman was somehow compromised, it could create a mess. But this gave Ethan an idea.


    It¡¯s risky. And it¡¯s not guaranteed it would work.


    Ethan wished he had anyone he could ask advice from. Someone who cared or who could help with something like this, and as he imagined himself asking for help or advice, a face popped up in his mind. For a moment, Ethan felt hope, but he squished that ember down.


    Why would he care? No one would risk getting themselves in trouble like that¡­


    Ethan¡¯s experience so far with the adults had been that most didn¡¯t really want to involve themselves with him and his issues. Oh they were nice and polite, and they didn¡¯t mind checking in whenever they happened to have a spot in their schedules, but whenever he needed something more, they were quick to pull back and never interact with him again.


    Maybe he¡¯s not like that¡­ he went through all that trouble to set a club for us and find us a trainer.


    Luther seemed to care, but the thought of asking for help to once more be told he was imagining things or just have his problems chucked down the line like a hot-potato was depressing.


    He didn¡¯t want to see that fake look of empathy on another face right before they walked past him and moved on with their days.


    I have no one else.


    Ethan let the ember of hope dance in his chest, and he felt if it was snuffed this time, he might not be able to ignite again.


    Stop being dramatic and get some sleep.


    ***


    Luther cupped his chin for a moment then pushed the chair back and stood up. His office was small, mostly filled with junk and a few framed pictures, but there was enough space for him to pace. ¡°So you want to do these little tasks, and you want me to be a witness so you can nail this supposed mobster you¡¯re sharing a room with, and you can¡¯t go to the cops or tell the responsible of the group home because you think he¡¯s got dirt on her. Is that right? Do you know how crazy that sounds?¡±


    Ethan took a step back as the man stopped and faced him.


    He swallowed, lips pressed tight. What had he expected? What should he do now? Get on a bus and run? He shouldn¡¯t have¡ª


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, brat,¡± snapped Luther, instantly dragging Ethan out of his spiraling train of thought. The man rubbed his face then ran a frustrated hand through his shaved scalp. ¡°Jesus Christ, what a mess. You said that Clariss had a husband. You think the kid got dirt on him as well?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ethan blinked. ¡°You believe me?¡±


    Luther sighed, then sat against his desk and brushed his dust off of his jacket. ¡°Yeah. I think so. Look, it all sounds crazy, but you wouldn¡¯t come to me with all of this nonsense if you had any other choice. Plus it sounds like the person you should go to with this crap doesn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about what¡¯s going on. So yeah. I¡¯ll hear you out. Wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep if I ignored this and something ended up happening to you because of it. Stop looking at me like that and let me think for a second.¡±


    Ethan was completely frozen, still trying to process that someone was taking his problems seriously.


    ¡°Not involving cops is stupid here¡­ but then again, it might all trickle back up in the system, so I¡¯ve got an idea for that. Let me call a couple of friends. When are you supposed to do the delivery?¡±


    Ethan was supposed to receive a bag in a local coffee shop and deliver it across town to another coffee shop. His plan was to try and see what¡¯s in the bag, and to suss-out who were the people he was dealing with and hopefully, by the third task, he¡¯d have enough dirt on Edwin Davis to get rid of him.


    ***


    While Ethan picked up the first package and delivered it, he was being trailed by Luther¡¯s friend. A private detective.


    Having assumed Ethan was being watched, the expert elected to watch from afar while Ethan went on with the mission, after which he¡¯d go back to school to ¡®pick up some books he¡¯d forgotten¡¯ and talk with Luther and his friend about what both of them had found out.


    Unfortunately, Ethan hadn¡¯t been able to peek through the box. It was a standard cardboard parcel in a tote bag, so he couldn¡¯t rip it open without being obvious. Fortunately, that hadn¡¯t been a deal breaker. From trailing Ethan, the private detective, an average middle-aged looking man that went by the name of Brian, already had a couple of theories once they were in Luther¡¯s office.


    ¡°I think this roommate of yours might be dealing with the Strays. A small-time gang that deals in drug-trafficking here and Charlestown.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Luther spat. He had a worried look in his eyes, and he shared a look with the detective. ¡°Is that enough to involve the cops?¡±


    Brian shook his head and Ethan felt like a spectator as the two talked. ¡°No proof. Just a hunch. Plus those packages are most likely empty, but I doubt this will stop after ¡®three tasks¡¯. There¡¯ll always be a new excuse to get you to do more, and the more you do for them, the more incriminated you¡¯ll be. Can you try and see what¡¯s in the next delivery? If it¡¯s something illegal, we can go all three to the station and talk to someone.¡±


    Ethan needed proof. So that¡¯s what they would do.


    ***


    The second delivery was a simple black messenger bag he was supposed to bring to Edwin. Ethan picked up from yet another coffee shop and unhurriedly made his way back home. He kept his pace somewhat slow so Brian could keep an eye on him, but he couldn¡¯t reach into the bag just yet. The streets were busy, and he didn¡¯t know if he was being watched. Thankfully, they had a plan for that.


    Ethan eyed the bus as it came to a stop, then kept his pace even and watched the traffic light. When he saw it was only seconds from turning green, he jogged toward the bus and hopped in, trying to keep his pace somewhat casual. He didn¡¯t look behind him, and instead, he paid for his fare and found a seat in the back.


    No one got in after me. Good.


    Ethan waited for the bus to roll out of the station, and when it did, he took a quick look around and discretely, hidden behind the arm of another chair, he gripped the zipper head and pulled. There was a bit of resistance, then the head slid down. Peering within, he found the bag full of wine corks. Four or five transparent bags full of corks.


    The hell?


    Ethan zipped up the bag and glanced around. No one was staring at him as far as he could tell, so he looked down at the now closed bag once again.


    Wine corks? Is this a test, or are they using them somehow?


    The plan was to check if there was something incriminating in the bag, at which point he was supposed to meet Brian at the next station but if he didn''t get off the bus, it meant that there was nothing. That the bag was a dud. The problem was, Ethan didn¡¯t know if it was a dud.


    Shit. What do I do now?


    It was too risky to go with this bag to the station. There was nothing in it, and on the off-chance there was, he couldn¡¯t tell.


    Wait for another opportunity then, like Brian said.


    Ethan got off the bus near his neighborhood, and made his way up to the group home, then to his room with the suspicious bag over his shoulder. After washing his feet and putting on his slippers, he climbed up the stairs and found himself staring at the door.


    He raised a hand, pursed his lips, then knocked. It was better to act compliant for now and get some dirt on his target. Still, he hated it. There was no response, so he opened the door and walked in.


    The teen was sitting at the edge of his bed, typing on his smart-phone, and Ethan put down the bag at his feet and sat on his bed.


    ¡°Good work. One more job and you¡¯re through,¡± said Edwin without looking up. He continued typing for a moment, then reached down and picked up the bag. Putting down the phone, he slowly and smoothly zipped the bag open, staring into it, then pulled one of the cork-bags and turned it over in his hand thoughtfully. A smile drew itself on his lips, and he looked up and met Ethan¡¯s gaze.


    Ethan suppressed the desire to punch him.


    ¡°Stay around tomorrow or the day after. I don¡¯t have an exact time for the task, but once you¡¯re done with it, we¡¯re through. Have you decided whether you want your own room or if you want Clariss to put in a good word?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to leave.¡±


    Edwin nodded, throwing the bag up before catching. ¡°Deal.¡±

 1.67: Two and a half (Pt. 5)

    Luther ran as fast as his bad knees allowed him, weaving between the crowd toward the docks. His phone was still in his hands, ringing, but no one was picking up.


    Goddamit Brian, how did you lose them? Where did they go?


    Luther cursed under his breath and slowed down as he approached the corner of one of the city¡¯s most infamous streets. He hadn¡¯t been here in a lifetime, but he had no other choices. He needed leads. He needed people who had a finger or five in the underbelly of the city, and he needed them now.


    Goddamn cops.


    He¡¯d already called those, but without a specific area or a specific issue, they only gave him lukewarm answers, saying a patrol would swing by, but the area between Broadway and the creek was too wide, and they could patrol as much as they wanted, they would not be capable of finding the boy.


    They knew they were being tailed. He knew. We got played.


    A few panhandlers glanced at the panting gym teacher, looking him up and down, but before anyone could get any ideas, Luther turned to one of the idle looking vagrants and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Wallace.¡±


    That made a few perk-up, but others only shared a questioning look between themselves.


    ¡°Who¡¯s asking,¡± said another vagrant that had been leaning over a rusted shopping cart. Gone were the idle and bored eyes. Instead, the man was standing straight, eyes sharp, and so were a handful of others.


    A thrill ran down his back, but Luther kept his face still.


    ¡°Tell him Luther Voss is calling a favor.¡±


    ***


    Ethan¡¯s heart was hammering painfully in his chest, but he could not stop walking. Not even when he realized they were getting a bit too isolated for his comfort. Even if Brian was tailing him, a lot could happen here before the detective could do much about it.


    His and Edwin¡¯s steps echoed on the concrete sidewalk, and Ethan stole a glance back, but he didn¡¯t see anyone.


    Did he lose us?


    Ethan swallowed. If the private detective was not on his tail, then he might need to make himself scarce.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± said Edwin. ¡°You¡¯ll pick up the package and deliver it to the address we¡¯ll put on the smart-phone we¡¯ll give you. Once done, throw the phone in any trash bin and you¡¯re done.¡±


    Ethan nodded along, but to be frank, he was considering running. He took another look back, expecting¡ªand hoping¡ªto see Brian, but he only saw two teenagers. One wearing sweatpants, and one wearing jeans and a dark hoodie with the cap covering most of his features.


    This is bad, he thought, shoulders tensing even more than they already were.


    Next to him, Edwin came to a stop, which prompted Ethan to look back in front of him.


    They had left Broadway street a while back through an alley, and they had walked toward the creek for a few minutes and now, they were standing in front of a warehouse of some sort. Edwin nodded toward a small door. ¡°In there.¡±


    Ethan gazed at the metallic door, then at the larger one a few paces away. A tall, rusted truck-sized roll up garage door. He glanced toward the two youth walking to them, and his stomach twisted.


    ¡°He¡¯s not coming.¡±


    It was like a punch in the gut that he¡¯d already been waiting for. Ethan almost gave himself away, but he still managed to ask and as the words left his mouth, he knew the gig was up. ¡°Who?¡±


    Edwin smirked right as a tall young man wearing a white-medical mask and flannel shirt stepped out of the opened door. ¡°If you go, Ethan,¡± he said, then on cue, the guy in the doorway flashed a gun tucked in his jean¡¯s waistband.


    Ethan felt the blood drain out of his limbs and face. A wave of nervous, panicky energy lit up in his guts, but the metallic sheen of the weapon forced his feet to stay glued to the cement under them.


    How am I going to get out of this? I¡¯m supposed to be in high school. What am I doing here?


    Edwin stepped past the still frozen Ethan. ¡°Bring him in and lock the door.¡±


    Someone shoved Ethan from behind, and he stumbled and looked back. The two teenagers he noticed earlier were already here, and both had confident smiles on their face, while the flannel-wearing young man kept his demeanor even.


    What the fuck do I do?


    Another shove, and Ethan found himself stepping into a dark, dusty garage smelling of car oil and rust. But no sooner than the doorway was behind him than a fist clocked him in the side of the head.


    Ethan fell down on his knees but he couldn¡¯t stay down. He stumbled up to his feet almost instantly, only for a kick to take his leg from under him. His palms hit the oily ground hard as he tried to catch himself, and another kick got him in the guts.


    As Ethan lay groaning, blood roaring in his ears, Edwin loomed over him, while one of his goons went and got a chair.


    ¡°Do you know what we do to rats, Ethan?¡±


    Another goon caught Ethan by the collar and dragged him up. Already woozy from the punch to the head and still trying to catch his breath, Ethan felt the collar of his t-shirt dig into his throat and he choked, but a moment later he was released and shoved against the wall..You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Ethan felt dust and blood in his mouth, so he spat to the side and glared up. ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    One of the goons stepped forward, but Edwin raised a hand.¡°You opened the bag, Ethan. You talked.  You were being followed. Who did you tell about this? Tell me, and I¡¯ll let you walk out of here alive. You¡¯ll be punished, but you¡¯ll live.¡±


    Ethan panted, grimacing with the pain still pulsing on the side of his head. He looked around, for an exit, for anything, but he saw nothing.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    Ethan swallowed, then took a deep breath. A deep sense of calm filled his chest, and the fear took a step back. In a way, he felt as if he was back in that kitchen. Only this time, he kinda put himself in the situation. He¡¯d made mistakes, but he¡¯d asked for help, and he tried his best. He came up short, but he didn¡¯t feel too bad about it. And if he was going to die here, he might as well go on his own terms because even though Ethan knew he wasn¡¯t the smartest or brightest, he was smart enough to know Edwin would not simply let him go.


    He was either about to die, or he was about to be under so much scrutiny he¡¯d have to ask permission to use the restroom.


    Ethan looked up at the unblinking blue eyes, at the small smile on the corner of Edwin¡¯s lips, and his own nostrils flared.


    ¡°Look how mad he is,¡± Edwin said, tilting his head back. The goons laughed, and Ethan felt the sound wash over him. He had only eyes for his roommate. And he had an idea.


    Ethan closed his eyes and exhaled, then spoke. ¡°Can I stand?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Sure. Why not? But you got five seconds to tell me who you talked to, or you¡¯re getting back down.¡±


    Ethan pushed himself off the ground, slowly, and felt his strength fill his limbs. There was a heady sensation in his mind, but it wasn¡¯t anything like that fateful night. Back then, it had been sheer panic. Fear. This time, Ethan felt numb. Clear-headed, in a way. Detached. And if something was going to happen to him, he might as well get his licks in.


    ¡°It was Clariss.¡±


    Ethan had the pleasure to see the brows scrunch up, and for a precious moment, he saw the confidence and bravado slip up, but it didn¡¯t last long. As Edwin regained his mental footing, Ethan took a step forward that instantly turned into a lunge and swung.


    His fist slammed into Edwin¡¯s nose with a satisfying crunch, and it was as if a fire was ignited in his chest as a scream escaped his throat. Edwin fell back, rolling from his chair, and Ethan jumped after him and swung again, catching him above the ears, then again on his bloodied nose.


