《The Runic Artist》


 Prologue - Banksy was Right

    Banksy was right. That was Nate¡¯s first thought as he jumped the fence onto the railway tracks. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d done so. But it was the first time he¡¯d almost landed in a pile of shit. So, Banksy was right, tramps really did shit everywhere. Carefully stepping away from the hopefully cold pile of excrement, Nate adjusted his black hoodie and took in a deep breath. It smelled, of course, but it felt like teenage rebellion, like a small slice of freedom.


    The noises of the city in the background served to highlight the separation he now felt, being somewhere he wasn¡¯t supposed to be. It made him smile. Nate started walking carefully over the tracks, extra vigilant now. Not for other people, though maybe he should¡¯ve been. He just didn¡¯t want to step on something gross or twist his ankle. Trying to drag himself over the fence with a twisted ankle was nothing but pain and frustration. A lesson he had learned in a previous foray and an experience that he wasn¡¯t keen to revisit. Say what you would about Nate, he tried to learn from his mistakes.


    Thankfully, it was a short walk to the train carriage he intended to decorate. Nate didn¡¯t consider himself a vandal, though he was confident others would disagree. He¡¯d read a quote once by Banksy that basically said that graffiti was a rational response to the in-your-face advertising of the modern world. Trying to remember the details he thought it was something along the lines of billboards, logos, and adverts were forced upon people without their consent and that turning it into something beautiful or thought provoking was art. Perhaps it was a bit hypocritical of him since graffiti was the same, but he could comfort himself with the fact he wasn¡¯t trying to sell anyone anything. Maybe he was just a vandal after all.


    His musings were cut short as his target loomed in front of him. The train carriage was one of the newer models with a giant strip down the middle of what Nate thought was a Tic Tac advert. It was hard to tell as someone had already graffitied over a large portion. Not an art piece, though. They¡¯d just half-assed some letters that he figured was a tag. Tagging was a bit different from graffiti as a form art, so he didn¡¯t feel bad about painting over the top of it.


    As he spent a moment putting down his backpack and tools of the trade, he saw himself reflected in the window of the train with the ever-present city lights shining behind him. Nate liked how he looked, and based on a few of the girls from his school, he wasn¡¯t the only one. Standing at around a hundred and eighty-five centimetres, he was fairly tall, sporting a lean build, with shaggy shoulder-length blonde hair and dark green eyes. He looked a lot like a surfer, though he¡¯d never tried. Maybe if he lived closer to Sydney¡¯s beaches, but he was just a poor kid from Sydney¡¯s southwest.


    Smiling at himself, he stepped back to take in the graffiti on the train and go over his plan. He¡¯d spent most of the last three weeks at school refining the image he intended to overlay on top of the existing art. Painstakingly redrawing lines and links to achieve what he wanted. He¡¯d love to have told people that it meant something. That there was a message in the image he intended to create. But there wasn¡¯t. He just thought that it was beautiful and that beauty was its own reward. It was also a challenge. The lines had to be clean, the image clear. He wanted it to look like it had been printed onto the side of the train, not painted. To that end, he¡¯d worked on a bunch of stencils that he was confident would create the image he had in mind.


    Nate didn¡¯t sign most of his work. Thinking about it like that made it sound like he was prolific in his graffiti. He wasn¡¯t. He only added graffiti where he thought it would be beautiful or thought-provoking. That meant that he had maybe ten or so artworks around the city. He thought that was a decent effort for only having been in the game for two years. If he signed this piece, it would be the third that made the cut. The deciding factor wasn¡¯t the quality of the work. It came down to how personal the piece was. He snorted as he felt himself growing pensive. He had a habit of doing so before starting a new piece. He tried to convince himself it was an opportunity of who he was and why he did what he did. An attempt to try to keep it all in perspective. But he had to admit he was probably just being moody because standing alone at night on the train tracks was a reminder that he was actually rather lonely.


    Nate was an orphan. There, he said it. You would think that after knowing it for more than half of his life, he¡¯d finally be okay with it, but the truth was, even after all this time, it still hurt. An ache in his heart that had gotten less over time but had never left. He didn¡¯t think it ever would. He¡¯d read somewhere that when you were emotionally scarred like him, the pain never truly left. That the hurt it caused remained the same for the rest of your life and that you just experienced it less because you thought about it less.


    That was how he felt. He¡¯d been raw and in pain after his parents died in a car accident when he was eight. A drunk driver had run a red light and t-boned them. He could still remember their faces, thankfully. He had photos of them, and he¡¯d even worked them into one of his artworks. Small enough that they weren¡¯t the focus, and it was one of the more out-of-the-way pieces, being around his suburb of Punchbowl. You would think that would be risky, to shit where you eat, as they put it. But no one in Punchbowl cared about that sort of thing. His work had ended up defaced a few months later anyway.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    So, he was an orphan. Where had that left him? With his aunt, of course. A singularly selfish woman who had taken him in but never failed to remind him of all the sacrifices she was forced to make by having him sleeping under her roof. All the while, she was collecting extra welfare money from the government, which he supposed at least some of went towards feeding and clothing him. He¡¯d heard worse horror stories from others in the government housing he lived in. At least his aunt didn¡¯t beat him. Just berated him till he made himself scarce. So, he¡¯d gotten used to being out late from an early age just to avoid the verbal abuse.


    Nate rolled his shoulders. That was enough of that. Enough about the past. It was time for the present. Nate had long since learned that you couldn¡¯t dwell only on the negative. Yes, his past had been painful. But his now, well, his now was alright. He thought about the day he¡¯d had. His two best friends, Michael and Jung, had made plans to catch up tomorrow at Michael¡¯s place. It was always Michael¡¯s place, just because he had the most room.


    That was for tomorrow, though. It was time to get to work before someone stumbled upon him or, worse, called the cops. He opened his backpack and pulled out his stencils before carefully unrolling them. Maybe some graffiti artists could rush their work and still achieve what they wanted, but that wasn¡¯t his style. Swallowing the ever-present fear of being somewhere he wasn¡¯t supposed to be, he carefully laid out his stencils. Next came the masking tape and, finally, his cans of spray paint. Four in total, two white and two black. He doubted he¡¯d need all of them, but he didn¡¯t want to run out before he was done and be left with a half-finished artwork. He wouldn¡¯t get a chance to come back and fix it. As an afterthought, he grabbed his pocket knife from the bottom of his backpack and put it in the pocket of his hoodie. He mostly used it for cutting the masking tape, but on a couple of occasions, he¡¯d used it to make last-minute changes to his stencils. Australia was pretty safe, and he¡¯d never needed to use it for self-defence.


    All prepared, he took a deep breath and got to work, tapping his stencils over the existing graffiti. It took him almost three hours of prep work to get it just right. All the stencils in the exact right spot. Double and triple-checked. That was something most people didn¡¯t seem to realize about a lot of art. Like everything else worth doing, you spent a lot of time planning and preparing so that when you finally got around to doing it, you did it right. That was how Nate felt as he started shaking the spray paint cans. He¡¯d done this right.


    It ended up taking him another hour to finish. He¡¯d been careful not to apply too much paint as he didn¡¯t want it to run, and he had waited to let it dry a bit before carefully removing the stencils. Remove the tape too soon, and you run the risk of the paint running. Pull too late, when the paint has fully dried, and you risk tearing off some of the paint. Like a lot of things in life, it was all about timing. But now that it was done, he stood with a proud smile in front of his artwork. It was exactly what he had imagined. He¡¯d changed it from a single white circle with an upside-down triangle inside, to six concentric circles, with the two outer circles being close together, and that same pattern mirrored as the circles got smaller. The final two circles had roughly one-tenth of the diameter of the outer circles, making it look like a distorted bullseye. The upside-down triangle remained in the third circle from the outermost ring, and he¡¯d overlaid that entire section with a hexagon. Then, in the gaps between the outer and middle circles, he¡¯d drawn some little icons he¡¯d found online. With a few semi-circles added and a six-spoke cross within the hexagon, the entire artwork looked like some arcane ritual circle. He loved it.


    Nate pulled his phone out of his pocket to take a few pictures. Watching his artwork through his phone, his eyes narrowed. He swore it looked brighter than it should. The white on black stood out clearly, and he didn¡¯t think there was enough light from the moon above or the city lights behind him for it to be that clear. He walked closer to the finished artwork to get a closer look. As he did so, he felt it. The night was warm, as they tended to be during Spring in Sydney. But he could literally feel the temperature differential as he approached the train carriage. Had it been that hot today, and the metal was still cooling?


    But, no, he¡¯d felt the train himself while putting on the stencils, and while not cold, he was absolutely certain it hadn¡¯t been hot. Staring at the artwork, he could swear it was getting brighter. As if that wasn¡¯t weird enough on its own, it wasn¡¯t getting brighter evenly. Some of the runes and geometric shapes glowed brighter than others, making his artwork look almost three-dimensional. His sense of danger spiked, and just as he was about to step back, the whole image melted away. Not like he¡¯d seen in online videos of hot metal being poured like a liquid. No, the whole image just rippled like it was water before vanishing.


    In its place, a yawning circle of perfect black was left. Nate turned to run, but he could already feel the hole in space where his artwork had been pulling him toward it. With one last desperate leap he tried to throw himself toward his backpack and the train rails they were sitting beside. As he got horizontal, the pull from the black hole increased, and he felt himself drawn into it. As he vanished into its shadowy depths, his last words were, ¡°Oh shit!¡±

 Keep reading/listening on Amazons Kindle, Kindle Unlimited and Audible!

    Thanks for swinging by! The rest of book one is not here though.


    The Runic Artist was picked up by a publisher far earlier than I expected and I want to thank Mango Media Publishing for not only helping me publish my book but also getting me an Audiobook deal through them with RoyalGuard Publishing.


    I''d also like to take a moment to thank my Patreons, both for your support and feedback. It means the world to me and I am so glad you are enjoying my series.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    For those of you looking to give this story a go you will find Book One on Amazon, releasing on the 30th of August 2024 to Kindle Unlimited</a> and Audible</a> - click blue text to go to links!


    There will continue to be updates here on Royalroad and on my Patreon</a> following the same release schedule it has always been for current readers ahead of the Amazon books, but due to the rules of Kindle Unlimited, chapters will be removed from here and Patreon as the books come out on Amazon.


    Thanks again!

 ANNOUNCEMENT: Book 1 Launch Day!

    Hey everyone!


    Runic artist is live now on Amazon! Nate¡¯s adventure is live!


    The amazon algorithm really likes early sales, downloads, and ratings/reviews. The more I get early, the more amazon pushes the book in the algorithm, the better it does! If you could help me out, from buying, downloading on kindle, or even just leaving a rating, every little bit helps. The better the book does, the sooner I can stop being a corporate slave and become a full-time author!


    Kindle</a>


    Audible</a>


    Then there¡¯s social media! Any comments, likes, or upvotes helps people see the post, which leads to more early sales, more commercial success, and that boils down to one thing:This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    More story for all of you. Also, some free audible codes I got given for promotion for those who comment.


    Reddit - LitRPG</a>


    Reddit - Progression Fantasy</a>


    Facebook - Mango Media</a>


    Facebook - LitRPG Forum</a>


    Facebook - LitRPG Books</a>


    Finally, thank you, each and every one of you. Your continued support and comments keep me going (yes, even the negative ones. I wouldn''t improve without them). I¡¯m so grateful.


    Sincerely,


    Ellake

 Chapter 106 - Settling Back In

    Nate sat up quickly, looking around his room frantically. The sun was not yet peeking in through the blinds of his expensive room. It only took a moment for his mind to settle, the remnants of his dream locked in his mind. He¡¯d never been prone to nightmares, but he wasn¡¯t surprised he¡¯d had one after being abducted by demons. His stay in their realm had been blessedly short, but seeing such horrific creatures baying for his blood and the macabre sight of the dismembered horrors had left a mark. Thankfully, he could tell his heightened Intellect stat was doing the heavy lifting in terms of helping him process his trauma. If this had been back on Earth, his own mind would¡¯ve replayed those thoughts and images over and over again, creating a negative feedback loop like a horror reel. PTSD would¡¯ve been the most likely outcome.


    Here on Galle, his mind recognised what was going on and he could tell that it was literally suppressing the formation of those mental pathways, aided by his own thoughts as he focused on the bright side. He¡¯d won. He¡¯d escaped. The demon lord had been forced by the Law of Reciprocity to give him powerful rewards. It had been terrible, but there was a silver lining, and now that he had returned he was going to the Royal University. He¡¯d finally get a chance to be taught about the nature of Sigils, of Runecrafting, or at the very least its cousin Enchanting. And he¡¯d learn about Embodiments and Concepts. It was a glorious day. But first, he had promised he¡¯d meet everyone for breakfast.


    Climbing out of bed he took care of the morning ablutions. His robe had thankfully repaired itself of the damage it had sustained in the demonic realm and he enjoyed its perfect temperature control and the now fourteen golden stars that decorated its surface.


    ¡°How is it looking?¡± he asked, reviewing Frick¡¯s work as he looked over the gems arrayed on the table.


    ¡°Coming along, Boss man. Got five gems all done and ready. Starting to raise ¡®em up now. You know that¡¯ll take a bit though,¡± replied Frick happily, channelling Conceptual Material into a mana gem, using a filled mana gem to power the skill.


    Being short on mana in the Fourth Hell had been up there as one of the worst experiences of his life and he never wanted to go through that again. In response, he was having Frick make more mana gems. It was going to be a long project. Even with his soaring Intellect increasing the speed at which Conceptual Material worked by forty percent, it was still the work of over a week per mana gem if he wanted them raised to Legendary. Still, as far as he was concerned, he had nothing but time now. It was also a reminder of Frick¡¯s words when they had first met, that he would be able to assist Nate by handling the ¡®shit¡¯ jobs. The amount of time he saved by having Frick handle the simple stuff, or implement his changes, was ever growing and he knew that without the Familiar, everything would take him twice as long. Maybe even more. He also knew he¡¯d need to solve his mana problem sooner rather than later or else they¡¯d run short of mana to power Conceptual Material. The amount of time it would take to raise a gem to Legendary had gone down significantly more than the mana cost reduction. Still, his mana supply was a problem he had to solve anyway, so no point getting fixated this early in the morning.


    Glancing out the window he could see the first signs of Galle¡¯s sun peeking over the horizon.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading down for breakfast,¡± he called to Frick as he headed for the door. He knew Frick would spend a little more time on the mana-gems then go exploring. The tether that was the Familiar Contract would let him know where his Familiar was anyway.


    Walking downstairs he could sense who was waiting for him. He kept Awareness of the Runic Artist active at almost all times and his sphere of awareness had told him that Luc was already sitting below. It also informed him that Kiri was in her room still asleep, as were most of the inn''s other denizens. The number of people in the inn was vastly reduced and he guessed that with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Royal University Entrance Tournament having finished, that many had left the Capitol.


    Taking a seat across from Luc, he smirked a little at the size of his mentor''s cup of coffee.


    ¡°Is that a mug or a bowl?¡± he quipped.


    ¡°I asked for a bucket but they said this was the best they could do,¡± Luc replied blearily.


    Nate smiled at the tired response and looked at his mentor''s hands. They were still blackened, with fresh pink skin peaking through in places but the majority of his hands still looked burned.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Only when I¡¯m awake,¡± grumbled Luc before glancing up at Nate and seeing his concern. ¡°Ah don¡¯t worry about it, kid. I¡¯ve had worse. Couldn¡¯t let my best pupil go without a fight. Even if it was a battle I lost in the end.¡± Luc punctuated his words with a wink before smirking at Nate.


    The reaction couldn¡¯t help but make Nate smile in response, ¡°Best pupil? Aren¡¯t I your only pupil?¡±


    ¡°Just shows you how short we are on skilled Mages, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Luc replied before lifting his bowl of coffee up for a long drink.


    Nate nodded, not entirely in agreement. After all there were a couple of decent Mages in the Guild by his estimation. Karim, the Earth Mage, had had an excellent showing. Then there was Coralie Allais, daughter of one of the Guild Prefects, a highly skilled Ice Mage and Kiri¡¯s current love interest. So the Guild wasn¡¯t completely without Mage prospects.


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re up early,¡± commented Nate. ¡°Hoping to catch me before the others or was it something else?¡±


    Luc shook his head in response, ¡°Replaced Deverell as your watcher during the night. Haven¡¯t slept yet. Will later.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry about that,¡± Nate muttered in response. He¡¯d sensed Deverell on the roof before he¡¯d gone to sleep but hadn¡¯t realised they intended to keep someone watching over him throughout the night.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, kid,¡± Luc said with a smirk. ¡°You¡¯re valuable. To the Guild and to me. Besides, after you uncovered those Unseen, we¡¯re being extra vigilant. Little shits might come back for more.¡±


    Nate could see how that might happen and decided he¡¯d just be happy that Luc and Deverell were watching over him. He wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to find out that Aisling and Evindal were as well.


    The innkeeper finally approached and he ordered some pastries and eggs for his breakfast along with some juice that he thought tasted similar to pineapple. The food in the inn was pretty good but he was still lamenting the loss of the chef of the Oaken Ring in Helmfirth. One day he was going to go back there and try to hire the man to be his personal chef when he finally bought his own manor in the Capitol. Whenever that was.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The rest of his mentors and Kiri slowly filed in over the next hour. Kiri paused to give him a hug and he wasn¡¯t sure if she was trying to reassure him or if she needed to reassure herself that he was back, safe and sound.


    The talk was mostly boring as everyone focused on waking up and enjoying their food before Aisling finally broached the topics of interest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking you both to collect your Tournament prizes and to discuss your other rewards. Securing a new ¡®one¡¯ for the Guild comes with very clear rewards,¡± stated the amazonian woman, intentionally not mentioning the word ¡®Dungeon¡¯. ¡°In addition, there is the uncovering of those two girls. You¡¯re owed more than a few rewards. You¡¯ll be given options but I would strongly encourage you to take Dungeon access as your rewards. You could likely afford to purchase Dungeon access but the wait will be noticeably longer going down that path. The Guild prioritises service over buying your way into our Dungeons.¡±


    Nate nodded along, thinking over the known rewards. Equal first place meant he would be owed an Epic item and two Uncommon Stat Orbs. The latter would be nice but the Epic item had him thinking. Especially since all the Legendary items he had crafted had been destroyed after he had used them to power his Conceptual Automation skill within the demonic realm.


    ¡°For the Epic item, does it need to be an item, or can I change it for something like a Skill Orb?¡± he asked.


    The question grabbed Kiri¡¯s attention and she looked up from the other side of the table where she¡¯d been quietly discussing her Dagger Dancer training regime plans with Deverell.


    ¡°They would likely let you make that exchange,¡± Aisling replied thoughtfully. ¡°Though they may push for you to reduce the rarity from Epic to Rare. Especially if you go for a Skill Orb and not a Skill Tome. It might depend on the level of the Skill Orb.¡±


    He nodded thoughtfully. He¡¯d forgotten that the difference between a Skill Tome and a Skill Orb was that the latter could grant you the Skill above level one.


    ¡°Alright. And what do we think I should do with this?¡± he asked, extracting the Orb he¡¯d taken from the Temporal Executioner.


    Nate felt time freeze around them as Evindal used one of his Skills to seal them off.


    ¡°Be careful about pulling such things out,¡± admonished the elf. ¡°While most people wouldn¡¯t be able to identify something like that Orb, the mere fact that they couldn¡¯t would be enough to garner their interest. As for what to do with it, there are a few options.¡±


    Nate nodded his understanding of his foolishness before showing the notification from his Awareness of the Runic Artist.


    Skill Orb (Legendary, 7)


    The Time Between


    The Orb clearly contained a Skill rather than a bonus to a Stat. It also seemed to suggest that the Skill would start at level seven. Finally, while it wouldn¡¯t give him a Skill description, much to his annoyance, it was definitely a Time related Skill. That made sense, since Kiri¡¯s own Skill Orb had contained one of her skills. The Temporal Executioner had been some kind of warrior that used the higher Concept of Time, so a Time-related Skill wasn¡¯t a surprise.


    Evindal looked around, seeing if any of the others at the table wanted to say anything. When no one did, he continued.


    ¡°You could exchange it with the Guild. I know they have two Legendary Skill Orbs in the Vault, as I obtained one of them. However, I don¡¯t think either would suit you. Your second option is to try and sell it through the Auction House. Luc has stronger ties to them than the rest of us,¡± Evindal continued even as Luc nodded his agreement. ¡°It might take a while to sell, but I imagine it would net you a very tidy sum. But then, it seems that you have other ways to earn as well. The third option is for you to use it yourself. It doesn¡¯t fit with your current skill set but with some work you may be able to incorporate it. It might also help you get a Tertiary Class that utilises Time when the..err¡­time comes.¡±


    The joke led to groans around the table except for Aisling who gave her husband a small amused smile.


    ¡°Yes, sorry about that,¡± continued Evindal. ¡°Finally, I could purchase it from you. As a Time Mage, I am sure I could make use of it. But I do not want you to feel pressured. And I would of course pay fair value for it.¡±


    Nate nodded, scooping the Skill Orb up and putting it back in his spatial storage.


    ¡°I am leaning towards selling it to you, Lord Evindal. But I need a couple of days to think about it,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Take your time. And Evindal is just fine. You¡¯re one of my wifes charges. No need for the formality,¡± replied the elf congenially.


    Luc and Aisling both nodded approvingly while Kiri winked at him before returning to her discussion with Deverell.


    Aisling took the break to start informing them of what would happen next.


    ¡°The Royal University intake begins in five days. Deverell, would you please tell them what to expect.¡±


    Deverell gave a short nod, his straight black hair barely moving despite the action, ¡°The intake is fairly simple and will have three things we need to discuss. Firstly, they will scan your Class Cores. This happens for everyone except for special exceptions, and as neither of you are the children of Royalty or a Duchy, you will be expected to allow the inspection. If Nate can¡¯t come up with a solution for this himself we may need to speak with the Crafters Guild about a solution to obfuscate your Classes.


    ¡°Secondly, you will have to specify the subjects you¡¯re interested in taking. I¡¯ll try and get a copy of what is currently on offer as it may have changed since my time at the University. However, it¡¯s not as simple as just choosing the subjects. For every subject you choose, you will have an initial assessment to determine your level of knowledge, aptitude and skill. They¡¯ll use this to sort you into the appropriate class. For example, if you did poorly in the combat assessment they might put you in the basic class for the subject rather than the intermediate or advanced class. Finally, your room assignments. As Guild members, they will put you all together, and almost certainly in the worst accommodation they have available. That¡¯s not to say the rooms are bad. Just, any comfort you will need to provide for yourselves.¡±


    Nate wrinkled his nose at the last piece of information. A lack of comfortable accommodations sounded horrible. He¡¯d become accustomed to a life of relative comfort when not travelling, and he was unwilling to give it up. If he had to go out and buy his own bed and other furniture and use Runic Creation to carve runes all over his room at the University, then that was exactly what he was going to do.


    He glanced at Kiri and raised his eyebrows at her. His best friend knew him well enough to know exactly what he was indicating and smirked back at him, nodding her agreement even as she muttered ¡°Silk underwear.¡±


    He tried not to laugh and considered the other points Deverell had raised. He wasn¡¯t worried about the Class Core Obfuscation rune. He was going to work on it tonight and was confident that with his frankly ridiculous number of Intents from Imbue Intent, he could come up with something that would do exactly what he wanted. Then it would be time for Kiri to engrave the runes onto their souls. He didn¡¯t even feel like he was being arrogant in how easy he expected it to be.


    Finally, getting a list of subjects ahead of time would let him figure out what he wanted to study.


    Aisling pushed her plate away at that moment and smiled, ¡°Alright. We¡¯ve all got things to do. Nate and Kiri with me. Time to go get your rewards from the Guild.¡±


    At the Stormspear¡¯s pronouncement everyone stood, Evindal¡¯s Time Skill finally being dropped as everything around them started moving again. It was time to finally get all the rewards he¡¯d earned from the Guild. He couldn¡¯t help but grin with childish glee.

 Chapter 107 - Some Attitude

    Nate walked beside Kiri as Aisling led them towards the Guildhouse. The sun was up now, even if it hadn¡¯t been for very long, and the warm rays and salty air from the ocean were helping to make him feel more relaxed. Added to that was Kiri¡¯s presence.


    ¡°So, we should go shopping later. I need to pick out something to wear on my date,¡± Kiri suggested, before adding in a teasing tone. ¡° We¡¯re moving up in the world after all. And for you, maybe we can find you some more silk underwear.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow in response, ¡°You¡¯re not getting some silk underwear? Does Coralie not like them or something?¡±


    Aisling¡¯s voice floated back to them in an almost monotone, ¡°In my experience, lovers vastly prefer no underwear.¡±


    Nate and Kiri burst out laughing, not sure if Aisling was joking or being serious, but it didn¡¯t matter when the comment was that funny and the two quickly devolved into a fit of giggles, feeding off each other.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be back,¡± Nate got out between wheezes. ¡°Even if I wasn¡¯t gone that long.¡±


    Kiri bumped his shoulder as they caught back up to Aisling who hadn¡¯t bothered to wait for them.


    ¡°It was too long, you know, given what happened,¡± Kiri said, before throwing an arm around his shoulder. ¡°So, you were saying about maybe exchanging your Epic item reward?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I realised that to do what I want I really need a skill that will let me shape materials. I doubt I will find one that does exactly what I want, but as long as it¡¯s a skill I can develop in the right direction, that should work. What about you?¡± he explained before throwing the question back at Kiri.


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably take the item,¡± Kiri replied with a small smile. He nudged her to get her to keep going but she just shook her head slightly so he let her keep her secrets.


    The receptionist didn¡¯t try to stop them as they followed Aisling downstairs and he was surprised when they walked past a couple of Gold Badge guards. Down another two levels and past a second set of guards they finally arrived before a solid metal door. Aisling motioned for them to wait and Nate spent his time running his Awareness of the Runic Artist over the vault. If his sphere of awareness was right, the size of the room beyond the door wasn¡¯t huge. Definitely less than his sphere, which could now stretch seventeen metres in any direction from him. As per usual the enchantments felt breakable to him, with no Sigils. Even if there was metal and gem dust that emitted the feeling of multiple Concepts, he suspected that could overpower them with any of his Mythic Skills. All he needed was enough mana. Though turning to a life of crime didn¡¯t seem like it would be worth the effort. Or the stress for that matter.


    They didn¡¯t have to wait too long thankfully. Prefect Allais and Prefect Porter came down the stairs a moment later and approached the vault.


    ¡°Good morning Stormspear,¡± greeted Allais. ¡°And to our top two Silver Badges. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you face to face.¡±


    Nate wasn¡¯t convinced personally. Even the woman''s voice was icy and he couldn¡¯t tell if that was just her personality or if she was still pissed about them beating her daughter. Throw in the fact that this was the woman who attempted to have his Silver Badge Assessor injure him, and he wasn¡¯t feeling predisposed to being friendly.


    So instead, he grunted in response.


    Prefect Allais¡¯s eyes narrowed but Prefect Porter let out a booming laugh.


    ¡°Good on ya, kid. Don¡¯t take no shit.¡±


    When Allais shot Porter a dirty look, the cantankerous Earth Mage just snorted.


    ¡°You started it girl. Don¡¯t be surprised some of ¡®em bite back. Let¡¯s get this fucking over with. You¡¯re interruptin¡¯ my breakfast and I can¡¯t be assed playin¡¯ politics this early. ¡®Afore we continue though, stories. An¡¯ by that I mean gettin¡¯ our story straight. Dun worry about the two lads guardin¡¯. They¡¯ll keep their gobs shut. Ya story is simple lad. Ya mentor in spatial magics wanted ya and didn¡¯t realise ya was fightin¡¯ in the Tournament. Whisked ya off and then returned ya when ¡®e was done. That¡¯s the long an tha short of it. Ignore the rumours an ya let em die down. Ya got me?¡±


    When Nate and Kiri both nodded quickly in response, Porter grunted his approval before glancing at his fellow Prefect. With a frown from Allais, each of the Prefects produced a token that Nate could sense was somehow linked to the enchantment on the vault door. After both tokens were pressed against the door it finally unlocked with a resounding click before Porter stomped in, yelling for them to hurry up.


    As Nate had suspected, the Vault wasn¡¯t huge. It was roughly a ten metre cube. That being said, while it might not be huge, it was packed full with barely enough room to walk around. His Awareness of the Runic Artist was going bonkers as it sent him back information about every item in the room. It quickly became clear that everything in the room, from the equipment to the Orbs, were all only Rare or Epic tier. He didn¡¯t ask, but he suspected they had two other vaults. One for all the Common and Uncommon equipment and Orbs, and likely an even more secure one to house anything of the Legendary tier or above. Assuming they even had anything that was Mythic.


    ¡°Alright. First place, for both of ya. Good. Good,¡± muttered Porter as he stood inside the Vault. ¡°So, that¡¯s two Rare Stat Orbs and an Epic item each. Pretty good for a couple of Silver Badges, if I do say so myself. So what¡¯ll it be?¡±


    Nate continued to scan the Rare Skill Orbs, looking for something in particular. While he searched through the Skill Orbs he heard Kiri make her request.


    ¡°Two Willpower Orbs and I heard you had an Epic sword made from pure manerium?¡± asked Kiri.


    Nate quickly found the sword she was thinking of.


    Reinforced Manerium Blade (Epic)


    Stats: +15 Magic Power


    Features: Reinforced (Epic), Innate Repair (Epic), Mana Empowerment (Rare)


    Reinforced: This item is Enchanted to be significantly stronger and more durable.


    Mana Empowerment: This Item is Enchanted to improve the power of any Skills or Spells channelled through it by 5%.


    Innate Repair: This item is Enchanted to repair itself over time using ambient mana. Feeding the Enchantment mana can accelerate this process.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He frowned a little. The item was quite nice, but Kiri never used swords. He glanced at her curiously to which she just responded with a shrug. He supposed he¡¯d figure out what she was up to later. He went back to searching through the Rare Skill Orbs as he sensed Prefect Porter fetching the requested items.


    ¡°Don¡¯t see many go for tha Willpower Orbs. Ya¡¯re an odd one, lass. Well, have at ''em,¡± commented Porter.


    He might¡¯ve said more but Nate stopped paying attention. He¡¯d finally found what he was after.


    Metal Shaping (Rare, 8)


    A blacksmith wastes much of their metal as they force it into the shapes they require. But instead of wasting metal you can waste mana. This skill allows the user to mould metal into the shapes they desire at the cost of mana. Mana cost is based on the density, tier, and volume of the metal being shaped. Mana Cost decreases by 0.5% per Skill Level. Mana cost is further decreased by 5% of the user¡¯s Intellect.


    He¡¯d realised that he wasn¡¯t going to be able to get a Skill like this now that he¡¯d maxed out his Runic Artist Class. His Realmwalker Class would never offer such a Skill, so he¡¯d have to wait until he evolved Runic Artist which required both Classes to be level twenty. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but he suspected that with some skill synergies or by really pushing the Metal Shaping skill himself, he could eventually get the material shaping skill he was after. He just hoped that the Prefects would allow him to trade his Epic item reward for a Rare Skill that would let him improve his crafting and art.


    Kiri was behind him, her Stat Orbs and the Epic sword in her hands. He sensed it as she made all three vanish into her Soul Space. That was all the sign that Porter needed to step up next to him.


    ¡°What about ya lad? What¡¯ll it be?¡± asked the Prefect.


    ¡°Can I swap my Epic item for a Rare Skill Orb?¡± he responded, answering a question with a question.


    ¡°Dun see why not,¡± replied Porter.


    At the same time Allais asked, ¡°Why would you want to do that?¡±


    Nate glanced at Porter, ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer her do I?¡±


    Allais¡¯s icy blue eyes focused on Nate with a glaring intensity as Porter started laughing, ¡°Nah lad, ya dun have to answer her. An¡¯ ya, Allais, serves ya right for stickin¡¯ ya nose in the Tournament. Mind ya own business fer a change. Go ahead lad. Seems ya know what ya want anyway.¡±


    Nate grinned and snatched up two Channelling Speed Orbs and the Metal Shaping Skill Orb.


    ¡°Alright. Happy wit ya choices? Good. Now, ya other rewards. Stormspear tell ya your options?¡± asked Porter.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Dungeon access is my preference,¡± replied Nate quickly.


    ¡°Good. Smart lad. Take care of these,¡± Porter said, dumping a small sack into Nate¡¯s hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s twelve in there,¡± the Prefect continued. ¡°Ten fer the new Dungeon ya found fer the Guild and another two fer unconverin¡¯ them plants. Ya know the ones. The skinny bints that pulled a runner. Now, Guild rules state that for any Dungeon run tha cost is four tokens of the same tier or higher. Ya can take whoever ya want. Team up and share the cost or do it on yer own for all I care. But four tokens fer a run. Got it? Good.¡±


    Nate nodded that he understood and ran his sphere of awareness over the tokens. He could sense they were stamped with words indicating the tier of dungeon they granted access to. Twelve tokens, all stamped with High-Rare. In effect, he had enough tokens for three High-Rare Dungeon runs with just him and Kiri. Alternatively he supposed he could link up with Null and Britt. They¡¯d have to put up their own Dungeon tokens, sharing the cost. Doing that he could extend it to six Dungeon runs, but there was a question of whether or not that would make a difference in terms of the amount of levels he would get. Dungeon rewards as well he supposed.


    Shrugging, he put the tokens into his spatial storage and followed everyone out of the vault. Prefect Allais spared him an icy look, before giving the same glance to Kiri. Then the Prefect left in a swish of fabric, headed back upstairs. Porter was already gone, having used the excuse of dumping off Nate¡¯s Dungeon tokens to leave, likely to find his breakfast.


    Nate followed Aisling back up the stairs before bidding the Platinum farewell and heading for his inn. Kiri followed along and they didn¡¯t speak till they were back in his room.


    ¡°So, the sword, what¡¯s that all about?¡± Nate said, sitting down on the edge of his bed.


    ¡°Surprise,¡± Kiri responded. ¡°I¡¯ll show you soon. Promise.¡±


    When he grinned in response, his best friend continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to get some skill training in with Deverell. Meet up after lunch to go shopping for some clothes? I need something for my date.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± he said. That worked out perfectly for him. He could make a start on the Class Core Obfuscation rune and then take a break and buy some comfortable new clothes. Maybe check out a few shops for some furnishings, in case his room at the University really was a step back in terms of luxury.


    ¡°Awesome. See you then!¡± Kiri headed for the door, pausing to lean her head back in. ¡°Oh yeah, I take it back.¡±


    When Nate looked at her, confusion written on his face, his best friend continued.


    ¡°I know Prefect Allais is around the age you¡¯d go for, but I think it¡¯s a bad idea. She seems like a bit of a bitch.¡± Kiri punctuated her words with a wink before beating a hasty retreat.


    Not that that stopped him from getting her back as he used True Teleportation to send some water down on her head. There was no hiding from his ¡®sight¡¯, he thought with a laugh when he heard the indignant squeak. He¡¯d half expected her to come back but his best friend must¡¯ve decided they were temporarily even as she exited the inn a few seconds later, headed for the Guild¡¯s training grounds.


    Nate turned to look at Frick, ¡°You were awfully quiet.¡±


    ¡°Just busy, Boss,¡± the blue goblin replied, studiously applying Conceptual Material to a new mana gem.


    Nate narrowed his eyes at Frick. His Familiar was being far too agreeable. He¡¯d have to keep an eye on the little scamp. He didn¡¯t suspect betrayal or anything dramatic. More likely the little spirit was planning some mischief. There was nothing he could do about it yet though. He¡¯d need to figure out what Frick was up to first. Awareness of the Runic Artist didn¡¯t notice anything unusual nearby. So with a shrug he moved over to his table by the window and pulled out a notepad. It was time for some runecrafting.


    The idea behind a multilayered deception was an interesting one to him. It reminded him a little of the artwork he¡¯d done back in Helmfirth, where he¡¯d concealed Galle¡¯s version of butterflies within a drawing. There was a similarity, he thought. He wanted to conceal his Class Core, then put an obfuscation over the outside so that it showed a different Class. He¡¯d ask Aisling later about the actual Classes and levels he wanted it to show for both himself and Kiri, but first he needed the basics of the rune.


    He already knew he was going to need at least three Sigils incorporated into this one rune which would make it one of his most complex runes so far. His runic arrays were different. They linked different runes together to create an amalgamated effect. This was one rune, serving a very specific function. Class Core, Concealment and Obfuscation were all necessities. He wanted to see if he could include Power or Strongest in as well to further strengthen the effects. That was mostly to offset the fact that the three core Sigils he needed were all Journeyman ranked. He needed the rune to be Master ranked so that it stood a chance against any Legendary identification skills without being overwhelmed, in the same way that he had overwhelmed the Unseen¡¯s Class Core obfuscation.


    Not for the first time, he lamented his lack of access to higher tier Sigils. If he¡¯d had more time he might¡¯ve gone looking for more Sigils. Maybe even seeing what was needed to get access to the Guild Library¡¯s restricted section. But he didn¡¯t have that time. University induction was in less than a week, so he had to work with what he had. That made him think of his Puzzle Box and he extracted it from his spatial storage to sit on the table while he worked. He liked it. A reminder of what he was aiming for. His suspicions that the engraving on the Puzzle Box was a Sigil remained. And if it was, then it was one that Arikanvil did not know, else his Divine Translation would¡¯ve recognised it. He hoped that meant it was Mythic, maybe even higher.


    With a last glance at his demonic realm prize, he started scribbling, drawing out the geometric shapes overlaid as he drafted up his idea for a Class Core Obfuscation rune.

 Chapter 108 - Fun in Forms

    Nate sat by the window as the sun peaked in, going over his Class Core Obfuscation rune designs. He had done most of the initial work the night before, coming up with the geometric pattern he thought would suit his proposed design. After he had drawn up some drafts, he decided to sleep on the problem and see if that led to any additional ideas. The main issue he had to solve was that the rune needed to create two separate layers. There was the inner layer, which needed to conceal his Class Core, completely hiding his Classes and more importantly, their Tiers. Then there was the outer layer, which would show a false Class and the levels associated with them.


    That was where he ran into his first problem. His Obfuscation Sigil wasn¡¯t designed for such purposes. It was meant to make information harder to understand. He likely had enough Intents with his Imbue Intent to use a Subconcept to force it to do what he wanted it to, even if the result was less efficient or effective. But that led to his second concern. How well would his Intents carry over when Kiri used her Soul Engraving to put the runes on their souls. He wasn¡¯t concerned about the inner layer of the rune at all. He had three sigils already prepared for that portion. Class Core, Concealment and Power should result in a pseudo-Master rune with the Power Sigil the only truly Master tier in the mix. He¡¯d just have to overload the rune with Power Sigils to force its rank higher. But that was fine. It¡¯d make the rune cost him more mana to power, especially when he was actively funnelling mana to it. But that was a small price to pay for hiding his Class.


    With that in mind, he needed to figure out what to do about the outer layer. He was debating asking the Guild if they had any Sigils in their Enchanting tomes that might help. He hadn¡¯t spotted any last time, but he¡¯d so far only had one visit to the Guild Library. That visit was also only to the Advanced section. Perhaps they had what he needed in the Restricted section. Maybe a Sigil for something like Mislead or Deceive. It might cost him, but he was confident he could afford it.


    Alternatively, he could go hunting for an Enchanter¡¯s shop. That didn¡¯t guarantee he¡¯d get what he needed. If it was him, and he had his Sigils written down, he¡¯d definitely keep them behind some enchanted wards. Though, he supposed he could always go and sneak in. They might have wards to prevent perception based Skills like his Awareness of the Runic Artist but he doubted they had permanent spatial locks to keep him out. Was it thievery? Kind of. I mean he was definitely stealing knowledge. But it wasn¡¯t like he planned to profit off the theft. Still, he wasn¡¯t keen on the idea. Especially if he got caught. He felt that ¡®vandalism¡¯ in the form of graffiti was one thing, but breaking and entering quite another. Especially when he had other options. One of which he sensed had just entered the inn.


    That made his decision for him. He¡¯d first ask Luc for his thoughts. If his mentor didn¡¯t have a good solution, then he¡¯d try the Guild Library. If that failed him, then seeking out some Enchanter shops was his last resort. He liked having plans and redundancies. Especially being able to rank them not just based on the level of risk, but also on how he felt about the options. Having a fallback while not immediately resorting to stealing was satisfying for him.


    Luc chose that moment to barge in without knocking.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re up,¡± greeted Luc, the metal studs in his tight fitted clothes gleaming in the morning sun as the man pulled up a seat by the window with him.


    Luc stared at him with his bright blue eyes and Nate was expecting his mentor to launch into a discussion about what they should aim to sell.


    ¡°How are you handling it all?¡± asked Luc, still looking him over. ¡°Bad dreams? Emotions running wild?¡±


    The question caught him by surprise and it took him a moment to formulate his thoughts.


    ¡°A bad dream, yeah. Though I think I¡¯m okay. Emotionally, I guess I am a bit on edge, but nothing crazy. They¡¯re definitely not running wild. I think my high Intellect might be helping,¡± Nate responded.


    ¡°I had heard rumours about that. The Intellect thing I mean. You don¡¯t see many who focus in that Stat on the frontlines. Glad it¡¯s helping. The dreams aren¡¯t unexpected, but if they get worse let me know, alright? Can¡¯t have my best pupil having a breakdown because they didn¡¯t process their shit. I¡¯m talking from experience here. Don¡¯t push it down. Let it out, and if you need someone to talk to, I am here. If not me, Aisling¡¯s a good choice as well. Alright?¡± Luc asked, a serious expression on the man¡¯s face, slightly ruined by his tousled brown hair.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Nate agreed. ¡°You look a little rough. Late night again?¡± Nate flicked his head towards the roof in indication.


    Luc smirked in response, ¡°Yeah, but not babysitting. Went back to the Den of Desire.¡± He winked to punctuate his meaning. ¡°What¡¯s her name again¡­ umm¡­ Florence! Yeah, she asked if you were going to come visit again. A couple of the other girls asked too, actually. Think they might¡¯ve wanted their own personal painting. I gave them the run around but if you need to get out of your own head, there are worse places you could go.¡±


    Nate nodded, doing his best to keep a straight face despite hearing Frick cackling in his mind. Maybe he would go and visit, but not now. Not yet. He had other things to deal with first.


    ¡°Alright. Thanks for the advice. So, business discussion time?¡± Nate replied.


    When Luc nodded, he realised something and held his mentor up with a hand.


    ¡°Actually, before we get into that, how come you and Aisling didn¡¯t want to purchase one of my¡­ orbs? You know the ones. Evindal jumped straight on it but neither of you did,¡± he asked.


    Luc leaned back, pursing his lips in thought, before placing a small black cylinder with a mana gem slotted into the top of it on the table. Runic Knowledge told him very quickly that the black cylinder was enchanted with the Concepts of Sound and Barrier. From there it was easy to realise that the item was meant to keep their conversation private and he could even sense the range of the cylinder which was two metres around the cylinder in a perfect sphere.


    ¡°So how much education do you have on Class Skill offerings based on Tier?¡± Luc asked.


    ¡°A little,¡± he replied quickly. ¡°Aisling explained how you would only get offered one Skill of the Tier of your Class and everything else would be below that. The exception being Common Classes.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Saves me rehashing that. Alright, what is my Primary Class Tier?¡± Luc posed it as a question even though they both knew the answer. Nate could see where this might be going but he wanted to confirm his suspicions.


    ¡°Epic. Which means you were only offered one Epic Skill¡­ so even if you¡¯ve evolved it up a Tier, you¡¯ve probably only got the one Legendary Skill, unless you managed to evolve another up two or three tiers,¡± Nate explained, answering the unmentioned question as well as the one Luc asked.


    ¡°Exactly. Now that¡¯s fine. It means I am guaranteed at least one Legendary Class option at my next Class Evolution, which I am only fourteen levels away from now, by the way. It means I will have two Legendary Skills and sixty levels to try and push one to Mythic. It¡¯s doable. But not a guarantee. Which brings me to my next point. Those Orbs¡­ the evolution they give won¡¯t count as an Achievement,¡± Luc explained.


    That gave Nate pause and his face showed it as his eyebrows drew down in a frown.


    ¡°Why not? The Achievement only mentions evolving a Skill up a tier. It didn¡¯t have any qualifiers on it.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s System assistance. You don¡¯t get Achievements for System assistance. Maybe there are exceptions, but I have never heard of them. Anyway, that means that while I might end up wanting one of those Orbs¡­ assuming you don¡¯t use all the ones you have left, I don¡¯t have a need of one yet and I wouldn¡¯t want one till I have achieved my own Mythic Skill evolution. Which honestly, could be years away. Aisling is the same. I know she¡¯s got at least one Legendary Skill. Evindal however already has a single Mythic Skill, so if he has a second Legendary Skill then the Orb is perfect for him. Make sense?¡± Luc finished his speech.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Nate replied with a nod.


    ¡°Alright then, let''s get down to business.¡±


    What followed was a quick discussion on what Nate could make, how long they would take and how much mana he needed to do it. They ended up settling on making Epic Grade manerium. There were multiple reasons for the decision. Firstly, it wasn¡¯t unheard of on the market, while remaining rare enough that the price was decently inflated. Secondly, the demand was high. There were plenty of Crafters in the city that would sell their souls for the chance to work with the material, from Blacksmiths to Enchanters and a number of other more niche crafting disciplines. Finally, it was easy for Nate to make, or more likely have Frick make. He had the Mana Sigil so he could give the metal the affinity which was ultimately what separated manerium from regular steel. Added to that was his new Metal Shaping skill which would let him make bars of the material. Luc even promised to get him a bar that had come from a Dungeon reward so he could copy it.


    To sell it, Luc was likely going to use some Smugglers as a third-party to put an additional layer of secrecy between Luc and the source. Luc said he was comfortable with taking on that kind of heat and subtly hinted it wasn¡¯t his first time working with such people. The final plan was that they would try and sell four bars of manerium every month. That meant one bar created a week which was well within Nate¡¯s capabilities, especially with the forty percent reduction in time required for his Conceptual Material skill. The mana requirement was going to be tight if he wanted to work on other projects as well. His mana gathering arrays were working with a subpar environment to begin with. That was a problem he¡¯d need to solve sooner rather than later if he wanted to progress in other areas.


    With business handled Luc left, promising to swing by in two days to pick up the first bar of manerium which he intended to use as a sample for making a deal with some smuggling outfit. Luc had offered to help try and find the Sigils he needed for his Class Core Obfuscation rune, which was likely going to need a new name soon. However, the timelines were too tight for the Riftwalker to get him what he needed. Luc had promised he¡¯d ask around but didn¡¯t have a lot of hope that he¡¯d get something before the Royal University induction.


    That was how Nate found himself trekking into the Guildhouse and heading upstairs to the library. Jocelyn was at the desk and he found that he still had access to the Advanced section and that any usage of the library would be put on Lord Evindal¡¯s tab. That worked for him, but after asking about the Sigils he needed, Jocelyn had responded that she was confident the Library wouldn¡¯t have them and that such Enchanting knowledge was often closely guarded by Enchanters and Crafting Guilds, of which there were many.


    He decided it wasn¡¯t worth spending the time pouring over the books in the Advanced section of the Guild Library in the hope that Jocelyn might be wrong. He¡¯d considered the Restricted section but Jocelyn had caught him glancing at the door to that area and informed he had to be at least a Gold Badge to even request access. Instead he returned to his room and continued refining his runes, which resulted in two separate designs. The first was based on his hope that he could find an appropriate Sigil in time before the Royal University induction. The second would utilise the Obfuscation Sigil and he would need to overload it slightly by adding more of them. This would hopefully make up for the Obfuscation Sigil not being ideal for the purpose.


    Heading downstairs in the inn he met up with Kiri for lunch, preparing for their shopping trip.


    ¡°So, any idea what you want to wear for your date?¡± he asked before taking a bite of his sandwich.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaning towards pants, shirt, boots and a coat. But you know, nice. Like fashionable as opposed to¡­¡± she paused searching for a word.


    ¡°Utilitarian?¡± he supplied.


    ¡°Exactly. Something that looks nice but is still me,¡± Kiri replied with an excited grin.


    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t expect you to suddenly choose a dress. Do you even own any dresses?¡±


    Kiri just shoved him in response which made him laugh.


    Finishing their lunch up quickly, they headed for the gate that marked the delineation between the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the rest of the Merchants District. He was glancing around as they passed through the gate without issue and Kiri noticed, answering his unasked question.


    ¡°Deverell is tailing us. If you can spot him without him getting within range of us, let me know.¡±


    He shrugged in response, ¡°Was just checking. Figured they wouldn¡¯t let us leave without an escort.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Aisling is as protective as a mother Nabat,¡± replied Kiri with a grin.


    ¡°Nabat? That¡¯s the meat we ate last night right?¡±


    Kiri nodded in response.


    ¡°Mmm, tasted like chicken. Was pretty good,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re pretty good. Mum¡¯s was better though.¡±


    ¡°No arguments here. Miss your mum¡¯s cooking.¡±


    Their conversation continued back and forth as they took in the sight of the Merchant¡¯s District. It was their first time being out amongst the shops and people since they arrived. Nate wasn¡¯t counting their celebration night or his own graffiti foray since on the former he had honestly gotten too drunk to remember it and on the latter, well he¡¯d been more focused on avoiding people so he hadn¡¯t seen much beyond the alleys.


    Taking it in now, it was beautiful and so were the people. The people were tanned and dressed in colourful clothes. It reminded him that the Capital was a port city and the merchants appeared to have a rich trade in cloth and dyes. The second thing he noticed was the types of shops they passed. At first it had been mostly equipment and shops he assumed supplied consumables. They clearly catered to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and so kept close to the main source of their business. The further from the Guild though, the more they gave way to clothing shops, carpenters, food supplies and basically everything else that wasn¡¯t focused on combat.


    He paused to stare at a carpenter¡¯s store, wondering if they could help him with a bed when Kiri grabbed his hand and dragged him into the first clothing store of the afternoon. He hoped it would be the only one, but he had his doubts as he followed his friend into the shop to offer his mostly useless fashion advice. That thought made him smile. It was going to be fun!

 Chapter 109 - Shopping and Dropping

    Nate watched as Kiri strode out from the back of the shop. This was the fourth outfit she¡¯d tried on and by his estimate the best of the bunch, though admittedly, he was growing a little bored. Still, he kept up a smile of encouragement for his friend, even if clothing shopping wasn¡¯t his idea of a good time. For all he knew it wasn¡¯t Kiri¡¯s either, and she was just nervous about her date with Coralie.


    ¡°So, what about this one?¡± asked Kiri, doing a little twirl.


    This time she¡¯d gone with well fitted blue pants with scrollwork down the seams on the outside of each leg. It was contrasted with a loose white blouse and a black scarf that matched her impeccably polished black knee-high boots.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best so far, but it¡¯s really going to stand out. Everyone wears such vibrant colours that your much more sedate choices make you look¡­ I don¡¯t want to say refined¡­ maybe reserved? So if that¡¯s what you¡¯re going for, then definitely this. Else you need to pick some brighter colours,¡± he answered honestly. There was no point just telling her yes when she wanted actual feedback.


    Kiri pursed her lips in response, looking thoughtful.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s a first date. I think the conversation and who you are is probably going to be more important than what you wear. Unless you were looking for a fling?¡± he added with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Nah,¡± Kiri responded quickly. ¡°I was thinking of trying for something a bit longer this time. See how I like it, you know? We¡¯re going to be at the University for a few years. Now¡¯s the right time to see if something a bit more serious is what I want.¡±


    He nodded that he understood, noting how the tailor had perked up at the mention of the ¡®University¡¯.


    ¡°So?¡± he asked his best friend.


    ¡°Yeah, this outfit then,¡± she said, finishing by turning to the Tailor. ¡°How much?¡±


    The Tailor, a small but friendly and efficient woman tapped her lips in thought, ¡°Fourteen for the pants. Fifteen for the blouse and scarf together. And twenty for the boots. So forty-nine common for the lot.¡±


    It took Nate a moment to realise the price was based on mana gems. Forty-nine common mana gems was pretty cheap for the outfit though he supposed. It made sense since the materials appeared to be of the common tier. They were pretty but unlikely to last. He could also see why mana gems would be used as a form of currency. It made him wonder if the rich would wear higher tier clothes just to show off their wealth and not for any real purpose like improved durability.


    Nate watched as Kiri went to the counter with the Tailor who extracted five empty mana-gems from below the counter. It only took him a moment to assess them as Uncommon tier and watched as Kiri filled all five over the course of a minute. Twelve seconds per mana gem wasn¡¯t that quick and he would¡¯ve guessed that her Channelling Speed was probably half of his own. Which wasn¡¯t much of an achievement when his own was only sixty-seven and was a third of his other Magic Stats. Just one more thing he had to work on, he thought with a smile.


    With the purchase handled, Kiri went to get changed in the back room back into her usual clothes. While she was gone the Tailor approached him, an obsequious look on her face.


    ¡°Can I get anything for the Young Master? Perhaps you¡¯d like to see a selection of silk shirts that would set off the Young Master¡¯s stunning green eyes? I am afraid my humble selection has nothing to rival the Young Master¡¯s incredible robe. It is a work of art!¡± gushed the Tailor, wringing her hands unconsciously.


    Nate had an awkward smile glued to his face throughout the Tailor¡¯s words. He could see the thought process that had taken place. His robe made him look like a Mage, a not inaccurate conclusion to jump to even if the truth was slightly more complicated. Add to that the mention of the University and this Tailor likely thought that he was either the son of a wealthy merchant, or a member of the nobility. He could of course explain it to the Tailor, but what was the point at the end of the day? He was wealthy after all, if not in the conventional way. His Guild Dungeon Access tokens were likely worth a considerable amount. So why not just put the lady¡¯s worries to rest?


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. You have a lovely shop here, by the way. However, perhaps you could help me with something else?¡± he asked, trying to keep his tone normal.


    He sensed the Tailor¡¯s muscles tense as she tried to keep her thoughts from being expressed on her face, and he sighed internally realising he was scaring the poor woman. He didn¡¯t blame himself though. He didn¡¯t warrant fear like that. Well, unless you were a demon, he supposed. No, her reaction, as far as he was concerned, was an indictment of the nobility and upper class.


    ¡°Whatever the Young Master needs,¡± the Tailor replied hesitantly.


    ¡°If I wanted to buy an incredibly comfy mattress and bed, who would you advise I go see and can you give me directions to their store?¡± he asked, staring at her wide-eyed in what he hoped came across as a friendly manner.


    He instantly felt the woman relax in his senses and mentally clapped himself on the back.


    ¡°Oh, you should go see Michel. He¡¯s let me try one of his mattresses before. It was like sleeping on a cloud,¡± she replied, her eyes far off as she was clearly reliving the experience. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever afford one for myself, but as far as I know, he does the best work in the District. If it isn¡¯t too much trouble, perhaps you could let him know Theodora sent you?¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± he replied with a smile, sinking back into the plush chair he was sitting on. It was decently comfy but he didn¡¯t think it was properly shaped for sitting. Maybe for lounging? Hopefully Michel¡¯s work was better.


    The moment Kiri exited the back room, Theodora quickly went into the changing room, returning shortly with the outfit neatly folded.


    ¡°Will the Young Mistress require a bag or delivery of the outfit?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no that¡¯s fine,¡± replied Kiri, approaching the folded clothes and boots and making them vanish into her Soul Space.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Theodora didn¡¯t seem surprised and after encouraging them to come back if they required any clothes in the future, they took their leave of her store.


    ¡°Where to next?¡± asked Kiri as they stood together outside the shop watching the colourful traffic pass them by. It was only a little past breakfast, the sun nowhere near its zenith yet.


    ¡°Enchanter¡¯s shop, then the carpenter''s shop? I got directions for a good bed,¡± he suggested.


    Kiri gave a nod and they set off, stopping for a second to ask for directions to the nearest Enchanter¡¯s store. It turned out to be on the way to the bed maker¡¯s and they quickly found themselves within a far more cluttered store, the tinkling of a bell marking their entry.


    ¡°Alright Frick, I am here. Come on over,¡± he mentally sent to his Familiar.


    He felt the tug on his mana reserve as Frick used his True Teleportation skill twice in quick succession. Within a moment the little goblin spirit was floating beneath the stone floor as Nate let his Awareness of the Runic Artist roam over the room. Runic Knowledge - Concepts was going wild and he could feel a constant drain as it assessed all the Concepts in the items within the room. There were many, though he noted they were quite weak. Where the pocket-watch in the demonic realm had veritably screamed the Concept of Time at him, these felt like whispers. If anything, it made it easier for his skills to assess the Concepts they were giving off. Warding was a common one, which sounded like a lesser cousin of Barrier. Light, Flame, Fire, Water, Durability, Restoring¡­the list went on. Even if most of the materials felt like they were only Common or Uncommon, it was still an impressive array and he wondered just how many Sigils the proprietor knew.


    He felt the door behind the counter open and close. For a second, while the door was open he was able to get a  sense of the room behind it, cluttered with materials and tomes along with some other completed items that he suspected were meant to be viewed only on request. The moment the door closed however he felt the wood form an uninterrupted veiling enchantment that seemed to be carved into the walls. He spent a second wondering how that might work. If the door''s latch bolt somehow joined the door to the rest of the array. If so, it was a clever design.


    The veil wasn¡¯t anything impressive. He would¡¯ve estimated it to be of the Rare tier, which didn¡¯t fill him with a lot of confidence. It also made him concerned that what he was going to ask next would come across as rude. But what could you do? He needed a better quality sigil.


    The enchanter, a tall gangly man with a dark beard and wearing glasses took the two of them in at a glance. Looking at Kiri the man seemed dismissive but when he saw Nate¡¯s robe his eyes widened and he glanced back at Kiri in what Nate thought might be fear. It made him sigh inside but he was pretty sure the Enchanter had just jumped to a similar conclusion to the Tailor, with the difference being the man likely suspected Kiri was his bodyguard.


    ¡°How can I be of service, Young Master?¡± asked the Enchanter, bobbing his head as he said so.


    ¡°If I wanted an Epic tier Veiling enchantment, would you be able to complete such work?¡± asked Nate, playing into the man''s assumptions even as he hated himself a little for it. It made him regret pretending to be a noble back in Helmfirth. If everyone''s reaction to young nobility was fear, that didn¡¯t speak well of the aristocrats of Etrua.


    ¡°...that would be beyond my skill to provide, Young Master. Might I suggest Caroline Lambert? She is known to provide such and is considered one of the best Enchanter¡¯s in the City. Do you require directions?¡± stammered out the Enchanter.


    After taking the directions, Nate and Kiri headed for Michel¡¯s to handle any bed needs he might have. The Enchanter Caroline Lambert was honestly higher on his list of priorities, but he¡¯d quickly discovered that he would need to make an appointment, as the woman¡¯s store was in the Nobles District rather than the Merchants. The Enchanter they¡¯d spoken to had sounded fearful as he conveyed that information to them, perhaps concerned he would offend them in some way. Frick had asked if Nate still wanted him to scope out the man''s wards and enchantments but he didn¡¯t see the point in stealing information on low tier Sigils. He¡¯d likely get access to that at the Royal University.


    The bed store was thankfully quick and easy. Michel had greeted them quickly and had shown them both a number of beds. Kiri had decided she wouldn¡¯t mind something more comfortable for the University as well. The cost had been higher, but Nate still had plenty of the mana-infused gold he¡¯d gotten from Arikanvil, plus a few of his own mana-gems on him. He ended up buying a bed he thought would be queen sized and an amazingly comfortable mattress that he thought must rely on Skills to make. It had even gotten a rise out of his Runic Knowledge skill and he¡¯d realised the stuffing gave off what he suspected was an Uncommon affinity for Cloud. The Tailor had been more right than she knew. With that handled, the pair returned to the Guild for lunch and to meet up with Aisling and Deverell.


    They took lunch in the private room in the inn Aisling was staying at, and after Deverell used an enchanted item to erect a ward against eavesdropping, they tucked into their food before launching into their discussion.


    ¡°Alright,¡± agreed Deverell. ¡°I will handle organising an appointment for you at this Enchanter¡¯s store. Caroline Lambert. I have heard of her. Now, I have managed to get a hold of the curriculum on offer currently at the Royal University. It hasn¡¯t changed much in the last decade.¡±


    When Kiri and Nate didn¡¯t comment he continued. ¡°So, remember, the University doesn¡¯t care how many subjects you take. For any subject you complete they will reward you with a token to show your competency in the subject and they break each subject into four tiers. Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert. When you do your induction you will be asked to specify the subjects you wish to participate in. You will then be assessed for that subject to determine your starting competency,¡± Deverell continued, shooting a glance at Nate.


    ¡°Enchanting is one of the subjects, Nate,¡± Aisling added, the amazonian woman leaning forward to pin him with her stare. ¡°We suggest you limit how competent you make yourself appear. I am concerned you could achieve an Expert grading in your assessment and that would raise questions. I won¡¯t tell you what to do, but my advice is to go no higher than Advanced if you can manage that.¡±


    Nate nodded his agreement. As much fun as it would be to absolutely trounce their grading and show off his talent, it wasn¡¯t worth ending up locked in a box or chained to a desk as a runecrafting slave.


    Kiri added, ¡°What about me? Do I need to tank the combat assessment?¡±


    Deverell nodded his head in response, ¡°For the combat assessment, yes. Or at least, don¡¯t use all your skills. Both yourself and Null could likely get an Advanced result and it would be better if you started in Intermediate.¡±


    ¡°Only Advanced?¡± Kiri asked, crossing her arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a matter of skill, or Skills. It¡¯s a matter of Stats. Some of those who¡¯ve been at the University for a couple of years will be close to level sixty. For those who have been there for three or four years, it¡¯s not unreasonable to expect some will be in the mid sixties. A few might even be beyond that. Most will have been Rare Classes prior to the second Class Evolution. Most, but not all. The Ducal houses and Royals as well as some of the very wealthy merchants'' children will have started at Rare. If they managed to achieve their evolutions, they could be Legendary. Along with being fully enhanced with Orbs, which neither of you are yet. Intermediate is the best place to start. You will graduate as a combat Expert, however. Am I clear?¡± said Deverell sternly.


    Kiri¡¯s eyes shone and she nodded, muttering her agreement to ¡®take it easy¡¯ in the combat test.


    ¡°Which brings us to you,¡± said Deverell, turning to face him.


    A grin crept onto Nate''s face at what was coming next.

 Chapter 110 - Dated Subjects

    Nate listened as Deverell explained the information they had and what that meant for Nate.


    ¡°So, after carefully reviewing our own Class records as well as obtaining some information from the Enchanter¡¯s Guild, we have determined that there isn¡¯t a record of a Battle Enchanter Class or similar. That is not to say it doesn¡¯t exist, but we¡¯ve got no records of it. Showing up with an unheard of Class is worse than going with a rarer albeit known Class. As such, we want you to pretend to be a Runecaster,¡± Deverell explained, pausing as he waited for Nate¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Nate responded. ¡°What tier is it?¡±


    ¡°Epic,¡± Aisling supplied. ¡°Your second Class should be Space Mage. It¡¯s a Rare Class and not unheard of as well, even if it¡¯s likely to cause some rumblings at the University. You¡¯re likely to be approached by merchants and the nobility inquiring after your services once word gets around.¡±


    As the Stormspear finished, she glanced at Deverell which seemed to be the sign for him to continue.


    ¡°Which it will. Word is going to get around. At the Royal University information is a commodity and everyone trades in it. Everyone. The students, the instructors, the staff, everyone. Assume anything you reveal is going to become, if not ¡®common¡¯ knowledge, at least information that will be sold or traded to anyone willing to pay for it. You both need to be careful in what you reveal,¡± Deverell explained, before turning back to Kiri. ¡°For your Classes, we want you to masquerade as a Dagger Dancer for your Epic Class and a Spiritwalker for your Rare Class. The latter can explain your unusual abilities, including Soul Shift, as long as you don¡¯t use it too much. Remember, even with some improvements, it should be no better than an Epic Skill so you might need to make it seem more costly or difficult to use.¡±


    ¡°Now, back to the subjects on offer. There is Combat, Skill Development, Spellforms, Enchanting, Crafting ¨C which covers a number of disciplines, Tactics, Dungeon Knowledge, Monster Studies, Mana and Affinities, Concepts and Embodiment, Strategy, Economics¡­ the list goes on. There are a number of more knowledge based subjects like History of Etrua, Politics and unsurprisingly, Art,¡± supplied Deverell, glancing at Nate at the end.


    Nate just grinned back in response. Finding out that a bunch of rich nobles wanted to learn about creating and producing art wasn¡¯t a surprise to him. It would be interesting to see who was taking the subject with him.


    Aisling smiled at the reaction and glanced between them, ¡°So, any ideas what subjects interest you both?¡±


    Nate motioned for Kiri to go first and his best friend leaned forward excitedly, ¡°Combat and Skill Development for sure. Concepts and Embodiment sounds good as well. Dungeon Knowledge, Monster Studies, and maybe Tactics? And also, I think, maybe Economics?¡±


    ¡°You should take Mana and Affinities as well,¡± suggested Deverell. ¡°I never took it myself, but the higher grades of the subject start to delve into other energy types, which might be useful for you.¡±


    Kiri nodded her agreement before all three turned to look at him.


    ¡°Same as Kiri, but I will probably drop Economics for Art and maybe Tactics for Enchanting. Eight subjects seems like a lot,¡± he replied.


    ¡°It is, but remember, once you¡¯ve graded out of a subject, or have gone as high as you think you can in it, you can move onto something else. You¡¯ve got four years to study there. Make the most of it,¡± Deverell explained.


    When the two of them nodded, Deverell glanced at Aisling who stood.


    ¡°Well, I am glad that¡¯s sorted out. I just wanted to say, I approve of your subject selections and think it shows that you¡¯re taking this seriously, and also what incredible assets you will one day be for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I¡¯m proud of you. Both of you. Let me know if you need anything,¡± Aisling stated sternly, but he could almost feel the pride in them radiating off of her.


    ¡°Just a question,¡± Nate said softly, drawing three sets of eyes.


    When Aisling nodded, he voiced the thought that he had been wondering about for a while now.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you a Prefect?¡± he asked, continuing with his thoughts before anyone could answer. ¡°After seeing what Allais and Raoult are like, I can¡¯t help but think you¡¯d make a better Prefect than they would. You always seem to put the Guild first, while they were willing to put their own interests first. And you seemed like a good Guildmaster out in Helmfirth, even if it was a bit below your umm, paygrade?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure how well the last word had translated and he tried to be careful not to use terms from Earth that might not exist in whatever the language of Etrua was. He was getting better at the language without Divine Translation¡¯s assistance, but he still used the spell most of the time.


    Aisling sat back down for a moment, staring at Nate before she broke out into a smile, ¡°It¡¯s my own fault, really. I never put my name forward before. I believed my combat ability was more important to the Guild than my skills in management. Or talent development.¡± Her eyes flicked over all three of them, including Deverell in her final statement.


    ¡°But, having seen how the Guild has been run of late, I agree with you. Perhaps I would serve the Guild and its interests better by taking up a management role. By becoming a Prefect. It¡¯s something I will take under consideration,¡± Aisling continued, before her eyes roamed back to Nate. ¡°And Nate, thank you for your vote of confidence, and driving home Deverell¡¯s own words on the matter.¡±


    Nate just grinned. Aisling would make an excellent Prefect as far as he was concerned. She was a stickler for the Guild¡¯s rules, but didn¡¯t seem to care a whit about anyone else''s. That might¡¯ve been a bad thing, if the Guild was a terrible organisation, but so far he hadn¡¯t seen any rules that he would consider evil or unfair.


    The conversation wrapped up a couple of minutes later, as he gave them permission to spread the name of his ¡®fake¡¯ Class in any meetings with the Guild. With that handled he headed over to his room on his own. Kiri had instead left with Deverell to get in some combat practice before her date this evening with Coralie. Nate grinned as he had his own date, with some runes and sigils. Maybe if he got bored he¡¯d go with Luc to the Den of Desire later. Some art might take his mind off the Fourth Hell and his recent misadventure anyway.


    ¡°Told ya, Boss,¡± whispered Frick in his mind. ¡°Nothing like a brothel to ¡®perk¡¯ you up.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He laughed, just shaking his head at his cheeky Familiar and headed up to his room. The small blue goblin was diligently working on using Conceptual Material to add the mana affinity and improve the tier of the new mana-gems they had created. Nate narrowed his eyes at his Familiar. He¡¯d been well-behaved lately. Too well-behaved. The little shit was definitely up to something, he just didn¡¯t know what. He suspected he¡¯d find out soon though.


    *************


    Kiri grinned from ear to ear as she walked hand-in-hand with Coralie through the Merchant¡¯s District towards the restaurant where they were going to have dinner. At first, their meeting in the Guild courtyard had been awkward, Coralie blushing a little and unable to meet her eyes even as she stood there looking stunning in a light blue dress that went down past her knees, white leather boots peeking out from beneath. But after she¡¯d taken the lead in the conversation Coralie had quickly become more comfortable and the date had really taken off.


    Despite her dainty appearance, it turned out Coralie was almost as much of a battle maniac as Kiri was and they talked through their best fights.


    ¡°So, you really think you could take Null?¡± Coralie asked, as she gazed up at Kiri. Kiri really liked that, enjoying the blonde girl''s blue-eyed stare.


    ¡°Look, I am not saying it¡¯s an easy win or anything like that, but his whole mana suppression or nullification or whatever it is, doesn¡¯t seem to do much to internal mana and Skills. That¡¯s most of my skillset,¡± Kiri explained. ¡°And I didn¡¯t see any regeneration skills from him. He¡¯d wound me. Maybe even wound me a lot. But it¡¯s a battle of attrition and I reckon I would have him beat in the end.¡±


    She left out the part where she was confident her soul energy based skills were likely unaffected by his nullification aura.


    ¡°Okay then, I can see how maybe you could win¡­ maybe!¡± Coralie agreed. ¡°But I think maybe you¡¯re underselling Null¡¯s boosting skills. I don¡¯t know if you saw his second one, but it might even rival Flash¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°You sure you wouldn¡¯t rather be on a date with Null?¡± Kiri teased, raising an eyebrow to take the sting out of the remark.


    Coralie clearly understood and blushed a little, shaking her head slightly to the negative, ¡°No, no. This is nice.¡±


    A moment later the blonde ice mage continued, ¡°What about Nate then? I admit I am a little sad I didn¡¯t get to face him. The only Mage on Mage duel I got was against Karim and while he was competent, he wasn¡¯t amazing. I really would have loved to challenge your teammate.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me if I think you could beat Nate, or if I could beat him?¡± asked Kiri, a restaurant attendant guiding them up into the third story of the building. Tables were set up in such a way that each group was given relative privacy and a good view. Sitting down, Kiri shifted the chair around so they were seated side by side, facing out towards the harbour and a view of the sea beyond.


    ¡°Both, I think,¡± Coralie replied, finally answering the question as the waiter took their drink order and promptly vanished.


    ¡°I think the answer to both is¡­depends,¡± Kiri replied thoughtfully, taking Coralie¡¯s hand and holding it in her lap.


    ¡°What would it depend on?¡± Coralie asked curiously.


    ¡°If he knew you were going to fight,¡± Kiri replied with a laugh.


    She could see Coralie staring out at the sea thoughtfully, ¡°Because of his enchanting, right? If he knew we would fight he would prepare something accordingly.¡±


    With the new directions from Deverell and Aisling, and Nate¡¯s own words before she went on her date, Kiri knew it wasn¡¯t an issue explaining that Nate wasn¡¯t enchanting things. She¡¯d find out anyway at the University, since it sounded like their induction details, which included revealing their Classes, or at least, their ¡®fake¡¯ Classes, would basically be up for sale.


    ¡°It¡¯s Runecasting, actually. Not Enchanting,¡± she said.


    Coralie glanced up at her again and Kiri restrained the urge to kiss her. Not yet, take it slow, she thought.


    ¡°Should you be telling me that?¡± asked the ice mage.


    ¡°I was told it¡¯ll likely become common knowledge after we start at the University. I checked with Nate anyway, after Dev explained what would happen after our induction, so it¡¯s all good,¡± replied Kiri, her eyes moving away from Coralie as she looked around with her brow furrowed.


    Something was off and she couldn¡¯t put her finger on what it was.


    ¡°Oh. Thank you for confiding in me. I suppose you said it depends for both of us, because if you can bring out something he doesn¡¯t expect, like you did against me, you could win. But otherwise you¡¯d lose as well?¡± Coralie asked.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Kiri responded, annoyed at getting distracted but unable to get past her sense of unease.


    Thankfully, the waiter returned with drinks and took their order which was enough to get the conversation talking about food, their likes and dislikes and with the conversation flowing it was easy to forget about her unease.


    Two drinks later and their food still hadn¡¯t arrived but Kiri found she didn¡¯t care as Coralie talked about growing up in the Capital while asking what it was like to grow up so far removed from civilization living out in Helmfirth. She seemed impressed that her Father had been a Royal Ranger and admitted that she was envious of the relationship that Kiri had with her parents. Coralie admitted she didn¡¯t know who her own father was and that while her Mother had given her many advantages, she rarely had time for her daughter outside of teaching and training.


    Kiri pulled their chairs a little closer, putting her arm around Coralie as they continued to talk, just enjoying each other¡¯s company. Finally, after what felt like no time at all, mostly due to the enjoyable conversation, their food finally arrived. In the end they had decided to share a plate of fish and other seafood that the waiter had highly recommended. It was to be a new experience for Kiri, who had only ever eaten freshwater fish and had no idea what to expect from the sea creatures. The platter was laid down in front of them and Coralie smirked in amusement as Kiri goggled at the side of the fish, which she was confident was longer than her forearm and thicker than her toned biceps. Worse, the sense of unease had returned and she finally found the source as a notification went off in the corner of her vision even as the fish exploded and a blue goblin stepped out!


    With arms raised high in triumph, Frick shouted to the world, ¡°Let¡¯s get Fricky!!¡± as he somehow created small fireworks from soul energy, exploding in a rainbow behind himself.


    ¡°You little shit!¡± Kiri yelled, slipping her arm off of her date and coating her hands in soul energy as she grabbed the little bastard of a spirit and started choking him. Coralie¡¯s part-tinkling, part-mortified laugh floated into the night air from behind her as the other restaurant attendees looked on in horror.


    *************


    Nate stood up straight, looking off into the distance as he felt Frick getting attacked.


    The man lying on the bed sat up looking concerned and simultaneously ruining his positioning, as the courtesan asked, ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    Nate stared at the wall, judging the distance of his Familiar. When he realised roughly where the little bugger was he snorted and turned back to his painting.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just thought I heard something. Could you try and lie back in the same position? I want to get the pose right,¡± Nate asked.


    The courtesan did as asked, lying back down and assuming an almost identical position. After finding out Luc intended to return to the Den of Desire, he¡¯d decided to accompany his mentor, if only for a bit of company. What he¡¯d found was that Florence had used his painting to help attract some new customers, and her fellow courtesans had clamoured for him to do one for them. So far, he¡¯d mostly done paintings of the female body. So, treating it as a learning experience, and since he was actually getting paid for it, he¡¯d decided to branch out and further develop his skills by attempting the male form. Art was art, after all.


    As he got back to painting he sent a mental message to his Familiar, ¡°Serves you right, you little shit.¡±


    The only response was cackling laughter interspersed with the sound of choking.

 Chapter 111 - Purple Sparks

    Nate walked with Luc into the Nobles District. The guards had held them up for a moment until Luc flashed his Platinum Badge. That was enough for them to leave the pair alone, though the expression on their faces said they weren¡¯t happy about doing so.


    The first thing he noticed was the mana concentration. The Slums were bordering on a mana desert, while the Merchants District had a slightly higher concentration, likely meant to assist in powering simple enchantments and tools. But in the Nobles District it was higher again, and the effects showed. For one, there was greenery that not only looked healthy and well watered, but he could even tell the plants were of the Uncommon tier. He doubted you¡¯d find that anywhere else in the city. They¡¯d have been harvested for some form of crafting or another. It hinted at a sense of decadence, and it was only the first sign. The people were dressed better and far more frequently veiled. There were also less of them.


    His sphere of awareness roamed over the area, his Obfuscated Mana Soul Engraving assisting him in keeping most from noticing. He was also trying to add a finite control to the skill. It was one area he had considered trying to evolve it when it finally reached level forty-one and hopefully would keep his options open. He also had another idea for it, but he didn¡¯t need to be around others to test that one out.


    In his sphere he noted that those who didn¡¯t have their Class Cores veiled were invariably the hired help and some well-to-do shop owners. There were plenty of shops here on the outskirts of the District. The shops, from what he could tell at a glance, seemed to cater to the needs of the wealthy and the nobility. Restaurants, at least two alchemists, another two enchanters, clothing, and jewellery stores. All high-brow and noticeably expensive. That wasn¡¯t to say the qualities didn¡¯t deserve such prices. Through his sphere he sensed that the meat on a plate in front of an older gentleman was in fact of the rare tier and the garnish, a small sprig smaller than his little finger, was epic tier.


    The other thing he noticed was that Luc and he garnered a few glances, but less than he had expected. He suspected his robe went a long way to making him look like he fit in. He sensed more than one attempt at identification rebuffed by the enchantment in the robe and that was more than enough for many to believe he belonged.


    Luc suffered even less, many of the looks seeming to be those of recognition rather than curiosity. Being one of only a couple dozen platinums in Etrua likely made Luc a member of a very short list of people who would be relevant to the wealthy.


    Luc steered them towards one of the stores, the outside panelled in a rich dark wood, with huge glass windows displaying a number of enchanted items. His sphere informed him that the glass was enchanted, as Runic Knowledge whispered to him the Concepts of Durability and Reinforcement.


    Pushing open the door there was the sound of a singing bird''s trill, or at least that is what he assumed it was. Glancing up he marvelled at the simple enchantment. It served no other purpose, as far as he could tell, beyond a little marketing and being beautiful. His senses roved over it to understand how the enchanter had achieved the result. It ended up being brilliant in its simplicity. As far as he could tell, they had simply used a number of small gems, imbued with the Concept of Sound, and what he guessed was a form of Intent to get the right note. The enchantment, when triggered, played them in a sequence by flowing mana from one side of the enchantment to the other. It made him smile and he glanced back down to see Luc staring at him with a smirk.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done daydreaming?¡± his mentor asked in amusement.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he muttered which just made Luc shake his head while laughing softly.


    ¡°Evindal was right. An artist, through and through. I take you to the shop of one of Etrua¡¯s premier Enchanters, filled with enchanted weapons, armours and tools, and what do you look at? The doorbell,¡± Luc winked at him to take the sting out of his words as Frick joined in on the joke, laughing at him mentally.


    It was hard to argue though. His sphere could cover most of the shop, and while Runic Knowledge whispered of all the different Concepts at play within the myriad enchantments, he couldn¡¯t find a single Sigil. It made him wonder if the craft of Enchanting had originally risen out of a desire to conceal the Sigils you used from your competition or enemies? Still, even without knowing the Sigils involved, this store was a source of inspiration.


    He sensed a cloak that would draw an observer''s attention to the wearer''s face. Useful if you wanted to be admired, though he considered it could also be used by an assassin to help keep people''s attention away from their hands. Then there was a clock which seemed to release a wave of joy at set intervals. It reminded him a little of his graffiti and he promised to go visit his artwork and see what had become of it, and the mana-gem he¡¯d placed in the fountain.


    One of the staff interrupted his musing, approaching them with a smile.


    ¡°Welcome to the Lambert Emporium, how might I be of assistance today sirs?¡± asked the young man.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got an appointment with Caroline,¡± replied Luc, flashing his Platinum badge.


    The assistant nodded quickly and vanished, likely informing Caroline they were present.


    He went back to wandering through the store while they waited, going over his plan in his head. Initially he would offer a trade, though not for anything of import. He was thinking Durability and Reinforcement could be useful and getting them at the Journeyman tier would be enough. The question was, what he would offer in return. He had quite a few in the Master tier that he would be willing to give up. Mostly because they were more focused around shaping effects, like Tunnel, Enclosed or Bridge. Sigils he had taken from Arikanvil¡¯s space station, which thinking it over now, knowing that Arikanvil was truly a Divinity, made his usage of only Legendary tier runes, a bit of an obvious sign that the God didn¡¯t specialise in runes. It also showed how you could gain Skills from outside of your Classes¡¯ areas of expertise and still get them to a usable level. He was getting sidetracked again though. The initial goal was to offer a trade, with the hope of finding where Caroline kept her Sigils. His goal was then to steal the Sigil for mislead or something similar. Whatever would work with his planned rune to return a fake Class and levels. That was where Frick came in, and the only reason his Familiar wasn¡¯t labouring away in the inn as punishment for interrupting Kiri¡¯s date.


    His best friend had fumed over it a little this morning at breakfast and the only reason Frick wasn¡¯t being punished more for his, as he put it, goblin-love-assistance, was because Coralie hadn¡¯t seemed to mind that much and had agreed to a second date. If Nate was being honest, he was a little surprised that Kiri hadn¡¯t already taken Coralie to bed. Taking things slow wasn¡¯t her usual style, which made Frick¡¯s interference even more frustrating.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    He had to cut off that line of thought though as he felt a woman approach. As the woman he was assuming was Caroline approached, he felt his eyes drawn towards her hair. It was the second time he¡¯d seen an interesting hair colour on someone, the women''s purple hair and vibrant eyes were very eye-catching. But that wasn¡¯t why he was staring. Runic Knowledge was tingling again and it took him a moment to realise that her hair and eyes were giving off the Concept of Illusion.


    She clearly noticed him staring and flashed a smile as she approached the pair, ¡°Perceptive one, aren¡¯t you. Is this him then, Luc?¡±


    ¡°This is him,¡± Luc replied, admiring an enchanted dagger.


    Caroline responded by giving Nate a once-over.


    ¡°Besides the robe, you don¡¯t look like much. But looks can clearly be deceiving,¡± she said, referring to her hair and eyes, he assumed. ¡°They¡¯d have to be, if you really were one of the top two from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Tournament. And to do so while being a hybrid crafter? Even more impressive. So, you¡¯re an Enchanter?¡±


    Nate glanced at Luc who gave him a small nod, ¡°Runecaster, actually.¡±


    ¡°Runecaster¡­¡± Caroline replied, tapping her lip thoughtfully. It let Nate notice that her nail polish was purple as well, and also an illusion. Clearly a theme. Maybe she changed it every day?


    ¡°It¡¯s not a class I have heard of, how does it work?¡± Caroline asked curiously.


    ¡°It lets me use Sigils to create temporary enchantments,¡± he replied calmly, using the lie they¡¯d decided to go with.


    ¡°Ah! So that is why you wear Sigils openly on your robe? It¡¯s a storage device of some sort. Interesting. Is that really a Crafting Class though? It sounds more like a knowledge-based combat Class.¡±


    ¡°More of a misunderstanding by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± explained Luc, having moved onto a metal bolt that felt like the Concept of Penetration.


    ¡°I see, I see. And so you come to me, not for Enchanted equipment, but to seek some more Sigils to add to your growing repertoire?¡± Caroline asked, though the glint of avarice in her eyes said she knew she¡¯d figured them out. That was fine though. After all, he did want to trade.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m interested in a few Sigils I think you have. Reinforcement and Durability were the ones I had hoped to trade for, but seeing your eyes, hair and nails¡­I am wondering if you¡¯d be willing to part with Illusion as well?¡±


    Caroline gave a wily smile, ¡°What makes you think I know the Sigil for Illusion? Maybe it¡¯s just the Sigil for ¡®purple¡¯.¡±


    Nate just stared at her calmly with a raised eyebrow.


    After a moment Caroline laughed, ¡°Okay, even more perceptive than I thought. Say I do possess copies of those three Sigils, what quality would you want and what can you offer me in trade?¡±


    The trade might¡¯ve given him pause if his goal was to eventually sell his own runecrafted equipment and become a direct competitor with Caroline. He wouldn¡¯t though. That sounded time-consuming, would slow his growth, and was something he was less able to farm out to Frick. He¡¯d sell the materials instead, which made whatever he offered her of less value to him than to her. That wasn¡¯t to say he didn¡¯t intend to try and get a good deal. It just meant giving her something that could vastly improve her business didn¡¯t really worry him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like Master tier quality for all three, if you know them,¡± he replied deadpan, knowing how outlandish his ask was.


    Caroline narrowed her eyes as she stared at him thoughtfully, ¡°You think very highly of both yourself and me, apparently¡­¡±


    She trailed off, clearly thinking through her options before she spun and motioned for them both to follow her.


    Entering her office and workshop let him get a quick sense of her wards and he had to admit they were impressive. Less than the restricted section of the Guild Library but on par with the Rare and Epic tier Guild vault.


    Sitting down Caroline stared at him with a hard look in her eyes before glancing at Luc.


    ¡°Can he even work with such high-quality Sigils? Or is he just testing me?¡± she asked in a tone reeking of annoyance.


    ¡°He can,¡± replied Luc casually, wandering around the room and looking at the various workpieces. Surprisingly he didn¡¯t touch any of them, which Nate thought was less about being polite and more a fear of what might happen if he did.


    Caroline snorted a little in response before looking back at Nate and taking a moment to judge him again, ¡°Say you can work with Master tier Sigils, what can you offer me in return?¡±


    ¡°You first,¡± Nate replied calmly as his sphere checked over the room and catalogued three new Sigils.


    Joy Sigil (Quality: Apprentice)


    Sound Sigil (Quality: Apprentice)


    Smell Sigil (Quality: Apprentice)


    Unsurprisingly the schematics left out only detailed Apprentice quality Sigils. Still, useful to him and perhaps Sigils he could improve on when he had the time.


    She stared back at him a moment before growling in irritation, clearly not used to being challenged.


    ¡°I could do Journeyman quality for Reinforcement and Durability,¡± she paused for a moment, thinking before inclining her head. ¡°And a Master quality Illusion Sigil. Now, what would I get in return?¡±


    Nate paused, thinking through his options. He had a few. He doubted she would accept some shaping type Sigils, even at Master quality, for the requested Sigils. So he wasn¡¯t about to admit to knowing them as that would just raise the number of questions she had. He¡¯d also prefer to give her Sigils that wouldn¡¯t be able to be used against him, or if they were, that he had counters for. After all, the things she created were mostly purchased by the Nobility and he¡¯d seen enough weapons in her store to know she was not above making things that caused harm. He could offer a selection of Journeyman Sigils, but that led to other problems. If Caroline knew any of them he would¡¯ve revealed his knowledge, more importantly the breadth of his knowledge. Then he¡¯d need to offer more, assuming she would take the deal. She could argue a Master Sigil was worth more than two Journeyman Sigils and it¡¯d be hard for him to disagree. The other option was, he could offer her a Master Sigil, one that was more useful than Illusion. It would mean revealing less overall knowledge, but also showing her that he already knew Master tier Sigils.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the short amount of time till the University induction he wouldn¡¯t have felt like he was over a barrel to make a deal. But, based on what he¡¯d sensed of her office and workspace, if she kept her Sigils and blueprints anywhere, it was on her person. Raiding her office wasn¡¯t going to work. So, the question was, which Sigil to offer her. The only three he suspected she would accept would be Mana, Power or Barrier. The first two would likely make her significantly wealthier than she already was. Barrier though, now that would likely be worth it. She¡¯d suddenly be able to make the best defensive enchantments in the Capital, outside of himself of course, but he could get around that if he was ever faced with such.


    ¡°I¡¯ll offer a Master Sigil for Barrier in trade,¡± he stated confidently.


    He could see the sparks ignite in her purple eyes as she leaned forward hungrily.


    ¡°Say that again.¡±

 Chapter 112 - Illusion of Choice

    Nate gauged Caroline¡¯s reaction to his offer of trade. At face value, one Master quality Sigil was worth less than one Master quality Sigil and two Journeyman quality, but that was before factoring in the extent of what you could do with the sigils. Illusion was likely amazingly powerful, but also niche, at least in terms of combat. That was for most Enchanters anyway. Their creations were, after all, static. They could make a wand that created an illusion of a fireball or maybe something that duplicated the wielder. But an item enchanted to create an illusion did not make the holder an Illusionist. More likely, it found usage in enchanted items related to stealth and hiding. Useful, but nice. A limited market.


    Nate smirked slightly as Caroline tried to school her expression to try and regain the upper hand in the negotiation. The Barrier Sigil he offered was not nearly so limited. It was perfect for static items. Everyone would be interested in enchanted items that could protect them. It was also incredibly versatile in terms of what sigils it could be paired with. Even more daily use enchantments like barriers over windows that kept out dust while letting through the cool air. He knew he was offering her something that could vastly improve her business and give her an edge over the competition, which she was apparently already dominating in terms of enchanting.


    If he was going to be in competition with her, he might¡¯ve cared, but that wasn¡¯t the path he wanted to take. Not yet. He didn¡¯t have the time to devote to building a business empire with runecrafting as the foundation. Not unless he wanted to help some people get a runecrafting class, which might be useful, but was definitely a long-term goal. His short-term goal was to get the most out of the Royal University and keep progressing. To do that, in a timely and smart manner, meant making a trade, and this was the best one he could come up with.


    Caroline leant back in her chair, eyes narrowed, ¡°Why should I believe you know even one Master quality Sigil? Aren¡¯t you only level forty?¡±


    ¡°I am level forty,¡± he lied. ¡°And I am not lying about the Master quality Barrier Sigil. So, do you want it, or not?¡±


    Caroline stared at him thoughtfully, ¡°Is that the only Master quality Sigil you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what we¡¯re doing here,¡± he replied with a confident smile. ¡°Yes or no? If the answer is, no, I have other places to be.¡±


    He sensed Luc¡¯s amusement through the man''s body language and appreciated how his mentor didn¡¯t interfere. This was unlikely to be the only time he was forced to trade Sigils with an Enchanter and the experience was valuable to him.


    Caroline stared at him in silence for almost thirty seconds, eyes flickering as she was likely doing mental calculations, before she huffed and muttered, ¡°Fine.¡±


    She grabbed a piece of paper from her desk and began drawing on it with meticulous care. She moved quickly, before spinning the paper to face him, three Sigils drawn on it. Divine Translation told him what all three were and he filed them away before glancing back up.


    Reinforcement Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Durability Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Illusion Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    He tapped the page, pointing at Reinforcement and then Durability. ¡°These are fine, but this,¡± he continued, tapping the Illusion Sigil, ¡°is only Journeyman quality. Not Master.¡±


    He felt it as both Caroline and Luc stiffened, though he suspected for entirely different reasons.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Master quality Sigil for Illusion,¡± Caroline growled, standing up behind her desk to attempt to loom. ¡°Are you calling me a liar?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± he stated simply. ¡°And if this is how you do business, then our business is concluded.¡±


    He stood, already thinking about his next step. A Journeyman quality Sigil was going to make it hard to push the rune to Legendary, but he¡¯d make do, somehow. Taking a few steps towards the door he sensed mana gathering from behind him before it was instantly suppressed.


    Spinning he found Caroline standing very still, a small metal needle hovering in front of her eye. Even afraid, she still muttered out, ¡°You owe me a Master quality Barrier Sigil.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. You didn¡¯t give me what we agreed in trade, so I don¡¯t owe you shit,¡± he replied, finally starting to get angry. He should¡¯ve just robbed her. ¡°Either, you¡¯re not a good enough Enchanter to tell the difference between a Journeyman Sigil and a Master Sigil, or, you¡¯re trying to fuck me over. Either way, I don¡¯t want to do business with someone like that.¡±


    To drive home his point he finally unleashed Awareness of the Runic Artist to its full extent, flooding his mana into the skill as he bore down on her veil. It held for longer than he expected, which was only three breaths, before it shattered. The sound of tinkling metal hitting the floor followed as the enchanted item that was the source of her veil was destroyed by his Skill.


    Caroline Lambert


    Clever Enchanter (E) (47) /  Dexterous Silversmith (R) (22) / Clever Metal Mage (U) (4)


    He watched as Caroline¡¯s face paled. She was enough of a mage, he suspected, to know that he was the one who had shattered her veil.


    Luc spoke into the silence, ¡°Show him the proper Sigil.¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± she asked, venom leaking into her voice.


    ¡°What do they call me, on the battlefields?¡± Luc asked casually, despite keeping the metal needle pointed at her eyes.


    ¡°Thousand Needles,¡± Caroline whispered. ¡°But you can¡¯t kill me. I have friends among the Nobility. You¡¯d be dead inside of a week!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to kill you. I can just stab you with a few needles coated in some nasty toxins. Nothing lethal, but you¡¯ll have an absolutely terrible few days. Maybe you¡¯ll be able to pay someone to cleanse them, but it¡¯ll be expensive. And I can come back and do it over and over and over again. Your shitty wards can¡¯t keep me out. So what¡¯s it going to be?¡± Luc asked, leaning forward threateningly as the needle drifted a little closer to Caroline¡¯s face.


    The Enchanter stared at them both with hatred in her eyes before she pulled the paper towards herself carefully and began drawing again. After a couple of minutes she spun the paper towards him while pressing her lips together.


    Illusion Sigil (Quality: Master)If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Nate memorised the symbol before glancing up at her.


    ¡°Now, the Barrier Sigil,¡± she said, half-demanding, half-begging.


    He leaned forward, pressing his hand against the paper, before activating Runic Creation and burning the sigil into it.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to do that from the start?¡± he said derisively before heading for the door. He sensed the look Luc shot the Enchanter before he followed Nate out.


    He had considered not giving her the Sigil. She definitely didn¡¯t deserve it after the shit she¡¯d just tried to pull. But he was about to be surrounded by the upper echelon of Etrua¡¯s society. People who Caroline claimed to know well enough to potentially cause him problems, and more problems was the last thing he wanted. He just wanted time to develop his Skills, focusing on his runecrafting and art, and do some Dungeons with Kiri to grow his levels when they were ready. Dealing with shifty Enchanters and whatever Nobility or merchants she could drum up to cause him grief just seemed like a waste of his time. So, he gave her what she wanted, what they¡¯d agreed on in trade to begin with, in the hopes that she left it at that and didn¡¯t cause him more problems. It was a distant hope, but he could dream.


    ¡°You handled yourself well in there,¡± Luc said, breaking him out of his reverie as they exited the shop to the sound of a birds singing. ¡°Honestly, you might¡¯ve been able to take her, even without me.¡±


    Nate shrugged, ¡°Who knows what she had in her spatial storage. She¡¯s a well respected and wealthy Enchanter. Could¡¯ve been anything in there¡­but you¡¯re probably right. If it makes you feel better, she left out some schematics so I stole a few Apprentice level Sigils off her as well.¡±


    Luc started laughing and patted him on the back.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re picking up on the lessons I haven¡¯t even taught you yet!¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes as Frick slipped out of the Familiar Contract to alight on his shoulder, joining in the laughter.


    *************


    Nate smiled down at his creation as he went over all his notifications while waiting for Frick to return.


    Congratulations on creating an Illusory Class Core Veil Rune (Master Quality).


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 21 > 22


    Empowered Runic Artistry 32 > 33


    Runic Creation 34 > 35


    Imbue Intent 36 > 37


    Awareness of the Runic Artist 34 > 36


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts 33 > 35


    Conceptual Material 29 > 30


    In the end, he¡¯d made the rune even more complicated than his initial plans. Originally he had suspected he would be working with a Sigil like Mislead or Fake or something similar. As such, he wanted any identification attempts to return a ¡®fake¡¯ result while concealing his true Class. However, the Sigil of Illusion had offered him some additional options. The reason he¡¯d decided to change his approach was for the same reason that he was able to uncover the Unseen in the Tournament.


    Even though they had veiled their true Class Core and somehow returned a false result, the Concept he¡¯d sensed had been Obfuscation. They hadn¡¯t been able to conceal the Class Core. Which made sense, in a way. If you completely concealed your Class Core, that would beg the question of why it returned a false result. Using the Concept of Concealment would¡¯ve made sense if your goal was to hide your Class Core, but that wasn¡¯t the Unseen¡¯s goal, nor was it his. He needed to return a false result. More importantly, he needed to return a false result without raising any suspicions from anyone with specialised Identification skills, or worse, someone like him that could sense when Concepts were at play.


    So he¡¯d arrived at his masterwork. He truly did consider it the best and most complicated rune he¡¯d created to date, usurping his Gravity Control rune. Every sigil, including Illusion, was paired with a Power Sigil. It meant the drain on his mana would be greater, but he was confident he could handle it. He¡¯d see if Kiri could as well, as her Mana Reserve wasn¡¯t quite as high as his, though in fairness, she was also less reliant on it. Running his fingers over the design he checked the connections as he visualised how the geometric shapes would create the mana density fields and how that would alter which Sigils were activated, and to what extent.


    The inner core of the rune was Concealment, paired with the Class Core sigil at four different points around it in the shape of a diamond. The outer section was filled with eight Illusion Sigils, in such a way that two Illusion Sigils would interact with one Class Core sigil. Due to the geometric pattern, the Concealment Sigil in the inner core should receive almost half of the powered output of the rune. Then, as it interacted with the Class Core sigils it would render his Class Core utterly concealed. Finally, the Illusion Sigils would interact on the outer edge with the Class Core sigils, creating an illusory class core. With his Imbue Intent added to the mix, the illusory class core should return the false classes and levels that he and Kiri had in mind, while the remainder of his intents could be used to reinforce the concealment.


    Frick finally entered with Kiri in tow.


    ¡°You got it working?¡± she asked excitedly, sliding into the seat across from him.


    He spun the page to show her and saw her blanch slightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be tough. Give me a little while to practise?¡± she asked as she pulled the page closer to herself.


    Considering her Soul Engraving required messing with their soul energy, he was more than happy to give her as long as she needed to get it right.


    Trying not to disturb Kiri while she practised using her own soul energy, and he could tell through his Awareness of the Runic Artist that she was doing exactly that, he instead decided to consider how he was going to approach the induction tests for his subjects at the University.


    Ignoring Frick, who¡¯d settled in to use Conceptual Material on some metal, he started going over the subjects he¡¯d decided to do. He had eight subjects that he was initially going to take. That meant eight induction tests, with each seeing him lumped into somewhere between the basic and advanced classes, depending on his performance. Deverell¡¯s advice on not managing an expert rating on the Enchanting induction assessment was a good one. He didn¡¯t want to end up a slave because of his Skills. The question was, should he tank it even further and only go for intermediate? Were there any benefits to starting in a higher-level class for the subject?


    He rolled his eyes as he answered himself. Access to better materials and more advanced knowledge. In his case, he was hoping that translated to sigils, but given his experience with Caroline he was starting to wonder if all Enchanters were just assholes.


    So, he had to get advanced in the Enchanting subject induction. Then there was combat. He would aim for intermediate, alongside Kiri, and it sounded like Null would be joining them. That meant Coralie likely would as well. The other four Guild attendees were question marks on whether they¡¯d manage a basic or intermediate rating. He thought Flash might swing intermediate, but he doubted Britt would. He might be wrong though. Hopefully she¡¯d surprise him. He¡¯d really enjoyed her friendly attitude during the Tournament.


    Skill Development, Concepts and Embodiment, and Mana and Affinities were all likely to get intermediate ratings. That is what he would aim for anyway. He wasn¡¯t sure on Skill Development but if the tier of his skills was relevant, then he should manage intermediate. Concepts and Embodiment, while he had a lot of work to do on his Embodiment, to shift it away from Wandering, his ability to sense Concepts should let him breeze through that subject induction. Mana and Affinities, he suspected his Awareness of the Runic Artist would let him pass easily.


    That left his last three subjects. Dungeon Knowledge and Monster Studies were both liable to see him in the basic course. He was more than willing to admit he didn¡¯t know shit about either. The University should change that. Finally, he had his one true love, Art. He was going to manage Advanced in that as far as he was concerned. He¡¯d even shoot for Expert, if he could. Thinking about it made him smile and he spent a few minutes daydreaming about it before Kiri interrupted him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it! Let¡¯s do this!¡± she said triumphantly.

 Chapter 113 - Wasteful Worries

    Nate glanced out of the carriage as it rolled into the District of the Nobility, trundling along towards the Royal University.


    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± he asked, glancing across from himself at Aisling and Evindal.


    Kiri was seated next to him on the plush seats that were enchanted to absorb the shocks as the carriage rolled over the uneven rocks that made up the roads in the Capital. Luc was nowhere to be seen, but the way this was going to play out told him his mentor would show up soon enough.


    ¡°It is,¡± Aisling explained. ¡°A show of strength is important. A reminder that the Guild is far from weak. That we possess more Platinums than a Ducal House. That our students are not to be trifled with.¡±


    Evindal nodded his agreement with his wife as Nate glanced out his window again, spotting a second carriage right behind them.


    They¡¯d grouped up and left the Guild compound enmasse, with apparently an entire Platinum team added to the mix. When you included Prefect Allais and Raoult, who were riding in one of the other carriages with their children, that took the total Platinum¡¯s in the entourage to eight. One for each student. He suspected that wasn¡¯t by accident. Only Prefect Porter didn¡¯t come, likely holding down the fort back at the Guildhouse.


    ¡°I must say,¡± said Evindal, breaking the temporary silence, ¡°that your veil is masterful. I¡¯ve looked at it now four times, each with the intent to search for a flaw. To find a way to reveal your true classes. You¡¯re not even actively resisting me, are you?¡±


    Kiri and Nate both shook their heads as he brought up his Status section to glance at the changes.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (39) / Space Mage (R) (1) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Obfuscated Mana Soul Engraving (+40% Bonus to Hiding Mana Signature) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The rune had worked perfectly, pushing his level down by one to the expected forty levels for a new student of the Royal University. In addition it was displaying his false classes. Classes he was confident he could masquerade as with ease. Finally, Evindal was right. Nate could sense the Legendary Class holder attempting to pierce his veil. But unless the elf possessed a mythic identification skill, it was likely impossible. He now had three layers of protection.


    The ring on his finger was an enchanted item providing a Rare tier Class Core veil. The ring had been provided by Aisling. Evindal had managed to bypass it, as expected. Beneath that, was his utterly convincing illusory class core. He could tell that it was returning a result for the elf. Finally, the concealment of his true Class Core was about as perfect as you could expect from something of the Legendary tier. Three layers. About as much protection as he could hope for. He was confident it would be enough, for now. By the time they needed something better he suspected he would have the knowledge he needed to improve the rune further.


    Kiri grabbed his attention by patting his arm excitedly and pointing out the window. At the same time he felt the mana concentration in the air increase. It was the first time since Helmfirth that he felt somewhere with such a strong mana concentration. It was enough that he was finally able to relax, letting out some stress as he didn¡¯t need to constantly hold onto the mana in his reserve. He didn¡¯t even realise how hard he¡¯d been clamping down on his mana ever since he returned from the Fourth Hell.


    Evindal noticed and gave him a small smile, ¡°Don¡¯t get used to it. The higher your level and the greater your mana reserve, the more you¡¯ll need to hold onto it so it doesn¡¯t try and escape.¡±


    Nate nodded his understanding and finally looked out the window to where Kiri had pointed. What greeted him was his first view of the Royal University grounds and his jaw dropped a little. He had already found the city quite beautiful. Even the rougher parts, like the Slums, had their charms. It was a lack of upkeep that did them a disservice, but beneath the broken down veneer was a city of sights and wonders, like he might have expected to see in certain parts of the middle-east or Africa back on Earth.


    Sandstone was the building material of choice and while there was grass on the plains beyond the city, it wasn¡¯t the rich green grass you¡¯d have found in the Americas or Europe. It was the arid brown and yellow grass you¡¯d have found in a place where the water carried a little too much salt and with no clouds to shade it from the sun. That was why seeing the green and tended grassy fields of the Royal University grounds left him staring in wonder.


    ¡°The cost in mana¡­¡± he whispered.


    Aisling gave a disapproving grunt in response, ¡°Wasteful. So very wasteful, and all to impress the nobility and wealthy.¡±


    Nate found he couldn¡¯t help but agree. It was beyond beautiful, but the cost was hard for him to measure. The amount of mana that would be required to keep the grounds looking like this had to be considerable. Not to mention the mana concentration in the air. It all added up to a gorgeous backdrop that he knew he was going to struggle to come to terms with given the obvious waste for appearances. It wasn¡¯t beyond him to see the parallel with his art, but in his defence, his art was on the micro-level. The pieces were, relative to the University, quite small. It would¡¯ve taken over five thousand artists wasting as much mana as he wasted on his graffiti piece every day to even come close to how much the University must spend in a day to maintain their grounds and the mana concentration in the air.


    Aisling patted him on the leg, clearly able to tell he was concerned, ¡°Don¡¯t fret over things you cannot change. Just do your best. That is all anyone can ask. That is all I ask.¡±


    He smiled a little, letting go of his worries. For now, he was a small fish in a big pond. Maybe when he was a big fish he could try and be the positive change he wanted to be. But to get there, he had to survive. Small fish were prey for big fish after all.


    The carriage pulled around to the side giving him a view of the buildings that made up the University. There were three main buildings, arranged in a shape similar to a horseshoe, with a huge fountain in the middle. Between them, he could see more buildings behind the University¡¯s front. Of the buildings he could see, each was four storeys tall with the one in the middle that made up the bend in the horseshoe having a tower protruding out of the middle that stretched an additional five stories tall, making it the tallest building he¡¯d yet seen on Galle.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The carriage finally rolled to a stop in front of the fountain. Aisling opened the door of the carriage and climbed out, followed by Evindal, before Kiri and he joined them, boots crunching on the yellow stone beneath their feet. It led to an interesting colour scheme when paired with the incredibly green grass and the iridescent blue waters of the fountain. It made the University grounds seem that much more vibrant than the rest of the city.


    From the other three carriages the other Platinums and their Silver charges all exited, congregating as a group. The grounds around them were not empty and he could see other carriages approaching while a few were on their way out, heading for the gate. Other students and their guardians approached the building to their left and after a nod from the Prefects the Guild members moved as a group towards the same building. It was time for their induction.


    In his sphere of awareness he felt Kiri glance at Coralie and blow her a kiss. He was glad their date had gone well, even if he still wasn¡¯t a fan of her mother. Prefect Allais could kiss his ass as far as he was concerned. The other Silver badges had all grouped into pairs. Flash and Coralie, Null and Britt, and then Karim and Ameera. He¡¯d heard a rumour that Prefect Porter had taken Karim on, similar to how Luc was his own mentor. That hopefully meant a promising future for the Earth Mage.


    Upon entering the building, he wasn¡¯t surprised to see how decadently it was decorated. The walls had enchanted lighting every few steps and the windows seemed to be enchanted with temperature control, air filtration and even sound suppression. In addition there were a few other quality-of-life enchantments that served no other purpose than making the place more comfortable for the denizens of these halls.


    Entering through a set of double doors found them in an auditorium with enough room to play a full court game of basketball. Desks were set up with attendants standing behind them and waiting patiently. The Guild members moved as one towards the two closest desks. It was hard to miss the looks they garnered from their soon-to-be classmates. He¡¯d expected derision, hostility and maybe arrogance. There was a small amount of that, especially from a few he suspected were nobility, but for the most part the sense he got was of curiosity, calculation and from a few, fear.


    The latter were definitely wealthy merchant families and he could see how they might view the Guild members with worry. The Guild was, almost entirely, a combative organisation. It focused on developing members that could clear Dungeons, hunt down monsters and act as mercenaries. He could see how that might lead to both fear and calculation from those with more crafting and social based Classes. The Guild members were a commodity they could make use of, but a sword could just as easily be used to cut the hand that held it.


    It made sense that some of the less experienced members of the merchant-class were somewhat wary of the warrior-class Guilders. He chose to ignore it all and looked at the desk to see how it would all work. A pile of small gems were next to the attendant behind the desk and as he ran his Awareness of the Runic Artist over the clearly enchanted items, he got a small hint at what they might be enchanted to do. Unless he missed his guess, they were meant to store a student''s subjects and the current grade they were in. There was also a sense of a new Concept coming off of them that he tried to sort through with Runic Knowledge. The problem was there was clearly a Copy Concept, but he suspected that was for the subject information. Instead there was something else near the edge of the gem. It took him the entire time of waiting in line, with Kiri veritably buzzing in anticipation next to him, to figure out the final Concept involved. It was Imprint.


    He¡¯d realised it after he¡¯d found a section next to it that he was pretty confident meant Mana Signature. Weirdly, it was harder to figure out because the Concepts involved felt relatively weak. Rare at best was his guess. He tried not to smile and mentally scolded himself for being arrogant. Walking around the campus acting like anything Rare was beneath him, no matter how true, was likely to garner attention he did not want.


    Pulled out of his thoughts by Aisling, he stepped up to the desk alongside her. The man behind the desk glanced up, showing neither disdain or pleasure at seeing them.


    ¡°Name?¡± the attendant asked, brushing his dark hair out of his darker eyes.


    ¡°Nathaniel Weber,¡± he replied, adding ¡°of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡± a moment later.


    The man grunted, apparently finding his name on the paper in front of him. The man marked it with a small burst of mana which left a flowing inky letter that Nate guessed was a signature next to his name.


    The attendant looked back up at the Stormspear, ¡°Are you the one verifying?¡±


    Aisling nodded and the action came across as slightly regal. Aisling had always been forthright, even blunt, but she¡¯d never shown this side of herself before and he wondered if it was for his benefit, the University¡¯s, or the Prefect¡¯s.


    ¡°Aisling Teigland, The Stormspear, Platinum of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    The attendant¡¯s eyes widened a little and again he pressed a finger in the space next to Nate¡¯s name on the page, ink flowing beneath the fingers as Aisling¡¯s name and titles were entered as the individual verifying his identity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to identify your Classes and levels to confirm you meet the requirements of entry. Can you please remove any veiling you currently have?¡± asked the attendant, glancing nervously at Aisling.


    He pulled the ring off that was his third layer of protection, placing it on the table and waiting. The wave of mana that hit him was honestly weaker than what he¡¯d dealt with from Evindal and he ignored its tickle as he felt it check multiple times over his illusory class core, before withdrawing.


    The attendant stared up at him with wide eyes, clearly impressed, as ink wrote on the page beneath his fingers. Nate read the word Runecaster before being satisfied and placing the veiling ring back on his finger. It was only a Rare enchantment and could be broken, but that was kind of the point.


    ¡°Do you know what subjects you¡¯ll be taking?¡± asked the attendant, giving Nate a little more attention now, courtesy of Aisling¡¯s display and his own Class tiers.


    ¡°Combat, Skill Development, Concepts and Embodiment, Dungeon Knowledge, Monster Studies, Mana and Affinities, Enchanting, and Art,¡± Nate rattled off quickly. He¡¯d debated adding Spellforms but Aisling had suggested he could do so after completing Dungeon Knowledge or Monster Studies, both of which were unlikely to take more than a year of his time.


    The attendant had grabbed one of the enchanted gems and pushed a small amount of mana into it before handing it over to Nate.


    ¡°This is your University Gem, or unigem, as it is commonly called. It is your everything. It will record all your subjects, you can put mana into it to get your timetable, class locations, current grades, any examinations or projects that are due and when they are due. It has a map of the grounds as well and can guide you to your classrooms or the grounds where your subjects will be conducted. I need you to input a small amount of mana here to imprint it to yourself. Note, it is constantly copied to another unigem which tracks any changes input as well as the mana signature of the changer. We¡¯ve had more than one enterprising enchanter think they could trick the system and give themselves better grades,¡± explained the attendant.


    ¡°Forgive my question,¡± replied Nate as he pushed a small amount of his mana into the unigem, imprinting it with his mana signature, ¡°but why would someone want to alter their grades?¡±


    The attendant looked from Nate to Aisling, then back to Nate, confusion writ on his face, ¡°Because the Royal University awards Dungeon Access as well as processed mana-gems based on performance and grade.¡±


    Nate¡¯s smile lit up his face. A way to earn processed mana by Enchanting, or he supposed, Runecrafting, and creating Art. It was hard to argue against that kind of reward structure and he could absolutely see why students would try and game the University system with their own progression on the line.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got you all set up, please use your unigem to guide yourself to the various induction locations for each of your subjects,¡± said the attendant, before glancing pointedly behind them where other students were waiting their turn.


    Nate followed Aisling and Evindal out of the building, with Kiri at his side, his best friend holding onto her own unigem. This was going to be fun, he decided. Hard work, but fun!

 Chapter 114 - Inducted

    Nate walked into the first assessment room with Kiri. Aisling, Evindal and the rest of the Guild Platinums had all gone to wait with the carriages. He didn¡¯t think that was a rule enforced by the University, as a few of the other students appeared to have chaperones, but most of the students were unaccompanied. The first induction assessment was for Monster Studies and he and Kiri joined the short line for students.


    The back half of the room was hidden behind a veil of shimmering cloth that seemed to be held up by magic. As the line slowly moved forward he could see what the process was. You showed your unigem, proof that this was one of your selected subjects, then were shown behind the curtain on the right-hand side of the room. Other students were exiting by the left-hand side so he had to assume they had a number of tests back there. Runic Knowledge was telling him that the cloth was muting sound in both directions. He smiled at the clever little enchantment.


    Glancing at Kiri he nudged her as he could see that she was stressing out a little.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯re probably going to end up in a higher grade than me for this subject. Just remember, it doesn¡¯t matter how we do. We¡¯re here to learn. If we start out in a lower grade than we¡¯d like, we just have to put in the work and we¡¯ll get to where we want to be.¡±


    Kiri nodded at his words, relaxing a little, though clearly still a bit stressed. He supposed he could understand why. She¡¯d never really had to take tests like this. Her teacher had mostly been her Father, or maybe a few Guildies who she paid for lessons, and then finally Deverell. It was likely a much more personal experience than the cold calculation and written tests of academia. For him, tests were nothing new. That made him think that the Guild might be a bit annoyed if he didn¡¯t give it his all, and he intended to, but not for every subject.


    Monster Studies was likely to be interesting, and the lower-grades should be useful for Dungeon runs, but beyond that, this was one of his least useful subjects. So who cared if he ended up in the Basic grade for it.


    It was finally his turn and after showing his unigem and getting his name checked off some list, he was shown behind the curtain. An older woman stood waiting for him behind a table in a sectioned off area. She motioned him forward impatiently and once he was on the other side of the table she began to explain the test.


    ¡°I will show you an image of a monster. I will then ask you a series of questions. Answer to the best of your ability. Based on the accuracy and depth of your answers, as well as how many monsters you are able to identify, you will be assigned your subject grade. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Want me to help, Boss?¡± whispered Frick mentally.


    ¡°Nah, I need to learn this stuff myself. I¡¯d rather get a fair grading and be put in the right grade than have you constantly needing to feed me the information. It¡¯ll be better this way in the long-run.¡±


    Nate finally nodded and the woman spun up an illusion using magic of a small scaled dragonkin.


    ¡°Name of the monster?¡±


    ¡°Kobold.¡±


    ¡°Known weaknesses?¡±


    ¡°....everything?¡± he replied, though her frown told him she wasn¡¯t pleased with that answer.


    ¡°The monster''s strengths?¡±


    ¡°Traps and numbers,¡± he said with more confidence than he felt, though the examiner¡¯s small smile hopefully meant he was close enough on that answer.


    ¡°Best time to attack?¡±


    ¡°When it¡¯s in front of you?¡± he quipped, knowing that was the wrong answer.


    The questions continued to come quick-fire, the next monster was a goblin and he thought he got less than half the questions right. After that was some sort of short aquatic humanoid with shark-like teeth. He had no idea what that one was and took a few guesses at how someone might fight one of them. The examiner only showed him two more monsters after that, neither of which he recognised. When she handed him his grade of Basic he wasn¡¯t at all surprised and moved out of the testing area to find Kiri waiting for him.


    ¡°How¡¯d you do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Intermediate,¡± she replied. ¡°I got the first few and even managed mostly right answers for the Blazeen and Spirokos but after that they started to get into the kinds of monsters you only normally see in Dungeons. Dad never bothered much with those. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Basic of course. You know how it is,¡± he joked.


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ll catch up in no time though. You learn fast,¡± she responded, throwing an arm around him as they headed for their next induction test.


    The next few tests passed in a flash. With Dungeon Knowledge he bombed out even quicker than he had with Monster Studies. Apparently being able to find Dungeons or beat them did not translate to knowledge about how Dungeons functioned, where they were most likely to appear, how the Dungeon tiers tended to differ and so on. A second Basic grade was fine with him though. Like Kiri had said, he¡¯d pick it up quickly and catch up. It helped that Kiri would be joining him in the Basic grade for that subject.


    Next was Skill Development, which turned out to be an esoteric subject that was more about problem solving, and, he would argue, common sense. They were presented with basic Skill names and descriptions, along with a Class name, and asked what they would do to attempt to evolve the Skills up a Tier. The Skills had started as Common along with the Classes and the further they progressed in the examination, the higher the Skill and Class tiers in the hypothetical problems.


    Towards the end of the test he was given entire Class sheets shown, including multiple Skills. He¡¯d expected to only get an Intermediate result but when the instructor beamed at him, explaining he was the first of the new students to get an Advanced result for the subject, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. He supposed he had always been quite good at understanding methods for Skill Evolution and Skill Synergy. If he¡¯d been able to go a little slower he likely would have gotten excellent evolutions at every stage of his Skill development. Kiri had managed an Intermediate result and told him she was going to get his input on her own Skill development.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Next was Mana and Affinities. Nate had expected to have to hold back in the tests but found himself stumped with some of the questions after he was confident he¡¯d passed the Basic grade. He knew that affinities were involved in Class offerings but he had not considered how else they might be relevant to an individual''s mana. Even his answers around affinities in materials seemed incomplete based on the assessors reaction. In the end he managed an Intermediate result, matching Kiri. Though she did brag that her girlfriend - her words - had actually gotten into the Advanced grade for the subject.


    Concepts and Embodiment went much the same. Even if he could identify all the Concepts with ease and currently had a Perfect Embodiment, that accounted for very little of the actual theory behind both of the principles. Nor did he know the actual result of an Embodiment and why it was considered so important. That said, he was happy with an Intermediate result, especially when Kiri got the same, even if she claimed the only reason she¡¯d managed that was from listening to him talking about his crafting.


    After the Concepts and Embodiment induction tests they split up to handle the subjects they weren¡¯t going to take together, with a promise to wait for each other at the Combat test after they were done. While Kiri was off testing for Economics and Tactics, he would be taking the tests for Enchanting and Art.


    The room handling the Enchanting induction test was a smorgasbord of interesting things and he had to hold himself back from running forward to look over everything in his excitement. He did note that the room was far less filled than some of the other subjects had been.


    Turning to the woman administering his Enchanting test he asked, ¡°Why are there so few taking Enchanting?¡±


    She glanced at him before sighing in a put-upon way, ¡°Most people will not take Enchanting without an Enchanter-type Class. Dabbling is possible, especially with Skill Orbs, but the Stats behind those Skills are rarely the focus of the nobility. Most of those who take this course are merchants who are only doing so so they can assess and grade enchanted items quality better. That normally means they¡¯re aiming for some specialised Identification Skill development. You don¡¯t get a lot of dedicated Crafters, let alone Enchanters, coming through the University. They¡¯d gain more from an Apprenticeship with an Enchanter, not to mention saving themselves quite a lot of wealth.¡±


    He nodded along as she spoke and it made sense to him. The Nobility cared more about Dungeons and likely more combat-focused Classes. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was the same. Only the merchants might have an interest in the crafting Classes and even if the quality might be better at the University, was it worth the expense? Apparently the answer was usually, no.


    With her explanation handled she took him to the first battery of tests. They were all schematics, detailing how to craft something. The schematics included the materials and their affinities, though there was no Sigils provided. Instead the name for the Concept was written in the language of Etrua. His Divine Translation doing the heavy-lifting, he worked through the schematics with ease, explaining what they each described creating.


    The second battery of tests was completed enchanted objects. They were all being veiled by little black enchanted stones to prevent him from simply using his Awareness of the Runic Artist to return a result for what they did. As usual, he felt he could have brute-forced the veil, but he was more interested in seeing how well he could figure out what the enchanted objects did without using the identification capability of his Skill. He reviewed each item, getting a sense of the Concepts embedded within from his Runic Knowledge. He traced the mana circuitry, what he was calling their ground up gem dust that was used to create mana pathways, using his sphere of awareness.


    With each correct answer the assessor¡¯s eyebrows climbed further up her forehead.


    ¡°Wow,¡± his assessor said, eyeing him up and down. ¡°You¡¯re the first today to make it to the Advanced tests. You only need to successfully complete one of the problem statements to get an Advanced grade. You¡¯ll need to complete five if you want to attempt the Expert grade examination, though we¡¯ll need to fetch the Head of Enchanting if you want to do that. I will give you some privacy. Ring the bell when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    The third set of tests were problem statements. Each one explained a problem that someone was trying to solve. It was up to him how he went about solving the problem. Nearby there was a box of Uncommon materials that included everything one would need to create some basic enchanted items.


    He realised reading through the ten different problem statements, that he could likely push through for Expert grade without too much difficulty. He wasn¡¯t going to do that though. An Advanced grade should be enough to get him access to the Sigils he wanted. Expert was just putting a target on his back, especially if they looked into how he created his items. Runecrafting was adjacent to Enchanting, but from what he had seen, they were not the same. That was something he hoped would come out in the subject.


    Getting to work, he decided to complete the problem statement for an enchanted item that would let you control the water temperature. It was an easy one and it was something he could likely fake the enchanting style for. He knew Enchanters could imbue a Concept into a gem. He did something similar, by using Conceptual Material to write the Sigils for Cool, Heat and Water inside three gems. He set up a simplistic flow diagram with two mana gems with modular flow enchantments on them, connected those to the Cool and Heat gems respectively, before connecting the Cool and Heat gems to the Water gem.


    In the end, you could control the mana flow to the Cool and Heat gems which subsequently flowed mana into the Water gem. It worked, but even he thought it looked a bit shoddy. It was definitely not how he would¡¯ve done it if he was crafting a rune. The assessor however seemed satisfied with it and asked if he would like to attempt any other problems. Her satisfaction shifted to disappointment when he said no but gave him his Advanced grade and bid him farewell.


    His steps quickly took him towards the second-last induction of the day. Art, the subject he¡¯d been most looking forward to. It might¡¯ve been foolish, but in many ways, it was what he had dreamed of doing back on Earth. He¡¯d wanted to graduate from school and get into a University to study Fine Arts. Of course, he¡¯d had no idea what he was going to do with such. The usual joke was that you studied Arts so you could end up working in fast-food, but he could have lived with that if it meant he got to pursue what he loved. Now, finally, he was getting that chance. The only thing that had changed was he¡¯d found a second outlet for his artistic desires. Runecrafting was still art, after all. He¡¯d just proven his capability in that, or at least in the adjacent profession. Now it was time to prove his capability in art itself.


    The room he walked into was brightly lit, with tools for creating art scattered everywhere. Paint, canvas, sculpting tools, wood, metal, the list of materials and art supplies went on. That being said, most of the room''s occupants seemed to be engaged in painting. His eyes wandered over their work and he had to appreciate the attention they gave to detail. It seemed most were doing self-portraits, or portraits of a female model who lay draped over a chaise in the middle of the room. On the outskirts of the room there were a few sculptors and carvers, working with marble, wood and in one case metal that flowed like water beneath her nimble fingers.


    An assessor approached him and ushered him inside the room. After confirming his identity through the unigem she explained the test.


    ¡°You will create one piece of art, in any medium you desire. It will be assessed by a panel of judges made up of staff from the Art department. The average of their assessment will be the grade you are assigned for this subject. You may use any Skills you have and the assessment will be based on your choices, style, perceived Skill level and any other metrics the Art department decides are relevant, based on your medium. You have the rest of the day to complete the task. Any questions?¡±


    He just shook his head, making his way towards the paints and a free canvas. There was an artwork he¡¯d been waiting to do for a little while now, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

 Chapter 115 - The Art of Combat

    Nate stared at his painting. He¡¯d chosen to go with this particular scene for a few reasons. Firstly, it was a piece he had wanted to paint for a couple of weeks now. The second was, it differentiated him from the other painters who seemed to all prefer portraits, be they of themselves or of the model in the centre of the room. But the main reason was because he¡¯d found out that after the judging was done, the piece would be returned to him.


    That was why he had chosen Kiri¡¯s battle against Myles ¡®Flash¡¯ Lebas from the Guild Tournament. He had gifted his art to multiple people since arriving on Galle, both intentionally, like when he had painted Kiri¡¯s family as a gift for her mother, and unintentionally, like when he had drawn a picture of Valeria in Helmfirth and given it to her on the spur of the moment. Even in the Capital he¡¯d already given out some of his art, having painted two of courtesans from the Den of Desire so far. But he¡¯d never done a piece of Kiri, for Kiri. He wanted to capture her in her preferred element, the heat of battle, bleeding and smiling.


    The picture detailed the arena in swirls of colour, the crowd in the stands faceless but joyous, roaring their approval for the contest with raised arms. He chose not to detail Flash¡¯s face, making him blurred as well, but the clothes and daggers were a perfect rendition of the man, courtesy of Nate¡¯s vastly enhanced memory. Finally, there was Kiri, looking like some kind blade-legged spider with her six daggers flashing in the midday sun. He detailed her completely, making her the absolute focus of the painting. Even the colours of the paints used got brighter as they drew towards her. Finally, as was his preference for his art these days, he¡¯d hidden two tiny runes in the painting. Joy and Calm were woven into the flows of the painting and while it would do little with only the ambient mana to use as a source, it would still give hints of both feelings. When he gave the painting to Kiri he¡¯d add a method to power the runes.


    Flicking away the notifications for the new rune achievements, he turned to find the assessor who had guided him in staring at his painting over his shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s magnificent¡­what did you say your name was?¡± she asked, eyes flicking to him.


    For the first time since he arrived in the room for the test, he took a moment to look the woman over. He judged she was a few years older than him. Early twenties was his guess. She had wavy black hair that was tied back in a ponytail and light brown eyes that seemed to grow brighter as she stared at him.


    ¡°Nate,¡± he replied with a calm smile. ¡°Will they take long to judge the artworks?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, they¡¯ll be finished tonight. Your work is so¡­visceral. I can really sense the joy she takes in the fight. Is she your wife?¡± the woman asked coyly.


    Nate laughed, ¡°No. No. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to laugh at you. Just, out of the two of us, you¡¯re more her type than I am. No, her name is Kiri. She¡¯s my best friend and teammate.¡±


    Nate paused for a moment then flashed a smile, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch your name by the way?¡±


    ¡°Helen,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°Well, I look forward to seeing you in class. I doubt you¡¯ll get below Advanced with that piece. If not, ask around for me. Maybe we can compare notes or practise together?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Nate said before watching Helen leave.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re talkin, Boss! You¡¯ve been keeping it too tame lately! Even going to the Den and not gettin ya boink on!¡± Frick sent mentally as Nate headed for the door, letting the unigem guide him towards his last test. The Combat examination.


    ¡°Why are you so obsessed with my sex-life anyway? Are all goblins such perverts?¡± he sent back.


    ¡°Boss, I say this with complete honesty. I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ tame as goblins go. How do you think us little bastards keep surviving? By breeding. You ever seen a goblin orgy? They can last for a week, Boss. A week!¡± Frick replied, followed by another cackle.


    ¡°I¡¯m never getting that mental image out of my head am I?¡± he responded with an audible sigh.


    Frick¡¯s laughter followed him all the way to the back of the University grounds where a huge colosseum-esque structure stood. The unigem guided him using its built-in map down a simple hallway and towards the edge of the field. The place was absolutely filled with students and it only took him a moment to realise there were likely second, third and fourth years present. They mostly sat higher in the stands in cliques, laughing and rough housing as they occasionally pointed at the fields below. Fields, because the area was divided up into four different sections. There was a sandy section, similar to the grounds they¡¯d fought on in the Guild Tournament. Next to that was a grassy section, followed by a stone paved area, and finally a section of wooden bridges over a large pond.


    He moved off to the side when he spotted Kiri, who was standing with Coralie, holding hands as they watched the stone-paved field. He moved over to join them and turned to see what they were watching. On the stone-paved field, Null was fighting what he assumed must be one of the instructors. Null Raoult moved like a striking viper that could hit with the strength of a gorilla. It wasn¡¯t enough to ruffle the instructor, who Nate could quickly tell was slowly using more and more of his Stats as the fight went on. When he¡¯d first joined the girls, Null had seemed slightly faster, but within thirty seconds the script had flipped and now Null¡¯s opponent was easily outpacing the swordsman with his own hefty blade.


    Nate couldn¡¯t sense the change in mana when Null activated his first boosting Skill, even though he was within the eighteen metre range of his Awareness of the Runic Artist, but the change was obvious as Null recaptured the initiative, driving the instructor back. He managed to keep it up for another thirty seconds before the instructor allowed his Stats to catch back up and overtake Null¡¯s, even boosted. The fight only lasted another ten seconds but Nate had noticed that the stands had quieted somewhat and he wasn¡¯t surprised when the instructor announced Null as an Intermediate student. Still, that didn¡¯t explain why the crowd had quieted so much.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    He glanced at Coralie and Kiri, his expression clearly confused. Fortunately they both picked up on it and tried to talk over each other before Kiri laughed and went quiet, letting Coralie explain.


    ¡°He¡¯s only the third student to get an Intermediate grade for Combat. Everyone else has been Basic. The other two were nobles as well. I think one might¡¯ve been the third son of the Duchess of Kalevia and the other was the first son of some Baron.¡±


    Nate nodded that he understood and Kiri gave him a shoulder bump before grinning at him.


    ¡°What took you so long anyway? We¡¯ve been here for a while but I didn¡¯t want to start without you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I got a bit carried away in the Enchanting and Art examinations,¡± he replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Advanced in both?¡± Kiri said with a smug smile, intentionally ignoring the surprise on Coralie¡¯s face. Whether that surprise was due to the Enchanting or the fact that he was taking Art, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Advanced for Enchanting. Won¡¯t know my result for Art till later. Sounds like they¡¯ll go through and judge all the art pieces at the end of the day. Should show up in my unigem though. Anyway, I am here now, so who¡¯s going next?¡± he asked with a grin.


    Kiri grinned back at him before giving Coralie a gentle push towards the grounds. The blonde haired Frozen Light Mage gave Kiri a coy smile before, in what was clearly intentional, sashaying off towards the assessors.


    Kiri was clearly enjoying the show so Nate leaned over towards her and whispered, ¡°Beauty before the beast?¡±


    He raised his eyebrows at her in amusement as she tried to punch him, impacting his barrier.


    ¡°You take that back! I am not a beast!¡± she growled quietly while trying not to laugh.


    They kept the rough-play to a minimum but he felt her try and use soul energy to bypass his barrier three times before they finally settled down to watch as Coralie moved forward for her turn.


    ¡°How did you do with Economics and Tactics?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Intermediate for both. Think I scraped through with Economics. Tactics was good though. It was one of Dev¡¯s suggestions and I can see why,¡± she replied, eyes locked on her girlfriend.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s got a heavy focus on things like positioning, timing, angles, perception and deception. That sort of thing. They call it Tactics, but honestly, they could just as easily have called it something like Infiltrator Training. I¡¯m decent at it, but mostly in a forest or grasslands. I failed out when we started on the ¡®urban stealth¡¯ test. Just didn¡¯t know what I needed to look out for. Shush now. I wanna see how she does.¡±


    Nate joined Kiri in leaning forward to watch how Coralie did. So did a decent proportion of the crowd. It was clear that plenty of the students were here for the purpose of information gathering.


    Rather than face a swordsman, like Null had, Coralie was pitted against a male instructor who clearly wielded magic. She was also taking the examination on the pond zone, standing on one of the many bridges with the mage directly across from her on another section of bridge. Nate suspected that the extra wands strapped to the Assessors'' vest were likely meant to give the spindly man options for swapping elements to better pressure the students. The battle started out with exploratory strikes, Coralie flinging icicles at the assessor while the Assessor used controlled sprays of water to redirect the icicles.


    At first the Mage simply defended himself from Coralie¡¯s attacks, but like with Null, as the test continued the Mage steadily raised the difficulty. The first was what Nate would¡¯ve described as bullets of water. If it wasn¡¯t for his high Perception, he doubted he would¡¯ve been able to see them from this far back. Coralie responded by growing an armour of ice over her body. The water bullets splashed over the armour''s surface, occasionally leaving small cracks that were quickly healed using the water leftover from the attacks. The Mage pulled out one of the wands sheathed on his vest which was used to launch arcing bolts of lightning which did only slightly more damage to Coralie¡¯s ice armour. In response Coralie drew water from the pond, expanding her ice armour until the bridge itself started to creak.


    Kiri stared at the contest, absolutely riveted. He, however, was noting the change in tactics used by Coralie. There was no sign so far of her Frozen Domain or her reflection-based teleportation skill. He wasn¡¯t sure he saw the point in holding those back. Surely some of these nobles would¡¯ve attended the Guild Tournament. Or at least sent someone to spy on them. Maybe Coralie had some other reason for holding back, but he wasn¡¯t sure what it might be.


    Eventually, Coralie grew her ice armour enough to break the bridge. Instead of falling into the pond she froze the surface and used it to start skating towards the Mage assessing her. The Mage responded by drawing his second wand and sending a wall of flames towards Coralie. That was apparently what she had been waiting for as she fell forward, vanishing into the ice below her as she reappeared out of a sheet of ice she¡¯d hidden beneath the waters surface near the Assessor.


    Kiri gasped while Nate smiled. It turned out Coralie was going all out after all.


    Coralie¡¯s Frozen Domain instantly came into effect, the bridge itself freezing around the Assessor. However, the Assessor didn¡¯t become frozen, like everyone else Nate had seen caught in Coralie¡¯s zone. A moment later a wave of water picked Coralie up, somehow resisting freezing, before dumping the Guild¡¯s ice princess back into the pond. The fight didn¡¯t last too much longer, as Coralie was caught up in swirling water that was clearly increasing in pressure, her ice armour slowly cracking. Coralie abandoned her ice armour, apparently able to use the reflections from within the ice itself to teleport back to the ice drift she had created while skating over the pond. Even as she appeared, a spear of water was hovering over her throat and she willingly surrendered.


    Kiri beamed as the fourth Intermediate Combat grade was given. She winked at Nate before heading forward. He followed a moment later. He wanted to be closer anyway, so he could use Awareness of the Runic Artist to glean some of the Skills, Spells and Concepts being put on display. Identification was not going to happen unless he wanted to risk pissing people off, as he was yet to sense a single person that wasn¡¯t veiled. He supposed, at this sort of level in terms of society, buying a veiling item was a necessary expense.


    Even the instructors so far were hiding their Class and Levels, though he was almost certain all the Instructors he¡¯d seen so far on the Combat grounds were at the very least level sixty. It was more likely most were in the seventies or eighties. He was basing that on comparing them with Deverell. The man had never revealed his Class or Level but he was pretty sure he was around level eighty with an Epic primary Class. These instructors seemed like they might be able to match up against Dev. That said, they could just as easily be holding back. It was too hard to tell and he wasn¡¯t supposed to push himself too much in this test. Not that he really could. With all of his items consumed by his Conceptual Automation Skill in the Fourth Hell, he was kind of weakened. He didn¡¯t have a Legendary Barrier bracer anymore. Nor did he have his Acid Wand or his Shadow Prison. That was basically all his aces gone. Worse, he didn¡¯t have time to prepare for his opponent.


    He was feeling a little concerned he might be forced into taking a Basic grade unless he wanted to reveal a bit more about his Spatial Skills. Which was another thing he wasn¡¯t supposed to use to the fullest. A little teleportation was okay. A lot of teleportation was definitely not. That apparently included teleporting his opponents weapons or spells and redirecting them back at their owners. He was already thinking through his options and planning the best way to achieve an Intermediate grading when Kiri stepped up for her exam taking place on the grassy field. As his mind focused on the issue of his own assessment, he leaned forward to see what Kiri would do.

 Chapter 116 - Relentless and Immovable

    Kiri grinned in excitement as she walked out onto the field. When she¡¯d stepped up, they¡¯d asked her to wait a moment while they found an appropriate assessor. Her Economics and Tactics assessments only had a handful of students present but it seemed like almost every student took Combat. She¡¯d loved watching her girlfriend fight. It still felt weird to call her that, but after two dates, they were apparently exclusive. It was a new experience for Kiri. Ever since she¡¯d had her heart broken by a travelling merchant''s daughter when she was sixteen, she¡¯d avoided any serious entanglements. But this was a new start, so she was going to give it her best. Now all she needed to do was find an older woman for Nate. The thought made her smirk, which was apparently interpreted as over-confidence by her Assessor who simply shook her own head in response.


    The woman she was facing held a long metal shafted spear with a teardrop shaped blade on the end. Kiri drew six small daggers from her Soul Space. She¡¯d asked Deverell if she should hide the fact that she had such a Skill but he¡¯d shrugged and told her that most of the students were rich enough to have a spatial storage and they¡¯d just assume that was what she was using. Her blades fanned out around her as she used Tethered Soulblade Dancing. Four arms was no longer her limit. She could add another two with her recent improvements, but she wanted to keep them back for now. She had a pretty good idea on what it would take to get an Intermediate rating and showing off the extra arms was unnecessary. It also gave her some seriously good opportunities in the future. She just needed to get to level forty-one and take the A Hidden Soul skill she¡¯d been offered. But that was for the future. For now, it was finally time to fight again. She loved it.


    At a nod from the assessor she launched forward. For now she refrained from using her Soul Imbuement, content to harry the assessor with six daggers coming in from every angle. At first the assessor seemed quite calm but when Kiri started tossing the daggers from one tethered arm only to catch them with another the woman stepped up her defence. The whirling metal-shaft of the spear deflected every attack, and after thirty seconds, the Assessor¡¯s speed increased as she started trying to push Kiri back. Instead of allowing the woman to dictate the fight¡¯s path, Kiri started circling, forcing the woman to start using sweeping strikes with her spear to ward Kiri off. Another thirty seconds and the Assessor increased her speed and strength. Kiri matched her, finally using Soul Imbuement as she intentionally let the woman land a small slash on her arm in an effort to get her with an overhead dagger.


    The Assessor¡¯s spear blurred far faster than the gradual increase to deflect the dagger and Kiri smirked before she realised her mistake. She was supposed to be aiming for Intermediate. She¡¯d gotten caught up in the joy of the contest and had started pushing her own speed and tactics to score some blood. Even the slash from the spear had bounced off of her skin. With Soul Imbuement on, she was burning through her soul energy, but for that price she also had an Endurance and Constitution of over two hundred. No doubt the Assessor could pierce that if she used her full power, but for the assessment purposes, she wasn¡¯t at that point yet and so she failed to do more than bruise Kiri a little. A bruise which faded quickly at the cost of some more soul energy.


    Kiri calmed down her attack, and while forcing the match to continue for another minute, she was eventually forced to stop by a spear to the throat as the Assessor had continually increased her speed.


    ¡°You were holding back,¡± the Assessor said with her surprisingly gruff voice.


    Kiri chose not to respond so she didn¡¯t accidentally incriminate herself.


    When no response came the Assessor grunted, pulling her spear back to rest beside her as she announced loudly, ¡°Intermediate!¡±


    Kiri grinned in response even as the Assessor spoke again, more quietly this time, ¡°Look forward to seeing you in class. You¡¯ve got some potential.¡±


    Kiri walked towards the edge of the combat grounds, grinning from ear to ear as she saw her best friend and girlfriend waiting for her. Life was amazing, as far as she was concerned.


    *************


    Nate walked out onto the grounds, checking over the runes he¡¯d copied into his robe. His Creativity was a little over a hundred and forty now and with the growth aspect of his robe, that meant he had fourteen golden stars into which he could imbue runes. Barrier was still a must have, but besides that he¡¯d gone with three of the main elements, taking Water, Earth and Fire, while excluding Wind. In addition, he¡¯d added Gravity, mostly since anyone who had news from the Tournament knew he could use it. He also had Life, just in case he got injured. Finally, he¡¯d gone with Mana, in case he needed to undo anything cast on him.


    Along with those six, he added Release, Flow, Target, Control and Drain. For the last two he had decided to go with a couple of runes he didn¡¯t normally use for combat. Obfuscate was one, and he was hoping he could use it to hide some of his attacks. The second was Reinforcement, which he intended to use in tandem with Barrier to further empower his defence. The plan was simple. Stand still and weather the attacks against him while taking shots at his opponent to distract from the concealed attacks he intended to use.


    He wasn¡¯t sure it would work, but he was reasonably confident when it looked like they were pitting him against the same Mage that Coralie had fought. The spindly man stood calmly as the two of them stared at each other from across the sand. He was hoping that since there wasn¡¯t water the man might be inconvenienced but that thought was put to rest when, the moment the contest started, the Mage spun up a shield of sand to whirl around him. In response Nate activated his core skills, using Empowered Runic Artistry and Imbue Intent on his Barrier and Reinforcement runes. A second later his own shield was in place. Since his opponent wasn¡¯t attempting to attack just yet, he used his Earth and Target runes in a second runic array.


    Using the runic array, he tried to take control of the sand surrounding the Mage and make it target the man himself, with Imbue Intent thrown towards reshaping the sand into hardened balls. He hadn¡¯t really expected it to work so when the Mage was knocked to the sand by no less than ten condensed balls he knew that the Mage didn¡¯t normally use sand. He shouldn¡¯t have been able to overpower his Magic Control unless the Assessor didn¡¯t have good control over the element.


    The Mage stood, uninjured and with a wave of his arm water came flying over from the pond and bridges field, swirling around the Assessor without dampening the sand below him. Nate decided it probably wasn¡¯t worth contesting the man''s control of water and moved on to the next stage of his plan. Absolute defence. Creating a runic array from his Water, Flow and Drain runes, he used Imbue Intent to guide the array towards draining the flow from any water nearby. Then he waited, fully prepared for the eventual attack. He didn¡¯t have to wait long before the Assessor started shooting the water bullets at him. None of the bullets even reached his barrier, falling apart and splashing into the sand as they approached him. He wasn¡¯t certain, but he thought he saw signs of consternation when the Assessor saw that.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    As the contest went on, the Mage continued to add more and more power behind his water bullets. Eventually they started reaching his barrier, but by then most of their force had been sapped. Nate sat inside his barrier, weathering the strikes as he monitored his Mana Reserve. Unless the Mage stepped things up dramatically, he suspected he could last another three minutes. More than enough to get an Intermediate grading, even if he barely attacked the Mage. Though that wasn¡¯t how he was going to let it go. He¡¯d not been idle while he waited. After his rapid increase in Intellect, he could now hold three runic arrays at the same time. It wasn¡¯t comfortable, but it didn¡¯t leave him with a splitting headache like it had during the Tournament. His third runic array was made up of Obfuscate, Earth and Control, with his Imbue Intent guiding it as he carved out a hole beneath the Mage. It was time for his old faithful tactic. Sand burial.


    As he ticked over into the Intermediate grading territory he pulled the sand out from beneath the Assessors feet. The mage fell into the hole and Nate quickly tried to condense the sand around him. Instead he found his attempt thwarted as the swirling water shield of the Mage sped up, blasting the sand away. A snake of water drifted away from the water shield and carried the mage back out of the hole. Still, it had bought him some time and as the attacks ramped up and the water bullets turned from a steady stream into a hail, with bolts of lightning added to the mix causing his barrier to look electrified, he was finally forced to surrender. He still had almost a third of his Mana Reserve left though.


    ¡°Intermediate,¡± announced the Assessor, before inclining his head in a respectful nod.


    Nate walked over to the edge of the field with a smile as he met back up with Kiri and Coralie, who had managed to find Null, Britt and Flash. Flash was glaring at Kiri when he thought no one was looking, but it was pretty hard to miss.


    ¡°Well done, Nate,¡± said Null as he joined the rest of the Guilders, with only Ameera and Karim missing. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have expected anything less though.¡±


    ¡°Did we all manage Intermediate?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Flash and I are yet to go, but it looks like we will,¡± answered Britt. ¡°The kids of merchants just don¡¯t have the same combat experience as us and Null thinks a lot of the nobles are holding back.¡±


    Nate glanced at Null with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Unlike us, they¡¯re competing with each other for far more than just good grades and some University resources. To them, knowledge is power, which means concealing knowledge is also power. There are a few that I am pretty sure took dives to get a Basic grade and not reveal too many of their spells or skills,¡± Null explained.


    ¡°Sounds smart,¡± Nate replied.


    ¡°Sounds boring,¡± Kiri retorted with a smirk. ¡°What¡¯s the point in being a badass if you don¡¯t get to be a badass?¡±


    She draped her arm over the shorter Ice Mage casually which caused Flash to grimace and Coralie to smile a little.


    ¡°Did we get any Advanced grades?¡± asked Britt, looking around the group.


    Coralie raised a hand, as did Null after a moment, followed by Nate.


    No one else made a move so Britt pushed on, ¡°For what subjects? I just want to know who to bother if I have any questions.¡±


    ¡°Skill Development,¡± replied Null.


    ¡°Concepts and Embodiment,¡± said Coralie.


    ¡°Enchanting, Skill Development and maybe Art,¡± added Nate.


    The last comment got Britt and Null¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking Art?¡± they asked in unison.


    ¡°He¡¯s an artist before anything else,¡± added Kiri with a smile.


    ¡°What she said,¡± added Nate, enjoying the reactions of the group. Flash didn¡¯t seem to care and Coralie must¡¯ve already known as she didn¡¯t bat an eye. Null however looked perplexed, like he couldn¡¯t correlate the Runecaster who beat him with an Artist. Britt on the other hand looked excited.


    ¡°Can you show us one of your artworks?!¡± she blurted out.


    At that moment his unigem buzzed. Pulling it out he saw he¡¯d gotten his grade for Art. Advanced, like he¡¯d expected. There was also a message that he could come collect his painting.


    ¡°The piece I submitted for the Art exam just got graded. I¡¯m in the Advanced grade for the subject but I need to go pick up the painting I did for it. Maybe I will show it later. If not, I have a couple of other pieces. We¡¯re all rooming near each other right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Guess we¡¯ll see you back at the dormitory!¡± replied Britt with a huge smile on her face.


    Nate turned to go after giving everyone a wave but sensed Kiri as she untangled herself from Coralie and joined him for the walk.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Frick at anyway?¡± she asked as they strolled through the frankly beautiful University grounds towards the Art facility.


    Nate extended his senses through the Familiar Contract to see how far away the little goblin was. At least three hundred metres was his guess.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing a little scouting for me. Trying to figure out a good way to solve a problem I ran into,¡± he replied.


    Kiri nodded agreeably, getting the hint that this wasn¡¯t the place to talk about it.


    ¡°Do they let us out much?¡± he asked, nodding towards the gates of the University as they crossed near the fountain.


    ¡°Dev said we can basically do whatever we want but to not waste the opportunity. Why? Thinking of making some visits to the Den?¡± she asked, waggling her eyebrows at him again. ¡°Luc was talking about how much they liked you there. Bet they even have a few older ladies to suit your niche tastes.¡±


    Nate laughed and gave her a gentle shove with his barrier which only made Kiri laugh harder.


    ¡°Nah, just thinking about if we want to use some of the Dungeon tokens I got from the Guild. Need to figure out when we can skip a few classes for a couple of days and make sure we continue to develop. I think our levels are going to matter as much as our Skill development to get into the higher grades,¡± he explained.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right. You sure you¡¯re okay with me using some of the Dungeon tokens? You are the one who earned them,¡± Kiri asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± he replied as they entered the room for his art examination.


    The painting was right where he left it and he showed it to Kiri, dramatically flaring his arms out to indicate the artwork. Kiri stared at it for all of one second before getting excited and throwing her arms around him in a friendly hug.


    ¡°I love it! I love it so much! It¡¯s perfect!¡± she gushed before she stopped and stared at him. ¡°There is no way we can show the rest of the Guildies though.¡±


    He looked at her in confusion as she glanced back at the painting.


    ¡°That¡¯s clearly my fight with Flash. He¡¯s already angry enough as is. If he sees this, he¡¯ll probably try to murder me,¡± Kiri explained jokingly.


    Nate nodded his agreement before replying quietly, ¡°And what makes him think you won¡¯t come back?¡±


    It took Kiri a moment to realise what he had said before she burst out laughing as he reminded her of basically what she had said to Flash after she¡¯d beaten him in the Tournament.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Kiri said as she got herself under control before looking at him deadpan. ¡°Fuck him. I¡¯m immortal.¡±


    Nate couldn¡¯t keep it in and burst out laughing as they continued to joke all the way back to the dormitory. It was finally time to see what he was working with in terms of a room.

 Chapter 117 - Burning Desires

    The walk to the dormitories, which consisted of a number of one to three storey buildings behind the University classroom buildings, had been uneventful. Seeing the gathered Guildies standing outside on the grass near the squat building that was to be their home for the next four years made him suspect that the lack of issues they¡¯d encountered so far at the University was coming to an end. That, and the smoke leaking out of one of the windows.


    Null was the first to notice their approach and grimaced.


    ¡°Which of you did they go after?¡± asked Null once they were closer.


    Nate pulled out his unigem at the question, activating his room assignment map. It only took a couple of seconds to realise it was his room that had smoke billowing out the window.


    ¡°Mine,¡± he replied, patting Kiri¡¯s shoulder to try and calm her down. His best friend looked absolutely furious. She looked him in the eyes and he could see she was more than willing to go stab some people to get revenge for him. He gave a slight shake of his head and the fury abated, even if she continued to seethe. Coralie moving over next to her seemed to help a little and he started to walk towards his room to see the damage with the rest of the Guild members in tow.


    It was about as bad as he expected. The entire room had been torched. There were scattered pieces of burnt wood that might have once been a desk, bedframe and chest. Almost nothing remained of them though. Even the stone walls were blackened with soot and ash from the intensity of the flames used. Whoever did this was decently skilled with fire was his first thought. The room looked unlivable.


    ¡°You can stay in my room,¡± offered Kiri, apparently reaching a similar conclusion to him.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± he replied, a small smile on his face.


    Kiri looked at him in confusion, mostly because of his reaction, he suspected.


    ¡°Everyone talked about the friction between the Nobles and the Guild. I was beginning to think that the comments were overblown. Besides a few snide remarks and glances, it all seemed pretty tame. This is just proof that we,¡± he said, including everyone, ¡°need to be careful and stick together while we¡¯re here.¡±


    He glanced back at the burnt out husk that was his room, ¡°I came prepared anyway. I¡¯ll clean this up and start setting up some protections. Let me know if anyone else needs them as well.¡±


    He was about to get started when he noticed a young woman approaching from the building next to theirs. Another dormitory, unless he missed his guess. Rather than approach him, she moved towards Null. She looked uncomfortable, based on his assessment, though he found it hard to blame her since she was approaching a group of eight individuals standing outside a burned out room.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she said, brushing a lock of her straight brown hair out of the way as she got close enough to them to be heard without yelling. ¡°I¡­umm, saw who did it. To the room that is.¡±


    She glanced at Null with her deep brown eyes, apparently more interested in his reaction than anyone else¡¯s. Null gave her an encouraging smile and nodded.


    ¡°It was Fabien Lussier,¡± she said quickly. When none of them reacted she continued, ¡°second son of the Earl of Dralogne.¡±


    Again, none of the Guilders reacted and the woman huffed, ¡°Do they teach you nothing about the Nobility at your Guildhouse? He¡¯s a second year and a staunch supporter of the second Prince¡¯s faction.¡±


    Nate finally spoke up, ¡°That¡¯s interesting, but why would he target us? Or me, I suppose.¡±


    The woman just shook her head, uncertain as the rest of the Guilders watched on, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    An uncomfortable silence descended for a few moments before Null broke it, flashing a smile at the woman and asking the question she apparently had wanted to be asked all along.


    ¡°Apologies, what¡¯s your name?¡± the swordsman asked.


    ¡°Daphne, Daphne Alarie,¡± she responded, preening under his attention. Nate supposed he could understand the appeal. Null was, to put it lightly, a specimen, as they would¡¯ve said back on Earth. All chiselled and smooth muscle, topped with brown hair and eyes.


    ¡°Thanks for the info, Daphne. We¡¯re going to try and sort this out for now, but maybe we could meet up some time?¡± Null offered, the man clearly aware of the effect he was having.


    Daphne nodded quickly with a smile before giving them a wave and heading back to her own dormitory as the Guildies turned back towards the burned out room. That didn¡¯t prevent Nate from sensing Daphne¡¯s glance back at Null twice through his sphere of awareness.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡± asked Kiri, her simmering anger leaking into her tone.


    Nate had expected the group to turn to Null for directions, but instead six sets of eyes flicked to him, Kiri¡¯s still staring at the burned out room. It only took him a moment to understand. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild, at its heart, was a group that focused on combat, regardless of method or form. Fighting strength was the most important thing to their members. It was how you rose through the ranks, how you completed jobs, how you proved your worth. Given that, in their eyes, Kiri and himself were their strongest members, leadership should therefore default to them. It was an odd feeling for Nate, knowing that these people, who were almost strangers to him, were willing to heed his words and take his advice so readily. He could respect that it was both an honour they were bestowing on him, as well as a responsibility. Or maybe he was overthinking it and they were just willing to do what he asked since it was his room that got firebombed.


    ¡°Leave it for now,¡± he said. ¡°We need more information. We know nothing about the political factions at the University. Nothing about why I was targeted or if it was me they were targeting and not just any member of the Guild. Let''s spend a few days getting the lay of the land.¡±


    Null was the first to agree, ¡°If that¡¯s what you want. It might be a bit hard, but some of those from the merchants faction will probably speak to us. You sure you don¡¯t want our help with your room?¡±


    Null glanced into the room at those words, pointedly noting that there was basically nothing left of the furniture in the room except burned logs and ash.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Nate replied with a smile. ¡°And thanks for the support everyone.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Coralie smiled, first at him, then at Kiri, ¡°We¡¯re the only members of the Guild here among hundreds of the Nobility and the wealthier merchants. We need to have each other''s backs.¡±


    After everyone nodded their agreement and a few pats on his back, the group dispersed towards their rooms, leaving Nate with Kiri, who¡¯d refused to leave.


    ¡°I can help a little,¡± she offered.


    ¡°Nah,¡± he replied with a grin. ¡°Was going to make Frick do most of the work anyway.¡±


    At his words the little blue spirit slipped out of the Familiar Contract and looked over the room.


    ¡°What a shithole, Boss. Let¡¯s get it done!¡±


    What followed was a waste of mana in his eyes as he cleaned up his room. He was forced to use multiple runes to clean the damage. Using Imbue Intent he was able to realign a Wood Gathering runic array to the Subconcept of Burned Wood, which was enough to collect most of the ash. It was mana intensive and further ate into his mana stockpile, but he was confident he had a way to resolve that issue now. The soot on the walls required an acid wash, which left the room stinking even as it cleaned the burnt markings from the stone. Finally, he used a new runic array utilising his recently acquired Smell sigil to clean away the acidic and burnt smells from the room. Blasting it with a Wind rune left the place smelling like grass and salty sea air.


    The whole thing took less than thirty minutes but left him with dregs in his remaining mana gems. Kiri stayed with him the whole time, just keeping him company, for which he was appreciative. Seeing that he had it all cleaned and handled, she left for her own room with a smile, though Nate didn¡¯t miss the still simmering anger in her eyes. He had a sneaking suspicion that Fabien Lussier was going to run into some unexpected issues with his own room very soon.


    With the room cleaned, Nate walked in and closed the door, pulling the expensive bed he had purchased, along with the bedding, out of his spatial storage ring. Sitting down, he sighed and looked at Frick as he pulled out a small piece of wood with a rune engraved on it. The sound rune was linked to the barrier rune on his robe by Empowered Runic Artistry and using Runic Creation and Imbue Intent, he created a sound barrier to keep any noise from escaping.


    ¡°Confident you can do it and no one will notice?¡± he asked his Familiar.


    ¡°Very, Boss,¡± Frick replied with a toothy grin. ¡°Be sneakier than a married man in a brothel.¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m serious, Frick.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Boss. I found the mana vein, as you keep callin¡¯ it. They¡¯ve got spots along it where they can get down there via the sewers to investigate and do maintenance. I just made a small pocket nearby using your Earth rune. Can teleport in and out now. It¡¯ll get you the mana you need.¡±


    It was something Nate had wondered about since his first venture into the different districts of the Etruan Capital. The ambient mana density varied in each district, with the Slums and the plains beyond the city being almost a mana wasteland. The Merchants district, which was where the Adventurer¡¯s Guild was located, had been better, but still a far cry from the mana density in Helmfirth. Finally, the Nobles district, which was where the Royal University was located, had been on par with Helmfirth while the Royal University itself was a cut above.


    That might have made sense, if he hadn¡¯t seen with his own eyes what happened when you created overlapping regions of mana gathering. The simple fact was, they competed with each other. If he put four mana gathering arrays at the corners of his room, the centre of the room would have the lowest density, while the highest densities would actually be at the middle of each of the four walls. The places where the mana gathering fields overlapped the most. Sure, there were other ways to potentially prevent mana escapage, like mana barriers, which is what he¡¯d sensed around each of the districts, overlapping with the gates that separated them. But that still left the problem of getting the mana into the districts.


    Frick had thankfully validated his suspicions. The Etruans had set up massive enchantments below the ground. They likely had mana gathering arrays set up throughout the plains around the city. Maybe even some out off the coast. Those enchantments were sucking in as much of the ambient mana as they could get their hands on, then pumping it into the city where it was either collected into mana-gems, distributed into the Districts or, he suspected, used to recharge Dungeons. Once inside, the mana barriers kept it from escaping. The cost to set it all up must have been exorbitant, but at the end of the day, it gave the Royal family, and he supposed the Nobility, absolute control over how mana was made available within the Capital. He did wonder if the Nobility shouldered some of the cost to set it all up. That didn¡¯t matter so much to him. The only thing he cared about was the opportunity it presented. If he could put a couple of his mana gathering arrays near the mana veins pumping mana throughout the city, he could syphon off enough mana for all of his projects. The grin on his face was brilliant as he handed over one of his mana gathering arrays, filled with ten empty mana gems, to his Familiar.


    ¡°Do it,¡± he whispered.


    A moment later Frick was gone, having used True Teleportation to go set up his mana collection operation. Step one was done. Now it was time to fortify his room. Taking out his notepad he got to work.


    *************


    Fabien sauntered into the common room he shared with his three fellow Nobles. His smile was radiant as he brushed his shoulder-length red hair over his ear. It was so rare he got to let loose. Torching the commoner¡¯s room had actually been fun, rather than a chore. The fact that he was going to benefit from doing so was just the icing on the cake. He¡¯d been surprised when he had received the request. Surprised and amused. They were beneath him, but useful, and perhaps to them their proposal felt like an equivalent exchange.


    Well, they were wrong. Maybe they felt it was equivalent, but for him, it had been as easy as breathing. Sure, it cost a little mana, but with his Epic Class and associated Skills, unleashing flames hot enough to scorch stone had been easy. His Mana Reserve was almost refilled already and it had only been an hour. More importantly, with the damage he¡¯d done, he doubted they¡¯d manage to clean the room before the night was out. Even the cleaning staff would take an hour to undo the damage he¡¯d done and finding a replacement bed at this hour was never going to happen. No, the dumb commoner was going to end up sleeping on someone else¡¯s stone floor. The single beds given to the commoners was a snub at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild that most of their members were too dumb to recognise. That was what came of poor breeding and poorer education. The best part, though, was that this was just the first request. He was looking forward to continuing to make that man¡¯s life hell. He just wondered what the guy had done to anger them so?


    *************


    Headmaster Verian Thavian Mazet stared out of the window of his tower, observing the Royal University in all its glory. It was beautiful. An island of green in a sea of yellow. An emerald gem set into a golden band. The jewel of Etrua. Others might disagree, favouring the Royal Palace, but he looked down on their works. The Royals tried to strike a balance between the sand and sea, a message on who they were and what they stood for to any who visited. But the Royal University was his brainchild and over the past decade he¡¯d done away with the sand, making the grounds more reminiscent of his homeland. More beautiful. The results spoke for themselves. His success led to some of the Nobility seeking to copy his designs in their own estates within the Capital. Poor imitations, in his eyes, but imitations nonetheless. It was a form of influence, and all influence was worthwhile. All influence was power.


    ¡°Are you sure you wish to allow this when we are so close?¡± he asked the only other person in his office.


    ¡°It¡¯s beneath our notice. Interfering would raise questions and now is not the time for questions. We are barely past halfway. Let the children squabble,¡± came the deep voice from behind him.


    Verian considered their words for a few minutes, his mind roaming through the implications and potential issues caused by either path. Interference or feigned ignorance. In the end, he agreed. Feigned ignorance it would be. Would the children run to the Guild Platinums, or try and resolve the issues themselves? Either way, it wasn¡¯t the university¡¯s problem, and so long as it didn¡¯t get out of hand, it wouldn¡¯t interfere with their plans.


    ¡°As you command,¡± he replied, going back to admiring his University.

 Chapter 118 - Believe in Yourself

    Nate sat between Kiri and Null, with Britt, Ameera, Karim and Flash in the row behind them. The rest of the classroom was divided into similar cliques as the merchants seemed to gather in small factions. The nobles seemed split into three main groups with a few stragglers arrayed around the room. He didn¡¯t know what to make of it all, but was just thankful he wasn¡¯t completely alone in the subject like Coralie was. This was to be their first class and Coralie was the only one who¡¯d managed an Advanced grading for Concepts and Embodiment. Nate had to admit he was excited to start learning. For most of his stay on Galle, he¡¯d been left to his own devices. That had its perks, as the act of discovery was in many ways its own reward, but there was definitely something to be said for a little direction and guidance. At the Royal University, he was finally going to get that, or so he hoped.


    The entire room, bar a few nobles, glanced at the door as a stout woman wearing a robe entered.


    ¡°Sit down and be quiet,¡± she demanded, glancing at a few of the nobles who¡¯d kept talking. ¡°That means you as well. Otherwise you can get out of my classroom and good luck grading up.¡±


    One of the young ladies frowned at the teacher, ¡°You can¡¯t talk to me like that. Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do, Lady Lissette, and let me be the first to inform you that I do not care. While in my classroom you will abide by my rules or you will leave. Feel free to tell your Lady Mother that Professor Kandel says hello,¡± replied the grey-haired professor.


    Lady Lissette went from haughty to pale-faced instantly and Nate could sense her jaw clamp shut. Apparently Professor Kandel was a known quantity.


    ¡°Good. Now, let us get the introductions out of the way. I am Professor Kandel and the Head of the Department for Concepts and Embodiments. For those of you who are somewhat dense, that means I have a Perfect Embodiment. A feat which less than a quarter of you are likely to manage. Some of you may think you know what an Embodiment is, and how to achieve a Perfect one, but if you¡¯re in the Intermediate Grade for this subject, you¡¯re almost certainly wrong. Why are you wrong? That¡¯s what you¡¯re here to learn. And I will teach you. I will help you to shape yourself, if you have the capacity to listen, to learn and to change. That last one is why most of you will fail.¡±


    Picking up a small enchanted wooden stick the Professor began to write on the board at the front of the room. It reminded him a little of a whiteboard from back on Earth, but it was clearly using magic to alter the colours on the white backdrop.


    ¡°Let us make sure we are clear on the basics before I start detailing what we will be focusing on and how you can grade up in this subject. What are Concepts? If you got an Intermediate grade, you know that they are representations of the fundamental nature of reality.¡±


    To illustrate her point she drew three different Sigils onto the board, each composed of wavy lines in different structures enclosed in different geometric shapes. While it was clear the Professor put effort into making sure they were perfect, they were still simplistic looking Sigils. Divine Translation agreed as Awareness of the Runic Artist told him what the sigils represented.


    Water Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Water Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Water Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    ¡°Can anyone tell me what these three Sigils represent?¡± asked the Professor.


    Nate considered answering as he sensed the shuffling movements of the other students. He realised there was nothing to gain from showing his knowledge. At least not yet. Not until he knew how to grade up in the subject. So he remained silent, glancing around to see who would answer. It ended up being a young man from one of the merchant factions.


    ¡°The middle one is a Sigil for water.¡±


    Professor Kandel nodded, looking around to see if anyone else would venture an attempt. When no one did she harrumphed.


    ¡°Always shy or secretive. They are all Water Sigils. Why is that? Why would the same Concept be represented three different ways?¡± she asked, glancing at the classroom before snorting. ¡°That was rhetorical. I can see that most of you aren¡¯t going to answer, regardless of the question, so rather than a discussion this is going to become a lecture. They are all Water Sigils because of what Sigils fundamentally represent. Sentient life¡¯s interpretation of the laws of our reality. You heard me right. Each Sigil represents a portion of sentient life everywhere¡¯s recognition of a fundamental concept. That means, for more prevalent elements of reality, that there are more interpretations, and therefore more Sigils. There could be over a hundred Sigils that represent Water or Fire or Sand. The same is true of things commonly experienced. Fear, Joy, Anger, Love. We understand them, and as a conglomerate, our interpretation gives rise to images that represent our experiences, which in turn allows us to influence them through mana.¡±


    Professor Kandel paused for a moment, smirking at their rapt attention, ¡°Questions?¡±


    Nate¡¯s hand shot up, like he was still in school, which caused a smattering of laughter from the nobility, but only a raised eyebrow followed by a nod from Professor Kandel.


    ¡°Does that mean Sigils can change over time, as enough people''s interpretation of a Concept shifts? And how does that work with Subconcepts?¡±


    Professor Kandel went from mild amusement to a glorious smile as she pointed a finger at him, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Nathaniel Weber,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Ah, the Adventurer with a Platinum Spatial Mage for a mentor. I heard about how your Master grabbed you from the Guild¡¯s Tournament. A shame. I hear you were the favourite to win,¡± said the Professor, glancing around at the class. Nate got the sense that she¡¯d added all of that extra information for his benefit as the looks from his classmates had gone from amused and snide to considering or impressed.


    ¡°To answer your excellent questions, I will start with, can a Sigil change over time. The answer is yes. The Sigil, and by that, I mean the appearance, the representation, as a whole, does not change. However, as that particular view of sentient life changes, parts of the Sigil will become less or more, pieces vanishing or being added, the size of parts shrinking or growing. Alongside these changes, the power it wields, which is intrinsically linked to the level of belief and understanding, will change. The result is that a Sigil may become a higher tier, or a lower one, depending on the level of belief that sentient life has in that particular view or aspect of reality. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°In case that didn¡¯t make it clear, that means that the higher the Tier of a Sigil, the more complex its interpretation. I¡¯ll give a grade point to anyone who can tell me why. Write your answers down with your name at the top. I¡¯ll collect them at the end of class. There will be two more questions in this Class, giving you a possible three grade points. This will be the same for every class I hold. Once you reach thirty grade points, I will consider your understanding sufficient and you will be able to move up to the Advanced grade at the beginning of the next term. If you want to know about Subconcepts, you¡¯ll need to get into the Advanced grade. Get to writing. You have five minutes before I continue.¡±


    Nate listened intently as he wrote down what he suspected the reason was behind the more complex interpretation of Concepts at higher tiers giving rise to more complicated Sigils. Following the logic, if a Sigil was the representation of sentient life¡¯s belief, and that belief, both in strength and in volume was what drove the Sigil imagery, then a higher tier Sigil was more complex because it was the belief of more people. Even if everyone believed water was wet, for example, they might have different interpretations of what wet meant, how it felt, what it made them feel, what it meant for their lives. Wet for a farmer meant water for his crops. Wet for a sailor was a fact of life. Wet for a sea creature was potentially all they¡¯d ever known, while wet for a city like Etrua meant drinking water. The interpretations were endless but they all amounted to the culmination of an aspect of water. Writing down his thoughts, he grinned from ear to ear. The Royal University was already awesome.


    *************


    Nate entered the Den of Desire with Kiri and Coralie. He¡¯d intended to go alone when he¡¯d gotten the message from Luc to meet him here in the early evening, but Kiri had balked at letting him wander around alone. Then Coralie had decided she wanted to come as well, if only to see what a brothel was like from the inside. It meant the girl was a little more sheltered than he¡¯d suspected, but he still appreciated the company. It was unlikely that he was going to be blatantly attacked on the streets, but it was better to be safe than sorry.


    He left Kiri and Coralie at the bar, being led by one of the courtesans upstairs. Entering the comfortable room, he found Luc standing by the bed and noticed that the courtesan didn¡¯t follow him into the room.


    ¡°This feels awfully clandestine,¡± he joked, thankful that Frick wasn¡¯t with him to say anything worse. He¡¯d left his Familiar back at the Royal University. With their first haul of mana, the Familiar was implementing some of the planned security runes he had for his dormitory room.


    ¡°Welcome to the shallows, kid. You¡¯ve finally left the beach and are dipping your toes in the waters of intrigue, or in our case, smuggling. Don¡¯t worry about what you say. I¡¯m using an Epic anti-scrying item. Should keep us from being listened to, viewed or anything else. Anyway, I found a group willing to buy that manerium. Are you still going to be able to manage a bar a week?¡± asked his mentor.


    If he¡¯d asked two days ago, Nate would¡¯ve been uncertain if he could manage it, given the mana requirements. But with his syphoning of mana from one of the city''s mana veins, he was confident one a week was doable. He let Luc know his answer with a nod.


    ¡°Good. Deliver it here, to the woman who brought you up to the room. She¡¯ll act as the go-between while I am away,¡± replied Luc.


    That made Nate¡¯s brain grind to halt, ¡°Wait, what? You¡¯re going away?¡±


    ¡°Of course, kid. You¡¯re in the Royal University now. They¡¯ll keep you busy for months, if not years. I¡¯ll be around, but I am a Guild Platinum. We¡¯ve got other things to do. Specifically, a Dungeon run,¡± Luc answered, grinning and wiggling his eyebrows.


    ¡°Aisling and Evindal?¡± Nate asked.


    ¡°Them too. Scouting talent is rewarded by the Guild as well. Evindal got some rewards for all his healing during the competition. Aisling got some rewards for scouting you and Kiri. Your placements meant that the reward was sizable, plus I think she already had some coming from her work out in Helmfirth. All hush hush, but you know how it is. Or if you don¡¯t, you will. So we¡¯ve all gotten enough to get access to the Guild¡¯s semi-local High-Epic Dungeon. We¡¯ll be gone for a few months. Dev will be around the Guild if you need something, but otherwise, just focus on your subjects and deliver the manerium. We¡¯ll use the takings as seed money to start a shop or something and build from there. You got this, kid.¡±


    Nate wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. He¡¯d seen Aisling almost every day for the past four or so months. Suddenly having both his mentor and his¡­what was Aisling to him¡­protector? Guardian? Advocate? Whatever she was, he hadn¡¯t considered the fact that she had her own life, her own responsibilities, at least not to the extent that they might take her away from him for a time. He was surprised at how morose and lost that made him feel.


    Luc patted him on the shoulder, ¡°Suck it up, kid. You¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ll be so busy with your classes you¡¯ll barely notice we¡¯re gone. And when we get back, we¡¯ll be that much closer to our next evolution.¡±


    Luc paused to lean down and whisper, even with the anti-scrying item he was using, ¡°Besides, how could I live with myself if I was mentoring a Mythic Spatial Mage without being a Legendary myself? At the rate you¡¯re growing, you¡¯ll outgrow me before I know it. I gotta do my best to keep up, even a little. I am sure Aisling feels the same way.¡±


    Nate snorted.


    ¡°You¡¯re going soft on me old man,¡± he quipped, getting a smile out of Luc followed by a slap on the back.


    ¡°There he is! Good. You¡¯ll be fine. Want me to pay for a girl or two for you for the night? Or guy? Whatever gets you across the line, if you know what I mean,¡± replied Luc with a laugh.


    Nate rolled his eyes and made to leave the room. He sensed when Luc vanished. He supposed he was on his own for a while, at least in terms of his Guild mentors. Like Luc said, he¡¯d just need to focus on his studies.


    *************


    Kiri stood in the corner of the room, watching as Coralie spoke with Florence about the painting on the wall. Nate¡¯s painting. She had to admit, he was getting better with every painting he did. The one of Aisling on the plains had been good, but it was missing something. She wasn¡¯t some art expert and couldn¡¯t even articulate her feelings on the matter. But whatever that painting had been missing, the one of Florence had it, and had it in droves. It just drew you in. It certainly helped that Florence was gorgeous, but that wasn¡¯t what made the painting so vivid. Either way, she liked it a lot. Apparently her girlfriend agreed. She just hoped Coralie didn¡¯t get it in her head to ask Nate to do one of them. By the Gods that would be embarrassing.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s just you watching over us?¡± she asked the shadow next to her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± came Dev¡¯s almost silent reply. ¡°But I will struggle to follow Nate if he gets out of the University grounds without me noticing. You know what I¡¯m talking about. I need you to follow him if you can if he goes out on one of his forays. How you do it is up to you. Convince him to let you join him or follow him in secret. Just keep an eye on him. The burning of his room¡­I¡¯ll look into it. Attacks on Guild members at the University are rare. Hopefully it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Kiri grunted that she understood the assignment. If Nate left the University, so would she. If the Platinums weren¡¯t around to keep her best friend safe, she would do it herself. Even if that meant she had to do it from the shadows. He would likely let her come if she asked, but it was better training for her to try and do it in secret. Evade his awareness skill while still protecting him from the shadows. After all, a Soul Slayer was a hunter. So she¡¯d hunt the threats against Nate. Whoever or whatever they may be. She felt Deverell¡¯s soul recede into the distance a moment later as she returned to her girlfriend¡¯s side, a pleasant smile back on her face.

 Chapter 119 - All the Developments

    Nate sat outside his Skill Development classroom. He had a couple of hours till his next class and it had been impressed upon him by his fellow Guildies that given the attack on his room and the lack of reaction from the University staff, that he shouldn¡¯t be wandering the grounds alone. So instead he got to sit and watch the after-class discussions of a few students while he waited for Null. It didn¡¯t seem like Null was going to be done any time soon as he chatted with the merchant''s daughter they¡¯d met near their dormitory. It took him a second to remember her name. Daphne.


    While they chatted he pulled up his Status to look over his Skill improvements he¡¯d made in the first week of Classes.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 22 > 24


    Empowered Runic Artistry 33 > 34


    Runic Creation 35 > 36


    Imbue Intent 37 > 38


    Awareness of the Runic Artist 36 > 38


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts 35 > 38


    Conceptual Material 30 > 31


    True Teleportation 27 > 28


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    285


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    140 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    53


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    143


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    69


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    60 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    171


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    30


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    167


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    69


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 1


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts (L) Lvl 38 - (+43% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material (M) Lvl 31 - (-15.5% Mana Cost, -40% Time Required)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Awareness of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 38 - (+84% Perception, +18% Creativity, 19m Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Imbue Intent (L) Lvl 38 - (35 Intents, 17 Imbued Intents, +19% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Runic Creation (L) Lvl 36 - (-70% Mana Cost, +15% Creativity)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Runic Artistry (L) Lvl 34 - (-43% Mana Cost, +95 Magic Power for Runic Arrays)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    True Teleportation (M) Lvl 28 - (280 metres teleport range, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) Lvl 24 - (+38% Magic Stats)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automation (L) Lvl 11 - (-8% Mana Cost, +57% Power, +28% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Metal Shaping (R) Lvl 8 - (-18% Mana Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Minor Spatial Lock (R)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (39) / Space Mage (R) (1) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Obfuscated Mana Soul Engraving (+40% Bonus to Hiding Mana Signature) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He was happy with his progress and some of his Skills were finally catching up to his level after it jumped ahead during his kidnapping. The memory caused a shiver to flicker up his spine. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The Fourth Hell had been horrific. The worst part, besides almost dying to the unfair attempt on his life, had been the constant barrage of negative emotions, eroding his sense of self and worth. Surprisingly, when he woke up at night from the bad dreams, it was always the emotions he remembered. Not the desperation of the battle. Not the wounds he took. Not the viciousness of his enemies. It was the emotions given off by everything in the Fourth Hell and how they enhanced his own. Jealousy, anger, greed, despair, sorrow¡­they all twined together in his dreams. They were getting better though. The dreams that is. He doubted anything could fix the Fourth Hell.


    As for his Skills, there were three that were only three levels away from their second evolution and one that was five levels away. Imbue Intent, Awareness of the Runic Artist and Runic Knowledge - Concepts were all at level thirty-eight while Runic Creation was at thirty-six. He was already pushing each of the Skills and had been since his return from the Fourth Hell. His plans for each were quite simple, and the Skill Development induction had reinforced his ideas.


    Awareness of the Runic Artist was arguably his greatest skill. Perception was his third highest stat and the abilities provided by the Skill had effectively been the cornerstone of much of his development. It had let him save Kiri, find Dungeons, defeat Xalvoloth and uncover the Unseen. It was also the first and only Mythic Skill he had received, his others gained through Skill evolutions. But, as amazing as the Skill was, it had lost something when he¡¯d synergised it with his Spatial Awareness Skill.


    While the distance it was able to cover continued to grow, it could be years before it could cover a hundred metres. Something his Spatial Awareness had covered with ease. At first, he¡¯d considered whether he could push it to grow the distance, but he immediately recognised the problem with that approach. When he compared his sphere of awareness with, say, Luc¡¯s metal sense, the biggest differing factor was in fidelity. He could sense muscle contractions, mana movements, dust in the air. The reason for that was because of the higher mana cost.


    Luc likely could have developed his own skill in the same direction, but why expend the extra mana when all he really needed it for was to sense his needles. His mentor had already needed a mana gathering array so he could satisfy his high mana needs.


    If Nate expanded the area his Skill covered, the mana cost was likely to balloon with it. Alternatively, he could¡¯ve tried to reduce the mana cost slightly. There were a couple of ways to do that. Either focus on having the Skill make use of ambient mana, converting it to being part of his Skill using his own mana signature, or alternatively, lowering the fidelity slightly to save on cost. Finally, making the Skill more efficient would¡¯ve been an option to also bring down the mana cost, though he suspected the result wouldn¡¯t have been as impressive. All of this would require two evolutions though. The first to save on cost, the second to increase the range. That meant he wouldn¡¯t see the results till the Skill was level sixty and even then, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed to solve the problem. It really depended on how much extra distance the evolution added.


    There was another option he had come up with though, and the idea had come from meeting with his mentor in the Den. He¡¯d called the item he was using an anti-scrying item. That gave Nate an idea. What if he pushed for a second sphere of awareness that wasn¡¯t centred on him, but instead, was mobile. A sphere he could move, just as he moved his own mana. It would effectively function as a form of scrying, depending on how far away from himself he could send it. He could scout without ever having to physically get close to his targets. More importantly, he could even use it to break veils without being anywhere near his target. An information gathering Skill on steroids. That was the path he was going with for Awareness of the Runic Artist, and he¡¯d already had some minor successes. He was confident by the time the Skill evolved in the next couple of weeks he¡¯d be ready.


    The second Skill that was closing in on evolution was his Runic Knowledge - Concepts. The solution to this one, he thought, was obvious. The Skill already helped him identify Concepts and Subconcepts. It even whispered at him when he was missing something when a strong Concept was at play nearby. But the next step was to force it down a path that he¡¯d only managed once before. Uncovering the Sigils for higher Tiers. So far in his journey as a Runecrafter, he¡¯d been using the Sigils revealed by others. Sigils taken from Arikanvil¡¯s space station, from the constructs in his first Dungeon, from the goblins in the Firth Forest, the Guild libraries in Helmfirth and the Capital, even other Enchanters. That had worked so far, and would likely continue to work for a time. But that path had an end in sight. The Sigils he¡¯d taken from Arikanvil had been Master tier. The equivalent of Legendary. Despite having a Mythic Runecrafting Class, he didn¡¯t have a single Mythic equivalent Sigil. Let alone anything higher.


    Eventually, he was going to run into a wall unless he could start exploring the unknown, developing his own Sigils. It likely meant he needed to have a greater understanding of the Concepts he chose to develop, based on what he learned in his Concepts and Embodiment lecture, but that was fine. Greater complexity just meant it would take longer, not that it was impossible. That was why he was focusing Runic Knowledge - Concepts on being useful in improving the tiers of his Sigils. He¡¯d done it once. He would do it again. And again. And again. Until it evolved in that direction.


    Then there was Imbue Intent and in many ways it was the Skill he was most excited about, assuming he could pull it off. Imbue Intent had been used to redefine how his runes worked. It was, honestly, the only reason he could fight in combat with any reasonable level of skill. Without his Intent¡¯s ability to let him dynamically alter his runes, how they functioned, and in some cases, even what Subconcept they aligned too, he would¡¯ve been defeated over and over again. It had let him shape his barriers since that first Dungeon. Had let him create his Shadow Prison that had sent Xalvoloth back to the Fourth Hell, then allowed him to realign his Shadow Prison from the Subconcept of Preservation to Devouring while kidnapped in the Fourth Hell. It had saved his life, both of those times, when it had let him move the positions of his Skills on his Class Core, giving rise to some incredibly powerful synergistic Skills.


    But there was a limitation he¡¯d encountered, first in the Guild Tournament, and then again in the Fourth Hells. Something he hadn¡¯t previously considered. How many runes could he maintain at once? He thought he¡¯d seen some Mages, who likely had significantly worse mental Stats than he did, maintain upwards of four spells at once. He¡¯d barely managed three runes at once in the Tournament and while he could match that now, it still wasn¡¯t comfortable. Four was likely his new maximum, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain that many for long. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be an issue if his Channelling Speed was better, but it wasn¡¯t. That would be handled slightly due to receiving two per level in the Stat while levelling his Wandering Realmwalker Secondary Class. However, without investing Free Stats or Orbs into the Stat, it was unlikely to ever make him competitive enough that he could spin up and launch runes fast enough to make up for the limitation on the number of runes he could maintain at once.


    That was where his idea came in. Imbue Intent was ultimately taking his desires, his thoughts, his feelings and repeating them, over and over again. With the way his Intents were currently used, his regular Intents were what he used to alter runes on the fly while his Imbued Intents were what he used on crafted materials so that they maintained an effect even if others used the runecrafted items. However, he¡¯d never tried imbuing his intent directly into the mana itself. His runes that were used in battle were often made up of mana themselves. Mana for the scaffold, mana to power them and Intent to guide them. But what if he could also use his imbued intent to maintain the runic structure and shape? To maintain the rune even after he stopped focusing on it, so long as he continued to feed it mana? That was where he was intending to push the Skill. It seemed worthwhile to him, as while he could have taken a more crafting-focused approach, he¡¯d been considering his Path¡­his Embodiment. The new direction for this Skill aligned with his new goal, and that may have been the most important aspect of his choice.


    Finally, there was Runic Creation. The skill that let him create his runes in the first place, or at least, create them quickly and easily. If it wasn¡¯t for Runic Creation, every new rune he created would take hours of carving, though perhaps his new Metal Shaping skill would change that. Even so, it also let him manifest runes in the air without storing them in his robe first. It was also fast approaching the point where it only needed ambient mana to work, so it was a decently impressive Skill. That said, given the direction he wanted to take his Embodiment, he saw only one way to push the Skill to align with his Path. That Path was creating a synergy between Runic Creation and Conceptual Material.


    It was obvious that materials could take on an affinity. That was driven by their molecular structure and it explained why high rarity materials were so, well, rare. Sigils got more complicated the higher the tier, so they were less likely to naturally occur in materials in the environment. Yet they still did. Epic grade manerium was a perfect example. It could be found as a Dungeon reward, but it could also be mined. But when it was dug out of the ground, the manerium wasn¡¯t all Epic grade. They had to sort the manerium based on the different grades, but from what he¡¯d understood in his Mana and Affinities subject, the closer the manerium was to a mana flow, the more likely it was to have a higher grade. That alone indicated that the presence of mana was influencing the structure of the metal ore. Taking it a step further, he could look at his own mana. It had a strong affinity for space. Following the logical pathway, that meant something about him, his body, or his soul, or maybe even something else, was aligning mana that he touched towards space. The source of the change was unimportant for now. But the fact that it was possible was very important. His plan was to see if he could make Runic Creation forcefully align the mana it used to an affinity of his choice. That seemed to be the best path forward for what he wanted. Of his four Skills, he felt it was also the most challenging. The couple extra levels of leeway he had before the Skill evolved would hopefully be enough, but he could admit to himself that if it failed, he would just try again and hope it would evolve in that direction once he got the skill to level sixty-one.


    He was jolted out of his thoughts as Null approached, the hole within his sphere of awareness informing him of the swordsman¡¯s position.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Nate, you know how it can be,¡± Null said with a confident smile.


    Frick chose that moment to appear, popping out next to Nate, ¡°He doesn¡¯t! Get this man laid!¡±


    Nate smacked the back of his Familiar¡¯s head even as Null chuckled at the little Spirit¡¯s antics.


    As they walked away Nate pointedly ignored the considering stares he got from three different women in the merchants faction and one from the nobles. Apparently some of the nobility weren¡¯t above slumming it. Maybe if he said yes to one or two of them Kiri would stop teasing him about older women. He sighed, which earned him a confused glance from Null. Who was he kidding, Kiri was never going to let that go. Well, Combat was next and he could definitely use it to work out some stress. Then tonight, it was finally time to return to his roots. It was time for the Phantom Artist to strike again.

 Chapter 120 - Phantom in the Night

    Nate walked into an empty classroom. Moonlight shone through one of the windows, lighting up the various tables and comfortable chairs. Even when it came to classrooms the nobility did not go without the soft and cosy chairs designed to keep them happy. He waited patiently for less than a minute before he sensed that Frick was ready. He spun up three runic arrays around him in preparation.


    The first was his ever present barrier, just in case there was danger waiting at the other end. He wasn¡¯t expecting any, but he¡¯d learned time and again that it was better to be careful. The second runic array was based on his Wind rune, which he forcibly shifted towards the Subconcept of air using Imbue Intent. That runic array was filtering the air around him, while maintaining a bubble of air for him to breathe. As far as he knew,  there was no air supply or filtration system where he was going and without his preparations he¡¯d likely struggle if he was there for more than a minute or two.