    Fucking scumbag.


    Edwin¡¯s teeth were bared, a savage look in his eyes as he roared something, but Ethan couldn¡¯t hear him over his own scream and¡­ laughter?


    Hands grabbed him and wrenched him back, and something caught him in the jaw, sapping his vision to the side, but not before he got a good kick somewhere. Ethan thrashed, ready to jump on Edwin again, uncaring of the goons around him when there was a loud pop and ring in his ears, instantly followed by an unimaginable pain in his side. As if he¡¯d just been stabbed with a hot poker.


    Ethan¡¯s lips stretched in a wide grin as his knees slammed into the ground and as he took in the bloodied face of a panicked Edwin. Not so confident anymore.


    At least I gave him a bloodied nose. Heh.


    Ethan let himself fall on the hard ground. The pain was screaming in his side, and his vision was already dimming. He thought he¡¯d feel fear but he was surprised he wasn¡¯t feeling much. A bit of relief maybe. Tiredness. Would there be something after this?


    He closed his eyes. Or maybe they¡¯d already been closed. He couldn¡¯t tell. And before sleep took him, Ethan wondered how different his life could have been if he¡¯d been born in a different family.


    ***


    Awareness came back to Ethan first through sound. A beeping noise. Continuous. At first, from afar, but with every second¡ªor minute¡ªit was growing closer.


    The second sensation was pain. Not in his stomach, where he expected it, but throughout his body. It was as if all of his joins had gone stiff from sleeping on the cement floor.


    Wait¡­ this is too soft to be cement.


    Ethan tried to open his eyes, but it was as if they¡¯d be glued together. It took the better part of five minutes until he managed to pull them apart, and he saw white. A bed. Bare walls.


    Hospital?


    Then sleep took him again.


    ***


    The next time Ethan woke up, he managed to open his eyes a lot faster.


    Huh. I didn¡¯t die.


    Gingerly, he touched the spot where he got shot and found it barely painful. He tried to get up, but after a couple of tries, the room began turning upside down so he decided to lay still and wait.


    The beeping continued, filling the silence as Ethan stared up at the ceiling.


    He didn¡¯t die. And he wasn¡¯t as happy about it as he thought he would be. He wasn¡¯t sad either. His emotions just felt¡­ muted.


    I have a problem, I think.


    Over the next minutes¡ªmaybe even hours¡ªEthan just stared up and listened to the sounds that reached him. Some people occasionally talked outside, but they were too muffled for him to hear much. Still the images kept coming at him, from when he got shot, and one last thought wouldn¡¯t leave his mind.


    What if¡­


    What if he¡¯d been born in another family? Would any of this have happened? Would he be playing video games and having crushes like he¡¯d seen in the movies?


    Would someone be here for me?


    Ethan felt his eyes burn as the silence of the room grew unbearable. He tried to swallow down the lump in his throat, but his chest started shaking, and the tears came flooding out. Images of strangers he was left with. His home and bed he was forced to leave. His mom reading stories to him in that same bed, when she was in the mood.


    The door clicked, and Ethan stilled. He turned his head, and blinked the tears out of his eyes to see, only to find a wide-eyed Luther with a magazine in hand, frozen with his hand on the door. The man¡¯s face split into a wide smile and he let go of the door and came in.


    ¡°You¡¯re up! How are you feeling?¡±


    Ethan stared until he was forced to blink, and when he opened his mouth to speak, only a rasp came out.


    ¡°Oh. Take it easy. That¡¯s my bad. You don¡¯t have to talk. Take your time.¡±


    Ethan watched as Luther dragged a chair in a practiced manner and sat down, a big smile still on his face. Then the smile disappeared and the man frowned. ¡°Ethan. That was a fucking stupid plan.¡±


    Ethan barked out a laugh that came out as a series of coughs, and the man¡¯s grinned and patted him on the knees. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, kid.¡±


    Soon after, Ethan fell back asleep, and the next time he woke up, he found Luther still around. He learned that he¡¯d been in a coma, and that it had been close to three months since he¡¯d gotten shot, which explained why everything in his body was painful.


    Edwin Davis had disappeared overnight, and he was officially a wanted criminal, but no one had heard or seen anything from him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about all that. For now, we gotta get you back on your feet and¡­ uh¡­ sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have let you put yourself in danger like that. In hindsight¡­ that was all bad. But we¡¯ll figure all this stuff out as we go.¡±


    Ethan could only agree as he ate through his jello. There was a lot to ask about and figure out, especially what had happened in the group home but for now, he had to get through the disgusting jello and get back to sleep and he closed his eyes, he realized he felt a bit better about having survived.


    There might be stuff worth living for.

 1.68: Payback (Pt. 1)

    Edwin Davis. The man who¡¯d blackmailed and left Ethan to die in an abandoned garage near the docks of Charlestown, baring his teeth and yelling at his subordinates as they all watched Ethan barrel through the brush toward them.


    Ethan barely felt the projectiles. His flames roared brighter as he ate through the distance separating him from the man, and the cold, still confident gaze was like gasoline doused over his flames.


    There were no bullets this time. No goons to intimidate and outnumber Ethan. No inadequate laws or corrupt systems to abuse and exploit. Only wands, stats, and levels. Spells and forms.


    Ethan leaped at Edwin, his clawed hand pulled back, and at the last second, a smile stretched on his target¡¯s lips, a moment before the trap was sprung.


    When he was only ten feet away, the area around Ethan lit up, crisscrossed with gray straight lines.


    Edwin jumped back, creating more distance between him and Ethan right as the first line touched the [Sapping Scales]. Ethan expected to be cut or electrocuted but instead, his momentum continued carrying him forward, and the line stretched along with him for a second before it snapped. But while that one dissipated into nothing, dozens, hundreds more shone and stuck to Ethan. Most were torn from the momentum he¡¯d built up, but they did manage to bring his charge to a halt and now, the lines all hung limply across his shoulder and chest.


    ¡°How about we calm down and talk about this like adults?¡±


    Ethan took a step forward and felt a drag. He wrenched his right hand away from a clump of threads that were still unbroken, and watched as the material stretched for a second before it began snapping.


    His expression pulled away in disgust. ¡°You want to talk, huh?¡±


    Ethan dismissed the scales covering his face. He was going to burn this spider¡¯s plan to the ground, but he would really like to drive in the fact that it was him who¡¯d done it.


    Edwin stared perplexed for a second, then recognition lit up in his eyes as a toothy, animated grin stretched across his thin lips.


    ¡°Ethan Fischer. Been a while,¡± the man said as his eyes flicked between his followers. Ethan noted his fingers were sharp, ending in thin claws that glistened white. The same white of the threads that had slowed the juggernaut¡¯s charge.


    A smile pulled in his lips as he looked at the remaining threads still hanging in the air. He supposed that trap was supposed to completely stop him. To ensnare him so he was completely at the caster¡¯s mercy and it might have worked for a moment if Ethan¡¯s charge had been any slower, but that wasn¡¯t all he could do.


    Still meeting the leader¡¯s eyes, Ethan flexed his will and with a nice helping of mana, he bolstered the flames licking up his hand so they turned into a bonfire that he next wrapped around his full body, burning the trash sticking to his form.


    The fire retreated to reveal a spotless set of scales, and Ethan returned Edwin¡¯s smile, and forced down the impulse he had to rush forward, then took a quick look around as the lackeys surrounded him.


    [Human (I) - Level 50]


    The one who shot the jagged purple spells. A man in his late-twenties, head buzzed. He seemed relaxed, and his eyes were set on Ethan. He wore a once black t-shirt that was barely holding on to his large frame, had charcoal cargo pants and thick military boots. He had a wooden wand tipped in a glowing purple crystal, and a purple, fleshy tail swished behind him.


    [Human (I) - Level 48]


    The second was a middle-aged man wearing the remains of a suit. His eyes were flicking between Ethan and Edwin, and Ethan couldn¡¯t read his expression. It almost looked like impatience. In one hand, he had a short, metallic wand and on the other¡¯s forearm, a simple, small buckler shield. This was the one that cast the sharp metallic projectiles.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    [Human (I) - Level 51]


    The third was a woman draped in shadows. Literally. Just like Ethan¡¯s scales covered him from his sole to his neck, shadows clung to her thin form and to her hair. It was hard to see where her body began and where the darkness ended, and it was as if the black shadows were pulling the dim light of the clearing to them.


    Two black daggers were in her hands, dripping with what looked like manifested darkness. She was leaning against a mushroom tree, barely visible in the blue light of the mushroom tree, and a small smile played on her lips as she tapped the right dagger¡¯s flat against the side of her thigh.


    Focusing on the thread he could feel from his pact, Ethan spoke in his mind.¡°[Ember. Can you hear me?]¡±


    ¡°[Yes.]¡±


    Ethan felt some relief at hearing the cat. ¡°[The woman in the shadows. Keep her off of me while I deal with the rest. Watch for the webs, and leave him for last.]¡±


    ¡°[Got it.]¡±


    Ethan turned his attention back to Edwin, and let the scales cover his face once more until only his eyes were still visible.


    [Human (I) - Level 56]


    ¡°We really don¡¯t need to resort to violence. We could let bygones be bygones and create something new. Nothing like what had happened before. Look at this team. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we teamed up?¡±


    Edwin spoke as he smoothed out the miraculously clean flannel shirt he was wearing. He rolled up his sleeves, slowly and methodically, and when he was done, the black and white tips materialized once more on his hand, and a glass, delicate rod dropped in his outstretched hand. As soon as it touched his skin, the glass turned milky-white.


    The leader of this little gang. Edwin Davis, with his white-tipped claws, and a smarmy smile on his lips. The teenager who¡¯d blackmailed, coerced, framed, and assaulted his way to the top of a local gang-scene before he disappeared and was never found again. The man who had exploited vulnerable kids to do his dirty deeds. The man who never had to pay for any of his crimes, and who, from looking at his face, did not seem to feel any regret or remorse for what he¡¯d done.


    For years, Ethan has had to look behind him wherever he went. He couldn¡¯t approach a crowd without having the thought that the sociopath in front of him would one day show up to finish the job, especially considering those series of events had been the catalyst that brought the gang¡¯s leadership to light.


    Ethan tilted his head and made sure the horns and wands were ready as he looked around at Edwin¡¯s allies. Edwin would not walk away from this encounter. No way in hell he would live through the day. But the rest, were they blameless?


    Seeing their expressions, they didn¡¯t seem to mind what was happening. They didn¡¯t mind using other people as fodder to the monster they could all still hear in the distance.


    Ethan exhaled, but the rage in his chest kept burning. No, they were not as bad as Edwin, maybe, but they were as rotten as that archer had been. They didn¡¯t mind stepping over the bodies of others. So he was going for the kill. But before that, he wanted to know. He had to ask.


    ¡°You managed to scurry away, five years ago. Which hole did you end up hiding in?¡±


    Something cold flicked in the man¡¯s eyes, but the revoltingly genuine smile appeared again. ¡°Giving back to the community, believe it or not. I had to stay hidden, but I turned a new page.¡±


    Behind him, the goons tensed, and Ethan readied himself to burst into flames and start flinging fireballs as he gave Edwin an appreciative nod, just as fake as he was. ¡°Really? A new page? Is that why you¡¯re using people as fodder?¡±


    The corner of Edwin¡¯s lips curved higher, but that in itself was enough of a response and interestingly, it was a signal as well.


    The shadows under Ethan¡¯s feet rippled and a black dagger stabbed upward right as Ethan jumped and summoned his wings. A jagged bolt of purple lightning crackled through the air in an instant, slamming against Ethan¡¯s wing right as he pointed at the man in suit and sent out [Small Fireball] before turning his attention back to Edwin right as his scaled soles hit the ground again.


    To the side, he heard a cry of surprise from the shadow-woman right before the area lit up with fire, signaling Ember was on the job.


    ¡°At least you came prepared this time,¡± Edwin said as he pointed milky-white wand. A spray of white shot out, and Ethan barely had time to counter with a wide jet of fire out of his outstretched hand. Still, a few threads managed to get through and made contact.


    They felt cold and slimy, and instantly, he felt his mana be drawn into them. With a flex, Ethan burned the threads and feinted a lunge forward but instead, he surged toward the man in black cargo pants right as a new bolt of purple flew at him.


    Get rid of the goons, then Edwin.


    Ethan ate the bolt right in his chest and grit his teeth, as the crackling electricity danced across his scales, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop him.


    The man¡¯s eyes widened as Ethan continued, barely slowed by the attack, and the Harvester¡¯s dagger flashed at the man¡¯s stomach. After all, he did want something with electricity. He just hoped the dagger would deliver.

 1.69: Payback (Pt. 2)

    A not-so-distant roar filled the forest as Ethan ate through the distance separating him from his target and for a moment, he considered aborting his charge and making sure the Lord of the Swamp wasn¡¯t about to start raining magic on top of them, but with four enemies around him, he just had to take his chances.


    Purple electricity was still crackling along his scales as he stabbed with the dagger. He aimed for center-mass, not caring to hit anything vitals. He just needed to score a nick for the dagger¡¯s effect to trigger, but the man wasn¡¯t taking any chances.


    The purple-tailed man hopped back, black boots sliding against the soft soil and out of the aether, a dagger set with a purple gem dropped in his hand, crackling with electricity  as a small smile played on his lips. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like you ever used one of these,¡± he said to Ethan as the latter stepped forward again. He parried Ethan¡¯s stab with his tail, slapping the arm away as he called out. ¡°Boss, we put this one down or we keep him?¡±


    Ethan stabbed forward again, his movement clumsy, and the tail came down again right as the man stabbed back, and Ethan¡¯s eyes lit up. He¡¯d hoped the man would repeat the gesture and he did. The man¡¯s contemptuous look flickered as his own dagger plinked against Ethan¡¯s scaled-forearm. He began to pull his tail back, but it was too late .


    ¡°Kill him,¡± shouted Edwin as he ran toward the two of them


    With a small adjustment, Ethan angled the point of the dagger so as the tail came down, it embedded itself on the tip of the dagger.