    The third and final array was his newest creation. Mixing Illusion and Obfuscation, he made himself appear invisible while also hiding his presence. He wasn¡¯t sure how well the Obfuscation effect would work on sight, which was what the invisibility effect was for, but it should be very effective against sound and smell, which were incorporated into a custom rune. It was the only one currently in his robe that used more than two Sigils.


    Finally ready, he activated True Teleportation and appeared deep below the surface. The mana density here was the highest he¡¯d experienced since Arikanvil¡¯s research station and he watched as Frick danced along the glowing solid gem pathway that ran through the small excavated cavern.


    His mana problems were solved, probably.


    ¡°Alright, talk me through it again?¡± he asked Frick.


    ¡°Sure thing, Boss. So, these veins run through the city. They release at specific locations closer to the surface. They¡¯re always guarded. Couldn¡¯t get into any of them. Well, that¡¯s not true. I might¡¯ve been able to, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I would set off some alarms or wards using your runes to goblin-storm the places. Like I said, at least two were Dungeons but the others were just districts in the city. I stayed the fuck away from the Royal Palace like ya said, but their mana pipeline was the biggest of the lot. Like, super big. Anyway, the earth around the veins tends to insulate ¡®em a bit. Like, it¡¯s reducing the amount of leakage, so this little excavated hole is a bit of an anomaly in terms of mana density. Umm, that¡¯s about it. Whatcha reckon?¡± Frick replied.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect. So, this vein is for the University?¡±


    Frick just nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Good. After they didn¡¯t do anything about my burned out room, I am feeling less like this is stealing and more like this is payback. Fuck ¡®em,¡± Nate responded and got a grin and a cackle from his Familiar.


    Setting up two of his mana gathering runic arrays and filling them with eight mana gems each, he began using Runic Creation to carve two separate runic arrays into the earthen walls. The Mana Barrier runic array was to keep the mana from escaping further into the earthen walls. It wouldn¡¯t do to have the leaking mana alert someone to the problem. He doubted the mana would¡¯ve made it far, but it was better to be safe than sorry, and with the leaking ambient mana, his barrier had all it needed to keep itself powered from now until forever. The second was a Mana Obfuscation runic array. Even with the mana barrier preventing the mana from escaping the small room, that didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t be detectable. If anything, it would make the room shine like a beacon. A bubble in the mana vein pumping mana into the University grounds. Anyone with a halfway decent mana detection skill would notice it. So he needed to obscure it. To make it seem normal. Make it look like there was no bubble.


    The amount of Intents required for the Mana Obfuscation runic array was the first time in a long time that he found himself struggling. His Imbue Intent was up to seventeen imbued intents. That should¡¯ve been enough for almost anything, or so he had thought until he was forced to try and make the Mana Obfuscation rune ignore the mana vein pumping through the middle of the room. The issue was obvious. If he obscured all the mana, that was just as bad as doing nothing, as it would appear like a gap in the mana vein, much like doing nothing would make it seem like there was a mana bubble. Anything that might make someone want to investigate the area around his little mana container needed to be handled. The whole process ended up taking him over an hour but finally he was satisfied that the whole area would appear normal from an outside view. He¡¯d even had Frick move up higher to create a secondary chamber that was within range of his Awareness of the Runic Artist so that he could use his own sphere of awareness to see if he could detect an issue. It wasn¡¯t perfect. His Runic Knowledge - Concepts had whispered at him as he tried to detect the mana around his little cavern, but it hadn¡¯t screamed and he suspected that given the time he¡¯d spent on it, it was as good as it was going to get.


    With his new mana sourcing facility set up, he began leap-frogging across the city, using Frick as the anchor points as he let his Familiar lead the way towards the Slums. The Phantom Artist had struck only once. It was time to indulge in his first love. The first place he intended to go though was the graffiti he¡¯d already created. He was curious if it still stood, what had happened to it, and if the fountain had run out of mana, or if the mana-gem he¡¯d left was even still there.


    Appearing near the Uncommon sandstone wall he sighed. It was utterly destroyed. Not a casual destruction either. An intentional one. It looked like the sandstone blocks had been bulldozed over. Of course, they didn¡¯t have equipment like that on Galle, but they certainly had Skills that could mimic the effects. There was still a faint sense of hope emanating off the toppled stone and a few of the pieces had been stood back up, someone clearly trying to remake the graffiti. It was for naught though, as some pieces of the stone had been fractured. Fixing it might¡¯ve been possible, but not for those who lived in the Slums.


    He took a seat on the edge of the fountain, looking at the destruction. Awareness of the Runic Artist told him his mana-gem was still present, even if it had run out. The fountain was once more filled with naught but sand and dust. The sadness he felt left him with an odd juxtaposition to the faint hope in the air from the remains of the rune embedded in the artwork. He didn¡¯t know how long he sat there when a voice spoke from off to his left, shocking him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mourn it, son,¡± came the gravelly tone.


    He quickly glanced over to see an old man standing outside of the range of his sphere of awareness. The old man was hunched over, wearing some sturdy yellow pants and a loose vest that displayed a wrinkled and bronzed chest criss-crossed with scars. White scraggly hair, both on his head and his chin completed the appearance, but that wasn¡¯t what gripped Nate. The old man''s eyes were bright. Unnaturally so. Almost glowing with an inner light as the old codger stared at Nate. At a guess, he could see through the Illusion with those eyes.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The old man moved closer with a slow but steady gait until he was next to Nate.


    Piercing Order of the Hidloptrix (R) (52) /  Swift Swashbuckler  (U) (39) Observant Sailor (C) (10)


    He got an identification off immediately, which elicited a raised eyebrow from the old man and a chagrined grin from Nate.


    Spinning to look over the remains of the artwork the old codger spoke again, ¡°Ya got nothing to fear from me, son. Twas beautiful. Your art. Ya are the one who made it ain¡¯t ya?¡±


    Nate nodded slowly.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯ haf expected it. Even afta seeing how ya competed in tha Guild¡¯s Tournament. Aye, I was there. My grandson competed. Didn¡¯t make it through, but tha¡¯ was always a long shot. I ain¡¯t ashamed to admit I thought tha Null kid would have ya. Coulda heard the creak of tightening rope in the stands when ya brought down tha barriers. Enough of an old man¡¯s huff an¡¯ puff though. So, this is what ya get up to when ya ain¡¯ off adventurin¡¯? Paintin¡¯ pictures for us common folk?¡±


    Nate nodded again, ¡°What happened to it?¡±


    ¡°Same thing that happens ta anythin¡¯ that ain¡¯ to tha guards likin¡¯. The bastards knocked it down. Cracked a few ¡®eads that tried ta stop em. Might¡¯a been worse but there was a few too many o¡¯ us around so least they didn¡¯ kill no one. Reckon they woulda stolen ya mana-gem as well if I weren¡¯t sittin¡¯ right ¡®ere. Right bunch o¡¯ feckin cowards tha¡¯ lot.¡±


    They settled into silence that lasted a few minutes before the old man interrupted him again.


    ¡°So, whatcha gonna do now, son?¡±


    That was the question, wasn¡¯t it, he thought. Apparently the guards would destroy his artworks if they found them. But, didn¡¯t that make them even more important? The people of the Slums had tried to protect the artwork, putting their bodies on the line for just a hint of beauty and hope. If they were willing to go that far, he could live with having his artworks destroyed. Was it any different to what had happened back on Earth? His graffiti pieces there rarely lasted either.


    The old man grinned, showing off his missing teeth, ¡°Figured ya haf a bit of steel about ya. Gotta to keep fightin¡¯ after hafin¡¯ an arm cut off. I know a place tha guards almost never go. An tha people will keep their mouths shut. This one, well, they were always gonna find it. It¡¯s on tha feckin patrol route ain¡¯ it? But this spot I got in mind should be good fer ya, if ya still wanna do another?¡±


    Nate thought about it for a moment. There was the obvious risk of wandering off into the Slums with a stranger. But, if the old man wished him harm he could just go tell the guards who he was. Even with the level difference, he was confident he could escape as well. After considering the risks, he gave a small nod. He had to suppress a snort as he realised the risks he was willing to take just to create art. He could¡¯ve just sat comfortably in the University and painted in his room. Instead, he was out wandering the Slums with an old stranger just to create the particular type of art he wanted to.


    The walk was longer than he expected and the streets weren¡¯t completely empty. He sensed people in some alleys as they skirted anywhere that was heavily populated. As they walked he felt eyes drift over him as though he wasn¡¯t there, unable to pierce his Illusion, instead focusing on the old man before either shrinking further into the darkness or simply closing shutters and doors. The old man was clearly a known quantity and the criminals wanted no part of him, while the others paused to acknowledge him with a nod or two. He supposed that was the impact of being the equivalent of a Platinum, or close to it. He was beginning to wonder if the old man was the highest level individual in the Slums when they turned into a large yard. It was clearly a public gathering area, but hidden between multiple buildings. What he suspected was a number of shop fronts faced into the large area that, like his first artwork, had a fountain in the centre. The old man indicated one of the walls that shielded the area from the street outside.


    ¡°Gets plenty o¡¯ traffic, but tha guards stay away. Bribes o¡¯ course. But the shopkeeps like it tha¡¯ way. They got their own guards. I¡¯ll haf a word wit¡¯ em. Make sure tha visitors know ta keep it to themselfs,¡± the old man explained, sitting down on the edge of the fountain. ¡°Do ya mind if I watch?¡±


    Nate shook his head. He really didn¡¯t mind. He was mostly just surprised at how invested the old man seemed in having him create a new art piece. Maybe he¡¯d ask him about it some time. Not today though. Staring at the wall he considered what he wanted to paint, and just as importantly, what runes or Sigils he wanted to embed in the artwork. It didn¡¯t take him long to figure the latter out. They¡¯d apparently liked Hope in the first artwork. He¡¯d reuse that and add his recently stolen sigil, Joy.


    That just left his choice of artwork. He had considered painting a scene based on the idea of the locals defending the previous artwork from the guards. The problem he had with that, is he lacked the Sigils to capture the emotion he thought such a scene deserved. So when he got access to the necessary Sigils he would paint that picture. Instead, he went with something that he thought was appropriate for the emotions of Hope and Joy. With a smile he got started, under the gaze of Frick, the old man and an uncaring moon. Tonight was for art. Tomorrow, he¡¯d have to decide whether to do a Dungeon run with just Kiri or to expand the team with a couple of extra Guildies. He pushed the thought away as the first splash of paint hit stone. He had a few days left to decide.


    *************


    Kiri hid behind the chimney on the roof, watching as Nate began to paint. She was shaded in the darkness cast by the chimney and was using her first spell, Wisps of Shadow, to further conceal herself. It wasn¡¯t enough to hide her from the old man. She knew he¡¯d spotted her ever since they¡¯d first encountered each other at Nate¡¯s destroyed artwork. Deverell had been abundantly clear that it was her job to shadow Nate if he undertook one of his nightly forays. It seemed that Aisling had accepted that Nate wouldn¡¯t be prevented from doing so and instead had shifted from a preventative approach to a protective approach. It was good training, but even if it wasn¡¯t, she would¡¯ve done it anyway. Nate was skilled, but not infallible. Better to make sure he had back up.


    She thought she had lost him to be honest. Well, she had in fact lost him. She couldn¡¯t get a Soul Tether on him without him noticing, for now at least. That meant she had to track him in a simpler way. Her Soul Sense had a range of seventy-two metres. That was significantly shorter than Nate''s own teleportation range which meant she needed to use Soul Shift multiple times to try and find him again. Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for Frick, she¡¯d not have managed it all. The Familiar¡¯s soul energy was incredibly distinct and the only way she¡¯d managed to track Nate, even after losing him three times. It didn¡¯t help that she couldn¡¯t see him. Whatever he was using to hide himself didn¡¯t hide his soul energy, something she intended to inform him of, but it did keep her from seeing him physically. So she had settled into wait, expecting him to paint something, while keeping a wary eye on the old man.


    When the old man had begun to approach Nate she¡¯d drawn her blades. That alone had caused the old man to seem surprised and after a look of recognition had appeared on the old codger¡¯s features, he¡¯d waved his hands placatingly at her and pointed to the destroyed artwork. She¡¯d let him approach after that and listened to their short conversation. If the old man had attempted to lure Nate into a trap then blood was going to get spilled. Instead they¡¯d gone to some sort of mini-market complex. Now, finally, Nate was painting and she let herself relax, barely. She enjoyed watching him work. That didn¡¯t mean she was going to drop her guard. Not until he was back in his room. For now, though, she¡¯d play the role of a hidden guard for him while he painted. Then, tomorrow, she¡¯d convince him that they should accept Null and Britt¡¯s offer of a group Dungeon run. It was important they got along with the other Guildies after all.

 Chapter 121 - Seeds of Friendship

    Nate displayed the Dungeon information for the team.


    You have entered a Dungeon!


    The Assessment Period will begin now. You have five minutes to choose to leave the Dungeon before the entrance will be sealed.


    Dungeon Name: The Island of Jonguri


    Dungeon Tier: Rare (Mid)


    Dungeon Challenges: 3 + 2 Bonus Challenges.


    Exit Conditions: Complete 1 Challenge.


    Dungeon Limitations: 2 days until the volcano erupts.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    In the corner of his vision a timer had begun ticking down.


    47:59:35


    Nate looked at the rest of the team. Kiri was there, along with Null and Britt. Kiri was back in a fresh set of leathers that he¡¯d raised from Uncommon to Rare for her. She was of course, strapped with small blades and there were more held within her Soul Space. Next to her was Britt, in shining armour and sinking slightly into the sand of the beach, a bright and eager smile on the blonde haired Defender¡¯s face. Rounding out the team was Null, looking as per usual, like some sort of sailor turned blademaster with his sword peaking over his shoulder and his casual lack of armour, excluding his bracers and vambraces, a sharp contrast next to Britt. The good-looking swordsman brushed his brown hair out of the way, his matching eyes surveyed the jungle before them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The enemies and challenges change regularly but the Dungeon Curator, whatever it is, never changes the general setting away from an island or the timer for the volcano. We¡¯ve got two days to complete all five challenges and I am confident we can manage it. This will be mine and Britt¡¯s second time, like we said. Shall we get started?¡± he asked, punctuating his question by drawing his sword and striding towards the jungle of trees that lay before them.


    It had been a week since his latest artwork and according to Deverell, who was waiting outside of the Dungeon for them, there hadn¡¯t been much in the way of rumours. Definitely not enough to draw the attention of the guards again, which was a relief. He just didn¡¯t want them to destroy another artwork if he could help it. The University subjects had continued without much of interest happening, except for the delay in the Enchanting subject kicking off. Since it was still delayed, and both he and Kiri had been doing decently well in class, they¡¯d decided to organise a Dungeon trip, spending some of his Dungeon tokens.


    He and Kiri had debated about whether it was worthwhile for the pair of them doing another solo job but in the end, the winning factor for asking to team up had actually been about the time it would take to do a Dungeon. With the two of them, they weren¡¯t confident in completing a Mid Rare Dungeon quickly and they didn¡¯t want to miss too many classes at the University. Especially since they had to travel outside of the Capital to get to one of the Guild¡¯s Dungeons. They¡¯d tossed up as to whether it was better to team up with Null and Britt or Coralie and Flash, the deciding factor being that Null and Britt already had a slot coming up for the Dungeon. They¡¯d already made the offer once for Nate and Kiri to join them, so it was easy to agree and pay their part, bringing Nate down to ten Dungeon tokens.


    The trip out to the Dungeon had taken two days and it would take them another two to get back. Deverell had played escort along with another two Gold Badges who seemed glued to Null, much to the swordsman''s irritation. Clearly they had been sent by Prefect Raoult and it wasn¡¯t surprising that the young man found his father¡¯s protectiveness grating, even if Nate was quietly thankful for it. There hadn¡¯t been another attack against him yet at the University, but he just felt like the guillotine was waiting to drop.


    What had been an interesting surprise was the Dungeon location itself. The Guild had a fully staffed and set up fort surrounding the entrance, along with some fairly powerful mana gathering arrays pumping mana into the Dungeon. Apparently it was good enough to have the Dungeon available once every two weeks to a month, depending on how depleted it got after a run. Nate knew he was likely going to be inflicting the maximum on the Dungeon reset timer as he already had a mana gathering array out, being carried along by Frick, as he borrowed the fairly dense mana from the Dungeon.


    Marching into the jungle, Nate followed second from the back. Britt led the way and she was already making use of her primary Skill, Adaptable Armour Projection. The fully empowered version was what she used to create her mech-armour in the Tournament, but it seemed she could also use it on a smaller scale, which she was doing now to project a part of her armour in front of herself as she literally bulldozed a pathway through the jungle for them. Null moved behind her, sword out and guarding her back, ready to slip around Britt to attack anything that accosted them. Nate left a couple of metres between himself and Null, not wanting to interfere with the swordsman if he needed space to move backwards. Finally, bringing up the rear and watching his own back was Kiri. It had not been lost on him that his best friend had seemed a tad more protective than usual of late. He¡¯d caught her watching over him twice on the University grounds when he hadn¡¯t expected it. Either the attack on his room had shaken her more than he¡¯d expected or something else was going on. They¡¯d have to sit down and chat about it soon, probably after he finished all the runecrafting he had been applying to his room. If there was a second attack on the place where he slept, whoever did so was liable to regret it.


    The creaking sound of small trees being toppled as Britt continued to bulldoze them a path gave him a moment to focus on the area around him. His sphere of awareness was still at a range of nineteen metres, and through it he could sense the small and not so small insects crawling through the trees above. They had no levels so he assumed they were not part of the Dungeons challenges. They were odd though. It was hard to tell, but he thought they felt more like plants than insects, despite clearly having legs, wings and antennae. Either way, they weren¡¯t his problem as they¡¯d chosen to completely ignore the party below them.


    As though his thoughts on the insects not being a problem was a signal, the jungle in front of them started rumbling as something started moving towards them. Britt backed up a few steps and the group prepared for combat. Within moments they finally got a look at what they were going to be fighting.


    Plantarius Caticus


    Overgrown Guardian (R) (34) / Overgrown Hunter (U) (11)


    There were five of the beasts. Clearly pack hunters. They looked like trees, the wooden skin and leaves for hair covering otherwise sleek bodies in the shape of large cats. Or so he judged it. He couldn¡¯t see eyes on the creatures, but the monsters could clearly see them, as the five beasts stalked back and forth slowly, watching the group and occasionally baring their fangs. Their levels were also higher than what he¡¯d expected, given that the kobold Dungeon had had the so-called trash mobs at around level thirty-one. He¡¯d thought, since this was a Mid-Rare Dungeon, that the trash mobs would be around the same, but they were already halfway to fifty, which should in theory be the maximum for the Dungeon. Perhaps it was because of the lower number of enemies?This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    His thoughts, though fast, were interrupted as the monsters launched their attack. It was his first time seeing how Britt and Null functioned together and he had to admit, it was impressive. Britt activated a Skill that let her shield be projected into three places at once, knocking back three of the Caticus as they tumbled loudly but unharmed into the jungle trees. The remaining two crashed into a barrier of his own making. Kiri and he had agreed to limit their Skills to what they had shown in the tournament. That meant he wasn¡¯t going to be using anything like Conceptual Automation. Not that he thought they¡¯d need it. These things were only ten levels above them, except for Kiri, and their rarities were in line with a Rare dungeon


    The difference in power was obvious as Kiri and Null got to work. Britt continued to defend the group, holding off two of the Caticus on her own. He in turn was acting as support as he deflected attacks from the remaining three with his Barriers. That left Null and Kiri free to carve into the monsters, with mixed success. Wood chips flew as the pair carved into the creatures, taking them apart methodically. The Caticus bled onto the ground, their orange blood thick like sap. The simple fact was that the team arrayed against the monsters vastly outclassed them. No matter the angles, or teamwork the pack used, it was an uninspired grind that slowly ground the beasts down.


    Nate wasn¡¯t idle as he watched Kiri flash about and Null dance amongst the monsters. It was clear that neither Null nor Kiri focused on Strength and so while they were never under threat due to the vast Class Tier disparity, the fight was dragging on longer than he liked. Taking out his Powerful Wood rune, he copied it into his robe. After that was done he combined Runic Creation, Empowered Runic Artistry and Imbue Intent to create a runic array that combined his Powerful Wood, Powerful Fire and Gathering runes. The Intents made Wood the focus with Gathering aimed at Fire. He then tagged the five monsters as the targets with his Intent. Once the runic array was done he created a second runic array above him as he called out a warning.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Kiri and Null disengaged as the ball of fire bloomed above them. Immediately the fire started to become attracted to the Caticus, balls of flame peeling off to launch themselves at the monsters. They tried to dodge but the balls of flame kept coming as he continued to feed mana from his reserve into both runes. One of the interesting effects of his runic array was that even as the monsters rolled around on the ground, trying to put themselves out, they set small fires of their own in the underbrush. The fires they set ended up just adding to the amount of fire attracted back towards them. Within a minute they were all burned husks, with a few scorch marks on the jungle floor and trees where they had tried to put themselves out.


    Kiri laughed as Britt stared at Nate, mouth slightly agape.


    ¡°Err, sorry, that might¡¯ve been overkill,¡± he joked, rubbing the back of his blond hair as he glanced between his three teammates.


    Null just smiled, ¡°I liked it. Saved me chipping away at them for the next ten minutes until we finally got deep enough to destroy whatever passed for a heart in them.¡±


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± added Britt, bouncing a little in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s something we¡¯ve always lacked a bit in our Dungeon runs. Even when we had Gregory, he was more of a single target kind of archer and Null, despite how well he does in duels, is also a bit of a defensive build. I¡¯m obviously heavily defensive! It meant that while we were often very safe, we also completed Dungeons slowly. Having an actual Mage with us is amazing! Best team-up ever!¡±


    Kiri slipped behind Britt and waggled her eyebrows at Nate before mouthing the words ¡®too young¡¯, tilting her head like it was a question. Null didn¡¯t miss the antics and Nate saw him roll his eyes with a smirk of his own.


    ¡°Happy to be here, Britt,¡± Nate said, trying to keep himself from laughing at the group''s antics. ¡°So, we got two Orbs out of that.¡±


    He pointed at the two burnt husks in question as Frick stepped forward to fish them out. He could¡¯ve teleported them to himself, now that the creatures were dead, but he had never revealed that capability in the Tournament and so refrained from doing so.


    With the two Rare Endurance Orbs in hand the group set out again. It was likely to be an easy two days.


    *************


    Nate ignored the splatter of more venom against his barrier as he saw Kiri blur past him, slashing at the giant Carnivorous Hydra Hydraneum. The monster looked like a multi-headed venus fly trap with stems for each head thicker than tree trunks. Despite their thickness the stems remained very flexible, as Britt found out for the third time. One of the heads launched the Defender, fully encased in her magically projected mech-armour, off into the trees. He had to admit, even her scream was cute. Over the last day Kiri¡¯s hints about Britt had become more and more overt. He wasn¡¯t completely opposed. He just didn¡¯t think he had time for a girlfriend. Not if he wanted to be a good boyfriend. Between his art, his schoolwork and his development, he wasn¡¯t likely to be available often and that just seemed like it would be neglectful of him. That said, he supposed, he should give Britt the choice as well. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t care, because she had been slowly making it more and more clear that she was interested.


    He sighed and used True Teleportation to shift out of the way of a hail of envenomed spines shot at him by one of the heads. The problem, he thought, with a high Intellect, was that he was perfectly capable of overthinking things in the middle of a battle when he didn¡¯t feel that threatened. The challenge monster was level forty-eight, but it still didn¡¯t threaten the team. It was just, dare he say it, annoying? The Carnivorous Hydra Hydraneum was still only a Rare Class. Sure, the monster was fire-resistant, as that was the first thing he¡¯d tried. Worse, it seemed to be able to regrow its heads, as they¡¯d found when Null had used sequential mana slashes with his trademark nullifying effect to cut off one of the monster''s five heads. It had of course regrown, as it continued to shoot envenomed barbs at them, or spray venom directly at them. So why was it not threatening them?


    Well, Kiri¡¯s regeneration from Soul Imbuement could outpace any damage it dealt with its poison, and honestly, it¡¯d only gotten specks on her so far. Britt was safe inside of her armour projection. For Null, the venom seemed to have a mana component and so his nullification field kept him from the worst of it, though out of all of them he did seem to be having the worst time of it. That left Nate, safe inside of his barrier and casually avoiding attacks.


    None of them were idle though. He was maintaining a Life Drain rune on the creature and was slowly sapping it. Already its attacks were becoming slower. The second, and arguably the most effective, was Kiri. Her Soul Drain and the soul energy leaking from the monster caused by her enchanted dagger were draining the creature as well. They just needed to keep it up, he guessed, for another ten minutes. Either way, he knew one thing for certain. He was never coming back to this Dungeon. It wasn¡¯t exciting, it was just a slog. This was their second challenge for the day, and the first had been just as bad. They¡¯d agreed on Britt getting that reward and she¡¯d gone for a Skill Tome. This one would be Null¡¯s. With a put upon sigh he teleported again to avoid a few barbs as he waited for the fight to finish. They still had another day of this after all, before the volcano would erupt and put an end to their Dungeon run, or so he suspected.

 Chapter 122 - A Fallen Tree

    Nate smiled as he glanced over at the three members of his team lounging around the campfire. He added the final few strokes to the painting he¡¯d been doing and spun it around to face the group.


    Britt clamped a hand over her mouth as she unsuccessfully tried to suppress a squeal of delight. Kiri and Null both just looked on with bright smiles. He may have been sporting a grin of his own. The painting detailed them around the campfire, all four of them. It was the first time he had inserted himself into a painting and he had to admit, he liked the way it looked. Moving over to join them he leaned up against a fallen log.


    ¡°I love it,¡± whispered Britt.


    ¡°You can have it. If the other two don¡¯t object,¡± replied Nate with a glance at Null and Kiri.


    Both indicated they didn¡¯t object and Britt moved to stand up.


    ¡°Give it a bit longer for the paint to dry,¡± he added.


    Their Defender sat back down but she only had eyes for the painting.


    Kiri tossed Nate a bag with some dried fruit, or what he figured amounted to fruit on Galle. They¡¯d brought their own rations since sometimes the denizens of the Dungeon weren¡¯t edible. It appeared they had gotten one such run. Everything they had fought so far had a plant-type lean. The only thing missing was mushrooms, which he supposed made sense, if they were classified as fungi. They had managed to defeat two of the five challenges and gotten a hint of one of the Bonus challenges. He¡¯d sensed an odd item through his Awareness of the Runic Artist. The odd item had turned out to be an enchanted gem that had been hidden inside of a tree.


    They hadn¡¯t been sure what it did, his identification refusing to tell him, potentially because it didn¡¯t know but more likely because the Dungeon Curator was blocking him. They¡¯d figured it out anyway when they got near the base of the volcano and found small altar slots for five such gems. That had led to Nate sending Frick off to find the others. His Familiar could scour the Dungeon before the sun, or whatever passed for one in here, rose in the morning. They also knew where the final regular Challenge was. That meant there was just one bonus challenge they had yet to figure out. They hadn¡¯t decided what to do about that, but if it didn¡¯t show up, that wasn¡¯t a huge issue. Either way they¡¯d still have completed four Challenges and each gotten a Dungeon reward.


    Those were tomorrow''s problems though. For now, it was just rations, a warm campfire, and good company. Kiri was regaling them with stories of Nate¡¯s mentor Luc and the Den of Desire. Null thought it was hilarious while Britt blushed furiously, though Nate caught a few considering glances in his direction.


    ¡°So, I asked where Nate was. You know? I just wanted to talk about how well my date with Coralie went, besides the Frickcedent of course, and Deverell finally tells me he¡¯s gone to the Den with Luc. I was surprised, you know? Frick spent so much time talking about brothels that I thought, maybe, just maybe, the little bastard had started to rub off on Nate. So, of course I head over to see just what¡¯s going on. When I get there, Luc¡¯s lounging, half-drunk and an arm around two women. So I am thinking, oh fuck, he¡¯s gotten Nate plastered again and sent him off to bed. So I demand to know where Nate is. Luc starts laughing his ass off. Manages to wheeze out that Nate had gone upstairs with a young gentleman who kindly requested to have Nate do his portrait like he did for Florence!¡± Kiri struggled to get the last few words out, she was laughing so hard.


    Null had joined in and Britt laughed a little but it seemed more just to not be left out before she flashed a bright smile in Nate¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I totally get what Kiri meant now when she said you¡¯re an artist first, Nate,¡± Null added as he stopped laughing. ¡°You really love it, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s just an interesting mix given your capability with combat. I¡¯d never have expected it. Like, maybe if you just dabbled in art, but it seems like it really is your main priority and everything else sort of comes off of it.¡±


    Nate just nodded agreeably. Null wasn¡¯t wrong. Art was his first true love. He glanced at Britt and her hopeful eyes. When they got back to the University he would let her know and then let her decide if she was still interested. It was only fair, after all, to let her decide. But for now, he was just going to enjoy some good company. Even if their chatter lasted late into the night, they had the Stats to get by.


    *************


    Kiri walked towards the small altar with the last hidden gem. She wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. The third challenge had honestly been the easiest of the Challenges so far. It was some sort of vine monster but the problem it suffered from was simple. Its vines weren¡¯t that thick. She and Null had absolutely eviscerated it. Null with his trademark Nullifying Mana Slash, and her with four tethered arms on display, amounting to six blades. Britt had kept the main body busy mostly by standing there and getting wrapped up while Nate had done nothing, which was fine as he had done plenty with the hidden gem collecting and the other Challenges. He had of course tried to let her go first but she had insisted it was his turn. He¡¯d gotten a couple of Rare Orbs of Perception which he¡¯d immediately used. They were slowly edging closer to their Stat Orb cap, but she was honestly curious how they were going to manage it any time soon when every time they levelled they added another seven to nine to the cap. She supposed eventually they would claw their way up, it was just slow going.


    Placing the hidden gem into the altar she glanced up as the gems began to shine with an inner light. Slowly the light gathered, flowing towards the peak of the altar before it burst forth, shooting up into the sky and piercing the clouds. A loud caw echoed out across the island before she got a sense of a soul approaching so fast that she barely managed to throw herself out of the way. Rolling to her feet she looked over as the bird of prey took off again, a massive crater left where it had landed. The place where a moment before she had stood.


    ¡°Gryphon,¡± called Nate. ¡°Epic Primary Class and level fifty!¡±


    Kiri ground her teeth as she flexed Soul Imbuement to the maximum. She needed to be as fast as she possibly could be. She was about to show this fucking bird what the meaning of speed really was. As she felt her Agility exceed four hundred she crouched, waiting, Soul Sense cast out as she made herself the target. Britt was in full armour projection, while Nate and Null had backed off for the tree line, using it as a shield, with Nate¡¯s barriers protecting them both by expanding his barrier beyond Null''s nullification range. She didn¡¯t blame them for that. The speed and force behind the attack could likely do real damage to them and she knew Nate¡¯s sensory skill no longer had the range to give him plenty of warning. She guessed he might still be able to activate True Teleportation in time, but it was a risk. A risk not worth taking. She on the other hand was about to hunt down this creature. To Slay it.


    She felt its breakneck descent again as it plummeted towards her far faster than simply falling would account for. It was diving. Diving with the intent to flatten her. Just before it landed she activated Soul Shift, appearing above the creature. As she fell towards it she got to see what it was. Not really a bird at all, she thought. It looked like a bird of prey crossed with an alliram, short two legs. The four legs it did have looked powerful though. Ultimately that wasn¡¯t going to matter as she landed on its back and with six blades started going to work. Soul Drain activated as she started drawing out its soul energy, coupled with her Dagger of the Torn Soul the beast was leaking soul energy like a sieve. It roared in disapproval and launched into the sky. She wasn¡¯t letting it get away this time though. Clinging to its back she used two of her arms as anchors to let her ride it into the sky as she continued to slash furiously, carving into it. If it had a heart she was going to rip it out.


    The air grew cooler as they ascended even as the brightness increased. She didn¡¯t even notice as they flew through the clouds, the beasts'' squawks growing weaker and weaker as she continued to carve a hole through its back. Finally she found it. The thump, thump, thump of its beating heart. Stabbing it with her Dagger of the Torn Soul she heard one final pitiful shriek as the Dungeon Challenge died. She felt its soul energy trying to escape and clamped down on it with To Slay a Soul as she absorbed it into her own soul, nestling it within her Skill, ready to be called on when she needed it. Only then did she look down as she plummeted back towards the island. She thought she could probably survive the landing with Soul Imbuement so long as she used the corpse to kick off before impact.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The island got closer and closer, moving from blurs of green for the forest and yellow rimmed before giving way to blue water, to slowly becoming distinct tree tops and the sight of small waves lapping the edge of the island. That turned into a view of distinct fronds, and her teammates below, watching her fall. She grinned like an idiot, preparing for what was likely to be very painful, but she¡¯d healed through worse. That was when she felt her descent begin to slow. Glancing over the edge she could see a glowing three-dimensional rune in front of Nate. His Gravity Control rune. She laughed loudly as she descended the last thirty metres gently before alighting on the altar astride the gryphon''s corpse.


    ¡°Painting worthy?¡± she asked calmly, striking a pose, her leathers, hair and face absolutely covered in blood.


    Britt and Null stared at her like she was crazy while Nate laughed quietly. At least he enjoyed her joke. Some people were just too stiff. She strode down towards them. It was time to collect her rewards and as far as she was concerned she had absolutely earned them!


    *************


    Nate rode with the wind in his hair, the alliram¡¯s six legs pumping beneath him as they galloped across the plains and away from the Guild¡¯s Dungeon Fort. Kiri was balancing on her mount, effectively surfing it. He had expected Deverell, who was always so reserved, to have his pupil stop. Instead he had encouraged it, saying it was good training to get used to fighting on the move, and had her draw out her blades and practise various moves while they charged across the grasslands.


    For him, it was time to go over his development from the Dungeon. His rewards had been two Rare Perception Orbs from one of the Dungeon challenges. He¡¯d already applied them both. On top of that he¡¯d gained two levels.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +2 Magic Power, +8 Magic Control, +4 Channelling Speed, +4 Mana Reserve, +2 Mana Absorption +10 Free Stats


    It was a little slower than normal, but that was because they¡¯d completed the Dungeon with extra people present, which led to receiving less processed mana. On top of that, they were getting higher in level and each one seemed to require more and more processed mana. It didn¡¯t help that his classes took more processed mana to level as well, though he shared that drawback with Kiri. But it was a minor thing when he considered that his Classes gave higher Tier skills. Dropping his ten Free Stats into Intellect he moved onto his Skill development.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 24 > 25


    Empowered Runic Artistry 34 > 35


    Runic Creation 36 > 37


    Imbue Intent 38> 39


    Awareness of the Runic Artist 38 > 39


    True Teleportation 28 > 29


    Two of his Skills were now just two levels away from evolution. He was excited to see if his work in preparing for their evolutions would pay off. He still had another week or two he suspected to further develop them in the direction he wanted to go. Bringing up his Status he reviewed his overall development.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    302


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    144 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    65


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    143


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    75


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    60 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    177


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    30


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    202


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    72


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 3


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts (L) Lvl 38 - (+43% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material (M) Lvl 31 - (-15.5% Mana Cost, -40% Time Required)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Awareness of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 39 - (+86% Perception, +18% Creativity, 19.5m Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Imbue Intent (L) Lvl 39 - (35 Intents, 17 Imbued Intents, +19.5% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Runic Creation (L) Lvl 37 - (-72% Mana Cost, +15% Creativity)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Runic Artistry (L) Lvl 35 - (-44% Mana Cost, +97 Magic Power for Runic Arrays)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    True Teleportation (M) Lvl 29 - (290 metres teleport range, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) Lvl 25 - (+39% Magic Stats)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automation (L) Lvl 11 - (-8% Mana Cost, +57% Power, +28% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Metal Shaping (R) Lvl 8 - (-18% Mana Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Minor Spatial Lock (R)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (3) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Obfuscated Mana Soul Engraving (+40% Bonus to Hiding Mana Signature) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    His smile lit up his face. He was coming along nicely, or at least so he thought and to him, for now, that was all that mattered. His mana supply issue was solved with his secret spot near the University''s mana vein. He would put his name down for another Dungeon run when they got back but would likely have to wait a month or two for access. His Skills were almost ready to evolve again. The University classes were just getting started but he was already incredibly curious and interested as they delved into topics he¡¯d never considered. They¡¯d be back in the classroom this time tomorrow in fact. But for now, he was galloping across the plains with friends and having a great time. Life, he thought, was pretty damn good.

 Chapter 123 - Divisive Intent

    Nate sat in his room occasionally glancing at the floating runic array as it hovered off to the side of him. They¡¯d only been back at the University for less than a day and he¡¯d been vastly wrong in his estimation for how long it would take to reach his Skill evolution for Imbue Intent. He had expected that it would take at least another week but already this morning the skill had reached level forty. It was teetering on the verge of evolution as he continued to push his Intent at the runic array, or more specifically, the mana that was creating the scaffold for the runic array. It was hard, and he felt the mana continuously trying to slip out of the shape his intent was demanding it remain in, but even with the challenge of maintaining the mana scaffold, it was working. That made him confident he would get what he wanted out of the Skill evolution.


    As part of the process of attempting to adapt his Imbue Intent skill he was making sure he was only focusing his intent on the mana and runic array formed from it. The idea was that once formed, the runic array shouldn¡¯t require his focus to maintain its shape and should just require him to continually feed it mana. To that end, he was engaging in his true love, art. This painting was for Britt, so she was the focus. It was of her and her three projected shields, defending against the Caticus in the jungle. He intended to have a conversation with her later today, about what she wanted from him and his restrictions. It was a shame, because he did enjoy her company, but he just didn¡¯t have time for a serious relationship. He already felt like he was juggling too many things. It would have been too many if it wasn¡¯t for Frick¡¯s assistance, but that was just proof that he was overloaded. Between his Skill development, University subjects, rune and material projects, creating manerium to fund his future plans, and his art, he already felt like he was struggling to even spend time with his best friend. It didn¡¯t help that Frick kept whispering that if he needed to ¡®relieve¡¯ his stress the Den of Desire¡¯s doors were perpetually open to him.


    That just didn¡¯t leave time for him to have a relationship. Well, at least not a functional one. Britt deserved better than dysfunctional. But he would at least explain it in person. The art was just going to be a gift to soften the blow. Or at least, that was his excuse. He¡¯d likely have been painting anyway.


    Frick and he both looked up from their projects as the notification pinged in the corner of his vision. Frick had been working on a manerium bar that was almost at Epic tier, while he was finishing off a painting. The System message had come through even quicker than he expected.


    Imbue Intent 40 > 41


    Imbue Intent (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Intent that Shapes (M)


    You have used your Intent to command mana. Be it a temporary shift, a permanent imbuement or simply to hold its shape, your intent commands the energy of the universe. The user of this Skill may permanently imbue a number of Intents in any rune they create as well as enforce mana structures. Number of intents able to be imparted to dynamic runes is equal to Intellect / 8. Number of intents able to be imparted to any permanent runes is equal to Intellect / 16. Number of Intents able to be used to maintain defined mana structures is equal to Intellect / 64. Increases Intellect by 1% per Skill Level.


    Conceptual Intent (M)


    You have used your Intent to shift the Subconcepts of Sigils. The Concepts of the universe hear your voice and heed your call. With this Skill you can add additional Subconcepts to runes with your Intent. The user of this Skill may permanently imbue a number of Intents in any rune they create as well as adding additional Subconcepts to the rune. Number of intents able to be imparted to dynamic runes is equal to Intellect / 8. Number of intents able to be imparted to any permanent runes is equal to Intellect / 16. Number of additional Subconcepts that can be added is equal to Intellect / 100. Increases Intellect by 1% per Skill Level.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    ¡°That¡­was unexpected,¡± Nate said out loud, staring at his Skill Evolution options.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Frick muttered as he put down the bar of manerium and floated over to join Nate.


    ¡°I had expected it to be an easier choice. I knew what I was aiming for. But now, does the second option resonate more closely with my intended Embodiment? Because if it does¡­it¡¯s really the choice I should make, right?¡± he asked his Familiar.


    ¡°...it¡¯ll mean a hit to your combat ability though,¡± replied Frick, offering the other side.


    He sat down on his bed to think. The problem was that he wanted to change his Embodiment. He had a semi-coalesced idea of where he wanted to take it and he knew it was going to be a challenge to do so. His Wandering Embodiment had him setting foot in two different universes and one of the Nine Hells. Those were some serious achievements that he needed to override. It wasn¡¯t impossible, but it meant he really needed to take every opportunity he could to try embodying the idea¡­the Concept¡­that he wanted to become his Embodiment. On the other hand, turning down the Skill Evolution he had been aiming for came with its own problems. He¡¯d be limited to three, maybe four if he continued to raise his Intellect, runic arrays at a time. With one always earmarked for a barrier, that made him more limited in his ability to unleash multiple types of attacks or subvert his opponents¡¯ expectations. He¡¯d already seen what some of the second and third years could do in the Combat subject. They often had three to four spells running while also using their Skills. He¡¯d be at a disadvantage.


    Falling back on his bed he sighed. He knew what he had to do. He just didn¡¯t want to do it. Winning the Tournament had made him proud of himself. It was his ego whispering in his ear, suggesting he take the Intent that Shapes option. But that wasn¡¯t what he needed and he absolutely should be thinking long-term. He should also be spending more time on creating more items now that his three favourite creations had been destroyed. With an exaggerated sigh he made his selection of Conceptual Intent before glancing at Frick. The blue goblins floppy ears stared back at him for a long moment.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re feeling down, we could always go ride the Britt rollercoaster,¡± Frick suggested with a toothy grin.


    Nate sighed, ¡°You¡¯re an ass. And what¡¯s this ¡®we¡¯ business?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°She¡¯s seen me go goblin-mode, Boss man. After experiencing the raw power and dominance that is goblin-mode she is definitely down to get Fricky!¡±


    Shaking his head Nate headed for the door. He really wanted to shove Frick in the Familiar Contract for some quiet-time after that spiel but he needed him to finish off the manerium.


    ¡°You stay here. I am going to go talk to Britt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the painting, Boss!¡± Frick yelled.


    He almost wanted to be lazy and grab the painting using True Teleportation, but he held off, trudging back into his room to grab the painting before heading for Britt¡¯s room. Hopefully she was home.


    He knocked on the door to Britt¡¯s room and heard some shuffling before the door was opened. Britt glanced up at him and flashed a smile.


    ¡°Pleasant surprise, come in!¡±


    ¡°Hey Britt, I know you were keen on getting a painting so I made you this one. Can I put it somewhere? It¡¯s still drying,¡± Nate replied, stepping into her room.


    The short blonde¡¯s room was a little messy. Her silver armour was on a stand off to the side. Besides that there were a few books scattered on the table and clothes scattered on the bed and piled on the floor of an open dresser.


    Britt moved past him to her table, clearing it off so he had somewhere to put down the painting. He gave her a minute to look over the painting, as she gushed about it and hugged his side which he returned half-heartedly.


    ¡°Can we chat for a moment?¡± he asked. Best to rip off the bandaid.


    Britt glanced at him and his face, her expression going from excited to what he thought might be disappointment, or maybe hurt. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s going to be one of those kinds of chats? It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re not interested.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not you. I¡¯m just not in a place where I can be in a serious relationship. Between the University, my crafting and painting, the Dungeon runs and just developing, I don¡¯t have the time to devote to a relationship. I was hoping we could stay friends of course. I do like you. I just can¡¯t be that for you, if that makes any sense? At least not right now.¡±


    He felt like he was rambling. He couldn¡¯t decide if he was being mature or an idiot about the whole thing and that just made it worse as he was second guessing himself.


    Britt stared at him, the hurt gone, but a curious look remained in her eyes, ¡°And the Den?¡±


    ¡°Kiri¡¯s stories are mostly just that. Stories. It happened once, and I was so drunk I don¡¯t even remember it. I do have to go back there though. Because of Luc. He sends things there for me to collect that he doesn¡¯t want going via the Guild,¡± Nate explained, the lie coming more easily than he was comfortable with. That said, he definitely wasn¡¯t going to tell her he needed to go to the Den to hand over his self-created goods so that smugglers could collect them and he and his mentor could get paid. That was just asking for problems.


    Britt looked uncertain for a moment, ¡°So, you¡¯re not in a place for a serious relationship? What about a casual one?¡±


    Nate¡¯s brain short-circuited for all of two seconds. He thanked his high Intellect Stat that it was only that long else her comment may have rendered him speechless and looking like an idiot.


    ¡°Purely casual? No strings attached?¡± he asked.


    Britt got a smirk on her face as she approached him and started gently pushing him towards her bed.


    ¡°Purely casual,¡± she agreed.


    He regretted that his first thought was how Frick was going to gloat about this before he forced the thought of his Familiar out of his mind to focus on the moment. And the one that came after. A whole series of moments that were shaping up to be incredibly enjoyable.


    *************


    Nate was sitting at his desk, slowly using Runic Creation alongside Metal Shaping to recreate his Barrier bracer. Once he was done engraving the runes into the material and had it shaped better than the previous bracer, he¡¯d hand it over to Frick to handle the Conceptual Material portion and push the material to Legendary. He might even take the time to go for Mythic. It would be his first piece of Mythic equipment, but he also thought it would be important for the path he was pursuing. His most recent lecture for Concepts and Embodiment had drilled into him what Embodiments were and how they were produced. The simplistic view was that your Embodiment was the Concept you most closely resembled. Some of those were easy enough to aim for, such as the Swift Embodiment, which at a Perfect Embodiment, would let the user temporarily increase their Agility by five times. The interesting part was that it cost no mana to do so. He wasn¡¯t sure how that was possible, but it was¡­a hint that another energy was involved perhaps? He just didn¡¯t know.


    The Swift Embodiment wasn¡¯t even that hard to aim for. You just needed to focus on getting Achievements around speed and agility. Apparently there was an Achievement for having Agility be four times your next highest Stat as an example. There were a bunch of Achievements like that, which he¡¯d never gotten because even in the early stages he¡¯d not gone for doubling down on a single Stat. It also meant that such Achievements were almost impossible for Common Classes. Without Stat Orbs to prop them up their Stat spread was often too close even with the Free Stats.


    So, where did that leave him? His two Achievements for Wandering were overriding everything else he did. Those were of course his multiple universes and setting foot in the Nine Hells achievements. The biggest issue was the quality, or rarity, however it was viewed, of the two Achievements. The first had given him access to a Legendary Class, ergo he was working under the assumption it was a Legendary Achievement. He suspected the Nine Hells might be the same. Possibly Epic, but that was as low as he expected it could possibly be. The rarity, which had done him favours early on, was now working against him when what he needed was to change his Embodiment.


    Thinking about the second issue made him wonder if he would¡¯ve gotten a Traveller Embodiment instead of Wandering if he hadn¡¯t met the Wanderer. There was a second factor that the Professor had hinted was just as important. Your experiences. Professor Kandel hadn¡¯t told them why that mattered, though she had hinted that if they were to progress to Advanced in the Mana and Affinities subject that they would likely find out. He wasn¡¯t sure if the intention was gatekeeping the knowledge or there was a risk with knowing the answer, but he didn¡¯t care either way. At the rate he and Kiri were going they would be in Advanced by the start of the next semester, or if not, the semester after that. They¡¯d find out eventually, but that didn¡¯t help him right now.


    So, he had three problems to solve. Firstly he needed to get some more Achievements that reflected the path he wanted his Embodiment to take. More than that, they needed to be powerful Achievements. It was possible to go with quantity over quality, but that sounded incredibly time consuming. He¡¯d have to slow down his development speed for that, and after witnessing the power of the Demon Lord Sag¡¯thoz and Arikanvil, he wasn¡¯t interested in going slow. He didn¡¯t want to be at the mercy of others. Personal power meant freedom and he was very interested in maintaining his.


    The second part he needed to focus on was his experiences and exposure. He had some ideas around that. The art classes were definitely going to help, as were his graffiti trips, and his crafting. All things he loved anyway. Lastly, he needed to find out the reason that his experiences mattered so much, so he could optimise how he was approaching them.


    Someone entering his sphere made him look up and he called out for Kiri to come in.


    His best friend closed the door behind her as she entered before turning to look at him with a cheeky grin, ¡°So, Britt huh? I thought you were going to let her down softly? Not dick her down hard!¡±


    Frick¡¯s cackling was the background noise to Nate¡¯s forehead hitting the desk as he struggled between laughing his ass off and rolling his eyes. What were friends for, if not for calling you out on your own hypocrisy, he thought, settling in for a chat with his best friend.

 Chapter 124 - See Far or Not at All

    ¡°Do you have to be so crass about it?¡± griped Nate, staring at Kiri as she joined him at the table. ¡°And how did you even know? Was it Frick?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Frick. That¡¯s one of the reasons I swung by, but we¡¯ll get to that. So, what happened? I thought you were going to just tell her you didn¡¯t have time for a girlfriend?¡± asked Kiri, ignoring the comment about being crass. He wasn¡¯t surprised. She could be as bad as Luc when the mood took her.


    ¡°I did. I said that. But, umm, I may have given her a painting¡­you know¡­to soften the blow of rejection?¡± he explained.


    ¡°Talk about mixed signals,¡± snorted Kiri. ¡°Then what happened? Besides the obvious. I don¡¯t need the details. Was hard not to tell, to be honest. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much sex goes on at this University. Might as well call it the University of Desire, if you catch my meaning.¡±


    ¡°Umm, she suggested something casual could work, then you know¡­apparently you really know,¡± Nate replied, putting the bracer he had been working on down next to the cube he had won in the Fourth Hell. Something he had taken to keeping out for inspiration. ¡°Anyway, how are you spying on everyone? I didn¡¯t sense anything.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re both adults, so you do you, just be careful, Nate. Casual probably suits you. You do get a bit¡­sidetracked¡­with your projects and art. Taking risks you probably shouldn¡¯t. Like wandering around the slums with some strange old man?¡± Kiri suggested, raising an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Ah. Saw that huh? Was it Aisling or Deverell¡¯s idea to have me followed? In my defence¡­if he meant me harm he could¡¯ve just run to the guards about¡­you know,¡± he explained. Even hearing his reasons made him suspect he was touched in the head when it came to his art.


    ¡°Dev¡¯s the one who asked, but who knows if the Stormspear put him up to it. Not like we can ask her either for a few months. Never knew that higher tier Dungeon¡¯s got so big. Anyway, I have a few things that we need to work through. Together. Firstly¡­you got a way to make it hard to spy on us? I can¡¯t sense anyone nearby but that doesn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t be hiding themselves from my Soul Sense.¡±


    Nate pulled out a small cube of metal. Sitting a mana-gem in the open-slot in the top of the cube the runic array activated as it started receiving a steady mana flow. It wasn¡¯t his best work but the runic array that combined a mana exclusion barrier rune and a sound obfuscation rune should be enough to handle most spying Skills. The metal cube was only Rare tier so far, but it was Frick¡¯s second priority to keep raising it, the first being the bars of manerium. He suspected it would be a bad idea to keep the smugglers waiting and more wealth was always useful.


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯re good. So what did you want to talk about?¡± he asked his best friend.


    ¡°Your illusion that you used doesn¡¯t hide your soul energy. But I have been thinking about it, and the time I died¡­or whatever it was¡­and how we got into that situation. Can I test something on you?¡± she asked. For the first time in a long-time his best friend seemed unsure, her blue eyes boring into him as he suspected she was trying to gauge his reaction. She didn¡¯t need to worry. He trusted her with his life.


    ¡°Go ahead. If it¡¯s embarrassing though, it stays between us,¡± he replied.


    ¡°And me,¡± Frick added.


    ¡°And the asshole,¡± agreed Kiri.


    Frick lit up with a smile at the insult. That faded away though as Kiri stared at Nate and spoke. He was sure he heard the words. He definitely saw her mouth move. But he couldn¡¯t think of what she had said. His hands rested on the table and he realised he wasn¡¯t blinking. Just staring at Kiri. But why would he stop? That¡¯s what he was supposed to do. But why? Was that the words? The seconds dragged on and then Kiri tapped the table twice with a finger. All of a sudden he could hear everything again. Hear everything and remember.


    ¡°Oh fuck,¡± he whispered.


    She nodded her agreement as he remembered what she had said.


    ¡°Look at me and hear nothing, forgetting my words, until I tap a finger on the table twice.¡±


    That is what she had said. He¡¯d not even sensed the effects in time to do anything about it. It was the battle in Firth Forest all over again. The Enchantress using Suggestion and Command on him. He¡¯d had no resistance then, and he didn¡¯t now. Worse, he¡¯d not even felt it or seen it, like he had when the Enchantress had used her Command skill on him.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Command the Soul and A Hidden Soul,¡± Kiri answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think my Class specialises in the former. That took a significant amount of soul energy to influence yours, even for such a basic command.¡±


    He could see she wasn¡¯t wrong. Her usual soul energy seemed like it was down almost a quarter. That said, he really had to focus with Awareness of the Runic Artist to see it. He ignored the notification that he had reached level forty in the Skill and focused on her soul energy. It was like her soul energy was being obscured. The second Skill she mentioned was his guess.


    ¡°A Hidden Soul is obscuring your soul energy I am guessing? Is that why I didn¡¯t notice you spying on Britt and I?¡± he smirked in amusement to take the sting out of his words.


    Kiri laughed, finally losing the serious expression she had been wearing. He suspected she had been concerned about what his reaction to her using the Command the Soul Skill on him would be.


    ¡°I¡¯m just looking out for you and women in general. Your technique is improving, based on Britt¡¯s reactions,¡± Kiri replied with a salacious wink.


    ¡°Gods damn it. I walked right into that one,¡± he groused, leaning back and smiling as both Kiri and Frick laughed. He joined in a moment later.


    After they had finally calmed down he leaned back in the chair and voiced the obvious, ¡°I need to protect my soul energy somehow so I can¡¯t be influenced by Skills like that. Or at least, not without costing them something to force the issue. I¡¯m never going to be able to match your Willpower. That¡¯s the relevant Stat right?¡±


    Kiri nodded her head in agreement.


    ¡°So, the question is, runecrafted item or Soul Engraving?¡± he thought out loud.


    ¡°You know my opinion, I think. It should be a Soul Engraving. So you can sense the pressure of an attack and it allows for a more¡­adaptable response. Like extra layers using your runes. Can you make an item that could warn you when you are being attacked?¡± she asked curiously.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Probably. Not easily, but probably. I¡¯ve got the Sigils for it, I think. But I agree with you. It should be a Soul Engraving. So much for my obfuscated mana,¡± he sighed, unhappy about losing that effect.


    The moment he pulled out his notepad to start designing the rune Kiri laughed and stood up.


    ¡°Come find me when it¡¯s ready. No wasting time, okay? Barge into my room if you have to. I hate the idea of you being this exposed,¡± Kiri said, heading for the door.


    ¡°Will do,¡± he replied, eyes glued to the page as he scribbled before glancing up and catching Kiri¡¯s attention. ¡°And thanks, Kiri. Really. I should¡¯ve been more aware of the risk. Was it just seeing through my Illusion that made you realise I was exposed?¡±


    Kiri paused at the door and shook her head, ¡°No, it was when I realised my Soul Sense struggled badly with some of the Nobility that I realised that they were shielding their soul energy somehow. Then I asked the obvious question, of why. Was a very short leap from there.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks again. Will have this ready by tonight.¡±


    Kiri grinned and nodded before heading out the door.


    *************


    Kiri walked away from Nate''s room, glad she had put her best friend on the right track. He hadn¡¯t even noticed when she¡¯d slipped a Soul Tether onto him. At least this way the next time he snuck off she¡¯d be able to track him. Plus, once she engraved his soul barrier rune into his soul energy she would see if it removed the Soul Tether. She¡¯d explain it to Nate when she did. He was the one with the head for how this stuff worked. Better to give him all the information, then take his advice. For now though, she had a date with the combat grounds. It was time to go pick on a few first year nobles. She smiled in pleasure at the planned violence.


    *************


    As Kiri left Nate pushed on Awareness of the Runic Artist to keep following her even as she moved beyond its range. He¡¯d been testing this since before their Dungeon outing but this was his first time trying to use it on a person rather than just a location. He felt his sphere of awareness stretch, then a small bit disconnected and followed Kiri. It managed to keep up with her for fifty metres before the attempt collapsed. Another ping in the corner of his vision popped up.


    Awareness of the Runic Artist 40 > 41


    Awareness of the Runic Artist (M) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M)


    The Farsight of the Runic Artist reveals the truth of reality. An evolved version of the signature skill of the Wandering Runic Artist, this Skill lets them peer into the underpinnings of the world we live in, be it runes, sigils, spellforms, concepts or the nature of space. While active the user will receive advanced information about anything within either of their spheres of awareness that they focus on, parting the veil and revealing the truth. Information revealed grows with Skill Level, Perception & Intellect. Enhances Perception by 10%. Increases by 2% per Skill Level. Distance for Sphere of Awareness is Skill Level * fifty centimetres centred on the user. Farsight Sphere of Awareness can be created and manually controlled to move. Maximum range for Farsight Sphere of Awareness is Skill Level * ten metres. Increases Creativity by 18%.


    Hidden Sight of the Runic Artist (M)


    The Hidden Sight of the Runic Artist reveals the truth of reality without revealing the user. An evolved version of the signature skill of the Wandering Runic Artist, this Skill lets them peer into the underpinnings of the world we live in, be it runes, sigils, spellforms, concepts or the nature of space. While active the user will receive advanced information about anything within their sphere of awareness that they focus on, parting the veil and revealing the truth. Information revealed grows with Skill Level, Perception & Intellect. In addition the sphere of awareness is significantly more difficult to detect. Enhances Perception by 10%. Increases by 2% per Skill Level. Distance for Sphere of Awareness is Skill Level * fifty centimetres. The Hidden Sight of the Runic Artist is Skill Level * 2% more difficult to detect. Increases Creativity by 18%.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he cursed.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the System is taunting you,¡± added Frick as he joined him at the table.


    ¡°It really really is,¡± Nate replied with a sigh. ¡°I want both. Like, I really want both. Fuck. Hidden Sight of the Runic Artist would make my sphere of awareness eighty-two percent harder to detect the moment I took this. I might be able to start piercing peoples veils. Would that be additive or multiplicative if I created a runecrafted item for obfuscating my mana? That¡¯s so damn good!¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t have been having this conversation if his dinky Rare tier anti-scrying ward wasn¡¯t sitting on the table still, but he had to admit it felt good to say it out loud, even if he should¡¯ve kept it mental with his Familiar.


    ¡°So, thoughts?¡± he asked Frick.


    ¡°It¡¯s a harder choice, Boss. The last evolution mighta been painful, but you know that your choice made sense since you¡¯re trying to change your Embodiment. You literally had to pick that one, or else, kinda deal. This one¡­they¡¯re both good and neither of them has anything to fucking do with your Embodiment plans. So the question is, do you want to be able to spy on things from further away, or more discreetly?¡± posed his Familiar.


    That was the question. Being able to start checking out peoples Classes without them knowing he was piercing their veils sounded amazing. Might give him ideas, or let him scope out opponents while hidden behind his Illusion runic array. But it would mean he couldn¡¯t spy on things from four hundred or more metres away. Sure, that might be more detectable, but he could literally sit down on the ground and scope out a huge area around him just by roaming his sphere of awareness over it. It also meant he could likely use it to find new Dungeons very quickly. But, was he going to get the chance to even attempt anything like that in the near future? He was likely going to be at the University for at least the next year or two. Maybe even the whole four if he hadn¡¯t gotten everything he needed out of the place by then. Surely that would be enough time to take this Skill to its next evolution.


    He smacked himself in the forehead. He¡¯d forgotten about one of the major reasons he wanted to be able to move his sphere of awareness. For teleporting. He wanted to be able to scout ahead to where he intended to teleport without needing Frick to do it. In the end, that sealed the deal. He¡¯d just have to work on a runecrafted item to obfuscate his mana so he could start piercing the veils around this place anyway.


    With his decision made he selected Farsight of the Runic Artist. Bringing up his Status he looked at the two Skills he¡¯d evolved and their new effects.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 41 - (+90% Perception, +18% Creativity, 20.5m Sphere of Awareness, 410 metre summoning range for Farsight Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Intent (M) Lvl 41 - (42 Intents, 21 Imbued Intents, +3 Subconcepts, +41% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With that done he turned his attention back to creating a powerful soul barrier rune that Kiri could engrave onto his soul. While he scribbled he thought over his plans for the following day. It was to be his first Enchanting lecture. He almost couldn¡¯t wait. After he¡¯d found there were no Sigils beyond Initiate tier in the standard Library at the University he¡¯d given up on finding useful Sigils that way. Apparently the best way was in the lectures themselves, with Enchanting offering the most diverse selection. It was finally time to start growing his repertoire some more. If he didn¡¯t get what he wanted he was seriously considering ways to break into the restricted section of the Guild Library. Because they were standing in the way of him changing his Embodiment. What he needed, more than anything, was to start crafting Grandmaster tier runes. That was how he was going to change away from Wandering. He was not like Arikanvil, and he never wanted to be like that unfeeling, uncaring God.


    It was going to be a busy few days, he thought. Between his first Enchanting lecture; his first manerium delivery; and his plans for another graffiti outing in the Slums. He grinned and doubled down on finishing the rune.

 Chapter 125 - Enchanting Interrupted

    Nate walked into the lecture hall and sat down near the front. The room was barely filled, which he supposed he had been warned about. There weren¡¯t that many people who attended the University with the intention of going down an Enchanting path. The lower grades might have had a few more merchants, who were learning enough to tell the difference between good work and shoddy work, but the Advanced grade was basically for those who were serious about their Enchanting.


    He was clearly one of those people, as he had been waiting for this subject to start for over two weeks. By now he¡¯d had at least two lectures or practises for every other subject. In the case of Art it had just been exposure to the available facilities and a lecture showing off existing artwork that had been completed and donated to the University to illustrate various styles. He¡¯d never had any formal training so it was hard to comment on the styles, but they were definitely less out there than he had expected. The paintings had been mostly landscapes and portraits, much like he¡¯d seen at the induction tests. He had wondered if that was just a function of aesthetic choice by the Nobility. Excluding some rare merchants, they were the wealthy of Etrua and therefore their tastes and opinions influenced art and fashion. Or maybe they just weren¡¯t focused enough on art to experiment. It made him wonder if he should get a bit weird with one of his pieces. Maybe his graffiti?


    He glanced up as the door opened. The man who strode in, which he was guessing was the Professor, looked to be in his late fifties, with black hair going grey, a sharp and angular face and the darkest eyes of anyone he¡¯d seen so far. The black and grey robe the man wore made him look like some dark mage who just needed a witches hat on to complete the ensemble. Maybe with an accompanying sneer? The mental image made him smile and gave him an idea for later.


    ¡°Good morning. I am Professor Jourdie and I serve as assistant to the Head of the Crafting Department at the University. In case that wasn¡¯t clear enough, it means I have an extensive range of Crafting skills, so I can tell when someone knows what they¡¯re doing, and when they¡¯re skating through by cobbling together junk that gives off the appearance of enchanting. That brings me to my first question, which one of you is Nate?¡±


    What the fuck, thought Nate as he raised his hand. This Professor clearly had an axe to grind. Was it because of his ¡®Enchanting¡¯ creation for the induction exam? He thought it had been a close enough approximation for how Enchanters created their enchantments. Apparently not for Professor Jourdie, as the man approached his desk and placed a gem on the table in front of him.


    ¡°Imbue this gem with a water sigil. I don¡¯t care about the quality. I just want you to prove to me you do in fact have the Skill of an Enchanter. The Skill, people,¡± he continued, raising his voice for the rest of the classroom.


    Nate looked down at the gem for a couple of seconds. He could engrave the sigil into the gem, but that wasn¡¯t what the Professor was asking. He was asking to imbue the gem. He could probably also achieve the same outcome with Conceptual Material. That one was a bit more questionable. The Enchanter¡¯s intent is what lingered when they used their Imbue Sigil skill. It kept that intent even when it was ground down into gem dust. He wasn¡¯t certain he could do the same with Conceptual Material. He¡¯d never tested how well a material retained its affinity when destroyed. A future experiment perhaps. So he could maybe pass the Professor¡¯s test, but it would mean using Conceptual Material. If anyone in the classroom figured out what he was doing with some sort of sensory Skill or Spell, that could be the end for him. He would probably end up kidnapped, stuffed in a box and used as a workhorse to produce materials with affinities. That made his choice easy.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he said, keeping his voice firm.


    ¡°As I thought,¡± sneered Professor Jourdie. ¡°Get out of my classroom. Go have your subject changed to something else. Or don¡¯t. Just get out of my sight.¡±


    Scooping up his notepad he walked out of the room, trying to contain his anger and not give the Professor the rise he so desperately wanted. Walking into the corridor he saw there was another student waiting there. The man was casually leaning up against the wall, pale skin framed by bright red hair and a black, white and red suit-like outfit.


    ¡°Kicked out of the Enchanting subject? What a shame, don¡¯t you think?¡± asked the red-headed man, a smug smile on his lips.


    Nate narrowed his eyes, ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    The smug smile transformed into a thin angry line as the man''s blue eyes flashed in irritation.


    ¡°Fabien Lussier,¡± the noble stated confidently.


    Nate just stared at him blankly, ¡°Is that supposed to mean something to me?¡±


    ¡°My Father is the Earl of Dralogne,¡± answered Fabien, the man''s eyes searching Nate¡¯s for a reaction.


    ¡°Okay. And I should care¡­why?¡± Nate asked, intentionally trying to get a rise out of the noble.


    Fabien instead glared at him and started walking off, before calling over his shoulder, ¡°Enjoy not getting to study Enchanting, and a shame about your room. I guess there are just some people you really shouldn¡¯t offend.¡±


    Nate stood outside the classroom, watching the redheaded noble walk away and keeping his seething off of his face. It was nice to finally put a face to the person who torched his room, or had someone do it. It seemed they weren¡¯t done fucking with him though. They were about to learn why that was a truly terrible idea. Revenge might feel good, but that wasn¡¯t going to solve his immediate problem. A lack of Enchanting lectures and the sigils that came with them. Professor Jourdie had mentioned they were an assistant to the Head of the Crafting Department. Perhaps he could appeal to him. Pulling out his unigem it took him a minute to get the directions he needed. Marching off towards the Head of Department¡¯s office in the main building, he noticed he was stomping his feet as he walked. Thinking through his plans he calmed himself down slowly. He¡¯d get his revenge and it would be so sweet to watch. Childish, but sweet.


    Walking into the reception area for the office he was after he saw what looked like a Professor muttering as they left. The fact that they were a Professor wasn¡¯t what drew his attention though. It was the boots and coat he wore. Divine Translation instantly let him recognise the Sigils involved in both as they were runecrafted into them.


    Clean Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Gentle Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    The receptionist, a young woman, looked up at him, ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±


    Nate glanced at her, then at the retreating form of what he suspected was a Professor. He made a snap decision.


    ¡°Sorry, think I got lost,¡± he called back to the receptionist as he turned on his heel and followed the rogue Professor out of the office.


    At first he used his regular sphere of awareness to follow the Professor, but when he didn¡¯t react to it he dropped back further and used his farsight sphere of awareness, maintaining it near the Professor. The man walked across the University grounds, back into the four storey building that had housed his Enchanting lecture. That had been on the second floor of the building but the Professor continued up to the fourth floor before vanishing into a room that was clearly heavily veiled. Nate followed up the stairs, heading for the door the man had vanished into. He raised his hand to knock when the door was yanked open. The Professor stood on the other side, holding what looked like a wand pointed at him.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Why are you following me?¡± the man growled.


    While Nate considered his response he got his first chance to take the man in. Where Professor Jourdie had been thin, all sharp angles, and only just starting to show his age, however old that was, this man was clearly younger. Early forties was Nate¡¯s guess. Or at least that was how old he looked. Who knew how old he actually was. The man had plain features, brown eyes, blond hair, and was maybe a little overweight under his dark green robes.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you about your runecrafted items,¡± Nate asked, deciding the best method to get what he wanted here was by being forthright.


    The Professors glared at him, ¡°Come to make fun of me for giving away my knowledge for free have you? Which noble¡¯s brat are you?¡±


    Nate shook his head, ¡°Not a noble. I¡¯m a member of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    That comment seemed to jolt the Professor out of whatever issue he seemed to have and he finally lowered the wand. Nate however didn¡¯t drop his barrier. If he was going to get attacked, he intended to be prepared for it. Casting his sphere over the wand told him it was using a Sigil he hadn¡¯t considered before.


    Flame Sigil (Quality: Apprentice)


    ¡°How is Flame different to Fire?¡± he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.


    ¡°What?¡± asked the Professor, confusion writ on his face. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Your wand,¡± he explained. ¡°It¡¯s using a Flame Sigil. How does it differ from a Fire Sigil?¡±


    The Professor shook his head, ¡°No, no. It¡¯s a Sigil for Fire I have embedded in this wand. Wait a moment, how are you checking my sigil usage? I concealed it inside the metal core of the wand!¡±


    Nate just looked at the Professor in confusion. Carefully taking out his notepad so as not to startle the Professor, he drew the Sigil he could sense in the rune within the wand. The rune didn¡¯t look very complicated to him, and contained only the one Sigil, which made him suspect the Professor must have some way of controlling the direction or shape of the powered rune. It made him want to use his sphere of awareness to pierce the Professor¡¯s veil and see his Classes, but he suspected such an action was unlikely to endear him to the man. Finishing the Sigil he turned the notepad to face the Professor.


    ¡°This is an Apprentice quality Sigil for Flame. It¡¯s also what you¡¯re using in your rune inside of the wand. A simplistic rune, if I am being honest,¡± he added.


    The Professor snatched his notebook off him and looked at the Sigil he¡¯d drawn. He appreciated that the man didn¡¯t try and flip to other pages, before handing the notepad back to Nate.


    ¡°You¡­drew it perfectly. Do you have some Skill for sensing sigils?¡± he asked.


    Nate considered his answer for a moment, ¡°Not sigils. Mana confluences near me.¡±


    He was a little ashamed at how easily the lie came to him and also relieved at how quickly the Professor seemed to buy the explanation.


    ¡°Rare Skill that. Still, I am very sure you¡¯re wrong about the Sigil. It¡¯s definitely an Apprentice tier Fire Sigil,¡± replied the Professor. ¡°Anyway, what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Have you identified me?¡± Nate asked casually.


    ¡°Why would I? Your veiling item could tell me whatever it wanted. What¡¯s your name then?¡±


    ¡°Nathaniel Weber, and yours?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Professor Marnier,¡± mumbled the man as he worked a unigem half-turned away as he continued to speak quietly. ¡°Ah, found you. Equal first in the Guild Tournament. Not bad but crafting isn¡¯t for brutes¡­hmm¡­advanced results in Art, Skill Development and Enchanting¡­not bad¡­not bad¡­ah here it is¡­primary class Runecaster. Wait, Runecaster!¡±


    Professor Marnier looked up at him and his face transformed from guarded to elated, ¡°Come in. Come in my boy. Welcome to my workshop. Those twats in the rest of the Crafting department are a bunch of fools who refuse to see the value in runes. Always so worried about others stealing their sigils as if the spread of information somehow diminishes them. Fools, fools the lot of them!¡±


    Professor Marnier guided him inside of the room with a gentle hand almost touching his back. He still hadn¡¯t dropped his barrier after all. Entering the workroom he felt his sphere of awareness spread out to take in the contents. He almost laughed out loud as Divine Translation came back, recognising twelve sigils in the pieces of work scattered about the room.


    Time Sigil (Quality: Apprentice)


    Sand Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Rock Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Stone Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Water Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Create Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Recall Sigil (Quality: Apprentice)


    Dream Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Sleep Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Protect Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    The first ten were all interesting and who knew what he would be able to do with them, but they weren¡¯t what drew his attention as he immediately walked over to a small wooden pyramid. Inside of it he could sense a single rune, and the Sigils contained within.


    Sound Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Copy Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Reaching out a hand, he flowed his own mana from his reserve into the spot where he suspected a mana gem was supposed to sit. Immediately the sound of a plethora of voices singing came out. It sounded like an orchestral song, but instead of latin the words were in Etruan, or whatever the language of Etrua was called. It was beautiful and he looked over at Professor Marnier who had his eyes closed and was swaying happily to the music.


    ¡°It was the last performance at the Royal Symphony Hall. Beautiful isn¡¯t it? I made it specifically to capture the sound. Unfortunately the quality is a little low. I was only able to keep the last three songs, rather than the entire performance. Still, better than nothing, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± asked the Professor.


    ¡°Better than nothing,¡± he agreed. He had some other uses for the Sigils, but the singing and music had been beautiful.


    ¡°So, what do you want from me, Nathaniel Weber of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± asked Professor Marnier.


    ¡°An exchange of knowledge, it would seem,¡± he said, pausing to see if the Professor had anything to say. When no response was forthcoming he charged on, ¡°If I am being honest, Professor, unless you¡¯re hiding better work around here somewhere, I am probably better at runecrafting than you are. But I lack Sigils. I¡¯ll help you improve your runecraft, you help me by providing me Sigils, or finding people who have the ones I desire.¡±


    Professor Marnier glanced at him, eyes narrowed in curiosity, ¡°Prove you are better at runecraft than I am. Do that, and I will agree to your offer.¡±


    Nate had expected this and spun two runic arrays simultaneously, creating his Gravity Control runic array in one hand as he hid the sigils by using a Target Obfuscation runic array to blur them, his Conceptual Intent guiding the obfuscation runic array.


    The reaction was priceless, as Professor Marnier gaped at the complex runic array and the absolute mass of Sigils that went into it. As he gaped Nate started floating things around the room, including himself, casually controlling gravity selectively, able to even narrow it down to single items.


    ¡°Deal. Deal. A thousand times, deal! You teach me how to do that and I will raid the other Professor¡¯s workrooms if needed!¡±


    Nate smiled. Finally, he was making some headway on Sigils. Now he just needed to put a noble brat in his place. That would be the task for the evening, but before he could get to that he needed to teach a Professor just what he was doing wrong; it was clear to anyone with eyes that the man didn¡¯t know a mana distribution field from his own asshole. Nate laughed as he sat down with Professor Marnier and began drawing.

 Chapter 126 - One Picture, A Thousand Words

    Nate walked towards the combat grounds with Kiri by his side.


    ¡°Go tell Britt that you want to try having sex while using a Gravity Rune!¡± Kiri whispered next to him.


    The pressure from her Command the Soul warred against his Soul Barrier Engraving, sapping some of his mana as the rune protected him from the command.


    ¡°Cut that out,¡± he whispered back to her with a small laugh.


    Kiri had been practising on him all day. He could understand why. She was attempting to alter the amount of soul energy she put behind the commands while also levelling the Skill. After all it wasn¡¯t like she could practise on anyone else without revealing the Skill. That being said she had gone from basic requests like telling him to touch his nose to more and more outlandish commands, mostly related to Britt. If the cute Defender had been around to hear them her ears would¡¯ve been red from blushing. Nate¡¯s own ears had only flushed at one of the suggestions, when Kiri had thought it would be funny to suggest taking Britt to the Den for a meetup with Florence. It hadn¡¯t helped that Frick had added how proud Luc would be when he found out.


    The pair continued their stroll into the arena. It was time for one of the two weekly Combat classes and so far it had been interesting and far more personalised than he had expected. The lecturers often split the participants based on their fighting styles, then challenged them in various ways. In his case he¡¯d been lumped in with the mages while Kiri was put with the close-range melee combatants. They¡¯d even gotten to spar a couple of times when the mages had been focused on defensive methods against close-range fighters while the warriors had been receiving instructions on how to deal with mages. It had turned into a game of cat and mouse as Kiri and he performed the occasional short-range teleportations, leaving large gaps between them to prevent everyone from knowing just how powerful the Skills were.


    Ever since being kidnapped and taken to one of the Hells he had begun taking any sort of combat practise very seriously. As such, he already had a barrier up, sculpted to his body like a suit, less than five centimetres above his skin.


    Glancing at the field he spotted all the Guildies gathered together as they waited for the lecturers to arrive. Null and Britt waved them over and they joined the crew on the grassy edge of the arena.


    Kiri drifted over to Coralie, planting a kiss on the short blondes lips. Flash didn¡¯t even glance away. If Nate was any judge of the man''s expression, it was one of resigned acceptance. Maybe the Edgedancer had finally given up on Coralie and moved on. He found himself hoping that was the case, because as much as Flash could be an ass, he was still far better than plenty of the noble brats. As for the children of merchants, it was just like Null had said back in the Tournament. A few had reached out, likely to foster future cooperation with some of their interests; beyond that, the Guildies were ignored. Null was the exception to that. He had sensed more than one of the merchant women leaving Null¡¯s room early in the morning. He was just thankful Null''s aura Skill meant he wasn¡¯t also a witness to what went on in his room. The swordsman¡¯s friendly and affable nature, coupled with his good looks and chiselled physique was apparently more than enough to capture the interest of some of the ladies. One of them might have even been a noble.


    ¡°Nate, I gotta ask, was it you?¡± inquired Null as he joined the gathering.


    ¡°Was what me?¡± he replied, intentionally playing dumb. He knew exactly what Null was asking about.


    Britt sniggered in response while Karim¡¯s lips quivered as the Earth Mage tried to remain stoic. Only Ameera didn¡¯t seem amused by it all.


    ¡°Why would you do it? It will cause problems for all of us!¡± the martial artist stated vehemently.


    ¡°What would Luc say?¡± he countered.


    Ameera¡¯s face went blank for a moment before she sighed, ¡°Fine. We fight. It is what we do. Tell us next time though!¡±


    She was right, on both counts. He could have warned everyone before he implemented his revenge against Fabien Lussier. Instead he¡¯d flown solo, thinking of the attack as a personal one. He supposed he could see how his actions, if they could be traced back to him, could be construed as the Adventurer¡¯s Guild taking a position, rather than a spat between two young men. He was lucky that Ameera held Luc in such high regard, otherwise she might have run to the Prefects. Luc had made good on his comment of offering to help teach Ameera. She was like Null, a hybrid build that combined melee capabilities with magical augmentation. Since she used metal, steel specifically, Luc had begun giving her some private lessons and advice. That seemed to have her on board supporting him, even if she disagreed with what he had done.


    Thinking about what he had done, he could see a group of nobles standing around laughing while holding one of his prints. After meeting with Professor Marnier he had the perfect idea for getting back at Fabien. The Copy Sigil offered some very interesting options as it developed to higher Tiers. The Novice version wasn¡¯t going to be very useful for combat, but it was incredibly useful when combined with his Conceptual Intent for copying his own artworks. Then of course his True Teleportation had a range of almost three hundred metres, coupled with an over four hundred metre range on his Farsight of the Runic Artist. It was as simple as breathing, although it cost him a decent amount of mana, to sit in his room making copies of his little print of the second son of the Earl Lussier of Dralogne, then distributing them around the Royal University in the dead of the night. He wasn¡¯t even seen. It was childish. He could see that. But seeing the nobles laughing at their fellow noble made it worth it.


    ¡°WHERE IS HE!?!?!¡± screamed a voice as the object of their laughter stormed onto the combat grounds.


    The Guildies all moved to stand between him and Fabien as the red haired hot head marched towards them. Nate shook his head as he pushed through his fellow Guildies to stand in the path of the noble.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the goblin gobbler himself?¡± called one of the nobles, to the sound of guffaws from his entourage.


    Fabien growled in rage and continued to stomp towards Nate. In response Nate was already subtly improving his barrier¡ª Conceptual Intent used to add the Subconcepts of Reinforcement, Protection and Defense. He was still experimenting with how Subconcepts worked as it seemed to him that two Concepts could be Subconcepts for each other. He wasn¡¯t sure how that worked; whether it was simply the interconnected nature of Concepts or if they were subtly different aspects of the Concepts themselves. Either way, he was also preparing to add an additional rune to the runic array. Fabien had either convinced someone to torch his room, or he had performed the act himself. If he had done it himself, he would use fire. A barrier specifically against fire would be just what the doctor, or in this case, runic artist, ordered.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°How dare you besmirch my good name!¡± yelled Fabien, red in the face.


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± countered Nate.


    ¡°You put those vile pictures of me up all over the University!¡± spat Fabien, spittle flying across the metre that separated them to hit his barrier and slide down it.


    ¡°Got any proof of that?¡± asked Nate, knowing he didn¡¯t. He¡¯d scrubbed the pictures of his mana signature using a mana exclusion rune after placing each one. They wouldn¡¯t contain any of his mana and he¡¯d even had Frick dispose of the paints and paper used.


    ¡°I know it was you!¡± screamed the unhinged Noble even as his fellow nobles continued to laugh at him.


    ¡°Sounds like you don¡¯t have any proof. Shame about the pictures though. I guess there are some people you just really shouldn¡¯t offend,¡± replied Nate calmly, throwing the noble¡¯s own words back at him.


    Fabien choked on his anger before growling out, ¡°I challenge you to a duel.¡±


    ¡°Terms?¡± Nate asked as though he hadn¡¯t a care in the world. He still didn¡¯t like fighting people that much, but he also knew that backing down before bullies just encouraged them. He wasn¡¯t a weak kid anymore. He would defend himself and make it clear in no uncertain terms that he was not to be fucked with.


    ¡°To the dea¡­¡± began Fabien before finally getting a handle on his anger. ¡°To submission. The loser will quit the University.¡±


    Nate tilted his head as he considered the risk. He was confident he could take Fabien. It might mean revealing a little more of his runes, but he doubted he would need to go overboard. He glanced at Kiri to make sure she agreed and she gave him a small imperceptible nod.


    ¡°I accept,¡± he intoned.


    ¡°Witnessed,¡± answered a deep voice.


    Turning he saw an absolute mountain of a man watching from outside of his sphere of awareness. The giant wore expensive black silks and wore a longsword at his hip. His blonde hair and green eyes made him look like he could have been Nate¡¯s older brother, if it wasn¡¯t for the face. Where Nate was frankly, somewhat delicate in appearance, this man looked like his face had been carved from granite.


    ¡°Your word, my Prince,¡± replied Fabien with a formal bow to the man.


    Nate mirrored the action when he sensed everyone else do the same.


    ¡°Well,¡± said the Prince. ¡°You wished a duel. So fight. You will be held to the agreed terms.¡±


    Nate wandered onto the field, using Farsight of the Runic Artist to slowly brute force the veiling enchantment that was hiding Fabien¡¯s Class Core. He took his time as he walked to the field, wanting to drain the enchantment of mana rather than simply break it. It took almost thirty seconds of pressure but the enchantment finally gave way to his Skill.


    Fabien Lussier


    Scorching Flame Bearer (E) (40) /  Scorching Flame Mage (R) (11)


    With a thought he incorporated his Powerful Fire rune into his Barrier runic array. The man clearly specialised in fire and anything else he used was liable to be weaker. This way he could conserve his mana and decide how he wanted to deal with his opponent.


    The prince barely gave them a moment to prepare, calling ¡®begin¡¯ in his booming voice. Fabien reacted instantly, spinning up two spells and if Nate was judging it correctly, three Skills. The Skills were hard to interpret but Runic Knowledge - Concepts whispered impressions to him. He wasn¡¯t certain, but he thought that two of the Skills were enhancing Fire Magic. A conversion Skill that was likely converting ambient mana to the fire affinity and one that was empowering Fire Magic. The last Skill he suspected had to do with absorption, probably of the fire affinity mana. A useful skill set for sustained fights.


    The two spells were obvious in their implementation. One was internal, using heat to increase the man''s speed. The second was a fireball which he launched with precision at Nate. He didn¡¯t even bother to move, letting the resulting explosion wash over his barrier. It was mostly to test how much mana it cost him to defend so he could decide whether it would be better to avoid the attacks with True Teleportation or not. The answer was unequivocally not. Whatever Fabien¡¯s Magic Power was, even with his Fire Magic enhancements, it barely put a dent in Nate¡¯s Mana Reserve.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± he asked casually, trying to make the man angry. If he was angry maybe he¡¯d make enough mistakes that Nate could get away with showing off less of his Skills.


    The next spell to hit his shield was a flamethrower but he could sense through Farsight of the Runic Artist that it was costing Fabien more mana to maintain the spell than it was costing him to maintain his barrier. He decided it was finally time to start responding to the attacks, spinning up an Earthen Projectile runic array which he used to start launching blunted spears of earth at high speed at the noble. Fabien¡¯s speed spell showed its worth as he deftly dodged the attacks while keeping up the flamethrower spell bathing Nate¡¯s barrier in red, yellow and orange flames. The noise inside of his barrier imitated what he imagined it must be like to stand next to a jet engine, the dull roar of the flames washing over him. Sighing, he decided that he had had enough of taking it easy and dropped the Earthen Projectile runic array, taking the time to spin up his Gravity Control runic array. The entire time the flames washed over him uselessly, slowly ticking away at his mana reserve at a glacial pace.


    Fabien continued to move around. Whether that was because the speed spell required it or because the noble was trying to make himself a difficult target, Nate wasn¡¯t sure. But it didn¡¯t matter as he took control of gravity in the area. The fire affinity mana resisted at first and Nate realised the secondary use of such a Skill. It was to make it harder for others to control or influence the mana around you. In a fight over control of fire affinity mana, Fabien must have been confident that he could win. Nate simply brute forced it using Conceptual Intent to add the two Subconcepts of Crushing and Force to the Gravity Control array. A moment later he flexed a quarter of his mana reserve. Fabien screamed as he was bodily lifted, Gravity pressing down on him from every direction as Nate flung him into the air, flying a metre, then two, then three metres, before Nate launched the contorted noble back at the ground with enough force to leave a Fabien shaped indent in the ground. The feedback from Farsight of the Runic Artist and the speed of his mental calculations had been enough to inform him of roughly how much force Fabien could take without dying. After all, the goal was submission.


    Fabien groaned from where he lay, forced into the dirt and grass, Nate¡¯s sphere of awareness informing him that he had at least nine snapped or fractured bones.


    ¡°Do you submit?¡± asked Nate calmly, trying to keep his reservations of inflicting such harm off his face. The man had been asking for it, after all, and it wouldn¡¯t do to show weakness before the other nobles, let alone the Prince.


    The only answer he received was another groan, so Nate turned to the Prince to see if the mountainous man would rule.


    ¡°The duel is over. Nathaniel Weber of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild is the victor,¡± intoned the Prince, before glancing at one noble gent specifically. ¡°Take him to the infirmary, then make sure he submits his leave from the University. He is not to return for four years.¡±


    The noble dropped the piece of paper he was holding and rushed to do the Prince¡¯s bidding.


    The Prince glanced down at the page as the groaning Fabien was carried away, and Nate joined him in looking at the picture. It had the words ¡®If you¡¯ve got a goblin problem, see your local goblin gobbler for a solution!¡¯ pasted across it, with an image that was clearly a caricature of Fabien Lussier fellating a goblin. Childish, but effective.


    ¡°Well fought, Adventurer. Don¡¯t make a habit of it,¡± said the Prince, before stepping on the print with his boot and taking his leave of the grounds.


    Nate glanced over at his fellow Guildies. They wore looks that ranged from apprehension to encouragement. A glance over to the Nobles revealed that the group watched him with looks that could only be described as wary, though as he matched their gazes they finally turned back to the retreating form of one of the Princes of Etrua. What had he just gotten himself into, he wondered?

 Chapter 127 - Nothing without Hierarchy

    Verian Thavian Mazet, Headmaster of the Royal University of Etrua looked across at the only other person present in his office.


    ¡°I am surprised you sided with the Adventurer. Would it not have been better to bring the Earl of Dralogne¡¯s second son closer to your side?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have no use for weaklings. The adventurer had the power to win, so he deserved his victory. We are nothing without hierarchy and the only hierarchy that matters is power,¡± replied Prince Bordain, second-in-line for the throne.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure this won¡¯t alienate some of your allies?¡± queried Verian.


    ¡°The squabbles of children remain beneath us. They will care more that I remain true to our principles than be concerned over the wellbeing of some weak second son. The strong rule, the weak obey. Don¡¯t ever forget that Verian,¡± intoned Bordain in his deep voice.


    Verian nodded and chose to keep to himself his thoughts that Bordain himself was a second son, and arguably weaker than his elder brother. There were some thoughts that you just didn¡¯t speak out loud.


    ¡°Very well. Here are the latest reports,¡± Verian agreed, handing over a set of written reports on their progress and finances. Starting wars was expensive, after all.


    *************


    Nate sat down in the lecture hall next to Null. Skill Development had so far been a mildly interesting class and the swordsman was the only other member of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to warrant an Advanced rating for the course. Next to Null sat Daphne. The brown-eyed brunette had become a fixture next to Null in these lectures and if Nate didn¡¯t miss his guess, a fixture in the man''s bedroom as well.


    ¡°I heard that you absolutely demolished that Earl¡¯s son. What was his name again? Fabio?¡± asked Daphne, leaning forward to talk around Null.


    ¡°Fabien Lussier,¡± answered Nate.


    ¡°And you weren¡¯t scared at all? I heard he was a Fire Mage. The idea of getting burned is so frightening. Just the thought sends shivers up my spine. Though I suppose Null would protect me!¡± she gushed, slipping an arm through the swordsmans.


    Null took the over the top flirtation in stride, glancing at Nate and rolling his eyes slightly before shrugging a little and replying quietly.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s what Adventurer¡¯s do. We take the fights others don¡¯t want. You said your Father¡¯s business has used the Guild¡¯s services before?¡± asked Null.


    Nate tuned out Daphne¡¯s answer. He was surprised that there had been so little fallout from his fight with Fabien. He¡¯d expected some of the other nobles to seek retribution for some ¡®upstart commoner¡¯ embarrassing them. Instead it had been quiet as the grave on that front. He wasn¡¯t sure if the cause was Prince Bordain¡¯s involvement, a name he¡¯d only learned after the fact, or if they were simply wary of him after seeing how easily he¡¯d defeated the son of an Earl. He found that ultimately, he didn¡¯t care. He was quickly realising that while he had plenty to gain from the Royal University, it was less than he had originally hoped. The same seemed true for Kiri. They were catching up in levels slowly. He¡¯d be able to start purchasing Stat Orbs soon. For Sigils, his work with Professor Marnier coupled with his intended Skill evolution should hopefully see him developing in that area. To top it off, he had his little mana gem factory keeping him supplied with all the mana he could ever need. A quick glance at his Skill development over the last few days reminded him of how close he was to his next evolution.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 25 > 27


    Empowered Runic Artistry 35 > 36


    Runic Creation 37 > 38


    Conceptual Intent 41> 42


    True Teleportation 29 > 30


    Conceptual Material 31 > 32


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts 38 > 39


    Metal Shaping 8 > 12


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 41 > 42


    Conceptual Automation 11 > 13


    He had made sure that he didn¡¯t keep neglecting some of his newer Skills, spending a little time using Conceptual Material and Metal Shaping to create metal bars with a variety of weak affinities before using Conceptual Automation to animate them. The resulting constructs also gave him a chance to see how the Skill interacted with runes engraved into the metal bars. The most important part was how close Runic Knowledge - Concepts and Runic Creation were to their next Skill Evolution. Both were Legendary Skills and he wanted to try and push them to Mythic if possible. Thankfully, he finally had the time and the mana to devote to such pursuits.


    He smiled to himself as the classroom door opened and the Professor walked in. Professor Pressley was a short older woman with greying hair and sharp blue eyes. He had never attempted to pierce her veil, but he was quietly confident that she was one of the most powerful Professors on campus. This had been reinforced by seeing how many of the Combat supervisors and proctors gave her a wide berth and always offered her a respectful nod or word in passing. It made sense that anyone who specialised in teaching how to develop your Skills might be unusually talented at developing their own. In this world, with mana and The System, skill development was akin to guaranteeing you could evolve your Classes up the tiers.


    The Professor took the room in at a glance, ¡°Good. You are all here. I¡¯m glad to see some of you are capable of learning about the consequences of tardiness. Now, in the last lesson we revisited the basics of Skill type classification and how it can affect the development pathways when you diverge or converge those Skills. Remember, it is important that you never view a Skill in isolation. Even a Common Class will give five Skills by the time the user has reached the twentieth level and that is important because the Skills you take should work together, feeding off each-other to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Now, I saw a few faces scrunch up at the idea of a Common Class. You have all had elevated opportunities. Most of you probably started at Uncommon. Some of you at the Rare tier. Maybe there is even one among you that started at the Epic tier, rivalling the rumours that surround the Royal Family. Those extra Skills are less important than the tier of Skills offered to such Classes. They present a challenge for you that those with a Common Class will not experience till much later. Who can tell me what that is?¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Daphne¡¯s hand shot up and after a nod from the Professor the excitable merchant explained, ¡°Evolving a Skill up tiers. It¡¯s so much more difficult to make a Rare skill evolve into an Epic skill than it is to take a Common skill to Uncommon!¡±


    ¡°Correct Daphne,¡± responded Professor Pressley, her blue eyes flicking to one of the nobles who had been in the middle of passing a note. After the moment had become uncomfortable she continued, ignoring the now blushing noble. ¡°But why is that? In theory, a Rare Skill will have more features or more power than a Common Skill. Why then is it more difficult to evolve up a tier when the opportunities for evolution should be greater. For example, a Common Skill that gives a minor enhancement to strength when logging has plenty of options for evolution. However, since you cannot skip a tier, the Uncommon evolution options are far more limited because the amount of mana that the Skill can accept is liable to be significantly lower than a Rare skill. So, I will ask again, why is it easier to evolve a skill from Common to Uncommon?¡±


    ¡°Achievements,¡± answered one of the noble ladies.


    ¡°Correct, Lady Vincenza, but next time raise your hand,¡± snapped Professor Pressley, ignoring Lady Vincenza¡¯s uncomfortable gulp. ¡°We have plenty of evidence that shows that your Achievements, specifically their Tier, influence the difficulty in evolving your Skills up tiers. As such, without an Epic Achievement it becomes significantly more challenging to evolve a Rare skill to Epic. We also have some evidence that how closely the Achievement relates to the Skill, or the Concepts involved in the Skill, will also heavily influence how easy or hard it is to evolve a Skill up a tier. Now, that is factual and while the calculations involved are hard to determine, due to the many competing factors, we¡¯re confident in these assertions. There is however, a secondary factor that we¡¯re aware of. It¡¯s more esoteric and makes the previous calculations even more challenging. Anyone have an idea what it is?¡±


    No one spoke up and Nate¡¯s thoughts went to his own suspicions. He had more than once managed to evolve Skills in the direction he desired. Now, a part of that was undoubtedly the way he pushed on his Skills but that begged the question, what was he pushing on them with? The answer was his Intent. He knew Kiri was capable of similar from their discussions, though the way his best friend had described it made it sound like it was far more difficult and challenging for her. He had a suspicion that his Conceptual Intent was to blame. A Skill that helped guide his Intent. He had after all, almost always had an Intent Skill. First Runic Intent, back in his first Dungeon, then Imbue Intent to leave his lingering intent his runes and now his Conceptual Intent, which further let him influence Concepts by adding or altering Subconcepts.


    When no one spoke up he finally raised his hand, waiting for the Professor¡¯s nod before he answered, ¡°Intent¡­intent and desire.¡±


    Professor Pressley, normally a stoic and formal lecturer, gave him a small smile.


    ¡°I suppose I should not be surprised that someone who managed an Advanced rating in the Enchanting induction might recognise the missing piece,¡± replied the Professor. ¡°Nate is correct. Your desires and intent play a factor into how your Skill will evolve, which can include moving up tiers if you¡¯re smart enough to push the Skill in the right direction. Now, the question that should be in all your minds is, why? Why would intent and desire matter? We are not certain to the reasons. I want to be clear, not certain does not mean we don¡¯t have any ideas. It¡¯s that we don¡¯t have any proof our ideas are correct. This is due to certain limitations, which I won¡¯t go into, because I don¡¯t want any of you experimenting with this unsupervised. If you prove you can pass this subject and advance to the expert class, we will start to touch on those topics.


    ¡°Alternatively, I would advise any of you in the Advanced Mana and Affinities subject to pay close attention. It might just give you a few hints. Now, let''s work through a few problems. I will be writing up a list of Skills and their desired evolutions. I want you to list down some known Achievements and methods you can think of to evolve them in the correct direction. One point will be given per correct answer which will go towards grading out of this class.¡±


    With those words the Professor turned the board and began writing, while Nate considered her last words. Why did the Intent matter, and more importantly, how did the Class Core, or The System know what your Intent and desires were? He went back to when he first arrived on Galle. The System had not only recognised that he was from a different universe, but also his encounter with Arikanvil. But both of those experiences happened before he received a Class Core. So it wasn¡¯t the Class Core itself that had recorded those experiences. Was it like Frick? Able to read his mind, his memories? Or was it something else? Worse, what kind of being or existence could read the minds of every single sentient being across the multiverse? The very idea was mind boggling. Assuming that was what it was doing.


    He put that thought away to dissect later as he focused on the class and the problems on the board. He chose to ignore Daphne peeking at his and Null¡¯s answers. If she wanted to cheat to stay close to Null, that was her problem. He wasn¡¯t going to prevent her from doing so. Besides, he had his ¡®private¡¯ class with Professor Marnier later. More Sigils and more runes. He couldn¡¯t wait.


    *************


    Daphne glanced at Null and Nate¡¯s answers. It was interesting to see the paths each took to get to the desired result. The differences were obviously taken from the viewpoint of a hybrid fighter and a mage. Nate¡¯s suggested achievements mostly seemed to be based around experimentation. Null on the other hand chose to focus on Dungeons or monsters to be defeated in specific ways or fighting against more powerful enemies. She knew the rumours that Null had an Epic Primary Class and there were a few saying that Nate could match the swordsman in that regard. No one had managed to pierce Null¡¯s veil, but it was already circulating that Nate had an Epic Class called Runecaster.


    That explained the rumour that he had been kicked out of the Advanced Enchanting subject. Of course those rumours included that Fabien Lussier had bribed the Professor to do so, but such rumours were unfounded and while she believed them to be true, that was hardly her concern. She was more interested in how he thought and why. She had been mistaken to think of him as a crafter. She knew that now, after having personally witnessed his fight with Fabien Lussier. Sure, the Earl¡¯s son had out-levelled the Runecaster. That was mostly a suspicion, but Fabien had bragged about all the processed mana his Father had sent him, while she doubted an Adventurer could get such ready access to the very essence needed to progress one¡¯s Class Core. But whatever advantage the gap in levels that had created for Fabien had been less than useless. She had watched as Nate had stood calmly inside his barrier, bathed in flames hot enough to glass the sand around him and his blond hair hadn¡¯t even been ruffled. No, he was not just a crafter. He was dangerous. Perhaps even more dangerous than she had first suspected.


    She continued to blatantly copy from the Runecaster and her kind-of-boyfriend. Slipping an arm through Null''s, she hugged herself to his side, making sure to press her breasts into him. It didn¡¯t do to let a man forget what you brought to the table, and for all the swordsman''s affable nature, he was an easy mark. He would be useful, even if for only her time at the Royal University.


    Pouting she pointed at the fifth question down the page and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t understand this progression. They barely relate to each other.¡± A lie, but an easy one, after all, what man didn¡¯t dream of helping a damsel in distress. And she was oh so distressed! Cue the damsel swooning, she thought with a smile, as Null began quietly explaining the progression to her, as if she couldn¡¯t have achieved the same result in a quicker way. Oh the things she did for family!

 Chapter 128 - Born to Deliver

    ¡°Why would you overlap these shapes?¡± asked Professor Marnier, pointing at an overlapped square and octagon in the centre of the rune.


    ¡°Mana prefers geometric shapes. But it¡¯s a distribution field. Prefers does not mean adheres too,¡± Nate explained. ¡°By overlapping the shapes we¡¯re increasing the amount of mana that gathers where the two shapes meet. This is ideal for empowering certain Sigils above others. For example, let''s say we didn¡¯t have a Sigil for Ice, we could use this format to link Sigils for Water and Cold or Freeze and create ice without the sigil for it. Another example is if we have a particular Sigil we want to couple with an empowering Sigil. Like, I will use myself as an example: if I wanted to create a barrier that was stronger against a particular element¡­I would put the empowering Sigils and the Barrier sigils around the overlapping area, so they received more mana. Then I would put whatever elemental Sigil near the sides. That way it would get some mana but the rune would clearly focus on the barrier. Not the element.¡±


    Nate had learned that the Professor had recently gone through his Class Evolution at level sixty. As part of that process, he¡¯d been offered the Epic Runecrafter Class, a Class similar to the one Nate himself was masquerading as. This meant the Professor¡¯s Skills had up until now mostly been focused around Enchanting. The offer of an Epic Class had been too much for the Professor and he had dived in head first without considering the impact. It turned out, unsurprisingly, that Enchanters didn¡¯t really care about mana distribution fields. The imbued gem dust they used created mana circuits that had very little loss as they transmitted mana through whatever series of sigils or other controls for the enchantments they created. Thankfully, the Professor was more informed when it came to Sigils, Concepts and Subconcepts, because the fact was Nate didn¡¯t sign up to be a teacher. If he wasn¡¯t getting Sigils out of this deal he wouldn¡¯t have even bothered and left the Professor to his own experiments.


    ¡°I understand,¡± nodded Professor Marnier. ¡°Rather than mana circuits you¡¯re controlling mana distribution using the shapes of the rune. I¡¯ve heard you can create them in the air, without any material substrate?¡±


    ¡°Mana scaffolds. Mana in a geometric shape attracts other mana. It¡¯s far less mana efficient than using a physical material, but it works if you need to adapt on the fly,¡± explained Nate. The question got him wondering if the same would be true if the geometric shape was formed from soul or demonic energy. Experiments for future Nate.


    ¡°So, that should give you enough to improve your runes and make them cost significantly less mana. Maybe next time you¡¯ll be able to record the entire symphony,¡± he suggested. ¡°So, did you get the Sigils I asked for?¡±


    Professor Marnier extracted a notepad from his own spatial storage and Nate glanced at the two drawings with a grin.


    Metal Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Size Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    ¡°I could only get the Size Sigil at the Initiate tier. I couldn¡¯t find anyone who would admit to having a higher tier version.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± replied Nate. It was annoying, but if his Skill evolution went the way he intended he could figure out how to grade up his Sigils with enough time and mana.


    ¡°Next time I will go over how runes can interact to form runic arrays. You do have the Runic Intent Skill right?¡± Nate asked.


    ¡°Yes, it was obviously the best Skill from the options available,¡± answered the Professor. ¡°What Sigils were you after for the next lesson?¡±


    ¡°Distance and Direction, if you can find them.¡±


    ¡°And if I can¡¯t?¡± queried Professor Marnier.


    ¡°Then find some that you think will interest me. You¡¯re a smart guy, Professor. I¡¯m sure you can figure out some that I might be interested in,¡± responded Nate, getting up from the workbench and heading for the door. ¡°See you in a few days!¡±


    Walking down the stairs towards the building¡¯s exit he considered his next move. He had something to do later that night, but Britt had asked him to drop by for a little while after his late ¡®class¡¯ with Professor Marnier. With a smile he headed in the direction of the dormitory. He had an hour or two to kill before he headed to the Den of the Desire.


    *************


    Closing the door behind him he left Britt¡¯s room, strongly considering the moral implications of using his Life Drain rune on others without their consent. He had to admit, this was the first time he was lamenting his lack of physical stats. Britt clearly had him beat in Strength, Endurance and Constitution. If it wasn¡¯t for his respectable Dexterity stat he doubted if he would¡¯ve been able to keep up with her. That being said, his hand was sore and he suspected he might have a few bruises. The pain was undoubtedly worth it, but there was something to be said for the soothing balm of restoring himself by draining the life energy from something. Maybe he could find some rats around the Den.


    Shrugging, he checked his spatial storage to make sure the two bars of manerium were in there. The agreement with the smugglers had been one per week and he¡¯d already missed the first delivery window due to their dungeon excursion. An excuse he hoped didn¡¯t cause issues with the smugglers. Sending out his farsight sphere of awareness, he began teleporting across the city. He considered using his farsight sphere of awareness to try and spot Kiri as he appeared near the Den of Desire, but decided against it for now. Better to watch out for himself than try and search for his friend.


    The bouncer gave him a nod as he entered the Den, which made him wonder if he had been here too often. Walking up to the bar he checked if his contact was in, only to be informed she was with a client and would be available in a little while. With a nod he ordered a drink and found a table in a corner of the room. Taking out his notepad it didn¡¯t take long for the first escort to approach him. The woman had straight black hair, done up in a coif and held in place with a green pin which matched her eyes. The blue satin dress completed her outfit, loose enough to blow in the breeze or hug her form. He had to admit the outfit was perfect for accomplishing what he suspected was the goal, hinting at what lay beneath.


    ¡°You¡¯re Nate, right? The artist?¡± she asked coyly. When he nodded she rushed on, ¡°Florence and Adrian showed me the paintings you did of them! They were so gorgeous! What would I need to do to get one as well?¡±


    The tone was suggestive enough that he knew what she was offering, but he didn¡¯t need a reason or excuse to engage in the creation of art. Besides, he had a little time to while away. Might as well spend it creating art.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Mind drawing the curtains?¡± he asked, indicating the curtains that could be pulled out to shield the corner of the room.


    She giggled flirtatiously as she drew the curtains and her movements indicated she was putting on a show, which made him regret not being clearer. When she approached him, sashaying and starting to drop the blue dress over her shoulder he shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. Would you mind arranging yourself over there however you want to be painted?¡± he asked, indicating a corner of the seating with a few cushions.


    Ignoring her look of confusion as she backed away towards the location he specified, he reached into his spatial storage and pulled out an easel, a blank canvas and started arranging his paints on the table around his unfinished drink. The candlelight from the table made for an interesting lighting situation, and he glanced over to check that the woman was comfortable. She wasn¡¯t. She seemed unsure.


    ¡°Relax, the painting will look better if you look natural,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°But, what about payment?¡± she asked, confusion writ on her face as she tried to move into a more natural position.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve got an hour and I don¡¯t need much of an excuse to paint. Besides, this lighting is new for me. Just try to hold whatever pose you choose, which is why it¡¯s better if you get comfortable,¡± he added.


    She finally seemed to relax and settled into the cushions, the blue satin clinging to her. It was such a perfect image to paint, between the flickering candlelight and the shadows thrown across her by the folds of her dress. He lost track of time as he painted, only becoming aware as he sensed someone approaching his corner of the room through his sphere of awareness. Glancing up before the curtain had even been parted he saw one of the bartenders peaking in, eyes scrunched in confusion when he saw the escort was still clothed.


    ¡°She¡¯s ready for you,¡± he added, before closing the curtain.


    Looking back at the painting, he added the last few finishing touches before he started packing up his paint supplies. The escort tried to thank him but he explained it wasn¡¯t necessary before confirming she had somewhere to keep the painting while it dried. If he was being honest, her reaction when she saw the painting had been payment enough and it had been fun to paint the piece. Heading upstairs he drew his sphere of awareness in. He really didn¡¯t need to see what was going on in the various rooms around him and while it was perhaps a little risky he still had his barrier up so he wasn¡¯t completely unprotected. Entering the same room where he had met Luc he found the woman waiting for him, touching up her makeup after her last customer.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she said, without turning away from her mirror, hazel eyes glancing at him. ¡°They were annoyed but I explained that you might have had to leave the city on an errand and that I was sure you¡¯d have both when you got back. You do have both, right?¡±


    To answer her question, he removed the two Epic quality manerium bars from his spatial storage. She glanced at them hungrily and it made him wonder what Luc was paying her. Hopefully it would be enough to keep her honest, though greed did funny things to people.


    ¡°We good?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± she replied, standing up to scoop up the metal bars before glancing at him. ¡°Well? Off you go then. A girls gotta keep a few secrets doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    He tried not to laugh at that and nodded, heading out the door and out of the Den. Hopefully this plan of Luc¡¯s panned out, because it was his path to making up for his Stat Orb deficiency. As he left he scanned the area with his farsight sphere of awareness. He noted there were at least two individuals watching the square, but when neither reacted to his sphere or himself he guessed they were watching for someone else. Ducking into an alley he began his teleportation journey back to his room. He had a date with some Skill development.


    *************


    Lothar did his best not to freeze as he felt the sensory skill pass over him. Keeping his eyes scanning the square and ignoring his target, he waited for another twenty minutes even after the kid had vanished. This job was more dangerous than he thought. But it was done. The sighting was enough for the boss. They would just have to decide what to do with the information he had gathered. Climbing down from the roof he headed for the warehouse. Hopefully this wouldn¡¯t blow up in their face, else he¡¯d need to get out of here real fucking fast. This shit wasn¡¯t worth dying for, no matter how attractive the face that was paying them was.


    *************


    Kiri ground her teeth in annoyance. She had followed Nate out but he was just sitting in the Den. She had hoped he would only visit for a moment, maybe to drop off a painting or something, but given where she could sense him, using her Soul Tether, and the position of the others in the Den, based on her Soul Sense, she knew he wasn¡¯t coming out for a while.


    The question was, did she stay here and wait, missing her debut. Or did she trust him to handle himself. In the end, she wasn¡¯t his babysitter and he wasn¡¯t out painting walls in the Slums. He should be fine here. With that thought she began using Soul Shift to cross to the edge of the Merchant¡¯s District where it came up against the Slums. The Pit, as it was called, was the go to place for all your fighting and brawling needs. The meaty looking bouncers let her in at a glance when they recognised her.


    The noise washed over her as the door closed behind her. That and the smell. Sweat, blood and unwashed bodies intermingled in her nose as the sound of men and women screaming for violence filled the room. The fight looked like it was coming to a close as some scarred woman with a red mohawk continued to punch some bald behemoth into the sandy floor of the miniature arena. The poor guy had seen better days apparently.


    Skirting the edges of the room she made her way over to Petrov. The slimy bastard was as fat as an okra and just as ugly. But he was about as honest as you could hope an okra would be. She had asked around and apparently he never short-changed his fighters. Honour amongst thieves or some other bullshit, she thought.


    ¡°Was startin¡¯ to think you wouldn¡¯ show,¡± said Petrov as she approached, the big bastard leaning forward and sucking on his teeth. ¡°Ya¡¯re up next. You ready? This ain¡¯ tha fuckin¡¯ Guild. No weapons. No healers. Jus¡¯ you, ya fists and the sand.¡±


    ¡°I told you I got this. What are the odds?¡± she asked, bouncing from foot to foot a little as she prepared to throw down.


    ¡°Ya¡¯re five to one, since ya¡¯re under-levelled for tha under sixties division. How much ya puttin¡¯ on yaself?¡± he asked.


    She handed over the gold that she had exchanged some mana gems for. Places like this preferred coinage to the gems. Easier to move. Easier to measure. ¡°Tha¡¯s a lotta gold girl. Ya sure?¡± he asked.


    She just grunted in response. She was done talking. It was time to fight.


    Petrov nodded, handing the pouch to one of the thugs around him, ¡°Split it up ¡®cross a few bookies. Bring tha slips back to me for holdin¡¯. Well go on girl. Get down there.¡±


    With her bet handled she headed down to the sandy floor. A couple of people were raking the sand, hiding the blood stains, as if that would ever be enough to conceal what this place was.


    Her opponent walked out the other side. A sailor at a guess, his bare chest tanned and tattooed, which matched his bald head. Kiri was tall for a woman, but her opponent was bigger still. That just made her grin as she balled her hands into fists. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, she thought to herself as she waited for the bell to ring and the fight to start. A moment later the bell rung and she rushed across the sand, kicking it up behind her as she started using Soul Drain and Soul Imbuement. Without blades this was going to be a fight of attrition and she intended to bleed her opponent for all he was worth. She laughed in joy as she dodged his first swing. It felt good to finally be paying her own way by doing what she was good at!

 Chapter 129 - War for Embodiment

    Nate sat with most of the Guildies as Professor Kandel delved into the basics of Embodiment.


    ¡°It¡¯s the topic you¡¯ve all been waiting for. What is an Embodiment, what does it do, and how do you get one?¡± she asked. ¡°Some of you may know a little from your families or mentors. But if that¡¯s the case, you should have done better on your induction tests. So, we¡¯re going to rehash the topic. The first question, what is an Embodiment? It is ultimately, how you connect to the Universe. It is an incredibly personal thing. Some define it as the Concept you most closely represent, but I think that is an oversimplification. I will use Etrua¡¯s Royal Rangers as an example. Every one of their members possesses the Embodiment of Swiftness in some form or another. Every single one. Now, do they all most closely align with the Concept of Swiftness? Doubtful. It¡¯s a forced Embodiment, created through training, achievements and Skills.¡±


    One of the noble¡¯s hands shot up and Professor Kandel waved her down.


    ¡°Yes, I know you¡¯re all wanting to know what it does. It¡¯s not a secret. It makes anything movement related faster, multiplying the users Dexterity and Agility. The amount it multiplies depends how closely they managed to align themselves with the Concept of Swiftness. I suppose I will answer the follow-on question that always comes with this example. The reason all Royal Rangers are required to aim for a Swiftness Embodiment is to allow them to escape from more powerful opponents, be they beasts or humanoids. Their job is information gathering. Being able to escape with the information is so important that they adopted training methods to guarantee at least a partial Swiftness Embodiment,¡± explained Professor Kandel, walking back and forth as she spoke.


    Nate smiled as he finally had an explanation for why Jorge was so fast. He had a Swiftness or similar Embodiment that was multiplying his movement speed. He leaned forward in his chair, curious about what would come next. He had to know how to shift his Embodiment. He did not want to be a Wanderer!


    ¡°From this, we can surmise two things. One, an Embodiment can be forced and therefore it is not necessarily the Concept that you as an individual most align with. Two, Achievements and Skills are the strongest factors in determining your Embodiment. If they do not lean enough in a particular direction you will end up with a partial Embodiment. The lowest-level is a fragmented Embodiment. This will give the user a broader bonus, but the impact is far reduced. Now, why should you care?¡± she asked the class, looking out over them.


    Nate glanced around, locking eyes with Kiri for a moment before moving on to surveil the rest of the room. Finally, it was a man he didn¡¯t know who answered.


    ¡°Because, a Perfect Embodiment is a force multiplier,¡± answered the short dowdy merchant.


    ¡°Precisely!¡± shouted Professor Kandel. ¡°If you can align your Embodiment with your Classes, made easier by the influence of your Skills on it, and achieve a Perfect result, then you will be able to perform better than your peers in whatever your discipline is! You want to be the best merchant in Etrua? Well, you best learn how to read people or assess the worth of objects brought before you. Probably both. You want to be the greatest Earth Mage ever to grace these halls? Best learn to draw on earth more easily than anyone else, or better, have your Magic Power be so overwhelming that you can bring down city walls!¡±


    ¡°So now we know what an Embodiment is, a summary of your most prominent achievements and your Skills, linked to a conceptual idea. We also know what it does. A force multiplier for your discipline of choice. So, how do we get one? Or more importantly, how do we get the one we want? Because make no mistake, not all Embodiments are created equal. Do you think the Embodiment from a few Uncommon Achievements and Skills will be the equal of an Embodiment from a few Epic Achievements and Skills? The answer is of course, no, it will not. I¡¯ll demonstrate this with a story. A true story. In the Kirshell Mountains there is a Clan whose leader is said to be a rival for our very own King. He has widely made it known what his Embodiment is. It is Preemptive. An unusual one, and not one we have heard of anywhere else. Now, anyone want to guess what it does?¡±


    Nate thought about it for a moment. Preemptive. To act first. Did that mean that so long as this Clan Leader acted first he received some sort of bonuses or multipliers? He raised his hand. After Professor Kandel nodded he answered.


    ¡°Multiplies all his Stats when he acts first?¡± he said, turning it into a question at the end. He wasn¡¯t sure after all.


    ¡°Point for you, Nathaniel,¡± she replied, using his full name. ¡°We do not know the precise duration as he has never shared that information. Nor how much it multiplies his Stats.¡±


    Turning back to the rest of the class she continued, ¡°That should give you an idea of just what you might aim for. Now, all of you will already have started to show signs of your Embodiment. The very fortunate or the very talented may even have their existing Embodiments aligned across your Classes. This is the reason we do not accept anyone over level forty to the University. You need at least the time from climbing the twenty levels to receive your Tertiary Class and Embodiment to have a chance of changing it, if that is what you want. So, how do we go about changing it? You already have your answer. Achievements and Skills. Your Embodiment will align to your strongest Achievements and Skills. If you want to change your Embodiment you need to get out there. Acquire new Skill Synergies and Evolutions, and Achievements. You¡¯ll need to overwhelmingly change your direction if you don¡¯t want to end up with a partial Embodiment, or worse, a fragmented one.¡±


    She looked around the room to make sure everyone understood the serious nature of the discussion.


    ¡°Good. Alright, notepads out. I¡¯ll be putting up three problems on the board. Each will define an existing set of Primary and Secondary Classes and their Embodiment. I¡¯ll also include their three highest rarity Skills and their levels. Then I will define whether their goal is to reinforce their Embodiments or change them. You¡¯ll need to describe how you would go about achieving their goals. One point per correct answer, going toward you graduating from this subject.¡±


    Nate began writing down the problems even as he thought over his own dilemma. He was one of those who wanted to change his Embodiment. He wasn¡¯t sure what an Embodiment of Wandering would gift him, though he had some suspicions. But that wasn¡¯t who he was or what he wanted. He was merely being driven in that direction, mostly from what he suspected were two Legendary Achievements. Though perhaps True Teleportation wasn¡¯t helping. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    That didn¡¯t matter though. He would find a way forward. He knew what he wanted. Creative. That was what he felt he aligned with. It was what he did. He created. Created art. Created runes. Created opportunities. Even when he wasn¡¯t doing it intentionally, when it was an accident, he was always creating. Now he just needed the Achievements to back it up. Creating a Grandmaster Rune was on his list. That should be a Mythic Achievement. But that wasn¡¯t going to be enough. He needed to create in more than one medium. He suspected he might even need as many as four Legendary or better Achievements with the idea of Creating to completely drown out his two Wandering Achievements.


    With a smile he got to work on the problems on the board, as a part of him continued to work through his own problems. He had seventeen levels to go. He could even delay his progression if needed. Because if there was one thing he was certain of, it¡¯s that he was going to get the Embodiment he wanted and it was going to be perfect. And that meant that tonight, he was going back out. It was time for a new artwork in the slums.


    *************


    Nate had to acknowledge that the old man had been true to his word. The painting still stood, unmarred and unharmed. The people of the slums had even avoided putting anything in front of it that might hide it. He¡¯d been unsure at first what to paint when he had first been brought here by the man with eyes who could pierce his rune-driven Illusion. But in the end, the old man had been the inspiration. The man¡¯s tanned chest and clothes made Nate suspect the man had been a sailor. What had sealed the deal was his memory. Without his vastly increased Intellect Stat he might not have remembered the spear-wielder from the Guild Tournament who was able to wield water. The similarity was hard to see under all the wrinkles, but it was there. A sailor whose grandson was also a sailor. So, with sailing as the inspiration, he had painted a scene from the docks. He wasn¡¯t sure how well he captured them, as he had never visited the area by the ocean personally. But he had seen them from a distance and with his heightened Perception he had the basics. A multi-generational image of the boats being loaded, children playing nearby or running messages, young men and women with sunkissed skin loading the sloops and older men and women talking or directing the whole process.


    Running his fingers over the sandstone he marvelled at how well the paint managed to remain. Mana, magic, even now it was still amazing to him. The paint was uncommon. What that meant, he had no idea, but it certainly handled wear and tear from the sun and sand well enough.


    Farsight of the Runic Artist sensed the old man long before he arrived. He wondered how the old man knew he was going to be here, or if he just came every night.


    ¡°Back fer more, eh, younglin?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± Nate replied, matching the smile that bloomed on the old man''s face. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask your name last time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Cutter, lad. Now, what¡¯ll it be tonight then?¡± asked the old sailor.


    ¡°Will the store owners care if I paint the front of their shops?¡± he answered with a question of his own.


    ¡°Nah, lad. Anythin¡¯ that adds a bit colour is better than nothin.¡±


    ¡°Which one sells fabrics then?¡± Nate replied, looking over the various warehouse and shop fronts.


    Cutter pointed to a store in the middle and a quick review with Farsight of the Runic Artist confirmed that the shop was full of bolts of cloth and some wool. No sign of silks, but he wasn¡¯t surprised considering where he was. That didn¡¯t matter for his next artwork though. He wanted to paint a festival of fabrics. With the faces of people obscured by the various fabrics. With a glance back at Cutter, who was settling himself in on the edge of the fountain, he started taking out his paints and got to work.


    It took him almost three hours to get the painting exactly as he wanted, but he was more than pleased with the result. The finished artwork was a riot of colours, with the people in the painting swirling in the street creating overlapping geometric shapes of colour from their clothes, with the ocean in the background. It was definitely a different style of art to what he normally attempted. Of course, he¡¯d also included a rune in the painting. Being able to abuse his Conceptual Intent was interesting for his artworks. His others had all been focused on inspiring emotions directly, but for this one, he wanted to try a different approach. Multisensory was his idea, and so with his new Sigil for Sound he¡¯d been able to use Conceptual Intent to specify the sounds. The sound of the beach and the swishing of fabrics is what he had gone with. It was faint, barely a whisper that might make you unsure if you actually heard it unless you were close by.


    ¡°Neat trick,¡± commented Cutter, approaching the artwork. ¡°Differen¡¯ style ta ya other ones. I like it though lad. Feck meh but I really like it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the store owner will?¡± he asked.


    Cutter laughed, a gravelly sound, ¡°Lad, I¡¯d be more worried bout tha other owners harassin¡¯ ya fer their own paintings! Ya goin¡¯ ta make each one¡­unique?¡±


    Nate stopped and turned to look over the rest of the store fronts and warehouses. Plenty of opportunities for more experimenting. For more creating.


    ¡°You know, Cutter, I think I will,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°But not tonight.¡±


    ¡°Aye lad, not tonight. Well, dun ya worry. Ol¡¯ Cutter will be around when ya come by next.¡±


    Putting away his paints he started his teleporting journey back to the Royal University. He still had a Skill to evolve and some new Sigils to work with. He also had a puzzle box that continued to hold onto its secrets. One day, perhaps, he wouldn¡¯t be constantly busy. But that day was not today. Or tonight, he supposed.


    *************


    Garnet stood over the burned corpses of her countrymen, the fires continuing to lick at them as they were turned from cooked meat into ash. Sapphire was questioning the Captain leading this small squad of Royal Rangers. After he was done they would cross the border back into Asmuisil, where evidence of the Rangers passing would be very carefully left. Enough that the next squad sent would find it, but not so much that it would lead them to question whether or not the squad had continued deeper into Asmuisil. That would be Sapphire''s job, the deceptive bastard. She just couldn¡¯t understand what her Master¡¯s goal was. She had thought it was just wealth. Wealth to buy allies. To fund his own ascent. How would war with Asmuisil help him with that? It was a conundrum and she hated not knowing.


    The sound of crackling ice signified the death of the squad''s Captain, an icicle piercing the man''s heart. Sapphire was taking no chances with leaving any evidence. She watched as he slipped the corpse into his spatial storage. Evidence for later perhaps, or just to conceal it. She wasn¡¯t sure which and Sapphire never shared his plans with her. Just another way for him to exert his power over her. How she hated it. How she hated him.


    ¡°Clean up and move out. We¡¯re going deeper this time,¡± the frozen bastard said to the group. ¡°Another Dungeon Fort is the target. So more rewards to go around!¡±


    The group cheered while she grit her teeth. What the fuck was going on and what had she gotten herself into? She was beginning to wonder if her Master was more mad than power-hungry. How would that play out for her? She¡¯d be lucky to escape with her life. Shoving down her misgivings, she began jogging with the rest of the war party, ignoring the ashes she left scattered in her wake.

 Chapter 130 - Affinity for Questions

    Nate glanced at his Skill improvements from the last week as he started packing up his notes from the class on Concepts and Embodiment.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 27 > 28


    Empowered Runic Artistry 36 > 37


    Runic Creation 38 > 39


    True Teleportation 30 > 31


    Conceptual Material 32 > 33


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts 39 > 40


    Metal Shaping 12 > 15


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 42 > 43


    Conceptual Automation 13 > 14


    Since it had been a week since his last delivery of manerium and as this was his last subject for the day he intended to head to the Den shortly to make good on the weekly drop-off. But first, there was a question that had been nagging at him throughout the week, and he was hoping that Professor Kandel had the answer.


    ¡°Excuse me, Professor, can I have a word?¡± he asked as he stood.


    ¡°For my best student, certainly,¡± answered the Professor, pausing in her walk towards the door to wait for him by the board with today''s problem scribbled all over it.


    ¡°Best?¡± he queried in confusion. Surely some of the nobles were better educated on the topic, even if there weren¡¯t as many of them in this grade of the subject as there were Guildies and merchants.


    ¡°Fishing for compliments doesn¡¯t suit you at all, Nathaniel. I much prefer the eager and astute student. But that wasn¡¯t the question you wanted to ask and my time is limited, so what is on your mind?¡± replied Professor Kandel, an amused twitch of her eyebrow taking any sting out of her words.


    ¡°I was wondering about higher tier Sigils. Obviously they¡¯re incredibly rare, but that got me to thinking, does every Concept have Sigils in the higher tiers?¡±


    ¡°That is quite the question. Worse, it¡¯s a difficult one to answer. You¡¯re obviously exposed to the dearth of Sigils due to the hoarding of knowledge. Not a surprising trait in people when in the case of Sigils knowledge has a direct correlation with power. Do you know the most common method for Sigil discovery?¡± asked the Professor.


    Nate thought about it for a moment. In the end he realised he didn¡¯t know. He had mostly gotten his Sigils from other people, other runes or books. He only had the one he discovered on his own and it had been the lowest tier there was. Initiate quality. So where did people normally discover new Sigils? When he couldn¡¯t come up with an answer he shook his head.


    ¡°Spells. Usually from new spells received as Dungeon rewards,¡± answered Kandel. ¡°Normally you¡¯d learn this in the Spellforms subject, but I happen to know you¡¯re not taking that class just yet. An interesting choice, for a mage, if I do say so. Do you know what a spellform is? How and why a spell works?¡±


    He shook his head and he saw a moment of indecision on the Professor¡¯s face before she sighed and pointed to a seat.


    ¡°Sit. This is going to be quick because I have another class to get to. But they can wait a few minutes while I explain this. I will start with a question. What is the purpose of mana affinities?¡± she asked.


    ¡°In a material?¡± he countered.


    ¡°In anything!¡± she stated, a knowing smile on her face.


    He had never really considered the question. He knew, academically, that he personally had a high affinity for spatial mana and that it was a requirement for his Realmwalker Class. But beyond that he¡¯d never considered his personal mana affinity. He also knew Kiri had more than one decently high affinity. Soul and Shadow of a certainty. Maybe others? Did that mean on a cellular level he had sigils in his molecular structure? That seemed¡­doubtful. Following that line of thinking he started considering other crafts beyond his own runecrafting. Blacksmithing, alchemy, even something like carpentry or tailoring. What was the benefit of affinities to them for materials? Obviously, if they only worked with specific materials, like a blacksmith working with metals, having better materials would improve the outcome. A stronger metal meant a stronger sword.


    Kiri¡¯s reward choice from the Tournament had been a sword that empowered Skills or Spells used through it due to its affinity for mana. That idea broke down when it came to alchemy though. They used¡­everything, as he understood it. The size of the materials they used were smaller and he¡¯d heard that most of the effects of alchemy were temporary. But that still didn¡¯t explain how they could take something solid, with an affinity, and distil it down into a liquid. Maybe a Skill to bridge the gap, but even that wasn¡¯t a certainty. Before he could continue down the rabbit hole of his thoughts Professor Kandel snapped her fingers to get his attention.


    Shaking her head she smirked, ¡°Too clever by far. And too expressive. You should consider getting a Social Skill for that if you can. Watching your face I could literally see you jumping from one idea to the next. So let me stop you there. Let me pose two different questions to you. Hopefully that will lead you to the answer. What is the most important Stat for a Mage and why would a higher affinity be the difference in power between two Mages with the exact same Classes, Skills and Stats?¡±


    His gut reaction was to say Magic Power, but he backtracked on that immediately. His guiding light towards the answer was Luc. Luc had more than once hinted that his highest Stat was in fact Magic Control. What did a higher Magic Control do? It improved your fine control over mana. And Spellforms were just shapes built from mana. Complicated shapes. Three-dimensional by their very nature. But still, just shapes. He almost wanted to facepalm as he came to the realisation.


    ¡°There are Sigils embedded in the Spellforms and a mana affinity that aligns with the Sigil or Concept would enhance the spells power.¡±


    It was just like his runecrafting, in a way. Their Magic Control let them create the exact shape rather than the mana dispersion fields he used. They saved on mana in that way but the price was the higher control needed to form the exact required shapes. Thinking about it he suspected it would become incredibly difficult at the higher tier of spells, where the shapes required were likely incredibly complex. It also meant a mage was for the most part limited to spells of a type they had a mana affinity for. Worse, the level of their affinity would be a constant impact on how efficient or powerful their spells were. Unlike him, who used the affinities of physical materials. It also explained why his physical creations were far superior in terms of power and output when compared with his dynamic rune creation using his robe.


    ¡°Exactly! And so by studying new spells, we are able to learn new Sigils. That being said, that still tends to limit the grade of Sigil we find, which brings us full-circle to your question, does every Sigil have higher tiers? My answer is, we don¡¯t know, but we suspect not. As you move into the higher conceptual realms, ideas and meaning tend to converge. At the lower tiers, the idea of ¡®Dripping¡¯ makes sense as a Sigil. They¡¯re specific, but weak. But tell me, can you think of anything besides a liquid that ¡®drips¡¯? It¡¯s a small piece of a larger puzzle, that puzzle being¡­how do liquids behave. Would it make sense for there to be a Master Sigil for the idea of Dripping? Probably not. But, I will emphasise this again, we do not know this for fact. Does that answer your question?¡± the Professor asked.


    The notification in the corner of his vision was answer enough, but the Professor deserved better than that.


    ¡°Thanks Professor. That answers so much more than the question I asked. I really appreciate you taking the time to go through that with me.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it. You¡¯re one of my favourite students. I look forward to seeing you in the Advanced Class in the next month.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    With the implied farewell, the Professor exited the classroom while Nate hurried back to his room. It was time to go over his latest Skill Evolution options.


    Frick glanced up from where he was sitting on the bed, slowly working on the new and improved Runecrafted Barrier Bracer.


    ¡°Got it, Boss man?¡± asked the blue goblin.


    With a nod Nate brought up the notifications for them to read over.


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts 40 > 41


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Insight (M)


    As a Runecrafter, knowledge of runes is important. But a rune without Sigils is just a fancy-looking weak mana gathering array. This skill allows the user to peer into the infinite depths of reality and slowly but surely extract meaning. By focusing on a Sigil this Skill will give hints on related Subconcepts and even higher tier versions of the Sigil. Reality becomes meaning and meaning becomes Power. This Skill will store excess mana which can be used to forcibly increase the tier of a Sigil. Amount of mana required is dependent on the difference between the tier of the Sigil and the improved tier. Speed of excess mana absorbed by this Skill increases by 1% per Skill Level. Additionally this Skill increases the users Intellect by 10%. Increases by 1% per Skill Level.


    Conceptual Awareness (L)


    As a Runecrafter, knowledge of runes is important. However, Sigils are necessary to create runes and such knowledge is often hoarded. This skill will allow the user to extract Sigils from imbued materials, such as enchanted items, alchemical concoctions or even materials with an affinity. Sapients conceal truths but the universe whispers them to you regardless. Complexity of Concepts and Subconcepts that can be extracted increases with Skill Level. Additionally this Skill increases the users Intellect by 5%. Increases by 1% per Skill Level.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    ¡°Easy choice, right Boss?¡± asked Frick.


    ¡°Not like the last two evolutions,¡± agreed Nate. ¡°Being able to learn more Sigils is interesting. But it¡¯s not going to get me higher tier Sigils, and without those my hopes of some higher tier Achievements to shift my Embodiment might as well just be delusions.¡±


    ¡°Easy choice then,¡± Frick repeated.


    Since his anti-scrying ward was already out and powered by some of his stolen mana, he continued to voice his thoughts even as he selected Conceptual Insight.


    ¡°I wonder why the Skill needs to store the excess mana to let me see how to improve a Sigil¡¯s tier?¡± he asked out loud.


    Frick sat still for a moment thinking, ¡°What if it¡¯s not about the mana?¡±


    Nate¡¯s eyes narrowed at the question. His Familiar had a point. In theory, the amount of mana the Skill should be able to take should be finite. You could forcibly overpower a Skill usage by flooding it with more mana¡­but there was always mana wasted doing that. A Skill could only take so much mana at a time. More importantly, the description said it was storing the mana. If that was the case, why would it function like a Mana Reserve¡­and worse, why did it not have a defined limit? Was it doing something to the mana, or using it for something else, to get what it needed to ¡®reveal the infinite depths of reality¡¯? Running his sphere of awareness over his own Class Core didn¡¯t help. No new hints came from his observation. Even now he couldn¡¯t sense the runes carved into the surface of his Class Core as more than rigid and bumpy areas of the otherwise smooth sphere.


    Without a better idea on what might be going on with his new Skill, he instead settled in to work on one of his other projects. He had an idea for a material for his next Conceptual Automation. The Skill had saved his life, quite literally, but from his experiments he had learned that a large portion of the power that had been exhibited by his Constructs had been driven by the processed mana. He wished he had some on hand to test just how much the exact difference was with two identical materials. The plan was to collect some on his next Dungeon run, which was a couple of weeks away. This time they were going with Coralie and Flash. A concession he had made for Kiri as he didn¡¯t want to exclude her new girlfriend, even if he preferred working with Null and Britt. Null, because he was just a great guy and incredibly competent. Britt because she was competent too, and he supposed, because he did enjoy the attention. Even if there was unlikely to be any opportunities for other things while in a Dungeon. Maybe on the ride there though? Depended on how far away the Dungeon was. Useless thoughts though.


    Working with Coralie and Flash would be an interesting change. Neither were the defensive types. They made up for that though with their excessive damage output he suspected. That and Coralie¡¯s ability to control the battlefield. It was shaping up to be an interesting trip.


    Shaking his head he focused back on the issue at hand. His new idea for a material to act as the substrate for Conceptual Automation. A version of his Gravity Control rune. He continued to channel Conceptual Material into the metal bar as he aligned the molecular structure to his Sigil for Gravity. It wasn¡¯t as powerful as his Barrier Sigil. But it was a match for his Shadow one which he hoped would indicate how powerful it would be. While channelling he continued to work with Runic Creation, carving multiple versions of his Gravity Control rune into the surface of the metal. His hope was that by giving it three different control runes it would be able to control three instances of gravity at the same time. The idea he had in his mind was that the Construct would be able to both push and pull simultaneously. That way it wouldn¡¯t need to worry about how hard the ground was to crush something. It could just push on it from three different directions.


    He intended to test a Rare tier version of it first to confirm that the idea worked before he would attempt to make a Legendary version. That was less about the mana required and more about the time. Even with the improvements to his Conceptual Material skill it would still be a two to three week job to raise a bar of metal from Common grade to Legendary. A vast improvement on what it had been previously, and more than the Skill bonus alone accounted for. He suspected the difference came from his Stats. But even with that vast improvement, it was still time consuming and his time was finite.


    The time it would take was worth it though. This would be his first ace in the hole, along with the Barrier Bracer Frick was working on. Because if he had learned anything, it was that when he was properly prepared, he was unbeatable.


    *************


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, boss, two ain¡¯t gonna be enough,¡± explained Lothar. ¡°The rumours on this kid is he¡¯s good. Real fuckin¡¯ good. We need a third suppressor.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s barely into the University. A level forty or so. How fuckin¡¯ good can he be? Kali and Phira have been enough for every other job. ¡®Sides, it¡¯ll cut into the take if we have to hire outside help,¡± replied Darren.


    ¡°Boss, we go with two, my gold says he escapes the net. Then we¡¯re fucked.¡±


    ¡°Fine! But if the thirds a waste, it¡¯s comin¡¯ out of your cut!¡± grunted Darren.


    ¡°Like fuck it is! Unless you¡¯re giving me your cut if it turns out I¡¯m right?¡± answered Lothar.


    Darren stared down at him. They had worked together for years now. The man should know to trust his instincts.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get us a third. You better be fuckin¡¯ right Lothar.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I always?¡± he answered smugly. His Epic Skill Threat Analysis always worked. Even on veiled noble asholes. It would do for some Guild kid.


    *************


    Fabien stared across the desk, his thoughts in turmoil. How had it come to this? How had some trumped up commoner been able to defeat him so soundly. All he had needed to do was get Nate to leave the University. Torching his room and getting him kicked out of the Enchanting course had just been the start. He had planned to continue making the adventurer¡¯s life hell until he finally quit the University. Why his benefactor wanted that they hadn¡¯t said, but that had been the goal. Then, that foul little bastard had put up those drawings, dragging Fabien¡¯s good name through the mud before his peers. He¡¯d let his rage get the better of him. He could see that now. But even then, he should¡¯ve been able to beat some commoner who was likely ten levels his junior. He just didn¡¯t understand how he had failed so badly. But it wasn¡¯t over yet. He may have been forced out of the University, but he still resided in the city. There was still a chance to get back at that insolent bastard.


    ¡°I want him dead!¡± he demanded.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll get it. But only after I get what I want. Understood?¡± answered the person sitting opposite him.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll still give me what we agreed?¡± asked Fabien, hating that his voice sounded like he was pleading.


    ¡°....yes.¡±


    Perhaps, he thought, if I return with this to Dralogne my Father won¡¯t consider me a complete failure. It was a lie, but he¡¯d rather believe the lie than accept the truth, that his Father would tell him he was a failure and a disgrace, just like he had always been.

 Chapter 131 - What a Weapon

    Kiri strolled arm in arm with Coralie, admiring the nightlife of the merchants district. They had enjoyed a beautiful dinner at a restaurant Coralie had suggested and were now heading towards their next destination. She just hoped that everything would be okay with Nate and that he wasn¡¯t planning a nightly foray. Her Soul Tether was telling her he was at the Den of Desire. That was two weeks in a row on the same day. She was wondering what he was up to, but as long as he went straight back to the University after he was done painting or whatever he was doing at the Den, then all would be well. Her thoughts were cut short as her girlfriend piped up.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not going to tell me what the surprise is?¡± asked Coralie, the little blonde pouting up at her.


    ¡°By the Gods, how impatient can you be? We¡¯re on our way there now!¡± teased Kiri with a smile.


    Coralie harrumphed but by now Kiri knew it was all just an act. Her girlfriend liked the attention. She was trying not to¡­what was the word Nate had used, psychanalyse or something? It sounded weird because it had been in his own language, but he had explained the meaning well enough. So she was trying not to think too deeply about the reasons that Coralie might have such a desire for the attention of a peer. Especially a female peer. But it was hard not to notice when the dangerous little Ice Mage dropped the occasional comments about her Mother. It seemed that attention was the last thing that her Guild Prefect Mother had been willing to give her.


    Certainly she had gotten other things. Access to the methods for better Achievements, Stat Orbs, Skills purchased for her by her Mother. But a mother¡¯s love was apparently not on that list. It was such a stark comparison with Kiri¡¯s own family and made her miss her parents terribly. It was exciting and fun to be out in the world, making her own way. But she did miss the moments spent with her Father, when he would train her or take her on hunts with him in Firth Forest. Teaching her to recognise the tracks of various animals or how to find some herbs. How to move unseen on the ground, even though she knew he had preferred to make his way through the canopy. Then there was her Mother.


    The woman knew her better than she had ever known herself. It had been a bit of a surprise to her Father when she had told them that she liked women and that they probably weren¡¯t getting grandkids so they should consider having a second child. Her Mother hadn¡¯t even blinked. Just flashed her trademark knowing smile and asked her if she had her eye on anyone in particular. Not that that had ended well. The object of her infatuation had been Mirabelle, a merchant''s daughter who travelled with her father around the various frontier towns. They came by every few months and stayed a week. Until she didn¡¯t.


    Mirabelle¡¯s father had told her that she had married the owner of a tavern a few towns over. No goodbye and worse, Mirabelle and the tavern owner had been courting even while she was stealing kisses with her every visit. The pit in her stomach had been endless and she had cried herself to sleep for many nights before her Mother pulled her out of her spiral. It had been her Mother who had helped mend those wounds and she couldn¡¯t imagine what it must be like to have a mother who cared so little.


    Glancing back at Coralie she smiled at her girlfriend, ¡°You brought your coin and mana gems right?¡±


    ¡°I did. We¡¯re not going gambling, are we? You know the chances of winning are abysmal without Skills to influence the outcomes?¡± commented Coralie.


    ¡°Not gambling,¡± said Kiri, adding with a mumble, ¡°at least not tonight.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. We¡¯re here!¡± Kiri replied excitedly, waving her arms in front of them.


    ¡°The Auction House?¡± Coralie asked as the pair looked over the large edifice.


    The building was one of the few, even in the merchants district that exceeded four stories, standing at a total of six floors. As Kiri understood it, the top two floors were mostly offices and for private showings. The lower four functioned as a multi-leveled auditorium, with two floors set aside for an almost excessive amount of seating. The middle two floors of the building housed the various private boxes.


    The uncertainty on Coralie¡¯s face was understandable. The first time Kiri had come to the Auction House she had been forced to engage with the staff on the first two floors and the noise, fervour and smell of the participants was reason enough to view this as a poor date idea. But it wasn¡¯t the first two levels they were going to, she thought with a smile as they approached the door and she showed off a token. The guard at the door ushered the pair to the side where one of the ushers waited.


    ¡°The booth is ready for you, Miss Beaufoy. If you and your companion would follow me?¡± greeted the young man, before guiding the pair inside the building and immediately up a set of stairs past the guards who kept anyone from following them.


    ¡°A booth?¡± whispered Coralie. ¡°How did you get a booth? I¡¯ve only been in one twice, when Mother brought me along to see how the Guild sold what it didn¡¯t need while acquiring resources for its members. Even then, she used the Guild¡¯s booth!¡±


    Kiri couldn¡¯t help but grin. It seemed her surprise was paying off.


    ¡°It was part of a deal I made with them for selling an Epic item through them,¡± answered Kiri.


    ¡°Epic item? Your Tournament reward? You sold it?!?!¡± hissed Coralie, eyes wide. ¡°Why would you do that? Do you know how hard it is to get one of those? Even I have only one and Mother has refused to tell me what she had to do to acquire it for me!¡±


    Kiri debated answering her. Should she tell her the truth? Probably. She was going to figure it out anyway when she saw what Kiri was bidding on. The Auction House had been keeping an eye out for some particular item types for her and had sent a message to the University that something that met her needs was finally on the cards. She supposed that meant there was no point hiding what she was doing then.


    ¡°I needed the coin and mana to buy a gift for Nate.¡±


    Coralie looked confused, ¡°Why not just choose something from the Guild stores then? You had access to the Rare and Epic Vault. Surely there was something in there?¡±


    The usher had been politely ignoring their quiet conversation and approaching a door, opened it for them, holding out a hand to guide the pair into the small booth. It was on the third level and had enough room to comfortably seat four.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your server and assistant tonight. So let me quickly go over the rules for the Auction and how to make use of the facilities,¡± explained the officious young man. ¡°In front of you, you will see the primary bidding tool.¡±


    It looked like a gameboard, with small cubes of wood in neat piles on the side. Each cube had a number on it.


    ¡°As you can see, we use an anonymous bidding system for our booth users. You merely need to slot your bid, using the numerical values on the cubes, into the slot here and it will be registered by our system. In addition, if you place this marker,¡± he indicated a circular piece of wood that looked enchanted, ¡°onto here, it will notify me that you wish to be served. Use this if you wish refreshments, which are on the house, or if you have any questions for me. Finally, all bids are final and we do not tolerate threats or violence, against the Auction House, the staff, or fellow bidders. Were there any questions?¡±


    Kiri and Coralie shook their heads and the usher took their drink orders, with Coralie also ordering some dessert, before the man took his leave.


    ¡°Back to my question!¡± Coralie stated the moment the door was closed. ¡°Why not get him something from the Guild vaults?¡±


    ¡°Because they only had weapons and I didn¡¯t see any Skills that fit what I was looking for,¡± explained Kiri.


    ¡°What?¡± Coralie asked in confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen what he is like. If it wasn¡¯t for his desire to keep progressing, he¡¯d spend all day painting!¡± Kiri explained.


    ¡°That is true¡­¡± admitted Coralie. ¡°Still, selling an Epic item? You know that it¡¯s unlikely to be enough to buy a comparable Epic item right? What¡¯s the Auction House cut?¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Fifteen percent,¡± grouched Kiri. That had stung more than she was willing to admit.


    ¡°So the plan is to buy him a Rare item as a gift?¡±


    Kiri shook her head, ¡°No. I have enough to get him an Epic item.¡±


    ¡°How? Are you spending your own earnings as well? How did you even make enough to make up the difference?!¡± Coralie asked, throwing her hands in the air dramatically. It was amusing to Kiri as this was the most lively she had seen her girlfriend. Outside of the bedroom, that was.


    ¡°I err, fought in The Pit and bet on myself,¡± Kiri explained.


    Coralie stared at her wide-eyed, ¡°You did what?!?! That place is dangerous, Kiri!¡±


    Her girlfriend instantly started looking her over for wounds, exploring with both her hands and her eyes. She wasn¡¯t going to find any though, thought Kiri. Soul Imbuement was a Legendary Skill and while it cost her a lot of soul energy, as long as she had enough, every wound vanished. She was beginning to wonder if it might even stop her ageing.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really,¡± said Kiri, gripping Coralie¡¯s upper arms gently to calm her down.


    Coralie took a few deep breaths, before looking back up at her, ¡°You¡¯re a dangerous and mysterious woman.¡±


    ¡°I thought that¡¯s what you liked about me?¡± Kiri quipped, trying to lighten the mood.


    ¡°It is,¡± answered Coralie with a blush. ¡°Just, don¡¯t be too rash, alright?¡±


    Kiri nodded agreeably, knowing that what Coralie considered rash and what she did were vastly different. Her girlfriend was working with incomplete information though, so she would just leave it as it was.


    A knock at the door put their conversation to rest as their drinks and Coralie¡¯s dessert arrived. Some fruit and cream mixture. Kiri thought it smelled good and was considering ordering her own when the auction finally began. The pair discussed the various pieces as they came out. There were Common and Uncommon Stat and Skill Orbs, likely taken from wild beasts and monsters rather than Dungeons. Then various products likely produced within the Capital itself. A special set of alchemical potions meant to grant the user resistance to various elements. Weapons, shields, armour and clothing, all combining multiple disciplines. Blacksmithing and enchanting were the most common, but some of the clothing had been alchemically treated before it was woven. Still, so far, nothing had been particularly impressive. Coralie did pick up a potion that was supposed to enhance the imbibers control over ice for an hour or so.


    Finally, after what felt like an interminable wait but had likely only been an hour, they started to move onto the closing offerings. The Epics.


    ¡°The next item is something of a curiosity. Useful to crafters, but better suited to artists, it comes to us from across the ocean,¡± announced the host, as a large paintbrush was placed on a pillow on the stage. ¡°While it may not look like much, this paintbrush comes with two very interesting and useful enchantments. Firstly, this paintbrush contains a delineated spatial storage that will let the artist keep their paints separated while storing them all inside. It has enough containers to store exactly one hundred different paints at three litres each. These can be drawn on with a trickle of mana and will let the artist ¡®dip¡¯ the paintbrush without even having to move their hand. Amazing no?


    ¡°But of course, that alone would not make this an Epic offering. No. No. It is the other enchantment that makes this a truly remarkable find. For you see, the secondary Enchantment is a Mana Imbuement enchantment. This paintbrush will take the excess mana it receives, and funnel it into the paints stored within. We have verifiable proof that this does in fact, over time, raise the quality of the paints stored within. So, who among you thinks a painting made with rare, or even better, epic quality paint, is worth a bid? Starting price is a thousand gold coins or its equivalent in mana at standard exchange rates!¡±


    Kiri immediately bid to match the starting price, only to see the price jump to twelve hundred gold coins. When she had sold her Reinforced Manerium Blade she had managed to get fourteen hundred gold coins for it. Minus the Auction House¡¯s cut, she had been left with just under twelve hundred. However, her betting on herself at The Pit had turned five hundred gold coins, a small fortune as far as she was concerned, into two thousand four hundred gold coins. She¡¯d been forced to leave a hundred with Cutter, both for organising her fight and for keeping the bookies from trying to murder her. That meant she had around three thousand and one hundred gold coins to spend on this event, and damn the Gods, she intended to spend it all if she had to!


    The price jumped to thirteen hundred, then fifteen hundred. Trying to get ahead of the bidding war she bid eighteen hundred. It held there for ten seconds before it jumped to two thousand and she grit her teeth. She needed to make them understand she would not be beat. This item was perfect for her best friend. A small way for her to show her gratitude for all he had done for her and given her. The Skill Enhancement Orbs alone were bordering on priceless. She quickly responded by increasing the bid to twenty five hundred.


    ¡°Twenty five hundred! Going once, going twice, and sold!¡± exclaimed the Auctioneer.


    Kiri grinned from ear to ear. She had finally managed to get a present for Nate. It only had taken two months she thought, wryly.


    As it was delivered she checked on his Soul Tether and sighed in a put upon way. Why did he have to choose tonight to go and engage in some of his¡­what did he call it again? Graffiti. And why oh why did he choose to do it so close to the docks?


    *************


    Exiting the Den of Desire, Nate grinned. Another evening well spent. Some merchant had asked for a painting of him with one of the escorts draped over him as the pair drank and ate in the common room. It was a weird request as far as he was concerned, but the man had been very generous in what he paid considering it was just a painting. Fifty gold for an hour''s work and he had made his manerium delivery.


    Heading down the street towards an alley he moved to avoid a group of rowdy men and women who looked like they had just left an inn, arms draped all over each other and laughing. He smiled in amusement until he sensed his connection to Frick back at the University severed as the mana surrounding him started to vanish. Through his sphere of awareness he could feel as the mana deadzone continued to creep towards him from all sides. Immediately he tried to activate True Teleportation to escape but without the ability to extend his mana beyond the deadzone he couldn¡¯t forge the link required. Even as he looked for an escape he saw two of the men from the group of revellers were already rushing him and he was forced to use True Teleportation at a far shorter range moving only a couple of metres.


    Ignoring the mens shouts of annoyance he threw his own mana against the deadzone which continued to get closer and closer to him. He sensed his own mana being dispersed as it touched the deadzone and he was forced to teleport again to avoid the launched fist of one of his attackers, his available zone for movement decreasing by the second.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him! We need him alive!¡± yelled one of the men in the back.


    With his mind working quickly Nate noticed that two of the women in front of him were staring at him intently, not moving. Convinced they were the source of the mana deadzone he reached into his spatial storage, lamenting his real tools weren¡¯t yet finished, and extracted a bar of metal. It was one of his test pieces, only Rare quality but with an affinity for metal. Activating Conceptual Automation he used Conceptual Intent to send it after the two women. The result was a golemoid looking construct with the colouring of an oil spill and red dust charging at the two women. He had been concerned that when the construct entered the mana deadzone that it would disperse. Instead it kept going and he had to wonder if it was because the material contained the mana. He was distracted from the results of his construct creation when he sensed an assault against his Soul Barrier, the engraving on his soul automatically drawing on his Mana Reserve to reinforce itself.


    ¡°His mind¡¯s protected!¡± yelled another man from behind him but Nate didn¡¯t have time to turn and see as the two men kept attacking him. He was starting to worry. He hadn¡¯t thought anyone would be able to threaten him in the City, given the reaction of the common folk and even the wariness of the nobility on campus. Forced to use True Teleportation he tried to create distance and find a gap through which he could flee, but the men attacking him were fast and his True Teleportation skill under these restrictions didn¡¯t move him far each time. Worse, the distance he could move continued to decrease as the deadzone continued to shrink, now barely five metres across. The deadzone felt different compared to Null¡¯s aura, which seemed to cancel out any mana it came into contact with. This was closer to his Mana Exclusion runes, shoving mana away from a particular area.


    ¡°Protect the Suppressors! Wear him down!¡± shouted the tall man in the back again and Nate thanked his lucky stars that at least they seemed to want him alive.


    He caught a glance of the man who was shouting duking it out with his metal construct, the sound of ringing metal filling the area as the mans fists left small dents in the metal frame of the conceptual creation. Teleporting again to avoid a tackle at his midsection he was going to yell for help when he saw that the Den of Desire bouncers were both down on the ground and bleeding, with two more men rushing in to join the fray against him!


    The two thugs, or whatever they were, continued to miss him with their reaching hands, as his mind was perfectly capable of analysing their movements and his True Teleportation was able to activate quickly with such small alterations to his position. But he wasn¡¯t gaining any distance as the group moved with him, and between the constant Skill use and his Soul Engraving, he was leaking mana like a sieve. He just hoped his Mana Reserve was enough to outlast these people as he frantically searched for a path of escape.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep up the mental, boss!¡± yelled the voice from behind him.


    ¡°Swap!¡± came the voice of the largest man.


    That apparently was a signal for the tall man in the back as he pulled something out of his pocket. The next moment the man was rushing him. Nate felt a moment of panic and fear as the man got close and he felt space harden around him, resisting his True Teleportation. A second later a kick connected with his stomach, sending him sprawling in the dirt. He rolled over, puking blood onto the street. Glancing up he had time to see his metal construct breaking the arm of one of his assailants before the shadow of a descending fist blotted out his vision and he collapsed into the dirt unconscious.

 Chapter 132 - Desperate Measures

    Nate awoke slowly, his head ringing as his mind tried to process his surroundings. He attempted to look around and regretted it immediately, pain lancing through his jaw. It had been enough to see he wasn¡¯t alone. Carefully and slowly he tried to focus on his body, assessing the damage. It was far less extensive than he had expected. A broken jaw was the worst of it, which he¡¯d jostled raising his head. Beyond that though, he was down to his underwear and tied to a chair.


    Reaching inside himself for the Familiar Contract he found that Frick hadn¡¯t reformed yet. The little spirit¡¯s banishings usually only lasted an hour or so which told him that it hadn¡¯t been long since he was taken. Very slowly he rotated his head to look around the room he was in and the people he was sharing it with. Whoever they were, they hadn¡¯t bothered to blindfold him. Seeing his condition he acknowledged that they didn¡¯t really have a reason to. It looked like they had chained him to a chair and had stashed him in some room with a couple of windows looking out over a warehouse floor. That was a guess, but an educated one, given all the crates and barrels stacked throughout the place outside the window.


    ¡°Let me in there!¡± came a familiar voice from outside of the room. Nate was still groggy but he was sure he had heard that man''s voice before. Was he just remembering the sound of the ones who had attacked him or was it someone else?


    ¡°Not until she arrives. Her orders,¡± was the response. That voice was deeper and as his head cleared he was sure that was the one who had hit him.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± hissed the first speaker and Nate finally put a name to the voice. Fabien fucking Lussier.


    ¡°I dun give a fuck, m¡¯lord. She¡¯s paying. Now cool ya heels till she arrives,¡± responded the mercenary, followed by an angry growl and the sound of feet stomping away from the door.


    Well, shit, he thought. Apparently there were consequences to opposing the nobility. At least if his current situation was anything to go by. But what was it that the other guy had said? ¡®Not until she arrives¡¯? Who was ¡®she¡¯? With his mind cleared he started to try and reach for his mana and found that while his mana remained, he still couldn¡¯t project it beyond his skin. Worse, the bindings were far enough away that he couldn¡¯t affect them with True Teleportation. He had  a pretty good idea about what was going on. It was no accident that he wasn¡¯t alone. Attempting to flex his mana he started pushing back against whatever was excluding his mana. Between his Magic Power and Magic Control he tried to forcibly construct a rune in front of him.


    The response was immediate as two of the three staring at him grit their teeth. Active mana exclusion or suppression as a Skill. That was an interesting path to take.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake,¡± called the only one of the three not gritting her teeth, but even her voice sounded a little strained.


    The door opened, enough for the other voice to call in.


    ¡°Everythin¡¯ alrigh¡¯?¡± asked the man waiting outside.


    ¡°Thought you said he was some level forty or so from the Guild?¡± ground out the only man in the room besides Nate. ¡°He¡¯s pushing back against three of us! This is insane! I¡¯ve had less difficulty wrangling a level sixty Mage!¡±


    ¡°Jus¡¯ keep ¡®im under control. She¡¯ll be ¡®ere soon,¡± grunted the man outside of Nate¡¯s makeshift cell, before shutting the door.


    Nate smirked at the three left in the room with him even as he continued to press against them with his mana. Eventually he¡¯d run out of mana, or they would break. While he kept the pressure up he had a moment to tally up his situation. He had a broken jaw, had his robe and ring taken, was chained to a chair in some warehouse and couldn¡¯t use his mana to get himself out of this situation. In short, he was fucked. He just hoped someone would find him before Fabien was let into the room to kill him, as he was sure that was what the noble intended.


    His mind wandered back to the attack and how he could have done better. It had been nothing like his fight against the demons in the Fourth Hell and he wanted to think about why. The answer was obvious quickly. Mana exclusion. In the Fourth Hell, none of the demons had interfered with his ability to use mana, or processed mana he supposed. Given the lack of ambient mana it made sense that they wouldn¡¯t have developed such Skills. Maybe they had a variant for demonic energy? Who knew? But that was what had tipped this fight against him. If he¡¯d had his completed Barrier Bracer he likely could have used that to defend himself.


    The mana exclusion had prevented mana from being released into the area, but it didn¡¯t stop him from drawing on his Mana Reserve. It wouldn¡¯t have stopped him from drawing on the mana within the bracer. That would¡¯ve turned it into a war between the mana in the bracer and whoever was opposing the presence of mana. He was confident he could¡¯ve won that. At least confident enough that he could¡¯ve put up more of a fight. Maybe it would¡¯ve been fine if his Magic Power was higher as well. That had been the issue against Null. The problem still lay in that much of his Magic Power was linked to being able to create a runic array. With his Magic Power at almost a hundred and fifty he was no slouch in that department, but his Empowered Runic Artistry bumped that by another hundred. That gave him an idea going forward, assuming he survived this.


    He had nothing better to do and no way to escape so he kept going over the idea. They were unable to affect the mana inside him or so close to his skin. In fact, he had yet to meet someone who could affect the mana inside of himself. It wasn¡¯t to say it was impossible, but it was an order of magnitude more difficult to forcibly make changes to someone else. He knew this from trying to teleport Kiri. Her own mana naturally resisted. Now, Kiri¡¯s Magic Power was absolutely garbage, so in his tests he had been able to move her, but the cost had been obscene. He didn¡¯t know if that had anything to do with affinities or if something else was the cause. Especially since, from what he had seen, mental Skills had been unaffected by that challenge.


    Based on his experiments with Kiri he suspected that mental-type Skills, like her Command the Soul or the Enchantress back in Helmfirth¡¯s Suggestion and Command used mana to influence soul energy. Soul energy apparently did not carry the same resistances. That wasn¡¯t to say it was cheap or easy. Kiri had complained extensively about how expensive the Skill was. Thinking back to the fight, the mental attacker had even yelled that he was running out of mana.


    Going back to his original line of thinking, he knew that any type of mana suppression, be it via nullification or exclusion, when used on a person''s actual body, was almost always doomed to fail. So, if he couldn¡¯t project his runes beyond his body, perhaps he should make his body the house for some of his runes. Not all of them. He had to consider the limitations of his biological body and more specifically, his physical Stats. But perhaps he could do something like creating a barrier runic array on his bones. The question was, was the effort worth it?


    He didn¡¯t think he could use Conceptual Material on himself. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d considered the Skills application to biological matter, but there was an issue of molecular structure alterations. Living things had their molecules structured in very specific ways. Changes to that could stop things from working, and a breakdown in a biological pathway could spell death. Worse, he had no method for reversing what he did with Conceptual Material. Perhaps he was just reaching for straws when what he needed was more of his runecrafted equipment. That brought him back to his initial thought, that if his Legendary Barrier Bracer had been ready, then he wouldn¡¯t be almost naked tied to a chair in some dingy warehouse.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The sound of footsteps brought an end to his musings. Unless he missed his guess, there were two people approaching. A moment later the door swung open and three people entered his makeshift cell.


    The first was the man who had broken his jaw and had clearly been waiting outside the door.  He was assuming that one was the leader of this mob of miscreants. The second was Fabien Lussier, red hair and eyes that burned with anger and hatred as they stared at each other for a moment. The third gave him a mild surprise, as Caroline Lambert, the Enchanter from the Nobles District entered, purple hair hidden beneath a black coif.


    Ever since the issues began at the Royal University he had been wondering who was behind them. Mind you, there had only been the two issues. But burning out his room then getting him kicked out of Enchanting seemed risky and he had wondered who would bother making the effort for some random Adventurer. He¡¯d honestly wondered if perhaps it was the Unseen, or just some noble who hated the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Did the Enchanter just want revenge for their interaction? That seemed unlikely to him. Then it clicked for him. She didn¡¯t want revenge. She wanted knowledge. She wanted Sigils. What was it she had asked him back then? He wracked his mind, ignoring the pain in his jaw as he thought back on their interaction. ¡®Is that the only Master quality Sigil you know?¡¯ That was it. Her question back then. She had rightly suspected he had other Master quality Sigils in his repertoire and she wanted them. Greed. Why did it always come back to that? Apparently people could give the demons of the Fourth Hell a run for their money on that front.


    Staring back at the three sets of eyes watching him he waited patiently. He had a pretty good idea of what was coming next. It was Caroline who finally broke the silence.


    ¡°Hello again, Nate. I wasn¡¯t happy with how our last interaction ended so I have made sure that this time the difference between our positions is far more clear.¡±


    She paused to hold up his ring, ¡°I am both impressed and disappointed with what I found in here. A few incredibly powerful mana gems. Some mana imbued gold and a few other metals though nothing above Rare quality that I could tell. A ridiculous amount of painting supplies. And these.¡±


    As she finished she pulled one of his Skill Enhancement Orbs, his Puzzle Box and the Legendary Skill Orb for The Time Between and finally a closed book out of the storage ring. He wanted to laugh at her but all he managed was a chuckle before the pain in his jaw made him stop. She might have found a bit more if they had struck before he entered the Den. But he¡¯d already made his manerium delivery. Frick had his other two projects back in his room at the University, though with his Familiar banished those were now just lying around his room. The runes protecting the room should be enough to keep them protected though. Finally, the low number of mana gems was because they were either back in his room for Frick to use, or recharging in his little mana syphoning facility. Still, there was more than enough in front of him to cause some serious problems.


    ¡°I am very disappointed that you don¡¯t carry your Sigil tome around with you, as this certainly isn¡¯t it,¡± she lamented, shaking the book left to him by Arikanvil about how to find his home universe.  ¡°Is it some form of advanced mathematics? It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s Sigils that I want and it¡¯s Sigils that you¡¯re going to give me. Where do you keep your Sigil tome?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the answer out of him,¡± Fabien said, sneering at Nate.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have your turn. But not until I get my answers,¡± replied Caroline with a clipped tone before looking at Nate expectantly.


    His jaw made it painful to talk, but he figured silence would just get him tortured even sooner. Better to buy some time. ¡°W¡¯as a Sijil tom¡¯?¡±


    Caroline frowned in displeasure and he prepared himself for the pain of being slapped. Instead of slapping him she grabbed his jaw in her hands and roughly tilted his head upwards. The pain was excruciating and he would have screamed if it wasn¡¯t for the liquid being poured into his mouth. He started to choke when she pinched his nose, forcing him to swallow the dirt-tasting concoction. As it slid down his throat he felt a numbness spread through his body starting at his face.


    ¡°There. Now maybe you¡¯ll be able to speak properly. Now repeat what you just said,¡± she demanded.


    She wasn¡¯t lying. The numbness was making him a little foggy but the pain was mostly gone. Testing his jaw he could feel a slight click when he moved it but it didn¡¯t send a bolt of agony racing through his head.


    ¡°I said, what¡¯s a Sigil tome?¡±


    He had a pretty good idea. But fuck giving her an answer. If they were going to get some answers out of him, they really would have to torture him. Anything to buy time for some sort of rescue or for the three who were suppressing the mana in the area to run out of juice. He survived a Dungeon at level one. He survived a System Challenge and the Fourth Hell. He¡¯d survive some greedy two-bit Enchanter and her hired goons.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be like that is it?¡± Caroline asked, her voice dripping with acid as Fabien and the mercenary stared at him, Fabien¡¯s eyes eager and the mercenaries hard.


    ¡°What about these then? What Skills do these Orbs offer?¡± she asked, holding out both the Skill Orb and a Skill Enhancement Orb.


    He couldn¡¯t help himself as a laugh burst out of him. Both were Legendary and she couldn¡¯t identify them. He knew his laugh was a bit hysterical, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. Between the ridiculousness of the situation, the fear of looming torture and the alchemical concoction shoved down his throat he wasn¡¯t in the best mental space. Coupled with seeing how incompetent his captors were when it came to identifying his belongings, he just couldn¡¯t help but laugh in their faces. A thought in the back of his mind said that if he told them, they might kill each other for the Orbs. Fabien definitely seemed like he¡¯d be willing to kill for such a treasure. But that would be such a waste of his hard-earned rewards. He¡¯d keep that idea in his back-pocket for now.


    Caroline moved on to his Puzzle Box, holding it up in front of him, ¡°What Sigil is this and what¡¯s inside of the box?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± he muttered truthfully, still trying to get his laughter under control.


    ¡°Fine. I guess we do this the hard way,¡± Caroline responded, distaste clear on her face before she turned to the mercenary. ¡°Bring me a table and a chair.¡±


    Turning to Fabien, she gave him a nod, ¡°Nothing lethal and stay away from his hands and face. I need him to be able to answer questions and draw.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, madam,¡± answered Fabien with an eager smile as he drew a small rod out of his pocket. The blackened wood was only about ten centimetres long and tipped with a red gem. Nate didn¡¯t need his sphere of awareness to tell what it was at a glance. Some form of wand. He was proven correct a moment later as an angry red flame lit at the end of the wand. Academically he was pleased to see his thoughts on mana exclusion and enchanted or runecrafted items had been correct. Taking a deep breath he prepared for the pain.


    The table and chair hadn¡¯t been brought in, nor had Caroline asked Nate any more questions, but that didn¡¯t stop Fabien from leaning forward and beginning to burn Nate¡¯s chest. He had hoped, for the barest of moments, that the alchemical concoction would prevent the pain. The flames licked his skin and put that hope to rest as he began screaming. Looking up he locked eyes with his torturer and saw only pleasure reflected in them.


    *************


    Lothar looked at his boss as the man walked past holding a chair and small table.


    ¡°This is a bad idea, boss,¡± he whispered softly, not wanting their employer to hear.


    ¡°What is it now, Lothar?¡± grunted Darren.


    ¡°Boss, that woman couldn¡¯t tell up from down with the kids gear. Not the fucking robe. Not the Orbs. Not even the fucking Sigil on that box and she¡¯s a fucking Epic Enchanter! By the Gods, Boss, I reckon we¡¯ve put our fucking foot in it on this one. People with that kind gear at his age¡­they got friends in high places!¡±


    Darren grunted his agreement and after a moment nodded, ¡°Alrigh¡¯. After we get paid we¡¯ll hoof it outta Etrua. Use a go-between fer any future deliveries to tha Capital. Ya happy?¡±


    Lothar was not happy. He was far from happy. Nodding to Darren he watched his boss leave while considering whether he should just make a run for it right now. He had a real bad feeling about this.

 Chapter 133 - Blood for Blood

    Nate heaved, trying to catch his breath and ignore the torment that was his partially melted chest.


    ¡°What other Master tier Sigils do you know?¡± demanded Caroline Lambert.


    ¡°Right, left, release,¡± he muttered, spittle dripping down his chin.


    ¡°What nonsense are you on about?¡± demanded Fabien, brandishing his burning wand again which caused Nate to flinch.


    Caroline put a restraining hand on the young noble''s shoulder and pointed to the table in front of Nate.


    ¡°Draw them,¡± she demanded.


    Nate struggled to pick up the pencil, his muscles twitching from being clenched through the pain of being burned. He began to scribe out all three Sigils, detailing their Apprentice tier versions that he knew. Even in his pained and delirious state, he refused to give them what they wanted. So long as they thought he had a use, they would keep him alive. Burned and scarred, but alive.


    Spinning the paper around to face Caroline he spat some blood on the floor from where he had bitten his own tongue while Fabien had been melting the skin on his chest. As he looked back up he didn¡¯t get a chance to react as Caroline¡¯s open palm slapped him across the face, jostling his broken jaw. The numbness from the potion she had forced down his throat was all that kept him from screaming again, but even that was starting to fade.


    ¡°You think I can¡¯t recognise an Apprentice tier Release Sigil?¡± she hissed, her purple eyes locking with his green.


    When she saw the defiance in his eyes she ground her teeth before leaning back and nodding to Fabien who happily stepped forward, flaming wand in hand. Nate closed his eyes and prepared for round three. Or was it four? It was getting hard to keep track. Either way, he could take a little more, even as a tear trickled down his cheek. He just hoped it would end soon.


    *************


    Kiri stared through the window into the room where they were holding Nate from her vantage point on the opposite side of the warehouse. Between Soul Shift, A Hidden Soul and her spell Wisps of Shadow she might as well have been invisible to these people. It was just fortunate they couldn¡¯t sense her emotions because the white hot fury she felt as she saw them start burning Nate was so all encompassing that anyone with an emotional sensory Skill would¡¯ve been able to feel her from a kilometre away. There was one thing she was certain of and that was that tonight a lot of people were going to die. Drawing her Dagger of Torn Soul she prepared to go to work on each and every person involved in harming her friend.


    Soul Sense covered over a hundred and fifty metres which let her know roughly how many opponents she had. There were fifteen in the warehouse, not including Nate and herself. She debated whether she should go and get Deverell for backup but instantly discarded the idea. They were torturing her best friend. Even if Deverell was in his room, which wasn¡¯t guaranteed, the precious minutes spent getting him could cost Nate his life. It would also cost her a sizable portion of her soul energy to use Soul Shift over such distances quickly. It didn¡¯t help that the docks, where this warehouse was located, were on the opposite side of the Capital to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Besides, she thought, I can take them.


    Creeping forward she moved around a set of crates to take out the first lookout. His eyes slid over her even as she approached him quietly. A Hidden Soul was a very odd type of stealth skill. Unlike most stealth skills, which concealed the user using things like shadow or light, A Hidden Soul focused on the mental act of awareness. Even as it drained away her soul energy, the Skill convinced her target that she wasn¡¯t there. His mind simply refused to see her, even as her hand covered his mouth and her enchanted dagger, coated with her own soul energy courtesy of Soul Imbuement, slipped into his throat. She made sure it kept going till it cut through his spinal cord, and like a puppet with its strings cut, the man collapsed to the floor.


    Stepping over the pooling blood she vanished, Soul Shift taking her to her next target. Everything was going fine until she reached her fourth target. The skinny rat-faced man glanced up as she approached and she felt a wave of soul energy attempt to wash over her, sliding through her skin to attack her mind directly.


    ¡°Stop,¡± the rat of a man said confidently, slowly standing.


    A smile crept onto her face as she ignored his mental Skill with only a small amount of difficulty. Using her own Command the Soul would take too much of her soul energy and she wasn¡¯t convinced it would work on the Mentalist, so instead she dashed at him as she enhanced herself with Soul Imbuement.


    ¡°Intruder!¡± yelled the rat of a man even as he barely made it two steps before she was on him.


    One dagger became nine as she finally unleashed Tethered Soulblade Dancing to her full capabilities, seven arms made from soul energy and mana blooming around her as she drew forth daggers from her recently evolved Soul Storage. The blades flashed in a hurricane of strikes, leaving the Mentalist dead from over fifty stab wounds in less than a couple of seconds.


    She was annoyed at herself as she stepped over the corpse. She had hoped to take down more of them before she was discovered. Now she was going to be forced into battle with at least ten unknown combatants. Walking forward, blood dripping from her fanned out tethered arms she glared forward. Everyone in this place was going to die for harming her best friend. Every. Single. One.


    *************


    Nate glanced up, catching his breath even as his chest screamed in pain. What was the word he had just heard? Intruder?


    ¡°Find out what is going on Darren!¡± demanded Caroline as she stared at the door worriedly.


    The mercenary opened the door, moving to step out. Instead he was knocked back into the room as a body impacted him. It was followed a moment later by the sound of shattering glass as a second body was launched through the window, knocking Fabien to the floor.


    Nate, his mind hazy and thoughts sluggish beneath the pain and alchemical mixture, took that moment to strike at the distracted Mana Suppressors. Throwing as much of his mana as he could channel at the suppression he was rewarded with a groan of pain from the man in the middle. Continuing to try and flood the area around him with his mana he grinned as the man''s nose started to bleed, his eyes beginning to roll up into his head.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    There was a flash in front of him as Kiri appeared, her tethered arms flashing out at the mercenary leader. Instead of the expected blood the man weathered the blows with his body before punching Kiri so hard she flew back out of the broken window. A moment later the mercenary was out the window after her. It didn¡¯t matter though. She had bought Nate enough time and distraction. The unconscious man across from him was all he needed to see. Three mana suppressors had managed to keep him down, but two were just not going to cut it. Forming a rune from memory was hard, but far from impossible and Runic Creation coupled with Empowered Runic Artistry let him form a Mana Gathering runic array with enough power to brute force the suppression. As mana rushed into the room he sent a burst of his own mana into the room, activating True Teleportation which took him out of his chains and across the room even as flames engulfed where he had been held captive just a moment ago.


    Farsight of the Runic Artist bloomed with his mana no longer completely suppressed and he activated True Teleportation two more times, teleporting his robe directly onto him from outside the room where it had been draped. The second was his spatial storage ring which he teleported into his pocket for now. His robe rubbing against his melted chest was excruciating but his anger was far worse than any pain could be. How dare they take him and torture him just because he had something they wanted! It was his fear of being put in a box and used ratcheted up to the maximum. He had never wanted to hurt anybody as badly as he wanted to hurt Fabien at that moment, and he knew, even before he acted, that he would never lose a wink of sleep over killing these people.


    Flames rushed at him but he teleported again to the other side of the room, watching as the flames torched a second of the people who had been suppressing his mana. Caroline was curled up in the corner and he could sense a barrier had sprung up around her. It seemed she hadn¡¯t completely squandered the knowledge he¡¯d traded with her. Runic Creation formed his barrier rune as he linked it with his powerful fire rune through Empowered Runic Artistry. The third wave of flame that washed over him did nothing, just as it had done nothing in their previous fight. His second rune was twofold. An Illusion of himself using his Illusion Control runic array that left him invisible even as his illusionary double appeared on the opposite side of the room next to the last mana suppressor.


    The mana suppressor yelled in fear even as Fabien screamed in rage and fear, unleashing a wave of fire that melted the woman into her seat, her mana suppression Skill failing to prevent the flames from reaching her.


    Nate hadn¡¯t wasted any time, forming a third runic array made from his Life and Drain runes. Dropping the illusion Nate walked slowly towards Fabien, his chest itching as his Life Drain runic array slowly funnelled energy to him from the flaming second son of some Earl.


    ¡°No! No! No!¡± Fabien kept repeating as he launched fireballs ineffectually at Nate¡¯s fire resistant Barrier.


    Nate kept walking towards him, forming a runic array he hadn¡¯t used in a long time. It was hard to directly influence another person''s body with mana if you in any way, shape, or form, were going to alter their mana. Teleporting obviously meant moving their mana. Draining or suppressing their mana, obviously. But that didn¡¯t mean you couldn¡¯t affect other aspects of their body. Like increasing the heat, or in his case, draining away the water. He¡¯d always wondered if it would be made easier through physical contact.


    Reaching out, even as Fabien pressed his back against the wall, Nate gently took Fabien¡¯s hand. With his barrier removed from his hand he could feel the gentle skin of the noble''s hand against his own. Then he activated the Water Drain runic array and pulled the water from Fabien¡¯s body. Blood and clear water flowed out of the man''s orifices even as his skin withered.


    Nate stepped away to crouch down in front of Caroline, ignoring Fabien¡¯s desiccated body and the flow of processed mana into his Class Core. The sound of battle continued in the warehouse but he wanted to make sure the Enchanter didn¡¯t get a chance to escape his wrath. Besides, Kiri could handle herself. She¡¯d yell if she needed him. With a small smile he reached out and touched her barrier with his unprotected finger.


    ¡°Not bad work. The problem with barriers is they take a lot of mana to keep up unless you can aspect them correctly. This looks like a very standard barrier though. Which means it¡¯ll wear down pretty quickly I am thinking,¡± he explained in a monotone voice, unable to muster his anger and fury now that Fabien was dead.


    Stepping back he withdrew a small metal bar from his spatial storage. Caroline had been right about it. It was only Rare quality. What she had failed to recognise was that it had an affinity. Activating Conceptual Automation he used Conceptual Intent to force the resulting construct to target the Enchanter, finally adding the subconcepts of crushing and unrelenting to the mix. The small Gravity Construct slowly formed as a hazy image of a planetary body. He sensed through his sphere of awareness as it began its attack and ignored Caroline¡¯s scream as he walked out the door to see how Kiri was doing.


    *************


    Kiri had the strength of a gryphon flowing through her soul as she charged at the hulking man in front of her, using her shoulder to launch him into and then through a stack of crates. She had been hoping to save the gryphon''s soul for grading out of the intermediate Combat subject. But using it now was a small price to pay, as far as she was concerned, for the freedom of her friend. There were only two souls left in the room above and one of them was Nate. He was fine, which meant she was free to vent her frustration against the durable piece of shit before her.


    She watched as Darren climbed out of the latest set of crates she had launched him through, barely a scratch on him. She had quickly realised he was over level sixty. An Embodiment for durability was her prime suspect, as he hadn¡¯t used any Skills that she could see. Even his soul energy was durable, resisting the draw of Soul Drain to an extent.


    Shaking himself, chips of wood falling off of him, Darren grinned at her, ¡°Ya¡¯r tough girl. I¡¯ll give ya tha¡¯. Fuckin¡¯ fast as well.¡±


    Kiri dodged the attacks as Darren came at her again, Soul Imbuement flooding her with a ridiculous amount of soul energy. She would gauge Darren at being tougher than she was. In strength she thought they would be evenly matched until the gryphon¡¯s soul was fully expended. But in terms of speed she left him in the dirt, dancing around his strikes with ease.


    ¡°Fucking fast is right,¡± she quipped, whipping a dagger at his eye so fast that he didn¡¯t even get to blink as it slid in a centimetre. The scream of pain was music to her ears. She only wished she could make him suffer more.


    She backed away and smiled brightly as Nate appeared next to her, once more clothed in his dark blue robe.


    ¡°He seems annoyingly durable,¡± commented Nate, his voice hoarse and tired.


    ¡°I was just waiting to make sure you had everything under control,¡± she explained before glancing at the man and expending almost all of her remaining soul energy.


    ¡°Go to the Etrua Adventurer¡¯s Guild and tell them how you kidnapped Nathaniel Weber,¡± she intoned, her words driven by Command the Soul. The Skill had taken a full quarter of her full soul energy capacity, but it was doable considering her Size of a Soul meant she could hold over four times as much soul energy as the average person. The mercenary instantly responded by dashing through the closed warehouse door in the direction of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, leaving even more broken wood on the ground in his wake. She just hoped he would stick to the roads on the way to Guild.


    There was a short scream from the room above before she felt the last living soul in the building vanish. Processed mana flowed down towards them both, though she suspected Nate was ignoring the level up notification just like she was.


    She watched as Nate sat down on the floor and scooted up next to him, putting an arm around him.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± she whispered softly. ¡°I even got you a present!¡±


    Nate¡¯s laugh in response broke the dam of her own emotions as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. She had come so close to losing him. Holding each other they sobbed for a few moments until a small bloom of soul energy appeared, forming into a small blue goblin that looked up at them excitedly.


    ¡°Hey Boss, what¡¯d I miss?!?!¡±

 Chapter 134 - Signs of Preparation

    Nate sat on the floor trying to process his emotions and everything that had happened in the last couple of hours. He was angry, furious even. What surprised him was the target of that fury. His anger was internally, at himself. How could he have let himself be taken or worse, caught so unprepared? He knew that if he still had his creations. His barrier bracer, his shadow scales or his acid wand that he could have fought back and won, but even to his own mind that felt like an excuse. He had been so convinced of his own Skills and strength that he hadn¡¯t taken proper precautions. The price of his hubris had almost cost him everything.


    Glancing at Kiri as she wandered around the room he realised how thankful he was that she had been tracking him. A small part of him, in the back of his mind, told him he should be angry or hurt by the deceit of hiding the Soul Tether from him. The greater part of him though, was thankful. It made him realise he didn¡¯t really care if Kiri always knew where he was. It also made him think that maybe he should do something similar to her. He cracked his second smile, since the battle, as he reined his mind in from thinking about how to use the Target and Bridge Sigils to create a rune to do exactly that.


    Once the battle had been over Frick had left to get Deverell and until Kiri¡¯s mentor arrived they were trying not to disturb the scene of the fight. Thinking of the fight brought him back to his notifications and he glanced at them, preparing to dismiss them.


    You have defeated an enemy utilising an Embodiment before achieving your own Embodiment.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +2 Magic Power, +8 Magic Control, +4 Channelling Speed, +4 Mana Reserve, +2 Mana Absorption +10 Free Stats


    Empowered Amplified Magic 28 > 30


    Empowered Runic Artistry 37 > 38


    Runic Creation 39 > 41


    True Teleportation 31 > 32


    Conceptual Insight 41 > 42


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 43 > 44


    Conceptual Automation 14 > 16


    Skills Available! Please Select 1* Skills.


    Class Skill Options:


    Spatial Expansion (Rare)


    Space is malleable. So, why limit your space to the prescribed dimensions when you could spatially expand it. Carry your clothes, your supplies, even your house, with you wherever you go. This Skill allows the user to create spatially expanded spaces. Size of expansion is based on the user''s Skill Level. Cost and duration is based on the user¡¯s Magic Power and Magic Control. Spatial space starts at one- half a cubic metre. Skill Level increases space by Skill Level * one-half a cubic metre.


    Spatial Reinforcement (Rare)


    Space is not solid. It is a fluid, three-dimensional area that can be altered or distorted, shaped or dispersed. But, for those wishing to create spaces that will resist the warping of gravity or, that will stand the test of time, they need the ability to harden space. They need Spatial Reinforcement. This Skill will reinforce any spatially created space or zone the user focuses on. Extent of reinforcement is based on user¡¯s'' Magic Power, Magic Control and Skill Level.


    Spatial Empowerment (Epic)


    All Mages need to empower their Skills and Spells beyond what their affinities can provide. Some turn to tools, enchantments, alchemy or even spirits. You have turned to sequestering mana to further empower your Skills by concentrating mana with your spatial affinity. This Skill empowers all Spatial Skills and Spells. Empowerment is equal to Skill Level * 2 plus Magic Control / 50 percent.


    Space is all around You (Rare)


    Space is one of the true constants of the material multiverse. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you occupy space and move through it. Why then must you utilise only your own mana for spatial skills when the mana that surrounds you also occupies space? This Skill reduces the mana cost of Spatial Skills and Spells by drawing on ambient mana with an affinity for space to offset the mana required. Mana cost reduction increases at Skill Level * 1.


    Spatial Portals (Rare)


    While a Spatial Mage can normally teleport themselves, moving others can be a challenge. Mana under the influence of others will naturally resist manipulation. That is where portals come in. Why move someone when you can forcibly connect two locations, just like looking through a window?. Distance increases with Skill Level. Initial distance is five metres. Skill Level increases distance by Skill Level * five metres.


    It still wasn¡¯t done as he looked over the next notification.


    Runic Creation (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Lasting Runic Creation (M)


    As a Runic Artist you have emphasised the aspect of Creation in your runes, creating runes out of mana and powered by mana, straddling the line between Runecrafting and Spellforms. This skill further emphasises that duality, creating runes from mana that will last and freeing the user to focus elsewhere. This skill allows the user to project Runes composed of mana onto any space or surface and dynamically alter them as they desire. Further, when the scaffold is made of mana it will maintain its shape without the user''s focus for a period of time. Mana cost based on Intellect, Creativity, Skill Level, Rune complexity and Rune Tier. Mana scaffold runes will last for 1 second * Skill Level before dissipating. Additional Skill Levels decrease mana cost by 2%. Additionally increases Creativity by 15%.


    Conceptual Runic Creation (M)


    As a Runic Artist you have emphasised your deep connection with the Concepts of reality. The truths of the universe are yours to mould and through runes you tame these truths and make them your own. This Skill allows the user¡¯s runes and the Concepts and Sigils involved to aspect the mana of any runes projected. Mana aspecting will increase the power of any runes created. Mana cost based on Intellect, Creativity, Skill Level, Rune complexity and Rune Tier. Mana aspecting is Skill Level * 1% resulting in an equivalent increase in the runes power. Additional Skill Levels decrease mana cost by 2%. Additionally increases Creativity by 15%.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    He sighed as he saw the evolution. He should have been happy, perhaps even ecstatic. But his emotions were wrung dry from the torture and fear he had experienced. Still, there was no point leaving his evolution and new skill waiting and once it was done he could focus on the here and now. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    He debated waiting for Frick to return to discuss the choices, but really, what was there to discuss? The Skill evolutions were both impressive and of course they were also both abilities he wanted. The former would let him do what he had been trying to do previously, allowing him to have more runes going than three or four at a time because he could create them then simply maintain a flow of mana to them while his mind could focus on creating another rune, and then another, and then another. He would finally be able to match pure Mages in the number of spells they had active or used at the same time. But, that didn¡¯t align with his goals for his Embodiment. Conceptual Runic Creation was exactly what he had been going for. Building for a future opportunity to synergise with Conceptual Material. Perhaps even Conceptual Automation. Passing up on that opportunity was never an option. With a thought he selected Conceptual Runic Creation.


    The spatial Skills were another matter. None of them appeared to help him resist Spatial Locks. Creating his own spatial spaces could be interesting, but then he could likely achieve the same with his runecrafting. Especially now that he could tier up Sigils. All he needed was a low tier Space sigil and he would be able to replicate the Spatial Expansion and Spatial Reinforcement Skills. Space is all around You was out as well. He didn¡¯t need to lower the mana cost of his spatial skills. True Teleportation was plenty cheap as long as he wasn¡¯t trying to repeatedly move long distances. That left Spatial Empowerment and Spatial Portals. There was a question of why it specified ¡®spatial¡¯ for portals. Did that mean there were other kinds of portals? Both Skills would be useful, but the decision came back to his first thoughts. With runecrafting he could likely make portals. Empowering his True Teleportation though could be incredibly useful. Making his selection he selected Spatial Empowerment.


    All that was left was his ten Free Stats. Glancing at his Status he calculated in a flash that his Orb absorption limit was currently three hundred and sixty seven stat points. He had only used just over a hundred of that limit which meant he had room for over two hundred stats. This brought to the fore a consideration he had long had.


    Glancing down at his robe he plucked at the Legendary threads of the dark blue material. They refused to give under his fingers which didn¡¯t surprise him at all. The robe was impressive. A Legendary enchanted item and something that had been with him since almost day one. It was beautiful, perhaps more so to him than anything else, because even its design was a reminder of where he came from. Stars, the decorations that housed his runes. The robe proudly displayed fourteen of them. Other stars. Other galaxies. Other universes.


    At the rate he and Kiri were going, in just a few years they could be visiting such places. With Conceptual Insight it was just a matter of time until he had Mythic, or perhaps even better, Sigils for space or similar Concepts, at which point he would finally open the book that had been sitting in his spatial storage since he first met Arikanvil. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would use it to try and find his way back to Earth, or just to find other Universes. Other possibilities. Maybe even just to visit other places on Galle.


    His eyes had grown unfocused as he thought over the possibilities. His mind was, as per usual, running off on tangents. As he refocused, the midnight blue of his robe filling his vision, he returned to the root of his problem and the decision he had to make. When he had first gotten the enchanted item he had thought that he could use such items to elevate the Stats he didn¡¯t intend to invest in. But even a Legendary item only provided a total of thirty Stats, his robe splitting them with ten to Agility and twenty to Magic Power. Maybe a Mythic item would provide forty, he thought.


    In some ways, that was incredibly impressive, especially when you considered even an Uncommon Class only gave six Stats per level. But that meant a Mythic item was only worth the equivalent of six and a bit levels in an Uncommon Class. His robe was also large. A full piece of clothing for a grown man. When he¡¯d made his Runic Gloves, even though they were Rare, they had only offered a total of six Stats, going towards his Magic Power. That made him consider that the amount of material was a factor in how large the Stat boost was. Which brought him back to his problem. If he purely relied on items to shore up the Stats he didn¡¯t invest in, at the rate he was growing, he would never manage to keep up.


    Which meant he had a decision to make. Where to focus his Free Stats going forward? Up until now he had prioritised Intellect and Magic Power with a smattering in his other Magic Stats and Perception. Creativity had gotten the short end of the stick with even less invested in it than his Constitution Stat. And that was where he was now looking. Realmwalker would continue to level his Magic Stats. His Intellect and Perception were growing just from his Skills. Creativity was languishing a bit, but no one had said that his Stats would affect his Embodiment so he wasn¡¯t overly concerned with that. He might have considered Willpower, but with the Soul Engraving, something he hoped to replicate himself in the future, his Mana Reserve and Magic Power acted as an effective defence against Mental and Soul related Skills and spells. But his durability was absolutely garbage.


    He didn¡¯t care about Agility as his speed was related to his mind and his Magic Stats. Yes, there was a flaw in that thinking, if they were able to lock space down and prevent him from using mana externally, but he could get around that with runecrafted items. Of that, he was certain. Strength was pointless. He wasn¡¯t a melee fighter and never would be. He was a crafter and a mage, in that order. Dexterity was useful for his painting, but it was already decent from his Runic Artist Class and he rarely crafted runes with his fingers these days. That was a function of his Magic Control, which would soar thanks to it being the primary Stat for the Realmwalker Class. That left Endurance and Constitution, which were the two he was looking at. Both had value. If he was more resistant to taking damage, then even when his defences failed, he wouldn¡¯t immediately be defeated. If it bought him time, then he would be able to react and if he could react, perhaps he could snatch victory from the claws of defeat.


    He nodded, making his decision that the rest of his Free Stats for his remaining Realmwalker would go towards Endurance and Constitution. Adding the ten stats he had available to Constitution he was about to continue thinking and planning for the future, mostly to distract himself from thinking about how it felt to have the skin on his chest melting, when Kiri gave a yell.


    Climbing to his feet he walked across the shattered wood from the crates and barrels, avoiding looking at the various corpses that littered the place. His Farsight of the Runic Artist refused to spare him the details though, and he refused to pull in his sensory ability, or drop the barrier he had enclosed himself in. The wounds on the dead were consistent. Stab wounds targeting vital areas. Eyes, throat and the back of the head. A couple had other defensive wounds on their forearms and chest. The ones who had managed to react, if only for a moment, before his best friend put them in the dirt.


    It was only his second time seeing dead humans. The first, even though they had deserved it, had left an ache in him. That ache had faded with time, and he had expected to have a similar reaction this time. Instead, he felt ambivalent. A numbness resting in his chest where caring for their deaths should have resided. These people had captured him. Even if it hadn¡¯t been their hands that held the flame, they had chosen to ignore his screams as he was tortured by a noble for the crime of having knowledge that the wealthy wanted. He ground his teeth and tried to suppress the surge of anger. These mercenaries or whatever they were could rot in hell for all he cared.


    Finishing crossing the warehouse floor he found Kiri standing in a small office. The decor made it clear that this was where the mercenary leader had holed up. A decent bed in the corner, a table with a glowing enchanted gem, a simple wooden chair and some clothes and other accoutrements told the story of a man who didn¡¯t settle in one place. Kiri was standing over the desk, looking through a notebook.


    ¡°What do you make of this?¡± she asked, handing the book to him.


    Inside were simple details, that unless he missed his guess, was a log of some kind. There were columns for dates, locations, numbers of crates and how much they were paid. At first he thought the final column was just the item that was in the crates. But when he looked at the number of crates that made no sense to him. Fifteen crates of topaz would make them rich enough to not have to worry about taking risky jobs like kidnapping him. A few lines down was thirty crates of sapphire. Farther up in the list was ten crates of garnet. If they had been moving this many gems in the last two years they should¡¯ve been rich. Worse, of the thirty entries recorded over the last two years, they were always the same five gems. Sapphire, topaz, garnet, amethyst and malachite.


    In some ways he was impressed that the stones had a direct translation via Divine Translation, but he supposed that the physics here on Galle, even if it could be influenced by mana, seemed to be the same as Earth. So, the formation of rocks should be the same or at least similar. But that didn¡¯t explain this list, or the payments they had received, which were a pittance compared to the worth of that many crates of gems. Unless, they weren¡¯t gems. Were they codes for something else?


    Nate looked up as he sensed Deverell enter his sphere of awareness, glancing at the door as the quietly efficient man joined them.


    ¡°What do we have here?¡± asked the Dagger Dancer as he glanced at the notepad in Nate¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 135 - Ashes and Orbs

    Nate watched as Deverell looked over the notebook they had found in the leader of the mercenaries makeshift office. Frick and Kiri waited quietly and if Nate was getting a sense of his Familiar it was that Frick was staying quiet on purpose, probably unsure how to talk to Nate right now.


    ¡°I agree with you, Nate. These are probably code-words. I¡¯ll need to take this back to the Guild and map out the delivery locations and see if we can find any patterns. Don¡¯t expect a quick answer though. If this really is encoded, the locations might not be the real destinations either. I¡¯m going to scour the rest of the warehouse for any other information,¡± explained Deverell, making the notebook vanish into his spatial storage. ¡°Now, tell me how you were taken.¡±


    Nate took a deep breath before launching into how he had gone to the Den, leaving the brothel and his subsequent attack. He went over how they had prevented him from releasing mana, his use of teleportation to avoid the melee attacks and then the subsequent locking of space before he was knocked out.


    ¡°Mana Suppressors,¡± Deverell muttered. ¡°Three of them, you say? Well, though I doubt it makes you feel better now you¡¯ve likely just killed half of the Mana Suppressors in the City. It¡¯s a Class and Embodiment set up that focuses on preventing the usage of mana. They¡¯re relatively rare because most don¡¯t have the backing that someone like Null does and so are forced into being fragile against anything that doesn¡¯t rely on mana. Either way, it sounds like they came prepared to perfectly counter you. Mana suppression and spatial locking¡­neither of those comes cheap. Did you learn something from the experience?¡±


    Nate nodded in response. He had learned a few things. The first was that apparently he wasn¡¯t paranoid enough. Ignoring the watcher outside of the Den of Desire because the man hadn¡¯t been focused on him had been a mistake. He also hadn¡¯t expected to be attacked in the middle of the street with other people around. If he had walked out under an Illusion and Mana Obfuscation runic array maybe they never would have seen him. Finally, if he wasn¡¯t prepared, he could be defeated. The lack of his crafted runic items had left him at a distinct disadvantage. While it sounded like he could have broken the suppression had he been level sixty like his opponents, he couldn¡¯t rule out the idea that they might have brought more Mana Suppressors in response. He may not be a small fish any more, but even if he was a big fish, the ocean was wide and deep. He needed to find a way to accelerate his creation of runecrafted items.


    ¡°What about the bodies?¡± asked Kiri. ¡°There¡¯s a noble here too.¡±


    Nate had to admit he was a bit concerned about that. Even if he didn¡¯t feel bad for killing Fabien, there was the question of potential reprisal. A second son of an Earl wasn¡¯t high up in the rankings of the nobility, but they weren¡¯t at the bottom either. An Earl could cause serious problems for him and there was a question of if the Guild would protect him. He had no doubt in his mind Aisling and Luc would, and that made him smile. As his lips turned up he felt himself relax a little for the first time since he had left the Den of Desire.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. You two should head back to the University. Don¡¯t get seen or detected if at all possible,¡± stated Deverell.


    Nate sensed Kiri glance at him and turned to give her a nod. He was more than happy to let Deverell deal with the clean up. He wouldn¡¯t know where to start. What did you even do in a situation like this? It wasn¡¯t like he could walk around with fifteen, or however many dead there were, corpses in his spatial storage. Thinking about it he realised he in fact could, but he shouldn¡¯t. That was just asking to get caught. He supposed he could try and bury them deep in the earth. Now that they were dead and lacking most of their mana, only filled with the ambient mana that was attracted to the geometric structures within their corpses, they weren¡¯t resistant to his True Teleportation. He could teleport them over three hundred metres straight down. But who knew if there were ways to find such? Skills and Concepts had proven to be incredibly varied. No, better to let someone more experienced handle it. Though, he might ask Deverell about it later.


    It wasn¡¯t like he was planning to make a habit of this kind of thing, but he had been targeted due to his suspected knowledge of Sigils. Caroline had no idea what Master tier Sigils he knew, and yet she¡¯d been willing to go this far on the suspicion that he knew others. What would the nobility of Etrua be willing to do if they ever realised he knew sixteen Master tier Sigils? Of course most of those were shaping Sigils. But the Master tier Mana Sigil alone would likely be enough. This was unlikely to be the last time he was targeted, and learning how to clean up his own messes might become important. That left just one thing to handle.


    ¡°What about the Orbs and Caroline and Fabiens spatial storages?¡± he asked, using True Teleportation to teleport the twelve orbs that had formed onto the table in front of him along with an amulet and a ring.


    Farsight of the Runic Artist told him what each of the Orbs was and he pointed each out to Deverell and Kiri.


    Stat Orb (Rare)


    Willpower x1


    Strength x2


    Endurance x3


    Constitution x2


    Agility x2


    Stat Orb (Epic)


    Magic Control x1


    Skill Orb (Epic, Level 4)


    Gem Structure Refinement


    ¡°Pretty obvious who the Skill came from,¡± commented Kiri with an angry glare at the orb sitting on the table.


    It warmed his heart a little and helped with the pain he was holding down to see how his friend cared for him. On an academic level, he suspected if it wasn¡¯t for his high Intellect Stat helping him to process the trauma, that right now he would be a blubbering mess. As it was, he was keeping it together, but that didn¡¯t mean he was going to ignore Luc¡¯s advice after he got back from the Fourth Hell. He was going to talk about what had happened. Whether it was with Frick or Kiri or Aisling after she returned from her own Dungeon run, he was going to take the pain and fear inside of him and let it out. He would not let it fester, slowly poisoning him. Perhaps there were people out there that could go through something like this and shrug it off as the price of doing business, but he wasn¡¯t one of them.


    Given how much time he spent thinking it was easy to forget that others didn¡¯t have his Intellect and therefore his speed of thought. Barely two seconds had passed since Kiri¡¯s comment and he¡¯d already gone through the entire decision tree for what he was going to do about his experiences.


    ¡°They¡¯re yours to do with what you will. You two earned them. With your own blood, sweat and skill. Split them however you want. Do so here and now. As for the spatial storages¡­take what you want from them but nothing traceable, if possible. Then head back to the University,¡± Deverell cautioned, before the Dagger Dancer took his leave of the office, moving back out onto the warehouse floor to start cleaning up.


    Nate glanced at Kiri but before he could say anything she answered, ¡°Half each and you take the skill orb. I¡¯d like the strength, agility and willpower orbs. One of endurance ones as well. Anything in their spatial storage is yours.¡±


    Nate nodded. It was how he would¡¯ve split the Orbs. As for the spatial storages, he¡¯d handle them next. They quietly absorbed each of the orbs, increasing their stats. Nate held onto the skill orb to use back at his room as he wasn¡¯t sure if it would synergise with any of his existing skills. He had a suspicion it would since it sounded like a lesser version of his original Improve Material skill. What would happen when he added a far lesser skill to the mix?


    Going through the spatial storages he found a small fortune in mana gems and gold coins in Fabien¡¯s which he added to his own spatial storage. There were also what looked like some letters and other random junk but he left those not wanting to worry about taking any evidence with him. Caroline¡¯s was another story, as the Enchanter¡¯s storage was small and only contained three things. A small bar of Epic quality manerium, an Epic quality emerald with an affinity for water and a notebook. A quick glance told him it was her Sigil Tome, the very thing she had sought from him. Storing the tome in his spatial space he was finally ready to leave the site of his torture.


    He looked at Kiri and through silent agreement they started teleporting back to the University, Frick slipping into the spot on his Class Core that housed his Familiar Contract for the journey. Nate took the time to spin up an Obfuscation and Illusion runic array to conceal himself and a secondary one for Kiri as they teleported in tandem. He had started to understand how Kiri¡¯s own stealth skill worked and as it was Willpower based, it functioned by using her own soul energy to effectively convince her opponents that she wasn¡¯t there. Thinking about it, it was more like a mental skill than a magical skill. That made sense since it apparently cost her soul energy to use. While it made her insanely effective against anyone with low willpower and no soul protection, it had absolutely no effect on anything without soul energy. That meant the enchanted wards around the University might sense her. Might, because her Soul Shift skill didn¡¯t use mana either. It wasn¡¯t like his True Teleportation skill which used mana to manipulate space, letting him overlap two locations and move from one to the other. He wasn¡¯t absolutely certain, but he was starting to wonder if her skill let her move through the Spiritual Realm. That of course just begged more questions about how that would be possible. Did that mean the Spiritual Realm overlapped the Material Realm? She had never mentioned seeing anything when she did it to him, which meant she wasn¡¯t seeing anything on the other side. She just moved a portion of her soul energy to her desired location, then snapped to that location. Either way, however her Skill worked, they weren¡¯t taking any chances about being detected.


    Appearing in his room Kiri vanished immediately as Frick popped out. He had thought she might stay to see how he was and for the barest of moments he felt a stab of hurt. That feeling disappeared as Kiri returned holding a blanket and pillow.


    ¡°Stick to your side of the bed,¡± she stated with a smirk, though he could see her worry hiding beneath the bravado.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to¡­¡± he tried to explain.


    ¡°Fuck that. I saw what they were doing, Nate. You¡¯re my best friend. Like the brother I never had but always wanted. I have never been¡­¡± Kiri choked up as she tried to talk. ¡°...I was so angry it was like the world turned red and I couldn¡¯t see anything else. If it was that bad for me, how much worse must it have been for you? I¡¯m not going anywhere. Now make room in the bed. We can talk. Or not. Whatever you want. But I am not going anywhere.¡±


    Nate held back tears and nodded, rearranging his cloud concept imbued bed so that Kiri could have half. He lay down, robe still on, barrier still hovering over his skin. Kiri got herself arranged on her side of the bed and Frick finally piped up.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch, Boss. You just try and sleep.¡±


    ¡°Or talk,¡± suggested Kiri, making herself comfortable and sighing happily at how amazing his bed was. ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Sleep, I think,¡± he answered. He knew it was sort of a lie. He wanted to sleep, but he doubted he would any time soon. But though he intended to talk about being tortured, he wasn¡¯t ready. Not yet.


    To distract himself, he absorbed the Skill Orb, a notification appearing as he did so.


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Gem Structure Refinement (Epic) Skill and your Conceptual Material (Mythic) Skill. Subsume your Gem Structure Refinement (Epic) Skill to gain 1 Levels in Conceptual Material (Mythic). Proceed?


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    He was completely unsurprised that the Skill he had acquired was a lesser form of his own Conceptual Material Skill. Still, a free level in his Skill was worth having and though he recognised there was a future possibility for the Gem Structure Refinement Skill to potentially synergise with his plans for his Metal Shaping Skill, he didn¡¯t need it for his plans. He selected proceed, glancing at the Skill Level up notification before bringing up his Status sheet.


    Conceptual Material 33 > 34


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    360


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    151 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    87


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    143


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    83


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    66 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    190


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    46


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    213


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    77


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 5


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Insight (M) Lvl 42 - (Excess Mana Absorption Rate increased by 21%, +52% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material (M) Lvl 34 - (-17% Mana Cost, -50% Time Required)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 44 - (+96% Perception, +18% Creativity, 22m Sphere of Awareness, 440 metre summoning range for 2nd Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Intent (M) Lvl 42 - (45 Intents, 22 Imbued Intents, +3 Subconcepts, +42% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Creation (M) Lvl 41 - (-80% Mana Cost, +15% Creativity, +41% Mana Aspecting)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Runic Artistry (L) Lvl 38 - (-47% Mana Cost, +103 Magic Power for Runic Arrays)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    True Teleportation (M) Lvl 32 - (329 metres teleport range, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) Lvl 30 - (+44% Magic Stats)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automation (L) Lvl 16 - (-15% Mana Cost, +72% Power, +28% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Metal Shaping (R) Lvl 15 - (-25% Mana Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spatial Empowerment (E) Lvl 1 - (+3% to Spatial Skills and Spells)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Minor Spatial Lock (R)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (4) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Barrier Soul Engraving (Expend Mana to protect against Soul attacks) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Dismissing the notification and his Status he started thinking over the events of the evening, replaying them in his mind as he questioned himself. What could he have done better? How could he have protected himself? Were there ways to deal with these kinds of issues in the future? An idea was forming as he finally succumbed to sleep.


    *************


    Waking up to the first hints of sunlight peaking in under the door he found that Kiri was still sound asleep. Frick glanced at him and gave him a toothy smile even as the Spirit channelled Conceptual Material into his barrier bracer. The little blue goblin clearly knew what Nate was most interested in.


    Carefully getting out of bed he was surprised when Kiri just snored and rolled over. Moving to his table he began to draw a complicated rune. Getting tortured was a powerful motivator to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. His issue, as far as he was concerned, was his durability. The moment his external defences had failed he had been effectively taken out in one shot, his jaw broken and knocked unconscious. The Life Drain runic array had fixed him up, but that was treating the problem, not the cause. While he had been held he had considered if he could use Conceptual Material on his own body.


    He had ultimately arrived at that being a terrible idea simply because altering his molecular structure would likely have a cascading biological impact and probably kill him. When Evindal returned he intended to ask the elven Mage since he had a class related to Life. What had it been again? Lord of Life? A Legendary Class. If anyone would know, it was him. But that limitation hadn¡¯t stopped him from considering alternatives. His captors hadn¡¯t been able to affect his internal mana. That meant that while he couldn¡¯t project mana externally, there was nothing to stop him from activating runes internally. He even had the perfect Sigils for it. Reinforcement and Durability.


    Both Sigils were Journeyman tier. That was probably good enough for anyone else, but not for him. Not after what he had gone through. Master was the minimum he was willing to work with if he was going to be engraving a runic array onto his own bones. Drawing out the Reinforcement Sigil he focused on it, activating Conceptual Insight. The skill immediately gave him feedback and he knew that he would need another week before the skill had enough¡­conceptual energy? Was that even a thing? Whatever energy it needed to forcibly reveal the improved form of the Sigil.


    That was fine, though he did wish he had a way to speed it up besides levelling the Skill. To distract himself he started doing up the basic design for the runic array, figuring out what he needed to include in it. The Power Sigil was a must, so that he could overcharge it with mana if he needed to push the rune beyond its nascent capabilities. He would use Reinforcement and Durability while Conceptual Intent would let him make himself the target. There were questions if he should be making his whole body the target or just say his skin or bones. That would require some testing, but fortunately he could alter the Conceptual Intent applied to the rune after it was finished. He supposed the same was true for the rune itself. Conceptual Runic Creation should let him alter the runes even after they were engraved in his bones, at the cost of a little pain and mana. The thought of a little pain made him snort. The sound was enough to finally wake Kiri who stood up, stretching and moved over to join him at his table.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked, clearly intentionally interrupting him from his rune drawing.


    He thought she was probably right to do so. He was intentionally focusing on anything he could to distract himself from going over the evening''s experiences again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± he answered honestly. ¡°But I¡¯m doing okay. I¡¯m going to want to talk about it. With you, I mean. But I¡¯m not ready yet.¡±


    Kiri nodded her understanding before she got a small smile on her face, ¡°I never got to give you your present!¡±


    His eyebrows went up slightly. She had mentioned a present to him in the aftermath, but they had been so focused on figuring out what was going on and getting Deverell that it had ended up glossed over.


    He sensed Kiri flex her Soul Storage and then she was holding a paintbrush in her hand. Farsight of the Runic Artist activated, immediately telling him what he was looking at.


    Brush of a Thousand Paints (Epic)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Imbuement (Epic), Spatial Storage (Rare), Self-Cleaning (Rare)


    Mana Imbuement: This Item is Enchanted to absorb excess mana, storing it inside the spatial expanded space. Stored mana will naturally improve the quality of any paint stored within.


    Spatial Storage: This item is Enchanted with a spatial storage space. Storage space has been customised to facilitate storing up to one thousand different liquids in specialised containers. Containers linked to Mana Imbuement Enchantment.


    Self-Cleaning: This item is Enchanted to clean itself. Channelling mana into the tip of the paintbrush will increase the speed of this enchantment.


    Nate was amazed. It was the ultimate paintbrush as far as he was concerned. No longer would he need to set out twenty or so buckets or jars of paint. He could simply store all his paint supplies inside this one item. It was the perfect gift. Perfect, and expensive.


    ¡°I love it! But Kiri, how did you afford this?¡± he asked, still staring at the brush and starting to explore the internal storage space.


    ¡°Girls gotta have a few secrets,¡± she replied with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s my way of saying thanks. For everything. And just for you know, being you.¡±


    Nate felt himself start to tear up a little and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Kiri saved him by flashing a sardonic smile which made him laugh.


    ¡°Thanks, Kiri. And about what you said last night¡­I think of you like that too. The sister I never had¡­¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Exactly. We¡¯re family!¡± Kiri stated, cutting through any awkwardness he felt.


    ¡°What does that make me?¡± piped up Frick.


    ¡°Our perverted asshole cousin that we tolerate,¡± quipped Kiri, rolling her eyes.


    The three of them devolved into laughter and Nate, for the first time since he was taken, felt like everything was going to be okay. He wasn¡¯t alone.

 Chapter 136 - Fallout and Fame

    Deverell looked over the list again. The notebook that Kiri and Nate had recovered was clearly a delivery list. The map laid out on the table before him detailed all of the delivery locations. He was convinced that they weren¡¯t encoded as there was one delivery point very close to the region around Helmfirth. The date even lined up near when the slavery operation had begun there. At first he had wondered if maybe the mercenary company Darren¡¯s Riders, the name he had uncovered for those who kidnapped Nate, were in fact morons. But he had quickly realised they didn¡¯t encode the logbook because they didn¡¯t need to. There was no other information that was relevant or extractable besides the locations. The gemstones were likely codenames, but then they showed up at multiple locations. There were no details about what the crates contained or if they were picking up something or dropping off supplies. Utterly useless, except for the locations.


    That was where it got interesting. There were enough locations and dates spread over two years that whatever they had been involved in was not a small operation. The fact that the most recent dates seemed to be along the border with Asmuisil, coupled with the rumours of tensions stirring with Etrua¡¯s neighbouring country was an issue. He had hoped the Guild would manage to extract that information from Darren himself. Deverell had made sure he was captured and restrained after he arrived at the Guild courtesy of Kiri¡¯s Skill. Unfortunately he had been unable to give up any information. Deverell had administered the torture himself to extract information and it had been clear that Darren wanted to answer. But every time he had clamped up. Even after they had used their soul cleansing enchantments on the man it hadn¡¯t been enough. That meant the Soul Contract that had bound the man was incredibly potent and the Guild in Etrua lacked a Platinum level Adventurer with a Soul related skillset. Kiri might one day be able to fill that role, but she wasn¡¯t there yet. In the end, that made Darren a liability and Deverell had disposed of the mercenary. Justice had been served and his Embodiment still hummed with acknowledgement of that fact.


    The clean up of the rest of the mercenary company had been simple enough given they were all already corpses. Thinking back on the place he was still impressed with the kids. Kiri had managed to take out multiple individuals with an Embodiment. Sure, they were likely fragmented Embodiments, but still, jumping that level gap and the force multiplier that an Embodiment could represent was beyond impressive. Her assassination skills were improving and he might need to consider bringing her on a simpler job with him in the near future. Now, while he suspected the footsoldiers of Darren¡¯s Riders only possessed fragmented Embodiments, the same was not true of anyone who went down the path of a Mana Suppressor. The Class wasn¡¯t too hard to get but it was almost universally avoided unless the goal was absolute specialisation. A Mana Suppressor was only capable of doing one thing and that thing was in the name. Their Skills were all geared to enhancing that effect and they almost always had partial or perfect Embodiments. That made what Nate had done all the more impressive. Pushing back against not one but two Mana Suppressors at level forty or so was insane. He wasn¡¯t even sure how it was possible but the proof was there.


    Shaking his head slightly, his black hair barely moved. Those two kids were future gems. Of that, he was certain. Which meant he needed to keep them safe until they could do so themselves. The world was wide and deep and while they had perhaps the greatest of starting points, there were monsters with centuries and over a hundred levels on them. All he could do was try and get them far enough that they could stand on their own. At the rate they were going he expected they would surpass him in another year. Maybe even less if fate continued to throw them into situations like this.


    He had done his best to clean up after them. If anyone came looking all they were going to find was a burned down warehouse. Perhaps an Inspector or similar might look into it, but while they would be able to tell that there had been a fight and people had died, they shouldn¡¯t be able to glean more details than that. Caroline and the noble brat had been more challenging. He had needed it to look like their disagreement is what resulted in their deaths. That was made more challenging due to the Noble being desiccated. The crushed body of the Enchanter was far easier. In the end he had been forced to go with a catastrophic cascade of enchantments interacting that resulted in the Enchanter¡¯s shop exploding with such intense flames that it knocked down both buildings beside it, the corpses of the pair at the heart of the explosion were almost completely annihilated and given the number of enchantments involved he hoped that it would be enough of an explanation for the weird state of the bodies.


    It had only been a day since then and he hadn¡¯t seen anything to make him more wary or paranoid than he usually was, but it was still early days. The worst thing he could do would be to try and monitor the situation. He would just keep an eye out for any tails or anyone unusual or unexpected entering the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound. That did present a challenge for assisting Kiri and Nate. There was nothing else for it though. They would be on their own at the University for the next few days. Hopefully it would all work out and he wouldn¡¯t disappoint Aisling. Glancing out the window towards the harbour he was reminded of his own youth for the barest of moments. A time best left forgotten, he thought, turning back to the table and trying to tease out the relationship between the delivery points and the codenames within the notebook. Something told him this was important.


    *************


    Headmaster Verian Thavian Mazet frowned at the message on the table in front of him. The news, while not terrible, was incredibly inconvenient. Prince Bordain would be along shortly for the weekly report and the simple fact was it was not going to be a positive one. How those morons had gone and gotten themselves killed was beyond him. Their job, their only job, was to deliver supplies and collect any profits returning them to the Capital and the Prince¡¯s coffers. How fucking hard was it to be a glorified errand boy? Or crew.


    The door to his office opened and he prepared to give his report. The only person on campus who would not knock before entering was the Prince himself. Bordain walked in, looking every bit a titan before the blocky man took a seat, making himself comfortable across from Verian.


    ¡°How is everything progressing, Verian?¡± demanded his liege.


    ¡°The news on the border is that Asmuisil will declare war within the next few months, though I don¡¯t have a report from Sapphire about how the second incursion went and if they managed to escape with a third Dungeon Core. Topaz has been successful and all manerium mining has been diverted to your coffers. That brings me to the first major issue. The mercenary company we were using to ferry the takings is dead.¡±


    ¡°Do we know who?¡± asked Bordain, his tone giving no hint as to how the royal felt about this development.


    ¡°We do not. The warehouse in the docks they have been using between deliveries burned down and the initial assessment indicates people died. I have not been able to divine their location, which means they¡¯re almost certainly dead and disposed of. Do you want me to organise an investigation?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Bordain stared at the Headmaster in silence until Verian felt it had become uncomfortable before answering, ¡°No. I will task one of the Guard Inspectors loyal to me to investigate. Your methods are more likely to be noticed. Secrecy is more important than an answer and your methods are far from subtle.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do about the delivery problem?¡±


    Bordain tilted his chin in thought, ¡°Have Garnet recalled. Delivery work is beneath her, so she will still know I am displeased with her. However she will find it preferable to working with Sapphire, and he can do without the backup now that tensions are suitably stirred. Have him implement the second stage of the plan within the month.¡±


    Verian nodded his agreement.


    ¡°Was there anything else?¡± asked Bordain.


    ¡°The boy you had leave the University. The second son of the Earl of Dralogne? News is he has died in an explosion at an Enchanter¡¯s shop in the Noble¡¯s district.¡±


    Verian watched as Bordain leaned back in his chair, curious about what the Prince was thinking about. A dead nobles son was at worst an inconvenience, but to have him die so soon after the Prince had ordered him off the University grounds could reflect poorly on the Prince. What would he do, wondered the Headmaster.


    ¡°Leave it with me. I will approach the Earl and will look into this personally. You focus on our other tasks. It¡¯s almost time for our plans to bear fruit.¡±


    The Headmaster nodded. All his work and sacrifice would soon pay off. He would finally be given access to that which he had been for so long denied. A Legendary Dungeon and a path towards a Mythic Class. No longer to languish at level a hundred and twenty while he kept mana at bay to prevent an evolution he knew he could not yet achieve. It would all be worth it.


    *************


    Duchess Charlotte Desmarais held a sheaf of paper from the latest report in her hands. The twins were as detailed as ever, the full report over forty pages long. The girls had detailed many of the students of the Royal University, focusing on their talents, weaknesses and associations. There were a few merchants noted that the Duchy might benefit from working with. To be Noble was to be wealthy, but there were grades of wealth. The Duchy she ruled over, with her husband''s occasional assistance, was rich. But not rich enough. They held two less Dungeons than their slightly more elevated peers and if they were to contest that fact they needed the gold and mana to pay for such. Even petitioning the crown would come at a cost. That was why she had sacrificed her youngest. As twins the pair were almost perfect for taking on roles as Unseen. Roles that were finally to supply the desired returns.


    After the twins frankly abysmal performance at the Adventurers Guild Tournament she had started to wonder if she might need to sacrifice the pair to recoup the investment spent on developing them. Thankfully they were finally paying dividends as they ferreted out ways to harm the standing of their fellow Dukes and Duchesses and those who paid them homage.


    That however, was not the report that had caught her attention. The twins had details on some of the Adventurers attending the Royal University. The subjects they were taking, their initial gradings, their Classes. The fact that the Guild had produced four First Evolution Epic Classers was worth noting. It was evidence of a rise in the Etrua branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild strength, as well as their increasing capability and a promise of future power. That alone was cause for concern, but it was the additional information that had her worried. The twins had been trained since they were children to recognise the Skills and Stats of others. Identification Skills were useful, but they could be deceived. The twins own obfuscated class cores were proof of that. But with enough practice and Perception, one could estimate the Stats of an individual, or the potential rarity of a Skill.


    That was why the twins suspicion that the top two Adventurers from the Tournament were both hiding their true Classes was of such concern. Class concealing at a level that could deceive the Royal University was doable, but expensive, and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would never pay for such unless they had good reason to. A reason like the twins second conjecture. The pair held Legendary Classes after their First Evolution. Something that would put them beyond the twins, herself and her husband. Something that would put the pair on par with the Royals themselves. If that was true then they represented a potential threat to the future of Etrua. It was well known that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild disapproved of how the country of Etrua was run, and while they might not bring in external Adventurer¡¯s, they were also unlikely to censure natives of the country. No, she thought, it was better to kill this child in the cradle rather than let it grow and fester until it consumed them all.


    Ringing a bell she waited for her husband, Duke Quentin Desmarais, to attend her. While she waited she went over the rest of the reports, noting some opportunities to subvert some of the Earls and Barons that reported to the other Duchies. Nothing earth shattering, but definitely worth further investigation.


    Finally, after almost an hour, the Duke entered his own office. His in name only, as the only time he used it was when giving orders to the twins or entertaining visitors. The rest of the time it was hers.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s important,¡± Quentin huffed.


    With an effort of will she suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, proffering the relevant report for him to peruse. Watching him read over the report, she got to enjoy the slow widening of his eyes as he was made privy to the twins assessment, culminating in the man gulping for air. She knew how proud he was of his own development and the fact that he had achieved a Legendary Class at his second evolution. Something which put him ahead of his fellow Dukes, if the rumours were true. After all, Evolution was not guaranteed and more than one noble had been stuck at Rare even after their second evolution. To find out that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild may have produced not one but two individuals comparable to the Royals was likely a blow to the man¡¯s ego.


    She watched his throat ripple as he swallowed before he finally did what he had always done and would always do. Seek her advice.


    ¡°What do you propose?¡±


    ¡°Kill it in the cradle. We send a Kill Squad. A team of six. All second evolution with at least a partial Embodiment. The twins can tell us when and where to strike. We end this threat before it can come back to bite us.¡±


    ¡°Should we inform the Royal family?¡±


    She shook her head at the foolish question.


    ¡°If they don¡¯t already know it would be in our interest to keep it that way. They may not take the same stance as us, instead choosing to marry them into the Royal family or worse, elevate them to the Nobility. The Royal family only sees two options when presented with power. They will try to possess it, and only if that fails, will they try to destroy it. If the twins are right, these two could rise to challenge us for our position. We have not stabilised since the death of your Father and would be the easiest Duchy to target. And anything less than a Duchy for a First Evolution Legendary is an insult. No. We tell no one.¡±


    ¡°As you say,¡± agreed Quentin, just like he always did.


    ¡°Good. I will have a team assembled. I will keep you informed of their progress.¡±


    With that handled she looked back down at the reports, letting her husband know in no uncertain terms that she had no more need of him. He was out the door a moment later, which she was thankful for. She had much work to do to restore this Duchy to its rightful place and she couldn¡¯t do that with distractions like foolish Dukes looking over her shoulder. She was just thankful that her children had inherited her resourcefulness and intellect, and not those of her husband''s bloodline. Though, if they were perhaps a little less intelligent she wouldn¡¯t have needed to go to the trouble of soulbinding the twins. An expensive cost, but finally, after over a decade, it was showing returns. The smile on her face lit up the empty room. It was just a shame that there was no one present to see it.

 Chapter 137 - Paint Away the Pain

    The only sound that could be heard was that of Nate¡¯s Brush of a Thousand Paints swishing back and forth against the canvas before him. It had been a few days since he had been kidnapped, and though the feelings and memories of the experience were still raw, he was already recovering. It both helped and hindered that Kiri had been watching over him like a mother hen. Even now she sat in his room, doing her economics homework. Frick was nearby too, diligently working on completing the barrier bracer. It should be finished before the end of the day which filled him with a sense of relief.


    ¡°Why are you taking Economics, anyway?¡± he asked.


    He continued to paint as he waited for an answer. His new enchanted paintbrush was an absolute wonder, letting him swap between paints with ease and cleaning off the paint with just a small thread of mana. The scene before him was cast in yellows, oranges and reds. The torture had reminded him of the Fourth Hell, which had been a horrible experience as well. So he painted demonic caricatures of his captors burning in the hells for their crimes. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was healthy, but it made him feel a little better and the caricatures bore little resemblance to those who had taken him. Caroline was a purple demon, trapped within a runic circle, looking broken and bleeding. A demon in red, melting in a pit of lava was meant to be Fabien. The painting was almost done which was good timing as they had a class shortly.


    ¡°Because you weren¡¯t going to,¡± answered Kiri, staring intently at the page before her.


    That answer got Nate¡¯s attention and he turned to look at his best friend, a confused scowl on his face, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be rich. I mean, even ignoring the things you create, we¡¯re on the fast track to being Guild Platinums. Guild Platinums are rich. The good ones are filthy rich, like Lord Evindal. We were always going to end up wealthy. Getting into the Royal University is just going to make it happen faster, and I knew you weren¡¯t interested in managing it, so I thought that it could, you know, be my contribution. Handle that crap so you could focus on your art and crafting,¡± Kiri explained. ¡°But figuring out the compound interest on an investment is doing my head in!¡±


    He smiled brightly at her explanation and at her frustration. Walking over to join her he read over the problem in the book. Had he been back on Earth, without his mana enhanced intellect, he might¡¯ve been stumped as well. But his mind was capable of serving up memories from Earth and leaning forward he wrote down the compound interest formula for her, before filling in the variables with the question in her notebook so that she could see how to apply it.


    With a grin he went back to putting the finishing touches on his painting while Kiri processed the solution.


    ¡°It¡¯s that easy?¡± she finally asked. ¡°How do they not know this?¡±


    ¡°They probably do,¡± he replied. ¡°You¡¯re in the Intermediate course right? Maybe they want you to do it the hard way first, to try and get your head around the idea, before they teach you how to do it quick and easy.¡±


    Kiri grunted in response, ¡°Yeah¡­that sounds like the Professor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important to know the why as well as the how.¡±


    ¡°Oh by the gods you sound just like him,¡± groaned Kiri, but he could tell she was just joking.


    With a few final strokes the painting was done and after cleaning and putting his enchanted paintbrush in his spatial storage he turned around. Kiri was clearly close to being finished so he started collecting his things. The puzzle box went into storage first, followed by five bars of rare grade metals each with a different affinity. His paranoia was still sky high and he wanted a tool, even a lesser one, for every occasion. Caroline¡¯s Sigil Tome went next. It had been a fitting repayment for his suffering. Most of the Sigils were only Initiate or Novice quality, but where they lacked in quality they made up for it in quantity with almost two hundred of them available. A smattering of Apprentice tier were in there as well, a few of which he already knew. The crowning Sigils however were the ten Journeyman and Master tier Sigils.


    Metal Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Life Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Fear Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Love Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Calm Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Smell Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Space Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Fire Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Sound Sigil (Quality: Master)


    Soul Sigil (Quality: Master)


    The new additions were welcome, some an upgrade to his existing knowledge, some completely new. The three stand outs were the Master tier Soul and Sound Sigils, along with the Journeyman tier Space Sigil. With those, he was going to create wonders. But first, he was going to create ironclad defences. He would never lose the ability to teleport again. Not against anyone who wasn¡¯t a God, anyway.


    Seeing Kiri was starting to pack up he asked, ¡°Ready for class?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Kiri replied, jumping up and joining him as he exited the room. Frick waved as they left, his Familiar had been relatively quiet since his capture. He wondered if the Spirit blamed himself or something. Nate didn¡¯t think his presence would have made a difference. They would need to have a chat later.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re still okay with us going on this Dungeon run?¡± asked Kiri as the pair crossed the manicured grass of the University grounds.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep asking,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    It was the third time Kiri had asked him in the last couple of days and they would need to leave for the Dungeon run with Coralie and Flash in the next few days. He knew she was just making sure he was okay, but getting stronger was a big factor in making him feel safer. There was a secondary reason though. They had been informed by the Guild of the nature of the Dungeon they were going to. It was an underwater variant. While that would pose a major issue for a lot of Guild members he wasn¡¯t too concerned and had a plan for maximising his progression. That plan was Frick.


    Outside of Dungeons Frick using his Skill for enhancing his physical capabilities in the material realm was mana intensive and couldn¡¯t be used for extended periods, since he was using Nate¡¯s own mana. In a Dungeon though, where Nate could simply float around with a mana gathering array constantly recharging mana gems, well, he could keep that up for hours if needed. That gave Nate the opportunity to implement a very simple plan. Frick would do all the fighting, while Nate spent the whole time crafting. Maybe they would trade off if one of the Dungeon challenges was a bit more difficult, but based on the previous High Rare Dungeon they had completed, he wasn¡¯t expecting that. Since his Barrier bracer would be done, he could finish up his plan for his Conceptual Automation gravity runic array. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    That left him with his newest project to work on. It had been made very clear to him that until he was a Platinum, that he would be at risk in any situation where his enemies could remove or suppress mana somehow. Maybe it would remain a problem even beyond. Who knew if there was some Divinity of Antimages or some other bullshit. That meant he needed a way to fight back against mana suppression and exclusion for enemies who might be a far higher level than him, or more numerous. His solution, as always, was a runecrafted item. He even had the perfect Sigils for it. Mana and Release. It was time to make his first Mythic material with Conceptual Material. If he could make a mythic bar of manerium, carved with a runic array that would allow him to release the stored mana inside, he could flood an area around him, fighting back against mana suppression Skills without having to do anything. The best part was, it would be reusable. He would just have to recharge the material once he was done. That should allow him to fight back or escape any enemies who tried to lock him down via mana. His remaining problem was spatial locks. Space had just become his highest priority Sigil to further develop.


    Arriving at the classroom for Mana and Affinities, Kiri slid in next to Coralie with Nate moving to sit a row behind next to Britt. The blonde haired defender gave him a small and hopeful smile which he did his best to return. For obvious reasons he had been a bit distant the past few days and he had appreciated that she hadn¡¯t pushed to find out what was going on. Even so, he knew that probably left the poor girl confused about whether they were still friends and casually seeing each other.


    He was about to whisper to her when the door opened and their Professor entered in a flurry of robes, his black moustache well oiled. Professor Karne put a lot of stock in appearance and it showed.


    ¡°Excellent. Looks like everyone is here. Before we launch into today''s lecture I want to let you know that over a third of you are only a few points away from graduating out of the Intermediate course for Mana and Affinities. Today¡¯s quiz could see you moving into the Advanced class, if you decide to continue with this subject, which I highly encourage.¡±


    With a glance across the classroom the Professor continued, ¡°Last lesson we were going over how it is not just the presence and concentration of mana in an area that influences the formation of affinities in materials, but also natural formations. Someone remind the class what a natural formation is.¡±


    Nate smirked a little at the difference between the various Professors. Had it been Professor Kandel, she would¡¯ve asked the question and then selected someone with a raised hand. Professor Karne on the other hand had already turned away towards the board and just expected someone to pipe up. It ended up being one of the merchants that answered.


    ¡°Natural formations are sigils that occur within the environment. They can be small, like scratches on a rock, or large, like the shape of a tree or even water damage inside of stone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mathers. That is correct,¡± agreed Professor Karne. ¡°When you have these sigils forming due to environmental processes, we call them a natural formation. These sigils will interact with the mana around them, and with enough time, or a high enough concentration of mana, will align materials towards the affinity of the sigil. This can occur far more frequently in plants as some form these natural structures as part of their growth and development. This results in certain plants almost always having specific affinities. Further, this can be used to influence the environment around them. In case we have any aspiring alchemists in the class, this is incredibly important when designing an alchemist''s garden. If you wanted shadow-aligned terralo blossoms and not twilight terralo blossoms, then you would need to keep them separated from any plants with a natural affinity for light.¡±


    As he spoke the Professor continued to draw on the board and after a moment Nate realised what it was. The man was drawing the layout for a garden.


    ¡°Natural formations are one instance of ambient mana taking on an affinity. Someone shout out the other three main causes of ambient mana affinities.¡±


    ¡°Material presence, natural phenomena and unnatural phenomena,¡± shouted out one of the nobles sitting in a clique on the opposite side of the classroom.


    ¡°Correct. We¡¯ll start with material presence, the least pronounced form of ambient affinity. Live near water, there will be ambient mana with an affinity for water. A forest? Wood, nature, life, a myriad of others. Material presence influences mana. Why? Well, to the best of our knowledge, while a Sigil is a representation of a Concept, so is the material represented to a lesser extent. A rock doesn¡¯t contain the same Conceptual weight as the Sigil for rocks, but it still carries some Conceptual weight. Which brings us to natural phenomena. As we understand it there are Concepts that lack a physical property. You know this. Gravity is the simplest example. A force that keeps us from floating away, but to the best of our knowledge, it has no physical properties itself. Yet it acts on all of us. But what about something more esoteric? Power. Power is something we can recognise, I can guarantee you it is a Concept, but it has no physical material. Why do I mention it? Well, for some of you, it may never matter,¡± explained Professor Karne with a glance at the Adventurers. ¡°But for the nobility, it is very important for a topic we will cover in the Advanced class. Seats of power.¡±


    ¡°That brings us to unnatural phenomena. I won¡¯t explain how unnatural phenomena occur unless you manage to graduate into the Advanced course. What I will do is give you an example of an unnatural phenomena. A battlefield. Depending on if it is ongoing or the battle is long over you might see an affinity for blood and violence or death and decay among others. Now, ignoring that for a moment, material presence, natural phenomena and unnatural phenomena have implications both in terms of development and for combat. Locations will have the affinity of mana influenced by natural formations, physical material, natural phenomena and unnatural phenomena. This is important for developing your own affinities, as we know that by exposure your mana can take on these affinities to an extent. If you want to develop your affinity for fire, you need to expose yourself to ambient mana with a fire affinity, or pay your alchemist some exorbitant fees,¡± continued the Professor with a smirk.


    ¡°The second reason, the one relevant to combat, is that if you utilise spells that make use of ambient mana, your spells will be weaker if the ambient mana has strong affinities that do not align with the nature of your spells. Trying to cast fire spells underwater is going to be beyond challenging. The strength of your affinities will of course be a factor, but you must always consider the environmental factors as well.¡±


    ¡°That brings us to the final point of this lecture. Total affinities. When we measure your affinity, a service the University offers, if you¡¯re willing to pay for it, we are measuring the percentage of your mana that aligns to a particular affinity. That means there is a very obvious cap, which for any of you schooled in even basic arithmetic, is one hundred percent. Constant exposure to mana with an affinity for water will develop your affinity for water over time, however, if you are a fire mage, that is the opposite of what you want. There are ways for handling this, again, alchemy being the most obvious, if expensive, solution. Others are removing yourself from exposure, or making sure you are exposed specifically to mana of affinities of interest. Enchanters make plenty of gold and mana by putting in place enchantments that to some extent, remove affinities from ambient mana in noble villas. While this won¡¯t enhance one¡¯s affinities, it definitely prevents regression. I also want to be clear, this is not a fast process. You are not suddenly going to develop a mana affinity for water after being exposed to the ocean for a month or two. But give it a year or so and it will definitely happen.¡±


    Nate watched as the Professor paused, glancing at the students which he assumed was Karne gauging the class''s reaction. When no one spoke up the man clapped his hands together.


    ¡°Excellent. Today''s quiz will be twofold. Firstly, an alchemist''s garden. You will be given a sheet with the layout of an alchemist''s garden, a number of plants and their affinities with some details around the strength of said affinity. There will be a list of desired affinities for the garden to produce. It is your job to layout the garden with the appropriate plants to achieve the desired result. The second problem will be a map. It will describe the details of particular locations, weather patterns and some history. You will fill the map in with the affinities you expect to dominate specific locations and your reasoning why. I look forward to seeing if some of you can graduate out of this class today. Good luck.¡±


    Nate sensed the Professor form a small spell in an instant as the papers blew on the wind to land in front of everyone in the class. Leaning forward he looked over the problems and got to work. The Advanced course for Mana and Affinities beckoned, and perhaps he would finally get an answer to why Intent mattered so much for Skill development.

 Chapter 138 - Underwater Adventures

    Nate enjoyed the ocean breeze that washed over him, bringing with it the smell of the sea. The gentle rolling gait of alliram sent slight vibrations up through his legs as he approached the Guild¡¯s Dungeon fort alongside the other Guildies. They had caught sight of it less than a minute ago and he was still marvelling at the design. He had wondered what differences might be involved in an underwater variant dungeon and the fort''s design made it clear that one of them was that the dungeon itself was likely underwater. The hint that made him suspect that was the case was that only a third of the fort was built onto the rocky headland. Unless Nate missed his guess it had been created by an Earth Mage as the walls were flowing stone that seemed to be a part of the headland itself. The other two thirds was built out over the water and with his enhanced perception and Farsight of the Runic Artist he could tell that the artificial stone sunk into the depths. The ocean gently lapped at the walls of the fort, reaching less than a metre up the sides with each wave, shielded as the cove was from the true power of the sea.


    He glanced at the rest of the team to gauge their reactions. Kiri rode behind him beside Coralie, her smile wild, with eyes only for the dungeon fort. Coralie on the other hand looked more stoic. He had noticed that she got quieter and more reserved whenever a fight was approaching. Turning his head back to the front he couldn¡¯t make out Flash¡¯s expression as the man headed up the convoy beside one of their escorts. Just like the last dungeon they had ventured out for, they were not left alone. Two Golds rode to either side of Flash and behind them all with a much larger gap rode Deverell, head on a swivel. Nate smiled slightly, realising the Dagger Dancer was likely channelling an extra dose of paranoia after Nate¡¯s kidnapping. He couldn¡¯t blame the guy, especially since he had grown more paranoid as well.


    It was one thing to be kidnapped to the Fourth Hell, but quite another to be nabbed off the street by his fellow humans. The difference was in his ability to do something about it. He¡¯d fallen into the trap of underestimating his fellow humans after escaping from the Hells. That wasn¡¯t going to happen again. He had debated whether to use Conceptual Material on the ride out and ultimately had decided that he would. That didn¡¯t mean he was going to let Coralie, Flash or their minders see what he was doing though. It was slowing him down slightly, but he was managing to keep two runic arrays going while he channelled Conceptual Material. The first was a Mana Obfuscation runic array, meant to disguise the usage of mana around him. The second was an Illusion runic array which was hiding what he and Frick held in their hands.


    Before they had left the University the little spirit had managed to complete the work on his new Barrier Bracer. The Legendary material was now clamped around his arm beneath his robe and the feel of the cool metal against his skin made him feel just that little bit safer. He glanced at it using Conceptual Insight to bring up the item''s description.


    Runecrafted Bracer of Barriers (Legendary)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Legendary), Variable Barrier (Legendary)


    Mana Storage: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to utilise its Legendary affinity for mana to store an incredible amount of mana to power any other effects the item is capable of.


    Variable Barrier: This item has been runecrafted with a barrier rune that can be activated by the user, utilising either mana stored within the item or the wearer''s own Mana Reserve. The rune itself allows for the user to connect the barrier rune with a variety of secondary runes forming a runic array. These secondary runes are Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, Light, Shadow, Mana, Soul and Space. Each additional secondary rune activated causes an exponentially increasing mana cost.


    The bracer was everything he wanted it to be, but he was not stopping his plans for defensive creations there. While he was slowly increasing the tier of the bar of manerium in his hands carved with the runic array for Mana Release, the little goblin was working on Nate¡¯s latest project. Though he knew he needed to work on improving a Sigil to Mythic to advance his plans for his Embodiment, he had temporarily pivoted and used the mana stored by his Conceptual Insight skills ability to help him improve the Sigil tier of one of his newest acquisitions. The bracer in Frick¡¯s hands was carved with his newly minted Master tier Space Sigil along with the Release Sigil creating a runic array that should allow him to oppose any spatial locks.


    All that was left was to raise the tier of the material to Legendary, adding an affinity for spatial release, and then charge it with mana. It was likely going to take a couple of weeks but it would be worth it for his peace of mind. Between these three items he was comfortable that his defences would be strong enough to at least let him escape from most people. That would then leave him with a choice. Would it be better to work towards advancing his defences to mythic-level, or should he start working on some offensive creations? He hadn¡¯t decided yet, but he was about to have a few days free to do exactly that.


    He glanced up as his Alliram mount thundered down onto an earth mage carved road into the fort and watched as they were greeted by the contingent of Guild Gold¡¯s who were guarding the fort. He had learned that the position was an enviable one as the rewards provided by the Guild gave the Adventurer¡¯s who took up such posts increased access to the Guild¡¯s Dungeons. It was basically the fast track path to power, or at least as fast as the Guild could reasonably provide.


    Nate had accepted that he and the other Guildies attending the University were exceptions to this. The Guild wasn¡¯t just fast tracking them. It was effectively trying to get them to Platinum as quickly as possible without breaking open the Guild vaults. He¡¯d learned that when Kiri had paid with her own token for this Dungeon. He hadn¡¯t realised it, but the Guild considered their University attendance and performance as a Guild job. As such, they were being rewarded for how they performed. His own rewards were waiting for collection back at the Guild and he intended to choose them upon his return. Kiri had chosen a High Rare Dungeon token for hers, which meant Nate still had nine tokens remaining. He was also going to look into trading some of his rewards or offering to craft some lesser items for the Guild so he could begin trading them for Stat Orbs and getting access to their Skill Orbs. Luc should be back soon and with three bars of Epic tier manerium already sent to the smugglers it was time to start seeing some financial returns.


    Nate got a few odd glances from the Gold tier men and women guarding the fort as he continued to craft, obscuring what he was doing, while the leader of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild contingent explained the Dungeon to them. It was standard procedure but Coralie and Flash had challenged this Dungeon once before and had detailed what would be involved. The basics were that the Dungeon was underwater, however there were caves filled with air that could be found on the sandy bottom of the Dungeon. These caves could be used for resting. The denizens of the Dungeon changed from one run to the next but it was important to be careful and post watches when in the caves as some of the monsters could enter the caves.


    Other than that, you had to fight underwater. For that reason the Guild provided, for a small cost, two sets of equipment for members challenging the Dungeon. The first was alchemical potions that would allow the imbiber to temporarily breathe underwater. The second were some leg anklets that could be tuned to increase their weight. The result was that most challengers would end up walking around on the sandy floor of the Dungeon, breathing water and making the fights more closely resemble the same way they would fight on land, albeit with the added resistance of the water. Their team was only half taking that approach. He watched as Kiri, then Flash, then Coralie all took a set of three potions of water breathing, each storing them in their own spatial storage device, or her Soul Storage in Kiri¡¯s case. However they each declined the enchanted leg anklets. Finally it was Nate¡¯s turn and he smiled at the Gold proffering the potions, giving a shake of his head. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The woman gave him a queer look, ¡°You sure, kid? Drowning¡¯s a bad way to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± he replied calmly.


    The woman glanced at her leader, who then joined her in glancing at Deverell.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± was all the Dagger Dancer supplied, his ever-stoic expression not changing.


    The woman finally shrugged, putting the potions away, ¡°Hope you¡¯re as good as you think you are then, kid.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s better,¡± replied Kiri, coming to his defence.


    He gave her a small smile, understanding she was trying to help him build up his confidence after being taken. He appreciated it, even if he didn¡¯t need it. It wasn¡¯t his confidence that had taken a hit. It was his naivety. Anyone and everyone besides Kiri and Aisling could be out to get him. He was never going to let himself be taken again, and that meant not drinking substances he hadn¡¯t personally verified. Sure, his Conceptual Insight said the potion was what it claimed to be, but he had never tested it with potions before. For all he knew it only picked up on the dominant presence within the potion. It was something he would test later. What would happen to the identification process if he poisoned a potion. Would it show that it was poisoned? Or still just display the name and effects of the potion? First he needed to purchase a few for testing. More than a few actually, since he was going to take a scientific approach. Just one more reminder that he had infinite possibilities and projects laid out before him and only a finite amount of time to devote to them.


    Finally they were allowed to enter the Dungeon and as Nate stepped through he altered the barrier surrounding him, powered by his Runecrafted Bracer of Barriers. Adding the water rune to the barrier he created a bubble around him that would keep out water. He would need to occasionally use a wind runic array to refresh his air but other than that he should be able to use a water runic array to move himself around underwater. The best part was, his bracer didn¡¯t require his attention. It wouldn¡¯t change what it was doing unless it ran out of mana or he altered it. That left him free to create up to three runic arrays with Conceptual Runic Creation without giving himself a headache. Which was perfect for how he planned to handle this Dungeon.


    Passing through the Dungeon aperture, he sensed the spatial distortion. He couldn¡¯t be certain, but it felt like he got a clearer view of the elements of the spatial tunnel. Either his new Spatial Empowerment Skill was affecting his Farsight of the Runic Artist ability to sense space around him or it was just a function of his increased perception. It was impossible to tell and he added it to the list of experiments. Almost as soon as it had begun, the sense of space vanished and he was spat out into the Dungeon, immediately pressured by water from all sides as a notification appeared before him.


    You have entered a Dungeon!


    The Assessment Period will begin now. You have five minutes to choose to leave the Dungeon before the entrance will be sealed.


    Dungeon Name: Vilemaw¡¯s Reef


    Dungeon Tier: Rare (High)


    Dungeon Challenges: 4 + 1 Bonus Challenge.


    Exit Conditions: Find a Dungeon Exit.


    Dungeon Limitations: N/A


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    There was a faint current and with his sphere of awareness he could sense the other three around him. But it was something else that had captured his vision. He had asked how deep the water would be when they entered the Dungeon. When Kiri had asked why it mattered he had explained that the deeper you ventured beneath the waves the less light there was and he had wondered if he would need to provide light in some way or if the Guild provided such things. The answer had been smiles from the Golds who told him not to worry and that he would see for himself. It had pissed him off a little but Deverell had assured him it wouldn¡¯t be an issue. When he had pressed, the Dagger Dancer had asked him an odd question. He remembered the words very clearly.


    ¡°Do you want me to tell you? It may alter your expectations, which could change how you view the experience and affect any paintings you create as a result?¡±


    The words had stuck with him and he had backed down. Why would it matter if he went in expecting one thing and the reality was entirely different? He had pondered the question for a while. Nate knew Deverell could be very insightful but the more he thought on the question the more he accepted there was a grain of truth in the man¡¯s words. His perception of the world was filtered not just through his own experiences, but how others viewed or reacted to them. He was reminded of a famous poem from Earth. No man is an island. Seeing the underwater landscape he now knew that Deverell and the Guilders had been right to keep the truth of this underwater world from him.


    Rather than a lack of light, this underwater world was lit up beyond his wildest expectations. Coral, underwater plants and even fish glowed in the dark waters. The glowing intersected and overlapped with the flows and currents of the water creating constantly shifting and changing shimmering rainbows of colour everywhere he looked. Rather than a dark and hidden world, it was one of beauty and light. The best part was that it gave him an idea for a new artwork. Not just about painting the scene before him. The question he had was how could he capture the beauty of the shifting colours before him in a static image? No, he had an idea for his mana imbued paint courtesy of his gift from Kiri. What if he could make the colours of the paint shift by using mana? He was taken with the idea, but not so distracted that he didn¡¯t see the first monster coming for them.


    The creature looked like a dinosaur, with four fins that might have been the early evolution of legs and arms, coupled with a snout like a crocodile. A quick identification using his farsight sphere of awareness told him what to expect.


    Reef Carnidan


    Vicious Aquatic Hunter (R) (40) /  Vicious Devourer (U) (10)


    The Reef Carnidan was joined by five more of its kin, all of a similar level as they swam towards Nate and his team. The others were fanning out to prepare for the fight. Nate however had made his decision about how he intended to handle this Dungeon before they had even left the University. His focus was on developing his defences, and that meant working on raising the tier of his materials.


    With a thought he sent a message to Frick, ¡°You ready?¡±


    ¡°Born ready, Boss man! It¡¯s time to get Fricky!¡±


    Nate smiled as he continued to channel Conceptual Material, watching as Frick floated out into the water beyond his barrier and became corporeal, activating My Will, My Way. Nate had known that Frick had control of what he looked like, even if the little bastard always chose to look like a goblin. But he had seen him often enough make slight alterations, usually for the purpose of jokes. What he hadn¡¯t expected was that his Familiar might make alterations to suit the environment. So when Frick turned into a gigantic merman with the upper half of a huge goblin he had to admit he was a little surprised. That surprise only lasted long enough for the initial clash with the monsters.


    As the rainbow waters were tainted with dispersing blood, he settled in to monitor the battle while he worked on his crafting. Because he was confident when he was prepared, he was unbeatable. That meant he needed to make sure he was never again caught unprepared. A tall order, but he hoped he had the time to make it a reality. The alternative was not something he wanted to think about. He did his best to ignore the memories that whispered of the smell of burning flesh and the pain that accompanied it. He didn¡¯t succeed.

 Chapter 139 - Sharing Water

    Nate watched the battle unfold before him. In one hand he held a mana gathering array, recharging his mana gems. In the other, he balanced a metal bar as he channelled mana and his Conceptual Material skill, slowly adding the affinities of mana and release to the metal while raising it from Rare to Epic quality. On top of that, he maintained two runic arrays. The first obfuscating the mana he was using and the second concealing the metal bar. Given how much work was involved in crafting while delving the Dungeon he was thankful for all the times that Frick had sat around tiering up his materials. The Familiar had truly earned his title of Assistance from the original Dungeon reward that saw him gifted with the odd little spirit. Even now, Frick was assisting him, though Nate got the sense that this type was more preferable for the not-so-little goblin.


    Frick had to be at least three metres long as the goblin-turned-merman swam around using his claws to rake flesh from the Carnidans they fought. His Familiar was using his powerful tail to propel himself around the underwater Dungeon, but Nate hadn¡¯t been sure how the others would handle their own mobility. He shouldn¡¯t have worried. Kiri of course used Soul Shift, vanishing in a spray of bubbles caused by water rushing in to occupy the space she had vacated, only to appear in an explosion of bubbles over one of the Carnidans, stabbing into its back and being dragged along behind it as she tried to eviscerate the beast that was three times her size.


    Coralie had surrounded her ankles, arms and waist with what looked like bands of ice and if his senses were correct she was manipulating their positions, using the ice to drag herself where she wanted to go. He had to admit he was a little impressed by the display, as she was managing five different circlets of ice to control her position. It made him wonder if she had invested a little in her Intellect, as speed of thought and divided attention seemed to be the main abilities the stat improved, besides the obvious one of improved memory. As he watched, she launched multiple spears of ice through the water, two of which struck her target and cut furrows into the beasts, though they failed to do any lasting damage. Durability based monsters, he thought in distaste.


    Turning his attention to Flash, he wasn¡¯t sure whether to laugh in amusement or be gobsmacked with the impressive, if odd, performance. The man¡¯s signature class of Edgedancer was on full display. Nate wasn¡¯t sure if it was the best method for fighting underwater, but Flash somehow made it work. The dagger wielder had a dagger in each hand, as expected, but it was the two additional daggers strapped to the bottom of his feet that made him stand out. Nate knew how the Edgedancer¡¯s signature skill worked, leaving echoes of a blade slashes in the air. However, what Nate had not known last time was that the sharpness of those echoes could be altered. With small flicks of his feet Flash was creating echoes that he could then push off of to reposition or move around the water.


    The little flicks of his feet showed a high level of Skill and likely a solid investment into the Dexterity stat. Whatever it was, it was clearly working as out of the four combatants, from which Nate was currently excluding himself, Flash was the one doing the most damage to the Carnidans. Nate watched as the man baited another Carnidan into charging at him, jaws open ready to clamp down on him. Flash slashed twice in front of him, while rotating a foot slightly at the same time. Pushing off the echo he had formed beneath his foot he dodged the Carnidan¡¯s charge at the last moment. The Carnidan, however, crashed through the other two blade echoes, losing a fin in the process as well as a half its lower jaw. Blood bloomed in the water even as the lost fin slowly sunk down to the ocean floor where colourful fish began nibbling at it.


    Confident that he wasn¡¯t needed, Nate settled in to continue with his crafting. He would need to take short breaks to refill his Mana Reserve from the mana gems so that Frick could continue to handle the battles for him, but that was a small cost for advancing his runecrafted defences.


    The battle lasted another ten minutes before all of the Carnidans had been brought down. Nate sensed the two orbs that had been left behind and pointed them out for the team, before Frick dutifully collected them, delivering them to Kiri.


    With the first engagement out of the way the team began searching for the first Dungeon Challenge. They were going to be down here for a few days and getting at least one challenge done on the first day was the plan if they didn¡¯t want to drag out their Dungeon visit.


    *************


    Kiri growled in annoyance, bubbles floating out of her mouth and obscuring her vision for a moment. She hated, absolutely hated, not being able to be involved in a battle. Flash floated beside her, also unable to participate as she watched Coralie and Nate face the enemy before them. She had no identification Skill, something she intended to remedy, but it meant she didn¡¯t know the name of the beast in front of them. The monster was immobile, looking like a gigantic wobbling jelly with a thousand arms. Like most of the creatures in this Dungeon, it glowed in the waters, shades of white and red rippled across its body with its white arms tipped in circles of orange and red. It was a beautiful sight; it was also a pain in the ass. She and Flash were far enough back that the acidic bursts released from the many arms of the beast did nothing to them but she had gotten a feel for how strong they were up close. Even with Soul Imbuement boosting her Constitution and Endurance it had started to eat away at her skin. Slow enough that she could have fought, but if the battle extended she was going to start running low on soul energy.


    She had tried anyway but Coralie had used ice bindings to drag her away and she had finally relented, letting her girlfriend and her best friend handle the battle. Nate of course was casually floating around in his barrier, seemingly completely unconcerned about the acidic nature of the waters he drifted in. She wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing, but it was clearly something as the monster was not as active as when they had first encountered it. Coralie on the other hand was very obvious. Her girlfriend was completely encased in ice which was apparently enough to protect her from the acidic releases. Her freezing domain was slowly chipping away at the many arms of the beautiful monstrosity, freezing them and letting them break off to drift down towards the ocean floor.


    That ocean floor contained the warning of the dangers involved. Bones. Thousands of them littered the floor around the beast, all pearly white. Looking back up she watched as the monster launched another calculated attack against Nate. Over twenty of the drifting arms suddenly aimed at him, launching bones coated in sticky yellow acid. Her friend however simply vanished out of the way, appearing a few metres away and keeping up whatever he was doing. The arms that had attacked seemed to wither away and fall as she watched the monster slowly continue to deflate. She was guessing, but she suspected he was using his Life Drain rune on the monster.


    The fight dragged on for almost thirty minutes before the monster finally succumbed. After some quick back and forth pointing it was agreed the first reward would go to Nate. She watched as an Orb appeared in his hand before vanishing into his spatial storage. They had been fighting on and off for over five hours as they explored the underwater wonderland and after using some super simple sign language agreed to return to a nearby cave they had seen to set up and take a rest. It had been after midday when they entered the Dungeon and while they could have pushed for another Challenge, they already had a pretty good idea where two of them were. In her opinion, finding them was more work than actually fighting the Challenge monsters. Even though the beast had likely been close to level sixty, it hadn¡¯t managed to threaten them at all.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Swimming into the cave she exhaled, spitting water onto the floor, before inhaling air instead of liquid for the first time in hours. The breath of fresh air made her sigh happily. The potions worked wonders, but they still required you to breathe in water which felt weird and uncomfortable.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t as fun as I was expecting,¡± she griped. ¡°And I am still drenched!¡±


    Even as the words left her mouth the water in her clothes was sloughing off her and back into the pool that marked the cave''s entrance. She shot a thankful glance at Nate who dropped the runic array in front of him now that he had dried all three of them. She smirked as he still hadn¡¯t gotten a drop of water on him.


    ¡°Thanks Nate,¡± said Coralie, a beaming smile on her face. Flash added his own thanks a moment later and Kiri had to admit the man seemed a little less sullen than usual.


    ¡°Food and make camp?¡± Kiri suggested.


    When everyone agreed she started setting up the two person tent she had brought along for this trip. They had all agreed beforehand on the plan for resting. There was no real night or day in this watery place and as far as they knew, you could not swim to the surface. She was tempted to try, despite the explanation that the Dungeon Custodian had implemented some spatial manipulation to keep you from escaping its confines. It made sense she supposed, as Dungeons were supposedly spatially contained spaces, whatever that meant. Maybe Nate would know? Either way, since there was no night or day, and the light from the aquatic plant and animal life was constant, they could rest as little or as much as they wanted. They had all agreed to go for as little as possible.


    They had no desire to be stuck down here in this watery wonderland for a week, no matter how good the view. That didn¡¯t mean the caves were safe though. Some of the monsters, like the Carnidans they had fought, were capable of entering the caves. As such, they would do two on watch and two resting. It had been Coralie that had decided she and Kiri would rest together, which of course had left Kiri grinning from ear to ear. She just hoped Nate wouldn¡¯t mind spending time on sentry with Flash. With a shrug she continued setting up the tent. A little privacy would go a long way after all, she thought with a smirk.


    *************


    Nate sat back from the pool''s edge, continuing his crafting even as he used his farsight sphere of awareness to monitor the water below the pool¡¯s surface. These caves were cleverly designed and he wondered if the Dungeon Custodian had done it intentionally or simply been given the Dungeon in its current state. He didn¡¯t know much about how Dungeons were formed or designed or even the role of a Dungeon Custodian beyond populating a Dungeon with Challenges.


    The cave they rested in had a number of small vents that, as far as Nate could tell, pumped air from tubes that led down to natural formations in the rock beneath the sandy depths. Clever method, he thought, for giving non-aquatic creatures, like themselves, resting spots within the Dungeon.


    Flash sat a couple of metres away from him, daggers in hand and eyes glued to the cave''s entry. He had been wondering if he should make small-talk with the man for the last twenty minutes. Out of all the Guildies, he had spoken the least with the Edgedancer. Obviously he spent a bit of time with Null and more with Britt. But he even exchanged more words with Ameera and Karim than he did with Flash at the University.


    After another twenty minutes of Nate trying to decide whether to speak, it ended up being Flash that broke the silence.


    ¡°You and Kiri make a good team.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nate replied, his tone unsure, before awkwardly adding, ¡°you and Coralie seem to work together well. Have you been teamed up for a while?¡±


    ¡°Eight years,¡± Flash replied, eyes still watching the water.


    ¡°That¡¯s basically forever. How did you end up on a team together?¡± he asked, trying to keep the conversation going, if only to avoid the awkwardness of another extended silence.


    ¡°Her Mother,¡± said Flash in a monotone.


    The Edgedancer glanced at him and he must have seen the confusion Nate was experiencing on his face.


    ¡°Prefect Allais handpicked Coralie¡¯s team. She even held tryouts. Though victory wasn¡¯t the only thing she must have been assessing. I guess she wanted to build a support network around Coralie. I always thought that, since out of everyone I was the closest to keeping up with her, that we would, you know, end up together.¡±


    Nate remained silent, just letting the man talk, or vent, whatever this was.


    ¡°Kiri entering the picture was a bit of a wake up call for me. I didn¡¯t handle it well. Can see that now. So, sorry for that.¡±


    ¡°Is it me you should be apologising to?¡± suggested Nate carefully.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll talk with Kiri after the Dungeon. Just figured since we were chatting, I would, you know, say sorry to you too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± replied Nate. He didn¡¯t really care that much about Flash¡¯s issue, but it cost him nothing to extend that olive branch. That said, he was curious what was driving the change. ¡°What brought this on? Just been thinking about it all?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Flash replied and for the first time that Nate could recall the man had a small smile on his lips. ¡°I mean, not completely. I guess I had been so focused on Coralie for so long that when she started seeing Kiri it kind of broke my brain for a bit. But it made me realise that it was never going to happen, you know? Changed my whole outlook. I¡¯m still dealing with it, but I err¡­am seeing a girl at the University.¡±


    Nate grinned knowingly, and trying to add some levity to the situation, took a leaf from Kiri¡¯s book and waggled his eyebrows at Flash.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start,¡± Flash replied with an amused snort, the smile on the man''s face slowly growing.


    Nate knew Frick would¡¯ve made it even worse if he had been present, fortunately his Familiar was down in the vent to conceal the ongoing work on his Spatial Release affinity material along with a mana gathering array.


    ¡°She come from one of the merchant families?¡± he asked.


    Flash went a little red in the face, blushing as he carefully kept his eyes on the water, ¡°Noble actually. Daughter of a baron.¡±


    ¡°Does she have a name?¡±


    ¡°Celeste,¡± Flash replied with a smile, before adding after a moment, ¡°Celeste Drocilio.¡±


    ¡°Nice name,¡± commented Nate. ¡°She a nice woman? Haven¡¯t had the best experiences so far with the nobility.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not like them. Suppose if she was she probably wouldn¡¯t be with me, would she?¡±


    ¡°Suppose not,¡± agreed Nate with a smile.


    ¡°You and Britt?¡± asked Flash, glancing at him.


    ¡°Friends,¡± he replied, smirking a moment later, ¡°with benefits.¡±


    Flash laughed quietly and the pair sunk back into silence, though this time it wasn¡¯t awkward. The conversation had one key effect on Nate. He wouldn¡¯t mind doing another Dungeon with Flash and Coralie if the Edgedancer was going to be a bit more mellow like this. That just left a question of if it was worth the slower advancement? Thinking back to the Skill Orb he had gotten, perhaps it would be better to do a Dungeon with just Kiri. Taking out the Skill Orb he looked at the notification again.


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 3)


    Wood Shaping


    He frowned at it in consternation. It wasn¡¯t that he was unhappy with the Skill, in fact, it was the opposite. This was exactly the kind of Skill he was looking for to synergise with his Metal Shaping. However, he still didn¡¯t understand how the Dungeon or Dungeon Curator knew what he was after. It was concerning to think that something might be reading his mind, even with his Soul Barrier protecting him. With a sigh he started making plans for when he returned to the Royal University. With him most likely graduating to the Advanced subject for Mana and Affinities, it was finally time for him to get some answers.

 Chapter 140 - Vile Beauty

    Nate floated beneath the oceans depths safely sealed within his water barrier. He watched with casual detachment as the team fought the Dungeon¡¯s Bonus Challenge, his identification returning the name of the beast.


    Vilemaw the Octonid


    Cruel Rending Horror (E) (41) /  Malignant Water Mage (R) (21) / Savage Devourer (U) (1)


    He had been surprised upon first seeing the classes, since it meant the eight-tentacled monstrosity had an Embodiment, even if it was only a Fragmented one. He didn¡¯t think a High Rare Dungeon would have contained such a creature but apparently the System was willing to allow it. He just hoped it meant that there would be extra rewards.


    The creature itself looked like a man''s torso on top of an octopus¡¯s body. It meant that the creature had ten arms in total instead of an octopus¡¯s eight. The white fleshy tentacles were blue-ringed and glowed in the underwater Dungeon casting coruscating flashes of colour every time Vilemaw lashed out with a tentacle.


    Nate watched as Kiri flashed in using her Soul Shift to try and attack the monster''s torso only to be blasted away by a jet of pressurised water that left her bleeding from her arms and legs. A moment later her wounds had closed but he could sense that she was burning her soul energy to keep up with the creature. It was an apt reminder of the tyranny of tiers. Kiri had eviscerated his captors, excluding the mercenary leader and more than one of them had their own Embodiments. They however had all had Rare Classes even after their second evolution. Vilemaw had an Epic Class and likely at least two Epic Skills and while Kiri and himself clearly had the beast beat on that front in terms of Skill Tiers they were still almost twenty levels behind the monster in both Classes and Skill levels.


    He moved his gaze to follow Flash and suppressed a sigh. If Kiri was doing decently then Flash was struggling. The man was locked in a melee with only two of Vilemaw¡¯s tentacles but that was more than enough to almost completely suppress the man. The watery nature of the battle was not helping the Edgedancer as he worked twice as hard as anyone else just to stay alive and keep the two tentacles at bay. It was so bad that Nate was quietly assisting the man. Using a runic array that combined his Water and Barrier runes he was creating plates of resistance to interfere with the tentacles, never allowing them to come at Flash at the same time. It was keeping the man in the fight but wasn¡¯t advancing that particular area.


    If Flash was struggling and Kiri was doing decently, then Coralie was somewhere in between the two. Four tentacles were batting the Ice and Light Mage around the area but were unable to do any lasting damage through the woman¡¯s ice armour spell. More importantly, the tentacles kept crusting over with ice themselves and bled black blood into the water as a result of the ice ripping off pieces of flesh when dislodged. Coralie¡¯s Ice Domain might not have been effective as usual, as she was clearly contesting Vilemaw¡¯s control over the waters of the area, but it was enough to slowly whittle away at the beast.


    Finally, there was Frick, who was doing both the best and the worst out of the lot. The best, because his Familiar had opted for a smaller and far more agile body transformation. He still looked like a mergoblin but had gone for one only as long as Nate¡¯s arm. When combined with his usage of Nate¡¯s Conceptual Runic Creation and Empowered Runic Artistry the little spirit had taken an idea Nate had considered to the extreme. One of Nate¡¯s Sigils was of course Fluid. With the ability to add or alter Subconcepts using Conceptual Runic Creation the little mergoblin had begged Nate to add a Fluid rune to his robe and was now using it to reduce the waters drag-force on his body, zipping around like a faint blue lightning bolt. On the other hand, the spirit had done even less damage to Vilemaw than Flash had, making him more of a distraction and nuisance than a threat. Still, it kept the other two tentacles busy which left Nate free to observe and assist.


    Taking the state of the fight in at a glance his mind considered his options. Intellect might not make him any more intelligent but it did increase the speed at which he could process information which made him perfectly suited to supporting his teammates or controlling a battlefield. With the ability to handle two more runic arrays, in addition to the one he was using to assist Flash, he considered the best way to speed this battle up. The results were a foregone conclusion, but minimising the time spent and the risk of injuries was still on the table.


    Contesting Vilemaw¡¯s control over water would be mana expensive and while he was confident he would ultimately win that exchange, it was far from the fastest method. Life Drain would be similarly slow, as the durability of the monster¡¯s tentacles were a clear indication that the creature had a respectable Constitution and possibly Endurance. Mana Exclusion to interfere with its spells was also unlikely to shift the dial much as it mostly used the water magic defensively, relying on its tentacles and physical prowess to attack. Nate had his suspicions that the creature had Skills that specifically made its Water spells more powerful at short-range. Gravity might work but if he was being honest he had no idea how Gravity interacted with fluids. Would the pressure of the water resist his efforts and would it be mana intensive since he would not only be pressing on Vilemaw but the volume of liquid around him.


    That left him with two serious options that didn¡¯t involve trying to contest control of the ambient mana that Coralie and Vilemaw were already fighting over. The first was using his new Metal Sigil and combining it with Projectile and Reinforcement in a runic array that should let him effectively shoot spears at the octonid. The second was using Soul and Power in a runic array to directly support Kiri and try and empower her. With a smile he decided on both. It would drain his Mana Reserve quickly since he¡¯d be supporting three runic arrays at the same time, plus Frick¡¯s My Will, My Way and his Familiar usage of his Skills, but he had mana gems filled to spare.


    With a thought he activated Conceptual Runic Creation, Empowered Runic Artistry and Conceptual Intent. In his right hand he formed a runic array combining his Soul and Power runes, altering the Subconcepts to focus on soul energy and empowerment before targeting Kiri¡¯s own soul energy. He sensed her speed up immediately as she went for Vilemaw¡¯s torso again. In his left hand a second runic array formed combining his Metal, Projectile and Reinforcement runes. He altered the Subconcepts to make the metal sharper and jagged while making the projectiles faster.


    Like a ballista, he started launching metal spears every second, focusing on the main body of Vilemaw where his tentacles connected to his torso. His decision was driven by making sure he didn¡¯t interfere with Kiri¡¯s own attacks as she slashed furiously with eight daggers at Vilemaw¡¯s head and chest even as the monster tried to protect itself with a water barrier. It was bleeding now though and Nate could sense the soul energy leaking from the monster. With the addition of his attacks Vilemaw was forced to ease up on Coralie and Flash, drawing in two of its tentacles to help defend against Kiri and his metal spears. That was the moment its defeat was sealed. Coralie immediately moved closer and Flash crossed towards her to defend against two tentacles again which left Coralie free to contest for control of the ambient mana, interfering with the beast¡¯s water shield. The moment of weakness cascaded into two metal spears punching holes through its lower body. Kiri sensed the opening and launched herself inside of the water barrier, weathering a pressurised blast of water with her Soul Imbuement toughened body, enhanced by Nate¡¯s runic array, and stabbed four daggers into the monster''s head and chest. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Nate was able to sense the soul energy of the monster drain into Kiri as it died and he smirked knowing she now held an additional soul for her To Slay A Soul skill. He wasn¡¯t sure how many she could contain yet, but she had done the same for all of the Dungeon Challenges within the watery depths which meant she had at least five slots available.


    He watched as the corpse of the tentacled octonid drifted down to the ocean floor, a burst of sand and shells the last movement as the tentacles collapsed into a heap with the humanoid torso torn and still leaking blood as it rested atop the white and blue tentacles like a macabre crown. The rush of processed mana that came toward him, drawn by his Class Core, was instead diverted into the processed mana gathering array he held out, and stored in one of the processed mana gems he created in the Fourth Hell. He doubted the mana would have gotten him another level and he had some experiments to perform when they returned to the University.


    The reward notification appeared before them and as agreed, they gave it to Coralie. It wasn¡¯t like she was going to get to keep it. They had completed all five challenges and each received a reward. As a group they had agreed that the fifth should be traded to the Guild and since the rewards tended to be curated to the receiver, they chose Coralie as Orbs for Magic Stats were always in high demand. Crafters were beyond rare in the Guild and Kiri would almost certainly receive Orbs for Willpower or Agility. Flash would have likely gotten Agility, Dexterity or Perception Orbs. That had left Coralie who was most likely to receive Orbs for Magic Stats.


    After receiving the rewards and with tired smiles the group made their way back to the Dungeon exit they had found. It might have taken them a while to find such a thing but with Nate¡¯s sphere of awareness it had been trivial to recognise that the giant clam housed a small portal that would allow them to leave. Passing back through the aperture they appeared in the Dungeon Fort and were instantly surrounded by the Gold ranked Adventurers. Nate just gave Deverell a nod to indicate he was fine, even as he dried his teammates and altered his barrier bracer back to its normal settings, covering him just above his skin in a protective barrier that didn¡¯t focus on any element.


    After a quick rundown of how the Dungeon run had gone they mounted up and were on their way back to the city. With his mount thundering through the grasslands it was finally time to go over his notifications for the last few days.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +1 Magic Power, +4 Magic Control, +2 Channelling Speed, +2 Mana Reserve, +1 Mana Absorption +5 Free Stats


    Empowered Amplified Magic 30 > 32


    Conceptual Runic Creation 41 > 42


    True Teleportation 32 > 33


    Conceptual Insight 42 > 43


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 44 > 45


    Conceptual Automation 16 > 17


    Conceptual Material 34 > 36


    Metal Shaping 15 > 17


    Spatial Empowerment 1 > 4


    Conceptual Intent 42 > 43


    As he had planned, he immediately put his Free Stats towards his Constitution which was still lagging a little behind his Endurance. His Skills were also progressing nicely, but once again he had to plan for how to focus on his evolutions for multiple Skills. Empowered Runic Artistry was at level thirty-eight which left three levels before it evolved. Conceptual Automation and Metal Shaping were both only four levels away from evolution while Conceptual Material had five levels to go.


    ¡°Thoughts on directions for Empowered Runic Artistry?¡± he sent to Frick mentally.


    ¡°Well, Boss, the skill is already helping keep your mana costs down and increasing the Magic Power of your runic arrays. You probably don¡¯t need to fiddle with Concepts with it, since you have a couple of other Skills to do that. So what do you need more? More power or faster mana flow? Those are the ways I would go,¡± replied Frick quickly while channelling Conceptual Material into the bar of metal in his lap.


    Just as on the trip out, the two of them were both slowly increasing the tier of the bars of metal in front of them.


    ¡°Seeing if I can get it to convert some of the ambient mana to the correct affinity would add some power to it as well,¡± he sent back.


    ¡°True, boss. Is power your problem though?¡±


    He gave the question due consideration. Evolving the Skill in that direction would increase his dynamic power, making his on-the-fly runes more powerful and allowing him to compete with Mages more easily. Alternatively, he could focus on the other end of the Skill and take it back to its roots. Artistry. There was an argument to be made that he had already been using it for his art, including runic arrays in his graffiti and a few paintings. Could he lean more into that? What would that look like if he did, he wondered. There had been a skill that amplified emotional responses to his paintings, which also aligned with the emotion based concepts he had included in his graffiti. Would it be possible to create runic arrays within paintings that were in turn weaponised?


    He glanced down at the metal bar in front of him. It was far from beautiful. A lump of metal with an affinity for the Concepts of mana and release and a runic array inscribed in it to do exactly that. If it had been golden in colour it might have looked like a bar of aztec gold. But it wasn¡¯t beautiful. It wasn¡¯t art. He had been using metal because it was durable and he had his Metal Shaping skill that simplified the process. But his goal had always been to synergise Metal Shaping with other shaping skills to try and achieve the Material Shaping epic tier Skill in a roundabout fashion, mirroring the same method he had used to achieve his Amplified Magic skill.


    With a Skill to shape materials and his Conceptual Material skill, in theory, he could make other things durable enough to create artistic pieces that also functioned as runic arrays. Maybe even paintings for that exact purpose. Coupled with his developing spatial skills, he could store an entire gallery of such pieces ready to go at a moment''s notice. That also led into his thoughts for his Tertiary Class options. He had decided he would not be going for a Time related Class and as such he would trade the Legendary Time Skill he had an Orb for to Evindal. Which worked out perfectly for what he wanted.


    ¡°I am going to push it in the direction of enhancing my art,¡± he sent to Frick.


    ¡°I¡­think that¡¯s probably the right idea, Boss. Maybe it ain¡¯t as good for combat, but it¡¯s important that you focus on your Path, especially if you want to manage to transition your Embodiment and perfect it.¡±


    Nate smiled to himself at his decision. It felt good to choose what he loved and not what was best for fighting and battle. He had a feeling that it would work out for the best anyway, after all, power was as much about focusing on your strengths as it was about mitigating your weaknesses.

 Chapter 141 - Synergistic Relations

    With his decision made about how he would focus his improvement for Empowered Runic Artistry that still left Nate with three other Skills to consider. Conceptual Automation, Metal Shaping and Conceptual Material were all close to evolving and needed a plan. Conceptual Automation was a Legendary Skill already and he intended to use one of his Skill Enhancement Orbs to guarantee a Mythic evolution. The main reason was that he wasn¡¯t convinced he had done enough with the Skill that he was confident his plan for the evolution would be Mythic. Instead, he suspected even if it got a decent evolutionary effect, that the Skill would remain at Legendary.


    With that in mind, his plan was straightforward and came back to his University subject on mana and affinities. Specifically, how ambient mana in locations would affect the mana used in those areas, like areas filled with water naturally resisting the usage of mana with an affinity for fire. The constructs created Conceptual Automation were using a material affinity to power themselves alongside his own mana. However, he had noticed that once they were created and the material consumed, the constructs were naturally being deconstructed by the ambient mana around them. It hadn¡¯t been a noticeable issue in the Fourth Hell, which he suspected was due to the use of processed mana to power the Skill and the lack of ambient mana in the Hells, but it would be an issue against anyone with a powerful affinity, especially if they could empower it with a Concept. He had some processed mana now to experiment with and he was debating asking Coralie to assist, since as far as he knew she was the only Guildie currently capable of using their affinity and a Skill to add a Concept to their Spells.


    The experiments he had planned aside, he was confident that if he could get his constructs to impart even a small part of the Concepts they were created from onto their environment it would make them far more resistant to ambient mana or the mana used by others.


    For Metal Shaping he had a fairly straight forward plan. Increase the speed of change for the shaping. Though, if everything went to plan, Metal Shaping wouldn¡¯t be evolving any time soon. He had another shaping Skill as a Skill Orb now, thanks to his Dungeon reward, and he was hoping to purchase or trade with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for another two or three, assuming they had any. If they did he would likely synergise the Skill, lowering its level in the process.


    That just left Conceptual Material. It had started out as his first Legendary Skill in this world. Its evolution had paved the way to his Mythic Class. The creations that it had allowed had saved his life more than once. In many ways, it had been the core of his Class for as long as he had been on Galle. It had even played a small part in his art, like when he had used the Skill to improve the quality of the stones in the Slums of Etrua¡¯s Capital. He had considered multiple options for further developing the Skill. If he was being honest with himself, he wanted to try and push it beyond Mythic, though he knew that was almost certainly a dream. Maybe, if he had a Sigil that was of the Grandmaster tier it might have been possible. But he didn¡¯t. That meant it was almost certain to be a Mythic to Mythic evolution. So the question was, would he be satisfied with something simple like a stat boosting addition, or did he want to try and expand the Skill, and if so how.


    Right now all the Skill was doing, beyond its fundamental ability to allow him to imbue affinities into materials and tier them up, was lowering the mana cost to do so and reducing the time required. There were two paths he saw for expanding its capabilities. The first was what it considered a material. Every material he had worked on so far had been a solid. Metal and wood had almost always been the substrate. The reason was that Conceptual Material added affinities by changing the molecular structure of the materials to create the sigils for the relevant concepts within the substrate. But, how would that work when applied to a liquid, or worse, a gas? By their natures, they lacked static structures, making it impossible with the way the Skill currently functioned. Yet, he knew it was possible to do so. Alchemy was proof it was possible. Now, as he understood it, alchemists were capable of extracting affinities from one material and imbuing them into another. In their case, it was almost always a liquid, which meant there was a way that a liquid could possess an affinity.


    The other option was a method for speeding up his development of materials. He doubted he could make it much faster than what it currently was and only with Skill levels would he continue to bring down the amount of time to develop a single material. What he could do is potentially allow the Skill to target more than one material at a time. It would mean that he could work on two or more materials at the same time.


    It would be a huge timesaver and from a combat and crafting perspective, the better option out of the two. But he already knew he was going to aim for his first idea. The reason, as always, came back to his art. Giving his paint affinities would be amazing and played into his plans for his Embodiment and his Tertiary Class. With his decisions made he settled in to enjoy the ride as he focused on preparing his defensive materials. In two days they would be back in the Capital and it would be time to do some trading with the Guild. It was time to flex his crafting chops and get paid. Kiri had been right about one thing. They were going to be rich, and he intended to spend his resources to fuel his development.


    *************


    Nate sat across the table from Prefect Porter. Kiri was present as well, taking the seat beside him with Deverell lingering somewhere behind them. Upon their return to the Capital, after having a bath and getting cleaned up from their travels, they headed straight to the Guild compound. It was time to start utilising his crafting to make them rich and that meant finding someone to supply with crafted goods. Thanks to Deverell¡¯s intervention they had cut through the red tape that would have seen them discussing any deals with one of the Gold ranked Adventurer¡¯s who managed the logistics and supplies for the Guild. Instead, they ended up in this private meeting room with a Prefect.


    ¡°So, ya wanted ta make a deal did ya? What are ya wantin¡¯ and what are ya offerin¡¯?¡± asked the cantankerous old Earth Mage.


    Nate glanced at Kiri who launched into the spiel.


    ¡°We can provide runecrafted items to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild upon request ranging from Common all the way to the Epic tier. Anything provided can be customised to an agreed upon extent and can be of almost any design,¡± she explained, her blue eyes intense as she stared at Porter.


    ¡°Customisable eh? Before we get into tha nitty gritty, what would ya be wantin¡¯ in return? More Dungeon tokens? Materials?¡±


    ¡°In return, we want payment in the form of Stat Orbs with the option for Rare tier or below Skill Orbs.¡±


    ¡°Not materials eh? Interestin¡¯. Won¡¯t ask how you¡¯re getting what ya need,¡± replied the Prefect, tapping the side of his nose.


    Nate smirked to sell the act. If the Prefect wanted to believe they had some under the table deal with crooked nobles or smugglers, he was perfectly happy to encourage it. Kiri had offered to take ten percent of their payments for handling any negotiations and making the deliveries. He had of course shot that down immediately. They were a team. She watched out for him and he watched out for her. She had argued with him for a bit before finally accepting half under the provision that she would also find other places to sell his crafted equipment and act as the middle-woman. He knew she was already considering a few shops and the Auction House. She had even floated the idea of a storefront in the merchants district that could act as the front and allow him to sell simpler things. She had however shot down her own idea shortly after making it, explaining that such a venture would rely on volume of sales as the margins were lower. Either way, as far as he was concerned, if she wasn¡¯t earning a fifty percent cut yet, she would in the future. It helped that it would drive his mentor Luc crazy as his mentor was only getting a twenty percent cut for the manerium sales.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Porter leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking beneath his weight, which didn¡¯t make a lot of sense as the old man was skinny and the chair looked sturdy. Nate chalked it up to a skill related to density or something similar.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m interested. What can ya offer?¡± the Prefect asked.


    ¡°Runecrafted rings and amulets for any Stat. The same for weapons and armour, including wands, all of which can be enchanted to be stronger, sharper, more durable or a list of elemental enchantments. We can also do more quality-of-life runecrafted items but you¡¯ll probably find they¡¯re cheaper to purchase from some of the enchanters.¡±


    Nate tuned out what followed as Porter and Kiri got stuck into the details, only piping up when Kiri confirmed the time, cost or difficulty for certain types of runecrafting. The end result was a contract that detailed what they would get in payment for each item based on rarity, number of Stats it provided or the runecrafted effects of the item. The basics were that for providing a runecrafted item they would be given access to Stat Orbs that would total half of what the runecrafted item provided. Kiri seemed happy with that and so was he. The icing on the cake was when Kiri demanded they be allowed to purchase three Skill Orbs of rare or lower quality with coinage. Porter had pushed back but eventually capitulated on the agreement that the Guild would take priority for any crafting requests over any other clients that Kiri managed to acquire.


    That was how he found himself teleporting back onto the University grounds, having spent almost the entire fortune he had taken from Fabien¡¯s storage ring, with four new Skills ready to be absorbed including the one he had acquired in the Dungeon run.


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 2)


    Stone Shaping


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 5)


    Crystal Shaping


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 4)


    Water Shaping


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 3)


    Wood Shaping


    ¡°Happy?¡± asked Kiri as they entered his room.


    ¡°Very. I¡¯m going to see if they synergise right now. I can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± he replied with a grin.


    It had been a pain to wait while Kiri and Porter finalised the deal knowing he was effectively holding onto four different Skills and was potentially inches away from achieving the Material Shaping Skill he had been offered while in the Fourth Hell.


    ¡°Go on then,¡± Kiri said encouragingly, kicking up her feet on his table.


    Holding out the Skill Orbs he absorbed one after another, starting with Wood Shaping before progressing through Stone Shaping, Crystal Shaping and finally Water Shaping. The notification that appeared made it all worth it.


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Metal Shaping (Rare) Skill, Wood Shaping (Rare) Skill, Water Shaping (Rare) Skill, Stone Shaping (Rare) Skill and Crystal Shaping (Rare) Skill. Combine these Skills to gain Material Shaping (Epic) Skill.


    Proceed?


    Nate didn¡¯t need to be asked twice as he agreed to the synergy.


    Material Shaping (Epic)


    An artist is limited by the materials they use to craft, create and express themselves. Paint is only one medium by which ideas can be made manifest. This skill allows the user to mould matter into the shapes they desire at the cost of mana. Mana cost is based upon the tier of the materials being shaped and the volume of matter being shaped. Mana Cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Mana cost is further decreased by 10% of the users Intellect.


    Material Shaping 1 > 6


    He could see the resulting Material Shaping skill was already level six, the average of all the Skills that went into the synergised Skill. The thing he liked the most was that the description still referenced his art and paint, which made him suspect he could reshape his paintings on the fly if he desired. That might become important for his future aspirations.


    ¡°Happy?¡± Kiri asked with a knowing smile.


    ¡°Very. When did Porter say he would have his first order ready?¡±


    He knew Porter had mentioned it to Kiri while he had been down in the Guild Vaults selecting the Skill Orbs he wanted to purchase.


    ¡°He said he would need two days. I reckon the first order will be to outfit some of the Gold-ranked adventurers who are loyal to the Guild. After that he will be posting the list on offer and the prices in the main hall. Not sure how much work we¡¯ll get you out of it, since the prices might be a bit steep for the average Etruan Adventurer, but it can¡¯t hurt. In the meantime, I will talk to the Auction House. I reckon you could provide them with a couple of custom pieces and if we can focus on items that are in demand, then there is a big opportunity there. Does that work?¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± he replied easily.


    ¡°Alright. Did you want me to stay tonight?¡± she asked carefully.


    He knew if he said yes that she would drop everything to do so. But he didn¡¯t want to keep her from spending time with her girlfriend, as they hadn¡¯t really had any alone time on the Dungeon run besides a little time to cuddle and rest in the caves. Besides, his farsight sphere of awareness had noticed something interesting and he was confident he was about to be busy.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s all good,¡± he replied.


    Her eyes said she wasn¡¯t sure she believed him.


    ¡°Really, I am fine,¡± he added with a smile. ¡°Now shoo. I¡¯m about to have company.¡±


    Kiri raised her eyebrows before glancing at the wall in the direction of someone approaching his room before her mouth made an ¡®o¡¯ shape. Instead of immediately vanishing she smirked at him, waggling her eyebrows before disappearing in a burst of soul energy.


    Only a few seconds after Kiri had left there was a knock at his door. He opened to see a smiling, but if he was judging correctly, unsure Britt waiting on the other side.


    ¡°Hey, Nate.I heard you all got back from the Dungeon run, but you didn¡¯t come in with Coralie and Flash?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Kiri and I had to take care of some stuff at the Guild before we headed back,¡± he answered, stepping out of the way and ushering her inside.


    She immediately crossed the border into his room and the short blonde bee-lined towards the half-finished painting on his easel. He had always enjoyed how much she liked his art and she looked beautiful framed by the light leaking in through his open door.


    She turned to him as he closed the door and said in a rush, ¡°I know something¡¯s been wrong lately¡­and I didn¡¯t want to pry. I just hope you¡¯re okay and that we¡¯re still friends?¡±


    He gave her a small smile. The truth was, he was doing a little better. Between his defensive creations, his newly minted focus and his plans for the future, it had helped to dampen the trauma and stress he had been feeling. Enough that he was willing to reach out beyond his comfort zone. He wasn¡¯t ready for physical intimacy yet, his body still not feeling completely his own and knowing that his mind would wander towards his capture and torture. That said, there were other ways to be intimate, at least as far as he was concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing better. Not back to normal yet, but better. And we are still friends. Friends and a bit extra,¡± he replied with what he hoped was an amused smile.


    He must have hit the right facial expression as Britt beamed back at him before glancing at his bed and raising her eyebrows.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he answered the unspoken question. ¡°But maybe I could paint you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± she gushed. ¡°Umm¡­nude or clothed?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± he answered as he moved towards his easel.


    The moment Britt started undressing Nate sent a mental message to Frick, ¡°Hey Frick, need you to bugger off for a bit.¡±


    The answering cackle made him smile as he settled in to paint his kind-of girlfriend posed on his bed. Healing was going to take time, but he was getting there, and for now, that was enough.

 Chapter 142 - Soul Revelation

    Nate paused in his brushwork to critique his own painting. The noise of other paintbrushes and the crumpling of paper filled the classroom around him as the few other members of Advanced art class continued with their own artworks. The class was almost over and he could sense Professor Hawthorn starting to stir from his nap in the corner. The older gentleman did the same thing every class. The old man would show up a little late, set the task for the day, then go fall asleep in the corner of the classroom. Somehow he always managed to wake up right before the class finished, where he would dole out a few compliments or rebukes, maybe hand out a few points towards graduating out of the advanced stream for the Art subject, then vanish out the door.


    Nate could understand why Professor Hawthorn took the approach he did. Maybe they paid a little more attention in the Basic and Intermediate courses. The students in those grades might still be learning a bit about the history of art in Etrua or techniques and methods to apply when creating art. But for the Advanced grade, where there were only eight students, most of which had developed styles and preferences, interference beyond gentle nudging was unnecessary. Nate acknowledged that his peers in the Advanced course took their art seriously and so having a Professor tell them what to do or how to do it was a waste of everyone''s time. Instead the course had focused on creating various artworks that could then be assessed for developments and improvements. In this case, improvements were a very loose view of how the artworks of the students had changed over the course. If Nate was judging it correctly, Professor Hawthorn just wanted to see that you were experimenting a little with styles.


    Like clockwork, the Professor stood, smoothing his robe out before making his rounds of the classroom, spending less than a minute with each student. In a handful of minutes it was Nate¡¯s turn and he stepped aside to let the Professor review his painting. The task today had been a recreation of an existing painting that detailed a battlefield. It wasn¡¯t Nate¡¯s preferred type of artwork, as he had shown a clear preference for paintings that detailed people up closer. His paintings almost always focused on a person, or people, with enough detail that you could identify the individual or individuals painted. His few landscape pieces had been incredibly personal and were not things he could paint in this class without raising questions. That brought him back to the painting of some battle. Professor Hawthorn had given it a name and it was clearly of historical importance to Etrua, but as far as Nate was concerned it could have been any other battlefield, albeit with magical elements included.


    That wasn¡¯t to say he hadn¡¯t used it as an opportunity to experiment a little. He wasn¡¯t sure how his riot of colours would be received by the Professor, but it definitely changed the tone of the painting. Where the original painting was done using a standard colour scheme that was clearly meant to replicate, at least as far as it could, what the battle may have actually looked like to a spectator, Nate had gone with a very different approach. Instead of looking like a battlefield it almost made the scene, excluding a few intentional changes, look like a circus. Instead of balls of fire and lightning bolts being traded by the armies, it looked like fireworks in the colours of the rainbow.


    The armies matched, however, instead of creating a chaos of colours, he had literally painted them as a rainbow so the colour slowly graded across the armies present, making each one look like one of the two ¡®legs¡¯ of a rainbow. Of course, this changed the entire tone of painting, which he wasn¡¯t sure would be appreciated. But he hadn¡¯t wanted to paint something serious and perhaps, in his heart of hearts, it was his own commentary on war.


    It hadn¡¯t been lost on Nate that they had been given a battle painting, even as the University bubbled with rumours that Etrua would soon be at war with their neighbouring country, Asmuisil. Nate hadn¡¯t been able to ask more about the details, but his sphere of awareness had caught more than a few discussions on the topic. He might have asked someone if it wasn¡¯t clear it was all rumours so far with no real substance. Still, it was something he had to consider. What would it mean if the countries declared war?


    Professor Hawthorn finally turned towards Nate, preventing him from considering the potential for war further.


    ¡°Two points towards your grade. The use of colour was clever and I am confident you¡¯ve achieved what you wanted. However, you could¡¯ve taken it further than what you have. You¡¯ve mostly focused on the colours, while recreating the visual almost picture perfect. That ability to copy is impressive, but since, I assume, you¡¯re trying to make a commentary on war or battle, you could¡¯ve made slight alterations to other things, such as the commander of the armies¡¯ attire, the weapons being held etc. You get the idea? I like where you¡¯re going with it, but if you¡¯re going to push the line of what is considered acceptable, don¡¯t hold back. Keep up the good work, kid.¡±


    Nate smiled at the praise and feedback. He acknowledged it was fair. He had mostly been experimenting with how colour could change the tone of an image, but he could have taken it further, making the commanders look like jesters or puppets.


    As Professor Hawthorn moved on to the next artwork a voice behind him said quietly, ¡°I always love your paintings.¡±


    Turning he gave Helen a small smile. The woman was the exact same one that had overseen his induction. A third year at the Royal University, she had apparently only started taking art in her second year, working her way up from the Basic course. He suspected the noblewoman had a highly developed Dexterity and Agility, as she was spotless, despite having been painting for the past two hours. As he formulated a response she brushed her black hair over her ears and watched him with deep brown eyes that he thought contained an unasked question.


    Glancing at her own rendition of the battle he noted she had also gone with some colour based experimentation. She¡¯d used purples, reds and oranges to turn what he suspected was meant to be a heroic scene into one that gave him a sense of hopelessness and despair.


    ¡°The futility of war?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°That¡¯s sort of what I was going for,¡± she replied with a bright smile. ¡°I was aiming more for despair. But futility is close enough. How would you have changed it to get closer to despair?¡±


    As she asked she reached out to touch his arm. He had to restrain himself from flinching and saw her surprise when she touched the barrier covering him instead of warm skin.


    A sad smile formed on her face, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. I heard about the things Fabien Lussier did.¡±


    Nate experienced a flash of panic. How much did she know? Were they already onto him? Guards waiting outside of the room? His anxiety subsided though, as she continued.


    ¡°Your room and getting you kicked out of Enchanting. We¡¯re not all like that, though.¡±


    With a small and strained smile he ignored the comment and looked over the artwork.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Probably similar to the advice Professor Hawthorn gave me. The colours are a good choice for what you wanted to achieve but even slight detail on the faces showing their despair and hopelessness would probably achieve what you wanted.¡±


    Helen nodded a little and glanced up at him, her hand retracted back to her side, ¡°You¡¯re right. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should go that far. You know, with the rumours going around.¡±


    She paused for a moment before she continued in a rush, ¡°Could I paint you some time?¡±


    ¡°Clothed?¡± he asked carefully. He had never been on the other side of the painting experience and he was curious if it might be worthwhile to give him some context.


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± she replied with a blush, before her lips curled into a hopeful smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have an answer next class, okay?¡±


    The noblewoman nodded agreeably and Nate turned away, starting to pack up his things. Art had been his first class of the day and he was about to go to his second. A class he had been waiting impatiently for. Upon their return from the Dungeon, his unigem had informed him that he had successfully graded out of four of his subjects. While he was perhaps another month or two from managing to get to the Advanced grade for Combat and Skill Development, he had achieved enough points to move to the Intermediate grade for both Dungeon Knowledge and Monster Studies. Those weren¡¯t the courses he was interested in though. It was the other two that had him excited. As of today he was in the Advanced grade for Concepts and Embodiments, as well as Mana and Affinities. It was the latter class he was headed to, and he was hoping to finally get some answers around why Intent was important for Skill development, among other things.


    The moment he finished cleaning up his workspace he was out the door and it was a short walk to the next building over for his new class. Kiri, Coralie and Karim joined him within minutes and he watched as the class slowly filled. Where the Intermediate grade had been an even split between Guildies, merchants and Nobles, this one was dominated by the Nobility. With almost thirty people in the subject, the four Guildies were matched by three merchants, who sat huddled together. The rest were members of the nobility, only divided by their cliques as three separate divisions formed around the room. The distribution wasn¡¯t even with one clique only containing three nobles while the remaining individuals split evenly. He debated listening in but the few snippets he caught just spoke of the whispers of war and a gala to be held at the Royal Palace.


    He was about to start whispering to Kiri when Professor Karne swept into the room, looking as well curated as ever with his oiled moustache.


    ¡°A full class. Excellent. For those of you who have just managed to join the Advanced stream for Mana and Affinities, welcome and well-done. Not everyone manages to get this far and while most of you are unlikely to make it to the Expert grade, you will find the information provided in this course invaluable. For those of you who are repeating the Advanced stream with a second, third or even fourth attempt to enter the Expert grade course, best of luck.¡±


    The Professor paused for a moment, locking eyes directly with a few of the nobility, ¡°For those new to the course, the grading for this course has some restrictions that were not placed on the previous grades. The Basic and Intermediate streams for this subject are almost entirely theoretical. As long as you can grasp and apply the information provided to a series of problems and ultimately simple tests, then you can grade out of those streams. In the Advanced stream, you will need to be able to demonstrate aptitude with the subject matter. To put it simply, you cannot move to the Expert grade for Mana and Affinities unless you are capable of applying some of the knowledge in a real-world setting. This is handled through an end-of-term project. So I want that to live in the back of your mind over the next few weeks. Start thinking about how you can demonstrate aptitude for the subject. More details will be given in the coming weeks. Questions? No? Good.¡±


    While the dark haired Professor had asked for questions he hadn¡¯t given anyone a chance to respond before he continued with the lecture.


    ¡°Today''s topic touches on something that has been hinted at in other courses, as well as this one, but that we do not teach until you¡¯ve shown some ability to grasp the simpler rules and logic that govern mana and affinities. That topic is, other energy types. It¡¯s not strictly speaking a secret, but it is definitely kept from you and the reason for that is simple. Other energy types can be dangerous. Both to you, and those around you. Now, I am sure some of you are aware of additional energy types beyond mana. Anyone willing to venture a guess? I will say that to our knowledge there are four distinct energy types, including mana. Now, name another for me.¡±


    Professor Karne turned to the board as he waited for someone to speak. The first answer came from one of the nobles sitting in the small clique.


    ¡°Celestial,¡± called out the noble.


    ¡°Correct,¡± replied Karne. ¡°And it¡¯s antithesis?¡±


    ¡°Demonic,¡± answered another noble from one of the larger cliques.


    ¡°And the last?¡± asked Karne as he wrote the words on the board.


    ¡°Soul or Mental energy.¡±


    The last had surprisingly been from one of the merchants.


    ¡°We just call it soul energy, but correct. It will also be the topic we cover for the next few weeks.¡±


    Nate and Kiri both leaned forward together, grinning at each other as Professor Karne launched into the lecture.


    ¡°The first question we have to ask is, what is soul energy? To answer that, we have studied in depth the cause and effect, as well as prevalence when it comes to soul energy. First, let us look at cause and effect. Most of you will be familiar with the Mentalist Classes and their related Skills. I doubt there is a single member of the nobility in this room who isn¡¯t wearing an enchantment to protect themselves from soul energy based attacks. But, why do alterations to soul energy propagate into mental-based effects? That is because, to the best of our knowledge, soul energy directly interacts with the brain. The next questions you should be asking is why and how? This is where it gets interesting, at least as far as I am concerned. The how is a two way interaction between your mind and the soul energy that results in the copying of memories and information from one to the other.¡±


    The Professor turned around as he made that statement and Nate could sense why. The looks on the new students'' faces ranged from shock to horror.


    ¡°Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real that you were sure it was, only to wake in your bed? Soul energy isn¡¯t static. Sometimes it bleeds off of us, or is actively used, and needs to be replenished. The result is an exchange between the source and repository of soul energy, the Spiritual Realm. Sometimes, that exchange involves the memories of the deceased or departed. How many of you have dreamed of flying?¡± asked Karne, pausing to enjoy the reactions of the students. ¡°Exactly! Now, of course, there is an argument that such dreams are just a creative imagining of a sapient, but more likely, it is you experiencing some flying creature''s memory. The argument against this is, if soul energy is really a form of sapient memories, then why aren¡¯t we all just a conglomerate of fragmented memories of past-lives. The answer is simple and goes directly back to my comment on Mental Skills. Soul energy interaction can either build on or fragment the information contained within.¡±


    Nate leaned back in his seat as his mind whirled through the implications. Even as he was trying to make sense of all the ideas floating to the surface, he sent off a mental message to his Familiar.


    ¡°Did you know that soul energy contained memories?¡±


    ¡°I did, Boss man. And now that you do, we can finally talk about it!¡± replied Frick, the spirit''s voice tinged with excitement.


    Nate smiled as he realised the block on Frick discussing soul energy by the Familiar Contract was finally broken. But Nate¡¯s smile turned to horror as he realised the implication that this information had on his Class Core and The System. His mind really was being read.

 Chapter 143 - The Price of Friendship

    Nate was only half paying attention to Professor Karne as he wrote up a flow diagram on the board detailing how soul energy moved from the Physical Realm to the Spiritual realm. He was far too preoccupied with what this information meant for his own experiences. Even before he had received his Class Core, the System had known he was from another universe. It knew the kinds of rewards he wanted from Dungeons. It knew how he was trying to expand or push his Skills. What was Intent, if not a form of mental effort based around a memory or idea? It even explained some questions he had from Earth. Why were there ideas about monsters and magic that had arisen on Earth? A place that was, as far as he knew, basically a mana desert. Goblins, kobolds, dragons and a thousand other myths and legends that had almost certainly never existed on Earth, yet the humans of Earth knew of them. That made a lot more sense if they were inheriting fragments of memories from other people and beings in other universes.


    ¡°What are Spirits?¡± he mentally sent to Frick.


    ¡°A conglomeration of soul energy with memories that relate to a singular idea that has come into contact with enough mana to self actualize into an individual,¡± came the instant response.


    ¡°So¡­the goblin shape?¡± he asked, already knowing the answer.


    ¡°Most of the memories that formed me were related to a varying number of goblins from varying tribes and universes. In a couple they were even the dominant species. Those aren¡¯t the only memories that made me, but they¡¯re definitely the strongest.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you more¡­aggressive, then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ah? Did they not cover that? It¡¯s just the memories. Not the emotions associated with them. It¡¯s like watching a movie but in black and white and without sound.¡±


    ¡°..why is everyone not more affected by this?¡±


    ¡°Boss, your memories don¡¯t just live in your soul energy. They¡¯re in your brain. They¡¯re mostly your experiences, which have all the emotions attached to them, making them far stronger than the occasional exchange of soul energy you have with the Spiritual Realm. You¡¯re still you. Kiri is still Kiri. Hells, I¡¯m still me, gloriously Fricky, goblin extraordinaire. Just, rarely, you¡¯ll experience a fragment of someone or something else¡¯s memory.¡±


    Nate stopped asking Frick questions as his mind went back to another experience. When he had saved Kiri from Soul Dissolution. She hadn¡¯t lost her memories, because as Frick had said, they lived in her mind as well as her soul energy. But, the System hadn¡¯t been happy about him disconnecting her soul energy from the Class Core, which had resulted in the crystallisation of Kiri¡¯s Class Core and the addition of a new one to replace it. That meant The System could somehow recognise the presence of soul energy in the Physical realm.


    ¡°Do insects and plants have soul energy?¡± blurted out Nate as the thought occurred to him, interrupting the Professor.


    Karne shot him a disapproving look before answering, ¡°Plants, yes, but a fraction of what you or I possess. Insects do, but again, it is miniscule. Small minds is the prevailing theory as to why. If, as I was saying, life is the key for soul energy, then the level of sentience, or better yet, sapience, is the measurement for the quantity of soul energy. And yes, there are Mental Classes capable of controlling insects. Now, if we¡¯re done with the interruptions¡­¡±


    The Professor didn¡¯t get to finish as one of the nobles took the opportunity to ask their own question.


    ¡°Why are we not more influenced by these memories? If we¡¯re exchanging information with the Spiritual realm and receiving memory fragments, then why are they not changing us and our personalities?¡±


    Professor Karne sighed and turned to his flow diagram, adding an additional step to the exchange of soul energy between the Physical realm moving to the Spiritual realm.


    ¡°There are two key reasons. The first is, your personality is a conglomerate of your experiences and memories across your entire life. Receiving a memory or two from the Spiritual realm is unlikely to change that when it is a fraction of a fraction of your total memories. The second reason is, all emotions associated with the memories are stripped away before they enter the spiritual realm. These stripped emotions need to go somewhere. The negative emotions become demonic energy while the positive emotions become celestial energy. We will go into further detail on both in a few weeks. No. No questions on them. Now, if I could continue the lecture?¡± asked the Professor, the question clearly rhetorical, as he returned to the diagram on the board.


    ¡°Good. Now, as I was saying. Upon entering the Spiritual realm, soul energy is fragmented into many smaller pieces. Rarely, this process does not occur. We do not know why, but when this happens we sometimes see a result that has led to the idea of reincarnation. I want to be clear, there is very little evidence for this and the ideas espoused in regards to reincarnation are inaccurate. Without the emotions or context for these memories, the resulting individual would likely be very different from their previous life. This is also why the banned practice of Necromancy leads to the result of a creation with similar Classes and Skills to the source of the soul energy.¡±


    ¡°Finally, we get to Mental Skills. Mana can influence soul energy, and soul energy can influence and interact with the brain. That simple flow is how mental skills, such as Suggestion, can be used to affect an individual, and why soul energy protections are so important. This brings us to the Stats involving soul energy. Willpower and Charisma. Willpower has nothing to do with your brain and everything to do with your ability to influence your own soul energy, controlling it and preventing outside influence. Both Stats, when used with the appropriate Skills, can be used to influence the soul energy of another. Charisma is far and away more potent in this field, but with enough Willpower, mana and soul energy, it is possible to influence the soul energy of others. Which brings us back to something previously discussed in the Intermediate grade of the course. Seats of Power.¡±


    Nate went back to half-listening as Professor Karne explained how since soul energy and mana could interact it was possible, using enchantments and creating affinities, to align a location with one¡¯s own soul energy and then use that to bolster themselves when in the vicinity. He got the gist of it, but had better ways of doing such for himself with runecrafting. What interested him instead was the idea that The System was using soul energy to effectively read his mind and doing so for every sapient in existence. Whether it had spirits, like the Dungeon Custodians, assisting it was irrelevant to the sheer scale that was required. A multiverse of sapients and it could detect every creature with enough soul energy to interact with a Class Core, and then forcibly give them one. To what end? What was it trying to achieve? And why?


    He sighed. Every time he got an answer, it just raised more questions. He supposed it at least explained a little about why he had been flagged for Class Core interference so long ago. Even if his goal had been to save Kiri, he could just repeat the process over and over on people, accruing a supply of Stat and Skill Orbs. It also explained why soul dissolution was allowable and why soul enslavement wasn¡¯t. Soul Dissolution was in effect, killing someone by sending all their soul energy to the Spiritual Realm, that wasn¡¯t really an issue for The System. Soul Enslavement though, that sounded like it prevented the transfer of soul energy with the Spiritual Realm, creating a source of soul energy that The System couldn¡¯t interact with.


    That led him to a final conclusion about his, and the Intents of others. His Intent Skill was letting him use his soul energy, via his mind, to directly control and influence his Class Core. The fact that he was using his mind meant his Intent was also being recorded in his soul energy, keeping The System informed of his desires. Such as restructuring the Skills on his Class Core. That explained why he, with a Mythic, previously Legendary tier skill that let him focus his Intent, had shown far more capability than most of his peers in Skill Development.


    Could he have forced Skills on his Class Core to merge, forcibly creating synergies, without a skill for his Intent? Specifically Intent related to runes? The very runes that it seemed Class Core Skills were written in? Probably not. The question he had was, could he do the same to others? And if so, would The System consider it a Class Core violation? He had a thousand questions and answering more than half of them ran the risk of crossing The System for a second time. Something he definitely did not want to do.


    Glancing at Kiri he decided it was something to discuss later. Though finding the time between his other experiments and work was going to be a challenge. He sighed quietly. There was never enough time. For a moment he second-guessed his decision to trade the Legendary Time Skill to Evindal before firming his resolve. His plan for his Tertiary Class and his Embodiment was the right one for his Path. With his mind finally settling he focused back on the Professor¡¯s words. If this was what they taught in the Advanced course, what in the Nine Hells were they teaching in the Expert grade? He didn¡¯t know, but he intended to find out.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    *************


    Kiri spat blood into the gritty sand as she let the second punch land, knocking her to the sandy floor of The Pit. Even without activating Soul Imbuement she could have dodged the attack, but that would¡¯ve meant showing off just how much better she was than her opponents. Her Skills were all growing, with five of them approaching their second evolution. With her current Skills and Stats, the other fighters in the Pit in the under level sixty division just didn¡¯t pose a challenge any more. But if she showed off just how wide the gap between them was, she would be adding fuel to the fire about the nature of her Classes and their tiers. Instead, she let them get in a few good shots. It didn¡¯t take her much to heal from the injuries they inflicted. She however would leave handling the worst of it till after she was done beating the shit out of them.


    Going on the offensive she threw a flurry of punches at the stocky woman''s kidneys. As she had expected, the woman clamped up, trying to protect the area which let Kiri kick the woman in the side of her right knee, buckling her stance. With the fighter''s stance broken Kiri followed up with an elbow to the face, utilising her higher Agility to strike before the woman could react. As blood sprayed onto the sand Kiri pushed her advantage, striking over and over as her opponent futilely tried to mount a defence. Within two minutes the woman was a bloody mess, splayed out on the sand. The referee, if he could be called that, was raising her arm to the screams and adulation of the crowd even as they bayed for more blood.


    It only took her a few minutes to collect her winnings and exit The Pit. With the cut Nate was going to give her for her work in managing his crafting clients she didn¡¯t really need to keep fighting. But she liked it. Loved it even. More than that, she had needed a way to vent after their class that day. The truth about soul energy had rocked her to her core and made her wonder about the true nature of her abilities. Was she stealing the memories of others when she drained their soul energy? What about her To Slay A Soul skill? Was it creating a copy of their soul energy within her own or was she temporarily denying the memories contained within the soul energy from returning to the Spiritual Realm.


    Beyond that, were they influencing her? If she was taking in the soul energy of others, was it mixing with her own? Altering her? She hadn¡¯t seen any signs of it in her day-to-day life, but then, how would she know? She knew it definitely influenced her when she used To Slay A Soul. She could still remember how it had felt to take on the aspect of Szuzkrung, Chosen of  Xenyntiss. The little kobold had dreamed of becoming a dragon, with Classes to match. Channelling the power of the creature''s soul had definitely driven her to dominate and burn all that opposed her. She had still been herself, but with the addition of the kobolds ideas and understanding of the Concept of what a dragon might represent. She hadn¡¯t had the same experience when she had used the souls of sentient creatures.


    The power and knowledge had faded with the soul energy. But she could still remember how it had felt. Was using the Skill going to make her change? She didn¡¯t know the answer, and that honestly scared her a bit. Bringing up her Status she glanced at it, worrying over the implications.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    68 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    92


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    94


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    340 (6)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    29


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    56 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    332 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    82


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    50


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    172


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    18 (6)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 5


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Reborn Soul Slayer (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Reborn Soul Dancer (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    To Slay A Soul (M) Lvl 18 - (Bound Souls Equal to 8)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Effective Soul Shift (L) Lvl 36 - (432 metres teleport range, -43.2% Soul Energy Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Imbuement (L) Lvl 38 - (Increase Agility, Endurance and Constitution by +266)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Drain (E) Lvl 37 - (+23.5% Willpower, +12% Agility)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    The Size of a Soul (E) Lvl 38 - (Soul Capacity increased by 456% and 9% Soul Energy Regen/hr)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Soul Engraving (E) Lvl 25 - (4/4 Soul Engravings Used, Engravings last for 110 days, +10% Effective power for Soul Engravings)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Tethered Soulblade Dancing (L) Lvl 37 - (1850 metres detection range, 19 Tethers, 7 Tethered Arms, +18.5% Agility, +15% Penetrative Power)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Storage (E) Lvl 29 - (13.92 cubic metres of space)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Slayers Aspect (M) Lvl 24 - (+70% Agility, 36% Perception and 29% Dexterity)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Sense (E) Lvl 17 - (216 metres sensory range)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Command the Soul (E) Lvl 17 - (+40.8% Effective Willpower)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    A Hidden Soul (E) Lvl 15 - (-15% Reduced Soul Energy Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Wisps of Shadow (U)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Dagger Dancer (E) (37) / Spiritwalker (R) (8) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Willpower Soul Engraving (+11% Willpower) (Temporary, Rare)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Power Engraving (+22% to Soul Energy Skills) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Strength Soul Engraving (+11% Strength) (Temporary, Rare)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Her Willpower was soaring and it was the lifeline she was grasping onto. The Professor had said Willpower was the Stat for controlling your own soul energy and resisting outside influence. She intended to take that to the extreme, to make sure that her sense of self was sacrosanct.


    Pausing her walk, she stepped into an alley, having sensed his approach. A moment later Deverell stepped out of the nearby shadows.


    ¡°How?¡± her mentor asked curiously.


    She smirked in response before answering quietly, ¡°I put a Tether on you before I gave you that Soul Engraving.¡±


    At his request, she had given Deverell a Soul Barrier Soul Engraving, replicating the same rune that Nate had devised. And just like with Nate, she had put a Soul Tether on him first, so she could find him when she needed to. The fact that it had the added benefit of not letting him sneak up on her was just an unintentional side-effect. Definitely unintentional, she thought, still smirking.


    ¡°I see,¡± Deverell answered quietly before he nodded. ¡°Acceptable and clever. I am just delivering a message. Luc is back. Aisling and Evindal should only be a few days away. Luc wants you to bring Nate to the Guild Compound tomorrow evening. Also, you are both to be careful. A Guard Inspector came by today and asked after Nate. They refused to say why and were turned away, but I don¡¯t think it will be the last we see of them. You know why.¡±


    Kiri nodded with a sigh. It was too much to hope that the fallout from the kidnapping and death of a noble was going to be swept under the rug. At least the Platinum¡¯s were almost back, she thought with a smile before she glanced back at her mentor.


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Deverell shook his head, ¡°Not yet. But soon.¡±


    Kiri gave another nod in response. She knew what her mentor meant. They would do whatever was required to protect Nate. Even if that meant leaving a trail of bodies behind them.


    With the exchange over, Deverell vanished back into the night and she used Effective Soul Shift to return herself to the University, finding Coralie waiting in her room. As her girlfriend rushed to look over the blood on her clothes from her fighting, she let the presence of the cute, little Ice Mage soothe her worries about her Classes and the things she was more than likely going to have to do soon. If the price of her best friend¡¯s freedom was blood, she was more than willing to pay it, no matter how much was required.

 Chapter 144 - Expanding Enterprises

    Nate appeared at the entrance to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound. A second later he felt a burst of soul energy next to him as Kiri joined him. They had shadowed each other the entire way from the University, with him using his farsight sphere of awareness to scout ahead of themselves. He was confident that even if there had somehow been an ambush laying in wait for them, that he was fully prepared to deal with it. Using Farsight of the Runic Artist he looked at his two runecrafted items.


    Runecrafted Trinket of Mana Release (Epic)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Epic), Mana Release (Legendary)


    Mana Storage: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to utilise its Epic affinity for mana to store an incredible amount of mana to power any other effects the item is capable of.


    Mana Release: Upon activation this trinket will release its stored mana into its immediate surroundings. Rate of release is 5% of total possible stored mana per second until all stored mana has been vented.


    Runecrafted Trinket of Spatial Release (Epic)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Epic), Spatial Release Affinity (Epic), Spatial Release Activation (Legendary)


    Mana Storage: This trinket has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to utilise its Epic affinity for space and release to store an incredible amount of spatial release affinity mana to power any other effects the item is capable of.


    Spatial Release Affinity: This trinket will convert any mana stored within to gain an affinity for spatial release. Conversion rate is 10% of total possible stored mana converted to spatial release affinity per hour.


    Spatial Release Activation: Upon activation this trinket will release its stored spatial release affinity mana into its immediate surroundings. Rate of release is 5% of total possible stored mana per second until all stored mana has been vented.


    Nate couldn¡¯t help but smile. They weren¡¯t yet Legendary of course. That would take about another week. But they functioned exactly as he had intended. He¡¯d tested them himself of course, using both his own capability for Mana Exclusion runes as well as his one and only spell, Minor Spatial Lock. It was only a Rare spell though, and he wanted to do some additional tests. Which made the return of his mentor perfect. He wasn¡¯t sure to what extent Luc could control or lock down space, but if the man couldn¡¯t do it himself, he probably knew someone who could.


    The guards let them through with a glance and a nod and they headed straight for the nicer of the two inns. Entering the taproom they were immediately guided to one of the private rooms in the back and found Luc with his feet up on the table eating something that smelled a lot like lamb to Nate.


    ¡°Surprised you wanted to meet here and not at the Den,¡± quipped Kiri with a smile.


    Luc flashed an amused grin in response, ¡°I thought about it but was worried we¡¯d lose Nate to some painting.¡±


    A second after making the comment Luc¡¯s face transformed from joking to serious and he stared at Nate, ¡°How you doing, kid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­getting there,¡± Nate replied. ¡°I¡¯m still having the occasional nightmare or¡­darker thoughts¡­but I think I am doing okay at processing it all and the new tools I have been creating are definitely helping. Kiri too, even if she is watching over me like she¡¯s my mother.¡±


    Kiri chuckled, ¡°Sister. Sister! Don¡¯t make it weird.¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes with a small grin which turned into a laugh as Frick appeared.


    ¡°And their perverted cousin!¡± screamed the Goblin as the spirit appeared.


    A second later Frick was flying across the room, courtesy of Kiri¡¯s lightning quick punch.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be that bad if the three of you are acting like some kind of comedy troupe,¡± commented Luc, ripping some meat off the bone with his teeth as he watched them.


    Nate chose to ignore the small shake of Kiri¡¯s head. Sometimes, being aware of everything around him meant ignoring the things that either weren¡¯t his business or were meant to be private. Especially when those ¡®secrets¡¯ were meant for his benefit.


    ¡°Well, just remember what I said, kid. You need someone to talk to¡­I am here. Or Aisling. She should be back in a couple of days, along with Evindal.¡±


    ¡°Was the Dungeon run a success?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°And then some! Take a look for yourself.¡±


    Nate activated Farsight of the Runic Artist, utilising the skill carefully so that he could bypass the obfuscation of Luc¡¯s Class Core without breaking the Enchantment. It took him a little longer, but he managed it after thirty awkward seconds.


    Luc Crozier


    Arcane Riftwalker (E) (59) / Magnetic Arcanist (R) (34) / Toxic Arcanist (U) (12)


    ¡°Two levels in your Primary Class? Is that normal for an Epic Dungeon at your level?¡±


    ¡°A little on the high side, actually. Only reason for that is we went in as a team of three instead of the usual four. Meant a little extra processed mana for everyone but it also meant it took us a little longer,¡± explained Luc.


    There was a pause in the conversation as Luc saw the look of concern on Nate¡¯s face.


    ¡°I get it, kid. You¡¯re worried I am not going to stay ahead of you for much longer. And you would be right, if it wasn¡¯t for our little side gig. Which reminds me¡­¡±


    Nate felt space warp as Luc opened his spatial storage, depositing a pile of processed mana gems onto the table. His eyes widened as his sphere of awareness gave him a quick assessment of how much was contained on the table. It was hard to estimate exactly, but he suspected there was enough to give himself at least nine levels.


    ¡°That all of it or just my cut?¡± he asked, still gobsmacked.


    ¡°All of it. Wanted you to see how much we were getting paid before I took my cut. Which of course is enough to get me another level. Which is why I can probably keep up with you. Unless you intend to use all of yours to level?¡± asked Luc curiously as he grabbed a few of the gems for himself.


    ¡°No, no,¡± muttered Nate, still processing how much they had made from the manerium sales. Academically he knew epic materials weren¡¯t easy to come by, but this seemed exorbitant. ¡°Kiri and I want to hit our Stat Orb caps first. Gives us more time to work on our Skill Development and catch up to our peers.¡±


    As he finished speaking Nate glanced at Kiri who gave him a quick nod, ¡°I¡¯ll go trade these with the Guild now. Planned split?¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    He nodded. He knew technically that most of these rewards belonged to him. Kiri had even pushed for that, trying to convince him she should only take a ten percent cut for handling the negotiations with the Guild. But as always, he had firmly rebuffed her. He had no intention of leaving her behind and that meant she needed to keep up with him. So, it was a fifty-fifty split he had eventually gotten her to agree to. With that in mind Kiri had been very detailed in getting a list of the items or knowledge he was interested in. That included the Stats he wanted to raise with Stat Orbs and even how much. She had taken to her economics subject with a fervour and had even made sure they had set aside time twice a week so that she could ask him if his needs had changed and to track what he was still after. He also knew she was disappearing from the University with semi-regularity which he suspected was her becoming a regular at the Auction House.


    He smiled slightly as Kiri vanished out the door with all the processed mana gems before turning back to his mentor.


    ¡°So,¡± started Luc, ¡°How would you feel about upping it to two per week? Is it doable?¡±


    Nate only had to think over it for two seconds, his Intellect Stat allowing him to go over the implications incredibly quickly, ¡°I could do three a fortnight without it impacting my other projects. Is it not going to become a little bit suspect though?¡±


    Luc nodded, ¡°It might, but the smugglers I am working with aren¡¯t the type to ask questions or reveal their sources. Not when we¡¯re making them rich.¡±


    Nate tried not to let the encroaching memories of fire and pain show on his face as he replied, ¡°You sure? In my limited experience¡­greed makes people do stupid things.¡±


    Luc¡¯s expression softened, looking a little concerned as he locked eyes with Nate, ¡°You¡¯re right, kid. I¡¯ll vouch for this lot though. They¡¯ve survived this long by not asking too many questions and sticking to working with people they know. Besides, we should strike while the price is high.¡±


    When Nate raised his eyebrows in response Luc continued, ¡°There is a shortage of manerium on the market right now. It¡¯s sent the prices up by quite a bit. It¡¯s unlikely to stay that way though. As soon as they figure out what the supply issue is, it¡¯ll go down a bit.¡±


    Nate thought about it for a moment. He had even made plans to reduce the level of risk for himself. With that in mind he gave his nod of agreement, before extracting the two wooden boxes from his spatial storage and plonking them down on the table.


    Luc instantly leaned forward, eyes narrowed as he looked at the boxes.


    ¡°They¡¯re spatial artefacts,¡± his mentor commented, looking them over curiously. ¡°Something weird about them though¡­it¡¯s like they¡¯re the same¡­even though there are two of them. Explain it to me?¡±


    Nate smirked a little. He wasn¡¯t above being proud of his work, and he thought this might be one of his better recent ideas.


    ¡°You know I got kidnapped while making a delivery?¡± he asked. After Luc had nodded he continued with his explanation, ¡°Well, Kiri¡¯s reaction was to suggest she should be the one making the deliveries. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea, per say, but it wasn¡¯t a good idea either. While her weaknesses might not be as obvious as mine are, she still has one very large, glaring one. If someone got wind of that, she could potentially be just as easy to capture or kill as I was. That¡¯s something else I am working on, but ignoring that, it was still a huge risk. That idea wasn¡¯t mitigating any risk. It was just transferring it.¡±


    ¡°Unacceptable, I get it, kid. Get to the good stuff,¡± said Luc, running a hand over one of the boxes as if by touching it he could force it to give up its secrets.


    ¡°Right. So, I thought, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to send the manerium without having to leave the University at all? So I came up with this.¡±


    Using Farsight of the Runic Artist he brought up the item description, before making it visible for Luc.


    Runecrafted Twin Boxes of Spatial Transfer (Rare)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Rare), Shared Space (Rare), Item Concealment (Rare)


    Mana Storage: This item has been Runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to utilise its Rare affinity for mana to store a reasonable amount of mana to power any other effects the item is capable of.


    Shared Space: This item shares a created spatial zone with its twin. Any item placed inside either box can be retrieved from its twin. Range of the shared spatial zone is limited by the tier of the materials.


    Item Concealment: This Item is Runecrafted to conceal its nature and the Sigils used from identification. Powerful enough identification Skills will bypass this Runecrafted effect.


    Luc stared at the description before his blue eyes flicked back to Nate, ¡°What¡¯s the distance?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t fully tested it yet but it covers the entire Capital.¡±


    Luc nodded slowly, ¡°Did you make it using your other Class?¡±


    Nate shook his head, ¡°The woman you had to threaten for me¡­you know the one¡­she had a copy of a Sigil for Space. I used that, and some of my own Skills and other Sigils.¡±


    The truth was the item was full of Master Tier Sigils. He had utilised not only the Master Tier Space Sigil, but also the Tunnel and Enclosed Sigils he had acquired back on Arikanvil¡¯s research station. The Concealment Sigil was of course lower tier, which explained why Luc was able to get some sense of the item, even if he hadn¡¯t been able to completely pierce the protections. Nate guessed it also didn¡¯t help that the materials were only Rare, but he didn¡¯t think he needed the item to be better than that and his time was finite, even if his access to mana wasn¡¯t, for now.


    ¡°It has built in concealing functions to try and hide what it is,¡± he explained. ¡°In addition, it has markers that will light up if it cannot access the other box. Like, say, if you put it in your spatial storage. You charge it with mana here, which you can do manually or it will work with a mana-gem. Finally, while the insides of the box ¡®technically¡¯ occupy the same space when activated, it is not an actual spatial storage space, meaning you can scan it with any Skills you have for that kind of thing.¡±


    Finishing his explanation he looked at his mentor expectantly.


    ¡°How long?¡± Luc asked, still running a hand over one of the boxes.


    ¡°Huh?¡± replied Nate.


    ¡°How long did it take you to make this?¡±


    Nate did a quick calculation in his head before responding, ¡°Hmm, the materials only took a few hours. The runes another one or two hours I guess?¡±


    He was pretty confident he had gotten it done in under five hours but he couldn¡¯t remember exactly as he had split the work with Frick and had been working on another rune design for Kiri.


    Luc sighed dramatically, ¡°You made this in an afternoon? An afternoon?! At some point I am going to stop being surprised, but today is not it apparently. Do you know how much this would go for at Auction? Well neither do I! But it¡¯s probably a lot! Fuck me, Nate. Just¡­fuck.¡±


    Nate tried not to laugh. Frick of course wasn¡¯t as polite, cackling as he sat on the table and pretended to mess with Luc¡¯s food by blowing what Nate hoped were fat booger bubbles out of his nose near the man''s meat.


    ¡°And now you have Kiri to handle a bunch of the business stuff. So, how do I keep myself useful¡­¡± thought Luc out loud. ¡°Wider!¡±


    Nate looked at his mentor in confusion, ¡°Come again?¡±


    ¡°We should go wider. If we could get you a student to do the¡­you know, shit work, we could sell more stuff. But the Capital is kind of a small market. Especially since you know, most of the populace is incredibly poor,¡± Luc explained, rushing on when he saw Nate¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡°Not their fault, kid. I¡¯m not judging. They got the shit end of the stick, but it¡¯s how it is. Even if you hate it. Most clients are going to be nobility. And they want custom work. Which means revealing you, which we¡¯re not going to do. So we need to look further afield. We need to start selling to Asmuisil and Gashana!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we, you know, potentially going to war with Asmuisil?¡± he asked.


    Luc waved a hand, ¡°That¡¯s the nobility¡¯s problem. You think that would stop me?¡±


    Nate blinked a couple of times. It made sense, he supposed. Luc doing whatever the hell he wanted was pretty on trend. On the other hand, creating a merchant empire wasn¡¯t really his goal. But if he got to create things, and got paid well for it to fund his development, that could be a good thing. Maybe one day he wouldn¡¯t need to steal mana from the State to fund his work.


    Kiri chose that moment to return, dumping a small pile of Stat Orbs onto the table for Nate as she glanced at the three of them, ¡°What did I miss?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to play delivery boy for your growing business,¡± explained Luc with a grin, punctuating his words by taking a bite out of a hunk of meat.


    Nate couldn¡¯t help but laugh as Kiri sat down, pulling a piece of paper out of nowhere and flourished an enchanted quill, ¡°Let¡¯s get your contract written up then.¡±


    The look on Luc¡¯s face was priceless and Nate moved towards the Stat Orbs to see just how much three months of epic tier manerium sales had gotten him. He had absolutely no interest in the intricacies of managing a business and Kiri seemed more than capable of making sure that he was well taken care of. The best part was, he even knew how he was going to handle the production side of things. There was a certain Professor who had a lot to learn, and was no longer a necessity for getting new Sigils. He would just have to make sure Kiri wrote up the contract and bound that one through the System. Maybe, just maybe, when he was done, he could change Etrua for the better. Starting with a certain district in the Slums. If it helped safeguard his paintings, well, that was just some icing on the cake.

 Chapter 145 - Hiring Staff

    Nate sat across the table from Professor Marnier, his face a calm mask as Kiri explained the contract.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why it needs to be so restrictive. This is beyond extreme. Fifty levels is an insane penalty for breaching a System Contract. Absolutely insane! I¡¯d be almost a child again, but without the benefit of the Achievements that got me to where I am! It will even strip me of many of my acquired Skills, some of which came through synergies! How can this be worth it to me?¡± argued Professor Marnier.


    The Epic Tier Runecrafter was red in the face as he argued with Kiri.


    ¡°Between the remuneration, ¡° explained Kiri, ¡°coupled with the knowledge freely shared by Nathaniel Weber, you would be positioned to become one of the foremost crafters in all of Etrua. I am confident it would result in you achieving a Legendary evolution when you reach level one hundred and twenty. How much is that worth to you? You only take a loss if you violate the System Contract. Keeping any information you learn to yourself or those approved by myself or Nathaniel should not be that difficult.¡±


    Nate couldn¡¯t decide who he was more interested in paying attention to. Kiri was laying it on thick and apparently her Economics course included the usage of ¡®business¡¯ language. He couldn¡¯t say he loved it, but it seemed to be working on the Professor. The man still looked uncomfortable but if Nate was any judge of body language, then he was coming around.


    ¡°Explain it again,¡± asked the Professor.


    ¡°You will be given a quota of items to complete each week. For these items, you will be provided the materials, mana and runes required. As part of this, you will be given access to runes and Sigils of a high tier of rarity. You will be given free use of these for any of your own work, on the condition that you follow certain restrictions which we will provide to prevent them from becoming widely known. Whether you wish to continue your work at the University as a Professor is up to you, but we will provide the workspace you will use and you will not be allowed to remove any materials from the room. This includes copying down any of the Sigils or Runes. In return, you will be given free usage of the workspace provided for any of your own work. In addition, Nate will give you one lesson a week on anything you ask for so long as he knows the answers himself. You will also receive a cut of all sales for what you produce. That cut is five percent of the total sale value after the cost of mana and materials has been deducted. I have included a bonus structure for exceptional performance as well.¡±


    Nate glanced at Kiri who flashed a twinkling smile at him. He was starting to wonder if she had spent some of her own Stat Orbs on Intellect.


    He sighed, looking back at Professor Marnier, ¡°Look, Professor, I like you. If I am being honest, you seem a bit like me. Curious and fascinated by runecrafting. But I need to protect myself. That¡¯s what this is. I had hoped we could work together, but if it¡¯s too much, or too restrictive, I get it.¡±


    He sensed Kiri give him a thumbs up under the table. He hadn¡¯t meant to effectively play good cop to Kiri¡¯s bad cop but he supposed if it worked, it worked. He didn¡¯t see how this could be anything but good news for the Professor, assuming he agreed. The man would end up being rich, with knowledge and teachings that would see him through to the Legendary tier. He would be the equivalent of a Platinum badge Adventurer, except in crafting.


    Nate sensed as the Professor¡¯s body relaxed, or perhaps sagged would have been a better description.


    ¡°Fine. I agree. Let''s finalise the contract so I can see what I have gotten myself into.¡±


    Kiri handled the System Contract, which Nate was thankful for, before the pair signed the physical contract that mostly detailed, in very loose terms, the work the Professor would be doing.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s done. Suppose I won¡¯t have to deal with the fools in the Enchanting department for much longer. I¡¯ll resign as soon as you have the workspace set up. A week you said? That should be enough time to finish up my work here. Since we¡¯re working together you might as well call me Jacque instead of Professor. Not like I ever really taught you anything,¡± grumbled Jacque. ¡°Now, can I finally know why you¡¯re so confident about all of this?¡±


    Nate sent mana from his reserve towards his Skills, activating Conceptual Runic Creation, Empowered Runic Artistry and Conceptual Intent. Flooding his creation with mana he created an obfuscation runic array that utilised sigils for mana, soul, sound and light.


    There was still a risk, albeit a small one, that someone could penetrate his protections. Maybe with Celestial or Demonic energy he thought. But this was about as protected as he could make himself and he hoped that he would at least be able to sense if someone was spying on them, if not how they were doing so.


    With his protections in place, he brought up his Status sheet, revealing his Stats, Classes and Skills.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    364


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    154 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    95


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    143


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    87


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    78 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    195


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    75


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    215The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    80


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 6


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Insight (M) Lvl 43 - (Excess Mana Absorption Rate increased by 21.5%, +53% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material (M) Lvl 36 - (-18% Mana Cost, -50% Time Required)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 45 - (+98% Perception, +18% Creativity, 22.5m Sphere of Awareness, 450 metre summoning range for 2nd Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Intent (M) Lvl 43 - (45 Intents, 22 Imbued Intents, +3 Subconcepts, +43% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Creation (M) Lvl 42 - (-82% Mana Cost, +15% Creativity, +42% Mana Aspecting)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Runic Artistry (L) Lvl 38 - (-47% Mana Cost, +103 Magic Power for Runic Arrays)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    True Teleportation (M) Lvl 33 - (359 metres teleport range, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) Lvl 32 - (+46% Magic Stats)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automation (L) Lvl 17 - (-17% Mana Cost, +103% Power, +28% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Material Shaping (E) Lvl 6 - (-42% Mana Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spatial Empowerment (E) Lvl 4 - (+9% to Spatial Skills and Spells)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The Stat Orbs Kiri had gotten for him had totalled an additional twenty-four in Constitution and twelve in Endurance. It still meant he was over two hundred Stats short of the Stat Orb cap, but he was committed to getting both Stats to one hundred before he switched to advancing his Creativity.


    Of course, none of that mattered to the Professor who stared at the numbers and tiers like he was staring at a dragon. Nate made that comparison based on the flickers of astonishment and fear that seemed to be at war upon the Professor¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re¡­you¡¯re Mythic! What is that Class! It¡¯s not even Runecaster?!?! What in the Nine Hells is a Runic Artist?! And those Skills¡­how do you have so many Mythic Skills!?! You¡¯re not even at your second evolution¡­it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s¡­it doesn¡¯t make any sense! By the Gods you¡¯re probably more advanced than the Royals!¡±


    All the steam went out of the man and he flopped back into his seat. Maybe someone else wouldn¡¯t have heard what Jacque muttered, but Nate¡¯s Perception was more than high enough to catch his words.


    ¡°Did I just sign myself over to a God?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± replied Nate, a quiet calm coming over him. ¡°And the term is Divine, I think.¡±


    Jacque blanched at being heard before he opened his mouth to ask the obvious question. Nate didn¡¯t let him get there, though.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be talking about that. Now, I need you to show me your Status sheet,¡± explained Nate.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± asked Jacque, confusion writ on his face.


    ¡°So I can figure out the best way to teach you and what, if any, Skills we need to acquire for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡±


    Nate spent the next ten minutes going over the man''s sheet. Unsurprisingly, their Stat distributions were fairly similar. They were even close in terms of values despite the thirty level gap between them. A few pointed questions revealed that the cause was driven by the man''s lack of Stat Orbs and the class tier difference. The revelation that Jacque¡¯s Perfect Embodiment of ¡®Curious¡¯ meant that when the man was figuring out answers to questions or discovering new knowledge, his Intellect and Creativity Stats were tripled. The sheer scale of the bonus shocked Nate to his core. He knew that an Embodiment was meant to be a force multiplier, but the sheer scale blew him away.


    The final piece of the discussion was reviewing the man¡¯s Skills. He only had two Epic Skills. That might put him above most people, but was a long step below Nate. Runic Intent was the first, while the Skill that had given him access to the Runecaster Epic class was Runic Insight, which sounded a lot like a watered down version of Nate''s own Conceptual Insight. The worst part was that the man lacked a material improving Skill. Certainly Nate¡¯s own had started at Legendary, but he was confident there was a way to get a lower tier version with an associated lower tier limitation. The only Skill that Jacque possessed that Nate suspected might manage that transition was Gem Refinement, an Uncommon Skill.


    With his plan in place for how to develop the man so Nate could offload some of the material improvement work. They finished up the meeting with Kiri promising the workshop would be ready within the week. It did mean Nate was going to have to slow down on his crafting for Kiri, since he still had to attend classes, devote a little time to Britt, and continue the manerium production. Balancing that with setting up the various protections on the workshop to prevent anyone from breaking into it would take up all his spare time. Well, almost all his spare time. He hadn¡¯t forgotten about his Embodiment development plans and that meant it was time for another visit to the Slums. Somehow, he would fit in meeting with Evindal and Aisling as well. Sleep would just have to take a hit. He sighed as they left the room, already missing his cloud enchanted bed.


    *************


    Nate smiled as he appeared in the courtyard for the small trading hub. The source of his smile was the presence of Cutter, the old sailor already sitting on the fountain waiting. He couldn¡¯t sense Kiri but he knew she was nearby. Gone were the days when the two would make a game of seeing if she could follow him on his graffiti escapades without him letting her know. After their meeting with Professor Marnier, he had told her he would be heading out tonight to create a new work of art. He had made sure she had plenty of time to inform Luc or Deverell if she needed to.


    ¡°Was wondering if ya were coming back, lad. Been a little while,¡± said Cutter by way of greeting.


    ¡°It¡¯s been an¡­interesting few weeks,¡± replied Nate carefully.


    ¡°Ya sound like ya been doin¡¯ it tough, lad. Don¡¯t let the world get ya down. Harder ta get back up if ya don¡¯t roll wit tha punches. Ya catch my meaning?¡±


    ¡°I do, Cutter.¡±


    ¡°Good lad. What ya got planned for us tonight?¡± asked the old sailor, leaning forward curiously and watching Nate with his strange eyes.


    Nate pointed at one of the shop fronts, ¡°This place sells food right? Grain, fruit, dried meat?¡±


    ¡°That it does.¡±


    ¡°Fresh?¡±


    Cutter laughed at the question, the old man''s hoarse voice sounding even rougher than usual, ¡°Mostly, lad. We may not get enough food, down ¡®ere in the Slums, but the food we do get¡­well, we keep it fresh. Rotten food gets destroyed.¡±


    Nate nodded and with a smile pulled out his Brush of a Thousand Paints, getting to work. He had done plenty of artworks of late that focused on people. The risque painting of Britt was just the latest one. The memory made him blush a little, thinking of their time together earlier that evening. He still hadn¡¯t been ready to be completely intimate, but there had been touching. If he hadn¡¯t made plans to head out for some graffiti, it would¡¯ve turned from touching into sleeping together. The thought made him smile, not because it meant he might see if she was free later tonight, well, not just because of that. No, he was smiling because it meant he was getting over the torture he experienced.


    A sense of joy filled him and he decided that it would be one of the two runes in this painting. Joy, and of course, Smell. His plan was simple. Amplification of the smells of the food. That was why he had asked about if the food was fresh. If it wasn¡¯t, well, amplifying the smells might not have been a great idea. Making the entire hub smell like rotten fish seemed like a terrible proposition. Enhancing the smell of fresh fruit though, well that sounded positively divine.


    The next two hours passed in a blur as he painted a fanciful picture of various foods that he could sense within the store. The foods he painted were floating through the sky on plates made of clouds within the artwork. It was silly. He knew that. But he felt he needed to do something less serious. Everything of late had been incredibly serious. His work on his defences, the plans for scaling up his production of goods, the agreement with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, the System Contract with Professor Marnier and even Kiri and Luc finding a workshop near the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound. It was all terribly serious and responsible. He needed an outlet, and his art had always been that for him.


    Apparently he wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way though. Cutter¡¯s amused chuckle cut through the evening air.


    ¡°Where do you come up with this stuff?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± answered Nate carefully.


    He took that moment to add the last few touches, stepping back and sending some of his own mana into the painting to power the two runes. The smell of citrus fruits and melons flowed over him, along with a faint meaty whiff of what he suspected might be some kind of jerky and the salty tang of fish. The part of the painting that focused on joy was casually rebuffed by his Soul Barrier, but that was fine, he didn¡¯t need the rune to help him. He was already filled with joy.


    ¡°I think, lad, this might be me favourite one so far,¡± said Cutter, the old man moving over to stand next to him.


    Nate just nodded, enjoying the feeling of satisfaction he felt having created something new. After a moment he turned, preparing to leave.


    ¡°Not hangin¡¯ roun¡¯ for a bit, lad?¡± called Cutter.


    ¡°Not tonight, old man. I¡¯ve got somewhere to be,¡± he replied.


    His tone must¡¯ve given him away as the old man¡¯s laughter followed him out, ¡°Well lad, don¡¯t keep em waitin¡¯. Women don¡¯t like tha¡¯ none. I¡¯ll tell ya that fer free.¡±


    Nate smiled a little. He supposed he had kept Britt waiting for long enough. Patience should be rewarded after all. With that thought he activated his teleportation Skill and vanished back towards the Royal University and his kind-of-girlfriend.

 Chapter 146 - Inspecting the Goods

    Nate frowned at the puzzle-box resting on the table in front of him. The troublesome little cube had continued to refuse to give up its secrets. He had tried a plethora of different approaches to try and determine the nature of the sigil that adorned it as well as penetrating the cube itself to determine its contents. The first attempts had been around recreating the sigil. It was the most complicated symbol he had seen so far with tiny details covering it and a far more flowing style than most of his lower tier Sigils. Almost all the Sigils he had worked with so far incorporated aspects of linear geometry. That was to say, there were at least some straight-lines involved in the design. This Sigil was nothing like that and he didn¡¯t think he could detect a single straight line in the entire thing. The more he worked with it, the more he began to suspect that it was actually some sort of fractal. That had made copying the symbol one of his most challenging tasks since he began runecrafting almost a year and a half ago.


    He had attempted to copy the Sigil in multiple different ways. The first had been drawing it and if he was being honest, of the three methods he had attempted, it had been the easiest. That wasn¡¯t to say it was easy. Just the easiest. His Dexterity Stat had plateaued and wasn¡¯t increasing which meant while he might be superhuman by Earth¡¯s standards, he hadn¡¯t even broken the hundred mark by the System¡¯s significantly higher standards. Still, he was confident that he had managed to replicate the Sigil. The problem was, nothing had come of it. Conceptual Insight had not reacted, even when he tried to flood the symbol with mana. It was as though the symbol wasn¡¯t a Sigil at all.


    After that method hadn¡¯t worked he had tried to directly create the symbol with mana. That had been the hardest of the three. One would think that since his Magic Control Stat was higher than his Dexterity Stat that it would¡¯ve been an easier task to take that approach. That view didn¡¯t factor in that mana wanted to disperse. His paints and ink never fought him by trying to create dispersion fields around the shapes he drew. It was honestly the most challenging thing he had ever done with mana. Even after having devoted hours of his life towards the working, he wasn¡¯t convinced he had managed to perfectly replicate the symbol. That alone gave him a new appreciation for how hard higher tier spells must be to create and the Magic Control required to do so quickly and efficiently. Either way, the method hadn¡¯t achieved any better results than drawing the symbol.


    Finally, he had decided to paint the symbol. His first attempt had been harder than drawing the symbol, while being easier than trying to craft it from mana. It had still provided no new information about the symbol. It remained a beautiful swirling arcane image but there had been no buzzing of recognition from Conceptual Insight nor had there been any reaction from the ambient mana. He had found a quicker and easier way to achieve the same result in the future. His Material Shaping Skill worked as he had hoped and allowed him to shift his paint with mana which led him to being able to fix his small mistakes. The second attempt at the symbol was, to his senses, a perfect copy. Either the universe didn¡¯t agree or the symbol was not a Sigil at all. He didn¡¯t know which way he was leaning on that line of thinking, but he had temporarily given up on trying to recreate the symbol.


    Instead he had moved on to trying to penetrate the cube using his Farsight of the Runic Artist. That had so far proven to be a lesson in futility as no matter what he did, whether it was attempting to subtly search for cracks to slip his awareness through, throwing his entire mana reserve at the Skill in an attempt to brute force it, or even overlapping his two spheres of awareness to try and give it some extra power, all his methods had failed. The cube had remained steadfast in its refusal to reveal its secrets or contents.


    Sighing in frustration he swapped from staring at the puzzle cube to looking over his recent developments in his various Skills.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 32 > 33


    Conceptual Runic Creation 42 > 43


    True Teleportation 33 > 34


    Conceptual Insight 43 > 44


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 45 > 46


    Conceptual Automation 17 > 19


    Conceptual Material 36 > 38


    Material Shaping 6 > 11


    Spatial Empowerment 4 > 7


    Conceptual Intent 43 > 44


    Empowered Runic Artistry 38 > 40


    While the puzzle cube may have been a static island, his Skills were clearly not. The best part was that he was on the cusp of multiple evolutions and unless he was mistaken, his efforts to guide those evolutions was looking likely to pay dividends. Unlike his previous plan to limit his use of his Skill Enhancement Orbs usage to Conceptual Automation, he had instead bitten the bullet and applied one to his Empowered Runic Artistry Skill. His reasoning had been pretty simple. The Skill was of a higher level and as he had seen time and again, the higher the Skill got, the slower it levelled. If he was wrong and the Skill had failed to evolve to Mythic at level forty then he would only get it to Mythic at level sixty, which would mean if there was a tier beyond Mythic, he would be locked out of it till the Skill reached level eighty. That was double the current level, but if he was correct in his estimates, it would mean four to ten times as long to reach that level. Those values were an estimation and if they were even remotely correct, then he would end up having to wait for potentially a decade before having the option to evolve the Skill beyond Mythic. So he had used what he had available to him and forced the issue.


    The fact that the Skill had ¡®Artistry¡¯ in the name was also a factor. That was still his Path and leaning into it might allow him to get some achievements that could assist him in shifting his Embodiment. That was his hope anyway. With the Skill so close to evolution he knew what he had to do and spent the next few hours in his room creating runic arrays in the air. The only difference between these and his normal runic arrays, was that he tried to focus on using Sigils that he thought would be complimentary in terms of the Concepts they represented. His Conceptual Intent was also involved as he forced them to merge by aligning their Subconcepts in new and unique ways. Fire and Water were merged with the Subconcepts of evaporation and vapour. Shadow and Light were coupled with twilight. Illusion, Dreams, and Soul were mixed together to recreate memories visually. His mana supply for the day quickly dwindled. After what must have been four hours, but had felt like the blink of an eye, the desired notification appeared before him.


    Empowered Runic Artistry (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Runic Artistry (M)


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.You have lived up to the truth of a Runic Artist, embedding runes within your artworks. You have created things both beautiful and powerful. Now, with your newfound knowledge, take your control of universal Concepts to the next level. Conceptual Runic Artistry facilitates the creation of Runic Arrays. Decrease Mana Cost of Runic Arrays by 10% and apply 10% of Dexterity and 10% of Creativity to Magic Power for Runic Arrays. Concepts embedded in Runic Arrays are 10% more powerful. Mana Cost Reduction and Magic Power values increase by 1% per Skill Level. Conceptual embedding increases by 0.5% per Skill Level.


    Devastating Runic Artistry (M)


    You have created art and you have created runes. Now, combine the two creating something both beautiful and deadly. Runic Artistry facilitates the creation of Runic Arrays. A sequence of runes in a pattern that agrees with your sensibilities and the multiverse. Decrease Mana Cost of Runic Arrays by 10% and apply 20% of Dexterity and 20% of Creativity to Magic Power for Runic Arrays. All values increase by 2% per Skill Level.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    It was hard not to smile at his options. Whether the Skill Enhancement Orb had been necessary was debatable and he would likely never know. That said, he was happy with the results. He was confident he knew which of the two he would pick just based on their names, but he still did some quick calculations to determine the differences between what the two evolutions offered.


    Conceptual Runic Artistry played into the rest of his Skills, with the additional effect of the Skill increasing the strength of conceptual elements used in his runic arrays. That was about as close to aligning the ambient mana with the affinities for his concepts used as he could hope for. On the other hand, Devastating Runic Artistry doubled down on his runic arrays ability to passively increase the amount of Magic Power his runic arrays could achieve. At face value, it would mean a doubling of his Magic Power which was a quick way to make him the equal of, or possibly even stronger, than pure Mages. If he chose that option he would be only slightly short of four hundred Magic Power when he used a runic array.


    A small part of his mind whispered to him that this was the right choice. The voice told him that with this Skill, no one would be able to threaten or hurt him. He knew it for the lie it was. This Skill wouldn¡¯t protect him from Divine beings. Hells, it might not even be enough to fend off a Platinum tier individual. The voice simply spoke from his fear of capture and torture manifesting in that moment. A Path wasn¡¯t about choosing what was the strongest or the safest. It was about choosing the kind of person you wanted to be. Through all his trials and challenges, through the horror and beauty he had experienced since that fateful night when he had left Earth behind, he had remained true to what was at his core. His desire to create art.


    With a small smile, he selected Conceptual Runic Artistry. Focusing his sphere of awareness internally, he could feel as an area on his Class Core changed. The area that he assumed the original Skill must cover shifted ever so slightly, expanding, with the little bumps that marked the Skill¡¯s location and shape changing positions as, he assumed, the new Skill was written over the old one. He could see now that slightly over half his Class Core was covered in the little mountains and seas of bumps that, he guessed, was some form of Skill Imprinting. If the Skills were written using runes, then his current awareness Skill was unable to see it. Which, considering the Skill he was using was Mythic tier, meant that he didn¡¯t even know how to go about achieving what was happening on his Class Core. Not yet, at least.


    With his evolution handled he sent a mental message to Frick, ¡°Headed to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Grabbing Kiri before I go. How is the workshop fortification going?¡±


    ¡°No problems on this end, Boss. Been burnin¡¯ mana like it¡¯s a witch and I¡¯m a sanctimonious son of a bitch. Will head to the spot to swap out mana gems soon. Want me to meet you at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± replied Frick.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just meeting with Aisling and Evindal. Swing by the room and swap my mana gems out too, okay?¡±


    ¡°Will do, Boss man.¡±


    A few minutes later he was crossing the University grounds with his best friend.


    ¡°So the Auction House is interested and I am trying to get them to give me some specifics on what sort of custom pieces they would be interested in selling. They¡¯re dragging their feet a little, since you know, you¡¯re an unknown quantity, and to be honest I am letting them take their time. I figured you''re pretty overloaded right now anyway and until everything is set up at the workshop that it would be better not to add more work to your pile,¡± she explained as they crossed the carefully curated grounds.


    He nodded along in agreement and muttered thanks with a small smile even as he stared at the green grass that covered the University. He could admit it made for beautiful scenery, especially against the sandstone of the rest of the city, but even now he couldn¡¯t get over the amount of mana wasted to achieve it. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he only noticed the person waiting ahead of them when the man entered his sphere of awareness.


    A slight frown creased his forehead as Nate stepped to the side to go around the man only for the individual to move to block their path forward. The slight tensing of Kiri¡¯s muscles next to him was the only sign that his best friend was preparing for a fight. That was when they both sensed an Identification Skill used against them. The strength was somewhat impressive, managing to bypass the veiling items they wore but it still failed to pierce their true veils. Either way, it went a step beyond rude and was an act of aggression as far as he was concerned. Kiri apparently agreed as two daggers appeared in her hands.


    ¡°Put those away, Miss Kiri Beaufoy,¡± commanded the man, his tone smug. ¡°I am Guard Inspector Koriolos.¡±


    The dark haired Guard Inspector was whip thin, with piercing brown eyes and an air of superiority about himself. If Nate was any judge of character, he suspected this man was used to getting what he wanted.


    Nate watched as Koriolos¡¯ dark eyes flicked to him, ¡°Can you confirm for me that you are Nathaniel Weber, Silver Badge of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡±


    Before Nate could answer he felt a wave of soul energy try to enclose him. The soul energy was easily rebuffed by the runic Soul Barrier engraved onto his soul energy, but the mere fact that it had happened threw him for a moment. That moment was enough for Koriolos¡¯ eyes to narrow slightly in irritation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also need you to drop your soul protections while you answer my questions. It¡¯s a requirement so that I can determine the truth of your answers,¡± explained the Guard Inspector in a matter-of-fact tone that seemed to expect them to immediately capitulate to his demands.


    Nate didn¡¯t need to have a Skill for reading emotions to sense the fury radiating off Kiri immediately, even as he voiced his own denial to the man.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be doing that,¡± he replied, already pulling mana from his reserve in preparation for a runic array. He coupled his words with his own Identification, Farsight of the Runic Artist crashing into and then through the Guard Inspector¡¯s own veil.


    Koriolos


    Expectant Soul Mage (R) (55) /  Demanding Inquisitor (U) (26) / Inquisitive Swordsman (C) (7)


    Nate watched as a look of shock followed by a quiet fury crossed the Guard Inspector¡¯s face, before the man finally settled into a grimace that promised punishment.


    ¡°You¡¯re both under arrest. Lay down your weapons or you will be taken in by force.¡±


    Nate didn¡¯t even have to think about his response as he prepared for battle with the level eighty-eight. He was already preparing a runic array to try and restrict the man''s ability to use soul energy when a woman''s voice cut through the proceedings.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

 Chapter 147 - A Path Decided

    Nate turned to see who had spoken and found a woman quickly approaching them. He would have guessed her age to be in her late twenties but it was always hard to tell with the increase to lifespan that mana and superhuman Stats seemed to provide. She wore what looked like an armoured skirt, with metal plates splayed out on the white fabric. The same was true of her shirt and coat, with a shiny breastplate covering her white blouse and a loose blue coat with more metal sewn onto it completing the outfit. While Nate couldn¡¯t make sense of the design or how well it would work as armour, that wasn¡¯t what captured him. It was the woman¡¯s eyes that did that. They were golden and shone with an inner light. Framed by shoulder length black hair she looked a little like a fallen angel to him. But it wasn¡¯t him she was focused on, her gaze firmly planted on Guard Inspector Koriolos.


    Nate glanced at the man and could see that all the fight had gone out of him. Whoever this person was, they were apparently not someone that the Guard Inspector was willing to cross. That made Nate sigh a little internally, as it meant that it was basically a certainty that the woman, their itinerant saviour, was a Noble.


    ¡°I asked a question, Inspector. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± asked the golden-eyed Noble.


    ¡°I am here on orders to investigate the death of Fabien Lussier, Second-son of the Earl of Dralogne, Princess Morgane,¡± answered Koriolos.


    Nate cringed internally. Not just a Noble then. The woman was royalty. He didn¡¯t know if that was better or worse. His only experience with the Royal family so far had been with the second Prince. That titanic man had seemed fair, but Nate wasn¡¯t fool enough to think that such behaviour was purely out of the goodness of his heart. Whatever games the nobility and royals played were games that Nate wanted no part of. Yet here he was, caught in the middle of exactly those kinds of games, all because of the greed of one Crafter. A woman he might have worked with, if she hadn¡¯t proven herself to be a greedy snake. It was enough to make Nate want to scream in frustration. He might have, if he were somewhere alone, just to let the emotions out. Instead, he bottled them up, storing them to be released in an artwork later.


    Glancing at Kiri he could see his best friend hadn¡¯t relaxed as the Royal and the Guard continued their discussion.


    ¡°On whose orders?¡± demanded Morgane, her golden eyes flashing in the afternoon gloom.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± stuttered Koriolos, apparently unable or unwilling to answer.


    ¡°You know the guard is not to conduct business on University grounds unless given specific permission to do so. Do you have the appropriate papers for such? I want to see who signed them,¡± commanded the Princess, holding her hand out as she approached the Guard Inspector.


    As she approached, she was finally within range of Nate¡¯s sphere of awareness and he felt a moment of confusion as he sensed a Concept surrounding her very person. At first he wondered if it was coming off of her armour or some other item on her. It only took a moment to realise that while the equipment she was using was immaculate, most in the Epic tier with a single Legendary piece hidden beneath her breastplate, the Concept he was sensing was coming off of her body itself. While his Conceptual Insight was trying to figure out what Concept it was, he focused back on the conversation.


    ¡°I have no such papers, your highness. But these two are just commoners. Surely they are not to be given the same privileges as the nobility,¡± equivocated Koriolos.


    ¡°That is not the letter of the law and I will remind you that you are a representative of the law, of Etrua, and of my family. If I catch you violating the law again to suit your own needs, or because you¡¯re being paid to do so, then I will make it my latest mission to see you removed from the Guards entirely. Do I make myself clear, Inspector?¡± replied the Princess calmly.


    ¡°As you say, your highness. I apologise for my rudeness. May I be excused?¡± asked Koriolos, his subservient words not quite reaching his eyes, which looked incredibly annoyed at being inconvenienced.


    Princess Morgane flicked her fingers at the man in response, which Nate took as an indication for the man to take his leave. Koriolos seemed to agree, as after one last frustration filled glance at Nate, he turned on his heel, heading for the gates of the Royal University.


    Nate turned to thank the Princess so he could beat his own hasty retreat, only to find the woman staring at him with a curious gaze.


    ¡°You garnered even more interest and opposition than I expected,¡± she commented.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± replied Nate, unsure of what she was getting at.


    ¡°A crafter winning entry to the Royal University through the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Tournament is already an irregularity. At the higher levels it might have made more sense, such as if you were over level sixty, with a Tertiary Class and an Embodiment to make up for the difference. But you¡¯re not. That was my first thought when I heard. That you had somehow tricked their ability to measure your level. It would be within the realm of a skilled crafter to do so. But you had not one, not two, but three Guild Platinum¡¯s in your corner,¡± Morgane explained, ticking them off on her fingers. ¡°That is a significant amount of backing, and while I know that Thousand Needles would willingly participate in that sort of skullduggery, the Storm Spear and the Eternal Grove would never be involved in such. Which begs the question, how could a crafter compete with the likes of Coralie Allais, Null Raoult, or even your incredibly dangerous partner, Miss Kiri Beaufoy.¡±


    The princess paused to glance at Kiri and offered her a smile that looked friendly in nature.


    ¡°Oh yes, Miss Beaufoy. I looked into you as well. Your ability to self-heal alone was of interest. I know of other Skills that can achieve similar results, but not ones readily available to a couple of level forties. Especially not ones capable of healing a throat that has been sliced to the bone before the individual would have bled out. Yet here you are, proof that such exists. In your case, I considered other equally outlandish options. Were you somehow using high-end alchemicals? Did you have outside interference? But all my own investigations turned up nothing. You have the same backing as Nathaniel, which means that the Storm Spear and Eternal Grove would not have allowed such a subversion of the Tournament, nor do you have the wealth to purchase such powerful alchemical concoctions. Which brings me to the conclusion of my investigation. You are both exactly what you appear to be. Incredibly gifted and talented individuals.¡±


    The Princess paused for a moment and Nate and Kiri glanced at each other before Nate spoke.


    ¡°Are¡­you trying to recruit us or something,¡± he asked, quickly adding, ¡°your Highness.¡±


    The woman laughed slightly and shook her head, ¡°No. Just making it clear to both of you. If I can come to these conclusions, so can others among the nobility. Most don¡¯t share my opinions, and as such, will see you as either a threat to be removed, or a tool to be acquired. Whoever sent the Guard Inspector likely desires the former. I¡¯d be careful out there. Best of luck to you both.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    With a small smile the woman turned and left, crossing the grass in what Nate could only describe as a stately fashion. Nate glanced at Kiri and could see the silent agreement to discuss this later in her eyes. With a nod of his head, he indicated the direction of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. When she gave her own nod of agreement they began teleporting across the city towards the Guild compound, and after checking in at the gate, headed straight for the Guildhouse. Aisling had been clear that they would meet in one of the meeting rooms on the upper levels of the building.


    ¡°What did you make of that?¡± asked Kiri quietly.


    ¡°A warning coupled with a desire for some goodwill,¡± answered Nate, matching Kiri¡¯s whispers.


    Kiri nodded that she agreed and Nate settled back into thinking about the Concept coming off of the Princess. It was weird because he thought it should¡¯ve been pressing against him, based on the strength of the feeling, but instead he had felt nothing beyond his ability to recognise the presence of a Concept and the buzzing of Conceptual Insight. He wasn¡¯t willing to let it go but he was forced to compartmentalise his curiosity as they were guided into one of the Guildhouse¡¯s meeting rooms. He was surprised to find Aisling and Evindal already waiting and rushed over to meet them.


    He hadn¡¯t realised it, but he had missed Aisling while she had been away and it felt good to have her comforting presence in the form of a static in the air once more in close proximity. Evindal seemed to recognise his reaction and flashed a knowing smile at him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Aisling in lieu of a greeting, patting him down like a mother-hen as though checking him physically for wounds would reveal something.


    He could see the hint of worry in her eyes and quickly moved to reassure her.


    ¡°I am doing alright. Still working through some¡­things. But I am okay. Is this room¡­?¡± he ventured, hinting at his question of whether the room was warded.


    ¡°It is,¡± answered Evindal. ¡°My own warding item. Epic tier. It should be enough coupled with the wardings on the Guildhouse proper to protect us against anything short of someone with your own level of¡­skill.¡±


    Nate launched into a quick explanation of their encounter with Guard Inspector Koriolos and Princess Morgane¡¯s timely interference, finishing with a recount of the Princess¡¯s assessment of himself and Kiri.


    Evindal frowned while Aisling started to pace back and forth.


    ¡°Some fallout is not unexpected. I assume I don¡¯t need to tell you to be careful?¡± Aisling asked, glancing at them both for confirmation before she continued. ¡°Of both the Inspector and the Princess. Nothing but trouble can come from getting involved with a Royal. As for the Inspector, it is unlikely he will return to the University and I will leave orders that he is not to be granted access to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound. Hopefully, if you just avoid him for long enough, he will be forced to give up. That is the best we can do for now. I¡¯ll have Deverell look further into it. Happy with my approach?¡±


    Evindal nodded along with his wife. Nate wasn¡¯t so sure that the Inspector would just give up like that, but he didn¡¯t have a better idea for now and was willing to accept Aisling¡¯s proposal. Kiri on the other hand grinned, flopping into one of the comfy chairs in the room and asked a question, clearly aiming to change the topic.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go? We saw Luc got a couple of levels.¡±


    ¡°The same for us as well,¡± answered Evindal with a smile. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t share such, but I am aware Nate could check if he really felt the need to know.¡±


    Evindal joined Kiri in taking a seat while Aisling continued to fuss a little over Nate.


    ¡°I am sorry about what happened. Deverell was supposed to keep a careful watch over you. I knew you wouldn¡¯t stop venturing out to paint, so I asked him to protect you when you did so. Unfortunately, it seems you were a little hard for him to catch with your ability to teleport so effectively. Still, it was exactly what we were trying to avoid, and for that, you have my apology,¡± said Aisling earnestly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he quickly replied. ¡°I knew I was taking risks. Not just with the painting but with the little side project Luc and I came up with. I was overconfident. Dangerously so. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Aisling gave him a rueful smile and responded in a gentle tone, ¡°See that it doesn¡¯t. Now, I did want to see you both and see how you were doing. But Luc mentioned you also wanted to talk about something with us. What was it you wanted to speak with us about?¡±


    Nate grinned. He had been waiting for this moment for a few weeks now. Ever since he had finally decided on the path he wanted to take going forward and how to further his development. With Kiri and Aisling watching, he walked over to stand in front of Evindal and withdrew the Legendary Skill Orb containing the Skill The Time Between, from his spatial storage, offering it to the elf.


    ¡°I want you to teach me how to unlock the Lord of Life Class,¡± he stated clearly, ignoring Aisling¡¯s gasp and Kiri¡¯s amused laughter.


    Evindal¡¯s Legendary Class focused on Life Magic. It was a mana affinity, that to Nate¡¯s knowledge, he completely lacked. But his subjects at the University had shown him the path forward. He had a maximum possible affinity pool of a hundred percent. Last he had checked his spatial mana affinity was somewhere around thirty-five percent. It may have changed since he first arrived on Galle, but either way, it was high enough and not a concern for him. However, to get access to the Wandering Realmwalker Class he had needed to have a high space affinity. He suspected the same would be true for the Lord of Life Class, only this time it would be a high affinity for life aspected mana. That meant he was going to need to create some runic arrays that changed the environmental mana around him to give it an affinity for life. However, that wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    The way the Professor had described it, was that it would have an impact over the years, but it would take a long time to achieve the kind of affinity he needed. That meant he needed to rely on exactly the methods that Princess Morgane had suspected of them. Alchemicals. He needed to see an alchemist. That could give him the required affinity, but not necessarily the Achievements he might need to unlock the Class. But Evindal would know what those were. A Legendary Skill Orb for the potential of a Legendary Life-based Class seemed like a fair trade to Nate, and his eyes were glued to Evindal as he waited for the elf¡¯s reaction.


    It seemed like it took a moment for everyone in the room to finish processing his request. After the shock had worn off and Kiri had stopped laughing in amusement, his best friend clapped her hands excitedly at the idea, while Aisling got a faraway look as though she was trying to consider the implications. It was Evindal¡¯s reaction that surprised him the most though. He had expected the man to ask questions, or suggest alternatives, maybe to dig into Nate¡¯s motives. Instead, the elf simply smiled blindingly.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re exactly the kind of disciple a man like me would want to take, Nate. I accept. We¡¯ll need to start spending more time together and I have some of my own ideas to advance you down this path. This will be a Tertiary Class though¡­and that means you¡¯ll almost certainly only get an Epic version, given your current status. Are you still sure that this is the way you want to go?¡± asked Evindal, the elf intentionally not yet reaching for the Skill Orb just yet.


    ¡°It is. I¡¯ve thought about it all. My Path, my Embodiment, my Classes, and most of all, who and what I want to be. I am certain that this is what I want,¡± he answered.


    Evindal reached out, gently taking the Skill Orb from his hands and turning it over with a small smile, ¡°Then I accept. I will do my best to help you achieve this goal of yours.¡±


    ¡°This calls for a celebration, right?¡± Kiri commented.


    ¡°It does,¡± agreed Aisling, the usually stoic woman smiling at her husband and Nate. ¡°Come then. I will have someone run ahead and get us a table at the Ocean¡¯s Flow restaurant. I think you will find that the seafood they cook is the best in the city.¡±


    Kiri was up a moment later and Nate fell in as the small group made their way through the city, picking up Deverell and Luc along the way. A night of good food and better company awaited them and he called Frick to come join in the fun, reminded again that for all the suffering and pain, that he was surrounded by friends at the end of the day and that the beauty of these simple pleasures was enough to wash away the stains of his less palatable experiences.

 Chapter 148 - Art of the Living

    Nate stood in the centre of his workshop, Farsight of the Runic Artist crashing against the plethora of wards that had been built into the walls. The building itself had ended up being larger than he had expected, covering a space of over ten metres squared. It was also two stories tall, with a basement for storage. He knew real estate like this, especially so close to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound, couldn¡¯t be cheap. It had taken a few days of harassing Kiri to get her to admit that she had not only spent a larger proportion of her own earnings on the building than they had agreed upon, but that she had also sold a ten percent stake in the business to Luc. He was slightly bothered by it, not because he had an issue with Luc being involved. It was actually the opposite. It was more a concern that Kiri would start falling behind him if she wasn¡¯t receiving half of the profit this enterprise made. He couldn¡¯t do anything about it now and with Luc involved the man had at least agreed to act as a front for the business. Luc as a front not only gave them an air of legitimacy, but also some limited protection. Few people were willing to cross Luc, or Thousand Needles, as he seemed to be more widely known. As for Kiri falling behind, Nate just accepted he would have to keep a close eye on the situation and if she started to lag he would intervene to keep them close in power.


    Maybe others would have just focused on their own development. It was undoubtedly a faster way to grow. It also seemed like a lonely path to walk. Some might be able to handle that, perhaps even prefer it, but it was the last thing he wanted. Kiri was like a sister to him. Without her to walk this path that they had chosen, he might have lost some of his ambition for growth. He had even considered it, in his darker moments. Leaving the University and maybe even Etrua. Trekking out into the wilds and becoming a hermit in some tower. With his Space Sigil he could¡¯ve easily set up methods to teleport to small towns to resupply on food, essentials, and of course his creature comforts. But beyond that he had all he needed to create his own little domain. A protected Tower, a Goblin Spirit butler, and the ability to create his own gargantuan mana gathering arrays so he could progress at his craft and art at a leisurely pace. It was an option, and after his torture, it had been a tempting one.


    Certainly, there would have been downsides. Without the education he was receiving at the Royal University there were many principles that he would not have understood about the System, Skills, Mana and everything else. He doubted it would have stagnated his development but it likely would have delayed it. It also would have meant letting down Kiri, Aisling, Luc and even Evindal. He smiled a little ruefully as he acknowledged that Deverell probably wouldn¡¯t have cared beyond the inconvenience for Aisling. Still, he had chosen not to give in to those thoughts, and instead, created this workshop. Frick had spent most of the previous week here, laying runic arrays Nate had designed into the walls of the place. The entire building was reinforced, making it more durable, protected against scrying, other awareness Skills, spells, and finally, mana exclusion to prevent mana from leaking out of the building. That last one was important given how much mana they were going to be providing. It wouldn¡¯t do to make this building an obvious nexus for mana, as anyone sensitive to such would be able to pick it out with ease. That was attention they neither wanted or needed.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you can just raise the tier of materials by providing mana,¡± commented Jacque as he walked down the stairs, shaking his head. ¡°Did you at least do what I suggested?¡±


    ¡°How is your room?¡± asked Nate, initially avoiding the question.


    ¡°It¡¯s everything your friend promised,¡± answered Jacque before his eyes took on a more pleading look. ¡°My suggestion?¡±


    Nate nodded, ¡°We moved the mana collection facility. It no longer targets the University mana pipeline.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Jacque asked, wringing his hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s outside the city limits now. I won¡¯t say in which direction. It should affect the various Districts more evenly now, hopefully making it less noticeable,¡± explained Nate.


    Jacque nodded and went over to inspect the contents of one of the three chests on the side of the room. The ex-Professor had been incredibly worried when he found out how Nate was supplying himself with mana. The man had gone on to explain that the University measured the throughput of mana that passed through their node of the Capital¡¯s mana pipeline infrastructure. The fact that they kept an audit would mean that even if Nate was shaving off a percent or two, that it would start to show up. A couple of months might be ignored, but if the loss remained consistent, they would likely start comparing their audits with other Districts. That would likely have led to an investigation and eventual discovery of his little mana-gathering pocket. To get around that he had moved the location to one of the main pipelines entering the city. He would likely move it again in two months but at least now the loss would hit most of the Capital¡¯s Districts evenly, making it more likely that they would chalk the minor change up to being caused by mana vagaries in the wilds. The risk of discovery still existed, but he was doing his best to mitigate the worst of it.


    That brought him to the supplies. With his Mythic tier Conceptual Material it was almost childsplay to create Uncommon and Rare materials, and for now, those would make up the majority of what Jacque would be working with. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild had finally started placing their orders, and to no one''s surprise, they had gone with quantity over quality with one single exception. Nate was just glad they hadn¡¯t requested Common runecrafted items. Kiri had explained that the margins on Common items would be small but the amount of time required wouldn¡¯t be small, meaning limited income and wasted time. Instead, the order had been a split with eighty percent being Uncommon items with the remaining twenty percent being Rare. The items requested were a spread of Stat enhancing rings, bracers with minor barrier runic arrays and weapons with minor elemental enchantments mostly and a few simply with reinforcement or sharpening runic arrays. Nate was cursing himself a little for not considering that Jacque lacked a Skill for shaping materials. It had meant that he had needed to shape all the materials himself which might not have been an issue if the Guild hadn¡¯t asked for so many items. The upside was that it was driving his Material Shaping¡¯s Skill development.


    ¡°You have most of the designs ready for me?¡± asked Jacque, standing up and moving to join Nate.


    ¡°Here. Remember, this stays in your spatial storage when not in use. Do not leave this lying around,¡± explained Nate as he handed over a small tome. The contents detailed all the designs and Sigils necessary to achieve the results desired by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°And make sure everything has the obfuscation rune included.¡±


    Nate might not have cared about obfuscating all the Sigils involved, but since for some of the runes the only Sigils he had were of the Journeyman tier, like his Reinforcement Sigil, he wasn¡¯t willing to have that knowledge become freely available just yet.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°And the timelines for delivery?¡± asked Jacque absently as he flipped through the tome, the man already engrossed in Nate¡¯s rune designs.


    ¡°Kiri will let you know,¡± answered Nate, having no desire to be involved in the logistics and saying a silent thanks that his best friend was willing to shoulder that burden.


    ¡°Alright. Guess I will get to work. Anything else you need from me, Master?¡± quipped Jacque, flashing an amused smile at him.


    Nate just rolled his eyes at the older man¡¯s joke.


    ¡°Let me know what you want to work on later this week. I¡¯ll come by and we can go over some rune designs. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s everything. I¡¯ll get started. I have to admit, I am kind of excited! This is the first time I have had a serious opportunity for development in years. There¡¯s so much to learn and try,¡± replied Jacque eagerly as the man immediately headed for one of the chests and its contents.


    Nate called out his farewell as he exited the workshop, though he wasn¡¯t sure the man had heard him. Deverell was waiting outside and, after giving Nate a small nod, the pair headed for the Guild compound. It was Nate¡¯s turn to get excited. Today was to be his first discussion with Evindal regarding how to go about achieving the Lord of Life Class.


    It only took them ten minutes to arrive at the Guildhouse and be ushered upstairs into one of the warded meeting rooms. Evindal was already waiting, though for once Aisling was not present. After Deverell had excused himself Evindal motioned for Nate to take a seat across from him.


    The meeting room was simple in nature, with a table down the middle capable of seating over ten people with room to spare, comfortable chairs and a single large window that allowed the room to enjoy a vast quantity of natural light. The sconces along the walls looked like simplistic enchanted lights and his sphere of awareness could detect enchantments layered into the walls, sealing his senses within the room. That last part bothered him a little and he was forced to squash the flicker of worry and fear that came from not having full knowledge of his surroundings.


    After Evindal motioned for him to take a seat, the elf placed a small metal cube on the table and Nate¡¯s identification Skill triggered off the item.


    Enchanted Anti-Scrying Ward (Epic)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Anti-Scrying Ward (Epic)


    Anti-Scrying Ward: This item has been enchanted to prevent scrying or awareness Skills and Spells from being able to penetrate a ten metre radius around the Ward. This Ward requires a mana source to power the Enchantment.