    The man¡¯s face contorted into a grimace of pain and rage. ¡°You fucking¡ª¡±


    Ethan let go of the dagger and with that same hand, he shot a point-blank, horn-empowered [Small Fireball] as he unfurled his wing and almost regretted it.


    The wings stretched painfully as the violent burst of air threw Ethan back. There was a booming flash of light and heat and even though the blast buffeted him back with incredible speed, he was still engulfed with the angry red flames. His head was ringing, and he felt as if a monster had just stepped over him, but that was nothing compared to what had happened to his opponent. As Henry was propelled up and away from the blast, he saw the fleshy comet of fire and smoke fly out and smack against one of the mushroom trees before the man dropped down like a thrown rag-doll.


    Unfortunately, there were no notifications, not that he expected it to be that easy and in any case, he couldn¡¯t dwell on that as once more, he was under fire.


    Something whistled past him, barely missing. Ethan ducked and turned behind to find the suit-wearing man he¡¯d blasted earlier aiming at him from behind the cover of dead drake. Something wet splashed against his back and instantly, his mana rushed out of him and his flames guttered before he was wrenched backwards. Rolling with the momentum, Ethan ignited the air around him. The air with scorching fire as he manipulated the flame to create a sphere of roiling flames. Within the second, the threads burned away in motes and out of the flames came another fireball. It shot toward Edwin like a thrown blob of white-hot metal, and Ethan extended his wing and jumped in the direction of the purple-tailed man, only to be forced back to the ground when a black shadow fell from the canopy.


    ¡°[Above,]¡± came Ember¡¯s warning, but Ethan was already responding to the threat. He flared the wings with a snap, halting his movement and raised his right arm to parry the descending dagger. The women just had to keep falling. She was barely visible, like a ripple in the air among the dim background, and only her pale features and the grimace of anger were visible along with few scorch marks around her face. With a quick movement, she switched her attack and swung low to bypass his right arm, right as Ethan raised his left to cast a spell.


    Ethan barely had time to twist his chest so the dagger wouldn''t be too close to his heart. The dark-tip touched his scales and were blocked for a fraction of second before it slipped through, like a whisper, and Ethan felt the muscles under his left pectoral seize up with pain, right as the spell left his left claws.


    A wide-arc of off-white, almost translucent magic slammed into the woman¡¯s midsection with a mighty thud. Her body deformed under the impact as the magic forced the air out of her lung and a moment later, she was flying away, thrown just like Ethan had been when he¡¯d first encountered this spell.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    This is getting difficult, he thought as he took in the situation. The suit-wearing man was now taking potshots at Ember who was struggling to dodge both of him and  the threads of white around her. Edwin was just watching him and Ember, like a spider waiting for its prey to tangle themselves in its webs, milky-white wand at the ready, while the man who ate the fireball point blank was still lying still.


    And the shadow woman¡¯s about to come back.


    His chest was pulsing with pain. Poison, most likely. He was sure he could deal with it quickly enough. The problem was he needed to finish up the electric dude, but as soon as he headed there, Ember would be in trouble. Edwin was waiting for him to move so he could capitalize on the situation.


    In that case¡­


    ¡°[Ember, run for it on the next fireball. Head to to the prisoners and see if you can free them.]¡±


    There was a quiet moment, then the cat¡¯s labored voice came through.


    ¡°[You¡¯ll owe me after this.]¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t respond. He just waited for the fireball to be ready once more as he held his flaming palm against the stab wound under his breast. The electric-man was struggling to get up, but he couldn¡¯t just yet, and Edwin was slowly sidestepping toward him. Toward where Ethan needed to go, and in  a few more steps, Edwin would be completely barring the way toward the still fallen man.


    ¡°Not too late to talk, Ethan,¡± he called out and took another step. The soil crunched under his feet and they all froze as the ground thudded all of a sudden. The clearing was quiet for a tense second, then two, then they all burst into action.


    Ethan sent a fireball at Edwin right as something small cracked painfully into the back of his shoulder. Edwin waved his wand around and the air crisscrossed with threads. In response Ethan raised both arms and summoned a jet of fire to burn the barrier of thread and at the same time, he stole a quick glance behind in time to see an orange blur disappear in the brush.


    Good. Ember¡¯s out.


    Ethan leaped upward and cut off the flames as he took to the air. The shadow rippled above but Ethan quickly flitted past it and looked down at the scene below him. Edwin was shouting at the purple-tailed man to get up as he peered up, trying to keep track of him, and Ethan hoped the glare of the mushroom caps would make him difficult to see. He flew around in a small circle and made sure the lord was still busy elsewhere. He flapped his wing a couple of times, laid eyes on the man he marked with the Harvester¡¯s dagger, and began dropping.


    For now, he needed to finish up the electric man, and then he could pick Edwin and his team one by one. All of them at once were too much for him. Between Edwin¡¯s mana-stealing and sticky webs, the poisonous daggers of the shadow women and the metal-shooting caster, he could be in serious danger in no time. Especially as he was sure he hadn¡¯t seen everything they were capable of just yet. But if he could isolate them and attack them one by one, then he¡¯d win. But he¡¯d have to be quick about it.


    If I give them enough time, they could rally. They could make plans and be ready for me.


    For that, [Mana Heart] should give him an edge. He should be able to harry them and pursue them for a while.


    That¡¯s a problem for later. For now, let¡¯s see if my aim¡¯s better.


    The gravity of the situation wasn¡¯t lost on him. Ethan knew very well what was about to occur.


    Edwin was a huge contributor to the anger burning in his chest, to the murderous thoughts he was having. He wanted to make sure the man would never hurt anyone anymore, but his decision wasn''t purely emotional.


    I¡¯m stopping them so they can¡¯t use others as fodders. They were ready to kill others. They were ready to kill me. And if I let them walk away, they will absolutely kill more.


    It was still difficult to accept, but once more, just like every other hostile participant he had met,  it was him or them.


    Ethan¡¯s hair ruffled as he dropped out of the sky. The lance appeared in his arm as he sped down to the ground. He primed the charge, and the lance glowed with red runes  as he passed the glowing canopy of the giant mushrooms.


    ¡°Marcus!¡±


    The man was on his knees as he looked up to see Ethan coming down at him. He was suffering from multiple burns. His left eye was swollen shut, and as Ethan cut through the air toward him, he felt the threads catch on his wing and chest and snap. The man tried to back away, to stand up and run, but he stumbled. He turned and raised his gem-tipped wand, but Ethan was falling a lot faster then he seemed.


    The purple bolt hit Ethan in the guts right as the lance pierced through the man''s chest, detonating before it continued through and embedded itself into the ground. Ethan, gritting his teeth from the pain in his feet and knees, readied himself to swipe with the claws only for the notification to arrive, confirming the man¡¯s death. He got up and threw another fireball toward a raging Edwin, dismissed the lance, and when he went to pick up the dead man, the wound in his chest pulsed, and his vision went dim.


    ¡°He¡¯s blinded,¡± he heard from above. Ethan whirled and surrounded himself with fire, and this time, the voice of the shadow-woman was much closer. ¡°Now!¡±

 1.70: Blinded

    With the lifeless body slung above his left shoulder and his heart drumming in his ears, Ethan jumped up in the air. He could see nothing, but he hoped to at least break through the canopy and away from his enemies until he regained his vision.


    I could use [Detect Life] here, but I can¡¯t afford to switch things out right now. I can¡¯t afford to dispel the wings and the claws.


    Ethan grit his teeth, and even though he couldn¡¯t see anything, he could picture Edwin¡¯s smirk, but he couldn¡¯t fight them blind. It was hard enough to go three against one, but with his eyes out of the equation, the situation went from somewhat risky to straight up suicidal. But no matter. As long as he could wait out the blindness, he would be fine, and he could go back on the offensive. Clearly, the blindness was poison or magic based and sooner or later, he believed his body would fight off but in the meantime, he couldn¡¯t just stay down and wait for them to get free shots at him.


    And of course, he wasn¡¯t retreating without his loot. Especially when he might be getting something out of it.


    He rose in the air with ease. The body wasn¡¯t heavy, and Ethan could feel the magic of the dagger pulse. He hoped it¡¯d be something electric, like that attack he got hit with, and he could already picture himself turning such a spell against Edwin.


    Just the thought made him want to go back down and rush at the man.


    Patience¡­


    Air whooshed about him as he quickly gained altitude, filling him with trepidation. He just had to get up high and wait. But before he could even reach the canopy, his head and wings hit something. A soft barrier. Ethan willed more mana in the wings and flapped harder, pushing with his right arm, but the barrier, which was made from tightly woven threads, only gave for a bit before it refused to yield any further.


    Shit. A net?


    Something whistled past his ear and sunk into the dead man¡¯s body with wet squelch, but Ethan only focused on his exit. His throat was dry, and the adrenaline was making his blood rush faster throughout his limbs and body. Making him frantic.


    Maintaining altitude, Ethan summoned a powerful jet of fire with his right claws and sprayed above him. He was already thinking of the alternatives. How long could he last, down there? Surrounded by Edwin and his people?


    The thought was worrying, but also exciting. And the more he thought about it, the more appealing it became. After all, wasn¡¯t he a juggernaut? Was he not supposed to eat his enemies'' attacks and still triumph in the end?


    Ethan shoved with the claws once more, only to be met with a burning hot net that made him wrench his hand back with a hiss. Even though the fire resistance of the Arcanum¡¯s unique trait was active, the net still burned him.


    He clicked his tongue then exhaled. I gave the reasonable plan a shot, he thought as he fell back down to the ground. Time to be a juggernaut.


    Still, he felt vindicated, in a way. He had expected this little troupe to be still hiding some tricks, and they were. Now he just needed to outlast their assault. How hard could that be?


    His scaly feet hit the ground hard, digging into the soft soil and without wasting any time, he threw the still pulsing body under him and wrapped the scaly wings around as he crouched. He slipped a hand under the wings and with a focused effort, summoned a torrent of fire that he swirled around.


    Child of Flames should be able to help him last longer, and if things got rough, he could always use Scorching Ascendency for a serious stat boost, and¡ª


    A roar shook the cave, and Ethan almost burst out of his cocoon to run. There was a loud thump, followed by another, and then it all quieted down once more, and the only thing Ethan could hear were the sounds of his own heartbeats and the roaring fire swirling around his body.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The lord sounded a lot closer than Ethan expected. He might not even have to last long if this little party was about to be interrupted, he thought before turning his attention back to what he¡¯d been doing.


    Come on, heal!


    His left claws were shooting a smaller jet of flame over the wound and his chest and face. With a grimace, Etan opened an eye and let the fire slide over it, flinching, but same as with his skin and body, his own fire couldn¡¯t harm him, and it wasn¡¯t as the brightness could affect him either.


    Oh?


    He¡¯d been spraying his own face with fire for barely a couple of seconds when he started to regain vision in his opened eyes. Maybe it was the fire, or maybe it was his own body fighting off the magic, but flecks of orange and white were beginning to cut through the darkness, and right as he opened his second eye and increased the fire spraying him in the face, something pierced through his wing and cracked into the side of his knees.


    Ethan groaned with pain and leaned on his other leg to relieve some of the weight on the impacted area, but it wasn¡¯t over. In the next moment, something cold and slimy hit his left wing, then his right, and just like the net above them, the thread refused to burn and instead, it was growing hotter. That in itself was worrying, but then the threads began pulling on him, trying to draw the wings away from him, which only made Ethan think of one thing.


    Where is she?


    Of his three opponents, the woman was the most dangerous, especially if she could blind him again.


    He grit his teeth, ignoring the burning pain from the overheated threads still tugging at him, and focused on trying to hear or sense the woman, so he felt it when there was a pulse somewhere behind him.


    Ethan began twisting to shoot an [Arc of Force] behind him, only for another hard projectile to pierce through the wings once more before embedding itself on his scales, right against his hip-bone.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he cursed under his breath spittle flying while the smell of burnt clothes and earth filled his nostrils.


    Ethan¡¯s mental finger was right on the trait. He was ready to boost his stats, even if he still felt it might be a waste considering how long the days were in this damn place. The flecks in his vision have become blobs of orange and white. Barely useful, but better than nothing.


    He ignored the pain and tried to sense when the woman would come, spell ready.


    Maybe I need to show an opening. In that case¡­


    Something crunched to his left, and Ethan swiveled and shot a fireball in the sound¡¯s general direction. There was a loud bang, followed by a shower of upturned soil, but he was still waiting, breathing hard as he resisted the threads pulling on his wings. Thankfully, it seemed Edwin had to choose between mana-stealing or durability, or Ethan would have been in deep trouble.


    Unless he¡¯s tricking me and he¡¯s holding that in reserve.


    There was another loud thud, closer, and Ethan felt his insides twist as the monstrous lord approached them, and right then, he heard a rustle. Just behind him.


    Ethan twisted and let the threads pull him away as he jumped back and shot the [Arc of Force] behind him. But he heard no impact.


    Shit.


    As soon as he realized he¡¯d been tricked, Ethan triggered Scorching Ascendancy and wrapped himself with fire as he dismissed the wings. A hot, burning wave of energy ignited out of his chest and instantly spread down his limbs, and Ethan felt the power imbue his flesh and scales, like metal being tempered, right as something sharp and cold slipped between his shoulder-blades.


    Ethan shouted in pain and alarm and whirled with his claws in time to hear a curse and see the shadow disappear.


    He stood there, panting as he tried to sense the damage, but it didn¡¯t seem like the dagger managed to get too deep in. His vision was now improving quite fast, and he peered around as another thump shook the ground under him, right as something plinked painfully on the side of his head.


    The well of strength continued to pour into his body, and now Ethan could see. Everything was still foggy, but he could make out the shapes. He could see the man who just shot him in the head, he could see Edwin, and he could see the panting shadow that appeared next to him.


    I don¡¯t know how long this boost will last, but I need to take her out of the fight.


    Ethan glanced behind at the smoking corpse behind him, and saw a bright piece of purple, shining like a star against the sea of dark browns and grays. With a lunge, he picked it up just in time as a mushroom tree toppled a dozen or so yards away, and a giant, moss covered monitor stepped in. It growled in its throat, a sound that made Ethan¡¯s insides vibrate, eyes shining with a sickly green light, and the gaze of the lord fell on him.