    Nate looked back up to see Evindal watching him with large amber eyes. The elf took a moment to adjust his yellow and green robe before smiling at Nate.


    ¡°Satisfied that our privacy is assured?¡±


    ¡°Mostly,¡± quipped Nate.


    ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s get started shall we? First, I wanted to make sure you understood what you were doing, and perhaps help me understand a little of why you¡¯re doing it? I know that you love to create art, and while I hope you have plans for how your Spatial Mage class will play into that goal, I admit I have no idea of how you intend to incorporate a Life Mage type class into that goal. Would it not be better to perhaps focus on going for another crafting class specifically related to painting? Or perhaps expanding your horizons and learning about sculpting?¡±


    Nate leaned back, thinking over the question carefully. He knew the answer already, but he wanted to convey it in a way that others would understand. After half a minute of thought he launched into his idea for how he saw his three Classes working together once he had passed his second Class evolution.


    ¡°You¡¯re right that creating art is my goal. It¡¯s the core of my desires and I have often, sometimes to my detriment, focused on developing my Skills and even Classes in that direction. I don¡¯t see spatial magic as separated from my art as you describe. Certainly, my spatial Skills at this point aren¡¯t assisting my art much, but that has mostly been driven by my lack of focus on my Secondary Class until recently. Art occupies space and so, in my mind, the two can never be truly separated. There was a silly saying from my home,¡± Nate explained, avoiding specifying where his home was. ¡°Art is how you decorate space, music is how you decorate time.¡±


    Evindal smiled a little, ¡°A clever saying. I might steal that. Go on though.¡±


    ¡°My intention with my spatial skills is to use them to help me decorate space. I don¡¯t want to go too deep into my Skill development plans, but the art lean will be coming for them on their next evolutions where I can manage it. Which brings me to my thoughts on why I wanted a Life Mage as my Tertiary Class. It goes back to when I first met Aisling. She explained to me that when you receive your Tertiary Class, the Skills can often come with unusual evolutions that can make Skills function in new and innovative ways. The Skill she told me about, which she said came from her Growth Mage Class, was Even Spells Grow. It was the idea of assigning the Concept of Life to something like a Spellform that led me to wanting something similar. You mentioned expanding my artistic horizons, and I was thinking the same thing. But instead of going for sculpting I thought, what about living art?¡±


    Evindal smirked slightly and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Have you ever used that line on a young lady?¡±


    Nate couldn¡¯t keep a straight face and burst out laughing, ¡°No, but I am definitely going to now.¡±


    ¡°Well, do let me know if it works as well as I suspect. Back to your thinking about your Classes though. You are right but I think you are missing a piece of the picture. Your Embodiment will play a factor in your Skill options. I don¡¯t need to know in what direction you¡¯re trying to take your Embodiment. Just keep it in mind. As for the rest of your reasoning, it seems sound to me. So, let me tell you about Life Mage Classes. Firstly, they generally require an affinity for life mana, or one of its variations, such as plant, fungi, animal, etc. We will need to test your affinities to determine how much work and wealth we need to put towards raising your life mana affinity high enough to meet the minimum requirements for the Lord of Life Class. I can tell you that the affinity requirement is at least twenty-five percent for the Legendary version. I suspect that it is going to be expensive and for the next few months you are going to be drinking alchemical concoctions like water. I will cover the cost for some, as repayment for the Skill Orb, but you should make sure you have enough coinage or mana to pay for the rest yourself. Then, we will need to focus on some Achievements. I believe you have a Sigil for Life. If you can improve upon that Sigil, it would be ideal, but even without it I can teach you some Spells to help. Do you see the problem this presents?¡±


    Nate nodded, for the first time feeling a moment of concern.


    ¡°Additional achievements are going to interfere with any plans I have for my Embodiment¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± replied Evindal, standing and scooping up his anti-scrying ward. ¡°Think on it. Come on, let''s go get your affinities tested.¡±


    Nate wandered out the door of the meeting room, following Evindal into the depths of the Guildhouse, his mind attempting to figure out a solution to his predicament. The way everything was connected within the purview of the System was sometimes an absolute pain in the ass. That said, he was confident he could come up with a solution. No, that was wrong. No matter what, he would create a solution to this problem. The path of living art awaited him, and that was worth the effort. With a grin he prepared to find out how his affinities had shifted.

 Chapter 149 - Affinity for Trouble

    The room Nate found himself in was not at all what he had expected. Evindal had led him down into the bowels of the Guildhouse and towards the vault that contained the Guild¡¯s Common and Uncommon resources. Based on that, Nate had expected that it would turn out that they had some enchanted device or item, kept under lock and key, that could be used to determine an individual¡¯s affinities. The logic had made sense to him, since he had assumed that the Guild would likely offer to regularly test Adventurers to help guide their development. In addition, wouldn¡¯t the Adventurers want to know so they could direct and control their spell selections. That should have been especially true since spells so heavily relied on an individual''s innate affinities.


    The problem he hadn¡¯t considered was the sheer scale of potential affinities. He was mentally kicking himself for oversimplifying the concept of affinities. The key was in that exact thought. Concept of affinities. All mana affinities were based on Concepts and as Evindal had just pointed out, they could present in more specific flavours based on what one could argue were Subconcepts. Evindal had said it himself. Life affinity could be fungi, animal, or a host of others. That didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t still a Life affinity. Instead what it meant was that within the sphere of life you might have additional affinities. It was that particular premise that gave rise to the room he was in and if he was being honest, given his love of art, he wasn¡¯t complaining.


    Instead of a simple room with a simple item he found himself in a heavily warded and well-lit room underground. The room was almost as large as the vault they had veered away from and the reason was the circular enchantment laid into the floor. It was everything he would have expected a magic circle to be before coming to Galle. Using his sphere of awareness he could trace the various mana pathways that made up the magic circle as they led out to gems embedded into the floor. The gems started out large, and then led to smaller variations as they moved further and further from the centre of the magic circle. They also appeared to be colour-coded at face-value, but his identification flashing told him it went deeper than that. The gems weren¡¯t just similar colours in their various quadrants. They were also similar types. He suspected that it went back to what he had learned about enchanting when he was in Helmfirth. The gems were chosen for their natural affinities towards particular types of mana. The result was a rainbow circle of slowly shrinking gems. He supposed that ¡®rainbow¡¯ wasn¡¯t entirely accurate as he could see other colours and even black, white and translucent gems. The number actually astounded him and he quickly realised there were well over four hundred gems embedded into the floor.


    ¡°Done admiring the work?¡± asked Evindal politely from behind him.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nate muttered. ¡°It¡¯s kind of amazing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± agreed Evindal. ¡°Where I come from, ours has almost twice as many gems so that we can detect more esoteric affinities. However, for an organisation like the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, it makes less sense to delve that deeply. Especially in a country like Etrua where the populace is mostly stifled. Now, let¡¯s get to your test. All you need to do is stand in the centre and feed mana to the enchantment. I¡¯ll handle the recording.¡±


    ¡°Is the room warded?¡±


    When Evindal gave an answering nod Nate moved to the centre of the enchantment. Standing there calmly, he relaxed his shoulders and guided a small filament of his mana into the enchantment. His sphere of awareness told him that such a small amount of mana wasn¡¯t going to be enough and so he quickly increased the flow. As the mana started to flow out of him and into the enchantment he felt Conceptual Insight activate. The Skill began to hum and he quickly detected a number of elemental Concepts from the inner circle of gems. Water, fire, earth, air and a number of other Concepts flickered briefly before fading into the background as the second row of gems activated. This time he got the sense of things like fluid, coolness, heat, sound, flow and too many more to name. By the third layer he started to feel overwhelmed as a cacophony of Concepts filled the room. That feeling only worsened as he felt some of the concepts present begin to war against each other. Coolness and heat. Solid and fluid. Shadow and light. The opposing affinities felt as if they were trying to suppress or defeat their antithesis. It worsened again as he could feel some Concepts shifting back and forth as though unable to choose a side, while a host of spectator Concepts watched on, ambivalent to the outcome of the many battles.


    The taste of blood on his tongue finally let him focus long enough to hear that Evindal was yelling at him to stop and he collapsed in the centre of the enchantment, dragging his mana back to himself forcibly.


    Touching his nose his fingers came away bloody, but the red colour on his fingers was nothing when compared to the kaleidoscope of the enchantment. He looked around slowly, watching as the small amount of light present in every gem slowly faded. Only two remained lit after a few seconds. The yellow gem that had only emitted a light slightly stronger than the hundreds of other gems followed them back into a dormant state within a couple of seconds, leaving one final purple gem that continued to blaze so brightly that it drowned out the sconces that lit the walls of the room.


    Nate slowly turned to look at Evindal, only to see confusion and consternation writ upon the elf¡¯s flawless pale skin. The man brushed his silver hair absently as he continued to look at the magical circle rather than Nate.


    It was when Nate finally wiped away the blood from his nose that Evindal¡¯s attention flickered back to him.


    ¡°That¡­that should not have happened.¡±


    ¡°What shouldn¡¯t have?¡± Nate asked, standing carefully and moving towards the edge of the circle, stumbling for a moment when he realised his mana reserve was almost empty. When had that happened? He hadn¡¯t been feeding that much mana to the enchantment had he?


    Evindal waved his hands at the magic circle.


    ¡°They¡¯re only supposed to show any light if the mana passing through them has a matching affinity. They shouldn¡¯t have all lit up. The values were so low that they didn¡¯t even register,¡± explained Evindal, pointing at a panel that seemed to record the results, presenting them as a percentage.


    Nate walked over to join Evindal as they looked at the results of his affinity test. As expected, his Spatial Affinity remained impressive. At forty percent it didn¡¯t look like it had regressed at all since leaving his first Dungeon. On the other hand, his only other affinity was for earth, and at one percent it was negligible. Those were the only results that showed upon the display and he turned to Evindal in confusion.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°So, what does it mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Nate. I don¡¯t know. Maybe your mana was searching for an affinity that wasn¡¯t present. Maybe the enchantment malfunctioned? Maybe your spatial affinity is the cause. I suppose I could see how space might apply to every other affinity available and so the sheer scale of your affinity was enough to cause a reaction in the other gems. I just¡­I just don¡¯t know. It was so low that it didn¡¯t trigger a recording so I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. Perhaps it was nothing,¡± Evindal explained, obviously hedging his answers.


    ¡°That¡¯s less important than your complete lack of a life affinity,¡± continued the elf. ¡°That is something we will have to remedy.¡±


    With those words Evindal produced a set of three vials from his spatial storage. The liquid in them glowed a beautiful yellow and green. Rather than looking toxic the colours seemed to shift around each other invitingly. Conceptual Insight went wild in the back of his mind and he could tell that whatever was in the vials was heavily influenced by the Concept of Life.


    ¡°I only got you three to start with, as I had hoped you might have at least a minor affinity for Life. Especially coming from a place like Helmfirth, surrounded by a forest teeming with life on all sides. Regardless, you¡¯ll need to take one every five days. I will purchase another three for you, but that is the limits of what I will put towards your affinity development. I suspect you might need as many as twelve in total to get even close to the strength of affinity you will need. That also assumes we do not need to procure ingredients with a stronger affinity. Though, I imagine that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you. However, this means you have a month to get enough mana or coin to pay for your next treatment. You could of course take longer if you are willing to slow down your development. But I get the sense that that is not an option. So don¡¯t dally. Come back and see me after you¡¯ve taken the third, so in eleven days. I will teach you your first Life spell then and we can start going over the types of Achievements you will need to progress down this path,¡± explained Evindal, the elf checking to confirm that Nate understood.


    ¡°Should I take one now, then?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose it would be best if you did. In case something else weird happens.¡±


    Nate shrugged and removed the wax seal on the top of one of the vials. The smells that wafted off of the liquid were so varied that he doubted he would have been able to pick them apart without his high Perception Stat. There was a floral scent of flowers in bloom mixed with the musk of animals and the smell of leaves. Underneath that was the smell of petrichor that he realised was likely from mushrooms and other fungi, coupled with a hint of the iron-tang of blood.


    Without waiting any longer he tipped his head back and swallowed the liquid. Despite the many smells there was no taste to the liquid. Focusing his sphere of awareness inwards he could feel as the liquid rushed down his throat into his stomach before beginning to diffuse through his body. However after only a few seconds he could tell that something was slowly gathering in the space that marked his mana reserve. Specks of yellow and green light kept entering him and he could see how they would slowly vanish, absorbed into his mana.


    Glancing back at Evindal, Nate smiled, ¡°It seems to be working.¡±


    ¡°I would hope so, given how much it costs. This would not be within the reach of any Silver-ranked Guild members beyond yourself and perhaps Null and Coralie. And those two would need to rely on their parents. Now, I have some other things to attend to. Was there anything else you needed today?¡±


    Nate had been getting better at reading people since coming to Galle. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his enhanced perception, his improved memory and processing speed from his increased Intellect stat, or just spending more time with different people. Whatever it was, he was confident that Evindal was hiding some concern behind his words. Was it the reaction from the enchanted magic circle that had the elf worried? Nate wasn¡¯t sure, but there was nothing he could do about it for now. With a shake of his head and a quick thank you he found himself headed back to the Royal University with Luc shadowing him till he was through the gates and back onto University grounds.


    The whole experience had been new and interesting. It also gave him some ideas for his own creations. Could he create a miniaturised version of the affinity measuring enchantment? The plethora of gems had been necessary to make sure of the individual gems'' affinities. What if he just created a material where each section of the material had a different affinity? If he could do that he could potentially make something the size of a plate that could do what that gigantic enchantment had just done. He was definitely lacking all of the Sigils necessary, but he bet he had enough to have a play with the idea. With a curious smile on his face he rushed back to his room to perform some basic experiments, while also getting the results to his latest experiment! It was time to quantify the difference in strength between using his own mana and processed mana to power a construct created through Conceptual Automation.


    Less than an hour later he was leaning back in his chair, staring at the two misshapen hunks of Common metal. Just a few minutes ago both pieces of what he thought was iron had been pristine and Rare tier, with an affinity for Durability.


    ¡°Four times as strong,¡± he ventured.


    ¡°Agreed, Boss,¡± responded Frick, the spirit flashing a toothy smile as he floated nearby.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected the gap to be that vast,¡± he replied, thinking out loud. ¡°I thought it would be only twice as powerful. Maybe three times. But four times as strong just by swapping to processed mana.¡±


    He flicked the empty processed mana gem in annoyance.


    ¡°Is it that big of a deal, Boss? We can collect some more processed mana for when shit hits the fan.¡±


    ¡°It is. Much bigger. Think wider, Frick. Think bigger,¡± answered Nate, leading his Familiar to the conclusion he had already reached.


    Frick stopped, the goblin spirits blue eyes slowly widening, ¡°It¡¯s not just this Skill. It¡¯s any Skill.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And I very much doubt that this isn¡¯t known. There is no way it couldn¡¯t be, with processed mana being used as a currency. Which means the nobility knows. Certainly doesn¡¯t matter at the lower levels and for those who need every scrap of mana they can get just to advance even slightly. But for those at the top, want to bet whether or not they have a small stockpile for those ¡®shit hitting the fan¡¯ moments?¡±


    Frick nodded along, ¡°You need your own stockpile then, Boss. So does Kiri.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let her know,¡± Nate answered absentmindedly, his thoughts already elsewhere.


    What was the difference between mana and processed mana? Why did they need Dungeons to collect processed mana? The questions were already plaguing him. With a sigh he settled in to work on his class project for the Affinities and Mana subject. As he got to work on the soul-based rune he was designing to show his capability with the energy type, a part of his mind continued to worry over his questions, unable to let it go. He had no answers yet, but he was going to get them, either at this University, or in the wider multiverse. That, and his very own affinity tester.

 Chapter 150 - Those Who Wander

    Aisling listened to her husband and long-time friend continue their disagreement.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± argued Luc.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? The gems in that enchantment are supposed to have a minimum fidelity of a single percent. Anything less should have garnered no response at all, let alone a response from every single gem present. There were affinities in there, that based on everything you and Aisling have told me, he has never used. Lava, storm and magnetic are just the three that spring to mind. But I am telling you what I saw. I don¡¯t think he saw it. Not completely. But for the briefest of moments, every single gem lit up with enough light to indicate an affinity of at least three to four percent,¡± shot back Evindal.


    Her normally calm and controlled husband was clearly disturbed by what he had witnessed. She couldn¡¯t fault him though. If what he saw was true, it was an interaction with the enchantment that none of them had ever encountered. What it meant for Nate she wasn¡¯t sure, but at least Evindal had downplayed it enough that he was hopefully not worrying over it.


    ¡°Could it have been something to do with his work with runes?¡± asked Luc, rubbing his chin in thought.


    ¡°Perhaps. Or perhaps his affinity for space triggered them. Or it¡¯s something we have never heard of or encountered. I just don¡¯t know. And that worries me,¡± lamented Evindal.


    ¡°Not the first time the kid has surprised us. It¡¯ll be fine. Probably,¡± responded Luc, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince them.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter for now,¡± she interjected. ¡°He will need to be tested again to make sure the alchemical concoctions are having an impact and developing his affinity for Life mana. Until then, there is nothing either of you can do. It changes nothing about our existing plans. Now, which of us is going to be watching over him during their next Dungeon run?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy,¡± Luc said immediately, flashing an amused smile in response to her frown.


    No doubt what Luc meant was he was busy spending his time at that brothel which he had somehow gotten Nate involved in. She sighed to herself. That wasn¡¯t fair of her. She knew Luc was working with Nate and Kiri on their nascent crafting business. It was more likely he was assisting them with some element of that and his smile was just to taunt her. At times, she had to admit, she wished the Arcane Riftwalker would grow up a little. Then again, if he did, would he even bother staying in Etrua? Putting those thoughts to rest she glanced at her husband.


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort them, my love,¡± he answered, smiling gently at her. ¡°Besides, it will give me more opportunity and time to work with Nate on what he needs to do to achieve his goals of taking Lord of Life as his Tertiary Class.¡±


    She nodded and smiled back in thanks before turning to face the window, gazing down on the Guild training grounds. What was Nate thinking, adding Life Mage as his Tertiary Class? She had yet to figure out how he intended to fold such a selection into his existing choices and the path he seemed set on. She supposed that in the end, all she could do was trust that he knew what he was doing. That made her smile slightly. He had surprised her before. More than once, actually. She was confident he would do so again. With the matter settled, she turned back to face her husband and long-time friend.


    ¡°That is settled then. On to the next topic of discussion, the brewing war with Asmuisil. Where do we stand?¡±


    *************


    Arikanvil bared his teeth in a victorious smile. This experiment had taken longer than he had expected. Figuring out what the device from a Dead Realm did had been simple enough. Reverse-engineering how it had accomplished such wonders had been far more difficult. Perhaps if one of his two Heralds that were accomplished crafters had been present, then he might have gotten to this point far sooner. But he had been unwilling to pay the costs for recalling them from their assignments. Either way, he now knew the basics of what was going on within the simple looking, yet incredibly complex device. That led him to his next experiments. Could he replicate the technology and methods applied.


    For the first time in more than two centuries, he had a pathway forward towards his ultimate goal. He ignored the small stirring in his chest. What was another drop to someone on his level anyway? Carefully putting the small piece of plastic back in the protective case that kept mana from touching it and destroying the fragile material, he turned to prepare his notes for his next experiment when he sensed a flicker on the planet below.


    Focusing his senses, he stripped the space between himself and the flicker, gazing upon the small room and the simplistic affinity measuring enchantment.


    His eyes widened slightly at what he saw and for a moment he paused, mentally calculating the risks, costs and potential rewards of interference.


    ¡°Sooner than expected¡­too soon really¡­¡± he muttered to himself, before sealing his senses and returning them to his immediate environs. ¡°No. It¡¯s not worth the cost. The mortal¡¯s path is his own.¡±


    With his decision made, he began working on the next stage in his project. The only project that mattered to him anymore. He was the Wanderer and he would not be denied.


    *************


    Duchess Charlotte Desmarais ground her teeth in annoyance. It was a habit she had developed when she was younger and never truly managed to grow out of. She had often wondered to herself, in her private moments, if it were her Classes and Embodiment that prevented her from removing the habit. She had even considered excising it directly. But in the end, the risk was greater than the reward. The situation now was starting to look similar.


    Tossing the page onto her husband¡¯s desk she considered the contents again. The Storm Spear, Thousand Needles and the Eternal Grove had returned to the Capital. That normally would have been considered little more than business-as-usual, except for the part where those three Platinum-tier individuals had already been seen in the company of her targets. It was almost a certainty then, that the next Dungeon trip the pair took, they would be escorted by at least one of the three. The Kill-Squad she had put together was more than enough to handle the children, but would be killed, in no uncertain terms, by any of the children''s three protectors.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The question on her mind was should she scrap the operation, or double-down and send one of their houses three Platinum-tier retainers to handle the target''s protector. What were the risks of doing nothing? It would mean an even chance of their Ducal House falling and being handed over to one of the targets. The latest report from the Twins had confirmed that Princess Morgane had interceded for the crafter of the pair. Something about an investigation into the death of the Earl of Dralogne¡¯s second-son. She might have tried to leverage that fact, using the Earl¡¯s resources to lower the cost to their own House. But the Earl was in the Second Prince¡¯s camp and was as likely to spit at her as laugh at her request to work together. That man had always been incredibly unreasonable.


    No, she had to rely on her own House and resources, lest she tip her hand to one of their rivals. Besides, most of the Lesser Houses that paid them homage lacked the resources outside of the Heads of their respective Houses to challenge the Adventurer Guild Platinums. Grinding her teeth again in frustration, she sent one of the servants to fetch Gordon. The risk to their House was just too great. Now that Morgane, that righteous little bitch, had her claws firmly buried in the pair, it was a foregone conclusion that the offer of Noble title would be made. No one would say no to such an offer, and it would be her House that would be the one to fall even further into decline. A decisive decision needed to be made, so she would make it.


    A knock at the door brought her back to the present and she adjusted her appearance minutely. She was perfection and it was important that others perceived her so.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    ¡°You asked for me, my Lady?¡± said Gordon, the man entering the beautifully decorated office.


    ¡°There is a task I have for you. But first, I need your input. How would you fare against the Storm Spear, Thousand Needles or the Eternal Grove?¡± she asked calmly, not letting her inner turmoil show on her face. Appearances mattered after all. Her confidence would become his confidence.


    ¡°To defeat or to kill?¡± asked Gordon, the tall and skinny man asking in the same tone that he would¡¯ve asked about the weather.


    ¡°Kill,¡± she stated calmly. There could be no witnesses. Of course, the Guild would likely suspect them. But without proof, without testimony, their suspicions would be just that.


    ¡°Maybe against the Storm Spear or the Eternal Grove, my Lady. Definitely not against Thousand Needles. That slippery bastard would find a way to slip away if he was losing,¡± answered the Lava Mage honestly. She had always appreciated that about him and was one of the main reasons she had pushed her husband to invest in his development. That and his affinity, of course.


    ¡°The Storm Spear and Eternal Grove¡­what if you had the assistance of a Gold-tier Kill-Squad?¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    She considered her answer. Originally the plan had been for a four-person team. Two should have been more than enough to end the lives of each of the children. But then, the reports did say that the pair had gone to Dungeons with others from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Those ¡®others¡¯ had warranted their own protection, in the form of a small team of Gold-tier Bodyguards. If she was to go down this path, she would go all-in. There could be no room for mistakes.


    ¡°Ten,¡± she answered placidly.


    ¡°With ten assisting me, I am confident I could kill either of the Guild Platinums if needed.¡±


    She nodded her understanding, detailing out her orders for Gordon and the Gold-tier kill-squad she was putting under his command. They were not to engage if Thousand Needles was present. Otherwise, the next time those children left the Capital of Etrua to run one of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild dungeons, her forces would strike and end the threat to her House, killing it in the cradle.


    After Gordon had left to prepare his team and make their way to the Capital, she returned to the expansive window. Her holdings lay sprawled before her. She would do whatever was necessary to keep them. The rumours of war with Asmuisil were an opportunity. With that in mind, she returned to her desk to pen another letter. This would be no less risky than having the young Adventurers killed, but where that task was to retain her House¡¯s existing position, this letter contained the potential to raise them higher. With her mind made up, ink touched paper. Such a simple act and yet it felt like the tolling of a bell, signifying the end of an age or the beginning of a new one. Life was full of risks. She just needed to navigate one more. Grinding her teeth again, she lamented her fool of a husband and his father before him. She would dig them out of this hole, one body at a time. Of course, if she failed, she was digging their own graves.


    *************


    Garnet soared through the skies on wings of flame. The clouds surrounded her, obscuring her vision of the forests and grasslands below, but she was alright with that. After all, they also hid her from the sight of any of the great predators of the sky. There were few such monsters over the forest, but few was not none, and the numbers would increase as she approached the Kirshell Mountains. She didn¡¯t know if the nomadic Clans were incompetent or just didn¡¯t care, but their lack of control over the ambient mana of their mountain homes led to more monster growth and development than was seen in the more central areas of Etrua. That increased ambient mana, coupled with some of the gryphons and rocs that made their homes in the Kirshell Mountains, meant there was a legitimate threat to her life if she wasn¡¯t careful.


    That said, she was still a day or two away from her destination and could likely simply enjoy soaring through the skies like a mythical phoenix. The flaming birds had never been seen in Etrua, as much a myth as dragons, but as a child she had been enchanted by the idea of such creatures. It had been the driving force that had led to her defying her Father and developing her affinity for fire instead of the storm like him. He had never forgiven her for defying their family legacy and she had never forgiven him for the way he looked down upon her. Prince Bordain had seen her value, though, and brought her into his confidence. Paid for her to attend the University and given her her tasks after she had finished. She should¡¯ve been confident in his presence, but he had always frightened her. Even when she had been certain that she was a significantly higher level than the Prince, he had still felt like a real and present danger to her. It didn¡¯t help that Obsidian scared her almost as much as the Prince. His bodyguard was the stuff of nightmares.


    When she had been recalled to the Capital she had hoped that her punishment for her failure with the slaving operation was over. It seemed that was not the case. Lessened, certainly, as there were few punishments worse than being forced to work under Sapphire. But she was still being punished, forced to play courier for their manerium mining operation. At least with this punishment she was free to fly, though. Spinning gently, she floated above the cloud cover to stare up at the sun, that roiling ball of fire so large it boggled the mind. Perhaps that was where Phoenixes lived. She still hoped to see one, one day.


    Spinning back around and dipping back into the clouds she sighed slightly. The war with Asmuisil was certain to begin soon. Then the pieces would start falling, one way or another. Her patron, her Prince, would either rise as he so fervently believed he deserved, or he would fall. Either way, what would that mean for her once the chaos had finally settled? Would she be given the lead of her own House, her father executed? Was that even what she wanted? Would she finally free her half-sisters from their torture? Or would she run away from it all? Fly off into the sunset? To places unseen, where maybe, the myths of her childhood lived on?


    Her eyes narrowed as the thoughts came one after another. There were many things she might do but only one thing she would definitely do. She would torch that insidious bitch and dance on her ashes. Sending more mana into her flaming wings she increased her speed. The sooner she made the delivery, the sooner she could reach her destination. Her true destination. Not some mine, but the place she had always wanted to be. She just wished she knew where that was.

 Chapter 151 - Memories of Existence

    Nate stared out of the window of the second floor of his workshop as rain pattered against it. The alchemical concoction he had imbibed roiled in his belly. The feeling of the life mana flooding his body stood in sharp contrast to the city beyond the glass panes. Back on Earth, he had played witness to more than one storm, but never on this scale. Certainly they had existed, but where he lived had never been struck by a hurricane. Not while he had been alive anyway. So seeing the gale-force winds whip over the sandstone buildings of the Capital was a new experience. It had a beauty to it, but it was tinged with violence and destruction. It was a melancholic beauty, he decided. Nature''s might and fury unleashed. Captivating to watch but perilous to those unprepared or unprotected.


    His workshop was fortunately neither of those things. In addition, the entire Merchant¡¯s District was protected to some extent by the same enchantments that prevented mana from escaping the area. He could sense, through his Farsight Sphere of Awareness, how the ambient mana beyond the District¡¯s barriers had taken on a number of affinities, the strongest being that of the Storm. It made the storm somewhat gentler within the confines of the District. The same could not be said of the Slums. Forget his sphere of awareness, he had seen more than one piece of cloth or wooden stall blown into the sky with his eyes. He supposed he should just be thankful that the sandstone the buildings were made from meant that the roofs were far sturdier than any timber, thatch or thin metal that might have been used on Earth.


    Turning away from the window, he sighed, forcibly putting the thoughts out of his mind. There was nothing he could do for the denizens of the Slums. Not yet. But maybe one day. To get to that day he needed to get through this one, and the one after that, slowly growing his power and wealth. To his mind there was no point in gaining the kind of wealth Kiri seemed to have in mind if they weren¡¯t also going to use it to make life better for others. Even if the impact that he could have was small in the grand scheme of things, that still seemed worthwhile to him: creating a better world. Of course, he knew that there was an element of naivety to his desires, and that many would say he should prioritise his own growth to the exclusion of all else. But surely, there had to be some inflection point where the small gains in power he would experience paled against the impact he could have on the lives of others.


    Turning to Jacque, he watched the ex-Professor reviewing the latest rune designs for mass production. He had made a second set of Runecrafted Twin Boxes of Spatial Transfer and, for the last two weeks, had been using them to supply the man with mostly Uncommon materials and a few Rare metals. The initial returns had needed to be reinvested though ¨C Kiri¡¯s words and advice, of course. The problem was that Jacque had lacked any useful material shaping skills. Enchanters didn¡¯t really need any beyond the skills they gained around gems and gem dust. So the first profits they had earned went towards buying a Skill Orb of Metal Shaping for the man. This meant that Nate would need to do less work to prepare the materials, as the runes needed to be inscribed into metal, be they weapons and armour, or rings and amulets.


    ¡°Do the designs make sense?¡± he asked Jacque, intentionally interrupting the man''s review. He didn¡¯t have all day and had some of his own work to get to.


    ¡°They do. I am seeing a few inefficiencies though. They could be redesigned to improve the mana efficiency,¡± answered his pupil. The thought still made him laugh internally. Him, almost twenty years old and teaching this man at least a decade and a half his senior.


    ¡°They¡¯re intentional. Kiri¡¯s orders. She is concerned if we produce things too powerful that we will draw unwanted attention and we don¡¯t want that this early in the company''s development. So, we¡¯re making things slightly better than the competition, but not so much better that they start asking questions about why and how. Your presence is enough for them to suspect that your Skills are the reason. Feel free to improve on the designs in your own time, but nothing we¡¯re selling should incorporate them. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Understood¡­and¡­I just wanted to say thank you again. That Skill you bought for me alone has already helped me to progress. Who knows where I might be in a year or two. I just¡­wanted to say thank you.¡±


    Nate nodded with a smile, heading for the door. His own workroom was downstairs in the basement, with additional layers of security on it in the form of illusion and obfuscation wards. It was also reinforced against spatial entry.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± he sent mentally to Frick.


    ¡°It¡¯s done, Boss. Just doing some last minute checks and then I will return,¡± responded Frick immediately.


    As planned, they had moved the location of his mana gathering facility. Destroying and filling in the previous location on the Universities mana pipeline, they had instead relocated the hidden pocket to one of the mana pipelines that entered the city before it was split up and divided between the various districts. He had intentions to move it to another of those pipelines in two to three months. His hope was that if anyone tracked the volume of mana being pumped into the capital, that his theft would be small enough to go unnoticed. Alternatively, if it was noticed, by moving the pipeline affected, that it would be chalked up as some sort of mana anomaly beyond the city''s outskirts.


    He might have felt bad about his continued theft of mana, but one thought about the people he was stealing from was enough to squash that emotional response. The Nobility were already stealing mana from most of their own populace, and while two wrongs might not necessarily make a right, they certainly made him not give a shit about inconveniencing the aristocracy.


    Entering his own workshop, he pulled up his Skill gains for the past two weeks.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 33 > 35


    Conceptual Runic Creation 43 > 44


    True Teleportation 34 > 35


    Conceptual Insight 44 > 45


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 46 > 47


    Conceptual Automation 19 > 20


    Conceptual Material 38 > 39


    Material Shaping 11 > 15


    Spatial Empowerment 7 > 10


    Conceptual Intent 44 > 45


    Conceptual Runic Artistry 41 > 42


    All his Skills had continued to progress. The process was slower as the Skills achieved higher levels and the ambient mana of the Royal University could only help advance the Skills by so much. That said, he was still growing at a more than decent rate, he felt. It was Conceptual Automation that he focused on, though. He could tell the Skill was almost ready to evolve and he had already invested one of his Skill Enhancement Orbs towards the Skill. He just needed to give it one last push. Then it would be time to focus on Conceptual Material. His construct creating skill came first though. Taking a lump of hardened paint out of his spatial storage, he placed the rainbow swirl onto the workbench. He still wasn¡¯t sure about how to apply his Conceptual Material to liquids, but the hardened paint had qualified as a solid and had taken to the process with a gusto. Now, his hardened lump of paint, filled with an affinity for Illusion, would become his last construct before he evolved his Skill. He wasn¡¯t certain if using paint would matter for his Embodiment, but he supposed that at this moment, he didn¡¯t care.


    Flowing mana into his Skill he activated Conceptual Automation, adding Conceptual Intent as he tried to force the resulting construct to not only embody the Concept of Illusion, but to use that Concept to start converting the ambient mana surrounding it. The notification dinged in the corner of his vision but he ignored it for a moment, reviewing the results of his latest experiment. The hardened paint blew away on motes of rainbow light. At least, that is what his eyes told him. His sphere of awareness, however, sensed the paint become an amorphous blob, hidden from his eyes as it refused to reflect light. Instead, it created the Illusion of lights, recreating some of his own paintings hanging in the air. He supposed that made sense. He had used his own Intent, which likely meant a piece of his soul energy had been involved. When it came to painting, what other memories would it contain than those of creating his own works. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    The illusionary canvas flickered and shifted, showing first the painting of food on clouds from the Slums. Then it shifted to Aisling, standing alone on a hill with a storm in the background. Another flicker and he was looking at Britt, lying naked on his bed with her bright smile directed at him. So far, the paintings had elicited nothing but a feeling of joy and content. The next one left him with a sense of wonder, just like the first time he had seen it ¨C the place between universes, the rainbow of energies dancing on such a grand scale that his mind still struggled to process it. Then the painting shifted again. A chess board, the kings and queens back in their box. The face of his mother and father in that same box.


    He let the tears flow freely as they trickled down his face. It had been a while since he last thought of them. But even now, a decade later, he still missed them. He let the feelings linger for a moment, even as his construct dissipated, the mana and the paint¡¯s affinity spent. Wiping away the tears, he smiled a little. They would be proud of him. He knew that, in his heart of hearts. But they were gone, and from everything he had learned, even with the power of magic, there was nothing that could bring them back. He would just have to keep living a life that would make them proud.


    He was thankful that when Frick appeared the goblin studiously ignored him after a single glance. If his Familiar had launched into some witty or annoying banter he wasn¡¯t sure he would¡¯ve reacted well. Instead, the little Blue Goblin set about using Conceptual Material.


    Turning his attention away from those memories, the good and the bad, he focused back on his Skill Evolution.


    Conceptual Automation 20 > 21


    Conceptual Automation (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Automated Existence (M)


    Your control over the Concepts that govern reality has reached a point where the existences you create exert their own power on reality. These ¡®living¡¯ embodiments of Concepts will convert their environs to suit their needs, resisting reality¡¯s drive towards balance. Using objects that resonate with a Concept, you are able to create living representations of these multiversal Concepts. Living representations will convert ambient mana towards their own affinity, increasing their duration and power. Mana Cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Percentage increase in Power equal to 30% of Intellect & Magic Power. Additionally increased by the volume of mana used. Duration and Power based on Tier of materials used. Duration increases by 30% of Creativity plus 1% per Skill Level.


    Conceptual Automated Guardian (M)


    To some, Concepts are the pathway to power. For you, they are protectors ¨C the guardians that watch over you so that you may progress on your path. Silent watchers, now made permanent. Using objects that resonate with a Concept, you are able to create living representations of these multiversal Concepts. Creations can now be activated and deactivated, allowing them to exist in a quiescent state. Mana Cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Percentage increase in Power equal to 20% of Intellect & Magic Power. Additionally increased by the volume of mana used. Duration and Power based on Tier of materials used. Duration increases by 40% of Creativity plus 1% per Skill Level.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    Turning to Frick, he showed the options.


    ¡°Thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Defensive or offensive, Boss. That¡¯s the question. Being able to turn them off before they completely decay could be useful. But is it useful enough to miss out on the extra offensive power you get from the first option,¡± responded Frick after taking a moment to read the options.


    Nate touched his forearm and the bracer beneath. He had three defensive runecrafted items already. The decision to wear his Runecrafted trinkets of Spatial Release and Mana Release, rather than keep them in his spatial storage, had been driven by the concern that he might not be able to access his spatial storage in battle. With a new level of confidence in his defences, he had been lamenting his lack of offensive tools, especially since the destruction of his Legendary acid wand. One last time he questioned if he was satisfied with his defences? Because if not, this would allow him to more freely use the Skill. If every activation didn¡¯t result in an Epic or better material returning all the way down to Common it would make him less frugal. With a smile, he selected Conceptual Automated Existence. He didn¡¯t need to be more frugal. He needed his offensive abilities to be powerful enough that his enemies were overwhelmed, saving him from being forced to use his defensive items.


    Satisfied with his decision, he sat down to work on his latest project. The dagger was, in his opinion, a work of art. Soon it would be as deadly as it was beautiful.


    *************


    Kiri sat cross-legged, staring at the Skill Synergy notification and the culmination of months of work.


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Twin Souls (Mythic) Skill, Soul Empowerment (Mythic) Skill and your Soul Storage (Epic) Skill. Combine these Skills to gain Empowered Soul Sanctuary (Mythic) Skill.


    Proceed?


    She had only just finished evolving her Soul Imbuement Skill from Legendary to Mythic, assisted by one of the Skill Enhancement Orbs that Nate had shared with her. On the other hand, her other evolution, The Size of a Soul, which had also progressed from Legendary to Mythic, she had done all on her own. That sense of pride and accomplishment had propelled her forward. Between the expanding business enterprise, her battle to help save Nate, and now these evolutions, she was finally starting to feel like she could keep up with her best friend. No, that was the wrong word now. They had both admitted that they were family. Her brother. She smiled. It felt good, just thinking about it.


    Returning her attention to the notification, she considered her options. While she was perfectly willing to admit that she hadn¡¯t worked hard in all her University subjects, there were four of the eight that she had given special attention to. Combat had been out of her love of fighting, while Economics had been a path to pulling her own weight. The last two were the ones she considered the most important to her own development. Concepts and Embodiments, along with Mana and Affinities. She had finally come to terms with the nature of her abilities, and was confident that the soul energy she was absorbing wasn¡¯t directly altering her or her personality. She would just have to keep an eye out to make sure it wasn¡¯t indirectly affecting her.


    That acceptance had allowed her to return to her plans for her Embodiment. What did it mean to be ¡®Reborn¡¯? She realised now, that in the eyes of the System, and perhaps the Multiverse, that she had died that day in the forest. It may have been temporary, but for a moment she had straddled two realms ¨C the Physical and the Spiritual. Reborn, to her, meant to be able to die and return, to continue to straddle those twin realms. So that''s what she had focused on. A few pointed questions that Frick had been willing to answer had led her to focus on developing her Skills in the direction she hoped would achieve her goals. She wasn¡¯t certain, but she thought this Synergy might be the first step on that path.


    With a smile, she let the Skill Synergy proceed, looking at her newest Skill.


    Empowered Soul Sanctuary (M) 41 > 41


    Empowered Soul Sanctuary (M)


    Soul energy is the accumulation of experiences, and with an application of will, these experiences can become reality. You have stretched your physical container to the limits of what it can contain, for too much of anything, even soul energy, is ultimately destructive. This Skill creates a zone within the Spiritual Realm under your control and bound by your will. This space expands with this skill, allowing you to fill it with soul energy or physical objects that you may draw on. Further, a portion of this soul energy is capable of retaining the full breadth of your experiences, including both emotions and memories. Twins to your own soul, to be called upon when needed. Size of the Soul Sanctuary is equal to Skill Level x 0.5 cubic metres. Soul energy stored within your Soul Sanctuary may be expended to increase Agility, Endurance and Constitution by Willpower / 50 x Skill Level. Total Soul Energy that can be stored is equal to that of a standard humanoid, increased by 10% per Skill Level. Soul energy regeneration rate is equal to Skill Level x 0.25% per hour. The user may store a number of Soul Twins in their Soul Sanctuary equal to Willpower / 200. Soul Twins take 5000 / Willpower days to create.


    As the Skill settled within her, she sensed that separate space bloom inside her but also not exactly. Two realms, bound together with her as the bridge. She hoped it was the right decision. Her path forward, one of eternal rebirth. Well, perhaps not eternal yet, but with her current Willpower she could at least die once and be reborn. Standing, she went looking for her brother, already knowing where he was from the Soul Tether placed on him. Maybe she would even get to test out her new Skill in the Dungeon run they had planned in a few weeks. Either way, it was time for another celebration. Good food and better company. On second thought, she better grab her girlfriend first. Spinning on her heel, she went looking for the petite ice princess. She wanted everyone she cared about present, which meant she might have to do a little wrangling. But according to her Economics professor, that was what most of business was and she was learning that she was very good at wrangling people!

 Chapter 152 - I Create, I Destroy

    Nate sat in his workshop staring at the finished product before him. To date, most of his creations had been functional in nature rather than beautiful. The two bracers he wore and the single armband were just simple bands of metal, concealing the runes within. Even looking back at his Legendary Acid Wand, it had looked like a gnarled, if expensive, piece of wood. Of course, up until recently he had a major limitation as a crafter: without being a blacksmith or carpenter, his ability to alter the shapes of his materials had been relatively limited. With his Material Shaping Skill that was no longer the case. He wondered if that was why this creation received an Achievement, since it had been a while since he got a new Achievement for creating an item.


    Bringing up the identification again, he reviewed it one last time.


    Runecrafted Soulrending Dagger (Legendary)


    Stats: +6 Willpower


    Features: Soul Bleed (Legendary), Reinforcement (Epic), Illusory Blade (Legendary), Innate Repair (Rare)


    Soul Bleed: This item has been Runecrafted to cause any wounds inflicted by it to bleed soul energy until the wound is healed, either naturally or by magical means. The rate of soul energy bleed is vastly enhanced by the dagger¡¯s'' affinities.


    Reinforcement : This item has been Runecrafted to reinforce the material, making it exceedingly hard to break.


    Illusory Blade: This item has been Runecrafted to allow the user to expend mana to overlay an illusion, disguising the shape, size and appearance of the dagger. Requires user¡¯s mana to function.


    Innate Repair: This item has been Runecrafted to repair itself over time using ambient mana. Feeding the Enchantment mana can accelerate this process.


    He smiled, looking over the dagger. The blade was longer than the ones Kiri normally used, the shape elegant and slender, with detailed scrollwork along the length of it depicting a gryphon, finally ending in a razor-sharp tip. He had shaped the guard to mimic an eagle''s wings. The hilt was wrapped in Rare-grade black leather that he had been assured would not tear easily.


    Kiri had been using the Rare-tier Dagger of Torn Souls for a while now, and it was clear to Nate that she had outgrown it. But it wasn¡¯t like Legendary-tier equipment was just lying around the Capital. So, having resolved his own defensive problems, he thought he would spend a little time making a couple of things for Kiri. The other item was a mirror of his own defensive trinkets. A Legendary bracer that flooded an area around her with the effects of a Soul Release. It would keep anyone from preventing her from using the soul energy that so many of her Skills relied on.


    Of course, his efforts had not gone unrewarded as he glanced at the newest Achievement.


    You have created a Legendary item that utilises Soul Energy.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    He wasn¡¯t completely certain, but he thought that this would be considered a Legendary tier Achievement. That was already cause for celebration, but he had learned how important the language the System used was. The fact that the Achievement included the word ¡®created¡¯ made him extremely pleased.


    Sending a mental message to Frick to ask Kiri to join him at the workshop, he set to cleaning up the space. Now that he had finished his crafting it was time to focus on the next step in his development ¨C one that had been a long-time coming. It had been almost a month since the last Dungeon run, and that entire time his Conceptual Insight had been absorbing excess mana and storing it in preparation for this moment. It was time to learn his first Grandmaster-tier Sigil. The only question left was, which of his Master-tier Sigils should he raise. Once upon a time, it might have been a simple coin flip between whether he went with Mana or Barrier. But that time had passed with the addition of his new Sigils. Now Sound, Illusion, Space and Soul were also on the table. Six options and he could only improve one of them.


    The discussions with Frick had gone back and forth for days now. Mana could improve his mana gathering operation and also the subset of his defences that focused on making sure he could use mana externally. But, he didn¡¯t really need to improve his mana gathering operation. He was already syphoning off enough mana from the Capital to fund his experiments, workshop and the production aspects that he handed off to Jacque. In terms of defence, he was confident that there would be few enough in the near future that could oppose both his Spatial Release and Mana Release Legendary items.


    On the topic of defences, there was an argument for him to upgrade his Barrier Sigil. It was his ultimate protection and something he made use of in every battle. It was also the direction he was leaning and had pushed for. His ability to heal, for now, was tied directly to being able to drain others, which meant that the smartest thing to do was simply not get hurt in the first place. Unlike Mana, Barrier was definitely still in the race.


    Soul was an option he had already discarded. That was Kiri¡¯s domain, and while he was interested in understanding the energy type and the things you could accomplish with it, it was not his path. The only reason he might have chosen it would have been to further improve the item he had created for Kiri. He didn¡¯t need to ask her to know she would¡¯ve told him off for that.


    The second serious contender was Space. It was both a part of his path going forward and a core piece of his skillset. Expanding his options by utilising creations that controlled space was a strong option. He already had ideas for ways to expand his usage of space in combat, but that wasn¡¯t the key draw. The tome given to him by Arikanvil that detailed how to try and find the Dead Realm that Earth resided in was still inside his spatial storage. He had held off on looking at it, knowing that there was nothing he could do yet to try and cross those kinds of distances. A Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil would change that. Portals, Spatial Searching and Multiversal travel might suddenly be an option.


    That left Illusion and Sound. The former drew him for two reasons. The first was how the idea of an Illusion could draw parallels to his goal of ¡®living art¡¯. It wasn¡¯t quite the same, but it did advance his ideas of moving art. The second was the ability to misdirect and conceal things. It had become a major part of every single item that they produced in the workshop. A multi-layered Illusion and Obfuscation rune was a part of every item produced at the Rare grade. The purpose was to conceal the Sigils involved. It might have been a concern if Jacque didn¡¯t already know that Nate held a Mythic-tier Class, but since the man was bound by a System Contract there was no harm in sharing a Grandmaster-tier Illusion Sigil with the man if he went that way. On the other hand, he didn''t really need a Grandmaster-tier Illusion Sigil to do the things with it that he wanted to do.


    Sound should have been an afterthought. It had been one of his more recent acquisitions and it worked perfectly in tandem with Illusion, creating the ultimate ability to conceal anything he wanted. Admittedly he was being hyperbolic, given the myriad variations in detection abilities, but it certainly meant he could both conceal and silence the things he created. It could also be used as a weapon. Sound was just a specific type of vibration, and with his ability to focus his runes on individual Subconcepts he could definitely use it in battle. The idea was actually a little frightening. He had no idea what would happen if he vibrated something at a high enough frequency but he guessed that it would produce heat. A lot of heat. Watching someone get immolated, or worse, explode, wasn¡¯t exactly high on his list of priorities.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The war went on inside him for a few more minutes: Space or Barrier. In the end he chose Space, even if it ran the risk of interfering with his goals for changing his Embodiment. He was pretty sure that Barrier wouldn¡¯t have assisted with his plans anyway.


    Conceptual Insight activated and he felt the mana stored in the Skill drain away as the image formed in front of him in the air.


    Space Sigil (Quality: Grandmaster)


    He had wondered if he would get an Achievement to go with it, but nothing was forthcoming and he was forced to accept that he would need to create a Grandmaster-tier rune to get the desired Achievement. Looking over the sigil, he used Conceptual Runic Creation to copy the Sigil before confirming it was a perfect replica. The symbol continued to hang there in the air in a sturdy mana construct and he supposed that it was meant to give the individual time to make sure they could copy it down correctly. Instead, he used the extra time to study the geometry and symbolism involved. It was an order of magnitude more complex than any other Sigil he knew of, but it still paled in comparison to the image on his puzzle box. That gave him a little encouragement that his puzzle-box really was using a Sigil on it, even if he still hadn¡¯t figured out how to activate it. The interesting thing to him was he could feel the pressure the Space Sigil was putting on the environment around him. His sphere of awareness was sensitive to spatial fluctuations and he could feel how items around him felt like they were both closer and further away. It was as if he could reach out and touch anything in the room, the very idea of space having become fluid. The feeling slowly faded as the mana construct started to dissipate and he was thankful. It had been a slightly disconcerting experience and he was definitely going to have to practise under such conditions to get used to the potential future capabilities of his Realmwalker Class.


    Kiri chose that moment to enter the room, forced to walk in like a plebian as the workshop was warded against Soul and Spatial entry. If he had a Sigil for Demonic or Celestial energies he would¡¯ve included those as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s so important that it couldn¡¯t wait till tonight?¡± Kiri asked with a smile.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think you would want to wait for your presents,¡± he replied with amusement, waving a hand at the bracer and dagger on the table.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t!?¡± she exclaimed, her visage warring between annoyed and elated.


    He knew she wanted him to focus on their burgeoning mercantile empire. The Auction House had finally started to mention ideas for a few custom pieces that they might be interested in. Instead, he figured they could wait a little longer while he finished off Kiri¡¯s upgrades.


    He let her stew for a few seconds longer and was rewarded with a frustrated grunt before she started beaming again.


    ¡°Alright, alright! I give in. What do they do? You know I can¡¯t identify them myself.¡±


    Nate brought up the identification results for both items, making them visible to his sister. It still felt a little weird to think that word in regards to Kiri. That wasn¡¯t to say it felt wrong. It was just new and he was still getting used to it. But she was the family he had chosen.


    ¡°No way! That is amazing!¡± she gushed, already playing with the illusory blade ability to make it invisible, or match the appearance of her other daggers, before dropping the illusions to look over the true blade. ¡°The gryphon from the Dungeon?¡±


    He nodded with a contented smile plastered onto his face.


    ¡°Artwork worthy after all. I love it! I love it so much! Thank you!¡±


    He dropped his barrier at the last moment as she threw her arms around him and hugged her back for a moment. That moment may have continued for a little longer, but they both stepped apart, glancing upwards to the front door of the shop that housed their workshop. It was closing and two bodies had entered the workshop. That was one too many. Jacque was one of the individuals, but he wasn¡¯t to let anyone else in. That begged the question of who the second was. If Kiri¡¯s frown was anything to go by, she already knew who the second individual was. Nate reformed his barrier, watching as Kiri hid her dagger in plain sight and clipped on the bracer of Soul Release he had gifted her. Glancing at each other they nodded, before the pair made their way upstairs.


    Nate audibly sighed when he saw who it was that was holding Jacque hostage.


    The dark-haired Guard Inspector Koriolos watched them with brown eyes alight with a sense of triumph.


    ¡°You two are exceptionally difficult to get a hold of,¡± said Koriolos, his tone clearly one of frustration. ¡°That has made me look bad. I truly, truly, hate looking bad. So, now that we¡¯re finally alone, I am going to get some answers to my questions. Drop your soul protections or I am going to arrest you both on suspicion of involvement with the death of a member of the Etruan Nobility.¡±


    The man punctuated his statement by shoving Jacque so hard that the man collapsed to the floor with a scream of pain. It only took Nate a moment to tell that Koriolos had already broken the ex-Professor¡¯s arm, likely as part of gaining entry to the workshop. The wards would¡¯ve kept the Inspector out without a key to get in, a key that Jacque, of course, had.


    Turning his attention back to Koriolos, he mentally sighed. This was a complication he didn¡¯t need, but there was no way in the Nine Hells that he was going to drop his Soul Barrier around the man. He didn¡¯t even need to glance at Kiri to know how she felt about the situation. She already seemed primed to kill the man, consequences be damned. Still, Nate wasn¡¯t there yet. His hand was being pressed, but it was yet to be forced.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be doing that. So you can either ask your questions, or you can leave.¡±


    His voice sounded calmer than he felt, but not by much. The fact was, after everything he had gone through, he was unwilling to submit to anyone, let alone some Guard Inspector who only held a Rare-tier Primary Class after his second evolution.


    ¡°The hard way, then,¡± Koriolos replied with a confident smile. Nate understood where he was coming from, albeit barely. Koriolos was level eighty and even if his Embodiment was only Fragmented, it likely still gave him some additional bonuses. Enough that the Inspector believed he had the upper hand.


    Koriolos flashed forward in a burst of speed, blade drawn as the swordsman tried to target Nate. It was the right decision, he supposed ¨C closing on the mage first. He didn¡¯t bother to dodge. The speed Koriolos showed was decent, but nothing compared to Kiri. A wave of soul energy accompanied the man''s rush, washing over Nate as he sensed the pressure against his Soul Barrier. Pushing a little extra mana into his Soul Barrier he felt the resistance firm even as he watched Kiri handily drive the Inspector back using only two daggers.


    Koriolos¡¯ eyes transitioned from focused to fearful as the reality of the situation dawned on him. He was being beaten by someone that should be over thirty levels lower than him. Nate didn¡¯t have a Skill that would let him know what the soul attack had been meant to accomplish, but whatever it had been, it had no effect on the pair. Worse for the man, was how easily Kiri was beating him. Another three seconds passed as dagger met sword, the sounds of each impact ringing off the surrounding walls. Then Kiri, with a burst of speed, stepped inside of a slash from the swordsman, catching the sword and arresting its movement with one dagger as she hooked the pommel with her second. Yanking the blade out of Koriolos¡¯ hand, she kicked out in the opposite direction. The Inspector grunted as he fell to the floor, eyes alight with fury.


    ¡°You¡¯ve laid hands on a Guard Inspector. You¡¯re dead. You¡¯re both dead!¡±


    ¡°Does it need to go that far?¡± replied Nate. ¡°You¡¯ve broken my employee¡¯s arm and attacked me. We could just let it go at that and you could go on your way. Continue your pointless investigation. You have to know I could just talk to Princess Morgane about this.¡±


    ¡°Talk to whoever you want, you common trash! The law is on my side now! Even the Princess will be forced to accept it! I¡¯ll see you executed for this!¡±


    Nate sighed, turning to Kiri, ¡°Should we get Deverell?¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Koriolos lunge forward. But it wasn¡¯t for Kiri or himself that the Guard Inspector went for. Gripping Jacque¡¯s broken arm, Koriolos stared them both down with a knife to the man''s throat, ignoring the screams of pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Koriolos whispered viciously, a victorious smile on his vengeful face.


    Kiri glanced at Nate, her eyes asking him for permission. The sound of Jacque groaning in pain and the huffing of Koriolos were the only sounds in the room as he defeatedly gave his sister a nod, acquiescing to her request. He stared at the scene as she vanished, appearing behind the Inspector and plunging her Runecrafted Soulrending Dagger into the man''s back. Nate maintained his watch as she drained his soul dry. It was the least Nate could do after agreeing to the man''s execution. With Jacque quietly sobbing on his knees, Nate suppressed the emotional response he was having, and started figuring out how the fuck they were going to hide the man¡¯s murder.

 Chapter 153 - Smells Like Work

    ¡°What a fucking mess,¡± muttered Nate.


    The corpse of Guard Inspector Koriolos lay on the floor, slowly bleeding as the remains of his body continued to die. With his soul energy drained away, he was already dead. The organic husk that had once housed the man just hadn¡¯t yet caught up to that fact yet. Nate couldn¡¯t decide if that was gruesome or merciful. He also found that for once, he didn¡¯t particularly care. Since coming to Galle he had killed plenty of monsters and beasts in Dungeons, and a couple of hundred demons in the Fourth Hell. However, his life or death battles with other humans had been limited to less than twenty individuals. He was including those that he had helped Kiri with in that number. Four, back in Helmfirth forest. Then perhaps another ten to fifteen escaping his recent kidnapping, though only the Mana Suppressors, Fabien and Caroline had been by his own hand. When he thought about it that meant he had killed a third of his kidnappers. Now there was another to add to that list and similarly to his feelings after Fabien and Caroline, he found he didn¡¯t care.


    The lack of an emotional response was something he would need to keep an eye on. For now, though, he had other priorities. Moving to Jacque he knelt to look at the man''s arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s broken, right?¡± he asked, trying to draw Jacque¡¯s attention away from the corpse in the room.


    ¡°Yes it¡¯s¡­.you killed him. That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s not good. They will come looking for him. They¡¯re going to execute us for this!¡± said Jacque, already starting to get hysterical.


    Nate lay a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder, avoiding the broken arm, ¡°It will be fine. I will clean this mess up. You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Focus on me. Your arm, is it broken?¡±


    Jacque finally started to calm down, nodding as he glanced at his arm, then back at the corpse of the Inspector. Rather than hysterical or frightened, the look on the ex-Professor¡¯s face was quickly shifting to anger and perhaps a touch of hate.


    ¡°He broke my arm when I refused to help him enter the workshop. Only then did he search me!¡± Jacque hissed back before leaning forward to spit on the corpse.


    Nate doubted there were forensic-type Classes in the System, but it didn¡¯t matter anyway. When he was done there would be nothing left of the corpse but ashes and even those would be scattered.


    Looking up he glanced at Kiri and nodded towards Jacque¡¯s broken arm. When she gave him the nod of approval he created a Life Drain runic array, drawing energy from Kiri to fuel Jacque¡¯s healing. It took over five minutes, and a decent amount of soul energy from Kiri, but finally the man''s arm was repaired and the three of them stood over the body.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan, then?¡± Kiri asked.


    Nate took a second to change a couple of the runes on his robe to his Sound and Obfuscation runes. With that handled, he created two new runic arrays. The first used Illusion and Shape to let him create an Illusion around himself. Powered by Conceptual Intent, he created a layer over the top of himself that made him look like Koriolos. He took a few steps around the room, making sure the illusion held and flowed with him, before turning back to Kiri and Jacque to get their opinion.


    ¡°That is seriously creepy,¡± commented Kiri with a small smile, the whole situation clearly not bothering her in the slightest. He could accept that she was always like that when it came to threats against him. Ruthless is the word he would¡¯ve used, but merciless fit almost well.


    Jacque on the other hand looked like he was in shock, ¡°It was so quick. The copy is almost perfect! Ideas! Clothing that changes colour to fit your mood. Recreating the appearance of the symphony to accompany the music! I could make a rune for this, right? Right?¡±


    Nate smiled, the expression mirrored on the illusion covering him. He was just happy that the man seemed to be adjusting quickly to the situation. For a moment there, he had some serious concerns about how the Runecrafter would handle the fact that they had just killed a guard and were about to dispose of the corpse.


    ¡°You can,¡± he replied, keeping it simple.


    ¡°In your free time,¡± added Kiri. ¡°Don¡¯t forget we¡¯ve got quotas to meet.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll just leave this to you two then,¡± Jacque replied, shooting one last angry glance at the dead body before heading into his room in the workshop.


    Nate glanced at Kiri who gave a small nod, ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. You know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°He was seen entering the workshop. As a Guard Inspector he is probably well known enough that if he goes missing others will come asking after him. If the last place he was seen going was here, who do you think they will suspect? I¡¯ll go for a wander. Make sure he is seen elsewhere for the next couple of hours. Then I will get rid of any evidence,¡± he finished with a wave in the direction of the body.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be monitoring you from here. What a shit day,¡± Kiri grumped.


    With their plan sorted out, Nate activated the second runic array he intended to use. Mana and Obfuscation were spun up to hide the fact that he was using mana from anyone capable of sensing it. With the final pieces prepared and his Sound rune available if he needed to imitate Koriolos¡¯ voice, he moved to the corpse. His sphere of awareness didn¡¯t detect any Orbs inside the body and he wondered if the fact that the Guard Inspector had a Fragmented Embodiment was a factor. Orbs weren¡¯t guaranteed, but at three classes, the chance of one forming from the remains of the Class Core should¡¯ve been decently high. Shrugging, he moved the body into his spatial storage and headed for the door.


    Stepping outside while keeping the door open, he activated his sound rune and called over his shoulder, making sure others on the street would hear him.


    ¡°If I have more questions, I will be back. Don¡¯t make it difficult for me next time or there will be hell to pay.¡±


    He thought he got pretty close to the sound of Koriolos¡¯ voice, but he was working off his own memory. Without his high Intellect Stat it would likely have been impossible to remember the sound so precisely. With that handled, he began to stroll the streets of the Capital, making sure he was seen throughout the Merchant¡¯s District while privately lamenting the need for this act and the utter waste of his time.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    After two hours of pointless wandering. he finally ducked into an alley. After making sure he was alone, he activated his Skill. With his Farsight Sphere of Awareness he checked his destination in the sewers was clear before using True Teleportation. The smell that instantly assaulted him forced him to scrunch up his nose. Changing his illusion to simply hide his presence rather than change his appearance, he added a Mana Obfuscation runic array to hide the mana he intended to use. With that handled, he dumped the corpse of Koriolos on the ground. Taking a moment to sit down and rest his legs, he swapped a rune on his robe again, copying it from memory like so many others. It was just easier to use the runes stored in his robe than spin up the mana structure for the rune as well as powering the rune itself. With the Acid rune stored in his robe he spun up a runic array combining Acid and Shape. He didn¡¯t want to get any of the substance on his robe, even if it would likely resist quite a lot of the damage and repair itself. Two seconds later, he regretted not including something to control the smell as the scent of the melting corpse began to waft towards him. Desperately, he spun up a third rune from memory, creating a small breeze to blow the fumes away from him.


    It took longer than he would¡¯ve liked to completely destroy the body, the bones proving particularly resistant. He lamented both the loss of time and the cost in mana as he had been forced to empty two mana gems between maintaining his Illusion runic array for so long and now controlling three runes in the sewers. But after another hour, he had finally finished cleaning up the mess. Spending a moment to cleanse himself of any lingering smell as well as any moisture from the sewers, he teleported back to the surface, heading for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. He had a session with Evindal. It was time to finally learn his first Life spell. The contradiction of cleaning up a death before going to learn about life was not lost on him.


    *************


    ¡°Most healing makes use of soul energy,¡± Evindal explained to him.


    Nate had hoped they would launch straight into the Spellform so he could get this lesson over with and return to the University. Instead, Evindal had pulled him into a room, set up a warding so they wouldn¡¯t be overheard, before detailing the underlying principles of healing.


    ¡°Specifically, it makes use of the target''s soul energy. The reason for this is simple. The soul energy remembers the shape and position of the body and the organic materials that it is made up of. Most healing then uses that template, with the appropriate spellforms, to power the reformation of the damaged areas.¡±


    ¡°How does that work for things that shouldn¡¯t be there but are?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Well, like, let''s say you have a weird growth that shouldn¡¯t be there. Would the soul energy remember it and try to reform it?¡±


    He was obviously thinking of something like cancer. That was just one example that sprung to mind, though. There were a plethora of other issues and conditions that would likely appear natural, if the soul energy in an individual was keeping track of the current state of a living creature.


    ¡°Good question and¡­I am a bit surprised you jumped to it. In those cases, there are spells or skills that allow a more direct control of what is taking place. You can use other templates, like your own body, for example, or rely on knowledge skills to help guide you. Before you ask, that is how other Classes that work with organic structures function. For example, my Plant Weaver Class includes a knowledge Skill that lets me understand, to an extent, the best way to develop and care for plants. Trees specifically, in my case.¡±


    ¡°Is that common for Elves?¡± Nate blurted out, his curiosity getting the better of him.


    Surprisingly, Evindal¡¯s pale face split into a smile rather than taking offence.


    ¡°It is. We live in Groves, at one with nature around us. Many of us tend towards Mage-type Classes, focusing on affinities like Life, Plants, Water and Light. There are, of course, exceptions and we do have a warrior-caste in our society,¡± replied Evindal, pausing when he saw the look of concern on Nate¡¯s face. The elf must have guessed the cause as he continued. ¡°It is a choice. No one is forced, Nate. Many simply see it as their duty to help protect our Groves. They choose to do this in the way they think is best.¡±


    Nate nodded a little, ¡°Is it¡­peaceful?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes. Sometimes we go decades without any issues. We do, however, experience periods of strife. The lands to the North of our Groves are some of the wildest I have ever seen. Many beasts reside there. Some are powerful enough to threaten even us. Occasionally, a new sapient beast will rise, causing shifts in the hunting grounds and pushing some towards our Groves. Such is the nature of life. It adapts. A lesson I want you to internalise if you wish to walk down this path.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± he replied, already considering that line of thinking. Life adapts. Living art. Adaptive living art? It sounded complex, but rather than putting him off that made him even more interested.


    ¡°Now, onto the Spellform. This is a Common Spell called Lesser Healing Wave. It requires a constant flow of mana. I know you¡¯re an expert at crafting. Let us determine if you have a similar aptitude for Spells.¡±


    Evindal was about to draw up the spellform when Nate waved at him to stop.


    ¡°Just create it in the air. I should be able to copy it.¡±


    Copying it turned out to be both easy and challenging. The moment the spellform had been created, Nate could see how spells differed from his runic creations. He¡¯d known that spellforms were effectively replicating enchanting using only mana. It all came down to the individual''s Magic Control Stat and, of course, practice and memory. Memory was a factor because you needed to recreate the exact shape out of mana in the air. He supposed that for others they might be able to get around that requirement with practice and repetition, but for him, with such a high Intellect Stat, he could simply remember the shape. That was at least true for simpler spellforms, like a Common grade spell. On the other hand, while his Magic Control Stat was decent, it wasn¡¯t amazing. Every time he tried to create the simple loops required of the spell, small bits of his mana would try to escape. It didn¡¯t help that Conceptual Insight would occasionally hum at him as he recognised the Initiate-tier Sigil for Life within the spell structure. Only the fact that the spellform was relatively simple allowed him to copy it on his third attempt.


    ¡°That was both impressive and a little disappointing. Most students take longer to correctly create the spellform. On the other hand, I thought you would do it even quicker. You¡¯ll need to spend some time practising and potentially raise your Magic Control Stat. Especially if you¡¯re aiming for an Epic-tier Life-Mage Class.¡±


    Nate nodded agreeably, even if in his mind he knew he was aiming for the Legendary-tier Lord of Life Class. There was no point getting into a debate about the likelihood of that, or his work on figuring out how to attempt to evolve his Primary Class beyond Mythic. He and Kiri still had time to figure it out.


    With the admonishment from Evindal to spend some time practising, he took his leave of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound, returning to the University with a few quick teleports. As he crossed the well-kept grounds, enjoying the smell of grass and the sight of the greenery, he considered everything he was working on. There was developing his Life affinity, his ongoing crafting work to protect himself as well as support his and Kiri¡¯s budding mercantile empire, his art, the University subjects, making some time for Britt, and now learning spells. It felt like he was juggling too many things. On top of that, he was about to venture out on another Dungeon run in a few days time. He was just thankful that they were going with Null and Britt, which meant he could spend a little time with his kind-of-girlfriend. In addition, Evindal had agreed to accompany them, which meant his spellform lessons would not languish. Hopefully when they returned, he would be almost ready to move to the Advanced grade for his Combat subject. With those thoughts, and the preparations he needed to make for the Dungeon run on his mind, he headed for his room. There was time for a little more crafting. He thanked his lucky stars he had Frick to manage so many of his simpler crafting requirements. With a smile on his face and a final glance at the setting sun, he entered his room and got to work. No rest for the wicked, he supposed.

 Chapter 154 - A Dungeon Too Small

    Nate felt the spatial energies ripple around him like he was being forced through a tube before he passed out the other side, landing on compacted sand. Farsight of the Runic Artist activated, informing him of the nature of the Dungeon.


    You have entered a Dungeon!


    The Assessment Period will begin now. You have five minutes to choose to leave the Dungeon before the entrance will be sealed.


    Dungeon Name: Desert of the Kiin


    Dungeon Tier: Rare (Mid)


    Dungeon Challenges: 4 + 1 Bonus Challenge.


    Exit Conditions: Complete 1 Challenge.


    Dungeon Limitations: Dungeon Waves will be released every hour. Every fifth wave will include a Challenge.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    Nate made the Dungeon notification available to everyone else. While they had a read, he looked around at the barren landscape. There was nothing to see in any direction except rolling sand dunes against a blue sky with whatever passed for a sun in this Dungeon beating down on them.


    ¡°Looks normal to me,¡± said Null, getting the conversation going. ¡°The first wave will arrive in just under an hour. Last time we did this Dungeon the waves started out small. Each successive wave should increase the number of enemies. Then, after each Challenge, it¡¯ll add a new monster to the mix. By the last wave we will be fighting a tonne of enemies with four different monsters mixed in. It¡¯s usually some sort of insect.¡±


    ¡°What about the Bonus Challenge?¡± asked Kiri.


    ¡°Never found it.¡±


    Kiri glanced at Nate and he gave a nod, ¡°It¡¯s probably underground.¡±


    ¡°See what you can find?¡± he sent to Frick mentally, sensing his Familiar vanish beneath the dunes as the spirit went searching for their enemies.


    Returning his attention to the group, he could see that Britt already looked like she was suffering under the heat of the sun and sand. Her steel armour apparently lacked any sort of temperature regulation, unlike his robe. He considered what he could do to make it more comfortable for her, as based on the Dungeon¡¯s description, they would be here for at least twenty hours.


    Before he could start going through a list of ideas, Kiri piped up with an amused grin, ¡°So, Rune Fort?¡±


    ¡°Rune Fort,¡± he agreed with a laugh.


    ¡°Wait. What¡¯s a Rune Fort?¡± asked Null, his question coming a second too late.


    Nate had known that this was the most likely form the Dungeon would take. As he had learned in his Dungeon Knowledge subject, Dungeon layouts rarely changed much. It was mana intensive to remodel these worlds and the System, or Dungeon Curators in service to the System, spent their mana on acquiring new Challenges, in the form of monsters, or rewards for those who completed said Challenges. That meant Nate had known it was going to be a desert biome, and while the Dungeon Waves form of Challenge might have changed, he¡¯d still prepared the appropriate runes in his robe.


    Earth, Reinforcement and Shaping were combined in a runic array as he activated Conceptual Runic Creation, Conceptual Runic Artistry and Conceptual Intent. With his intent he guided the sand, compacting it into one solid block and reinforcing it as he shaped the entire thing into a small fort that was little more than a three metre tall tower in the shape of a cube. He added some crenelations to protect their legs and a ladder indented into the side for Britt. There was a suspicion in the back of his mind that Null might just be able to jump and reach the top. Britt¡¯s armour was definitely going to work against her if she tried the same thing.


    With an arm wave, he pointed at the relatively ordinary looking building, ¡°Rune Fort.¡±


    Britt and Null smiled in amusement.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to do it. We can just stand at the top and unleash hell, I guess. It¡¯ll be good for me to not have to worry about getting surrounded. What about Britt, though? She doesn¡¯t have any long or mid-range Skills,¡± queried Null, walking forward and running his hand over the fort.


    Nate raised his hand to stop the man but then frowned when Null¡¯s touch had no noticeable impact on the structure.


    Null grinned at Nate¡¯s reaction, patting the side of the Rune Fort, ¡°I managed to evolve it. I can retract it to just below the level of my skin now. There¡¯s a slight risk to doing so but it has some added benefits.¡±


    Nate focused on his sphere of awareness, sensing the truth of Null¡¯s words. The swordsman''s nullification sphere really had retracted all the way to his body and, for the first time ever, Nate could sense the man''s chiselled physique.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I had been a little worried you would innately break it down since it¡¯s reinforced with mana. As for Britt, I planned ahead!¡±


    Britt brightened and then started bouncing with undisguised glee as Nate produced a wand. It wasn¡¯t anything special ¨C a rare wand that had a rune made up of the Fire, Projectile and Power Sigils. With his many Imbued Intents from his Conceptual Intent Skill, the wand would function more powerfully than an equivalent enchanted item, shooting bolts of superheated flame. The mana cost was appreciably higher, but then, they were in a Dungeon, so of course he had a couple of mana-gathering arrays ready to keep them stocked with more mana than their reserves could ever hold.


    Britt took the small wooden wand from his hand, marvelling at it before she aimed away from them and experimentally flowed mana into the wood. The resulting blast of flame glassed a small area of sand away from the fort.


    ¡°That is so awesome!¡± she gushed, ¡°but wow, that¡¯s quite a drain. Mana Reserve isn¡¯t one of my higher stats.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough mana gems to keep you topped up for the whole run. I might add a roof to the top of the Fort as well. Give us a bit of shade.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a pretty good plan to me. Four challenges. So one reward each,¡± commented Null.


    ¡°Five,¡± corrected Kiri.


    ¡°We''re going to try and find the Bonus Challenge?¡± asked Null, surprise written on his face.


    Frick chose that moment to return, bursting out of the sand with a small flex of My Will, My Way. His Familiar did love being melodramatic.


    ¡°Found it,¡± exclaimed the little blue goblin with a toothy grin. ¡°It¡¯s underground, like you thought. Giant-ass scorpion. Only level forty-five though.¡±


    Kiri looked at Nate and he nodded, launching into his idea.


    ¡°The three of us,¡± he explained, including Null, Britt and himself with a wave of his arm, ¡°will finish setting up the fort. Kiri and Frick will go deal with the Bonus Challenge. We¡¯ll keep the fifth reward from the Dungeon to sell to the Guild and split the proceeds.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    When everyone nodded or voiced their agreement, he quickly continued on.


    ¡°There is one other thing I wanted to ask. Does anyone mind if I collect all the processed mana from the Dungeon waves and we split it at the end of the run?¡±


    He had wanted to stockpile some processed mana for his experiments and Conceptual Automation. The problem with that plan was that his processed mana gathering arrays weren¡¯t picky. They would grab every bit of ambient processed mana they could get their hands on. Sure, there would be some leakage. Their Class Cores were ultimately also processed mana gathering arrays, and so some of the ambient processed mana released from killing the Dungeon monsters would make it into everyone in the area. That was just the nature of mana distribution fields when there were multiple forces acting on them. That said, his arrays would take the lion''s share of any processed mana and he didn¡¯t want to act without first consulting the group.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it,¡± replied Null, with Britt nodding her own agreement. ¡°How are you going to collect it though?¡±


    Nate produced his Epic-tier processed mana gathering array from his spatial storage, along with four empty processed mana gems, just waiting to be filled.


    ¡°Wow,¡± whispered Britt. ¡°That must have been expensive. Is this what you¡¯ve been spending the gold and mana you¡¯ve been making on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I made it,¡± he explained, rubbing the back of his head. He supposed he shouldn¡¯t be surprised that they were in the dark as to the extent of his crafting capabilities. They thought his Primary Class was Runecaster after all. A belief made more prevalent by how he used runes, which to them might even just look like he was casting spells. They had never really seen the extent of his crafting, beyond his art.


    Null came over to look over the gems, though Nate sensed no identification Skills in use.


    ¡°Well, if you say they¡¯ll work, I believe you. Let''s do it.¡±


    With everyone agreeing to the plan, Frick vanished into the desert with Kiri following a moment later, no doubt tracking Frick¡¯s soul energy. That meant it was time for him to get to work on finishing the Fort. They were stuck here for the next twenty or so hours, but there was no reason they couldn¡¯t be comfortable while doing so. After all, a Mid-Rare Dungeon really wasn¡¯t much of a threat to him.


    *************


    Kiri sighed, slightly put-out. She had hoped for more of a challenge, but Nate had been right. They really were beyond the point where a Rare Dungeon could give them much of a challenge. The carcass of the gigantic black scorpion rested on the floor. The fight had barely lasted more than thirty seconds. She had honestly expected more. The beast had seemed to focus on self-enhancement coupled with a stinger that could shoot acid or poison. She didn¡¯t know which and honestly, she wasn¡¯t even sure exactly what the difference was between the two.


    Historically, the biggest challenge she had found in their Dungeon forays, was durable opponents. When she had been an Arcane Archer back in Helmfirth, that hadn¡¯t been a problem for her. That Class, while far weaker than her current ones, had Skills that specifically enhanced the penetrating power of her arrows. The best part had been that the capability had been linked to her Dexterity. So far, her Reborn Soul Slayer and Reborn Soul Dancer classes had yet to offer her similar Skills. To make up for that shortcoming, she had started investing Stat Orbs into her Strength Stat. To further enhance it she had asked Nate to help her with a Soul Engraving that boosted her Strength. Then to cap it all off, Nate had crafted her new dagger for her. While he hadn¡¯t managed to add any sort of effect for penetration to the item, it was still a Legendary material. The metal was sharper and sturdier and driven by her newfound strength and insane speed, had been more than enough to crack open the carapace of the scorpion.


    The System message was flashing in front of her, waiting for her to make a decision.


    You have completed a Dungeon Bonus challenge!


    Dungeon: Desert of the Kiin


    Challenge: Defeat Hriss¡¯kath¡¯iin.


    Challenge Rewards (Select One):


    1. Skill Tome


    2. Spell Tome


    3. Wealth


    Wealth was often considered the worst option, given it was generally quite random. It was always worth something, but how much it was worth varied wildly. It was a gamble. A gamble she was likely going to have to take, though. The Dungeon would curate the rewards for her and a Skill or Spell Tome suited to her would likely not be worth as much to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. That was simply due to how different her Classes were from most adventurers. She supposed she could instead try and convince the team to let her sell it to the Auction House. With her contacts there she could probably get them a better deal than the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would have given them anyway. So, gamble on wealth, or gamble on the Auction House?


    Auction House, she decided, selecting Spell Tome. Nate had explained that they used Spellforms to learn new Sigils, so maybe she¡¯d get lucky. The tome dropped before her and she scooped it up, making it vanish into her Empowered Soul Sanctuary. It was such a stupid name for a Skill. She was just going to call it what it really was. Her Soul Palace. With a thought, she began using Soul Shift to return to the team. She wanted to know what she had gotten, and from what she could tell, only Britt and Nate had identification Skills.


    *************


    For the tenth time, Nate considered trying to divide his attention four ways just so he could make a runic array to block out the incessant noise. It was like the sound of nails on a chalkboard and it was driving him mildly crazy. He was seriously wondering if it was some Skill the insects had or just the natural noise they made. For the tenth time he forced the idea away. A fourth split would give him a headache and while the noise was putting him on edge, it wasn¡¯t interfering with his crafting.


    After the first wave of enemies, and more importantly, the team''s first experience with Nate¡¯s Rune Fort, the group had agreed that Nate only needed to get directly involved if something drastic happened. Nate had added four additional runes that could be activated using mana gems. One sat at each corner of the top of the Rune Fort and spewed out a hail of earthen spears, an old favourite, with the added improvements of being reinforced and sharpened with his ability to imbue his Intent into the runes. He had decided to call them rune cannons, after Frick¡¯s rude suggestion that he call them ¡®Rocky Penetrators¡¯. Kiri had punted the little goblin out of the tower for that comment.


    With the joking and antics, the team had started treating the entire Dungeon like a holiday, wiping out wave after wave, each one containing at least a hundred insects. Frick had been loving it. Given free reign to use My Will, My Way, he had taken to turning himself into a giant goblin and stomping on insects. If the Spirit wasn¡¯t capable of letting all the ichor and goo slough off him by simply dropping his corporeal form, Nate would¡¯ve been forced to hose him down more than once. It was an amusing reminder that for all Frick¡¯s help, and the fact that he was a Spirit, the little goblin was in fact made up mostly of the memories of goblins.


    Britt, Null and Kiri had mostly used the rune cannons, only reverting to their own Skills, or wand in Britt¡¯s case, when the insects occasionally managed to start scaling the walls of the Rune Fort. Nate had only been needed once, when it turned out the Challenge for the second wave had been a giant beetle capable of wielding earth magic. It had tried to tear down his Rune Fort, matching its own control of earth against Nate¡¯s runes and sigils. The contest had been short-lived, with Nate able to overwhelm the control of the Rare-tier Earth Mage monster with his superior Sigil for Earth and what he suspected was more Magic Power, at least when he was utilising a runic array. It had been Null that put an end to that monster. The swordsman had used the lesser of his two boosting skills, his nullification aura blooming out, showing off the swordsman''s capabilities as an anti-mage. He¡¯d blasted through stone turned to dust, the mana of the beast unable to contest him, before the scorpion was cleaved in half by what Nate suspected was a new Skill for the swordsman. It had looked like he¡¯d been able to extend his blade''s range, while maintaining the nullifying power of his mana.


    Now, after almost twenty hours, they were finally ready to face the final challenge. Everyone had agreed to let Britt handle it alone, after the Stalwart Defender had asked for the opportunity to try and advance her Skills by facing it in single combat. The other three would play clean-up duty for the horde of insects, which now included four types. Kiri had conveniently named them Chargers, Spitters, Jumpers and Boulders. The last were capable of spreading their wings like big shields to try and protect the advance of the other insects, particularly the Spitters.


    Nate used the time to continue working on his latest experiment. Evindal healed people using a mix of the Concepts of Life and Time. His healing mentor was also capable of using the Concepts of Life and Soul to restore a person. But, while healing was of interest to Nate, his focus was as always, his art. The first step on that path was combining the Concept of Life with his art in some way. His current experiment involved trying to add the Concept of Life to one of his paintings. So far, the results had been poor, but he suspected that was because he was missing an ingredient. He just needed to figure out what that ingredient was. Reassuring himself that he had time, he got back to work, trying to ignore the incessant screeching of the insects as Britt prepared for battle. Sending out his Farsight Sphere of Awareness, he planned to keep an eye on his kind-of-girlfriend. This might be the worst date ever, but that didn¡¯t mean he would let her come to harm. He just had to make sure he didn¡¯t also coddle her and stifle her development. With his mind drifting back to his art, he settled in for the final confrontation of the Dungeon.

 Chapter 155 - Heat of Battle

    Nate enjoyed the feeling of the wind blowing through his blond hair as they raced across the plains. His hair hung down to his shoulders these days and Kiri had convinced him that upon their return to the Capital that they should go out and get some proper grooming for the both of them. He acknowledged the idea had some merit. A haircut was probably due, though he had always kept his hair a little longer than normal. A big factor had been the lack of money back on Earth to regularly get haircuts. Now, it was just what he was used to and comfortable with.


    The Dungeon had been a resounding success with no injuries to speak of and before they had left, he had distributed the processed mana, handing off a single gem to everyone. He¡¯d tucked his own away, saving it for some experiments once he got back to the University. The other three had used theirs right away, returning the empty gems to him. Kiri knew about the additional enhancement that came from using processed mana to power Skills, but at the same time most of her Skills primarily used soul energy. Instead, she had elected to spend some time seeing if she could figure out a way to refine soul energy the way a Class Core somehow refined mana into processed mana. It was early days but he thought the idea had merit and to be honest, his endless curiosity made him want to get involved in figuring it out. But he had to draw the line somewhere and he was already spread thin with his myriad of other focuses, so for the time being, he was leaving it purely with Kiri.


    Evindal had continued Nate¡¯s mentoring in the evenings on the expedition. The trip was three days from the Capital to the Dungeon they had challenged, and as this was late afternoon of the second day of their return, they had one more night before they would arrive at the city the following day. The plains stretched before them in every direction, leaving little to no cover. The swaying yellow-green grass made the landscape look like an ocean. A barren ocean, since they were the only other sight, but an ocean nonetheless.


    Nate glanced around at the party present. Evindal rode in front, flanked by Kiri and Null. Nate himself was behind them, with Britt to his right. Finally, two Gold-ranked Adventurers brought up the rear, escorts provided for Null by his Father. Much like Prefect Allais did for Coralie, Prefect Raoult did not allow his son to leave the Capital without additional protection. Nate had found the two didn¡¯t use any veiling items and a quick scan had revealed they were both in the low seventies with Partial Embodiments. The extra protection was a factor in Nate and Kiri¡¯s decision to continue to pair up with other Guildies for Dungeon runs. Though that might need to change soon if Nate and Kiri intended to look into challenging Epic-tier Dungeons in the near future.


    The Dungeon rewards had been simple enough and given a choice between Knowledge, Wealth or Equipment he had gone with Wealth. The planks of Rare stone he had received held an affinity for space, which would be useful for his portal development project, but would likely require a little bit of attention from Conceptual Material first. His mind began to wander down the path of his portal development experiment when Conceptual Insight screamed at him. His eyes flicked back up, looking for the threat while a part of his mind listened to the Skill. Both his eyes and his Conceptual Insight Skill figured out the cause at the same moment. Time had paused around them. Within a sphere that encompassed the party, time continued to flow but beyond that barrier everything was frozen, not a single blade of grass moving.


    The wave of time magic was coming from Evindal, who seemed to be focusing intently on the land in front of them. Nate tried to move his Farsight Sphere of Awareness but found that like him, it was locked in time. He was fairly certain this was the Legendary Skill that he had traded to Evindal: The Time Between, which was apparently an ability that froze time in an area, affecting everyone caught in the range. Nate wasn¡¯t sure he could see the full utility of the Skill, but he didn¡¯t have time to as the Skill vanished, Evindal instantly pulled on the reins of his alliram mount, mirrored by the rest of the party.


    One of the Gold-ranks moved towards the front of the party, ¡°What is it, Lord Evindal?¡±


    ¡°An ambush,¡± muttered Evindal quietly, the elf looking more focused than Nate had ever seen him.


    Nate swept his own Farsight Sphere of Awareness out in front of them, finding what Evindal had found after a moment. He might have missed it if not for Conceptual Insight, but there was an area that emitted the Concept of Concealment. He¡¯d worked with the Sigil enough in the past to recognise its unique flavour, like smoke in a glass.


    He was about to ask what they should do when he felt a rumbling below their feet. As one, the party scattered, avoiding a plume of lava that exploded, coating the plains in an acrid smell and setting fire to some of the grass. The smoke began to billow up into the sky as their ambushers finally revealed themselves, appearing out of nowhere less than a hundred metres distant and quickly closing the distance at a jog.


    Nate could sense through his Farsight Sphere of Awareness that they were all veiled, and for the moment, held off on attempting to shatter them. With a glance around as the party gathered back up, he waited to see what Evindal wanted them to do. His mentor in pursuing the Lord of Life Class gave nothing away, but he could sense concern in the body language of everyone else present, including the Gold-ranked bodyguards.


    Their enemies finally stopped around twenty metres from the party and Nate got a good look at them with his eyes. There were eleven in total, a mixture of men and women with a variety of weapons. A few looked like they might be mages but without shattering their veils he couldn¡¯t be certain. The remainder held a variety of weapons, with two carrying shields and one even held a bow. Nate kept a special focus on that one. If this devolved into the battle he was expecting it to, then leaving an archer to their own devices seemed like a great way to get shot.


    It was Evindal who broke the tense silence, his eyes focused on a tall and skinny man at the centre of their ambushers'' formation.


    ¡°It¡¯s Gordon, of House Desmarais, is it not?¡±


    ¡°The Eternal Grove recognises me on sight. I¡¯m honoured,¡± replied Gordon laconically.


    ¡°No point in bargaining then, I suppose?¡± asked Evindal quietly.


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t go that far, Eternal Grove. You could submit to us. We might leave one or two of you alive as a warning to the Guild. The Prefect¡¯s whelp, for example. But the rest of your lives are forfeit. My Lady Duchess has spoken. So, how about it? Your life for a couple of the kids?¡±


    Nate felt a coldness seeping into him, despite the heat from the magma and flames nearby. A memory of the smell of his skin burning and the look of pleasure in Fabien¡¯s eyes as Nate had screamed in pain. Never again would he let himself be put at the mercy of others. Better to die fighting. He glanced at Kiri who gave her agreement with a tiny flick of a finger. Her body language spoke of excitement rather than fear. With that he turned to Evindal, who gave him a questioning look. Nate gave his own nod to the Elf. There was no way around this that he could see that didn¡¯t involve abandoning some of the Guildies. He would never do that. It was time to fight.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°We decline,¡± Evindal answered calmly, opening his hand as what looked like small rocks fell from his hand towards the ground.


    ¡°Follow the plan!¡± roared Gordon as a sphere of rock and flame spun up around the man just in time to protect him as he was launched across the plains by a tree sprouting from nowhere in an instant.


    Nate teleported off his Alliram as he prepared for battle.


    *************


    Evindal activated A Time to Flourish, growing the seeds he had dropped into trees in an instant by accelerating time. That was his path. He was the Eternal Grove, because wherever he was, there was the potential for a Grove. Healing was only a part of his path. Everything else focused on growing and modifying life, specifically trees. That was what he needed to rely on now as he clashed with the Platinum Lava Mage. The servant of the Ducal House Desmarais should be a step below him: an Epic Classer. But that didn¡¯t mean Evindal would be able to kill him quickly. His Skills took longer to set up. Time was something he had, but not with the children so close. A stray blast of magma from the man might have killed them, ending his wife''s hopes and dreams. He needed to keep Gordon separated from the rest of them and kill him as quickly as possible.


    Riding a tree branch into battle, he began altering seeds in his hands with A Seed for Every Occasion. He just hoped the children could handle themselves.


    *************


    Nate flooded Farsight of the Runic Artist with mana, destroying the veils of the ten remaining enemies. As the results came back, he felt his stomach sink. They were all between level sixty-eight and seventy-four with an Epic Primary Class. Six of the ten even had Perfect Embodiments. Simple ones, from what he could see, like Durable and Swift, but perfect.


    Four were already moving, making a beeline for Null, Britt and the two Gold-bodyguards. The other six split into two groups of three. One group went for Kiri while the other focused on him. That was enough to tell who the real targets were. If that wasn¡¯t the case, they would have likely tried to take out the Gold-ranked bodyguards first.


    ¡°Suppress him!¡± called a swordsman as he ran at Nate and his ability to monitor the rest of the fight vanished as he was forced to defend himself. He saw the two enchanted items they produced and Conceptual Insight let him know exactly what they would do: suppress mana and lock down space, his two weaknesses. They had come prepared. Not prepared enough, though.


    He activated his own two Legendary Runecrafted items in response. Mana Release and Spatial Release bloomed around him, fighting back against the suppression items. It was enough to let him use True Teleportation to avoid the swordsman.


    Frick used the moment to vanish into the soil. ¡°I¡¯ll ambush the archer, Boss!¡±


    The second of freedom was all Nate needed as he extracted a piece of blackened wood from his spatial storage. He had a few items prepared for his Conceptual Automated Existence Skill. This one was a throwback to one he had used in the Fourth Hell. The Epic piece of wood with an affinity for shadow bloomed into a living darkness as he fed it processed mana, emptying one of his two gems. With Conceptual Intent, he added the subconcept of Devouring and marked their enemies as the targets using another intent to flag the order he wanted them attacked. The archer had to come first. Like he had thought, he couldn¡¯t leave the man free to do whatever he wanted, as the archer had already tried to shoot him twice, the missiles blowing by him as he teleported out of the way, the wind whipping against his barrier with each arrow¡¯s passing.


    The swordsman was closing with him again and he was forced to use True Teleportation, only for a blast of lightning to send him flying across the grasslands as the explosion impacted his barrier. He didn¡¯t bother physically trying to right himself, instead using True Teleportation again to change his vector as he impacted the ground causing a small crater. The blast had rattled his teeth, but with his slightly better Endurance and Constitution Stats it wasn¡¯t enough to do any damage to him. The mana in his Barrier bracer had dipped a bit though. He couldn¡¯t take too many of those strikes.


    The lightning mage that had blasted him was forced to call off her follow-up attack as Frick swapped targets. Rising out of the ground, his Familiar¡¯s gigantic blue fist impacted a cage of lightning as his Familiar used My Will, My Way to grow in size.


    The archer attempting to target Nate was on the run, his speed a match for Kiri¡¯s Father, as the man did his best to stay a step ahead of the living shadow that kept appearing to try and ensnare him. Nate was about to take advantage of the fact that the swordsman pursuing him was now alone, when he heard a scream to his right. Without turning, he sensed Britt land, digging a furrow in the ground with her mana-protected armour as a woman wielding a two-handed hammer gave pursuit.


    ¡°Frick, help Britt!¡± he sent frantically, his worry turning to anger as he stared at the swordsman and lightning mage. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with these two myself.¡±


    His Familiar vanished, using True Teleportation to interpose himself between Britt and the Hammer-wielder.


    Nate ground his teeth, seething with anger as he prepared to kill his attackers. He was done hiding his Skills.


    *************


    Kiri was laughing. The three arrayed against her had tried to use some sort of soul suppressing enchanted item. It had failed miserably against the bracer she wore. Nate did good work. That was the simple truth. With her Skills completely uninhibited, she had taken the fight to her opponents. They were wearing her down slowly and if the fight dragged on too long she knew she would lose. She just had to make sure that didn¡¯t happen. The spear-wielder facing her was suffering the worst. The woman might usually be able to keep her opponents at range, but Kiri¡¯s tethered arms could stretch up to two metres and she wasn¡¯t holding back.


    Her eight soul-powered arms flickered in and out, weaving attack patterns that would¡¯ve seen the spear-wielder dead already if it wasn¡¯t for the other two assisting her.


    A female Barrier Mage and a male Water Mage were the Spear-wielders'' backup and Kiri was getting a front row experience of how annoying a good Barrier Mage was. Her attacks with her daggers against the Spear-wielder were constantly being deflected by tiny shields of mana forming and every time Kiri tried to close on the Barrier Mage the Water Mage would create multiple slices of thin water that moved so fast they even sheared off Kiri¡¯s tethered arms. But whenever she backed off the Spear-wielder would give Water Mage angles to shoot tiny bullets of water. It was an excellent formation and while Kiri could likely match their base Stats, the added effects of their Embodiments were slowly whittling away at her soul energy reserves and superior Skills. She just needed to find a way through. Preparing to activate To Slay A Soul, she considered a second option if this failed. It was risky, but if she couldn¡¯t end this fight quickly others would suffer. She knew what she had to do. Her team needed her. Nate needed her. She wouldn¡¯t let him down. Not now. Not ever!

 Chapter 156 - Proof of Existence

    Null danced to the side avoiding a downward slash, then flicked out his own Epic-tier blade, deflecting his opponent''s sword. The move left his opponent open for a second and he tried to capitalise on it, slashing at the man''s midsection while activating Mana Slash. Fueled by his own mana, it carried his affinity for nullifying the mana of others. The attack failed as his opponent sped up for an instant to an alarming degree. A short-duration enhancement Skill, then. He had his own of course, but it came with a steep price. Null¡¯s Class and Skill structure was a simple one. It had been decided for him by his Father before he had been born. A variant on the Mana Suppressor Class, his own Nullifying Mage Primary Class was the source of his aura and his inflated Magic Stats. He only possessed four active Skills. Nullification Aura, Mana Slash, Swordsman¡¯s Quickening, and Last Resort. The rest of his Skills were passives that enhanced his Stats or the effective power of his aura. His mastery of the sword came from natural talent and over a decade of training.


    He was quickly learning that against this opponent, it was not enough. The man clearly focused on passive bonuses as well, but unlike Null, it didn¡¯t appear that he had to split his focus between his Physical Stats and a few of his Magic Stats. That difference was enough to give the man a small edge. The only reason it wasn¡¯t a bigger edge was Null¡¯s natural talent for the sword.


    Another quick exchange, blades flickering in and out and he was forced to disengage, barely managing to avoid losing his arm, his Epic bracer deflecting the blow away at the last second. The defence had been perfect, but his opponent¡¯s superior stats left him with a trickle of blood dripping onto the grass. He couldn¡¯t keep up with this opponent and was losing ground. The only thing likely keeping him from dying already was his opponents'' attempt to monitor Nate fighting to their left.


    Seeing the fight for himself, Null was wondering if Nate had held back in their own match? Or had the Runecaster¡¯s growth been far beyond the norm? While he was struggling with one of their opponents, Nate juggled three, and unless Null was entirely wrong, it looked like he was winning. The fight itself was a blur and Null knew there was no way he could¡¯ve kept up with three opponents at this calibre at the same time. Physically maybe, but Perception was not one of his better Stats and the way Nate kept vanishing amid the explosions of dirt as the Mage¡­or Crafter¡­or was it Artist¡­whatever he was, handled his three opponents, left Null certain of one thing. If he could just hold out against his enemy, Nate would turn the tide. He just needed to last a bit longer.


    Gritting his teeth, he stepped back into the fray, driving his opponent back. He just needed to hold out!


    *************


    Nate vanished, avoiding being skewered upon a sword. He intentionally telegraphed his teleport, appearing in a free patch of grass as two missiles came flying at him. The Archer had gotten off a shot from behind him, still utilising his Swift Embodiment to stay one step ahead of the Shadow Construct hounding him. The other missile was a bolt of yellow lightning bearing down on him from the front as he faced the Lightning Mage. In an instant, both vanished as he activated True Teleportation. Instead of moving himself, he moved the missiles, changing their vectors.


    An explosion of dirt went off behind him, the swordsman narrowly avoiding the archer''s arrow as he threw himself to the side. The archer wasn¡¯t as lucky. Already distracted avoiding an elongated grasping arm from Nate¡¯s Shadow Construct, the teleported bolt of lightning took him in the arm, sending him rolling through the grass with a bloodied limb. The Shadow Construct pounced on the prone man only for the archer to vanish as Nate sensed a flex of spatial mana originating from a ring on the man''s hand. That wouldn¡¯t do. Already spinning up his Gravity Control runic array in one hand, he considered whether it would be better to expend the extra mana to steal the ring using True Teleportation, or create a runic array to suppress the ability of the item to touch upon the Concept of Space. In an instant, he decided on the second as it gave him other options. Trying to influence items in contact with others bodies always led to a contest of magic power and mana, and without the added bonuses from Conceptual Runic Artistry, the mana cost was just too exorbitant. But before he could deal with the archer he had another problem.


    A storm was gathering overhead and Nate could feel the constant gush of mana from the Lightning Mage into the environment. It tasted different from Aisling¡¯s. Being around his guardian always felt like static was running over your skin and raising your hairs. This was like you had drunk too much coffee ¨C energy with nowhere to go. Whatever she was building, Nate wasn¡¯t about to let her do it freely. With his Gravity Control runic array in place, he split off one part of his attention, launching the swordsman charging at him away like a cannonball as he changed the direction behind the man to ¡®down¡¯.


    An arrow pinged off his barrier, making him stumble to the side as the archer had somehow gotten off a shot, the man on the move again with the Shadow Construct in hot pursuit, flowing over the grasslands like black water. The power of an Embodiment was all that was keeping the Archer safe. As the storm clouds above grew black and roared with thunder, Nate made his move.


    The Swordsman was charging back towards him, finally having landed after being launched over fifty metres away. The Lightning Mage was raising her hands to call down the power she had gathered in the sky above. The Archer was forced to engage his spatial item again just to avoid the inky black claws of the Shadow Construct.


    Nate extracted a small metal rod from his spatial storage. The Rare material had an oily sheen to it. It was one of the many items he had prepared for use with his Conceptual Automated Existence Skill. Conceptual Insight hummed as it sensed the affinity for Gathering inside of the metal rod. It had been an approach he had considered for dealing with an enemy with a similar skillset to Luc. But now he saw another way to use it as he activated Conceptual Runic Artistry and Conceptual Intent. The first Skill burned a Powerful Gathering runic array into the metal. With his insane number of Intents, he twisted the items Subconcepts towards gathering up one energy specifically ¨C the same energy that was gathering in the dark clouds above. Lightning.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Using his Gravity Control runic array, he changed up to down for the area around the swordsman, launching him into the sky above as he tracked the man with Farsight of the Runic Artist. The mana gathering around the Lightning Mage was reaching a crescendo and as she threw her hands down, pointing at Nate, he activated True Teleportation. Staying in the exact spot he had been for over ten seconds now, he sent the metal bar in his hand into the sky above the swordsman.


    The lightning that fell was less like a bolt of electricity and more like a pillar of yellow light. It arched towards the ground before being pulled off course and away from Nate, drawn towards his makeshift lightning-gathering-rod and onto the falling Swordsman. The scream of anguish from the Lightning Mage was drowned out by the booming sound of thunder as the shockwave flattened the grasslands for fifty metres in every direction. The corpse of the swordsman fell in pieces, the lightning''s desperate need to escape his fleshy body having blown him apart.


    The Lightning Mage had tears in her eyes as she raised her hand to attack him more directly, yellow light crackling over her fingertips. Nate pulled out a mana gem, starting to restore his depleted reserves as he prepared to continue the fight. A quick sweep of the area with his Farsight Sphere of Awareness had him pulling on the mana gem even faster. One of the Gold Bodyguards was down, probably dead, and the second was now faced with two opponents and quickly losing. Null was on the back foot against his own opponent, and even with Frick¡¯s help, Britt and his Familiar were suffering, his girlfriend¡¯s armour looking dented with blood leaking from her lips. Kiri seemed to be doing okay, the Concept of Wind surrounding her, but how much longer could she last? He had downed one, and he was probably out of the woods, but he had to finish this quickly so he could support the others.


    *************


    Kiri felt the power of a winged insect flowing through her body and soul, wind whipping around her as she fought the urge to take flight. Charging at the spear-wielder, she dodged over the top of the woman by using a gust of wind to launch herself skyward. Her eight tethered arms flickered out, all failing to find purchase as the Barrier Mage protected the spear-wielder with minute barriers, deflecting Kiri¡¯s Rare tier daggers. That was fine. The spear-wielder wasn¡¯t her target anyway.


    Landing on the other side she faked a frontal charge at the Barrier Mage before vanishing using Effective Soul Shift, coming at her from behind. The Water Mage standing beside the woman creating the barriers unleashed a blast of cutting water in every direction. The ribbon of fluid cut furrows into the ground and Kiri leaned on the effects from To Slay A Soul, spinning up a burst of wind like armour to protect her. It did the job of preventing her from losing a limb, though she was still cut to the bone even with the added protection.


    Diving with her Legendary Dagger for the Barrier Mage, she found herself deflected away, the bitch smirking at her as the barrier expanded, tossing her into the air. A glance behind her saw the spear woman launching herself into the air at the same time, her spear pointed down at Kiri. With a sudden burst of acceleration that could only come from a Skill, the spear-wielder was launched towards the ground. Using Effective Soul Shift she managed to avoid the tip of the spear. The ground wasn¡¯t so lucky, an explosion of dirt launched into the air as the spear-wielders'' impact created a small crater with a star-shaped indentation bigger than Kiri¡¯s head at the centre.


    Kiri took a moment to think as the battle lines reset and her arm knit itself back together, costing her even more of the precious soul energy that made her who and what she was. The Barrier Mage could be worn down, but only if Kiri could harass her directly. So far that had proven impossible. Every attack against the Barrier Mage resulted in giving up her back to the spear wielder and close-range with the Water Mage was a losing proposition. No matter which enemy she attacked, the others would defend them. If she could¡¯ve combined the various souls she held within her To Slay A Soul Skill, then she was confident she could simply brute force it and kill one of them. Two would be manageable. But she couldn¡¯t do that with the Skill. Not yet, at least. There was no winning play, unless she flipped the board.


    The Barrier Mage never protected the Water Mage. Why would she? The man''s bursts of cutting water would eviscerate anyone who got close. Even with the soul energy she was drawing from her Soul Palace to empower herself, giving her an Endurance and Constitution in the low four-hundreds, it wasn¡¯t enough to prevent her from being sliced apart. She was certain the man had an Embodiment that was enhancing his water magic. Their confidence in him was a weakness she could exploit. She just needed to set it up correctly. She needed momentum.


    Launching herself forward with the dregs of the insect¡¯s soul still empowering her with some additional speed and the power of the wind that parted before her, Kiri began to dance once more. The spear-wielder kept her attention for a moment, her eight daggers flickering in and out, once more deflected by tiny barriers as Kiri deftly evaded the tip of the spear, even as it glowed with light and flashed, trying to blind her. She was blind for a second while her eyes healed, but her Soul Sense told her where they were, letting her use Effective Soul Shift to vanish and appear in the sky far above the Water Mage. Burning through the last of the insect¡¯s soul, she used the wind to enhance her falling speed.


    The Water Mage had a smirk of victory on his lips as thin streams of water gathered above him, ready to be released. She knew what she was doing had a touch of madness to it. But if she wasn¡¯t going to prove this was her Path now, then when? Her brother and friends needed her. Now was as good of a time as any.


    When she was only a couple of metres above him, the Water Mage finally released his spell. The ribbons of water cut straight through her, dismembering her. It was so fast she didn¡¯t even feel it, and for the barest of moments she stepped between realms. Standing inside an enclosed room with uneven walls the colour and consistency of custard, she felt her tether to the Physical Realm unravelling. Surrounding her was her own soul energy, alongside a pile of rare daggers. Along the opposite wall stood five crystals as tall as her waist, each one a soul she had stored within her To Slay A Soul Skill. The tether to the Physical Realm continued to unravel, and through that tether she could feel the state of her body. Her real body. Not this one built of soul energy and willpower. It was in pieces, but still falling towards the Water Mage, his spell spent. As though it was the easiest thing in the world, she followed that tether back to the Physical Realm. A hum filled her entire body as she was reborn, the memory of herself pulling her dismembered body back together in an instant as her soul twin was expended in the process.


    The Water Mage didn¡¯t have time to react as she buried her Runecrafted Dagger of Soulrending in his eye, the blade long enough and sharp enough to pass out the other side of his head. To Slay A Soul pulled his soul energy into herself, the man already dead. The Barrier Mage was backing away, her eyes filled with fear. The Spear-wielder looked about ready to turn tail and run as well.


    With a bloody smile on her face, Kiri prepared to charge them down. She wasn¡¯t just a Soul Slayer. She was a Reborn Soul Slayer. And now, here on the precipice of death, she had confirmation of exactly what that meant.

 Chapter 157 - Fractured Space

    Vanessa was living through a nightmare. Tears stained her cheeks and she didn¡¯t know if they were from fear or despair. Her lover was killed by her own Skill. Lightning from the Heavens was her finisher. A pillar of lightning so thick and powerful that whatever it struck was annihilated. It was meant for the blond-haired mage but he had somehow redirected it into Carl. She¡¯d been forced to watch as parts of his body rained down around them. It was impossible. The mission had stated the risks. The boy shouldn¡¯t have been more than level fifty. Certainly it had said that he and the girl might be the holders of Legendary Classes. The very idea had seemed absurd to her. Having such would have put him and his partner on par with the Royals. But even though she had thought the idea ridiculous, the team had still been put together with that in mind. There was Gordon, over level one hundred and an Epic Classer like them, one of the five Platinum-tier combatants House Desmarais could field, to hold off the pair¡¯s Platinum-tier guardian. Then another four to keep back any other support the targets had. Then three each to execute the mission and kill the targets. She had thought it was overkill. Now, she believed, it wasn¡¯t going to be enough.


    Unleashing the spell Questing Lightning, the forking arcs of yellow light sought out the Rune Mage across from her. He vanished, causing her to lose track of him for a moment. Her training kicked in and lightning coursed through her body, burning her from the inside out as she vastly boosted her speed and moved, dodging to the left to try and support Yarl. She had always loved her affinity and Classes. Most people didn¡¯t focus on being a pure Lightning Mage, instead working towards something like Storm Mage. But she¡¯d never seen anything as destructive as pure lightning, except for maybe Gordon¡¯s lava. It was a weapon, but it was double-edged. Lightning had no powerful defensive skills or spells and as a Mage, she was weak in her physical Stats. That was why she had taken the Skill Fast as Lightning. It was a body-burner Skill, ripping her apart from the inside, but it was all she could do to stay ahead of the boy''s attacks.


    Yarl, their archer, had been harassed the entire fight by whatever in the Nine Hells that shadow monster was. His Skills took time to charge and build and he¡¯d effectively been hamstrung from doing more than irritating the Rune Mage. It was all just so¡­impossible. He should have been around twenty levels below them. He should lack the power of an Embodiment. He was outnumbered. His teleportation skill was supposed to have a cooldown. And he wasn¡¯t supposed to be able to summon whatever the hell that shadow monster was. They were losing. If something didn¡¯t change, she was going to die. They all were. Gordon couldn¡¯t beat the Eternal Grove alone, and if she failed to defeat the Rune Mage here, the tides would turn against them.


    The sound of metal boots pounding the ground was like music to her ears as Mikael joined them, making it three against one once more. Surely the boy was running out of mana. Now they just needed to finish this! A sliver of hope crept into her heart to nestle there alongside her pain.


    *************


    Evindal didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t need to. He was a pure Mage. More importantly, he was a Lord of Life. So when he needed to move, his trees did it for him. The branch he was on snaked higher into the canopy, avoiding the hail of lava bolts chasing him. A month ago it might have been mildly challenging to avoid such an attack, but that was before his newest Legendary Skill. The Time Between was mana intensive, but with quick application it gave Evindal all the time in the world to assess trajectories, sense mana and even looked like it could synergise with his ¡®Flourishing¡¯ Skills that grew his seeds into mammoth trees in moments.


    He couldn¡¯t see Gordon, but he could sense him, the man¡¯s lifeforce brighter than the trees that surrounded him. His senses told him more than that though. They told him that Gordon¡¯s body was trying to fight off the poisons he had already inhaled. The man had figured it out quickly, using some simplistic wind spell to cleanse the air around him. Most didn¡¯t notice until it was too late. It wasn¡¯t the ideal outcome, but it would only slow Evindal down a little. Between maintaining the wind spell, whatever Skill or Spell Gordon was using to cleanse himself and the swirling shield of lava the man was maintaining, he was leaking mana like a sieve. He¡¯d probably have mana gems on him, to replenish himself, but then, so did Evindal. And this was the least of Lord of Life¡¯s tricks.


    Dropping another set of seeds, he activated A Time To Flourish, growing them into short shrub-like bushes in seconds, before the thorny vines on them started snaking towards the Lava Mage. The vines would blacken and smoke, but it would take time for them to actually burn, as they had been altered to be resistant to fire and heat. A more liberal injection of poison should see the end of this battle hastened to the expected conclusion. Because Evindal knew one thing, above all else. None of their attackers could be allowed to live. Nate and Kiri would not be able to hold back against such opponents, and the revelations of the true extent of their skills would be enough to bring the Nobility down on their heads. He couldn¡¯t allow that to happen to the mentees his wife had selected. Drawing one last seed out of his spatial storage, he prepared to eat it and activate Life Finds A Way. There was no holding back when lives were on the line.


    *************


    Kiri danced out of the way of the spear stabbing at her back and continued to slam eight out of her ten daggers at the bubble around the Barrier Mage. The woman was staring out from inside of her magical shield, fear plain in her eyes and sweat pouring down her face. With only two opponents, and To Slay A Soul enhancing her with the powers of Koriolos, Kiri was able to stay a step ahead of the Spear-wielder, all but ignoring her as she wore the Barrier Mage down. It wouldn¡¯t be long now and she was thankful for that, because she was approaching the dregs. She had been Reborn, living up to the name of her Classes, her future Embodiment. But it hadn¡¯t been without cost. Her Twin Soul had meant she lost nothing. She remembered being sliced apart, the seconds between as she watched her body from the Spiritual Realm, and then its restoration. But the Twin Soul was just a container to store those experiences, those memories, the thing which made her who she was. It didn¡¯t fix the destruction to her body. That had come from her soul energy. Now she was almost down to the dregs. Dregs which were being eroded by her ongoing imbuement and soul tethers. She couldn¡¯t even afford to use Effective Soul Shift any more for fear of running down what remained.


    If she was like Nate, she might have had another option. In the corner of her vision notifications were flashing and she knew she had at least two Skill evolutions ready to go. Maybe three. Not to mention at least one level from killing the Water Mage. But even though she had started investing in her Intellect so that her mind could keep up with her speed and to a lesser extent, her perception, she was still on the lower end. She wasn¡¯t at a point where she could split her attention like Nate could. Without that there was no way she could make smart decisions mid-battle while fighting two opponents of this calibre. She¡¯d end up skewered on a spear and her soul energy couldn¡¯t afford any more wounds like that.


    Finally, after another fifteen seconds of uninterrupted strikes, her Runecrafted Dagger of Soulrending shattered one of the barriers, plunging into the barrier mage¡¯s chest. The look of shock on the woman''s face vanished in a few seconds as Kiri drained her dry, using Soul Drain to top up her flagging reserves slightly. It wasn¡¯t enough to put her anywhere near normal but it was more than enough to keep going. Enough to finish this fight.


    Turning to face the Spear-wielder, Kiri¡¯s face transformed from victorious to furious, as the sound of Britt¡¯s scream echoed across the battlefield. Her friends needed her and they needed her now. She leaped forward, forgoing any plans for a proper defence!


    *************


    Nate heard the sound of Britt¡¯s scream and saw his girlfriend impact the ground so hard she left a crater. There was no sign of her mana armour and a quick flex of his Farsight Sphere of Awareness told him how bad it was. She was dying, her internal organs failing and many of her bones shattered. She didn¡¯t have long. Frick stood over her defensively, shielding her from a follow-up attack, but his Familiar looked beaten too. My Will My Way wasn¡¯t purely a mana skill. It required Frick¡¯s own soul energy as well, and it looked like he was running low.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Nate could see why. Three of their attackers were moving to join the Archer and Lightning Mage facing him. Two of them had finished off Null¡¯s Gold-tier bodyguards, the two Guildies lying dead in the grass. It broke his heart a little. They had seemed like good people. But it was nothing compared to the fury building in him at the sight of his broken girlfriend. Britt was a beautiful soul. Caring and generous. Loyal and bright. She had shown more patience with him than he had ever expected, even if he felt he wasn¡¯t the best of boyfriends. And now she lay broken on the grassy plains, just for being associated with him. He almost choked, he was so angry.


    He had already been winning, but he hadn¡¯t truly been pushing himself. Certainly, the fight hadn¡¯t been easy, but compared to some of his other battles, he hadn¡¯t been pressured. He hadn¡¯t been forced to make desperate decisions just to survive. A thought in the back of his mind whispered to him that even with five of them, he could win without taking risks. But that was a luxury he couldn¡¯t afford, not if he wanted to save Britt.


    His plans for his future had been threefold, each represented by one of his Classes. Runic Artist, the core of who he was, an artist that used runes to create his interpretation of reality. Realmwalker, a Spatial Mage, which represented what he had done. He had travelled, between Realms and across the multiverse. The future of that path was intrinsically linked to his art. Space was the most important aspect of reality that he needed to manipulate to create art. It would be his gallery and his medium. Finally, Lord of Life, the representation of his future. Living art, used to make life better for himself, his friends and those who he brought into his confidences. A whole designed to let him create a better reality.


    He pulled a small piece of purple metal out of his spatial storage. It was no bigger than his hand, and as it touched reality, it shifted and changed before his eyes. Each movement was sharp angles, one moment it was a perfect rectangle, then it had five sides, then eight, then back down to four. The only reason he had held off on using it so far was because it was actually a lower tier than his Shadow affinity wood. He hadn¡¯t had the time to raise it to more than Rare, the cost in time and mana higher due to the strength of the affinity contained within. The piece of purple metal contained his only Grandmaster-tier Sigil, Space. Even with processed mana powering it he wasn¡¯t certain it would be enough to defeat his opponents. But there was something else he could do to fix that. His newest Skill, Spatial Empowerment, enhanced spells and skills that utilised space. Not runes though. Not yet.


    He was enough to beat these five enemies, even with their advantages, but he wasn¡¯t enough to do it in the time he needed it done. In the past, he had used his Conceptual Intent to force Skills to synergise. But he wasn¡¯t convinced that would work this time. Spatial Empowerment was his lowest tier Skill alongside Material Shaping. More importantly, he could sense where it was on his Class Core and it was almost on the opposite side to his Rune-related Skills. The damage for forcing a synergy would be extreme and he wasn¡¯t convinced it would achieve the kind of result he wanted anyway. No, what he needed was to evolve the Skill. It had been levelling fast, in the Dungeon and now in this battle, but it was still five levels short. Using True Teleportation he backed away from his opponents, forcing them to give chase as he began to bear down on the Skill with his Conceptual Intent. As he did so, he used Conceptual Runic Artistry and Conceptual Runic Creation to surround his Class Core with a Powerful Space runic array. His intent latched onto the rune, directing the power and the idea, the concept itself, at the Spatial Empowerment skill. At the same time, he used his last Skill Enhancement Orb on the same skill. Some might have said it was a waste, but as far as he was concerned, anything that could help was worth the cost. Mana drained out of his reserve and into his Class Core, almost emptying him, but finally the Skill seemed to respond. The notification arrived a moment later and he glanced at the evolution options, his mind flicking through them in seconds.


    Spatial Empowerment 15 > 21


    Spatial Empowerment (E) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment (L)


    All Mages need to empower their Skills and Spells beyond what their affinities can provide. Some turn to tools, enchantments, alchemy or even spirits. You have turned to sequestering mana to further empower your Skills by concentrating mana with your spatial affinity. This Skill empowers anything that utilises the Concept of Space, be they Spells, Skills, Runes or more esoteric applications. Empowerment is equal to Skill Level * 3 plus Magic Control / 50 percent.


    Teleportation Empowerment (L)


    All Mages need to empower their Skills and Spells beyond what their affinities can provide. Some turn to tools, enchantments, alchemy or even spirits. You have turned to sequestering mana to further empower your Skills by concentrating mana with your spatial affinity. This Skill empowers all Spatial Skills and Spells. Additionally this Skill has a multiplicative effect on any teleportation related Skills or Spells. Spatial Empowerment is equal to Skill Level * 3 plus Magic Control / 50 percent. Teleportation Empowerment is equal to Skill Level * 4.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    While both Skills were good, only one truly aligned with his path and his desires. Selecting Conceptual Spatial Empowerment, he drew forth his second and final processed mana gem. Activating Conceptual Automated Existence, he funnelled the entire gem into the piece of metal containing an affinity for space. With Conceptual Intent, he flagged his enemies and gave it a single order. Expend everything as fast as it could to destroy them.


    The form that appeared before him was like seeing geometric shapes stacked on top of each other as a humanoid purple body forced itself into existence. Nate suspected it was his intent giving it a humanoid appearance, his desire for living art. Without Farsight of the Runic Artist active, he wouldn¡¯t have understood what happened next. Space broke, like seeing a glass window fracture. Each of those pieces stood out in his senses, containing fragments of reality. Of the myriad pieces of space, five contained the targets he had specified. One moment they were separated, coming at Nate from different angles. The next they were combined, all standing within inches of each other in front of his Space Construct. Then the spatial fractures shattered. If not for Nate¡¯s fear for Britt, he would¡¯ve vomited. In an instant each of the five tried to defend themselves and each was ruthlessly crushed. The archer tried to teleport only to find his enchanted ring''s ability suppressed by something with greater control over space. The Lightning Mage, the Hammer-wielder that had faced Britt and a dagger user all tried to flee. But in fractured space, there was nowhere to go. The last was a blocky man in plate armour wielding a two-handed sword. Of the five, he was the only one to survive, his body too durable to be cut apart by the spatial magics. But whatever fight was left in him was gone, the man collapsing to the dirt bleeding from more cuts than Nate could count.


    With its mana expended the Spatial Construct shattered like tinkling glass. The purple metal that had been the substrate upon which it had been built followed, splintering into small shards that sprinkled the ground in front of Nate.


    As processed mana flooded the battlefield, Nate ignored it, teleporting toward Britt and his Familiar. Landing in the crater with her, he collapsed to his knees and looked her over more thoroughly. Her heart was still pumping blood, but it was slowing. There was bleeding inside of her skull and one of her lungs was punctured. That was ignoring the damage to the rest of her organs and the plethora of broken bones. She was on death''s door and holding on by a thread. Stalwart, he reminded himself. She was stalwart. He knew his Common-tier healing spell was not going to be enough. He needed more. He reached for Conceptual Insight, realising in the back of his mind that he would sacrifice himself if that was what was required to save her. But there should be another option. A path forward. He just hoped it would be enough.

 Chapter 158 - Life Taking Control

    The ambient mana in the air ignited around Nate as he activated Conceptual Insight. The mana had shifted towards space due to the overwhelming presence of his construct. But space wasn¡¯t what he needed now ¨C what he needed was life. He had considered using his Life Drain runic array on himself, but he could already tell it wouldn¡¯t be enough to save Britt. He¡¯d die himself before she was restored. Trying to wait for Evindal was an option, only it wasn¡¯t. Who knew how long the Platinums would be fighting and Britt was already dying. The other option was to use Kiri as the source, but a glance at her told him that she was running on dregs as she fought to finish off the Spear-wielder. He couldn¡¯t tell how much soul energy she had to spare, her Skill for hiding her soul energy was too strong for him to overpower without focusing on it. That was ignoring the wasted mana and soul energy if she contested it. Null wasn¡¯t an option either, as even now, Nate was not confident he could brute force the man''s natural nullification aura. The only option left was to create an entirely new rune. One that didn¡¯t function by exchanging lifeforce. But to craft a new rune he needed time. Time that Britt didn¡¯t have, so he would have to use his Life Drain rune just to slow her demise. It would be a race against the clock.


    Splitting his focus he created the Life Drain runic array, letting it pull from his own body to try and keep Britt from slipping closer to death.


    Frick hobbled over next to him, the blue goblin looking truly worse for wear.


    ¡°Anything I can do to help, Boss?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Help Null finish his fight. Kiri doesn¡¯t need it.¡±


    Frick stumbled away, the Familiar on his last legs. Nate could sense the tether that bound the Spirit to the Familiar Contract was fading. His Familiar would likely end up banished for a little while, until the little blue goblin had recovered his soul energy in the Spiritual Realm. There was nothing he could do to help Nate with this.


    Focusing back on the task at hand, he created his Journeyman-tier Sigil for Life out of mana in front of him, even as his own life leaked away to keep Britt from dying. With the three days before they had left the Capital, three days travel to the Dungeon, two days inside, and then another two days spent on their return trip, his Conceptual Insight Skill had ten days worth of mana stored in it. Not enough to push his Life Sigil to Grandmaster, but it should suffice to bridge the gap to Master. Activating the aspect of his Skill that forced the revelation of a higher tier Sigil, he watched as the Life Sigil transformed before his eyes. It grew. That was the best way to describe it. It grew in complexity, shifting into flowing whorls that looked more like a fractal, or perhaps the growth of a cell. The tiny shifting symbols inside of it were like the organelles within a cellular structure. The thought struck him that his Conceptual Insight Skill forced a Sigil to evolve, and that the imagery on display was the absolute truth of Life. The transformation completed and he waited for the Divine Translation spell placed on him by Arikanvil to interpret the Sigil and inform him of his success.


    Nothing happened.


    His mind froze for a fraction of a second before he focused on committing the shape and symbols to memory. It was a flaw in the Divine Translation spell that he had not considered in almost a year. The information contained within was based on Arikanvil¡¯s own understanding. It recognised Sigils because Arikanvil recognised those Sigils. Arikanvil did not know a Master-tier Sigil for Life, or at least, he did not know this variation.


    Nate was as certain of that as he was that this was a Sigil for Life. Ignoring the possibility that his Conceptual Insight Skill could have failed, the other portion of the Skill that helped him identify Concepts hummed strongly with its recognition of the Concept of Life. With the ambient mana drawn to the geometric shape, it was influencing his surroundings. The grass was growing, shifting, evolving at a visible rate, changing in colours in patches, other parts growing longer, or denser. Even Britt seemed to be benefitting, though in her case it just seemed to assist in keeping her from passing. He noticed she changed far less than the grass, but she still changed. Her hair, normally blonde, had shifted to green. He could sense that her fingernails and toenails sloughed off as they changed into a gooey fluid. The reason came to him quickly. Soul energy. Britt¡¯s mental idea of who she was, what she should be, was guiding the Life affinity mana. The grass lacked that sense of self and so was at the mercy of the mana. But Britt¡¯s hair had changed. Her soul energy was leaking away as she died and her extremities had already lost some of that energy. Enough that there was nothing to guide the Life affinity mana and it had run wild.


    Between his Life Drain runic array and the Master-tier Life Sigil, she was dying slower. If he was going to heal her he needed more than just Life. As she died, her soul energy was seeping away as well. A reflection of what had happened to Kiri, though on a far slower scale. Because of that he couldn¡¯t rely on Britt¡¯s remaining soul energy to reinforce what the ambient mana around the Sigil was already doing. Her body could warp, mutating into something else as the life energies rampaged unrestrained. He needed her mind. He needed her to guide the healing. Even now he was forced to focus his Life Drain runic array closer to her Class Core and her mind, where the soul energy could still guide the process. All it was doing now was giving him more time, which is exactly what he needed. But if he messed this up, it would be Britt that paid the price.


    His conflicted mind went through his options again in the space of a few seconds. Healing, if he could hold out for Evindal, would solve the immediate problem. That was still a big if. Alternatively, he could push further than he had planned. He was confident he could do something like inscribing a rune into Britt¡¯s skeleton. Perhaps even raise the tier of her bones. Such a rune would draw on her own mana. It had the added benefit of making her more durable, which, if she wanted to stay with him, was almost a necessity at this point. House Desmarais, whoever they were, had committed ten Gold-ranked combatants and a Platinum just to see him and Kiri dead. Would this loss deter them? Or would they come back harder? And that was just one Noble House. Even if they were a powerful House, there were others. Fabien had been the second son of an Earl. Based on the Inspector, they at least suspected Nate. Maybe they even knew it had been him but just couldn¡¯t prove it. He had grown, but was he powerful enough to face down the combined might of multiple Noble Houses? The answer was no. Not yet, anyway.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Certainly, he wasn¡¯t alone. Aisling, Luc, Evindal, Deverell, perhaps others from the Guild. They would support him. They had shown their willingness and the lengths they were willing to go to over and over again. Even now Evindal fought another Platinum, the grove that marked their battlefield off in the distance. But what about those like Britt, those caught up in the whirlpool of his existence. She would be associated with him, no matter what she did. And unlike Null, she didn¡¯t have the Class, Stats or Skills to resist. She had tried, and this was the price. Her beaten and broken body.


    The solution was obvious. He could make her stronger. Crossing the System by removing her Class Core was off the table. The last System Challenge had almost killed him. That was a die he wasn¡¯t willing to roll. But there was the option he was considering. He could alter her body.


    As he understood it, the Class Core served three functions. It turned mana into processed mana by some mechanism he had yet to figure out. It stored and gave access to the various Skills provided by Classes. And it distributed processed mana throughout the body to create the effects of Stat enhancements. He was certain of that last one, as after Kiri¡¯s Class reset, she had lost all the additional Stats that had been provided by the Classes on her original Class Core. She had reverted to a baseline state. That meant the presence of processed mana was what made them superhuman. In his case, that meant enhanced his memory, speed of thought and information processing while for Kiri, her speed and the ability to control her own soul energy. For Luc and Evindal, the ability to direct their mana in detail.


    There was a fourth layer. One that he had begun to suspect wasn¡¯t directly related to his Class Core: mana affinities. They were based on the alignment of your mana with Concepts. Not processed mana ¨C just mana. That had led him to wondering about what would happen if two people had the same Stat, but different physical forms. Would a five year old with a strength of one hundred be as strong as a fully grown adult? He was certain that the answer was no. That was the path to helping Britt he was considering. Making her strong enough to survive whatever there was to come. Strong enough to heal herself. He could alter her ¨C his first attempt at living art.


    But if he did this, he would be making the decision for her. She couldn¡¯t consent, and who was he to think he knew what was best for her? In the end, that mattered more. It had to be her decision. He could make the offer once she was hale and healthy. With his decision made, he got to work on the actual rune that he would use to save her life.


    The Life Sigil had already faded but he brought it back to life with a thought, Conceptual Runic Creation creating the scaffold as the Skill waited for his direction. Extracting half a dozen mana gems from his spatial storage, he began to draw on them as he crafted a new rune. Life was at the centre, surrounded by two Sigils for Soul and two Sigils for Mana. Soul was present to reinforce Britt¡¯s flagging soul energy. Mana was needed to define the source of power. He didn¡¯t think it would have drawn on her soul energy to power itself, but he couldn¡¯t be certain, so he erred on the side of safety.


    Most runes Nate created were ultimately circular in nature. It made the design easier, made the centre of the rune clearer. Funnelled the mana where it needed to go. But this rune had to be different. Living beings were different. Britt was not in the shape of a circle, and given the lack of soul energy in her extremities, he wanted to make sure there was an even distribution of power.


    He sensed a rush of wind behind him and then a few seconds later, the presence of Kiri and Null stumbling into his sphere of awareness.


    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± croaked out Null.


    Nate just shook his head as he focused on his work.


    He couldn¡¯t only sense the area the swordsman occupied, Null having left his nullification aura above his skin. But he could hear him perfectly well.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to help Evindal,¡± stated Null, like a man walking to the gallows. ¡°He can heal Britt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s suicide,¡± Kiri muttered, glancing at the titanic copse of trees and the ongoing explosions occurring within.


    ¡°I know¡­but she¡¯s my best friend,¡± Null muttered, stumbling into a jog as he ran for the forest created by Evindal.


    Nate wanted to say something but his attention was already divided between maintaining the Life Drain runic array and creating the runic array that he hoped would save Britt. The rune taking shape in front of him was like nothing he had ever done before. He had to constantly add or remove Sigils as he transformed his idea for the rune from a circle, to a rectangle, then breaking it down further into a humanoid shape, before the final revisions to make it align to Britt¡¯s exact shape. In the end, it had over a dozen Sigils for Life alone.


    The rune was almost ready, but he was starting to feel lightheaded. Britt¡¯s chest started spasming, widening her punctured lung. He was reaching the end of what he could sustain with his own body as the source for his Life Drain runic array. Realising he was going to pass out before he succeeded, he frantically tried to come up with another way to stabilise Britt. Kiri stepped forward, offering her hand, and he took it, both her physical hand and the implied consent. His Life Drain runic array switched to pulling from her and he directed it towards Britt¡¯s skeleton. The rib piercing her lung clicked back into place and he was forced to direct some of the energy to prevent her lung from filling with blood.


    He sensed Kiri wobble behind him and knew that she too was coming to the end of what she had to give. It was now or never. With a final thought, he overlaid the runic array over the top of Britt and sent streams of mana from the mana gems towards it.


    Up until now, Britt had been lying as still and silent as a corpse. Her scream was so sudden and forceful that he sensed some of her vocal cords tear as she started thrashing violently in the crater that had almost become her tomb. At the same time, Kiri fell back, passing out as he severed the Life Drain rune from drawing from her.


    With Conceptual Intent, he guided the rune to direct life energy through the rune into Britt¡¯s body, while he spent over ten of his intents fine-tuning the Soul portion of the rune to restore Britt¡¯s own soul energy. With a flash of green light that shone through her skin, the rune became active. The mana drain was instantly evident as the rune tried to heal the damage done without concern for direction or focus, everything healing at once.


    With the Life Drain runic array now useless, he dropped it and drew on his memory, creating a small runic array using his incredibly weak Sigil for Sleep. It was enough, Britt slipping back into unconsciousness. Her body continued to twitch and shake as bones fused, skin sealed, organs repaired, and he honestly hoped she couldn¡¯t remember the pain when she woke. But she was out of the woods. Her soul energy had stopped leaking away and he continued to feed mana from his gems to the runic array.


    All Nate could manage was a small smile. He was so spent, but she was alive. Now they just needed to wait for Evindal to finish his own battle. Nate had absolute confidence in his mentor. In the meantime, he would be at this for a while yet. The plethora of flashing notifications in the corner of his vision reinforced his opinion.

 Chapter 159 - Aftermath

    Nate sat on a block of earth he¡¯d sculpted out of the earth. In front of him, the fire crackled, sending plumes of smoke into the night sky and bathing him in a gentle warmth. It wasn¡¯t the only thing warming him though, as Britt sat in the grass, leaning against his leg with her head on his knee. In the end, she had needed him to pry her out of her armour, which had required him to use his Material Shaping Skill, as it had warped in a number of places and was interfering with the healing. She was healed though, and had been glued to him ever since.


    Kiri sat a little to his left, using another block of earth as a backrest. His sister still looked pale, even an hour after the battle. She¡¯d been forced to overextend herself, both in her battle and then to help him save Britt. Frick was still absent, not having managed to reform himself just yet. On his other side sat Null and Evindal. Null looked morose. Nate felt sorry for the swordsman. He hadn¡¯t really known the two Gold-ranked bodyguards very well and he was sad about their deaths, but there was some distance there from the hurt. His, Kiri, and Britt¡¯s survival far overshadowed any other feelings, drowning out any despair. He should have included Evindal in that, but it was hard to do so, since the elf looked pristine. Certainly his mentor had still faced a difficult battle, but unlike the rest of them, he had been punching down rather than up. It had taken time, but he had won a resounding victory.


    The craziest part was that the elf had just left the forest where it was. Perhaps it would spread, given time. Well, maybe not the craziest part. Ignoring the waiting notifications, he gave Null the attention he deserved. It was the least he could do for the man after he¡¯d been caught up in Nate¡¯s problems.


    ¡°Six. You beat six of them. While I could barely face one,¡± ground out Null.


    Evindal placed a placating hand on the swordsman shoulder, which seemed to have a calming effect.


    ¡°You¡¯re Legendary, aren¡¯t you? Both of you.¡± Null stated, splitting his gaze between Kiri and Nate.


    Britt reacted, looking up at him as she kept an arm wrapped around his leg. The question in her eyes was one of curiosity, lacking any accusation.


    Nate glanced at Kiri, who shrugged slightly, before finally turning to Evindal. The look the elf gave him said it was his decision. He tried not to laugh, given the tension in the air, but he sometimes wished they didn¡¯t all leave it to him. Sometimes it might¡¯ve been nice for someone else to tell him what he should do. He knew that was the exhaustion talking. So instead he gave Evindal a nod. The elf should know what he wanted.


    ¡°I will need you both to make a System Contract with me that you won¡¯t speak of anything you have learned about Nate or Kiri today, including anything they choose to reveal now,¡± stated Evindal.


    Nate was just thankful he didn¡¯t need to manage the System Contract. As they hashed out the details, mostly with Kiri who seemed to be applying her economics training to be particularly litigious, his only input was to request that the contract automatically expire in one year''s time. It was a risk, but he didn¡¯t want the contract hanging over their heads for longer than that. It gave him a year to make Kiri and himself unassailable by the nobility of Etrua. A tight timeline, but not impossible.


    With the contract hashed out and sealed by the System, he finally answered the question.


    ¡°Mythic.¡±


    Britt¡¯s eyes widened in shock, while Null worked his jaw, the swordsman looking like he didn¡¯t believe him.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Britt blurted out at the same time as Null demanded proof.


    He made his display visible for them, only showing his Classes and their tiers and levels. The fact that Wandering Realmwalker showed as level ten told him how many levels were waiting in his notifications. The social aspect needed to be handled first, though.


    ¡°You held back in our fight!¡± Null accused, sounding angry for the first time Nate had ever witnessed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I was level thirty-one when we fought,¡± explained Nate quietly. ¡°And you were kind of a hard counter to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­okay yeah, that would make sense. I¡­¡±


    Kiri cut him off, ¡°Just to be clear, you¡¯re not a hard counter for me. I would¡¯ve stomped you. And I was level thirty.¡±


    The blunt statement, coupled with Kiri¡¯s grin, finally broke through the tension in the air as Null looked shocked and Britt and Evindal chuckled quietly. As the laughter subsided, Britt looked up at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re three tiers above me,¡± she whispered. He could hear the fear in her voice. They were meant to just be casual. Friends with benefits. But, not unexpectedly, that had shifted. He had gone from thinking of her as a friend he occasionally slept with, to his kind-of-girlfriend, to his girlfriend. Now she worried he would leave her behind ¨C a reasonable fear to have.


    ¡°I have some ideas,¡± he replied quietly, which seemed to calm her, as she went back to laying her head against his leg.


    ¡°How are we splitting these?¡± Kiri asked, flicking her hand at the pile of Orbs and items near them.


    After the battle, they had collected the fallen Orbs, totalling six from the ten that had attacked them. He wasn¡¯t including anything from Evindal¡¯s fight, as no one had asked if there had been an Orb left. Then, while Null had gathered up their Alliram mounts which had charged off into the grasslands at the first sign of trouble, Nate had gathered the weapons, armour and trinkets of their fallen enemies, before disposing of the bodies using a powerful acid runic array.


    ¡°Chances that the items can be traced back to them?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°Not high, but it¡¯s possible,¡± answered Evindal.


    Nate nodded to Kiri, who understood his meaning, ¡°We¡¯ll have Luc sell them. He¡¯s making a trip out of Etrua shortly so that should make them harder to trace. We¡¯ll split the profit four ways, after Luc gets his cut.¡±


    No one said anything in opposition so she pointed at the Orbs. ¡°Two for Nate and I. One for Null and one for Britt.¡±


    He expected some pushback on that statement, even though he could see where Kiri was coming from. Nate had downed six, Kiri three and Null one, with assistance. She was trying to be a bit fair by giving Britt and Null one each, since they had suffered, even if they hadn¡¯t contributed as much. When no one voiced a disagreement, he nodded his own approval. A part of him, the generous part, wanted to give Britt his Orbs. But he knew she wouldn¡¯t accept them and he felt too tired to argue.


    In the end, Null got an Epic Magic Power Orb, while Britt got an Empowering Strike Rare Skill Orb. Kiri took two Epic Stat Orbs, one for Agility and one for Strength, which left Nate with an Epic Stat Orb for Constitution and a second one for Magic Control. With the loot divided, he finally turned his attention to his notifications. First were the achievements.


    Congratulations on creating a Life Restoration Rune (Master Quality).


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Congratulations, you have saved a life through the utilisation of the Concepts of Life and Soul.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Congratulations on utilising a Grandmaster Tier Sigil.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    The achievements were decent, and he hoped they would help push him towards the Lord of Life Class. Whether they were of much help in changing his Embodiment he would soon find out. There were plenty of notifications left, but even if it didn¡¯t assist, it couldn¡¯t hurt.


    Next were his level ups. He already knew there were going to be four. He quickly read over the notifications.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +4 Magic Power, +16 Magic Control, +8 Channelling Speed, +8 Mana Reserve, +4 Mana Absorption +20 Free Stats


    Level fifty. It had taken a while, but it meant there would be a new Skill on offer. But before that, he needed to assign his Free Stats. Ten went into Constitution and the other ten into Endurance. He was almost at a hundred in both, and the improvements had paid dividends in the battle, keeping him from being jostled or injured as his barrier had weathered their enemies'' assault. With his Stats handled, he turned his attention to the skill options from his Wandering Realmwalker Class.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Skills Available! Please Select 1* Skill.


    Class Skill Options:


    Spatial Expansion (Rare)


    Space is malleable. So, why limit your space to the prescribed dimensions when you could spatially expand it. Carry your clothes, your supplies, even your house, with you wherever you go. This Skill allows the user to create spatially expanded spaces. Size of expansion is based on the user''s Skill Level. Cost and duration is based on the user¡¯s Magic Power and Magic Control. Spatial space starts at one- half a cubic metre. Skill Level increases space by Skill Level * one-half a cubic metre.


    Spatial Reinforcement (Rare)


    Space is not solid. It is a fluid, three-dimensional area that can be altered or distorted, shaped or dispersed. But, for those wishing to create spaces that will resist the warping of gravity or that will stand the test of time, they need the ability to harden space. They need Spatial Reinforcement. This Skill will reinforce any spatially created area or zone the user focuses on. Extent of reinforcement is based on user¡¯s'' Magic Power, Magic Control and Skill Level.


    Spatial Control (Rare)


    All spells require Magic Control to perform effectively. Spatial magic is even more challenging, the complexity of space translating to the complexity of its spells. This Skill allows the user to more effectively apply their spatial mana affinity, giving them greater control over their mana when used for spatial magic. Magic Control Stat is 10% more effective when used for spatial spells. This bonus is increased by an additional 1% per Skill Level.


    Space Is All Around You (Rare)


    Space is one of the true constants of the material multiverse. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you occupy space and move through it. Why then must you utilise only your own mana for spatial skills when the mana that surrounds you also occupies space? This Skill reduces the mana cost of Spatial Skills and Spells by drawing on ambient mana with an affinity for space to offset the mana required. Mana cost reduction increases at Skill Level * 1.


    Spatial Portals (Rare)


    While a Spatial Mage can normally teleport themselves, moving others can be a challenge. Mana under the influence of others will naturally resist manipulation. That is where portals come in. Why move someone when you can forcibly connect two locations, just like looking through a window?. Distance increases with Skill Level. Initial distance is five metres. Skill Level increases distance by Skill Level * five metres.


    The options were all decent. Only Rare, but he¡¯d already taken multiple Epic Skills from the Legendary Class. These were what was left. Spatial Expansion was his preferred option, given it would mean he could create his own spatial storage that didn¡¯t rely on a ring. It also opened some interesting ideas for his planned Embodiment. But a question lingered. Could he accomplish the same with his runes? Moving on, Spatial Reinforcement was less enticing. Being able to harden Space might be useful in stopping others from teleporting, but that didn¡¯t matter much to him, since he could probably accomplish the same with a Space-based runic array. With that in mind, he crossed Spatial Portals out as well. That left Space Is All Around You and Spatial Control. Since the latter only boosted his Magic Control when casting spatial spells, he ended up going with Space Is All Around You. It affected his Skills, which should make his teleportation significantly cheaper over time, maybe even to the point that it would be worth the effort of teleporting people, though his Magic Power would also be a factor for doing that.


    With his skill selected, he moved onto his Skill increases from the battle and the last few days.


    Conceptual Insight 45 > 48


    Conceptual Material 39 > 40


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 47 > 49


    Conceptual Intent 45 > 49


    Conceptual Runic Creation 44 > 48


    Conceptual Runic Artistry 42 > 47


    True Teleportation 35 > 38


    Empowered Amplified Magic 35 > 38


    Conceptual Automated Existence 21 > 23


    Material Shaping 15 > 19


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment 21 > 22


    Finally, after months of effort, Conceptual Material was almost ready to evolve. He had an idea for how to push it over the edge and in the direction he wanted. He just needed to ask Britt if she was interested in his idea. His first attempt at living art. But that could wait for their return to the Capital. Material Shaping was also on the edge, though his plans for Conceptual Material should work on that Skill as well. He might even manage to synergise them, which had long been a plan. First, he would need to raise the Skills enough that their synergistic level would be greater than level forty-one. He had noticed that Skills wouldn¡¯t synergise if the highest level Skill would dip below its last evolution checkpoint. But that was tomorrow''s problem. There was one final notification remaining.


    Due to the prevalence of Conceptual-related Skills and Achievements, Embodiment for Primary Class has shifted. Current Status indicates a Partial Embodiment. System strongly advises focusing on your path.


    With a smile, he glanced at his status sheet. His new Embodiment flashed in his vision. It wasn¡¯t creative, like he had planned for, but perhaps this could be even better. Conceptual Runic Artist. He had shifted the Embodiment of his Primary Class. Now he just needed to do the same for his Secondary Class. Curling up with Britt, he settled in to relax and recover from the battle.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    385


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    165 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    141


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    143


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    103


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    88 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    215


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    94


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    224


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    89


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 10


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Conceptual Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Insight (M) Lvl 48 - (Excess Mana Absorption Rate increased by 24%, +58% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material (M) Lvl 40 - (-20% Mana Cost, -50% Time Required)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 49 - (+106% Perception, +18% Creativity, 24.5m Sphere of Awareness, 490 metre summoning range for 2nd Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Intent (M) Lvl 49 - (48 Intents, 24 Imbued Intents, +3 Subconcepts, +49% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Creation (M) Lvl 48 - (-94% Mana Cost, +15% Creativity, +48% Mana Aspecting)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Artistry (M) Lvl 47 - (-56.% Mana Cost, +123 Magic Power and +33.5% Conceptual Power for Runic Arrays)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    True Teleportation (M) Lvl 38 - (638 metres teleport range, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) Lvl 38 - (+52% Magic Stats)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automated Existence (M) Lvl 23 - (-23% Mana Cost, +165% Power, +42% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Material Shaping (E) Lvl 19 - (-57% Mana Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment (L) Lvl 22 - (+68% to Spatial Effects)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Space is all around You (R) Lvl 1 - (-1% Mana Cost for Spatial Skills and Spells)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Minor Spatial Lock (R), Lesser Healing Wave (C)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent), Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (10)) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Barrier Soul Engraving (Expend Mana to protect against Soul attacks) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 160 - Conflicted Rebirth

    Kiri looked over her advancements. She had been teetering on the edge of evolution for multiple Skills and the battle had pushed them all over the edge. In addition, some of those Skills had synergised. First there were her levels.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +4 Dexterity, +12 Agility, +8 Willpower +4 Perception, +8 Magic Control, +4 Mana Reserve, +20 Free Stats


    At ten levels in her Reborn Soul Dancer secondary class, she had been due a new skill. The options had all been Rare and none of them particularly useful for her so she had selected Improved Willpower. The description still floated in her vision.


    Improved Willpower (Rare)


    Willpower is often the most under utilised Stat, only rivalled by Charisma. Most believe it is only of use for those who wish to bend others to their wills. The mentalists and sirens of the worlds, luring all to servitude or their deaths. However, you¡¯ve seen firsthand the effect a strong Willpower has, as you¡¯ve bent reality to your desires. Walk a path of dominance where your will forges the way. For those lucky few, this Skill increases the user¡¯s Willpower by 5%. Increases by 0.5% per Skill Level.


    The choice had been a relatively easy one given the lack of options. The evolutions and synergies, however, had been far more in depth. To Slay A Soul,  Effective Soul Shift, Tethered Soulblade Dancing, Command the Soul and A Hidden Soul were all ready to evolve. Better than that, with their evolutions, many had synergised and it was hard not to be happy with the results.


    The first had been Command the Soul. She had forced it to level through practice and in large part to Nate letting her try and use the Skill on him constantly at the University. But it was not a perfect fit for her Classes or style. It had nothing to do with being Reborn, or at least not as far as she could see. Even the University had taught her that Charisma was the Stat for using soul energy to influence others. Her high Willpower let it function on low Willpower individuals and weak soul barriers, but even that came at an incredibly high cost to her soul energy. So when she had been given the option to evolve it so that it could be used to temporarily empower herself using an enemy¡¯s own Stats she had jumped at the improvement.


    To Slay A Soul had evolved to allow her temporarily gain a fraction of an Embodiment bonus from whatever being she had slain. She¡¯d had some concerns about that, wondering if by expressing the Embodiments of others might skew her own over time. Initially her plan had been to see if she could shift the idea of being reborn to include the temporary rebirth of the souls she stored with To Slay A Soul. But then the synergy had been offered.


    Soul Rebirth combined Soul Drain, To Slay A Soul and Command the Soul into something greater. She glanced over the description again.


    Soul Rebirth (M)


    You have drained the souls of others, restoring your own energy at their expense. You have slain souls, taking their power for yourself. You have commanded the obedience of lesser souls. Now combine those to permanently enhance yourself through those you slay. Let their deaths be an eternal rebirth for you. This Skill allows the user to drain Soul Energy from the dead and dying to restore their reserves. When a target dies while under this effect, the user may permanently increase their own Stats by Willpower / 100. The Stat increased is based on the highest Stat of the target. Maximum Total Stats gained through this method is equal to Skill Level * 3. Additionally, this Skill Increases the user¡¯s Willpower by 10% plus 1% per Skill Level. Also increases Agility by 12%.


    A method for permanent enhancement was beyond powerful for her. More importantly, she could choose when to activate it, meaning she could make sure it was based on targets who would raise the Stats she wanted. Her bonuses from To Slay A Soul had never been affected by her Stat-increasing Skills. She guessed the evolution to Command the Soul would have been the same, since the bonuses were temporary. Soul Rebirth, however, would grant her the Stats she stole permanently. It had an upper limit, but it would grow with her. It was perfect. And it was just the first synergy.


    Effective Soul Shift had evolved to let her set up multiple locations she could move to at the same time. That had apparently been enough to interact with her Soul Sense, resulting in a synergy to unlock the Skill One Soul Two Realms. She might not have taken it except that it sounded like it might interact with her Soul Palace. That and the synergy had been a Mythic Skill. Reading over the description again she grinned.


    One Soul Two Realms (M)


    You have dipped your toes into the Spirit Realm, utilising the Spirit Realm to shift your location in the Physical Realm. In the Physical Realm you have used your soul to sense others, both friend and foe. Now you may linger within the Spirit Realm while maintaining awareness of the Physical Realm. Your soul sense ability has a range of 20 metres per skill level. Your soul shift ability can shift up to Skill Level x 10 metres. Soul Energy cost for both abilities is decreased by 1% per Skill Level. You may linger in the Spiritual Realm for Willpower / 100 minutes.


    Finally, Tethered Soulblade Dancing and A Hidden Soul had straight evolutions.


    Tethered Soul Weapons (M)


    You have refined your skills with soul energy, demonstrating the arts of both a Soul Dancer and a Soul Slayer. By using soul energy you can vastly enhance your bodily characteristics using the memories of other great warriors. Now, apply this same power by recalling the memories of famous and powerful weapons. The user of this skill can create a number of soul tethers, both for tracking individuals and for creating tethered arms that function with the memory of physical presence. Soul Tether tracking distance is based on Skill Level * 50 metres. Number of active tethers is equal to Willpower / 20. Tethered Arms is equal to Willpower / 50. In addition, the user may temporarily sacrifice their Physical Stats or Willpower to imbue a weapon with the memory of another weapon. Power based on number of Stats sacrificed and soul energy expended. This Skill grants +1% Agility per Skill Level.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Soul Concealment (L)


    Soul Magic is directly related to the thoughts and memories of sentient beings. To hide from them is to make them forget you were ever there. This skill allows you to make those of weak will forget your presence. Stealth through soul suppression. You may now extend this Skill to hide others. The more souls you are forced to suppress the weaker the effect. Skills levels decrease soul energy cost by 1% per Skill Level. Number of additional Souls that can be hidden is equal to Skill Level / 10.


    Her smile was brighter than the sun. A little over a year ago she, had been a Rare Class-holder. A step above a nobody, with barely enough power to defend herself, let alone control her own fate, her own destiny. Now she strode the world like a young titan, her brother at her side. The attack against them was proof of that. They were a threat to the status-quo of Etrua. Enough of a threat to warrant an attack that had likely weakened the Duchy that had dared to attack them: House Desmarais. Evindal had spent time explaining the position of their attackers, which was the weakest of the three Ducal Houses of Etrua. Evindal didn''t know why House Desmarais had tried to kill them, but information gathering wasn¡¯t the Platinum¡¯s job. It was Deverell¡¯s, and in lieu of her mentor, it would be hers. The growing business empire she and Nate were creating was already paying dividends. Now, it was time to put that mana and coin to work. And Kiri knew just where to start. The escorts of the Den of Desire absolutely adored Nate. She could understand why. He painted them, showing them they were beautiful, and he never asked for anything in return. She knew he did it for the love of creating art, but for the escorts of the Den, his act of kindness and generosity made them more than a little protective of him. She doubted it was going to take much convincing to have them start feeding her information. A little gold and mana would be more than enough encouragement. She just needed to manage it all. Because for all her brother''s brilliance, for all his power and his generosity, Nate was not ruthless. Even with his clear growth around protecting himself and being less naive about the nature of this world, he would still baulk at eliminating threats before they attacked. She did not share that same reticence. Her mind quickly began making plans and she wondered how she had ever gotten through life without any sort of enhanced Intellect, even as the walls of the Capital loomed in the distance. Consolidate, expand, eliminate. She had her goals. Now it was time to turn them into a reality, even if that meant that Etrua was forced to go through its own rebirth to accomplish it. Something in her chest hummed at the idea.


    *************


    Nate finally started to feel himself relax as they walked onto the University grounds. He¡¯d had multiple concerns as they approached the Capital. First and foremost, would the Guards know what had happened out on the plains beyond its walls. The bodies of the dead Retainers of House Desmarais had been utterly destroyed, their remains buried or scattered to the winds. Knowing he had cleaned up the mess did nothing for his worries, however.


    The Gold-bodyguard''s bodies had been brought back with them, via spatial storage, and Null promised he would handle their affairs with his Father, Prefect Raoult. Nate did not envy the swordsman. Trying to answer his father while being bound under a System Contract that would limit what he could say would be incredibly difficult. Evindal had assured Nate that he would speak with the Prefect as well, but he still suspected he would end up at the Guild, sitting before the Prefects as they peppered him with difficult questions. Would they support him, as a member of the Guild, or throw him to the proverbial wolves? With that worry came an opposing sense of safety. Its source was simple. Aisling and Luc. He knew in his heart that no matter what the Prefects decided, his guardian and his spatial mentor would side with him. With Kiri in the mix, it felt nice to know he had support and friends.


    That however, was only his first concern. The second was if any issues had arisen from the killing of the Guard Inspector. At the time, he had felt like he didn¡¯t haven¡¯t a choice. In Etrua, the nobility had shown that they were above the law. His standing with the Guild should have offered some small amount of protection, but even after the Guard Inspector had been warned off by Princess Morgane, he had still doggedly pursued Nate. The man had even gone so far as to harm an innocent and threaten Nate¡¯s life. Nate didn¡¯t think Koriolos had been stupid. It had been the culture that told the man he could do whatever he wanted to those who weren¡¯t nobility. But going against the Princess meant he must have been confident in his backing. While an amateur at these political games, Nate considered two likely possibilities for Koriolos¡¯s behaviour. Either the man had the backing of a Ducal House or another member of the Royal Family. He didn¡¯t know which it was, and he had no way of finding out. Even looking into the man could connect Nate to his death. Well, connect him even more than he was already connected.


    The concern around killing the Guard Inspector had not caused any problems yet, but he wasn¡¯t convinced it would stay that way. So, when he had sat down in a sealed and warded room with Aisling, Luc, Evindal, Deverell, Frick, and Kiri, he had gone over everything. Much of it was rehashing topics they had already discussed. His room being burned down, being kicked out of the Enchanting class, his interaction with Caroline Lambert, his kidnapping, the battle that came after, the notebook they found and that Deverell had been looking into, their interactions with Koriolos and his subsequent death and how his corpse had been disposed of. Finally, he talked about the attack by House Desmarais. The meeting had stretched into the night and they had paused multiple times to have food and drink delivered as they deliberated over their plans and options.


    At one point Prefect Raoult had barged in to inform everyone, specifically Nate, that he would sit before the Guild Tribunal. The man had looked furious, but Nate could see the grief behind his eyes. Grief and fear. It had taken an explanation from Aisling that Etrua had always been a difficult country for the Guild, given the way they treated the populace and monopolised the ambient mana for use in Dungeons. If things went badly, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild outpost in Etrua could face some very challenging days in the near future.


    Aisling had comforted him, assuring him that it was not his burden to bear. Luc, unsurprisingly, had told him that if they needed to topple a few Noble Houses, that he was on board. There had been mention of looting which had gotten Frick excited enough that Kiri needed to tackle the goblin spirit to calm him down.


    Deverell had shared his findings from the notebook, which, when combined with Luc¡¯s underworld contacts, had painted a clear picture. Someone powerful had been running multiple operations around the country. The slaving operation in Helmfirth was only one such attempt. Deverell¡¯s suspicions were that they had been smuggling manerium, capturing powerful beasts in the Kirshell Mountains, as well as engaging in acts of theft from major merchant factions in Gashana. Finally, the possibility that they had been behind the attacks on Dungeons near the border of Asmuisil. Someone had been accumulating a great deal of wealth, though they didn¡¯t know who. At least not yet. While it all seemed to be criminal in nature, Nate didn¡¯t see how it was relevant to them, beyond the slaving operation on Helmfirth¡¯s doorstep. Still, more information was better than less.


    Luc had happily taken the powerful equipment they had looted from House Desmarais, and coupled with a number of samples from their Runecrafting Business, had taken his leave, headed for Asmuisil.


    With Evindal recovering and Deverell already looking into House Desmarais and the Guard Inspector, Nate had taken his leave of the Guild compound. Aisling accompanied Kiri and himself as they walked towards the University.


    ¡°The Tribunal will take a few days to convene. It will be a sealed room, meaning only the Prefects, the two of you, and any Guild Platinums who wish to be heard, will be present. I wouldn¡¯t worry too much. No matter how they want to spin it, you are entitled to defend yourself. And Nate, I am on your side. Just focus on your studies and your development. Leave the rest up to me,¡± said Aisling. He suspected she was trying to be comforting, but his stomach was doing flips. The Guild hadn¡¯t done so much for him that he had any issues with leaving them, but the same wasn¡¯t true for Aisling. He knew she would go in and fight for him. It didn¡¯t take much introspection to know that he wanted to repay the favour she had shown him. And she had always loved the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, even if she had been clear in her distaste for some of its members. He supposed that she loved the idea of the Guild. He could relate to that.


    Bidding her farewell at the gates of the University, they hadn¡¯t even been halfway to the fountain when Flash, Coralie and a girl he didn¡¯t recognise, but that he guessed was Flash¡¯s lady-love, Celeste, came running towards them. All three bore expressions of worry on their face, but it was Coralie who spoke, blurting out, ¡°Asmuisil has declared war.¡±


    The first thought that popped into Nate¡¯s mind was, should he care?

 Chapter 161 - Convenient Alliances

    Duchess Charlotte Desmarais stared at the pieces of ribbon hanging from the wall. They hung from the painting of a great tree that covered most of the wall. The entire piece had been her design. A representation of the many leaves of House Desmarais. Each ribbon was connected to the soul energy of one of the House¡¯s retainers. Only those who had achieved their Tertiary Class, with a few exceptions, like the Twins, warranted a place among the leaves of the tree. She had created each ribbon herself, forming the tether between the individual and their ribbon, before placing it on the tree. The perfect way to monitor those who served the House. The perfect way to see when a leaf fell from her tree.


    The ribbons could be used in a variety of ways, for those who knew how. If her people were captured, she could use a ribbon to kill them at a distance, keeping the secrets of the House intact. Or they could be used to send a memory or a message back to her. The equipment for such was expensive and did not survive the process so she had only sent Gordon with one of those so he could report his success. Finally, if the individual died, the ribbon would burn away as the soul energy link was severed.


    Yesterday afternoon there had been a little over fifty intact ribbons on display. This morning, there were eleven less. Almost a quarter of the House¡¯s Gold-tier and above fighting forces had been eliminated. It took her a minute to realise that the sound of screaming wasn¡¯t just in her mind as she released her pent-up rage. Rage and disappointment and fear. A ten-man kill squad and one of the House¡¯s three Platinum-tier retainers, all dead.


    Something must have gone wrong. Her first suspicion was Thousand Needles. The operation had only been approved after Gordon had confirmed that it was the Eternal Grove playing escort. That uppity elf was dangerous, but he was not a pure combatant. Gordon should have been enough to keep him occupied while the kill squad took care of the targets, before the overwhelming might of her team finished the elf off. But if Thousand Needles had been waiting in the wings, her forces would have been decimated. That man was built for fighting multiple opponents and against anyone weaker than himself he was an absolute menace. It was the same reason he was so often hired for high-tier Dungeon clears by the other Houses. Letting Thousand Needles loose on an Epic Dungeon¡¯s monster population was a relatively cheap and risk-free method for collecting processed mana. Why risk your own retainers, when you could just pay for that man to handle it? She had even heard rumours that he had lowered his prices even further in the last year, though the heavens only knew why he would do so.


    That had to be it. Thousand Needles appeared upon the battlefield and now her team was dead. Her gamble hadn¡¯t paid off, and instead of one problem she now had three. The little bastards had multiplied. Originally her main problem had been the possibility of those children being granted a Duchy. Now, she had the additional problems of a weakened House and the possibility of friction with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Would they attack her directly? Definitely not. The King wouldn¡¯t tolerate it. But indirectly? Undoubtedly. They would hike up the cost of jobs placed by the House to obscene levels and that was if they didn¡¯t simply have more of her Retainers assassinated. The Guild employed a few such individuals, though she wasn¡¯t sure of who exactly. Her attempts to infiltrate the Guild had, after all, been stymied.


    She restrained the urge to bite her nails. An abhorrent habit that she thought she had done away with entirely. Just as she moved to start tearing the burned ribbons off of the wall, she heard a knock at the door. Her servants knew better than to disturb her when she was in this room, so either it was incredibly important, or someone was about to have a very bad day.


    ¡°Come,¡± she called, preparing to berate her servant.


    The doors opened and were swiftly closed behind the mouse of a girl that had served her ever since she had married the Duke Desmarais. A wedding gift from her useless husband.


    ¡°Apologies, Duchess,¡± muttered the girl softly, unwilling to meet her eyes. ¡°There is a visitor here who has asked to see you. I didn¡¯t think you would want to keep them waiting.¡±


    ¡°Well, who is it?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before her servant could answer, the doors to her private study were forced open. Walking in as though he owned the place, strode the last person she had expected to see. A walking mountain of a man with short blonde hair and piercing green eyes, sitting above a chin carved from granite. Bordain Narthus, Second Prince of Etrua.


    With a casual wave of her hand, her servant fled the room, at least maintaining enough of her head to close the doors behind her. Charlotte used that moment to study the Prince. The Royal Family of Etrua was large, but was one of three who stood in current contention to assume the throne.


    The First Prince, Thane Narthus, was much like his father, the King. In both policy, opinion, and if rumours were to be believed, Classes. He was also the second strongest individual in Etrua, rumoured to be firmly entrenched in the lower gem realms, using standard Adventuring Guild rankings. His faction was the strongest of the three contenders, and he held the most sway with the Noble Houses of Etrua, her own included. They had remained staunch supporters of Thane, after all, she would always back the Royal most likely to ascend to the throne.


    Then there was Princess Morgane, the youngest of the three but considered a genius in her own right. She was a progressive, the very idea making Catherine itch. The Princess had pushed for higher taxes on the Nobility as well as more powerful protections for the unwashed masses. Such would have been ludicrous, but wealth spoke a language all its own and the Princess had a myriad of supporters in the poorer Noble Houses and the upper-class Merchants. It was easy to see how she could gather such support, when she pointed to the success of their neighbouring country of Asmuisil. The merchants saw opportunity and the poorest among the Nobles saw a way to climb out of the pits they had dug for themselves.


    Finally, there was Bordain. He held the smallest contingent among the Noble Houses. It was said he was more powerful than Thane had been at the same age. But Thane had the advantage of a decade on him and that was a tall hill to climb, indeed. His positions were also hard for many of the Nobility to swallow. Bordain, it seemed, believed only in power. For those who lacked it, they would see themselves stripped of land, title and likely lives, as only the strongest were granted Noble Dominion. In Bordain¡¯s own words, even now, the power of Etrua was diluted by allowing so many Noble Houses to exist. Less was more. Less people, more power. Some gathered to his banner, but not enough. So, she wondered, what does he want from me?If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Duchess Desmarais, you have suffered an unfortunate event,¡± stated Bordain coldly, his voice a deep rumble through her study.


    ¡°And what unfortunate event is that?¡± she asked. There was no way he could know. It had barely been a day.


    ¡°Do you think I do not watch the City I live in?¡± the Prince asked cooly. ¡°A team of eleven Retainers of House Desmarais recently entered the Capital. They were led by your pet Lava Mage. They spent days watching the gates, until finally leaving shortly after a team from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild left, led by the Eternal Grove. My spies tell me your team followed them, before setting up a day away from the City. Clearly an ambush. Now, my spies did not manage to see the clash, as they were otherwise engaged. What they did see was the Adventurer¡¯s Guild members returning to the Capital short two members. As for the battlefield? A new grove and signs of blood and death.¡±


    She watched, a sense of horror crawling through her veins, as Bordain looked up at her tree upon the wall.


    ¡°I count eleven burned ribbons. So, they are truly dead. A mild concern for me. A major setback for you.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she hissed through clenched teeth.


    ¡°To save you from yourself. To rescue you from your weakness. To usher you onto the right path. The path of power.¡±


    ¡°And the price?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Your resources. I need to borrow some of your strength to augment my own. I need you to help me kill my sister.¡±


    She read his face, his body language. Shielded as his soul was, she couldn¡¯t read his mind. Everything told her that he was deadly serious. Her gamble had failed. Was this the path out of the hole she had dug for herself? Or simply the nail in her coffin before she was buried in that same hole.


    ¡°And in return?¡± she whispered, already feeling her resolve crumbling.


    ¡°I told you. Power. Which of your fellow Duchies would you like control of when I ascend to the throne?¡±


    She hated herself a little as she waved Bordain Narthus to a seat and prepared herself for making a deal with a devil.


    *************


    ¡°This can¡¯t be the way!¡± Coralie yelled.


    ¡°It is the only way,¡± answered her mother icily. ¡°Every rule I have bent, every action I have taken, is to see us gain the kind of life we deserve. The gifts I guided you to. The tasks I put to the Guild so that I could raise you as perfectly as possible, all with the goal of us ascending to greater heights. Now, finally, we have our chance. You will enrol in the war effort with Asmuisil. Due to your association with the Guild, you will have some say in which cohort you will be assigned to. The King has set all three of the contenders for the throne a front to defend. You will assist Princess Morgane to the best of your abilities. You will do as she asks. I don¡¯t care if she demands you lick her boots! You will do it! You will get close to her. And then, when the signal is given, you will pour this into one of her drinks. With this one action, you will gain us everything we ever wanted.¡±


    Coralie glared at the tiny vial of clear liquid her Mother was holding.


    ¡°Everything you ever wanted,¡± she whispered.


    She didn¡¯t even see her mother¡¯s hand blur as it caught her across the cheek, sending her to the floor with blood leaking from her mouth.


    ¡°How dare you spit on the efforts I have taken for you!¡±


    Her mother continued to yell, to berate her, but she tuned it out. It was nothing she hadn¡¯t heard before, even if it was getting worse. She just didn¡¯t know what to do about it. Her mother was, at least, partially right. She had made many sacrifices to advance Coralie down her path. An ice affinity in a place like Etrua was almost unheard of. The expenses to develop her affinity and maintain it had been exorbitant. She had often heard it whispered that of the three Prefects, Evelynn, her mother, was the strongest. She could have gotten assigned to another Guild Headquarters, in a better country, with more opportunities. Yet they had stayed in Etrua. Coralie had always wondered why. Now she knew. Her mother dreamed of them becoming Nobility. Could she do this thing to give her Mother what she had always wanted? The tears on her cheek had already frozen, her loss of emotional control releasing some of her own mana. Her mother knelt next to her, treating her wounded cheek.


    ¡°Just this one last thing, dearest, then we can finally be free,¡± whispered her Mother, as she wiped the blood from Coralie¡¯s lips.


    It was always one last thing, thought Coralie, already knowing she would do as her Mother asked. As she had always done, even when it tore her apart to do so. Another sliver of hate took root in her heart, but she couldn¡¯t tell if it was directed at her mother, or at herself.


    *************


    Arikanvil turned over the orb in his hand, reviewing it with his spatial senses. It was his first prototype and it was as imperfect as he might have expected it to be. He was no Rune Lord, but he had done the best with what he could. It was enough. Enough to prove that his hopes were possible. That freedom was possible. He could refine the design, improve the accuracy, but it lacked the materials he required. Materials that would be very difficult for him to obtain. The very idea that he, who could go anywhere, bypass any barrier, step through universes uncounted, The Wanderer himself, could not obtain the objects he desired, was infuriating!


    The room shook and he was forced to suppress his rage, lest he damage the research station. His Heralds were not due back any time soon and finding them to draw them back early would come with its own costs. He had waited this long. He could wait a little longer.


    Turning his attention to the green and blue sphere below his orbiting research station, he considered another option. The boy from a Dead Realm and his friend were both ascending faster than he would have predicted. There were risks involved in that. Risks they were entirely ignorant of, on this backwater of a planet in a relatively weak universe. He had avoided going to them, so far. One resonance was an anomaly; two, however, was a sign of things to come. He could descend and give them the advice they needed, and in return they could do him a service or three. The Dead Realm technology had, after-all, paved the way for his prototype. Perhaps the society that created such had other knowledge that could assist him. And with his advice, the pair would be qualified to repay the debt. Reciprocity would be maintained. The System would have its due.


    Sitting down at his desk he began planning how much he would tell them. He needed them pliable enough that the knowledge had value while keeping enough back that they couldn¡¯t escape their debt to him. Reciprocity was difficult because The System cared more about how much the individual valued something than any arbitrary value of a thing. It knew how much he valued his project and therefore its price would be exorbitant. The scales had to be balanced, lest he find himself indebted to these children.


    His calculations came to a quick conclusion. It was too soon. They were close, but not close enough. They weren¡¯t desperate. Not yet, anyway. But, they would be soon ¨C and that was the moment he would strike. With his plans satisfied, he returned to his prototype. He had enough time to create a second one. Freedom was so close, yet so far away, but the space between things had never been an issue for him. He would finally bridge that gap and break free of this cage.

 Chapter 162 - Divisive Tribunal

    Nate stared out the third-story window of the Adventurer''s Guild, wondering what his enemies were planning while he waited for his ostensible allies to decide his punishment. Kiri stood next to him as the pair waited to be called in for the tribunal. Frick was quiet, resting inside of the Familiar Contract. Through his sphere of awareness, he sensed three people ascend the stairs, entering the room after glancing at himself and Kiri. He knew what they were, if not who they were. It had been three days since their return to the Capital after the ambush on the plains beyond the city. Rather than everything returning to normal, life in the Capital had been turned on its head.


    The news that Asmuisil had declared war spread like wildfire. Even as the whole city reeled, the impact was most obvious at the University. The palatial grounds had become like a ghost-town, with a majority of the students taking a leave of absence and returning to their parents'' holdings. For the merchants, that mostly meant villas within the Capital itself. The nobility, however, had fled the city en-masse, returning to their lands.


    Of course, some of the students had stayed, either because they had nowhere else to go, because they were directed to by their families, or in open defiance of their parents¡¯ wishes. Celeste, Flash¡¯s girlfriend, was one of the latter.


    While the University had become eerily empty and quiet, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild was like a kicked ants¡¯ nest. Platinum and Gold ranked teams had been recalled, with some being immediately dispatched with duties to reinforce the Dungeon Forts under the Guild¡¯s control. Kiri said she had barely seen Deverell, busy as he was gathering information throughout the Capital, though Nate noted he had seen almost as little of his sister. She was up to something as well. Nate had simply reminded her to be careful. He¡¯d also recharged her Soul Release bracer. As long as she couldn¡¯t be locked down, she could escape.


    The news of war had also frustrated his mentor, Luc. The man had intended to leave immediately for Asmuisil with their pile of ill-gotten goods and the first batch of runecrafted equipment meant for sale in the neighbouring country. Instead, the Arcane Riftwalker had been forced to remain in the Capital for the Tribunal and the meeting to follow. Nate suspected that the Guild would be deciding how or if it would be involved in the conflict between the two nations.


    He had considered trying to listen in on any preliminary discussions, but the warding on the room kept his Farsight of the Runic Artist Skill from penetrating the walls easily. He could brute force it but that would no doubt set off the alarms built into the enchantments. It was times like these that he wished, for the barest of moments, that he had taken the Skill evolution that would have made his sphere of awareness more difficult to detect. The farsight sphere that let him sense areas at a distance was far too useful to not have been his choice, but if he could hide his sensory ability he might have been able to worm his sensory Skill through the wards and listen in on the conversation within.


    ¡°Just do what they said,¡± whispered Kiri, picking up on his worry as she patted him on the shoulder. Or the barrier that covered his shoulder, at least. He appreciated the gesture, but he was still paranoid about sudden attacks and kept his barrier up at all times, in one form or another.


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied. ¡°Still bothers me.¡±


    Aisling and Evindal had prepped them both for what would be involved in the Tribunal. As they had been attacked, they had done no wrong in the eyes of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild charter. However, the Guild was forced to work within the laws of the country it resided in. In most nations, that law would have been on their side as well, but in Etrua it got a tad murky. The nobility and their retainers were often given leave to do whatever they wished, within reason. The law¡¯s job was to support their actions, rather than limit them. Aisling had gone on to explain that the Tribunal would focus on whether the whole issue should be covered up and denied by the Guild or if the pair would need to be whisked away, potentially to another country.


    Normally, being whisked away to another country might have worked for Nate. Kiri too, as she seemed to hold no loyalty to Etrua. I wonder why, Nate thought, trying not to smirk at the idea. Fleeing to another country might have been an excellent idea, given the plethora of issues that had slowly surrounded himself and Kiri. A dead noble in the form of Fabien Lussier. A dead high-end Enchanter in the form of Caroline Lambert. Some smuggling team working for someone in the nobility. One dead Guard Inspector, and finally another eleven retainers from a Ducal House. Every single one had been an act of self-defense, but he doubted the Etruan Nobility would see it that way. No, it would be best for them to leave. Except for the part where Asmuisil had just declared war and the fact that the Etruan Nation would likely see such high-profile individuals leaving the nation as an act of aggression by the Guild. Because, of course, Aisling, Evindal, Luc and Deverell had all said that they would come with them. Three Platinums and the first placements in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild University Entrance Tournament all fleeing across the border, any border, would be viewed as the Guild potentially assisting Asmuisil. Nate had to quietly admit it probably wouldn¡¯t have helped their case as they picked up Kiri¡¯s parents, which included her ex-Royal Ranger father, as they made their escape.


    So, fleeing the country wasn¡¯t an option. That meant a cover up. That was Aisling¡¯s position, and he had to admit, the more he spoke with his guardian, the more he thought she would do amazingly as a Guild Prefect. If it was to be a cover up, Aisling had prepared the pair for the kinds of questioning that would be involved.


    Before he could continue that line of thinking, the door opened behind them to show Aisling¡¯s face.


    ¡°They¡¯re ready,¡± she said, opening the door further to usher them in.


    The room itself had clearly been rearranged for the purpose of the Tribunal. When he had been in this room before, it had been arranged like a corporate meeting room, with a long table and chairs around it, with a few pieces of ¡®art¡¯ on the wall. He used that term loosely as some of that art was decorative weapons or monster heads mounted on plaques. Maybe a hunting lodge would have been a better description than a corporate meeting room. This time, however, the tables had been rearranged and he couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of a courtroom. The Prefects were arranged in comfortable chairs behind a table at the far end of the room, framed by the largest monster head- a light yellow-scaled lizard of some kind, with the head almost as large as Nate¡¯s entire body.


    Each Prefect had a different expression on their face. Prefect Porter, the oldest, looked bored. From the small interactions Nate had with the man, he was sure the Earth Mage thought this was an utter waste of time. Next to him, seated in the middle, was Prefect Allais. The icy look in her eyes mirrored her daughter''s affinity for mana. Nate had quietly hoped that Kiri¡¯s relationship with Coralie would go in their favor, but one look at the woman and that hope grew wings and flew away. Finally, there was Null¡¯s Father, Prefect Raoult. At first, Nate had worried about him the most. Prefect Raoult had been furious upon their return. The deaths of the two Gold-ranked bodyguards had clearly weighed heavily on the man. But he must have spent more time with his son since then, as the look on his face spoke of gratitude rather than anger. Saving his son counted for something after all.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Without looking to his left, Nate sensed another series of tables and seats which were also occupied. There were twelve seats in total, though only seven were filled. Platinums. Aisling, Evindal and Luc sat at one end, while another group of three, made up of two women and one man sat next to them with an empty seat separating acting as a buffer. Finally, what looked like a lone man wearing a black mask sat at the far end. All their veils were up, but Nate¡¯s Conceptual Insight had been growing stronger, and it hummed to him about the lone masked person. Nate had to restrain from turning his head to look at her. Her, because the Concept of Illusion she was utilizing did nothing to hide her from his sphere of awareness and he could sense enough to identify what she really was. He suspected even the mask was an illusion. He might not have been able to tell exactly, was he not so acquainted with the Concept of Illusion. But since the Illusion Sigil he possessed was Master-Tier, it was easy to see it mirrored in this individual. Either they were less careful than they should have been, or they truly didn¡¯t expect to need to be in their current company.


    Nate filed the information away for later. Finally, Deverell sat alone, with an enchanted pen and paper. Clearly he intended to take meeting notes. Nate kept his eyes on the front of the room as Prefect Allais broke the uneasy silence.


    ¡°We will now commence the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Tribunal. Absence of the Windrunners Team is noted with the additional comment that it is expected as they are on assignment at the border with Gashana and could not return in time. Present are Prefects Porter, Raoult and Allais. We will forgo titles in lieu of names. Platinums present are Aisling Teigland, Lord Evindal Ravalynn, Luc Crozier, Helen Jamison, Kartia Jamison, Portos Jamison and Avery. Deverell Courbet will be taking notes for the Tribunal. The first issue for discussion is the battle between Retainers of the Ducal House Desmarais and the following Guild members: Platinum Ranked Evindal Ravalynn, Gold Ranks Jonathan Stonik and Blaise Hargier, Silver Ranks Kiri Beaufoy, Null Raoult, Brittany Lavaud and Nathaniel Weber. Of the Ducal House Desmarais Retainers, there were eleven combatants, ten Gold-Ranked Retainers and the Platinum-Ranked Retainer Gordon. All combatants of House Desmarais were killed in combat. Of the Guild combatants, the Gold Ranks perished in the battle, their remains recovered by the Guild. The Silver Ranks Brittany and Null have provided testimony.¡±


    Nate watched as Prefect Allais paused for a moment - motioning to Deverell - who quickly stood and moved to hand out some paper to the various Platinum teams. It was times like these that Nate wondered if he should evolve Farsight of the Runic Artist to actually give him vision, rather than just sensory feedback. He wouldn¡¯t have minded reading their testimonies. The pause in the proceedings was short-lived as Deverell returned to his seat and Prefect Allais continued.


    ¡°Finally, we have the two presumed targets of the attack, Silver Ranks Nathaniel Weber and Kiri Beaufoy before us. We will be using this Tribunal to determine the Guild¡¯s response. The first¡­¡±


    ¡°This says the Silver Rank Nathaniel Weber killed six Gold-Ranked Retainers,¡± stated Avery, interrupting Evelynn Allais.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied the Prefect with a straight face, though Nate could sense a slight twitch of annoyance in her fingers beneath the table.


    Avery, the female Illusionist, turned her attention to Nate, ¡°How? The testimony from Null Raoult only loosely describes what they witnessed.¡±


    Even her voice sounded masculine. He wasn¡¯t sure if she was just naturally modifying her voice or if her control of Illusion extended to both light and sound.


    Ignoring his curiosity, Nate opened his mouth to respond, only for Avery to continue.


    ¡°Of the two testimonies, only Null Raoult was able to describe what he witnessed. He says you launched one of them into the sky. Given your history, we can surmise this was done with a Gravity spell. However, redirecting a lightning bolt as thick as a tree into the individual is a far more challenging endeavour. It¡¯s the next part that I am curious about though. Null says it looked to him like the world fractured like a mirror. Then, fractured again, ¡®slicing the attackers to small pieces¡¯. Now, that sounds like high-level Spatial Magic. There was mention of a being that looked like transparent purple blocks being involved. Please explain.¡±


    Nate had been growing more and more worried as Avery went on, but the politeness at the end threw him for a loop. His mind processed the possibilities quickly and he came to a simple conclusion. Avery was interested in his skillset. The solo Platinum, as he was beginning to suspect they were, saw him as potentially useful. She wasn¡¯t accusing him, she was assessing him.


    He let the silence drag on for a moment before answering, ¡°Is it pertinent to the inquiry? I would rather not disclose my Skills, if that is permissible.¡±


    He had channelled a little of Kiri¡¯s litigious nature into his response, but the reaction it generated was instantaneous.


    ¡°It is pertinent,¡± stated Prefect Allais.


    ¡°No, it ain¡¯t,¡± responded Porter. ¡°Kid doesn¡¯t haf ta give you his secrets jus¡¯ cause ya wanna know. That ain¡¯t what we¡¯re here for anyway. We¡¯re here ta find out why House Desmarais wanted em dead, and what we¡¯re gonna do about it. Whose side ya on anyway?¡±


    Nate felt a sense of satisfaction as Prefect Allais¡¯s jaw clenched, but she didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk later,¡± whispered into his ear in Avery¡¯s voice and he confirmed the woman could also use Sound Spells or Skills. Though, he supposed, an enchanted item was a possibility too, if unlikely.


    ¡°So, any ideas as to why?¡± asked Prefect Raoult, directing his question at Kiri and Nate.


    Thankfully, Aisling had helped them prepare their responses.


    ¡°Our only suspicion is that it relates to the uncovering of the two Unseen in the Tournament,¡± answered Nate with more confidence than he felt.


    The room quieted as everyone digested that. It didn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Nothing else? Nothing at the University?¡± pressed Prefect Raoult.


    ¡°Not to our knowledge,¡± answered Kiri. ¡°We¡¯ve had no interactions with anyone bearing the name of Desmarais at the University.¡±


    ¡°And they wouldn¡¯t have,¡± injected Avery. ¡°Their eldest daughter is too old and the rumours are she has not left their Estate in years. She may even be dead already. As for their youngest and the presumed heir to House Desmarais, he isn¡¯t old enough to attend. Though he, at least, is known to be alive, travelling in the circles of the young Etruan Nobility.¡±


    ¡°So, tha reason is unknown. But tha¡¯ don¡¯t feckin matter do it?¡± growled Porter. ¡°Far as we can tell, this was an unprovoked attack on the Guild and its members. An¡¯ it was planned. They even sent in a Platinum to try an¡¯ deal with Lord Evindal. So the question ain¡¯ what did tha kids do. It¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna do to tell the Nobles we ain¡¯ to be fucked with!¡±


    The room erupted as everyone tried to add their own opinion, quickly devolving into a shouting match. At Deverell¡¯s direction, Nate and Kiri moved to some seats on the side of the room. Nate kept his eyes on Avery, even when he sensed the woman get up and move over to join him. She had left her illusion behind, seated where it was, involving itself in the shouting match. Things were getting interesting. He really wished they weren¡¯t, though.

 Chapter 163 - State of the Union

    Nate sensed Avery¡¯s approach, even as his eyes told him there was nothing there. Kiri sat beside him, watching the shouting match between the Guild Platinums, Prefects included. Luc, unsurprisingly, bayed for the blood of House Desmarais. Evindal half-heartedly tried to calm the man down. Nate¡¯s normally calm and controlled guardian, Aisling, yelled at Prefect Allais, the air between them charged.  Prefects Raoult and Porter had both stood and were yelling at each other while the trio of Platinums with the surname Jamison argued with the illusion Avery had left behind.


    It was the last interaction that piqued his curiosity. Personally, he could comfortably split his attention three ways. Uncomfortably, he could manage four. He wasn¡¯t certain of the maths, but he suspected every additional one hundred and fifty in Intellect let you split your attention an additional time. He knew Kiri was working towards achieving at least that much in her own Intellect, based on his suggestion. That was why Avery interested him. Unless she was using some Skill that allowed her to give an Illusion a semblance of her personality, she was splitting her attention three ways. There was the possibility that what she was doing was all Skill based, but he doubted it. She had two different Illusions going ¨C the one that was making her invisible, and the one that made it look like she was still sitting in her seat, looking like a man, and arguing with the Jamisons. That last one meant she also had to be monitoring the argument since it was clear she was responding to what they said.


    As Avery slipped into a seat near Nate, he acknowledged he had two choices. He could ignore her, pretending not to notice, and see what she did. Alternatively, he could let her know he was aware of her, and see where that led. He intentionally ignored his third option, which would be to use an Illusion runic array to try and actively oppose her Illusions. Not only was there no reason to do so, but he wasn¡¯t convinced he could succeed. She was, after all, a Platinum.


    Thinking through his options, he decided to see what she wanted. It meant revealing a small amount of his sensory capabilities, but it wouldn¡¯t tell her how he was doing it. Only that he could. Besides, he was curious about what she wanted.


    Turning his head, as though to look out the window behind them, he whispered quietly, ¡°What do you want, Avery?¡±


    The only reaction was a slight shift in the woman''s posture, though he could only sense it, the illusion still hiding her from his sight.


    ¡°So it was you. I was wondering if it was one of the others. It feels almost like something running its hands gently over me. Some form of mana sensing? Don¡¯t tell me. It¡¯ll be more fun figuring it out on my own. I only have one question. Did you deserve to be attacked?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he stated confidently.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I needed. Let''s talk again soon. Don¡¯t worry about House Desmarais. Whatever the Prefects decide, no one attacks the Guild and gets away with it. Pleasure meeting you, Nathaniel.¡±


    With those words, the woman drifted back to her seat, sitting exactly where her illusion was waving an arm threateningly at one of the two Jamison women.


    ¡°I like her,¡± said Frick into his mind. ¡°Think she can make herself look like a goblin?¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes at Frick. He knew his Familiar was just trying to cheer him up, but now really wasn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°Order! Calm down everyone!¡± yelled Prefect Raoult, finally bringing the outburst to a close. ¡°It¡¯s agreed that, as far as we can tell, this attack was unprovoked. Which means, it warrants a response.¡±


    A grunt of agreement from Porter and a vicious grin from Luc were quickly silenced as Raoult continued, ¡°However, Prefect Allais makes a good point. With the declaration of war by Asmuisil, an overt attack against House Desmarais in response could be seen as the Guild supporting Asmuisil. As such, we will delay our response till the timing is better politically.¡±


    The room erupted into shouts again as Kiri leaned over to whisper angrily to him, ¡°Fucking cowards! They¡¯re going to sit on their hands and do nothing!¡±


    Nate nodded his agreement and patted his sister on her back. Maybe he was becoming jaded, but he hadn¡¯t expected the Guild to rise to their defence. Luc, Aisling, Evindal and Deverell would, of course, but the Guild as a whole would act to protect the whole, not the individuals. A response was warranted, but politics got in the way. It had been a long time since Helmfirth. Over a year at least. But even then, he had seen the Guild''s hands were tied in this country. What could they do? Complain to the King about a Ducal House? In this country, the Nobility did whatever they wanted and only feared the reprisals from other Noble Houses.