    Then it roared, and Ethan thought that maybe all the fire spells were a bit of a trigger to a being that loved swamps and moss.

 1.71: Crash the party

    Ethan jumped up with a curse as the lord¡¯s throat gained a familiar green glow. The over-sized monitor did not care at all about Edwin and his cronies and instead, it was fully focused on Ethan. The pesky little human playing around with fire.


    Shit.


    Ethan rose in the air as the giant ball of lurid green liquid zipped toward him and unfortunately for him, he hadn¡¯t managed to get high enough before it hit the first mushroom-stem and sent its content flying all over, splashing over his legs and wings. Some even managed to get to his back. On the stab wound the woman had tagged him with.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he shouted between gritted teeth as the liquid sizzled and burned. It was agony, but it quickly mellowed out as his scales sapped the magic out of the substance, and within seconds, he was left with soggy, gross water dripping out of his feet.


    Ethan glided up and around, eyes on Edwin and his team. He wanted to dry out the gross water, but the fire would attract attention so instead, he just focused on healing the wound on his back whenever he came to a stop atop the mushroom trees. He wasn¡¯t too worried about infections at this point. He¡¯d already been stabbed in the guts thirty levels ago, and that attack had been much more severe. If he¡¯d survived that, then he should be fine now, and in any case, as long as he wasn''t actively bleeding out, he couldn¡¯t get himself to care too much about such little injuries.


    He still had something to do, and he wasn¡¯t going to rest while Edwin was still walking around. Not when the man could slip into obscurity again. Not when he could crawl away and hide behind layers of webs and traps, only to pop-out and stab Ethan in the back when he¡¯d least expected it.


    Ethan felt a bit tired, but he still had a long way to go before he had to take a rest, so he could do this for a while still and as he tracked the running team, he finally pulled up the notification he¡¯d gotten. In the heat of battle, he hadn¡¯t been able to do much but get out of the way of the lord. But now that he¡¯d had a second to breathe, he opened his palm and glanced down at the round purple orb in his hand.


    Assimilate [Homing Projectile - (Tier-2)]?


    Ethan groaned in his throat. That did not sound like an electric spell.


    Oh well, at least I got something new, he thought before he accepted the prompt and gazed ahead at the scene in front of him. Lords or not, Edwin Davis was not getting away.


    He hopped off the mushroom cap and flapped his wings a couple of times as he tracked his quarry, wincing as the pain flared between his shoulders. The wound had already been closed-up, but it was still tingly, and Ethan hoped it wasn¡¯t going to blind him once more. Not now that his sight was fully back.


    After a couple of minutes, the lord of the swamp decided it was done following the trio and began drifting toward the left, at which point the three individual huddled and began talking while warily watching their surroundings.


    Ethan watched them from above, longing to just let himself drop off the edge and get back into the fight, but he wanted to make sure he wasn¡¯t about to lose his vision once more. So he waited and observed as Edwin listened to the bickering two before he began pacing, then after a short pause, he said something, and the two shared a look before they all began walking north-east.


    With a few jumps and a few seconds of gliding, Ethan realized they were heading toward the rift. Or so he assumed. After all, what else around here was more deserving of such a term?


    Nearly three hundred yards away was a gash in the air itself. A bright, almost white tear that made his heart speed up, and all around it, a maelstrom of all sorts of blues swirled and rippled. Then something came out of the gash and fell to the ground.


    A water monitor. It fell to the ground, shook itself, then slowly ambled away before another monitor fell after it.


    Ethan blinked. Ember was right after all, he thought, then stilled for a moment before he looked behind. A couple of seconds later, he flew up once more and continued his hunt, but now, a bead of guilt had been dropped into the bowl of seething anger that he¡¯d been nursing ever since he met Edwin.


    Is she okay?


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    He hoped she¡¯d made it to safety. And he hoped Diego or the others wouldn¡¯t have attacked her just because of her appearance.


    Could she even talk to them?


    Ethan swallowed. The more he thought of his new companion, the worse he was feeling. His rage against Edwin was justified. The man was a murderous sociopath. But unlike his younger years, he didn¡¯t want that anger and toxicity to poison everything else around him. He didn¡¯t want an innocent person to pay for his vendetta against Edwin, even if he¡¯d just met the cat.


    She was annoying, but she was helpful, and if abandoning her to fend for herself while he pursued Edwin ended up with her dying, he¡¯d feel guilty. He¡¯d be guilty. And Ethan did not want that on his plate. He didn¡¯t want to live with regrets. Not when he could easily prevent them.


    He took a deep breath, and observed the trio as they made their way to the rift.


    It wasn¡¯t what he wanted to do, but if he could confirm where Edwin and his team would rest, he could swing by and check on Ember and the others before he returned. After all, was this not why he¡¯d picked the wings? For mobility?


    Ethan squinted. Are they¡­


    The three slowly approached the rift. The man in suit seemed to be hesitating, but after a quick talk, he nodded then stepped in first, soon followed by the woman, then Edwin who paused, turned around then looked up. Their eyes met, then he stepped into the rift.


    A moment later, a prompt popped up.


    A local rift is being challenged.


    Time remaining until challenge begins: 30 minutes


    Ethan stood still atop of the giant, glowing mushroom cap, and his claws dug into his palm as he tightened his fist.


    He¡¯s luring me in. But did he know about the messages? And who else got the prompt?


    Ethan assumed he had to step into the rift within thirty minutes otherwise he¡¯d be missing out on whatever was happening within.


    I can¡¯t let them get away.


    He continued watching the exit for a few seconds and thought things through. Can they get out again? Or is that not an option? His mind was a whirlwind of questions, but his thoughts stalled as he heard the loud familiar thuds approach.


    Wait¡­ they¡¯re coming from two different directions.


    Crouching, Ethan watched his surroundings and noticed the giant mushroom trees rustle. The thuds grew louder, while a growl filled the air, and within barely a minute, two monsters emerged, almost at the same time, pushing their way of the still shaking mushroom trees.


    [Lord of the Swamp (II) - Level 70]


    [Lord of the Cave (II) - Level 70]


    The monster growled at each other, snapping their massive jaws. They blustered and growled for a few more seconds until finally, the moss-covered one stepped toward the rift. One moment it touched the giant tear, and the next it was gone.


    The second lord, a behemoth covered with multi-colored crystals, moved forward next, forked tongue tasting the air, and as soon as its body approached the whirlwind of energies, it disappeared in turn.


    Ethan spread out his wing and flew back, and fast.


    A quick wellness check, then he was diving into that rift as well. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take him long to locate Ember and the others, and when he found them, he didn¡¯t go down. Instead, he slowed his descent and landed on a mushroom cap and peered down.


    There had been a fight down here, and not only against monitors. No, there were plenty of those, but Diego, the woman who had snuck up on him a few days ago, and a couple more strangers had just finished up fighting someone else. Someone from Edwin¡¯s crew, Ethan assumed, and thankfully, none of them seemed to be harboring hostilities toward the Ignisra, who was lounging atop of a boulder, as usual.


    Ethan latched on to his connection to the cat and spoke. ¡°[Don¡¯t alert anyone just yet. Are you okay?]¡±


    The cat¡¯s ears flickered, and she only stilled for a second from licking her paw before answering. ¡°[I¡¯m fine. I thought you were the one who challenged the rift.]¡±


    ¡°[I¡¯m not. But I¡¯m going. Do you want to go?]¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t mind extending the invitation to her, but he didn¡¯t feel any obligation toward the others. They could all make their own decisions. He assumed that everyone got the prompt, considering Ember had gotten it as well.


    The cat seemed to think for a second. ¡°[It¡¯s dangerous. But yes, I would like to challenge it as well. Will you tell these humans?]¡±


    ¡°[They can make the trip if they feel like it. I will not stop them, but I will not help them either. If you''re done here, walk straight for a minute or so. I¡¯ll pick you up.]¡±


    The cat continued cleaning up her face for a couple of seconds, then hopped off the boulder she¡¯d been sitting on, attracting the other¡¯s attention, but no one said a word or stopped her. The woman¡ªAmanda, if Ethan¡¯s memory served him right¡ªsaid something, but Ember continued as if she hadn¡¯t heard anything.


    Typical, Ethan thought. He hopped off the cap and followed the cat for a couple of seconds and before he flew down to the ground to pick her up, he looked in the distance.


    The rift continued to pulse and flicker, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel curious about what he¡¯d find in there. Once he was done with Edwin.

 1.72: The Rift

    The orange flaming tail swished back and forth, sliding against Ethan¡¯s ear while he stood a few yards away from the rift. The cat was purring and even though he¡¯d expected her to come down and examine the rift as well, she seemed content to hang around atop of his horns, purring up a storm, ever since he¡¯d made the mistake of admitting he actually worried about her.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. You can get off now.¡±


    ¡°[No.]¡±


    Ethan stared ahead at the paw dangling in front of his face and sighed, then looked past it.


    The rift hung ahead of him, crackling with wild energies. The air smelled like a mix of sea water and dead algae, oddly enough, which he assumed meant he was about to drop into the territory of the moss-covered lord. Or on a beach.


    Ethan took a step back and kneeled down to touch the still smoking lizardling-shaman, and for a moment, he looked past them and drew his lips in line before he pulled the Harvester¡¯s dagger from the dimensional pouch. Or, more accurately, what remained of it.


    Stupid lizard, he thought as he turned over the deformed pommel, and eyed the broken edge. Ethan had swung by the area in which he fought Edwin¡¯s group. Having thrown the dagger to the side in the heat of the fight and having had to scram when the tier-2 creature had shown up, he couldn¡¯t stop and pick it up then but after having gone back, he quickly found it, at the edge of giant footprint left by the lord of the swamp.


    Oh well, at least I got both a new spell and a level out of the little adventure. Though I did end up using Scorching Ascendancy, which means I¡¯ll have to be careful until it recharges.


    You have defeated [Human (I) - Level 50]


    ¡­


    You have defeated [Lizardling (I) - Level 47]


    You have reached Level 52. 1 stat point awarded.


    With two stat points still unassigned, he put both in Toughness. Things had been close against Edwin and his team, and Ethan was pretty sure if he hadn¡¯t been investing this heavily in the attribute, he wouldn¡¯t have survived. All of those metallic shots, electric blasts, and stabs could have been much more severe if they¡¯d managed to get through his Toughness. Even that blindness could have easily lasted a while longer. Probably.


    Next, Ethan had some fragments to spend and before doing so, he checked his interface to see if there were any upgrades he could afford on the Prime Arcanum.


    That¡¯s¡­ 13 Essence. Most of it from that one encounter.


    It hadn¡¯t been as impressive as that odd state Ethan had channeled a few hours ago, but it was nearly as profitable.


    Just gotta keep running into danger. Easy enough.


    Ethan eyed the list of upgrades and hummed. He really didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on his choices for too long, but he wished he had enough for the Form Bonus upgrade or for the Prime Echo, but both cost 20 and 50 Essence respectively, without accounting for fragments. In that case, the best he could do was grab an extra slot in the wand for capacity. After all, he had quite a handful of new spells he should be integrating in his arsenal.


    Prime Arcanum: [Capacity: Increase by 1 - 100 fragments, 10 Essence]


    It was a cheap upgrade all in all, so with the remaining fragments, he turned his attention to the Lesser Arcanum and paused. He didn¡¯t need more capacity here, he had one free spot already, and it would be enough for what he had in mind. On the other hand, he was not too far off from another form bonus update. Less than 200 fragments, in fact, and he would get a sizable boost to the stats provided by the Arcanum.


    Alright, I¡¯ll hold off on that, he thought as he began moving spells around and when he was done, he pulled both screens and confirmed everything was just like he wanted it.


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    Prime Arcanum of the Juggernaut:


    Spells: [Small Fireball]


    Spell Forms: [Mana Heart], [Sapping Scales]


    Lesser Arcanum of the Fire Elemental:


    Spells: [[Homing][Crystal Dart]]


    Spell Forms: [[Scorching][Extended][Draconic Claws]], [Draconic Wings]


    I won¡¯t be able to cast the fireball from my claws anymore, but this will allow me to use the Prime wand¡¯s effect of breaking the spells in the fireball¡¯s path. As for the [Crystal Dart] and [Homing Projectile], they should be a surprise. And I¡¯m due some real range anyway. Now the question is: Do I leave [Extended Enhancement] in or do I replace it with [Arc of Force]?


    As soon as he considered it, he knew he didn¡¯t want to take it out. It was too valuable against large monsters, and even though he hadn¡¯t used it against Edwin and his troupe, the surprise effect of his claws suddenly doubling in size would win him the fight. A range option was nice and all, but he had two range spells ready. Flexibility was nice and all, but his strengths and advantages were still the most impactful when he was up close and personal.


    Ethan rolled his shoulders and summoned the scales on his face and head, summoned the wings and claws, and grabbed the black and red form of the Prime wand as it popped out of thin air. Ember stopped purring and hopped down and before her feet touched the ground, her anklets were manifested. She looked up at him, eyes glowing. ¡°[Ready?]¡±


    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡±


    Ethan took a step forward and reached forward to the white light. Before he even touched it, he felt world slip by around him in a flash of blue light, as if he¡¯d just stepped on top of the fastest moving walkway in existence and as soon as it started, it stopped, and Ethan stumbled right as the bright daylight blared into his retina, quickly followed by the pungent scent of decomposing plant matter and stagnant water.


    Next, a prompt popped in front of him Ethan quickly parsed it before he dismissed and looked around.


    ¡°Ember?¡±


    Ethan flared his wings, ready to fly up just as they¡¯d planned, but the cat was not at his feet.


    He cursed. They¡¯d considered this a possibility, but the Ignisra had not been able to know for sure. She¡¯d said some rifts separated the people who challenge them, and some allowed groups to stay together, and it seemed like this one was of the former.


    Thankfully, they accounted for that, and the cat said she¡¯d be able to find him thanks to their connection so all Ethan had to do was find a dry, high spot, and secure an area for them. Which would certainly not be this spot. Already, scaly, moss-covered heads began popping out of the murky, duck-weed covered waters, and as he focused on one, he quickly realized he really had to take to the air before he got dragged into a risky fight.


    [Moss Monitor (I) - Lvl 62]


    A bit too intense for the moment. Especially when Edwin could be watching and preparing a trap for him. So, for now, Ethan jumped up and beat his wings, and within a couple of seconds, he passed the sparse canopy, and his jaw slackened.


    They were in a bubble. A giant, rainbow-colored bubble that seemed to encompass a tropical island. The island was divided into mainly three biomes. First, the swamps Ethan was currently flying over. Right next to them, a large, imposing mountain that was riddled with caverns, almost as if it was just a giant ant-mound. And finally, a rocky beach¨Cno, a lagoon, and on the shore, countless water monitors were lounging around, taking in light of the sun.


    Wait¡­ there¡¯s no sun¡­


    The light seemed to be coming off of the walls of the bubble itself.


    This is crazy¡­ but I¡¯m honestly glad I can take a break from the blue lights of the mushroom trees.


    Hovering in place, Ethan looked around once more and knew he had to make a decision, but first, he wanted to re-check the prompt.


    Rift challenge: Defeat the three lords (0/3)


    Rift restriction: Exit is not possible until the challenge is finished.


    That¡¯s perfect. Means Edwin has nowhere to go. And the three lords?


    Ethan looked down at the biomes, recalled the two lords he¡¯d already seen, then his eyes swiveled to the beach. Considering he¡¯d already seen the lord of the swamp and the lord of the cave, he assumed the third would be the boss of the water monitors, which brought him back to the question; which area should he start with?


    If I want to meet Ember, I feel like she¡¯d be at the cave. She doesn¡¯t like water much. But the issue is, the caves might give the advantage to Edwin and his webs, and to the shadow-hopping woman.


    Ethan eyed the three biomes for a few more seconds, enjoying the fresh air as he thought things through, and came to a decision.


    I¡¯ll start with the caves and see if I can find Edwin¡¯s tracks¡­ otherwise, I¡¯ll spend some time in the area between the cave and the lagoon, and get some levels. It¡¯s not as if he can leave. And in the meantime, I can start working on the first lord.


    Ethan beat his wings and smiled as the air ruffled his hair. He wondered what kind of reward a rift had.

 1.73: The lagoon

    It didn¡¯t take long for Ethan to realize that black wings against a clear blue and sunless-sky were very conspicuous and that everyone who so much as looked up would see him come from a mile away. While he usually wasn¡¯t one for stealth, he knew he didn¡¯t need to blare his presence to his enemies before he even managed to find them. They were expecting him, of course. But it¡¯d be better for him to at least try to be discrete, after all, even the smallest element of surprise could make a difference between a successful ambush or a drawn out fight where he¡¯d have to wade through everything Edwin and his lackeys had prepared for him. So, with that in mind, he decided to land on the space between the swamp and the rocky shore of the clear blue lagoon. A stretch of dirt-covered, rocky soil where moss and broken, dry trunks of wood fought for control and where both groups of monitors refused to approach, as if neither wanted to risk leaving the protection of the lords they followed.


    Ethan landed with a crunch, sending dust and twigs flying, and immediately, the monitors of every side began rumbling in their throat, a warning tune to keep him off their territory. But none approached as he eyed both groups.


    I don¡¯t want to deal with the dirty water, he thought. After a couple of seconds, he took a step toward the lagoon and sparing a glance beyond the now agitated water monitors, Ethan watched the small waves lapping at the shore. He hoped the lord wouldn¡¯t show up. He guessed it was in there. Deep underwater. Sleeping or doing whatever it was giant lizards like to do but until it was home, Ethan was going to get some exercise done.


    He turned his attention to the first approaching monster and cracked his knuckles. For a moment, he considered summoning the Prime wand, but decided against it. The fireball spell was loud, and who knew, maybe the explosions would attract the lords. He didn¡¯t need those to show up just yet. He had to put a few levels under his belt before then and in any case, he still had some frustration to work through. Plus, he was waiting for Ember to find him so might as well get busy.


    A guttural hiss filled his ears as one of the larger creatures came forward, separating from its pack like goon in a classic action movie. The water monitor stepped closer, giant tail swaying, confident in its ability to deal with the interloper that dared step on its territory.


    [Water Monitor (I) - Lvl 61]


    The blue-scaled lizard¡¯s throat glowed for barely an instant before a pillar of concentrated water shot at him. Ethan couldn¡¯t tell if his reflexes had gotten better or if he¡¯d been unconsciously expecting it, but he was already moving, dodging to the side before he rushed forward into the mist of water spraying around the attack. His claws ignited as he ate through the distance separating him from the reptile and from the corner of his eye, he saw another reptile¡¯s throat glow so without stopping, he extended an arm and triggered his newest spell.


    A five-inch long bit of raw, clear crystal tore through the air and considering the angle, Ethan would have missed. But the homing modifier was applied to the spell, so at last second, the projectile swerved, reflecting the glimmering blue lights of the lagoon on its multi-faceted surface before it lodged itself through the shoulder of the monitor. The sharp bit pierced easily into the scales, but the impact was intense enough for the remaining bits to break, sending more shards into the creature¡¯s flesh while the rest fell to the ground.


    Ethan couldn¡¯t observe what happened next as he was coming up on the larger monitor, but he had only one thought as he swung his claws forward to meet the monitor¡¯s charge and as the hiss of pain reached his ears: that spell was nasty. The fact that it could break on impact meant he should definitely be careful on whom he used it.


    The powerful jaw snapped on empty air with a powerful clap as Ethan slipped past it. He swept his claws up. and the fire brightened around his talon as they doubled in size. He expected to tear the lizard¡¯s throat open, but the lizard had more tricks prepared. A thick-layer of sapphire-blue scales suddenly appeared, and his claws skidded against the summoned scales. Ethan cursed and jumped back, dodging away from the sharp fangs that tried to cut into him once more, only for the monster to whip its head back, and Ethan realized what was happening a beat too late.


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    The tail slammed into the side of his arm as if a giant just swung a tree into his side, and Ethan was sent skidding and rolling against the jagged dark grey rocks, only managing to stop at the edge of the lagoon. A bit of stone and dust fell into the water as Ethan pulled himself back on his feet, wincing at the pulsing pain in his shoulder.


    I can¡¯t wait to get something for my weight. But heavy or not, that would have still hurt.


    Ethan glared at the creature as it waddled toward him, summoned-scales glowing with blue magic, and Ethan looked behind him at the rippling waters of the lagoon, then back at the prowling lizard.


    The only way out is through, he told himself, and this time, he felt it. Something stirred in his chest, just like it had in that mysterious state he¡¯d been trying to re-capture. Ethan exhaled, arms at his side, and after making sure no attack was coming at him, he spared a second to close his eyes, then took a step forward. Not to run. Not to lunge. Just a step. A simple step. But it echoed in his mind and spirit.


    Unfortunately, in his excitement at having successfully recaptured the state after nearly a dozen failed tries, the spike of surprise seemed to destabilize it, right as a new jet of water flew out of the monitor¡¯s mouth.


    Shit!


    Ethan raised his arms and summoned his wings right before the jet of water slammed into his forearms and sent him flying over the lagoon, and when he almost fell into the water, Ethan managed to regain his balance and with a beat of his wings he flew up.


    That was too damn close, he thought as he gazed at the clear waters. Unsurprisingly, it was a lot easier to see the lord from this angle. And the lord had an easier time seeing him.


    The surface broke as a giant, smooth-scaled monitor surged out of the water, maw wide open and ready to gobble him up.


    [Lord of the Lagoon (II) - Level 75]


    Like a giant crocodile reaching upward, the monitor¡¯s massive tail churned the water as the creature propelled itself up in the air, dangerously closing in the distance between them and Ethan realized he was screaming as he beat his wings as fast as he could, and he only dared take breather when the momentum of the creature died out and as it began falling outward.


    Too close!


    Ethan found himself panting and laughing. That had been terrifying and exciting in equal measures. There was something primal about being targeted by a giant sea monster, and as he flew back to shore, he didn¡¯t dare look away from the sinking creature. The yellow eyes glared at him for a moment, and then they disappeared under the clear blue waters.


    Still watching to make sure he didn¡¯t get sniped as soon as he looked away, Ethan made himself glide back toward the first monster who¡¯d almost got him killed. It hissed at him as he approached, and Ethan¡ªfinally comfortable looking away from the lagoon and the lord hiding within it, summoned the lance and dive-bombed his first opponent.


    ***


    Ethan wrenched his claws out of the last challenger and watched as the remaining water monitors slipped into the lagoon, one by one, and he took a second to look around him. All in all, six water monitors had died and curiously, in all fights, he rarely was interrupted by others. One a couple of times did one of the younger monsters take a potshot at him, and every time the offender got a tail-slap for its effort. It was as if he was fighting them for dominance. For their territory, and now that he managed to kill six of their strongest individuals, the rest retreated to the territory Ethan couldn¡¯t contest just yet. The lagoon itself, where the highest-level being was waiting.


    How was he going to actually drag that monster out? Because there¡¯s no way in hell he was fighting under-water.


    ¡°[It looks like you kept yourself occupied.]¡±


    Ethan turned, wincing as his whole body contested the movement, and found a mud-covered, flat-eared Ember staring at him.


    ¡°You said you could find me. So I waited for you.¡±


    Ember prowled forward, ears flicking back and forth and without pause, she began biting into one of the torn necks, tearing strips of red bloody meat and then chewed. ¡°[I found humans. Three. One of them stank of shadows, just like you said.]¡±


    Ethan stilled for a second, then approached one of the dead lizards and with his claws, he tore a piece of tail out and began roasting it.


    ¡°Good. A quick break then we go. Catch them before they move.¡±

 1.74: Not my war

    With Ember standing watch over their little corner of the lagoon, Ethan laid down on his back and pulled up his notifications.


    You have defeated [Water Monitor (I) - Level 61]


    ¡­


    You have defeated [Water Monitor (I) - Level 59]


    You have reached Level 53. 1 stat point awarded.


    You have reached Level 54. 1 stat point awarded.


    Shardpurse: 453 fragments collected.


    Without wasting time, he assigned one of the new points Toughness, and one in Might, and as he eyed the sizable amount of points coming his way once he reached level 60, he promised himself he¡¯d put a good amount in Spirit and Mana. Twenty extra points were nothing to scoff at, and the only reason he wasn¡¯t killing everything that moved to finish up the side quest was that he was sure Edwin would not be able to. First, he must be tired. He also used some sort of trapping ability. Webs. So he probably needed a team to actually take on powerful foes. So yes, he could technically manage to level all the way to 60 by himself, but in only a couple of hours?


    Ethan strongly doubted that. But once he was done with him, he would then take the time to grind to level 60, which should then ease up the path to challenge the lords.


    I just wish I had another trait instead of spell selections. I¡¯d love that looting trait though at least with spell selection I might get offered something for weight. Draconic, preferably. And I probably should pick something from the modifier list as well. I haven¡¯t visited those in a while¡­


    Next, Ethan took a quick glance at the main quest¡¯s timer, and he almost jumped back up to his feet.


    Jeez¡­ only 3 days and 20 hours left to kill three level 70 creatures and find the exit of the tutorial.


    When he¡¯d put like that, it felt like he was out of time. What would happen if he didn¡¯t finish the rift¡¯s challenge in time? The rift itself didn¡¯t seem to have a time limit, but would something happen outside? Would everyone just drop dead? Or is it more of a failing grade kind of thing?


    Sooner or later, he was going to get some answers but for now, he pulled up his totals for fragments and Essence to see if he was close to an important upgrade.


    Shardpurse: 1030


    Essence: 9


    Yeah there¡¯s nothing big I can get. The Prime Arcanum needs a lot more Essence for its upgrades, and I¡¯m getting close to the 1500 fragments for tier-4. Would I even get that one, though? ¡­No. I¡¯m prioritizing the Prime upgrades. Especially that Prime Echo stuff, whatever that is.


    After a couple of seconds of staring at the interface, he decided to shelve the issue. He still needed to save up fragments but if he was honest, he was looking forward to getting the next Arcanum. He had more forms he could be using. More stats to play with.


    Would the unique trait transfer between wands? Are they shared between Lesser Arcanums? That¡¯d save me a lot of trouble¡­


    Ethan¡¯s eyes grew heavy. He had to take a small rest. Even though [Mana Heart] had staved off most of the mana exhaustion, he could feel his mind and body approaching the limit. After all, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d had more than an hour of sleep here and there ever since the day he¡¯d met Ember, and he guessed he wasn¡¯t going to get a full eight hours any time soon. But a small nap right now would see him primed and ready to deal with Edwin, after which he could get some real rest before starting on the lords and as he drifted off to sleep, he had one last thought:


    I wonder if anybody else got into the rift.


    ***


    From his vantage point, hidden in the darkness of a cave overlooking the quarry-like base of the mountain, David watched the swamp monitors lounge in their swamp, uncaring of the world around them. Behind, he could hear Edwin and the shadow psycho argue.


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    He swallowed, and as neutral as he could make his face, he glanced behind him.


    Further down, Ava was pacing, cursing up a storm at having had to run from a ¡°nobody¡±. Edwin didn¡¯t correct her and instead, he was sitting on a rock, thoughtfully staring up at David.


    No, not at me. At the exit, probably.


    David looked back and continued his guard while the woman continued to vent, her voice slowly getting and more grating to his ears. She kept saying the young man, Ethan, had gotten lucky, but David was not a delusional moron on an ego-trip to believe a whit of what she was saying. No, that man had taken spells that could pierce through a level 60 monster without so much as a drop of blood. David had had to use Essence to break through those damn scales. As for her, the poison that was supposed to blind everyone and everything barely worked on him. He¡¯d been blinded for what? Ten seconds? She even managed to stab him a second time and that did absolutely nothing. She might as well have thrown a pillow at his face.


    No. They were outclassed. Severely out of their depths.


    It¡¯s those damn form spells. I should have picked some of those, but I thought keeping my distance would be safer. Or did his strength have to do with hidden quests?


    David had not shared the information to the others, but he did manage to find one hidden quest, though he kept it to himself. He wasn¡¯t allied to these people. This was just an alliance of convenience.


    Then walk away, said the part of his brain that knew he was bullshitting himself.