    ¡°Quiet down,¡± grunted Porter. ¡°We¡¯ll put it to a vote.¡±


    The old Earth Mage sounded resigned and Nate understood why. The Prefects'' votes counted for two while the Platinums¡¯ votes counted for one. It was a decent system, since it meant if the Platinums disagreed with the direction the Guild was taking, they could overrule the Prefects. But they would need to be united in their opposition, and the Jamisons clearly agreed with Prefect Allais.


    ¡°Those in favour of delaying our response to the attack by House Desmarais, raise your hands,¡± intoned Raoult.


    Among the Prefects, both Raoult and Allais raised their hands. Among the Platinums, all the Jamisons raised theirs, while Avery and his own guardians and mentor kept theirs down.


    ¡°Seven against six. We will delay the response. Note down the votes,¡± Raoult reacted, the last of his words directed at Deverell.


    Nate swallowed his disappointment, even as he sensed Kiri seething next to him. Though, even with the Guild¡¯s ruling, there was Avery¡¯s words and Luc¡¯s disposition to consider. Avery, it seemed, would act regardless, though given her apparent Skillset, he expected it would be covert. Luc on the other hand, was known for doing whatever he wanted anyway. He doubted his mentor would obey the directive. That meant he had a little to look forward to, even if the Guild itself had not backed them.


    ¡°Second order of business, the declaration of war by Asmuisil,¡± stated Prefect Allais, moving the topic along, before glancing at Nate and Kiri. ¡°You two may leave.¡±


    ¡°I request they stay,¡± stated Aisling.


    ¡°Why?¡± demanded Allais in annoyance.


    ¡°They will be returning to the University after this. They can inform the rest of our students of the Guild¡¯s response. Our response will be disseminated to the rest of the Guild, will it not?¡±


    ¡°Fine. If there are no objections?¡± Allais asked, looking around. Nate suppressed a laugh as he sensed one of the Jamisons raise their hand. Avery had hidden the movement of the Platinum and they hadn¡¯t noticed. Instead the Platinum looked snubbed when Allais continued.


    ¡°With the declaration of war, the Etruan Nobility has moved to prepare. While we were not invited to any discussions, we have received confirmation of the King''s intentions. It seems he is viewing this as a method to further choose his heir. The information provided to us has detailed the intention of creating three armies, each under the command of one of his children. To no one''s surprise, the three are First Prince Thane, Second Prince Bordain, and First Princess Morgane. All three have sent requests to the Guild for multiple job postings.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°How does that work with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Asmuisil?¡± blurted out Kiri.


    With an annoyed sigh, Prefect Allais replied.


    ¡°As the Guild is apolitical in nature, we neither support nor oppose wars between countries. In the case of Guild members, the jobs on offer will range from support, to logistics, to actual combatants. For anyone taking jobs that relate to the war, they will receive a token that links to their soul energy and identifies their ranks. The Guild will pay for any token returned, so long as the link remains intact, meaning the Guild member is still alive. This encourages both members of the Guild and others to leave our members alive. It also encourages our members to return to their Guild Headquarters if they are defeated and their token taken. Accidents still happen, but this keeps the death rate of our members quite low. In addition, during times of such upheaval, we often see an increase in more common job requests, depending on how much of the populace is sent to war. Now, if I can continue?¡±


    The look Allais shot Kiri was icy.


    ¡°Of the three heirs,¡± continued Allais, ¡°all three have made job offers that include Platinums. There are, of course, a number of Gold and Silver ranked jobs offered as well. Any opposition to accepting these job posting requests?¡±


    No one raised a hand.


    ¡°If there are no other issues to be raised, that concludes the Tribunal.¡±


    Aisling smiled, ¡°I propose that Nathaniel Weber and Kiri Beaufoy be raised to Gold-rank. Their skills and actions against House Desmarais act as proof of their rank capability.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± laughed Porter, ¡°Seconded!¡±


    Nate could sense Prefect Allais grinding her teeth, ¡°All in favour?¡±


    Hands shot up, including Prefect Raoult and two of the Jamisons.


    ¡°Approved. Since you seconded it, Porter, you can handle the administration. Now, if that¡¯s everything?¡±


    Silence reigned for a moment before Porter muttered loudly, ¡°Concluded.¡±


    Everyone began filing out and Nate heard another whisper by his ear, ¡°Let''s talk soon.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what he had done to garner Avery¡¯s interest, but he wasn¡¯t opposed to seeing what the Platinum wanted. Besides, he really liked her skillset. Illusions were a form of art after all. Moving art. Not quite the way he wanted to focus his Classes, but still something he was interested in, and her application of Illusion had been amazing to witness. Especially since he could see behind the curtain.


    ¡°Let''s get lunch,¡± suggested Aisling as they all walked out together. Everyone agreed and they headed towards one of the inns before gathering in one of the private dining rooms. The moment the room was warded Kiri and Luc started griping.


    ¡°That was bullshit!¡± yelled Kiri angrily.


    ¡°Fucking cowards,¡± muttered Luc.


    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s go goblin-mode on those assholes!¡± yelled Frick as he materialised from Nate¡¯s Familiar Contract.


    Evindal took a seat, waiting for Aisling to take control of the situation.


    ¡°I agree with you. Both of you,¡± stated Aisling. ¡°But for now, we need to plan what we are going to do given the situation.¡±


    ¡°Do we leave?¡± asked her husband.


    ¡°What? No!¡± interjected Kiri. ¡°My family and Coralie are here. We stay and we fight!¡±


    ¡°Against Asmuisil?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°No, against House Desmarais!¡± replied Kiri, followed by agreement from Luc.


    ¡°If we openly oppose House Desmarais, the Guild will throw us to the wolves,¡± commented Evindal.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to change because of the war? How will they fight?¡± asked Nate.


    The room quietened and he was surprised when it was Deverell who answered, the Dagger Dancer taking his seat and looking around.


    ¡°Etrua and its neighbours take different approaches to each other in the accrual of power. Etrua consolidates it in the hands of the Nobility. It does this by controlling a large amount of the ambient mana throughout the nation, directing it to Dungeons, which it then uses to empower said Nobility. The Kirshell Mountains, to the North, take a different approach.¡±


    Deverell paused to glance at Aisling as he said this, and she took the hint, continuing the explanation.


    ¡°There is no control of the ambient mana in my homeland. The mana flows constantly shift and the Clans are nomadic by nature as they follow these shifting mana flows. Our population is smaller, but we make up for this by utilising tamed beasts. Many among the Clans follow Beastmaster-type Classes. I was an exception as a Clan Chief¡¯s daughter with an unusually high affinity for storm mana. The Clans are also as likely to fight each other as they are outsiders.¡±


    Deverell nodded his thanks before continuing his explanation.


    ¡°Gashana to the south is mostly desert. Their population is heavily concentrated in cities. In addition, controlling the ambient mana in the desert is significantly easier than it is in Etrua.¡±


    Nate tuned out for a moment, wondering if the reason it was easier was the lack of geometry within the land itself. Deserts weren¡¯t barren of life, but it was significantly reduced. Did that make it easier to draw mana towards gathering arrays?


    ¡°...the main difference in Gashana is that the gathered mana is not directed heavily towards Dungeons. That is likely because they have far fewer Dungeons than other regions. Instead the mana is gathered and often traded with their many neighbours. They are ruled by a Council of Merchants.¡±


    ¡°Then there is Asmuisil. In many ways, their country in terms of land and denizens, is similar to Etrua. They also gather a great deal of their ambient mana. The difference is in what they do with their mana. Where Etrua directs it to Dungeons which it then uses to empower the Nobility, Asmuisil sells it to their populace. They have far more crafters and the average level of their populace is higher than Etrua. Though they have plenty of Dungeons, likely more than Etrua does, they recharge slower as they¡¯re not constantly fed mana. That influences how the two countries fight and wage war. Etrua uses a smaller number of more powerful individuals. They¡¯ll treat their army like fodder, using it to wear down their opponents. Asmuisil will have heavily equipped individuals and empowerment enchantments.¡±


    When Nate raised an eyebrow at the last statement Deverell answered him immediately, ¡°Empowerment enchantments are designed to direct a portion of the power of individuals to a recipient. They¡¯ll use their army to empower specific individuals to match the Etruan Nobility, who are the most likely high-level combatants Etrua will field. In response, Etrua will likely use a crude militia to attack those empowerment enchantments. That is what we can expect.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s our plan?¡± asked Kiri.


    ¡°I¡¯m still going to Asmuisil,¡± replied Luc. ¡°Not like they can stop me and we have a lot to sell. Not just the Epic equipment but Jacque has been busy and the Guild''s appetite for the runecrafted items is too low. If we can start selling to Asmuisil, or maybe even to Gashana, the coin and mana will flow in waves.¡±


    ¡°I vote we steer clear of the war,¡± replied Nate, looking at Kiri.


    ¡°I agree,¡± she stated quickly.


    ¡°Should we leave the Capital?¡± Nate asked, turning to Aisling.


    ¡°That could make us more exposed, and risk our business,¡± replied Kiri.


    ¡°I agree with Kiri,¡± answered Aisling. ¡°But it depends on what you want to do. Many of the Guild members will take the jobs offered by the Royals and join the Etruan war effort. They will pay well, because they can. The University may close its doors temporarily, which would free the two of you up to take a lot of jobs around the Capital and in its nearby environs. You could advance quickly, while supporting your growing business. But, it is slightly risky. Leaving might also impact your ability to craft as much¡­¡±


    Even though Aisling didn¡¯t say it out loud he knew she was referring to the mana he was stealing from the Capital¡¯s mana pipelines. He might still be able to get a decent amount in the wilds, maybe even constructing his own large mana gathering array, but doing so would take time and cut him off from the resources of the Guild, the University and the Capital itself.


    ¡°Alright, if we¡¯re not running, then we¡¯re consolidating. I¡¯ll be turning the workshop from a reinforced shop into a fortress.¡±


    The smiles on everyone''s faces told him they were happy with his decision. It was only after they were halfway through eating their lunch together that it occurred to him that everyone had deferred to his opinion. Leadership, he thought, was not something he had intended, but for the sake of his friends and family, he would do what was best for them. All of them.

 Chapter 164 - Silken Synergy

    Nate lay on his enchanted cloud bed staring at the ceiling of his room. The normally plain dark stone edifice was instead lit up with swirls of colour that he occasionally shifted into particular shapes. Ships, animals, sometimes just landscapes. The Illusion Shaping runic array was easy to control since his many Intents let him guide the appearance into any form he wanted. The act of creating art directly from his mind, even temporarily, was relaxing for him. Though it was nowhere near as enjoyable as creating lasting art. That meant he would visit the Slums tonight. Another shop would become the beneficiary of one of his art works.


    With a sigh, he flicked his eyes at Frick. The blue goblin spirit was sitting calmly on the table, channelling Conceptual Material into a metal plate. The affinity for the Concept of Space was already emanating off the Rare material and it would continue to grow over the next few weeks. The metal plate was to be his first Mythic material, utilising his Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil. Frick caught his glance and morphed his nose into one single large nostril before pretending to pick it with a clawed finger.


    Nate rolled his eyes but didn¡¯t miss the message. He was putting off his planning because he was still a little annoyed about the outcome of the Tribunal. The Prefects had agreed to a Guild response against House Desmarais when it was convenient, which was just another way of saying never. Logically, Nate knew that Luc would respond anyway. Avery too, probably. He didn¡¯t know the Platinum Illusionist well enough to be confident in the woman''s assertions. Then again, he also didn¡¯t have a reason to think she was lying. Certainly, Luc, Aisling and Evindal had all believed him when he told them what Avery had said to him.


    Still, even knowing someone was going to respond, he was angry at Prefects Allais and Raoult for not backing him. He was a member of the Guild. A Gold-ranked member now, in fact. And even knowing that, they had backed down. Their response was infuriating.


    Calming himself down, he realised worse than their response was his reaction to it. He was letting it distract him from doing the things he wanted to do. His art, planning his skill development, runecrafting or spending time with Kiri or Britt.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said to Frick.


    ¡°No problemo, Boss man. Seemed like you were getting stuck in your head again! So, what¡¯s the plan? We gonna gut our enemies? Wage war goblin-style on them!¡±


    Nate laughed, ¡°That depends. Does goblin-style involve trying to attack using overwhelming numbers and then fleeing when we get stomped?¡±


    ¡°Nah Boss. Goblins can be sneaky. Let''s blow up their house!¡±


    Nate gave it a moment of thought. Blowing up the House Desmarais estate would certainly be cathartic. Destroying their lands had the added benefit of potentially removing an enemy that had shown they were willing to have him killed. But was it the best use of his time? Especially when Luc would act.


    ¡°Put it down as an option. I want to see what Luc and Avery do first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Boss. Whatcha going to do then?¡± asked Frick.


    ¡°Skill development planning. Then Britt.¡±


    Frick smirked in response, ¡°Boss, sometimes, I think you have your priorities the wrong way around. We could go goblin-mode on your enemies, then you could go goblin-mode on your girlfriend. After that you could do a little planning!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can use goblin-mode in two different contexts like that. They mean different things,¡± Nate grumbled in response. ¡°Besides, I like planning my development. If I didn¡¯t do it before I went and saw Britt I would be distracted. Splitting my attention while I am with her seems a little disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°You do you, Boss. Just saying. Goblin-mode is the way to go.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let''s work through my Skills,¡± Nate replied, checking to make sure his runecrafted anti-scrying cube was charged. Satisfied they wouldn¡¯t be spied on, with sounds unable to escape a barrier around his room, he started going over his Status sheet.


    ¡°Conceptual Insight still has a little way to go till its next evolution, but currently it¡¯s helping me raise the tier of my Sigils, and identifying Concepts. Thoughts?¡±


    Frick remained silent, looking deep in thought. Nate appreciated that when it was time to put in the work, his Familiar took his questions seriously.


    ¡°Is the goal evolution or synergy?¡± Frick asked after a few more seconds.


    Nate acknowledged the question before giving it serious consideration. He had been wondering the same thing. Kiri had pulled him aside long enough to go over her new Skills after the battle. His sister¡¯s Skills had condensed down but grown powerful through their Synergies. The ability to gain permanent Stat increases that stacked with Stat Orbs was incredibly powerful. While the change might impact her burst capability, that paled in comparison to the benefits she was gaining by potentially increasing her base Stats and the impact of Stat multipliers.


    Glancing at his Status again, he counted his Skills. Twelve of them, with two more to come from his Realmwalker Class by level sixty. Was he spreading himself thin by trying to advance them all separately? Synergies had always granted almost all of the effects of the Skills that they combined from. It would also make them faster to advance if he could focus on one Skill instead of splitting his focus across two to three. That was the factor that made the decision an easy one. He had reached level fifty across his Classes, which put his Class level ahead of every single one of his Skill levels. He needed to evolve a Skill beyond Mythic if he wanted to achieve a tier-up when he unlocked his Tertiary Class.


    At this particular moment, he had no idea how to get a Skill to evolve beyond Mythic, but he intended to figure it out. Decision made, he glanced at Frick.


    ¡°Synergies first. Conceptual Insight should be able to be folded into Farsight of the Runic Artist.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Boss. Same goes for Conceptual Material and Material Shaping. Could probably already do those actually, with your little trick.¡±


    Nate paused to assess his Class Core, using his sphere of awareness to determine the locations of the two Skills. They weren¡¯t too far apart, but he was still going to injure himself forcing the Skills to combine. He would need Kiri around so he could heal himself by using his Life Drain runic array on her. His minor healing spell probably wouldn¡¯t be enough to get the job done on its own.


    ¡°Alright. Conceptual Spatial Empowerment and Space Is All Around You should combine easily as well. I¡¯ll get some easy levels in the latter first though. Maybe even evolve it once before I try and get them to synergise,¡± Nate explained.


    ¡°What about Conceptual Runic Creation and Conceptual Runic Artistry?¡± asked Frick.


    ¡°Should include Conceptual Intent with them,¡± Nate replied, thinking about how the three main Skills that he used to create runes should be folded into a single Skill.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that one first actually,¡± Nate continued. ¡°They¡¯re all similar Skill Level and the result should be pretty amazing. The Skill they become will also be one of the closest to the level sixty evolution and should help me decide on the path forward.¡±


    ¡°That just leaves True Teleportation and Empowered Amplified Magic,¡± Frick commented.


    ¡°Both need to be aligned to my Embodiment,¡± Nate stated confidently. ¡°I know I wanted to try for Creative, but I think Conceptual as an Embodiment might be an even better fit. It¡¯s what I do, right? Every rune or runic array I create is about manipulating Concepts. Even my art incorporates them, as will my plans for creating ¡®living¡¯ art. Thoughts?¡±


    Nate turned back to look at Frick to gauge his Familiar¡¯s response.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right, Boss. Especially since your current Embodiment is fragmented. You got any idea how you¡¯re going to evolve True Teleportation towards being Conceptual?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making it,¡± Nate commented offhandedly. He hadn¡¯t shared his plans for the spatial affinity metal plate with Frick yet, but the intention was for it to be the keystone piece for creating his first spatial portal.


    Rather than try and pry into the details, Frick just grunted his acknowledgement, ¡°Sounds like you got your plans, Boss. What now?¡±


    ¡°Kiri,¡± Nate said with a grin, sending his farsight sphere of awareness to try and find his sister. She wasn¡¯t in her room so he sent the sphere of awareness towards the combat grounds as he formed a runic array that combined the Sigils for Space and Sound. Unsurprisingly, he found Kiri engaged in a bout using the desert setting. She was beating on some poor guy wielding a sword. He didn¡¯t need to wait for long for his sister to finish the match. Ignoring the guy groaning on the sand, Nate started sending a whisper of his voice through the runic array, effectively whispering to Kiri from the other side of the University. A moment later he watched as Kiri excused herself from the combat fields.


    Dropping his focus on Kiri, Nate started preparing his room. She wouldn¡¯t show off how far she could teleport using her One Soul Two Realms Skill, which meant she would need to jog over to his room. He was fully expecting there to be blood, as with every other time he had forcibly combined his Skills. That was more than enough reason to remove his robe and make sure that any mess he created was nowhere near his artworks. Certainly, some artists used blood as a medium, but he was not one of them.


    Kiri arrived a few minutes later, barging in with a grin.


    ¡°What is it? We going after you-know-who?¡± she asked excitedly.


    Closing the door behind her, Nate gave a small shake of his head, ¡°No. Not yet at least. I was going to forcibly combine some Skills and I needed something to drain to heal any wounds.¡±


    Kiri looked deflated at first but perked back up as he finished his explanation.


    ¡°Forced synergies? You¡¯ve mentioned it before, but you know that¡¯s not normal right? Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    Nate tried not to smile and failed utterly. Kiri¡¯s tone was completely at odds with her words. While her words sounded like she thought his plan was a bad idea, her tone said that she was completely on board. Just like his best friend to encourage him to do something risky. At least this time he wasn¡¯t doing it while fighting.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s like they taught us in Skill Development and the Mana and Affinities subjects. Our intent helps guide our Skill evolutions and synergies. I¡¯m just being a bit more forceful about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it then! Just, you know, don¡¯t explode too much of your body,¡± Kiri replied, relaxing near him before she glanced down slightly and grinned. ¡°Silk underwear! I knew it!¡±


    He grumbled, ¡°Should¡¯ve just damaged my robe¡­it would have fixed itself.¡± At the same time he manifested his Life Drain runic array and connected it to Kiri,


    ¡°Does Britt have anything to say about them?¡± teased Kiri, indicating his blue silk underwear.


    ¡°She asked if I could get them in red,¡± Nate replied, tuning out her response as he began to focus on his Class Core.


    Flowing mana into his three Skills it was easy to see that Conceptual Intent, Conceptual Runic Creation and Conceptual Runic Artistry were all physically close to each other. The only challenge was going to be making the three of them overlap enough to combine. In his previous attempts, he had only tried to move two Skills at once. Moving three shouldn¡¯t be much more of a challenge. A moment later he realised just how right he was. The three Skills overlapped within seconds, the surface of his Class Core shifting as the bumps that indicated the Skills physically combined. A second later he was staring at the ceiling, trying very hard to focus on maintaining his Life Drain runic array as he was wracked by pain. Once more, he was thankful for investing in his Constitution and Endurance Stats. Without them he wasn¡¯t sure he would have remained conscious.


    Up until this moment he had thought that the reason for the explosion was due to how far he was forced to move the Skills across his Class Core. That hypothesis had been based on two attempts so it was easy to see why he had made that mistake. The first time he had combined Skills, while blinded and fighting the demon Xalvoloth, the Skills had been an Epic and a Mythic. The wound had been so bad he almost died from it.


    The second time, when fighting in the Fourth Hell, he had combined two Epic Skills. Looking back at it, the wound had not been as debilitating. Life-threatening, certainly, but the injury hadn¡¯t slowed him down too much.


    This third attempt had combined three Mythic Skills and it told him that the level of the Skills and their tier were the most important factors in how much damage the forced synergy caused. Being tied to Kiri¡¯s lifeforce was slowly knitting his stomach back together, but he was pretty sure the underwear was a write-off. Maybe he could clean them if he had a Sigil for Blood, he thought idly, recognising his mind was wandering from the blood loss.


    Kiri¡¯s face appeared above his and there was a slightl look of worry on her face, ¡°Your soul energy seems stable¡­you¡¯re not dying on me, right?¡±


    The pain was subsiding, albeit slowly, so his teeth ground together more than he would have liked as he replied, ¡°Not..dying¡­just¡­hurts. A lot.¡±


    The worry on his sister¡¯s face transformed from worry into amusement, ¡°Good. That was like, the most spectacularly stupid thing I have ever seen.¡±


    Nate nodded his agreement, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Aisling.¡±


    Kiri looked thoughtful, ¡°...what about Luc?¡±


    With a pained sigh he tilted his head to the side, trying to get comfortable on the stone floor, ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Luc¡¯s going to get a good laugh out of this. Did it at least work?¡± Kiri asked, sitting down by his head as he used the lifeforce in her body to repair his own.


    Glancing at the notification hovering in the corner of his vision, he tilted his head slightly to smile at his sister, ¡°It did.¡±


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Conceptual Intent (Mythic) Skill, Conceptual Runic Creation (Mythic) Skill and your Conceptual Runic Artistry (Mythic) Skill. Combine these Skills to gain Conceptual Runic Mastery (Mythic) Skill.


    Proceed?


    He selected yes, before going over his new Skill description.


    Conceptual Runic Mastery 1 > 48


    Conceptual Runic Mastery (Mythic)


    As a Runic Artist you have emphasised your deep connection with the Concepts of reality. The truths of the universe are yours to mould and through runes you tame these truths and make them your own. This Skill is the ultimate expression of what it means to create runes, allowing the user to create runes or runic arrays. This Skill allows the user¡¯s runes and the Concepts and Sigils involved to aspect the mana of any runes projected. Mana aspecting will increase the power of any runes created. Mana aspecting is equal to 10 plus Skill Level * 1.5% resulting in an equivalent increase in the rune¡¯s power. Mana Cost for rune creation decreases by 2% per Skill Level. The user of this Skill may permanently imbue a number of Intents in any rune they create as well as adding additional Subconcepts to the rune. Number of intents able to be imparted to dynamic runes is equal to Intellect / 8. Number of intents able to be imparted to any permanent runes is equal to Intellect / 16. Number of additional Subconcepts that can be added is equal to Intellect / 100. Increases Intellect by 1% per Skill Level. All runes created gain 10% of Dexterity and 10% of Creativity as Magic Power. Dexterity and Creativity to Magic Power conversion increases by 1% per Skill Level. Additionally grants 15% Creativity. Concepts embedded in runes increase the power of the rune by 10% plus 0.5% per Skill Level.


    He smiled, ignoring the pain in his stomach as he slowly knitted himself back together. He had lost nothing and gained everything he wanted. The bonus Magic Power from Conceptual Runic Artistry now applied to all his runes, not just runic arrays. Additionally, the Mana Aspecting effects from two of his Skills had combined, doubling the bonus to the power of his runes. Between the two bonuses he was now confident that, even at mana parity, his runes would now be able to match equivalent spells. No longer would he need to gush mana like a sieve.


    Kiri smirked at him and patted his head before laying down on his enchanted cloud bed and waiting for him to finish stitching himself back together. It was good to progress, he thought, but better to do it with family.

 Chapter 165 - Spy Trade

    Luc sat across the table from Minister Elect Gloria and tried not to smirk. The Minister¡¯s aides were inspecting Nate and Jacque¡¯s creations along with a few extra goodies that Luc had picked up on the way.


    In the past, he would have dragged the trip to Asmuisil out, spending some time on a mount or with a caravan. Spatial spells and skills were mana-intensive and he had focused his Skill evolutions on better control and reducing the mana cost based on the size of the arcane rifts he ripped open. For his battle-style it made perfect sense, since you didn¡¯t need a big spatial rift to slip a needle through.


    Those choices meant that his ability to cross long distances with his arcane rifts were expensive in terms of mana usage. To make matters worse, his Mana Absorption Stat was basically garbage, especially in the context of his Mana Reserve and Magic Control Stats. His Stats were the reason that the first thing he had ever asked Nate to make him was the Mana Gathering Array. Mana Absorption didn¡¯t function as some flat value that enforced a maximum absorption rate. Instead, it was influenced by the density of the surrounding ambient mana. So, having a large stockpile of full mana gems meant that Luc now could casually use his Controlled Arcane Rift Creation Skill to cross long distances and not have to worry about running out of mana.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t come directly to Asmuisil. He had made a slight detour. House Desmarais had crossed a line when they went after his mentee. They¡¯d made an enemy for life when they had tried to kill Luc¡¯s endless pot of mana and gold. So when his on-again-off-again paramour, Avery, had approached him about performing a calculated strike against House Desmarais, he had jumped at the chance.


    Luc was regularly hired by the Noble Houses of Etrua to perform dungeon clears and collect the processed mana. The reason he was hired so frequently was because of how efficient he was. As long as he knew what he was fighting, he could prepare appropriate toxins to coat his needles, then decimate a dungeon''s population in a matter of hours. He was also a Mage Specialist, which meant most of the rewards he would acquire were Magic related. The result was the Noble Houses received exactly what they wanted, while minimising any risk to their own forces.


    Dungeons accounted for a large proportion of any Noble House¡¯s power and income, so it was House Desmarais¡¯ Dungeons that Luc and Avery had targeted. Within the Adventurer¡¯s Guild upper echelons, it was an open secret that Avery specialised in removing individuals ¨C permanently. Though she rarely showed the full breadth of her abilities and Skills, she was difficult to detect even when she wasn¡¯t making an effort to hide herself. Luc had to acknowledge he probably didn¡¯t even know what she really looked like. Sure, he had seen a face more than once, but he had no reason to believe that even in the throes of their passions that she had revealed her true appearance. If he was her, he wouldn¡¯t have. Not that he minded, of course.


    However, what most people didn¡¯t know was that Avery had incredibly refined hearing. Something about manipulating sound, Luc guessed. Coupled with the ability to create illusions, they made a truly diabolical pairing. They had taken not one, but two of House Desmarias¡¯s Dungeon Forts by surprise. With a small application of sleeping poison, the defenders had been suppressed. Then upon entering the Dungeons, Avery had used her hearing to make a perfect map of the High-Rare and Low-Epic Dungeons. Creating an illusionary map for Luc to look at with identifying marks of the enemies down to the details of their appearance had gifted him the ability to simply kill everything within the Dungeon. Even the Challenges had succumbed to his toxins within minutes.


    After collecting the rewards, he had set up multiple mana gathering arrays all made for him by Nate, to further drain the Dungeon. In and out within a couple of hours and the Duchy would likely spend at least a month trying to recover.


    Avery had vanished then, as was her way. Luc had continued on to Asmuisil and the many rewards were laid out along with the creations of the Artist¡¯s Emporium. The name was a work in progress, but Luc was confident that Kiri would bring Nate around to it. Luc would keep his cut for the work with the Dungeon loot, but he intended the rest to go back to the business. They tried to kill Nate and the least Luc could do was make sure the kid got paid for it. Though, it did hurt to part with the gold and mana. Never let it be said, though, that Luc was incapable of investing in the future.


    Luc looked up as the whispering finally reached a crescendo. It was finally time to make a deal.


    ¡°Mister Crozier,¡± said Gloria, brushing a stray lock of grey hair behind her ear before focusing on him with her striking golden eyes. ¡°Do you know much about my background?¡±


    Luc shook his head. Minister Elects were exactly what they sounded like ¨C elected officials of the Asmuisil Empire. They came from all walks of life. Given Gloria¡¯s role in handling foreign trade, he suspected she may have been a merchant. Assumptions could hurt him though, so he let Gloria take the lead in the discussion.


    ¡°I was an Enchanter. A decent one, but never great. Lacked the creativity to come up with new designs, new ideas. But I was excellent at running a business. Perhaps you can see how that led to my current position. This,¡± she said, holding out one of the Barrier Bracers designed by Nate, ¡°is clearly runecrafted. We have Runecrafters in Asmuisil, though their works are not as highly regarded as Enchanters. Do you know why?¡±


    Luc tried not to smile. If she had asked him that same question a couple of months ago, he wouldn¡¯t have known. But Kiri was nothing if not thorough and had grilled Nate on the details of his creations and made sure that Luc at least understood the high-level stuff.


    ¡°Mana efficiency. Enchanted items are considered more mana efficient and in a country like Asmuisil, efficiency is more important than any other factor,¡± Luc answered.


    ¡°Well informed, I see. Good. I prefer to work with efficient things. That includes people,¡± replied the old woman, favouring him with a small smile. ¡°Do you know how efficient this is when compared with an enchanted item of similar quality?¡±


    The Minister shook the bracer for emphasis.


    ¡°I do,¡± Luc responded and this time he couldn¡¯t keep the smirk from his lips.


    Nate had explained it very simply for both Kiri and himself. The material¡¯s affinity was a very large factor in the mana efficiency of crafted goods. However, getting access to perfect materials for any project was something of a nightmare. Rare materials didn¡¯t grow on trees and rare materials with ideal affinities were even less common.


    Now, Nate¡¯s Skill to apply affinities to materials wasn¡¯t unique. Enchanters often received similar, albeit significantly weaker Skills to do the same thing to gems. But because the Skills were of a lower tier, the mana cost of the Skill was higher. Then the quality of the Sigil used was a factor. The result was a far higher expense in mana to match what Nate could create. Those Enchanters also had to buy their mana, which meant they had to do things like a cost versus return analysis. In the end, it was just better business to make slightly inferior products that had a better markup. Since Nate was stealing mana from the Capital, he didn¡¯t need to factor those thoughts into his plans, and the kid refused to half-ass his creations. As a result, his runecrafted Barrier Bracers were far more efficient than those crafted by his Enchanter contemporaries. Multiple times more efficient.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°The estimation I received was at least three times as efficient,¡± said Luc, the smirk still on his lips.


    Gloria glanced at one of her aides and Luc pretended not to listen as the man rushed forward to whisper something in the Minister¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Three point four times as efficient,¡± stated the Minister. ¡°We do business honestly here in Asmuisil. Alright Mister Crozier, you now have my undivided attention. The Office of Foreign Trade is willing to enter into a trade agreement with¡­¡± she looked down to read a name, ¡°the Artist¡¯s Emporium. I do, however, have a few questions and concerns.¡±


    Luc waved a hand to indicate she should continue.


    ¡°Given the current¡­tensions¡­between Etrua and Asmuisil, I have concerns about your motives. This is a very unusual time for a company based out of Etrua to open a trade agreement with Asmuisil. I¡¯ll need you to lower your veil and any soul protections you have to answer the next few questions. On my word, we will not violate our agreements with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and ask questions not pertinent to this agreement.¡±


    Luc grunted in annoyance. He had known the request would be made. Asmuisil had an excellent standing with the Guild, but his ingrained paranoia reared its head. In the end, the only reason he agreed was because he knew they wouldn¡¯t kill him. Besides, if they did violate Guild law and capture him, Avery would eventually break him out. She might leave him hanging for a few months. Maybe longer if she was annoyed at him. But eventually she would spring him. With a thought he focused inwards and retracted the Soul Barrier engraved on his soul courtesy of Kiri. At the same time, he placed the ring hanging on a chain around his neck on the table.


    ¡°Thank you for your trust, Mister Crozier. If we reach an agreement, it will be factored into our proposal. First question, is this a ploy to infiltrate Asmuisil by the Etruan Nobility?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    An aide in the back nodded her head.


    ¡°Is this sanctioned by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± asked Gloria.


    ¡°More specific, please,¡± responded Luc. That one was loose. It was sanctioned by himself and Aisling. Porter would be fine with it too.


    ¡°Is this sanctioned by the Prefects of the Etruan Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. And by some Platinums of the Etruan Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± Gloria pressed.


    Luc did a quick count in his head. Avery had approved. Porter wasn¡¯t in the know so he technically didn¡¯t count.


    ¡°Four,¡± he stated confidently and received a confirming nod from the aide. He believed it was true, which meant according to whatever skill they were using, he was telling the truth.


    ¡°Can you continue to provide such goods while the war continues?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He was sure of that because he would make the deliveries himself. The Nobility of Etrua had posted a job request specifically for him, given his Skill against lesser opponents. But he wasn¡¯t about to go and kill a bunch of commoners for the nobles. They could eat shit as far as he was concerned.


    ¡°Will this cause problems for the Artist¡¯s Emporium if discovered?¡± asked Gloria.


    ¡°Probably,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Very well. I have everything I need. Go ahead and veil yourself. Asmuisil would like to reach an agreement with the Artist¡¯s Emporium. Are they willing to sell us weapons?¡±


    Luc shook his head. Nate had been very clear that he wouldn¡¯t contribute to deaths in the war by selling anyone the means to kill. Defensive and Support runecrafted items only.


    ¡°Understood. An interesting stance to take, but given the quality we¡¯d be fools to argue the point. Can the Artist¡¯s Emporium provide large-scale defensive items similar to these bracers?¡±


    Luc¡¯s grin stretched wider, ¡°We can.¡±


    He just hoped Nate would enjoy the challenge. Jacque was probably going to be the one who ended up doing most of the work anyway once the kid created the designs.


    Gloria smiled, stating Asmuisil¡¯s desires and what they were willing to pay to see those desires met. Luc valiantly held back tears. Rich. They were going to be rich. He just needed to convince Kiri to let him buy a larger share in the Artist¡¯s Emporium to make sure he got a fat portion of that wealth.


    *************


    Kiri looked up at the painting of Florence. The artwork had been one of Nate¡¯s first pieces after reaching the Capital. Through One Soul Two Realms, she could sense the prostitutes approaching Florence¡¯s room. Turning to face the door, she prepared to receive them. The door opened and three prostitutes entered. Florence, a dark-haired beauty named Natalia, and a lithe young man. All three had been painted by Nate at one point or another. There were a few others he had done paintings for but these three were the most positively disposed towards her brother.


    She waited for the door to close before pulling out a small runecrafted cube. The barrier that sprung up around the room should keep sound from escaping and alert her to any mana-based skills trying to cross it. She would need to rely on her own Skills to handle any soul-based skills.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± she asked the trio.


    ¡°Nate¡¯s Adventurer partner,¡± replied Florence, her eyes the most confident of the three. The other two looked a little unsure.


    ¡°Nate¡¯s sister,¡± Kiri stated, steel in her voice as she dared them to challenge the assertion. When none of them did, she continued, ¡°Nate and I have been under threat of late. So, I have a proposal to make to all three of you. I want you to feed us information. The rumours you hear, whispered by drunken fools between the sheets. Anything you hear that you think might be useful to us. Anything.¡±


    Kiri waited a moment, letting them digest her words. Surprisingly, it was the young man who seemed the most worried.


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t,¡± he whispered, before rushing for the door.


    Kiri let him go. He was a loose-end now, but that was only a problem if he was going to do something with what he had just learned. Kiri would monitor him and see where he went and who he talked to. Deverell would help her.


    Looking back at Florence and Natalia, she raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± stated Natalia hotly.


    Florence nodded her own agreement a moment later.


    ¡°Good,¡± Kiri said, before pulling a box out of her Soul Palace. ¡°This is how you will deliver me messages. Just open the box,¡± she demonstrated opening the lid, ¡°and place the information inside. One of you will need to hide this in your room.¡±


    The box was one of Nate¡¯s creations. Runecrafted to share a space with another box, it would mean Kiri could receive intel without having to visit the Den.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a spot,¡± said Florence.


    ¡°Good, and this is for you,¡± Kiri replied, pulling two small pouches out of her Soul Palace. They clinked gently as the coins and gems clashed against each other.


    She enjoyed their widened eyes as they saw the small mana gems inside.


    ¡°There will be more of that to come. I¡¯d also like you to give me the names of other individuals who might be open to such an arrangement,¡± stated Kiri.


    ¡°From the Den?¡± asked Natalia, the woman''s eyes still glued to the pouch¡¯s contents.


    ¡°No,¡± answered Kiri with a shake of her head. ¡°You two will be enough here. Just keep it in the back of your mind, and if you can, focus your services on those in the Guard or who serve the Nobility. But write down anything that sounds interesting. Anything. Understood, girls?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± they replied, reacting to the steel in Kiri¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Good. Hide the box. Send a message if you need me. Future payments will come through the box.¡±


    As soon as the escorts had agreed, Kiri vanished. It was time to see what the man would do. Perhaps he was already in someone''s employ. Now, that, she thought, would be an absolute coup. Kiri¡¯s smile might as well have been plastered on her face as she followed the Soul Tether she had placed on the man.

 Chapter 166 - Expanding Horizons

    Nate sat with his back against the sandstone fountain as he surveyed his latest artwork. He had chosen a shop specialising in building supplies this time. Cutter, the old sailor, had gotten up from his seat to get a closer look at the painting. Nate¡¯s Brush of a Thousand Paints, fed on a steady diet of mana, had raised most of his paints from Uncommon to Rare. He had coupled the improvement to his paints with his desire to create a painting that moved.


    The resulting artwork seemed to be captivating Cutter, which Nate could only suspect was a good thing. The painting detailed what he thought a construction site in the Slums might look like. Of course, he had cheated, and used his farsight sphere of awareness to study such a location. Given his cheating, he was confident he had created a fair rendition of a construction site. But then he had included a runic array made from the Illusion, Fluid and Shape Sigils. Guided by his intent, it would return the paints to a fluid state occasionally, before reshaping them into similar renditions with different positions. Once done, the paint would harden again. The result was a painting that shifted every now and then, making the workers seem alive. With his forty-eight intents he had been able to impart over ten similar but different paintings, letting it swap between the images in a specific sequence.


    The delay between each image was the time it took for the runic array to recharge. To say he was pleased with the results was a gross understatement. Cutter seemed to agree, running a finger over the paint after it had finished moving.


    ¡°What ¡®appens if they touch it while it¡¯s movin¡¯?¡± Cutter asked.


    ¡°Not sure. If some kids mess it up, I can fix it though,¡± replied Nate.


    ¡°Lad, some o¡¯ the adults are as likely to touch it as tha kids. Stupidity ain¡¯ got an age expiration on it.¡±


    Nate smiled. Cutter was aptly named.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it in your capable hands,¡± Nate quipped.


    ¡°Jus¡¯ like a kid to make more work fer us old folks, ain¡¯ it? Aight lad, I¡¯ll ¡®andle it. ¡®Specially if ya gonna come down ¡®ere an¡¯ fix it.¡±


    Nate smiled and nodded, before his mood plummeted. In his paranoia, he was constantly scanning their surroundings with his farsight sphere of awareness. He¡¯d just spotted the third crying mother of the night.


    ¡°The war, Cutter. How bad is it down here?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Third one of meh lifetime, lad. They¡¯re all tha same. Nobles piss off some foreign power or decide one of ¡®em has somethin¡¯ they want. War breaks out. Then tha recruiters come. Makin¡¯ promises of pay and food. Mana to advance. Tha desperate an¡¯ tha dumb leap at it. Want ta guess who¡¯s gonna pay tha butchers bill?¡±


    ¡°The common folk,¡± Nate answered.


    ¡°Nah, lad. Us. Slummers. Tha ones tha¡¯ ain¡¯ got nothin¡¯ else. Common folk be livin¡¯ out in them villages where the manas a bit better an¡¯ there jus¡¯ be one or two nobles makin¡¯ their lives hard. Hard ta fill a bottomless hole, ya get me?¡±


    Nate nodded.


    ¡°Ever thought of leaving? Moving somewhere else?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Aye lad, more¡¯n¡¯once. But gotta get tha whole family ta move. Ain¡¯ cheap an¡¯ most places wouldn¡¯t take us. An¡¯ now that tha countries are at war it¡¯s too late. Might try ¡®gain after its over.¡±


    ¡°Your grandson avoided the recruiters then?¡±


    Cutter snorted, ¡°That lad ain¡¯ dumb or desperate. Unlike his father. He ain¡¯ a bad man, ya get me. Jus¡¯ a fool. Meh daughter coulda done better but tha hearts a fickle thing, ain¡¯ it?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Nate agreed, his thoughts straying to Britt.


    ¡°Ya got tha¡¯ look in your eyes ¡®gain, lad. Go on. Off wit ya. Ya dun need an old mans worries and ya left meh plenty to enjoy,¡± grunted Cutter, looking over the moving painting again.


    Nate smiled, ¡°Night, Cutter.¡±


    Rather than respond Cutter just shooed him away.


    Nate acknowledged the old man''s point. He had some work to do back at the workshop. Tomorrow was the day when he would make his suggestions to Britt. He needed to be ready.


    Pausing before he teleported away, he glanced back at the old man, ¡°Cutter, could you find me a few kids who haven¡¯t gotten their classes yet? Smart kids, who might want a job.¡±


    Cutter nodded, still looking over the painting, ¡°Send em to ya shop near tha Guild in a few days, aye.¡±


    With Cutter¡¯s agreement, Nate activated True Teleportation, vanishing into thin air.


    *************


    Nate guided Britt into his workshop. True to his word, he had spent the last few days improving the defences. It would be weeks, maybe months, before he was satisfied with the alterations. His and Kiri¡¯s safety, however, was worth any price. It was a level of safety he hoped his girlfriend would also accept.


    The layout of the two-storey building had changed when Kiri had asked for some space for an office. In response, Nate had dug out a second basement and relocated Jacque into the first basement as his area of the workshop. The second basement was now a storage area for materials and finished creations. That left the ground floor for Kiri¡¯s office and samples of runecrafted goods. Finally, Nate¡¯s own workshop was on the second floor.


    ¡°So, this is where the magic happens?¡± quipped Britt.


    He nodded, ¡°I guess so. Come on. I¡¯ll show you my work area and then we can relax and chat.¡±


    ¡°So serious,¡± Britt replied with a sly smile. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think you were trying to get me out of my armour.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Nate agreed with a straight face. His reasons might not be what Britt was expecting though.


    The war with Asmuisil was starting to build up steam in the Capital causing crime to shoot through the roof. Of course, he suspected that wasn¡¯t the only reason Britt was wandering around armoured. She hadn¡¯t said anything explicitly to him, but he could tell she was suffering after almost dying. A feeling he could strongly relate to, given his own experiences. Which was why he had brought her to his workshop in the first place.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Walking up the stairs to his workshop, he enjoyed the look on Britt¡¯s face as her eyes widened. The walls were covered with runic schematics from various ideas. Piles of Uncommon and Rare materials littered multiple workbenches. At the back of the room lay his spatial affinity plate.  Additionally, the ambient mana in the room was significantly higher, mostly to keep his various runic wards and protections charged.


    The room had everything from reinforcement and durability runes to barriers and anti-spying protections covering both mana and soul Skills. He wished he had a Sigil for Demonic or Celestial energy so he could truly cover all avenues of attack. Finally, there were weapon system runes built into the ceiling with specific targeting runic arrays. If someone entered his workshop that wasn¡¯t Jacque, Kiri or Frick, or without Nate present, they were going to have a very bad day. If they were weak enough, it would be their last day.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what I expected,¡± stated Britt, spinning around to face him.


    ¡°Confusing?¡± asked Nate looking around at the scattered paraphernalia.


    ¡°No, a mess,¡± replied Britt kindly. ¡°Your mind is always going so fast. I bet you know where everything in the room is. But to anyone else, this would be a mess. That¡¯s just, very you. You get distracted a lot.¡±


    Nate debated arguing but even after two seconds with all his attention given to Britt¡¯s point he found it hard to refute. He was distractible. There was just so much he could be working on and only so many hours in the day.


    ¡°Okay, fair point,¡± he acknowledged.


    ¡°So, going to help me get my armour off?¡± she asked, giving him a saucy smile.


    ¡°Soon. Can we talk first?¡± he asked, answering a question with a question.


    ¡°Good talk or bad talk?¡± she replied, looking a little worried.


    ¡°Good, I hope.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Can I sit on the table?¡±


    He laughed. He had reinforced the tables to handle far heavier weights than Britt in her armour and with a wave indicated that he didn¡¯t mind.


    As Britt made some space before levering herself up onto one of his workbenches, Nate began pacing back and forth.


    ¡°I told you out on the Plains, after the¡­incident¡­that I had some ideas about how to help you get stronger.¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± Britt replied, leaning forward, her blue eyes attentive.


    ¡°Okay, so, I have been going over how to achieve that and I have a few ideas. Specifically, four ideas. I¡¯ll go through them in order of difficulty.¡±


    He began ticking them off on his fingers as he continued to pace across the wooden floor, ¡°Equipment is the easiest. You¡¯ve seen my Skills. I could encase you in powerful enough equipment that you could punch up at least one tier, probably two. Maybe even three, with enough time. I could probably even make equipment specifically designed to interact with your Skills and, of course, enhance your Stats further¡­though in my experience, the impact of equipment on Stats is much lower than Classes.¡±


    Britt nodded her understanding as he flicked up a second finger, ¡°Second, Skill Development. I can either acquire Skill Orbs for you or give you access to a training area flooded with mana and someone who can push you to advance your Skills. That option also leads to the third thing, which is far riskier.¡±


    He paused to look at Britt and gauge her reaction. Her mouth had transformed into a thin line and she was staring at him intently. She gave a small nod, her entire body tense. He tried not to smile, seeing that she was Stalwart, through and through.


    ¡°Okay. I am not certain if I can do it, but I am willing to try. I have been known to force Skill synergies between my own Skills. I am not certain if the System will take issue with an attempt to do it to someone else, but I am willing to try. I will stop if the System objects. It¡¯s also dangerous, Britt. Like, need healing for the wounds caused, dangerous.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not going to kill me, I can handle it,¡± his girlfriend replied resolutely.


    ¡°Okay. Finally, we can look at¡­modifying you.¡±


    Britt¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Nate paused, gathering his thoughts as he considered the best way to explain himself.


    ¡°So, to the best of my knowledge, a Class Core distributes processed mana to parts of your body. That is what raises your Stats. I do have some proof that is the case. I am not certain what is involved in turning mana into processed mana, but I do know that as you increase your Class Tiers, the Class Core can control more and more processed mana. Now, I don¡¯t know how to forcibly increase the power in your Class Core, but I do have an idea on how to circumvent it.¡±


    Britt looked confused as he rambled and he rushed on to get to the point.


    ¡°The Class Core is just temporarily increasing the ¡®quality¡¯ of your body. We could just make permanent increases to the quality of parts of your body. I mean, I could. Your bones are a material¡­there is nothing to say I couldn¡¯t use my Skill and a lot of mana to permanently enhance them. We could even take it further. I could carve runes into your bones to make you stronger, faster, more durable. I even have ideas for creating spatially-expanded spaces within your body where we could store excess mana. Turn you into a mana gathering array and give you a secondary source of mana besides your own reserve. Coupled with equipment that could make usage of that mana, we could turn you into something that could compete with Legendaries. Maybe even Mythics.¡±


    He finished in a rush and looked at his girlfriend who had tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Unsure what he had said to upset her, he stood stock still, trying to figure out what to say to fix it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve put a lot of thought into this,¡± whispered Britt softly. ¡°Why?¡±


    Nate answered without thinking, ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt. Because I wanted to offer you a way to keep up with Kiri and I. I can¡¯t guarantee you will, but I wanted to give you an opportunity to at least try. If that¡¯s what you wanted?¡±


    Britt¡¯s lip quivered and she motioned for Nate to come closer. Once he was within arms reach of her, she pulled him close and tilted her head back to kiss him. He relaxed as their lips touched and after they separated she smiled up at him.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll hurt,¡± he explained. ¡°Like¡­a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°I can take it,¡± she replied firmly.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll start drawing up the plans and my ideas. You can tell me if you disagree with any of them.¡±


    ¡°After,¡± Britt responded. ¡°Now, help me get out of this armour.¡±


    Nate looked around his workshop and lamented the lack of a bed. He would need to go buy another cloud enchanted bed if this was going to happen more often. Which it would, since he wouldn¡¯t do any sort of body modifications on Britt outside of his workshop. She would need a place to rest and he was less and less comfortable at the University as it turned into a ghost-town.


    An hour later, he was back in his robe, with a bright-eyed and flush-cheeked Britt lying down on one of his workbenches. Between his high Intellect, Perception and decent Dexterity it was easy to draw out a perfect rendition of Britt¡¯s body shape and internal structure. It was important to get the dimensions correct if he was going to be effectively carving runes into her bones. With his hand flickering quickly across the page, he kept up a steady conversation with his girlfriend.


    ¡°So you and Null aren¡¯t taking any of the job postings at the Guild for the war with Asmuisil?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Null wanted to. After finding out that you and Kiri are two tiers ahead of him he¡¯s been working his ass off to try and do anything he can to bridge that gap and catch up. Those jobs have the best rewards, but his dad wouldn¡¯t let him take any of them,¡± Britt replied.


    Nate reached out, splaying out her fingers so he could get an accurate representation of the shape of each digit and where the muscles attached to the bones.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not what Null wants, but I am glad the two of you aren¡¯t getting caught up in the war.¡±


    ¡°Between you and me, so am I. I had it bad enough against one Gold-ranked. There will be hundreds of them in the war. The jobs Null was looking at wouldn¡¯t have pitted us against them, but you know, accidents happen.¡±


    Nate flashed a smile at her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When I am done with you, you¡¯ll be juggling teams of Golds on your own.¡±


    As Britt smiled back at him, amusement in her eyes, as he thought about his plans. He had meant every word. He just needed to increase his output. Soon, with Cutter¡¯s help, he would have exactly that, in the form of three students. Three who might be able to follow a path similar to his own. He just needed to figure out the best way to give them a powerful start. For that, there was a certain House that had crossed him. So wasn¡¯t it perfectly fair that they foot the bill? He certainly thought so.

 Chapter 167 - Learnings and Earnings

    Nate ran his fingers over the detailed drawing that lay in front of him. His earlier rendition had been the first sketch. A guide he could use as he created a set of runes to be carved into Britt¡¯s bones. The runes would be capable of enhancing his girlfriend, making her stronger, faster and more durable. But, of course, he wasn¡¯t completely selfless and if he was going to alter his girlfriend in such a way, why not do something similar for Kiri and himself.


    The drawing of his own body was the one he was currently reviewing as he considered his options. In some ways, he was the most challenging of the three. Britt and Kiri both needed physical enhancement since that was how they fought. It was a simple step to enhance the body to be better by runecrafting the actual body. On the other hand, he was split between mental and magical Stats. That was more difficult. The easiest choice would be to just enhance his physical defences.


    Improving the tier of the bones would be a necessary first step, but the rune carving came with an additional problem. Runes were activated by mana, with the quality of the rune dictating how much mana was required. The result was that the runes needed to be able to be turned on and off. Easy enough for him, with his high Mana Control Stat. Less so for Kiri and Britt who lacked such investment. He had a solution for that problem as well. A solution that was twofold and wouldn¡¯t see them being forced to use their limited mana reserves on their rune-carved bones.


    He tried not to smile at the thought. Quietly, he was more than a little pleased with himself and the idea he had come up with. Not only should it resolve the problem but it aligned perfectly with his planned path forward and he was expecting he would get an Achievement once he had actually proven it was possible. The idea was simple. He would create a separate spatial space within them that performed one task. It would store mana.


    The idea had come from thinking about mana gems. They were basically just hunks of rock with defined crystalline structures that were perfect for attracting and storing mana. It helped that you could even hollow them out and put runes in them to concentrate and store the mana. But ultimately, they were just space to stick mana you wanted to keep for later. So why not create his own space just for that? Furthermore, he could apply a rune that would slowly give any mana stored an affinity. Meaning, he could make the mana interact with the runes carved into their bones even more efficiently.


    For Britt and Kiri, the spatial space needed to be relatively simple, but for his own, with his spatial Skills and affinity, he could get far more creative. The icing on the cake was it would mean using his spatial Skills with other Concepts, hopefully pushing his Secondary Class and his Embodiment towards his goal of achieving a perfect Conceptual Embodiment.


    The project would be mana-intensive and he briefly considered if he should start stealing more mana from the Capital¡¯s mana pipelines. Right now, he was probably syphoning off one percent of the daily flow for that branch. His estimate contained a small amount of guesswork but he was reasonably confident that the true value was in that ballpark. The war with Asmuisil could be used to explain any changes if he decided to double the amount he was stealing, especially if he focused on one of the southern or eastern pipelines as those were the ones in the direction of Asmuisil. Increasing the amount of mana stolen increased the risk of discovery, but it also increased the speed of his and Kiri¡¯s progress. In the end, that was more important. A little additional risk was acceptable.


    ¡°Frick, can you move the mana collection location today to the southern pipeline? I¡¯ll come by as we¡¯re going to increase the amount of mana we¡¯re taking,¡± he sent mentally to his Familiar.


    ¡°You got it, Boss! Operation Mana Bandit is a go! Deploying goblin-saboteurs!¡± Frick replied quickly.


    ¡°Make it larger. We¡¯ll cover three times as much area and see how that impacts the rate of mana capture.¡±


    Frick¡¯s cackle in his mind was confirmation that his Familiar would get the job done. It would likely take him a few hours, though. The little blue goblin spirit had been steadily improving and while his Skill with runes wasn¡¯t quite at Nate¡¯s level yet, it had vastly improved over the past month. Nate suspected Frick had gotten a new Skill that let him better apply Nate¡¯s own Skills. He knew that Frick would tell him when he was ready and not before then. As Frick¡¯s antics went, keeping a secret for a surprise reveal was definitely on the less annoying side so Nate wasn¡¯t going to push the issue.


    Looking back at his proposed designs, he considered the spatially expanded space. It would require a significant amount of mana up-front to create such a space, but after it was created it should remain stable. Mana would be required to access the space through an aperture, similar to his spatial storage ring, but there shouldn¡¯t be any other expenditures.


    His plans brought him to his first hurdle. He didn¡¯t have a Skill for creating spatially expanded areas. He had the option in his Realmwalker Secondary Class, but he had ignored the Spatial Expansion Skill in favour of Space Is All Around You. He didn¡¯t regret that decision, but it did mean he needed to come at this project from a different angle. He was going to have to substitute a Skill with runes. In some ways, he was happy about being forced to take the runic approach, since it should help his Embodiment development. On the other hand, it meant the project would take longer, be more expensive in terms of mana usage and he was likely going to have to perform multiple iterations to get it right. Fortunately, he had a Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil. With a put-upon smile on his face, he got to work on the rune design. One step at a time, he reminded himself, his pencil already scratching away at the paper.


    *************


    Nate came downstairs a few hours later after hearing the sound of Luc¡¯s voice. The time spent planning had earned him some headway on his spatially expanded spaces project but there was more to be done before he was satisfied. Seeing his mentor was just the kind of diversion he needed, though.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t pay for the bracers fast enough,¡± crowed Luc as he reclined in one of Kiri¡¯s chairs.


    Nate had no idea when she had found the time to furnish the main entry, but it looked like some kind of medieval welcome room with comfortable chairs and couches, a few tables that had snacks and drinks on them and a mammoth desk behind which Kiri sat. The desk was covered in loose sheafs of paper and Kiri was currently holding one in her hand reading over it.


    ¡°There are things listed here that we didn¡¯t send you with,¡± Kiri commented.


    ¡°House Desmarais made a donation to the Artist¡¯s Emporium,¡± replied Luc with a smirk.


    Kiri tapped her lips in thought as Nate watched, ¡°Alright. Are you sure you want to include it in the returns? You earned it yourself so it falls outside of our agreement.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for it to be returned in full,¡± said Luc with a nod. ¡°Though, I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to the additional funds being used to increase my stake in the business.¡±


    Kiri laughed before glancing at Nate and raising an eyebrow questioningly. He shrugged in response. Kiri knew how to manage the business and as far as he was concerned, if she wanted to grant Luc a greater stake in the business for the additional investment, that was her decision to make. She had already been using funds to purchase Uncommon and Rare materials for Nate. Anything to save him time and mana in terms of tiering-up materials. He also knew she had been buying a couple of Skill Orbs he had suggested in the hopes of getting a set that could synergise into a lesser form of his Conceptual Material Skill. The hope was that Jacque, or some of the trainees they intended to bring on, could begin assisting in the workflow.


    Nate watched as Kiri pulled out a fresh piece of paper and started scribbling notes on it quickly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Luc, leaning forward.


    ¡°Calculating how much additional stake I can grant you based on an estimate of how much the additional funds are going to impact our current plans and timelines.¡±


    Luc looked confused and Nate wondered if his sister had been using some of the funds to buy Stat Orbs of Intellect for herself. Either way, he was just grateful that she was handling the business side of things and leaving him free to create. She really hadn¡¯t been joking when she said she was going to contribute by managing everything for him. Lucky. That is how he felt about having her in his life.


    ¡°Two percent additional stake,¡± Kiri stated, looking up. ¡°Nate and I will share the losses evenly between us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy with that,¡± replied Luc, rubbing his hands together as though he could already feel the wealth flowing towards him.


    Before the conversation could continue, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Nate waited as Luc went to check who it was.


    ¡°Some old guy with silver eyes and three kids,¡± stated Luc as he returned, looking between the two questionably.


    ¡°The ¡®students¡¯ you were after?¡± asked Kiri with a glance at Nate.


    ¡°Yeah, that should be Cutter. Want me to see if the kids are suitable?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, leave that with me and Jacque, since he will be handling most of their instruction.¡±


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re expanding? Getting more workers in? Kids¡­wait, you¡¯re going to try and get them a Runecrafter Class, right?!¡± Luc slowly got more animated and excited as he went on. ¡°This is perfect! Let me know what you need from me!¡±


    Kiri glanced at Nate and he took the hint, explaining his plans ¡°We¡¯ll likely want to get them some high-end Achievements. I can help them get some solid Achievements related to runecrafting but every bit helps. Think you can get them into an Epic Dungeon or capture some level twenty-one monster for them to kill? We¡¯re hoping to get them an Epic-tier Class to start. Even though I suspect the runecrafting achievements will be higher-tier, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be enough on their own.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± promised Luc firmly.


    ¡°Alright. Anything else?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll handle this,¡± promised Kiri. ¡°Dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°Coralie and Britt?¡± Nate retorted, curious if they were inviting their partners.


    ¡°No, just you and I. We haven¡¯t had a chance to relax and chat in forever,¡± replied Kiri.


    ¡°What about me?¡± interjected Luc, trying to pull a hurt facial expression.


    ¡°If we want to see you, we¡¯ll come by the Den afterwards,¡± responded Kiri.


    ¡°It was good to see you, Luc,¡± added Nate. ¡°Maybe we can do some training soon?¡±


    ¡°You got it, kid,¡± replied Luc with a grin.


    With the plans for the rest of the day handled, Nate walked up the stairs and back to his work room. He still needed to check on Frick¡¯s moving of the mana theft location and his spatial project had plenty of work left to do before he would be happy with it. At least he had a nice dinner to look forward to. Without him noticing it, he had started to live that life of comfort and creation he had been hoping for ever since he came to Galle.


    *************


    Nate stared out towards the ocean from one of the best restaurants in the Capital. The restaurant was clearly designed to cater towards the Nobility, with the rooftop divided into booths that came with privacy enchantments. Nate had taken it a step further and added his own privacy rune to the mix. The runecrafted cube wasn¡¯t foolproof, but then, from what he had seen, nothing in this universe was. However, the added protections should at least warn them if they were being listened in on and his Conceptual Insight skill and sphere of awareness hadn¡¯t noticed any other listening devices, so they were probably safe.


    The remains of their dinner still decorated the table with some sort of crustacean¡¯s cracked open shell wafting the smell of a sweet and salty meat over the pair of them. The drinks had been just as good and he was certain they had been alchemically created as the flavour shifted based on how much of the liquid remained. Tiny bells that would call a server waited for their attention if they desired some dessert to cap off the exquisite meal. Coupled with the view, it was the kind of life he had always hoped for.


    ¡°So goooood,¡± Kiri said, rubbing her stomach as she reclined in her chair.


    ¡°Is Coralie going to be annoyed that you didn¡¯t invite her?¡± asked Nate with a cheeky grin.


    ¡°I told her we were going out for dinner. I didn¡¯t say where,¡± responded Kiri, waggling her eyebrows. ¡°What about Britt?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken to her since this morning. Will probably use the same line you did.¡±


    ¡°So much for friends with benefits, eh? I could¡¯ve warned you, but it¡¯s the kind of thing you usually need to learn for yourself. Casual never stays casual. It either blows up in your face or it gets serious.¡±


    Nate nodded his agreement. He had intended to stay unentangled and look at where that had gotten him. The thought of Britt triggered some melancholy in him and it was clear from Kiri¡¯s expression that his body language or facial expression had betrayed him.


    ¡°Worried it can¡¯t last?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t see how she can keep up. Even with my plans for helping her improve¡­it won¡¯t be enough to bridge the gap. They¡¯ll make her better. Better than her peers. Probably even competitive with some of the Lesser Nobility, but the difference in Skill Tiers is so much harder to bridge. It just feels like it¡¯s a stop-gap measure and I am delaying the inevitable.¡±


    Voicing his worries felt good and Kiri shuffled her chair closer to him so they could sit side by side and stare out towards the ocean. With their heightened Perception, the darkness wasn¡¯t enough to impede their view of the waves and their gentle swell.


    ¡°I¡¯m the same,¡± Kiri confessed. ¡°Coralie¡¯s in a better position than Britt. She¡¯s a tier higher and she¡¯s been given far more than Britt because of her mother. But even with all the interventions by Prefect Allais and the fact that she is advancing in levels slightly faster than I am because of her lower tier Classes¡­it still feels like the gap just keeps getting wider and wider. I¡¯m okay with that. It means I can protect her. But will she be okay with that? What happens once we¡¯ve reached Platinum.¡±


    Kiri paused, then lowered her voice, ¡°What happens when we unlock our Tertiary Class? If we evolve up a tier¡­whatever that means¡­it could change everything. Not just for us, but for those around us. It worries me. I¡¯m not used to the uncertainty, you know?¡±


    He did know. He put an arm around his sister to comfort her and perhaps to comfort himself. Kiri was a decisive individual. She made a decision then followed through with it unerringly. No matter the consequences. He could see how the uncertainty in their future and in her relationship would plague her thoughts.


    They sat in silence together for a few minutes before Kiri quietly whispered, ¡°When we fought the Golds¡­when I died and was reborn¡­I felt something.¡±


    Nate glanced at his sister and best friend and let his face ask the question rather than using his voice.


    Kiri understood immediately and answered his unasked question, ¡°I was Reborn and I felt¡­more real? It¡¯s hard to describe. But it didn¡¯t feel like it had anything to do with my Class Core.¡±


    Nate looked back out towards the waves and considered the information. Maybe it was nothing, but he suspected it might be their first hint at what lay beyond the Mythic Tier. He would just need to figure out what it meant.

 Chapter 168 - Tome of Space

    Nate tried not to laugh as the air slashes dissipated against his barrier. He wasn¡¯t even attuning his Legendary Barrier bracer to wind attacks. His opponent, some son of a Baron from the middle of nowhere, finally gave up on making ranged attacks and tried to close the distance. Nate quietly admitted that for a Rare Classer the man had a fairly solid build.


    Like Null, who was somewhere else on the training grounds, the son of a Baron was a hybrid mage and swordsman. The swordsman used wind to enhance his movements, increase the power of his attacks, attack from range and even redirect attacks against him. Plus, with the small amount of mana being used, his affinity for wind mana had to be through the roof. Maybe even higher than Nate¡¯s own affinity for spatial mana.


    Nate imagined if Etrua had anything like a duelling circuit, that his opponent would have been decently highly ranked in an under-sixty division. But all of his style, skill and natural gifts, paled before the tyranny of tier and Nate¡¯s absolute defence. The only reason Nate was on the Combat field at the University at all was to grade out of the Intermediate class and into the Advanced one. It might not matter in the long-run, but the Guild would reward him for doing so regardless and a couple of free Stat Orbs seemed like it was worth spending an hour at the University.


    He knew he would need to attack back if he wanted to grade out of the class but he almost didn¡¯t want to. Maybe it was arrogant of him, but he felt it would be like flicking away a bug. Still, the instructors expected it so he activated Conceptual Runic Mastery. His synergised Skill had everything he needed contained within it and he quickly created a runic array using the Sigils for Earth, Shape and Control. With his almost four-hundred Magic Power, he quickly overwhelmed his opponent, the rocky ground beneath them breaking down into sand before swirling around them. The air armour the man used was quickly suffocated and Nate hardened the earth into a stone coffin, keeping his opponent sealed inside.


    Since his battles in the Tournament over half a year ago, he hadn¡¯t found much need to contain opponents without harming them. At least, not harming them physically. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he believed that his stone burial method was more humane than poking holes in his opponents, but he was certain more than a few of them disagreed.


    The Instructor waited for almost twenty seconds before he called the match. Nate broke down the stone coffin to see a wild-eyed Baron¡¯s son breathing quickly in a panic. Some friends of the man came in from the sideline, helping the swordsman off of the field while shooting fearful glares in Nate¡¯s direction. No one had forgotten what he had done to Fabien Lussier on these very fields after all. Maybe a few of them even suspected he had a hand in Fabien¡¯s death. No proof had been brought forward though and Nate had not been harassed by any more Guard Inspectors. He just hoped the whole situation would end up buried and forgotten. He doubted it though.


    Walking off the combat field he sensed Kiri rushing to join him.


    ¡°Passed?¡± she asked excitedly.


    Nate looked at the Instructor who was within hearing distance. The woman gave a nod, ¡°Advanced class going forward.¡±


    Kiri clapped him on the back, her hand impacting his barrier as he raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°What, I was congratulating you?¡± she replied with a smirk.


    They joked as the pair started making their way back to the dormitories. Halfway there they found Coralie sitting on the edge of one of the many fountains found throughout the University. The ice mage was dragging her fingers through the water, and true to her Class, creating small ice flows with each movement.


    Kiri held up a hand for Nate and he stepped off to the side to wait. As Kiri moved to sit down next to her girlfriend, Nate debated retracting his sphere of awareness. He was close enough to the pair that they were within range of his personal sphere and while he could forcibly reduce the area it covered, his paranoia told him not to. He couldn¡¯t react to things he wasn¡¯t aware of and every metre counted. He really didn¡¯t want to listen in on his sister and her girlfriend, but his fear of being attacked won out and he leaned against a pillar instead, trying unsuccessfully to ignore their exchange.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Kiri quietly, reaching out to lay a hand over Coralie¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Coralie started, before falling silent again.


    ¡°Is it your Mother again?¡± pressed Kiri, concern written on her face.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Coralie responded noncommittally, though Nate could sense through her body language that she was already cracking.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to,¡± whispered Kiri.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Coralie whispered back as Nate sensed a tear fall before turning to ice on her cheek. That was new, he thought. Had her affinity improved?


    ¡°Can I help?¡± Kiri asked.


    ¡°Yes, but, I don¡¯t want you to,¡± Coralie stated quietly before Nate sensed her posture break, words rushing out of the petite woman. ¡°She¡¯s making me join the war effort. She said it would be good for my advancement and will allow her to further my advancement with Guild resources. I¡¯m to join Princess Morgane¡¯s army. I leave within the week.¡±


    Nate felt Kiri¡¯s whole body tense up and he sighed mentally. It didn¡¯t take a genius to see what would happen next. Kiri loved Coralie. He didn¡¯t know when it had happened over the last six months, but it had been clear to him for a little while now. His sister was in love, and what his sister loved, she would protect. He knew that from personal experience, given the lengths she went to and the risks she had taken to protect him. She had been willing to stay in Etrua even with their troubles for the sake of Coralie and her own family. She wouldn¡¯t let the Ice Mage go to war without her nearby to rush to her rescue. Which left him with a question that he would need to answer. What would he do, given this change?


    Even as he sighed again mentally he knew the answer. He loved his sister. If she was to be drawn towards the war front, then he would go as well, so she wouldn¡¯t be without his backup if she needed it. He hated the situation, but he couldn¡¯t fault his sister. She was just being true to her nature.


    Mentally, he started making plans. He couldn¡¯t let his work start to slip, or at least not by much. And he wouldn¡¯t perform the more secretive or complicated work outside of his workshop. He moved creating the spatially expanded spaces down from his top priority to his third. First priority now was creating a portal mechanism so that he could access his workshop while in the field. Second on his list was the creation of the much larger runic barriers to be sold to Asmuisil. The wealth needed to continue to flow to fund everything else. Then he could work on the designs for the spatially expanded spaces and his living art designs for Kiri, Britt and himself.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He looked up as Kiri approached him.


    ¡°Did you hear?¡± she asked.


    He nodded, already knowing how the quick discussion would go.


    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± she stated, though he could see the question in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± he replied in a calm voice.


    ¡°...thank you,¡± she said softly, punching him gently in the chest, his barrier preventing the impact as always, before returning to her girlfriend¡¯s side.


    Nate made his way back to his room alone. It was time to collect his things from his room ¨C the cloud-enchanted bed and a couple of easels and paintings. There wasn¡¯t much else he left lying around his dormitory room anymore. He would just move into his workshop full-time. Informing Britt would be second on his list, before using the unigem to let the University know he was taking a leave of absence. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised to hear they closed their doors soon. The grounds, once frequented by hundreds of Professors, Nobles and well-to-do merchants, were already bordering on a ghost-town. Another week or two and they would be running classes for two to three students. He doubted they would bother at that point.


    The war had up-ended everything and he wasn¡¯t lying when he admitted quietly to himself that it pissed him off. Not just the way that Etrua would supposedly conduct the war, though that was definitely a factor, but how it was delaying some of his own plans. He would just have to make sure that the rewards they received were worth the effort.


    With those thoughts he put his plans into action. Room first, then girlfriend, then Guild. He needed Aisling¡¯s advice on the war and Evindal¡¯s advice on his development towards the Lord of Life Class.


    *************


    Headmaster Verian Thavian Mazet looked out over his University with distaste. The grounds were almost empty. Some of his professors had taken leaves of absence due to the war. Many were second and third children of Noble stock and had returned to their family demesnes to prepare for the war with Asmuisil. He had, of course, expected such, but that didn¡¯t change his feelings towards seeing his institution for advancing humanity laying quiet and empty.


    This, he reminded himself, was the price of advancement. Mythic. The highest power he was aware of was almost within his reach. He just needed to make this small sacrifice and he could grasp it, and his future, in his own two hands. Turning back to his desk, he sat and waited for his liege to arrive. It would be their last meeting for a while and they needed to make sure everything was in place.


    Punctual as ever, Prince Bordain entered within minutes, taking a seat as though he owned the place. Verian acknowledged that in the Prince¡¯s mind, he likely felt that he did own the place.


    ¡°Are the preparations complete?¡± asked Bordain, his deep voice rolling through the Headmaster¡¯s office.


    ¡°Garnet has delivered the final collections and I have her returning to the Capital, ready for your own return. Sapphire has everything he needs now and we should get confirmation that the payment has been made shortly. Topaz has already returned to the Capital and has begun our preparations here. Amethyst is with your brother, Prince Thane. Malachite is in the Castle. Everything is almost ready. Do you want me to send Topaz or Garnet to join your sister''s forces?¡±


    Prince Bordain remained quiet in thought for a moment, before responding, ¡°Send Topaz. Garnet could be problematic. There are multiple plans in place to see the tasks done but adding Topaz should make certain of it. I will need to leave the Capital tomorrow to join my forces. The delayed muster of a few of the Houses has been enough of an excuse for remaining in the Capital, but any longer will cause problems. I expect regular updates,¡± stated Prince Bordain.


    ¡°You will have them, my Prince,¡± replied Verian, waiting till the Prince had left his office before returning to his window. A change was coming and he would ride that change to the heights he had always aspired to. A lowly peasant would reach Mythic.


    *************


    Nate walked towards the Guild Jobs board with Aisling on one side of him and Evindal on the other. Aisling had been displeased that he and Kiri would be going to the war front. The amazonian woman had made her thoughts on the matter abundantly clear. However, she still supported him. The change had been evident for some time now, where the famed Storm Spear of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would offer her advice and thoughts, without trying to control or direct him. The change was both pleasant and uncomfortable. Pleasant because it showed a level of trust and investment in him that he appreciated. Uncomfortable because her displeasure often came with small static shocks and a disappointed look in her eyes.


    Before heading for the job boards, they had stopped to test Nate¡¯s affinities. The alchemical treatments had been everything Evindal promised. The good, and the bad. His previously non-existent affinity for Life Mana now sat at a comfortable thirteen percent. Almost halfway to the cut-off he had set for himself of thirty-percent. Having imbibed six alchemical concoctions already, he was likely going to exceed the twelve that Evindal had estimated. It was probably going to be closer to fifteen. Kiri was already searching for them throughout the city, but she acknowledged that they might need to send Luc all the way to Gashana to get the treatments Nate needed. It was a delay, but it was coming, and in the meantime he still had his Skills and Achievements to focus on.


    Approaching the Gold-tier job board, Aisling answered his previous question, ¡°There will be non-combat jobs for Gold-tiers if that is what you¡¯re set on taking. See which ones you¡¯d be willing to take. I am going to review the Platinum board.¡±


    Nate stood for a moment, joined by Evindal, as he watched his Guardian walk through a guarded door into another room. Platinum job offers were apparently kept a secret from the rest of them. Not surprising since a Gold was a high-tier warrior while a Platinum qualified as a strategic weapon.


    ¡°She¡¯s proud of you, you know,¡± stated Evindal, interrupting Nate¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°I...know,¡± he agreed tentatively.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t show it well sometimes, but she talks with me about you. She¡¯s proud of what you¡¯ve accomplished and how far you¡¯ve come in such a short-time. And she¡¯s proud that you stick to your morals. I am too. Don¡¯t let the Nobles or Royals drag you more deeply into the war than you¡¯re willing to go.¡±


    When Nate just smiled at the praise, Evindal continued, glancing at the job board, ¡°See any that suit your needs?¡±


    There were far more jobs than usual, but Nate had to pick one that would see him placed with Princess Morgane¡¯s contingent. It took a minute to find one that he felt was exactly what he wanted. Noting the job number, he tapped it for Evindal¡¯s benefit.


    ¡°Joining as a Healer?¡± Evindal laughed. ¡°Always a way to advance after all. Here are the things to focus on to get some Achievements.¡±


    Evindal launched into a hushed explanation of a few low-tier Achievements Nate could aim for as well as a couple that would be more difficult but that he should try for if the opportunity presented itself. It was a matter of moments to get himself recorded against the job and he was told he would need to leave for the army muster within seven days. It took another hour to get his Guild Badge set up for the war, hopefully acting as a deterrent to killing him if he did end up getting attacked. With preparations completed, Nate bid Aisling and Evindal goodnight before using True Teleportation to return to his workshop. He had seven days to prepare everything he needed. It was all the time in the world and no time at all. With a grin, he picked up the spatial plate, channelling Conceptual Material as he began planning the designs for his runic portal. After all, he knew how to achieve this goal. It was the exact same mechanism that had seen him stolen from Earth. Pulling out the notebook given to him by Arikanvil, he began to read. It was time to deepen his understanding of space.

 Chapter 169 - Grandmaster

    Nate politely ignored Britt¡¯s slight snoring as he channelled his Conceptual Material Skill into the metal plate. His girlfriend was asleep in his cloud-enchanted bed, now situated in the corner of his workshop. When she had heard he was taking his leave of the Royal University for a time, she had asked to come with him. In response he had handed her a ward key for the workshop. Not only would it give her somewhere to stay other than the Guild compound, but she would need access for the treatments when he started modifying her bones.


    Those plans were secondary to creating a method to allow him access to his workshop while out in the field with the ¡®Bright Army¡¯. The name for Princess Morgane¡¯s contingent had been part of the job notice at the Guild, and given his meeting with the woman, he could see how they had gotten the name. The Princess did have a brightness about her. His mind wandered for a moment, considering the feeling he had gotten from Conceptual Insight in the Royal¡¯s presence. He still could not put his finger on it, but he supposed that for now his curiosity would simply have to go on unsated.


    It was a few more minutes before the metal plate finally ticked over to the Legendary tier and he cut off the mana flow to Conceptual Material, placing the plate on a small runic array that rebuffed ambient mana. The material for his portal was ready, but it would do weird things if he let mana touch it. The spatial affinity was so strong it might even move around the room on its own. He doubted the ambient mana was enough to let it cross his wards on the walls, but he definitely wasn¡¯t going to take that chance. Now he just needed to finish the runic array. The notification blinking in the corner of his vision grabbed his attention first and he brought up the update for his Skills.


    Conceptual Insight 48 > 49


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 49 > 50


    Conceptual Runic Mastery 48 > 49


    True Teleportation 38 > 40


    Empowered Amplified Magic 38 > 40


    Conceptual Automated Existence 23 > 24


    Material Shaping 19 > 21


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment 22 > 24


    Space Is All Around You 1 > 7


    True Teleportation and Empowered Amplified Magic sat at the edge of evolution. His plans for both were well on their way, with one of them sitting in front of him already, on the verge of completion. Material Shaping, however, had already reached its evolution and that meant he could finally look at synergising the Skill with Conceptual Material.


    He had noticed that it was almost impossible for a Skill to synergise naturally if it meant the new Skill¡¯s level would cause it to dip below an evolution point. A level forty-one Skill would not synergise naturally with a level twenty-five Skill because the resulting Skill would be level thirty-three, forcing the higher-level Skill down an evolutionary level. With Conceptual Material at level forty, it was on the edge of evolution, but because Material Shaping had caught up, it  should be fine to synergise after this evolution. At least, he hoped so. With that flicker of hope in his heart, as he would rather avoid forcing a synergy, he moved on to the newest notification.


    Material Shaping (E) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Reinforced Material Shaping (L)


    An artist''s potential is defined by the materials they use to craft, create, and express themselves. This skill enables the user to incorporate reinforcing materials, moulding matter into desired shapes at the cost of mana. Mana cost is based upon both the tier and the volume of the materials being shaped. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Mana cost is further decreased by 10% of the user¡¯s Intellect. Additionally, this skill reinforces all shaped materials, making them more durable. Durability improvement is equal to 10% of the user¡¯s Magic Power.


    Quickened Material Shaping (L)


    An artist''s potential for output is defined by the speed at which they can craft, create, and express themselves. This skill enables the user to rapidly mould matter into desired shapes at the cost of mana. Mana cost is based upon both the tier and the volume of the materials being shaped. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Mana cost is further decreased by 10% of the user¡¯s Intellect. Further increases the speed of Material Shaping by 1% per Skill Level.


    Normally he would¡¯ve called Frick back to discuss the options with him. For two reasons he chose not to. Frick was out making Nate¡¯s proposed changes to the new mana syphoning site, which was not something he wanted interrupted since creating a new site was when they had to accept the greatest risk.


    The second reason was the more important one, though. Nate had to choose his own path. The importance of his choices, his decisions, his intent, was becoming more and more evident the further he progressed.


    His discussions with Kiri over dinner and how she had felt more real when she had been reborn had been in the back of his mind ever since. What did it mean? It clearly related to her Embodiment, but the fact that she had believed that it didn¡¯t have anything to do with her Class Core had made him question a number of things. The main questions related to what the Class Core¡¯s function was. He paused that line of thinking. He would continue to go over it after he had handled his Skill evolution.


    The options were really no option at all. His biggest blocker in the development of new equipment and runes had always been how long it took to create the materials he needed. Besides, he had Sigils for Durability and Reinforcement. So if he went for speed there was a good chance that when it synergised with Conceptual Material, that some of that quickening would carry over. When, not if, because he would force the synergy if it didn¡¯t happen naturally. Selecting Quickened Material Shaping he got an immediate notification. Smiling at his reflection in the window he read the blue text, already knowing he had been right.


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Conceptual Material (Mythic) Skill and Quickened Material Shaping (Legendary) Skill. Combine these Skills to gain Conceptual Material Shaping (Mythic) Skill.


    Proceed?


    He selected to proceed without waiting.


    Conceptual Material Shaping (M)


    You have pushed the bounds of the Improve Material skill, understanding the true nature of the skill and then using that understanding to reach beyond its bound, creating a legendary material imbued with an affinity, the underlying concepts that define reality. The user of this Skill is able to push materials all the way to Mythic Rarity and imbue them with concepts of reality itself. In the process, the user may now reshape materials at will, the cost only measured in time and mana. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level for Conceptual Improvements. Improvements are 5% faster per 40 Intellect plus Creativity. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level, plus 10% of the user¡¯s Intellect, for material shaping.


    Conceptual Material Shaping 1 > 31


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    The new Skill was everything he had hoped for. The Skill would now reduce the time to create new materials by sixty-five percent, up from fifty percent. Now he just needed to increase his Intellect and Creativity. He sensed some new Stat Orbs in his near future, since his Realmwalker Class was not going to help him on that front.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    With his evolution and synergy handled, he let his mind return to the latest question plaguing his thoughts. The Class Core, what was it truly? The System clearly made sure every sentient creature had one. How it knew an existence possessed sentience was unclear, but all the evidence pointed to soul energy, which pointed to some connection to the Spiritual Realm. When he had prevented Kiri¡¯s soul energy from interacting with the Class Core, the System had known. When his sister''s soul energy had remained in this realm, the Physical realm, without the presence of a Class Core, she had immediately been given a new core. But, what did the Class Core do?


    He wrote his answers down in his own notebook as he went over each one. The Class Core converted mana into processed mana. In all his time on Galle, he had never seen or heard of another method for creating processed mana. Even in Dungeons, the beasts and monsters were the source of processed mana, and they possessed Class Cores. But, why did the Class Core convert mana to processed mana, and why was the System so intent on that happening? He didn¡¯t have an answer to that question. Not yet, anyway.


    The Class Core also functioned as a repository for Skills. Using his Skills, he was absolutely certain that those Skills were runic arrays. They were microscopic and given the amount of area they covered on the Class Core, that told him that the complexity of those runic arrays was insanely far beyond anything he had created. Again, his question was why? Skills were both more efficient and more powerful than the alternatives. Similar outcomes could be achieved via Spells, Runes or Enchantments, so why did the Class Core grant Skills? Because of course, the source had to be the System.


    Finally, there was what the Class Core did with all the processed mana it created. The answer was, at least in part, self-enhancement. It used that energy to enhance particular areas of the individual, represented by the Stats in their Status. But, all those Stats seemed to exist without the System. He had a mana reserve which was separate from his Class Core. He had soul energy, which could potentially be influenced without the Class Core.


    Leaning back he looked over his notes, both the questions and the answers. Even with the things he didn¡¯t know, it was obvious that the System, via the Class Cores, enhanced an individual significantly. But it was also obvious that what it mainly did was simplify processes that could be achieved without it. The biggest unanswered question remained. Why? He didn¡¯t know. One thing was clear though. If the System was enhancing aspects of an individual that already existed, then an Embodiment was not purely related to the Class Core. It meant that Kiri was probably right.


    He glanced at the puzzle cube sitting on his desk as his mind continued to wrestle with his questions. It had been around eight months since he had acquired the little cube, and he still had no idea what it was or what it contained. The Sigil, which he was still convinced the imprint on the cube was despite all evidence to the contrary, had still not activated. He had tried a couple of new ideas, such as including it in runic arrays, but there had still been no interaction. Now, he wondered, could an Embodiment somehow be relevant to the Sigil on the cube?


    With a small sigh, he closed his notebook and tossed it on top of the puzzle cube to hide it. He was distracting himself with questions when he should be focusing on completing his portal plate. Kiri would give him grief over the name, and probably rename it. He could live with that. Especially since his interest was in getting it working rather than naming the creation appropriately.


    The tome on space and portals from Arikanvil had sat in his spatial storage ring for over a year collecting dust, metaphorically speaking, until the past week. According to the tome, he ultimately needed to create three runic arrays and connect them all together to achieve what he wanted. The same array on Arikanvil¡¯s research station had required six. There were two key differences. Nate¡¯s portal plate didn¡¯t need to be able to penetrate the layer surrounding a universe and cross multiverses. His portal plate also didn¡¯t need to search for the portal key, since he would be splitting the plate in two and connecting them.


    The result should be that he could carry one portal plate with him at all times, and activate it to create a portal that would let him cross to its sister plate. There were some risks if someone got a hold of one of his plates, since they could move it and he could step through into a trap. Except that with Farsight of the Runic Artist, he could scout the other side without ever stepping through the portal. In the future he might add some additional defences, since he still felt his paranoia keenly. But he was working to a very short timetable.


    As for the runic arrays, the three he needed included one to create the portal, connecting the two plates. One to handle the powering of the portal and absorb mana into the runecrafted item. The last was to hide the portal. The portal would absolutely scream to anyone with a Skill or item to detect spatial mana, so obfuscating it was a necessity.


    The runic array to power the item and the runic array to obfuscate the portal were both relatively simple. That didn¡¯t mean the Sigils or materials were simple. It was unlikely anyone else in the Capital could have managed it outside of the Royals perhaps. Maybe a Ducal House. But they were simple in terms of the complexity of the runic array itself, each one only requiring the use of four or so Sigils. The obfuscation runic array used his Obfuscate, Concealment, Space and Mana sigils. The powering runic array used Space, Mana, Release, Rebuff and Shape. Rebuff and Shape were present to keep the mana where it was meant to be and prevent the portal plate from activating from ambient mana and moving itself or worse, reshaping the runic arrays carved into it.


    The portal itself, however, used nine Sigils. Without even a close rival, the design for the portal runic array was his most advanced rune to date combining his Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil with the Sigils for Tunnel, Enclosed, Bridge, Both Directions, Power and Rebuff. The latter were all Master tier. Finally, he used Target and Connect. The lower tier of the final Sigils was why he had been forced to include the Power Sigil and would impact the efficiency of the resulting portal. A sacrifice he had to make unless he wanted to waste some of the mana being stored in Conceptual Insight to improve his Sigils. That mana was being held to improve his Master-tier Life Sigil. Advancing his Embodiment and achieving his desired Tertiary Class was more important than a little extra mana efficiency.


    Going over his designs one last time, he didn¡¯t find any major issues and prepared to make his greatest creation yet. Satisfied with his plans, he activated his new synergised Skill. Conceptual Material Shaping seized the large metal plate before him. The plate fuzzed as he touched it with mana, the spatial affinity making the plate try and shift both its location and its shape. His Mana Control of over a hundred and forty struggled to control the Legendary spatial material and anyone else watching would have cried at the amount of mana he wasted forcing the spatial plate under control. Finally, after minutes of wrestling with the material, he managed to separate the metal from one piece into two.


    Placing one piece back into the Rebuff Mana runic array, he got to work on the first half of the portal plate. Conceptual Material Shaping was maintained to hold the shape of the plate. The portal runic array itself had to be first. If he put on the powering runic array first it would cost him three times as much in mana just to suppress the mana rebuffing effect from the runic array. Activating Conceptual Runic Mastery he got to work, burning through his mana reserves at a prodigious rate. Conceptual Spatial Empowerment leant itself to the work and he thought he felt the first twinges of response from his Space Is All Around You Skill.


    The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when he finally finished his crafting, the two plates sitting before him. The resulting creations were flat silver metal plates almost a centimetre thick and a little over half a metre in diameter. To conceal their nature, the runic arrays were carved inside of the metal, but his artistic desires had won out and so each surface had been reshaped to look like a snapshot of a galaxy. Temporarily overpowering the mana rebuff portion of the runic array, he let Conceptual Insight activate to identify his newest creation.


    Paired Runecrafted Obfuscated Portal Plate (Legendary)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Legendary), Spatial Concealment (Legendary), Connected Portals (Mythic)


    Mana Storage: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to store a Legendary-equivalent amount of mana which can be accessed to activate other features of the item. Will rebuff ambient mana and must be charged via specific mana gem slot.


    Spatial Concealment: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to conceal all spatial emanations and mana when activated. This feature will only activate when the Connected Portals feature is activated.


    Connected Portals: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to open a portal that connects to a paired item. This portal is powered via the Mana Storage feature and the portal will only remain active for one minute per activation before needing to be recharged. Portal shape is a two metre diameter sphere.


    After reading his latest creation¡¯s description, he moved onto the notification flashing in the corner of his vision.


    Congratulations on creating a Connected Portal Rune (Grandmaster Quality).


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Satisfied with his progress, he placed the portal plates in his spatial storage. He had expected the two spatial items wouldn¡¯t interact, especially given the protections on the runic arrays, but he waited a few minutes to be sure. When he sensed nothing, he finally sighed before making his way towards his bed. The sun was coming up but he could still get a couple of hours of sleep in before the day truly started. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep within seconds.

 Chapter 170 - Prepared Apprentices

    Nate wandered downstairs. Sleep had come quickly and unfortunately lasted just as long. While he could get by on just a few hours of rest for one night, multiple nights in a row would still wear him down. He¡¯d need to go to bed at a reasonable hour tonight.


    When he woke, Britt had already been gone. Her scent had lingered in his bed though, and she¡¯d left him a little note telling him she had returned to the University. Combat classes were continuing for the handful of students still staying at the University despite the war; mostly merchant¡¯s kids from what he had seen. If anything, it made the whole feel of the University less stressful. Without the noble cliques and the constant maneuvering they seemed to engage in, the remaining students could focus on learning. He just wished that he was staying as well.


    He had come far in his journey and the things he had learned in his subjects had helped guide his development. Understanding how intent played a part in his Skills and their development, the revelations about the nature of soul, demonic and celestial energies had all improved his abilities. Changing his Embodiment might have been a pipe dream if he hadn¡¯t learned about its importance and how Achievements and Skills could factor into it. There were some lingering questions on that particular topic, of course. Just because they taught something at the University didn¡¯t mean they were correct, or perhaps it would be better to say, entirely correct. Kiri¡¯s Embodiment was what made him question whether the University Professors understood the entire picture. The Reborn Embodiment had clear ties to Kiri¡¯s Achievements. Entering the Spirit Realm and returning was a form of rebirth. Her loss of a Class Core and regaining a new one could also be seen as a form of rebirth. Yet none of her Skills took on that nature which stood in stark contrast to his own.


    Meanwhile, his Skills were almost all ¡®Conceptual¡¯ in nature. Some of his achievements could be considered similar, but then, they were more closely tied to the idea of creation, at least from his view. Then his most powerful achievements were all about wandering and, to a certain extent, space ¨C visiting different universes and realms. The dichotomy made him wonder if there was more to it, or if his own attempts to change his Embodiment just required more work because he had high-tier Achievements in the mix. At the end of the day, he didn¡¯t know. But, with his next experiment, he hoped to find out.


    Kiri was sitting at her desk going through a small pile of paperwork. His sister flashed a smile at him as he stepped into the room.


    ¡°Had a good night?¡± she asked with a knowing smirk. ¡°Jacque didn¡¯t complain, but the look on his face said he could hear everything. Even from the basement. Might want to put some sound dampening runes on the walls.¡±


    Nate grinned, used to the teasing by now. It was Kiri¡¯s way of showing she cared.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it. So, the apprentices. That¡¯s today, right?¡± he asked.


    Kiri nodded, shuffling the paper into a neat pile before putting most of it into a drawer on her desk, the lock clicking into place as she closed it. The enchantment on it was a simplistic one, and Nate suspected he could do better, but he only had so much time in the day and he was one man. Two if you counted Jacque, but the ex-Professor had his own quotas to meet for the Rare and below runecrafted equipment they were selling. That was where the apprentices should come in, assuming everything went according to plan.


    ¡°So, let''s talk about the kids, I mean, the apprentices, before they get here¡± answered Kiri.


    ¡°They¡¯ve come by for a couple of hours each day for the past few days. Cutter¡¯s been escorting them and Jacque spends the time going over some basics with them. I don¡¯t fully get it, but mostly just practising their drawing to see how well they do and gauging their aptitudes. We¡¯re holding off on Luc dragging them off to some Dungeons to get Achievements until we¡¯re sure they¡¯re a good fit.¡±


    ¡°What are they like?¡± Nate asked. He could understand that she was focused on whether they would be able to do the work, but personally, he cared more about if they would get along. He knew a thing or two about growing up in a tough situation and while some kids managed to escape the cycle of poverty, many more were dragged under by it.


    Kiri¡¯s smile turned softer as she replied, ¡°They seem like good kids, Nate. Cutter chose well. They work hard, and according to Jacque, take criticism well.¡±


    ¡°If we take them on, they¡¯re going to live here, right?¡±


    Kiri nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll need to set up some living space for them. They can share a room, but honestly, I¡¯m not sure we should dig out another basement. I was going to set them up in the storage room with some bunk beds or something until we managed to expand. I¡¯m looking into buying the lot next to us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than their current situation,¡± Kiri added. ¡°They¡¯re orphans. They sleep wherever they can.¡±


    Nate didn¡¯t ask how Cutter had known. Maybe he hadn¡¯t, and the old sailor just saw an opportunity to get a few kids off the street. But, it still pulled at Nate¡¯s heart strings.


    The conversation turned to other matters and Kiri gave him the rundown on how the business was performing so far. The answer was, they were doing incredibly well. Since Nate was stealing their mana supplies and they owned the building, their only costs were what they paid Jacque and the materials, most of which were low tier, and finally a small amount of mana purchased from the government. She explained that she was purchasing from multiple suppliers to conceal the fact that what they were producing was often a higher tier than what they were buying. It helped that a large proportion of what they were selling was intended to go to Asmuisil, which had a far more limited ability to look into their suppliers. On the other hand, if anyone looked too deeply, they would quickly see that the amount of materials purchased exceeded what they were selling to the Etruan branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. But that would only happen if anyone looked into their finances.


    Taxes in Etrua were unusual. The Capital didn¡¯t functionally have a taxation system. Why would they, when they were the ones selling the mana. Their tax was already taken by hoarding the majority of the mana. The little that didn¡¯t go towards their Dungeons was stored and sold to the merchants and nobility. On top of that, it sounded like any mana sent towards the Dungeons of the Nobility came at a standard cost in processed mana. Since that was how the Royals collected their tax, there was only a small amount of oversight on businesses. As long as they didn¡¯t sell far more in Etrua than their mana purchases accounted for, then no one would ever be the wiser. Basically, Nate had accepted that he was committing theft and possibly fraud. If they got caught, they would need to run, and fast. But he didn¡¯t feel bad about what he was doing. Stealing from a government who was stealing from their populace seemed a no-brainer. But he also wasn¡¯t a hero, taking from the rich to give to the needy. Maybe he would though, when he was capable of competing with the Royals in truth.


    It was another thirty minutes before Cutter arrived and Nate watched the door as the five individuals entered. One too many, and unless his eyes were deceiving him, one more than was apparent. Nate noted that neither Kiri nor Cutter reacted to their unseen guest. As for the three kids huddled around Cutter, he guessed their ages ranged from around seven to ten. The Class Core didn¡¯t unlock until usually after eleven, but Kiri had told him stories of kids taking as long as fourteen. The trigger was unknown, but since the Class Core¡¯s connection to soul energy allowed The System to read their minds, he wondered if their development and maturity was a factor. That begged the question of why The System would care. Whatever its reasons were, they were irrelevant to him. What was relevant was how much time that meant these kids had to develop.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°This be Nate. Say hello, lads,¡± said Cutter in his gruff voice, the man''s eyes shining in the slightly dimmer room.


    ¡°Hello,¡± they all greeted him, the youngest saying it softer than the rest. A child used to hiding then.


    ¡°Nice to meet you all,¡± Nate replied, smiling at them in the hope of making them more comfortable. He didn¡¯t have much experience with kids. ¡°What are your names?¡±


    ¡°Kio,¡± said the oldest. He was dark-haired and dark-eyed. He could¡¯ve been Null¡¯s younger brother. He had the build of a swordsman, if that swordsman was malnourished.


    ¡°Laure,¡± resolutely stated the kid in the middle, blond-haired and blue-eyed with tanned skin and a wider build. An oddity in Etrua, both in appearance and build.


    ¡°Callum,¡± whispered the youngest. The presumed seven-year old was whip thin, with a messy mop of black hair that partially hid his green eyes. Unlike the other two, Callum seemed slightly less malnourished. Good at stealing, perhaps, wondered Nate.


    Nate chose to ignore the fifth individual who remained hidden, leaning against one of the walls. They hadn¡¯t made any moves yet and seemed nonchalant. The area around them buzzed faintly in his senses and he had a pretty good idea who it was, but he wouldn¡¯t call them out till after he handled the kids'' testing.


    Pulling out three sheafs of paper from nowhere, he ignored the kid¡¯s gasps, only noting that the youngest hadn¡¯t made a peep, despite his eyes widening. Very used to hiding then.


    ¡°I¡¯ve drawn a symbol on each of these. I want you to see how well you can copy it for me,¡± he stated, placing them on Kiri¡¯s cleaned-off desk along with pencils.


    ¡°Will you send us away if we fail?¡± asked Kio.


    Nate shook his head. Perhaps he should ¨C better apprentices with more aptitude would obviously be better in the long-run, but having seen the kids now, he knew he was too soft to kick them out if they weren¡¯t as talented. They would just have to work harder, or be relegated to simpler work. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t reach as high, but he had the means to uplift them, at least as far as the lesser nobility. Uncommon tier was a certainty, Rare a possibility and Epic a distant hope, if they possessed the aptitude.


    Nate watched as each child attempted to draw the rune he had created. It was incredibly simplistic, but it was also his only original creation: the Initiate-tier Fire Sigil he created in his first Dungeon. The rune used three overlapping shapes to draw in mana. A circle, with a square inside and then an octagon inside of the square. The Fire Sigil then lay in the centre of the rune. It was of the lowest quality, but what he was mostly interested in is how well they drew the lines and their attention to detail. He was also sensing their mana reserves while he watched. Unsurprisingly, they were almost empty. Given the barren nature of the Slums, it was no surprise. Even now they were slowly drinking up a small amount of the ambient mana within the building.


    Kio managed it the quickest, but also the sloppiest. He seemed to have trouble with curved lines and his Sigil was unlikely to even activate. Jacque would need to get him to slow down. Laure, on the other hand, clearly had a talent for drawing. His lines were clean and except for a few minor issues of size and scale, he had created an almost perfect replica. Callum¡¯s work was in between the other children, but had taken the longest. He was young, though and still learning fine motor control. Nate could work with that. Whispering his thoughts to Kiri, his sister stood up from her desk.


    ¡°Alright. Nate is satisfied with your attempts. We¡¯ll need to discuss details and living arrangements, as well as the contracts. Cutter, are you happy to come along and make sure we¡¯re not taking advantage of the kids?¡± asked Kiri.


    ¡°Lass, ya gettin¡¯ them off the streets an¡¯ giving em work. That¡¯s better than they coulda hoped for. But fine, ain¡¯ got nothing better to do. Last chance ya lot. There¡¯s tha door. Ya in or ya out?¡± Cutter grumped, locking glowing eyes with each of the kids.


    Only Callum glanced at the door, but even he didn¡¯t choose to leave.


    Nate waited as Kiri took Cutter and the kids, apprentices now he supposed, down to see Jacque. They would finalise the details and Kiri would make sure it was all organised, which meant he was finally free to deal with their unseen guest.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Avery?¡± he asked, glancing at the wall where she hid herself.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s not sound based, then,¡± answered the Guild Platinum in a deep masculine voice, appearing a moment later. Similar to the last time, they had the appearance of a man. This time she looked like a fat and balding merchant, perspiring in the heat of the Capital.


    ¡°Was that what the buzzing around you was? Were you trying to prevent sounds from bouncing off of you?¡± he countered.


    ¡°I told you last time, I¡¯ll figure out how you¡¯re seeing me on my own. Just a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°I am surprised Cutter couldn¡¯t see you,¡± Nate commented.


    ¡°I¡¯m particularly proud of that little deception.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re putting on this facade?¡± he asked, waving in the direction of the corpulent visage. ¡°I know you¡¯re a woman.¡±


    Avery¡¯s form shifted into a tall willowy woman with red hair and green eyes, ¡°Is this better?¡±


    Conceptual Insight hummed at the use of Light, Illusion and Sound. Avery was still changing her voice, he realised. It had been expected she would when she was masquerading as a man, but even shifting to a woman she hid her true voice. The Platinum was apparently careful to the extreme. A level of paranoia he could appreciate, given what she supposedly did for work.


    Nate shrugged, ¡°Can¡¯t say I care much how you make yourself look. Was just curious.¡±


    Avery tilted her head, ¡°So, you don¡¯t recognise her. Very interesting.¡±


    Nate raised an eyebrow questioningly.


    ¡°This is Duchess Charlotte Desmarais. You didn¡¯t react. So you¡¯ve never met her.¡±


    ¡°I thought we explained that in the Guild Tribunal?¡± replied Nate, mildly annoyed.


    ¡°Trust, but verify,¡± answered Avery, still seeming relaxed about the entire exchange.


    ¡°Alright. That makes sense. Now that you¡¯ve verified, was there anything else you wanted, Avery?¡±


    ¡°Just to let you know, my informants tell me that there are no signs of the Dungeon Cores that were captured along the border with Asmuisil. None in Asmuisil or Etrua. Dungeon Cores don¡¯t just disappear, Nathaniel. Someone is up to no good. So if you intend to follow through with your foolish plan to follow Allais¡¯s daughter to the front, be wary of everyone. Things are not as they appear.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve been careful anyway,¡± he answered with a frown. ¡°But, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Just looking out for a fellow upstanding Guild member. A word of advice. If you¡¯re going to trust any of the Prefects, make sure it¡¯s Porter.¡±


    Nate¡¯s eyes narrowed at the statement.


    ¡°Raoult doesn¡¯t have a spine to speak of and Allais is a greedy bitch that would sell us out for a grain of sand''s worth of power,¡± responded Avery, her body changing again to that of a young man with red hair and cruel eyes. Fabien Lussier.


    He flinched and Avery shifted back to the fat-looking merchant.


    ¡°The reminder is clear?¡± the Platinum asked, voice deep once more.


    Nate just nodded, gritting his teeth. Even after Avery had left, he continued to stew. It had been months, but he still wasn¡¯t completely over his kidnapping and torture. The memory of it hurt less and less, but the fear was still rooted deep within him. He wanted to be angry with Avery. She was clearly manipulating him, but were her reasons for doing so detrimental? The Platinum had stopped by to give him information he didn¡¯t have and a warning to look out for what was to come. Where had the Dungeon Cores that had triggered this war gone, and what was Prefect Allais up to? He doubted he would find out soon. They would be leaving in the next couple of days with the Guild contingent headed for Princess Morgane¡¯s ¡®Bright¡¯ Army. He would need to keep his wits about him and his paranoia close. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into another incident with the Nobility. Deep down, he knew his hopes were futile. Power called to power and he would soon be too powerful for them to ignore. Shaking his head, he headed upstairs. Preparation was key, so that when the castle of cards finally collapsed, he had to be  ready for whoever swept them aside. And when you didn¡¯t know what to prepare for, it was best to prepare for anything.

 Chapter 171 - Warspace

    Nate enjoyed the slow, rolling motion of his alliram mount as it trotted south and east across the plains. Around him, on their own mounts or sitting in drawn wagons was the rest of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild contingent who had accepted jobs posted to assist Princess Morgane. Kiri was nearby, of course. His sister had been glued to Coralie¡¯s side ever since they left the Capital, as though her mere presence could prevent anything from happening to the blonde Ice Mage. A smile bloomed on his lips as he considered that she very well might be able to do exactly that.


    Flash was nearby as well, though the Edgedancer seemed to be keeping the company of one of the few non-Guild members. Nate spent a moment going over his memories to recall the woman''s name. Celeste, he recalled. The red-headed noble had a retinue of three guards who lingered nearby. Golds, in theory, though Nate had penetrated their veils subtly and they were of the weakest kind of Gold ¨C low sixties with Fragmented Embodiments and Rare Classes. Not a threat. At least not to him or Kiri. Or Aisling, he mentally added. There were about fifty other Guild members dispersed among the wagons with a few having their own mounts. The split was even between Gold- and Silver-ranked members, with Aisling being the only Platinum present.


    Thinking of Aisling reminded him of the farewells at the Guild compound. The goodbyes had been a lot calmer than Nate had expected. Britt had promised to visit his workshop on a schedule Nate had proposed. Luc had stayed behind to continue delivering their runecrafted goods to Asmuisil and to assist Nate¡¯s young proteges in getting a couple of Dungeon-based Achievements. Evindal was taking a trip to the Elven Groves to try and find some materials or alchemicals for further developing Nate¡¯s Life Affinity. Deverell was handling things in the Capital for Aisling. That left his guardian as the one playing escort for Nate at the warfront.


    In the week leading up to their departure, Aisling had made her concerns over their involvement in the war abundantly clear. Even though the amazonian Platinum clearly didn¡¯t like his choice, she had come along purely to protect him. The gesture warmed his heart and made him feel just a bit safer.


    He also hadn¡¯t wasted the past week. After Kiri had split the profits from Luc¡¯s first visit to Asmuisil, his sister had bought a number of Skill and Stat Orbs. The Skill Orbs had been Common and were simple ones for drawing ¨C gifts for Nate¡¯s proteges to assist them in drawing out runes. The Stat Orbs, however, had gone to Nate and herself. Another eighteen points in Intellect and the same in Creativity meant for the first time he had crossed over half of his maximum capacity for Stat Orbs. Additionally, it had decreased the time for his Conceptual Material Shaping to a seventy-percent reduction.


    The improvements were solving some of his time problems, but he had considered a secondary issue he would face in the field. Wouldn¡¯t it be odd if he was constantly obfuscating his and Frick¡¯s mana usage as they created the materials necessary for his runecrafting? That was ignoring how it might reveal just how much mana he had to work with, which would raise questions about how he was supplying himself with so much mana. So, he needed a better method to conceal his Skill and mana usage, while also giving Frick somewhere to work out of sight.


    Thankfully, his solution played into his future plans. A customised spatial zone that was directly linked to him. Even with the tome provided by Arikanvil, his Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil, and his own Mythic Skills, it had taken him almost the entire week to get it working. The result was the first proof and prototype for self-modification. He had, of course, tested it externally first and Kiri had been present when he finally applied his newest creation to himself.


    His femur had been the bone of choice for the alteration. His leg had the benefit of being quite large which gave him more room to runecraft, while also being something he could survive losing if everything backfired.


    His customised spatial zone, which he was calling his Runic Gallery, differed from his spatial storage ring. The ring gifted to him by Arikanvil came with a form of stasis for its contents. While he might have been able to achieve the same result with his own creation, he didn¡¯t want to. He wanted time to be able to pass within the Runic Gallery, so that in the future he could install runecrafting to perform tasks for him, such as using his Skills to upgrade materials.


    Testing the impact of improving the bone had gone surprisingly smoothly. He had raised it a single tier each day till it reached Epic, with check ups from Evindal in between. He was planning to do the rest of his skeleton soon but he wouldn¡¯t do above his waist without Evindal present in case something went wrong. The Epic-quality of the bone was influencing the maximum size of the spatially expanded area of his Runic Gallery. At the moment, it was roughly five metres cubed. Enough space for Frick to sit inside with a pile of mana gems and materials and keep churning out everything they needed. The best part was, Nate could direct his own Skills into the space, fuelling them with the mana gems. As it was all internal to his body, his veil kept anyone around him from knowing what he was doing.


    Nate¡¯s reverie was broken as he sensed Aisling approaching him, her mount slowing down till they had drawn even. Glancing at his guardian, he flashed a smile at her. He could tell that the smile he received in response was a little forced.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you through this,¡± he said quietly, glancing at the swaying grass of the plains in front of them.


    Aisling withdrew a small cube. He recognised it instantly, as he should, since he made the thing. The small cube filled half of Aisling¡¯s palm and he had decorated it for her, shaping the metal so that each face showed a different scene of Aisling: in the skies above Helmfirth Forest, on the road on the way to the Capital, relaxing in a bath they had made on the Plains, standing in the Guild compound with Evindal and Deverell, out at dinner with everyone and finally, Aisling yelling at Prefect Allais ¨C snapshots of her life. The cube itself was just runecrafted to create a sphere of privacy, preventing sound from leaving the affected zone while using light to obscure what happened within and creating a weak mana barrier that would need to be broken if someone was to try using a Skill. It was only Rare-tier, so it wasn¡¯t going to stop everything, but it worked in a pinch. The decorations had simply been Nate wanting to give Aisling something with a touch of his art. Conceptual Material Shaping made it easy to reshape the metal to appear how he wanted it to and the rune itself was buried inside of the cube.


    Aisling activated the cube and the air around them fuzzed as the rune began interfering with the light around them.


    ¡°You¡¯re not putting me through this, Nate,¡± Aisling replied calmly. ¡°Do I wish you weren¡¯t putting yourself at risk? Of course I do. Do I think we would have been better off staying in the Capital and continuing your development? I think I have made that clear. But, I recognise the importance of you walking your own path. I am just thankful you¡¯ll be focused on healing rather than being near the actual battles. I am still concerned this is going to draw more attention to you, though. We can¡¯t let you go unescorted, as we know that they are willing to send Platinums against you. But my constant presence watching over you is also going to draw attention to you. Attention we don¡¯t want. That bothers me more than anything else.¡±


    Nate nodded along. He agreed with every word she said. He knew that what he was doing was risky. But, he couldn¡¯t let Kiri go alone and his sister would not let Coralie go alone. So, here he was, in a shit situation, all of the making of Prefect Allais. His dislike of the woman had grown from a small spark into a campfire. The Prefect''s actions had set this entire fiasco in motion and it was she that he would hold accountable should anything go wrong.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Instead of voicing that thought, what he said was, ¡°I agree. Sorry for taking these risks. Could you tell me a little about what the battles will be like? Since I am unlikely to see them myself.¡±


    Aisling tilted her head in thought, ¡°It occurs to me that out of Luc, my husband and myself, that I am the one who has taught you the least. Luc taught you how to use your Skills in battle and helped pressure you to think of ways to use them more cleverly. My husband is teaching you how to heal and gain a class similar to his own. I¡¯ve only ever taught you a little about the Guild.¡±


    Nate was quiet for a moment before he replied softly, ¡°You¡¯ve been teaching me how to lead.¡±


    Aisling glanced at him, her eyes widening ever so slightly.


    ¡°Luc, Evindal, Deverell all defer to you,¡± Nate explained, rushing on. ¡°They offer their opinions and thoughts but it always seems to end with you¡­or lately, me. It¡¯s from you that I am learning how to handle that burden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to make sure I give you some more lessons then,¡± replied Aisling with a small smile.


    His guardian paused to deactivate the privacy cube.


    ¡°Thank you, Nate. That was kind of you to say. I suppose I should answer your question though. The battles. Deverell did explain it slightly but I will go into more detail. Etrua military might is based on individuals. The Nobility. There will likely be somewhere between ten and twenty Platinums present who will make up the main direct combatants. Asmuisil on the other hand will make far greater use of enchantments, specifically Empowerment enchantments. They might have a few Platinums, but nowhere near enough compared to Etrua or to fight Etrua head to head. Instead, they will empower Gold-tier individuals with better equipment and empowerment enchantments. These enchantments channel a small portion of hundreds of individuals¡¯ processed mana to a target. The Gold tier. It should let them compete with the Etruan Platinums.¡±


    Aisling paused, noting how a few other Guild members had drifted closer to listen to the explanation. Kiri and Coralie were amongst those paying attention to Aisling¡¯s words.


    ¡°However, the individuals empowering the Gold-tier can do nothing else. Not move, or even defend themselves. The Asmuisillans will put in place other enchantments and forces to protect them. Those forces are likely to be weaker. Silver, at best. Which is where the Etruan conscripts will come into it. Etrua will throw its conscripts against those forces to try and disrupt the enchantments. You begin to see how messy it can become? One platinum uncontested could very quickly decimate such forces, leading to a cascading problem for either side. If Etrua gains the upper hand, they will decimate those empowerment enchantments which will lead to a cascading loss of powerful combatants for Asmuisil. Alternatively, if Asmuisil can weather the storm or wipe out enough conscripts so that their empowerment enchantments aren¡¯t threatened, then they can swap out Gold-tiers frequently with the empowerment enchantments. Fresh forces that can fight on the level of Platinums will quickly lead to Etrua¡¯s defeat. So both sides will almost certainly hold back reserves. It will be a game of strategy and deceit.¡±


    Aisling looked around at those listening, ¡°For those of you who took combat jobs, that is where you will be fighting. Your jobs will almost certainly involve attacking the empowerment enchantments and the forces protecting them. I know some of you took foraging and supply jobs. You will be scouring the land nearby in teams for beasts and food we can eat, to supplement the Princess¡¯s own supply train. I know a few of you took guard jobs. You will be watching over the conscripts¡¯ camp. I am sure they said something about keeping the peace, but you will mostly be preventing runaways ¨C those who took the offered mana and coins but will try and flee now that their debt is due. I do not envy you.¡±


    Aisling glanced around, meeting everyone''s eyes and Nate took note. He had not been lying when he said he was learning how to lead from Aisling. The silence dragged on for a few more seconds.


    ¡°Back to your spots. We have another week ahead of us before we catch up to the Princess¡¯s Army. Then another month of marching before we get close to the border with Asmuisil. Get used to being bored but don¡¯t let your attention lapse. While it is unlikely Asmuisil would strike so deep into Etrua, it¡¯s not impossible. And who knows if the Royals might try to sabotage each other. Eyes out, people. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild produces quality individuals. Show me your quality.¡±


    Nate smiled and settled in, continuing to channel his Conceptual Material Shaping Skill into his Runic Gallery alongside Frick. They had enough mana to last them for another four days before he would need to use his Portal Plate to return to the Capital, restock on mana, and start Britt¡¯s treatments. The time was going to fly by. Though the second part of his plan couldn¡¯t start until after they caught up with the army. They were travelling through the wilds of Etrua. That meant Dungeons. A few small diversions for Kiri and himself shouldn¡¯t go astray.


    *************


    Four days had passed on the march and Nate found himself sitting on his bed inside his personal tent. The tent itself was incredibly basic, if tall. It was enchanted to stand itself up or fold itself down. He had gotten a few envious glances from some of the other Guildies when they had seen it. The tent was a little over five metres wide and long and almost three metres tall at the apex. The dimensions of the tent meant it was big enough for him to pull out his second cloud-enchanted bed. His original bed was still back in his workshop, but true to his desires and newfound wealth, he had bought a second so that even out on the frontier he would be comfortable. The size of the tent was what made his fellow Guildies green with envy. Many of them shared tents smaller than his between an entire team, or slept under the stars.


    Tapping his foot patiently, he smiled at the tent''s door. He just needed to wait a few more minutes.


    As expected, a minute later Kiri walked in through the flap, closing it behind her.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m ready. How long will you be gone?¡± she asked without preamble.


    ¡°Few hours at most,¡± he replied calmly.


    Kiri nodded with a smile and motioned for him to get started.


    Moving away from Kiri, he paused to make sure he had enough space. Satisfied, he set his Portal Plate down on the grass before activating the runecrafted item. As he did, he didn¡¯t sense a single ripple of mana. The tunnelling effect that paired the two meant that they were connected through their own spatial tether. It was that tether and not the intervening space between the plates that the mana traversed. The obfuscation rune kept any other signs of usage from leaking out. A few seconds later, a two metre sphere appeared above the portal plate. Sending his farsight sphere of awareness through the sphere, he could feel his workshop on the other side. With a final nod to Kiri, he stepped through his first self-created portal, appearing in his workshop to find a bright and beaming Britt waiting for him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she said softly, approaching him.


    Closing the portal behind him, he spent a few minutes reacquainting himself with his girlfriend before pulling away.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve only got a few hours. Time to get to work.¡±


    Britt moved towards his workbench, stripping down to her underclothes so he could begin upgrading her skeleton. As she did so, Nate sent a thought to Frick.


    ¡°Go restock our mana supplies and drop off the empty gems. Then see if Deverell has anything for us. Also, can you check on the kids?¡±


    ¡°You got it, Boss! Keep focused though. You don¡¯t have time to make the goblin with two backs!¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes with a smile and moved towards Britt. He had proven that he could improve his own bones. Now it was time for him to do the same for Britt. Kiri he could handle on the road. Reaching towards his Conceptual Material Shaping Skill he got to work.

 Chapter 172 - A Dungeon Too Simple

    Nate took one last look over his Status before he stepped into the Dungeon. True to his word, he had restricted his use of Conceptual Material Shaping to the bones below his waist, just as he had done for Britt. Those changes were reflected in his Status as a single line.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent), Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (10)) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Barrier Soul Engraving (Expend Mana to protect against Soul attacks) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Augmented Skeleton (+3% Physical Stats) (Permanent, Rare)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Britt had similar results. So far, he had only raised their bones to Rare-tier and only for the legs. He suspected as they covered the rest of the body the total bonus would increase to somewhere around six to eight percent. They should increase even further when raised to Epic. The exception was his femur, which was already Epic-tier, a requirement he had made for himself to connect his Runic Gallery to it. If he hadn¡¯t had so much free time in the saddle, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered improving his own bones. Enhanced physical Stats just didn¡¯t benefit him the same way they would Britt and Kiri. But, there was no point leaving power on the table, especially when he couldn¡¯t invest that time elsewhere. Besides, it did give him ideas for other improvements he could make.


    However, that was for later. Now was the time to find out if lower-tier Dungeons were still worth his time. Stepping through the spatial tunnel, he read over the notification.


    You have entered a Dungeon!


    The Assessment Period will begin now. You have five minutes to choose to leave the Dungeon before the entrance will be sealed.


    Dungeon Name: The Sylvan Forest


    Dungeon Tier: Common


    Dungeon Challenges: 3.


    Exit Conditions: Complete 1 Challenge.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    Nate breathed in the fresh air of the Dungeon as he strolled forward through the alien forest. The mana density of the Dungeon was noticeably lower than what was contained within his Mana Reserve and he was forced to clamp down on his mana to prevent it from escaping his clutches. He had detected the spatial aperture that led to this Dungeon through his farsight sphere of awareness after a lunch spent in the saddle of the fourth day. The Dungeon itself was only of Common rarity. He had suspected as much as the spatial aperture had felt weaker, as though connected to a smaller space. For that reason, he had elected to handle it alone. The main reason for this decision was to see how doing the Dungeon solo would affect the rewards.


    When he had first soloed a Dungeon upon his arrival on Galle, the rewards had been inflated by being alone and also by his low level. However, he had hypothesised that if one exceeded the Dungeon¡¯s difficulty by enough, it might reduce rewards. Now he was going to test that hypothesis.


    The Dungeon itself was small. Not surprising for a Common Dungeon, as he knew they increased in size with their rarity. He estimated the Dungeon was only four-hundred metres in width and length. Beyond that there was the buzz of warped space that he could keenly recognise, a barrier containing the Dungeon and preventing its collapse. The layout of this Dungeon was a forest at night, with trees that shone with silver bark and leaves of red that dripped water with a frequency that reminded Nate of a constant drizzle.


    All that dripping water had to go somewhere and while he was sure it was seeping into the ground, it also left puddles interspersed among the brown grass that blanketed the forest floor. The mirror surface of the water reflected the silver bark of the trees making the small pools look like liquid metal. Those reflections, while hauntingly beautiful, made it impossible for him to see what lay below the water''s surface with his eyes. That difficulty, it seemed, was the Dungeon¡¯s main gimmick.


    While his eyes might not be able to pierce the shimmering silver surfaces, his Farsight of the Runic Artist held no such limitations. Some puddles were just that. A pool of liquid only ankle deep and filled with nothing but the dripping water. Others, however, hid holes far deeper ¨Cdeep enough to drown a man, with things waiting to make sure their prey did not escape. Most explorers would never know what ended their lives in those watery depths. For Nate, however, the snakes inhabiting the pools were as clear as day. His heightened perception could pick them out, even with their colours matching the trees, and Nate didn¡¯t need his identification to know they were venomous.


    In other pools, there were plants resting at the bottom with swaying tentacles above them, likely meant to ensnare those who fell into their depths. Finally, small rat-like creatures seemed to live in the trees, coming down from above to nibble on small plants that grew around the pools of water. A simplistic ecosystem, but one that apparently worked, unless the Dungeon was supplementing the food sources for the snakes somehow.


    Given the snakes and traps, Nate suspected that anyone who was at the appropriate level for this Dungeon would likely die if they made the mistake of falling into one of the pools. As long as they avoided the puddles and focused on the few challenges in the forest, they would have been fine.


    But for Nate, the entire Dungeon didn¡¯t even warrant his full attention.


    ¡°Which ones do you want?¡± he asked casually.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, Boss. They¡¯re all boring. I¡¯m not even going to goblin-mode! This is like slapping toddlers,¡± complained Frick.


    Nate frowned at the comparison but he couldn¡¯t help but agree with the sentiment. It was too easy. But he had to know if the rewards would be penalised. If they were, he would just leave and inform Aisling. Maybe a Bronze Guild team would gain some benefits from this place.


    ¡°The big snake then,¡± Nate confirmed.


    Staring off into the distance. he spun up his first rune. A simplistic rune combining the Sigils for Earth, Control and Shape. Unless the snake could fly he expected he could kill it in moments. Using his farsight sphere of awareness, he identified his target.


    Sylvan Forest Viper Guardian


    Venomous Slithering Striker (U) (13)


    The only surprise was that the serpent had an Uncommon-tier Primary Class. Watching through his sphere for a moment, he took a good long look at the monster. The viper was three metres in length, which made it four times the size of most of its smaller kin. The silver scales were streaked with red making the monster look like it was bleeding. Curled up in a large but shallow puddle, the snake appeared to be lazing about, uninterested in anything else within the forest.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Having satisfied his curiosity, Nate began his attack. From over two-hundred metres away, he controlled the ground near the snake to form into a spear and shot it at the head of the viper. The resting beast lacked the stats and the awareness to even consider a reaction before its head was pierced through and pinned to a tree behind it. As silver blood dripped down the tree, a notification appeared in the corner of his vision.


    You have completed a Dungeon challenge!


    Dungeon: The Sylvan Forest


    Challenge: Defeat the Viper Guardian.


    Challenge (Special): Defeat the Viper Guardian as a party of one.


    Challenge (Unsuitable): Defeat the Viper Guardian while exceeding its level by 20.


    Challenge (Unsuitable): Defeat the Viper Guardian while exceeding its level by 40.


    Results indicate no reward is appropriate for this Challenge.


    Nate nodded. Just as he had suspected, as there were bonuses for punching up, there were also negatives for punching down. Common Tier, raised by one tier and then reduced by two tiers took it back to whatever was below Common. The only thing he could think of was the materials he had brought from his own Dead Universe ¨C materials that had never interacted with mana.


    ¡°So, Common Dungeons are pointless for us now,¡± he said out loud.


    ¡°Seems so, Boss. Gonna head back to the convoy?¡± asked Frick.


    ¡°Yeah. Our time would be better spent preparing some new materials and finishing my healing device.¡±


    With a quick scan of the Guardian¡¯s corpse, and finding no Orb, he exited the Dungeon, activating True Teleportation repeatedly in quick succession. The convoy had only managed to get a few kilometres further ahead and he caught up to them after his fifth teleport, appearing back in his saddle. A quick conversation with Aisling told his mentor where to find the Dungeon, its difficulty and the threats that anyone entering would face. Since the Dungeon was only Common, he was unlikely to get much of a reward from the Guild. Maybe a single Common Stat Orb. But still, it helped the Guild, and more importantly, it helped Aisling¡¯s standing with the Guild, even if only marginally. Every bit counted though. You could build a mountain out of grains of sand, after all.


    The notification in the corner of his vision made him smile and he brought it up in front of his eyes, already knowing what it would be.


    True Teleportation 40 > 41


    True Teleportation (M) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation (M)


    Your use of a Spatial Sigil to influence your control over space has grown to the point where you can create portals, spatially expand areas and even invoke a Construct of Space. Merged with your True Teleportation Skill, this Skill incorporates your growing capabilities into your Class Core. Carve a space among the stars for yourself. This Skill grants the user the ability to manipulate space. Teleportation distance increases with Skill Level. Teleportation Mana Cost decreases with Magic Power, Magic Control and distance travelled. Initial distance is ten metres. Skill Level increases distance by Skill Level * ten metres. Conceptual Spatial Manipulation allows the user to alter space covering up to five cubic metres. Skill Level increases cubic metres by Skill Level * 0.1 plus Magic Control / 50. Increases Magic Control by 18%.


    Extended True Teleportation (M)


    With your powerful spatial affinity, you have mastered the ability to teleport over short distances. This Skill extends that capability into the horizon, allowing the user to teleport massive distances in a single bound. Teleportations are also harder to suppress with Spatial Locks. Distance increases with Skill Level. Mana Cost decreases with Magic Power, Magic Control and distance travelled. Initial distance is one hundred metres. Skill Level increases distance by Skill Level * one hundred metres. Teleportations are Skill Level * Magic Control / 50 percent more powerful when contending with Spatial Locks. Increases Magic Control by 18%.


    While being able to teleport over four kilometres in a single go and resist spatial locks was tempting, it didn¡¯t align with his path or his plans. It made the choice a simple one and he quickly selected Conceptual Spatial Manipulation.


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation 41 > 41


    With that change alone, his maximum area for spatial manipulation had more than doubled. His Runic Gallery, which so far had been created using runes, only covered five cubic metres. With Conceptual Spatial Manipulation it should now be possible to cover eleven cubic metres with the same runes, by enhancing them through his Skill. There were other things he intended to test, and he would need to share his findings with Luc, of course, but finally his spatial abilities were starting to align with his plans for his Embodiment. Everything was coming together. With a satisfied nod, he settled in for a few more days of creating runecrafted items within his Runic Gallery. After that, they would finally link up with the Bright Army. Then, all bets were off.


    *************


    Kiri fidgeted, cracking her fingers over and over again. She hated not knowing what to do. Every time she was left without a path forward when dealing with a problem, it would plague her, like lightning under her skin ¨C a constant itch that she just couldn¡¯t scratch. The source of her problem was Coralie. Something was clearly bothering her girlfriend and had been ever since they left the Capital. It was evident in the small things. The way the beautiful Ice Mage would stare off into the distance as though lost. The quietness as they curled up together in their tent each night. All the little things added up to paint a clear picture of her girlfriend worrying over something. Yet every time Kiri had broached the topic, trying to comfort Coralie, or wheedle out of her what the issue was, she would clamp up.


    Sure, she gave assurances that it was nothing. That it would all be fine once they could return to the Capital. But Kiri wasn¡¯t buying it. Not entirely, anyway. She believed Coralie. Believed that being forced to join the war effort by Prefect Allais, her bitch of a mother, was a major source of angst for Coralie. But, she had never refrained from talking about her issues with her mother before. She had never clamped up like this. And it was that silence, that hiding, that left Kiri concerned and fidgeting like an itch she couldn¡¯t scratch.


    Kiri had hoped that Nate would have good news when he returned from the Dungeon. That they would still get rewards, despite their levels, just so Kiri had an excuse to vent her frustrations in violent fashion on deserving monsters. But, he was right. No rewards for them from Common Dungeons, which meant even if she went and vented frustrations, she would feel guilty about stealing that opportunity from some Bronze Guild members. It would be nothing to her. She doubted a Dungeon of that size would take her more than twenty minutes to annihilate. Less, if she didn¡¯t bother with the weaker monsters and focused on the Challenges.


    The only solace she had was that Nate had found another way for them to progress ¨C a way outside of their Class Cores. Physical Enhancement wasn¡¯t completely unknown. She had heard of rare alchemical compounds that could have permanent impacts on a person¡¯s performance. But they were far rarer than the alchemical creations that gave temporary enhancements. She had listened quietly to Nate explain his theory on why and how. In the past, she would have understood less than half of it and forgotten almost all of it. But her focus on Stat Orbs for Intellect had slowly been improving both her memory, and to a lesser extent, her understanding.


    With one hundred and eleven in her Intellect Stat, she was two-thirds of the way to being able to split her focus. Well, she already could, just not well. It left her head pounding and made her perform worse in both tasks. But she could kind-of do it, which gave her hope that she could do it flawlessly once she passed one hundred and fifty.


    While splitting her focus had been the goal, being able to understand how alchemical concoctions might be able to permanently impart weak Concepts physically to the body was interesting. She tried not to smile and failed completely. She was still annoyed about Coralie and wanted to be annoyed about it, but thinking about her brother always made her smile. He was so enamoured with his discoveries that it was impossible for her not to be drawn into his theories and ideas. He found it interesting and his passion made it interesting for her as well. And his latest theories opened up questions she had never considered. If advancement was possible without the Class Core, then what, in the end, was the purpose of The System? She didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t think she had a way of finding out. But she intended to be there by her brother''s side when he figured it all out. With a slight smile and feeling just a little less annoyed, she drifted back towards Coralie. Nate was busy crafting anyway and she didn¡¯t want to interrupt him, even though she knew he wouldn¡¯t have minded. They would have plenty of time tonight around the fire.

 Chapter 173 - Campside Discussions

    Nate¡¯s enchanted paintbrush made gentle swishing sounds as the paint glided over his small canvas. A haphazard array of tents decorated the horizon with a miasma of dust circling above. The war encampment of Princess Morgane was not what he had been expecting and it was that image that he was trying to capture. In his mind, he had been expecting something resembling a semi-orderly medieval campsite. The kind of thing you might have seen in a movie back on Earth. Instead, the warcamp of the Bright Army looked more like barely contained chaos covering half of the grounds contrasted with the trappings of ridiculous wealth covering the other half.


    The divide between the conscripts and the Nobility couldn¡¯t have been made any clearer and just seeing it left a sour taste in Nate¡¯s mouth. Roaming his farsight sphere of awareness over the war camp, it became apparent that the divide went beyond just wealth. While he couldn¡¯t see parts of the nobility¡¯s camp due to some warding enchantments, the guards stationed around the conscripts were blatantly facing inwards rather than out. The message couldn¡¯t have been clearer if it was written in blood. Nate suspected it very well might have been already, going by a few reddish-brown stains in the grass.


    Aisling grabbed his attention, worry writ on her face.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He explained what he had seen quickly.


    Aisling nodded her understanding, ¡°They have taken payment from Princess Morgane and her supporters. Mana and coin. Now, they have to hope they can survive. Both the battles and the  camp life. The ones who do will return to the Capital with enough coin to set themselves up for many years to come. But many won¡¯t. This is the truth of Etrua, Nate, in all its ugly glory.¡±


    Aisling looked forward and Nate followed her gaze as he saw a small procession moving to meet them at the edge of the camp. Banners in blue and white fluttered above them and even without using his sphere of awareness, his Perception was high enough to recognise the woman at the centre. Princess Morgane had come to meet them.


    Kiri drifted closer to flank Aisling on her right side while Nate remained on her left as their alliram mounts ate up the distance until they stood within spitting range of their welcoming party.


    He frowned slightly when Conceptual Insight didn¡¯t activate in response to the Princess¡¯s presence. The last time he had met her at the Royal University she had hummed with a Concept barely contained. This time, he felt nothing. Not a whisper. While that difference was noteworthy, everything else about the woman was consistent with their first meeting. Just like the first time they had met, her eyes glowed within an inner golden light. Her black hair was tied up in an ornate bun and she wore layered silver plated armour which included a skirt. On her hip rested a sheathed hand-and-a-half sword. She was utilising a veil around her body but it did nothing to conceal her equipment and he noted that like last time, both armour and sword were of Epic quality and focused on durability with some minor stat enchantments. On her finger she wore a spatial storage ring on her left hand beneath her gauntlet, along with a number of other stat enhancing rings. A silver diadem sat upon her brow and he could tell that it was an epic barrier-type enchantment. Finally, a single legendary item lingered beneath her breastplate over her heart. A healing item, he determined¡­though it seemed to focus on passive regeneration rather than direct healing.


    Taken together she looked both beautiful and deadly. Without knowing her Classes and Levels he wasn¡¯t certain whether he could defeat her. His mind jolted to a stop when he realised that battle was the first place his mind had gone and he glanced to his left towards the conscript¡¯s camp, knowing that his reaction to their treatment was the source of his simmering anger. He needed to take a breath and calm down. Looking inside his Runic Gallery, he relaxed a little at the sight of a few of his paintings.


    The wave of calmness that washed through him was perfectly timed with the Princess¡¯s husky voice as she greeted their procession.


    ¡°Stormspear, I hadn¡¯t expected to see you here. It was my understanding that none of the Platinums from the Etrua branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild had accepted any job offers to participate in the war.¡±


    ¡°You are correct, your Highness,¡± answered Aisling. ¡°I am just here acting as a guardian and oversight for the Guild members participating in this war.¡±


    Princess Morgane¡¯s golden eyes flicked from Aisling to Nate and a knowing smile formed on her face.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re here to make sure we don¡¯t get the Guild¡¯s best and brightest killed. Very well, I grant you entry to the Third Army. I assume the Adventurer¡¯s Guild will wish to camp together. Space has been set aside between Houses Landin and Beaumont. My commanders will expect the Guild members to have reported into their appropriate divisions by the time we make camp tomorrow afternoon. Take the afternoon and evening to get yourselves situated. We march at first light,¡± stated Morgane.


    ¡°As you say, your Highness. I will make sure that all Guild members are prompt and uphold the Guild¡¯s good name.¡±


    Princess Morgane turned away, the guards and what Nate now assumed to be a few nobles turning as well. The Princess paused after taking two steps, her boots twisting the grass beneath her feet as she glanced back at Aisling.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re situated for the night, might I borrow Nathaniel?¡±


    Nate tried not to let his body language betray him and for perhaps the first time, he didn¡¯t freeze up at being singled out. He turned his head to look at Aisling, who gazed back with a question in her eyes. He realised then, that if he shook his head no, that his guardian would deny the innocent sounding request. Warmth flowed through his chest as he realised she would deny a Royal of Etrua for his sake if he asked. But, he wouldn¡¯t put her in that position. The Royals were dangerous. That was certain. His current view of them was that they were the Nobility on steroids. However, he was bound to cross their paths again if he and Kiri continued their meteoric rise. His defensive items were all fully charged and his soul was effectively sacrosanct due to Kiri¡¯s Soul Engraving Skill. He could escape if things went sour.


    His mind had played it all out in the few seconds while the Princess waited for a response. He finally gave it, nodding his assent to Aisling who turned back to the golden-eyed beauty.


    ¡°You may, your Highness,¡± answered his guardian.


    Morgane¡¯s considering glance as she watched the interplay between the Guild Platinum and Nate was anything but subtle, but the Royal simply smiled and nodded her thanks to Aisling before her eyes drifted over to Nate.


    ¡°I will send an escort. It¡¯s a big camp and we wouldn¡¯t want you getting lost,¡± stated Morgane, before glancing at the rest of the Guild members. ¡°Etrua appreciates your help with the war. Let us hope this foolishness is put to an end quickly.¡±


    With her parting words said, the Princess and her retinue marched back into the camp.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°The fuck was that about?¡± asked Kiri, anger in her voice.


    Aisling tapped her lips with a finger, ¡°Not here.¡±


    Marching through the camp was both simple and unpleasant. The grounds of the Noble camps were already torn up from alliram mounts and wagons. That at least meant that the thoroughfares were wide enough for them to ride three abreast with space to spare. The unpleasantness came from recognition of their Guild insignias. The guards of the Nobility, mostly Golds from what little Nate could tell, sneered and jeered at the Guild members. Nate was already debating just how much effort he would bother putting into healing these assholes if they were actually injured in the battles to come.


    The space set aside for the Guild was larger than expected and almost at the edge of the conscripts¡¯ camp. Only one camp was closer, and after a whispered question to Aisling, he knew the name of the unfortunate Nobles. House Landin, it seemed, had somehow offended the Princess and as such were to camp right next to the conscripts. Nate had expected it to be loud but even he was surprised for a moment at the amount of revelry, interspersed with violence, coming from the conscript camp.


    One of the House Landin guards must have noticed Nate¡¯s glances as the Guild began to dismount and set up camp. With a sly smirk, he grabbed Nate¡¯s attention before nodding in the conscripts¡¯ direction.


    ¡°They¡¯re celebrating life, because they know by the time this is done, ain¡¯t many of them gonna have it.¡±


    With his piece said, the guard returned to his post outside of the large purple tent that seemed to be the temporary home of House Landin.


    Setting up his tent took no time at all, courtesy of the enchantments contained within and after setting up his bed and some other minor protections he went to join Aisling in her tent. Kiri was already there, frustration plastered on her face. Nate moved to stand next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her. Or at the very least, offer his support. It was clear to him she had been having a difficult time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll shadow him,¡± his sister stated confidently, eyes burning into Aisling and daring the woman to deny her.


    ¡°Does your Skill work against those with soul protections? And if it does, does it hide itself as well, or will they know their protections have been breached?¡± asked Aisling quietly as she rolled out a map onto a table that took up a quarter of the large tent.


    ¡°No¡­¡± muttered Kiri quietly.


    ¡°Then you won¡¯t. The Princess is not known for acting rashly. Nate should be fine and you can check him over if you¡¯re concerned about any soul-related Skills when he returns. That is, if he still wishes to go?¡±


    Aisling glanced up from the map, looking at Nate questioningly.


    ¡°I do. I¡¯m curious what she wants¡­and she did help us once before. I think knowing is better than not,¡± he finished lamely.


    ¡°Come to my tent when you return. We¡¯ll discuss it,¡± replied Aisling, her eyes flicking to Kiri. ¡°All of us.¡±


    Kiri¡¯s nod of agreement looked forced and Nate followed his best friend out of the Platinum¡¯s tent.


    ¡°Be careful and run at the first sign of trouble,¡± Kiri hissed at him the moment they were out of the tent.


    Nate smiled at her ruefully and whispered back, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t get kidnapped again.¡±


    Kiri relaxed ever-so-slightly at his words.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. She¡¯s too young for you anyway,¡± she replied, a small smile creeping onto her face.


    ¡°I thought dating Britt would have put this whole thing to rest,¡± Nate griped, looking away.


    Kiri responded by altering her voice to try and sound like him, ¡°As you would say, the majority indicates a preference.¡±


    ¡°The majority? Valeria, Florence and Britt,¡± he replied, ticking them off on his fingers. ¡°That is two of similar age and one older.¡±


    ¡°Florence is over thirty,¡± Kiri whispered back, her smile turning smug.


    ¡°She is not.¡±


    ¡°Told me herself. You¡¯ve got a type, dear brother. How Britt managed to slip through I guess we¡¯ll never know!¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes as he sensed his ¡®escort¡¯ approaching. ¡°Yeah yeah, have your fun. Glad you¡¯re feeling a bit better.¡±


    Kiri tucked some of her brown hair behind her ears and locked him in place with her blue eyes, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± he replied, giving her a hug.


    ¡°Guard our tent,¡± he sent to Frick mentally as he moved towards his escort.


    ¡°You got it, Boss.¡±


    His escorts sent by the Princess were a man and woman. The man was short and stocky, with short blonde hair and brown eyes. The woman had a similar build with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. Both wore silver plated steel armour with blue and white accents upon it. Swords hung at their hips with shields upon their backs. His sphere of awareness told him the shields were decorated with a coat of arms but it was hard to determine what the image was without seeing it. He supposed he would be able to in a moment.


    ¡°Nathaniel Weber?¡± asked the man.


    Nate nodded and the man continued his introduction, ¡°I am Third-Sword Lorith and this is Fourth-Sword Kaylee. We will be your escorts to the Princess. Follow us closely and do not stray.¡±


    With his commands given, for that was the only way Nate could possibly interpret the guardsman¡¯s statements, the Third-Sword spun and began to walk deeper into the nobility¡¯s section of the war camp. The pair were a step in front of him as he followed them, which finally gave him a view of the coat of arms upon the shields. Each one bore the symbol of a castle with cliffs behind it ¨C the Royal Palace of Etrua. Alongside the Castle each shield was inlaid with the image of swords. Three for Lorith and four for Kaylee. A sign of rank, Nate guessed.


    The walk to the Princess¡¯s tent was a short distance but felt longer under the gazes of the Nobility. Up until now, Nate had only been exposed to the next generation of the nobility. Young men and women who were still coming into their own. For the most part, they had ignored him until the issues with Fabien Lussier, and after, had looked upon him with hatred and fear in equal measure. The looks he got from their parents were far more considering, like he was a chess piece and they were debating how best to move him. Does that make me the rook or the bishop?, he wondered? The thought made him smile because he knew if he had voiced the question to Kiri, after explaining chess, she would¡¯ve definitely called him the queen and then made some quip about serving her majesty.


    Rounding one of the huge garishly-coloured tents, Nate was finally exposed to the Princess¡¯s abode while on the march. The tent could have fit a small circus inside, and like the Princess¡¯s attire earlier, was coloured in blue and white. Arrayed around it were guards dressed similarly to his escorts, with their shields on their arms. He counted the swords on each and found all except for one of the guards had four swords decorating their shields. Definitely a signature of rank, then.


    Approaching the entrance to the tent, they found the way blocked by two guards, one of which was the only other guard to possess three swords. With a glance at his escorts, the two guards parted to allow him through. His escorts remained outside and so Nate straightened his spine and walked inside the voluminous tent. Rather than decked out in luxury, the room truly looked like someone planning for war. Mostly empty armour and weapon racks bordered one side of the tent, the few that weren¡¯t empty showed the same uniform as the guards outside as well as emanating a whiff of mana. At the centre of the room sat a bed and though it was heavily warded against identification, he could sense the mana of enchantments flowing through it. The remaining spaces were filled with a table covered in papers and maps as well as a kitchenette. What need did they have for chests, he supposed, if they had spatial storage devices to hold all their clothes and wealth. If anything, it was a surprise that there were armour racks, though perhaps that gentle sense of mana he had gotten from them indicated they were for recharging the armours. Enchanted armour for the Royal Guard seemed like a no-brainer.


    The Princess herself, still dressed in her armour, turned away from talking with a tall Royal Guardsman who bore two swords on his shield, and pinned him with her golden eyes as Conceptual Insight hummed in the back of his mind.


    ¡°Thank you for joining me this evening, Nathaniel. I was hoping we could discuss your disagreements with House Desmarais over dinner.¡±

 Chapter 174 - A Hand Played

    Nate¡¯s body froze at the Princess¡¯s words. That she knew anything about his apparent feud with House Desmarais was cause for concern. His eyes flicked over to the Guard flanking the Princess. His glance didn¡¯t go unnoticed and the tall swordsman frowned at him.


    With a wave of her hand, the Princess cut through the charged silence.


    ¡°Excuse us for a moment, Valis.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± responded the Guard, his tone filled with concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Valis. Nathaniel is an upstanding member of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I will be fine.¡±


    Though her tone was gentle, it was a clear command and the guardsman nodded, hand on his sword''s hilt, before exiting the tent.


    Princess Morgane watched him go, an odd look in her eyes. Nate tried to place it and after a second, guessed that it was sadness. Morgane caught him watching and the look in her eyes spread to the rest of her face, a sad smile gracing her lips.


    ¡°The heart is fickle, is it not?¡±


    ¡°It can be,¡± he acknowledged, still hesitant about this meeting and her opening salvo.


    ¡°Come, please. We have a few things to discuss.¡±


    Surprised by her politeness, he followed her over towards the large table arrayed with maps. Sitting down in one of the uncomfortable wooden seats, he watched as she drew out a small star-shaped gem. Mana bloomed from the item and Conceptual Insight picked up on three concepts embedded within: Sound, Mana and Soul, all woven together to create a barrier around them. The Princess¡¯s own anti-spying item.


    He raised an eyebrow at her, mostly to see how she would react.


    ¡°One can never be too careful in my position, Nathaniel. There is always someone listening. Always. As one of those doing the listening, I should know.¡±


    He conceded the point with a nod, keeping his thoughts to himself.


    The Princess¡¯s lips curled up into a smile that was a mixture of friendliness and amusement. His paranoia ratcheted up a notch in response.


    ¡°You are an odd case, Nathaniel. So, I am going to take an odd approach. I am going to be honest with you.¡±


    The Princess paused and Nate got the sense that the black-haired beauty was gauging his reaction with her golden eyes before she continued. Conceptual Insight continued to buzz in the back of his mind, trying to figure out what Concept was emanating from her.


    ¡°A strike-team from House Desmarais arrived in the Capital recently,¡± continued Morgane. ¡°The team included one of the three Platinum Retainers from House Desmarais. While present, they kept a very close eye on the city gates. They finally moved after a team from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild left the Capital. A team that included yourself and your partner Kiri, along with the Eternal Grove, the son of Prefect Raoult, his partner, and two Gold-ranked bodyguards that have been seen previously in the company of the Prefect''s son.¡±


    Morgane paused for a moment and Nate kept his face schooled to show nothing as he waited for the Princess to get to the point. Seeing his lack of reaction, the Princess continued.


    ¡°The Adventurer¡¯s Guild expedition that you were a part of returned to the Capital a little over a week later, missing the Gold-ranked bodyguards and looking a little worse for wear. My informants found signs of a battle around two days'' ride from the Capital. A new grove of trees upon the plains made the location particularly easy to find. Though, I suppose the Eternal Grove doesn¡¯t have a way to un-grow trees so we won¡¯t fault him for leaving behind such evidence. No signs of any of the House Desmarais¡¯ Retainers, though.


    ¡°So, I thought to myself, here is evidence of a strike-team from the weakest of Etrua¡¯s Duchies, attempting to kill a team from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Which begs the question, who is the target? The obvious ones would be the Eternal Grove himself or the Prefect¡¯s son. They are the ones with the most political importance. But if the goal was to kill the Eternal Grove, why send only one Platinum against him? That seems foolish. The rumours around the elven Lord are that he is very difficult to kill and a single Platinum is almost certain to fail to prevent him from escaping. So, the Eternal Grove is likely not the target. Null Raoult then, son of Prefect Raoult and the holder of an Epic Class. That would put him on par with some of the stronger nobility, such as the son and heir of House Desmarais. Perhaps there is a feud between the two? Only, my people found nothing. The two have never interacted. They have never even met. It seems unlikely that Null Raoult was the target. Not impossible, but unlikely. Which brings me to you, and your partner Kiri.¡±


    The Princess leaned forward, the wooden chair creaking as she shifted position.


    ¡°You are a hybrid crafter. At least, that is what they say. A hybrid crafter who won the Guild entrance Tournament for the Royal University. An individual who somehow ran afoul of Fabien Lussier, a noble known to frequent the shop of one Caroline Lambert, an Epic-Classed Enchanter, both of whom are missing and presumed dead. You see where I am going with this?¡±


    Morgane raised one dark eyebrow, her expression more curious than accusatory.


    ¡°I think I do,¡± Nate replied quietly.


    He refused to give her more information, but it was clear she was well informed, and worse, smart enough to connect the dots. She was obviously building to her conclusion, drawing him in with her explanation and the information she had gathered on him. He had a pretty good idea of where this was going to end. He just wished it wouldn¡¯t. Sooner or later, someone was going to realise how unusually strong he and Kiri were for their supposed levels. It had just been a matter of time.


    ¡°So, an eleven-man strong strike team consisting of Golds and a Platinum, against one Platinum, two Golds and four Silvers. Who would win? Most would bet on the strike team. Yet, they¡¯re the ones dead¡­¡±


    ¡°Presumed,¡± Nate interjected, eliciting a smile from the Princess.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°They¡¯re the ones presumed dead, while the Silvers live. All of them. Null Raoult and Brittany Lavaud, while both skilled, are somewhat known quantities. They have lived in the Capital most of their lives, and their progression is consistent. You and Kiri Beaufoy are unknowns, coming to the Capital from the very edges of Etrua. Supposedly you have some mysterious and powerful teacher for your Spatial Mage Class. Do you know what I think, Nathaniel?¡±


    He took a deep breath. Finally, they had come to the crux. Finally, the Princess would make her play. His mana was already swirling inside of him, ready to activate his Mana and Spatial Release items and teleport himself out of the tent. He would never be put in a cage again.


    ¡°I think that you possess a Legendary Class. I think House Desmarais recognised the threat you posed to their position. Rightly so, might I add, if my Father were to get wind of you. And I think they made a desperate play to take you off the board. How am I doing?¡± the Princess asked serenely.


    Nate ran through his options in his head as his mana continued to swirl, ready to be unleashed. She was wrong, of course. But only because she likely couldn¡¯t conceive of the idea of someone having a Mythic-tier Class at his level. She also hadn¡¯t moved to suppress him, though of course she could have any number of powerful items in her spatial storage. She had also given them privacy, apparently unwilling to share this conversation even with her most powerful Royal Guard, as surely the two swords on the man''s shield were indicative of his rank and skill-level. In Etrua, power was everything, after all.


    So, what were his plays? He could run now, effectively confirming her suspicions. It would mean fleeing Etrua. Kiri would be forced to choose between him and Coralie. He would have to give up the workshop, though he could gather the contents and supplies. Jacque and the kids he had brought in as pupils would likely be able to continue using the shop.


    He didn¡¯t know where that would leave Aisling or Evindal, but he felt oddly certain Luc would follow him. His mentor had no great love of Etrua, even though he was born and bred there. The man''s loyalty was mostly to wealth. So, he would go wherever Nate did for as long as Nate would have him.


    Britt could go either way. Would she up and leave Null? Nate had his doubts. It would set him back quite a bit, but he would be free and he could continue to grow. With enough time and preparation, he could hole himself up somewhere in the wilds. Sneak into cities to trade and collect what he needed before vanishing again. It would be a lonely existence, he realised.


    With only Frick, Luc and Kiri for company, he could already see how it would play out. It would be fine at first, but Kiri would go stir crazy. She would fight and argue with Frick, who couldn¡¯t help but needle people. That would progress into fighting with Luc, who would probably end up giving away their location by visiting every single brothel or inn within a radius of their hideout. It wouldn¡¯t last. While he could make their hideout almost unassailable, between Illusions, wards, and the many other Concepts he could bring to bear, ultimately he needed a supply of mana. Someone would have to go out to get it. He wouldn¡¯t leave those he cared about in the lurch. He would be drawn out, from his lonely existence, and eventually overwhelmed. Because in the end, he didn¡¯t want to be alone, so he wouldn¡¯t sever all his ties.


    What if he didn¡¯t run? The Princess had her suspicions, but he hadn¡¯t confirmed them. What would she do if he stayed? Try and bribe him? Hire him? So far, his encounters with the Nobility had been almost entirely negative. But she had yet to try and force him to do anything, and had, at one point, come to his defence. Of course, that could have just been a play on her part. For all he knew, Guard Inspector Koriolos had been sent after him by her. That was his paranoia speaking, but just because you were paranoid didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t out to get you. He had definitive proof that people had in fact been out to get him. Caroline, Fabien, House Desmarais. All of them had literally been out to get him. So, he wouldn¡¯t give the Princess his trust. But, what other option did he have except to let this play out?


    Holding back a sigh, he locked eyes with the Princess, his green meeting her gold. ¡°What do you want, your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I want many things, Nathaniel. But mostly, right now, I want to know why you¡¯re here.¡±


    Nate¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡°You took a job as a part of my healing corps,¡± explained Morgane, her body tensing ever so slightly. ¡°Except, as far as I know, you lack a healing Class. Runecaster and Space Mage is what my informants tell me. I don¡¯t believe them, of course. Legendary veils are rare, but not unheard of. I myself possess one, after all. So, why would a Legendary Class holder, a status which puts you on par with the members of the Etruan Royalty, join my army and then join a division they have no evident skill for?¡±


    Nate blinked a few times, dealing with the surprise of the question. He could see how it must look from her perspective. It was like he was trying to slip into her army, which meant the most likely reason was to sabotage her efforts or potentially even assassinate her. Taking that a step further, he thought she must be very confident she could beat him then, since she had effectively sealed herself in her tent alone with him. Thinking it through, he decided a little honesty might calm the rising tensions.


    ¡°Because Kiri¡¯s girlfriend was forced to join your forces by her mother,¡± Nate stated calmly. ¡°And I didn¡¯t want to kill commoners.¡±


    The Princess leaned forward, resting her armoured elbows on the table and staring at him, ¡°Prefect Allais¡¯s daughter, Coralie?¡±


    Nate nodded.


    ¡°The Prefect has been attempting to curry favour with me,¡± mused Morgane. ¡°And with what my informants have told me about Kiri Beaufoy, I can see why she would follow Coralie Allais.¡±


    The Princess paused for a moment, rifling through some papers before she ran a finger down a single sheet, pausing on what Nate could clearly see as Kiri¡¯s name.


    ¡°Guard duty. She will be one of the personal guards of one of our supply personnel. Seems your partner also has no interest in fighting against Asmuisil. A feeling we all share.¡±


    Nate¡¯s eyes narrowed. There were two interesting points in those statements. Why did the supply personnel need bodyguards, and why did the Princess not want to fight Asmuisil.


    His reaction must have been obvious because the Princess smiled at him, ¡°You¡¯re wondering why I don¡¯t want to fight Asmuisil?¡±


    Nate nodded, ¡°It was my understanding that this was an opportunity for you to become the heir to the throne? That the King was using this war as a test for you and two of the Princes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know much about our politics, I take it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t see a reason to learn much about them,¡± he admitted. His concerns had always been his art, his friends and sister, and his understanding of runes. Politics had never played into it.


    ¡°You do yourself a disservice, Nathaniel. Especially given your presumed tier. The politics of a nation impact everyone, from the most powerful to the least. Whether or not you care about politics, I assure you, it cares about you. It cares about every facet of your life.¡±


    Morgane sighed and leaned back in her chair, the wood creaking again, ¡°I have a little longer. And for a Legendary Class holder, I can spare a little more of my time. Take this as a small sign of the peace I desire between us, Nathaniel. Trust that, even if you don¡¯t trust me. If it was my decision, we would offer peace terms and cede land to Asmuisil.¡±


    Nate tapped his fingers against one of his bracers, the dull thuds muted by his robe covering them, as he tried to ignore the constant buzzing from Conceptual Insight, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that dilute your family¡¯s power?¡±


    ¡°What is the point of power if it¡¯s not serving the purpose that was intended?¡± countered the Princess, steel leaking into her voice. ¡°My family came to rule Etrua with a single promise. That we would consolidate enough power to carve out a place for Etrua and protect its people and its interests. We have perverted that promise. Etrua is a powerful nation. We have prospered, and the people have suffered for it. Power concentrated in the hands of a few to the detriment of the masses, who are left to subsist on the scraps. Scraps which grow smaller and smaller with every passing year. I do not want to fight Asmuisil, because Asmuisil is everything I wish Etrua was."

 Chapter 175 - Cut and Run

    Nate went over Morgane¡¯s words in his head. With his enhanced intellect, his speed of thought let him mull over ideas and concepts in a fraction of the time it would take others to do so. She had stated she wanted Etrua to be more like Asmuisil. He didn¡¯t know a lot about the different nations, but what he did know was that Asmuisil seemed to invest more in their people and less in their upper class. A stronger base which led to far more crafting and innovation. That wasn¡¯t enough information to go on, so he leaned forward, engaging with the Princess. It was fortunate, he thought, that she was willing to be so open with him due to her perception that he held a Legendary Class.


    ¡°I imagine such views aren¡¯t appreciated by the Etruan Nobility, or perhaps, your family?¡± he ventured.


    Morgane smiled in such a way that let him know he wasn¡¯t being subtle before answering, ¡°No, they are generally not. Those who have power rarely want to give it up. In fact, I have found that they usually desire more power.¡±


    ¡°Is that what the other Princes would do? Seize more power for themselves and their allies?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Thane would maintain the status quo,¡± replied the Princess evenly. ¡°He is cut from the same mold as our Father. He wouldn¡¯t be the worst to become King, just more of the same. Bordain, however, is an altogether different beast. Bordain believes that our forefathers did not take the idea of concentrating power in the hands of a few far enough. To him, every commoner that is not serving the purposes of the powerful is nothing more than a leech, soaking up and wasting precious mana. If Bordain gains the throne, he will most likely decimate the populace, keeping only enough to keep the nobility fed and in comfort, while expanding and improving the mana gathering arrays. He may even reduce the number of Dungeons in the country to further focus the nation¡¯s mana into higher-tier Dungeons, which would mean culling some of the Nobility.¡±


    Nate blanched at the thought. Bordain¡¯s view of the world sounded like one of unchecked greed. Like a cancer, growing at the expense of the body, or in this case, the people.


    ¡°He would rule over a nation of corpses,¡± stated Nate quietly.


    Morgane nodded her agreement. ¡°The powerful are all that matter to him. Which is why he garners even less support among the Nobility than I do. He poses a risk to them, because he might consider many of them, and their resources, their Dungeons and people, expendable. While the weakest Houses throw their support behind me, in the hopes of uplifting themselves through improved trade and the wealth that follows, the strongest throw their support behind Thane, to maintain Etrua as it is, and their positions within it. Only the desperate, or dare I say, insane, support Bordain. But he is strong, so unless Father decides to have him smothered in his sleep, he is a contender for the throne. Which brings us full circle, Nathaniel. You are strong. That makes you valuable. If Thane or my Father catch wind of you, they will want to possess you.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± Nate interjected.


    ¡°No,¡± she stated emphatically, golden eyes burning. ¡°While I would like your support, I only want it if you feel the way I do. Perhaps it is naive of me, but if you believe as my Father the King and Prince Thane, or worse, as Prince Bordain, then it would be better if you left my army and returned to the Capital. If you want no part in all this, then you should flee Etrua entirely. Staying will only see you dragged into our politics and conflicts. You could find a better home in Asmuisil or Gashana.¡±


    Conceptual Insight flickered in the back of his mind, growing in strength for a moment as something about the Concept emanating from the Princess seemed to react to her words.


    While part of his mind kept working away at the question of the Concept she seemed to embody so strongly it was leaking out of her, the rest of his mental faculties focused on her suggestion. The advice seemed honest. Morgane was telling him, without reservation, that if he wanted to avoid the politics and the associated conflicts of the Etruan Nobility, he should flee the country. Perhaps he would, but not yet. Kiri wasn¡¯t ready to leave. Besides, he liked the people in Etrua. His people. Britt, Aisling, Evindal, Luc, Jacque, Cutter, Null¡­the list went on. Why should he be forced from the home he was making because some Nobles couldn¡¯t mind their own business.


    With a calm look that belied the certainty he felt underneath, he stared into Morgane¡¯s eyes and gave her his answer.


    ¡°I think I will stay.¡±


    Morganes'' smile was pleased, rather than smug, and she stared back, the significance of Nate¡¯s words hanging between them in the air like a palpable force.


    The moment was broken by someone entering the tent, both Morgane and Nate¡¯s heads flicking to the disruption.


    ¡°Apologies, your Highness,¡± said the short woman who had entered.


    ¡°It is fine, Hildi. Nathaniel, meet Hildi, my maid. Hildi, this is Nathaniel Weber, Gold-ranked of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    ¡°Well met,¡± responded Hildi with a slight tilt of her head, before giving Morgane a pointed look.


    Nathaniel nodded in response, and when he turned back to the Princess he realised the moment was gone. Conceptual Insight had settled back down to its typical hum and any revelations into the Concept emanating from Morgane had vanished.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re really just here because of Prefect Allais¡¯s daughter?¡± asked the Princess, returning to the subject that had seen him invited to her tent.


    ¡°Technically, I am just here because of Kiri. Kiri is here because of Prefect Allais¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°...Very well,¡± replied the Princess, motioning for Nate to stand. ¡°If you¡¯re to remain with the Bright Army, I would ask if you might be willing to dine with me occasionally.¡±


    When Nate stared at her curiously for a moment, uncertain of her reasoning, the Princess explained herself.


    ¡°You are a Legendary Class holder. A crafter. If you are to stay in Etrua, my goals and your own might align. My request is purely political. I won¡¯t force you to do anything. But perhaps we can find common ground. A place where we can help each other.¡±


    The Princess waited patiently for a response as he considered the offer. She obviously didn¡¯t know the truth of his, or Kiri¡¯s capabilities. But, he thought, he could do worse than find common ground with an individual who wanted to make Etrua more like Asmuisil. He hadn¡¯t decided completely whether to run or stay yet, but if he was going to stay, having Morgane on his side could be beneficial. The risk posed needed more thought, but the Princess wasn¡¯t going to wait for an answer. He could agree now, and run later, if that was the path they chose through the hedges of Etruan politics.


    ¡°Sure, that sounds nice,¡± he answered, offering a small smile.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Princess Morgane nodded, sealing her anti-spying trinket. A moment later, Second-Sword Valis stepped back into the tent.


    ¡°See that Nathaniel is escorted back to his tent,¡± she commanded the guardsman.


    ¡°As you wish, your Highness,¡± replied the swordsman, slamming a fist to his breastplate.


    Nate found that the return walk to his tent was no more comfortable than his march to meet the Princess had been. Her suspicions were close enough to the truth to be of concern. Not because the Princess might figure it out, but because if the Princess suspected he held a Legendary Class, others would soon as well. It was only a matter of time before the truth finally got out if he stayed. If the Princess was right and House Desmarais suspected he and Kiri were Legendary Class holders, how long before others started to suspect? Then the offers and threats would truly flow. The Nobility of Etrua or anyone else who considered them a risk or an opportunity would seek to take advantage. Again, he debated if they should flee. Setting him back a few years wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world. What would happen to those he left behind, though?


    Arriving at his tent he found Aisling and Kiri waiting. The discussions stretched late into the evening. Aisling had been concerned and was considering trying to call in Luc. Kiri had clearly been torn, recognising that their safest option was to run but knowing it meant leaving people behind. She had promised to start running the idea by Coralie subtly and made it clear if they did run they would need to get her parents. Jorge and Rania Beaufoy would be uprooted if they ran.


    It just felt like he had no good options. Sitting in his own tent, he looked across at Frick. The blue goblin spirit had been his first friend in Galle. Not his best friend, as it was hard to bridge the gap that was created by the Familiar Contract. But still, the goblin had been a friend.


    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± he asked quietly.


    Frick tapped a claw against his lip, ¡°Goblins always run and hide when it gets tough, Boss. It¡¯s how they survive. So, is that what you want? To survive?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡± countered Nate, intentionally misconstruing the question.


    ¡°Of course, but that isn¡¯t what I meant, Boss, and you know it.¡±


    Nate tilted his head to the side, ¡°I wanted to thrive here.¡±


    ¡°And you have, Boss. You¡¯ve got powerful friends. Family that you chose. Your wealth is growing exponentially. You¡¯ve got me, the greatest goblin in existence. Now, you have the ear of a Royal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s risky.¡±


    ¡°Is risk a price you¡¯re willing to accept to continue thriving?¡± asked his floppy-eared Familiar.


    ¡°Back on Earth, I would have said yes in a heartbeat,¡± he commented.


    ¡°Back on Earth, you had nothing to lose, Boss. It¡¯s easy to risk everything when you have nothing. Now you¡¯ve got something to lose.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the right choice?¡± Nate asked.


    Frick flashed sharp teeth, smiling at Nate, ¡°The right choice is the one that gets you what you want. So what do you want? To survive or thrive?¡±


    Nate nodded, letting his thoughts go over his options again and again, mulling on the problem as he crafted his newest rune. His thoughts bled through the night, unable to sleep as he tried unsuccessfully to distract himself with his crafting. Finally, as the sun was rising, Kiri entered his tent. His sister looked concerned and the redness in her eyes and on her cheeks told him she had been crying, torn between her love for him and her love for Coralie, just as he was torn between surviving or risking it all for the possibility of a better tomorrow. Seeing her answered his question finally. On Earth, he¡¯d had a family. He¡¯d had love and support. And then his parents had died and he had been cast adrift. Alone. Surrounded by people, but ultimately, alone. What would he have risked to regain that love and support? What would he have risked to have a family again?


    Looking at Kiri, he smiled sadly and made his decision.


    ¡°We stay.¡±


    She rushed to him then, moving so fast that she bowled him over and they ended up in a heap, lying on the floor with her crying into his shoulder. He dropped his barrier and recreated it as a half-sphere around them as his sister sobbed into his robe.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she kept muttering as he put his arms around her and let her get it out. They all had ways of expressing their emotions. Kiri¡¯s feelings ran hot, be it love, anger, sadness or hatred. His own, well, he had some blank canvases in his spatial storage. His emotions would  decorate a new painting, so that he could let them out. Let them see the light. He even knew what Concepts he was going to put into the artwork. Something in his body hummed its agreement as he considered how he was going to juxtapose the three emotions of Calm, Love and Fear.


    *************


    Morgane waited until Nate had left the tent before sending Valis away. Alone with her maid. she  activated her scrying ward.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± she asked Hildi.


    ¡°At least two other Houses seem poised to betray you and there''s at least three groups of saboteurs within the conscripts¡¯ camp,¡± answered her guardian. Her true guardian.


    Morgane was considered the weakest of the contenders for the throne. Her eldest brother, Prince Thane, was over ten years her senior. His age and his emulation of their father, the King, had also seen him blessed with the most access to the birthright of the Royal Family. It was an open secret that he had passed his third Class Evolution, and like their Father, exceeded level one-hundred-and-twenty.


    Bordain, on the other hand, was only a couple of years older than her. He¡¯d been given as much access to their birthright as she had. Yet she had never felt comfortable in his presence. There was something wild and domineering about him, like a beast looking for its next meal. The man lacked the support and obvious power of their brother Thane, but out of the two, Morgane remained far more wary of Bordain.


    Since she lacked the outright might of Thane, or the hinted-at coiled power of Bordain, she had looked elsewhere to build her own power. Soft power. Influence. In her case, information. The goal of gathering information had resulted in her becoming very acquainted with the powerful merchants of Etrua and among their number she had found allies, those who saw the success of Asmuisil as something to be emulated. By simply reducing the amount of mana that flowed to their Dungeons, Etrua¡¯s neighbours had uplifted a large portion of their people. The trade that had flowed saw them wealthier than any other nation in the region, except perhaps Gashana. Gashana was a contender only due to their small population. By capita, citizens of Gashana were more wealthy than that of Asmuisil, but the country''s population was less than a tenth of the size.


    With the support of the merchants of Etrua, Morgane had managed to garner some support from the lower Nobility. Other Nobles had flocked to her banner of their own accord. Some, she had bought, plain and simple, through information or coin and mana. The entire time, she expanded her network of informants. But among them, none were better than Hildi, who had been with her since she was a child ¡ª a gift from her mother. She hated that word, as though a person could be ¡®gifted¡¯ to another, but she did wonder if her mother had some form of foresight. Rumours of such powers had existed since time immemorial, but had never been proven. But Hildi¡¯s Classes did make Morgane wonder if perhaps there was some truth to such rumours.


    ¡°What should we do, Morgane?¡± asked Hildi, ready to take orders. The woman''s loyalty could not be bought. It had been solidified over a lifetime.


    Morgane gave it a moment of thought. She had known her brothers would slip spies and saboteurs into her army. Bordain might even slip in assassins. It would not be the first time someone from her family tried to have her killed.


    ¡°House Beaumont is in place already to deal with the Landins. The Swords will be enough for another House if they make a move. As for the conscripts¡¯ camp¡­have our forces make the saboteurs disappear. Quietly, if at all possible.¡±


    Hildi nodded, vanishing out the tent a moment later. Alone in her tent, the Princess wanted to drop the Skill she kept around herself. It was tiring to maintain, but her life was precious enough to her that she could not release it, even when she was certain she was alone. Perhaps, if she asked Nathaniel nicely, he might make her something to bear the load.


    Tilting her head to the side as she deactivated the scrying ward, she began to listen in to her war camp. Requests to the Legendary Crafter would have to wait. She had a battle to plan for. Just not the one everyone thought she was fighting.


    *************


    Arikanvil glanced up as he sensed a small pulse. The mortals were advancing even faster than he had expected. It wouldn¡¯t be long now. He would wait until they were on the precipice. When they could lose everything was when he would make his offer. Reciprocity demanded that much.

 Chapter 176 - Advancing to the Front

    Nate stood in his tent, putting the last touches on his painting. The piece had taken him three days to complete, longer than most of his artworks. He could have completed the piece faster, but with most of each day spent in the saddle, then the evenings spent crafting, his time to devote to the painting had been limited.


    This artwork was the first time that he had made himself the focus. In the centre was a humanoid being that looked like a constellation of stars. It seemed fitting to him, given his connection to space and the robe he wore. Around him warred different coloured spheres, all pulling him in different directions via chains. Red for violence, which held the Concept of Blood, a low-tier Sigil he had acquired after his injuries from forcing his Conceptual Runic Mastery synergy. Black for those who would kill him, filled with the Concept of Fear. On the opposing side, a blue sphere held the Concept of Love, representing Kiri, his found family. Finally, above him, stretched into an oval with chains pulling it towards both sides, was a golden sphere filled with the Concept of Calm. He didn¡¯t have a Sigil for Justice or Righteousness so he had been forced to make do, shifting the intent behind the Calm Sigil to be that of a calm before the storm. Calm balanced on a precipice. The Princess had a decision to make every bit as much as he¡¯d had. Would she keep things friendly, or would she try to force his hand? It was yet to be seen.


    At the sound of Aisling¡¯s loud voice ordering the Guild members to break camp, he began to pack up. Another day in the saddle awaited. Another day closer to Asmuisil and the army approaching them. But, another day to continue refining and improving himself and his creations. His Runic Gallery awaited and with Frick already hard at work, the least he could do was match his Familiar¡¯s zeal.


    *************


    Days on the march had turned into weeks and Nate had fallen into a rhythm. While in the saddle he would refine his Runic Gallery through Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, Conceptual Spatial Empowerment and Space Is All Around You. Using his Skills, he slowly made the subspace that housed his Runic Gallery more resilient, larger and more defined while also making it more a part of himself. The space had grown to over twenty metres squared and Nate had no intention of stopping. In his heart, he harboured dreams of one day making it a small world. That, however, would be far into the future at his current rate of growth. The new size, however, made it possible for him to start dividing it into areas. There was the true Runic Gallery, that housed his paintings and artworks, a supply area for storing the materials he worked with and a little den that Frick had requested that looked like a pile of random trinkets and blankets. Finally, there was a ¡®work¡¯ area where Nate and Frick kept the current projects being developed.


    The work area within his Runic Gallery had been the second task he had focused on while in the saddle. Improving the Runic Gallery had only taken a couple of hours each day. Most of his time had been spent on using Conceptual Material Shaping to improve the tiers of materials he was working on. The last of the three Runecrafted Barrier plates he had created had been completed over a week ago and with a third and final visit to the Capital via his paired portal device, had been handed over to Luc along with a number of other trinkets. With his mentor off to Asmuisil to sell his latest creations, he was looking forward to the windfall to come, and to the possibility of seeing his own creations on the battlefield.


    The fact that the barriers should limit the amount of death made him feel good, which led into his second job. The one that Etrua was paying him to do. Every night since they had joined the Bright Army, after setting up his tent, Nate had made his way over to his designated healing area. The army was large enough that there were three. They could have gotten away with two, but since the bulk of the army was made up of commoners and conscripts, the nobility had, of course, wanted their own healing area away from the ¡®common rabble¡¯. Thankfully, he had been spared from serving the nobles so far.


    The amount of injuries each evening had initially come as a surprise to him. He was certain that back on Earth people and animals had gotten injured while marching, due to the terrain or their own kit or just accidents. However, he had thought that with the enhanced physiques due to mana and Class Cores, that the people of Galle, even the commoners, would sustain less injuries. He had been half-right. The marching had not injured the conscripts. The injuries started to come in each evening after the march had ended and tents were being pitched, mostly from fights. Fights over food, over the best spot to pitch their tents, over drunken disagreements and over mana gems.


    At first, the Gold-ranked healer supervising his healing station had been doubtful about Nate''s presence. Lacking a healing class, the supervisor had been dubious about what Nate could offer and had relegated him to dealing with the simplest of injuries. His Lesser Healing Wave spell had handled most of them, and quickly. The supervisor''s opinion had changed a few nights later. It had been the fifth evening when a massive brawl had broken out, resulting in an area of the commoners¡¯ camp catching on fire. The injured had rolled in and the healers had been quickly overwhelmed. Nate had extracted his latest project then. Runecrafted Healing Tokens, was what he had named them. Kiri had suggested Feathers of Renewal. It was a shame that for all his creativity, he was so shit at naming things. After hearing her suggestion, he had used his Conceptual Material Shaping to etch the image of a feather into the metal circles. The runes were inside of the material and though he had mostly limited himself to Uncommon-tier Feathers of Renewal, he had made a few Rare-tier ones as well.


    These new runes combined the Sigils for Soul, Connect, Life and Calm. He had shifted all of the Sigils towards the Subconcepts of Healing and Renewal. The resulting rune, powered by his many Intents and Conceptual Runic Mastery, would connect to an individual''s soul energy, then using both ambient mana and the person''s own mana, begin to passively heal the individual while also calming them. The effects were only a little slower than a healing spell or Skill, but Nate suspected that was more a limitation on the Sigils and the material quality. The chief healer had been suitably impressed and assigned Nate to handle individuals who didn¡¯t need specialised work, such as mending bones.


    Then there were the two dinners he had shared with Princess Morgane. Both had been painful. Since her every action was viewed through a political lens, other nobles had been invited both times. While they were politer than the children of nobles he had met at the Royal University, the looks they gave him had been clear. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ their gazes had asked. It wasn¡¯t like he could tell them, ¡®Hi, I am here because the Princess believes I am a Legendary Class Holder like she is.¡¯ Instead, he had been forced to weather their gazes. Each time, leaving to join Kiri and the rest of the Guildies had felt like escaping from a jail cell.


    Finally, he had continued to improve his own skeleton, along with Britt and Kiri. All three of them possessed epic-quality bone structures below the waist. They were forced to wait for a week after the first treatment as he wanted to assess if there were any negative impacts. A flaw in his thinking had been that while he might be able to heal injuries, he had no way to reverse what he had done, short of chopping off their legs and trying to regenerate them. Thankfully, there had been no negative impact, so he had pushed them from Rare to Epic, which had commensurately improved the Stat bonuses the upgraded materials were providing.


    That had been one half of his preparations for the coming battles. The other half had been creating new materials for Conceptual Automated Existence. With the time to create Legendary materials being vastly reduced due to his evolutions, he had invested in two, with a hope that he wouldn¡¯t need to use them and could eventually bring them to Mythic. True to his plans for his Classes and his future, he had gone with Space and Life. Even now, the two nestled inside his Runic Gallery, ready to be grabbed at a moment''s notice. The Concepts in the pair of items were so strong that they were influencing the area around them. Space warping and reforming around the former, which had been a large reason for his focus on improving his Runic Gallery. Life was more interesting. There were, to Nate¡¯s knowledge, no living things inside of his Runic Gallery. So instead, the small blob of yellow and green amber, seemed to be shifting its surroundings. The small amount of ambient mana present was enough for it to occasionally change the shape of the pedestal it sat on, warping it into different representations of life. One moment a tree, then a fish, then reverting back to a pedestal. The changes were only temporary, no more than flickers, lasting for seconds at most, but the results were interesting and Nate intended to spend some time focusing on them.


    That, however, would need to wait. Tomorrow was the day. The day where they would finally reach the grounds where the Princess and her advisors expected that battle against Asmuisil would be joined. Nate sat in his tent going over his gains of the past few weeks. His Skills had improved across the board.


    Conceptual Insight 49 > 51


    Conceptual Material Shaping 31 > 34


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 50 > 52


    Conceptual Runic Mastery 49 > 51


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation 41 > 43


    Empowered Amplified Magic 40 > 41


    Conceptual Automated Existence 24 > 25


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment 24 > 26


    Space Is All Around You 7 > 16


    The notification indicating that Empowered Amplified Magic was ready to evolve had triggered a couple of hours earlier. He¡¯d held off on reviewing it until he could give it his full attention.


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Amplified Magic (M)


    Magic is the manipulation of mana, the energy that determines who rises and who falls. The user of this skill is blessed in all areas of magic, able to bend mana to their will. An Archmage employs Concepts to bend reality. The user of this skill empowers the Concepts of reality, changing their environment to suit their needs. For those blessed few, this Skill increases the user¡¯s Magic Stats by 20%. Increases by 1% per Skill Level. For every 1000 Total Magic Stats, increase the tier of a Concept used by 1.


    Supreme Amplified Magic (M)


    Magic is the manipulation of mana, the energy that determines who rises and who falls. The user of this skill is blessed in all areas of magic, able to bend mana to their will. This is the Skill of an Archmage, their magic made to rule. For those blessed few, this Skill increases the user¡¯s Magic Stats by 20%. Increases by 2% per Skill Level.


    Reading over his two options, he knew what he had to do. Knowing and doing were two different beasts though. Especially when Supreme Amplified Magic at level eighty would offer twice as many Magic Stats as Conceptual Amplified Magic. It also didn¡¯t help that with his current Magic Stats, he wouldn¡¯t receive any bonuses to the tier of his Concepts. Perhaps by the time he hit level sixty in his Classes he would manage it, but for now, the Skill would give him no appreciable bonuses. Except, of course, for the bonus that he needed most of all ¨C to shift his Embodiment, the only thing that really mattered for now. With a put-upon smile, he selected Conceptual Amplified Magic. The price, he reminded himself, would pay off in the long-run.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Bringing up his Status, he looked over all the changes. He and Kiri had both gained two Uncommon Stat Orbs from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for grading into the Advanced Combat subject. He had chosen an Uncommon Intellect and Uncommon Creativity orb. Coupled with his recent Skill improvements, his Stats had increased again, even without any new Class levels.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    445


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    173 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    81


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    147


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    175


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    108


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    92 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    227


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    98


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    231


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    94


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 10


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Conceptual Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Insight (M) Lvl 51 - (Excess Mana Absorption Rate increased by 25.5%, +61% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material Shaping (M) Lvl 34 - (-34% Improvement Mana Cost, -75% Time Required, -79% Material Shaping Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 52 - (+112% Perception, +18% Creativity, 26m Sphere of Awareness, 520 metre summoning range for 2nd Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Mastery (M) Lvl 51 - (-100% Mana Cost, +86.5% Mana Aspecting, 55 Intents, 27 Imbued Intents, +4 Subconcepts, +156 Magic Power when using runes, 51% Intellect, +15% Creativity, +35.5% Conceptual Power for Runes)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation (M) Lvl 43 - (774 metres teleport range, 12 cubic metres of Spatial Manipulation, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Amplified Magic (M) Lvl 41 - (+60% Magic Stats, +0 Tier to Concepts)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automated Existence (M) Lvl 25 - (-25% Mana Cost, +185% Power, +52% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment (L) Lvl 26 - (+80% to Spatial Effects)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Space Is All Around You (R) Lvl 16 - (-16% Mana Cost for Spatial Skills and Spells)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Minor Spatial Lock (R), Lesser Healing Wave (C)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (10)) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Barrier Soul Engraving (Expend Mana to protect against Soul attacks) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Augmented Skeleton (+5% Physical Stats) (Permanent, Epic)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With a smile, he closed his Status and prepared to head to the Princess¡¯s tent. Tomorrow they would finally see what they were going to be facing.


    *************


    Kiri was bored. Guard duty was the most dull task she had ever encountered. At least when she was guarding Nate, she was invested in his safety. Besides, he was usually doing something halfway interesting, be it crafting or painting. He didn¡¯t just sit there, like a lump of mashed vegetables, appearing to do nothing. Her job was simple. Guard one of the logistics personnel. The woman wore four spatial storages that Kiri could spot. She might have been hiding more of them. Kiri didn¡¯t care to check. All of the Bright Army supplies were held between three logistics personnel, each one decked out in spatial storages and apparently specialising in managing them, whatever that meant. Maybe it was an Administration Class. But, because they held the supplies, to prevent sabotage or theft, they needed to be guarded at all times. Kiri had spent more than one day asleep in the saddle because of the night shifts she had been forced to handle while they were camped.


    The worst part was that she couldn¡¯t even practise her Skills while she waited. While Nate had been crafting and Coralie had been moping, another issue she was trying to ignore, Kiri had been focusing on practising. Her Skill development had come along in leaps and bounds. Soul Slayer¡¯s Aspect had evolved to provide a bonus to strength, previously her weakest Physical Stat and a constant cause of consternation. Now, with the vastly improved bonuses to the Stat, and her own hunting in her free time, she had managed to utilise Soul Rebirth to increase the Stat by sixty-five. The results shifted Strength to her second highest Physical Stat, though whenever she imbued herself using Empowered Soul Sanctuary, it would fall back to fourth.


    Soon Improved Willpower would evolve, then, with Nate¡¯s help, she intended to try and force it to synergise with her Soul Slayer¡¯s Aspect.


    Finally, she had spent her time thinking about how she had felt when she had been reborn. So far she hadn¡¯t been able to recreate that feeling, but with battles on the horizon, she suspected she would have the opportunity soon. Two Soul Twins waited within her Sanctuary. Bringing up her Status, she took a moment to review her improvements.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    213 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    136


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    125


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    104


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    504 (6)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    29


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    58 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    443 (9)


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    87


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    52


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    215


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    18 (6)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 10


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Reborn Soul Slayer (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Reborn Soul Dancer (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Rebirth (M) Lvl 36 - (+46% Willpower, +12% Agility, 5 Stats Drained Per Use, 65/131 Stats Acquired)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    One Soul Two Realms (M) Lvl 46 - (561 metres teleport range, -56% Soul Energy Cost, 1122 metres sensory range)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Soul Engraving (E) Lvl 40 - (6/6 Soul Engravings Used, Engravings last for 145 days, +10% Effective power for Soul Engravings)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Tethered Soul Weapons (M) Lvl 29 - (1450 metres detection range, 26 Tethers, 10 Tethered Arms, +29% Agility)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Slayers Aspect (M) Lvl 42 - (+115% Agility, +63% Perception, +47% Dexterity and +42% Strength)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Improved Willpower (R) Lvl 18 - (+13.5% Willpower)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Concealment (L) Lvl 27 - (-32.94% Soul Energy Cost, 3 Additional Souls can be Concealed)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Soul Sanctuary (M) Lvl 48 - (23 metres cubed of space in Soul Sanctuary, Soul Capacity increased by 585.6% and 11% Soul Energy Regen/hr, Imbuement increases Agility, Endurance and Constitution by +518, 2 Soul Twins, Soul Twin takes 11 days to create.)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Wisps of Shadow (U)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Dagger Dancer (E) (40) / Spiritwalker (R) (10) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Strength, Dexterity, Intellect and Willpower Soul Engravings (+11% per Stat) (Temporary, Rare)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Power Engraving (+22% to Soul Energy Skills) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Jacque Marnier (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Augmented Skeleton (+5% Physical Stats) (Permanent, Epic)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Closing her Status, she stared out into the night, lit by fires and filled with the raucous noise of thousands of individuals trying to find what little comfort they could on the march. She couldn¡¯t wait for this whole fiasco to be over. Maybe then her beautiful girlfriend would start to seem more like her old self. Or maybe not, maybe the bitch that pretended to be Coralie¡¯s mother instead of just the woman who gave birth to her would find another way to fuck the little Ice Mage up. Not for the first time, Kiri considered killing Prefect Allais, and not for the first time, she suppressed the urge. There were other ways to solve problems besides burying a dagger in them. Just not ones she liked as much.

 Chapter 177 - War鈥檚 Truth

    Nate stood uncomfortably near one of the tables within Princess Morgane¡¯s tent. With Kiri next to him it was bearable, albeit barely. Morgane was clearly sounding him out, trying to determine his feelings towards her plight, not that it bothered him. From everything he had seen within the Capital of Etrua, he wholeheartedly agreed with her that Asmuisil was a better nation for its people. Their coming opponents in this war may have produced fewer Platinums than Etrua, but they still produced them. As far as Nate was concerned that meant that with enough talent, drive ¨C and perhaps a bit of risk ¨C it was still possible to achieve the heights reached in Etrua without being utterly disadvantageous to the rest of the populace.


    Funnily enough, it was those other Platinums that were making him uncomfortable now. Tomorrow they would, as one noble had commented, be within spitting distance of the Asmuisillans. So tonight, they would dine and prepare. It was pageantry, plain and simple, even if the attendees were the complete opposite. The Nobles were all veiled, but the air thrummed with the leashed power. Nate was almost certain they were doing it on purpose, releasing just a bit of their mana as a power play. The display wasn¡¯t for him or Kiri, though. He and his sister had warranted a single glance from most denizens before being summarily ignored. No, the display they were putting on was for each other, like strutting peacocks trying to prove who was the most beautiful. Or the most powerful, he supposed.


    There were exceptions though. The more astute had perhaps asked themselves why two Gold-ranked Guild members were invited to the dinner, when the Storm Spear had not been. Aisling hadn¡¯t cared, of course, pointing out that since she wasn¡¯t a part of the Bright Army, that she should correctly be excluded.


    ¡°When will this be over, do you think?¡± Kiri griped.


    ¡°Aisling said we shouldn¡¯t leave within the first hour or it would be considered rude,¡± Nate shot back, though he wanted nothing more than to return to his own tent.


    Kiri mumbled something that Nate was pretty sure was a curse before breaking away from him to get herself another drink.


    That moment of separation was apparently enough of an excuse for one of the nobles to pounce. The tall woman that approached him bore some small resemblance to Aisling. Nate ventured a guess that she must be from somewhere along the border of Etrua and the Kirshell Mountains. Like Aisling she had blonde hair, and dark brown eyes with sun-kissed skin. The difference was in the high cheekbones that turned her face from looking blocky into severe. Covering her tanned skin was a loose robe striped in the colours of grey and red that made her eyes and skin tone all the more vibrant. Nate pointedly ignored the sword that hung at her hip.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the pup that dragged the Storm Spear out of her hole. What is your name, boy?¡± demanded the woman.