    His stomach churned as he stared out and as he tuned out the girl. He¡¯d made the wrong bet by allying with Edwin.


    Is it really an alliance when your voice doesn¡¯t matter?


    David swallowed and grit his teeth. His knuckles turned white around his wand. He wanted to turn behind him once to see what they were doing, but he refrained from doing so. He was in such deep shit. And for what? He owed nothing to Edwin, so why should he die along with him. He didn¡¯t know this Ethan and whatever history existed between him and Edwin, why was that his problem?


    He stopped tapping his shoes and continued watching the space ahead. From this angle, he could see well into the swamp, and even a bit of the lagoon, so he expected to see anyone¡ªor anything¡ªthat came their way. But that wasn¡¯t important. Because more and more, David wanted to run. He wanted to find Ethan, apologize, then stay out of this whole thing and survive. Maybe even help the kid. Sure, David didn¡¯t have a wife and child to go back to, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to bite it here in the middle of nowhere.


    If I stay here, I¡¯m dead. So is she, and so is he.


    Edwin seemed to at least be taking this seriously. He¡¯d already gone all over the cave entrances, setting up traps. A few got already ruined by the cave monitors, but David was sure he had plenty. His eyes traced the path Edwin had not trapped¡ªas far as he could tell¡ªand bit his lip.


    The man seemed too confident to David¡¯s taste, but at least he wasn¡¯t talking out of his ass like Ava. But did he want to gamble and stay with them?


    No. No, they''re going to die.


    David¡¯s throat felt dry. He was parched, sure, but this was something else, and now that he thought of it, he couldn¡¯t stop the images from replaying in his mind.


    They would have absolutely died if that lord hadn¡¯t come and chased Ethan away. Shit, he beat them 4-on-1 while he was lower-level than Edwin. The more time they¡¯d give that monster, the deeper in the hole they¡¯d be.


    ¡°You okay over there?¡±


    David stilled. He¡¯d been bobbing back and forth, without even realizing. He coughed, then he answered, only tilting his head to the side. He feared his plan would show on his face if he met the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°I Need to take a leak. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he added, and took a step forward.


    The woman made a disgusted sound and David hated to agree. He was never one to say such things, but the end of the world changed people. For decades, he¡¯d worn his suit and been the perfect little white-collar manager. Networking and smiling and being pleasant to people he abhorred and through all of it, he maintained the facade. But now everything was cracking.


    David, as casually as he could, stepped out in the light and glanced around, as if looking for a spot to relieve himself. He hopped down a couple of rocks, then landed near the path he wanted to take.


    Where would I find them? The swamp? Or the lagoon?


    He didn¡¯t know. He might as well flip a coin. But not yet. David came to a stop near a boulder and mimicked the gesture of unzipping his flyer, then looked up to make sure he wasn¡¯t being watched.


    There was no one.


    Without wasting any time, David turned and ran, but he barely made a handful of strides when something cold stuck to his face and killed his momentum.


    ¡°No no no¡­ fuck. Get off,¡± he spoke between gritted teeth. The threads burned against his skin. He summoned the buckler that redirected the momentum of oncoming attacks, but there was nothing to redirect. He tried shooting at the invisible webs, but it did nothing and as much as he tried to wrench himself away from the web, as much as he tried to get a good hold with his foot to drag himself away, he couldn¡¯t.


    Then he heard the steps coming his way.


    David looked up to see Edwin sliding down the rocky facade, casually, as if he was in a skate park. A small smile was on his lips. A fake thing that made David thrash harder. He opened his mouth once or twice, trying to come up with an excuse, but Edwin raised a hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I understand.¡±


    That brought David¡¯s thoughts to a halt. A small bit of hope flared in his chest, and his breath came out faster, but that only made Edwin¡¯s smile grow wider and at this point, it couldn¡¯t be called a smile anymore. It showed too many teeth. The eyes were too angry, and as the words came out, David knew he was done.


    ¡°¡­ and I hope that you too, will understand.¡±


    David opened his mouth to respond, but his muscles refused to move. Wind rustled through his hair, but it was as if he wasn¡¯t even in control of his body, and a moment later, his eyes rolled back, and he fell into slumber.

 1.75: Tracking

    Ember hopped over a rotting trunk, sniffed the ground once more and without a word, continued forging ahead. It was still daylight, exactly like it had been nearly an hour and half ago when he¡¯d gone to sleep and as he gazed ahead, Ethan could already make out the gray mountain wall with its many caves, then he turned his attention back to his surroundings.


    His horns were summoned, and both Prime wand and his [Claws] were out, ready to send spells at anything that moved which so far had only been moss monitors. But any minute now, they were going to find the trio, and he was going to slam that chapter of his life shut. Then really turn his attention toward the future.


    A branch cracked under his scaled feet, and he felt his breath pick up. To the side, a slow hiss reached his ears and with a quick gesture, he shot a [Crystal Dart] at the surprised moss monitor, leaving it to screech in pain and anger while both of him and Ember picked up the pace.


    He didn¡¯t want to get into a drawn out fight. Not when they were this close to their target.


    Ethan closed his right hand into a tight fist. The thought of putting that part of his life to rest was¡­ It was as if he¡¯d just learned that there had been a weight on his back his whole life, and that he¡¯d soon be able to free himself from it. A chain wrapped around his shoulders, that he¡¯d been dragging around for years, having gotten used to it to the point that he didn¡¯t even think of it anymore but now, he learned that he could get rid of it.


    What would Luther say?


    The thought came unbidden, and something twisted in his stomach. Not because of guilt or shame. No, Luther was a pragmatic man. As empathic and genuine as he could be, Luther would break his own code and would do anything that needed to be done so the likes of Edwin wouldn¡¯t ruin other people¡¯s lives. Which the latter had was already guilty of and clearly, had no intention of stopping. No, the ache gnawing at his stomach was one from worry. For Luther.


    Is he okay?


    In his heart, Ethan knew the man was self-reliant and careful, but whatever this new reality was, it had monsters. Both of the fantastical and the human kind, and while he knew Luther knew his own limits and wouldn¡¯t put himself in danger if he couldn¡¯t handle it, he also knew the man¡¯s morals conflicted with the latter. After all, if Luther had seen what Edwin had been up to, using other people as fodder on the off-chance they would weaken a lord, Ethan was sure the old man would have done something. He didn¡¯t know what, but Luther would not have walked away and acted as if he¡¯d seen nothing. That wasn¡¯t the type of man he was.


    He''s a crafty bastard. He¡¯ll be fine, Ethan told himself, and came to a stop when Ember paused to sniff the tracks once more.


    Thoughts of his biological parents tried to come out from the back of his mind, but he shoved them back and instead, he focused on what was happening around him. The two continued and soon enough, they crested over a small hill. The trail was bringing them closer and closer to the caves, and it was just as Ethan thought.


    They were going to probably fight in the caves.


    The shadow woman might have an advantage there. And so would Edwin with his threads. So far, Ethan had seen two types: one that drained mana, and one that was incredibly hard to break. He suspected there might be more but even if there weren¡¯t¡­


    This would be a great opportunity to master that odd state. I¡¯ve gotten really close earlier. Right before I almost ended up as fishing chum.


    Ethan was pretty confident he could recreate it. If things were serious enough, and that wasn¡¯t him being lazy or anything. He¡¯d tried accessing it after getting up from his nap, but there had been something missing. It felt like it was a lot easier to channel that mindset when there was real danger. When there were real obstacles trying to hinder his progress.


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    Suddenly Ember came to a stop and tilted her head up. ¡°[We¡¯re here¡­ and it looks like they¡¯ve started doing our work for us.]¡±


    Following her gaze, Ethan quickly found the suspended, inanimate body of the suit-wearing man that had shot him with those painful projectiles. He hung limply mid-air, ten-or-so feet off the ground and thin green threads were digging into his neck, arm and some of his legs. Where the threads connected with his skin, black veins had spread out.


    Add poison to the list then. Did he use that already? I could see it not getting through the scales and the sapping effect¡­


    Ethan pursed his lips in distaste and looked at the handful of cave entrances nearby. ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    He looked back up at the dead man, then all around at the surprisingly clear rocky, flat space ahead. He knew there would be traps and more threads, and this was a clear message from Edwin. Then again, was this a distraction, while Edwin prepared an assault from another direction? Or maybe he¡¯d be wasting his time, looking for the man, while his target was somewhere else, killing monitors and leveling.


    Ethan clicked his tongue and forced himself to exhale. He hated mind games. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°[Can you sense anything? Do you have a way to confirm if they¡¯re still here?]¡±


    The Ignisra took a tentative step forward and sniffed at the air, ears tilted back, and without looking at him, she spoke in his mind. ¡°[I¡¯ll try. And I do sense things in the air. More threads.]¡± Ember was quiet for a second, then she sat back on her haunches and licked her paw, ears flicking while her eyes still scanned the air ahead of him. ¡°[You still haven¡¯t explained to me what was happening, by the way.]¡±


    ¡°[We¡¯re in a rift.]¡±


    ¡°[Not that,]¡± she said, instantly annoyed, and Ethan couldn¡¯t help his smile.  She looked up at him, and flicked her ears once more. ¡°[Haha. Funny. But what¡¯s happening? You¡¯re tracking this group as if they pissed on your sibling¡¯s graves.]¡±


    Ethan rolled his shoulders as eyed their surroundings while Ember gestured at him to follow. She blasted some fire here and there, then walked in a zig-zag fashion that Ethan didn¡¯t mind following. The strategic action here would be to burn all the threads in case they had to scramble away in case one of the lords showed up, but then again, there still might be a chance of them getting the drop on the others. But one thing was sure, Ethan wasn¡¯t worried about stepping into a kill-zone or a special terrain prepared by Edwin. In fact, he wished it was the case. So he could steamroll through it before he buried the spider along with his schemes.


    ¡°Old history. He almost killed me a long time ago. Gave me a hard time when I wasn¡¯t in a good place in my life. He¡­ tried to exploit the fact that I had no one watching out for me. For his own end. And when I threatened his little schemes, the threats started. To keep it short, he¡¯s someone that won¡¯t be missed. Much worse than those pricks who¡¯d gotten the drop on Liz and her team early on.¡±


    ¡°[I understand. I think. What if we can¡¯t find them here, though? I¡¯m¡­ sensing a few tracks here and there, and this cave might be larger than we expect.]¡±


    They came to a stop in front of one of the entrances and just like the cave outside of the rift, these caves were lit as well but this time, it wasn¡¯t through glowing mushrooms. Instead, there were clumps of glowing crystal. Blues and purples and even some violets.


    Ethan silently peered into the cave, and he heard rustling, but he didn¡¯t move. There were steps. He shared a look with Ember, and took a deep breath as he waited. The scuffling got closer, and then¡­ a gem-scaled monitor head peeked around the corner. It saw him, and it hissed.


    [Cave Monitor (I) - Level 57]


    Ethan sighed, and glanced down at Ember. ¡°Did you smell something in there?¡±


    ¡°[Yes.]¡±


    He blinked at her, then looked back at the approaching monster. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll take care of this. Keep an eye out for ambushes.¡±


    ¡°[Fine. Don¡¯t take too long.]¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, ma¡¯m,¡± he said, cracking his fingers. He took one more breath, closed his eyes, then stared at the approaching monster.


    It¡¯s in my way, he said in his own mind. Then he took a step forward, and the world turned quiet around him.

 1.76: Delayed

    It was building up in his chest. Now that he¡¯d approached this state so many times, he realized that the first time had not been the real deal. He didn¡¯t have the exact words for it, but if he were to compare it to anything, it might have been something like a partial combustion. Like a piece of fire log burning unevenly, with one side still water-logged from having been in the snow too long. Every other time since then, whenever he¡¯d approached that state, it was as if he was creating the perfect temperature for igniting that piece of wood in his chest. Heating it, drying it, making sure it would burn evenly and quickly but again and again, he would fail for some reason or another. Either he¡¯d get distracted, or for the longest time, he just didn¡¯t know how to get in the mindset. He didn¡¯t know he had to have an actual obstacle ahead of him. But on and on, he kept trying, and this time, he could feel it. He could feel that piece of wood slowly turn to coal. He could feel the concept, the idea of barreling through all obstacles douse that log of coal, priming it, and the only thing still missing was the spark.


    When Ethan felt the tension refuse to rise any further, when he saw the crystal-studded lizard hiss at him and charge, when it felt like he wanted to set his own body ablaze, one word slipped past his teeth.


    ¡°Burn,¡± he breathed, and the log ignited.


    The air shuddered around him while a wave of warm energy poured off his chest and down into his limbs, sinking into his flesh and bones. In a way, it was reminiscent of Scorching Ascendancy¡¯s effect. While the latter empowered his body and stats, this new ability felt more spiritual and in a way, it did something to his perception. As he gazed ahead, he only saw obstacles to be stepped through. It made Ethan think of an idiom. ¡®Think like a hammer and everything looks like a nail,¡¯ it said, and right now, everything looked like a nail to him.


    No¡­ this isn¡¯t like Scorching Ascendancy.


    It had felt like the other side of the same coin at first, but the more time he spent in this state, the more it felt like he was still in the shallow end of the pool. There was more to this¡­ but he couldn¡¯t dwell on that just yet and as much as he tried to ignore it, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from looking up, completely ignoring the predator barreling at him.


    Are my horns on fire?


    An orange-reddish fire was dancing on them, but he couldn¡¯t dwell on it, even though he felt that the state wasn¡¯t as vulnerable to distractions anymore. The cave monitor leaped at him, trying to bring him to the ground, only to stumble back as Ethan continued walking forward. As if it had just put its front legs on a wall that just kept moving.


    Right.


    With his palm out and his fingers straight, Ethan lunged forward right as the monitor opened its maw and shot a clump of crystal at him. The projectile clipped him on the left shoulder and exploded into a storm of shards, and a couple of sharp edges managed to cut into his scales, but no matter how powerful it might have been, the attack did nothing to his momentum. Any other time, it would have thrown him off balance or even pushed him back, but it seems like this state did not allow for such.


    It¡¯s like I¡¯m embodying a part of a juggernaut. I can¡¯t be stopped when I¡¯m moving, but I still can be injured, he thought as he shoved his open palm in a stabbing motion toward the creature¡¯s neck. The black claws met the incredibly tough scales of the monitor, the same scales that had always given him such a hard time¡ªand sank right through. Like a hot-knife through foam.


    Blood spurted out from a cut artery. The monitor stumbled back, and feebly tried to snap its teeth around the retreating hand, but it missed. It kept backing away, surprised, but Ethan had no eyes for it and instead, he gazed upward, frowning. The horns had grown dimmer, and so did the sensation in his chest.


    I¡¯m using up something when I¡¯m in this state? No¡­ just standing around doesn¡¯t consume a lot of energy, but exercising the juggernaut-effect does.


    Taking a quick look at his notifications, he noticed that nothing new had shown up. Which was a bit disappointing.


    I hoped this would have been a hidden quest like the stuff from before. Oh well¡­ I¡¯d love some explanations though. A bit of context about what this is.


    The monitor screeched, filling the tunnel with its strident call, and Ethan stepped forward as it tried and failed to turn around and run and with a slash, he extended his claws and tore straight through the creature¡¯s neck, decapitating it, and the feeling in his chest¡ªas well as the flames licking up his horns¡ªwinked out.


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    You have defeated [Cave Monitor (I) - Level 57]


    Shardpurse: 59 fragments collected.


    Ethan exhaled as the intense feeling left his spirit and a quick check of his interface told him his Essence was up to 14 points. He cracked his neck, and looked around, only to find Ember staring at him, completely frozen.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°[What do you mean what? What was that?]¡±


    Ethan blinked at the cat and frowned. ¡°The thing I¡¯ve been working on? You were with me last time?¡±


    The cat circled around his feet, slowly, as if he was some sort of mouse she was getting ready to pounce on.


    ¡°[It didn¡¯t look like that back then. It didn¡¯t feel like that either.]¡±


    That was odd. ¡°How did it feel?¡±


    Ember sat down on her haunches, but unlike other times where she¡¯d lick her paws or do anything else while speaking with him, she kept still, her eyes fixed on him and in the dim light of the tunnel, they were almost glowing.


    ¡°[It feels as intense as the upgrade to tier-1. Like back in the cave, when you went on your vision. When you accessed this state the first time it did not feel as intense as this. What¡¯s different this time? Did you unlock a trait or a spell?]¡±


    Ethan shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. He felt a bit tired, all of a sudden. ¡°No, I don¡¯t see anything new. Not even any hidden quests, and as for the rest, I know as much as you do. I hoped I¡¯d get some explanation or achievement for this, but it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s gonna happen.¡±


    Ember tilted her head for a moment then yawned. ¡°[Right. The cheating this system does for you pups.]¡±


    ¡°Hey I¡¯m not the one who decides who gets quests and who doesn¡¯t.¡±


    The Ignisra stepped past the monitor, and Ethan followed and peered down around the corner. The tunnel was stretching down in the earth and as the cat whipped her tail left and right, she sent one more thought. ¡°[Let me know if you get anything about this state¡­ for now, let¡¯s get going.]¡±


    Ethan glanced down at his blood soaked claws, then without a word, he stepped into the tunnel after her.


    No threads. No traps. Did they already leave?


    Their steps echoed in the dimly lit tunnel, and further down, he could see a dark stretch that made his heart-rate pick up. If they were going to be ambushed, it¡¯d be in such a¡ª


    Congratulations. Hidden quest: Achieve Prime Manifestation completed


    1x rift access token from a list of tailored options


    Caution: Reward will be claimable after end of the current tutorial


    Ethan stopped mid-step, frowning, and Ember¡¯s ears instantly flicked backward and crouched, ready to attack. When nothing happened, she spoke through their connection.


    ¡°[What is it?]¡±


    Ethan was still staring at the prompt. The state had come and gone, and it¡¯s been like three or four minutes already. Why did it take so long for the notification to arrive? Every other time, the hidden quest notifications had been nearly instantaneous.


    It¡¯s almost as if¡­ the system had to come up with this.


    With them being in the cave and tracking enemies, Ethan decided it was time to communicate quietly. ¡°[I got it. The hidden quest notification. What I did is called Prime Manifestation.]¡±


    The cat slowly turned around and looked up at him.¡°[That¡¯s¡­ wait. No. That¡¯s just-are you sure?]¡±


    ¡°[That¡¯s what it said. Why? You know what that means?]¡±


    The cat stared at him for a few seconds, mouth slightly open, then she got up and looked down the tunnel.


    ¡°[I think I do¡­ and if I¡¯m right, then no wonder you¡¯re a little monster compared to the other humans.]¡±


    ¡°[Thanks, I guess?]¡±


    Ember didn¡¯t react to his words. ¡°[I think that¡¯s what we call Zenith State in my tribe. Well, not me, because that¡¯s got nothing to do with me. I mostly heard our elders speak of it. That state is the first key to reaching tier-3. It means you are getting more aligned with your Path, and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s supposed to happen while you¡¯re still in tier-1. It¡¯s not supposed to happen within a week of you finding your Path. Even the two elders of my tribe have not managed it yet, or they¡¯d be tier-3 by now.]¡±


    Ethan listened, and his eyes kept moving back to the notifications still being displayed.


    Zenith State?


    He wished he could digest all of this a bit more. To test it and learn more of the ability¡¯s limits and nature, but it was time to finish things up with his fellow humans. And considering how quiet and still the cat has gotten, he believed she sensed they were being watched as well.

 1.77: Payback (Pt. 3)

    Their steps echoed as they approached the dark stretch of the tunnel and already, Ethan could see pieces of displaced and smashed crystals littering the ground nearby, confirming that someone had messed with the lighting. Someone who might benefit from having more shadow and darkness to jump out of. But they weren¡¯t encountering any threads, even though there had been plenty outside.


    Did they have a fallout? One¡¯s already dead, and now there¡¯s no thread here. Is the shadow woman acting alone? It¡¯d be dumb for her to attack us by herself. Unless she thinks she can take us?


    Ethan doubted that. But as they slowly stepped into the darkness, he kept his mind from thinking about the rift token he was rewarded and stopped trying to activate the Zenith State again. Obstacles or not, the ability was not responding to his attention, and he even struggled to maintain the mindset for more than a handful of seconds before he lost focus, so he assumed it took time to recharge.


    ¡°[The shadow woman is here. She¡¯s flitting about, looking for an angle to strike.]¡±


    Ethan envied the cat¡¯s ability to sense the surroundings magic. He probably should ask her for some guidance when things would mellow out. He could sense things a bit, but it was nowhere near as accurate. Him thinking they were being watched was more of a gut feeling than something he could prove or empirically test. In the meantime, he sent a message through the pact link he shared with the Ignisra.¡°[Alone?]¡±


    ¡°[I believe so.]¡±


    The two continued forward. They were already being cautious, having had expected threads and traps, but knowing they were being stalked, they didn¡¯t slow down. After all, he didn¡¯t want to spook her. He wanted the woman to attack so he could move on and get this all over with. After a few more steps of nothing happening, he asked. ¡°[Can you fill the space behind us with fire? I¡¯ll do the front.]¡±


    ¡°[To smoke the coward out? Sure. On three. Two. One.]¡±


    Ember did a little hop, turning mid-air to face backward, jaw open, right as Ethan pointed both palm in front. Two pillars of fire filled both ends of the tunnels in an instant, banishing away the darkness and causing a small form to stumble into the blinding light for a moment before she was covered by Ember¡¯s flames.


    A rage-filled scream echoed in the tunnel for the handful of seconds Ember had kept the flames going, and when she stopped, a bubble of roiling shadows dissolved to reveal a panting and singed woman holding both daggers in front of her face, as if she¡¯d used her forearms to protect her face from the heat.


    The cat stepped forward and flicked her ears backward. ¡°[You go ahead. We have some unfinished business.]¡±


    Ethan blinked at the cat as the anklets manifested around her feet, then at the death-glare the woman was giving the cat.


    Right, she¡¯d fought the woman before.


    Ethan turned away and sent one last message. ¡°[Don¡¯t die.]¡±


    ¡°[Not planning on it. You as well.]¡±


    A flare of fire lit up behind him as he stepped around yet another corner, and within seconds, he reached a stretch that had not been obscured. His steps echoed, loud in his ears and Ethan stole a last glance backward as he readied his spells and considered if he needed to switch a trait or a spell, but decided not to. The Arcanum of Forms might have been good in many scenarios, but he needed his control over fire here. Everything else needed more capacity slots or more wands, and he didn¡¯t have either of those.


    I got this, he thought as the bright end of the tunnel approached. I have everything I need to finish this up.


    Ethan leaned under a crystalline, glowing overhang, and came out into a wide, open chamber and instantly, a small part of him wanted to retreat into the tunnel, but as his eyes roamed the enclosed space and finally managed to look away from the disconcertingly larger tunnel near the end, his gazed landed on recognizable face sitting near one an alcove-like depression into the wall, and any thought of backing was quickly set ablaze by the roiling anger in his stomach.


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    He was ending things today. Now.


    Edwin stayed seated for a handful of seconds while Ethan approached, elbows on his knees, and when he realized Ethan wasn¡¯t stopping, he slowly got up, and theatrically dusted off his pants before he looked up and smiled. ¡°I surrender.¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t stop. He wasn¡¯t trusting what he was hearing for a second. He wasn¡¯t even entertaining the idea of letting the man in front of him walk away after everything he¡¯d tried to pull off in the last couple of days. Much less what had happened in the past.


    Edwin¡¯s brows furrowed for an instant before the smile came back as he raised his hands. ¡°Seriously. I¡¯ll stay out of your way. Whatever Ava did, she¡¯s on her own. I didn¡¯t ask her to¡ªwhoa,¡± he shouted, dodging down at the shard of crystal that barely missed his head.


    Ethan frowned. That was disappointing for a tier-2 homing spell.


    Edwin looked up and all the false friendliness fell away to reveal who he truly was. His lips tightened in a line that almost looked like a sneer. His eyes narrowed with a snap of his finger, a pulse of magic spread out, echoing along with the noise he made.


    In response, Ethan summoned the Prime wand and flicked a fireball at him. The ball of intense red zipped forward, but it blew up when it barely got half-way to its target, caught on a metallic panel of criss-cross wires.


    A cacophony of echoing growls and hisses suddenly filled the space and out of the large tunnel, three cave monitors came out, and that finally made Ethan slow down. Especially when he noticed that all three of them had glowing, collar-like length of white threads around their necks, matching the milky-white glow in their eyes.


    Edwin moved to step behind his mind-controlled lizards, pace slow and confident. With a gesture of his white wand, the three monitors roared and rushed forward. ¡°I guess you¡¯re as stupidly stubborn as you were back then,¡± he said, voice echoing in the cave. ¡°Even when I give you a chance, you manage to throw it back in my face. But it¡¯s fine. This time I¡¯ll make sure you stay down.¡±


    Ethan was already running forward. Of course Edwin was ready for a fight, though subjugating the monitor had not been one of Ethan¡¯s expectations.


    Where are the others, though? And where¡¯s the lord?


    The lance appeared in his hand, tip glowing with ominous red light and for a moment, Ethan looked beyond the oncoming monitors. Beyond Edwin, and hoped the lord hadn¡¯t been subjected to the same magic.


    No way. He would have attacked more if he could manage it¡­ and why no use the lord? He must be limited by the creature¡¯s levels.


    The first monitor lunged forward, only for Ethan to jump up and flare his wings, but as expected, there were invisible threads blocking his movement. Edwin tilted his head and aimed with his wand. ¡°You can¡¯t be that dumb, right?¡±


    There was a metallic flash at the end of the wand right before Ethan could react, the projectile cracked painfully against his scaly stomach before it dropped and hit one of the clambering monitors on the face. Edwin frowned and looked down at his own wand.


    Ethan stabbed down shoved the lance between the shoulderblade of one of the monitors, tearing out chunks of crystal and blood before he grinned back at Edwin. ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was going to be that easy, right?¡±


    Edwin glared up at him and Ethan had the pleasure of seeing a trickle of doubt in the eyes of the scheming bastard. He took that image and shoved it into the merrily bubbling cauldron of frustrations in his chest, stoking the fire under it. All of these little attempts at tripping him up were only helping him recharge the Zenith State faster. But it wasn¡¯t ready yet, and he wasn¡¯t about to use it just yet either. Knowing who he was dealing with, he¡¯d rather save that card for when he¡¯d really need it, and it wasn¡¯t as if a handful of rocky and fat lizards were capable of doing much to him, especially since none of them were past level 60.


    Ethan dismissed the wings and lance, and dropped down to the ground, kicking one of the monitors reaching for his ankle. His scaly feet slammed against the hard ground, and he shoved his left claws into the jaw of the bleeding monitor as it tried to bite him. With a flex, he dug his claws into the back of the creature¡¯s throat and in the next breath, he created a torrent of flames deep in its guts while the third bit down on his thigh. The powerful, crystalline teeth crunched and struggled to punch through the scales as the monitor flailed and thrashed, hissing and sending out droplets of smoking blood, but it couldn¡¯t get away from him, no matter how hard it tried. In the meantime, he kept the others away with a few kicks and swipes, carefully watching for openings to quickly dispatch them.


    Edwin took a step back, teeth gritting, then he turned and ran.


    Ethan wrenched his arm out of the dying monitor, tore into a second¡¯s throat, and sent out a point-blank fireball into the third¡¯s mouth. He wasn¡¯t going to let him run. He¡ª


    He¡¯s not running?


    Edwin came to a stop near the large tunnel, and with a swing of an arm, a bunch of threads rippled into existence. He gripped them, turned to give Ethan a manic smile, then yanked powerfully enough that he lost balance and once that was done, he let go of the threads that quickly dissolved into motes, then he ran. Toward the exit Ethan came from, right a massive pained roar filled the cave.


    That can¡¯t be good.