    Nate considered not answering, given the woman''s rude tone. In the end though, starting a fight seemed troublesome and he was reasonably confident that Morgane would step in. So he matched the noble¡¯s attitude instead.


    ¡°Nathaniel, yours?¡± Nate replied in a bored tone, glancing at the woman before his eyes returned to roving over the rest of the tent and its occupants.


    Instead of being offended, the older woman looked amused, ¡°Nathaniel, is it? And not at all concerned? I am Baroness of the Northern Steppes, Olithia Varkhul.¡±


    The Baroness paused for a moment, circling him slowly like a shark before it struck. His barrier was in place and he was certain it could take a blow so he simply waited, reading her body language as best he could through his sphere of awareness. He felt her pulse quicken slightly and he prepared for the blow.


    It came, but not in the form he expected.


    ¡°Fearless and pretty. Perhaps that is what the Princess sees in you. If she has not already laid claim to you, you should come visit me in my tent later this evening.¡±


    Nate blinked a few times, trying to hide his surprise. He was just glad he didn¡¯t blush.


    Olithia laughed throatily, her dark amber eyes now alight with amusement, ¡°Not completely innocent either. That¡¯s good, though I am sure I can find a few things to teach you. I promise to be gentle. You¡¯ll find my tent easily enough; it¡¯s flying my colours.¡±


    The Baroness ran a hand over her red and white robes, subtly letting it drift down over her stomach before turning away from him in a swish of fabric, moving over to join some of the other nobles around one of the tables.


    Kiri finally returned to his side as Nate stared off into the distance.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± she asked, sipping on something that smelled like tropical punch.


    ¡°A proposition,¡± Nate answered honestly, glancing at the roof of the tent to ignore the huge smile on Kiri¡¯s face.


    ¡°She¡¯s old enough to be your mother. Perfect for you then!¡± Kiri teased.


    Nate repressed a sigh as Kiri started making jokes. Thankfully Frick wasn¡¯t along to join in. Nate reached over, taking the tropical punch from his sister''s hand and finishing the cup as she laughed. It was going to be a long hour, he decided. One day he would work out why older women seemed to have a thing for him. Hopefully Olithia wouldn¡¯t take it personally when he didn¡¯t show up.


    *************


    Nate stood on the edge of a hill, the sound of the camp fortifications being created drowning out almost every other noise. Yet the grumble of rolling earth and the sensation of unleashed mana within his sphere of awareness wasn¡¯t enough to draw Nate¡¯s eyes away from the sight of the army that opposed them.


    The previous night''s antics had given Nate some insight into the men and women, nobles all, who would be the key combatants. He thought of them as key, since it was their power that would almost certainly be the deciding factor in the coming battles. Perhaps he was being arrogant, but knowing that he had sold his runecrafted barrier creations en-masse to Asmuisil made him suspect that the attacks by the Etruan conscripts against the fortified Asmuisil empowering enchantments were doomed to fail.


    Even now, across the grassy fields, he could see the Asmuisil war-machine in motion. The differences between Etrua and Asmuisil were stark. The Bright Army was like a rabble housing some spoiled rich kids. Or adults, he supposed, thinking back to Baroness Olithia. The conscripts¡¯ camp was in utter chaos and had been for the entire march. There was no order enforced beyond staying within their designated area. Not a difficult proposition given it covered two thirds of the entire camp by now. He could hear plenty of yelling as the Gold-ranked guards of the Nobility started to try and organise the conscripts, gathering them into groups, but even that seemed to require little order. Kiri was back there with them, guarding one of the logistics officers as they handed out the most common of weapons and shields to the conscripts. No armour, though. Too expensive, he guessed, which just made the simmering in his chest bubble with barely concealed fury. The conscripts were to be fed to the meat-grinder, all to throw enough flesh at their enemies to try and disrupt their enchantments.Stolen novel; please report.


    The nobility on the other hand were arrayed near Nate in groups, surrounded by their Gold-ranked retainers. It was those Gold-ranks that were building the fortifications. Earth Mages channelled mana to create a simple wall with a walkway on top. Nate could understand the logic behind their simplicity. Their only goal was to break their enemies line of sight. Creating a fortification that could stand up to the kind of power a Platinum individual could unleash was a waste of mana and effort. They just wanted to make sure what went on in the camp could not be seen by the naked eye. Most of the nobility¡¯s tents had their own anti-scrying wards. Nate knew that from experience, having used his farsight sphere of awareness to roam over their camp more than once on the march.


    The way war was conducted on Galle was very different to what he had expected. Different to Earth, he supposed. With magic in the mix there was an added layer to the conflict and a question of where to spend an army''s mana supplies. Nate sighed and glanced to where he saw Princess Morgane. She was armoured today, though she bore no weapon that he could see. Her black hair blew freely in the breeze and he noted that he couldn¡¯t feel the usual buzz of a Concept around her. The second time he had noted that particular oddity. Could she turn the effect on and off then? Not having a constant passive like Null could be the explanation, but he would keep trying to figure it out. The Princess was too far away for him to hear what she said, but her mouth moved, and three of her attendants gave quick nods before hurrying away.


    Across from them, on the other side of the field, the forces of Asmuisil prepared for the Etruan war machine. The army of their opponents, as he couldn¡¯t bring himself to think of them as his enemies, gave a sense of order and unity. Clearly arrayed into cohorts, with matching armour and equipment, the army of Asmuisil already looked ready for a fight. Extending his farsight sphere of awareness, he found a couple of similarities between the two camps. Like with Etrua, there were sections that were warded against scrying. The soldiers'' tents, however, were not. They had also created a simple earthen wall, though it looked like they had used the strength of their arms and shovels, rather than magic. That was where the similarities ended.


    All the soldiers that he sensed wore black metal bands around their wrists. Conceptual Insight hummed, and due to his own knowledge, he could tell that the Sigil for Connect was involved. The empowerment arrays were warded against his sight, and he strongly considered whether to brute force the enchantment to get an idea of exactly how Asmuisil¡¯s empowerment enchantment worked. The only reason he held off for now was that he didn¡¯t want to trigger a response. After the battle had started he would take a peek. It took him a minute but he finally found what he suspected was a recipient of one of the array¡¯s power. Functional armour covered the young man, as Nate judged him to be of a similar age to himself. The tall champion stood at the front of one of the army cohorts, short brown hair matching a short blade on his hip. Black metal peeked out from parts of the armour ¨C black like the bands the soldiers wore.


    Nate considered how he might get a look at the armour the man wore. He was almost certain that it was the armour that connected to the empowerment enchantment.


    ¡°Do you think you could sneak into their camp?¡± he asked Frick.


    ¡°Sneak in? Definitely. What do you want me to do afterwards, though?¡± replied Frick from inside his Runic Gallery.


    ¡°See if they have any spare armour like that one,¡± replied Nate, indicating the Asmuisillan Champion.


    Frick popped out next to him, the small blue goblin looking across the grasslands, the earth soon to be churned by the feet of thousands of conscripts and soldiers.


    ¡°Maybe, Boss. Why though?¡±


    ¡°Wondering if I could use a similar idea to make some new armour for Britt,¡± he responded. If the armour was a receiver for the processed mana of others, could he make something that could use processed mana to further empower the recipient. He suspected it would function like a boosting Skill, and would only last as long as the processed mana. But perhaps he could force it to enhance particular Stats.


    Next to him, Frick ran his long tongue over his sharp teeth.


    ¡°Fuck, Boss, I¡¯ll give it a go. Ain¡¯t nothing more goblin than sneaking about and stealing shit!¡±


    Nate smiled his thanks as Frick vanished back into his Runic Gallery. All that was left to do was wait.


    The wait, it turned out, was not as long as he expected. It seemed both commanders¡­generals¡­leaders ¨C he wasn¡¯t sure what to call the Princess, he decided that Commander would do ¨C wanted to get a sense of their opponents. Three nobles strode slowly down the hill. Behind them came a horde of conscripts in something that he could only be described as a mob. The mob of conscripts was loosely divided into three groups. Within the mob were a number of Gold-ranked individuals. He guessed they were meant to be the ones to punch through and disrupt the empowering enchantments. Nate didn¡¯t see Coralie among them, but that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t there.


    On the opposing side, three cohorts of Asmuisillans moved forward in orderly ranks. In the centre of each cohort was a large metal cube, carried by four soldiers. The cubes were warded, but Nate guessed that those were the empowering devices. Or, at least, whatever housed the empowering devices. Protecting such an enchantment was a necessity on a battlefield, so making them incredibly difficult to destroy seemed like a no-brainer. It also explained for Nate why the Etruans would target the individuals powering the enchantment, rather than the enchantment itself.


    At the head of each cohort strode a champion, though Nate noted there was also one at the back of each cohort. So the enchantment could be redirected, he guessed, meaning the Asmuisil champions could swap out with their companions. The same looked to be true of the individuals empowering the enchantment. Most of the soldiers of Asmuisil carried a large round shield and short swords. In the back, however, Nate noticed a small contingent, still armoured, but carrying a variety of ranged weapons and what he suspected were wands. He noticed more than a few of his barrier bracers among that cohort.


    A cry went up from one of the three nobles and the Etruan army charged. The nobles quickly extended their lead on the conscripts as Nate watched from his place on the hill. He sensed as Aisling moved up next to him but kept his eyes glued on the battlefield. The three champions from Asmuisil began to cross the field. Nate¡¯s eyes widened at the speed of the young man, the one he had first noted. He knew that Embodiments were a force multiplier, but he hadn¡¯t expected the man to be faster than Kiri when she empowered herself. The blurring swordsman was met by one of the Nobles who veered right to cut him off. Their initial clash left the area around them destroyed, grass blowing away and dirt flying from the force and speed behind their blows. With his farsight sphere of awareness, he could feel how the wind whistled with every swing of their blades and the vibrations in the air as metal collided with metal.


    The other champions and nobles weren¡¯t idle. Two of them had taken to the skies and Nate sensed wind whistling as one of the nobles controlled it, the woman cackling in naked glee at unleashing her power. In response another young man, this one looking delicate in his armour, seemed to be using planes of force not unlike Nate¡¯s own barriers, to carry him through the sky and redirect her attacks.


    The final pair of champions were the slowest to meet each other. The Asmuisillan Champion rode in on a wave of earth like she was surfing across the plains, her body coated in rocky armour. The Etruan Noble opposing her swung a hammer taller than he was, impacting the Champion and sending her flying. The Earth-using Champion¡¯s landing should have dug a furrow in the earth but instead the earth rose to greet her, carrying her around in a circle as it moved to put the Champion back on their feet, sending them straight back into the fight.


    As the sounds of battle rolled over him, the charging conscripts finally reached the front line of the Asmuisil army. That was when the screaming started. Nate bent over to vomit as Aisling rested a hand on his barrier over his back.


    ¡°You had best head to the Healers¡¯ tents. They¡¯re about to become very busy.¡±

 Chapter 178 - Digging Holes

    The sun had set and the healing tent Nate had been assigned to was in utter chaos. In the few spare moments he¡¯d had to look over the tent and its occupants, he had thought it looked more like a slaughterhouse. Only with more screaming. The initial assault on the empowering enchantments had gone about as well as had been expected, and in his heart, Nate felt a small amount of guilt. The barrier bracers he had created for Asmuisil had been on clear display and while they may not have been the only factor at play, they had definitely been a factor. The conscripts had thrown themselves against the forces of Asmuisil and had come away bloodied. The worst of those who had survived were decorating the hundred or so beds of the tent while those with less dire injuries waited outside, or in some cases, returned to the conscripts camp to pour alcohol and apply other simple remedies to their wounds.


    Out of a feeling of guilt, he intended to cloak himself in illusion later and stroll through the conscripts¡¯ camp. He could conceal his mana usage and perform some small amount of healing with his mana stockpile without revealing just how much mana he had to work with. That was for later. For now, he was a healer for the Bright Army, and he had a job to do. That job was mostly using his Feathers of Renewal to stabilize victims long enough for a real healer to get to them.


    That didn¡¯t mean he was doing nothing, however. Between Conceptual Insight and Farsight of the Runic Artist he was observing the healers as they cast their healing spells. The spells on display were by far the most complex shapes he had yet seen formed from mana. He surmised that Magic Control was the core Stat required for any healing Class that utilised spells rather than Skills. Getting to observe them meant getting to see the spell structures they made use of and the Sigils within. Perhaps others would attempt to hide such things, but the healers had their hands full. Besides, who would expect anyone to be learning spells in this absolute mess. He had already quietly filed away two such spells. One seemed to be focused on mending bone, so, in his usual naming style, he had called it Bone Mending. The second seemed to stimulate the body to produce more blood, ergo, he was calling it Produce Blood. Both seemed to be Uncommon tier, but he was purely basing that on the amount of mana used and the spell structure complexity.


    Unfortunately, the healers seemed to have orders to focus on stabilising those they could and letting anyone too wounded succumb to their wounds. The threshold seemed based on the amount of mana required to save the individual, and every few minutes another conscript died and was carried from the tent. Nate tried to tune out the crying and lamentations, but it was almost impossible unless he wanted to pull back his sphere of awareness. His paranoia said no, even as his heart demanded a reprieve.


    ¡°Will I live?¡± asked the man lying on the cot he stood next to, distracting him.


    Nate glanced from the Feather of Renewal on the man''s chest, down to the remains of the man''s mangled left arm. His runecrafted item was keeping the arm from bleeding, but it could do nothing to fully restore the limb. Nate suspected he could, though. The man would live, regardless of any further intervention by Nate, but he would likely never use the arm again. Such a restoration was possible, but, how much would he be charged for it? The injured conscript would be forced to use the mana and coin he was paid to join the army just to see himself restored. That was if he still had the mana, and hadn¡¯t absorbed it to try and slowly advance himself.


    Nate considered his options for a moment. Healing the man was a risk. But not healing the man was a crime against himself. His moral compass told him he could help, so he should help. He closed his eyes, knowing that what he was about to do was foolish, yet doing it anyway. He couldn¡¯t do something for everyone, but he could help a few. Reaching into his Runic Gallery, he tapped into one of the mana gems within. Spinning up a runic array within himself, he combined the Sigils for Mana and Obfuscation to hide his use of mana. The second runic array he created utilised Illusion, Soul, Sound, and Obfuscation to visibly conceal the conscript¡¯s arm and the scream that Nate knew was coming. The third and final runic array combined his Master-tier Life and Soul Sigils.


    The man immediately started screaming and thrashing as Nate¡¯s mana flowed into the final runic array and took hold within the conscript¡¯s arm. With the soul energy as a template, the life portion of the runic array, guided by Nate¡¯s intent, rebuilt the arm. Bones slid back into place, flesh pulled itself back together and within the arm itself Nate could feel blood beginning to flow more evenly once more. It took less than ten excruciating seconds, but the healing was done. No new notifications appeared, but then, he hadn¡¯t done anything new. Just more of the same.


    The conscript looked up at him, fear and wonder in the man¡¯s eyes. The fear was quickly replaced by gratitude and the conscript made to speak, stopping as Nate gave a quick but firm shake of his head, his blond hair flicking about with the motion. He didn¡¯t need more attention drawn to him. The conscript nodded in understanding and Nate released the runic arrays within himself, reaching down to collect the Feather of Renewal before nodding his head toward the tent''s entrance. The man understood his intent, bobbing his head again in thanks before quickly leaving the tent. Before ten seconds had passed, a new body filled the cot and Nate moved on to find someone else who could use a Feather of Renewal to stabilize them.


    That was when everything went to shit. The ground shook as an explosion went off somewhere within the camp. Nate dashed for the tent entrance, stepping outside to try and see what was going on, even as he threw his farsight sphere of awareness ahead of him in the direction of the explosion. His farsight sphere got their first, and he spotted two individuals that he presumed were Platinums doing battle in a small crater. That would have been the end of it for him, except that he sensed Kiri nearby. His sister was standing over the unconscious form of some man, facing down five individuals in a smattering of armour and other accoutrement. With a thought, he activated Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, forcing the space between him and his sister to become one, as he moved without taking a step. The next moment he was standing next to his sister, already forming a runic array as he increased the flow of mana to his Legendary Barrier Bracer.


    ¡°Just hand over the badge. It¡¯s five against one. You¡¯re already beaten,¡± muttered one of the women.


    Now that he was present he could see everything more clearly. There were three dead Etruans on the ground nearby. Opposite Kiri stood three women and two men, all slightly paler than the Etruans Nate had met. Asmuisillans was his guess. He noted the weapons to try and get a sense of their Classes. Sword and shield, two swords, spear, bow and enchanted bracers ¡ª four warriors and a mage. The only Guild badges present were the ones he and Kiri wore, which meant that these five wouldn¡¯t hold back if truly pressed. Nate wasn¡¯t interested in taking it slowly and he wanted to know exactly what they were getting themselves into. Reaching for his mana, he flooded it into Conceptual Insight, shattering the Rare-tier wards their enemies were using to veil themselves.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°All Epics, in their seventies, Partial Embodiments,¡± he whispered to Kiri.


    ¡°Set it up beneath the mage,¡± he sent mentally to Frick.


    Frick¡¯s answering cackle was proof the little goblin knew what he wanted.


    Kiri nodded her understanding, her eyes going hard and a twitch on her face the sign of a smile suppressed. He¡¯d just told her that this was a fight they could take.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this!¡± yelled a woman¡¯s voice from behind their opponents.


    A pale woman with black hair that floated in the air as though she was swimming through water flew across the area. Nate sensed the Concept of Wind strongly and prepared to improve his barrier when the woman was forced back by a stream of green liquid. The wind barrier protecting the Platinum, as Nate assessed the mage to be, scattered the liquid attack across the area. Nate expanded his barrier to protect Kiri and the man she was guarding, the acid rain falling across the entire battle zone. He frowned as he felt far more mana drained from his barrier than expected and was reminded just how much he disliked acid-based attacks. The smell of burning grass and fabric filled the area as Nate and Kiri¡¯s opponents scattered, avoiding the worst of it. Their mage blasted their entire team with water before turning back towards them. Without another word, the five Asmuisillans attacked.


    Nate slid to the left, covering the fallen officer as Kiri dashed forward to meet them and he settled in to support his sister. Ten faint blue and white arms grew from Kiri¡¯s back and shoulders in an instant. The next moment her Soul Tethered arms were holding nine identical daggers with one exception. Nate knew that technically there were two exceptions, but his sister was clearly concealing the Legendary dagger he had made for her. Then she started to dance.


    It was easy to forget that his sister, for all her joy in battle and full frontal approach to most fights, was in fact capable of a far more controlled approach to fighting. Her tutelage under Deverell and the Royal University showed as she held off three of the five combatants. He knew she could handle more, but the bow-wielder and mage had peeled off and clearly wanted to get at the logistics officer behind Nate. They might have succeeded then and there if not for Nate¡¯s Sphere of Awareness. The mana usage was subtle and could¡¯ve been easily lost in the battle, but the small amount of water slowly pulling the spatial storage ring off the unconscious officer''s finger was not. With a flicker of Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, Nate teleported the spatial storage artifact to his hand and showed it to his opponents, before casually tucking it inside his robe.


    During that time, he sensed Kiri score cuts on two of her opponents, only the shield wielder managing to avoid bleeding. Nate could already feel the soul energy being drained from them as his sister sped up. She was still holding back, but not by much.


    As his two opponents began their attack, Nate began improving his defences. He could kill his opponents, given enough time, but he really didn¡¯t want to. Killing people was something he would do if forced, but so long as they weren¡¯t forcing the issue, neither would he.


    His opinion was immediately reversed as the first arrow nearly took him in the head. He¡¯d strengthened the barrier surrounding him at the last second, tapping into the Sigil of Reinforcement on his Legendary bracer. He added the Water Sigil a moment later, but used Conceptual Runic Mastery to add Intents to both strengthen the effect as well as keep the Sigils separated. He wanted a Reinforced Barrier with added protections against Water ¡ª not a Reinforced Water Barrier.


    Cutting whips of water assaulted him as a second arrow took flight and he started to take his opponents seriously. They had gone for the kill, despite his badge. Some might say he couldn¡¯t fault them, but he did. He faulted them a great deal. Wielding his Skills as he started forming two runic arrays, he redirected an arrow through teleportation to try and shoot the Water Mage. A barrier of water swept it aside but it bought him the second he needed.


    Without the need to actually protect the logistics officer, he was free to move, and move he did. Teleporting behind his opponents, he wasn¡¯t fast enough to catch the archer unprepared, another arrow crashing into his barrier with a ridiculous amount of force and reducing the legendary item¡¯s mana reserves to below half. But the archer wasn¡¯t his target. His runic array drew on Sigils within his robe, making it both faster and easier to control, since he didn¡¯t need to create the Sigils with mana and could simply copy them into the rune. Liquid, Flow and Control combined together, grabbing the still smoking acid throughout the area and drawing it like a flying river towards Nate before he launched it at the Water Mage. A water barrier flickered up to protect the woman, but Frick didn¡¯t need to be told now was the moment. The Mana Exclusion runic array in the ground beneath the mage burst forth for a single second ¡ª long enough to disrupt the water barrier spell.


    Nate consciously shut out the woman''s screams as the mage fell to the ground, tearing at her chest. He started forming his Gravity Control rune when a blast of wind came from behind him. It had been so quick he hadn¡¯t even sensed it before he was bodily lifted off the ground and thrown through a nearby tent. Unharmed, he used Conceptual Spatial Manipulation to return himself to his feet by shifting the vectors as he used his Skill. Kiri was nearby and had managed to catch herself with her tethered arms, looking somewhat like a spider as she hung in the air. Bereft of a barrier like himself, she was covered in lacerations that were closing at a visible rate. In the spot she had vacated, her three opponents remained, the dual-sword wielder covered in blood while the other two looked only mildly better.


    The Platinum Wind Mage landed amongst the team of Golds, and with a glare for Nate and Kiri, launched herself into the sky with a gale of wind that carried the Golds behind her. Nate kept an eye on them till he was sure the Asmuissilians were making their way back to their own army.


    Looking at Kiri, now fully healed, he smiled at his sister who flashed a grin back at him, letting herself drop back to the ground as her Tethered Arms vanished, along with her small armoury of daggers.


    Before they could start talking, a number of the Swords rushed into the area, escorting Princess Morgane who was dressed for battle. Conceptual Insight didn¡¯t react and he wondered what was going on. Why did the Royal sometimes hum with mana, and others not?


    Nate followed Morgane''s gaze, seeing how she focused on the unconscious logistics officer, as a stately older woman waltzed onto the scene, dressed in finery.


    ¡°So, they have managed to steal two out of our three logistic officer stockpiles,¡± lamented the Princess with a sigh.


    ¡°I drove off their Platinum, your Highness, but it seems their team of Golds were too much for the Guild members,¡± replied the Noble, divesting herself of any responsibility.


    That suited Nate just fine. If she wanted no part of their losses then she could do without a share of their victories. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out the spatial storage ring.


    ¡°Just one, your Highness. Kiri and I managed to prevent them from stealing this storage device.¡±


    Perhaps it would have been better if he had maintained a straight-face, but when Kiri grinned he couldn¡¯t help but join in. The banked fury on the Noble¡¯s face was beautiful to behold, especially contrasted with the relief showing on Morgane¡¯s.


    ¡°Dine with me tonight, Nathaniel?¡± she asked politely. He didn¡¯t know why she wasn¡¯t asking Kiri as well, but he couldn¡¯t really say no. Nodding his head, he acquiesced to the Royal¡¯s request, digging the hole he found himself in just a little deeper.

 Chapter 179 - Choosing a Side

    ¡°It was a coordinated attack attempting to target the logistics officers,¡± explained Aisling.


    Nate sat next to Kiri, with Coralie huddled up into a ball on the other side of his sister. Other Guild members who weren¡¯t currently on duty sat around listening to their Platinum leader as she explained the events of the evening.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t have happened this quickly unless they had informants within the Bright Army. Nate and Kiri can attest that the logistics officers all dressed normally and were guarded at all times. It was a calculated strike that, by the sounds of it, achieved partial success. While most of the army''s supplies are likely held by the Princess herself, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if we found out tonight cost the army one twentieth of its total supplies. That¡¯s a fairly effective opening attack by the Asmuisillan forces. I want you all to make sure that if you leave our camp, you do so in groups of at least two.¡±


    ¡°What about Nate?¡± asked Kiri. ¡°He¡¯s the only one assigned to the healer¡¯s tent, so when he goes out on assignment, he does so alone.¡±


    ¡°I will escort him myself,¡± answered Aisling.


    Nate didn¡¯t like it. Keeping Aisling in the area assigned as the Guild¡¯s camp kept the Nobles from encroaching on them, or their guards stealing anything. He¡¯d argue about that later though. He could see his escort arriving and nodded his farewells to Kiri and Aisling as he headed off to have dinner with a Princess. His world was changing, and he wasn¡¯t sure that he liked it.


    *************


    Kiri lay on her side of the bed she shared with Coralie. The Ice Mage was curled up against her, back pressed into her as she faced away.


    ¡°Will you tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡± Kiri asked quietly. Her girlfriend had been like this ever since they had started their march to join the Bright Army. Kiri chalked most of Coralie¡¯s obvious depression up to being forced into this situation by her Mother, but there was more to it. Coralie seemed distracted almost constantly, her mind anywhere but the present. Kiri had been growing more and more worried, exacerbated by her girlfriend''s unwillingness to talk about it. A chasm between them that she just didn¡¯t seem to be able to cross, and that felt like it was growing wider with every day spent away from the Capital.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just hate it here. Perhaps we¡¯ll be able to go home soon. I should just let someone capture my badge,¡± mumbled Coralie, barely moving, her tone defeated.


    Kiri wrapped an arm around the petite Ice Mage, resting her warm fingers against Coralie¡¯s cool skin. She was always cold these days. Kiri wasn¡¯t sure if it was because Coralie was somehow growing her affinity, or if it was because her emotional state was completely out of her control. When they had first started dating, the moments of coldness only came when Kiri had broken through Coralie¡¯s normally fiery exterior. The first time they had kissed. One time when Kiri had brushed Coralie¡¯s hair out of her eyes in public. Almost always when they had sex. But normally, her girlfriend felt normal in temperature, just like everyone else.


    ¡°Would you accept that? Would your Mother?¡±


    Kiri hated mentioning the Prefect. That woman was utterly horrible. But, Kiri knew her girlfriend. Despite all the manipulation, all the abuse, Coralie still wanted her Mother¡¯s approval. The only real argument they had ever had had been about Coralie¡¯s Mother. Kiri knew that if she didn¡¯t mention it, Coralie would regret it, potentially souring their relationship even further. She loved the little Ice Mage, and letting her make a decision she might regret just wasn¡¯t something Kiri could do.


    The silence dragged on and Kiri lay there, arm draped over Coralie, lost in her own thoughts.


    ¡°The dinners with the Princess, are they nice?¡± asked Coralie quietly and Kiri was thankful for the change in subject.


    ¡°They¡¯re alright. Would you like to come to one?¡± she asked. Maybe it would be good to get her girlfriend away from the Guild camp for an hour or two in the next couple of days.


    ¡°...Yes,¡± whispered Coralie in response, rolling to face Kiri before burying her face in her chest.


    Perhaps it would help, thought Kiri. At least, she hoped it would.


    *************


    The Princess¡¯s tent appeared empty when Nate was first escorted inside by the Sword Guard. He had expected them to stay and monitor him but the two swordsmen left immediately. Confusion played across his face and mind as he glanced around the tent. Why would they trust him alone in the Princess¡¯s tent? That seemed beyond foolish. Roaming his eyes over the expansive space, he started to walk towards the main table and its mess of paperwork when Conceptual Insight hummed softly, quiet as a whisper. Frowning, he stopped and looked around the tent again slowly. On his second look he finally caught on to the trick, spotting Hildi sitting on a stool watching him. The moment he noticed her his sphere of awareness suddenly recognised her.


    The short woman watched him with sharp blue eyes, brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She  flashed a smirk at him when he noticed her.


    ¡°The Princess will be disappointed in me. She was convinced you wouldn¡¯t be able to notice me,¡± replied Hildi softly.


    Noticing Hildi was the least of Nate¡¯s worries. This was the second time someone had been able to exist inside of his sphere of awareness without him being able to sense them. The first had been Arikanvil, a god. That Hildi could do so as well did not bode well as far as Nate was concerned. Either there was a trick to it, which was what he hoped, or Hildi was far more than she seemed.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Nate asked curiously, approaching the woman. Now that his sphere of awareness could truly sense the shape of her, he re-evaluated his assessment of the supposed servant. Hildi¡¯s build reminded him of Kiri¡¯s: someone built for speed with a wiry strength. The only difference was their height and, he supposed, age. He would¡¯ve guessed Hildi to be in her early thirties, though with the System such estimates were always a crap-shoot.


    ¡°What do I get out of giving you a lesson, Nathaniel?¡± she asked coyly.


    How much was the information worth to him? Though he didn¡¯t show it on his face he mentally laughed. The knowledge of how she had slipped inside his sphere of awareness was worth quite a lot to him. His paranoia was ratcheting up quickly. The idea that something or someone who was less than a god could subvert his mythic awareness skill was honestly terrifying to him.


    Keeping his calm, he replied, ¡°I could make you something, if you¡¯d like. Though I am not sure what you might want?¡±


    Hildi smiled as though she had already achieved her victory, ¡°A painting.¡±


    Nate¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise.


    ¡°Come now, Nathaniel. I am the servant of a Royal. I am sure you¡¯re amazingly talented, but Princess Morgane provides all that I need. So, instead, I ask for something that I want.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Any painting? Or did you have something specific in mind?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Something specific¡­an interesting turn of phrase. I do have a preference, but now isn¡¯t really the time. A painting owed, and I will give you your answer,¡± replied Hildi.


    The offer seemed more than fair to Nate. Besides, he would paint her anyway. What did it matter to him if Hildi wanted him to paint something specific? He just hoped it wasn¡¯t a nude. He didn¡¯t care, but Kiri would never let him hear the end of it, and he just knew his sister would find out.


    Nodding his agreement, he watched as Hildi showed a small silver bracelet on her arm. Farsight of the Runic Artist activated in response.


    Bracelet of Erased Presence (Legendary)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Legendary), Mana Erasure (Legendary), Unseen Presence (Legendary)


    Mana Storage: This item has been enchanted to store a Legendary-equivalent amount of mana which can be accessed to activate other features of the item. Slowly absorbs ambient mana to recharge.


    Mana Erasure: This item has been enchanted to erase the presence of the wearer by subverting mana that comes into contact with the wearer.


    Unseen Presence: This item has been enchanted to convince those who observe the wearer that they have not seen the wearer.


    Nate read over the item with raised eyebrows. He moved to open his mouth and felt mana flow out of Hildi before he could. His heart rate spiked and he prepared to teleport if she was attacking him, only to realise she had created a sound barrier around them.


    ¡°Best not to mention such things out loud,¡± commented the short woman. ¡°Or, at least, not if others can hear you.¡±


    Nate nodded his understanding, his heart rate calming back down, but still jittery from the adrenaline flowing through him.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Legendary item,¡± he commented dryly, trying to keep his surprise off his face.


    ¡°So it is,¡± replied Hildi with a smile. ¡°Did it answer your question?¡±


    ¡°It did,¡± Nate replied.


    ¡°Good, because whatever you¡¯re using to sense your surroundings drained it of more mana than anything I have ever encountered. An expensive test, but the Princess will be happy with the results.¡±


    Nate understood the basic principle of what had happened. The item''s Mana Erasure enchantment functioned somewhat similarly to Null¡¯s aura. But where Null¡¯s aura seemed to cancel out any foreign control, this one seemed to try and take control, sending back a message that there was nothing there. The difference between the tiers of his Skill and the enchantment were what caused the inflated cost, but it was important he understood that a lower tier of rarity did not mean his Skill would automatically win. The entire interaction, like so many of his battles, was a balancing act, between Stats, Skill Levels and Skill Tiers. Complex, he decided, was the best word to describe it, and the thought alone made him smile. He had come so far, yet there was still so much more to discover.


    Before he could continue down that line of thought, he sensed a group of five approaching the tent. Four peeled off and only one entered.


    Turning around, he watched as Princess Morgane entered the tent, armour shining with its blue and white accents, Conceptual Insight humming in the back of his mind at whatever Concept was surrounding the woman. The Royal glanced over the two of them, before her eyes settled on Hildi.


    ¡°And?¡±


    Mana bloomed from Hildi and he sensed as the sound barrier expanded to take in the whole tent.


    ¡°Second pass,¡± replied the ¡®maid¡¯, though Nate had very strong doubts about that title now.


    ¡°Impressive. Dinner for the two of us, please Hildi. Nathaniel and I have some things to discuss and I for one am ravenous after this debacle,¡± said Morgane, golden eyes dancing in amusement as she looked at Nate.


    He tried to ignore how she had emphasised ¡®ravenous¡¯ when the Royal had glanced at him, mostly because he couldn¡¯t decide if she was teasing him or not. Whatever it was, the Royal certainly seemed a touch more playful with him and he was questioning what had changed.


    He let Hildi escort him to the table, seating him close to the Princess¡¯s own seat. He only had to wait a few minutes before Morgane joined him, while he could sense Hildi pulling food out of a spatial storage.


    ¡°Would you like to guess why I invited you to dinner tonight?¡± asked Morgane, watching him in a way that was eerily like that of a cat. The golden eyes sealed the image and Nate realised he had a new painting idea.


    He thought over the evening''s events and quickly came to a conclusion.


    ¡°Confirmation. You got confirmation tonight,¡± he replied with a sigh.


    ¡°Intelligent. Not the Stat. Actual intelligence. It¡¯s like a breath of fresh air,¡± responded Morgane.


    He understood her meaning. From what he had seen, the Intelligence Stat didn¡¯t actually make you more intelligent. It improved things like processing speed, memory and the ability to multitask ¨C literal multitasking, allowing different parts of your mind to focus on separate problems or hold different ideas. In his case, it meant being able to hold the image of multiple runes or runic arrays at the same time. But, it didn¡¯t help one with their ability to understand or conceptualise. It didn¡¯t make you a genius. It simply improved what you were already working with. He suspected the same would be true of other Stats. A giant boar and a man could have the same strength Stat and yet the boar would be stronger. Physics still applied, after all, even if it could be subverted or manipulated.


    The pause in conversation was negligible, as part of his mind went over the comment, another part kept the conversation going.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the test with Hildi. That was something else. Kiri and I fought off a team of Golds from Asmuisil. That was the confirmation you got.¡±


    ¡°Not just fought off. You were winning. Outnumbered, against those with Embodiments and you were winning. Now, most of the Nobility won¡¯t know that you haven¡¯t passed your Second Evolution. They will think you are talented, and given your performance at the Guild Tournament, will leave it at that. But some, the clever, or the paranoid, will look into you, and they will begin to suspect what I have now confirmed to my satisfaction. Legendaries.¡±


    Nate deflated a little. He had avoided giving direct answers to the Princess, but there was only so much he could do to conceal his abilities. Kiri was the same. The problem, he decided, was not one that could be fixed. Because, there wasn¡¯t much he could do to change his personality. He helped, where he could. Took risks for people he didn¡¯t even know. Could he change that? Sure, but then, in doing so, he would be changing who he was as a person, and in his heart, he didn¡¯t want to. He had witnessed suffering, both from afar and up close on the receiving end. He wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to it, just to make himself marginally safer. Did that mean it was time for him to choose a side? He had committed to staying in Etrua. The country was the worst option it seemed, for many reasons, but he wouldn¡¯t abandon Kiri or his friends and mentors. If he was to stay, perhaps it was time he started seriously investing in making the country a better place. The Princess might be lying to him about her goals and aspirations. He could have Kiri and Deverell look into the truth of her words. Really, in the end though, he had only two questions that the Princess could answer.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you invite Kiri then? And, what do you want from me?¡± he asked, meeting the Princess¡¯s golden eyes with his green.


    Morgane leaned back, her gaze considering. ¡°I didn¡¯t invite Kiri, because from what I have seen, she takes the same side you do. I hoped to convince you both to side with me, but it will be much easier convincing your partner if I already have your willingness to do so. As for what I want from you? I want you to help me change Etrua. I want you to put your considerable Skills towards improving my country. I want your help beating my brothers. But tonight, tonight, I want your help answering this attack against our camp. A Spatial Mage is uniquely suited to acts of thievery, after all.¡±


    Nate felt it in the air as she spoke. He agreed with her ¨C making Etrua a better place. Even the comment about spatial magic and thievery. It felt like putting together the final pieces of a puzzle and as they fell into place so did his understanding. Conceptual Insight hummed happily as he finally made the connection.


    ¡°Resonance.¡±


    The eyes of the Princess went wide in shock but he barely noticed as his entire body thrummed and he finally fully understood what Kiri had meant. He did feel more real.

 Chapter 122 - A Fallen Tree

    Nate smiled as he glanced over at the three members of his team lounging around the campfire. He added the final few strokes to the painting he¡¯d been doing and spun it around to face the group.


    Britt clamped a hand over her mouth as she unsuccessfully tried to suppress a squeal of delight. Kiri and Null both just looked on with bright smiles. He may have been sporting a grin of his own. The painting detailed them around the campfire, all four of them. It was the first time he had inserted himself into a painting and he had to admit, he liked the way it looked. Moving over to join them he leaned up against a fallen log.


    ¡°I love it,¡± whispered Britt.


    ¡°You can have it. If the other two don¡¯t object,¡± replied Nate with a glance at Null and Kiri.


    Both indicated they didn¡¯t object and Britt moved to stand up.


    ¡°Give it a bit longer for the paint to dry,¡± he added.


    Their Defender sat back down but she only had eyes for the painting.


    Kiri tossed Nate a bag with some dried fruit, or what he figured amounted to fruit on Galle. They¡¯d brought their own rations since sometimes the denizens of the Dungeon weren¡¯t edible. It appeared they had gotten one such run. Everything they had fought so far had a plant-type lean. The only thing missing was mushrooms, which he supposed made sense, if they were classified as fungi. They had managed to defeat two of the five challenges and gotten a hint of one of the Bonus challenges. He¡¯d sensed an odd item through his Awareness of the Runic Artist. The odd item had turned out to be an enchanted gem that had been hidden inside of a tree.


    They hadn¡¯t been sure what it did, his identification refusing to tell him, potentially because it didn¡¯t know but more likely because the Dungeon Curator was blocking him. They¡¯d figured it out anyway when they got near the base of the volcano and found small altar slots for five such gems. That had led to Nate sending Frick off to find the others. His Familiar could scour the Dungeon before the sun, or whatever passed for one in here, rose in the morning. They also knew where the final regular Challenge was. That meant there was just one bonus challenge they had yet to figure out. They hadn¡¯t decided what to do about that, but if it didn¡¯t show up, that wasn¡¯t a huge issue. Either way they¡¯d still have completed four Challenges and each gotten a Dungeon reward.


    Those were tomorrow''s problems though. For now, it was just rations, a warm campfire, and good company. Kiri was regaling them with stories of Nate¡¯s mentor Luc and the Den of Desire. Null thought it was hilarious while Britt blushed furiously, though Nate caught a few considering glances in his direction.


    ¡°So, I asked where Nate was. You know? I just wanted to talk about how well my date with Coralie went, besides the Frickcedent of course, and Deverell finally tells me he¡¯s gone to the Den with Luc. I was surprised, you know? Frick spent so much time talking about brothels that I thought, maybe, just maybe, the little bastard had started to rub off on Nate. So, of course I head over to see just what¡¯s going on. When I get there, Luc¡¯s lounging, half-drunk and an arm around two women. So I am thinking, oh fuck, he¡¯s gotten Nate plastered again and sent him off to bed. So I demand to know where Nate is. Luc starts laughing his ass off. Manages to wheeze out that Nate had gone upstairs with a young gentleman who kindly requested to have Nate do his portrait like he did for Florence!¡± Kiri struggled to get the last few words out, she was laughing so hard.


    Null had joined in and Britt laughed a little but it seemed more just to not be left out before she flashed a bright smile in Nate¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I totally get what Kiri meant now when she said you¡¯re an artist first, Nate,¡± Null added as he stopped laughing. ¡°You really love it, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s just an interesting mix given your capability with combat. I¡¯d never have expected it. Like, maybe if you just dabbled in art, but it seems like it really is your main priority and everything else sort of comes off of it.¡±


    Nate just nodded agreeably. Null wasn¡¯t wrong. Art was his first true love. He glanced at Britt and her hopeful eyes. When they got back to the University he would let her know and then let her decide if she was still interested. It was only fair, after all, to let her decide. But for now, he was just going to enjoy some good company. Even if their chatter lasted late into the night, they had the Stats to get by.


    *************


    Kiri walked towards the small altar with the last hidden gem. She wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. The third challenge had honestly been the easiest of the Challenges so far. It was some sort of vine monster but the problem it suffered from was simple. Its vines weren¡¯t that thick. She and Null had absolutely eviscerated it. Null with his trademark Nullifying Mana Slash, and her with four tethered arms on display, amounting to six blades. Britt had kept the main body busy mostly by standing there and getting wrapped up while Nate had done nothing, which was fine as he had done plenty with the hidden gem collecting and the other Challenges. He had of course tried to let her go first but she had insisted it was his turn. He¡¯d gotten a couple of Rare Orbs of Perception which he¡¯d immediately used. They were slowly edging closer to their Stat Orb cap, but she was honestly curious how they were going to manage it any time soon when every time they levelled they added another seven to nine to the cap. She supposed eventually they would claw their way up, it was just slow going.


    Placing the hidden gem into the altar she glanced up as the gems began to shine with an inner light. Slowly the light gathered, flowing towards the peak of the altar before it burst forth, shooting up into the sky and piercing the clouds. A loud caw echoed out across the island before she got a sense of a soul approaching so fast that she barely managed to throw herself out of the way. Rolling to her feet she looked over as the bird of prey took off again, a massive crater left where it had landed. The place where a moment before she had stood.


    ¡°Gryphon,¡± called Nate. ¡°Epic Primary Class and level fifty!¡±


    Kiri ground her teeth as she flexed Soul Imbuement to the maximum. She needed to be as fast as she possibly could be. She was about to show this fucking bird what the meaning of speed really was. As she felt her Agility exceed four hundred she crouched, waiting, Soul Sense cast out as she made herself the target. Britt was in full armour projection, while Nate and Null had backed off for the tree line, using it as a shield, with Nate¡¯s barriers protecting them both by expanding his barrier beyond Null''s nullification range. She didn¡¯t blame them for that. The speed and force behind the attack could likely do real damage to them and she knew Nate¡¯s sensory skill no longer had the range to give him plenty of warning. She guessed he might still be able to activate True Teleportation in time, but it was a risk. A risk not worth taking. She on the other hand was about to hunt down this creature. To Slay it.


    She felt its breakneck descent again as it plummeted towards her far faster than simply falling would account for. It was diving. Diving with the intent to flatten her. Just before it landed she activated Soul Shift, appearing above the creature. As she fell towards it she got to see what it was. Not really a bird at all, she thought. It looked like a bird of prey crossed with an alliram, short two legs. The four legs it did have looked powerful though. Ultimately that wasn¡¯t going to matter as she landed on its back and with six blades started going to work. Soul Drain activated as she started drawing out its soul energy, coupled with her Dagger of the Torn Soul the beast was leaking soul energy like a sieve. It roared in disapproval and launched into the sky. She wasn¡¯t letting it get away this time though. Clinging to its back she used two of her arms as anchors to let her ride it into the sky as she continued to slash furiously, carving into it. If it had a heart she was going to rip it out.


    The air grew cooler as they ascended even as the brightness increased. She didn¡¯t even notice as they flew through the clouds, the beasts'' squawks growing weaker and weaker as she continued to carve a hole through its back. Finally she found it. The thump, thump, thump of its beating heart. Stabbing it with her Dagger of the Torn Soul she heard one final pitiful shriek as the Dungeon Challenge died. She felt its soul energy trying to escape and clamped down on it with To Slay a Soul as she absorbed it into her own soul, nestling it within her Skill, ready to be called on when she needed it. Only then did she look down as she plummeted back towards the island. She thought she could probably survive the landing with Soul Imbuement so long as she used the corpse to kick off before impact.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The island got closer and closer, moving from blurs of green for the forest and yellow rimmed before giving way to blue water, to slowly becoming distinct tree tops and the sight of small waves lapping the edge of the island. That turned into a view of distinct fronds, and her teammates below, watching her fall. She grinned like an idiot, preparing for what was likely to be very painful, but she¡¯d healed through worse. That was when she felt her descent begin to slow. Glancing over the edge she could see a glowing three-dimensional rune in front of Nate. His Gravity Control rune. She laughed loudly as she descended the last thirty metres gently before alighting on the altar astride the gryphon''s corpse.


    ¡°Painting worthy?¡± she asked calmly, striking a pose, her leathers, hair and face absolutely covered in blood.


    Britt and Null stared at her like she was crazy while Nate laughed quietly. At least he enjoyed her joke. Some people were just too stiff. She strode down towards them. It was time to collect her rewards and as far as she was concerned she had absolutely earned them!


    *************


    Nate rode with the wind in his hair, the alliram¡¯s six legs pumping beneath him as they galloped across the plains and away from the Guild¡¯s Dungeon Fort. Kiri was balancing on her mount, effectively surfing it. He had expected Deverell, who was always so reserved, to have his pupil stop. Instead he had encouraged it, saying it was good training to get used to fighting on the move, and had her draw out her blades and practise various moves while they charged across the grasslands.


    For him, it was time to go over his development from the Dungeon. His rewards had been two Rare Perception Orbs from one of the Dungeon challenges. He¡¯d already applied them both. On top of that he¡¯d gained two levels.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +2 Magic Power, +8 Magic Control, +4 Channelling Speed, +4 Mana Reserve, +2 Mana Absorption +10 Free Stats


    It was a little slower than normal, but that was because they¡¯d completed the Dungeon with extra people present, which led to receiving less processed mana. On top of that, they were getting higher in level and each one seemed to require more and more processed mana. It didn¡¯t help that his classes took more processed mana to level as well, though he shared that drawback with Kiri. But it was a minor thing when he considered that his Classes gave higher Tier skills. Dropping his ten Free Stats into Intellect he moved onto his Skill development.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 24 > 25


    Empowered Runic Artistry 34 > 35


    Runic Creation 36 > 37


    Imbue Intent 38> 39


    Awareness of the Runic Artist 38 > 39


    True Teleportation 28 > 29


    Two of his Skills were now just two levels away from evolution. He was excited to see if his work in preparing for their evolutions would pay off. He still had another week or two he suspected to further develop them in the direction he wanted to go. Bringing up his Status he reviewed his overall development.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    302


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    144 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    65


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    143


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    75


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    60 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    177


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    30


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    202


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    72


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 3


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts (L) Lvl 38 - (+43% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material (M) Lvl 31 - (-15.5% Mana Cost, -40% Time Required)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Awareness of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 39 - (+86% Perception, +18% Creativity, 19.5m Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Imbue Intent (L) Lvl 39 - (35 Intents, 17 Imbued Intents, +19.5% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Runic Creation (L) Lvl 37 - (-72% Mana Cost, +15% Creativity)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Runic Artistry (L) Lvl 35 - (-44% Mana Cost, +97 Magic Power for Runic Arrays)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    True Teleportation (M) Lvl 29 - (290 metres teleport range, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) Lvl 25 - (+39% Magic Stats)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automation (L) Lvl 11 - (-8% Mana Cost, +57% Power, +28% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Metal Shaping (R) Lvl 8 - (-18% Mana Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Minor Spatial Lock (R)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (3) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Obfuscated Mana Soul Engraving (+40% Bonus to Hiding Mana Signature) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    His smile lit up his face. He was coming along nicely, or at least so he thought and to him, for now, that was all that mattered. His mana supply issue was solved with his secret spot near the University''s mana vein. He would put his name down for another Dungeon run when they got back but would likely have to wait a month or two for access. His Skills were almost ready to evolve again. The University classes were just getting started but he was already incredibly curious and interested as they delved into topics he¡¯d never considered. They¡¯d be back in the classroom this time tomorrow in fact. But for now, he was galloping across the plains with friends and having a great time. Life, he thought, was pretty damn good.

 Chapter 123 - Divisive Intent

    Nate sat in his room occasionally glancing at the floating runic array as it hovered off to the side of him. They¡¯d only been back at the University for less than a day and he¡¯d been vastly wrong in his estimation for how long it would take to reach his Skill evolution for Imbue Intent. He had expected that it would take at least another week but already this morning the skill had reached level forty. It was teetering on the verge of evolution as he continued to push his Intent at the runic array, or more specifically, the mana that was creating the scaffold for the runic array. It was hard, and he felt the mana continuously trying to slip out of the shape his intent was demanding it remain in, but even with the challenge of maintaining the mana scaffold, it was working. That made him confident he would get what he wanted out of the Skill evolution.


    As part of the process of attempting to adapt his Imbue Intent skill he was making sure he was only focusing his intent on the mana and runic array formed from it. The idea was that once formed, the runic array shouldn¡¯t require his focus to maintain its shape and should just require him to continually feed it mana. To that end, he was engaging in his true love, art. This painting was for Britt, so she was the focus. It was of her and her three projected shields, defending against the Caticus in the jungle. He intended to have a conversation with her later today, about what she wanted from him and his restrictions. It was a shame, because he did enjoy her company, but he just didn¡¯t have time for a serious relationship. He already felt like he was juggling too many things. It would have been too many if it wasn¡¯t for Frick¡¯s assistance, but that was just proof that he was overloaded. Between his Skill development, University subjects, rune and material projects, creating manerium to fund his future plans, and his art, he already felt like he was struggling to even spend time with his best friend. It didn¡¯t help that Frick kept whispering that if he needed to ¡®relieve¡¯ his stress the Den of Desire¡¯s doors were perpetually open to him.


    That just didn¡¯t leave time for him to have a relationship. Well, at least not a functional one. Britt deserved better than dysfunctional. But he would at least explain it in person. The art was just going to be a gift to soften the blow. Or at least, that was his excuse. He¡¯d likely have been painting anyway.


    Frick and he both looked up from their projects as the notification pinged in the corner of his vision. Frick had been working on a manerium bar that was almost at Epic tier, while he was finishing off a painting. The System message had come through even quicker than he expected.


    Imbue Intent 40 > 41


    Imbue Intent (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Intent that Shapes (M)


    You have used your Intent to command mana. Be it a temporary shift, a permanent imbuement or simply to hold its shape, your intent commands the energy of the universe. The user of this Skill may permanently imbue a number of Intents in any rune they create as well as enforce mana structures. Number of intents able to be imparted to dynamic runes is equal to Intellect / 8. Number of intents able to be imparted to any permanent runes is equal to Intellect / 16. Number of Intents able to be used to maintain defined mana structures is equal to Intellect / 64. Increases Intellect by 1% per Skill Level.


    Conceptual Intent (M)


    You have used your Intent to shift the Subconcepts of Sigils. The Concepts of the universe hear your voice and heed your call. With this Skill you can add additional Subconcepts to runes with your Intent. The user of this Skill may permanently imbue a number of Intents in any rune they create as well as adding additional Subconcepts to the rune. Number of intents able to be imparted to dynamic runes is equal to Intellect / 8. Number of intents able to be imparted to any permanent runes is equal to Intellect / 16. Number of additional Subconcepts that can be added is equal to Intellect / 100. Increases Intellect by 1% per Skill Level.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    ¡°That¡­was unexpected,¡± Nate said out loud, staring at his Skill Evolution options.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Frick muttered as he put down the bar of manerium and floated over to join Nate.


    ¡°I had expected it to be an easier choice. I knew what I was aiming for. But now, does the second option resonate more closely with my intended Embodiment? Because if it does¡­it¡¯s really the choice I should make, right?¡± he asked his Familiar.


    ¡°...it¡¯ll mean a hit to your combat ability though,¡± replied Frick, offering the other side.


    He sat down on his bed to think. The problem was that he wanted to change his Embodiment. He had a semi-coalesced idea of where he wanted to take it and he knew it was going to be a challenge to do so. His Wandering Embodiment had him setting foot in two different universes and one of the Nine Hells. Those were some serious achievements that he needed to override. It wasn¡¯t impossible, but it meant he really needed to take every opportunity he could to try embodying the idea¡­the Concept¡­that he wanted to become his Embodiment. On the other hand, turning down the Skill Evolution he had been aiming for came with its own problems. He¡¯d be limited to three, maybe four if he continued to raise his Intellect, runic arrays at a time. With one always earmarked for a barrier, that made him more limited in his ability to unleash multiple types of attacks or subvert his opponents¡¯ expectations. He¡¯d already seen what some of the second and third years could do in the Combat subject. They often had three to four spells running while also using their Skills. He¡¯d be at a disadvantage.


    Falling back on his bed he sighed. He knew what he had to do. He just didn¡¯t want to do it. Winning the Tournament had made him proud of himself. It was his ego whispering in his ear, suggesting he take the Intent that Shapes option. But that wasn¡¯t what he needed and he absolutely should be thinking long-term. He should also be spending more time on creating more items now that his three favourite creations had been destroyed. With an exaggerated sigh he made his selection of Conceptual Intent before glancing at Frick. The blue goblins floppy ears stared back at him for a long moment.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re feeling down, we could always go ride the Britt rollercoaster,¡± Frick suggested with a toothy grin.


    Nate sighed, ¡°You¡¯re an ass. And what¡¯s this ¡®we¡¯ business?¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°She¡¯s seen me go goblin-mode, Boss man. After experiencing the raw power and dominance that is goblin-mode she is definitely down to get Fricky!¡±


    Shaking his head Nate headed for the door. He really wanted to shove Frick in the Familiar Contract for some quiet-time after that spiel but he needed him to finish off the manerium.


    ¡°You stay here. I am going to go talk to Britt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the painting, Boss!¡± Frick yelled.


    He almost wanted to be lazy and grab the painting using True Teleportation, but he held off, trudging back into his room to grab the painting before heading for Britt¡¯s room. Hopefully she was home.


    He knocked on the door to Britt¡¯s room and heard some shuffling before the door was opened. Britt glanced up at him and flashed a smile.


    ¡°Pleasant surprise, come in!¡±


    ¡°Hey Britt, I know you were keen on getting a painting so I made you this one. Can I put it somewhere? It¡¯s still drying,¡± Nate replied, stepping into her room.


    The short blonde¡¯s room was a little messy. Her silver armour was on a stand off to the side. Besides that there were a few books scattered on the table and clothes scattered on the bed and piled on the floor of an open dresser.


    Britt moved past him to her table, clearing it off so he had somewhere to put down the painting. He gave her a minute to look over the painting, as she gushed about it and hugged his side which he returned half-heartedly.


    ¡°Can we chat for a moment?¡± he asked. Best to rip off the bandaid.


    Britt glanced at him and his face, her expression going from excited to what he thought might be disappointment, or maybe hurt. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s going to be one of those kinds of chats? It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re not interested.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not you. I¡¯m just not in a place where I can be in a serious relationship. Between the University, my crafting and painting, the Dungeon runs and just developing, I don¡¯t have the time to devote to a relationship. I was hoping we could stay friends of course. I do like you. I just can¡¯t be that for you, if that makes any sense? At least not right now.¡±


    He felt like he was rambling. He couldn¡¯t decide if he was being mature or an idiot about the whole thing and that just made it worse as he was second guessing himself.


    Britt stared at him, the hurt gone, but a curious look remained in her eyes, ¡°And the Den?¡±


    ¡°Kiri¡¯s stories are mostly just that. Stories. It happened once, and I was so drunk I don¡¯t even remember it. I do have to go back there though. Because of Luc. He sends things there for me to collect that he doesn¡¯t want going via the Guild,¡± Nate explained, the lie coming more easily than he was comfortable with. That said, he definitely wasn¡¯t going to tell her he needed to go to the Den to hand over his self-created goods so that smugglers could collect them and he and his mentor could get paid. That was just asking for problems.


    Britt looked uncertain for a moment, ¡°So, you¡¯re not in a place for a serious relationship? What about a casual one?¡±


    Nate¡¯s brain short-circuited for all of two seconds. He thanked his high Intellect Stat that it was only that long else her comment may have rendered him speechless and looking like an idiot.


    ¡°Purely casual? No strings attached?¡± he asked.


    Britt got a smirk on her face as she approached him and started gently pushing him towards her bed.


    ¡°Purely casual,¡± she agreed.


    He regretted that his first thought was how Frick was going to gloat about this before he forced the thought of his Familiar out of his mind to focus on the moment. And the one that came after. A whole series of moments that were shaping up to be incredibly enjoyable.


    *************


    Nate was sitting at his desk, slowly using Runic Creation alongside Metal Shaping to recreate his Barrier bracer. Once he was done engraving the runes into the material and had it shaped better than the previous bracer, he¡¯d hand it over to Frick to handle the Conceptual Material portion and push the material to Legendary. He might even take the time to go for Mythic. It would be his first piece of Mythic equipment, but he also thought it would be important for the path he was pursuing. His most recent lecture for Concepts and Embodiment had drilled into him what Embodiments were and how they were produced. The simplistic view was that your Embodiment was the Concept you most closely resembled. Some of those were easy enough to aim for, such as the Swift Embodiment, which at a Perfect Embodiment, would let the user temporarily increase their Agility by five times. The interesting part was that it cost no mana to do so. He wasn¡¯t sure how that was possible, but it was¡­a hint that another energy was involved perhaps? He just didn¡¯t know.


    The Swift Embodiment wasn¡¯t even that hard to aim for. You just needed to focus on getting Achievements around speed and agility. Apparently there was an Achievement for having Agility be four times your next highest Stat as an example. There were a bunch of Achievements like that, which he¡¯d never gotten because even in the early stages he¡¯d not gone for doubling down on a single Stat. It also meant that such Achievements were almost impossible for Common Classes. Without Stat Orbs to prop them up their Stat spread was often too close even with the Free Stats.


    So, where did that leave him? His two Achievements for Wandering were overriding everything else he did. Those were of course his multiple universes and setting foot in the Nine Hells achievements. The biggest issue was the quality, or rarity, however it was viewed, of the two Achievements. The first had given him access to a Legendary Class, ergo he was working under the assumption it was a Legendary Achievement. He suspected the Nine Hells might be the same. Possibly Epic, but that was as low as he expected it could possibly be. The rarity, which had done him favours early on, was now working against him when what he needed was to change his Embodiment.


    Thinking about the second issue made him wonder if he would¡¯ve gotten a Traveller Embodiment instead of Wandering if he hadn¡¯t met the Wanderer. There was a second factor that the Professor had hinted was just as important. Your experiences. Professor Kandel hadn¡¯t told them why that mattered, though she had hinted that if they were to progress to Advanced in the Mana and Affinities subject that they would likely find out. He wasn¡¯t sure if the intention was gatekeeping the knowledge or there was a risk with knowing the answer, but he didn¡¯t care either way. At the rate he and Kiri were going they would be in Advanced by the start of the next semester, or if not, the semester after that. They¡¯d find out eventually, but that didn¡¯t help him right now.


    So, he had three problems to solve. Firstly he needed to get some more Achievements that reflected the path he wanted his Embodiment to take. More than that, they needed to be powerful Achievements. It was possible to go with quantity over quality, but that sounded incredibly time consuming. He¡¯d have to slow down his development speed for that, and after witnessing the power of the Demon Lord Sag¡¯thoz and Arikanvil, he wasn¡¯t interested in going slow. He didn¡¯t want to be at the mercy of others. Personal power meant freedom and he was very interested in maintaining his.


    The second part he needed to focus on was his experiences and exposure. He had some ideas around that. The art classes were definitely going to help, as were his graffiti trips, and his crafting. All things he loved anyway. Lastly, he needed to find out the reason that his experiences mattered so much, so he could optimise how he was approaching them.


    Someone entering his sphere made him look up and he called out for Kiri to come in.


    His best friend closed the door behind her as she entered before turning to look at him with a cheeky grin, ¡°So, Britt huh? I thought you were going to let her down softly? Not dick her down hard!¡±


    Frick¡¯s cackling was the background noise to Nate¡¯s forehead hitting the desk as he struggled between laughing his ass off and rolling his eyes. What were friends for, if not for calling you out on your own hypocrisy, he thought, settling in for a chat with his best friend.

 Chapter 124 - See Far or Not at All

    ¡°Do you have to be so crass about it?¡± griped Nate, staring at Kiri as she joined him at the table. ¡°And how did you even know? Was it Frick?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Frick. That¡¯s one of the reasons I swung by, but we¡¯ll get to that. So, what happened? I thought you were going to just tell her you didn¡¯t have time for a girlfriend?¡± asked Kiri, ignoring the comment about being crass. He wasn¡¯t surprised. She could be as bad as Luc when the mood took her.


    ¡°I did. I said that. But, umm, I may have given her a painting¡­you know¡­to soften the blow of rejection?¡± he explained.


    ¡°Talk about mixed signals,¡± snorted Kiri. ¡°Then what happened? Besides the obvious. I don¡¯t need the details. Was hard not to tell, to be honest. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much sex goes on at this University. Might as well call it the University of Desire, if you catch my meaning.¡±


    ¡°Umm, she suggested something casual could work, then you know¡­apparently you really know,¡± Nate replied, putting the bracer he had been working on down next to the cube he had won in the Fourth Hell. Something he had taken to keeping out for inspiration. ¡°Anyway, how are you spying on everyone? I didn¡¯t sense anything.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re both adults, so you do you, just be careful, Nate. Casual probably suits you. You do get a bit¡­sidetracked¡­with your projects and art. Taking risks you probably shouldn¡¯t. Like wandering around the slums with some strange old man?¡± Kiri suggested, raising an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Ah. Saw that huh? Was it Aisling or Deverell¡¯s idea to have me followed? In my defence¡­if he meant me harm he could¡¯ve just run to the guards about¡­you know,¡± he explained. Even hearing his reasons made him suspect he was touched in the head when it came to his art.


    ¡°Dev¡¯s the one who asked, but who knows if the Stormspear put him up to it. Not like we can ask her either for a few months. Never knew that higher tier Dungeon¡¯s got so big. Anyway, I have a few things that we need to work through. Together. Firstly¡­you got a way to make it hard to spy on us? I can¡¯t sense anyone nearby but that doesn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t be hiding themselves from my Soul Sense.¡±


    Nate pulled out a small cube of metal. Sitting a mana-gem in the open-slot in the top of the cube the runic array activated as it started receiving a steady mana flow. It wasn¡¯t his best work but the runic array that combined a mana exclusion barrier rune and a sound obfuscation rune should be enough to handle most spying Skills. The metal cube was only Rare tier so far, but it was Frick¡¯s second priority to keep raising it, the first being the bars of manerium. He suspected it would be a bad idea to keep the smugglers waiting and more wealth was always useful.


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯re good. So what did you want to talk about?¡± he asked his best friend.


    ¡°Your illusion that you used doesn¡¯t hide your soul energy. But I have been thinking about it, and the time I died¡­or whatever it was¡­and how we got into that situation. Can I test something on you?¡± she asked. For the first time in a long-time his best friend seemed unsure, her blue eyes boring into him as he suspected she was trying to gauge his reaction. She didn¡¯t need to worry. He trusted her with his life.


    ¡°Go ahead. If it¡¯s embarrassing though, it stays between us,¡± he replied.


    ¡°And me,¡± Frick added.


    ¡°And the asshole,¡± agreed Kiri.


    Frick lit up with a smile at the insult. That faded away though as Kiri stared at Nate and spoke. He was sure he heard the words. He definitely saw her mouth move. But he couldn¡¯t think of what she had said. His hands rested on the table and he realised he wasn¡¯t blinking. Just staring at Kiri. But why would he stop? That¡¯s what he was supposed to do. But why? Was that the words? The seconds dragged on and then Kiri tapped the table twice with a finger. All of a sudden he could hear everything again. Hear everything and remember.


    ¡°Oh fuck,¡± he whispered.


    She nodded her agreement as he remembered what she had said.


    ¡°Look at me and hear nothing, forgetting my words, until I tap a finger on the table twice.¡±


    That is what she had said. He¡¯d not even sensed the effects in time to do anything about it. It was the battle in Firth Forest all over again. The Enchantress using Suggestion and Command on him. He¡¯d had no resistance then, and he didn¡¯t now. Worse, he¡¯d not even felt it or seen it, like he had when the Enchantress had used her Command skill on him.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Command the Soul and A Hidden Soul,¡± Kiri answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think my Class specialises in the former. That took a significant amount of soul energy to influence yours, even for such a basic command.¡±


    He could see she wasn¡¯t wrong. Her usual soul energy seemed like it was down almost a quarter. That said, he really had to focus with Awareness of the Runic Artist to see it. He ignored the notification that he had reached level forty in the Skill and focused on her soul energy. It was like her soul energy was being obscured. The second Skill she mentioned was his guess.


    ¡°A Hidden Soul is obscuring your soul energy I am guessing? Is that why I didn¡¯t notice you spying on Britt and I?¡± he smirked in amusement to take the sting out of his words.


    Kiri laughed, finally losing the serious expression she had been wearing. He suspected she had been concerned about what his reaction to her using the Command the Soul Skill on him would be.


    ¡°I¡¯m just looking out for you and women in general. Your technique is improving, based on Britt¡¯s reactions,¡± Kiri replied with a salacious wink.


    ¡°Gods damn it. I walked right into that one,¡± he groused, leaning back and smiling as both Kiri and Frick laughed. He joined in a moment later.


    After they had finally calmed down he leaned back in the chair and voiced the obvious, ¡°I need to protect my soul energy somehow so I can¡¯t be influenced by Skills like that. Or at least, not without costing them something to force the issue. I¡¯m never going to be able to match your Willpower. That¡¯s the relevant Stat right?¡±


    Kiri nodded her head in agreement.


    ¡°So, the question is, runecrafted item or Soul Engraving?¡± he thought out loud.


    ¡°You know my opinion, I think. It should be a Soul Engraving. So you can sense the pressure of an attack and it allows for a more¡­adaptable response. Like extra layers using your runes. Can you make an item that could warn you when you are being attacked?¡± she asked curiously.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Probably. Not easily, but probably. I¡¯ve got the Sigils for it, I think. But I agree with you. It should be a Soul Engraving. So much for my obfuscated mana,¡± he sighed, unhappy about losing that effect.


    The moment he pulled out his notepad to start designing the rune Kiri laughed and stood up.


    ¡°Come find me when it¡¯s ready. No wasting time, okay? Barge into my room if you have to. I hate the idea of you being this exposed,¡± Kiri said, heading for the door.


    ¡°Will do,¡± he replied, eyes glued to the page as he scribbled before glancing up and catching Kiri¡¯s attention. ¡°And thanks, Kiri. Really. I should¡¯ve been more aware of the risk. Was it just seeing through my Illusion that made you realise I was exposed?¡±


    Kiri paused at the door and shook her head, ¡°No, it was when I realised my Soul Sense struggled badly with some of the Nobility that I realised that they were shielding their soul energy somehow. Then I asked the obvious question, of why. Was a very short leap from there.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks again. Will have this ready by tonight.¡±


    Kiri grinned and nodded before heading out the door.


    *************


    Kiri walked away from Nate''s room, glad she had put her best friend on the right track. He hadn¡¯t even noticed when she¡¯d slipped a Soul Tether onto him. At least this way the next time he snuck off she¡¯d be able to track him. Plus, once she engraved his soul barrier rune into his soul energy she would see if it removed the Soul Tether. She¡¯d explain it to Nate when she did. He was the one with the head for how this stuff worked. Better to give him all the information, then take his advice. For now though, she had a date with the combat grounds. It was time to go pick on a few first year nobles. She smiled in pleasure at the planned violence.


    *************


    As Kiri left Nate pushed on Awareness of the Runic Artist to keep following her even as she moved beyond its range. He¡¯d been testing this since before their Dungeon outing but this was his first time trying to use it on a person rather than just a location. He felt his sphere of awareness stretch, then a small bit disconnected and followed Kiri. It managed to keep up with her for fifty metres before the attempt collapsed. Another ping in the corner of his vision popped up.


    Awareness of the Runic Artist 40 > 41


    Awareness of the Runic Artist (M) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M)


    The Farsight of the Runic Artist reveals the truth of reality. An evolved version of the signature skill of the Wandering Runic Artist, this Skill lets them peer into the underpinnings of the world we live in, be it runes, sigils, spellforms, concepts or the nature of space. While active the user will receive advanced information about anything within either of their spheres of awareness that they focus on, parting the veil and revealing the truth. Information revealed grows with Skill Level, Perception & Intellect. Enhances Perception by 10%. Increases by 2% per Skill Level. Distance for Sphere of Awareness is Skill Level * fifty centimetres centred on the user. Farsight Sphere of Awareness can be created and manually controlled to move. Maximum range for Farsight Sphere of Awareness is Skill Level * ten metres. Increases Creativity by 18%.


    Hidden Sight of the Runic Artist (M)


    The Hidden Sight of the Runic Artist reveals the truth of reality without revealing the user. An evolved version of the signature skill of the Wandering Runic Artist, this Skill lets them peer into the underpinnings of the world we live in, be it runes, sigils, spellforms, concepts or the nature of space. While active the user will receive advanced information about anything within their sphere of awareness that they focus on, parting the veil and revealing the truth. Information revealed grows with Skill Level, Perception & Intellect. In addition the sphere of awareness is significantly more difficult to detect. Enhances Perception by 10%. Increases by 2% per Skill Level. Distance for Sphere of Awareness is Skill Level * fifty centimetres. The Hidden Sight of the Runic Artist is Skill Level * 2% more difficult to detect. Increases Creativity by 18%.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he cursed.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the System is taunting you,¡± added Frick as he joined him at the table.


    ¡°It really really is,¡± Nate replied with a sigh. ¡°I want both. Like, I really want both. Fuck. Hidden Sight of the Runic Artist would make my sphere of awareness eighty-two percent harder to detect the moment I took this. I might be able to start piercing peoples veils. Would that be additive or multiplicative if I created a runecrafted item for obfuscating my mana? That¡¯s so damn good!¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t have been having this conversation if his dinky Rare tier anti-scrying ward wasn¡¯t sitting on the table still, but he had to admit it felt good to say it out loud, even if he should¡¯ve kept it mental with his Familiar.


    ¡°So, thoughts?¡± he asked Frick.


    ¡°It¡¯s a harder choice, Boss. The last evolution mighta been painful, but you know that your choice made sense since you¡¯re trying to change your Embodiment. You literally had to pick that one, or else, kinda deal. This one¡­they¡¯re both good and neither of them has anything to fucking do with your Embodiment plans. So the question is, do you want to be able to spy on things from further away, or more discreetly?¡± posed his Familiar.


    That was the question. Being able to start checking out peoples Classes without them knowing he was piercing their veils sounded amazing. Might give him ideas, or let him scope out opponents while hidden behind his Illusion runic array. But it would mean he couldn¡¯t spy on things from four hundred or more metres away. Sure, that might be more detectable, but he could literally sit down on the ground and scope out a huge area around him just by roaming his sphere of awareness over it. It also meant he could likely use it to find new Dungeons very quickly. But, was he going to get the chance to even attempt anything like that in the near future? He was likely going to be at the University for at least the next year or two. Maybe even the whole four if he hadn¡¯t gotten everything he needed out of the place by then. Surely that would be enough time to take this Skill to its next evolution.


    He smacked himself in the forehead. He¡¯d forgotten about one of the major reasons he wanted to be able to move his sphere of awareness. For teleporting. He wanted to be able to scout ahead to where he intended to teleport without needing Frick to do it. In the end, that sealed the deal. He¡¯d just have to work on a runecrafted item to obfuscate his mana so he could start piercing the veils around this place anyway.


    With his decision made he selected Farsight of the Runic Artist. Bringing up his Status he looked at the two Skills he¡¯d evolved and their new effects.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 41 - (+90% Perception, +18% Creativity, 20.5m Sphere of Awareness, 410 metre summoning range for Farsight Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Intent (M) Lvl 41 - (42 Intents, 21 Imbued Intents, +3 Subconcepts, +41% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With that done he turned his attention back to creating a powerful soul barrier rune that Kiri could engrave onto his soul. While he scribbled he thought over his plans for the following day. It was to be his first Enchanting lecture. He almost couldn¡¯t wait. After he¡¯d found there were no Sigils beyond Initiate tier in the standard Library at the University he¡¯d given up on finding useful Sigils that way. Apparently the best way was in the lectures themselves, with Enchanting offering the most diverse selection. It was finally time to start growing his repertoire some more. If he didn¡¯t get what he wanted he was seriously considering ways to break into the restricted section of the Guild Library. Because they were standing in the way of him changing his Embodiment. What he needed, more than anything, was to start crafting Grandmaster tier runes. That was how he was going to change away from Wandering. He was not like Arikanvil, and he never wanted to be like that unfeeling, uncaring God.


    It was going to be a busy few days, he thought. Between his first Enchanting lecture; his first manerium delivery; and his plans for another graffiti outing in the Slums. He grinned and doubled down on finishing the rune.

 Chapter 125 - Enchanting Interrupted

    Nate walked into the lecture hall and sat down near the front. The room was barely filled, which he supposed he had been warned about. There weren¡¯t that many people who attended the University with the intention of going down an Enchanting path. The lower grades might have had a few more merchants, who were learning enough to tell the difference between good work and shoddy work, but the Advanced grade was basically for those who were serious about their Enchanting.


    He was clearly one of those people, as he had been waiting for this subject to start for over two weeks. By now he¡¯d had at least two lectures or practises for every other subject. In the case of Art it had just been exposure to the available facilities and a lecture showing off existing artwork that had been completed and donated to the University to illustrate various styles. He¡¯d never had any formal training so it was hard to comment on the styles, but they were definitely less out there than he had expected. The paintings had been mostly landscapes and portraits, much like he¡¯d seen at the induction tests. He had wondered if that was just a function of aesthetic choice by the Nobility. Excluding some rare merchants, they were the wealthy of Etrua and therefore their tastes and opinions influenced art and fashion. Or maybe they just weren¡¯t focused enough on art to experiment. It made him wonder if he should get a bit weird with one of his pieces. Maybe his graffiti?


    He glanced up as the door opened. The man who strode in, which he was guessing was the Professor, looked to be in his late fifties, with black hair going grey, a sharp and angular face and the darkest eyes of anyone he¡¯d seen so far. The black and grey robe the man wore made him look like some dark mage who just needed a witches hat on to complete the ensemble. Maybe with an accompanying sneer? The mental image made him smile and gave him an idea for later.


    ¡°Good morning. I am Professor Jourdie and I serve as assistant to the Head of the Crafting Department at the University. In case that wasn¡¯t clear enough, it means I have an extensive range of Crafting skills, so I can tell when someone knows what they¡¯re doing, and when they¡¯re skating through by cobbling together junk that gives off the appearance of enchanting. That brings me to my first question, which one of you is Nate?¡±


    What the fuck, thought Nate as he raised his hand. This Professor clearly had an axe to grind. Was it because of his ¡®Enchanting¡¯ creation for the induction exam? He thought it had been a close enough approximation for how Enchanters created their enchantments. Apparently not for Professor Jourdie, as the man approached his desk and placed a gem on the table in front of him.


    ¡°Imbue this gem with a water sigil. I don¡¯t care about the quality. I just want you to prove to me you do in fact have the Skill of an Enchanter. The Skill, people,¡± he continued, raising his voice for the rest of the classroom.


    Nate looked down at the gem for a couple of seconds. He could engrave the sigil into the gem, but that wasn¡¯t what the Professor was asking. He was asking to imbue the gem. He could probably also achieve the same outcome with Conceptual Material. That one was a bit more questionable. The Enchanter¡¯s intent is what lingered when they used their Imbue Sigil skill. It kept that intent even when it was ground down into gem dust. He wasn¡¯t certain he could do the same with Conceptual Material. He¡¯d never tested how well a material retained its affinity when destroyed. A future experiment perhaps. So he could maybe pass the Professor¡¯s test, but it would mean using Conceptual Material. If anyone in the classroom figured out what he was doing with some sort of sensory Skill or Spell, that could be the end for him. He would probably end up kidnapped, stuffed in a box and used as a workhorse to produce materials with affinities. That made his choice easy.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he said, keeping his voice firm.


    ¡°As I thought,¡± sneered Professor Jourdie. ¡°Get out of my classroom. Go have your subject changed to something else. Or don¡¯t. Just get out of my sight.¡±


    Scooping up his notepad he walked out of the room, trying to contain his anger and not give the Professor the rise he so desperately wanted. Walking into the corridor he saw there was another student waiting there. The man was casually leaning up against the wall, pale skin framed by bright red hair and a black, white and red suit-like outfit.


    ¡°Kicked out of the Enchanting subject? What a shame, don¡¯t you think?¡± asked the red-headed man, a smug smile on his lips.


    Nate narrowed his eyes, ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    The smug smile transformed into a thin angry line as the man''s blue eyes flashed in irritation.


    ¡°Fabien Lussier,¡± the noble stated confidently.


    Nate just stared at him blankly, ¡°Is that supposed to mean something to me?¡±


    ¡°My Father is the Earl of Dralogne,¡± answered Fabien, the man''s eyes searching Nate¡¯s for a reaction.


    ¡°Okay. And I should care¡­why?¡± Nate asked, intentionally trying to get a rise out of the noble.


    Fabien instead glared at him and started walking off, before calling over his shoulder, ¡°Enjoy not getting to study Enchanting, and a shame about your room. I guess there are just some people you really shouldn¡¯t offend.¡±


    Nate stood outside the classroom, watching the redheaded noble walk away and keeping his seething off of his face. It was nice to finally put a face to the person who torched his room, or had someone do it. It seemed they weren¡¯t done fucking with him though. They were about to learn why that was a truly terrible idea. Revenge might feel good, but that wasn¡¯t going to solve his immediate problem. A lack of Enchanting lectures and the sigils that came with them. Professor Jourdie had mentioned they were an assistant to the Head of the Crafting Department. Perhaps he could appeal to him. Pulling out his unigem it took him a minute to get the directions he needed. Marching off towards the Head of Department¡¯s office in the main building, he noticed he was stomping his feet as he walked. Thinking through his plans he calmed himself down slowly. He¡¯d get his revenge and it would be so sweet to watch. Childish, but sweet.


    Walking into the reception area for the office he was after he saw what looked like a Professor muttering as they left. The fact that they were a Professor wasn¡¯t what drew his attention though. It was the boots and coat he wore. Divine Translation instantly let him recognise the Sigils involved in both as they were runecrafted into them.


    Clean Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Gentle Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    The receptionist, a young woman, looked up at him, ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±


    Nate glanced at her, then at the retreating form of what he suspected was a Professor. He made a snap decision.


    ¡°Sorry, think I got lost,¡± he called back to the receptionist as he turned on his heel and followed the rogue Professor out of the office.


    At first he used his regular sphere of awareness to follow the Professor, but when he didn¡¯t react to it he dropped back further and used his farsight sphere of awareness, maintaining it near the Professor. The man walked across the University grounds, back into the four storey building that had housed his Enchanting lecture. That had been on the second floor of the building but the Professor continued up to the fourth floor before vanishing into a room that was clearly heavily veiled. Nate followed up the stairs, heading for the door the man had vanished into. He raised his hand to knock when the door was yanked open. The Professor stood on the other side, holding what looked like a wand pointed at him.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Why are you following me?¡± the man growled.


    While Nate considered his response he got his first chance to take the man in. Where Professor Jourdie had been thin, all sharp angles, and only just starting to show his age, however old that was, this man was clearly younger. Early forties was Nate¡¯s guess. Or at least that was how old he looked. Who knew how old he actually was. The man had plain features, brown eyes, blond hair, and was maybe a little overweight under his dark green robes.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you about your runecrafted items,¡± Nate asked, deciding the best method to get what he wanted here was by being forthright.


    The Professors glared at him, ¡°Come to make fun of me for giving away my knowledge for free have you? Which noble¡¯s brat are you?¡±


    Nate shook his head, ¡°Not a noble. I¡¯m a member of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    That comment seemed to jolt the Professor out of whatever issue he seemed to have and he finally lowered the wand. Nate however didn¡¯t drop his barrier. If he was going to get attacked, he intended to be prepared for it. Casting his sphere over the wand told him it was using a Sigil he hadn¡¯t considered before.


    Flame Sigil (Quality: Apprentice)


    ¡°How is Flame different to Fire?¡± he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.


    ¡°What?¡± asked the Professor, confusion writ on his face. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Your wand,¡± he explained. ¡°It¡¯s using a Flame Sigil. How does it differ from a Fire Sigil?¡±


    The Professor shook his head, ¡°No, no. It¡¯s a Sigil for Fire I have embedded in this wand. Wait a moment, how are you checking my sigil usage? I concealed it inside the metal core of the wand!¡±


    Nate just looked at the Professor in confusion. Carefully taking out his notepad so as not to startle the Professor, he drew the Sigil he could sense in the rune within the wand. The rune didn¡¯t look very complicated to him, and contained only the one Sigil, which made him suspect the Professor must have some way of controlling the direction or shape of the powered rune. It made him want to use his sphere of awareness to pierce the Professor¡¯s veil and see his Classes, but he suspected such an action was unlikely to endear him to the man. Finishing the Sigil he turned the notepad to face the Professor.


    ¡°This is an Apprentice quality Sigil for Flame. It¡¯s also what you¡¯re using in your rune inside of the wand. A simplistic rune, if I am being honest,¡± he added.


    The Professor snatched his notebook off him and looked at the Sigil he¡¯d drawn. He appreciated that the man didn¡¯t try and flip to other pages, before handing the notepad back to Nate.


    ¡°You¡­drew it perfectly. Do you have some Skill for sensing sigils?¡± he asked.


    Nate considered his answer for a moment, ¡°Not sigils. Mana confluences near me.¡±


    He was a little ashamed at how easily the lie came to him and also relieved at how quickly the Professor seemed to buy the explanation.


    ¡°Rare Skill that. Still, I am very sure you¡¯re wrong about the Sigil. It¡¯s definitely an Apprentice tier Fire Sigil,¡± replied the Professor. ¡°Anyway, what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Have you identified me?¡± Nate asked casually.


    ¡°Why would I? Your veiling item could tell me whatever it wanted. What¡¯s your name then?¡±


    ¡°Nathaniel Weber, and yours?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Professor Marnier,¡± mumbled the man as he worked a unigem half-turned away as he continued to speak quietly. ¡°Ah, found you. Equal first in the Guild Tournament. Not bad but crafting isn¡¯t for brutes¡­hmm¡­advanced results in Art, Skill Development and Enchanting¡­not bad¡­not bad¡­ah here it is¡­primary class Runecaster. Wait, Runecaster!¡±


    Professor Marnier looked up at him and his face transformed from guarded to elated, ¡°Come in. Come in my boy. Welcome to my workshop. Those twats in the rest of the Crafting department are a bunch of fools who refuse to see the value in runes. Always so worried about others stealing their sigils as if the spread of information somehow diminishes them. Fools, fools the lot of them!¡±


    Professor Marnier guided him inside of the room with a gentle hand almost touching his back. He still hadn¡¯t dropped his barrier after all. Entering the workroom he felt his sphere of awareness spread out to take in the contents. He almost laughed out loud as Divine Translation came back, recognising twelve sigils in the pieces of work scattered about the room.


    Time Sigil (Quality: Apprentice)


    Sand Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Rock Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Stone Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Water Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    Create Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Recall Sigil (Quality: Apprentice)


    Dream Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Sleep Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Protect Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    The first ten were all interesting and who knew what he would be able to do with them, but they weren¡¯t what drew his attention as he immediately walked over to a small wooden pyramid. Inside of it he could sense a single rune, and the Sigils contained within.


    Sound Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Copy Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Reaching out a hand, he flowed his own mana from his reserve into the spot where he suspected a mana gem was supposed to sit. Immediately the sound of a plethora of voices singing came out. It sounded like an orchestral song, but instead of latin the words were in Etruan, or whatever the language of Etrua was called. It was beautiful and he looked over at Professor Marnier who had his eyes closed and was swaying happily to the music.


    ¡°It was the last performance at the Royal Symphony Hall. Beautiful isn¡¯t it? I made it specifically to capture the sound. Unfortunately the quality is a little low. I was only able to keep the last three songs, rather than the entire performance. Still, better than nothing, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± asked the Professor.


    ¡°Better than nothing,¡± he agreed. He had some other uses for the Sigils, but the singing and music had been beautiful.


    ¡°So, what do you want from me, Nathaniel Weber of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± asked Professor Marnier.


    ¡°An exchange of knowledge, it would seem,¡± he said, pausing to see if the Professor had anything to say. When no response was forthcoming he charged on, ¡°If I am being honest, Professor, unless you¡¯re hiding better work around here somewhere, I am probably better at runecrafting than you are. But I lack Sigils. I¡¯ll help you improve your runecraft, you help me by providing me Sigils, or finding people who have the ones I desire.¡±


    Professor Marnier glanced at him, eyes narrowed in curiosity, ¡°Prove you are better at runecraft than I am. Do that, and I will agree to your offer.¡±


    Nate had expected this and spun two runic arrays simultaneously, creating his Gravity Control runic array in one hand as he hid the sigils by using a Target Obfuscation runic array to blur them, his Conceptual Intent guiding the obfuscation runic array.


    The reaction was priceless, as Professor Marnier gaped at the complex runic array and the absolute mass of Sigils that went into it. As he gaped Nate started floating things around the room, including himself, casually controlling gravity selectively, able to even narrow it down to single items.


    ¡°Deal. Deal. A thousand times, deal! You teach me how to do that and I will raid the other Professor¡¯s workrooms if needed!¡±


    Nate smiled. Finally, he was making some headway on Sigils. Now he just needed to put a noble brat in his place. That would be the task for the evening, but before he could get to that he needed to teach a Professor just what he was doing wrong; it was clear to anyone with eyes that the man didn¡¯t know a mana distribution field from his own asshole. Nate laughed as he sat down with Professor Marnier and began drawing.

 Chapter 126 - One Picture, A Thousand Words

    Nate walked towards the combat grounds with Kiri by his side.


    ¡°Go tell Britt that you want to try having sex while using a Gravity Rune!¡± Kiri whispered next to him.


    The pressure from her Command the Soul warred against his Soul Barrier Engraving, sapping some of his mana as the rune protected him from the command.


    ¡°Cut that out,¡± he whispered back to her with a small laugh.


    Kiri had been practising on him all day. He could understand why. She was attempting to alter the amount of soul energy she put behind the commands while also levelling the Skill. After all it wasn¡¯t like she could practise on anyone else without revealing the Skill. That being said she had gone from basic requests like telling him to touch his nose to more and more outlandish commands, mostly related to Britt. If the cute Defender had been around to hear them her ears would¡¯ve been red from blushing. Nate¡¯s own ears had only flushed at one of the suggestions, when Kiri had thought it would be funny to suggest taking Britt to the Den for a meetup with Florence. It hadn¡¯t helped that Frick had added how proud Luc would be when he found out.


    The pair continued their stroll into the arena. It was time for one of the two weekly Combat classes and so far it had been interesting and far more personalised than he had expected. The lecturers often split the participants based on their fighting styles, then challenged them in various ways. In his case he¡¯d been lumped in with the mages while Kiri was put with the close-range melee combatants. They¡¯d even gotten to spar a couple of times when the mages had been focused on defensive methods against close-range fighters while the warriors had been receiving instructions on how to deal with mages. It had turned into a game of cat and mouse as Kiri and he performed the occasional short-range teleportations, leaving large gaps between them to prevent everyone from knowing just how powerful the Skills were.


    Ever since being kidnapped and taken to one of the Hells he had begun taking any sort of combat practise very seriously. As such, he already had a barrier up, sculpted to his body like a suit, less than five centimetres above his skin.


    Glancing at the field he spotted all the Guildies gathered together as they waited for the lecturers to arrive. Null and Britt waved them over and they joined the crew on the grassy edge of the arena.


    Kiri drifted over to Coralie, planting a kiss on the short blondes lips. Flash didn¡¯t even glance away. If Nate was any judge of the man''s expression, it was one of resigned acceptance. Maybe the Edgedancer had finally given up on Coralie and moved on. He found himself hoping that was the case, because as much as Flash could be an ass, he was still far better than plenty of the noble brats. As for the children of merchants, it was just like Null had said back in the Tournament. A few had reached out, likely to foster future cooperation with some of their interests; beyond that, the Guildies were ignored. Null was the exception to that. He had sensed more than one of the merchant women leaving Null¡¯s room early in the morning. He was just thankful Null''s aura Skill meant he wasn¡¯t also a witness to what went on in his room. The swordsman¡¯s friendly and affable nature, coupled with his good looks and chiselled physique was apparently more than enough to capture the interest of some of the ladies. One of them might have even been a noble.


    ¡°Nate, I gotta ask, was it you?¡± inquired Null as he joined the gathering.


    ¡°Was what me?¡± he replied, intentionally playing dumb. He knew exactly what Null was asking about.


    Britt sniggered in response while Karim¡¯s lips quivered as the Earth Mage tried to remain stoic. Only Ameera didn¡¯t seem amused by it all.


    ¡°Why would you do it? It will cause problems for all of us!¡± the martial artist stated vehemently.


    ¡°What would Luc say?¡± he countered.


    Ameera¡¯s face went blank for a moment before she sighed, ¡°Fine. We fight. It is what we do. Tell us next time though!¡±


    She was right, on both counts. He could have warned everyone before he implemented his revenge against Fabien Lussier. Instead he¡¯d flown solo, thinking of the attack as a personal one. He supposed he could see how his actions, if they could be traced back to him, could be construed as the Adventurer¡¯s Guild taking a position, rather than a spat between two young men. He was lucky that Ameera held Luc in such high regard, otherwise she might have run to the Prefects. Luc had made good on his comment of offering to help teach Ameera. She was like Null, a hybrid build that combined melee capabilities with magical augmentation. Since she used metal, steel specifically, Luc had begun giving her some private lessons and advice. That seemed to have her on board supporting him, even if she disagreed with what he had done.


    Thinking about what he had done, he could see a group of nobles standing around laughing while holding one of his prints. After meeting with Professor Marnier he had the perfect idea for getting back at Fabien. The Copy Sigil offered some very interesting options as it developed to higher Tiers. The Novice version wasn¡¯t going to be very useful for combat, but it was incredibly useful when combined with his Conceptual Intent for copying his own artworks. Then of course his True Teleportation had a range of almost three hundred metres, coupled with an over four hundred metre range on his Farsight of the Runic Artist. It was as simple as breathing, although it cost him a decent amount of mana, to sit in his room making copies of his little print of the second son of the Earl Lussier of Dralogne, then distributing them around the Royal University in the dead of the night. He wasn¡¯t even seen. It was childish. He could see that. But seeing the nobles laughing at their fellow noble made it worth it.


    ¡°WHERE IS HE!?!?!¡± screamed a voice as the object of their laughter stormed onto the combat grounds.


    The Guildies all moved to stand between him and Fabien as the red haired hot head marched towards them. Nate shook his head as he pushed through his fellow Guildies to stand in the path of the noble.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the goblin gobbler himself?¡± called one of the nobles, to the sound of guffaws from his entourage.


    Fabien growled in rage and continued to stomp towards Nate. In response Nate was already subtly improving his barrier¡ª Conceptual Intent used to add the Subconcepts of Reinforcement, Protection and Defense. He was still experimenting with how Subconcepts worked as it seemed to him that two Concepts could be Subconcepts for each other. He wasn¡¯t sure how that worked; whether it was simply the interconnected nature of Concepts or if they were subtly different aspects of the Concepts themselves. Either way, he was also preparing to add an additional rune to the runic array. Fabien had either convinced someone to torch his room, or he had performed the act himself. If he had done it himself, he would use fire. A barrier specifically against fire would be just what the doctor, or in this case, runic artist, ordered.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°How dare you besmirch my good name!¡± yelled Fabien, red in the face.


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± countered Nate.


    ¡°You put those vile pictures of me up all over the University!¡± spat Fabien, spittle flying across the metre that separated them to hit his barrier and slide down it.


    ¡°Got any proof of that?¡± asked Nate, knowing he didn¡¯t. He¡¯d scrubbed the pictures of his mana signature using a mana exclusion rune after placing each one. They wouldn¡¯t contain any of his mana and he¡¯d even had Frick dispose of the paints and paper used.


    ¡°I know it was you!¡± screamed the unhinged Noble even as his fellow nobles continued to laugh at him.


    ¡°Sounds like you don¡¯t have any proof. Shame about the pictures though. I guess there are some people you just really shouldn¡¯t offend,¡± replied Nate calmly, throwing the noble¡¯s own words back at him.


    Fabien choked on his anger before growling out, ¡°I challenge you to a duel.¡±


    ¡°Terms?¡± Nate asked as though he hadn¡¯t a care in the world. He still didn¡¯t like fighting people that much, but he also knew that backing down before bullies just encouraged them. He wasn¡¯t a weak kid anymore. He would defend himself and make it clear in no uncertain terms that he was not to be fucked with.


    ¡°To the dea¡­¡± began Fabien before finally getting a handle on his anger. ¡°To submission. The loser will quit the University.¡±


    Nate tilted his head as he considered the risk. He was confident he could take Fabien. It might mean revealing a little more of his runes, but he doubted he would need to go overboard. He glanced at Kiri to make sure she agreed and she gave him a small imperceptible nod.


    ¡°I accept,¡± he intoned.


    ¡°Witnessed,¡± answered a deep voice.


    Turning he saw an absolute mountain of a man watching from outside of his sphere of awareness. The giant wore expensive black silks and wore a longsword at his hip. His blonde hair and green eyes made him look like he could have been Nate¡¯s older brother, if it wasn¡¯t for the face. Where Nate was frankly, somewhat delicate in appearance, this man looked like his face had been carved from granite.


    ¡°Your word, my Prince,¡± replied Fabien with a formal bow to the man.


    Nate mirrored the action when he sensed everyone else do the same.


    ¡°Well,¡± said the Prince. ¡°You wished a duel. So fight. You will be held to the agreed terms.¡±


    Nate wandered onto the field, using Farsight of the Runic Artist to slowly brute force the veiling enchantment that was hiding Fabien¡¯s Class Core. He took his time as he walked to the field, wanting to drain the enchantment of mana rather than simply break it. It took almost thirty seconds of pressure but the enchantment finally gave way to his Skill.


    Fabien Lussier


    Scorching Flame Bearer (E) (40) /  Scorching Flame Mage (R) (11)


    With a thought he incorporated his Powerful Fire rune into his Barrier runic array. The man clearly specialised in fire and anything else he used was liable to be weaker. This way he could conserve his mana and decide how he wanted to deal with his opponent.


    The prince barely gave them a moment to prepare, calling ¡®begin¡¯ in his booming voice. Fabien reacted instantly, spinning up two spells and if Nate was judging it correctly, three Skills. The Skills were hard to interpret but Runic Knowledge - Concepts whispered impressions to him. He wasn¡¯t certain, but he thought that two of the Skills were enhancing Fire Magic. A conversion Skill that was likely converting ambient mana to the fire affinity and one that was empowering Fire Magic. The last Skill he suspected had to do with absorption, probably of the fire affinity mana. A useful skill set for sustained fights.


    The two spells were obvious in their implementation. One was internal, using heat to increase the man''s speed. The second was a fireball which he launched with precision at Nate. He didn¡¯t even bother to move, letting the resulting explosion wash over his barrier. It was mostly to test how much mana it cost him to defend so he could decide whether it would be better to avoid the attacks with True Teleportation or not. The answer was unequivocally not. Whatever Fabien¡¯s Magic Power was, even with his Fire Magic enhancements, it barely put a dent in Nate¡¯s Mana Reserve.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± he asked casually, trying to make the man angry. If he was angry maybe he¡¯d make enough mistakes that Nate could get away with showing off less of his Skills.


    The next spell to hit his shield was a flamethrower but he could sense through Farsight of the Runic Artist that it was costing Fabien more mana to maintain the spell than it was costing him to maintain his barrier. He decided it was finally time to start responding to the attacks, spinning up an Earthen Projectile runic array which he used to start launching blunted spears of earth at high speed at the noble. Fabien¡¯s speed spell showed its worth as he deftly dodged the attacks while keeping up the flamethrower spell bathing Nate¡¯s barrier in red, yellow and orange flames. The noise inside of his barrier imitated what he imagined it must be like to stand next to a jet engine, the dull roar of the flames washing over him. Sighing, he decided that he had had enough of taking it easy and dropped the Earthen Projectile runic array, taking the time to spin up his Gravity Control runic array. The entire time the flames washed over him uselessly, slowly ticking away at his mana reserve at a glacial pace.


    Fabien continued to move around. Whether that was because the speed spell required it or because the noble was trying to make himself a difficult target, Nate wasn¡¯t sure. But it didn¡¯t matter as he took control of gravity in the area. The fire affinity mana resisted at first and Nate realised the secondary use of such a Skill. It was to make it harder for others to control or influence the mana around you. In a fight over control of fire affinity mana, Fabien must have been confident that he could win. Nate simply brute forced it using Conceptual Intent to add the two Subconcepts of Crushing and Force to the Gravity Control array. A moment later he flexed a quarter of his mana reserve. Fabien screamed as he was bodily lifted, Gravity pressing down on him from every direction as Nate flung him into the air, flying a metre, then two, then three metres, before Nate launched the contorted noble back at the ground with enough force to leave a Fabien shaped indent in the ground. The feedback from Farsight of the Runic Artist and the speed of his mental calculations had been enough to inform him of roughly how much force Fabien could take without dying. After all, the goal was submission.


    Fabien groaned from where he lay, forced into the dirt and grass, Nate¡¯s sphere of awareness informing him that he had at least nine snapped or fractured bones.


    ¡°Do you submit?¡± asked Nate calmly, trying to keep his reservations of inflicting such harm off his face. The man had been asking for it, after all, and it wouldn¡¯t do to show weakness before the other nobles, let alone the Prince.


    The only answer he received was another groan, so Nate turned to the Prince to see if the mountainous man would rule.


    ¡°The duel is over. Nathaniel Weber of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild is the victor,¡± intoned the Prince, before glancing at one noble gent specifically. ¡°Take him to the infirmary, then make sure he submits his leave from the University. He is not to return for four years.¡±


    The noble dropped the piece of paper he was holding and rushed to do the Prince¡¯s bidding.


    The Prince glanced down at the page as the groaning Fabien was carried away, and Nate joined him in looking at the picture. It had the words ¡®If you¡¯ve got a goblin problem, see your local goblin gobbler for a solution!¡¯ pasted across it, with an image that was clearly a caricature of Fabien Lussier fellating a goblin. Childish, but effective.


    ¡°Well fought, Adventurer. Don¡¯t make a habit of it,¡± said the Prince, before stepping on the print with his boot and taking his leave of the grounds.


    Nate glanced over at his fellow Guildies. They wore looks that ranged from apprehension to encouragement. A glance over to the Nobles revealed that the group watched him with looks that could only be described as wary, though as he matched their gazes they finally turned back to the retreating form of one of the Princes of Etrua. What had he just gotten himself into, he wondered?

 Chapter 127 - Nothing without Hierarchy

    Verian Thavian Mazet, Headmaster of the Royal University of Etrua looked across at the only other person present in his office.


    ¡°I am surprised you sided with the Adventurer. Would it not have been better to bring the Earl of Dralogne¡¯s second son closer to your side?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have no use for weaklings. The adventurer had the power to win, so he deserved his victory. We are nothing without hierarchy and the only hierarchy that matters is power,¡± replied Prince Bordain, second-in-line for the throne.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure this won¡¯t alienate some of your allies?¡± queried Verian.


    ¡°The squabbles of children remain beneath us. They will care more that I remain true to our principles than be concerned over the wellbeing of some weak second son. The strong rule, the weak obey. Don¡¯t ever forget that Verian,¡± intoned Bordain in his deep voice.


    Verian nodded and chose to keep to himself his thoughts that Bordain himself was a second son, and arguably weaker than his elder brother. There were some thoughts that you just didn¡¯t speak out loud.


    ¡°Very well. Here are the latest reports,¡± Verian agreed, handing over a set of written reports on their progress and finances. Starting wars was expensive, after all.


    *************


    Nate sat down in the lecture hall next to Null. Skill Development had so far been a mildly interesting class and the swordsman was the only other member of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to warrant an Advanced rating for the course. Next to Null sat Daphne. The brown-eyed brunette had become a fixture next to Null in these lectures and if Nate didn¡¯t miss his guess, a fixture in the man''s bedroom as well.


    ¡°I heard that you absolutely demolished that Earl¡¯s son. What was his name again? Fabio?¡± asked Daphne, leaning forward to talk around Null.


    ¡°Fabien Lussier,¡± answered Nate.


    ¡°And you weren¡¯t scared at all? I heard he was a Fire Mage. The idea of getting burned is so frightening. Just the thought sends shivers up my spine. Though I suppose Null would protect me!¡± she gushed, slipping an arm through the swordsmans.


    Null took the over the top flirtation in stride, glancing at Nate and rolling his eyes slightly before shrugging a little and replying quietly.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s what Adventurer¡¯s do. We take the fights others don¡¯t want. You said your Father¡¯s business has used the Guild¡¯s services before?¡± asked Null.


    Nate tuned out Daphne¡¯s answer. He was surprised that there had been so little fallout from his fight with Fabien. He¡¯d expected some of the other nobles to seek retribution for some ¡®upstart commoner¡¯ embarrassing them. Instead it had been quiet as the grave on that front. He wasn¡¯t sure if the cause was Prince Bordain¡¯s involvement, a name he¡¯d only learned after the fact, or if they were simply wary of him after seeing how easily he¡¯d defeated the son of an Earl. He found that ultimately, he didn¡¯t care. He was quickly realising that while he had plenty to gain from the Royal University, it was less than he had originally hoped. The same seemed true for Kiri. They were catching up in levels slowly. He¡¯d be able to start purchasing Stat Orbs soon. For Sigils, his work with Professor Marnier coupled with his intended Skill evolution should hopefully see him developing in that area. To top it off, he had his little mana gem factory keeping him supplied with all the mana he could ever need. A quick glance at his Skill development over the last few days reminded him of how close he was to his next evolution.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 25 > 27


    Empowered Runic Artistry 35 > 36


    Runic Creation 37 > 38


    Conceptual Intent 41> 42


    True Teleportation 29 > 30


    Conceptual Material 31 > 32


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts 38 > 39


    Metal Shaping 8 > 12


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 41 > 42


    Conceptual Automation 11 > 13


    He had made sure that he didn¡¯t keep neglecting some of his newer Skills, spending a little time using Conceptual Material and Metal Shaping to create metal bars with a variety of weak affinities before using Conceptual Automation to animate them. The resulting constructs also gave him a chance to see how the Skill interacted with runes engraved into the metal bars. The most important part was how close Runic Knowledge - Concepts and Runic Creation were to their next Skill Evolution. Both were Legendary Skills and he wanted to try and push them to Mythic if possible. Thankfully, he finally had the time and the mana to devote to such pursuits.


    He smiled to himself as the classroom door opened and the Professor walked in. Professor Pressley was a short older woman with greying hair and sharp blue eyes. He had never attempted to pierce her veil, but he was quietly confident that she was one of the most powerful Professors on campus. This had been reinforced by seeing how many of the Combat supervisors and proctors gave her a wide berth and always offered her a respectful nod or word in passing. It made sense that anyone who specialised in teaching how to develop your Skills might be unusually talented at developing their own. In this world, with mana and The System, skill development was akin to guaranteeing you could evolve your Classes up the tiers.


    The Professor took the room in at a glance, ¡°Good. You are all here. I¡¯m glad to see some of you are capable of learning about the consequences of tardiness. Now, in the last lesson we revisited the basics of Skill type classification and how it can affect the development pathways when you diverge or converge those Skills. Remember, it is important that you never view a Skill in isolation. Even a Common Class will give five Skills by the time the user has reached the twentieth level and that is important because the Skills you take should work together, feeding off each-other to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Now, I saw a few faces scrunch up at the idea of a Common Class. You have all had elevated opportunities. Most of you probably started at Uncommon. Some of you at the Rare tier. Maybe there is even one among you that started at the Epic tier, rivalling the rumours that surround the Royal Family. Those extra Skills are less important than the tier of Skills offered to such Classes. They present a challenge for you that those with a Common Class will not experience till much later. Who can tell me what that is?¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Daphne¡¯s hand shot up and after a nod from the Professor the excitable merchant explained, ¡°Evolving a Skill up tiers. It¡¯s so much more difficult to make a Rare skill evolve into an Epic skill than it is to take a Common skill to Uncommon!¡±


    ¡°Correct Daphne,¡± responded Professor Pressley, her blue eyes flicking to one of the nobles who had been in the middle of passing a note. After the moment had become uncomfortable she continued, ignoring the now blushing noble. ¡°But why is that? In theory, a Rare Skill will have more features or more power than a Common Skill. Why then is it more difficult to evolve up a tier when the opportunities for evolution should be greater. For example, a Common Skill that gives a minor enhancement to strength when logging has plenty of options for evolution. However, since you cannot skip a tier, the Uncommon evolution options are far more limited because the amount of mana that the Skill can accept is liable to be significantly lower than a Rare skill. So, I will ask again, why is it easier to evolve a skill from Common to Uncommon?¡±


    ¡°Achievements,¡± answered one of the noble ladies.


    ¡°Correct, Lady Vincenza, but next time raise your hand,¡± snapped Professor Pressley, ignoring Lady Vincenza¡¯s uncomfortable gulp. ¡°We have plenty of evidence that shows that your Achievements, specifically their Tier, influence the difficulty in evolving your Skills up tiers. As such, without an Epic Achievement it becomes significantly more challenging to evolve a Rare skill to Epic. We also have some evidence that how closely the Achievement relates to the Skill, or the Concepts involved in the Skill, will also heavily influence how easy or hard it is to evolve a Skill up a tier. Now, that is factual and while the calculations involved are hard to determine, due to the many competing factors, we¡¯re confident in these assertions. There is however, a secondary factor that we¡¯re aware of. It¡¯s more esoteric and makes the previous calculations even more challenging. Anyone have an idea what it is?¡±


    No one spoke up and Nate¡¯s thoughts went to his own suspicions. He had more than once managed to evolve Skills in the direction he desired. Now, a part of that was undoubtedly the way he pushed on his Skills but that begged the question, what was he pushing on them with? The answer was his Intent. He knew Kiri was capable of similar from their discussions, though the way his best friend had described it made it sound like it was far more difficult and challenging for her. He had a suspicion that his Conceptual Intent was to blame. A Skill that helped guide his Intent. He had after all, almost always had an Intent Skill. First Runic Intent, back in his first Dungeon, then Imbue Intent to leave his lingering intent his runes and now his Conceptual Intent, which further let him influence Concepts by adding or altering Subconcepts.


    When no one spoke up he finally raised his hand, waiting for the Professor¡¯s nod before he answered, ¡°Intent¡­intent and desire.¡±


    Professor Pressley, normally a stoic and formal lecturer, gave him a small smile.


    ¡°I suppose I should not be surprised that someone who managed an Advanced rating in the Enchanting induction might recognise the missing piece,¡± replied the Professor. ¡°Nate is correct. Your desires and intent play a factor into how your Skill will evolve, which can include moving up tiers if you¡¯re smart enough to push the Skill in the right direction. Now, the question that should be in all your minds is, why? Why would intent and desire matter? We are not certain to the reasons. I want to be clear, not certain does not mean we don¡¯t have any ideas. It¡¯s that we don¡¯t have any proof our ideas are correct. This is due to certain limitations, which I won¡¯t go into, because I don¡¯t want any of you experimenting with this unsupervised. If you prove you can pass this subject and advance to the expert class, we will start to touch on those topics.


    ¡°Alternatively, I would advise any of you in the Advanced Mana and Affinities subject to pay close attention. It might just give you a few hints. Now, let''s work through a few problems. I will be writing up a list of Skills and their desired evolutions. I want you to list down some known Achievements and methods you can think of to evolve them in the correct direction. One point will be given per correct answer which will go towards grading out of this class.¡±


    With those words the Professor turned the board and began writing, while Nate considered her last words. Why did the Intent matter, and more importantly, how did the Class Core, or The System know what your Intent and desires were? He went back to when he first arrived on Galle. The System had not only recognised that he was from a different universe, but also his encounter with Arikanvil. But both of those experiences happened before he received a Class Core. So it wasn¡¯t the Class Core itself that had recorded those experiences. Was it like Frick? Able to read his mind, his memories? Or was it something else? Worse, what kind of being or existence could read the minds of every single sentient being across the multiverse? The very idea was mind boggling. Assuming that was what it was doing.


    He put that thought away to dissect later as he focused on the class and the problems on the board. He chose to ignore Daphne peeking at his and Null¡¯s answers. If she wanted to cheat to stay close to Null, that was her problem. He wasn¡¯t going to prevent her from doing so. Besides, he had his ¡®private¡¯ class with Professor Marnier later. More Sigils and more runes. He couldn¡¯t wait.


    *************


    Daphne glanced at Null and Nate¡¯s answers. It was interesting to see the paths each took to get to the desired result. The differences were obviously taken from the viewpoint of a hybrid fighter and a mage. Nate¡¯s suggested achievements mostly seemed to be based around experimentation. Null on the other hand chose to focus on Dungeons or monsters to be defeated in specific ways or fighting against more powerful enemies. She knew the rumours that Null had an Epic Primary Class and there were a few saying that Nate could match the swordsman in that regard. No one had managed to pierce Null¡¯s veil, but it was already circulating that Nate had an Epic Class called Runecaster.


    That explained the rumour that he had been kicked out of the Advanced Enchanting subject. Of course those rumours included that Fabien Lussier had bribed the Professor to do so, but such rumours were unfounded and while she believed them to be true, that was hardly her concern. She was more interested in how he thought and why. She had been mistaken to think of him as a crafter. She knew that now, after having personally witnessed his fight with Fabien Lussier. Sure, the Earl¡¯s son had out-levelled the Runecaster. That was mostly a suspicion, but Fabien had bragged about all the processed mana his Father had sent him, while she doubted an Adventurer could get such ready access to the very essence needed to progress one¡¯s Class Core. But whatever advantage the gap in levels that had created for Fabien had been less than useless. She had watched as Nate had stood calmly inside his barrier, bathed in flames hot enough to glass the sand around him and his blond hair hadn¡¯t even been ruffled. No, he was not just a crafter. He was dangerous. Perhaps even more dangerous than she had first suspected.


    She continued to blatantly copy from the Runecaster and her kind-of-boyfriend. Slipping an arm through Null''s, she hugged herself to his side, making sure to press her breasts into him. It didn¡¯t do to let a man forget what you brought to the table, and for all the swordsman''s affable nature, he was an easy mark. He would be useful, even if for only her time at the Royal University.


    Pouting she pointed at the fifth question down the page and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t understand this progression. They barely relate to each other.¡± A lie, but an easy one, after all, what man didn¡¯t dream of helping a damsel in distress. And she was oh so distressed! Cue the damsel swooning, she thought with a smile, as Null began quietly explaining the progression to her, as if she couldn¡¯t have achieved the same result in a quicker way. Oh the things she did for family!

 Chapter 128 - Born to Deliver

    ¡°Why would you overlap these shapes?¡± asked Professor Marnier, pointing at an overlapped square and octagon in the centre of the rune.


    ¡°Mana prefers geometric shapes. But it¡¯s a distribution field. Prefers does not mean adheres too,¡± Nate explained. ¡°By overlapping the shapes we¡¯re increasing the amount of mana that gathers where the two shapes meet. This is ideal for empowering certain Sigils above others. For example, let''s say we didn¡¯t have a Sigil for Ice, we could use this format to link Sigils for Water and Cold or Freeze and create ice without the sigil for it. Another example is if we have a particular Sigil we want to couple with an empowering Sigil. Like, I will use myself as an example: if I wanted to create a barrier that was stronger against a particular element¡­I would put the empowering Sigils and the Barrier sigils around the overlapping area, so they received more mana. Then I would put whatever elemental Sigil near the sides. That way it would get some mana but the rune would clearly focus on the barrier. Not the element.¡±


    Nate had learned that the Professor had recently gone through his Class Evolution at level sixty. As part of that process, he¡¯d been offered the Epic Runecrafter Class, a Class similar to the one Nate himself was masquerading as. This meant the Professor¡¯s Skills had up until now mostly been focused around Enchanting. The offer of an Epic Class had been too much for the Professor and he had dived in head first without considering the impact. It turned out, unsurprisingly, that Enchanters didn¡¯t really care about mana distribution fields. The imbued gem dust they used created mana circuits that had very little loss as they transmitted mana through whatever series of sigils or other controls for the enchantments they created. Thankfully, the Professor was more informed when it came to Sigils, Concepts and Subconcepts, because the fact was Nate didn¡¯t sign up to be a teacher. If he wasn¡¯t getting Sigils out of this deal he wouldn¡¯t have even bothered and left the Professor to his own experiments.


    ¡°I understand,¡± nodded Professor Marnier. ¡°Rather than mana circuits you¡¯re controlling mana distribution using the shapes of the rune. I¡¯ve heard you can create them in the air, without any material substrate?¡±


    ¡°Mana scaffolds. Mana in a geometric shape attracts other mana. It¡¯s far less mana efficient than using a physical material, but it works if you need to adapt on the fly,¡± explained Nate. The question got him wondering if the same would be true if the geometric shape was formed from soul or demonic energy. Experiments for future Nate.


    ¡°So, that should give you enough to improve your runes and make them cost significantly less mana. Maybe next time you¡¯ll be able to record the entire symphony,¡± he suggested. ¡°So, did you get the Sigils I asked for?¡±


    Professor Marnier extracted a notepad from his own spatial storage and Nate glanced at the two drawings with a grin.


    Metal Sigil (Quality: Novice)


    Size Sigil (Quality: Initiate)


    ¡°I could only get the Size Sigil at the Initiate tier. I couldn¡¯t find anyone who would admit to having a higher tier version.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± replied Nate. It was annoying, but if his Skill evolution went the way he intended he could figure out how to grade up his Sigils with enough time and mana.


    ¡°Next time I will go over how runes can interact to form runic arrays. You do have the Runic Intent Skill right?¡± Nate asked.


    ¡°Yes, it was obviously the best Skill from the options available,¡± answered the Professor. ¡°What Sigils were you after for the next lesson?¡±


    ¡°Distance and Direction, if you can find them.¡±


    ¡°And if I can¡¯t?¡± queried Professor Marnier.


    ¡°Then find some that you think will interest me. You¡¯re a smart guy, Professor. I¡¯m sure you can figure out some that I might be interested in,¡± responded Nate, getting up from the workbench and heading for the door. ¡°See you in a few days!¡±


    Walking down the stairs towards the building¡¯s exit he considered his next move. He had something to do later that night, but Britt had asked him to drop by for a little while after his late ¡®class¡¯ with Professor Marnier. With a smile he headed in the direction of the dormitory. He had an hour or two to kill before he headed to the Den of the Desire.


    *************


    Closing the door behind him he left Britt¡¯s room, strongly considering the moral implications of using his Life Drain rune on others without their consent. He had to admit, this was the first time he was lamenting his lack of physical stats. Britt clearly had him beat in Strength, Endurance and Constitution. If it wasn¡¯t for his respectable Dexterity stat he doubted if he would¡¯ve been able to keep up with her. That being said, his hand was sore and he suspected he might have a few bruises. The pain was undoubtedly worth it, but there was something to be said for the soothing balm of restoring himself by draining the life energy from something. Maybe he could find some rats around the Den.


    Shrugging, he checked his spatial storage to make sure the two bars of manerium were in there. The agreement with the smugglers had been one per week and he¡¯d already missed the first delivery window due to their dungeon excursion. An excuse he hoped didn¡¯t cause issues with the smugglers. Sending out his farsight sphere of awareness, he began teleporting across the city. He considered using his farsight sphere of awareness to try and spot Kiri as he appeared near the Den of Desire, but decided against it for now. Better to watch out for himself than try and search for his friend.


    The bouncer gave him a nod as he entered the Den, which made him wonder if he had been here too often. Walking up to the bar he checked if his contact was in, only to be informed she was with a client and would be available in a little while. With a nod he ordered a drink and found a table in a corner of the room. Taking out his notepad it didn¡¯t take long for the first escort to approach him. The woman had straight black hair, done up in a coif and held in place with a green pin which matched her eyes. The blue satin dress completed her outfit, loose enough to blow in the breeze or hug her form. He had to admit the outfit was perfect for accomplishing what he suspected was the goal, hinting at what lay beneath.


    ¡°You¡¯re Nate, right? The artist?¡± she asked coyly. When he nodded she rushed on, ¡°Florence and Adrian showed me the paintings you did of them! They were so gorgeous! What would I need to do to get one as well?¡±


    The tone was suggestive enough that he knew what she was offering, but he didn¡¯t need a reason or excuse to engage in the creation of art. Besides, he had a little time to while away. Might as well spend it creating art.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Mind drawing the curtains?¡± he asked, indicating the curtains that could be pulled out to shield the corner of the room.


    She giggled flirtatiously as she drew the curtains and her movements indicated she was putting on a show, which made him regret not being clearer. When she approached him, sashaying and starting to drop the blue dress over her shoulder he shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. Would you mind arranging yourself over there however you want to be painted?¡± he asked, indicating a corner of the seating with a few cushions.


    Ignoring her look of confusion as she backed away towards the location he specified, he reached into his spatial storage and pulled out an easel, a blank canvas and started arranging his paints on the table around his unfinished drink. The candlelight from the table made for an interesting lighting situation, and he glanced over to check that the woman was comfortable. She wasn¡¯t. She seemed unsure.


    ¡°Relax, the painting will look better if you look natural,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°But, what about payment?¡± she asked, confusion writ on her face as she tried to move into a more natural position.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve got an hour and I don¡¯t need much of an excuse to paint. Besides, this lighting is new for me. Just try to hold whatever pose you choose, which is why it¡¯s better if you get comfortable,¡± he added.


    She finally seemed to relax and settled into the cushions, the blue satin clinging to her. It was such a perfect image to paint, between the flickering candlelight and the shadows thrown across her by the folds of her dress. He lost track of time as he painted, only becoming aware as he sensed someone approaching his corner of the room through his sphere of awareness. Glancing up before the curtain had even been parted he saw one of the bartenders peaking in, eyes scrunched in confusion when he saw the escort was still clothed.


    ¡°She¡¯s ready for you,¡± he added, before closing the curtain.


    Looking back at the painting, he added the last few finishing touches before he started packing up his paint supplies. The escort tried to thank him but he explained it wasn¡¯t necessary before confirming she had somewhere to keep the painting while it dried. If he was being honest, her reaction when she saw the painting had been payment enough and it had been fun to paint the piece. Heading upstairs he drew his sphere of awareness in. He really didn¡¯t need to see what was going on in the various rooms around him and while it was perhaps a little risky he still had his barrier up so he wasn¡¯t completely unprotected. Entering the same room where he had met Luc he found the woman waiting for him, touching up her makeup after her last customer.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she said, without turning away from her mirror, hazel eyes glancing at him. ¡°They were annoyed but I explained that you might have had to leave the city on an errand and that I was sure you¡¯d have both when you got back. You do have both, right?¡±


    To answer her question, he removed the two Epic quality manerium bars from his spatial storage. She glanced at them hungrily and it made him wonder what Luc was paying her. Hopefully it would be enough to keep her honest, though greed did funny things to people.


    ¡°We good?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± she replied, standing up to scoop up the metal bars before glancing at him. ¡°Well? Off you go then. A girls gotta keep a few secrets doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    He tried not to laugh at that and nodded, heading out the door and out of the Den. Hopefully this plan of Luc¡¯s panned out, because it was his path to making up for his Stat Orb deficiency. As he left he scanned the area with his farsight sphere of awareness. He noted there were at least two individuals watching the square, but when neither reacted to his sphere or himself he guessed they were watching for someone else. Ducking into an alley he began his teleportation journey back to his room. He had a date with some Skill development.


    *************


    Lothar did his best not to freeze as he felt the sensory skill pass over him. Keeping his eyes scanning the square and ignoring his target, he waited for another twenty minutes even after the kid had vanished. This job was more dangerous than he thought. But it was done. The sighting was enough for the boss. They would just have to decide what to do with the information he had gathered. Climbing down from the roof he headed for the warehouse. Hopefully this wouldn¡¯t blow up in their face, else he¡¯d need to get out of here real fucking fast. This shit wasn¡¯t worth dying for, no matter how attractive the face that was paying them was.


    *************


    Kiri ground her teeth in annoyance. She had followed Nate out but he was just sitting in the Den. She had hoped he would only visit for a moment, maybe to drop off a painting or something, but given where she could sense him, using her Soul Tether, and the position of the others in the Den, based on her Soul Sense, she knew he wasn¡¯t coming out for a while.


    The question was, did she stay here and wait, missing her debut. Or did she trust him to handle himself. In the end, she wasn¡¯t his babysitter and he wasn¡¯t out painting walls in the Slums. He should be fine here. With that thought she began using Soul Shift to cross to the edge of the Merchant¡¯s District where it came up against the Slums. The Pit, as it was called, was the go to place for all your fighting and brawling needs. The meaty looking bouncers let her in at a glance when they recognised her.


    The noise washed over her as the door closed behind her. That and the smell. Sweat, blood and unwashed bodies intermingled in her nose as the sound of men and women screaming for violence filled the room. The fight looked like it was coming to a close as some scarred woman with a red mohawk continued to punch some bald behemoth into the sandy floor of the miniature arena. The poor guy had seen better days apparently.


    Skirting the edges of the room she made her way over to Petrov. The slimy bastard was as fat as an okra and just as ugly. But he was about as honest as you could hope an okra would be. She had asked around and apparently he never short-changed his fighters. Honour amongst thieves or some other bullshit, she thought.


    ¡°Was startin¡¯ to think you wouldn¡¯ show,¡± said Petrov as she approached, the big bastard leaning forward and sucking on his teeth. ¡°Ya¡¯re up next. You ready? This ain¡¯ tha fuckin¡¯ Guild. No weapons. No healers. Jus¡¯ you, ya fists and the sand.¡±


    ¡°I told you I got this. What are the odds?¡± she asked, bouncing from foot to foot a little as she prepared to throw down.


    ¡°Ya¡¯re five to one, since ya¡¯re under-levelled for tha under sixties division. How much ya puttin¡¯ on yaself?¡± he asked.


    She handed over the gold that she had exchanged some mana gems for. Places like this preferred coinage to the gems. Easier to move. Easier to measure. ¡°Tha¡¯s a lotta gold girl. Ya sure?¡± he asked.


    She just grunted in response. She was done talking. It was time to fight.


    Petrov nodded, handing the pouch to one of the thugs around him, ¡°Split it up ¡®cross a few bookies. Bring tha slips back to me for holdin¡¯. Well go on girl. Get down there.¡±


    With her bet handled she headed down to the sandy floor. A couple of people were raking the sand, hiding the blood stains, as if that would ever be enough to conceal what this place was.


    Her opponent walked out the other side. A sailor at a guess, his bare chest tanned and tattooed, which matched his bald head. Kiri was tall for a woman, but her opponent was bigger still. That just made her grin as she balled her hands into fists. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, she thought to herself as she waited for the bell to ring and the fight to start. A moment later the bell rung and she rushed across the sand, kicking it up behind her as she started using Soul Drain and Soul Imbuement. Without blades this was going to be a fight of attrition and she intended to bleed her opponent for all he was worth. She laughed in joy as she dodged his first swing. It felt good to finally be paying her own way by doing what she was good at!

 Chapter 129 - War for Embodiment

    Nate sat with most of the Guildies as Professor Kandel delved into the basics of Embodiment.


    ¡°It¡¯s the topic you¡¯ve all been waiting for. What is an Embodiment, what does it do, and how do you get one?¡± she asked. ¡°Some of you may know a little from your families or mentors. But if that¡¯s the case, you should have done better on your induction tests. So, we¡¯re going to rehash the topic. The first question, what is an Embodiment? It is ultimately, how you connect to the Universe. It is an incredibly personal thing. Some define it as the Concept you most closely represent, but I think that is an oversimplification. I will use Etrua¡¯s Royal Rangers as an example. Every one of their members possesses the Embodiment of Swiftness in some form or another. Every single one. Now, do they all most closely align with the Concept of Swiftness? Doubtful. It¡¯s a forced Embodiment, created through training, achievements and Skills.¡±


    One of the noble¡¯s hands shot up and Professor Kandel waved her down.


    ¡°Yes, I know you¡¯re all wanting to know what it does. It¡¯s not a secret. It makes anything movement related faster, multiplying the users Dexterity and Agility. The amount it multiplies depends how closely they managed to align themselves with the Concept of Swiftness. I suppose I will answer the follow-on question that always comes with this example. The reason all Royal Rangers are required to aim for a Swiftness Embodiment is to allow them to escape from more powerful opponents, be they beasts or humanoids. Their job is information gathering. Being able to escape with the information is so important that they adopted training methods to guarantee at least a partial Swiftness Embodiment,¡± explained Professor Kandel, walking back and forth as she spoke.


    Nate smiled as he finally had an explanation for why Jorge was so fast. He had a Swiftness or similar Embodiment that was multiplying his movement speed. He leaned forward in his chair, curious about what would come next. He had to know how to shift his Embodiment. He did not want to be a Wanderer!


    ¡°From this, we can surmise two things. One, an Embodiment can be forced and therefore it is not necessarily the Concept that you as an individual most align with. Two, Achievements and Skills are the strongest factors in determining your Embodiment. If they do not lean enough in a particular direction you will end up with a partial Embodiment. The lowest-level is a fragmented Embodiment. This will give the user a broader bonus, but the impact is far reduced. Now, why should you care?¡± she asked the class, looking out over them.


    Nate glanced around, locking eyes with Kiri for a moment before moving on to surveil the rest of the room. Finally, it was a man he didn¡¯t know who answered.


    ¡°Because, a Perfect Embodiment is a force multiplier,¡± answered the short dowdy merchant.


    ¡°Precisely!¡± shouted Professor Kandel. ¡°If you can align your Embodiment with your Classes, made easier by the influence of your Skills on it, and achieve a Perfect result, then you will be able to perform better than your peers in whatever your discipline is! You want to be the best merchant in Etrua? Well, you best learn how to read people or assess the worth of objects brought before you. Probably both. You want to be the greatest Earth Mage ever to grace these halls? Best learn to draw on earth more easily than anyone else, or better, have your Magic Power be so overwhelming that you can bring down city walls!¡±


    ¡°So now we know what an Embodiment is, a summary of your most prominent achievements and your Skills, linked to a conceptual idea. We also know what it does. A force multiplier for your discipline of choice. So, how do we get one? Or more importantly, how do we get the one we want? Because make no mistake, not all Embodiments are created equal. Do you think the Embodiment from a few Uncommon Achievements and Skills will be the equal of an Embodiment from a few Epic Achievements and Skills? The answer is of course, no, it will not. I¡¯ll demonstrate this with a story. A true story. In the Kirshell Mountains there is a Clan whose leader is said to be a rival for our very own King. He has widely made it known what his Embodiment is. It is Preemptive. An unusual one, and not one we have heard of anywhere else. Now, anyone want to guess what it does?¡±


    Nate thought about it for a moment. Preemptive. To act first. Did that mean that so long as this Clan Leader acted first he received some sort of bonuses or multipliers? He raised his hand. After Professor Kandel nodded he answered.


    ¡°Multiplies all his Stats when he acts first?¡± he said, turning it into a question at the end. He wasn¡¯t sure after all.


    ¡°Point for you, Nathaniel,¡± she replied, using his full name. ¡°We do not know the precise duration as he has never shared that information. Nor how much it multiplies his Stats.¡±


    Turning back to the rest of the class she continued, ¡°That should give you an idea of just what you might aim for. Now, all of you will already have started to show signs of your Embodiment. The very fortunate or the very talented may even have their existing Embodiments aligned across your Classes. This is the reason we do not accept anyone over level forty to the University. You need at least the time from climbing the twenty levels to receive your Tertiary Class and Embodiment to have a chance of changing it, if that is what you want. So, how do we go about changing it? You already have your answer. Achievements and Skills. Your Embodiment will align to your strongest Achievements and Skills. If you want to change your Embodiment you need to get out there. Acquire new Skill Synergies and Evolutions, and Achievements. You¡¯ll need to overwhelmingly change your direction if you don¡¯t want to end up with a partial Embodiment, or worse, a fragmented one.¡±


    She looked around the room to make sure everyone understood the serious nature of the discussion.


    ¡°Good. Alright, notepads out. I¡¯ll be putting up three problems on the board. Each will define an existing set of Primary and Secondary Classes and their Embodiment. I¡¯ll also include their three highest rarity Skills and their levels. Then I will define whether their goal is to reinforce their Embodiments or change them. You¡¯ll need to describe how you would go about achieving their goals. One point per correct answer, going toward you graduating from this subject.¡±


    Nate began writing down the problems even as he thought over his own dilemma. He was one of those who wanted to change his Embodiment. He wasn¡¯t sure what an Embodiment of Wandering would gift him, though he had some suspicions. But that wasn¡¯t who he was or what he wanted. He was merely being driven in that direction, mostly from what he suspected were two Legendary Achievements. Though perhaps True Teleportation wasn¡¯t helping.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    That didn¡¯t matter though. He would find a way forward. He knew what he wanted. Creative. That was what he felt he aligned with. It was what he did. He created. Created art. Created runes. Created opportunities. Even when he wasn¡¯t doing it intentionally, when it was an accident, he was always creating. Now he just needed the Achievements to back it up. Creating a Grandmaster Rune was on his list. That should be a Mythic Achievement. But that wasn¡¯t going to be enough. He needed to create in more than one medium. He suspected he might even need as many as four Legendary or better Achievements with the idea of Creating to completely drown out his two Wandering Achievements.


    With a smile he got to work on the problems on the board, as a part of him continued to work through his own problems. He had seventeen levels to go. He could even delay his progression if needed. Because if there was one thing he was certain of, it¡¯s that he was going to get the Embodiment he wanted and it was going to be perfect. And that meant that tonight, he was going back out. It was time for a new artwork in the slums.


    *************


    Nate had to acknowledge that the old man had been true to his word. The painting still stood, unmarred and unharmed. The people of the slums had even avoided putting anything in front of it that might hide it. He¡¯d been unsure at first what to paint when he had first been brought here by the man with eyes who could pierce his rune-driven Illusion. But in the end, the old man had been the inspiration. The man¡¯s tanned chest and clothes made Nate suspect the man had been a sailor. What had sealed the deal was his memory. Without his vastly increased Intellect Stat he might not have remembered the spear-wielder from the Guild Tournament who was able to wield water. The similarity was hard to see under all the wrinkles, but it was there. A sailor whose grandson was also a sailor. So, with sailing as the inspiration, he had painted a scene from the docks. He wasn¡¯t sure how well he captured them, as he had never visited the area by the ocean personally. But he had seen them from a distance and with his heightened Perception he had the basics. A multi-generational image of the boats being loaded, children playing nearby or running messages, young men and women with sunkissed skin loading the sloops and older men and women talking or directing the whole process.


    Running his fingers over the sandstone he marvelled at how well the paint managed to remain. Mana, magic, even now it was still amazing to him. The paint was uncommon. What that meant, he had no idea, but it certainly handled wear and tear from the sun and sand well enough.


    Farsight of the Runic Artist sensed the old man long before he arrived. He wondered how the old man knew he was going to be here, or if he just came every night.


    ¡°Back fer more, eh, younglin?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± Nate replied, matching the smile that bloomed on the old man''s face. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask your name last time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Cutter, lad. Now, what¡¯ll it be tonight then?¡± asked the old sailor.


    ¡°Will the store owners care if I paint the front of their shops?¡± he answered with a question of his own.


    ¡°Nah, lad. Anythin¡¯ that adds a bit colour is better than nothin.¡±


    ¡°Which one sells fabrics then?¡± Nate replied, looking over the various warehouse and shop fronts.


    Cutter pointed to a store in the middle and a quick review with Farsight of the Runic Artist confirmed that the shop was full of bolts of cloth and some wool. No sign of silks, but he wasn¡¯t surprised considering where he was. That didn¡¯t matter for his next artwork though. He wanted to paint a festival of fabrics. With the faces of people obscured by the various fabrics. With a glance back at Cutter, who was settling himself in on the edge of the fountain, he started taking out his paints and got to work.


    It took him almost three hours to get the painting exactly as he wanted, but he was more than pleased with the result. The finished artwork was a riot of colours, with the people in the painting swirling in the street creating overlapping geometric shapes of colour from their clothes, with the ocean in the background. It was definitely a different style of art to what he normally attempted. Of course, he¡¯d also included a rune in the painting. Being able to abuse his Conceptual Intent was interesting for his artworks. His others had all been focused on inspiring emotions directly, but for this one, he wanted to try a different approach. Multisensory was his idea, and so with his new Sigil for Sound he¡¯d been able to use Conceptual Intent to specify the sounds. The sound of the beach and the swishing of fabrics is what he had gone with. It was faint, barely a whisper that might make you unsure if you actually heard it unless you were close by.


    ¡°Neat trick,¡± commented Cutter, approaching the artwork. ¡°Differen¡¯ style ta ya other ones. I like it though lad. Feck meh but I really like it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the store owner will?¡± he asked.


    Cutter laughed, a gravelly sound, ¡°Lad, I¡¯d be more worried bout tha other owners harassin¡¯ ya fer their own paintings! Ya goin¡¯ ta make each one¡­unique?¡±


    Nate stopped and turned to look over the rest of the store fronts and warehouses. Plenty of opportunities for more experimenting. For more creating.


    ¡°You know, Cutter, I think I will,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°But not tonight.¡±


    ¡°Aye lad, not tonight. Well, dun ya worry. Ol¡¯ Cutter will be around when ya come by next.¡±


    Putting away his paints he started his teleporting journey back to the Royal University. He still had a Skill to evolve and some new Sigils to work with. He also had a puzzle box that continued to hold onto its secrets. One day, perhaps, he wouldn¡¯t be constantly busy. But that day was not today. Or tonight, he supposed.


    *************


    Garnet stood over the burned corpses of her countrymen, the fires continuing to lick at them as they were turned from cooked meat into ash. Sapphire was questioning the Captain leading this small squad of Royal Rangers. After he was done they would cross the border back into Asmuisil, where evidence of the Rangers passing would be very carefully left. Enough that the next squad sent would find it, but not so much that it would lead them to question whether or not the squad had continued deeper into Asmuisil. That would be Sapphire''s job, the deceptive bastard. She just couldn¡¯t understand what her Master¡¯s goal was. She had thought it was just wealth. Wealth to buy allies. To fund his own ascent. How would war with Asmuisil help him with that? It was a conundrum and she hated not knowing.


    The sound of crackling ice signified the death of the squad''s Captain, an icicle piercing the man''s heart. Sapphire was taking no chances with leaving any evidence. She watched as he slipped the corpse into his spatial storage. Evidence for later perhaps, or just to conceal it. She wasn¡¯t sure which and Sapphire never shared his plans with her. Just another way for him to exert his power over her. How she hated it. How she hated him.


    ¡°Clean up and move out. We¡¯re going deeper this time,¡± the frozen bastard said to the group. ¡°Another Dungeon Fort is the target. So more rewards to go around!¡±


    The group cheered while she grit her teeth. What the fuck was going on and what had she gotten herself into? She was beginning to wonder if her Master was more mad than power-hungry. How would that play out for her? She¡¯d be lucky to escape with her life. Shoving down her misgivings, she began jogging with the rest of the war party, ignoring the ashes she left scattered in her wake.

 Chapter 130 - Affinity for Questions

    Nate glanced at his Skill improvements from the last week as he started packing up his notes from the class on Concepts and Embodiment.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 27 > 28


    Empowered Runic Artistry 36 > 37


    Runic Creation 38 > 39


    True Teleportation 30 > 31


    Conceptual Material 32 > 33


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts 39 > 40


    Metal Shaping 12 > 15


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 42 > 43


    Conceptual Automation 13 > 14


    Since it had been a week since his last delivery of manerium and as this was his last subject for the day he intended to head to the Den shortly to make good on the weekly drop-off. But first, there was a question that had been nagging at him throughout the week, and he was hoping that Professor Kandel had the answer.


    ¡°Excuse me, Professor, can I have a word?¡± he asked as he stood.


    ¡°For my best student, certainly,¡± answered the Professor, pausing in her walk towards the door to wait for him by the board with today''s problem scribbled all over it.


    ¡°Best?¡± he queried in confusion. Surely some of the nobles were better educated on the topic, even if there weren¡¯t as many of them in this grade of the subject as there were Guildies and merchants.


    ¡°Fishing for compliments doesn¡¯t suit you at all, Nathaniel. I much prefer the eager and astute student. But that wasn¡¯t the question you wanted to ask and my time is limited, so what is on your mind?¡± replied Professor Kandel, an amused twitch of her eyebrow taking any sting out of her words.


    ¡°I was wondering about higher tier Sigils. Obviously they¡¯re incredibly rare, but that got me to thinking, does every Concept have Sigils in the higher tiers?¡±


    ¡°That is quite the question. Worse, it¡¯s a difficult one to answer. You¡¯re obviously exposed to the dearth of Sigils due to the hoarding of knowledge. Not a surprising trait in people when in the case of Sigils knowledge has a direct correlation with power. Do you know the most common method for Sigil discovery?¡± asked the Professor.


    Nate thought about it for a moment. In the end he realised he didn¡¯t know. He had mostly gotten his Sigils from other people, other runes or books. He only had the one he discovered on his own and it had been the lowest tier there was. Initiate quality. So where did people normally discover new Sigils? When he couldn¡¯t come up with an answer he shook his head.


    ¡°Spells. Usually from new spells received as Dungeon rewards,¡± answered Kandel. ¡°Normally you¡¯d learn this in the Spellforms subject, but I happen to know you¡¯re not taking that class just yet. An interesting choice, for a mage, if I do say so. Do you know what a spellform is? How and why a spell works?¡±


    He shook his head and he saw a moment of indecision on the Professor¡¯s face before she sighed and pointed to a seat.


    ¡°Sit. This is going to be quick because I have another class to get to. But they can wait a few minutes while I explain this. I will start with a question. What is the purpose of mana affinities?¡± she asked.


    ¡°In a material?¡± he countered.


    ¡°In anything!¡± she stated, a knowing smile on her face.


    He had never really considered the question. He knew, academically, that he personally had a high affinity for spatial mana and that it was a requirement for his Realmwalker Class. But beyond that he¡¯d never considered his personal mana affinity. He also knew Kiri had more than one decently high affinity. Soul and Shadow of a certainty. Maybe others? Did that mean on a cellular level he had sigils in his molecular structure? That seemed¡­doubtful. Following that line of thinking he started considering other crafts beyond his own runecrafting. Blacksmithing, alchemy, even something like carpentry or tailoring. What was the benefit of affinities to them for materials? Obviously, if they only worked with specific materials, like a blacksmith working with metals, having better materials would improve the outcome. A stronger metal meant a stronger sword.


    Kiri¡¯s reward choice from the Tournament had been a sword that empowered Skills or Spells used through it due to its affinity for mana. That idea broke down when it came to alchemy though. They used¡­everything, as he understood it. The size of the materials they used were smaller and he¡¯d heard that most of the effects of alchemy were temporary. But that still didn¡¯t explain how they could take something solid, with an affinity, and distil it down into a liquid. Maybe a Skill to bridge the gap, but even that wasn¡¯t a certainty. Before he could continue down the rabbit hole of his thoughts Professor Kandel snapped her fingers to get his attention.


    Shaking her head she smirked, ¡°Too clever by far. And too expressive. You should consider getting a Social Skill for that if you can. Watching your face I could literally see you jumping from one idea to the next. So let me stop you there. Let me pose two different questions to you. Hopefully that will lead you to the answer. What is the most important Stat for a Mage and why would a higher affinity be the difference in power between two Mages with the exact same Classes, Skills and Stats?¡±


    His gut reaction was to say Magic Power, but he backtracked on that immediately. His guiding light towards the answer was Luc. Luc had more than once hinted that his highest Stat was in fact Magic Control. What did a higher Magic Control do? It improved your fine control over mana. And Spellforms were just shapes built from mana. Complicated shapes. Three-dimensional by their very nature. But still, just shapes. He almost wanted to facepalm as he came to the realisation.


    ¡°There are Sigils embedded in the Spellforms and a mana affinity that aligns with the Sigil or Concept would enhance the spells power.¡±


    It was just like his runecrafting, in a way. Their Magic Control let them create the exact shape rather than the mana dispersion fields he used. They saved on mana in that way but the price was the higher control needed to form the exact required shapes. Thinking about it he suspected it would become incredibly difficult at the higher tier of spells, where the shapes required were likely incredibly complex. It also meant a mage was for the most part limited to spells of a type they had a mana affinity for. Worse, the level of their affinity would be a constant impact on how efficient or powerful their spells were. Unlike him, who used the affinities of physical materials. It also explained why his physical creations were far superior in terms of power and output when compared with his dynamic rune creation using his robe.


    ¡°Exactly! And so by studying new spells, we are able to learn new Sigils. That being said, that still tends to limit the grade of Sigil we find, which brings us full-circle to your question, does every Sigil have higher tiers? My answer is, we don¡¯t know, but we suspect not. As you move into the higher conceptual realms, ideas and meaning tend to converge. At the lower tiers, the idea of ¡®Dripping¡¯ makes sense as a Sigil. They¡¯re specific, but weak. But tell me, can you think of anything besides a liquid that ¡®drips¡¯? It¡¯s a small piece of a larger puzzle, that puzzle being¡­how do liquids behave. Would it make sense for there to be a Master Sigil for the idea of Dripping? Probably not. But, I will emphasise this again, we do not know this for fact. Does that answer your question?¡± the Professor asked.


    The notification in the corner of his vision was answer enough, but the Professor deserved better than that.


    ¡°Thanks Professor. That answers so much more than the question I asked. I really appreciate you taking the time to go through that with me.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it. You¡¯re one of my favourite students. I look forward to seeing you in the Advanced Class in the next month.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    With the implied farewell, the Professor exited the classroom while Nate hurried back to his room. It was time to go over his latest Skill Evolution options.


    Frick glanced up from where he was sitting on the bed, slowly working on the new and improved Runecrafted Barrier Bracer.


    ¡°Got it, Boss man?¡± asked the blue goblin.


    With a nod Nate brought up the notifications for them to read over.


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts 40 > 41


    Runic Knowledge - Concepts (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Insight (M)


    As a Runecrafter, knowledge of runes is important. But a rune without Sigils is just a fancy-looking weak mana gathering array. This skill allows the user to peer into the infinite depths of reality and slowly but surely extract meaning. By focusing on a Sigil this Skill will give hints on related Subconcepts and even higher tier versions of the Sigil. Reality becomes meaning and meaning becomes Power. This Skill will store excess mana which can be used to forcibly increase the tier of a Sigil. Amount of mana required is dependent on the difference between the tier of the Sigil and the improved tier. Speed of excess mana absorbed by this Skill increases by 1% per Skill Level. Additionally this Skill increases the users Intellect by 10%. Increases by 1% per Skill Level.


    Conceptual Awareness (L)


    As a Runecrafter, knowledge of runes is important. However, Sigils are necessary to create runes and such knowledge is often hoarded. This skill will allow the user to extract Sigils from imbued materials, such as enchanted items, alchemical concoctions or even materials with an affinity. Sapients conceal truths but the universe whispers them to you regardless. Complexity of Concepts and Subconcepts that can be extracted increases with Skill Level. Additionally this Skill increases the users Intellect by 5%. Increases by 1% per Skill Level.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    ¡°Easy choice, right Boss?¡± asked Frick.


    ¡°Not like the last two evolutions,¡± agreed Nate. ¡°Being able to learn more Sigils is interesting. But it¡¯s not going to get me higher tier Sigils, and without those my hopes of some higher tier Achievements to shift my Embodiment might as well just be delusions.¡±


    ¡°Easy choice then,¡± Frick repeated.


    Since his anti-scrying ward was already out and powered by some of his stolen mana, he continued to voice his thoughts even as he selected Conceptual Insight.


    ¡°I wonder why the Skill needs to store the excess mana to let me see how to improve a Sigil¡¯s tier?¡± he asked out loud.


    Frick sat still for a moment thinking, ¡°What if it¡¯s not about the mana?¡±


    Nate¡¯s eyes narrowed at the question. His Familiar had a point. In theory, the amount of mana the Skill should be able to take should be finite. You could forcibly overpower a Skill usage by flooding it with more mana¡­but there was always mana wasted doing that. A Skill could only take so much mana at a time. More importantly, the description said it was storing the mana. If that was the case, why would it function like a Mana Reserve¡­and worse, why did it not have a defined limit? Was it doing something to the mana, or using it for something else, to get what it needed to ¡®reveal the infinite depths of reality¡¯? Running his sphere of awareness over his own Class Core didn¡¯t help. No new hints came from his observation. Even now he couldn¡¯t sense the runes carved into the surface of his Class Core as more than rigid and bumpy areas of the otherwise smooth sphere.


    Without a better idea on what might be going on with his new Skill, he instead settled in to work on one of his other projects. He had an idea for a material for his next Conceptual Automation. The Skill had saved his life, quite literally, but from his experiments he had learned that a large portion of the power that had been exhibited by his Constructs had been driven by the processed mana. He wished he had some on hand to test just how much the exact difference was with two identical materials. The plan was to collect some on his next Dungeon run, which was a couple of weeks away. This time they were going with Coralie and Flash. A concession he had made for Kiri as he didn¡¯t want to exclude her new girlfriend, even if he preferred working with Null and Britt. Null, because he was just a great guy and incredibly competent. Britt because she was competent too, and he supposed, because he did enjoy the attention. Even if there was unlikely to be any opportunities for other things while in a Dungeon. Maybe on the ride there though? Depended on how far away the Dungeon was. Useless thoughts though.


    Working with Coralie and Flash would be an interesting change. Neither were the defensive types. They made up for that though with their excessive damage output he suspected. That and Coralie¡¯s ability to control the battlefield. It was shaping up to be an interesting trip.


    Shaking his head he focused back on the issue at hand. His new idea for a material to act as the substrate for Conceptual Automation. A version of his Gravity Control rune. He continued to channel Conceptual Material into the metal bar as he aligned the molecular structure to his Sigil for Gravity. It wasn¡¯t as powerful as his Barrier Sigil. But it was a match for his Shadow one which he hoped would indicate how powerful it would be. While channelling he continued to work with Runic Creation, carving multiple versions of his Gravity Control rune into the surface of the metal. His hope was that by giving it three different control runes it would be able to control three instances of gravity at the same time. The idea he had in his mind was that the Construct would be able to both push and pull simultaneously. That way it wouldn¡¯t need to worry about how hard the ground was to crush something. It could just push on it from three different directions.


    He intended to test a Rare tier version of it first to confirm that the idea worked before he would attempt to make a Legendary version. That was less about the mana required and more about the time. Even with the improvements to his Conceptual Material skill it would still be a two to three week job to raise a bar of metal from Common grade to Legendary. A vast improvement on what it had been previously, and more than the Skill bonus alone accounted for. He suspected the difference came from his Stats. But even with that vast improvement, it was still time consuming and his time was finite.


    The time it would take was worth it though. This would be his first ace in the hole, along with the Barrier Bracer Frick was working on. Because if he had learned anything, it was that when he was properly prepared, he was unbeatable.


    *************


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, boss, two ain¡¯t gonna be enough,¡± explained Lothar. ¡°The rumours on this kid is he¡¯s good. Real fuckin¡¯ good. We need a third suppressor.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s barely into the University. A level forty or so. How fuckin¡¯ good can he be? Kali and Phira have been enough for every other job. ¡®Sides, it¡¯ll cut into the take if we have to hire outside help,¡± replied Darren.


    ¡°Boss, we go with two, my gold says he escapes the net. Then we¡¯re fucked.¡±


    ¡°Fine! But if the thirds a waste, it¡¯s comin¡¯ out of your cut!¡± grunted Darren.


    ¡°Like fuck it is! Unless you¡¯re giving me your cut if it turns out I¡¯m right?¡± answered Lothar.


    Darren stared down at him. They had worked together for years now. The man should know to trust his instincts.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get us a third. You better be fuckin¡¯ right Lothar.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I always?¡± he answered smugly. His Epic Skill Threat Analysis always worked. Even on veiled noble asholes. It would do for some Guild kid.


    *************


    Fabien stared across the desk, his thoughts in turmoil. How had it come to this? How had some trumped up commoner been able to defeat him so soundly. All he had needed to do was get Nate to leave the University. Torching his room and getting him kicked out of the Enchanting course had just been the start. He had planned to continue making the adventurer¡¯s life hell until he finally quit the University. Why his benefactor wanted that they hadn¡¯t said, but that had been the goal. Then, that foul little bastard had put up those drawings, dragging Fabien¡¯s good name through the mud before his peers. He¡¯d let his rage get the better of him. He could see that now. But even then, he should¡¯ve been able to beat some commoner who was likely ten levels his junior. He just didn¡¯t understand how he had failed so badly. But it wasn¡¯t over yet. He may have been forced out of the University, but he still resided in the city. There was still a chance to get back at that insolent bastard.


    ¡°I want him dead!¡± he demanded.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll get it. But only after I get what I want. Understood?¡± answered the person sitting opposite him.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll still give me what we agreed?¡± asked Fabien, hating that his voice sounded like he was pleading.


    ¡°....yes.¡±


    Perhaps, he thought, if I return with this to Dralogne my Father won¡¯t consider me a complete failure. It was a lie, but he¡¯d rather believe the lie than accept the truth, that his Father would tell him he was a failure and a disgrace, just like he had always been.

 Chapter 131 - What a Weapon

    Kiri strolled arm in arm with Coralie, admiring the nightlife of the merchants district. They had enjoyed a beautiful dinner at a restaurant Coralie had suggested and were now heading towards their next destination. She just hoped that everything would be okay with Nate and that he wasn¡¯t planning a nightly foray. Her Soul Tether was telling her he was at the Den of Desire. That was two weeks in a row on the same day. She was wondering what he was up to, but as long as he went straight back to the University after he was done painting or whatever he was doing at the Den, then all would be well. Her thoughts were cut short as her girlfriend piped up.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not going to tell me what the surprise is?¡± asked Coralie, the little blonde pouting up at her.


    ¡°By the Gods, how impatient can you be? We¡¯re on our way there now!¡± teased Kiri with a smile.


    Coralie harrumphed but by now Kiri knew it was all just an act. Her girlfriend liked the attention. She was trying not to¡­what was the word Nate had used, psychanalyse or something? It sounded weird because it had been in his own language, but he had explained the meaning well enough. So she was trying not to think too deeply about the reasons that Coralie might have such a desire for the attention of a peer. Especially a female peer. But it was hard not to notice when the dangerous little Ice Mage dropped the occasional comments about her Mother. It seemed that attention was the last thing that her Guild Prefect Mother had been willing to give her.


    Certainly she had gotten other things. Access to the methods for better Achievements, Stat Orbs, Skills purchased for her by her Mother. But a mother¡¯s love was apparently not on that list. It was such a stark comparison with Kiri¡¯s own family and made her miss her parents terribly. It was exciting and fun to be out in the world, making her own way. But she did miss the moments spent with her Father, when he would train her or take her on hunts with him in Firth Forest. Teaching her to recognise the tracks of various animals or how to find some herbs. How to move unseen on the ground, even though she knew he had preferred to make his way through the canopy. Then there was her Mother.


    The woman knew her better than she had ever known herself. It had been a bit of a surprise to her Father when she had told them that she liked women and that they probably weren¡¯t getting grandkids so they should consider having a second child. Her Mother hadn¡¯t even blinked. Just flashed her trademark knowing smile and asked her if she had her eye on anyone in particular. Not that that had ended well. The object of her infatuation had been Mirabelle, a merchant''s daughter who travelled with her father around the various frontier towns. They came by every few months and stayed a week. Until she didn¡¯t.


    Mirabelle¡¯s father had told her that she had married the owner of a tavern a few towns over. No goodbye and worse, Mirabelle and the tavern owner had been courting even while she was stealing kisses with her every visit. The pit in her stomach had been endless and she had cried herself to sleep for many nights before her Mother pulled her out of her spiral. It had been her Mother who had helped mend those wounds and she couldn¡¯t imagine what it must be like to have a mother who cared so little.


    Glancing back at Coralie she smiled at her girlfriend, ¡°You brought your coin and mana gems right?¡±


    ¡°I did. We¡¯re not going gambling, are we? You know the chances of winning are abysmal without Skills to influence the outcomes?¡± commented Coralie.


    ¡°Not gambling,¡± said Kiri, adding with a mumble, ¡°at least not tonight.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. We¡¯re here!¡± Kiri replied excitedly, waving her arms in front of them.


    ¡°The Auction House?¡± Coralie asked as the pair looked over the large edifice.


    The building was one of the few, even in the merchants district that exceeded four stories, standing at a total of six floors. As Kiri understood it, the top two floors were mostly offices and for private showings. The lower four functioned as a multi-leveled auditorium, with two floors set aside for an almost excessive amount of seating. The middle two floors of the building housed the various private boxes.


    The uncertainty on Coralie¡¯s face was understandable. The first time Kiri had come to the Auction House she had been forced to engage with the staff on the first two floors and the noise, fervour and smell of the participants was reason enough to view this as a poor date idea. But it wasn¡¯t the first two levels they were going to, she thought with a smile as they approached the door and she showed off a token. The guard at the door ushered the pair to the side where one of the ushers waited.


    ¡°The booth is ready for you, Miss Beaufoy. If you and your companion would follow me?¡± greeted the young man, before guiding the pair inside the building and immediately up a set of stairs past the guards who kept anyone from following them.


    ¡°A booth?¡± whispered Coralie. ¡°How did you get a booth? I¡¯ve only been in one twice, when Mother brought me along to see how the Guild sold what it didn¡¯t need while acquiring resources for its members. Even then, she used the Guild¡¯s booth!¡±


    Kiri couldn¡¯t help but grin. It seemed her surprise was paying off.


    ¡°It was part of a deal I made with them for selling an Epic item through them,¡± answered Kiri.


    ¡°Epic item? Your Tournament reward? You sold it?!?!¡± hissed Coralie, eyes wide. ¡°Why would you do that? Do you know how hard it is to get one of those? Even I have only one and Mother has refused to tell me what she had to do to acquire it for me!¡±


    Kiri debated answering her. Should she tell her the truth? Probably. She was going to figure it out anyway when she saw what Kiri was bidding on. The Auction House had been keeping an eye out for some particular item types for her and had sent a message to the University that something that met her needs was finally on the cards. She supposed that meant there was no point hiding what she was doing then.


    ¡°I needed the coin and mana to buy a gift for Nate.¡±


    Coralie looked confused, ¡°Why not just choose something from the Guild stores then? You had access to the Rare and Epic Vault. Surely there was something in there?¡±


    The usher had been politely ignoring their quiet conversation and approaching a door, opened it for them, holding out a hand to guide the pair into the small booth. It was on the third level and had enough room to comfortably seat four.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your server and assistant tonight. So let me quickly go over the rules for the Auction and how to make use of the facilities,¡± explained the officious young man. ¡°In front of you, you will see the primary bidding tool.¡±


    It looked like a gameboard, with small cubes of wood in neat piles on the side. Each cube had a number on it.


    ¡°As you can see, we use an anonymous bidding system for our booth users. You merely need to slot your bid, using the numerical values on the cubes, into the slot here and it will be registered by our system. In addition, if you place this marker,¡± he indicated a circular piece of wood that looked enchanted, ¡°onto here, it will notify me that you wish to be served. Use this if you wish refreshments, which are on the house, or if you have any questions for me. Finally, all bids are final and we do not tolerate threats or violence, against the Auction House, the staff, or fellow bidders. Were there any questions?¡±


    Kiri and Coralie shook their heads and the usher took their drink orders, with Coralie also ordering some dessert, before the man took his leave.


    ¡°Back to my question!¡± Coralie stated the moment the door was closed. ¡°Why not get him something from the Guild vaults?¡±


    ¡°Because they only had weapons and I didn¡¯t see any Skills that fit what I was looking for,¡± explained Kiri.


    ¡°What?¡± Coralie asked in confusion.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen what he is like. If it wasn¡¯t for his desire to keep progressing, he¡¯d spend all day painting!¡± Kiri explained.


    ¡°That is true¡­¡± admitted Coralie. ¡°Still, selling an Epic item? You know that it¡¯s unlikely to be enough to buy a comparable Epic item right? What¡¯s the Auction House cut?¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Fifteen percent,¡± grouched Kiri. That had stung more than she was willing to admit.


    ¡°So the plan is to buy him a Rare item as a gift?¡±


    Kiri shook her head, ¡°No. I have enough to get him an Epic item.¡±


    ¡°How? Are you spending your own earnings as well? How did you even make enough to make up the difference?!¡± Coralie asked, throwing her hands in the air dramatically. It was amusing to Kiri as this was the most lively she had seen her girlfriend. Outside of the bedroom, that was.


    ¡°I err, fought in The Pit and bet on myself,¡± Kiri explained.


    Coralie stared at her wide-eyed, ¡°You did what?!?! That place is dangerous, Kiri!¡±


    Her girlfriend instantly started looking her over for wounds, exploring with both her hands and her eyes. She wasn¡¯t going to find any though, thought Kiri. Soul Imbuement was a Legendary Skill and while it cost her a lot of soul energy, as long as she had enough, every wound vanished. She was beginning to wonder if it might even stop her ageing.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really,¡± said Kiri, gripping Coralie¡¯s upper arms gently to calm her down.


    Coralie took a few deep breaths, before looking back up at her, ¡°You¡¯re a dangerous and mysterious woman.¡±


    ¡°I thought that¡¯s what you liked about me?¡± Kiri quipped, trying to lighten the mood.


    ¡°It is,¡± answered Coralie with a blush. ¡°Just, don¡¯t be too rash, alright?¡±


    Kiri nodded agreeably, knowing that what Coralie considered rash and what she did were vastly different. Her girlfriend was working with incomplete information though, so she would just leave it as it was.


    A knock at the door put their conversation to rest as their drinks and Coralie¡¯s dessert arrived. Some fruit and cream mixture. Kiri thought it smelled good and was considering ordering her own when the auction finally began. The pair discussed the various pieces as they came out. There were Common and Uncommon Stat and Skill Orbs, likely taken from wild beasts and monsters rather than Dungeons. Then various products likely produced within the Capital itself. A special set of alchemical potions meant to grant the user resistance to various elements. Weapons, shields, armour and clothing, all combining multiple disciplines. Blacksmithing and enchanting were the most common, but some of the clothing had been alchemically treated before it was woven. Still, so far, nothing had been particularly impressive. Coralie did pick up a potion that was supposed to enhance the imbibers control over ice for an hour or so.


    Finally, after what felt like an interminable wait but had likely only been an hour, they started to move onto the closing offerings. The Epics.


    ¡°The next item is something of a curiosity. Useful to crafters, but better suited to artists, it comes to us from across the ocean,¡± announced the host, as a large paintbrush was placed on a pillow on the stage. ¡°While it may not look like much, this paintbrush comes with two very interesting and useful enchantments. Firstly, this paintbrush contains a delineated spatial storage that will let the artist keep their paints separated while storing them all inside. It has enough containers to store exactly one hundred different paints at three litres each. These can be drawn on with a trickle of mana and will let the artist ¡®dip¡¯ the paintbrush without even having to move their hand. Amazing no?


    ¡°But of course, that alone would not make this an Epic offering. No. No. It is the other enchantment that makes this a truly remarkable find. For you see, the secondary Enchantment is a Mana Imbuement enchantment. This paintbrush will take the excess mana it receives, and funnel it into the paints stored within. We have verifiable proof that this does in fact, over time, raise the quality of the paints stored within. So, who among you thinks a painting made with rare, or even better, epic quality paint, is worth a bid? Starting price is a thousand gold coins or its equivalent in mana at standard exchange rates!¡±


    Kiri immediately bid to match the starting price, only to see the price jump to twelve hundred gold coins. When she had sold her Reinforced Manerium Blade she had managed to get fourteen hundred gold coins for it. Minus the Auction House¡¯s cut, she had been left with just under twelve hundred. However, her betting on herself at The Pit had turned five hundred gold coins, a small fortune as far as she was concerned, into two thousand four hundred gold coins. She¡¯d been forced to leave a hundred with Cutter, both for organising her fight and for keeping the bookies from trying to murder her. That meant she had around three thousand and one hundred gold coins to spend on this event, and damn the Gods, she intended to spend it all if she had to!


    The price jumped to thirteen hundred, then fifteen hundred. Trying to get ahead of the bidding war she bid eighteen hundred. It held there for ten seconds before it jumped to two thousand and she grit her teeth. She needed to make them understand she would not be beat. This item was perfect for her best friend. A small way for her to show her gratitude for all he had done for her and given her. The Skill Enhancement Orbs alone were bordering on priceless. She quickly responded by increasing the bid to twenty five hundred.


    ¡°Twenty five hundred! Going once, going twice, and sold!¡± exclaimed the Auctioneer.


    Kiri grinned from ear to ear. She had finally managed to get a present for Nate. It only had taken two months she thought, wryly.


    As it was delivered she checked on his Soul Tether and sighed in a put upon way. Why did he have to choose tonight to go and engage in some of his¡­what did he call it again? Graffiti. And why oh why did he choose to do it so close to the docks?


    *************


    Exiting the Den of Desire, Nate grinned. Another evening well spent. Some merchant had asked for a painting of him with one of the escorts draped over him as the pair drank and ate in the common room. It was a weird request as far as he was concerned, but the man had been very generous in what he paid considering it was just a painting. Fifty gold for an hour''s work and he had made his manerium delivery.


    Heading down the street towards an alley he moved to avoid a group of rowdy men and women who looked like they had just left an inn, arms draped all over each other and laughing. He smiled in amusement until he sensed his connection to Frick back at the University severed as the mana surrounding him started to vanish. Through his sphere of awareness he could feel as the mana deadzone continued to creep towards him from all sides. Immediately he tried to activate True Teleportation to escape but without the ability to extend his mana beyond the deadzone he couldn¡¯t forge the link required. Even as he looked for an escape he saw two of the men from the group of revellers were already rushing him and he was forced to use True Teleportation at a far shorter range moving only a couple of metres.


    Ignoring the mens shouts of annoyance he threw his own mana against the deadzone which continued to get closer and closer to him. He sensed his own mana being dispersed as it touched the deadzone and he was forced to teleport again to avoid the launched fist of one of his attackers, his available zone for movement decreasing by the second.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him! We need him alive!¡± yelled one of the men in the back.


    With his mind working quickly Nate noticed that two of the women in front of him were staring at him intently, not moving. Convinced they were the source of the mana deadzone he reached into his spatial storage, lamenting his real tools weren¡¯t yet finished, and extracted a bar of metal. It was one of his test pieces, only Rare quality but with an affinity for metal. Activating Conceptual Automation he used Conceptual Intent to send it after the two women. The result was a golemoid looking construct with the colouring of an oil spill and red dust charging at the two women. He had been concerned that when the construct entered the mana deadzone that it would disperse. Instead it kept going and he had to wonder if it was because the material contained the mana. He was distracted from the results of his construct creation when he sensed an assault against his Soul Barrier, the engraving on his soul automatically drawing on his Mana Reserve to reinforce itself.


    ¡°His mind¡¯s protected!¡± yelled another man from behind him but Nate didn¡¯t have time to turn and see as the two men kept attacking him. He was starting to worry. He hadn¡¯t thought anyone would be able to threaten him in the City, given the reaction of the common folk and even the wariness of the nobility on campus. Forced to use True Teleportation he tried to create distance and find a gap through which he could flee, but the men attacking him were fast and his True Teleportation skill under these restrictions didn¡¯t move him far each time. Worse, the distance he could move continued to decrease as the deadzone continued to shrink, now barely five metres across. The deadzone felt different compared to Null¡¯s aura, which seemed to cancel out any mana it came into contact with. This was closer to his Mana Exclusion runes, shoving mana away from a particular area.


    ¡°Protect the Suppressors! Wear him down!¡± shouted the tall man in the back again and Nate thanked his lucky stars that at least they seemed to want him alive.


    He caught a glance of the man who was shouting duking it out with his metal construct, the sound of ringing metal filling the area as the mans fists left small dents in the metal frame of the conceptual creation. Teleporting again to avoid a tackle at his midsection he was going to yell for help when he saw that the Den of Desire bouncers were both down on the ground and bleeding, with two more men rushing in to join the fray against him!


    The two thugs, or whatever they were, continued to miss him with their reaching hands, as his mind was perfectly capable of analysing their movements and his True Teleportation was able to activate quickly with such small alterations to his position. But he wasn¡¯t gaining any distance as the group moved with him, and between the constant Skill use and his Soul Engraving, he was leaking mana like a sieve. He just hoped his Mana Reserve was enough to outlast these people as he frantically searched for a path of escape.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep up the mental, boss!¡± yelled the voice from behind him.


    ¡°Swap!¡± came the voice of the largest man.


    That apparently was a signal for the tall man in the back as he pulled something out of his pocket. The next moment the man was rushing him. Nate felt a moment of panic and fear as the man got close and he felt space harden around him, resisting his True Teleportation. A second later a kick connected with his stomach, sending him sprawling in the dirt. He rolled over, puking blood onto the street. Glancing up he had time to see his metal construct breaking the arm of one of his assailants before the shadow of a descending fist blotted out his vision and he collapsed into the dirt unconscious.

 Chapter 132 - Desperate Measures

    Nate awoke slowly, his head ringing as his mind tried to process his surroundings. He attempted to look around and regretted it immediately, pain lancing through his jaw. It had been enough to see he wasn¡¯t alone. Carefully and slowly he tried to focus on his body, assessing the damage. It was far less extensive than he had expected. A broken jaw was the worst of it, which he¡¯d jostled raising his head. Beyond that though, he was down to his underwear and tied to a chair.


    Reaching inside himself for the Familiar Contract he found that Frick hadn¡¯t reformed yet. The little spirit¡¯s banishings usually only lasted an hour or so which told him that it hadn¡¯t been long since he was taken. Very slowly he rotated his head to look around the room he was in and the people he was sharing it with. Whoever they were, they hadn¡¯t bothered to blindfold him. Seeing his condition he acknowledged that they didn¡¯t really have a reason to. It looked like they had chained him to a chair and had stashed him in some room with a couple of windows looking out over a warehouse floor. That was a guess, but an educated one, given all the crates and barrels stacked throughout the place outside the window.


    ¡°Let me in there!¡± came a familiar voice from outside of the room. Nate was still groggy but he was sure he had heard that man''s voice before. Was he just remembering the sound of the ones who had attacked him or was it someone else?


    ¡°Not until she arrives. Her orders,¡± was the response. That voice was deeper and as his head cleared he was sure that was the one who had hit him.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± hissed the first speaker and Nate finally put a name to the voice. Fabien fucking Lussier.


    ¡°I dun give a fuck, m¡¯lord. She¡¯s paying. Now cool ya heels till she arrives,¡± responded the mercenary, followed by an angry growl and the sound of feet stomping away from the door.


    Well, shit, he thought. Apparently there were consequences to opposing the nobility. At least if his current situation was anything to go by. But what was it that the other guy had said? ¡®Not until she arrives¡¯? Who was ¡®she¡¯? With his mind cleared he started to try and reach for his mana and found that while his mana remained, he still couldn¡¯t project it beyond his skin. Worse, the bindings were far enough away that he couldn¡¯t affect them with True Teleportation. He had  a pretty good idea about what was going on. It was no accident that he wasn¡¯t alone. Attempting to flex his mana he started pushing back against whatever was excluding his mana. Between his Magic Power and Magic Control he tried to forcibly construct a rune in front of him.


    The response was immediate as two of the three staring at him grit their teeth. Active mana exclusion or suppression as a Skill. That was an interesting path to take.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake,¡± called the only one of the three not gritting her teeth, but even her voice sounded a little strained.


    The door opened, enough for the other voice to call in.


    ¡°Everythin¡¯ alrigh¡¯?¡± asked the man waiting outside.


    ¡°Thought you said he was some level forty or so from the Guild?¡± ground out the only man in the room besides Nate. ¡°He¡¯s pushing back against three of us! This is insane! I¡¯ve had less difficulty wrangling a level sixty Mage!¡±


    ¡°Jus¡¯ keep ¡®im under control. She¡¯ll be ¡®ere soon,¡± grunted the man outside of Nate¡¯s makeshift cell, before shutting the door.


    Nate smirked at the three left in the room with him even as he continued to press against them with his mana. Eventually he¡¯d run out of mana, or they would break. While he kept the pressure up he had a moment to tally up his situation. He had a broken jaw, had his robe and ring taken, was chained to a chair in some warehouse and couldn¡¯t use his mana to get himself out of this situation. In short, he was fucked. He just hoped someone would find him before Fabien was let into the room to kill him, as he was sure that was what the noble intended.


    His mind wandered back to the attack and how he could have done better. It had been nothing like his fight against the demons in the Fourth Hell and he wanted to think about why. The answer was obvious quickly. Mana exclusion. In the Fourth Hell, none of the demons had interfered with his ability to use mana, or processed mana he supposed. Given the lack of ambient mana it made sense that they wouldn¡¯t have developed such Skills. Maybe they had a variant for demonic energy? Who knew? But that was what had tipped this fight against him. If he¡¯d had his completed Barrier Bracer he likely could have used that to defend himself.


    The mana exclusion had prevented mana from being released into the area, but it didn¡¯t stop him from drawing on his Mana Reserve. It wouldn¡¯t have stopped him from drawing on the mana within the bracer. That would¡¯ve turned it into a war between the mana in the bracer and whoever was opposing the presence of mana. He was confident he could¡¯ve won that. At least confident enough that he could¡¯ve put up more of a fight. Maybe it would¡¯ve been fine if his Magic Power was higher as well. That had been the issue against Null. The problem still lay in that much of his Magic Power was linked to being able to create a runic array. With his Magic Power at almost a hundred and fifty he was no slouch in that department, but his Empowered Runic Artistry bumped that by another hundred. That gave him an idea going forward, assuming he survived this.


    He had nothing better to do and no way to escape so he kept going over the idea. They were unable to affect the mana inside him or so close to his skin. In fact, he had yet to meet someone who could affect the mana inside of himself. It wasn¡¯t to say it was impossible, but it was an order of magnitude more difficult to forcibly make changes to someone else. He knew this from trying to teleport Kiri. Her own mana naturally resisted. Now, Kiri¡¯s Magic Power was absolutely garbage, so in his tests he had been able to move her, but the cost had been obscene. He didn¡¯t know if that had anything to do with affinities or if something else was the cause. Especially since, from what he had seen, mental Skills had been unaffected by that challenge.


    Based on his experiments with Kiri he suspected that mental-type Skills, like her Command the Soul or the Enchantress back in Helmfirth¡¯s Suggestion and Command used mana to influence soul energy. Soul energy apparently did not carry the same resistances. That wasn¡¯t to say it was cheap or easy. Kiri had complained extensively about how expensive the Skill was. Thinking back to the fight, the mental attacker had even yelled that he was running out of mana.


    Going back to his original line of thinking, he knew that any type of mana suppression, be it via nullification or exclusion, when used on a person''s actual body, was almost always doomed to fail. So, if he couldn¡¯t project his runes beyond his body, perhaps he should make his body the house for some of his runes. Not all of them. He had to consider the limitations of his biological body and more specifically, his physical Stats. But perhaps he could do something like creating a barrier runic array on his bones. The question was, was the effort worth it?


    He didn¡¯t think he could use Conceptual Material on himself. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d considered the Skills application to biological matter, but there was an issue of molecular structure alterations. Living things had their molecules structured in very specific ways. Changes to that could stop things from working, and a breakdown in a biological pathway could spell death. Worse, he had no method for reversing what he did with Conceptual Material. Perhaps he was just reaching for straws when what he needed was more of his runecrafted equipment. That brought him back to his initial thought, that if his Legendary Barrier Bracer had been ready, then he wouldn¡¯t be almost naked tied to a chair in some dingy warehouse.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The sound of footsteps brought an end to his musings. Unless he missed his guess, there were two people approaching. A moment later the door swung open and three people entered his makeshift cell.


    The first was the man who had broken his jaw and had clearly been waiting outside the door.  He was assuming that one was the leader of this mob of miscreants. The second was Fabien Lussier, red hair and eyes that burned with anger and hatred as they stared at each other for a moment. The third gave him a mild surprise, as Caroline Lambert, the Enchanter from the Nobles District entered, purple hair hidden beneath a black coif.


    Ever since the issues began at the Royal University he had been wondering who was behind them. Mind you, there had only been the two issues. But burning out his room then getting him kicked out of Enchanting seemed risky and he had wondered who would bother making the effort for some random Adventurer. He¡¯d honestly wondered if perhaps it was the Unseen, or just some noble who hated the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Did the Enchanter just want revenge for their interaction? That seemed unlikely to him. Then it clicked for him. She didn¡¯t want revenge. She wanted knowledge. She wanted Sigils. What was it she had asked him back then? He wracked his mind, ignoring the pain in his jaw as he thought back on their interaction. ¡®Is that the only Master quality Sigil you know?¡¯ That was it. Her question back then. She had rightly suspected he had other Master quality Sigils in his repertoire and she wanted them. Greed. Why did it always come back to that? Apparently people could give the demons of the Fourth Hell a run for their money on that front.


    Staring back at the three sets of eyes watching him he waited patiently. He had a pretty good idea of what was coming next. It was Caroline who finally broke the silence.


    ¡°Hello again, Nate. I wasn¡¯t happy with how our last interaction ended so I have made sure that this time the difference between our positions is far more clear.¡±


    She paused to hold up his ring, ¡°I am both impressed and disappointed with what I found in here. A few incredibly powerful mana gems. Some mana imbued gold and a few other metals though nothing above Rare quality that I could tell. A ridiculous amount of painting supplies. And these.¡±


    As she finished she pulled one of his Skill Enhancement Orbs, his Puzzle Box and the Legendary Skill Orb for The Time Between and finally a closed book out of the storage ring. He wanted to laugh at her but all he managed was a chuckle before the pain in his jaw made him stop. She might have found a bit more if they had struck before he entered the Den. But he¡¯d already made his manerium delivery. Frick had his other two projects back in his room at the University, though with his Familiar banished those were now just lying around his room. The runes protecting the room should be enough to keep them protected though. Finally, the low number of mana gems was because they were either back in his room for Frick to use, or recharging in his little mana syphoning facility. Still, there was more than enough in front of him to cause some serious problems.


    ¡°I am very disappointed that you don¡¯t carry your Sigil tome around with you, as this certainly isn¡¯t it,¡± she lamented, shaking the book left to him by Arikanvil about how to find his home universe.  ¡°Is it some form of advanced mathematics? It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s Sigils that I want and it¡¯s Sigils that you¡¯re going to give me. Where do you keep your Sigil tome?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the answer out of him,¡± Fabien said, sneering at Nate.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have your turn. But not until I get my answers,¡± replied Caroline with a clipped tone before looking at Nate expectantly.


    His jaw made it painful to talk, but he figured silence would just get him tortured even sooner. Better to buy some time. ¡°W¡¯as a Sijil tom¡¯?¡±


    Caroline frowned in displeasure and he prepared himself for the pain of being slapped. Instead of slapping him she grabbed his jaw in her hands and roughly tilted his head upwards. The pain was excruciating and he would have screamed if it wasn¡¯t for the liquid being poured into his mouth. He started to choke when she pinched his nose, forcing him to swallow the dirt-tasting concoction. As it slid down his throat he felt a numbness spread through his body starting at his face.


    ¡°There. Now maybe you¡¯ll be able to speak properly. Now repeat what you just said,¡± she demanded.


    She wasn¡¯t lying. The numbness was making him a little foggy but the pain was mostly gone. Testing his jaw he could feel a slight click when he moved it but it didn¡¯t send a bolt of agony racing through his head.


    ¡°I said, what¡¯s a Sigil tome?¡±


    He had a pretty good idea. But fuck giving her an answer. If they were going to get some answers out of him, they really would have to torture him. Anything to buy time for some sort of rescue or for the three who were suppressing the mana in the area to run out of juice. He survived a Dungeon at level one. He survived a System Challenge and the Fourth Hell. He¡¯d survive some greedy two-bit Enchanter and her hired goons.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be like that is it?¡± Caroline asked, her voice dripping with acid as Fabien and the mercenary stared at him, Fabien¡¯s eyes eager and the mercenaries hard.


    ¡°What about these then? What Skills do these Orbs offer?¡± she asked, holding out both the Skill Orb and a Skill Enhancement Orb.


    He couldn¡¯t help himself as a laugh burst out of him. Both were Legendary and she couldn¡¯t identify them. He knew his laugh was a bit hysterical, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. Between the ridiculousness of the situation, the fear of looming torture and the alchemical concoction shoved down his throat he wasn¡¯t in the best mental space. Coupled with seeing how incompetent his captors were when it came to identifying his belongings, he just couldn¡¯t help but laugh in their faces. A thought in the back of his mind said that if he told them, they might kill each other for the Orbs. Fabien definitely seemed like he¡¯d be willing to kill for such a treasure. But that would be such a waste of his hard-earned rewards. He¡¯d keep that idea in his back-pocket for now.


    Caroline moved on to his Puzzle Box, holding it up in front of him, ¡°What Sigil is this and what¡¯s inside of the box?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± he muttered truthfully, still trying to get his laughter under control.


    ¡°Fine. I guess we do this the hard way,¡± Caroline responded, distaste clear on her face before she turned to the mercenary. ¡°Bring me a table and a chair.¡±


    Turning to Fabien, she gave him a nod, ¡°Nothing lethal and stay away from his hands and face. I need him to be able to answer questions and draw.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, madam,¡± answered Fabien with an eager smile as he drew a small rod out of his pocket. The blackened wood was only about ten centimetres long and tipped with a red gem. Nate didn¡¯t need his sphere of awareness to tell what it was at a glance. Some form of wand. He was proven correct a moment later as an angry red flame lit at the end of the wand. Academically he was pleased to see his thoughts on mana exclusion and enchanted or runecrafted items had been correct. Taking a deep breath he prepared for the pain.


    The table and chair hadn¡¯t been brought in, nor had Caroline asked Nate any more questions, but that didn¡¯t stop Fabien from leaning forward and beginning to burn Nate¡¯s chest. He had hoped, for the barest of moments, that the alchemical concoction would prevent the pain. The flames licked his skin and put that hope to rest as he began screaming. Looking up he locked eyes with his torturer and saw only pleasure reflected in them.


    *************


    Lothar looked at his boss as the man walked past holding a chair and small table.


    ¡°This is a bad idea, boss,¡± he whispered softly, not wanting their employer to hear.


    ¡°What is it now, Lothar?¡± grunted Darren.


    ¡°Boss, that woman couldn¡¯t tell up from down with the kids gear. Not the fucking robe. Not the Orbs. Not even the fucking Sigil on that box and she¡¯s a fucking Epic Enchanter! By the Gods, Boss, I reckon we¡¯ve put our fucking foot in it on this one. People with that kind gear at his age¡­they got friends in high places!¡±


    Darren grunted his agreement and after a moment nodded, ¡°Alrigh¡¯. After we get paid we¡¯ll hoof it outta Etrua. Use a go-between fer any future deliveries to tha Capital. Ya happy?¡±


    Lothar was not happy. He was far from happy. Nodding to Darren he watched his boss leave while considering whether he should just make a run for it right now. He had a real bad feeling about this.

 Chapter 133 - Blood for Blood

    Nate heaved, trying to catch his breath and ignore the torment that was his partially melted chest.


    ¡°What other Master tier Sigils do you know?¡± demanded Caroline Lambert.


    ¡°Right, left, release,¡± he muttered, spittle dripping down his chin.


    ¡°What nonsense are you on about?¡± demanded Fabien, brandishing his burning wand again which caused Nate to flinch.


    Caroline put a restraining hand on the young noble''s shoulder and pointed to the table in front of Nate.


    ¡°Draw them,¡± she demanded.


    Nate struggled to pick up the pencil, his muscles twitching from being clenched through the pain of being burned. He began to scribe out all three Sigils, detailing their Apprentice tier versions that he knew. Even in his pained and delirious state, he refused to give them what they wanted. So long as they thought he had a use, they would keep him alive. Burned and scarred, but alive.


    Spinning the paper around to face Caroline he spat some blood on the floor from where he had bitten his own tongue while Fabien had been melting the skin on his chest. As he looked back up he didn¡¯t get a chance to react as Caroline¡¯s open palm slapped him across the face, jostling his broken jaw. The numbness from the potion she had forced down his throat was all that kept him from screaming again, but even that was starting to fade.


    ¡°You think I can¡¯t recognise an Apprentice tier Release Sigil?¡± she hissed, her purple eyes locking with his green.


    When she saw the defiance in his eyes she ground her teeth before leaning back and nodding to Fabien who happily stepped forward, flaming wand in hand. Nate closed his eyes and prepared for round three. Or was it four? It was getting hard to keep track. Either way, he could take a little more, even as a tear trickled down his cheek. He just hoped it would end soon.


    *************


    Kiri stared through the window into the room where they were holding Nate from her vantage point on the opposite side of the warehouse. Between Soul Shift, A Hidden Soul and her spell Wisps of Shadow she might as well have been invisible to these people. It was just fortunate they couldn¡¯t sense her emotions because the white hot fury she felt as she saw them start burning Nate was so all encompassing that anyone with an emotional sensory Skill would¡¯ve been able to feel her from a kilometre away. There was one thing she was certain of and that was that tonight a lot of people were going to die. Drawing her Dagger of Torn Soul she prepared to go to work on each and every person involved in harming her friend.


    Soul Sense covered over a hundred and fifty metres which let her know roughly how many opponents she had. There were fifteen in the warehouse, not including Nate and herself. She debated whether she should go and get Deverell for backup but instantly discarded the idea. They were torturing her best friend. Even if Deverell was in his room, which wasn¡¯t guaranteed, the precious minutes spent getting him could cost Nate his life. It would also cost her a sizable portion of her soul energy to use Soul Shift over such distances quickly. It didn¡¯t help that the docks, where this warehouse was located, were on the opposite side of the Capital to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Besides, she thought, I can take them.


    Creeping forward she moved around a set of crates to take out the first lookout. His eyes slid over her even as she approached him quietly. A Hidden Soul was a very odd type of stealth skill. Unlike most stealth skills, which concealed the user using things like shadow or light, A Hidden Soul focused on the mental act of awareness. Even as it drained away her soul energy, the Skill convinced her target that she wasn¡¯t there. His mind simply refused to see her, even as her hand covered his mouth and her enchanted dagger, coated with her own soul energy courtesy of Soul Imbuement, slipped into his throat. She made sure it kept going till it cut through his spinal cord, and like a puppet with its strings cut, the man collapsed to the floor.


    Stepping over the pooling blood she vanished, Soul Shift taking her to her next target. Everything was going fine until she reached her fourth target. The skinny rat-faced man glanced up as she approached and she felt a wave of soul energy attempt to wash over her, sliding through her skin to attack her mind directly.


    ¡°Stop,¡± the rat of a man said confidently, slowly standing.


    A smile crept onto her face as she ignored his mental Skill with only a small amount of difficulty. Using her own Command the Soul would take too much of her soul energy and she wasn¡¯t convinced it would work on the Mentalist, so instead she dashed at him as she enhanced herself with Soul Imbuement.


    ¡°Intruder!¡± yelled the rat of a man even as he barely made it two steps before she was on him.


    One dagger became nine as she finally unleashed Tethered Soulblade Dancing to her full capabilities, seven arms made from soul energy and mana blooming around her as she drew forth daggers from her recently evolved Soul Storage. The blades flashed in a hurricane of strikes, leaving the Mentalist dead from over fifty stab wounds in less than a couple of seconds.


    She was annoyed at herself as she stepped over the corpse. She had hoped to take down more of them before she was discovered. Now she was going to be forced into battle with at least ten unknown combatants. Walking forward, blood dripping from her fanned out tethered arms she glared forward. Everyone in this place was going to die for harming her best friend. Every. Single. One.


    *************


    Nate glanced up, catching his breath even as his chest screamed in pain. What was the word he had just heard? Intruder?


    ¡°Find out what is going on Darren!¡± demanded Caroline as she stared at the door worriedly.


    The mercenary opened the door, moving to step out. Instead he was knocked back into the room as a body impacted him. It was followed a moment later by the sound of shattering glass as a second body was launched through the window, knocking Fabien to the floor.


    Nate, his mind hazy and thoughts sluggish beneath the pain and alchemical mixture, took that moment to strike at the distracted Mana Suppressors. Throwing as much of his mana as he could channel at the suppression he was rewarded with a groan of pain from the man in the middle. Continuing to try and flood the area around him with his mana he grinned as the man''s nose started to bleed, his eyes beginning to roll up into his head.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    There was a flash in front of him as Kiri appeared, her tethered arms flashing out at the mercenary leader. Instead of the expected blood the man weathered the blows with his body before punching Kiri so hard she flew back out of the broken window. A moment later the mercenary was out the window after her. It didn¡¯t matter though. She had bought Nate enough time and distraction. The unconscious man across from him was all he needed to see. Three mana suppressors had managed to keep him down, but two were just not going to cut it. Forming a rune from memory was hard, but far from impossible and Runic Creation coupled with Empowered Runic Artistry let him form a Mana Gathering runic array with enough power to brute force the suppression. As mana rushed into the room he sent a burst of his own mana into the room, activating True Teleportation which took him out of his chains and across the room even as flames engulfed where he had been held captive just a moment ago.


    Farsight of the Runic Artist bloomed with his mana no longer completely suppressed and he activated True Teleportation two more times, teleporting his robe directly onto him from outside the room where it had been draped. The second was his spatial storage ring which he teleported into his pocket for now. His robe rubbing against his melted chest was excruciating but his anger was far worse than any pain could be. How dare they take him and torture him just because he had something they wanted! It was his fear of being put in a box and used ratcheted up to the maximum. He had never wanted to hurt anybody as badly as he wanted to hurt Fabien at that moment, and he knew, even before he acted, that he would never lose a wink of sleep over killing these people.


    Flames rushed at him but he teleported again to the other side of the room, watching as the flames torched a second of the people who had been suppressing his mana. Caroline was curled up in the corner and he could sense a barrier had sprung up around her. It seemed she hadn¡¯t completely squandered the knowledge he¡¯d traded with her. Runic Creation formed his barrier rune as he linked it with his powerful fire rune through Empowered Runic Artistry. The third wave of flame that washed over him did nothing, just as it had done nothing in their previous fight. His second rune was twofold. An Illusion of himself using his Illusion Control runic array that left him invisible even as his illusionary double appeared on the opposite side of the room next to the last mana suppressor.


    The mana suppressor yelled in fear even as Fabien screamed in rage and fear, unleashing a wave of fire that melted the woman into her seat, her mana suppression Skill failing to prevent the flames from reaching her.


    Nate hadn¡¯t wasted any time, forming a third runic array made from his Life and Drain runes. Dropping the illusion Nate walked slowly towards Fabien, his chest itching as his Life Drain runic array slowly funnelled energy to him from the flaming second son of some Earl.


    ¡°No! No! No!¡± Fabien kept repeating as he launched fireballs ineffectually at Nate¡¯s fire resistant Barrier.


    Nate kept walking towards him, forming a runic array he hadn¡¯t used in a long time. It was hard to directly influence another person''s body with mana if you in any way, shape, or form, were going to alter their mana. Teleporting obviously meant moving their mana. Draining or suppressing their mana, obviously. But that didn¡¯t mean you couldn¡¯t affect other aspects of their body. Like increasing the heat, or in his case, draining away the water. He¡¯d always wondered if it would be made easier through physical contact.


    Reaching out, even as Fabien pressed his back against the wall, Nate gently took Fabien¡¯s hand. With his barrier removed from his hand he could feel the gentle skin of the noble''s hand against his own. Then he activated the Water Drain runic array and pulled the water from Fabien¡¯s body. Blood and clear water flowed out of the man''s orifices even as his skin withered.


    Nate stepped away to crouch down in front of Caroline, ignoring Fabien¡¯s desiccated body and the flow of processed mana into his Class Core. The sound of battle continued in the warehouse but he wanted to make sure the Enchanter didn¡¯t get a chance to escape his wrath. Besides, Kiri could handle herself. She¡¯d yell if she needed him. With a small smile he reached out and touched her barrier with his unprotected finger.


    ¡°Not bad work. The problem with barriers is they take a lot of mana to keep up unless you can aspect them correctly. This looks like a very standard barrier though. Which means it¡¯ll wear down pretty quickly I am thinking,¡± he explained in a monotone voice, unable to muster his anger and fury now that Fabien was dead.


    Stepping back he withdrew a small metal bar from his spatial storage. Caroline had been right about it. It was only Rare quality. What she had failed to recognise was that it had an affinity. Activating Conceptual Automation he used Conceptual Intent to force the resulting construct to target the Enchanter, finally adding the subconcepts of crushing and unrelenting to the mix. The small Gravity Construct slowly formed as a hazy image of a planetary body. He sensed through his sphere of awareness as it began its attack and ignored Caroline¡¯s scream as he walked out the door to see how Kiri was doing.


    *************


    Kiri had the strength of a gryphon flowing through her soul as she charged at the hulking man in front of her, using her shoulder to launch him into and then through a stack of crates. She had been hoping to save the gryphon''s soul for grading out of the intermediate Combat subject. But using it now was a small price to pay, as far as she was concerned, for the freedom of her friend. There were only two souls left in the room above and one of them was Nate. He was fine, which meant she was free to vent her frustration against the durable piece of shit before her.


    She watched as Darren climbed out of the latest set of crates she had launched him through, barely a scratch on him. She had quickly realised he was over level sixty. An Embodiment for durability was her prime suspect, as he hadn¡¯t used any Skills that she could see. Even his soul energy was durable, resisting the draw of Soul Drain to an extent.


    Shaking himself, chips of wood falling off of him, Darren grinned at her, ¡°Ya¡¯r tough girl. I¡¯ll give ya tha¡¯. Fuckin¡¯ fast as well.¡±


    Kiri dodged the attacks as Darren came at her again, Soul Imbuement flooding her with a ridiculous amount of soul energy. She would gauge Darren at being tougher than she was. In strength she thought they would be evenly matched until the gryphon¡¯s soul was fully expended. But in terms of speed she left him in the dirt, dancing around his strikes with ease.


    ¡°Fucking fast is right,¡± she quipped, whipping a dagger at his eye so fast that he didn¡¯t even get to blink as it slid in a centimetre. The scream of pain was music to her ears. She only wished she could make him suffer more.


    She backed away and smiled brightly as Nate appeared next to her, once more clothed in his dark blue robe.


    ¡°He seems annoyingly durable,¡± commented Nate, his voice hoarse and tired.


    ¡°I was just waiting to make sure you had everything under control,¡± she explained before glancing at the man and expending almost all of her remaining soul energy.


    ¡°Go to the Etrua Adventurer¡¯s Guild and tell them how you kidnapped Nathaniel Weber,¡± she intoned, her words driven by Command the Soul. The Skill had taken a full quarter of her full soul energy capacity, but it was doable considering her Size of a Soul meant she could hold over four times as much soul energy as the average person. The mercenary instantly responded by dashing through the closed warehouse door in the direction of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, leaving even more broken wood on the ground in his wake. She just hoped he would stick to the roads on the way to Guild.


    There was a short scream from the room above before she felt the last living soul in the building vanish. Processed mana flowed down towards them both, though she suspected Nate was ignoring the level up notification just like she was.


    She watched as Nate sat down on the floor and scooted up next to him, putting an arm around him.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± she whispered softly. ¡°I even got you a present!¡±


    Nate¡¯s laugh in response broke the dam of her own emotions as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. She had come so close to losing him. Holding each other they sobbed for a few moments until a small bloom of soul energy appeared, forming into a small blue goblin that looked up at them excitedly.


    ¡°Hey Boss, what¡¯d I miss?!?!¡±

 Chapter 134 - Signs of Preparation

    Nate sat on the floor trying to process his emotions and everything that had happened in the last couple of hours. He was angry, furious even. What surprised him was the target of that fury. His anger was internally, at himself. How could he have let himself be taken or worse, caught so unprepared? He knew that if he still had his creations. His barrier bracer, his shadow scales or his acid wand that he could have fought back and won, but even to his own mind that felt like an excuse. He had been so convinced of his own Skills and strength that he hadn¡¯t taken proper precautions. The price of his hubris had almost cost him everything.


    Glancing at Kiri as she wandered around the room he realised how thankful he was that she had been tracking him. A small part of him, in the back of his mind, told him he should be angry or hurt by the deceit of hiding the Soul Tether from him. The greater part of him though, was thankful. It made him realise he didn¡¯t really care if Kiri always knew where he was. It also made him think that maybe he should do something similar to her. He cracked his second smile, since the battle, as he reined his mind in from thinking about how to use the Target and Bridge Sigils to create a rune to do exactly that.


    Once the battle had been over Frick had left to get Deverell and until Kiri¡¯s mentor arrived they were trying not to disturb the scene of the fight. Thinking of the fight brought him back to his notifications and he glanced at them, preparing to dismiss them.


    You have defeated an enemy utilising an Embodiment before achieving your own Embodiment.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +2 Magic Power, +8 Magic Control, +4 Channelling Speed, +4 Mana Reserve, +2 Mana Absorption +10 Free Stats


    Empowered Amplified Magic 28 > 30


    Empowered Runic Artistry 37 > 38


    Runic Creation 39 > 41


    True Teleportation 31 > 32


    Conceptual Insight 41 > 42


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 43 > 44


    Conceptual Automation 14 > 16


    Skills Available! Please Select 1* Skills.


    Class Skill Options:


    Spatial Expansion (Rare)


    Space is malleable. So, why limit your space to the prescribed dimensions when you could spatially expand it. Carry your clothes, your supplies, even your house, with you wherever you go. This Skill allows the user to create spatially expanded spaces. Size of expansion is based on the user''s Skill Level. Cost and duration is based on the user¡¯s Magic Power and Magic Control. Spatial space starts at one- half a cubic metre. Skill Level increases space by Skill Level * one-half a cubic metre.


    Spatial Reinforcement (Rare)


    Space is not solid. It is a fluid, three-dimensional area that can be altered or distorted, shaped or dispersed. But, for those wishing to create spaces that will resist the warping of gravity or, that will stand the test of time, they need the ability to harden space. They need Spatial Reinforcement. This Skill will reinforce any spatially created space or zone the user focuses on. Extent of reinforcement is based on user¡¯s'' Magic Power, Magic Control and Skill Level.


    Spatial Empowerment (Epic)


    All Mages need to empower their Skills and Spells beyond what their affinities can provide. Some turn to tools, enchantments, alchemy or even spirits. You have turned to sequestering mana to further empower your Skills by concentrating mana with your spatial affinity. This Skill empowers all Spatial Skills and Spells. Empowerment is equal to Skill Level * 2 plus Magic Control / 50 percent.


    Space is all around You (Rare)


    Space is one of the true constants of the material multiverse. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you occupy space and move through it. Why then must you utilise only your own mana for spatial skills when the mana that surrounds you also occupies space? This Skill reduces the mana cost of Spatial Skills and Spells by drawing on ambient mana with an affinity for space to offset the mana required. Mana cost reduction increases at Skill Level * 1.


    Spatial Portals (Rare)


    While a Spatial Mage can normally teleport themselves, moving others can be a challenge. Mana under the influence of others will naturally resist manipulation. That is where portals come in. Why move someone when you can forcibly connect two locations, just like looking through a window?. Distance increases with Skill Level. Initial distance is five metres. Skill Level increases distance by Skill Level * five metres.


    It still wasn¡¯t done as he looked over the next notification.


    Runic Creation (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Lasting Runic Creation (M)


    As a Runic Artist you have emphasised the aspect of Creation in your runes, creating runes out of mana and powered by mana, straddling the line between Runecrafting and Spellforms. This skill further emphasises that duality, creating runes from mana that will last and freeing the user to focus elsewhere. This skill allows the user to project Runes composed of mana onto any space or surface and dynamically alter them as they desire. Further, when the scaffold is made of mana it will maintain its shape without the user''s focus for a period of time. Mana cost based on Intellect, Creativity, Skill Level, Rune complexity and Rune Tier. Mana scaffold runes will last for 1 second * Skill Level before dissipating. Additional Skill Levels decrease mana cost by 2%. Additionally increases Creativity by 15%.


    Conceptual Runic Creation (M)


    As a Runic Artist you have emphasised your deep connection with the Concepts of reality. The truths of the universe are yours to mould and through runes you tame these truths and make them your own. This Skill allows the user¡¯s runes and the Concepts and Sigils involved to aspect the mana of any runes projected. Mana aspecting will increase the power of any runes created. Mana cost based on Intellect, Creativity, Skill Level, Rune complexity and Rune Tier. Mana aspecting is Skill Level * 1% resulting in an equivalent increase in the runes power. Additional Skill Levels decrease mana cost by 2%. Additionally increases Creativity by 15%.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    He sighed as he saw the evolution. He should have been happy, perhaps even ecstatic. But his emotions were wrung dry from the torture and fear he had experienced. Still, there was no point leaving his evolution and new skill waiting and once it was done he could focus on the here and now.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    He debated waiting for Frick to return to discuss the choices, but really, what was there to discuss? The Skill evolutions were both impressive and of course they were also both abilities he wanted. The former would let him do what he had been trying to do previously, allowing him to have more runes going than three or four at a time because he could create them then simply maintain a flow of mana to them while his mind could focus on creating another rune, and then another, and then another. He would finally be able to match pure Mages in the number of spells they had active or used at the same time. But, that didn¡¯t align with his goals for his Embodiment. Conceptual Runic Creation was exactly what he had been going for. Building for a future opportunity to synergise with Conceptual Material. Perhaps even Conceptual Automation. Passing up on that opportunity was never an option. With a thought he selected Conceptual Runic Creation.


    The spatial Skills were another matter. None of them appeared to help him resist Spatial Locks. Creating his own spatial spaces could be interesting, but then he could likely achieve the same with his runecrafting. Especially now that he could tier up Sigils. All he needed was a low tier Space sigil and he would be able to replicate the Spatial Expansion and Spatial Reinforcement Skills. Space is all around You was out as well. He didn¡¯t need to lower the mana cost of his spatial skills. True Teleportation was plenty cheap as long as he wasn¡¯t trying to repeatedly move long distances. That left Spatial Empowerment and Spatial Portals. There was a question of why it specified ¡®spatial¡¯ for portals. Did that mean there were other kinds of portals? Both Skills would be useful, but the decision came back to his first thoughts. With runecrafting he could likely make portals. Empowering his True Teleportation though could be incredibly useful. Making his selection he selected Spatial Empowerment.


    All that was left was his ten Free Stats. Glancing at his Status he calculated in a flash that his Orb absorption limit was currently three hundred and sixty seven stat points. He had only used just over a hundred of that limit which meant he had room for over two hundred stats. This brought to the fore a consideration he had long had.


    Glancing down at his robe he plucked at the Legendary threads of the dark blue material. They refused to give under his fingers which didn¡¯t surprise him at all. The robe was impressive. A Legendary enchanted item and something that had been with him since almost day one. It was beautiful, perhaps more so to him than anything else, because even its design was a reminder of where he came from. Stars, the decorations that housed his runes. The robe proudly displayed fourteen of them. Other stars. Other galaxies. Other universes.


    At the rate he and Kiri were going, in just a few years they could be visiting such places. With Conceptual Insight it was just a matter of time until he had Mythic, or perhaps even better, Sigils for space or similar Concepts, at which point he would finally open the book that had been sitting in his spatial storage since he first met Arikanvil. He wasn¡¯t sure if he would use it to try and find his way back to Earth, or just to find other Universes. Other possibilities. Maybe even just to visit other places on Galle.


    His eyes had grown unfocused as he thought over the possibilities. His mind was, as per usual, running off on tangents. As he refocused, the midnight blue of his robe filling his vision, he returned to the root of his problem and the decision he had to make. When he had first gotten the enchanted item he had thought that he could use such items to elevate the Stats he didn¡¯t intend to invest in. But even a Legendary item only provided a total of thirty Stats, his robe splitting them with ten to Agility and twenty to Magic Power. Maybe a Mythic item would provide forty, he thought.


    In some ways, that was incredibly impressive, especially when you considered even an Uncommon Class only gave six Stats per level. But that meant a Mythic item was only worth the equivalent of six and a bit levels in an Uncommon Class. His robe was also large. A full piece of clothing for a grown man. When he¡¯d made his Runic Gloves, even though they were Rare, they had only offered a total of six Stats, going towards his Magic Power. That made him consider that the amount of material was a factor in how large the Stat boost was. Which brought him back to his problem. If he purely relied on items to shore up the Stats he didn¡¯t invest in, at the rate he was growing, he would never manage to keep up.


    Which meant he had a decision to make. Where to focus his Free Stats going forward? Up until now he had prioritised Intellect and Magic Power with a smattering in his other Magic Stats and Perception. Creativity had gotten the short end of the stick with even less invested in it than his Constitution Stat. And that was where he was now looking. Realmwalker would continue to level his Magic Stats. His Intellect and Perception were growing just from his Skills. Creativity was languishing a bit, but no one had said that his Stats would affect his Embodiment so he wasn¡¯t overly concerned with that. He might have considered Willpower, but with the Soul Engraving, something he hoped to replicate himself in the future, his Mana Reserve and Magic Power acted as an effective defence against Mental and Soul related Skills and spells. But his durability was absolutely garbage.


    He didn¡¯t care about Agility as his speed was related to his mind and his Magic Stats. Yes, there was a flaw in that thinking, if they were able to lock space down and prevent him from using mana externally, but he could get around that with runecrafted items. Of that, he was certain. Strength was pointless. He wasn¡¯t a melee fighter and never would be. He was a crafter and a mage, in that order. Dexterity was useful for his painting, but it was already decent from his Runic Artist Class and he rarely crafted runes with his fingers these days. That was a function of his Magic Control, which would soar thanks to it being the primary Stat for the Realmwalker Class. That left Endurance and Constitution, which were the two he was looking at. Both had value. If he was more resistant to taking damage, then even when his defences failed, he wouldn¡¯t immediately be defeated. If it bought him time, then he would be able to react and if he could react, perhaps he could snatch victory from the claws of defeat.


    He nodded, making his decision that the rest of his Free Stats for his remaining Realmwalker would go towards Endurance and Constitution. Adding the ten stats he had available to Constitution he was about to continue thinking and planning for the future, mostly to distract himself from thinking about how it felt to have the skin on his chest melting, when Kiri gave a yell.


    Climbing to his feet he walked across the shattered wood from the crates and barrels, avoiding looking at the various corpses that littered the place. His Farsight of the Runic Artist refused to spare him the details though, and he refused to pull in his sensory ability, or drop the barrier he had enclosed himself in. The wounds on the dead were consistent. Stab wounds targeting vital areas. Eyes, throat and the back of the head. A couple had other defensive wounds on their forearms and chest. The ones who had managed to react, if only for a moment, before his best friend put them in the dirt.


    It was only his second time seeing dead humans. The first, even though they had deserved it, had left an ache in him. That ache had faded with time, and he had expected to have a similar reaction this time. Instead, he felt ambivalent. A numbness resting in his chest where caring for their deaths should have resided. These people had captured him. Even if it hadn¡¯t been their hands that held the flame, they had chosen to ignore his screams as he was tortured by a noble for the crime of having knowledge that the wealthy wanted. He ground his teeth and tried to suppress the surge of anger. These mercenaries or whatever they were could rot in hell for all he cared.


    Finishing crossing the warehouse floor he found Kiri standing in a small office. The decor made it clear that this was where the mercenary leader had holed up. A decent bed in the corner, a table with a glowing enchanted gem, a simple wooden chair and some clothes and other accoutrements told the story of a man who didn¡¯t settle in one place. Kiri was standing over the desk, looking through a notebook.


    ¡°What do you make of this?¡± she asked, handing the book to him.


    Inside were simple details, that unless he missed his guess, was a log of some kind. There were columns for dates, locations, numbers of crates and how much they were paid. At first he thought the final column was just the item that was in the crates. But when he looked at the number of crates that made no sense to him. Fifteen crates of topaz would make them rich enough to not have to worry about taking risky jobs like kidnapping him. A few lines down was thirty crates of sapphire. Farther up in the list was ten crates of garnet. If they had been moving this many gems in the last two years they should¡¯ve been rich. Worse, of the thirty entries recorded over the last two years, they were always the same five gems. Sapphire, topaz, garnet, amethyst and malachite.


    In some ways he was impressed that the stones had a direct translation via Divine Translation, but he supposed that the physics here on Galle, even if it could be influenced by mana, seemed to be the same as Earth. So, the formation of rocks should be the same or at least similar. But that didn¡¯t explain this list, or the payments they had received, which were a pittance compared to the worth of that many crates of gems. Unless, they weren¡¯t gems. Were they codes for something else?


    Nate looked up as he sensed Deverell enter his sphere of awareness, glancing at the door as the quietly efficient man joined them.


    ¡°What do we have here?¡± asked the Dagger Dancer as he glanced at the notepad in Nate¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 135 - Ashes and Orbs

    Nate watched as Deverell looked over the notebook they had found in the leader of the mercenaries makeshift office. Frick and Kiri waited quietly and if Nate was getting a sense of his Familiar it was that Frick was staying quiet on purpose, probably unsure how to talk to Nate right now.


    ¡°I agree with you, Nate. These are probably code-words. I¡¯ll need to take this back to the Guild and map out the delivery locations and see if we can find any patterns. Don¡¯t expect a quick answer though. If this really is encoded, the locations might not be the real destinations either. I¡¯m going to scour the rest of the warehouse for any other information,¡± explained Deverell, making the notebook vanish into his spatial storage. ¡°Now, tell me how you were taken.¡±


    Nate took a deep breath before launching into how he had gone to the Den, leaving the brothel and his subsequent attack. He went over how they had prevented him from releasing mana, his use of teleportation to avoid the melee attacks and then the subsequent locking of space before he was knocked out.


    ¡°Mana Suppressors,¡± Deverell muttered. ¡°Three of them, you say? Well, though I doubt it makes you feel better now you¡¯ve likely just killed half of the Mana Suppressors in the City. It¡¯s a Class and Embodiment set up that focuses on preventing the usage of mana. They¡¯re relatively rare because most don¡¯t have the backing that someone like Null does and so are forced into being fragile against anything that doesn¡¯t rely on mana. Either way, it sounds like they came prepared to perfectly counter you. Mana suppression and spatial locking¡­neither of those comes cheap. Did you learn something from the experience?¡±


    Nate nodded in response. He had learned a few things. The first was that apparently he wasn¡¯t paranoid enough. Ignoring the watcher outside of the Den of Desire because the man hadn¡¯t been focused on him had been a mistake. He also hadn¡¯t expected to be attacked in the middle of the street with other people around. If he had walked out under an Illusion and Mana Obfuscation runic array maybe they never would have seen him. Finally, if he wasn¡¯t prepared, he could be defeated. The lack of his crafted runic items had left him at a distinct disadvantage. While it sounded like he could have broken the suppression had he been level sixty like his opponents, he couldn¡¯t rule out the idea that they might have brought more Mana Suppressors in response. He may not be a small fish any more, but even if he was a big fish, the ocean was wide and deep. He needed to find a way to accelerate his creation of runecrafted items.


    ¡°What about the bodies?¡± asked Kiri. ¡°There¡¯s a noble here too.¡±


    Nate had to admit he was a bit concerned about that. Even if he didn¡¯t feel bad for killing Fabien, there was the question of potential reprisal. A second son of an Earl wasn¡¯t high up in the rankings of the nobility, but they weren¡¯t at the bottom either. An Earl could cause serious problems for him and there was a question of if the Guild would protect him. He had no doubt in his mind Aisling and Luc would, and that made him smile. As his lips turned up he felt himself relax a little for the first time since he had left the Den of Desire.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. You two should head back to the University. Don¡¯t get seen or detected if at all possible,¡± stated Deverell.


    Nate sensed Kiri glance at him and turned to give her a nod. He was more than happy to let Deverell deal with the clean up. He wouldn¡¯t know where to start. What did you even do in a situation like this? It wasn¡¯t like he could walk around with fifteen, or however many dead there were, corpses in his spatial storage. Thinking about it he realised he in fact could, but he shouldn¡¯t. That was just asking to get caught. He supposed he could try and bury them deep in the earth. Now that they were dead and lacking most of their mana, only filled with the ambient mana that was attracted to the geometric structures within their corpses, they weren¡¯t resistant to his True Teleportation. He could teleport them over three hundred metres straight down. But who knew if there were ways to find such? Skills and Concepts had proven to be incredibly varied. No, better to let someone more experienced handle it. Though, he might ask Deverell about it later.


    It wasn¡¯t like he was planning to make a habit of this kind of thing, but he had been targeted due to his suspected knowledge of Sigils. Caroline had no idea what Master tier Sigils he knew, and yet she¡¯d been willing to go this far on the suspicion that he knew others. What would the nobility of Etrua be willing to do if they ever realised he knew sixteen Master tier Sigils? Of course most of those were shaping Sigils. But the Master tier Mana Sigil alone would likely be enough. This was unlikely to be the last time he was targeted, and learning how to clean up his own messes might become important. That left just one thing to handle.


    ¡°What about the Orbs and Caroline and Fabiens spatial storages?¡± he asked, using True Teleportation to teleport the twelve orbs that had formed onto the table in front of him along with an amulet and a ring.


    Farsight of the Runic Artist told him what each of the Orbs was and he pointed each out to Deverell and Kiri.


    Stat Orb (Rare)


    Willpower x1


    Strength x2


    Endurance x3


    Constitution x2


    Agility x2


    Stat Orb (Epic)


    Magic Control x1


    Skill Orb (Epic, Level 4)


    Gem Structure Refinement


    ¡°Pretty obvious who the Skill came from,¡± commented Kiri with an angry glare at the orb sitting on the table.


    It warmed his heart a little and helped with the pain he was holding down to see how his friend cared for him. On an academic level, he suspected if it wasn¡¯t for his high Intellect Stat helping him to process the trauma, that right now he would be a blubbering mess. As it was, he was keeping it together, but that didn¡¯t mean he was going to ignore Luc¡¯s advice after he got back from the Fourth Hell. He was going to talk about what had happened. Whether it was with Frick or Kiri or Aisling after she returned from her own Dungeon run, he was going to take the pain and fear inside of him and let it out. He would not let it fester, slowly poisoning him. Perhaps there were people out there that could go through something like this and shrug it off as the price of doing business, but he wasn¡¯t one of them.


    Given how much time he spent thinking it was easy to forget that others didn¡¯t have his Intellect and therefore his speed of thought. Barely two seconds had passed since Kiri¡¯s comment and he¡¯d already gone through the entire decision tree for what he was going to do about his experiences.


    ¡°They¡¯re yours to do with what you will. You two earned them. With your own blood, sweat and skill. Split them however you want. Do so here and now. As for the spatial storages¡­take what you want from them but nothing traceable, if possible. Then head back to the University,¡± Deverell cautioned, before the Dagger Dancer took his leave of the office, moving back out onto the warehouse floor to start cleaning up.


    Nate glanced at Kiri but before he could say anything she answered, ¡°Half each and you take the skill orb. I¡¯d like the strength, agility and willpower orbs. One of endurance ones as well. Anything in their spatial storage is yours.¡±


    Nate nodded. It was how he would¡¯ve split the Orbs. As for the spatial storages, he¡¯d handle them next. They quietly absorbed each of the orbs, increasing their stats. Nate held onto the skill orb to use back at his room as he wasn¡¯t sure if it would synergise with any of his existing skills. He had a suspicion it would since it sounded like a lesser version of his original Improve Material skill. What would happen when he added a far lesser skill to the mix?


    Going through the spatial storages he found a small fortune in mana gems and gold coins in Fabien¡¯s which he added to his own spatial storage. There were also what looked like some letters and other random junk but he left those not wanting to worry about taking any evidence with him. Caroline¡¯s was another story, as the Enchanter¡¯s storage was small and only contained three things. A small bar of Epic quality manerium, an Epic quality emerald with an affinity for water and a notebook. A quick glance told him it was her Sigil Tome, the very thing she had sought from him. Storing the tome in his spatial space he was finally ready to leave the site of his torture.


    He looked at Kiri and through silent agreement they started teleporting back to the University, Frick slipping into the spot on his Class Core that housed his Familiar Contract for the journey. Nate took the time to spin up an Obfuscation and Illusion runic array to conceal himself and a secondary one for Kiri as they teleported in tandem. He had started to understand how Kiri¡¯s own stealth skill worked and as it was Willpower based, it functioned by using her own soul energy to effectively convince her opponents that she wasn¡¯t there. Thinking about it, it was more like a mental skill than a magical skill. That made sense since it apparently cost her soul energy to use. While it made her insanely effective against anyone with low willpower and no soul protection, it had absolutely no effect on anything without soul energy. That meant the enchanted wards around the University might sense her. Might, because her Soul Shift skill didn¡¯t use mana either. It wasn¡¯t like his True Teleportation skill which used mana to manipulate space, letting him overlap two locations and move from one to the other. He wasn¡¯t absolutely certain, but he was starting to wonder if her skill let her move through the Spiritual Realm. That of course just begged more questions about how that would be possible. Did that mean the Spiritual Realm overlapped the Material Realm? She had never mentioned seeing anything when she did it to him, which meant she wasn¡¯t seeing anything on the other side. She just moved a portion of her soul energy to her desired location, then snapped to that location. Either way, however her Skill worked, they weren¡¯t taking any chances about being detected.


    Appearing in his room Kiri vanished immediately as Frick popped out. He had thought she might stay to see how he was and for the barest of moments he felt a stab of hurt. That feeling disappeared as Kiri returned holding a blanket and pillow.


    ¡°Stick to your side of the bed,¡± she stated with a smirk, though he could see her worry hiding beneath the bravado.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to¡­¡± he tried to explain.


    ¡°Fuck that. I saw what they were doing, Nate. You¡¯re my best friend. Like the brother I never had but always wanted. I have never been¡­¡± Kiri choked up as she tried to talk. ¡°...I was so angry it was like the world turned red and I couldn¡¯t see anything else. If it was that bad for me, how much worse must it have been for you? I¡¯m not going anywhere. Now make room in the bed. We can talk. Or not. Whatever you want. But I am not going anywhere.¡±


    Nate held back tears and nodded, rearranging his cloud concept imbued bed so that Kiri could have half. He lay down, robe still on, barrier still hovering over his skin. Kiri got herself arranged on her side of the bed and Frick finally piped up.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch, Boss. You just try and sleep.¡±


    ¡°Or talk,¡± suggested Kiri, making herself comfortable and sighing happily at how amazing his bed was. ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Sleep, I think,¡± he answered. He knew it was sort of a lie. He wanted to sleep, but he doubted he would any time soon. But though he intended to talk about being tortured, he wasn¡¯t ready. Not yet.


    To distract himself, he absorbed the Skill Orb, a notification appearing as he did so.


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Gem Structure Refinement (Epic) Skill and your Conceptual Material (Mythic) Skill. Subsume your Gem Structure Refinement (Epic) Skill to gain 1 Levels in Conceptual Material (Mythic). Proceed?


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    He was completely unsurprised that the Skill he had acquired was a lesser form of his own Conceptual Material Skill. Still, a free level in his Skill was worth having and though he recognised there was a future possibility for the Gem Structure Refinement Skill to potentially synergise with his plans for his Metal Shaping Skill, he didn¡¯t need it for his plans. He selected proceed, glancing at the Skill Level up notification before bringing up his Status sheet.


    Conceptual Material 33 > 34


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    360


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    151 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    87


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    143


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    83


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    66 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    190


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    46


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    213


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    77


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 5


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Insight (M) Lvl 42 - (Excess Mana Absorption Rate increased by 21%, +52% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material (M) Lvl 34 - (-17% Mana Cost, -50% Time Required)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 44 - (+96% Perception, +18% Creativity, 22m Sphere of Awareness, 440 metre summoning range for 2nd Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Intent (M) Lvl 42 - (45 Intents, 22 Imbued Intents, +3 Subconcepts, +42% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Creation (M) Lvl 41 - (-80% Mana Cost, +15% Creativity, +41% Mana Aspecting)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Runic Artistry (L) Lvl 38 - (-47% Mana Cost, +103 Magic Power for Runic Arrays)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    True Teleportation (M) Lvl 32 - (329 metres teleport range, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) Lvl 30 - (+44% Magic Stats)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automation (L) Lvl 16 - (-15% Mana Cost, +72% Power, +28% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Metal Shaping (R) Lvl 15 - (-25% Mana Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spatial Empowerment (E) Lvl 1 - (+3% to Spatial Skills and Spells)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Minor Spatial Lock (R)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (4) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Barrier Soul Engraving (Expend Mana to protect against Soul attacks) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Dismissing the notification and his Status he started thinking over the events of the evening, replaying them in his mind as he questioned himself. What could he have done better? How could he have protected himself? Were there ways to deal with these kinds of issues in the future? An idea was forming as he finally succumbed to sleep.


    *************


    Waking up to the first hints of sunlight peaking in under the door he found that Kiri was still sound asleep. Frick glanced at him and gave him a toothy smile even as the Spirit channelled Conceptual Material into his barrier bracer. The little blue goblin clearly knew what Nate was most interested in.


    Carefully getting out of bed he was surprised when Kiri just snored and rolled over. Moving to his table he began to draw a complicated rune. Getting tortured was a powerful motivator to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. His issue, as far as he was concerned, was his durability. The moment his external defences had failed he had been effectively taken out in one shot, his jaw broken and knocked unconscious. The Life Drain runic array had fixed him up, but that was treating the problem, not the cause. While he had been held he had considered if he could use Conceptual Material on his own body.


    He had ultimately arrived at that being a terrible idea simply because altering his molecular structure would likely have a cascading biological impact and probably kill him. When Evindal returned he intended to ask the elven Mage since he had a class related to Life. What had it been again? Lord of Life? A Legendary Class. If anyone would know, it was him. But that limitation hadn¡¯t stopped him from considering alternatives. His captors hadn¡¯t been able to affect his internal mana. That meant that while he couldn¡¯t project mana externally, there was nothing to stop him from activating runes internally. He even had the perfect Sigils for it. Reinforcement and Durability.


    Both Sigils were Journeyman tier. That was probably good enough for anyone else, but not for him. Not after what he had gone through. Master was the minimum he was willing to work with if he was going to be engraving a runic array onto his own bones. Drawing out the Reinforcement Sigil he focused on it, activating Conceptual Insight. The skill immediately gave him feedback and he knew that he would need another week before the skill had enough¡­conceptual energy? Was that even a thing? Whatever energy it needed to forcibly reveal the improved form of the Sigil.


    That was fine, though he did wish he had a way to speed it up besides levelling the Skill. To distract himself he started doing up the basic design for the runic array, figuring out what he needed to include in it. The Power Sigil was a must, so that he could overcharge it with mana if he needed to push the rune beyond its nascent capabilities. He would use Reinforcement and Durability while Conceptual Intent would let him make himself the target. There were questions if he should be making his whole body the target or just say his skin or bones. That would require some testing, but fortunately he could alter the Conceptual Intent applied to the rune after it was finished. He supposed the same was true for the rune itself. Conceptual Runic Creation should let him alter the runes even after they were engraved in his bones, at the cost of a little pain and mana. The thought of a little pain made him snort. The sound was enough to finally wake Kiri who stood up, stretching and moved over to join him at his table.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked, clearly intentionally interrupting him from his rune drawing.


    He thought she was probably right to do so. He was intentionally focusing on anything he could to distract himself from going over the evening''s experiences again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± he answered honestly. ¡°But I¡¯m doing okay. I¡¯m going to want to talk about it. With you, I mean. But I¡¯m not ready yet.¡±


    Kiri nodded her understanding before she got a small smile on her face, ¡°I never got to give you your present!¡±


    His eyebrows went up slightly. She had mentioned a present to him in the aftermath, but they had been so focused on figuring out what was going on and getting Deverell that it had ended up glossed over.


    He sensed Kiri flex her Soul Storage and then she was holding a paintbrush in her hand. Farsight of the Runic Artist activated, immediately telling him what he was looking at.


    Brush of a Thousand Paints (Epic)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Imbuement (Epic), Spatial Storage (Rare), Self-Cleaning (Rare)


    Mana Imbuement: This Item is Enchanted to absorb excess mana, storing it inside the spatial expanded space. Stored mana will naturally improve the quality of any paint stored within.


    Spatial Storage: This item is Enchanted with a spatial storage space. Storage space has been customised to facilitate storing up to one thousand different liquids in specialised containers. Containers linked to Mana Imbuement Enchantment.


    Self-Cleaning: This item is Enchanted to clean itself. Channelling mana into the tip of the paintbrush will increase the speed of this enchantment.


    Nate was amazed. It was the ultimate paintbrush as far as he was concerned. No longer would he need to set out twenty or so buckets or jars of paint. He could simply store all his paint supplies inside this one item. It was the perfect gift. Perfect, and expensive.


    ¡°I love it! But Kiri, how did you afford this?¡± he asked, still staring at the brush and starting to explore the internal storage space.


    ¡°Girls gotta have a few secrets,¡± she replied with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s my way of saying thanks. For everything. And just for you know, being you.¡±


    Nate felt himself start to tear up a little and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Kiri saved him by flashing a sardonic smile which made him laugh.


    ¡°Thanks, Kiri. And about what you said last night¡­I think of you like that too. The sister I never had¡­¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Exactly. We¡¯re family!¡± Kiri stated, cutting through any awkwardness he felt.


    ¡°What does that make me?¡± piped up Frick.


    ¡°Our perverted asshole cousin that we tolerate,¡± quipped Kiri, rolling her eyes.


    The three of them devolved into laughter and Nate, for the first time since he was taken, felt like everything was going to be okay. He wasn¡¯t alone.

 Chapter 136 - Fallout and Fame

    Deverell looked over the list again. The notebook that Kiri and Nate had recovered was clearly a delivery list. The map laid out on the table before him detailed all of the delivery locations. He was convinced that they weren¡¯t encoded as there was one delivery point very close to the region around Helmfirth. The date even lined up near when the slavery operation had begun there. At first he had wondered if maybe the mercenary company Darren¡¯s Riders, the name he had uncovered for those who kidnapped Nate, were in fact morons. But he had quickly realised they didn¡¯t encode the logbook because they didn¡¯t need to. There was no other information that was relevant or extractable besides the locations. The gemstones were likely codenames, but then they showed up at multiple locations. There were no details about what the crates contained or if they were picking up something or dropping off supplies. Utterly useless, except for the locations.


    That was where it got interesting. There were enough locations and dates spread over two years that whatever they had been involved in was not a small operation. The fact that the most recent dates seemed to be along the border with Asmuisil, coupled with the rumours of tensions stirring with Etrua¡¯s neighbouring country was an issue. He had hoped the Guild would manage to extract that information from Darren himself. Deverell had made sure he was captured and restrained after he arrived at the Guild courtesy of Kiri¡¯s Skill. Unfortunately he had been unable to give up any information. Deverell had administered the torture himself to extract information and it had been clear that Darren wanted to answer. But every time he had clamped up. Even after they had used their soul cleansing enchantments on the man it hadn¡¯t been enough. That meant the Soul Contract that had bound the man was incredibly potent and the Guild in Etrua lacked a Platinum level Adventurer with a Soul related skillset. Kiri might one day be able to fill that role, but she wasn¡¯t there yet. In the end, that made Darren a liability and Deverell had disposed of the mercenary. Justice had been served and his Embodiment still hummed with acknowledgement of that fact.


    The clean up of the rest of the mercenary company had been simple enough given they were all already corpses. Thinking back on the place he was still impressed with the kids. Kiri had managed to take out multiple individuals with an Embodiment. Sure, they were likely fragmented Embodiments, but still, jumping that level gap and the force multiplier that an Embodiment could represent was beyond impressive. Her assassination skills were improving and he might need to consider bringing her on a simpler job with him in the near future. Now, while he suspected the footsoldiers of Darren¡¯s Riders only possessed fragmented Embodiments, the same was not true of anyone who went down the path of a Mana Suppressor. The Class wasn¡¯t too hard to get but it was almost universally avoided unless the goal was absolute specialisation. A Mana Suppressor was only capable of doing one thing and that thing was in the name. Their Skills were all geared to enhancing that effect and they almost always had partial or perfect Embodiments. That made what Nate had done all the more impressive. Pushing back against not one but two Mana Suppressors at level forty or so was insane. He wasn¡¯t even sure how it was possible but the proof was there.


    Shaking his head slightly, his black hair barely moved. Those two kids were future gems. Of that, he was certain. Which meant he needed to keep them safe until they could do so themselves. The world was wide and deep and while they had perhaps the greatest of starting points, there were monsters with centuries and over a hundred levels on them. All he could do was try and get them far enough that they could stand on their own. At the rate they were going he expected they would surpass him in another year. Maybe even less if fate continued to throw them into situations like this.


    He had done his best to clean up after them. If anyone came looking all they were going to find was a burned down warehouse. Perhaps an Inspector or similar might look into it, but while they would be able to tell that there had been a fight and people had died, they shouldn¡¯t be able to glean more details than that. Caroline and the noble brat had been more challenging. He had needed it to look like their disagreement is what resulted in their deaths. That was made more challenging due to the Noble being desiccated. The crushed body of the Enchanter was far easier. In the end he had been forced to go with a catastrophic cascade of enchantments interacting that resulted in the Enchanter¡¯s shop exploding with such intense flames that it knocked down both buildings beside it, the corpses of the pair at the heart of the explosion were almost completely annihilated and given the number of enchantments involved he hoped that it would be enough of an explanation for the weird state of the bodies.


    It had only been a day since then and he hadn¡¯t seen anything to make him more wary or paranoid than he usually was, but it was still early days. The worst thing he could do would be to try and monitor the situation. He would just keep an eye out for any tails or anyone unusual or unexpected entering the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound. That did present a challenge for assisting Kiri and Nate. There was nothing else for it though. They would be on their own at the University for the next few days. Hopefully it would all work out and he wouldn¡¯t disappoint Aisling. Glancing out the window towards the harbour he was reminded of his own youth for the barest of moments. A time best left forgotten, he thought, turning back to the table and trying to tease out the relationship between the delivery points and the codenames within the notebook. Something told him this was important.


    *************


    Headmaster Verian Thavian Mazet frowned at the message on the table in front of him. The news, while not terrible, was incredibly inconvenient. Prince Bordain would be along shortly for the weekly report and the simple fact was it was not going to be a positive one. How those morons had gone and gotten themselves killed was beyond him. Their job, their only job, was to deliver supplies and collect any profits returning them to the Capital and the Prince¡¯s coffers. How fucking hard was it to be a glorified errand boy? Or crew.


    The door to his office opened and he prepared to give his report. The only person on campus who would not knock before entering was the Prince himself. Bordain walked in, looking every bit a titan before the blocky man took a seat, making himself comfortable across from Verian.


    ¡°How is everything progressing, Verian?¡± demanded his liege.


    ¡°The news on the border is that Asmuisil will declare war within the next few months, though I don¡¯t have a report from Sapphire about how the second incursion went and if they managed to escape with a third Dungeon Core. Topaz has been successful and all manerium mining has been diverted to your coffers. That brings me to the first major issue. The mercenary company we were using to ferry the takings is dead.¡±


    ¡°Do we know who?¡± asked Bordain, his tone giving no hint as to how the royal felt about this development.


    ¡°We do not. The warehouse in the docks they have been using between deliveries burned down and the initial assessment indicates people died. I have not been able to divine their location, which means they¡¯re almost certainly dead and disposed of. Do you want me to organise an investigation?¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Bordain stared at the Headmaster in silence until Verian felt it had become uncomfortable before answering, ¡°No. I will task one of the Guard Inspectors loyal to me to investigate. Your methods are more likely to be noticed. Secrecy is more important than an answer and your methods are far from subtle.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do about the delivery problem?¡±


    Bordain tilted his chin in thought, ¡°Have Garnet recalled. Delivery work is beneath her, so she will still know I am displeased with her. However she will find it preferable to working with Sapphire, and he can do without the backup now that tensions are suitably stirred. Have him implement the second stage of the plan within the month.¡±


    Verian nodded his agreement.


    ¡°Was there anything else?¡± asked Bordain.


    ¡°The boy you had leave the University. The second son of the Earl of Dralogne? News is he has died in an explosion at an Enchanter¡¯s shop in the Noble¡¯s district.¡±


    Verian watched as Bordain leaned back in his chair, curious about what the Prince was thinking about. A dead nobles son was at worst an inconvenience, but to have him die so soon after the Prince had ordered him off the University grounds could reflect poorly on the Prince. What would he do, wondered the Headmaster.


    ¡°Leave it with me. I will approach the Earl and will look into this personally. You focus on our other tasks. It¡¯s almost time for our plans to bear fruit.¡±


    The Headmaster nodded. All his work and sacrifice would soon pay off. He would finally be given access to that which he had been for so long denied. A Legendary Dungeon and a path towards a Mythic Class. No longer to languish at level a hundred and twenty while he kept mana at bay to prevent an evolution he knew he could not yet achieve. It would all be worth it.


    *************


    Duchess Charlotte Desmarais held a sheaf of paper from the latest report in her hands. The twins were as detailed as ever, the full report over forty pages long. The girls had detailed many of the students of the Royal University, focusing on their talents, weaknesses and associations. There were a few merchants noted that the Duchy might benefit from working with. To be Noble was to be wealthy, but there were grades of wealth. The Duchy she ruled over, with her husband''s occasional assistance, was rich. But not rich enough. They held two less Dungeons than their slightly more elevated peers and if they were to contest that fact they needed the gold and mana to pay for such. Even petitioning the crown would come at a cost. That was why she had sacrificed her youngest. As twins the pair were almost perfect for taking on roles as Unseen. Roles that were finally to supply the desired returns.


    After the twins frankly abysmal performance at the Adventurers Guild Tournament she had started to wonder if she might need to sacrifice the pair to recoup the investment spent on developing them. Thankfully they were finally paying dividends as they ferreted out ways to harm the standing of their fellow Dukes and Duchesses and those who paid them homage.


    That however, was not the report that had caught her attention. The twins had details on some of the Adventurers attending the Royal University. The subjects they were taking, their initial gradings, their Classes. The fact that the Guild had produced four First Evolution Epic Classers was worth noting. It was evidence of a rise in the Etrua branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild strength, as well as their increasing capability and a promise of future power. That alone was cause for concern, but it was the additional information that had her worried. The twins had been trained since they were children to recognise the Skills and Stats of others. Identification Skills were useful, but they could be deceived. The twins own obfuscated class cores were proof of that. But with enough practice and Perception, one could estimate the Stats of an individual, or the potential rarity of a Skill.


    That was why the twins suspicion that the top two Adventurers from the Tournament were both hiding their true Classes was of such concern. Class concealing at a level that could deceive the Royal University was doable, but expensive, and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would never pay for such unless they had good reason to. A reason like the twins second conjecture. The pair held Legendary Classes after their First Evolution. Something that would put them beyond the twins, herself and her husband. Something that would put the pair on par with the Royals themselves. If that was true then they represented a potential threat to the future of Etrua. It was well known that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild disapproved of how the country of Etrua was run, and while they might not bring in external Adventurer¡¯s, they were also unlikely to censure natives of the country. No, she thought, it was better to kill this child in the cradle rather than let it grow and fester until it consumed them all.


    Ringing a bell she waited for her husband, Duke Quentin Desmarais, to attend her. While she waited she went over the rest of the reports, noting some opportunities to subvert some of the Earls and Barons that reported to the other Duchies. Nothing earth shattering, but definitely worth further investigation.


    Finally, after almost an hour, the Duke entered his own office. His in name only, as the only time he used it was when giving orders to the twins or entertaining visitors. The rest of the time it was hers.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s important,¡± Quentin huffed.


    With an effort of will she suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, proffering the relevant report for him to peruse. Watching him read over the report, she got to enjoy the slow widening of his eyes as he was made privy to the twins assessment, culminating in the man gulping for air. She knew how proud he was of his own development and the fact that he had achieved a Legendary Class at his second evolution. Something which put him ahead of his fellow Dukes, if the rumours were true. After all, Evolution was not guaranteed and more than one noble had been stuck at Rare even after their second evolution. To find out that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild may have produced not one but two individuals comparable to the Royals was likely a blow to the man¡¯s ego.


    She watched his throat ripple as he swallowed before he finally did what he had always done and would always do. Seek her advice.


    ¡°What do you propose?¡±


    ¡°Kill it in the cradle. We send a Kill Squad. A team of six. All second evolution with at least a partial Embodiment. The twins can tell us when and where to strike. We end this threat before it can come back to bite us.¡±


    ¡°Should we inform the Royal family?¡±


    She shook her head at the foolish question.


    ¡°If they don¡¯t already know it would be in our interest to keep it that way. They may not take the same stance as us, instead choosing to marry them into the Royal family or worse, elevate them to the Nobility. The Royal family only sees two options when presented with power. They will try to possess it, and only if that fails, will they try to destroy it. If the twins are right, these two could rise to challenge us for our position. We have not stabilised since the death of your Father and would be the easiest Duchy to target. And anything less than a Duchy for a First Evolution Legendary is an insult. No. We tell no one.¡±


    ¡°As you say,¡± agreed Quentin, just like he always did.


    ¡°Good. I will have a team assembled. I will keep you informed of their progress.¡±


    With that handled she looked back down at the reports, letting her husband know in no uncertain terms that she had no more need of him. He was out the door a moment later, which she was thankful for. She had much work to do to restore this Duchy to its rightful place and she couldn¡¯t do that with distractions like foolish Dukes looking over her shoulder. She was just thankful that her children had inherited her resourcefulness and intellect, and not those of her husband''s bloodline. Though, if they were perhaps a little less intelligent she wouldn¡¯t have needed to go to the trouble of soulbinding the twins. An expensive cost, but finally, after over a decade, it was showing returns. The smile on her face lit up the empty room. It was just a shame that there was no one present to see it.

 Chapter 137 - Paint Away the Pain

    The only sound that could be heard was that of Nate¡¯s Brush of a Thousand Paints swishing back and forth against the canvas before him. It had been a few days since he had been kidnapped, and though the feelings and memories of the experience were still raw, he was already recovering. It both helped and hindered that Kiri had been watching over him like a mother hen. Even now she sat in his room, doing her economics homework. Frick was nearby too, diligently working on completing the barrier bracer. It should be finished before the end of the day which filled him with a sense of relief.


    ¡°Why are you taking Economics, anyway?¡± he asked.


    He continued to paint as he waited for an answer. His new enchanted paintbrush was an absolute wonder, letting him swap between paints with ease and cleaning off the paint with just a small thread of mana. The scene before him was cast in yellows, oranges and reds. The torture had reminded him of the Fourth Hell, which had been a horrible experience as well. So he painted demonic caricatures of his captors burning in the hells for their crimes. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was healthy, but it made him feel a little better and the caricatures bore little resemblance to those who had taken him. Caroline was a purple demon, trapped within a runic circle, looking broken and bleeding. A demon in red, melting in a pit of lava was meant to be Fabien. The painting was almost done which was good timing as they had a class shortly.


    ¡°Because you weren¡¯t going to,¡± answered Kiri, staring intently at the page before her.


    That answer got Nate¡¯s attention and he turned to look at his best friend, a confused scowl on his face, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be rich. I mean, even ignoring the things you create, we¡¯re on the fast track to being Guild Platinums. Guild Platinums are rich. The good ones are filthy rich, like Lord Evindal. We were always going to end up wealthy. Getting into the Royal University is just going to make it happen faster, and I knew you weren¡¯t interested in managing it, so I thought that it could, you know, be my contribution. Handle that crap so you could focus on your art and crafting,¡± Kiri explained. ¡°But figuring out the compound interest on an investment is doing my head in!¡±


    He smiled brightly at her explanation and at her frustration. Walking over to join her he read over the problem in the book. Had he been back on Earth, without his mana enhanced intellect, he might¡¯ve been stumped as well. But his mind was capable of serving up memories from Earth and leaning forward he wrote down the compound interest formula for her, before filling in the variables with the question in her notebook so that she could see how to apply it.


    With a grin he went back to putting the finishing touches on his painting while Kiri processed the solution.


    ¡°It¡¯s that easy?¡± she finally asked. ¡°How do they not know this?¡±


    ¡°They probably do,¡± he replied. ¡°You¡¯re in the Intermediate course right? Maybe they want you to do it the hard way first, to try and get your head around the idea, before they teach you how to do it quick and easy.¡±


    Kiri grunted in response, ¡°Yeah¡­that sounds like the Professor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important to know the why as well as the how.¡±


    ¡°Oh by the gods you sound just like him,¡± groaned Kiri, but he could tell she was just joking.


    With a few final strokes the painting was done and after cleaning and putting his enchanted paintbrush in his spatial storage he turned around. Kiri was clearly close to being finished so he started collecting his things. The puzzle box went into storage first, followed by five bars of rare grade metals each with a different affinity. His paranoia was still sky high and he wanted a tool, even a lesser one, for every occasion. Caroline¡¯s Sigil Tome went next. It had been a fitting repayment for his suffering. Most of the Sigils were only Initiate or Novice quality, but where they lacked in quality they made up for it in quantity with almost two hundred of them available. A smattering of Apprentice tier were in there as well, a few of which he already knew. The crowning Sigils however were the ten Journeyman and Master tier Sigils.


    Metal Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Life Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Fear Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Love Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Calm Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Smell Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Space Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Fire Sigil (Quality: Journeyman)


    Sound Sigil (Quality: Master)


    Soul Sigil (Quality: Master)


    The new additions were welcome, some an upgrade to his existing knowledge, some completely new. The three stand outs were the Master tier Soul and Sound Sigils, along with the Journeyman tier Space Sigil. With those, he was going to create wonders. But first, he was going to create ironclad defences. He would never lose the ability to teleport again. Not against anyone who wasn¡¯t a God, anyway.


    Seeing Kiri was starting to pack up he asked, ¡°Ready for class?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go,¡± Kiri replied, jumping up and joining him as he exited the room. Frick waved as they left, his Familiar had been relatively quiet since his capture. He wondered if the Spirit blamed himself or something. Nate didn¡¯t think his presence would have made a difference. They would need to have a chat later.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re still okay with us going on this Dungeon run?¡± asked Kiri as the pair crossed the manicured grass of the University grounds.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep asking,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    It was the third time Kiri had asked him in the last couple of days and they would need to leave for the Dungeon run with Coralie and Flash in the next few days. He knew she was just making sure he was okay, but getting stronger was a big factor in making him feel safer. There was a secondary reason though. They had been informed by the Guild of the nature of the Dungeon they were going to. It was an underwater variant. While that would pose a major issue for a lot of Guild members he wasn¡¯t too concerned and had a plan for maximising his progression. That plan was Frick.


    Outside of Dungeons Frick using his Skill for enhancing his physical capabilities in the material realm was mana intensive and couldn¡¯t be used for extended periods, since he was using Nate¡¯s own mana. In a Dungeon though, where Nate could simply float around with a mana gathering array constantly recharging mana gems, well, he could keep that up for hours if needed. That gave Nate the opportunity to implement a very simple plan. Frick would do all the fighting, while Nate spent the whole time crafting. Maybe they would trade off if one of the Dungeon challenges was a bit more difficult, but based on the previous High Rare Dungeon they had completed, he wasn¡¯t expecting that. Since his Barrier bracer would be done, he could finish up his plan for his Conceptual Automation gravity runic array.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    That left him with his newest project to work on. It had been made very clear to him that until he was a Platinum, that he would be at risk in any situation where his enemies could remove or suppress mana somehow. Maybe it would remain a problem even beyond. Who knew if there was some Divinity of Antimages or some other bullshit. That meant he needed a way to fight back against mana suppression and exclusion for enemies who might be a far higher level than him, or more numerous. His solution, as always, was a runecrafted item. He even had the perfect Sigils for it. Mana and Release. It was time to make his first Mythic material with Conceptual Material. If he could make a mythic bar of manerium, carved with a runic array that would allow him to release the stored mana inside, he could flood an area around him, fighting back against mana suppression Skills without having to do anything. The best part was, it would be reusable. He would just have to recharge the material once he was done. That should allow him to fight back or escape any enemies who tried to lock him down via mana. His remaining problem was spatial locks. Space had just become his highest priority Sigil to further develop.


    Arriving at the classroom for Mana and Affinities, Kiri slid in next to Coralie with Nate moving to sit a row behind next to Britt. The blonde haired defender gave him a small and hopeful smile which he did his best to return. For obvious reasons he had been a bit distant the past few days and he had appreciated that she hadn¡¯t pushed to find out what was going on. Even so, he knew that probably left the poor girl confused about whether they were still friends and casually seeing each other.


    He was about to whisper to her when the door opened and their Professor entered in a flurry of robes, his black moustache well oiled. Professor Karne put a lot of stock in appearance and it showed.


    ¡°Excellent. Looks like everyone is here. Before we launch into today''s lecture I want to let you know that over a third of you are only a few points away from graduating out of the Intermediate course for Mana and Affinities. Today¡¯s quiz could see you moving into the Advanced class, if you decide to continue with this subject, which I highly encourage.¡±


    With a glance across the classroom the Professor continued, ¡°Last lesson we were going over how it is not just the presence and concentration of mana in an area that influences the formation of affinities in materials, but also natural formations. Someone remind the class what a natural formation is.¡±


    Nate smirked a little at the difference between the various Professors. Had it been Professor Kandel, she would¡¯ve asked the question and then selected someone with a raised hand. Professor Karne on the other hand had already turned away towards the board and just expected someone to pipe up. It ended up being one of the merchants that answered.


    ¡°Natural formations are sigils that occur within the environment. They can be small, like scratches on a rock, or large, like the shape of a tree or even water damage inside of stone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mathers. That is correct,¡± agreed Professor Karne. ¡°When you have these sigils forming due to environmental processes, we call them a natural formation. These sigils will interact with the mana around them, and with enough time, or a high enough concentration of mana, will align materials towards the affinity of the sigil. This can occur far more frequently in plants as some form these natural structures as part of their growth and development. This results in certain plants almost always having specific affinities. Further, this can be used to influence the environment around them. In case we have any aspiring alchemists in the class, this is incredibly important when designing an alchemist''s garden. If you wanted shadow-aligned terralo blossoms and not twilight terralo blossoms, then you would need to keep them separated from any plants with a natural affinity for light.¡±


    As he spoke the Professor continued to draw on the board and after a moment Nate realised what it was. The man was drawing the layout for a garden.


    ¡°Natural formations are one instance of ambient mana taking on an affinity. Someone shout out the other three main causes of ambient mana affinities.¡±


    ¡°Material presence, natural phenomena and unnatural phenomena,¡± shouted out one of the nobles sitting in a clique on the opposite side of the classroom.


    ¡°Correct. We¡¯ll start with material presence, the least pronounced form of ambient affinity. Live near water, there will be ambient mana with an affinity for water. A forest? Wood, nature, life, a myriad of others. Material presence influences mana. Why? Well, to the best of our knowledge, while a Sigil is a representation of a Concept, so is the material represented to a lesser extent. A rock doesn¡¯t contain the same Conceptual weight as the Sigil for rocks, but it still carries some Conceptual weight. Which brings us to natural phenomena. As we understand it there are Concepts that lack a physical property. You know this. Gravity is the simplest example. A force that keeps us from floating away, but to the best of our knowledge, it has no physical properties itself. Yet it acts on all of us. But what about something more esoteric? Power. Power is something we can recognise, I can guarantee you it is a Concept, but it has no physical material. Why do I mention it? Well, for some of you, it may never matter,¡± explained Professor Karne with a glance at the Adventurers. ¡°But for the nobility, it is very important for a topic we will cover in the Advanced class. Seats of power.¡±


    ¡°That brings us to unnatural phenomena. I won¡¯t explain how unnatural phenomena occur unless you manage to graduate into the Advanced course. What I will do is give you an example of an unnatural phenomena. A battlefield. Depending on if it is ongoing or the battle is long over you might see an affinity for blood and violence or death and decay among others. Now, ignoring that for a moment, material presence, natural phenomena and unnatural phenomena have implications both in terms of development and for combat. Locations will have the affinity of mana influenced by natural formations, physical material, natural phenomena and unnatural phenomena. This is important for developing your own affinities, as we know that by exposure your mana can take on these affinities to an extent. If you want to develop your affinity for fire, you need to expose yourself to ambient mana with a fire affinity, or pay your alchemist some exorbitant fees,¡± continued the Professor with a smirk.


    ¡°The second reason, the one relevant to combat, is that if you utilise spells that make use of ambient mana, your spells will be weaker if the ambient mana has strong affinities that do not align with the nature of your spells. Trying to cast fire spells underwater is going to be beyond challenging. The strength of your affinities will of course be a factor, but you must always consider the environmental factors as well.¡±


    ¡°That brings us to the final point of this lecture. Total affinities. When we measure your affinity, a service the University offers, if you¡¯re willing to pay for it, we are measuring the percentage of your mana that aligns to a particular affinity. That means there is a very obvious cap, which for any of you schooled in even basic arithmetic, is one hundred percent. Constant exposure to mana with an affinity for water will develop your affinity for water over time, however, if you are a fire mage, that is the opposite of what you want. There are ways for handling this, again, alchemy being the most obvious, if expensive, solution. Others are removing yourself from exposure, or making sure you are exposed specifically to mana of affinities of interest. Enchanters make plenty of gold and mana by putting in place enchantments that to some extent, remove affinities from ambient mana in noble villas. While this won¡¯t enhance one¡¯s affinities, it definitely prevents regression. I also want to be clear, this is not a fast process. You are not suddenly going to develop a mana affinity for water after being exposed to the ocean for a month or two. But give it a year or so and it will definitely happen.¡±


    Nate watched as the Professor paused, glancing at the students which he assumed was Karne gauging the class''s reaction. When no one spoke up the man clapped his hands together.


    ¡°Excellent. Today''s quiz will be twofold. Firstly, an alchemist''s garden. You will be given a sheet with the layout of an alchemist''s garden, a number of plants and their affinities with some details around the strength of said affinity. There will be a list of desired affinities for the garden to produce. It is your job to layout the garden with the appropriate plants to achieve the desired result. The second problem will be a map. It will describe the details of particular locations, weather patterns and some history. You will fill the map in with the affinities you expect to dominate specific locations and your reasoning why. I look forward to seeing if some of you can graduate out of this class today. Good luck.¡±


    Nate sensed the Professor form a small spell in an instant as the papers blew on the wind to land in front of everyone in the class. Leaning forward he looked over the problems and got to work. The Advanced course for Mana and Affinities beckoned, and perhaps he would finally get an answer to why Intent mattered so much for Skill development.

 Chapter 138 - Underwater Adventures

    Nate enjoyed the ocean breeze that washed over him, bringing with it the smell of the sea. The gentle rolling gait of alliram sent slight vibrations up through his legs as he approached the Guild¡¯s Dungeon fort alongside the other Guildies. They had caught sight of it less than a minute ago and he was still marvelling at the design. He had wondered what differences might be involved in an underwater variant dungeon and the fort''s design made it clear that one of them was that the dungeon itself was likely underwater. The hint that made him suspect that was the case was that only a third of the fort was built onto the rocky headland. Unless Nate missed his guess it had been created by an Earth Mage as the walls were flowing stone that seemed to be a part of the headland itself. The other two thirds was built out over the water and with his enhanced perception and Farsight of the Runic Artist he could tell that the artificial stone sunk into the depths. The ocean gently lapped at the walls of the fort, reaching less than a metre up the sides with each wave, shielded as the cove was from the true power of the sea.


    He glanced at the rest of the team to gauge their reactions. Kiri rode behind him beside Coralie, her smile wild, with eyes only for the dungeon fort. Coralie on the other hand looked more stoic. He had noticed that she got quieter and more reserved whenever a fight was approaching. Turning his head back to the front he couldn¡¯t make out Flash¡¯s expression as the man headed up the convoy beside one of their escorts. Just like the last dungeon they had ventured out for, they were not left alone. Two Golds rode to either side of Flash and behind them all with a much larger gap rode Deverell, head on a swivel. Nate smiled slightly, realising the Dagger Dancer was likely channelling an extra dose of paranoia after Nate¡¯s kidnapping. He couldn¡¯t blame the guy, especially since he had grown more paranoid as well.


    It was one thing to be kidnapped to the Fourth Hell, but quite another to be nabbed off the street by his fellow humans. The difference was in his ability to do something about it. He¡¯d fallen into the trap of underestimating his fellow humans after escaping from the Hells. That wasn¡¯t going to happen again. He had debated whether to use Conceptual Material on the ride out and ultimately had decided that he would. That didn¡¯t mean he was going to let Coralie, Flash or their minders see what he was doing though. It was slowing him down slightly, but he was managing to keep two runic arrays going while he channelled Conceptual Material. The first was a Mana Obfuscation runic array, meant to disguise the usage of mana around him. The second was an Illusion runic array which was hiding what he and Frick held in their hands.


    Before they had left the University the little spirit had managed to complete the work on his new Barrier Bracer. The Legendary material was now clamped around his arm beneath his robe and the feel of the cool metal against his skin made him feel just that little bit safer. He glanced at it using Conceptual Insight to bring up the item''s description.


    Runecrafted Bracer of Barriers (Legendary)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Legendary), Variable Barrier (Legendary)


    Mana Storage: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to utilise its Legendary affinity for mana to store an incredible amount of mana to power any other effects the item is capable of.


    Variable Barrier: This item has been runecrafted with a barrier rune that can be activated by the user, utilising either mana stored within the item or the wearer''s own Mana Reserve. The rune itself allows for the user to connect the barrier rune with a variety of secondary runes forming a runic array. These secondary runes are Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, Light, Shadow, Mana, Soul and Space. Each additional secondary rune activated causes an exponentially increasing mana cost.


    The bracer was everything he wanted it to be, but he was not stopping his plans for defensive creations there. While he was slowly increasing the tier of the bar of manerium in his hands carved with the runic array for Mana Release, the little goblin was working on Nate¡¯s latest project. Though he knew he needed to work on improving a Sigil to Mythic to advance his plans for his Embodiment, he had temporarily pivoted and used the mana stored by his Conceptual Insight skills ability to help him improve the Sigil tier of one of his newest acquisitions. The bracer in Frick¡¯s hands was carved with his newly minted Master tier Space Sigil along with the Release Sigil creating a runic array that should allow him to oppose any spatial locks.


    All that was left was to raise the tier of the material to Legendary, adding an affinity for spatial release, and then charge it with mana. It was likely going to take a couple of weeks but it would be worth it for his peace of mind. Between these three items he was comfortable that his defences would be strong enough to at least let him escape from most people. That would then leave him with a choice. Would it be better to work towards advancing his defences to mythic-level, or should he start working on some offensive creations? He hadn¡¯t decided yet, but he was about to have a few days free to do exactly that.


    He glanced up as his Alliram mount thundered down onto an earth mage carved road into the fort and watched as they were greeted by the contingent of Guild Gold¡¯s who were guarding the fort. He had learned that the position was an enviable one as the rewards provided by the Guild gave the Adventurer¡¯s who took up such posts increased access to the Guild¡¯s Dungeons. It was basically the fast track path to power, or at least as fast as the Guild could reasonably provide.


    Nate had accepted that he and the other Guildies attending the University were exceptions to this. The Guild wasn¡¯t just fast tracking them. It was effectively trying to get them to Platinum as quickly as possible without breaking open the Guild vaults. He¡¯d learned that when Kiri had paid with her own token for this Dungeon. He hadn¡¯t realised it, but the Guild considered their University attendance and performance as a Guild job. As such, they were being rewarded for how they performed. His own rewards were waiting for collection back at the Guild and he intended to choose them upon his return. Kiri had chosen a High Rare Dungeon token for hers, which meant Nate still had nine tokens remaining. He was also going to look into trading some of his rewards or offering to craft some lesser items for the Guild so he could begin trading them for Stat Orbs and getting access to their Skill Orbs. Luc should be back soon and with three bars of Epic tier manerium already sent to the smugglers it was time to start seeing some financial returns.


    Nate got a few odd glances from the Gold tier men and women guarding the fort as he continued to craft, obscuring what he was doing, while the leader of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild contingent explained the Dungeon to them. It was standard procedure but Coralie and Flash had challenged this Dungeon once before and had detailed what would be involved. The basics were that the Dungeon was underwater, however there were caves filled with air that could be found on the sandy bottom of the Dungeon. These caves could be used for resting. The denizens of the Dungeon changed from one run to the next but it was important to be careful and post watches when in the caves as some of the monsters could enter the caves.


    Other than that, you had to fight underwater. For that reason the Guild provided, for a small cost, two sets of equipment for members challenging the Dungeon. The first was alchemical potions that would allow the imbiber to temporarily breathe underwater. The second were some leg anklets that could be tuned to increase their weight. The result was that most challengers would end up walking around on the sandy floor of the Dungeon, breathing water and making the fights more closely resemble the same way they would fight on land, albeit with the added resistance of the water. Their team was only half taking that approach. He watched as Kiri, then Flash, then Coralie all took a set of three potions of water breathing, each storing them in their own spatial storage device, or her Soul Storage in Kiri¡¯s case. However they each declined the enchanted leg anklets. Finally it was Nate¡¯s turn and he smiled at the Gold proffering the potions, giving a shake of his head. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The woman gave him a queer look, ¡°You sure, kid? Drowning¡¯s a bad way to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± he replied calmly.


    The woman glanced at her leader, who then joined her in glancing at Deverell.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± was all the Dagger Dancer supplied, his ever-stoic expression not changing.


    The woman finally shrugged, putting the potions away, ¡°Hope you¡¯re as good as you think you are then, kid.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s better,¡± replied Kiri, coming to his defence.


    He gave her a small smile, understanding she was trying to help him build up his confidence after being taken. He appreciated it, even if he didn¡¯t need it. It wasn¡¯t his confidence that had taken a hit. It was his naivety. Anyone and everyone besides Kiri and Aisling could be out to get him. He was never going to let himself be taken again, and that meant not drinking substances he hadn¡¯t personally verified. Sure, his Conceptual Insight said the potion was what it claimed to be, but he had never tested it with potions before. For all he knew it only picked up on the dominant presence within the potion. It was something he would test later. What would happen to the identification process if he poisoned a potion. Would it show that it was poisoned? Or still just display the name and effects of the potion? First he needed to purchase a few for testing. More than a few actually, since he was going to take a scientific approach. Just one more reminder that he had infinite possibilities and projects laid out before him and only a finite amount of time to devote to them.


    Finally they were allowed to enter the Dungeon and as Nate stepped through he altered the barrier surrounding him, powered by his Runecrafted Bracer of Barriers. Adding the water rune to the barrier he created a bubble around him that would keep out water. He would need to occasionally use a wind runic array to refresh his air but other than that he should be able to use a water runic array to move himself around underwater. The best part was, his bracer didn¡¯t require his attention. It wouldn¡¯t change what it was doing unless it ran out of mana or he altered it. That left him free to create up to three runic arrays with Conceptual Runic Creation without giving himself a headache. Which was perfect for how he planned to handle this Dungeon.


    Passing through the Dungeon aperture, he sensed the spatial distortion. He couldn¡¯t be certain, but it felt like he got a clearer view of the elements of the spatial tunnel. Either his new Spatial Empowerment Skill was affecting his Farsight of the Runic Artist ability to sense space around him or it was just a function of his increased perception. It was impossible to tell and he added it to the list of experiments. Almost as soon as it had begun, the sense of space vanished and he was spat out into the Dungeon, immediately pressured by water from all sides as a notification appeared before him.


    You have entered a Dungeon!


    The Assessment Period will begin now. You have five minutes to choose to leave the Dungeon before the entrance will be sealed.


    Dungeon Name: Vilemaw¡¯s Reef


    Dungeon Tier: Rare (High)


    Dungeon Challenges: 4 + 1 Bonus Challenge.


    Exit Conditions: Find a Dungeon Exit.


    Dungeon Limitations: N/A


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    There was a faint current and with his sphere of awareness he could sense the other three around him. But it was something else that had captured his vision. He had asked how deep the water would be when they entered the Dungeon. When Kiri had asked why it mattered he had explained that the deeper you ventured beneath the waves the less light there was and he had wondered if he would need to provide light in some way or if the Guild provided such things. The answer had been smiles from the Golds who told him not to worry and that he would see for himself. It had pissed him off a little but Deverell had assured him it wouldn¡¯t be an issue. When he had pressed, the Dagger Dancer had asked him an odd question. He remembered the words very clearly.


    ¡°Do you want me to tell you? It may alter your expectations, which could change how you view the experience and affect any paintings you create as a result?¡±


    The words had stuck with him and he had backed down. Why would it matter if he went in expecting one thing and the reality was entirely different? He had pondered the question for a while. Nate knew Deverell could be very insightful but the more he thought on the question the more he accepted there was a grain of truth in the man¡¯s words. His perception of the world was filtered not just through his own experiences, but how others viewed or reacted to them. He was reminded of a famous poem from Earth. No man is an island. Seeing the underwater landscape he now knew that Deverell and the Guilders had been right to keep the truth of this underwater world from him.


    Rather than a lack of light, this underwater world was lit up beyond his wildest expectations. Coral, underwater plants and even fish glowed in the dark waters. The glowing intersected and overlapped with the flows and currents of the water creating constantly shifting and changing shimmering rainbows of colour everywhere he looked. Rather than a dark and hidden world, it was one of beauty and light. The best part was that it gave him an idea for a new artwork. Not just about painting the scene before him. The question he had was how could he capture the beauty of the shifting colours before him in a static image? No, he had an idea for his mana imbued paint courtesy of his gift from Kiri. What if he could make the colours of the paint shift by using mana? He was taken with the idea, but not so distracted that he didn¡¯t see the first monster coming for them.


    The creature looked like a dinosaur, with four fins that might have been the early evolution of legs and arms, coupled with a snout like a crocodile. A quick identification using his farsight sphere of awareness told him what to expect.


    Reef Carnidan


    Vicious Aquatic Hunter (R) (40) /  Vicious Devourer (U) (10)


    The Reef Carnidan was joined by five more of its kin, all of a similar level as they swam towards Nate and his team. The others were fanning out to prepare for the fight. Nate however had made his decision about how he intended to handle this Dungeon before they had even left the University. His focus was on developing his defences, and that meant working on raising the tier of his materials.


    With a thought he sent a message to Frick, ¡°You ready?¡±


    ¡°Born ready, Boss man! It¡¯s time to get Fricky!¡±


    Nate smiled as he continued to channel Conceptual Material, watching as Frick floated out into the water beyond his barrier and became corporeal, activating My Will, My Way. Nate had known that Frick had control of what he looked like, even if the little bastard always chose to look like a goblin. But he had seen him often enough make slight alterations, usually for the purpose of jokes. What he hadn¡¯t expected was that his Familiar might make alterations to suit the environment. So when Frick turned into a gigantic merman with the upper half of a huge goblin he had to admit he was a little surprised. That surprise only lasted long enough for the initial clash with the monsters.


    As the rainbow waters were tainted with dispersing blood, he settled in to monitor the battle while he worked on his crafting. Because he was confident when he was prepared, he was unbeatable. That meant he needed to make sure he was never again caught unprepared. A tall order, but he hoped he had the time to make it a reality. The alternative was not something he wanted to think about. He did his best to ignore the memories that whispered of the smell of burning flesh and the pain that accompanied it. He didn¡¯t succeed.

 Chapter 139 - Sharing Water

    Nate watched the battle unfold before him. In one hand he held a mana gathering array, recharging his mana gems. In the other, he balanced a metal bar as he channelled mana and his Conceptual Material skill, slowly adding the affinities of mana and release to the metal while raising it from Rare to Epic quality. On top of that, he maintained two runic arrays. The first obfuscating the mana he was using and the second concealing the metal bar. Given how much work was involved in crafting while delving the Dungeon he was thankful for all the times that Frick had sat around tiering up his materials. The Familiar had truly earned his title of Assistance from the original Dungeon reward that saw him gifted with the odd little spirit. Even now, Frick was assisting him, though Nate got the sense that this type was more preferable for the not-so-little goblin.


    Frick had to be at least three metres long as the goblin-turned-merman swam around using his claws to rake flesh from the Carnidans they fought. His Familiar was using his powerful tail to propel himself around the underwater Dungeon, but Nate hadn¡¯t been sure how the others would handle their own mobility. He shouldn¡¯t have worried. Kiri of course used Soul Shift, vanishing in a spray of bubbles caused by water rushing in to occupy the space she had vacated, only to appear in an explosion of bubbles over one of the Carnidans, stabbing into its back and being dragged along behind it as she tried to eviscerate the beast that was three times her size.


    Coralie had surrounded her ankles, arms and waist with what looked like bands of ice and if his senses were correct she was manipulating their positions, using the ice to drag herself where she wanted to go. He had to admit he was a little impressed by the display, as she was managing five different circlets of ice to control her position. It made him wonder if she had invested a little in her Intellect, as speed of thought and divided attention seemed to be the main abilities the stat improved, besides the obvious one of improved memory. As he watched, she launched multiple spears of ice through the water, two of which struck her target and cut furrows into the beasts, though they failed to do any lasting damage. Durability based monsters, he thought in distaste.


    Turning his attention to Flash, he wasn¡¯t sure whether to laugh in amusement or be gobsmacked with the impressive, if odd, performance. The man¡¯s signature class of Edgedancer was on full display. Nate wasn¡¯t sure if it was the best method for fighting underwater, but Flash somehow made it work. The dagger wielder had a dagger in each hand, as expected, but it was the two additional daggers strapped to the bottom of his feet that made him stand out. Nate knew how the Edgedancer¡¯s signature skill worked, leaving echoes of a blade slashes in the air. However, what Nate had not known last time was that the sharpness of those echoes could be altered. With small flicks of his feet Flash was creating echoes that he could then push off of to reposition or move around the water.


    The little flicks of his feet showed a high level of Skill and likely a solid investment into the Dexterity stat. Whatever it was, it was clearly working as out of the four combatants, from which Nate was currently excluding himself, Flash was the one doing the most damage to the Carnidans. Nate watched as the man baited another Carnidan into charging at him, jaws open ready to clamp down on him. Flash slashed twice in front of him, while rotating a foot slightly at the same time. Pushing off the echo he had formed beneath his foot he dodged the Carnidan¡¯s charge at the last moment. The Carnidan, however, crashed through the other two blade echoes, losing a fin in the process as well as a half its lower jaw. Blood bloomed in the water even as the lost fin slowly sunk down to the ocean floor where colourful fish began nibbling at it.


    Confident that he wasn¡¯t needed, Nate settled in to continue with his crafting. He would need to take short breaks to refill his Mana Reserve from the mana gems so that Frick could continue to handle the battles for him, but that was a small cost for advancing his runecrafted defences.


    The battle lasted another ten minutes before all of the Carnidans had been brought down. Nate sensed the two orbs that had been left behind and pointed them out for the team, before Frick dutifully collected them, delivering them to Kiri.


    With the first engagement out of the way the team began searching for the first Dungeon Challenge. They were going to be down here for a few days and getting at least one challenge done on the first day was the plan if they didn¡¯t want to drag out their Dungeon visit.


    *************


    Kiri growled in annoyance, bubbles floating out of her mouth and obscuring her vision for a moment. She hated, absolutely hated, not being able to be involved in a battle. Flash floated beside her, also unable to participate as she watched Coralie and Nate face the enemy before them. She had no identification Skill, something she intended to remedy, but it meant she didn¡¯t know the name of the beast in front of them. The monster was immobile, looking like a gigantic wobbling jelly with a thousand arms. Like most of the creatures in this Dungeon, it glowed in the waters, shades of white and red rippled across its body with its white arms tipped in circles of orange and red. It was a beautiful sight; it was also a pain in the ass. She and Flash were far enough back that the acidic bursts released from the many arms of the beast did nothing to them but she had gotten a feel for how strong they were up close. Even with Soul Imbuement boosting her Constitution and Endurance it had started to eat away at her skin. Slow enough that she could have fought, but if the battle extended she was going to start running low on soul energy.


    She had tried anyway but Coralie had used ice bindings to drag her away and she had finally relented, letting her girlfriend and her best friend handle the battle. Nate of course was casually floating around in his barrier, seemingly completely unconcerned about the acidic nature of the waters he drifted in. She wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing, but it was clearly something as the monster was not as active as when they had first encountered it. Coralie on the other hand was very obvious. Her girlfriend was completely encased in ice which was apparently enough to protect her from the acidic releases. Her freezing domain was slowly chipping away at the many arms of the beautiful monstrosity, freezing them and letting them break off to drift down towards the ocean floor.


    That ocean floor contained the warning of the dangers involved. Bones. Thousands of them littered the floor around the beast, all pearly white. Looking back up she watched as the monster launched another calculated attack against Nate. Over twenty of the drifting arms suddenly aimed at him, launching bones coated in sticky yellow acid. Her friend however simply vanished out of the way, appearing a few metres away and keeping up whatever he was doing. The arms that had attacked seemed to wither away and fall as she watched the monster slowly continue to deflate. She was guessing, but she suspected he was using his Life Drain rune on the monster.


    The fight dragged on for almost thirty minutes before the monster finally succumbed. After some quick back and forth pointing it was agreed the first reward would go to Nate. She watched as an Orb appeared in his hand before vanishing into his spatial storage. They had been fighting on and off for over five hours as they explored the underwater wonderland and after using some super simple sign language agreed to return to a nearby cave they had seen to set up and take a rest. It had been after midday when they entered the Dungeon and while they could have pushed for another Challenge, they already had a pretty good idea where two of them were. In her opinion, finding them was more work than actually fighting the Challenge monsters. Even though the beast had likely been close to level sixty, it hadn¡¯t managed to threaten them at all.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Swimming into the cave she exhaled, spitting water onto the floor, before inhaling air instead of liquid for the first time in hours. The breath of fresh air made her sigh happily. The potions worked wonders, but they still required you to breathe in water which felt weird and uncomfortable.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t as fun as I was expecting,¡± she griped. ¡°And I am still drenched!¡±


    Even as the words left her mouth the water in her clothes was sloughing off her and back into the pool that marked the cave''s entrance. She shot a thankful glance at Nate who dropped the runic array in front of him now that he had dried all three of them. She smirked as he still hadn¡¯t gotten a drop of water on him.


    ¡°Thanks Nate,¡± said Coralie, a beaming smile on her face. Flash added his own thanks a moment later and Kiri had to admit the man seemed a little less sullen than usual.


    ¡°Food and make camp?¡± Kiri suggested.


    When everyone agreed she started setting up the two person tent she had brought along for this trip. They had all agreed beforehand on the plan for resting. There was no real night or day in this watery place and as far as they knew, you could not swim to the surface. She was tempted to try, despite the explanation that the Dungeon Custodian had implemented some spatial manipulation to keep you from escaping its confines. It made sense she supposed, as Dungeons were supposedly spatially contained spaces, whatever that meant. Maybe Nate would know? Either way, since there was no night or day, and the light from the aquatic plant and animal life was constant, they could rest as little or as much as they wanted. They had all agreed to go for as little as possible.


    They had no desire to be stuck down here in this watery wonderland for a week, no matter how good the view. That didn¡¯t mean the caves were safe though. Some of the monsters, like the Carnidans they had fought, were capable of entering the caves. As such, they would do two on watch and two resting. It had been Coralie that had decided she and Kiri would rest together, which of course had left Kiri grinning from ear to ear. She just hoped Nate wouldn¡¯t mind spending time on sentry with Flash. With a shrug she continued setting up the tent. A little privacy would go a long way after all, she thought with a smirk.


    *************


    Nate sat back from the pool''s edge, continuing his crafting even as he used his farsight sphere of awareness to monitor the water below the pool¡¯s surface. These caves were cleverly designed and he wondered if the Dungeon Custodian had done it intentionally or simply been given the Dungeon in its current state. He didn¡¯t know much about how Dungeons were formed or designed or even the role of a Dungeon Custodian beyond populating a Dungeon with Challenges.


    The cave they rested in had a number of small vents that, as far as Nate could tell, pumped air from tubes that led down to natural formations in the rock beneath the sandy depths. Clever method, he thought, for giving non-aquatic creatures, like themselves, resting spots within the Dungeon.


    Flash sat a couple of metres away from him, daggers in hand and eyes glued to the cave''s entry. He had been wondering if he should make small-talk with the man for the last twenty minutes. Out of all the Guildies, he had spoken the least with the Edgedancer. Obviously he spent a bit of time with Null and more with Britt. But he even exchanged more words with Ameera and Karim than he did with Flash at the University.


    After another twenty minutes of Nate trying to decide whether to speak, it ended up being Flash that broke the silence.


    ¡°You and Kiri make a good team.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Nate replied, his tone unsure, before awkwardly adding, ¡°you and Coralie seem to work together well. Have you been teamed up for a while?¡±


    ¡°Eight years,¡± Flash replied, eyes still watching the water.


    ¡°That¡¯s basically forever. How did you end up on a team together?¡± he asked, trying to keep the conversation going, if only to avoid the awkwardness of another extended silence.


    ¡°Her Mother,¡± said Flash in a monotone.


    The Edgedancer glanced at him and he must have seen the confusion Nate was experiencing on his face.


    ¡°Prefect Allais handpicked Coralie¡¯s team. She even held tryouts. Though victory wasn¡¯t the only thing she must have been assessing. I guess she wanted to build a support network around Coralie. I always thought that, since out of everyone I was the closest to keeping up with her, that we would, you know, end up together.¡±


    Nate remained silent, just letting the man talk, or vent, whatever this was.


    ¡°Kiri entering the picture was a bit of a wake up call for me. I didn¡¯t handle it well. Can see that now. So, sorry for that.¡±


    ¡°Is it me you should be apologising to?¡± suggested Nate carefully.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll talk with Kiri after the Dungeon. Just figured since we were chatting, I would, you know, say sorry to you too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± replied Nate. He didn¡¯t really care that much about Flash¡¯s issue, but it cost him nothing to extend that olive branch. That said, he was curious what was driving the change. ¡°What brought this on? Just been thinking about it all?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Flash replied and for the first time that Nate could recall the man had a small smile on his lips. ¡°I mean, not completely. I guess I had been so focused on Coralie for so long that when she started seeing Kiri it kind of broke my brain for a bit. But it made me realise that it was never going to happen, you know? Changed my whole outlook. I¡¯m still dealing with it, but I err¡­am seeing a girl at the University.¡±


    Nate grinned knowingly, and trying to add some levity to the situation, took a leaf from Kiri¡¯s book and waggled his eyebrows at Flash.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start,¡± Flash replied with an amused snort, the smile on the man''s face slowly growing.


    Nate knew Frick would¡¯ve made it even worse if he had been present, fortunately his Familiar was down in the vent to conceal the ongoing work on his Spatial Release affinity material along with a mana gathering array.


    ¡°She come from one of the merchant families?¡± he asked.


    Flash went a little red in the face, blushing as he carefully kept his eyes on the water, ¡°Noble actually. Daughter of a baron.¡±


    ¡°Does she have a name?¡±


    ¡°Celeste,¡± Flash replied with a smile, before adding after a moment, ¡°Celeste Drocilio.¡±


    ¡°Nice name,¡± commented Nate. ¡°She a nice woman? Haven¡¯t had the best experiences so far with the nobility.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not like them. Suppose if she was she probably wouldn¡¯t be with me, would she?¡±


    ¡°Suppose not,¡± agreed Nate with a smile.


    ¡°You and Britt?¡± asked Flash, glancing at him.


    ¡°Friends,¡± he replied, smirking a moment later, ¡°with benefits.¡±


    Flash laughed quietly and the pair sunk back into silence, though this time it wasn¡¯t awkward. The conversation had one key effect on Nate. He wouldn¡¯t mind doing another Dungeon with Flash and Coralie if the Edgedancer was going to be a bit more mellow like this. That just left a question of if it was worth the slower advancement? Thinking back to the Skill Orb he had gotten, perhaps it would be better to do a Dungeon with just Kiri. Taking out the Skill Orb he looked at the notification again.


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 3)


    Wood Shaping


    He frowned at it in consternation. It wasn¡¯t that he was unhappy with the Skill, in fact, it was the opposite. This was exactly the kind of Skill he was looking for to synergise with his Metal Shaping. However, he still didn¡¯t understand how the Dungeon or Dungeon Curator knew what he was after. It was concerning to think that something might be reading his mind, even with his Soul Barrier protecting him. With a sigh he started making plans for when he returned to the Royal University. With him most likely graduating to the Advanced subject for Mana and Affinities, it was finally time for him to get some answers.

 Chapter 140 - Vile Beauty

    Nate floated beneath the oceans depths safely sealed within his water barrier. He watched with casual detachment as the team fought the Dungeon¡¯s Bonus Challenge, his identification returning the name of the beast.


    Vilemaw the Octonid


    Cruel Rending Horror (E) (41) /  Malignant Water Mage (R) (21) / Savage Devourer (U) (1)


    He had been surprised upon first seeing the classes, since it meant the eight-tentacled monstrosity had an Embodiment, even if it was only a Fragmented one. He didn¡¯t think a High Rare Dungeon would have contained such a creature but apparently the System was willing to allow it. He just hoped it meant that there would be extra rewards.


    The creature itself looked like a man''s torso on top of an octopus¡¯s body. It meant that the creature had ten arms in total instead of an octopus¡¯s eight. The white fleshy tentacles were blue-ringed and glowed in the underwater Dungeon casting coruscating flashes of colour every time Vilemaw lashed out with a tentacle.


    Nate watched as Kiri flashed in using her Soul Shift to try and attack the monster''s torso only to be blasted away by a jet of pressurised water that left her bleeding from her arms and legs. A moment later her wounds had closed but he could sense that she was burning her soul energy to keep up with the creature. It was an apt reminder of the tyranny of tiers. Kiri had eviscerated his captors, excluding the mercenary leader and more than one of them had their own Embodiments. They however had all had Rare Classes even after their second evolution. Vilemaw had an Epic Class and likely at least two Epic Skills and while Kiri and himself clearly had the beast beat on that front in terms of Skill Tiers they were still almost twenty levels behind the monster in both Classes and Skill levels.


    He moved his gaze to follow Flash and suppressed a sigh. If Kiri was doing decently then Flash was struggling. The man was locked in a melee with only two of Vilemaw¡¯s tentacles but that was more than enough to almost completely suppress the man. The watery nature of the battle was not helping the Edgedancer as he worked twice as hard as anyone else just to stay alive and keep the two tentacles at bay. It was so bad that Nate was quietly assisting the man. Using a runic array that combined his Water and Barrier runes he was creating plates of resistance to interfere with the tentacles, never allowing them to come at Flash at the same time. It was keeping the man in the fight but wasn¡¯t advancing that particular area.


    If Flash was struggling and Kiri was doing decently, then Coralie was somewhere in between the two. Four tentacles were batting the Ice and Light Mage around the area but were unable to do any lasting damage through the woman¡¯s ice armour spell. More importantly, the tentacles kept crusting over with ice themselves and bled black blood into the water as a result of the ice ripping off pieces of flesh when dislodged. Coralie¡¯s Ice Domain might not have been effective as usual, as she was clearly contesting Vilemaw¡¯s control over the waters of the area, but it was enough to slowly whittle away at the beast.


    Finally, there was Frick, who was doing both the best and the worst out of the lot. The best, because his Familiar had opted for a smaller and far more agile body transformation. He still looked like a mergoblin but had gone for one only as long as Nate¡¯s arm. When combined with his usage of Nate¡¯s Conceptual Runic Creation and Empowered Runic Artistry the little spirit had taken an idea Nate had considered to the extreme. One of Nate¡¯s Sigils was of course Fluid. With the ability to add or alter Subconcepts using Conceptual Runic Creation the little mergoblin had begged Nate to add a Fluid rune to his robe and was now using it to reduce the waters drag-force on his body, zipping around like a faint blue lightning bolt. On the other hand, the spirit had done even less damage to Vilemaw than Flash had, making him more of a distraction and nuisance than a threat. Still, it kept the other two tentacles busy which left Nate free to observe and assist.


    Taking the state of the fight in at a glance his mind considered his options. Intellect might not make him any more intelligent but it did increase the speed at which he could process information which made him perfectly suited to supporting his teammates or controlling a battlefield. With the ability to handle two more runic arrays, in addition to the one he was using to assist Flash, he considered the best way to speed this battle up. The results were a foregone conclusion, but minimising the time spent and the risk of injuries was still on the table.


    Contesting Vilemaw¡¯s control over water would be mana expensive and while he was confident he would ultimately win that exchange, it was far from the fastest method. Life Drain would be similarly slow, as the durability of the monster¡¯s tentacles were a clear indication that the creature had a respectable Constitution and possibly Endurance. Mana Exclusion to interfere with its spells was also unlikely to shift the dial much as it mostly used the water magic defensively, relying on its tentacles and physical prowess to attack. Nate had his suspicions that the creature had Skills that specifically made its Water spells more powerful at short-range. Gravity might work but if he was being honest he had no idea how Gravity interacted with fluids. Would the pressure of the water resist his efforts and would it be mana intensive since he would not only be pressing on Vilemaw but the volume of liquid around him.


    That left him with two serious options that didn¡¯t involve trying to contest control of the ambient mana that Coralie and Vilemaw were already fighting over. The first was using his new Metal Sigil and combining it with Projectile and Reinforcement in a runic array that should let him effectively shoot spears at the octonid. The second was using Soul and Power in a runic array to directly support Kiri and try and empower her. With a smile he decided on both. It would drain his Mana Reserve quickly since he¡¯d be supporting three runic arrays at the same time, plus Frick¡¯s My Will, My Way and his Familiar usage of his Skills, but he had mana gems filled to spare.


    With a thought he activated Conceptual Runic Creation, Empowered Runic Artistry and Conceptual Intent. In his right hand he formed a runic array combining his Soul and Power runes, altering the Subconcepts to focus on soul energy and empowerment before targeting Kiri¡¯s own soul energy. He sensed her speed up immediately as she went for Vilemaw¡¯s torso again. In his left hand a second runic array formed combining his Metal, Projectile and Reinforcement runes. He altered the Subconcepts to make the metal sharper and jagged while making the projectiles faster.


    Like a ballista, he started launching metal spears every second, focusing on the main body of Vilemaw where his tentacles connected to his torso. His decision was driven by making sure he didn¡¯t interfere with Kiri¡¯s own attacks as she slashed furiously with eight daggers at Vilemaw¡¯s head and chest even as the monster tried to protect itself with a water barrier. It was bleeding now though and Nate could sense the soul energy leaking from the monster. With the addition of his attacks Vilemaw was forced to ease up on Coralie and Flash, drawing in two of its tentacles to help defend against Kiri and his metal spears. That was the moment its defeat was sealed. Coralie immediately moved closer and Flash crossed towards her to defend against two tentacles again which left Coralie free to contest for control of the ambient mana, interfering with the beast¡¯s water shield. The moment of weakness cascaded into two metal spears punching holes through its lower body. Kiri sensed the opening and launched herself inside of the water barrier, weathering a pressurised blast of water with her Soul Imbuement toughened body, enhanced by Nate¡¯s runic array, and stabbed four daggers into the monster''s head and chest. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Nate was able to sense the soul energy of the monster drain into Kiri as it died and he smirked knowing she now held an additional soul for her To Slay A Soul skill. He wasn¡¯t sure how many she could contain yet, but she had done the same for all of the Dungeon Challenges within the watery depths which meant she had at least five slots available.


    He watched as the corpse of the tentacled octonid drifted down to the ocean floor, a burst of sand and shells the last movement as the tentacles collapsed into a heap with the humanoid torso torn and still leaking blood as it rested atop the white and blue tentacles like a macabre crown. The rush of processed mana that came toward him, drawn by his Class Core, was instead diverted into the processed mana gathering array he held out, and stored in one of the processed mana gems he created in the Fourth Hell. He doubted the mana would have gotten him another level and he had some experiments to perform when they returned to the University.


    The reward notification appeared before them and as agreed, they gave it to Coralie. It wasn¡¯t like she was going to get to keep it. They had completed all five challenges and each received a reward. As a group they had agreed that the fifth should be traded to the Guild and since the rewards tended to be curated to the receiver, they chose Coralie as Orbs for Magic Stats were always in high demand. Crafters were beyond rare in the Guild and Kiri would almost certainly receive Orbs for Willpower or Agility. Flash would have likely gotten Agility, Dexterity or Perception Orbs. That had left Coralie who was most likely to receive Orbs for Magic Stats.


    After receiving the rewards and with tired smiles the group made their way back to the Dungeon exit they had found. It might have taken them a while to find such a thing but with Nate¡¯s sphere of awareness it had been trivial to recognise that the giant clam housed a small portal that would allow them to leave. Passing back through the aperture they appeared in the Dungeon Fort and were instantly surrounded by the Gold ranked Adventurers. Nate just gave Deverell a nod to indicate he was fine, even as he dried his teammates and altered his barrier bracer back to its normal settings, covering him just above his skin in a protective barrier that didn¡¯t focus on any element.


    After a quick rundown of how the Dungeon run had gone they mounted up and were on their way back to the city. With his mount thundering through the grasslands it was finally time to go over his notifications for the last few days.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +1 Magic Power, +4 Magic Control, +2 Channelling Speed, +2 Mana Reserve, +1 Mana Absorption +5 Free Stats


    Empowered Amplified Magic 30 > 32


    Conceptual Runic Creation 41 > 42


    True Teleportation 32 > 33


    Conceptual Insight 42 > 43


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 44 > 45


    Conceptual Automation 16 > 17


    Conceptual Material 34 > 36


    Metal Shaping 15 > 17


    Spatial Empowerment 1 > 4


    Conceptual Intent 42 > 43


    As he had planned, he immediately put his Free Stats towards his Constitution which was still lagging a little behind his Endurance. His Skills were also progressing nicely, but once again he had to plan for how to focus on his evolutions for multiple Skills. Empowered Runic Artistry was at level thirty-eight which left three levels before it evolved. Conceptual Automation and Metal Shaping were both only four levels away from evolution while Conceptual Material had five levels to go.


    ¡°Thoughts on directions for Empowered Runic Artistry?¡± he sent to Frick mentally.


    ¡°Well, Boss, the skill is already helping keep your mana costs down and increasing the Magic Power of your runic arrays. You probably don¡¯t need to fiddle with Concepts with it, since you have a couple of other Skills to do that. So what do you need more? More power or faster mana flow? Those are the ways I would go,¡± replied Frick quickly while channelling Conceptual Material into the bar of metal in his lap.


    Just as on the trip out, the two of them were both slowly increasing the tier of the bars of metal in front of them.


    ¡°Seeing if I can get it to convert some of the ambient mana to the correct affinity would add some power to it as well,¡± he sent back.


    ¡°True, boss. Is power your problem though?¡±


    He gave the question due consideration. Evolving the Skill in that direction would increase his dynamic power, making his on-the-fly runes more powerful and allowing him to compete with Mages more easily. Alternatively, he could focus on the other end of the Skill and take it back to its roots. Artistry. There was an argument to be made that he had already been using it for his art, including runic arrays in his graffiti and a few paintings. Could he lean more into that? What would that look like if he did, he wondered. There had been a skill that amplified emotional responses to his paintings, which also aligned with the emotion based concepts he had included in his graffiti. Would it be possible to create runic arrays within paintings that were in turn weaponised?


    He glanced down at the metal bar in front of him. It was far from beautiful. A lump of metal with an affinity for the Concepts of mana and release and a runic array inscribed in it to do exactly that. If it had been golden in colour it might have looked like a bar of aztec gold. But it wasn¡¯t beautiful. It wasn¡¯t art. He had been using metal because it was durable and he had his Metal Shaping skill that simplified the process. But his goal had always been to synergise Metal Shaping with other shaping skills to try and achieve the Material Shaping epic tier Skill in a roundabout fashion, mirroring the same method he had used to achieve his Amplified Magic skill.


    With a Skill to shape materials and his Conceptual Material skill, in theory, he could make other things durable enough to create artistic pieces that also functioned as runic arrays. Maybe even paintings for that exact purpose. Coupled with his developing spatial skills, he could store an entire gallery of such pieces ready to go at a moment''s notice. That also led into his thoughts for his Tertiary Class options. He had decided he would not be going for a Time related Class and as such he would trade the Legendary Time Skill he had an Orb for to Evindal. Which worked out perfectly for what he wanted.


    ¡°I am going to push it in the direction of enhancing my art,¡± he sent to Frick.


    ¡°I¡­think that¡¯s probably the right idea, Boss. Maybe it ain¡¯t as good for combat, but it¡¯s important that you focus on your Path, especially if you want to manage to transition your Embodiment and perfect it.¡±


    Nate smiled to himself at his decision. It felt good to choose what he loved and not what was best for fighting and battle. He had a feeling that it would work out for the best anyway, after all, power was as much about focusing on your strengths as it was about mitigating your weaknesses.

 Chapter 141 - Synergistic Relations

    With his decision made about how he would focus his improvement for Empowered Runic Artistry that still left Nate with three other Skills to consider. Conceptual Automation, Metal Shaping and Conceptual Material were all close to evolving and needed a plan. Conceptual Automation was a Legendary Skill already and he intended to use one of his Skill Enhancement Orbs to guarantee a Mythic evolution. The main reason was that he wasn¡¯t convinced he had done enough with the Skill that he was confident his plan for the evolution would be Mythic. Instead, he suspected even if it got a decent evolutionary effect, that the Skill would remain at Legendary.


    With that in mind, his plan was straightforward and came back to his University subject on mana and affinities. Specifically, how ambient mana in locations would affect the mana used in those areas, like areas filled with water naturally resisting the usage of mana with an affinity for fire. The constructs created Conceptual Automation were using a material affinity to power themselves alongside his own mana. However, he had noticed that once they were created and the material consumed, the constructs were naturally being deconstructed by the ambient mana around them. It hadn¡¯t been a noticeable issue in the Fourth Hell, which he suspected was due to the use of processed mana to power the Skill and the lack of ambient mana in the Hells, but it would be an issue against anyone with a powerful affinity, especially if they could empower it with a Concept. He had some processed mana now to experiment with and he was debating asking Coralie to assist, since as far as he knew she was the only Guildie currently capable of using their affinity and a Skill to add a Concept to their Spells.


    The experiments he had planned aside, he was confident that if he could get his constructs to impart even a small part of the Concepts they were created from onto their environment it would make them far more resistant to ambient mana or the mana used by others.


    For Metal Shaping he had a fairly straight forward plan. Increase the speed of change for the shaping. Though, if everything went to plan, Metal Shaping wouldn¡¯t be evolving any time soon. He had another shaping Skill as a Skill Orb now, thanks to his Dungeon reward, and he was hoping to purchase or trade with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for another two or three, assuming they had any. If they did he would likely synergise the Skill, lowering its level in the process.


    That just left Conceptual Material. It had started out as his first Legendary Skill in this world. Its evolution had paved the way to his Mythic Class. The creations that it had allowed had saved his life more than once. In many ways, it had been the core of his Class for as long as he had been on Galle. It had even played a small part in his art, like when he had used the Skill to improve the quality of the stones in the Slums of Etrua¡¯s Capital. He had considered multiple options for further developing the Skill. If he was being honest with himself, he wanted to try and push it beyond Mythic, though he knew that was almost certainly a dream. Maybe, if he had a Sigil that was of the Grandmaster tier it might have been possible. But he didn¡¯t. That meant it was almost certain to be a Mythic to Mythic evolution. So the question was, would he be satisfied with something simple like a stat boosting addition, or did he want to try and expand the Skill, and if so how.


    Right now all the Skill was doing, beyond its fundamental ability to allow him to imbue affinities into materials and tier them up, was lowering the mana cost to do so and reducing the time required. There were two paths he saw for expanding its capabilities. The first was what it considered a material. Every material he had worked on so far had been a solid. Metal and wood had almost always been the substrate. The reason was that Conceptual Material added affinities by changing the molecular structure of the materials to create the sigils for the relevant concepts within the substrate. But, how would that work when applied to a liquid, or worse, a gas? By their natures, they lacked static structures, making it impossible with the way the Skill currently functioned. Yet, he knew it was possible to do so. Alchemy was proof it was possible. Now, as he understood it, alchemists were capable of extracting affinities from one material and imbuing them into another. In their case, it was almost always a liquid, which meant there was a way that a liquid could possess an affinity.


    The other option was a method for speeding up his development of materials. He doubted he could make it much faster than what it currently was and only with Skill levels would he continue to bring down the amount of time to develop a single material. What he could do is potentially allow the Skill to target more than one material at a time. It would mean that he could work on two or more materials at the same time.


    It would be a huge timesaver and from a combat and crafting perspective, the better option out of the two. But he already knew he was going to aim for his first idea. The reason, as always, came back to his art. Giving his paint affinities would be amazing and played into his plans for his Embodiment and his Tertiary Class. With his decisions made he settled in to enjoy the ride as he focused on preparing his defensive materials. In two days they would be back in the Capital and it would be time to do some trading with the Guild. It was time to flex his crafting chops and get paid. Kiri had been right about one thing. They were going to be rich, and he intended to spend his resources to fuel his development.


    *************


    Nate sat across the table from Prefect Porter. Kiri was present as well, taking the seat beside him with Deverell lingering somewhere behind them. Upon their return to the Capital, after having a bath and getting cleaned up from their travels, they headed straight to the Guild compound. It was time to start utilising his crafting to make them rich and that meant finding someone to supply with crafted goods. Thanks to Deverell¡¯s intervention they had cut through the red tape that would have seen them discussing any deals with one of the Gold ranked Adventurer¡¯s who managed the logistics and supplies for the Guild. Instead, they ended up in this private meeting room with a Prefect.


    ¡°So, ya wanted ta make a deal did ya? What are ya wantin¡¯ and what are ya offerin¡¯?¡± asked the cantankerous old Earth Mage.


    Nate glanced at Kiri who launched into the spiel.


    ¡°We can provide runecrafted items to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild upon request ranging from Common all the way to the Epic tier. Anything provided can be customised to an agreed upon extent and can be of almost any design,¡± she explained, her blue eyes intense as she stared at Porter.


    ¡°Customisable eh? Before we get into tha nitty gritty, what would ya be wantin¡¯ in return? More Dungeon tokens? Materials?¡±


    ¡°In return, we want payment in the form of Stat Orbs with the option for Rare tier or below Skill Orbs.¡±


    ¡°Not materials eh? Interestin¡¯. Won¡¯t ask how you¡¯re getting what ya need,¡± replied the Prefect, tapping the side of his nose.


    Nate smirked to sell the act. If the Prefect wanted to believe they had some under the table deal with crooked nobles or smugglers, he was perfectly happy to encourage it. Kiri had offered to take ten percent of their payments for handling any negotiations and making the deliveries. He had of course shot that down immediately. They were a team. She watched out for him and he watched out for her. She had argued with him for a bit before finally accepting half under the provision that she would also find other places to sell his crafted equipment and act as the middle-woman. He knew she was already considering a few shops and the Auction House. She had even floated the idea of a storefront in the merchants district that could act as the front and allow him to sell simpler things. She had however shot down her own idea shortly after making it, explaining that such a venture would rely on volume of sales as the margins were lower. Either way, as far as he was concerned, if she wasn¡¯t earning a fifty percent cut yet, she would in the future. It helped that it would drive his mentor Luc crazy as his mentor was only getting a twenty percent cut for the manerium sales.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Porter leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking beneath his weight, which didn¡¯t make a lot of sense as the old man was skinny and the chair looked sturdy. Nate chalked it up to a skill related to density or something similar.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m interested. What can ya offer?¡± the Prefect asked.


    ¡°Runecrafted rings and amulets for any Stat. The same for weapons and armour, including wands, all of which can be enchanted to be stronger, sharper, more durable or a list of elemental enchantments. We can also do more quality-of-life runecrafted items but you¡¯ll probably find they¡¯re cheaper to purchase from some of the enchanters.¡±


    Nate tuned out what followed as Porter and Kiri got stuck into the details, only piping up when Kiri confirmed the time, cost or difficulty for certain types of runecrafting. The end result was a contract that detailed what they would get in payment for each item based on rarity, number of Stats it provided or the runecrafted effects of the item. The basics were that for providing a runecrafted item they would be given access to Stat Orbs that would total half of what the runecrafted item provided. Kiri seemed happy with that and so was he. The icing on the cake was when Kiri demanded they be allowed to purchase three Skill Orbs of rare or lower quality with coinage. Porter had pushed back but eventually capitulated on the agreement that the Guild would take priority for any crafting requests over any other clients that Kiri managed to acquire.


    That was how he found himself teleporting back onto the University grounds, having spent almost the entire fortune he had taken from Fabien¡¯s storage ring, with four new Skills ready to be absorbed including the one he had acquired in the Dungeon run.


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 2)


    Stone Shaping


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 5)


    Crystal Shaping


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 4)


    Water Shaping


    Skill Orb (Rare, Level 3)


    Wood Shaping


    ¡°Happy?¡± asked Kiri as they entered his room.


    ¡°Very. I¡¯m going to see if they synergise right now. I can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± he replied with a grin.


    It had been a pain to wait while Kiri and Porter finalised the deal knowing he was effectively holding onto four different Skills and was potentially inches away from achieving the Material Shaping Skill he had been offered while in the Fourth Hell.


    ¡°Go on then,¡± Kiri said encouragingly, kicking up her feet on his table.


    Holding out the Skill Orbs he absorbed one after another, starting with Wood Shaping before progressing through Stone Shaping, Crystal Shaping and finally Water Shaping. The notification that appeared made it all worth it.


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Metal Shaping (Rare) Skill, Wood Shaping (Rare) Skill, Water Shaping (Rare) Skill, Stone Shaping (Rare) Skill and Crystal Shaping (Rare) Skill. Combine these Skills to gain Material Shaping (Epic) Skill.


    Proceed?


    Nate didn¡¯t need to be asked twice as he agreed to the synergy.


    Material Shaping (Epic)


    An artist is limited by the materials they use to craft, create and express themselves. Paint is only one medium by which ideas can be made manifest. This skill allows the user to mould matter into the shapes they desire at the cost of mana. Mana cost is based upon the tier of the materials being shaped and the volume of matter being shaped. Mana Cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Mana cost is further decreased by 10% of the users Intellect.


    Material Shaping 1 > 6


    He could see the resulting Material Shaping skill was already level six, the average of all the Skills that went into the synergised Skill. The thing he liked the most was that the description still referenced his art and paint, which made him suspect he could reshape his paintings on the fly if he desired. That might become important for his future aspirations.


    ¡°Happy?¡± Kiri asked with a knowing smile.


    ¡°Very. When did Porter say he would have his first order ready?¡±


    He knew Porter had mentioned it to Kiri while he had been down in the Guild Vaults selecting the Skill Orbs he wanted to purchase.


    ¡°He said he would need two days. I reckon the first order will be to outfit some of the Gold-ranked adventurers who are loyal to the Guild. After that he will be posting the list on offer and the prices in the main hall. Not sure how much work we¡¯ll get you out of it, since the prices might be a bit steep for the average Etruan Adventurer, but it can¡¯t hurt. In the meantime, I will talk to the Auction House. I reckon you could provide them with a couple of custom pieces and if we can focus on items that are in demand, then there is a big opportunity there. Does that work?¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± he replied easily.


    ¡°Alright. Did you want me to stay tonight?¡± she asked carefully.


    He knew if he said yes that she would drop everything to do so. But he didn¡¯t want to keep her from spending time with her girlfriend, as they hadn¡¯t really had any alone time on the Dungeon run besides a little time to cuddle and rest in the caves. Besides, his farsight sphere of awareness had noticed something interesting and he was confident he was about to be busy.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s all good,¡± he replied.


    Her eyes said she wasn¡¯t sure she believed him.


    ¡°Really, I am fine,¡± he added with a smile. ¡°Now shoo. I¡¯m about to have company.¡±


    Kiri raised her eyebrows before glancing at the wall in the direction of someone approaching his room before her mouth made an ¡®o¡¯ shape. Instead of immediately vanishing she smirked at him, waggling her eyebrows before disappearing in a burst of soul energy.


    Only a few seconds after Kiri had left there was a knock at his door. He opened to see a smiling, but if he was judging correctly, unsure Britt waiting on the other side.


    ¡°Hey, Nate.I heard you all got back from the Dungeon run, but you didn¡¯t come in with Coralie and Flash?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Kiri and I had to take care of some stuff at the Guild before we headed back,¡± he answered, stepping out of the way and ushering her inside.


    She immediately crossed the border into his room and the short blonde bee-lined towards the half-finished painting on his easel. He had always enjoyed how much she liked his art and she looked beautiful framed by the light leaking in through his open door.


    She turned to him as he closed the door and said in a rush, ¡°I know something¡¯s been wrong lately¡­and I didn¡¯t want to pry. I just hope you¡¯re okay and that we¡¯re still friends?¡±


    He gave her a small smile. The truth was, he was doing a little better. Between his defensive creations, his newly minted focus and his plans for the future, it had helped to dampen the trauma and stress he had been feeling. Enough that he was willing to reach out beyond his comfort zone. He wasn¡¯t ready for physical intimacy yet, his body still not feeling completely his own and knowing that his mind would wander towards his capture and torture. That said, there were other ways to be intimate, at least as far as he was concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing better. Not back to normal yet, but better. And we are still friends. Friends and a bit extra,¡± he replied with what he hoped was an amused smile.


    He must have hit the right facial expression as Britt beamed back at him before glancing at his bed and raising her eyebrows.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he answered the unspoken question. ¡°But maybe I could paint you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± she gushed. ¡°Umm¡­nude or clothed?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± he answered as he moved towards his easel.


    The moment Britt started undressing Nate sent a mental message to Frick, ¡°Hey Frick, need you to bugger off for a bit.¡±


    The answering cackle made him smile as he settled in to paint his kind-of girlfriend posed on his bed. Healing was going to take time, but he was getting there, and for now, that was enough.

 Chapter 142 - Soul Revelation

    Nate paused in his brushwork to critique his own painting. The noise of other paintbrushes and the crumpling of paper filled the classroom around him as the few other members of Advanced art class continued with their own artworks. The class was almost over and he could sense Professor Hawthorn starting to stir from his nap in the corner. The older gentleman did the same thing every class. The old man would show up a little late, set the task for the day, then go fall asleep in the corner of the classroom. Somehow he always managed to wake up right before the class finished, where he would dole out a few compliments or rebukes, maybe hand out a few points towards graduating out of the advanced stream for the Art subject, then vanish out the door.


    Nate could understand why Professor Hawthorn took the approach he did. Maybe they paid a little more attention in the Basic and Intermediate courses. The students in those grades might still be learning a bit about the history of art in Etrua or techniques and methods to apply when creating art. But for the Advanced grade, where there were only eight students, most of which had developed styles and preferences, interference beyond gentle nudging was unnecessary. Nate acknowledged that his peers in the Advanced course took their art seriously and so having a Professor tell them what to do or how to do it was a waste of everyone''s time. Instead the course had focused on creating various artworks that could then be assessed for developments and improvements. In this case, improvements were a very loose view of how the artworks of the students had changed over the course. If Nate was judging it correctly, Professor Hawthorn just wanted to see that you were experimenting a little with styles.


    Like clockwork, the Professor stood, smoothing his robe out before making his rounds of the classroom, spending less than a minute with each student. In a handful of minutes it was Nate¡¯s turn and he stepped aside to let the Professor review his painting. The task today had been a recreation of an existing painting that detailed a battlefield. It wasn¡¯t Nate¡¯s preferred type of artwork, as he had shown a clear preference for paintings that detailed people up closer. His paintings almost always focused on a person, or people, with enough detail that you could identify the individual or individuals painted. His few landscape pieces had been incredibly personal and were not things he could paint in this class without raising questions. That brought him back to the painting of some battle. Professor Hawthorn had given it a name and it was clearly of historical importance to Etrua, but as far as Nate was concerned it could have been any other battlefield, albeit with magical elements included.


    That wasn¡¯t to say he hadn¡¯t used it as an opportunity to experiment a little. He wasn¡¯t sure how his riot of colours would be received by the Professor, but it definitely changed the tone of the painting. Where the original painting was done using a standard colour scheme that was clearly meant to replicate, at least as far as it could, what the battle may have actually looked like to a spectator, Nate had gone with a very different approach. Instead of looking like a battlefield it almost made the scene, excluding a few intentional changes, look like a circus. Instead of balls of fire and lightning bolts being traded by the armies, it looked like fireworks in the colours of the rainbow.


    The armies matched, however, instead of creating a chaos of colours, he had literally painted them as a rainbow so the colour slowly graded across the armies present, making each one look like one of the two ¡®legs¡¯ of a rainbow. Of course, this changed the entire tone of painting, which he wasn¡¯t sure would be appreciated. But he hadn¡¯t wanted to paint something serious and perhaps, in his heart of hearts, it was his own commentary on war.


    It hadn¡¯t been lost on Nate that they had been given a battle painting, even as the University bubbled with rumours that Etrua would soon be at war with their neighbouring country, Asmuisil. Nate hadn¡¯t been able to ask more about the details, but his sphere of awareness had caught more than a few discussions on the topic. He might have asked someone if it wasn¡¯t clear it was all rumours so far with no real substance. Still, it was something he had to consider. What would it mean if the countries declared war?


    Professor Hawthorn finally turned towards Nate, preventing him from considering the potential for war further.


    ¡°Two points towards your grade. The use of colour was clever and I am confident you¡¯ve achieved what you wanted. However, you could¡¯ve taken it further than what you have. You¡¯ve mostly focused on the colours, while recreating the visual almost picture perfect. That ability to copy is impressive, but since, I assume, you¡¯re trying to make a commentary on war or battle, you could¡¯ve made slight alterations to other things, such as the commander of the armies¡¯ attire, the weapons being held etc. You get the idea? I like where you¡¯re going with it, but if you¡¯re going to push the line of what is considered acceptable, don¡¯t hold back. Keep up the good work, kid.¡±


    Nate smiled at the praise and feedback. He acknowledged it was fair. He had mostly been experimenting with how colour could change the tone of an image, but he could have taken it further, making the commanders look like jesters or puppets.


    As Professor Hawthorn moved on to the next artwork a voice behind him said quietly, ¡°I always love your paintings.¡±


    Turning he gave Helen a small smile. The woman was the exact same one that had overseen his induction. A third year at the Royal University, she had apparently only started taking art in her second year, working her way up from the Basic course. He suspected the noblewoman had a highly developed Dexterity and Agility, as she was spotless, despite having been painting for the past two hours. As he formulated a response she brushed her black hair over her ears and watched him with deep brown eyes that he thought contained an unasked question.


    Glancing at her own rendition of the battle he noted she had also gone with some colour based experimentation. She¡¯d used purples, reds and oranges to turn what he suspected was meant to be a heroic scene into one that gave him a sense of hopelessness and despair.


    ¡°The futility of war?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°That¡¯s sort of what I was going for,¡± she replied with a bright smile. ¡°I was aiming more for despair. But futility is close enough. How would you have changed it to get closer to despair?¡±


    As she asked she reached out to touch his arm. He had to restrain himself from flinching and saw her surprise when she touched the barrier covering him instead of warm skin.


    A sad smile formed on her face, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. I heard about the things Fabien Lussier did.¡±


    Nate experienced a flash of panic. How much did she know? Were they already onto him? Guards waiting outside of the room? His anxiety subsided though, as she continued.


    ¡°Your room and getting you kicked out of Enchanting. We¡¯re not all like that, though.¡±


    With a small and strained smile he ignored the comment and looked over the artwork.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Probably similar to the advice Professor Hawthorn gave me. The colours are a good choice for what you wanted to achieve but even slight detail on the faces showing their despair and hopelessness would probably achieve what you wanted.¡±


    Helen nodded a little and glanced up at him, her hand retracted back to her side, ¡°You¡¯re right. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should go that far. You know, with the rumours going around.¡±


    She paused for a moment before she continued in a rush, ¡°Could I paint you some time?¡±


    ¡°Clothed?¡± he asked carefully. He had never been on the other side of the painting experience and he was curious if it might be worthwhile to give him some context.


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± she replied with a blush, before her lips curled into a hopeful smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have an answer next class, okay?¡±


    The noblewoman nodded agreeably and Nate turned away, starting to pack up his things. Art had been his first class of the day and he was about to go to his second. A class he had been waiting impatiently for. Upon their return from the Dungeon, his unigem had informed him that he had successfully graded out of four of his subjects. While he was perhaps another month or two from managing to get to the Advanced grade for Combat and Skill Development, he had achieved enough points to move to the Intermediate grade for both Dungeon Knowledge and Monster Studies. Those weren¡¯t the courses he was interested in though. It was the other two that had him excited. As of today he was in the Advanced grade for Concepts and Embodiments, as well as Mana and Affinities. It was the latter class he was headed to, and he was hoping to finally get some answers around why Intent was important for Skill development, among other things.


    The moment he finished cleaning up his workspace he was out the door and it was a short walk to the next building over for his new class. Kiri, Coralie and Karim joined him within minutes and he watched as the class slowly filled. Where the Intermediate grade had been an even split between Guildies, merchants and Nobles, this one was dominated by the Nobility. With almost thirty people in the subject, the four Guildies were matched by three merchants, who sat huddled together. The rest were members of the nobility, only divided by their cliques as three separate divisions formed around the room. The distribution wasn¡¯t even with one clique only containing three nobles while the remaining individuals split evenly. He debated listening in but the few snippets he caught just spoke of the whispers of war and a gala to be held at the Royal Palace.


    He was about to start whispering to Kiri when Professor Karne swept into the room, looking as well curated as ever with his oiled moustache.


    ¡°A full class. Excellent. For those of you who have just managed to join the Advanced stream for Mana and Affinities, welcome and well-done. Not everyone manages to get this far and while most of you are unlikely to make it to the Expert grade, you will find the information provided in this course invaluable. For those of you who are repeating the Advanced stream with a second, third or even fourth attempt to enter the Expert grade course, best of luck.¡±


    The Professor paused for a moment, locking eyes directly with a few of the nobility, ¡°For those new to the course, the grading for this course has some restrictions that were not placed on the previous grades. The Basic and Intermediate streams for this subject are almost entirely theoretical. As long as you can grasp and apply the information provided to a series of problems and ultimately simple tests, then you can grade out of those streams. In the Advanced stream, you will need to be able to demonstrate aptitude with the subject matter. To put it simply, you cannot move to the Expert grade for Mana and Affinities unless you are capable of applying some of the knowledge in a real-world setting. This is handled through an end-of-term project. So I want that to live in the back of your mind over the next few weeks. Start thinking about how you can demonstrate aptitude for the subject. More details will be given in the coming weeks. Questions? No? Good.¡±


    While the dark haired Professor had asked for questions he hadn¡¯t given anyone a chance to respond before he continued with the lecture.


    ¡°Today''s topic touches on something that has been hinted at in other courses, as well as this one, but that we do not teach until you¡¯ve shown some ability to grasp the simpler rules and logic that govern mana and affinities. That topic is, other energy types. It¡¯s not strictly speaking a secret, but it is definitely kept from you and the reason for that is simple. Other energy types can be dangerous. Both to you, and those around you. Now, I am sure some of you are aware of additional energy types beyond mana. Anyone willing to venture a guess? I will say that to our knowledge there are four distinct energy types, including mana. Now, name another for me.¡±


    Professor Karne turned to the board as he waited for someone to speak. The first answer came from one of the nobles sitting in the small clique.


    ¡°Celestial,¡± called out the noble.


    ¡°Correct,¡± replied Karne. ¡°And it¡¯s antithesis?¡±


    ¡°Demonic,¡± answered another noble from one of the larger cliques.


    ¡°And the last?¡± asked Karne as he wrote the words on the board.


    ¡°Soul or Mental energy.¡±


    The last had surprisingly been from one of the merchants.


    ¡°We just call it soul energy, but correct. It will also be the topic we cover for the next few weeks.¡±


    Nate and Kiri both leaned forward together, grinning at each other as Professor Karne launched into the lecture.


    ¡°The first question we have to ask is, what is soul energy? To answer that, we have studied in depth the cause and effect, as well as prevalence when it comes to soul energy. First, let us look at cause and effect. Most of you will be familiar with the Mentalist Classes and their related Skills. I doubt there is a single member of the nobility in this room who isn¡¯t wearing an enchantment to protect themselves from soul energy based attacks. But, why do alterations to soul energy propagate into mental-based effects? That is because, to the best of our knowledge, soul energy directly interacts with the brain. The next questions you should be asking is why and how? This is where it gets interesting, at least as far as I am concerned. The how is a two way interaction between your mind and the soul energy that results in the copying of memories and information from one to the other.¡±


    The Professor turned around as he made that statement and Nate could sense why. The looks on the new students'' faces ranged from shock to horror.


    ¡°Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real that you were sure it was, only to wake in your bed? Soul energy isn¡¯t static. Sometimes it bleeds off of us, or is actively used, and needs to be replenished. The result is an exchange between the source and repository of soul energy, the Spiritual Realm. Sometimes, that exchange involves the memories of the deceased or departed. How many of you have dreamed of flying?¡± asked Karne, pausing to enjoy the reactions of the students. ¡°Exactly! Now, of course, there is an argument that such dreams are just a creative imagining of a sapient, but more likely, it is you experiencing some flying creature''s memory. The argument against this is, if soul energy is really a form of sapient memories, then why aren¡¯t we all just a conglomerate of fragmented memories of past-lives. The answer is simple and goes directly back to my comment on Mental Skills. Soul energy interaction can either build on or fragment the information contained within.¡±


    Nate leaned back in his seat as his mind whirled through the implications. Even as he was trying to make sense of all the ideas floating to the surface, he sent off a mental message to his Familiar.


    ¡°Did you know that soul energy contained memories?¡±


    ¡°I did, Boss man. And now that you do, we can finally talk about it!¡± replied Frick, the spirit''s voice tinged with excitement.


    Nate smiled as he realised the block on Frick discussing soul energy by the Familiar Contract was finally broken. But Nate¡¯s smile turned to horror as he realised the implication that this information had on his Class Core and The System. His mind really was being read.

 Chapter 143 - The Price of Friendship

    Nate was only half paying attention to Professor Karne as he wrote up a flow diagram on the board detailing how soul energy moved from the Physical Realm to the Spiritual realm. He was far too preoccupied with what this information meant for his own experiences. Even before he had received his Class Core, the System had known he was from another universe. It knew the kinds of rewards he wanted from Dungeons. It knew how he was trying to expand or push his Skills. What was Intent, if not a form of mental effort based around a memory or idea? It even explained some questions he had from Earth. Why were there ideas about monsters and magic that had arisen on Earth? A place that was, as far as he knew, basically a mana desert. Goblins, kobolds, dragons and a thousand other myths and legends that had almost certainly never existed on Earth, yet the humans of Earth knew of them. That made a lot more sense if they were inheriting fragments of memories from other people and beings in other universes.


    ¡°What are Spirits?¡± he mentally sent to Frick.


    ¡°A conglomeration of soul energy with memories that relate to a singular idea that has come into contact with enough mana to self actualize into an individual,¡± came the instant response.


    ¡°So¡­the goblin shape?¡± he asked, already knowing the answer.


    ¡°Most of the memories that formed me were related to a varying number of goblins from varying tribes and universes. In a couple they were even the dominant species. Those aren¡¯t the only memories that made me, but they¡¯re definitely the strongest.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you more¡­aggressive, then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Ah? Did they not cover that? It¡¯s just the memories. Not the emotions associated with them. It¡¯s like watching a movie but in black and white and without sound.¡±


    ¡°..why is everyone not more affected by this?¡±


    ¡°Boss, your memories don¡¯t just live in your soul energy. They¡¯re in your brain. They¡¯re mostly your experiences, which have all the emotions attached to them, making them far stronger than the occasional exchange of soul energy you have with the Spiritual Realm. You¡¯re still you. Kiri is still Kiri. Hells, I¡¯m still me, gloriously Fricky, goblin extraordinaire. Just, rarely, you¡¯ll experience a fragment of someone or something else¡¯s memory.¡±


    Nate stopped asking Frick questions as his mind went back to another experience. When he had saved Kiri from Soul Dissolution. She hadn¡¯t lost her memories, because as Frick had said, they lived in her mind as well as her soul energy. But, the System hadn¡¯t been happy about him disconnecting her soul energy from the Class Core, which had resulted in the crystallisation of Kiri¡¯s Class Core and the addition of a new one to replace it. That meant The System could somehow recognise the presence of soul energy in the Physical realm.


    ¡°Do insects and plants have soul energy?¡± blurted out Nate as the thought occurred to him, interrupting the Professor.


    Karne shot him a disapproving look before answering, ¡°Plants, yes, but a fraction of what you or I possess. Insects do, but again, it is miniscule. Small minds is the prevailing theory as to why. If, as I was saying, life is the key for soul energy, then the level of sentience, or better yet, sapience, is the measurement for the quantity of soul energy. And yes, there are Mental Classes capable of controlling insects. Now, if we¡¯re done with the interruptions¡­¡±


    The Professor didn¡¯t get to finish as one of the nobles took the opportunity to ask their own question.


    ¡°Why are we not more influenced by these memories? If we¡¯re exchanging information with the Spiritual realm and receiving memory fragments, then why are they not changing us and our personalities?¡±


    Professor Karne sighed and turned to his flow diagram, adding an additional step to the exchange of soul energy between the Physical realm moving to the Spiritual realm.


    ¡°There are two key reasons. The first is, your personality is a conglomerate of your experiences and memories across your entire life. Receiving a memory or two from the Spiritual realm is unlikely to change that when it is a fraction of a fraction of your total memories. The second reason is, all emotions associated with the memories are stripped away before they enter the spiritual realm. These stripped emotions need to go somewhere. The negative emotions become demonic energy while the positive emotions become celestial energy. We will go into further detail on both in a few weeks. No. No questions on them. Now, if I could continue the lecture?¡± asked the Professor, the question clearly rhetorical, as he returned to the diagram on the board.


    ¡°Good. Now, as I was saying. Upon entering the Spiritual realm, soul energy is fragmented into many smaller pieces. Rarely, this process does not occur. We do not know why, but when this happens we sometimes see a result that has led to the idea of reincarnation. I want to be clear, there is very little evidence for this and the ideas espoused in regards to reincarnation are inaccurate. Without the emotions or context for these memories, the resulting individual would likely be very different from their previous life. This is also why the banned practice of Necromancy leads to the result of a creation with similar Classes and Skills to the source of the soul energy.¡±


    ¡°Finally, we get to Mental Skills. Mana can influence soul energy, and soul energy can influence and interact with the brain. That simple flow is how mental skills, such as Suggestion, can be used to affect an individual, and why soul energy protections are so important. This brings us to the Stats involving soul energy. Willpower and Charisma. Willpower has nothing to do with your brain and everything to do with your ability to influence your own soul energy, controlling it and preventing outside influence. Both Stats, when used with the appropriate Skills, can be used to influence the soul energy of another. Charisma is far and away more potent in this field, but with enough Willpower, mana and soul energy, it is possible to influence the soul energy of others. Which brings us back to something previously discussed in the Intermediate grade of the course. Seats of Power.¡±


    Nate went back to half-listening as Professor Karne explained how since soul energy and mana could interact it was possible, using enchantments and creating affinities, to align a location with one¡¯s own soul energy and then use that to bolster themselves when in the vicinity. He got the gist of it, but had better ways of doing such for himself with runecrafting. What interested him instead was the idea that The System was using soul energy to effectively read his mind and doing so for every sapient in existence. Whether it had spirits, like the Dungeon Custodians, assisting it was irrelevant to the sheer scale that was required. A multiverse of sapients and it could detect every creature with enough soul energy to interact with a Class Core, and then forcibly give them one. To what end? What was it trying to achieve? And why?


    He sighed. Every time he got an answer, it just raised more questions. He supposed it at least explained a little about why he had been flagged for Class Core interference so long ago. Even if his goal had been to save Kiri, he could just repeat the process over and over on people, accruing a supply of Stat and Skill Orbs. It also explained why soul dissolution was allowable and why soul enslavement wasn¡¯t. Soul Dissolution was in effect, killing someone by sending all their soul energy to the Spiritual Realm, that wasn¡¯t really an issue for The System. Soul Enslavement though, that sounded like it prevented the transfer of soul energy with the Spiritual Realm, creating a source of soul energy that The System couldn¡¯t interact with.


    That led him to a final conclusion about his, and the Intents of others. His Intent Skill was letting him use his soul energy, via his mind, to directly control and influence his Class Core. The fact that he was using his mind meant his Intent was also being recorded in his soul energy, keeping The System informed of his desires. Such as restructuring the Skills on his Class Core. That explained why he, with a Mythic, previously Legendary tier skill that let him focus his Intent, had shown far more capability than most of his peers in Skill Development.


    Could he have forced Skills on his Class Core to merge, forcibly creating synergies, without a skill for his Intent? Specifically Intent related to runes? The very runes that it seemed Class Core Skills were written in? Probably not. The question he had was, could he do the same to others? And if so, would The System consider it a Class Core violation? He had a thousand questions and answering more than half of them ran the risk of crossing The System for a second time. Something he definitely did not want to do.


    Glancing at Kiri he decided it was something to discuss later. Though finding the time between his other experiments and work was going to be a challenge. He sighed quietly. There was never enough time. For a moment he second-guessed his decision to trade the Legendary Time Skill to Evindal before firming his resolve. His plan for his Tertiary Class and his Embodiment was the right one for his Path. With his mind finally settling he focused back on the Professor¡¯s words. If this was what they taught in the Advanced course, what in the Nine Hells were they teaching in the Expert grade? He didn¡¯t know, but he intended to find out.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    *************


    Kiri spat blood into the gritty sand as she let the second punch land, knocking her to the sandy floor of The Pit. Even without activating Soul Imbuement she could have dodged the attack, but that would¡¯ve meant showing off just how much better she was than her opponents. Her Skills were all growing, with five of them approaching their second evolution. With her current Skills and Stats, the other fighters in the Pit in the under level sixty division just didn¡¯t pose a challenge any more. But if she showed off just how wide the gap between them was, she would be adding fuel to the fire about the nature of her Classes and their tiers. Instead, she let them get in a few good shots. It didn¡¯t take her much to heal from the injuries they inflicted. She however would leave handling the worst of it till after she was done beating the shit out of them.


    Going on the offensive she threw a flurry of punches at the stocky woman''s kidneys. As she had expected, the woman clamped up, trying to protect the area which let Kiri kick the woman in the side of her right knee, buckling her stance. With the fighter''s stance broken Kiri followed up with an elbow to the face, utilising her higher Agility to strike before the woman could react. As blood sprayed onto the sand Kiri pushed her advantage, striking over and over as her opponent futilely tried to mount a defence. Within two minutes the woman was a bloody mess, splayed out on the sand. The referee, if he could be called that, was raising her arm to the screams and adulation of the crowd even as they bayed for more blood.


    It only took her a few minutes to collect her winnings and exit The Pit. With the cut Nate was going to give her for her work in managing his crafting clients she didn¡¯t really need to keep fighting. But she liked it. Loved it even. More than that, she had needed a way to vent after their class that day. The truth about soul energy had rocked her to her core and made her wonder about the true nature of her abilities. Was she stealing the memories of others when she drained their soul energy? What about her To Slay A Soul skill? Was it creating a copy of their soul energy within her own or was she temporarily denying the memories contained within the soul energy from returning to the Spiritual Realm.


    Beyond that, were they influencing her? If she was taking in the soul energy of others, was it mixing with her own? Altering her? She hadn¡¯t seen any signs of it in her day-to-day life, but then, how would she know? She knew it definitely influenced her when she used To Slay A Soul. She could still remember how it had felt to take on the aspect of Szuzkrung, Chosen of  Xenyntiss. The little kobold had dreamed of becoming a dragon, with Classes to match. Channelling the power of the creature''s soul had definitely driven her to dominate and burn all that opposed her. She had still been herself, but with the addition of the kobolds ideas and understanding of the Concept of what a dragon might represent. She hadn¡¯t had the same experience when she had used the souls of sentient creatures.


    The power and knowledge had faded with the soul energy. But she could still remember how it had felt. Was using the Skill going to make her change? She didn¡¯t know the answer, and that honestly scared her a bit. Bringing up her Status she glanced at it, worrying over the implications.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    68 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    14


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    92


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    94


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    340 (6)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    29


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    56 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    332 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    82


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    50


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    172


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    18 (6)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 5


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Reborn Soul Slayer (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Reborn Soul Dancer (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    To Slay A Soul (M) Lvl 18 - (Bound Souls Equal to 8)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Effective Soul Shift (L) Lvl 36 - (432 metres teleport range, -43.2% Soul Energy Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Imbuement (L) Lvl 38 - (Increase Agility, Endurance and Constitution by +266)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Drain (E) Lvl 37 - (+23.5% Willpower, +12% Agility)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    The Size of a Soul (E) Lvl 38 - (Soul Capacity increased by 456% and 9% Soul Energy Regen/hr)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Soul Engraving (E) Lvl 25 - (4/4 Soul Engravings Used, Engravings last for 110 days, +10% Effective power for Soul Engravings)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Tethered Soulblade Dancing (L) Lvl 37 - (1850 metres detection range, 19 Tethers, 7 Tethered Arms, +18.5% Agility, +15% Penetrative Power)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Storage (E) Lvl 29 - (13.92 cubic metres of space)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Slayers Aspect (M) Lvl 24 - (+70% Agility, 36% Perception and 29% Dexterity)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Sense (E) Lvl 17 - (216 metres sensory range)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Command the Soul (E) Lvl 17 - (+40.8% Effective Willpower)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    A Hidden Soul (E) Lvl 15 - (-15% Reduced Soul Energy Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Wisps of Shadow (U)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Dagger Dancer (E) (37) / Spiritwalker (R) (8) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Willpower Soul Engraving (+11% Willpower) (Temporary, Rare)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Power Engraving (+22% to Soul Energy Skills) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Strength Soul Engraving (+11% Strength) (Temporary, Rare)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Her Willpower was soaring and it was the lifeline she was grasping onto. The Professor had said Willpower was the Stat for controlling your own soul energy and resisting outside influence. She intended to take that to the extreme, to make sure that her sense of self was sacrosanct.


    Pausing her walk, she stepped into an alley, having sensed his approach. A moment later Deverell stepped out of the nearby shadows.


    ¡°How?¡± her mentor asked curiously.


    She smirked in response before answering quietly, ¡°I put a Tether on you before I gave you that Soul Engraving.¡±


    At his request, she had given Deverell a Soul Barrier Soul Engraving, replicating the same rune that Nate had devised. And just like with Nate, she had put a Soul Tether on him first, so she could find him when she needed to. The fact that it had the added benefit of not letting him sneak up on her was just an unintentional side-effect. Definitely unintentional, she thought, still smirking.


    ¡°I see,¡± Deverell answered quietly before he nodded. ¡°Acceptable and clever. I am just delivering a message. Luc is back. Aisling and Evindal should only be a few days away. Luc wants you to bring Nate to the Guild Compound tomorrow evening. Also, you are both to be careful. A Guard Inspector came by today and asked after Nate. They refused to say why and were turned away, but I don¡¯t think it will be the last we see of them. You know why.¡±


    Kiri nodded with a sigh. It was too much to hope that the fallout from the kidnapping and death of a noble was going to be swept under the rug. At least the Platinum¡¯s were almost back, she thought with a smile before she glanced back at her mentor.


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Deverell shook his head, ¡°Not yet. But soon.¡±


    Kiri gave another nod in response. She knew what her mentor meant. They would do whatever was required to protect Nate. Even if that meant leaving a trail of bodies behind them.


    With the exchange over, Deverell vanished back into the night and she used Effective Soul Shift to return herself to the University, finding Coralie waiting in her room. As her girlfriend rushed to look over the blood on her clothes from her fighting, she let the presence of the cute, little Ice Mage soothe her worries about her Classes and the things she was more than likely going to have to do soon. If the price of her best friend¡¯s freedom was blood, she was more than willing to pay it, no matter how much was required.

 Chapter 144 - Expanding Enterprises

    Nate appeared at the entrance to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound. A second later he felt a burst of soul energy next to him as Kiri joined him. They had shadowed each other the entire way from the University, with him using his farsight sphere of awareness to scout ahead of themselves. He was confident that even if there had somehow been an ambush laying in wait for them, that he was fully prepared to deal with it. Using Farsight of the Runic Artist he looked at his two runecrafted items.


    Runecrafted Trinket of Mana Release (Epic)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Epic), Mana Release (Legendary)


    Mana Storage: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to utilise its Epic affinity for mana to store an incredible amount of mana to power any other effects the item is capable of.


    Mana Release: Upon activation this trinket will release its stored mana into its immediate surroundings. Rate of release is 5% of total possible stored mana per second until all stored mana has been vented.


    Runecrafted Trinket of Spatial Release (Epic)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Epic), Spatial Release Affinity (Epic), Spatial Release Activation (Legendary)


    Mana Storage: This trinket has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to utilise its Epic affinity for space and release to store an incredible amount of spatial release affinity mana to power any other effects the item is capable of.


    Spatial Release Affinity: This trinket will convert any mana stored within to gain an affinity for spatial release. Conversion rate is 10% of total possible stored mana converted to spatial release affinity per hour.


    Spatial Release Activation: Upon activation this trinket will release its stored spatial release affinity mana into its immediate surroundings. Rate of release is 5% of total possible stored mana per second until all stored mana has been vented.


    Nate couldn¡¯t help but smile. They weren¡¯t yet Legendary of course. That would take about another week. But they functioned exactly as he had intended. He¡¯d tested them himself of course, using both his own capability for Mana Exclusion runes as well as his one and only spell, Minor Spatial Lock. It was only a Rare spell though, and he wanted to do some additional tests. Which made the return of his mentor perfect. He wasn¡¯t sure to what extent Luc could control or lock down space, but if the man couldn¡¯t do it himself, he probably knew someone who could.


    The guards let them through with a glance and a nod and they headed straight for the nicer of the two inns. Entering the taproom they were immediately guided to one of the private rooms in the back and found Luc with his feet up on the table eating something that smelled a lot like lamb to Nate.


    ¡°Surprised you wanted to meet here and not at the Den,¡± quipped Kiri with a smile.


    Luc flashed an amused grin in response, ¡°I thought about it but was worried we¡¯d lose Nate to some painting.¡±


    A second after making the comment Luc¡¯s face transformed from joking to serious and he stared at Nate, ¡°How you doing, kid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­getting there,¡± Nate replied. ¡°I¡¯m still having the occasional nightmare or¡­darker thoughts¡­but I think I am doing okay at processing it all and the new tools I have been creating are definitely helping. Kiri too, even if she is watching over me like she¡¯s my mother.¡±


    Kiri chuckled, ¡°Sister. Sister! Don¡¯t make it weird.¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes with a small grin which turned into a laugh as Frick appeared.


    ¡°And their perverted cousin!¡± screamed the Goblin as the spirit appeared.


    A second later Frick was flying across the room, courtesy of Kiri¡¯s lightning quick punch.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be that bad if the three of you are acting like some kind of comedy troupe,¡± commented Luc, ripping some meat off the bone with his teeth as he watched them.


    Nate chose to ignore the small shake of Kiri¡¯s head. Sometimes, being aware of everything around him meant ignoring the things that either weren¡¯t his business or were meant to be private. Especially when those ¡®secrets¡¯ were meant for his benefit.


    ¡°Well, just remember what I said, kid. You need someone to talk to¡­I am here. Or Aisling. She should be back in a couple of days, along with Evindal.¡±


    ¡°Was the Dungeon run a success?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°And then some! Take a look for yourself.¡±


    Nate activated Farsight of the Runic Artist, utilising the skill carefully so that he could bypass the obfuscation of Luc¡¯s Class Core without breaking the Enchantment. It took him a little longer, but he managed it after thirty awkward seconds.


    Luc Crozier


    Arcane Riftwalker (E) (59) / Magnetic Arcanist (R) (34) / Toxic Arcanist (U) (12)


    ¡°Two levels in your Primary Class? Is that normal for an Epic Dungeon at your level?¡±


    ¡°A little on the high side, actually. Only reason for that is we went in as a team of three instead of the usual four. Meant a little extra processed mana for everyone but it also meant it took us a little longer,¡± explained Luc.


    There was a pause in the conversation as Luc saw the look of concern on Nate¡¯s face.


    ¡°I get it, kid. You¡¯re worried I am not going to stay ahead of you for much longer. And you would be right, if it wasn¡¯t for our little side gig. Which reminds me¡­¡±


    Nate felt space warp as Luc opened his spatial storage, depositing a pile of processed mana gems onto the table. His eyes widened as his sphere of awareness gave him a quick assessment of how much was contained on the table. It was hard to estimate exactly, but he suspected there was enough to give himself at least nine levels.


    ¡°That all of it or just my cut?¡± he asked, still gobsmacked.


    ¡°All of it. Wanted you to see how much we were getting paid before I took my cut. Which of course is enough to get me another level. Which is why I can probably keep up with you. Unless you intend to use all of yours to level?¡± asked Luc curiously as he grabbed a few of the gems for himself.


    ¡°No, no,¡± muttered Nate, still processing how much they had made from the manerium sales. Academically he knew epic materials weren¡¯t easy to come by, but this seemed exorbitant. ¡°Kiri and I want to hit our Stat Orb caps first. Gives us more time to work on our Skill Development and catch up to our peers.¡±


    As he finished speaking Nate glanced at Kiri who gave him a quick nod, ¡°I¡¯ll go trade these with the Guild now. Planned split?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    He nodded. He knew technically that most of these rewards belonged to him. Kiri had even pushed for that, trying to convince him she should only take a ten percent cut for handling the negotiations with the Guild. But as always, he had firmly rebuffed her. He had no intention of leaving her behind and that meant she needed to keep up with him. So, it was a fifty-fifty split he had eventually gotten her to agree to. With that in mind Kiri had been very detailed in getting a list of the items or knowledge he was interested in. That included the Stats he wanted to raise with Stat Orbs and even how much. She had taken to her economics subject with a fervour and had even made sure they had set aside time twice a week so that she could ask him if his needs had changed and to track what he was still after. He also knew she was disappearing from the University with semi-regularity which he suspected was her becoming a regular at the Auction House.


    He smiled slightly as Kiri vanished out the door with all the processed mana gems before turning back to his mentor.


    ¡°So,¡± started Luc, ¡°How would you feel about upping it to two per week? Is it doable?¡±


    Nate only had to think over it for two seconds, his Intellect Stat allowing him to go over the implications incredibly quickly, ¡°I could do three a fortnight without it impacting my other projects. Is it not going to become a little bit suspect though?¡±


    Luc nodded, ¡°It might, but the smugglers I am working with aren¡¯t the type to ask questions or reveal their sources. Not when we¡¯re making them rich.¡±


    Nate tried not to let the encroaching memories of fire and pain show on his face as he replied, ¡°You sure? In my limited experience¡­greed makes people do stupid things.¡±


    Luc¡¯s expression softened, looking a little concerned as he locked eyes with Nate, ¡°You¡¯re right, kid. I¡¯ll vouch for this lot though. They¡¯ve survived this long by not asking too many questions and sticking to working with people they know. Besides, we should strike while the price is high.¡±


    When Nate raised his eyebrows in response Luc continued, ¡°There is a shortage of manerium on the market right now. It¡¯s sent the prices up by quite a bit. It¡¯s unlikely to stay that way though. As soon as they figure out what the supply issue is, it¡¯ll go down a bit.¡±


    Nate thought about it for a moment. He had even made plans to reduce the level of risk for himself. With that in mind he gave his nod of agreement, before extracting the two wooden boxes from his spatial storage and plonking them down on the table.


    Luc instantly leaned forward, eyes narrowed as he looked at the boxes.


    ¡°They¡¯re spatial artefacts,¡± his mentor commented, looking them over curiously. ¡°Something weird about them though¡­it¡¯s like they¡¯re the same¡­even though there are two of them. Explain it to me?¡±


    Nate smirked a little. He wasn¡¯t above being proud of his work, and he thought this might be one of his better recent ideas.


    ¡°You know I got kidnapped while making a delivery?¡± he asked. After Luc had nodded he continued with his explanation, ¡°Well, Kiri¡¯s reaction was to suggest she should be the one making the deliveries. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea, per say, but it wasn¡¯t a good idea either. While her weaknesses might not be as obvious as mine are, she still has one very large, glaring one. If someone got wind of that, she could potentially be just as easy to capture or kill as I was. That¡¯s something else I am working on, but ignoring that, it was still a huge risk. That idea wasn¡¯t mitigating any risk. It was just transferring it.¡±


    ¡°Unacceptable, I get it, kid. Get to the good stuff,¡± said Luc, running a hand over one of the boxes as if by touching it he could force it to give up its secrets.


    ¡°Right. So, I thought, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to send the manerium without having to leave the University at all? So I came up with this.¡±


    Using Farsight of the Runic Artist he brought up the item description, before making it visible for Luc.


    Runecrafted Twin Boxes of Spatial Transfer (Rare)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Rare), Shared Space (Rare), Item Concealment (Rare)


    Mana Storage: This item has been Runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to utilise its Rare affinity for mana to store a reasonable amount of mana to power any other effects the item is capable of.


    Shared Space: This item shares a created spatial zone with its twin. Any item placed inside either box can be retrieved from its twin. Range of the shared spatial zone is limited by the tier of the materials.


    Item Concealment: This Item is Runecrafted to conceal its nature and the Sigils used from identification. Powerful enough identification Skills will bypass this Runecrafted effect.


    Luc stared at the description before his blue eyes flicked back to Nate, ¡°What¡¯s the distance?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t fully tested it yet but it covers the entire Capital.¡±


    Luc nodded slowly, ¡°Did you make it using your other Class?¡±


    Nate shook his head, ¡°The woman you had to threaten for me¡­you know the one¡­she had a copy of a Sigil for Space. I used that, and some of my own Skills and other Sigils.¡±


    The truth was the item was full of Master Tier Sigils. He had utilised not only the Master Tier Space Sigil, but also the Tunnel and Enclosed Sigils he had acquired back on Arikanvil¡¯s research station. The Concealment Sigil was of course lower tier, which explained why Luc was able to get some sense of the item, even if he hadn¡¯t been able to completely pierce the protections. Nate guessed it also didn¡¯t help that the materials were only Rare, but he didn¡¯t think he needed the item to be better than that and his time was finite, even if his access to mana wasn¡¯t, for now.


    ¡°It has built in concealing functions to try and hide what it is,¡± he explained. ¡°In addition, it has markers that will light up if it cannot access the other box. Like, say, if you put it in your spatial storage. You charge it with mana here, which you can do manually or it will work with a mana-gem. Finally, while the insides of the box ¡®technically¡¯ occupy the same space when activated, it is not an actual spatial storage space, meaning you can scan it with any Skills you have for that kind of thing.¡±


    Finishing his explanation he looked at his mentor expectantly.


    ¡°How long?¡± Luc asked, still running a hand over one of the boxes.


    ¡°Huh?¡± replied Nate.


    ¡°How long did it take you to make this?¡±


    Nate did a quick calculation in his head before responding, ¡°Hmm, the materials only took a few hours. The runes another one or two hours I guess?¡±


    He was pretty confident he had gotten it done in under five hours but he couldn¡¯t remember exactly as he had split the work with Frick and had been working on another rune design for Kiri.


    Luc sighed dramatically, ¡°You made this in an afternoon? An afternoon?! At some point I am going to stop being surprised, but today is not it apparently. Do you know how much this would go for at Auction? Well neither do I! But it¡¯s probably a lot! Fuck me, Nate. Just¡­fuck.¡±


    Nate tried not to laugh. Frick of course wasn¡¯t as polite, cackling as he sat on the table and pretended to mess with Luc¡¯s food by blowing what Nate hoped were fat booger bubbles out of his nose near the man''s meat.


    ¡°And now you have Kiri to handle a bunch of the business stuff. So, how do I keep myself useful¡­¡± thought Luc out loud. ¡°Wider!¡±


    Nate looked at his mentor in confusion, ¡°Come again?¡±


    ¡°We should go wider. If we could get you a student to do the¡­you know, shit work, we could sell more stuff. But the Capital is kind of a small market. Especially since you know, most of the populace is incredibly poor,¡± Luc explained, rushing on when he saw Nate¡¯s eyes narrow. ¡°Not their fault, kid. I¡¯m not judging. They got the shit end of the stick, but it¡¯s how it is. Even if you hate it. Most clients are going to be nobility. And they want custom work. Which means revealing you, which we¡¯re not going to do. So we need to look further afield. We need to start selling to Asmuisil and Gashana!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we, you know, potentially going to war with Asmuisil?¡± he asked.


    Luc waved a hand, ¡°That¡¯s the nobility¡¯s problem. You think that would stop me?¡±


    Nate blinked a couple of times. It made sense, he supposed. Luc doing whatever the hell he wanted was pretty on trend. On the other hand, creating a merchant empire wasn¡¯t really his goal. But if he got to create things, and got paid well for it to fund his development, that could be a good thing. Maybe one day he wouldn¡¯t need to steal mana from the State to fund his work.


    Kiri chose that moment to return, dumping a small pile of Stat Orbs onto the table for Nate as she glanced at the three of them, ¡°What did I miss?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to play delivery boy for your growing business,¡± explained Luc with a grin, punctuating his words by taking a bite out of a hunk of meat.


    Nate couldn¡¯t help but laugh as Kiri sat down, pulling a piece of paper out of nowhere and flourished an enchanted quill, ¡°Let¡¯s get your contract written up then.¡±


    The look on Luc¡¯s face was priceless and Nate moved towards the Stat Orbs to see just how much three months of epic tier manerium sales had gotten him. He had absolutely no interest in the intricacies of managing a business and Kiri seemed more than capable of making sure that he was well taken care of. The best part was, he even knew how he was going to handle the production side of things. There was a certain Professor who had a lot to learn, and was no longer a necessity for getting new Sigils. He would just have to make sure Kiri wrote up the contract and bound that one through the System. Maybe, just maybe, when he was done, he could change Etrua for the better. Starting with a certain district in the Slums. If it helped safeguard his paintings, well, that was just some icing on the cake.

 Chapter 145 - Hiring Staff

    Nate sat across the table from Professor Marnier, his face a calm mask as Kiri explained the contract.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why it needs to be so restrictive. This is beyond extreme. Fifty levels is an insane penalty for breaching a System Contract. Absolutely insane! I¡¯d be almost a child again, but without the benefit of the Achievements that got me to where I am! It will even strip me of many of my acquired Skills, some of which came through synergies! How can this be worth it to me?¡± argued Professor Marnier.


    The Epic Tier Runecrafter was red in the face as he argued with Kiri.


    ¡°Between the remuneration, ¡° explained Kiri, ¡°coupled with the knowledge freely shared by Nathaniel Weber, you would be positioned to become one of the foremost crafters in all of Etrua. I am confident it would result in you achieving a Legendary evolution when you reach level one hundred and twenty. How much is that worth to you? You only take a loss if you violate the System Contract. Keeping any information you learn to yourself or those approved by myself or Nathaniel should not be that difficult.¡±


    Nate couldn¡¯t decide who he was more interested in paying attention to. Kiri was laying it on thick and apparently her Economics course included the usage of ¡®business¡¯ language. He couldn¡¯t say he loved it, but it seemed to be working on the Professor. The man still looked uncomfortable but if Nate was any judge of body language, then he was coming around.


    ¡°Explain it again,¡± asked the Professor.


    ¡°You will be given a quota of items to complete each week. For these items, you will be provided the materials, mana and runes required. As part of this, you will be given access to runes and Sigils of a high tier of rarity. You will be given free use of these for any of your own work, on the condition that you follow certain restrictions which we will provide to prevent them from becoming widely known. Whether you wish to continue your work at the University as a Professor is up to you, but we will provide the workspace you will use and you will not be allowed to remove any materials from the room. This includes copying down any of the Sigils or Runes. In return, you will be given free usage of the workspace provided for any of your own work. In addition, Nate will give you one lesson a week on anything you ask for so long as he knows the answers himself. You will also receive a cut of all sales for what you produce. That cut is five percent of the total sale value after the cost of mana and materials has been deducted. I have included a bonus structure for exceptional performance as well.¡±


    Nate glanced at Kiri who flashed a twinkling smile at him. He was starting to wonder if she had spent some of her own Stat Orbs on Intellect.


    He sighed, looking back at Professor Marnier, ¡°Look, Professor, I like you. If I am being honest, you seem a bit like me. Curious and fascinated by runecrafting. But I need to protect myself. That¡¯s what this is. I had hoped we could work together, but if it¡¯s too much, or too restrictive, I get it.¡±


    He sensed Kiri give him a thumbs up under the table. He hadn¡¯t meant to effectively play good cop to Kiri¡¯s bad cop but he supposed if it worked, it worked. He didn¡¯t see how this could be anything but good news for the Professor, assuming he agreed. The man would end up being rich, with knowledge and teachings that would see him through to the Legendary tier. He would be the equivalent of a Platinum badge Adventurer, except in crafting.


    Nate sensed as the Professor¡¯s body relaxed, or perhaps sagged would have been a better description.


    ¡°Fine. I agree. Let''s finalise the contract so I can see what I have gotten myself into.¡±


    Kiri handled the System Contract, which Nate was thankful for, before the pair signed the physical contract that mostly detailed, in very loose terms, the work the Professor would be doing.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s done. Suppose I won¡¯t have to deal with the fools in the Enchanting department for much longer. I¡¯ll resign as soon as you have the workspace set up. A week you said? That should be enough time to finish up my work here. Since we¡¯re working together you might as well call me Jacque instead of Professor. Not like I ever really taught you anything,¡± grumbled Jacque. ¡°Now, can I finally know why you¡¯re so confident about all of this?¡±


    Nate sent mana from his reserve towards his Skills, activating Conceptual Runic Creation, Empowered Runic Artistry and Conceptual Intent. Flooding his creation with mana he created an obfuscation runic array that utilised sigils for mana, soul, sound and light.


    There was still a risk, albeit a small one, that someone could penetrate his protections. Maybe with Celestial or Demonic energy he thought. But this was about as protected as he could make himself and he hoped that he would at least be able to sense if someone was spying on them, if not how they were doing so.


    With his protections in place, he brought up his Status sheet, revealing his Stats, Classes and Skills.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    364


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    154 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    95


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    143


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    87


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    78 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    195


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    75


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    215This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    80


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 6


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Insight (M) Lvl 43 - (Excess Mana Absorption Rate increased by 21.5%, +53% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material (M) Lvl 36 - (-18% Mana Cost, -50% Time Required)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 45 - (+98% Perception, +18% Creativity, 22.5m Sphere of Awareness, 450 metre summoning range for 2nd Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Intent (M) Lvl 43 - (45 Intents, 22 Imbued Intents, +3 Subconcepts, +43% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Creation (M) Lvl 42 - (-82% Mana Cost, +15% Creativity, +42% Mana Aspecting)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Runic Artistry (L) Lvl 38 - (-47% Mana Cost, +103 Magic Power for Runic Arrays)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    True Teleportation (M) Lvl 33 - (359 metres teleport range, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) Lvl 32 - (+46% Magic Stats)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automation (L) Lvl 17 - (-17% Mana Cost, +103% Power, +28% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Material Shaping (E) Lvl 6 - (-42% Mana Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spatial Empowerment (E) Lvl 4 - (+9% to Spatial Skills and Spells)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The Stat Orbs Kiri had gotten for him had totalled an additional twenty-four in Constitution and twelve in Endurance. It still meant he was over two hundred Stats short of the Stat Orb cap, but he was committed to getting both Stats to one hundred before he switched to advancing his Creativity.


    Of course, none of that mattered to the Professor who stared at the numbers and tiers like he was staring at a dragon. Nate made that comparison based on the flickers of astonishment and fear that seemed to be at war upon the Professor¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re¡­you¡¯re Mythic! What is that Class! It¡¯s not even Runecaster?!?! What in the Nine Hells is a Runic Artist?! And those Skills¡­how do you have so many Mythic Skills!?! You¡¯re not even at your second evolution¡­it¡¯s¡­it¡¯s¡­it doesn¡¯t make any sense! By the Gods you¡¯re probably more advanced than the Royals!¡±


    All the steam went out of the man and he flopped back into his seat. Maybe someone else wouldn¡¯t have heard what Jacque muttered, but Nate¡¯s Perception was more than high enough to catch his words.


    ¡°Did I just sign myself over to a God?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± replied Nate, a quiet calm coming over him. ¡°And the term is Divine, I think.¡±


    Jacque blanched at being heard before he opened his mouth to ask the obvious question. Nate didn¡¯t let him get there, though.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be talking about that. Now, I need you to show me your Status sheet,¡± explained Nate.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± asked Jacque, confusion writ on his face.


    ¡°So I can figure out the best way to teach you and what, if any, Skills we need to acquire for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡±


    Nate spent the next ten minutes going over the man''s sheet. Unsurprisingly, their Stat distributions were fairly similar. They were even close in terms of values despite the thirty level gap between them. A few pointed questions revealed that the cause was driven by the man''s lack of Stat Orbs and the class tier difference. The revelation that Jacque¡¯s Perfect Embodiment of ¡®Curious¡¯ meant that when the man was figuring out answers to questions or discovering new knowledge, his Intellect and Creativity Stats were tripled. The sheer scale of the bonus shocked Nate to his core. He knew that an Embodiment was meant to be a force multiplier, but the sheer scale blew him away.


    The final piece of the discussion was reviewing the man¡¯s Skills. He only had two Epic Skills. That might put him above most people, but was a long step below Nate. Runic Intent was the first, while the Skill that had given him access to the Runecaster Epic class was Runic Insight, which sounded a lot like a watered down version of Nate''s own Conceptual Insight. The worst part was that the man lacked a material improving Skill. Certainly Nate¡¯s own had started at Legendary, but he was confident there was a way to get a lower tier version with an associated lower tier limitation. The only Skill that Jacque possessed that Nate suspected might manage that transition was Gem Refinement, an Uncommon Skill.


    With his plan in place for how to develop the man so Nate could offload some of the material improvement work. They finished up the meeting with Kiri promising the workshop would be ready within the week. It did mean Nate was going to have to slow down on his crafting for Kiri, since he still had to attend classes, devote a little time to Britt, and continue the manerium production. Balancing that with setting up the various protections on the workshop to prevent anyone from breaking into it would take up all his spare time. Well, almost all his spare time. He hadn¡¯t forgotten about his Embodiment development plans and that meant it was time for another visit to the Slums. Somehow, he would fit in meeting with Evindal and Aisling as well. Sleep would just have to take a hit. He sighed as they left the room, already missing his cloud enchanted bed.


    *************


    Nate smiled as he appeared in the courtyard for the small trading hub. The source of his smile was the presence of Cutter, the old sailor already sitting on the fountain waiting. He couldn¡¯t sense Kiri but he knew she was nearby. Gone were the days when the two would make a game of seeing if she could follow him on his graffiti escapades without him letting her know. After their meeting with Professor Marnier, he had told her he would be heading out tonight to create a new work of art. He had made sure she had plenty of time to inform Luc or Deverell if she needed to.


    ¡°Was wondering if ya were coming back, lad. Been a little while,¡± said Cutter by way of greeting.


    ¡°It¡¯s been an¡­interesting few weeks,¡± replied Nate carefully.


    ¡°Ya sound like ya been doin¡¯ it tough, lad. Don¡¯t let the world get ya down. Harder ta get back up if ya don¡¯t roll wit tha punches. Ya catch my meaning?¡±


    ¡°I do, Cutter.¡±


    ¡°Good lad. What ya got planned for us tonight?¡± asked the old sailor, leaning forward curiously and watching Nate with his strange eyes.


    Nate pointed at one of the shop fronts, ¡°This place sells food right? Grain, fruit, dried meat?¡±


    ¡°That it does.¡±


    ¡°Fresh?¡±


    Cutter laughed at the question, the old man''s hoarse voice sounding even rougher than usual, ¡°Mostly, lad. We may not get enough food, down ¡®ere in the Slums, but the food we do get¡­well, we keep it fresh. Rotten food gets destroyed.¡±


    Nate nodded and with a smile pulled out his Brush of a Thousand Paints, getting to work. He had done plenty of artworks of late that focused on people. The risque painting of Britt was just the latest one. The memory made him blush a little, thinking of their time together earlier that evening. He still hadn¡¯t been ready to be completely intimate, but there had been touching. If he hadn¡¯t made plans to head out for some graffiti, it would¡¯ve turned from touching into sleeping together. The thought made him smile, not because it meant he might see if she was free later tonight, well, not just because of that. No, he was smiling because it meant he was getting over the torture he experienced.


    A sense of joy filled him and he decided that it would be one of the two runes in this painting. Joy, and of course, Smell. His plan was simple. Amplification of the smells of the food. That was why he had asked about if the food was fresh. If it wasn¡¯t, well, amplifying the smells might not have been a great idea. Making the entire hub smell like rotten fish seemed like a terrible proposition. Enhancing the smell of fresh fruit though, well that sounded positively divine.


    The next two hours passed in a blur as he painted a fanciful picture of various foods that he could sense within the store. The foods he painted were floating through the sky on plates made of clouds within the artwork. It was silly. He knew that. But he felt he needed to do something less serious. Everything of late had been incredibly serious. His work on his defences, the plans for scaling up his production of goods, the agreement with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, the System Contract with Professor Marnier and even Kiri and Luc finding a workshop near the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound. It was all terribly serious and responsible. He needed an outlet, and his art had always been that for him.


    Apparently he wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way though. Cutter¡¯s amused chuckle cut through the evening air.


    ¡°Where do you come up with this stuff?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± answered Nate carefully.


    He took that moment to add the last few touches, stepping back and sending some of his own mana into the painting to power the two runes. The smell of citrus fruits and melons flowed over him, along with a faint meaty whiff of what he suspected might be some kind of jerky and the salty tang of fish. The part of the painting that focused on joy was casually rebuffed by his Soul Barrier, but that was fine, he didn¡¯t need the rune to help him. He was already filled with joy.


    ¡°I think, lad, this might be me favourite one so far,¡± said Cutter, the old man moving over to stand next to him.


    Nate just nodded, enjoying the feeling of satisfaction he felt having created something new. After a moment he turned, preparing to leave.


    ¡°Not hangin¡¯ roun¡¯ for a bit, lad?¡± called Cutter.


    ¡°Not tonight, old man. I¡¯ve got somewhere to be,¡± he replied.


    His tone must¡¯ve given him away as the old man¡¯s laughter followed him out, ¡°Well lad, don¡¯t keep em waitin¡¯. Women don¡¯t like tha¡¯ none. I¡¯ll tell ya that fer free.¡±


    Nate smiled a little. He supposed he had kept Britt waiting for long enough. Patience should be rewarded after all. With that thought he activated his teleportation Skill and vanished back towards the Royal University and his kind-of-girlfriend.

 Chapter 146 - Inspecting the Goods

    Nate frowned at the puzzle-box resting on the table in front of him. The troublesome little cube had continued to refuse to give up its secrets. He had tried a plethora of different approaches to try and determine the nature of the sigil that adorned it as well as penetrating the cube itself to determine its contents. The first attempts had been around recreating the sigil. It was the most complicated symbol he had seen so far with tiny details covering it and a far more flowing style than most of his lower tier Sigils. Almost all the Sigils he had worked with so far incorporated aspects of linear geometry. That was to say, there were at least some straight-lines involved in the design. This Sigil was nothing like that and he didn¡¯t think he could detect a single straight line in the entire thing. The more he worked with it, the more he began to suspect that it was actually some sort of fractal. That had made copying the symbol one of his most challenging tasks since he began runecrafting almost a year and a half ago.


    He had attempted to copy the Sigil in multiple different ways. The first had been drawing it and if he was being honest, of the three methods he had attempted, it had been the easiest. That wasn¡¯t to say it was easy. Just the easiest. His Dexterity Stat had plateaued and wasn¡¯t increasing which meant while he might be superhuman by Earth¡¯s standards, he hadn¡¯t even broken the hundred mark by the System¡¯s significantly higher standards. Still, he was confident that he had managed to replicate the Sigil. The problem was, nothing had come of it. Conceptual Insight had not reacted, even when he tried to flood the symbol with mana. It was as though the symbol wasn¡¯t a Sigil at all.


    After that method hadn¡¯t worked he had tried to directly create the symbol with mana. That had been the hardest of the three. One would think that since his Magic Control Stat was higher than his Dexterity Stat that it would¡¯ve been an easier task to take that approach. That view didn¡¯t factor in that mana wanted to disperse. His paints and ink never fought him by trying to create dispersion fields around the shapes he drew. It was honestly the most challenging thing he had ever done with mana. Even after having devoted hours of his life towards the working, he wasn¡¯t convinced he had managed to perfectly replicate the symbol. That alone gave him a new appreciation for how hard higher tier spells must be to create and the Magic Control required to do so quickly and efficiently. Either way, the method hadn¡¯t achieved any better results than drawing the symbol.


    Finally, he had decided to paint the symbol. His first attempt had been harder than drawing the symbol, while being easier than trying to craft it from mana. It had still provided no new information about the symbol. It remained a beautiful swirling arcane image but there had been no buzzing of recognition from Conceptual Insight nor had there been any reaction from the ambient mana. He had found a quicker and easier way to achieve the same result in the future. His Material Shaping Skill worked as he had hoped and allowed him to shift his paint with mana which led him to being able to fix his small mistakes. The second attempt at the symbol was, to his senses, a perfect copy. Either the universe didn¡¯t agree or the symbol was not a Sigil at all. He didn¡¯t know which way he was leaning on that line of thinking, but he had temporarily given up on trying to recreate the symbol.


    Instead he had moved on to trying to penetrate the cube using his Farsight of the Runic Artist. That had so far proven to be a lesson in futility as no matter what he did, whether it was attempting to subtly search for cracks to slip his awareness through, throwing his entire mana reserve at the Skill in an attempt to brute force it, or even overlapping his two spheres of awareness to try and give it some extra power, all his methods had failed. The cube had remained steadfast in its refusal to reveal its secrets or contents.


    Sighing in frustration he swapped from staring at the puzzle cube to looking over his recent developments in his various Skills.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 32 > 33


    Conceptual Runic Creation 42 > 43


    True Teleportation 33 > 34


    Conceptual Insight 43 > 44


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 45 > 46


    Conceptual Automation 17 > 19


    Conceptual Material 36 > 38


    Material Shaping 6 > 11


    Spatial Empowerment 4 > 7


    Conceptual Intent 43 > 44


    Empowered Runic Artistry 38 > 40


    While the puzzle cube may have been a static island, his Skills were clearly not. The best part was that he was on the cusp of multiple evolutions and unless he was mistaken, his efforts to guide those evolutions was looking likely to pay dividends. Unlike his previous plan to limit his use of his Skill Enhancement Orbs usage to Conceptual Automation, he had instead bitten the bullet and applied one to his Empowered Runic Artistry Skill. His reasoning had been pretty simple. The Skill was of a higher level and as he had seen time and again, the higher the Skill got, the slower it levelled. If he was wrong and the Skill had failed to evolve to Mythic at level forty then he would only get it to Mythic at level sixty, which would mean if there was a tier beyond Mythic, he would be locked out of it till the Skill reached level eighty. That was double the current level, but if he was correct in his estimates, it would mean four to ten times as long to reach that level. Those values were an estimation and if they were even remotely correct, then he would end up having to wait for potentially a decade before having the option to evolve the Skill beyond Mythic. So he had used what he had available to him and forced the issue.


    The fact that the Skill had ¡®Artistry¡¯ in the name was also a factor. That was still his Path and leaning into it might allow him to get some achievements that could assist him in shifting his Embodiment. That was his hope anyway. With the Skill so close to evolution he knew what he had to do and spent the next few hours in his room creating runic arrays in the air. The only difference between these and his normal runic arrays, was that he tried to focus on using Sigils that he thought would be complimentary in terms of the Concepts they represented. His Conceptual Intent was also involved as he forced them to merge by aligning their Subconcepts in new and unique ways. Fire and Water were merged with the Subconcepts of evaporation and vapour. Shadow and Light were coupled with twilight. Illusion, Dreams, and Soul were mixed together to recreate memories visually. His mana supply for the day quickly dwindled. After what must have been four hours, but had felt like the blink of an eye, the desired notification appeared before him.


    Empowered Runic Artistry (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Runic Artistry (M)


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.You have lived up to the truth of a Runic Artist, embedding runes within your artworks. You have created things both beautiful and powerful. Now, with your newfound knowledge, take your control of universal Concepts to the next level. Conceptual Runic Artistry facilitates the creation of Runic Arrays. Decrease Mana Cost of Runic Arrays by 10% and apply 10% of Dexterity and 10% of Creativity to Magic Power for Runic Arrays. Concepts embedded in Runic Arrays are 10% more powerful. Mana Cost Reduction and Magic Power values increase by 1% per Skill Level. Conceptual embedding increases by 0.5% per Skill Level.


    Devastating Runic Artistry (M)


    You have created art and you have created runes. Now, combine the two creating something both beautiful and deadly. Runic Artistry facilitates the creation of Runic Arrays. A sequence of runes in a pattern that agrees with your sensibilities and the multiverse. Decrease Mana Cost of Runic Arrays by 10% and apply 20% of Dexterity and 20% of Creativity to Magic Power for Runic Arrays. All values increase by 2% per Skill Level.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    It was hard not to smile at his options. Whether the Skill Enhancement Orb had been necessary was debatable and he would likely never know. That said, he was happy with the results. He was confident he knew which of the two he would pick just based on their names, but he still did some quick calculations to determine the differences between what the two evolutions offered.


    Conceptual Runic Artistry played into the rest of his Skills, with the additional effect of the Skill increasing the strength of conceptual elements used in his runic arrays. That was about as close to aligning the ambient mana with the affinities for his concepts used as he could hope for. On the other hand, Devastating Runic Artistry doubled down on his runic arrays ability to passively increase the amount of Magic Power his runic arrays could achieve. At face value, it would mean a doubling of his Magic Power which was a quick way to make him the equal of, or possibly even stronger, than pure Mages. If he chose that option he would be only slightly short of four hundred Magic Power when he used a runic array.


    A small part of his mind whispered to him that this was the right choice. The voice told him that with this Skill, no one would be able to threaten or hurt him. He knew it for the lie it was. This Skill wouldn¡¯t protect him from Divine beings. Hells, it might not even be enough to fend off a Platinum tier individual. The voice simply spoke from his fear of capture and torture manifesting in that moment. A Path wasn¡¯t about choosing what was the strongest or the safest. It was about choosing the kind of person you wanted to be. Through all his trials and challenges, through the horror and beauty he had experienced since that fateful night when he had left Earth behind, he had remained true to what was at his core. His desire to create art.


    With a small smile, he selected Conceptual Runic Artistry. Focusing his sphere of awareness internally, he could feel as an area on his Class Core changed. The area that he assumed the original Skill must cover shifted ever so slightly, expanding, with the little bumps that marked the Skill¡¯s location and shape changing positions as, he assumed, the new Skill was written over the old one. He could see now that slightly over half his Class Core was covered in the little mountains and seas of bumps that, he guessed, was some form of Skill Imprinting. If the Skills were written using runes, then his current awareness Skill was unable to see it. Which, considering the Skill he was using was Mythic tier, meant that he didn¡¯t even know how to go about achieving what was happening on his Class Core. Not yet, at least.


    With his evolution handled he sent a mental message to Frick, ¡°Headed to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Grabbing Kiri before I go. How is the workshop fortification going?¡±


    ¡°No problems on this end, Boss. Been burnin¡¯ mana like it¡¯s a witch and I¡¯m a sanctimonious son of a bitch. Will head to the spot to swap out mana gems soon. Want me to meet you at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± replied Frick.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just meeting with Aisling and Evindal. Swing by the room and swap my mana gems out too, okay?¡±


    ¡°Will do, Boss man.¡±


    A few minutes later he was crossing the University grounds with his best friend.


    ¡°So the Auction House is interested and I am trying to get them to give me some specifics on what sort of custom pieces they would be interested in selling. They¡¯re dragging their feet a little, since you know, you¡¯re an unknown quantity, and to be honest I am letting them take their time. I figured you''re pretty overloaded right now anyway and until everything is set up at the workshop that it would be better not to add more work to your pile,¡± she explained as they crossed the carefully curated grounds.


    He nodded along in agreement and muttered thanks with a small smile even as he stared at the green grass that covered the University. He could admit it made for beautiful scenery, especially against the sandstone of the rest of the city, but even now he couldn¡¯t get over the amount of mana wasted to achieve it. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he only noticed the person waiting ahead of them when the man entered his sphere of awareness.


    A slight frown creased his forehead as Nate stepped to the side to go around the man only for the individual to move to block their path forward. The slight tensing of Kiri¡¯s muscles next to him was the only sign that his best friend was preparing for a fight. That was when they both sensed an Identification Skill used against them. The strength was somewhat impressive, managing to bypass the veiling items they wore but it still failed to pierce their true veils. Either way, it went a step beyond rude and was an act of aggression as far as he was concerned. Kiri apparently agreed as two daggers appeared in her hands.


    ¡°Put those away, Miss Kiri Beaufoy,¡± commanded the man, his tone smug. ¡°I am Guard Inspector Koriolos.¡±


    The dark haired Guard Inspector was whip thin, with piercing brown eyes and an air of superiority about himself. If Nate was any judge of character, he suspected this man was used to getting what he wanted.


    Nate watched as Koriolos¡¯ dark eyes flicked to him, ¡°Can you confirm for me that you are Nathaniel Weber, Silver Badge of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡±


    Before Nate could answer he felt a wave of soul energy try to enclose him. The soul energy was easily rebuffed by the runic Soul Barrier engraved onto his soul energy, but the mere fact that it had happened threw him for a moment. That moment was enough for Koriolos¡¯ eyes to narrow slightly in irritation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also need you to drop your soul protections while you answer my questions. It¡¯s a requirement so that I can determine the truth of your answers,¡± explained the Guard Inspector in a matter-of-fact tone that seemed to expect them to immediately capitulate to his demands.


    Nate didn¡¯t need to have a Skill for reading emotions to sense the fury radiating off Kiri immediately, even as he voiced his own denial to the man.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be doing that,¡± he replied, already pulling mana from his reserve in preparation for a runic array. He coupled his words with his own Identification, Farsight of the Runic Artist crashing into and then through the Guard Inspector¡¯s own veil.


    Koriolos


    Expectant Soul Mage (R) (55) /  Demanding Inquisitor (U) (26) / Inquisitive Swordsman (C) (7)


    Nate watched as a look of shock followed by a quiet fury crossed the Guard Inspector¡¯s face, before the man finally settled into a grimace that promised punishment.


    ¡°You¡¯re both under arrest. Lay down your weapons or you will be taken in by force.¡±


    Nate didn¡¯t even have to think about his response as he prepared for battle with the level eighty-eight. He was already preparing a runic array to try and restrict the man''s ability to use soul energy when a woman''s voice cut through the proceedings.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

 Chapter 147 - A Path Decided

    Nate turned to see who had spoken and found a woman quickly approaching them. He would have guessed her age to be in her late twenties but it was always hard to tell with the increase to lifespan that mana and superhuman Stats seemed to provide. She wore what looked like an armoured skirt, with metal plates splayed out on the white fabric. The same was true of her shirt and coat, with a shiny breastplate covering her white blouse and a loose blue coat with more metal sewn onto it completing the outfit. While Nate couldn¡¯t make sense of the design or how well it would work as armour, that wasn¡¯t what captured him. It was the woman¡¯s eyes that did that. They were golden and shone with an inner light. Framed by shoulder length black hair she looked a little like a fallen angel to him. But it wasn¡¯t him she was focused on, her gaze firmly planted on Guard Inspector Koriolos.


    Nate glanced at the man and could see that all the fight had gone out of him. Whoever this person was, they were apparently not someone that the Guard Inspector was willing to cross. That made Nate sigh a little internally, as it meant that it was basically a certainty that the woman, their itinerant saviour, was a Noble.


    ¡°I asked a question, Inspector. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± asked the golden-eyed Noble.


    ¡°I am here on orders to investigate the death of Fabien Lussier, Second-son of the Earl of Dralogne, Princess Morgane,¡± answered Koriolos.


    Nate cringed internally. Not just a Noble then. The woman was royalty. He didn¡¯t know if that was better or worse. His only experience with the Royal family so far had been with the second Prince. That titanic man had seemed fair, but Nate wasn¡¯t fool enough to think that such behaviour was purely out of the goodness of his heart. Whatever games the nobility and royals played were games that Nate wanted no part of. Yet here he was, caught in the middle of exactly those kinds of games, all because of the greed of one Crafter. A woman he might have worked with, if she hadn¡¯t proven herself to be a greedy snake. It was enough to make Nate want to scream in frustration. He might have, if he were somewhere alone, just to let the emotions out. Instead, he bottled them up, storing them to be released in an artwork later.


    Glancing at Kiri he could see his best friend hadn¡¯t relaxed as the Royal and the Guard continued their discussion.


    ¡°On whose orders?¡± demanded Morgane, her golden eyes flashing in the afternoon gloom.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± stuttered Koriolos, apparently unable or unwilling to answer.


    ¡°You know the guard is not to conduct business on University grounds unless given specific permission to do so. Do you have the appropriate papers for such? I want to see who signed them,¡± commanded the Princess, holding her hand out as she approached the Guard Inspector.


    As she approached, she was finally within range of Nate¡¯s sphere of awareness and he felt a moment of confusion as he sensed a Concept surrounding her very person. At first he wondered if it was coming off of her armour or some other item on her. It only took a moment to realise that while the equipment she was using was immaculate, most in the Epic tier with a single Legendary piece hidden beneath her breastplate, the Concept he was sensing was coming off of her body itself. While his Conceptual Insight was trying to figure out what Concept it was, he focused back on the conversation.


    ¡°I have no such papers, your highness. But these two are just commoners. Surely they are not to be given the same privileges as the nobility,¡± equivocated Koriolos.


    ¡°That is not the letter of the law and I will remind you that you are a representative of the law, of Etrua, and of my family. If I catch you violating the law again to suit your own needs, or because you¡¯re being paid to do so, then I will make it my latest mission to see you removed from the Guards entirely. Do I make myself clear, Inspector?¡± replied the Princess calmly.


    ¡°As you say, your highness. I apologise for my rudeness. May I be excused?¡± asked Koriolos, his subservient words not quite reaching his eyes, which looked incredibly annoyed at being inconvenienced.


    Princess Morgane flicked her fingers at the man in response, which Nate took as an indication for the man to take his leave. Koriolos seemed to agree, as after one last frustration filled glance at Nate, he turned on his heel, heading for the gates of the Royal University.


    Nate turned to thank the Princess so he could beat his own hasty retreat, only to find the woman staring at him with a curious gaze.


    ¡°You garnered even more interest and opposition than I expected,¡± she commented.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± replied Nate, unsure of what she was getting at.


    ¡°A crafter winning entry to the Royal University through the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Tournament is already an irregularity. At the higher levels it might have made more sense, such as if you were over level sixty, with a Tertiary Class and an Embodiment to make up for the difference. But you¡¯re not. That was my first thought when I heard. That you had somehow tricked their ability to measure your level. It would be within the realm of a skilled crafter to do so. But you had not one, not two, but three Guild Platinum¡¯s in your corner,¡± Morgane explained, ticking them off on her fingers. ¡°That is a significant amount of backing, and while I know that Thousand Needles would willingly participate in that sort of skullduggery, the Storm Spear and the Eternal Grove would never be involved in such. Which begs the question, how could a crafter compete with the likes of Coralie Allais, Null Raoult, or even your incredibly dangerous partner, Miss Kiri Beaufoy.¡±


    The princess paused to glance at Kiri and offered her a smile that looked friendly in nature.


    ¡°Oh yes, Miss Beaufoy. I looked into you as well. Your ability to self-heal alone was of interest. I know of other Skills that can achieve similar results, but not ones readily available to a couple of level forties. Especially not ones capable of healing a throat that has been sliced to the bone before the individual would have bled out. Yet here you are, proof that such exists. In your case, I considered other equally outlandish options. Were you somehow using high-end alchemicals? Did you have outside interference? But all my own investigations turned up nothing. You have the same backing as Nathaniel, which means that the Storm Spear and Eternal Grove would not have allowed such a subversion of the Tournament, nor do you have the wealth to purchase such powerful alchemical concoctions. Which brings me to the conclusion of my investigation. You are both exactly what you appear to be. Incredibly gifted and talented individuals.¡±


    The Princess paused for a moment and Nate and Kiri glanced at each other before Nate spoke.


    ¡°Are¡­you trying to recruit us or something,¡± he asked, quickly adding, ¡°your Highness.¡±


    The woman laughed slightly and shook her head, ¡°No. Just making it clear to both of you. If I can come to these conclusions, so can others among the nobility. Most don¡¯t share my opinions, and as such, will see you as either a threat to be removed, or a tool to be acquired. Whoever sent the Guard Inspector likely desires the former. I¡¯d be careful out there. Best of luck to you both.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    With a small smile the woman turned and left, crossing the grass in what Nate could only describe as a stately fashion. Nate glanced at Kiri and could see the silent agreement to discuss this later in her eyes. With a nod of his head, he indicated the direction of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. When she gave her own nod of agreement they began teleporting across the city towards the Guild compound, and after checking in at the gate, headed straight for the Guildhouse. Aisling had been clear that they would meet in one of the meeting rooms on the upper levels of the building.


    ¡°What did you make of that?¡± asked Kiri quietly.


    ¡°A warning coupled with a desire for some goodwill,¡± answered Nate, matching Kiri¡¯s whispers.


    Kiri nodded that she agreed and Nate settled back into thinking about the Concept coming off of the Princess. It was weird because he thought it should¡¯ve been pressing against him, based on the strength of the feeling, but instead he had felt nothing beyond his ability to recognise the presence of a Concept and the buzzing of Conceptual Insight. He wasn¡¯t willing to let it go but he was forced to compartmentalise his curiosity as they were guided into one of the Guildhouse¡¯s meeting rooms. He was surprised to find Aisling and Evindal already waiting and rushed over to meet them.


    He hadn¡¯t realised it, but he had missed Aisling while she had been away and it felt good to have her comforting presence in the form of a static in the air once more in close proximity. Evindal seemed to recognise his reaction and flashed a knowing smile at him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Aisling in lieu of a greeting, patting him down like a mother-hen as though checking him physically for wounds would reveal something.


    He could see the hint of worry in her eyes and quickly moved to reassure her.


    ¡°I am doing alright. Still working through some¡­things. But I am okay. Is this room¡­?¡± he ventured, hinting at his question of whether the room was warded.


    ¡°It is,¡± answered Evindal. ¡°My own warding item. Epic tier. It should be enough coupled with the wardings on the Guildhouse proper to protect us against anything short of someone with your own level of¡­skill.¡±


    Nate launched into a quick explanation of their encounter with Guard Inspector Koriolos and Princess Morgane¡¯s timely interference, finishing with a recount of the Princess¡¯s assessment of himself and Kiri.


    Evindal frowned while Aisling started to pace back and forth.


    ¡°Some fallout is not unexpected. I assume I don¡¯t need to tell you to be careful?¡± Aisling asked, glancing at them both for confirmation before she continued. ¡°Of both the Inspector and the Princess. Nothing but trouble can come from getting involved with a Royal. As for the Inspector, it is unlikely he will return to the University and I will leave orders that he is not to be granted access to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound. Hopefully, if you just avoid him for long enough, he will be forced to give up. That is the best we can do for now. I¡¯ll have Deverell look further into it. Happy with my approach?¡±


    Evindal nodded along with his wife. Nate wasn¡¯t so sure that the Inspector would just give up like that, but he didn¡¯t have a better idea for now and was willing to accept Aisling¡¯s proposal. Kiri on the other hand grinned, flopping into one of the comfy chairs in the room and asked a question, clearly aiming to change the topic.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go? We saw Luc got a couple of levels.¡±


    ¡°The same for us as well,¡± answered Evindal with a smile. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t share such, but I am aware Nate could check if he really felt the need to know.¡±


    Evindal joined Kiri in taking a seat while Aisling continued to fuss a little over Nate.