 1.78: Payback (Pt. 4)

    The roar echoed in the space, somewhat amplified by the cave itself. Stalagmite broke away from the ceiling, the sound of their crashing barely audible over the cacophony of roars. The call lasted nearly for a full five seconds and as soon as it quieted down, more and more calls resounded from the large tunnel. Even the single surviving monitor next to him froze for a moment before it began thrashing with renewed fervor, hissing angrily and trying to get its still smoking jaw around his arm. The milky-white glow had already faded, replaced by deep blue slitted eyes. Well. Singular eye, if he were to be accurate. The fireball seemed to have caused enough damage that one of its eyes was cauterized shut. Aside from that, the spell hadn¡¯t done as much damage as Ethan wanted, and the creature was still coming at him, clawing and spitting out shards of annoyingly painful crystal darts. Ethan tried to get it by the neck and finish it up, but the damn thing would not stay still, which was not being helped by the fact that his attention was elsewhere.


    That fucking rat, Ethan cursed as he dodge back from yet another bite and looked back up toward the running man. With a flick of his claw, he shot a [Crystal Dart] to intercept him while with his other hand he finally got the monitor right as it bit into his flank, tearing its neck before he kicked it away. Edwin ducked, skidding against the sand-like dirt and dodged the homing shard once more at the last second. Clearly, he was exploiting the weakness of the homing modifier, to Ethan¡¯s annoyance, and as soon as he got back up, he sprinted toward the exit. Ethan lunged toward him, intent on giving pursuit only to see a tiny ball of yellow fire fly toward Edwin¡¯s surprised face.


    The world went still for an instant, punctuated only by a heavy step that made everything shudder, and then the ball detonated into a storm of intensely bright flames, filling half the cave with noise and light, and out of the giant swirl of fire came out the flying form of Edwin. The man twisted in the air and landed on feet, hair and clothes smoldering. When the fire and smoke cleared, there was an orange cat with tufts of flaming fur sitting in front of the exit, ears tilted back, eyes narrowed.


    Ethan was happy to see she was doing well.


    Edwin was about to rush forward once more when a breathy growl filled the cave, and everyone stopped and looked toward the large opening, and as Ethan looked into the darkness and saw it staring back, a shiver went down his spine.


    A pair of glowing blue eyes hung in the air, as if the darkness itself was staring at them. A step later, the glistening, glassy fangs became visible, shining as they reflected the lights of the cave and next, out of the darkness came the rest of the jaw, followed by a powerful, squat body with a spine studded with blue-glowing crystals that stretched all the way down to a short, bleeding tail.


    Severed?


    The tail came to an abrupt end, and it was still trailing blood, which meant that might have been what Edwin had done to lure the monster out. Still, the creature was at least fifteen-feet high, and it looked pissed.


    [Lord of the Cave (II) - Level 70]


    This is a bit of a problem, Ethan thought, then his eyes swiveled to his main target. How did he manage to injure that creature? Why didn¡¯t he try using that on me, and what else can he do?


    As Ethan considered it in the very little time he had, he was confident that doing that much damage with just a yank must have used up something important. Whether it¡¯s a trait or a special prime ability, Ethan couldn¡¯t think of anything else that would be so effective considering how much the lord outclassed the both of them. As for why he hadn¡¯t used it on Ethan, maybe it needed a lot of time to set-up? Maybe he only managed this because the creature had been asleep or unaware of his presence?


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    Don¡¯t get distracted, he chided himself. There were a handful of possibilities, but his gut told him that all of this could only mean that Edwin had intended for the lord to finish him up. Which was why he¡¯d tried to run and probably would have then pulled something out of his bag of tricks to seal Ethan in here.


    He looked up at the lord looming over them, and tightened his fist. The claws dug into the scales of his palm. Now would be the best time to finish things up.


    Edwin¡¯s eyes were swiveling between him and the pissed off lord, and Ember was slowly retreating back in the tunnel. When hers and Ethan¡¯s eyes met, she froze, then continued backing away. ¡°[I¡¯ll keep this exit blocked, but I¡¯m not dealing with that thing. I mean¡­ I can help with a fireball or two, but I don¡¯t have your Toughness. That thing need to hit me just once and I¡¯m dead.]¡±


    Ethan almost smiled at that, but he was too on edge for that. ¡°[Don¡¯t worry about it. Just keep yourself safe,]¡± he said, glancing back toward the lord. The lord of the cave monitors growled, and the noise made Ethan¡¯s innards vibrate, but he still looked away from the creature and broke into a sprint.


    If he finished-off dealing with Edwin, he could take his time against the monitor or even get the hell out if it became too much for him. But he wasn¡¯t leaving empty handed.


    Edwin looked toward him, disbelieving for a second before he fully turned around to face him and with a flick of the wrist, a spray of glowing white threads came at Ethan. He was aware the nets could slow him and he felt he could trigger the Zenith State to punch through it, but again, he refrained. Instead, he came to a screeching halt and using both hands, he summoned the most powerful jet of fire he could create, and a pillar of flame shot at in Edwin¡¯s direction, bright enough for even the lord to squint its eyes, which pissed it off even more than it already was.


    With a spit-like movement of its head, a gray, urchin-like ball of crystals shot toward Ethan, and it dangerously reminded him of those old-timey sea-mines, and if he was a betting man, he was sure it was about to behave in a pretty similar fashion.


    Ethan aborted on his spell and dove to the side, bringing his body to the ground while simultaneously surrounding himself with a layer of protective fire as he put his arms and knees in front of him. He hoped it would be enough, but he didn¡¯t think Child of Flame had the potency to shrug-off an attack from the lord. Weaken it, sure. But fully stop it? No. Not yet. But that was the sort of scenario he thought of when he¡¯d assigned his stats points, and he believed his Toughness would be enough to tank whatever shrapnel reached him.


    Ethan couldn¡¯t see the glass-bomb reach the cave floor, but he could hear it. It sounded like someone had gotten a truck¡¯s worth of antique dinnerware and just smashed all of them on the floor, all at once, and a second later three shards cracked painfully into his forearms and legs, but thankfully, only one managed to really cut through the scales and sink into his flesh.


    Ethan quickly jumped to his feet and ripped out a dagger-sized shard out of his arm, summoned more fire to cover the injury as he threw a look at the lord. It bared its teeth when it saw him move, but instead of shooting another shard, it stepped forward.


    Good. Must have a cooldown, he thought before his eyes swiveled to his real target and broke into a sprint once more.


    Edwin was gripping a white-pommeled dagger in his left hand, and his wand in the right as if he was holding up an opened roll of parchment, and through the white barrier-like surface connecting the two instruments, four shards were still being held, suspended, but two had managed to punch through, one catching him in the thigh, and the second through the shoulder.


    Edwin noticed him coming and wordlessly, he let go of the dagger and swung the wand, and the blade zipped toward Ethan like an arrow out of a bow.

 1.79: Payback (Pt. 5)

    The dagger, still held by a glowing white thread flashed toward his neck and just like Edwin had done, Ethan dodged at the last minute, bending his knees for a fraction of a second as the blade whistled over his head right he dove in for a tackle, only for Edwin to fly back as if he¡¯d been pulled away by a fly line. Ethan cursed and checked on the lord to find him approaching, teeth bared, but that didn¡¯t slow him down and instead, he rose in the air with a flap of his wings and pursued.


    Even if he had to fight between the legs of the creature and risk getting trampled, he wasn¡¯t backing away.


    Edwin dropped back to the ground, face waxy as he found himself slowly being sandwiched between the inner wall of the cavern, Ethan, and the lord, and it seemed that he finally began to realize the gravity of his situation but before he could rally, Ethan pressed on. With another beat of his wings, he accelerated and dismissed them, diving down at a wide-eyed Edwin with the lance primed.


    Edwin threw himself to the side, barely dodging as the ground erupted after him in a shower of stone, and out of the dust, Ethan came out, flames blazing around his claws. The lance was already gone, replaced by his enlarged claws and he swiped at where he assumed Edwin was, but he hit nothing.


    Edwin had already recovered and backed away, but he could only get so far considering the cave wall was at his back. He took a first step to the left, clearly intending on creating distance between himself and the oncoming monitor, only to be thrown violently back when Ethan¡¯s fireball detonated at his feet, cutting off his retreat. Fire engulfed both of them, and Ethan realized he¡¯d never felt as alive as right this moment. When he saw everything happen in slow motion. When there was a goal in front of him and a monster at his back.


    Edwin stumbled out of the flames, singed, and looked down just in time to see the attack coming, but even when he tried putting his hands forward to guard himself, summoning a barrier-like network of threads, it was of no use. Ethan was too close already. His footing was too secure, having shrugged off the explosion. And what could threads do against a burning, sharp set of claws?


    Five black talons as hard and sharp as steel tore through the haphazard net and found Edwin¡¯s guts in tiger-claw strike, driving deep into his stomach and lifting the man off-the ground from the force of the impact, and now that Ethan finally had gotten his opening, he made sure to put all of his weight into the strike, punching with as much strength and momentum as his Might allowed before he wrenched them out.


    Edwin stumbled backward, surprisingly still on his feet. He looked down at his torn flesh then up at Ethan before his eyes focused on the lengthening claws that were going to finish him off.


    A shadow fell on both of them and Ethan, glancing back, realized that even for a small second, he¡¯d forgotten he wasn¡¯t alone in the cave. The lord was looming, and its jaw was glowing as it prepared to blast him point blank with an explosive glass-bomb, only for a fireball to hit the creature on the side of the face and cause its head to snap to the side.


    Ember dropped down to the ground, fur all puffed out, and her eyes met his. ¡°[Hurry up and finish him! I¡¯ll distract it for five seconds. Five! You hear? Then I leave!]¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t waste the opportunity the Ignisra was giving him, but he was still amused. Hadn¡¯t she said she didn¡¯t want to deal with the lord barely moments ago?


    No matter, he thought, and he exhaled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± entreated Edwin, face pale as he took a step back and found himself against the wall once more. The five punctures were still bleeding, even though he¡¯d tried to apply the odd threads to seal them off.


    Ethan looked down at the palms facing him and at the blood covered them. He narrowed his eyes at the bit of magic he was sensing in Edwin¡¯s hand as he answered, assuming the magic was connected to the dagger laying behind him, which he¡¯d bet Edwin was about to try and stab him with it and just to be safe, he made sure the back of his head and neck were well protected. ¡°I know I don¡¯t have to. Just like you didn¡¯t have to blackmail me and leave me for dead. Just like you didn¡¯t have to prey on vulnerable kids and ruin their lives to do your dirty work. And just like¡ª¡±


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    Edwin crooked his finger and snarled, and as expected, Ethan felt something stab into the small of his back, but it failed to pierce through the scales before it clatted to the ground a moment later. Still, he immediately sensed the numbing feeling that tried¡ªand failed¡ªto spread out of the wound.


    Without pausing, he continued speaking and with one swift movement, he parried a claw strike at his eyes with his left hand, and with his right, he cut three-quarters of the way through Edwin¡¯s neck. ¡°¡ªyou did not have to use other people as fodder. But here we are.¡±


    Blood fountained out of the severed arteries, and Edwin fell to his knees, eyes wide as he tried to hold his bleeding neck, and it would be the last image Ethan would have of the man before he drowned him in fire until the notification arrived, and until the ground was glowing.


    You have defeated [Human (I) - Level 57]


    You have reached Level 55. 1 stat point awarded.


    The ground shook, and Ethan looked up in time to see Ember be blasted into the wall with a nasty hit from the lord¡¯s tail, right as more monitors began showing from behind the lord.


    ¡°Ember!¡±


    The cat struggled to her feet, unsteady like a newborn kitten. ¡°[I¡¯m¡­ okay. Are you done? Can you take over.]¡±


    Ethan breathed out a sigh of relief and threw a fireball at the lord¡¯s face, drawing a throaty rumble from it as it turned its head toward him while he picked up the two glowing little gems and shoved them in the dimensional pouch tied around his thigh. ¡°[Got it. I¡¯ll take it from here,]¡± he told her. He leaned over and touched the crisped remains of Edwin, and a little storm of golden fragments rushed into the runic marking on his left hand.


    Shardpurse: 187 fragments collected.


    Ember limped her way toward the exit, and as Ethan stepped up to the lord, chest and spirit as light as a feather, he sent her one more message.


    ¡°I owe you one, Ember.¡±


    The cat¡¯s ear flicked back and forth and when she disappeared around the exit¡¯s corner, she answered.¡°[Yes, you do,]¡± she said, and Ethan grinned. ¡°Thank you! I mean it!¡±


    With a quick glance at his interface, and with a beat with his wings, Ethan flew back and away from the lord as he assigned his new point to Toughness, and when saw that the little crown had reappeared next to his name, he chuckled.


    Hello, you. Back on top, I see, he thought as he dismissed the interface and eyed the lord looming in the distance. Its mouth was already glowing, and Ethan quickly looked around for cover, but he found nothing.


    Or¡­


    Ethan hung in the air and waited, slowly exhaled as he pointed at the lord with a claw.


    Now, how am I gonna do this?


    Ethan strongly believed he could do some decent amount of damage if he used the Zenith State, but would it be enough?


    The lord spat out another exploding ball of shards, and Ethan shot a homing [Crystal Shard] at it, detonating it half-way between them as he let himself drop to the ground while surrounding himself with the wings, wincing when a handful of shard tore through it and poked painfully into his scales.


    Ethan lowered his forearm from his eyes and hopped up in the air once more, re-summoning the wings as the one he had got shredded.


    Piercing through its head with Zenith State might be enough to down it¡­ but if that doesn¡¯t work, then I get out and come back another time.


    Ethan beat his wings and surged forward, right as the smaller monitors surged forward to meet him, swarming around the lord in a maddened frenzy and as one, all of their eyes fixed on him. Then they all opened their jaws.


    Ah¡­ shit.


    The air ahead of him turned into a sea of glitter as dozens and dozens of crystalline shards, forcing Ethan to drop down and fly closer to the floor. He winced when a few shards found his back and arm, but they weren¡¯t enough to completely stop him. With the air rushing in his ears, he closed in on the lord, claws at the ready, and when the creature saw him coming, it just took a step to the side and twisted its body.


    A giant tail whipped out toward him, ready to splatter him against the wall, and as he watched the trunk-like limb full of scales and muscles rush toward him, Ethan thought of a single word. The same word that the gnawing, pulsing energy in his chest was impatiently waiting for.


    Ignite.


    Like a match thrown over gasoline, the energy spread through his limbs in an instant, igniting his horns right as his claw met the lord¡¯s tail.