    ¡°I am sorry about what happened. Deverell was supposed to keep a careful watch over you. I knew you wouldn¡¯t stop venturing out to paint, so I asked him to protect you when you did so. Unfortunately, it seems you were a little hard for him to catch with your ability to teleport so effectively. Still, it was exactly what we were trying to avoid, and for that, you have my apology,¡± said Aisling earnestly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he quickly replied. ¡°I knew I was taking risks. Not just with the painting but with the little side project Luc and I came up with. I was overconfident. Dangerously so. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Aisling gave him a rueful smile and responded in a gentle tone, ¡°See that it doesn¡¯t. Now, I did want to see you both and see how you were doing. But Luc mentioned you also wanted to talk about something with us. What was it you wanted to speak with us about?¡±


    Nate grinned. He had been waiting for this moment for a few weeks now. Ever since he had finally decided on the path he wanted to take going forward and how to further his development. With Kiri and Aisling watching, he walked over to stand in front of Evindal and withdrew the Legendary Skill Orb containing the Skill The Time Between, from his spatial storage, offering it to the elf.


    ¡°I want you to teach me how to unlock the Lord of Life Class,¡± he stated clearly, ignoring Aisling¡¯s gasp and Kiri¡¯s amused laughter.


    Evindal¡¯s Legendary Class focused on Life Magic. It was a mana affinity, that to Nate¡¯s knowledge, he completely lacked. But his subjects at the University had shown him the path forward. He had a maximum possible affinity pool of a hundred percent. Last he had checked his spatial mana affinity was somewhere around thirty-five percent. It may have changed since he first arrived on Galle, but either way, it was high enough and not a concern for him. However, to get access to the Wandering Realmwalker Class he had needed to have a high space affinity. He suspected the same would be true for the Lord of Life Class, only this time it would be a high affinity for life aspected mana. That meant he was going to need to create some runic arrays that changed the environmental mana around him to give it an affinity for life. However, that wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    The way the Professor had described it, was that it would have an impact over the years, but it would take a long time to achieve the kind of affinity he needed. That meant he needed to rely on exactly the methods that Princess Morgane had suspected of them. Alchemicals. He needed to see an alchemist. That could give him the required affinity, but not necessarily the Achievements he might need to unlock the Class. But Evindal would know what those were. A Legendary Skill Orb for the potential of a Legendary Life-based Class seemed like a fair trade to Nate, and his eyes were glued to Evindal as he waited for the elf¡¯s reaction.


    It seemed like it took a moment for everyone in the room to finish processing his request. After the shock had worn off and Kiri had stopped laughing in amusement, his best friend clapped her hands excitedly at the idea, while Aisling got a faraway look as though she was trying to consider the implications. It was Evindal¡¯s reaction that surprised him the most though. He had expected the man to ask questions, or suggest alternatives, maybe to dig into Nate¡¯s motives. Instead, the elf simply smiled blindingly.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re exactly the kind of disciple a man like me would want to take, Nate. I accept. We¡¯ll need to start spending more time together and I have some of my own ideas to advance you down this path. This will be a Tertiary Class though¡­and that means you¡¯ll almost certainly only get an Epic version, given your current status. Are you still sure that this is the way you want to go?¡± asked Evindal, the elf intentionally not yet reaching for the Skill Orb just yet.


    ¡°It is. I¡¯ve thought about it all. My Path, my Embodiment, my Classes, and most of all, who and what I want to be. I am certain that this is what I want,¡± he answered.


    Evindal reached out, gently taking the Skill Orb from his hands and turning it over with a small smile, ¡°Then I accept. I will do my best to help you achieve this goal of yours.¡±


    ¡°This calls for a celebration, right?¡± Kiri commented.


    ¡°It does,¡± agreed Aisling, the usually stoic woman smiling at her husband and Nate. ¡°Come then. I will have someone run ahead and get us a table at the Ocean¡¯s Flow restaurant. I think you will find that the seafood they cook is the best in the city.¡±


    Kiri was up a moment later and Nate fell in as the small group made their way through the city, picking up Deverell and Luc along the way. A night of good food and better company awaited them and he called Frick to come join in the fun, reminded again that for all the suffering and pain, that he was surrounded by friends at the end of the day and that the beauty of these simple pleasures was enough to wash away the stains of his less palatable experiences.

 Chapter 148 - Art of the Living

    Nate stood in the centre of his workshop, Farsight of the Runic Artist crashing against the plethora of wards that had been built into the walls. The building itself had ended up being larger than he had expected, covering a space of over ten metres squared. It was also two stories tall, with a basement for storage. He knew real estate like this, especially so close to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound, couldn¡¯t be cheap. It had taken a few days of harassing Kiri to get her to admit that she had not only spent a larger proportion of her own earnings on the building than they had agreed upon, but that she had also sold a ten percent stake in the business to Luc. He was slightly bothered by it, not because he had an issue with Luc being involved. It was actually the opposite. It was more a concern that Kiri would start falling behind him if she wasn¡¯t receiving half of the profit this enterprise made. He couldn¡¯t do anything about it now and with Luc involved the man had at least agreed to act as a front for the business. Luc as a front not only gave them an air of legitimacy, but also some limited protection. Few people were willing to cross Luc, or Thousand Needles, as he seemed to be more widely known. As for Kiri falling behind, Nate just accepted he would have to keep a close eye on the situation and if she started to lag he would intervene to keep them close in power.


    Maybe others would have just focused on their own development. It was undoubtedly a faster way to grow. It also seemed like a lonely path to walk. Some might be able to handle that, perhaps even prefer it, but it was the last thing he wanted. Kiri was like a sister to him. Without her to walk this path that they had chosen, he might have lost some of his ambition for growth. He had even considered it, in his darker moments. Leaving the University and maybe even Etrua. Trekking out into the wilds and becoming a hermit in some tower. With his Space Sigil he could¡¯ve easily set up methods to teleport to small towns to resupply on food, essentials, and of course his creature comforts. But beyond that he had all he needed to create his own little domain. A protected Tower, a Goblin Spirit butler, and the ability to create his own gargantuan mana gathering arrays so he could progress at his craft and art at a leisurely pace. It was an option, and after his torture, it had been a tempting one.


    Certainly, there would have been downsides. Without the education he was receiving at the Royal University there were many principles that he would not have understood about the System, Skills, Mana and everything else. He doubted it would have stagnated his development but it likely would have delayed it. It also would have meant letting down Kiri, Aisling, Luc and even Evindal. He smiled a little ruefully as he acknowledged that Deverell probably wouldn¡¯t have cared beyond the inconvenience for Aisling. Still, he had chosen not to give in to those thoughts, and instead, created this workshop. Frick had spent most of the previous week here, laying runic arrays Nate had designed into the walls of the place. The entire building was reinforced, making it more durable, protected against scrying, other awareness Skills, spells, and finally, mana exclusion to prevent mana from leaking out of the building. That last one was important given how much mana they were going to be providing. It wouldn¡¯t do to make this building an obvious nexus for mana, as anyone sensitive to such would be able to pick it out with ease. That was attention they neither wanted or needed.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you can just raise the tier of materials by providing mana,¡± commented Jacque as he walked down the stairs, shaking his head. ¡°Did you at least do what I suggested?¡±


    ¡°How is your room?¡± asked Nate, initially avoiding the question.


    ¡°It¡¯s everything your friend promised,¡± answered Jacque before his eyes took on a more pleading look. ¡°My suggestion?¡±


    Nate nodded, ¡°We moved the mana collection facility. It no longer targets the University mana pipeline.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Jacque asked, wringing his hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s outside the city limits now. I won¡¯t say in which direction. It should affect the various Districts more evenly now, hopefully making it less noticeable,¡± explained Nate.


    Jacque nodded and went over to inspect the contents of one of the three chests on the side of the room. The ex-Professor had been incredibly worried when he found out how Nate was supplying himself with mana. The man had gone on to explain that the University measured the throughput of mana that passed through their node of the Capital¡¯s mana pipeline infrastructure. The fact that they kept an audit would mean that even if Nate was shaving off a percent or two, that it would start to show up. A couple of months might be ignored, but if the loss remained consistent, they would likely start comparing their audits with other Districts. That would likely have led to an investigation and eventual discovery of his little mana-gathering pocket. To get around that he had moved the location to one of the main pipelines entering the city. He would likely move it again in two months but at least now the loss would hit most of the Capital¡¯s Districts evenly, making it more likely that they would chalk the minor change up to being caused by mana vagaries in the wilds. The risk of discovery still existed, but he was doing his best to mitigate the worst of it.


    That brought him to the supplies. With his Mythic tier Conceptual Material it was almost childsplay to create Uncommon and Rare materials, and for now, those would make up the majority of what Jacque would be working with. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild had finally started placing their orders, and to no one''s surprise, they had gone with quantity over quality with one single exception. Nate was just glad they hadn¡¯t requested Common runecrafted items. Kiri had explained that the margins on Common items would be small but the amount of time required wouldn¡¯t be small, meaning limited income and wasted time. Instead, the order had been a split with eighty percent being Uncommon items with the remaining twenty percent being Rare. The items requested were a spread of Stat enhancing rings, bracers with minor barrier runic arrays and weapons with minor elemental enchantments mostly and a few simply with reinforcement or sharpening runic arrays. Nate was cursing himself a little for not considering that Jacque lacked a Skill for shaping materials. It had meant that he had needed to shape all the materials himself which might not have been an issue if the Guild hadn¡¯t asked for so many items. The upside was that it was driving his Material Shaping¡¯s Skill development.


    ¡°You have most of the designs ready for me?¡± asked Jacque, standing up and moving to join Nate.


    ¡°Here. Remember, this stays in your spatial storage when not in use. Do not leave this lying around,¡± explained Nate as he handed over a small tome. The contents detailed all the designs and Sigils necessary to achieve the results desired by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°And make sure everything has the obfuscation rune included.¡±


    Nate might not have cared about obfuscating all the Sigils involved, but since for some of the runes the only Sigils he had were of the Journeyman tier, like his Reinforcement Sigil, he wasn¡¯t willing to have that knowledge become freely available just yet.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°And the timelines for delivery?¡± asked Jacque absently as he flipped through the tome, the man already engrossed in Nate¡¯s rune designs.


    ¡°Kiri will let you know,¡± answered Nate, having no desire to be involved in the logistics and saying a silent thanks that his best friend was willing to shoulder that burden.


    ¡°Alright. Guess I will get to work. Anything else you need from me, Master?¡± quipped Jacque, flashing an amused smile at him.


    Nate just rolled his eyes at the older man¡¯s joke.


    ¡°Let me know what you want to work on later this week. I¡¯ll come by and we can go over some rune designs. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s everything. I¡¯ll get started. I have to admit, I am kind of excited! This is the first time I have had a serious opportunity for development in years. There¡¯s so much to learn and try,¡± replied Jacque eagerly as the man immediately headed for one of the chests and its contents.


    Nate called out his farewell as he exited the workshop, though he wasn¡¯t sure the man had heard him. Deverell was waiting outside and, after giving Nate a small nod, the pair headed for the Guild compound. It was Nate¡¯s turn to get excited. Today was to be his first discussion with Evindal regarding how to go about achieving the Lord of Life Class.


    It only took them ten minutes to arrive at the Guildhouse and be ushered upstairs into one of the warded meeting rooms. Evindal was already waiting, though for once Aisling was not present. After Deverell had excused himself Evindal motioned for Nate to take a seat across from him.


    The meeting room was simple in nature, with a table down the middle capable of seating over ten people with room to spare, comfortable chairs and a single large window that allowed the room to enjoy a vast quantity of natural light. The sconces along the walls looked like simplistic enchanted lights and his sphere of awareness could detect enchantments layered into the walls, sealing his senses within the room. That last part bothered him a little and he was forced to squash the flicker of worry and fear that came from not having full knowledge of his surroundings.


    After Evindal motioned for him to take a seat, the elf placed a small metal cube on the table and Nate¡¯s identification Skill triggered off the item.


    Enchanted Anti-Scrying Ward (Epic)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Anti-Scrying Ward (Epic)


    Anti-Scrying Ward: This item has been enchanted to prevent scrying or awareness Skills and Spells from being able to penetrate a ten metre radius around the Ward. This Ward requires a mana source to power the Enchantment.


    Nate looked back up to see Evindal watching him with large amber eyes. The elf took a moment to adjust his yellow and green robe before smiling at Nate.


    ¡°Satisfied that our privacy is assured?¡±


    ¡°Mostly,¡± quipped Nate.


    ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s get started shall we? First, I wanted to make sure you understood what you were doing, and perhaps help me understand a little of why you¡¯re doing it? I know that you love to create art, and while I hope you have plans for how your Spatial Mage class will play into that goal, I admit I have no idea of how you intend to incorporate a Life Mage type class into that goal. Would it not be better to perhaps focus on going for another crafting class specifically related to painting? Or perhaps expanding your horizons and learning about sculpting?¡±


    Nate leaned back, thinking over the question carefully. He knew the answer already, but he wanted to convey it in a way that others would understand. After half a minute of thought he launched into his idea for how he saw his three Classes working together once he had passed his second Class evolution.


    ¡°You¡¯re right that creating art is my goal. It¡¯s the core of my desires and I have often, sometimes to my detriment, focused on developing my Skills and even Classes in that direction. I don¡¯t see spatial magic as separated from my art as you describe. Certainly, my spatial Skills at this point aren¡¯t assisting my art much, but that has mostly been driven by my lack of focus on my Secondary Class until recently. Art occupies space and so, in my mind, the two can never be truly separated. There was a silly saying from my home,¡± Nate explained, avoiding specifying where his home was. ¡°Art is how you decorate space, music is how you decorate time.¡±


    Evindal smiled a little, ¡°A clever saying. I might steal that. Go on though.¡±


    ¡°My intention with my spatial skills is to use them to help me decorate space. I don¡¯t want to go too deep into my Skill development plans, but the art lean will be coming for them on their next evolutions where I can manage it. Which brings me to my thoughts on why I wanted a Life Mage as my Tertiary Class. It goes back to when I first met Aisling. She explained to me that when you receive your Tertiary Class, the Skills can often come with unusual evolutions that can make Skills function in new and innovative ways. The Skill she told me about, which she said came from her Growth Mage Class, was Even Spells Grow. It was the idea of assigning the Concept of Life to something like a Spellform that led me to wanting something similar. You mentioned expanding my artistic horizons, and I was thinking the same thing. But instead of going for sculpting I thought, what about living art?¡±


    Evindal smirked slightly and raised an eyebrow, ¡°Have you ever used that line on a young lady?¡±


    Nate couldn¡¯t keep a straight face and burst out laughing, ¡°No, but I am definitely going to now.¡±


    ¡°Well, do let me know if it works as well as I suspect. Back to your thinking about your Classes though. You are right but I think you are missing a piece of the picture. Your Embodiment will play a factor in your Skill options. I don¡¯t need to know in what direction you¡¯re trying to take your Embodiment. Just keep it in mind. As for the rest of your reasoning, it seems sound to me. So, let me tell you about Life Mage Classes. Firstly, they generally require an affinity for life mana, or one of its variations, such as plant, fungi, animal, etc. We will need to test your affinities to determine how much work and wealth we need to put towards raising your life mana affinity high enough to meet the minimum requirements for the Lord of Life Class. I can tell you that the affinity requirement is at least twenty-five percent for the Legendary version. I suspect that it is going to be expensive and for the next few months you are going to be drinking alchemical concoctions like water. I will cover the cost for some, as repayment for the Skill Orb, but you should make sure you have enough coinage or mana to pay for the rest yourself. Then, we will need to focus on some Achievements. I believe you have a Sigil for Life. If you can improve upon that Sigil, it would be ideal, but even without it I can teach you some Spells to help. Do you see the problem this presents?¡±


    Nate nodded, for the first time feeling a moment of concern.


    ¡°Additional achievements are going to interfere with any plans I have for my Embodiment¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± replied Evindal, standing and scooping up his anti-scrying ward. ¡°Think on it. Come on, let''s go get your affinities tested.¡±


    Nate wandered out the door of the meeting room, following Evindal into the depths of the Guildhouse, his mind attempting to figure out a solution to his predicament. The way everything was connected within the purview of the System was sometimes an absolute pain in the ass. That said, he was confident he could come up with a solution. No, that was wrong. No matter what, he would create a solution to this problem. The path of living art awaited him, and that was worth the effort. With a grin he prepared to find out how his affinities had shifted.

 Chapter 149 - Affinity for Trouble

    The room Nate found himself in was not at all what he had expected. Evindal had led him down into the bowels of the Guildhouse and towards the vault that contained the Guild¡¯s Common and Uncommon resources. Based on that, Nate had expected that it would turn out that they had some enchanted device or item, kept under lock and key, that could be used to determine an individual¡¯s affinities. The logic had made sense to him, since he had assumed that the Guild would likely offer to regularly test Adventurers to help guide their development. In addition, wouldn¡¯t the Adventurers want to know so they could direct and control their spell selections. That should have been especially true since spells so heavily relied on an individual''s innate affinities.


    The problem he hadn¡¯t considered was the sheer scale of potential affinities. He was mentally kicking himself for oversimplifying the concept of affinities. The key was in that exact thought. Concept of affinities. All mana affinities were based on Concepts and as Evindal had just pointed out, they could present in more specific flavours based on what one could argue were Subconcepts. Evindal had said it himself. Life affinity could be fungi, animal, or a host of others. That didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t still a Life affinity. Instead what it meant was that within the sphere of life you might have additional affinities. It was that particular premise that gave rise to the room he was in and if he was being honest, given his love of art, he wasn¡¯t complaining.


    Instead of a simple room with a simple item he found himself in a heavily warded and well-lit room underground. The room was almost as large as the vault they had veered away from and the reason was the circular enchantment laid into the floor. It was everything he would have expected a magic circle to be before coming to Galle. Using his sphere of awareness he could trace the various mana pathways that made up the magic circle as they led out to gems embedded into the floor. The gems started out large, and then led to smaller variations as they moved further and further from the centre of the magic circle. They also appeared to be colour-coded at face-value, but his identification flashing told him it went deeper than that. The gems weren¡¯t just similar colours in their various quadrants. They were also similar types. He suspected that it went back to what he had learned about enchanting when he was in Helmfirth. The gems were chosen for their natural affinities towards particular types of mana. The result was a rainbow circle of slowly shrinking gems. He supposed that ¡®rainbow¡¯ wasn¡¯t entirely accurate as he could see other colours and even black, white and translucent gems. The number actually astounded him and he quickly realised there were well over four hundred gems embedded into the floor.


    ¡°Done admiring the work?¡± asked Evindal politely from behind him.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Nate muttered. ¡°It¡¯s kind of amazing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± agreed Evindal. ¡°Where I come from, ours has almost twice as many gems so that we can detect more esoteric affinities. However, for an organisation like the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, it makes less sense to delve that deeply. Especially in a country like Etrua where the populace is mostly stifled. Now, let¡¯s get to your test. All you need to do is stand in the centre and feed mana to the enchantment. I¡¯ll handle the recording.¡±


    ¡°Is the room warded?¡±


    When Evindal gave an answering nod Nate moved to the centre of the enchantment. Standing there calmly, he relaxed his shoulders and guided a small filament of his mana into the enchantment. His sphere of awareness told him that such a small amount of mana wasn¡¯t going to be enough and so he quickly increased the flow. As the mana started to flow out of him and into the enchantment he felt Conceptual Insight activate. The Skill began to hum and he quickly detected a number of elemental Concepts from the inner circle of gems. Water, fire, earth, air and a number of other Concepts flickered briefly before fading into the background as the second row of gems activated. This time he got the sense of things like fluid, coolness, heat, sound, flow and too many more to name. By the third layer he started to feel overwhelmed as a cacophony of Concepts filled the room. That feeling only worsened as he felt some of the concepts present begin to war against each other. Coolness and heat. Solid and fluid. Shadow and light. The opposing affinities felt as if they were trying to suppress or defeat their antithesis. It worsened again as he could feel some Concepts shifting back and forth as though unable to choose a side, while a host of spectator Concepts watched on, ambivalent to the outcome of the many battles.


    The taste of blood on his tongue finally let him focus long enough to hear that Evindal was yelling at him to stop and he collapsed in the centre of the enchantment, dragging his mana back to himself forcibly.


    Touching his nose his fingers came away bloody, but the red colour on his fingers was nothing when compared to the kaleidoscope of the enchantment. He looked around slowly, watching as the small amount of light present in every gem slowly faded. Only two remained lit after a few seconds. The yellow gem that had only emitted a light slightly stronger than the hundreds of other gems followed them back into a dormant state within a couple of seconds, leaving one final purple gem that continued to blaze so brightly that it drowned out the sconces that lit the walls of the room.


    Nate slowly turned to look at Evindal, only to see confusion and consternation writ upon the elf¡¯s flawless pale skin. The man brushed his silver hair absently as he continued to look at the magical circle rather than Nate.


    It was when Nate finally wiped away the blood from his nose that Evindal¡¯s attention flickered back to him.


    ¡°That¡­that should not have happened.¡±


    ¡°What shouldn¡¯t have?¡± Nate asked, standing carefully and moving towards the edge of the circle, stumbling for a moment when he realised his mana reserve was almost empty. When had that happened? He hadn¡¯t been feeding that much mana to the enchantment had he?


    Evindal waved his hands at the magic circle.


    ¡°They¡¯re only supposed to show any light if the mana passing through them has a matching affinity. They shouldn¡¯t have all lit up. The values were so low that they didn¡¯t even register,¡± explained Evindal, pointing at a panel that seemed to record the results, presenting them as a percentage.


    Nate walked over to join Evindal as they looked at the results of his affinity test. As expected, his Spatial Affinity remained impressive. At forty percent it didn¡¯t look like it had regressed at all since leaving his first Dungeon. On the other hand, his only other affinity was for earth, and at one percent it was negligible. Those were the only results that showed upon the display and he turned to Evindal in confusion.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°So, what does it mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Nate. I don¡¯t know. Maybe your mana was searching for an affinity that wasn¡¯t present. Maybe the enchantment malfunctioned? Maybe your spatial affinity is the cause. I suppose I could see how space might apply to every other affinity available and so the sheer scale of your affinity was enough to cause a reaction in the other gems. I just¡­I just don¡¯t know. It was so low that it didn¡¯t trigger a recording so I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. Perhaps it was nothing,¡± Evindal explained, obviously hedging his answers.


    ¡°That¡¯s less important than your complete lack of a life affinity,¡± continued the elf. ¡°That is something we will have to remedy.¡±


    With those words Evindal produced a set of three vials from his spatial storage. The liquid in them glowed a beautiful yellow and green. Rather than looking toxic the colours seemed to shift around each other invitingly. Conceptual Insight went wild in the back of his mind and he could tell that whatever was in the vials was heavily influenced by the Concept of Life.


    ¡°I only got you three to start with, as I had hoped you might have at least a minor affinity for Life. Especially coming from a place like Helmfirth, surrounded by a forest teeming with life on all sides. Regardless, you¡¯ll need to take one every five days. I will purchase another three for you, but that is the limits of what I will put towards your affinity development. I suspect you might need as many as twelve in total to get even close to the strength of affinity you will need. That also assumes we do not need to procure ingredients with a stronger affinity. Though, I imagine that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you. However, this means you have a month to get enough mana or coin to pay for your next treatment. You could of course take longer if you are willing to slow down your development. But I get the sense that that is not an option. So don¡¯t dally. Come back and see me after you¡¯ve taken the third, so in eleven days. I will teach you your first Life spell then and we can start going over the types of Achievements you will need to progress down this path,¡± explained Evindal, the elf checking to confirm that Nate understood.


    ¡°Should I take one now, then?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose it would be best if you did. In case something else weird happens.¡±


    Nate shrugged and removed the wax seal on the top of one of the vials. The smells that wafted off of the liquid were so varied that he doubted he would have been able to pick them apart without his high Perception Stat. There was a floral scent of flowers in bloom mixed with the musk of animals and the smell of leaves. Underneath that was the smell of petrichor that he realised was likely from mushrooms and other fungi, coupled with a hint of the iron-tang of blood.


    Without waiting any longer he tipped his head back and swallowed the liquid. Despite the many smells there was no taste to the liquid. Focusing his sphere of awareness inwards he could feel as the liquid rushed down his throat into his stomach before beginning to diffuse through his body. However after only a few seconds he could tell that something was slowly gathering in the space that marked his mana reserve. Specks of yellow and green light kept entering him and he could see how they would slowly vanish, absorbed into his mana.


    Glancing back at Evindal, Nate smiled, ¡°It seems to be working.¡±


    ¡°I would hope so, given how much it costs. This would not be within the reach of any Silver-ranked Guild members beyond yourself and perhaps Null and Coralie. And those two would need to rely on their parents. Now, I have some other things to attend to. Was there anything else you needed today?¡±


    Nate had been getting better at reading people since coming to Galle. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his enhanced perception, his improved memory and processing speed from his increased Intellect stat, or just spending more time with different people. Whatever it was, he was confident that Evindal was hiding some concern behind his words. Was it the reaction from the enchanted magic circle that had the elf worried? Nate wasn¡¯t sure, but there was nothing he could do about it for now. With a shake of his head and a quick thank you he found himself headed back to the Royal University with Luc shadowing him till he was through the gates and back onto University grounds.


    The whole experience had been new and interesting. It also gave him some ideas for his own creations. Could he create a miniaturised version of the affinity measuring enchantment? The plethora of gems had been necessary to make sure of the individual gems'' affinities. What if he just created a material where each section of the material had a different affinity? If he could do that he could potentially make something the size of a plate that could do what that gigantic enchantment had just done. He was definitely lacking all of the Sigils necessary, but he bet he had enough to have a play with the idea. With a curious smile on his face he rushed back to his room to perform some basic experiments, while also getting the results to his latest experiment! It was time to quantify the difference in strength between using his own mana and processed mana to power a construct created through Conceptual Automation.


    Less than an hour later he was leaning back in his chair, staring at the two misshapen hunks of Common metal. Just a few minutes ago both pieces of what he thought was iron had been pristine and Rare tier, with an affinity for Durability.


    ¡°Four times as strong,¡± he ventured.


    ¡°Agreed, Boss,¡± responded Frick, the spirit flashing a toothy smile as he floated nearby.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected the gap to be that vast,¡± he replied, thinking out loud. ¡°I thought it would be only twice as powerful. Maybe three times. But four times as strong just by swapping to processed mana.¡±


    He flicked the empty processed mana gem in annoyance.


    ¡°Is it that big of a deal, Boss? We can collect some more processed mana for when shit hits the fan.¡±


    ¡°It is. Much bigger. Think wider, Frick. Think bigger,¡± answered Nate, leading his Familiar to the conclusion he had already reached.


    Frick stopped, the goblin spirits blue eyes slowly widening, ¡°It¡¯s not just this Skill. It¡¯s any Skill.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And I very much doubt that this isn¡¯t known. There is no way it couldn¡¯t be, with processed mana being used as a currency. Which means the nobility knows. Certainly doesn¡¯t matter at the lower levels and for those who need every scrap of mana they can get just to advance even slightly. But for those at the top, want to bet whether or not they have a small stockpile for those ¡®shit hitting the fan¡¯ moments?¡±


    Frick nodded along, ¡°You need your own stockpile then, Boss. So does Kiri.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let her know,¡± Nate answered absentmindedly, his thoughts already elsewhere.


    What was the difference between mana and processed mana? Why did they need Dungeons to collect processed mana? The questions were already plaguing him. With a sigh he settled in to work on his class project for the Affinities and Mana subject. As he got to work on the soul-based rune he was designing to show his capability with the energy type, a part of his mind continued to worry over his questions, unable to let it go. He had no answers yet, but he was going to get them, either at this University, or in the wider multiverse. That, and his very own affinity tester.

 Chapter 150 - Those Who Wander

    Aisling listened to her husband and long-time friend continue their disagreement.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± argued Luc.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that? The gems in that enchantment are supposed to have a minimum fidelity of a single percent. Anything less should have garnered no response at all, let alone a response from every single gem present. There were affinities in there, that based on everything you and Aisling have told me, he has never used. Lava, storm and magnetic are just the three that spring to mind. But I am telling you what I saw. I don¡¯t think he saw it. Not completely. But for the briefest of moments, every single gem lit up with enough light to indicate an affinity of at least three to four percent,¡± shot back Evindal.


    Her normally calm and controlled husband was clearly disturbed by what he had witnessed. She couldn¡¯t fault him though. If what he saw was true, it was an interaction with the enchantment that none of them had ever encountered. What it meant for Nate she wasn¡¯t sure, but at least Evindal had downplayed it enough that he was hopefully not worrying over it.


    ¡°Could it have been something to do with his work with runes?¡± asked Luc, rubbing his chin in thought.


    ¡°Perhaps. Or perhaps his affinity for space triggered them. Or it¡¯s something we have never heard of or encountered. I just don¡¯t know. And that worries me,¡± lamented Evindal.


    ¡°Not the first time the kid has surprised us. It¡¯ll be fine. Probably,¡± responded Luc, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince them.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter for now,¡± she interjected. ¡°He will need to be tested again to make sure the alchemical concoctions are having an impact and developing his affinity for Life mana. Until then, there is nothing either of you can do. It changes nothing about our existing plans. Now, which of us is going to be watching over him during their next Dungeon run?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy,¡± Luc said immediately, flashing an amused smile in response to her frown.


    No doubt what Luc meant was he was busy spending his time at that brothel which he had somehow gotten Nate involved in. She sighed to herself. That wasn¡¯t fair of her. She knew Luc was working with Nate and Kiri on their nascent crafting business. It was more likely he was assisting them with some element of that and his smile was just to taunt her. At times, she had to admit, she wished the Arcane Riftwalker would grow up a little. Then again, if he did, would he even bother staying in Etrua? Putting those thoughts to rest she glanced at her husband.


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort them, my love,¡± he answered, smiling gently at her. ¡°Besides, it will give me more opportunity and time to work with Nate on what he needs to do to achieve his goals of taking Lord of Life as his Tertiary Class.¡±


    She nodded and smiled back in thanks before turning to face the window, gazing down on the Guild training grounds. What was Nate thinking, adding Life Mage as his Tertiary Class? She had yet to figure out how he intended to fold such a selection into his existing choices and the path he seemed set on. She supposed that in the end, all she could do was trust that he knew what he was doing. That made her smile slightly. He had surprised her before. More than once, actually. She was confident he would do so again. With the matter settled, she turned back to face her husband and long-time friend.


    ¡°That is settled then. On to the next topic of discussion, the brewing war with Asmuisil. Where do we stand?¡±


    *************


    Arikanvil bared his teeth in a victorious smile. This experiment had taken longer than he had expected. Figuring out what the device from a Dead Realm did had been simple enough. Reverse-engineering how it had accomplished such wonders had been far more difficult. Perhaps if one of his two Heralds that were accomplished crafters had been present, then he might have gotten to this point far sooner. But he had been unwilling to pay the costs for recalling them from their assignments. Either way, he now knew the basics of what was going on within the simple looking, yet incredibly complex device. That led him to his next experiments. Could he replicate the technology and methods applied.


    For the first time in more than two centuries, he had a pathway forward towards his ultimate goal. He ignored the small stirring in his chest. What was another drop to someone on his level anyway? Carefully putting the small piece of plastic back in the protective case that kept mana from touching it and destroying the fragile material, he turned to prepare his notes for his next experiment when he sensed a flicker on the planet below.


    Focusing his senses, he stripped the space between himself and the flicker, gazing upon the small room and the simplistic affinity measuring enchantment.


    His eyes widened slightly at what he saw and for a moment he paused, mentally calculating the risks, costs and potential rewards of interference.


    ¡°Sooner than expected¡­too soon really¡­¡± he muttered to himself, before sealing his senses and returning them to his immediate environs. ¡°No. It¡¯s not worth the cost. The mortal¡¯s path is his own.¡±


    With his decision made, he began working on the next stage in his project. The only project that mattered to him anymore. He was the Wanderer and he would not be denied.


    *************


    Duchess Charlotte Desmarais ground her teeth in annoyance. It was a habit she had developed when she was younger and never truly managed to grow out of. She had often wondered to herself, in her private moments, if it were her Classes and Embodiment that prevented her from removing the habit. She had even considered excising it directly. But in the end, the risk was greater than the reward. The situation now was starting to look similar.


    Tossing the page onto her husband¡¯s desk she considered the contents again. The Storm Spear, Thousand Needles and the Eternal Grove had returned to the Capital. That normally would have been considered little more than business-as-usual, except for the part where those three Platinum-tier individuals had already been seen in the company of her targets. It was almost a certainty then, that the next Dungeon trip the pair took, they would be escorted by at least one of the three. The Kill-Squad she had put together was more than enough to handle the children, but would be killed, in no uncertain terms, by any of the children''s three protectors.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The question on her mind was should she scrap the operation, or double-down and send one of their houses three Platinum-tier retainers to handle the target''s protector. What were the risks of doing nothing? It would mean an even chance of their Ducal House falling and being handed over to one of the targets. The latest report from the Twins had confirmed that Princess Morgane had interceded for the crafter of the pair. Something about an investigation into the death of the Earl of Dralogne¡¯s second-son. She might have tried to leverage that fact, using the Earl¡¯s resources to lower the cost to their own House. But the Earl was in the Second Prince¡¯s camp and was as likely to spit at her as laugh at her request to work together. That man had always been incredibly unreasonable.


    No, she had to rely on her own House and resources, lest she tip her hand to one of their rivals. Besides, most of the Lesser Houses that paid them homage lacked the resources outside of the Heads of their respective Houses to challenge the Adventurer Guild Platinums. Grinding her teeth again in frustration, she sent one of the servants to fetch Gordon. The risk to their House was just too great. Now that Morgane, that righteous little bitch, had her claws firmly buried in the pair, it was a foregone conclusion that the offer of Noble title would be made. No one would say no to such an offer, and it would be her House that would be the one to fall even further into decline. A decisive decision needed to be made, so she would make it.


    A knock at the door brought her back to the present and she adjusted her appearance minutely. She was perfection and it was important that others perceived her so.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    ¡°You asked for me, my Lady?¡± said Gordon, the man entering the beautifully decorated office.


    ¡°There is a task I have for you. But first, I need your input. How would you fare against the Storm Spear, Thousand Needles or the Eternal Grove?¡± she asked calmly, not letting her inner turmoil show on her face. Appearances mattered after all. Her confidence would become his confidence.


    ¡°To defeat or to kill?¡± asked Gordon, the tall and skinny man asking in the same tone that he would¡¯ve asked about the weather.


    ¡°Kill,¡± she stated calmly. There could be no witnesses. Of course, the Guild would likely suspect them. But without proof, without testimony, their suspicions would be just that.


    ¡°Maybe against the Storm Spear or the Eternal Grove, my Lady. Definitely not against Thousand Needles. That slippery bastard would find a way to slip away if he was losing,¡± answered the Lava Mage honestly. She had always appreciated that about him and was one of the main reasons she had pushed her husband to invest in his development. That and his affinity, of course.


    ¡°The Storm Spear and Eternal Grove¡­what if you had the assistance of a Gold-tier Kill-Squad?¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    She considered her answer. Originally the plan had been for a four-person team. Two should have been more than enough to end the lives of each of the children. But then, the reports did say that the pair had gone to Dungeons with others from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Those ¡®others¡¯ had warranted their own protection, in the form of a small team of Gold-tier Bodyguards. If she was to go down this path, she would go all-in. There could be no room for mistakes.


    ¡°Ten,¡± she answered placidly.


    ¡°With ten assisting me, I am confident I could kill either of the Guild Platinums if needed.¡±


    She nodded her understanding, detailing out her orders for Gordon and the Gold-tier kill-squad she was putting under his command. They were not to engage if Thousand Needles was present. Otherwise, the next time those children left the Capital of Etrua to run one of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild dungeons, her forces would strike and end the threat to her House, killing it in the cradle.


    After Gordon had left to prepare his team and make their way to the Capital, she returned to the expansive window. Her holdings lay sprawled before her. She would do whatever was necessary to keep them. The rumours of war with Asmuisil were an opportunity. With that in mind, she returned to her desk to pen another letter. This would be no less risky than having the young Adventurers killed, but where that task was to retain her House¡¯s existing position, this letter contained the potential to raise them higher. With her mind made up, ink touched paper. Such a simple act and yet it felt like the tolling of a bell, signifying the end of an age or the beginning of a new one. Life was full of risks. She just needed to navigate one more. Grinding her teeth again, she lamented her fool of a husband and his father before him. She would dig them out of this hole, one body at a time. Of course, if she failed, she was digging their own graves.


    *************


    Garnet soared through the skies on wings of flame. The clouds surrounded her, obscuring her vision of the forests and grasslands below, but she was alright with that. After all, they also hid her from the sight of any of the great predators of the sky. There were few such monsters over the forest, but few was not none, and the numbers would increase as she approached the Kirshell Mountains. She didn¡¯t know if the nomadic Clans were incompetent or just didn¡¯t care, but their lack of control over the ambient mana of their mountain homes led to more monster growth and development than was seen in the more central areas of Etrua. That increased ambient mana, coupled with some of the gryphons and rocs that made their homes in the Kirshell Mountains, meant there was a legitimate threat to her life if she wasn¡¯t careful.


    That said, she was still a day or two away from her destination and could likely simply enjoy soaring through the skies like a mythical phoenix. The flaming birds had never been seen in Etrua, as much a myth as dragons, but as a child she had been enchanted by the idea of such creatures. It had been the driving force that had led to her defying her Father and developing her affinity for fire instead of the storm like him. He had never forgiven her for defying their family legacy and she had never forgiven him for the way he looked down upon her. Prince Bordain had seen her value, though, and brought her into his confidence. Paid for her to attend the University and given her her tasks after she had finished. She should¡¯ve been confident in his presence, but he had always frightened her. Even when she had been certain that she was a significantly higher level than the Prince, he had still felt like a real and present danger to her. It didn¡¯t help that Obsidian scared her almost as much as the Prince. His bodyguard was the stuff of nightmares.


    When she had been recalled to the Capital she had hoped that her punishment for her failure with the slaving operation was over. It seemed that was not the case. Lessened, certainly, as there were few punishments worse than being forced to work under Sapphire. But she was still being punished, forced to play courier for their manerium mining operation. At least with this punishment she was free to fly, though. Spinning gently, she floated above the cloud cover to stare up at the sun, that roiling ball of fire so large it boggled the mind. Perhaps that was where Phoenixes lived. She still hoped to see one, one day.


    Spinning back around and dipping back into the clouds she sighed slightly. The war with Asmuisil was certain to begin soon. Then the pieces would start falling, one way or another. Her patron, her Prince, would either rise as he so fervently believed he deserved, or he would fall. Either way, what would that mean for her once the chaos had finally settled? Would she be given the lead of her own House, her father executed? Was that even what she wanted? Would she finally free her half-sisters from their torture? Or would she run away from it all? Fly off into the sunset? To places unseen, where maybe, the myths of her childhood lived on?


    Her eyes narrowed as the thoughts came one after another. There were many things she might do but only one thing she would definitely do. She would torch that insidious bitch and dance on her ashes. Sending more mana into her flaming wings she increased her speed. The sooner she made the delivery, the sooner she could reach her destination. Her true destination. Not some mine, but the place she had always wanted to be. She just wished she knew where that was.

 Chapter 151 - Memories of Existence

    Nate stared out of the window of the second floor of his workshop as rain pattered against it. The alchemical concoction he had imbibed roiled in his belly. The feeling of the life mana flooding his body stood in sharp contrast to the city beyond the glass panes. Back on Earth, he had played witness to more than one storm, but never on this scale. Certainly they had existed, but where he lived had never been struck by a hurricane. Not while he had been alive anyway. So seeing the gale-force winds whip over the sandstone buildings of the Capital was a new experience. It had a beauty to it, but it was tinged with violence and destruction. It was a melancholic beauty, he decided. Nature''s might and fury unleashed. Captivating to watch but perilous to those unprepared or unprotected.


    His workshop was fortunately neither of those things. In addition, the entire Merchant¡¯s District was protected to some extent by the same enchantments that prevented mana from escaping the area. He could sense, through his Farsight Sphere of Awareness, how the ambient mana beyond the District¡¯s barriers had taken on a number of affinities, the strongest being that of the Storm. It made the storm somewhat gentler within the confines of the District. The same could not be said of the Slums. Forget his sphere of awareness, he had seen more than one piece of cloth or wooden stall blown into the sky with his eyes. He supposed he should just be thankful that the sandstone the buildings were made from meant that the roofs were far sturdier than any timber, thatch or thin metal that might have been used on Earth.


    Turning away from the window, he sighed, forcibly putting the thoughts out of his mind. There was nothing he could do for the denizens of the Slums. Not yet. But maybe one day. To get to that day he needed to get through this one, and the one after that, slowly growing his power and wealth. To his mind there was no point in gaining the kind of wealth Kiri seemed to have in mind if they weren¡¯t also going to use it to make life better for others. Even if the impact that he could have was small in the grand scheme of things, that still seemed worthwhile to him: creating a better world. Of course, he knew that there was an element of naivety to his desires, and that many would say he should prioritise his own growth to the exclusion of all else. But surely, there had to be some inflection point where the small gains in power he would experience paled against the impact he could have on the lives of others.


    Turning to Jacque, he watched the ex-Professor reviewing the latest rune designs for mass production. He had made a second set of Runecrafted Twin Boxes of Spatial Transfer and, for the last two weeks, had been using them to supply the man with mostly Uncommon materials and a few Rare metals. The initial returns had needed to be reinvested though ¨C Kiri¡¯s words and advice, of course. The problem was that Jacque had lacked any useful material shaping skills. Enchanters didn¡¯t really need any beyond the skills they gained around gems and gem dust. So the first profits they had earned went towards buying a Skill Orb of Metal Shaping for the man. This meant that Nate would need to do less work to prepare the materials, as the runes needed to be inscribed into metal, be they weapons and armour, or rings and amulets.


    ¡°Do the designs make sense?¡± he asked Jacque, intentionally interrupting the man''s review. He didn¡¯t have all day and had some of his own work to get to.


    ¡°They do. I am seeing a few inefficiencies though. They could be redesigned to improve the mana efficiency,¡± answered his pupil. The thought still made him laugh internally. Him, almost twenty years old and teaching this man at least a decade and a half his senior.


    ¡°They¡¯re intentional. Kiri¡¯s orders. She is concerned if we produce things too powerful that we will draw unwanted attention and we don¡¯t want that this early in the company''s development. So, we¡¯re making things slightly better than the competition, but not so much better that they start asking questions about why and how. Your presence is enough for them to suspect that your Skills are the reason. Feel free to improve on the designs in your own time, but nothing we¡¯re selling should incorporate them. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Understood¡­and¡­I just wanted to say thank you again. That Skill you bought for me alone has already helped me to progress. Who knows where I might be in a year or two. I just¡­wanted to say thank you.¡±


    Nate nodded with a smile, heading for the door. His own workroom was downstairs in the basement, with additional layers of security on it in the form of illusion and obfuscation wards. It was also reinforced against spatial entry.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± he sent mentally to Frick.


    ¡°It¡¯s done, Boss. Just doing some last minute checks and then I will return,¡± responded Frick immediately.


    As planned, they had moved the location of his mana gathering facility. Destroying and filling in the previous location on the Universities mana pipeline, they had instead relocated the hidden pocket to one of the mana pipelines that entered the city before it was split up and divided between the various districts. He had intentions to move it to another of those pipelines in two to three months. His hope was that if anyone tracked the volume of mana being pumped into the capital, that his theft would be small enough to go unnoticed. Alternatively, if it was noticed, by moving the pipeline affected, that it would be chalked up as some sort of mana anomaly beyond the city''s outskirts.


    He might have felt bad about his continued theft of mana, but one thought about the people he was stealing from was enough to squash that emotional response. The Nobility were already stealing mana from most of their own populace, and while two wrongs might not necessarily make a right, they certainly made him not give a shit about inconveniencing the aristocracy.


    Entering his own workshop, he pulled up his Skill gains for the past two weeks.


    Empowered Amplified Magic 33 > 35


    Conceptual Runic Creation 43 > 44


    True Teleportation 34 > 35


    Conceptual Insight 44 > 45


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 46 > 47


    Conceptual Automation 19 > 20


    Conceptual Material 38 > 39


    Material Shaping 11 > 15


    Spatial Empowerment 7 > 10


    Conceptual Intent 44 > 45


    Conceptual Runic Artistry 41 > 42


    All his Skills had continued to progress. The process was slower as the Skills achieved higher levels and the ambient mana of the Royal University could only help advance the Skills by so much. That said, he was still growing at a more than decent rate, he felt. It was Conceptual Automation that he focused on, though. He could tell the Skill was almost ready to evolve and he had already invested one of his Skill Enhancement Orbs towards the Skill. He just needed to give it one last push. Then it would be time to focus on Conceptual Material. His construct creating skill came first though. Taking a lump of hardened paint out of his spatial storage, he placed the rainbow swirl onto the workbench. He still wasn¡¯t sure about how to apply his Conceptual Material to liquids, but the hardened paint had qualified as a solid and had taken to the process with a gusto. Now, his hardened lump of paint, filled with an affinity for Illusion, would become his last construct before he evolved his Skill. He wasn¡¯t certain if using paint would matter for his Embodiment, but he supposed that at this moment, he didn¡¯t care.


    Flowing mana into his Skill he activated Conceptual Automation, adding Conceptual Intent as he tried to force the resulting construct to not only embody the Concept of Illusion, but to use that Concept to start converting the ambient mana surrounding it. The notification dinged in the corner of his vision but he ignored it for a moment, reviewing the results of his latest experiment. The hardened paint blew away on motes of rainbow light. At least, that is what his eyes told him. His sphere of awareness, however, sensed the paint become an amorphous blob, hidden from his eyes as it refused to reflect light. Instead, it created the Illusion of lights, recreating some of his own paintings hanging in the air. He supposed that made sense. He had used his own Intent, which likely meant a piece of his soul energy had been involved. When it came to painting, what other memories would it contain than those of creating his own works. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The illusionary canvas flickered and shifted, showing first the painting of food on clouds from the Slums. Then it shifted to Aisling, standing alone on a hill with a storm in the background. Another flicker and he was looking at Britt, lying naked on his bed with her bright smile directed at him. So far, the paintings had elicited nothing but a feeling of joy and content. The next one left him with a sense of wonder, just like the first time he had seen it ¨C the place between universes, the rainbow of energies dancing on such a grand scale that his mind still struggled to process it. Then the painting shifted again. A chess board, the kings and queens back in their box. The face of his mother and father in that same box.


    He let the tears flow freely as they trickled down his face. It had been a while since he last thought of them. But even now, a decade later, he still missed them. He let the feelings linger for a moment, even as his construct dissipated, the mana and the paint¡¯s affinity spent. Wiping away the tears, he smiled a little. They would be proud of him. He knew that, in his heart of hearts. But they were gone, and from everything he had learned, even with the power of magic, there was nothing that could bring them back. He would just have to keep living a life that would make them proud.


    He was thankful that when Frick appeared the goblin studiously ignored him after a single glance. If his Familiar had launched into some witty or annoying banter he wasn¡¯t sure he would¡¯ve reacted well. Instead, the little Blue Goblin set about using Conceptual Material.


    Turning his attention away from those memories, the good and the bad, he focused back on his Skill Evolution.


    Conceptual Automation 20 > 21


    Conceptual Automation (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Automated Existence (M)


    Your control over the Concepts that govern reality has reached a point where the existences you create exert their own power on reality. These ¡®living¡¯ embodiments of Concepts will convert their environs to suit their needs, resisting reality¡¯s drive towards balance. Using objects that resonate with a Concept, you are able to create living representations of these multiversal Concepts. Living representations will convert ambient mana towards their own affinity, increasing their duration and power. Mana Cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Percentage increase in Power equal to 30% of Intellect & Magic Power. Additionally increased by the volume of mana used. Duration and Power based on Tier of materials used. Duration increases by 30% of Creativity plus 1% per Skill Level.


    Conceptual Automated Guardian (M)


    To some, Concepts are the pathway to power. For you, they are protectors ¨C the guardians that watch over you so that you may progress on your path. Silent watchers, now made permanent. Using objects that resonate with a Concept, you are able to create living representations of these multiversal Concepts. Creations can now be activated and deactivated, allowing them to exist in a quiescent state. Mana Cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Percentage increase in Power equal to 20% of Intellect & Magic Power. Additionally increased by the volume of mana used. Duration and Power based on Tier of materials used. Duration increases by 40% of Creativity plus 1% per Skill Level.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    Turning to Frick, he showed the options.


    ¡°Thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Defensive or offensive, Boss. That¡¯s the question. Being able to turn them off before they completely decay could be useful. But is it useful enough to miss out on the extra offensive power you get from the first option,¡± responded Frick after taking a moment to read the options.


    Nate touched his forearm and the bracer beneath. He had three defensive runecrafted items already. The decision to wear his Runecrafted trinkets of Spatial Release and Mana Release, rather than keep them in his spatial storage, had been driven by the concern that he might not be able to access his spatial storage in battle. With a new level of confidence in his defences, he had been lamenting his lack of offensive tools, especially since the destruction of his Legendary acid wand. One last time he questioned if he was satisfied with his defences? Because if not, this would allow him to more freely use the Skill. If every activation didn¡¯t result in an Epic or better material returning all the way down to Common it would make him less frugal. With a smile, he selected Conceptual Automated Existence. He didn¡¯t need to be more frugal. He needed his offensive abilities to be powerful enough that his enemies were overwhelmed, saving him from being forced to use his defensive items.


    Satisfied with his decision, he sat down to work on his latest project. The dagger was, in his opinion, a work of art. Soon it would be as deadly as it was beautiful.


    *************


    Kiri sat cross-legged, staring at the Skill Synergy notification and the culmination of months of work.


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Twin Souls (Mythic) Skill, Soul Empowerment (Mythic) Skill and your Soul Storage (Epic) Skill. Combine these Skills to gain Empowered Soul Sanctuary (Mythic) Skill.


    Proceed?


    She had only just finished evolving her Soul Imbuement Skill from Legendary to Mythic, assisted by one of the Skill Enhancement Orbs that Nate had shared with her. On the other hand, her other evolution, The Size of a Soul, which had also progressed from Legendary to Mythic, she had done all on her own. That sense of pride and accomplishment had propelled her forward. Between the expanding business enterprise, her battle to help save Nate, and now these evolutions, she was finally starting to feel like she could keep up with her best friend. No, that was the wrong word now. They had both admitted that they were family. Her brother. She smiled. It felt good, just thinking about it.


    Returning her attention to the notification, she considered her options. While she was perfectly willing to admit that she hadn¡¯t worked hard in all her University subjects, there were four of the eight that she had given special attention to. Combat had been out of her love of fighting, while Economics had been a path to pulling her own weight. The last two were the ones she considered the most important to her own development. Concepts and Embodiments, along with Mana and Affinities. She had finally come to terms with the nature of her abilities, and was confident that the soul energy she was absorbing wasn¡¯t directly altering her or her personality. She would just have to keep an eye out to make sure it wasn¡¯t indirectly affecting her.


    That acceptance had allowed her to return to her plans for her Embodiment. What did it mean to be ¡®Reborn¡¯? She realised now, that in the eyes of the System, and perhaps the Multiverse, that she had died that day in the forest. It may have been temporary, but for a moment she had straddled two realms ¨C the Physical and the Spiritual. Reborn, to her, meant to be able to die and return, to continue to straddle those twin realms. So that''s what she had focused on. A few pointed questions that Frick had been willing to answer had led her to focus on developing her Skills in the direction she hoped would achieve her goals. She wasn¡¯t certain, but she thought this Synergy might be the first step on that path.


    With a smile, she let the Skill Synergy proceed, looking at her newest Skill.


    Empowered Soul Sanctuary (M) 41 > 41


    Empowered Soul Sanctuary (M)


    Soul energy is the accumulation of experiences, and with an application of will, these experiences can become reality. You have stretched your physical container to the limits of what it can contain, for too much of anything, even soul energy, is ultimately destructive. This Skill creates a zone within the Spiritual Realm under your control and bound by your will. This space expands with this skill, allowing you to fill it with soul energy or physical objects that you may draw on. Further, a portion of this soul energy is capable of retaining the full breadth of your experiences, including both emotions and memories. Twins to your own soul, to be called upon when needed. Size of the Soul Sanctuary is equal to Skill Level x 0.5 cubic metres. Soul energy stored within your Soul Sanctuary may be expended to increase Agility, Endurance and Constitution by Willpower / 50 x Skill Level. Total Soul Energy that can be stored is equal to that of a standard humanoid, increased by 10% per Skill Level. Soul energy regeneration rate is equal to Skill Level x 0.25% per hour. The user may store a number of Soul Twins in their Soul Sanctuary equal to Willpower / 200. Soul Twins take 5000 / Willpower days to create.


    As the Skill settled within her, she sensed that separate space bloom inside her but also not exactly. Two realms, bound together with her as the bridge. She hoped it was the right decision. Her path forward, one of eternal rebirth. Well, perhaps not eternal yet, but with her current Willpower she could at least die once and be reborn. Standing, she went looking for her brother, already knowing where he was from the Soul Tether placed on him. Maybe she would even get to test out her new Skill in the Dungeon run they had planned in a few weeks. Either way, it was time for another celebration. Good food and better company. On second thought, she better grab her girlfriend first. Spinning on her heel, she went looking for the petite ice princess. She wanted everyone she cared about present, which meant she might have to do a little wrangling. But according to her Economics professor, that was what most of business was and she was learning that she was very good at wrangling people!

 Chapter 152 - I Create, I Destroy

    Nate sat in his workshop staring at the finished product before him. To date, most of his creations had been functional in nature rather than beautiful. The two bracers he wore and the single armband were just simple bands of metal, concealing the runes within. Even looking back at his Legendary Acid Wand, it had looked like a gnarled, if expensive, piece of wood. Of course, up until recently he had a major limitation as a crafter: without being a blacksmith or carpenter, his ability to alter the shapes of his materials had been relatively limited. With his Material Shaping Skill that was no longer the case. He wondered if that was why this creation received an Achievement, since it had been a while since he got a new Achievement for creating an item.


    Bringing up the identification again, he reviewed it one last time.


    Runecrafted Soulrending Dagger (Legendary)


    Stats: +6 Willpower


    Features: Soul Bleed (Legendary), Reinforcement (Epic), Illusory Blade (Legendary), Innate Repair (Rare)


    Soul Bleed: This item has been Runecrafted to cause any wounds inflicted by it to bleed soul energy until the wound is healed, either naturally or by magical means. The rate of soul energy bleed is vastly enhanced by the dagger¡¯s'' affinities.


    Reinforcement : This item has been Runecrafted to reinforce the material, making it exceedingly hard to break.


    Illusory Blade: This item has been Runecrafted to allow the user to expend mana to overlay an illusion, disguising the shape, size and appearance of the dagger. Requires user¡¯s mana to function.


    Innate Repair: This item has been Runecrafted to repair itself over time using ambient mana. Feeding the Enchantment mana can accelerate this process.


    He smiled, looking over the dagger. The blade was longer than the ones Kiri normally used, the shape elegant and slender, with detailed scrollwork along the length of it depicting a gryphon, finally ending in a razor-sharp tip. He had shaped the guard to mimic an eagle''s wings. The hilt was wrapped in Rare-grade black leather that he had been assured would not tear easily.


    Kiri had been using the Rare-tier Dagger of Torn Souls for a while now, and it was clear to Nate that she had outgrown it. But it wasn¡¯t like Legendary-tier equipment was just lying around the Capital. So, having resolved his own defensive problems, he thought he would spend a little time making a couple of things for Kiri. The other item was a mirror of his own defensive trinkets. A Legendary bracer that flooded an area around her with the effects of a Soul Release. It would keep anyone from preventing her from using the soul energy that so many of her Skills relied on.


    Of course, his efforts had not gone unrewarded as he glanced at the newest Achievement.


    You have created a Legendary item that utilises Soul Energy.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    He wasn¡¯t completely certain, but he thought that this would be considered a Legendary tier Achievement. That was already cause for celebration, but he had learned how important the language the System used was. The fact that the Achievement included the word ¡®created¡¯ made him extremely pleased.


    Sending a mental message to Frick to ask Kiri to join him at the workshop, he set to cleaning up the space. Now that he had finished his crafting it was time to focus on the next step in his development ¨C one that had been a long-time coming. It had been almost a month since the last Dungeon run, and that entire time his Conceptual Insight had been absorbing excess mana and storing it in preparation for this moment. It was time to learn his first Grandmaster-tier Sigil. The only question left was, which of his Master-tier Sigils should he raise. Once upon a time, it might have been a simple coin flip between whether he went with Mana or Barrier. But that time had passed with the addition of his new Sigils. Now Sound, Illusion, Space and Soul were also on the table. Six options and he could only improve one of them.


    The discussions with Frick had gone back and forth for days now. Mana could improve his mana gathering operation and also the subset of his defences that focused on making sure he could use mana externally. But, he didn¡¯t really need to improve his mana gathering operation. He was already syphoning off enough mana from the Capital to fund his experiments, workshop and the production aspects that he handed off to Jacque. In terms of defence, he was confident that there would be few enough in the near future that could oppose both his Spatial Release and Mana Release Legendary items.


    On the topic of defences, there was an argument for him to upgrade his Barrier Sigil. It was his ultimate protection and something he made use of in every battle. It was also the direction he was leaning and had pushed for. His ability to heal, for now, was tied directly to being able to drain others, which meant that the smartest thing to do was simply not get hurt in the first place. Unlike Mana, Barrier was definitely still in the race.


    Soul was an option he had already discarded. That was Kiri¡¯s domain, and while he was interested in understanding the energy type and the things you could accomplish with it, it was not his path. The only reason he might have chosen it would have been to further improve the item he had created for Kiri. He didn¡¯t need to ask her to know she would¡¯ve told him off for that.


    The second serious contender was Space. It was both a part of his path going forward and a core piece of his skillset. Expanding his options by utilising creations that controlled space was a strong option. He already had ideas for ways to expand his usage of space in combat, but that wasn¡¯t the key draw. The tome given to him by Arikanvil that detailed how to try and find the Dead Realm that Earth resided in was still inside his spatial storage. He had held off on looking at it, knowing that there was nothing he could do yet to try and cross those kinds of distances. A Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil would change that. Portals, Spatial Searching and Multiversal travel might suddenly be an option.


    That left Illusion and Sound. The former drew him for two reasons. The first was how the idea of an Illusion could draw parallels to his goal of ¡®living art¡¯. It wasn¡¯t quite the same, but it did advance his ideas of moving art. The second was the ability to misdirect and conceal things. It had become a major part of every single item that they produced in the workshop. A multi-layered Illusion and Obfuscation rune was a part of every item produced at the Rare grade. The purpose was to conceal the Sigils involved. It might have been a concern if Jacque didn¡¯t already know that Nate held a Mythic-tier Class, but since the man was bound by a System Contract there was no harm in sharing a Grandmaster-tier Illusion Sigil with the man if he went that way. On the other hand, he didn''t really need a Grandmaster-tier Illusion Sigil to do the things with it that he wanted to do.


    Sound should have been an afterthought. It had been one of his more recent acquisitions and it worked perfectly in tandem with Illusion, creating the ultimate ability to conceal anything he wanted. Admittedly he was being hyperbolic, given the myriad variations in detection abilities, but it certainly meant he could both conceal and silence the things he created. It could also be used as a weapon. Sound was just a specific type of vibration, and with his ability to focus his runes on individual Subconcepts he could definitely use it in battle. The idea was actually a little frightening. He had no idea what would happen if he vibrated something at a high enough frequency but he guessed that it would produce heat. A lot of heat. Watching someone get immolated, or worse, explode, wasn¡¯t exactly high on his list of priorities.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The war went on inside him for a few more minutes: Space or Barrier. In the end he chose Space, even if it ran the risk of interfering with his goals for changing his Embodiment. He was pretty sure that Barrier wouldn¡¯t have assisted with his plans anyway.


    Conceptual Insight activated and he felt the mana stored in the Skill drain away as the image formed in front of him in the air.


    Space Sigil (Quality: Grandmaster)


    He had wondered if he would get an Achievement to go with it, but nothing was forthcoming and he was forced to accept that he would need to create a Grandmaster-tier rune to get the desired Achievement. Looking over the sigil, he used Conceptual Runic Creation to copy the Sigil before confirming it was a perfect replica. The symbol continued to hang there in the air in a sturdy mana construct and he supposed that it was meant to give the individual time to make sure they could copy it down correctly. Instead, he used the extra time to study the geometry and symbolism involved. It was an order of magnitude more complex than any other Sigil he knew of, but it still paled in comparison to the image on his puzzle box. That gave him a little encouragement that his puzzle-box really was using a Sigil on it, even if he still hadn¡¯t figured out how to activate it. The interesting thing to him was he could feel the pressure the Space Sigil was putting on the environment around him. His sphere of awareness was sensitive to spatial fluctuations and he could feel how items around him felt like they were both closer and further away. It was as if he could reach out and touch anything in the room, the very idea of space having become fluid. The feeling slowly faded as the mana construct started to dissipate and he was thankful. It had been a slightly disconcerting experience and he was definitely going to have to practise under such conditions to get used to the potential future capabilities of his Realmwalker Class.


    Kiri chose that moment to enter the room, forced to walk in like a plebian as the workshop was warded against Soul and Spatial entry. If he had a Sigil for Demonic or Celestial energies he would¡¯ve included those as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s so important that it couldn¡¯t wait till tonight?¡± Kiri asked with a smile.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t think you would want to wait for your presents,¡± he replied with amusement, waving a hand at the bracer and dagger on the table.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t!?¡± she exclaimed, her visage warring between annoyed and elated.


    He knew she wanted him to focus on their burgeoning mercantile empire. The Auction House had finally started to mention ideas for a few custom pieces that they might be interested in. Instead, he figured they could wait a little longer while he finished off Kiri¡¯s upgrades.


    He let her stew for a few seconds longer and was rewarded with a frustrated grunt before she started beaming again.


    ¡°Alright, alright! I give in. What do they do? You know I can¡¯t identify them myself.¡±


    Nate brought up the identification results for both items, making them visible to his sister. It still felt a little weird to think that word in regards to Kiri. That wasn¡¯t to say it felt wrong. It was just new and he was still getting used to it. But she was the family he had chosen.


    ¡°No way! That is amazing!¡± she gushed, already playing with the illusory blade ability to make it invisible, or match the appearance of her other daggers, before dropping the illusions to look over the true blade. ¡°The gryphon from the Dungeon?¡±


    He nodded with a contented smile plastered onto his face.


    ¡°Artwork worthy after all. I love it! I love it so much! Thank you!¡±


    He dropped his barrier at the last moment as she threw her arms around him and hugged her back for a moment. That moment may have continued for a little longer, but they both stepped apart, glancing upwards to the front door of the shop that housed their workshop. It was closing and two bodies had entered the workshop. That was one too many. Jacque was one of the individuals, but he wasn¡¯t to let anyone else in. That begged the question of who the second was. If Kiri¡¯s frown was anything to go by, she already knew who the second individual was. Nate reformed his barrier, watching as Kiri hid her dagger in plain sight and clipped on the bracer of Soul Release he had gifted her. Glancing at each other they nodded, before the pair made their way upstairs.


    Nate audibly sighed when he saw who it was that was holding Jacque hostage.


    The dark-haired Guard Inspector Koriolos watched them with brown eyes alight with a sense of triumph.


    ¡°You two are exceptionally difficult to get a hold of,¡± said Koriolos, his tone clearly one of frustration. ¡°That has made me look bad. I truly, truly, hate looking bad. So, now that we¡¯re finally alone, I am going to get some answers to my questions. Drop your soul protections or I am going to arrest you both on suspicion of involvement with the death of a member of the Etruan Nobility.¡±


    The man punctuated his statement by shoving Jacque so hard that the man collapsed to the floor with a scream of pain. It only took Nate a moment to tell that Koriolos had already broken the ex-Professor¡¯s arm, likely as part of gaining entry to the workshop. The wards would¡¯ve kept the Inspector out without a key to get in, a key that Jacque, of course, had.


    Turning his attention back to Koriolos, he mentally sighed. This was a complication he didn¡¯t need, but there was no way in the Nine Hells that he was going to drop his Soul Barrier around the man. He didn¡¯t even need to glance at Kiri to know how she felt about the situation. She already seemed primed to kill the man, consequences be damned. Still, Nate wasn¡¯t there yet. His hand was being pressed, but it was yet to be forced.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be doing that. So you can either ask your questions, or you can leave.¡±


    His voice sounded calmer than he felt, but not by much. The fact was, after everything he had gone through, he was unwilling to submit to anyone, let alone some Guard Inspector who only held a Rare-tier Primary Class after his second evolution.


    ¡°The hard way, then,¡± Koriolos replied with a confident smile. Nate understood where he was coming from, albeit barely. Koriolos was level eighty and even if his Embodiment was only Fragmented, it likely still gave him some additional bonuses. Enough that the Inspector believed he had the upper hand.


    Koriolos flashed forward in a burst of speed, blade drawn as the swordsman tried to target Nate. It was the right decision, he supposed ¨C closing on the mage first. He didn¡¯t bother to dodge. The speed Koriolos showed was decent, but nothing compared to Kiri. A wave of soul energy accompanied the man''s rush, washing over Nate as he sensed the pressure against his Soul Barrier. Pushing a little extra mana into his Soul Barrier he felt the resistance firm even as he watched Kiri handily drive the Inspector back using only two daggers.


    Koriolos¡¯ eyes transitioned from focused to fearful as the reality of the situation dawned on him. He was being beaten by someone that should be over thirty levels lower than him. Nate didn¡¯t have a Skill that would let him know what the soul attack had been meant to accomplish, but whatever it had been, it had no effect on the pair. Worse for the man, was how easily Kiri was beating him. Another three seconds passed as dagger met sword, the sounds of each impact ringing off the surrounding walls. Then Kiri, with a burst of speed, stepped inside of a slash from the swordsman, catching the sword and arresting its movement with one dagger as she hooked the pommel with her second. Yanking the blade out of Koriolos¡¯ hand, she kicked out in the opposite direction. The Inspector grunted as he fell to the floor, eyes alight with fury.


    ¡°You¡¯ve laid hands on a Guard Inspector. You¡¯re dead. You¡¯re both dead!¡±


    ¡°Does it need to go that far?¡± replied Nate. ¡°You¡¯ve broken my employee¡¯s arm and attacked me. We could just let it go at that and you could go on your way. Continue your pointless investigation. You have to know I could just talk to Princess Morgane about this.¡±


    ¡°Talk to whoever you want, you common trash! The law is on my side now! Even the Princess will be forced to accept it! I¡¯ll see you executed for this!¡±


    Nate sighed, turning to Kiri, ¡°Should we get Deverell?¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Koriolos lunge forward. But it wasn¡¯t for Kiri or himself that the Guard Inspector went for. Gripping Jacque¡¯s broken arm, Koriolos stared them both down with a knife to the man''s throat, ignoring the screams of pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Koriolos whispered viciously, a victorious smile on his vengeful face.


    Kiri glanced at Nate, her eyes asking him for permission. The sound of Jacque groaning in pain and the huffing of Koriolos were the only sounds in the room as he defeatedly gave his sister a nod, acquiescing to her request. He stared at the scene as she vanished, appearing behind the Inspector and plunging her Runecrafted Soulrending Dagger into the man''s back. Nate maintained his watch as she drained his soul dry. It was the least Nate could do after agreeing to the man''s execution. With Jacque quietly sobbing on his knees, Nate suppressed the emotional response he was having, and started figuring out how the fuck they were going to hide the man¡¯s murder.

 Chapter 153 - Smells Like Work

    ¡°What a fucking mess,¡± muttered Nate.


    The corpse of Guard Inspector Koriolos lay on the floor, slowly bleeding as the remains of his body continued to die. With his soul energy drained away, he was already dead. The organic husk that had once housed the man just hadn¡¯t yet caught up to that fact yet. Nate couldn¡¯t decide if that was gruesome or merciful. He also found that for once, he didn¡¯t particularly care. Since coming to Galle he had killed plenty of monsters and beasts in Dungeons, and a couple of hundred demons in the Fourth Hell. However, his life or death battles with other humans had been limited to less than twenty individuals. He was including those that he had helped Kiri with in that number. Four, back in Helmfirth forest. Then perhaps another ten to fifteen escaping his recent kidnapping, though only the Mana Suppressors, Fabien and Caroline had been by his own hand. When he thought about it that meant he had killed a third of his kidnappers. Now there was another to add to that list and similarly to his feelings after Fabien and Caroline, he found he didn¡¯t care.


    The lack of an emotional response was something he would need to keep an eye on. For now, though, he had other priorities. Moving to Jacque he knelt to look at the man''s arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s broken, right?¡± he asked, trying to draw Jacque¡¯s attention away from the corpse in the room.


    ¡°Yes it¡¯s¡­.you killed him. That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s not good. They will come looking for him. They¡¯re going to execute us for this!¡± said Jacque, already starting to get hysterical.


    Nate lay a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder, avoiding the broken arm, ¡°It will be fine. I will clean this mess up. You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Focus on me. Your arm, is it broken?¡±


    Jacque finally started to calm down, nodding as he glanced at his arm, then back at the corpse of the Inspector. Rather than hysterical or frightened, the look on the ex-Professor¡¯s face was quickly shifting to anger and perhaps a touch of hate.


    ¡°He broke my arm when I refused to help him enter the workshop. Only then did he search me!¡± Jacque hissed back before leaning forward to spit on the corpse.


    Nate doubted there were forensic-type Classes in the System, but it didn¡¯t matter anyway. When he was done there would be nothing left of the corpse but ashes and even those would be scattered.


    Looking up he glanced at Kiri and nodded towards Jacque¡¯s broken arm. When she gave him the nod of approval he created a Life Drain runic array, drawing energy from Kiri to fuel Jacque¡¯s healing. It took over five minutes, and a decent amount of soul energy from Kiri, but finally the man''s arm was repaired and the three of them stood over the body.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan, then?¡± Kiri asked.


    Nate took a second to change a couple of the runes on his robe to his Sound and Obfuscation runes. With that handled, he created two new runic arrays. The first used Illusion and Shape to let him create an Illusion around himself. Powered by Conceptual Intent, he created a layer over the top of himself that made him look like Koriolos. He took a few steps around the room, making sure the illusion held and flowed with him, before turning back to Kiri and Jacque to get their opinion.


    ¡°That is seriously creepy,¡± commented Kiri with a small smile, the whole situation clearly not bothering her in the slightest. He could accept that she was always like that when it came to threats against him. Ruthless is the word he would¡¯ve used, but merciless fit almost well.


    Jacque on the other hand looked like he was in shock, ¡°It was so quick. The copy is almost perfect! Ideas! Clothing that changes colour to fit your mood. Recreating the appearance of the symphony to accompany the music! I could make a rune for this, right? Right?¡±


    Nate smiled, the expression mirrored on the illusion covering him. He was just happy that the man seemed to be adjusting quickly to the situation. For a moment there, he had some serious concerns about how the Runecrafter would handle the fact that they had just killed a guard and were about to dispose of the corpse.


    ¡°You can,¡± he replied, keeping it simple.


    ¡°In your free time,¡± added Kiri. ¡°Don¡¯t forget we¡¯ve got quotas to meet.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll just leave this to you two then,¡± Jacque replied, shooting one last angry glance at the dead body before heading into his room in the workshop.


    Nate glanced at Kiri who gave a small nod, ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. You know what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°He was seen entering the workshop. As a Guard Inspector he is probably well known enough that if he goes missing others will come asking after him. If the last place he was seen going was here, who do you think they will suspect? I¡¯ll go for a wander. Make sure he is seen elsewhere for the next couple of hours. Then I will get rid of any evidence,¡± he finished with a wave in the direction of the body.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be monitoring you from here. What a shit day,¡± Kiri grumped.


    With their plan sorted out, Nate activated the second runic array he intended to use. Mana and Obfuscation were spun up to hide the fact that he was using mana from anyone capable of sensing it. With the final pieces prepared and his Sound rune available if he needed to imitate Koriolos¡¯ voice, he moved to the corpse. His sphere of awareness didn¡¯t detect any Orbs inside the body and he wondered if the fact that the Guard Inspector had a Fragmented Embodiment was a factor. Orbs weren¡¯t guaranteed, but at three classes, the chance of one forming from the remains of the Class Core should¡¯ve been decently high. Shrugging, he moved the body into his spatial storage and headed for the door.


    Stepping outside while keeping the door open, he activated his sound rune and called over his shoulder, making sure others on the street would hear him.


    ¡°If I have more questions, I will be back. Don¡¯t make it difficult for me next time or there will be hell to pay.¡±


    He thought he got pretty close to the sound of Koriolos¡¯ voice, but he was working off his own memory. Without his high Intellect Stat it would likely have been impossible to remember the sound so precisely. With that handled, he began to stroll the streets of the Capital, making sure he was seen throughout the Merchant¡¯s District while privately lamenting the need for this act and the utter waste of his time.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    After two hours of pointless wandering. he finally ducked into an alley. After making sure he was alone, he activated his Skill. With his Farsight Sphere of Awareness he checked his destination in the sewers was clear before using True Teleportation. The smell that instantly assaulted him forced him to scrunch up his nose. Changing his illusion to simply hide his presence rather than change his appearance, he added a Mana Obfuscation runic array to hide the mana he intended to use. With that handled, he dumped the corpse of Koriolos on the ground. Taking a moment to sit down and rest his legs, he swapped a rune on his robe again, copying it from memory like so many others. It was just easier to use the runes stored in his robe than spin up the mana structure for the rune as well as powering the rune itself. With the Acid rune stored in his robe he spun up a runic array combining Acid and Shape. He didn¡¯t want to get any of the substance on his robe, even if it would likely resist quite a lot of the damage and repair itself. Two seconds later, he regretted not including something to control the smell as the scent of the melting corpse began to waft towards him. Desperately, he spun up a third rune from memory, creating a small breeze to blow the fumes away from him.


    It took longer than he would¡¯ve liked to completely destroy the body, the bones proving particularly resistant. He lamented both the loss of time and the cost in mana as he had been forced to empty two mana gems between maintaining his Illusion runic array for so long and now controlling three runes in the sewers. But after another hour, he had finally finished cleaning up the mess. Spending a moment to cleanse himself of any lingering smell as well as any moisture from the sewers, he teleported back to the surface, heading for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. He had a session with Evindal. It was time to finally learn his first Life spell. The contradiction of cleaning up a death before going to learn about life was not lost on him.


    *************


    ¡°Most healing makes use of soul energy,¡± Evindal explained to him.


    Nate had hoped they would launch straight into the Spellform so he could get this lesson over with and return to the University. Instead, Evindal had pulled him into a room, set up a warding so they wouldn¡¯t be overheard, before detailing the underlying principles of healing.


    ¡°Specifically, it makes use of the target''s soul energy. The reason for this is simple. The soul energy remembers the shape and position of the body and the organic materials that it is made up of. Most healing then uses that template, with the appropriate spellforms, to power the reformation of the damaged areas.¡±


    ¡°How does that work for things that shouldn¡¯t be there but are?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Well, like, let''s say you have a weird growth that shouldn¡¯t be there. Would the soul energy remember it and try to reform it?¡±


    He was obviously thinking of something like cancer. That was just one example that sprung to mind, though. There were a plethora of other issues and conditions that would likely appear natural, if the soul energy in an individual was keeping track of the current state of a living creature.


    ¡°Good question and¡­I am a bit surprised you jumped to it. In those cases, there are spells or skills that allow a more direct control of what is taking place. You can use other templates, like your own body, for example, or rely on knowledge skills to help guide you. Before you ask, that is how other Classes that work with organic structures function. For example, my Plant Weaver Class includes a knowledge Skill that lets me understand, to an extent, the best way to develop and care for plants. Trees specifically, in my case.¡±


    ¡°Is that common for Elves?¡± Nate blurted out, his curiosity getting the better of him.


    Surprisingly, Evindal¡¯s pale face split into a smile rather than taking offence.


    ¡°It is. We live in Groves, at one with nature around us. Many of us tend towards Mage-type Classes, focusing on affinities like Life, Plants, Water and Light. There are, of course, exceptions and we do have a warrior-caste in our society,¡± replied Evindal, pausing when he saw the look of concern on Nate¡¯s face. The elf must have guessed the cause as he continued. ¡°It is a choice. No one is forced, Nate. Many simply see it as their duty to help protect our Groves. They choose to do this in the way they think is best.¡±


    Nate nodded a little, ¡°Is it¡­peaceful?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes. Sometimes we go decades without any issues. We do, however, experience periods of strife. The lands to the North of our Groves are some of the wildest I have ever seen. Many beasts reside there. Some are powerful enough to threaten even us. Occasionally, a new sapient beast will rise, causing shifts in the hunting grounds and pushing some towards our Groves. Such is the nature of life. It adapts. A lesson I want you to internalise if you wish to walk down this path.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± he replied, already considering that line of thinking. Life adapts. Living art. Adaptive living art? It sounded complex, but rather than putting him off that made him even more interested.


    ¡°Now, onto the Spellform. This is a Common Spell called Lesser Healing Wave. It requires a constant flow of mana. I know you¡¯re an expert at crafting. Let us determine if you have a similar aptitude for Spells.¡±


    Evindal was about to draw up the spellform when Nate waved at him to stop.


    ¡°Just create it in the air. I should be able to copy it.¡±


    Copying it turned out to be both easy and challenging. The moment the spellform had been created, Nate could see how spells differed from his runic creations. He¡¯d known that spellforms were effectively replicating enchanting using only mana. It all came down to the individual''s Magic Control Stat and, of course, practice and memory. Memory was a factor because you needed to recreate the exact shape out of mana in the air. He supposed that for others they might be able to get around that requirement with practice and repetition, but for him, with such a high Intellect Stat, he could simply remember the shape. That was at least true for simpler spellforms, like a Common grade spell. On the other hand, while his Magic Control Stat was decent, it wasn¡¯t amazing. Every time he tried to create the simple loops required of the spell, small bits of his mana would try to escape. It didn¡¯t help that Conceptual Insight would occasionally hum at him as he recognised the Initiate-tier Sigil for Life within the spell structure. Only the fact that the spellform was relatively simple allowed him to copy it on his third attempt.


    ¡°That was both impressive and a little disappointing. Most students take longer to correctly create the spellform. On the other hand, I thought you would do it even quicker. You¡¯ll need to spend some time practising and potentially raise your Magic Control Stat. Especially if you¡¯re aiming for an Epic-tier Life-Mage Class.¡±


    Nate nodded agreeably, even if in his mind he knew he was aiming for the Legendary-tier Lord of Life Class. There was no point getting into a debate about the likelihood of that, or his work on figuring out how to attempt to evolve his Primary Class beyond Mythic. He and Kiri still had time to figure it out.


    With the admonishment from Evindal to spend some time practising, he took his leave of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild compound, returning to the University with a few quick teleports. As he crossed the well-kept grounds, enjoying the smell of grass and the sight of the greenery, he considered everything he was working on. There was developing his Life affinity, his ongoing crafting work to protect himself as well as support his and Kiri¡¯s budding mercantile empire, his art, the University subjects, making some time for Britt, and now learning spells. It felt like he was juggling too many things. On top of that, he was about to venture out on another Dungeon run in a few days time. He was just thankful that they were going with Null and Britt, which meant he could spend a little time with his kind-of-girlfriend. In addition, Evindal had agreed to accompany them, which meant his spellform lessons would not languish. Hopefully when they returned, he would be almost ready to move to the Advanced grade for his Combat subject. With those thoughts, and the preparations he needed to make for the Dungeon run on his mind, he headed for his room. There was time for a little more crafting. He thanked his lucky stars he had Frick to manage so many of his simpler crafting requirements. With a smile on his face and a final glance at the setting sun, he entered his room and got to work. No rest for the wicked, he supposed.

 Chapter 154 - A Dungeon Too Small

    Nate felt the spatial energies ripple around him like he was being forced through a tube before he passed out the other side, landing on compacted sand. Farsight of the Runic Artist activated, informing him of the nature of the Dungeon.


    You have entered a Dungeon!


    The Assessment Period will begin now. You have five minutes to choose to leave the Dungeon before the entrance will be sealed.


    Dungeon Name: Desert of the Kiin


    Dungeon Tier: Rare (Mid)


    Dungeon Challenges: 4 + 1 Bonus Challenge.


    Exit Conditions: Complete 1 Challenge.


    Dungeon Limitations: Dungeon Waves will be released every hour. Every fifth wave will include a Challenge.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    Nate made the Dungeon notification available to everyone else. While they had a read, he looked around at the barren landscape. There was nothing to see in any direction except rolling sand dunes against a blue sky with whatever passed for a sun in this Dungeon beating down on them.


    ¡°Looks normal to me,¡± said Null, getting the conversation going. ¡°The first wave will arrive in just under an hour. Last time we did this Dungeon the waves started out small. Each successive wave should increase the number of enemies. Then, after each Challenge, it¡¯ll add a new monster to the mix. By the last wave we will be fighting a tonne of enemies with four different monsters mixed in. It¡¯s usually some sort of insect.¡±


    ¡°What about the Bonus Challenge?¡± asked Kiri.


    ¡°Never found it.¡±


    Kiri glanced at Nate and he gave a nod, ¡°It¡¯s probably underground.¡±


    ¡°See what you can find?¡± he sent to Frick mentally, sensing his Familiar vanish beneath the dunes as the spirit went searching for their enemies.


    Returning his attention to the group, he could see that Britt already looked like she was suffering under the heat of the sun and sand. Her steel armour apparently lacked any sort of temperature regulation, unlike his robe. He considered what he could do to make it more comfortable for her, as based on the Dungeon¡¯s description, they would be here for at least twenty hours.


    Before he could start going through a list of ideas, Kiri piped up with an amused grin, ¡°So, Rune Fort?¡±


    ¡°Rune Fort,¡± he agreed with a laugh.


    ¡°Wait. What¡¯s a Rune Fort?¡± asked Null, his question coming a second too late.


    Nate had known that this was the most likely form the Dungeon would take. As he had learned in his Dungeon Knowledge subject, Dungeon layouts rarely changed much. It was mana intensive to remodel these worlds and the System, or Dungeon Curators in service to the System, spent their mana on acquiring new Challenges, in the form of monsters, or rewards for those who completed said Challenges. That meant Nate had known it was going to be a desert biome, and while the Dungeon Waves form of Challenge might have changed, he¡¯d still prepared the appropriate runes in his robe.


    Earth, Reinforcement and Shaping were combined in a runic array as he activated Conceptual Runic Creation, Conceptual Runic Artistry and Conceptual Intent. With his intent he guided the sand, compacting it into one solid block and reinforcing it as he shaped the entire thing into a small fort that was little more than a three metre tall tower in the shape of a cube. He added some crenelations to protect their legs and a ladder indented into the side for Britt. There was a suspicion in the back of his mind that Null might just be able to jump and reach the top. Britt¡¯s armour was definitely going to work against her if she tried the same thing.


    With an arm wave, he pointed at the relatively ordinary looking building, ¡°Rune Fort.¡±


    Britt and Null smiled in amusement.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to do it. We can just stand at the top and unleash hell, I guess. It¡¯ll be good for me to not have to worry about getting surrounded. What about Britt, though? She doesn¡¯t have any long or mid-range Skills,¡± queried Null, walking forward and running his hand over the fort.


    Nate raised his hand to stop the man but then frowned when Null¡¯s touch had no noticeable impact on the structure.


    Null grinned at Nate¡¯s reaction, patting the side of the Rune Fort, ¡°I managed to evolve it. I can retract it to just below the level of my skin now. There¡¯s a slight risk to doing so but it has some added benefits.¡±


    Nate focused on his sphere of awareness, sensing the truth of Null¡¯s words. The swordsman''s nullification sphere really had retracted all the way to his body and, for the first time ever, Nate could sense the man''s chiselled physique.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I had been a little worried you would innately break it down since it¡¯s reinforced with mana. As for Britt, I planned ahead!¡±


    Britt brightened and then started bouncing with undisguised glee as Nate produced a wand. It wasn¡¯t anything special ¨C a rare wand that had a rune made up of the Fire, Projectile and Power Sigils. With his many Imbued Intents from his Conceptual Intent Skill, the wand would function more powerfully than an equivalent enchanted item, shooting bolts of superheated flame. The mana cost was appreciably higher, but then, they were in a Dungeon, so of course he had a couple of mana-gathering arrays ready to keep them stocked with more mana than their reserves could ever hold.


    Britt took the small wooden wand from his hand, marvelling at it before she aimed away from them and experimentally flowed mana into the wood. The resulting blast of flame glassed a small area of sand away from the fort.


    ¡°That is so awesome!¡± she gushed, ¡°but wow, that¡¯s quite a drain. Mana Reserve isn¡¯t one of my higher stats.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough mana gems to keep you topped up for the whole run. I might add a roof to the top of the Fort as well. Give us a bit of shade.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a pretty good plan to me. Four challenges. So one reward each,¡± commented Null.


    ¡°Five,¡± corrected Kiri.


    ¡°We''re going to try and find the Bonus Challenge?¡± asked Null, surprise written on his face.


    Frick chose that moment to return, bursting out of the sand with a small flex of My Will, My Way. His Familiar did love being melodramatic.


    ¡°Found it,¡± exclaimed the little blue goblin with a toothy grin. ¡°It¡¯s underground, like you thought. Giant-ass scorpion. Only level forty-five though.¡±


    Kiri looked at Nate and he nodded, launching into his idea.


    ¡°The three of us,¡± he explained, including Null, Britt and himself with a wave of his arm, ¡°will finish setting up the fort. Kiri and Frick will go deal with the Bonus Challenge. We¡¯ll keep the fifth reward from the Dungeon to sell to the Guild and split the proceeds.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    When everyone nodded or voiced their agreement, he quickly continued on.


    ¡°There is one other thing I wanted to ask. Does anyone mind if I collect all the processed mana from the Dungeon waves and we split it at the end of the run?¡±


    He had wanted to stockpile some processed mana for his experiments and Conceptual Automation. The problem with that plan was that his processed mana gathering arrays weren¡¯t picky. They would grab every bit of ambient processed mana they could get their hands on. Sure, there would be some leakage. Their Class Cores were ultimately also processed mana gathering arrays, and so some of the ambient processed mana released from killing the Dungeon monsters would make it into everyone in the area. That was just the nature of mana distribution fields when there were multiple forces acting on them. That said, his arrays would take the lion''s share of any processed mana and he didn¡¯t want to act without first consulting the group.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it,¡± replied Null, with Britt nodding her own agreement. ¡°How are you going to collect it though?¡±


    Nate produced his Epic-tier processed mana gathering array from his spatial storage, along with four empty processed mana gems, just waiting to be filled.


    ¡°Wow,¡± whispered Britt. ¡°That must have been expensive. Is this what you¡¯ve been spending the gold and mana you¡¯ve been making on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I made it,¡± he explained, rubbing the back of his head. He supposed he shouldn¡¯t be surprised that they were in the dark as to the extent of his crafting capabilities. They thought his Primary Class was Runecaster after all. A belief made more prevalent by how he used runes, which to them might even just look like he was casting spells. They had never really seen the extent of his crafting, beyond his art.


    Null came over to look over the gems, though Nate sensed no identification Skills in use.


    ¡°Well, if you say they¡¯ll work, I believe you. Let''s do it.¡±


    With everyone agreeing to the plan, Frick vanished into the desert with Kiri following a moment later, no doubt tracking Frick¡¯s soul energy. That meant it was time for him to get to work on finishing the Fort. They were stuck here for the next twenty or so hours, but there was no reason they couldn¡¯t be comfortable while doing so. After all, a Mid-Rare Dungeon really wasn¡¯t much of a threat to him.


    *************


    Kiri sighed, slightly put-out. She had hoped for more of a challenge, but Nate had been right. They really were beyond the point where a Rare Dungeon could give them much of a challenge. The carcass of the gigantic black scorpion rested on the floor. The fight had barely lasted more than thirty seconds. She had honestly expected more. The beast had seemed to focus on self-enhancement coupled with a stinger that could shoot acid or poison. She didn¡¯t know which and honestly, she wasn¡¯t even sure exactly what the difference was between the two.


    Historically, the biggest challenge she had found in their Dungeon forays, was durable opponents. When she had been an Arcane Archer back in Helmfirth, that hadn¡¯t been a problem for her. That Class, while far weaker than her current ones, had Skills that specifically enhanced the penetrating power of her arrows. The best part had been that the capability had been linked to her Dexterity. So far, her Reborn Soul Slayer and Reborn Soul Dancer classes had yet to offer her similar Skills. To make up for that shortcoming, she had started investing Stat Orbs into her Strength Stat. To further enhance it she had asked Nate to help her with a Soul Engraving that boosted her Strength. Then to cap it all off, Nate had crafted her new dagger for her. While he hadn¡¯t managed to add any sort of effect for penetration to the item, it was still a Legendary material. The metal was sharper and sturdier and driven by her newfound strength and insane speed, had been more than enough to crack open the carapace of the scorpion.


    The System message was flashing in front of her, waiting for her to make a decision.


    You have completed a Dungeon Bonus challenge!


    Dungeon: Desert of the Kiin


    Challenge: Defeat Hriss¡¯kath¡¯iin.


    Challenge Rewards (Select One):


    1. Skill Tome


    2. Spell Tome


    3. Wealth


    Wealth was often considered the worst option, given it was generally quite random. It was always worth something, but how much it was worth varied wildly. It was a gamble. A gamble she was likely going to have to take, though. The Dungeon would curate the rewards for her and a Skill or Spell Tome suited to her would likely not be worth as much to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. That was simply due to how different her Classes were from most adventurers. She supposed she could instead try and convince the team to let her sell it to the Auction House. With her contacts there she could probably get them a better deal than the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would have given them anyway. So, gamble on wealth, or gamble on the Auction House?


    Auction House, she decided, selecting Spell Tome. Nate had explained that they used Spellforms to learn new Sigils, so maybe she¡¯d get lucky. The tome dropped before her and she scooped it up, making it vanish into her Empowered Soul Sanctuary. It was such a stupid name for a Skill. She was just going to call it what it really was. Her Soul Palace. With a thought, she began using Soul Shift to return to the team. She wanted to know what she had gotten, and from what she could tell, only Britt and Nate had identification Skills.


    *************


    For the tenth time, Nate considered trying to divide his attention four ways just so he could make a runic array to block out the incessant noise. It was like the sound of nails on a chalkboard and it was driving him mildly crazy. He was seriously wondering if it was some Skill the insects had or just the natural noise they made. For the tenth time he forced the idea away. A fourth split would give him a headache and while the noise was putting him on edge, it wasn¡¯t interfering with his crafting.


    After the first wave of enemies, and more importantly, the team''s first experience with Nate¡¯s Rune Fort, the group had agreed that Nate only needed to get directly involved if something drastic happened. Nate had added four additional runes that could be activated using mana gems. One sat at each corner of the top of the Rune Fort and spewed out a hail of earthen spears, an old favourite, with the added improvements of being reinforced and sharpened with his ability to imbue his Intent into the runes. He had decided to call them rune cannons, after Frick¡¯s rude suggestion that he call them ¡®Rocky Penetrators¡¯. Kiri had punted the little goblin out of the tower for that comment.


    With the joking and antics, the team had started treating the entire Dungeon like a holiday, wiping out wave after wave, each one containing at least a hundred insects. Frick had been loving it. Given free reign to use My Will, My Way, he had taken to turning himself into a giant goblin and stomping on insects. If the Spirit wasn¡¯t capable of letting all the ichor and goo slough off him by simply dropping his corporeal form, Nate would¡¯ve been forced to hose him down more than once. It was an amusing reminder that for all Frick¡¯s help, and the fact that he was a Spirit, the little goblin was in fact made up mostly of the memories of goblins.


    Britt, Null and Kiri had mostly used the rune cannons, only reverting to their own Skills, or wand in Britt¡¯s case, when the insects occasionally managed to start scaling the walls of the Rune Fort. Nate had only been needed once, when it turned out the Challenge for the second wave had been a giant beetle capable of wielding earth magic. It had tried to tear down his Rune Fort, matching its own control of earth against Nate¡¯s runes and sigils. The contest had been short-lived, with Nate able to overwhelm the control of the Rare-tier Earth Mage monster with his superior Sigil for Earth and what he suspected was more Magic Power, at least when he was utilising a runic array. It had been Null that put an end to that monster. The swordsman had used the lesser of his two boosting skills, his nullification aura blooming out, showing off the swordsman''s capabilities as an anti-mage. He¡¯d blasted through stone turned to dust, the mana of the beast unable to contest him, before the scorpion was cleaved in half by what Nate suspected was a new Skill for the swordsman. It had looked like he¡¯d been able to extend his blade''s range, while maintaining the nullifying power of his mana.


    Now, after almost twenty hours, they were finally ready to face the final challenge. Everyone had agreed to let Britt handle it alone, after the Stalwart Defender had asked for the opportunity to try and advance her Skills by facing it in single combat. The other three would play clean-up duty for the horde of insects, which now included four types. Kiri had conveniently named them Chargers, Spitters, Jumpers and Boulders. The last were capable of spreading their wings like big shields to try and protect the advance of the other insects, particularly the Spitters.


    Nate used the time to continue working on his latest experiment. Evindal healed people using a mix of the Concepts of Life and Time. His healing mentor was also capable of using the Concepts of Life and Soul to restore a person. But, while healing was of interest to Nate, his focus was as always, his art. The first step on that path was combining the Concept of Life with his art in some way. His current experiment involved trying to add the Concept of Life to one of his paintings. So far, the results had been poor, but he suspected that was because he was missing an ingredient. He just needed to figure out what that ingredient was. Reassuring himself that he had time, he got back to work, trying to ignore the incessant screeching of the insects as Britt prepared for battle. Sending out his Farsight Sphere of Awareness, he planned to keep an eye on his kind-of-girlfriend. This might be the worst date ever, but that didn¡¯t mean he would let her come to harm. He just had to make sure he didn¡¯t also coddle her and stifle her development. With his mind drifting back to his art, he settled in for the final confrontation of the Dungeon.

 Chapter 155 - Heat of Battle

    Nate enjoyed the feeling of the wind blowing through his blond hair as they raced across the plains. His hair hung down to his shoulders these days and Kiri had convinced him that upon their return to the Capital that they should go out and get some proper grooming for the both of them. He acknowledged the idea had some merit. A haircut was probably due, though he had always kept his hair a little longer than normal. A big factor had been the lack of money back on Earth to regularly get haircuts. Now, it was just what he was used to and comfortable with.


    The Dungeon had been a resounding success with no injuries to speak of and before they had left, he had distributed the processed mana, handing off a single gem to everyone. He¡¯d tucked his own away, saving it for some experiments once he got back to the University. The other three had used theirs right away, returning the empty gems to him. Kiri knew about the additional enhancement that came from using processed mana to power Skills, but at the same time most of her Skills primarily used soul energy. Instead, she had elected to spend some time seeing if she could figure out a way to refine soul energy the way a Class Core somehow refined mana into processed mana. It was early days but he thought the idea had merit and to be honest, his endless curiosity made him want to get involved in figuring it out. But he had to draw the line somewhere and he was already spread thin with his myriad of other focuses, so for the time being, he was leaving it purely with Kiri.


    Evindal had continued Nate¡¯s mentoring in the evenings on the expedition. The trip was three days from the Capital to the Dungeon they had challenged, and as this was late afternoon of the second day of their return, they had one more night before they would arrive at the city the following day. The plains stretched before them in every direction, leaving little to no cover. The swaying yellow-green grass made the landscape look like an ocean. A barren ocean, since they were the only other sight, but an ocean nonetheless.


    Nate glanced around at the party present. Evindal rode in front, flanked by Kiri and Null. Nate himself was behind them, with Britt to his right. Finally, two Gold-ranked Adventurers brought up the rear, escorts provided for Null by his Father. Much like Prefect Allais did for Coralie, Prefect Raoult did not allow his son to leave the Capital without additional protection. Nate had found the two didn¡¯t use any veiling items and a quick scan had revealed they were both in the low seventies with Partial Embodiments. The extra protection was a factor in Nate and Kiri¡¯s decision to continue to pair up with other Guildies for Dungeon runs. Though that might need to change soon if Nate and Kiri intended to look into challenging Epic-tier Dungeons in the near future.


    The Dungeon rewards had been simple enough and given a choice between Knowledge, Wealth or Equipment he had gone with Wealth. The planks of Rare stone he had received held an affinity for space, which would be useful for his portal development project, but would likely require a little bit of attention from Conceptual Material first. His mind began to wander down the path of his portal development experiment when Conceptual Insight screamed at him. His eyes flicked back up, looking for the threat while a part of his mind listened to the Skill. Both his eyes and his Conceptual Insight Skill figured out the cause at the same moment. Time had paused around them. Within a sphere that encompassed the party, time continued to flow but beyond that barrier everything was frozen, not a single blade of grass moving.


    The wave of time magic was coming from Evindal, who seemed to be focusing intently on the land in front of them. Nate tried to move his Farsight Sphere of Awareness but found that like him, it was locked in time. He was fairly certain this was the Legendary Skill that he had traded to Evindal: The Time Between, which was apparently an ability that froze time in an area, affecting everyone caught in the range. Nate wasn¡¯t sure he could see the full utility of the Skill, but he didn¡¯t have time to as the Skill vanished, Evindal instantly pulled on the reins of his alliram mount, mirrored by the rest of the party.


    One of the Gold-ranks moved towards the front of the party, ¡°What is it, Lord Evindal?¡±


    ¡°An ambush,¡± muttered Evindal quietly, the elf looking more focused than Nate had ever seen him.


    Nate swept his own Farsight Sphere of Awareness out in front of them, finding what Evindal had found after a moment. He might have missed it if not for Conceptual Insight, but there was an area that emitted the Concept of Concealment. He¡¯d worked with the Sigil enough in the past to recognise its unique flavour, like smoke in a glass.


    He was about to ask what they should do when he felt a rumbling below their feet. As one, the party scattered, avoiding a plume of lava that exploded, coating the plains in an acrid smell and setting fire to some of the grass. The smoke began to billow up into the sky as their ambushers finally revealed themselves, appearing out of nowhere less than a hundred metres distant and quickly closing the distance at a jog.


    Nate could sense through his Farsight Sphere of Awareness that they were all veiled, and for the moment, held off on attempting to shatter them. With a glance around as the party gathered back up, he waited to see what Evindal wanted them to do. His mentor in pursuing the Lord of Life Class gave nothing away, but he could sense concern in the body language of everyone else present, including the Gold-ranked bodyguards.


    Their enemies finally stopped around twenty metres from the party and Nate got a good look at them with his eyes. There were eleven in total, a mixture of men and women with a variety of weapons. A few looked like they might be mages but without shattering their veils he couldn¡¯t be certain. The remainder held a variety of weapons, with two carrying shields and one even held a bow. Nate kept a special focus on that one. If this devolved into the battle he was expecting it to, then leaving an archer to their own devices seemed like a great way to get shot.


    It was Evindal who broke the tense silence, his eyes focused on a tall and skinny man at the centre of their ambushers'' formation.


    ¡°It¡¯s Gordon, of House Desmarais, is it not?¡±


    ¡°The Eternal Grove recognises me on sight. I¡¯m honoured,¡± replied Gordon laconically.


    ¡°No point in bargaining then, I suppose?¡± asked Evindal quietly.


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t go that far, Eternal Grove. You could submit to us. We might leave one or two of you alive as a warning to the Guild. The Prefect¡¯s whelp, for example. But the rest of your lives are forfeit. My Lady Duchess has spoken. So, how about it? Your life for a couple of the kids?¡±


    Nate felt a coldness seeping into him, despite the heat from the magma and flames nearby. A memory of the smell of his skin burning and the look of pleasure in Fabien¡¯s eyes as Nate had screamed in pain. Never again would he let himself be put at the mercy of others. Better to die fighting. He glanced at Kiri who gave her agreement with a tiny flick of a finger. Her body language spoke of excitement rather than fear. With that he turned to Evindal, who gave him a questioning look. Nate gave his own nod to the Elf. There was no way around this that he could see that didn¡¯t involve abandoning some of the Guildies. He would never do that. It was time to fight.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°We decline,¡± Evindal answered calmly, opening his hand as what looked like small rocks fell from his hand towards the ground.


    ¡°Follow the plan!¡± roared Gordon as a sphere of rock and flame spun up around the man just in time to protect him as he was launched across the plains by a tree sprouting from nowhere in an instant.


    Nate teleported off his Alliram as he prepared for battle.


    *************


    Evindal activated A Time to Flourish, growing the seeds he had dropped into trees in an instant by accelerating time. That was his path. He was the Eternal Grove, because wherever he was, there was the potential for a Grove. Healing was only a part of his path. Everything else focused on growing and modifying life, specifically trees. That was what he needed to rely on now as he clashed with the Platinum Lava Mage. The servant of the Ducal House Desmarais should be a step below him: an Epic Classer. But that didn¡¯t mean Evindal would be able to kill him quickly. His Skills took longer to set up. Time was something he had, but not with the children so close. A stray blast of magma from the man might have killed them, ending his wife''s hopes and dreams. He needed to keep Gordon separated from the rest of them and kill him as quickly as possible.


    Riding a tree branch into battle, he began altering seeds in his hands with A Seed for Every Occasion. He just hoped the children could handle themselves.


    *************


    Nate flooded Farsight of the Runic Artist with mana, destroying the veils of the ten remaining enemies. As the results came back, he felt his stomach sink. They were all between level sixty-eight and seventy-four with an Epic Primary Class. Six of the ten even had Perfect Embodiments. Simple ones, from what he could see, like Durable and Swift, but perfect.


    Four were already moving, making a beeline for Null, Britt and the two Gold-bodyguards. The other six split into two groups of three. One group went for Kiri while the other focused on him. That was enough to tell who the real targets were. If that wasn¡¯t the case, they would have likely tried to take out the Gold-ranked bodyguards first.


    ¡°Suppress him!¡± called a swordsman as he ran at Nate and his ability to monitor the rest of the fight vanished as he was forced to defend himself. He saw the two enchanted items they produced and Conceptual Insight let him know exactly what they would do: suppress mana and lock down space, his two weaknesses. They had come prepared. Not prepared enough, though.


    He activated his own two Legendary Runecrafted items in response. Mana Release and Spatial Release bloomed around him, fighting back against the suppression items. It was enough to let him use True Teleportation to avoid the swordsman.


    Frick used the moment to vanish into the soil. ¡°I¡¯ll ambush the archer, Boss!¡±


    The second of freedom was all Nate needed as he extracted a piece of blackened wood from his spatial storage. He had a few items prepared for his Conceptual Automated Existence Skill. This one was a throwback to one he had used in the Fourth Hell. The Epic piece of wood with an affinity for shadow bloomed into a living darkness as he fed it processed mana, emptying one of his two gems. With Conceptual Intent, he added the subconcept of Devouring and marked their enemies as the targets using another intent to flag the order he wanted them attacked. The archer had to come first. Like he had thought, he couldn¡¯t leave the man free to do whatever he wanted, as the archer had already tried to shoot him twice, the missiles blowing by him as he teleported out of the way, the wind whipping against his barrier with each arrow¡¯s passing.


    The swordsman was closing with him again and he was forced to use True Teleportation, only for a blast of lightning to send him flying across the grasslands as the explosion impacted his barrier. He didn¡¯t bother physically trying to right himself, instead using True Teleportation again to change his vector as he impacted the ground causing a small crater. The blast had rattled his teeth, but with his slightly better Endurance and Constitution Stats it wasn¡¯t enough to do any damage to him. The mana in his Barrier bracer had dipped a bit though. He couldn¡¯t take too many of those strikes.


    The lightning mage that had blasted him was forced to call off her follow-up attack as Frick swapped targets. Rising out of the ground, his Familiar¡¯s gigantic blue fist impacted a cage of lightning as his Familiar used My Will, My Way to grow in size.


    The archer attempting to target Nate was on the run, his speed a match for Kiri¡¯s Father, as the man did his best to stay a step ahead of the living shadow that kept appearing to try and ensnare him. Nate was about to take advantage of the fact that the swordsman pursuing him was now alone, when he heard a scream to his right. Without turning, he sensed Britt land, digging a furrow in the ground with her mana-protected armour as a woman wielding a two-handed hammer gave pursuit.


    ¡°Frick, help Britt!¡± he sent frantically, his worry turning to anger as he stared at the swordsman and lightning mage. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with these two myself.¡±


    His Familiar vanished, using True Teleportation to interpose himself between Britt and the Hammer-wielder.


    Nate ground his teeth, seething with anger as he prepared to kill his attackers. He was done hiding his Skills.


    *************


    Kiri was laughing. The three arrayed against her had tried to use some sort of soul suppressing enchanted item. It had failed miserably against the bracer she wore. Nate did good work. That was the simple truth. With her Skills completely uninhibited, she had taken the fight to her opponents. They were wearing her down slowly and if the fight dragged on too long she knew she would lose. She just had to make sure that didn¡¯t happen. The spear-wielder facing her was suffering the worst. The woman might usually be able to keep her opponents at range, but Kiri¡¯s tethered arms could stretch up to two metres and she wasn¡¯t holding back.


    Her eight soul-powered arms flickered in and out, weaving attack patterns that would¡¯ve seen the spear-wielder dead already if it wasn¡¯t for the other two assisting her.


    A female Barrier Mage and a male Water Mage were the Spear-wielders'' backup and Kiri was getting a front row experience of how annoying a good Barrier Mage was. Her attacks with her daggers against the Spear-wielder were constantly being deflected by tiny shields of mana forming and every time Kiri tried to close on the Barrier Mage the Water Mage would create multiple slices of thin water that moved so fast they even sheared off Kiri¡¯s tethered arms. But whenever she backed off the Spear-wielder would give Water Mage angles to shoot tiny bullets of water. It was an excellent formation and while Kiri could likely match their base Stats, the added effects of their Embodiments were slowly whittling away at her soul energy reserves and superior Skills. She just needed to find a way through. Preparing to activate To Slay A Soul, she considered a second option if this failed. It was risky, but if she couldn¡¯t end this fight quickly others would suffer. She knew what she had to do. Her team needed her. Nate needed her. She wouldn¡¯t let him down. Not now. Not ever!

 Chapter 156 - Proof of Existence

    Null danced to the side avoiding a downward slash, then flicked out his own Epic-tier blade, deflecting his opponent''s sword. The move left his opponent open for a second and he tried to capitalise on it, slashing at the man''s midsection while activating Mana Slash. Fueled by his own mana, it carried his affinity for nullifying the mana of others. The attack failed as his opponent sped up for an instant to an alarming degree. A short-duration enhancement Skill, then. He had his own of course, but it came with a steep price. Null¡¯s Class and Skill structure was a simple one. It had been decided for him by his Father before he had been born. A variant on the Mana Suppressor Class, his own Nullifying Mage Primary Class was the source of his aura and his inflated Magic Stats. He only possessed four active Skills. Nullification Aura, Mana Slash, Swordsman¡¯s Quickening, and Last Resort. The rest of his Skills were passives that enhanced his Stats or the effective power of his aura. His mastery of the sword came from natural talent and over a decade of training.


    He was quickly learning that against this opponent, it was not enough. The man clearly focused on passive bonuses as well, but unlike Null, it didn¡¯t appear that he had to split his focus between his Physical Stats and a few of his Magic Stats. That difference was enough to give the man a small edge. The only reason it wasn¡¯t a bigger edge was Null¡¯s natural talent for the sword.


    Another quick exchange, blades flickering in and out and he was forced to disengage, barely managing to avoid losing his arm, his Epic bracer deflecting the blow away at the last second. The defence had been perfect, but his opponent¡¯s superior stats left him with a trickle of blood dripping onto the grass. He couldn¡¯t keep up with this opponent and was losing ground. The only thing likely keeping him from dying already was his opponents'' attempt to monitor Nate fighting to their left.


    Seeing the fight for himself, Null was wondering if Nate had held back in their own match? Or had the Runecaster¡¯s growth been far beyond the norm? While he was struggling with one of their opponents, Nate juggled three, and unless Null was entirely wrong, it looked like he was winning. The fight itself was a blur and Null knew there was no way he could¡¯ve kept up with three opponents at this calibre at the same time. Physically maybe, but Perception was not one of his better Stats and the way Nate kept vanishing amid the explosions of dirt as the Mage¡­or Crafter¡­or was it Artist¡­whatever he was, handled his three opponents, left Null certain of one thing. If he could just hold out against his enemy, Nate would turn the tide. He just needed to last a bit longer.


    Gritting his teeth, he stepped back into the fray, driving his opponent back. He just needed to hold out!


    *************


    Nate vanished, avoiding being skewered upon a sword. He intentionally telegraphed his teleport, appearing in a free patch of grass as two missiles came flying at him. The Archer had gotten off a shot from behind him, still utilising his Swift Embodiment to stay one step ahead of the Shadow Construct hounding him. The other missile was a bolt of yellow lightning bearing down on him from the front as he faced the Lightning Mage. In an instant, both vanished as he activated True Teleportation. Instead of moving himself, he moved the missiles, changing their vectors.


    An explosion of dirt went off behind him, the swordsman narrowly avoiding the archer''s arrow as he threw himself to the side. The archer wasn¡¯t as lucky. Already distracted avoiding an elongated grasping arm from Nate¡¯s Shadow Construct, the teleported bolt of lightning took him in the arm, sending him rolling through the grass with a bloodied limb. The Shadow Construct pounced on the prone man only for the archer to vanish as Nate sensed a flex of spatial mana originating from a ring on the man''s hand. That wouldn¡¯t do. Already spinning up his Gravity Control runic array in one hand, he considered whether it would be better to expend the extra mana to steal the ring using True Teleportation, or create a runic array to suppress the ability of the item to touch upon the Concept of Space. In an instant, he decided on the second as it gave him other options. Trying to influence items in contact with others bodies always led to a contest of magic power and mana, and without the added bonuses from Conceptual Runic Artistry, the mana cost was just too exorbitant. But before he could deal with the archer he had another problem.


    A storm was gathering overhead and Nate could feel the constant gush of mana from the Lightning Mage into the environment. It tasted different from Aisling¡¯s. Being around his guardian always felt like static was running over your skin and raising your hairs. This was like you had drunk too much coffee ¨C energy with nowhere to go. Whatever she was building, Nate wasn¡¯t about to let her do it freely. With his Gravity Control runic array in place, he split off one part of his attention, launching the swordsman charging at him away like a cannonball as he changed the direction behind the man to ¡®down¡¯.


    An arrow pinged off his barrier, making him stumble to the side as the archer had somehow gotten off a shot, the man on the move again with the Shadow Construct in hot pursuit, flowing over the grasslands like black water. The power of an Embodiment was all that was keeping the Archer safe. As the storm clouds above grew black and roared with thunder, Nate made his move.


    The Swordsman was charging back towards him, finally having landed after being launched over fifty metres away. The Lightning Mage was raising her hands to call down the power she had gathered in the sky above. The Archer was forced to engage his spatial item again just to avoid the inky black claws of the Shadow Construct.


    Nate extracted a small metal rod from his spatial storage. The Rare material had an oily sheen to it. It was one of the many items he had prepared for use with his Conceptual Automated Existence Skill. Conceptual Insight hummed as it sensed the affinity for Gathering inside of the metal rod. It had been an approach he had considered for dealing with an enemy with a similar skillset to Luc. But now he saw another way to use it as he activated Conceptual Runic Artistry and Conceptual Intent. The first Skill burned a Powerful Gathering runic array into the metal. With his insane number of Intents, he twisted the items Subconcepts towards gathering up one energy specifically ¨C the same energy that was gathering in the dark clouds above. Lightning.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Using his Gravity Control runic array, he changed up to down for the area around the swordsman, launching him into the sky above as he tracked the man with Farsight of the Runic Artist. The mana gathering around the Lightning Mage was reaching a crescendo and as she threw her hands down, pointing at Nate, he activated True Teleportation. Staying in the exact spot he had been for over ten seconds now, he sent the metal bar in his hand into the sky above the swordsman.


    The lightning that fell was less like a bolt of electricity and more like a pillar of yellow light. It arched towards the ground before being pulled off course and away from Nate, drawn towards his makeshift lightning-gathering-rod and onto the falling Swordsman. The scream of anguish from the Lightning Mage was drowned out by the booming sound of thunder as the shockwave flattened the grasslands for fifty metres in every direction. The corpse of the swordsman fell in pieces, the lightning''s desperate need to escape his fleshy body having blown him apart.


    The Lightning Mage had tears in her eyes as she raised her hand to attack him more directly, yellow light crackling over her fingertips. Nate pulled out a mana gem, starting to restore his depleted reserves as he prepared to continue the fight. A quick sweep of the area with his Farsight Sphere of Awareness had him pulling on the mana gem even faster. One of the Gold Bodyguards was down, probably dead, and the second was now faced with two opponents and quickly losing. Null was on the back foot against his own opponent, and even with Frick¡¯s help, Britt and his Familiar were suffering, his girlfriend¡¯s armour looking dented with blood leaking from her lips. Kiri seemed to be doing okay, the Concept of Wind surrounding her, but how much longer could she last? He had downed one, and he was probably out of the woods, but he had to finish this quickly so he could support the others.


    *************


    Kiri felt the power of a winged insect flowing through her body and soul, wind whipping around her as she fought the urge to take flight. Charging at the spear-wielder, she dodged over the top of the woman by using a gust of wind to launch herself skyward. Her eight tethered arms flickered out, all failing to find purchase as the Barrier Mage protected the spear-wielder with minute barriers, deflecting Kiri¡¯s Rare tier daggers. That was fine. The spear-wielder wasn¡¯t her target anyway.


    Landing on the other side she faked a frontal charge at the Barrier Mage before vanishing using Effective Soul Shift, coming at her from behind. The Water Mage standing beside the woman creating the barriers unleashed a blast of cutting water in every direction. The ribbon of fluid cut furrows into the ground and Kiri leaned on the effects from To Slay A Soul, spinning up a burst of wind like armour to protect her. It did the job of preventing her from losing a limb, though she was still cut to the bone even with the added protection.


    Diving with her Legendary Dagger for the Barrier Mage, she found herself deflected away, the bitch smirking at her as the barrier expanded, tossing her into the air. A glance behind her saw the spear woman launching herself into the air at the same time, her spear pointed down at Kiri. With a sudden burst of acceleration that could only come from a Skill, the spear-wielder was launched towards the ground. Using Effective Soul Shift she managed to avoid the tip of the spear. The ground wasn¡¯t so lucky, an explosion of dirt launched into the air as the spear-wielders'' impact created a small crater with a star-shaped indentation bigger than Kiri¡¯s head at the centre.


    Kiri took a moment to think as the battle lines reset and her arm knit itself back together, costing her even more of the precious soul energy that made her who and what she was. The Barrier Mage could be worn down, but only if Kiri could harass her directly. So far that had proven impossible. Every attack against the Barrier Mage resulted in giving up her back to the spear wielder and close-range with the Water Mage was a losing proposition. No matter which enemy she attacked, the others would defend them. If she could¡¯ve combined the various souls she held within her To Slay A Soul Skill, then she was confident she could simply brute force it and kill one of them. Two would be manageable. But she couldn¡¯t do that with the Skill. Not yet, at least. There was no winning play, unless she flipped the board.


    The Barrier Mage never protected the Water Mage. Why would she? The man''s bursts of cutting water would eviscerate anyone who got close. Even with the soul energy she was drawing from her Soul Palace to empower herself, giving her an Endurance and Constitution in the low four-hundreds, it wasn¡¯t enough to prevent her from being sliced apart. She was certain the man had an Embodiment that was enhancing his water magic. Their confidence in him was a weakness she could exploit. She just needed to set it up correctly. She needed momentum.


    Launching herself forward with the dregs of the insect¡¯s soul still empowering her with some additional speed and the power of the wind that parted before her, Kiri began to dance once more. The spear-wielder kept her attention for a moment, her eight daggers flickering in and out, once more deflected by tiny barriers as Kiri deftly evaded the tip of the spear, even as it glowed with light and flashed, trying to blind her. She was blind for a second while her eyes healed, but her Soul Sense told her where they were, letting her use Effective Soul Shift to vanish and appear in the sky far above the Water Mage. Burning through the last of the insect¡¯s soul, she used the wind to enhance her falling speed.


    The Water Mage had a smirk of victory on his lips as thin streams of water gathered above him, ready to be released. She knew what she was doing had a touch of madness to it. But if she wasn¡¯t going to prove this was her Path now, then when? Her brother and friends needed her. Now was as good of a time as any.


    When she was only a couple of metres above him, the Water Mage finally released his spell. The ribbons of water cut straight through her, dismembering her. It was so fast she didn¡¯t even feel it, and for the barest of moments she stepped between realms. Standing inside an enclosed room with uneven walls the colour and consistency of custard, she felt her tether to the Physical Realm unravelling. Surrounding her was her own soul energy, alongside a pile of rare daggers. Along the opposite wall stood five crystals as tall as her waist, each one a soul she had stored within her To Slay A Soul Skill. The tether to the Physical Realm continued to unravel, and through that tether she could feel the state of her body. Her real body. Not this one built of soul energy and willpower. It was in pieces, but still falling towards the Water Mage, his spell spent. As though it was the easiest thing in the world, she followed that tether back to the Physical Realm. A hum filled her entire body as she was reborn, the memory of herself pulling her dismembered body back together in an instant as her soul twin was expended in the process.


    The Water Mage didn¡¯t have time to react as she buried her Runecrafted Dagger of Soulrending in his eye, the blade long enough and sharp enough to pass out the other side of his head. To Slay A Soul pulled his soul energy into herself, the man already dead. The Barrier Mage was backing away, her eyes filled with fear. The Spear-wielder looked about ready to turn tail and run as well.


    With a bloody smile on her face, Kiri prepared to charge them down. She wasn¡¯t just a Soul Slayer. She was a Reborn Soul Slayer. And now, here on the precipice of death, she had confirmation of exactly what that meant.

 Chapter 157 - Fractured Space

    Vanessa was living through a nightmare. Tears stained her cheeks and she didn¡¯t know if they were from fear or despair. Her lover was killed by her own Skill. Lightning from the Heavens was her finisher. A pillar of lightning so thick and powerful that whatever it struck was annihilated. It was meant for the blond-haired mage but he had somehow redirected it into Carl. She¡¯d been forced to watch as parts of his body rained down around them. It was impossible. The mission had stated the risks. The boy shouldn¡¯t have been more than level fifty. Certainly it had said that he and the girl might be the holders of Legendary Classes. The very idea had seemed absurd to her. Having such would have put him and his partner on par with the Royals. But even though she had thought the idea ridiculous, the team had still been put together with that in mind. There was Gordon, over level one hundred and an Epic Classer like them, one of the five Platinum-tier combatants House Desmarais could field, to hold off the pair¡¯s Platinum-tier guardian. Then another four to keep back any other support the targets had. Then three each to execute the mission and kill the targets. She had thought it was overkill. Now, she believed, it wasn¡¯t going to be enough.


    Unleashing the spell Questing Lightning, the forking arcs of yellow light sought out the Rune Mage across from her. He vanished, causing her to lose track of him for a moment. Her training kicked in and lightning coursed through her body, burning her from the inside out as she vastly boosted her speed and moved, dodging to the left to try and support Yarl. She had always loved her affinity and Classes. Most people didn¡¯t focus on being a pure Lightning Mage, instead working towards something like Storm Mage. But she¡¯d never seen anything as destructive as pure lightning, except for maybe Gordon¡¯s lava. It was a weapon, but it was double-edged. Lightning had no powerful defensive skills or spells and as a Mage, she was weak in her physical Stats. That was why she had taken the Skill Fast as Lightning. It was a body-burner Skill, ripping her apart from the inside, but it was all she could do to stay ahead of the boy''s attacks.


    Yarl, their archer, had been harassed the entire fight by whatever in the Nine Hells that shadow monster was. His Skills took time to charge and build and he¡¯d effectively been hamstrung from doing more than irritating the Rune Mage. It was all just so¡­impossible. He should have been around twenty levels below them. He should lack the power of an Embodiment. He was outnumbered. His teleportation skill was supposed to have a cooldown. And he wasn¡¯t supposed to be able to summon whatever the hell that shadow monster was. They were losing. If something didn¡¯t change, she was going to die. They all were. Gordon couldn¡¯t beat the Eternal Grove alone, and if she failed to defeat the Rune Mage here, the tides would turn against them.


    The sound of metal boots pounding the ground was like music to her ears as Mikael joined them, making it three against one once more. Surely the boy was running out of mana. Now they just needed to finish this! A sliver of hope crept into her heart to nestle there alongside her pain.


    *************


    Evindal didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t need to. He was a pure Mage. More importantly, he was a Lord of Life. So when he needed to move, his trees did it for him. The branch he was on snaked higher into the canopy, avoiding the hail of lava bolts chasing him. A month ago it might have been mildly challenging to avoid such an attack, but that was before his newest Legendary Skill. The Time Between was mana intensive, but with quick application it gave Evindal all the time in the world to assess trajectories, sense mana and even looked like it could synergise with his ¡®Flourishing¡¯ Skills that grew his seeds into mammoth trees in moments.


    He couldn¡¯t see Gordon, but he could sense him, the man¡¯s lifeforce brighter than the trees that surrounded him. His senses told him more than that though. They told him that Gordon¡¯s body was trying to fight off the poisons he had already inhaled. The man had figured it out quickly, using some simplistic wind spell to cleanse the air around him. Most didn¡¯t notice until it was too late. It wasn¡¯t the ideal outcome, but it would only slow Evindal down a little. Between maintaining the wind spell, whatever Skill or Spell Gordon was using to cleanse himself and the swirling shield of lava the man was maintaining, he was leaking mana like a sieve. He¡¯d probably have mana gems on him, to replenish himself, but then, so did Evindal. And this was the least of Lord of Life¡¯s tricks.


    Dropping another set of seeds, he activated A Time To Flourish, growing them into short shrub-like bushes in seconds, before the thorny vines on them started snaking towards the Lava Mage. The vines would blacken and smoke, but it would take time for them to actually burn, as they had been altered to be resistant to fire and heat. A more liberal injection of poison should see the end of this battle hastened to the expected conclusion. Because Evindal knew one thing, above all else. None of their attackers could be allowed to live. Nate and Kiri would not be able to hold back against such opponents, and the revelations of the true extent of their skills would be enough to bring the Nobility down on their heads. He couldn¡¯t allow that to happen to the mentees his wife had selected. Drawing one last seed out of his spatial storage, he prepared to eat it and activate Life Finds A Way. There was no holding back when lives were on the line.


    *************


    Kiri danced out of the way of the spear stabbing at her back and continued to slam eight out of her ten daggers at the bubble around the Barrier Mage. The woman was staring out from inside of her magical shield, fear plain in her eyes and sweat pouring down her face. With only two opponents, and To Slay A Soul enhancing her with the powers of Koriolos, Kiri was able to stay a step ahead of the Spear-wielder, all but ignoring her as she wore the Barrier Mage down. It wouldn¡¯t be long now and she was thankful for that, because she was approaching the dregs. She had been Reborn, living up to the name of her Classes, her future Embodiment. But it hadn¡¯t been without cost. Her Twin Soul had meant she lost nothing. She remembered being sliced apart, the seconds between as she watched her body from the Spiritual Realm, and then its restoration. But the Twin Soul was just a container to store those experiences, those memories, the thing which made her who she was. It didn¡¯t fix the destruction to her body. That had come from her soul energy. Now she was almost down to the dregs. Dregs which were being eroded by her ongoing imbuement and soul tethers. She couldn¡¯t even afford to use Effective Soul Shift any more for fear of running down what remained.


    If she was like Nate, she might have had another option. In the corner of her vision notifications were flashing and she knew she had at least two Skill evolutions ready to go. Maybe three. Not to mention at least one level from killing the Water Mage. But even though she had started investing in her Intellect so that her mind could keep up with her speed and to a lesser extent, her perception, she was still on the lower end. She wasn¡¯t at a point where she could split her attention like Nate could. Without that there was no way she could make smart decisions mid-battle while fighting two opponents of this calibre. She¡¯d end up skewered on a spear and her soul energy couldn¡¯t afford any more wounds like that.


    Finally, after another fifteen seconds of uninterrupted strikes, her Runecrafted Dagger of Soulrending shattered one of the barriers, plunging into the barrier mage¡¯s chest. The look of shock on the woman''s face vanished in a few seconds as Kiri drained her dry, using Soul Drain to top up her flagging reserves slightly. It wasn¡¯t enough to put her anywhere near normal but it was more than enough to keep going. Enough to finish this fight.


    Turning to face the Spear-wielder, Kiri¡¯s face transformed from victorious to furious, as the sound of Britt¡¯s scream echoed across the battlefield. Her friends needed her and they needed her now. She leaped forward, forgoing any plans for a proper defence!


    *************


    Nate heard the sound of Britt¡¯s scream and saw his girlfriend impact the ground so hard she left a crater. There was no sign of her mana armour and a quick flex of his Farsight Sphere of Awareness told him how bad it was. She was dying, her internal organs failing and many of her bones shattered. She didn¡¯t have long. Frick stood over her defensively, shielding her from a follow-up attack, but his Familiar looked beaten too. My Will My Way wasn¡¯t purely a mana skill. It required Frick¡¯s own soul energy as well, and it looked like he was running low.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Nate could see why. Three of their attackers were moving to join the Archer and Lightning Mage facing him. Two of them had finished off Null¡¯s Gold-tier bodyguards, the two Guildies lying dead in the grass. It broke his heart a little. They had seemed like good people. But it was nothing compared to the fury building in him at the sight of his broken girlfriend. Britt was a beautiful soul. Caring and generous. Loyal and bright. She had shown more patience with him than he had ever expected, even if he felt he wasn¡¯t the best of boyfriends. And now she lay broken on the grassy plains, just for being associated with him. He almost choked, he was so angry.


    He had already been winning, but he hadn¡¯t truly been pushing himself. Certainly, the fight hadn¡¯t been easy, but compared to some of his other battles, he hadn¡¯t been pressured. He hadn¡¯t been forced to make desperate decisions just to survive. A thought in the back of his mind whispered to him that even with five of them, he could win without taking risks. But that was a luxury he couldn¡¯t afford, not if he wanted to save Britt.


    His plans for his future had been threefold, each represented by one of his Classes. Runic Artist, the core of who he was, an artist that used runes to create his interpretation of reality. Realmwalker, a Spatial Mage, which represented what he had done. He had travelled, between Realms and across the multiverse. The future of that path was intrinsically linked to his art. Space was the most important aspect of reality that he needed to manipulate to create art. It would be his gallery and his medium. Finally, Lord of Life, the representation of his future. Living art, used to make life better for himself, his friends and those who he brought into his confidences. A whole designed to let him create a better reality.


    He pulled a small piece of purple metal out of his spatial storage. It was no bigger than his hand, and as it touched reality, it shifted and changed before his eyes. Each movement was sharp angles, one moment it was a perfect rectangle, then it had five sides, then eight, then back down to four. The only reason he had held off on using it so far was because it was actually a lower tier than his Shadow affinity wood. He hadn¡¯t had the time to raise it to more than Rare, the cost in time and mana higher due to the strength of the affinity contained within. The piece of purple metal contained his only Grandmaster-tier Sigil, Space. Even with processed mana powering it he wasn¡¯t certain it would be enough to defeat his opponents. But there was something else he could do to fix that. His newest Skill, Spatial Empowerment, enhanced spells and skills that utilised space. Not runes though. Not yet.


    He was enough to beat these five enemies, even with their advantages, but he wasn¡¯t enough to do it in the time he needed it done. In the past, he had used his Conceptual Intent to force Skills to synergise. But he wasn¡¯t convinced that would work this time. Spatial Empowerment was his lowest tier Skill alongside Material Shaping. More importantly, he could sense where it was on his Class Core and it was almost on the opposite side to his Rune-related Skills. The damage for forcing a synergy would be extreme and he wasn¡¯t convinced it would achieve the kind of result he wanted anyway. No, what he needed was to evolve the Skill. It had been levelling fast, in the Dungeon and now in this battle, but it was still five levels short. Using True Teleportation he backed away from his opponents, forcing them to give chase as he began to bear down on the Skill with his Conceptual Intent. As he did so, he used Conceptual Runic Artistry and Conceptual Runic Creation to surround his Class Core with a Powerful Space runic array. His intent latched onto the rune, directing the power and the idea, the concept itself, at the Spatial Empowerment skill. At the same time, he used his last Skill Enhancement Orb on the same skill. Some might have said it was a waste, but as far as he was concerned, anything that could help was worth the cost. Mana drained out of his reserve and into his Class Core, almost emptying him, but finally the Skill seemed to respond. The notification arrived a moment later and he glanced at the evolution options, his mind flicking through them in seconds.


    Spatial Empowerment 15 > 21


    Spatial Empowerment (E) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment (L)


    All Mages need to empower their Skills and Spells beyond what their affinities can provide. Some turn to tools, enchantments, alchemy or even spirits. You have turned to sequestering mana to further empower your Skills by concentrating mana with your spatial affinity. This Skill empowers anything that utilises the Concept of Space, be they Spells, Skills, Runes or more esoteric applications. Empowerment is equal to Skill Level * 3 plus Magic Control / 50 percent.


    Teleportation Empowerment (L)


    All Mages need to empower their Skills and Spells beyond what their affinities can provide. Some turn to tools, enchantments, alchemy or even spirits. You have turned to sequestering mana to further empower your Skills by concentrating mana with your spatial affinity. This Skill empowers all Spatial Skills and Spells. Additionally this Skill has a multiplicative effect on any teleportation related Skills or Spells. Spatial Empowerment is equal to Skill Level * 3 plus Magic Control / 50 percent. Teleportation Empowerment is equal to Skill Level * 4.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    While both Skills were good, only one truly aligned with his path and his desires. Selecting Conceptual Spatial Empowerment, he drew forth his second and final processed mana gem. Activating Conceptual Automated Existence, he funnelled the entire gem into the piece of metal containing an affinity for space. With Conceptual Intent, he flagged his enemies and gave it a single order. Expend everything as fast as it could to destroy them.


    The form that appeared before him was like seeing geometric shapes stacked on top of each other as a humanoid purple body forced itself into existence. Nate suspected it was his intent giving it a humanoid appearance, his desire for living art. Without Farsight of the Runic Artist active, he wouldn¡¯t have understood what happened next. Space broke, like seeing a glass window fracture. Each of those pieces stood out in his senses, containing fragments of reality. Of the myriad pieces of space, five contained the targets he had specified. One moment they were separated, coming at Nate from different angles. The next they were combined, all standing within inches of each other in front of his Space Construct. Then the spatial fractures shattered. If not for Nate¡¯s fear for Britt, he would¡¯ve vomited. In an instant each of the five tried to defend themselves and each was ruthlessly crushed. The archer tried to teleport only to find his enchanted ring''s ability suppressed by something with greater control over space. The Lightning Mage, the Hammer-wielder that had faced Britt and a dagger user all tried to flee. But in fractured space, there was nowhere to go. The last was a blocky man in plate armour wielding a two-handed sword. Of the five, he was the only one to survive, his body too durable to be cut apart by the spatial magics. But whatever fight was left in him was gone, the man collapsing to the dirt bleeding from more cuts than Nate could count.


    With its mana expended the Spatial Construct shattered like tinkling glass. The purple metal that had been the substrate upon which it had been built followed, splintering into small shards that sprinkled the ground in front of Nate.


    As processed mana flooded the battlefield, Nate ignored it, teleporting toward Britt and his Familiar. Landing in the crater with her, he collapsed to his knees and looked her over more thoroughly. Her heart was still pumping blood, but it was slowing. There was bleeding inside of her skull and one of her lungs was punctured. That was ignoring the damage to the rest of her organs and the plethora of broken bones. She was on death''s door and holding on by a thread. Stalwart, he reminded himself. She was stalwart. He knew his Common-tier healing spell was not going to be enough. He needed more. He reached for Conceptual Insight, realising in the back of his mind that he would sacrifice himself if that was what was required to save her. But there should be another option. A path forward. He just hoped it would be enough.

 Chapter 158 - Life Taking Control

    The ambient mana in the air ignited around Nate as he activated Conceptual Insight. The mana had shifted towards space due to the overwhelming presence of his construct. But space wasn¡¯t what he needed now ¨C what he needed was life. He had considered using his Life Drain runic array on himself, but he could already tell it wouldn¡¯t be enough to save Britt. He¡¯d die himself before she was restored. Trying to wait for Evindal was an option, only it wasn¡¯t. Who knew how long the Platinums would be fighting and Britt was already dying. The other option was to use Kiri as the source, but a glance at her told him that she was running on dregs as she fought to finish off the Spear-wielder. He couldn¡¯t tell how much soul energy she had to spare, her Skill for hiding her soul energy was too strong for him to overpower without focusing on it. That was ignoring the wasted mana and soul energy if she contested it. Null wasn¡¯t an option either, as even now, Nate was not confident he could brute force the man''s natural nullification aura. The only option left was to create an entirely new rune. One that didn¡¯t function by exchanging lifeforce. But to craft a new rune he needed time. Time that Britt didn¡¯t have, so he would have to use his Life Drain rune just to slow her demise. It would be a race against the clock.


    Splitting his focus he created the Life Drain runic array, letting it pull from his own body to try and keep Britt from slipping closer to death.


    Frick hobbled over next to him, the blue goblin looking truly worse for wear.


    ¡°Anything I can do to help, Boss?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Help Null finish his fight. Kiri doesn¡¯t need it.¡±


    Frick stumbled away, the Familiar on his last legs. Nate could sense the tether that bound the Spirit to the Familiar Contract was fading. His Familiar would likely end up banished for a little while, until the little blue goblin had recovered his soul energy in the Spiritual Realm. There was nothing he could do to help Nate with this.


    Focusing back on the task at hand, he created his Journeyman-tier Sigil for Life out of mana in front of him, even as his own life leaked away to keep Britt from dying. With the three days before they had left the Capital, three days travel to the Dungeon, two days inside, and then another two days spent on their return trip, his Conceptual Insight Skill had ten days worth of mana stored in it. Not enough to push his Life Sigil to Grandmaster, but it should suffice to bridge the gap to Master. Activating the aspect of his Skill that forced the revelation of a higher tier Sigil, he watched as the Life Sigil transformed before his eyes. It grew. That was the best way to describe it. It grew in complexity, shifting into flowing whorls that looked more like a fractal, or perhaps the growth of a cell. The tiny shifting symbols inside of it were like the organelles within a cellular structure. The thought struck him that his Conceptual Insight Skill forced a Sigil to evolve, and that the imagery on display was the absolute truth of Life. The transformation completed and he waited for the Divine Translation spell placed on him by Arikanvil to interpret the Sigil and inform him of his success.


    Nothing happened.


    His mind froze for a fraction of a second before he focused on committing the shape and symbols to memory. It was a flaw in the Divine Translation spell that he had not considered in almost a year. The information contained within was based on Arikanvil¡¯s own understanding. It recognised Sigils because Arikanvil recognised those Sigils. Arikanvil did not know a Master-tier Sigil for Life, or at least, he did not know this variation.


    Nate was as certain of that as he was that this was a Sigil for Life. Ignoring the possibility that his Conceptual Insight Skill could have failed, the other portion of the Skill that helped him identify Concepts hummed strongly with its recognition of the Concept of Life. With the ambient mana drawn to the geometric shape, it was influencing his surroundings. The grass was growing, shifting, evolving at a visible rate, changing in colours in patches, other parts growing longer, or denser. Even Britt seemed to be benefitting, though in her case it just seemed to assist in keeping her from passing. He noticed she changed far less than the grass, but she still changed. Her hair, normally blonde, had shifted to green. He could sense that her fingernails and toenails sloughed off as they changed into a gooey fluid. The reason came to him quickly. Soul energy. Britt¡¯s mental idea of who she was, what she should be, was guiding the Life affinity mana. The grass lacked that sense of self and so was at the mercy of the mana. But Britt¡¯s hair had changed. Her soul energy was leaking away as she died and her extremities had already lost some of that energy. Enough that there was nothing to guide the Life affinity mana and it had run wild.


    Between his Life Drain runic array and the Master-tier Life Sigil, she was dying slower. If he was going to heal her he needed more than just Life. As she died, her soul energy was seeping away as well. A reflection of what had happened to Kiri, though on a far slower scale. Because of that he couldn¡¯t rely on Britt¡¯s remaining soul energy to reinforce what the ambient mana around the Sigil was already doing. Her body could warp, mutating into something else as the life energies rampaged unrestrained. He needed her mind. He needed her to guide the healing. Even now he was forced to focus his Life Drain runic array closer to her Class Core and her mind, where the soul energy could still guide the process. All it was doing now was giving him more time, which is exactly what he needed. But if he messed this up, it would be Britt that paid the price.


    His conflicted mind went through his options again in the space of a few seconds. Healing, if he could hold out for Evindal, would solve the immediate problem. That was still a big if. Alternatively, he could push further than he had planned. He was confident he could do something like inscribing a rune into Britt¡¯s skeleton. Perhaps even raise the tier of her bones. Such a rune would draw on her own mana. It had the added benefit of making her more durable, which, if she wanted to stay with him, was almost a necessity at this point. House Desmarais, whoever they were, had committed ten Gold-ranked combatants and a Platinum just to see him and Kiri dead. Would this loss deter them? Or would they come back harder? And that was just one Noble House. Even if they were a powerful House, there were others. Fabien had been the second son of an Earl. Based on the Inspector, they at least suspected Nate. Maybe they even knew it had been him but just couldn¡¯t prove it. He had grown, but was he powerful enough to face down the combined might of multiple Noble Houses? The answer was no. Not yet, anyway.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Certainly, he wasn¡¯t alone. Aisling, Luc, Evindal, Deverell, perhaps others from the Guild. They would support him. They had shown their willingness and the lengths they were willing to go to over and over again. Even now Evindal fought another Platinum, the grove that marked their battlefield off in the distance. But what about those like Britt, those caught up in the whirlpool of his existence. She would be associated with him, no matter what she did. And unlike Null, she didn¡¯t have the Class, Stats or Skills to resist. She had tried, and this was the price. Her beaten and broken body.


    The solution was obvious. He could make her stronger. Crossing the System by removing her Class Core was off the table. The last System Challenge had almost killed him. That was a die he wasn¡¯t willing to roll. But there was the option he was considering. He could alter her body.


    As he understood it, the Class Core served three functions. It turned mana into processed mana by some mechanism he had yet to figure out. It stored and gave access to the various Skills provided by Classes. And it distributed processed mana throughout the body to create the effects of Stat enhancements. He was certain of that last one, as after Kiri¡¯s Class reset, she had lost all the additional Stats that had been provided by the Classes on her original Class Core. She had reverted to a baseline state. That meant the presence of processed mana was what made them superhuman. In his case, that meant enhanced his memory, speed of thought and information processing while for Kiri, her speed and the ability to control her own soul energy. For Luc and Evindal, the ability to direct their mana in detail.


    There was a fourth layer. One that he had begun to suspect wasn¡¯t directly related to his Class Core: mana affinities. They were based on the alignment of your mana with Concepts. Not processed mana ¨C just mana. That had led him to wondering about what would happen if two people had the same Stat, but different physical forms. Would a five year old with a strength of one hundred be as strong as a fully grown adult? He was certain that the answer was no. That was the path to helping Britt he was considering. Making her strong enough to survive whatever there was to come. Strong enough to heal herself. He could alter her ¨C his first attempt at living art.


    But if he did this, he would be making the decision for her. She couldn¡¯t consent, and who was he to think he knew what was best for her? In the end, that mattered more. It had to be her decision. He could make the offer once she was hale and healthy. With his decision made, he got to work on the actual rune that he would use to save her life.


    The Life Sigil had already faded but he brought it back to life with a thought, Conceptual Runic Creation creating the scaffold as the Skill waited for his direction. Extracting half a dozen mana gems from his spatial storage, he began to draw on them as he crafted a new rune. Life was at the centre, surrounded by two Sigils for Soul and two Sigils for Mana. Soul was present to reinforce Britt¡¯s flagging soul energy. Mana was needed to define the source of power. He didn¡¯t think it would have drawn on her soul energy to power itself, but he couldn¡¯t be certain, so he erred on the side of safety.


    Most runes Nate created were ultimately circular in nature. It made the design easier, made the centre of the rune clearer. Funnelled the mana where it needed to go. But this rune had to be different. Living beings were different. Britt was not in the shape of a circle, and given the lack of soul energy in her extremities, he wanted to make sure there was an even distribution of power.


    He sensed a rush of wind behind him and then a few seconds later, the presence of Kiri and Null stumbling into his sphere of awareness.


    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± croaked out Null.


    Nate just shook his head as he focused on his work.


    He couldn¡¯t only sense the area the swordsman occupied, Null having left his nullification aura above his skin. But he could hear him perfectly well.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to help Evindal,¡± stated Null, like a man walking to the gallows. ¡°He can heal Britt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s suicide,¡± Kiri muttered, glancing at the titanic copse of trees and the ongoing explosions occurring within.


    ¡°I know¡­but she¡¯s my best friend,¡± Null muttered, stumbling into a jog as he ran for the forest created by Evindal.


    Nate wanted to say something but his attention was already divided between maintaining the Life Drain runic array and creating the runic array that he hoped would save Britt. The rune taking shape in front of him was like nothing he had ever done before. He had to constantly add or remove Sigils as he transformed his idea for the rune from a circle, to a rectangle, then breaking it down further into a humanoid shape, before the final revisions to make it align to Britt¡¯s exact shape. In the end, it had over a dozen Sigils for Life alone.


    The rune was almost ready, but he was starting to feel lightheaded. Britt¡¯s chest started spasming, widening her punctured lung. He was reaching the end of what he could sustain with his own body as the source for his Life Drain runic array. Realising he was going to pass out before he succeeded, he frantically tried to come up with another way to stabilise Britt. Kiri stepped forward, offering her hand, and he took it, both her physical hand and the implied consent. His Life Drain runic array switched to pulling from her and he directed it towards Britt¡¯s skeleton. The rib piercing her lung clicked back into place and he was forced to direct some of the energy to prevent her lung from filling with blood.


    He sensed Kiri wobble behind him and knew that she too was coming to the end of what she had to give. It was now or never. With a final thought, he overlaid the runic array over the top of Britt and sent streams of mana from the mana gems towards it.


    Up until now, Britt had been lying as still and silent as a corpse. Her scream was so sudden and forceful that he sensed some of her vocal cords tear as she started thrashing violently in the crater that had almost become her tomb. At the same time, Kiri fell back, passing out as he severed the Life Drain rune from drawing from her.


    With Conceptual Intent, he guided the rune to direct life energy through the rune into Britt¡¯s body, while he spent over ten of his intents fine-tuning the Soul portion of the rune to restore Britt¡¯s own soul energy. With a flash of green light that shone through her skin, the rune became active. The mana drain was instantly evident as the rune tried to heal the damage done without concern for direction or focus, everything healing at once.


    With the Life Drain runic array now useless, he dropped it and drew on his memory, creating a small runic array using his incredibly weak Sigil for Sleep. It was enough, Britt slipping back into unconsciousness. Her body continued to twitch and shake as bones fused, skin sealed, organs repaired, and he honestly hoped she couldn¡¯t remember the pain when she woke. But she was out of the woods. Her soul energy had stopped leaking away and he continued to feed mana from his gems to the runic array.


    All Nate could manage was a small smile. He was so spent, but she was alive. Now they just needed to wait for Evindal to finish his own battle. Nate had absolute confidence in his mentor. In the meantime, he would be at this for a while yet. The plethora of flashing notifications in the corner of his vision reinforced his opinion.

 Chapter 159 - Aftermath

    Nate sat on a block of earth he¡¯d sculpted out of the earth. In front of him, the fire crackled, sending plumes of smoke into the night sky and bathing him in a gentle warmth. It wasn¡¯t the only thing warming him though, as Britt sat in the grass, leaning against his leg with her head on his knee. In the end, she had needed him to pry her out of her armour, which had required him to use his Material Shaping Skill, as it had warped in a number of places and was interfering with the healing. She was healed though, and had been glued to him ever since.


    Kiri sat a little to his left, using another block of earth as a backrest. His sister still looked pale, even an hour after the battle. She¡¯d been forced to overextend herself, both in her battle and then to help him save Britt. Frick was still absent, not having managed to reform himself just yet. On his other side sat Null and Evindal. Null looked morose. Nate felt sorry for the swordsman. He hadn¡¯t really known the two Gold-ranked bodyguards very well and he was sad about their deaths, but there was some distance there from the hurt. His, Kiri, and Britt¡¯s survival far overshadowed any other feelings, drowning out any despair. He should have included Evindal in that, but it was hard to do so, since the elf looked pristine. Certainly his mentor had still faced a difficult battle, but unlike the rest of them, he had been punching down rather than up. It had taken time, but he had won a resounding victory.


    The craziest part was that the elf had just left the forest where it was. Perhaps it would spread, given time. Well, maybe not the craziest part. Ignoring the waiting notifications, he gave Null the attention he deserved. It was the least he could do for the man after he¡¯d been caught up in Nate¡¯s problems.


    ¡°Six. You beat six of them. While I could barely face one,¡± ground out Null.


    Evindal placed a placating hand on the swordsman shoulder, which seemed to have a calming effect.


    ¡°You¡¯re Legendary, aren¡¯t you? Both of you.¡± Null stated, splitting his gaze between Kiri and Nate.


    Britt reacted, looking up at him as she kept an arm wrapped around his leg. The question in her eyes was one of curiosity, lacking any accusation.


    Nate glanced at Kiri, who shrugged slightly, before finally turning to Evindal. The look the elf gave him said it was his decision. He tried not to laugh, given the tension in the air, but he sometimes wished they didn¡¯t all leave it to him. Sometimes it might¡¯ve been nice for someone else to tell him what he should do. He knew that was the exhaustion talking. So instead he gave Evindal a nod. The elf should know what he wanted.


    ¡°I will need you both to make a System Contract with me that you won¡¯t speak of anything you have learned about Nate or Kiri today, including anything they choose to reveal now,¡± stated Evindal.


    Nate was just thankful he didn¡¯t need to manage the System Contract. As they hashed out the details, mostly with Kiri who seemed to be applying her economics training to be particularly litigious, his only input was to request that the contract automatically expire in one year''s time. It was a risk, but he didn¡¯t want the contract hanging over their heads for longer than that. It gave him a year to make Kiri and himself unassailable by the nobility of Etrua. A tight timeline, but not impossible.


    With the contract hashed out and sealed by the System, he finally answered the question.


    ¡°Mythic.¡±


    Britt¡¯s eyes widened in shock, while Null worked his jaw, the swordsman looking like he didn¡¯t believe him.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Britt blurted out at the same time as Null demanded proof.


    He made his display visible for them, only showing his Classes and their tiers and levels. The fact that Wandering Realmwalker showed as level ten told him how many levels were waiting in his notifications. The social aspect needed to be handled first, though.


    ¡°You held back in our fight!¡± Null accused, sounding angry for the first time Nate had ever witnessed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I was level thirty-one when we fought,¡± explained Nate quietly. ¡°And you were kind of a hard counter to me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­okay yeah, that would make sense. I¡­¡±


    Kiri cut him off, ¡°Just to be clear, you¡¯re not a hard counter for me. I would¡¯ve stomped you. And I was level thirty.¡±


    The blunt statement, coupled with Kiri¡¯s grin, finally broke through the tension in the air as Null looked shocked and Britt and Evindal chuckled quietly. As the laughter subsided, Britt looked up at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re three tiers above me,¡± she whispered. He could hear the fear in her voice. They were meant to just be casual. Friends with benefits. But, not unexpectedly, that had shifted. He had gone from thinking of her as a friend he occasionally slept with, to his kind-of-girlfriend, to his girlfriend. Now she worried he would leave her behind ¨C a reasonable fear to have.


    ¡°I have some ideas,¡± he replied quietly, which seemed to calm her, as she went back to laying her head against his leg.


    ¡°How are we splitting these?¡± Kiri asked, flicking her hand at the pile of Orbs and items near them.


    After the battle, they had collected the fallen Orbs, totalling six from the ten that had attacked them. He wasn¡¯t including anything from Evindal¡¯s fight, as no one had asked if there had been an Orb left. Then, while Null had gathered up their Alliram mounts which had charged off into the grasslands at the first sign of trouble, Nate had gathered the weapons, armour and trinkets of their fallen enemies, before disposing of the bodies using a powerful acid runic array.


    ¡°Chances that the items can be traced back to them?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°Not high, but it¡¯s possible,¡± answered Evindal.


    Nate nodded to Kiri, who understood his meaning, ¡°We¡¯ll have Luc sell them. He¡¯s making a trip out of Etrua shortly so that should make them harder to trace. We¡¯ll split the profit four ways, after Luc gets his cut.¡±


    No one said anything in opposition so she pointed at the Orbs. ¡°Two for Nate and I. One for Null and one for Britt.¡±


    He expected some pushback on that statement, even though he could see where Kiri was coming from. Nate had downed six, Kiri three and Null one, with assistance. She was trying to be a bit fair by giving Britt and Null one each, since they had suffered, even if they hadn¡¯t contributed as much. When no one voiced a disagreement, he nodded his own approval. A part of him, the generous part, wanted to give Britt his Orbs. But he knew she wouldn¡¯t accept them and he felt too tired to argue.


    In the end, Null got an Epic Magic Power Orb, while Britt got an Empowering Strike Rare Skill Orb. Kiri took two Epic Stat Orbs, one for Agility and one for Strength, which left Nate with an Epic Stat Orb for Constitution and a second one for Magic Control. With the loot divided, he finally turned his attention to his notifications. First were the achievements.


    Congratulations on creating a Life Restoration Rune (Master Quality).


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Congratulations, you have saved a life through the utilisation of the Concepts of Life and Soul.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Congratulations on utilising a Grandmaster Tier Sigil.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    The achievements were decent, and he hoped they would help push him towards the Lord of Life Class. Whether they were of much help in changing his Embodiment he would soon find out. There were plenty of notifications left, but even if it didn¡¯t assist, it couldn¡¯t hurt.


    Next were his level ups. He already knew there were going to be four. He quickly read over the notifications.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +4 Magic Power, +16 Magic Control, +8 Channelling Speed, +8 Mana Reserve, +4 Mana Absorption +20 Free Stats


    Level fifty. It had taken a while, but it meant there would be a new Skill on offer. But before that, he needed to assign his Free Stats. Ten went into Constitution and the other ten into Endurance. He was almost at a hundred in both, and the improvements had paid dividends in the battle, keeping him from being jostled or injured as his barrier had weathered their enemies'' assault. With his Stats handled, he turned his attention to the skill options from his Wandering Realmwalker Class.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Skills Available! Please Select 1* Skill.


    Class Skill Options:


    Spatial Expansion (Rare)


    Space is malleable. So, why limit your space to the prescribed dimensions when you could spatially expand it. Carry your clothes, your supplies, even your house, with you wherever you go. This Skill allows the user to create spatially expanded spaces. Size of expansion is based on the user''s Skill Level. Cost and duration is based on the user¡¯s Magic Power and Magic Control. Spatial space starts at one- half a cubic metre. Skill Level increases space by Skill Level * one-half a cubic metre.


    Spatial Reinforcement (Rare)


    Space is not solid. It is a fluid, three-dimensional area that can be altered or distorted, shaped or dispersed. But, for those wishing to create spaces that will resist the warping of gravity or that will stand the test of time, they need the ability to harden space. They need Spatial Reinforcement. This Skill will reinforce any spatially created area or zone the user focuses on. Extent of reinforcement is based on user¡¯s'' Magic Power, Magic Control and Skill Level.


    Spatial Control (Rare)


    All spells require Magic Control to perform effectively. Spatial magic is even more challenging, the complexity of space translating to the complexity of its spells. This Skill allows the user to more effectively apply their spatial mana affinity, giving them greater control over their mana when used for spatial magic. Magic Control Stat is 10% more effective when used for spatial spells. This bonus is increased by an additional 1% per Skill Level.


    Space Is All Around You (Rare)


    Space is one of the true constants of the material multiverse. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you occupy space and move through it. Why then must you utilise only your own mana for spatial skills when the mana that surrounds you also occupies space? This Skill reduces the mana cost of Spatial Skills and Spells by drawing on ambient mana with an affinity for space to offset the mana required. Mana cost reduction increases at Skill Level * 1.


    Spatial Portals (Rare)


    While a Spatial Mage can normally teleport themselves, moving others can be a challenge. Mana under the influence of others will naturally resist manipulation. That is where portals come in. Why move someone when you can forcibly connect two locations, just like looking through a window?. Distance increases with Skill Level. Initial distance is five metres. Skill Level increases distance by Skill Level * five metres.


    The options were all decent. Only Rare, but he¡¯d already taken multiple Epic Skills from the Legendary Class. These were what was left. Spatial Expansion was his preferred option, given it would mean he could create his own spatial storage that didn¡¯t rely on a ring. It also opened some interesting ideas for his planned Embodiment. But a question lingered. Could he accomplish the same with his runes? Moving on, Spatial Reinforcement was less enticing. Being able to harden Space might be useful in stopping others from teleporting, but that didn¡¯t matter much to him, since he could probably accomplish the same with a Space-based runic array. With that in mind, he crossed Spatial Portals out as well. That left Space Is All Around You and Spatial Control. Since the latter only boosted his Magic Control when casting spatial spells, he ended up going with Space Is All Around You. It affected his Skills, which should make his teleportation significantly cheaper over time, maybe even to the point that it would be worth the effort of teleporting people, though his Magic Power would also be a factor for doing that.


    With his skill selected, he moved onto his Skill increases from the battle and the last few days.


    Conceptual Insight 45 > 48


    Conceptual Material 39 > 40


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 47 > 49


    Conceptual Intent 45 > 49


    Conceptual Runic Creation 44 > 48


    Conceptual Runic Artistry 42 > 47


    True Teleportation 35 > 38


    Empowered Amplified Magic 35 > 38


    Conceptual Automated Existence 21 > 23


    Material Shaping 15 > 19


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment 21 > 22


    Finally, after months of effort, Conceptual Material was almost ready to evolve. He had an idea for how to push it over the edge and in the direction he wanted. He just needed to ask Britt if she was interested in his idea. His first attempt at living art. But that could wait for their return to the Capital. Material Shaping was also on the edge, though his plans for Conceptual Material should work on that Skill as well. He might even manage to synergise them, which had long been a plan. First, he would need to raise the Skills enough that their synergistic level would be greater than level forty-one. He had noticed that Skills wouldn¡¯t synergise if the highest level Skill would dip below its last evolution checkpoint. But that was tomorrow''s problem. There was one final notification remaining.


    Due to the prevalence of Conceptual-related Skills and Achievements, Embodiment for Primary Class has shifted. Current Status indicates a Partial Embodiment. System strongly advises focusing on your path.


    With a smile, he glanced at his status sheet. His new Embodiment flashed in his vision. It wasn¡¯t creative, like he had planned for, but perhaps this could be even better. Conceptual Runic Artist. He had shifted the Embodiment of his Primary Class. Now he just needed to do the same for his Secondary Class. Curling up with Britt, he settled in to relax and recover from the battle.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    385


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    165 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    78


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    141


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    143


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    103


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    88 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    215


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    94


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    224


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    89


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 10


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Conceptual Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Insight (M) Lvl 48 - (Excess Mana Absorption Rate increased by 24%, +58% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material (M) Lvl 40 - (-20% Mana Cost, -50% Time Required)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 49 - (+106% Perception, +18% Creativity, 24.5m Sphere of Awareness, 490 metre summoning range for 2nd Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Intent (M) Lvl 49 - (48 Intents, 24 Imbued Intents, +3 Subconcepts, +49% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Creation (M) Lvl 48 - (-94% Mana Cost, +15% Creativity, +48% Mana Aspecting)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Artistry (M) Lvl 47 - (-56.% Mana Cost, +123 Magic Power and +33.5% Conceptual Power for Runic Arrays)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    True Teleportation (M) Lvl 38 - (638 metres teleport range, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) Lvl 38 - (+52% Magic Stats)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automated Existence (M) Lvl 23 - (-23% Mana Cost, +165% Power, +42% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Material Shaping (E) Lvl 19 - (-57% Mana Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment (L) Lvl 22 - (+68% to Spatial Effects)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Space is all around You (R) Lvl 1 - (-1% Mana Cost for Spatial Skills and Spells)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Minor Spatial Lock (R), Lesser Healing Wave (C)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent), Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (10)) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Barrier Soul Engraving (Expend Mana to protect against Soul attacks) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 160 - Conflicted Rebirth

    Kiri looked over her advancements. She had been teetering on the edge of evolution for multiple Skills and the battle had pushed them all over the edge. In addition, some of those Skills had synergised. First there were her levels.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +4 Dexterity, +12 Agility, +8 Willpower +4 Perception, +8 Magic Control, +4 Mana Reserve, +20 Free Stats


    At ten levels in her Reborn Soul Dancer secondary class, she had been due a new skill. The options had all been Rare and none of them particularly useful for her so she had selected Improved Willpower. The description still floated in her vision.


    Improved Willpower (Rare)


    Willpower is often the most under utilised Stat, only rivalled by Charisma. Most believe it is only of use for those who wish to bend others to their wills. The mentalists and sirens of the worlds, luring all to servitude or their deaths. However, you¡¯ve seen firsthand the effect a strong Willpower has, as you¡¯ve bent reality to your desires. Walk a path of dominance where your will forges the way. For those lucky few, this Skill increases the user¡¯s Willpower by 5%. Increases by 0.5% per Skill Level.


    The choice had been a relatively easy one given the lack of options. The evolutions and synergies, however, had been far more in depth. To Slay A Soul,  Effective Soul Shift, Tethered Soulblade Dancing, Command the Soul and A Hidden Soul were all ready to evolve. Better than that, with their evolutions, many had synergised and it was hard not to be happy with the results.


    The first had been Command the Soul. She had forced it to level through practice and in large part to Nate letting her try and use the Skill on him constantly at the University. But it was not a perfect fit for her Classes or style. It had nothing to do with being Reborn, or at least not as far as she could see. Even the University had taught her that Charisma was the Stat for using soul energy to influence others. Her high Willpower let it function on low Willpower individuals and weak soul barriers, but even that came at an incredibly high cost to her soul energy. So when she had been given the option to evolve it so that it could be used to temporarily empower herself using an enemy¡¯s own Stats she had jumped at the improvement.


    To Slay A Soul had evolved to allow her temporarily gain a fraction of an Embodiment bonus from whatever being she had slain. She¡¯d had some concerns about that, wondering if by expressing the Embodiments of others might skew her own over time. Initially her plan had been to see if she could shift the idea of being reborn to include the temporary rebirth of the souls she stored with To Slay A Soul. But then the synergy had been offered.


    Soul Rebirth combined Soul Drain, To Slay A Soul and Command the Soul into something greater. She glanced over the description again.


    Soul Rebirth (M)


    You have drained the souls of others, restoring your own energy at their expense. You have slain souls, taking their power for yourself. You have commanded the obedience of lesser souls. Now combine those to permanently enhance yourself through those you slay. Let their deaths be an eternal rebirth for you. This Skill allows the user to drain Soul Energy from the dead and dying to restore their reserves. When a target dies while under this effect, the user may permanently increase their own Stats by Willpower / 100. The Stat increased is based on the highest Stat of the target. Maximum Total Stats gained through this method is equal to Skill Level * 3. Additionally, this Skill Increases the user¡¯s Willpower by 10% plus 1% per Skill Level. Also increases Agility by 12%.


    A method for permanent enhancement was beyond powerful for her. More importantly, she could choose when to activate it, meaning she could make sure it was based on targets who would raise the Stats she wanted. Her bonuses from To Slay A Soul had never been affected by her Stat-increasing Skills. She guessed the evolution to Command the Soul would have been the same, since the bonuses were temporary. Soul Rebirth, however, would grant her the Stats she stole permanently. It had an upper limit, but it would grow with her. It was perfect. And it was just the first synergy.


    Effective Soul Shift had evolved to let her set up multiple locations she could move to at the same time. That had apparently been enough to interact with her Soul Sense, resulting in a synergy to unlock the Skill One Soul Two Realms. She might not have taken it except that it sounded like it might interact with her Soul Palace. That and the synergy had been a Mythic Skill. Reading over the description again she grinned.


    One Soul Two Realms (M)


    You have dipped your toes into the Spirit Realm, utilising the Spirit Realm to shift your location in the Physical Realm. In the Physical Realm you have used your soul to sense others, both friend and foe. Now you may linger within the Spirit Realm while maintaining awareness of the Physical Realm. Your soul sense ability has a range of 20 metres per skill level. Your soul shift ability can shift up to Skill Level x 10 metres. Soul Energy cost for both abilities is decreased by 1% per Skill Level. You may linger in the Spiritual Realm for Willpower / 100 minutes.


    Finally, Tethered Soulblade Dancing and A Hidden Soul had straight evolutions.


    Tethered Soul Weapons (M)


    You have refined your skills with soul energy, demonstrating the arts of both a Soul Dancer and a Soul Slayer. By using soul energy you can vastly enhance your bodily characteristics using the memories of other great warriors. Now, apply this same power by recalling the memories of famous and powerful weapons. The user of this skill can create a number of soul tethers, both for tracking individuals and for creating tethered arms that function with the memory of physical presence. Soul Tether tracking distance is based on Skill Level * 50 metres. Number of active tethers is equal to Willpower / 20. Tethered Arms is equal to Willpower / 50. In addition, the user may temporarily sacrifice their Physical Stats or Willpower to imbue a weapon with the memory of another weapon. Power based on number of Stats sacrificed and soul energy expended. This Skill grants +1% Agility per Skill Level.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Soul Concealment (L)


    Soul Magic is directly related to the thoughts and memories of sentient beings. To hide from them is to make them forget you were ever there. This skill allows you to make those of weak will forget your presence. Stealth through soul suppression. You may now extend this Skill to hide others. The more souls you are forced to suppress the weaker the effect. Skills levels decrease soul energy cost by 1% per Skill Level. Number of additional Souls that can be hidden is equal to Skill Level / 10.


    Her smile was brighter than the sun. A little over a year ago she, had been a Rare Class-holder. A step above a nobody, with barely enough power to defend herself, let alone control her own fate, her own destiny. Now she strode the world like a young titan, her brother at her side. The attack against them was proof of that. They were a threat to the status-quo of Etrua. Enough of a threat to warrant an attack that had likely weakened the Duchy that had dared to attack them: House Desmarais. Evindal had spent time explaining the position of their attackers, which was the weakest of the three Ducal Houses of Etrua. Evindal didn''t know why House Desmarais had tried to kill them, but information gathering wasn¡¯t the Platinum¡¯s job. It was Deverell¡¯s, and in lieu of her mentor, it would be hers. The growing business empire she and Nate were creating was already paying dividends. Now, it was time to put that mana and coin to work. And Kiri knew just where to start. The escorts of the Den of Desire absolutely adored Nate. She could understand why. He painted them, showing them they were beautiful, and he never asked for anything in return. She knew he did it for the love of creating art, but for the escorts of the Den, his act of kindness and generosity made them more than a little protective of him. She doubted it was going to take much convincing to have them start feeding her information. A little gold and mana would be more than enough encouragement. She just needed to manage it all. Because for all her brother''s brilliance, for all his power and his generosity, Nate was not ruthless. Even with his clear growth around protecting himself and being less naive about the nature of this world, he would still baulk at eliminating threats before they attacked. She did not share that same reticence. Her mind quickly began making plans and she wondered how she had ever gotten through life without any sort of enhanced Intellect, even as the walls of the Capital loomed in the distance. Consolidate, expand, eliminate. She had her goals. Now it was time to turn them into a reality, even if that meant that Etrua was forced to go through its own rebirth to accomplish it. Something in her chest hummed at the idea.


    *************


    Nate finally started to feel himself relax as they walked onto the University grounds. He¡¯d had multiple concerns as they approached the Capital. First and foremost, would the Guards know what had happened out on the plains beyond its walls. The bodies of the dead Retainers of House Desmarais had been utterly destroyed, their remains buried or scattered to the winds. Knowing he had cleaned up the mess did nothing for his worries, however.


    The Gold-bodyguard''s bodies had been brought back with them, via spatial storage, and Null promised he would handle their affairs with his Father, Prefect Raoult. Nate did not envy the swordsman. Trying to answer his father while being bound under a System Contract that would limit what he could say would be incredibly difficult. Evindal had assured Nate that he would speak with the Prefect as well, but he still suspected he would end up at the Guild, sitting before the Prefects as they peppered him with difficult questions. Would they support him, as a member of the Guild, or throw him to the proverbial wolves? With that worry came an opposing sense of safety. Its source was simple. Aisling and Luc. He knew in his heart that no matter what the Prefects decided, his guardian and his spatial mentor would side with him. With Kiri in the mix, it felt nice to know he had support and friends.


    That however, was only his first concern. The second was if any issues had arisen from the killing of the Guard Inspector. At the time, he had felt like he didn¡¯t haven¡¯t a choice. In Etrua, the nobility had shown that they were above the law. His standing with the Guild should have offered some small amount of protection, but even after the Guard Inspector had been warned off by Princess Morgane, he had still doggedly pursued Nate. The man had even gone so far as to harm an innocent and threaten Nate¡¯s life. Nate didn¡¯t think Koriolos had been stupid. It had been the culture that told the man he could do whatever he wanted to those who weren¡¯t nobility. But going against the Princess meant he must have been confident in his backing. While an amateur at these political games, Nate considered two likely possibilities for Koriolos¡¯s behaviour. Either the man had the backing of a Ducal House or another member of the Royal Family. He didn¡¯t know which it was, and he had no way of finding out. Even looking into the man could connect Nate to his death. Well, connect him even more than he was already connected.


    The concern around killing the Guard Inspector had not caused any problems yet, but he wasn¡¯t convinced it would stay that way. So, when he had sat down in a sealed and warded room with Aisling, Luc, Evindal, Deverell, Frick, and Kiri, he had gone over everything. Much of it was rehashing topics they had already discussed. His room being burned down, being kicked out of the Enchanting class, his interaction with Caroline Lambert, his kidnapping, the battle that came after, the notebook they found and that Deverell had been looking into, their interactions with Koriolos and his subsequent death and how his corpse had been disposed of. Finally, he talked about the attack by House Desmarais. The meeting had stretched into the night and they had paused multiple times to have food and drink delivered as they deliberated over their plans and options.


    At one point Prefect Raoult had barged in to inform everyone, specifically Nate, that he would sit before the Guild Tribunal. The man had looked furious, but Nate could see the grief behind his eyes. Grief and fear. It had taken an explanation from Aisling that Etrua had always been a difficult country for the Guild, given the way they treated the populace and monopolised the ambient mana for use in Dungeons. If things went badly, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild outpost in Etrua could face some very challenging days in the near future.


    Aisling had comforted him, assuring him that it was not his burden to bear. Luc, unsurprisingly, had told him that if they needed to topple a few Noble Houses, that he was on board. There had been mention of looting which had gotten Frick excited enough that Kiri needed to tackle the goblin spirit to calm him down.


    Deverell had shared his findings from the notebook, which, when combined with Luc¡¯s underworld contacts, had painted a clear picture. Someone powerful had been running multiple operations around the country. The slaving operation in Helmfirth was only one such attempt. Deverell¡¯s suspicions were that they had been smuggling manerium, capturing powerful beasts in the Kirshell Mountains, as well as engaging in acts of theft from major merchant factions in Gashana. Finally, the possibility that they had been behind the attacks on Dungeons near the border of Asmuisil. Someone had been accumulating a great deal of wealth, though they didn¡¯t know who. At least not yet. While it all seemed to be criminal in nature, Nate didn¡¯t see how it was relevant to them, beyond the slaving operation on Helmfirth¡¯s doorstep. Still, more information was better than less.


    Luc had happily taken the powerful equipment they had looted from House Desmarais, and coupled with a number of samples from their Runecrafting Business, had taken his leave, headed for Asmuisil.


    With Evindal recovering and Deverell already looking into House Desmarais and the Guard Inspector, Nate had taken his leave of the Guild compound. Aisling accompanied Kiri and himself as they walked towards the University.


    ¡°The Tribunal will take a few days to convene. It will be a sealed room, meaning only the Prefects, the two of you, and any Guild Platinums who wish to be heard, will be present. I wouldn¡¯t worry too much. No matter how they want to spin it, you are entitled to defend yourself. And Nate, I am on your side. Just focus on your studies and your development. Leave the rest up to me,¡± said Aisling. He suspected she was trying to be comforting, but his stomach was doing flips. The Guild hadn¡¯t done so much for him that he had any issues with leaving them, but the same wasn¡¯t true for Aisling. He knew she would go in and fight for him. It didn¡¯t take much introspection to know that he wanted to repay the favour she had shown him. And she had always loved the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, even if she had been clear in her distaste for some of its members. He supposed that she loved the idea of the Guild. He could relate to that.


    Bidding her farewell at the gates of the University, they hadn¡¯t even been halfway to the fountain when Flash, Coralie and a girl he didn¡¯t recognise, but that he guessed was Flash¡¯s lady-love, Celeste, came running towards them. All three bore expressions of worry on their face, but it was Coralie who spoke, blurting out, ¡°Asmuisil has declared war.¡±


    The first thought that popped into Nate¡¯s mind was, should he care?

 Chapter 161 - Convenient Alliances

    Duchess Charlotte Desmarais stared at the pieces of ribbon hanging from the wall. They hung from the painting of a great tree that covered most of the wall. The entire piece had been her design. A representation of the many leaves of House Desmarais. Each ribbon was connected to the soul energy of one of the House¡¯s retainers. Only those who had achieved their Tertiary Class, with a few exceptions, like the Twins, warranted a place among the leaves of the tree. She had created each ribbon herself, forming the tether between the individual and their ribbon, before placing it on the tree. The perfect way to monitor those who served the House. The perfect way to see when a leaf fell from her tree.


    The ribbons could be used in a variety of ways, for those who knew how. If her people were captured, she could use a ribbon to kill them at a distance, keeping the secrets of the House intact. Or they could be used to send a memory or a message back to her. The equipment for such was expensive and did not survive the process so she had only sent Gordon with one of those so he could report his success. Finally, if the individual died, the ribbon would burn away as the soul energy link was severed.


    Yesterday afternoon there had been a little over fifty intact ribbons on display. This morning, there were eleven less. Almost a quarter of the House¡¯s Gold-tier and above fighting forces had been eliminated. It took her a minute to realise that the sound of screaming wasn¡¯t just in her mind as she released her pent-up rage. Rage and disappointment and fear. A ten-man kill squad and one of the House¡¯s three Platinum-tier retainers, all dead.


    Something must have gone wrong. Her first suspicion was Thousand Needles. The operation had only been approved after Gordon had confirmed that it was the Eternal Grove playing escort. That uppity elf was dangerous, but he was not a pure combatant. Gordon should have been enough to keep him occupied while the kill squad took care of the targets, before the overwhelming might of her team finished the elf off. But if Thousand Needles had been waiting in the wings, her forces would have been decimated. That man was built for fighting multiple opponents and against anyone weaker than himself he was an absolute menace. It was the same reason he was so often hired for high-tier Dungeon clears by the other Houses. Letting Thousand Needles loose on an Epic Dungeon¡¯s monster population was a relatively cheap and risk-free method for collecting processed mana. Why risk your own retainers, when you could just pay for that man to handle it? She had even heard rumours that he had lowered his prices even further in the last year, though the heavens only knew why he would do so.


    That had to be it. Thousand Needles appeared upon the battlefield and now her team was dead. Her gamble hadn¡¯t paid off, and instead of one problem she now had three. The little bastards had multiplied. Originally her main problem had been the possibility of those children being granted a Duchy. Now, she had the additional problems of a weakened House and the possibility of friction with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Would they attack her directly? Definitely not. The King wouldn¡¯t tolerate it. But indirectly? Undoubtedly. They would hike up the cost of jobs placed by the House to obscene levels and that was if they didn¡¯t simply have more of her Retainers assassinated. The Guild employed a few such individuals, though she wasn¡¯t sure of who exactly. Her attempts to infiltrate the Guild had, after all, been stymied.


    She restrained the urge to bite her nails. An abhorrent habit that she thought she had done away with entirely. Just as she moved to start tearing the burned ribbons off of the wall, she heard a knock at the door. Her servants knew better than to disturb her when she was in this room, so either it was incredibly important, or someone was about to have a very bad day.


    ¡°Come,¡± she called, preparing to berate her servant.


    The doors opened and were swiftly closed behind the mouse of a girl that had served her ever since she had married the Duke Desmarais. A wedding gift from her useless husband.


    ¡°Apologies, Duchess,¡± muttered the girl softly, unwilling to meet her eyes. ¡°There is a visitor here who has asked to see you. I didn¡¯t think you would want to keep them waiting.¡±


    ¡°Well, who is it?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before her servant could answer, the doors to her private study were forced open. Walking in as though he owned the place, strode the last person she had expected to see. A walking mountain of a man with short blonde hair and piercing green eyes, sitting above a chin carved from granite. Bordain Narthus, Second Prince of Etrua.


    With a casual wave of her hand, her servant fled the room, at least maintaining enough of her head to close the doors behind her. Charlotte used that moment to study the Prince. The Royal Family of Etrua was large, but was one of three who stood in current contention to assume the throne.


    The First Prince, Thane Narthus, was much like his father, the King. In both policy, opinion, and if rumours were to be believed, Classes. He was also the second strongest individual in Etrua, rumoured to be firmly entrenched in the lower gem realms, using standard Adventuring Guild rankings. His faction was the strongest of the three contenders, and he held the most sway with the Noble Houses of Etrua, her own included. They had remained staunch supporters of Thane, after all, she would always back the Royal most likely to ascend to the throne.


    Then there was Princess Morgane, the youngest of the three but considered a genius in her own right. She was a progressive, the very idea making Catherine itch. The Princess had pushed for higher taxes on the Nobility as well as more powerful protections for the unwashed masses. Such would have been ludicrous, but wealth spoke a language all its own and the Princess had a myriad of supporters in the poorer Noble Houses and the upper-class Merchants. It was easy to see how she could gather such support, when she pointed to the success of their neighbouring country of Asmuisil. The merchants saw opportunity and the poorest among the Nobles saw a way to climb out of the pits they had dug for themselves.


    Finally, there was Bordain. He held the smallest contingent among the Noble Houses. It was said he was more powerful than Thane had been at the same age. But Thane had the advantage of a decade on him and that was a tall hill to climb, indeed. His positions were also hard for many of the Nobility to swallow. Bordain, it seemed, believed only in power. For those who lacked it, they would see themselves stripped of land, title and likely lives, as only the strongest were granted Noble Dominion. In Bordain¡¯s own words, even now, the power of Etrua was diluted by allowing so many Noble Houses to exist. Less was more. Less people, more power. Some gathered to his banner, but not enough. So, she wondered, what does he want from me?Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Duchess Desmarais, you have suffered an unfortunate event,¡± stated Bordain coldly, his voice a deep rumble through her study.


    ¡°And what unfortunate event is that?¡± she asked. There was no way he could know. It had barely been a day.


    ¡°Do you think I do not watch the City I live in?¡± the Prince asked cooly. ¡°A team of eleven Retainers of House Desmarais recently entered the Capital. They were led by your pet Lava Mage. They spent days watching the gates, until finally leaving shortly after a team from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild left, led by the Eternal Grove. My spies tell me your team followed them, before setting up a day away from the City. Clearly an ambush. Now, my spies did not manage to see the clash, as they were otherwise engaged. What they did see was the Adventurer¡¯s Guild members returning to the Capital short two members. As for the battlefield? A new grove and signs of blood and death.¡±


    She watched, a sense of horror crawling through her veins, as Bordain looked up at her tree upon the wall.


    ¡°I count eleven burned ribbons. So, they are truly dead. A mild concern for me. A major setback for you.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she hissed through clenched teeth.


    ¡°To save you from yourself. To rescue you from your weakness. To usher you onto the right path. The path of power.¡±


    ¡°And the price?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Your resources. I need to borrow some of your strength to augment my own. I need you to help me kill my sister.¡±


    She read his face, his body language. Shielded as his soul was, she couldn¡¯t read his mind. Everything told her that he was deadly serious. Her gamble had failed. Was this the path out of the hole she had dug for herself? Or simply the nail in her coffin before she was buried in that same hole.


    ¡°And in return?¡± she whispered, already feeling her resolve crumbling.


    ¡°I told you. Power. Which of your fellow Duchies would you like control of when I ascend to the throne?¡±


    She hated herself a little as she waved Bordain Narthus to a seat and prepared herself for making a deal with a devil.


    *************


    ¡°This can¡¯t be the way!¡± Coralie yelled.


    ¡°It is the only way,¡± answered her mother icily. ¡°Every rule I have bent, every action I have taken, is to see us gain the kind of life we deserve. The gifts I guided you to. The tasks I put to the Guild so that I could raise you as perfectly as possible, all with the goal of us ascending to greater heights. Now, finally, we have our chance. You will enrol in the war effort with Asmuisil. Due to your association with the Guild, you will have some say in which cohort you will be assigned to. The King has set all three of the contenders for the throne a front to defend. You will assist Princess Morgane to the best of your abilities. You will do as she asks. I don¡¯t care if she demands you lick her boots! You will do it! You will get close to her. And then, when the signal is given, you will pour this into one of her drinks. With this one action, you will gain us everything we ever wanted.¡±


    Coralie glared at the tiny vial of clear liquid her Mother was holding.


    ¡°Everything you ever wanted,¡± she whispered.


    She didn¡¯t even see her mother¡¯s hand blur as it caught her across the cheek, sending her to the floor with blood leaking from her mouth.


    ¡°How dare you spit on the efforts I have taken for you!¡±


    Her mother continued to yell, to berate her, but she tuned it out. It was nothing she hadn¡¯t heard before, even if it was getting worse. She just didn¡¯t know what to do about it. Her mother was, at least, partially right. She had made many sacrifices to advance Coralie down her path. An ice affinity in a place like Etrua was almost unheard of. The expenses to develop her affinity and maintain it had been exorbitant. She had often heard it whispered that of the three Prefects, Evelynn, her mother, was the strongest. She could have gotten assigned to another Guild Headquarters, in a better country, with more opportunities. Yet they had stayed in Etrua. Coralie had always wondered why. Now she knew. Her mother dreamed of them becoming Nobility. Could she do this thing to give her Mother what she had always wanted? The tears on her cheek had already frozen, her loss of emotional control releasing some of her own mana. Her mother knelt next to her, treating her wounded cheek.


    ¡°Just this one last thing, dearest, then we can finally be free,¡± whispered her Mother, as she wiped the blood from Coralie¡¯s lips.


    It was always one last thing, thought Coralie, already knowing she would do as her Mother asked. As she had always done, even when it tore her apart to do so. Another sliver of hate took root in her heart, but she couldn¡¯t tell if it was directed at her mother, or at herself.


    *************


    Arikanvil turned over the orb in his hand, reviewing it with his spatial senses. It was his first prototype and it was as imperfect as he might have expected it to be. He was no Rune Lord, but he had done the best with what he could. It was enough. Enough to prove that his hopes were possible. That freedom was possible. He could refine the design, improve the accuracy, but it lacked the materials he required. Materials that would be very difficult for him to obtain. The very idea that he, who could go anywhere, bypass any barrier, step through universes uncounted, The Wanderer himself, could not obtain the objects he desired, was infuriating!


    The room shook and he was forced to suppress his rage, lest he damage the research station. His Heralds were not due back any time soon and finding them to draw them back early would come with its own costs. He had waited this long. He could wait a little longer.


    Turning his attention to the green and blue sphere below his orbiting research station, he considered another option. The boy from a Dead Realm and his friend were both ascending faster than he would have predicted. There were risks involved in that. Risks they were entirely ignorant of, on this backwater of a planet in a relatively weak universe. He had avoided going to them, so far. One resonance was an anomaly; two, however, was a sign of things to come. He could descend and give them the advice they needed, and in return they could do him a service or three. The Dead Realm technology had, after-all, paved the way for his prototype. Perhaps the society that created such had other knowledge that could assist him. And with his advice, the pair would be qualified to repay the debt. Reciprocity would be maintained. The System would have its due.


    Sitting down at his desk he began planning how much he would tell them. He needed them pliable enough that the knowledge had value while keeping enough back that they couldn¡¯t escape their debt to him. Reciprocity was difficult because The System cared more about how much the individual valued something than any arbitrary value of a thing. It knew how much he valued his project and therefore its price would be exorbitant. The scales had to be balanced, lest he find himself indebted to these children.


    His calculations came to a quick conclusion. It was too soon. They were close, but not close enough. They weren¡¯t desperate. Not yet, anyway. But, they would be soon ¨C and that was the moment he would strike. With his plans satisfied, he returned to his prototype. He had enough time to create a second one. Freedom was so close, yet so far away, but the space between things had never been an issue for him. He would finally bridge that gap and break free of this cage.

 Chapter 162 - Divisive Tribunal

    Nate stared out the third-story window of the Adventurer''s Guild, wondering what his enemies were planning while he waited for his ostensible allies to decide his punishment. Kiri stood next to him as the pair waited to be called in for the tribunal. Frick was quiet, resting inside of the Familiar Contract. Through his sphere of awareness, he sensed three people ascend the stairs, entering the room after glancing at himself and Kiri. He knew what they were, if not who they were. It had been three days since their return to the Capital after the ambush on the plains beyond the city. Rather than everything returning to normal, life in the Capital had been turned on its head.


    The news that Asmuisil had declared war spread like wildfire. Even as the whole city reeled, the impact was most obvious at the University. The palatial grounds had become like a ghost-town, with a majority of the students taking a leave of absence and returning to their parents'' holdings. For the merchants, that mostly meant villas within the Capital itself. The nobility, however, had fled the city en-masse, returning to their lands.


    Of course, some of the students had stayed, either because they had nowhere else to go, because they were directed to by their families, or in open defiance of their parents¡¯ wishes. Celeste, Flash¡¯s girlfriend, was one of the latter.


    While the University had become eerily empty and quiet, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild was like a kicked ants¡¯ nest. Platinum and Gold ranked teams had been recalled, with some being immediately dispatched with duties to reinforce the Dungeon Forts under the Guild¡¯s control. Kiri said she had barely seen Deverell, busy as he was gathering information throughout the Capital, though Nate noted he had seen almost as little of his sister. She was up to something as well. Nate had simply reminded her to be careful. He¡¯d also recharged her Soul Release bracer. As long as she couldn¡¯t be locked down, she could escape.


    The news of war had also frustrated his mentor, Luc. The man had intended to leave immediately for Asmuisil with their pile of ill-gotten goods and the first batch of runecrafted equipment meant for sale in the neighbouring country. Instead, the Arcane Riftwalker had been forced to remain in the Capital for the Tribunal and the meeting to follow. Nate suspected that the Guild would be deciding how or if it would be involved in the conflict between the two nations.


    He had considered trying to listen in on any preliminary discussions, but the warding on the room kept his Farsight of the Runic Artist Skill from penetrating the walls easily. He could brute force it but that would no doubt set off the alarms built into the enchantments. It was times like these that he wished, for the barest of moments, that he had taken the Skill evolution that would have made his sphere of awareness more difficult to detect. The farsight sphere that let him sense areas at a distance was far too useful to not have been his choice, but if he could hide his sensory ability he might have been able to worm his sensory Skill through the wards and listen in on the conversation within.


    ¡°Just do what they said,¡± whispered Kiri, picking up on his worry as she patted him on the shoulder. Or the barrier that covered his shoulder, at least. He appreciated the gesture, but he was still paranoid about sudden attacks and kept his barrier up at all times, in one form or another.


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied. ¡°Still bothers me.¡±


    Aisling and Evindal had prepped them both for what would be involved in the Tribunal. As they had been attacked, they had done no wrong in the eyes of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild charter. However, the Guild was forced to work within the laws of the country it resided in. In most nations, that law would have been on their side as well, but in Etrua it got a tad murky. The nobility and their retainers were often given leave to do whatever they wished, within reason. The law¡¯s job was to support their actions, rather than limit them. Aisling had gone on to explain that the Tribunal would focus on whether the whole issue should be covered up and denied by the Guild or if the pair would need to be whisked away, potentially to another country.


    Normally, being whisked away to another country might have worked for Nate. Kiri too, as she seemed to hold no loyalty to Etrua. I wonder why, Nate thought, trying not to smirk at the idea. Fleeing to another country might have been an excellent idea, given the plethora of issues that had slowly surrounded himself and Kiri. A dead noble in the form of Fabien Lussier. A dead high-end Enchanter in the form of Caroline Lambert. Some smuggling team working for someone in the nobility. One dead Guard Inspector, and finally another eleven retainers from a Ducal House. Every single one had been an act of self-defense, but he doubted the Etruan Nobility would see it that way. No, it would be best for them to leave. Except for the part where Asmuisil had just declared war and the fact that the Etruan Nation would likely see such high-profile individuals leaving the nation as an act of aggression by the Guild. Because, of course, Aisling, Evindal, Luc and Deverell had all said that they would come with them. Three Platinums and the first placements in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild University Entrance Tournament all fleeing across the border, any border, would be viewed as the Guild potentially assisting Asmuisil. Nate had to quietly admit it probably wouldn¡¯t have helped their case as they picked up Kiri¡¯s parents, which included her ex-Royal Ranger father, as they made their escape.


    So, fleeing the country wasn¡¯t an option. That meant a cover up. That was Aisling¡¯s position, and he had to admit, the more he spoke with his guardian, the more he thought she would do amazingly as a Guild Prefect. If it was to be a cover up, Aisling had prepared the pair for the kinds of questioning that would be involved.


    Before he could continue that line of thinking, the door opened behind them to show Aisling¡¯s face.


    ¡°They¡¯re ready,¡± she said, opening the door further to usher them in.


    The room itself had clearly been rearranged for the purpose of the Tribunal. When he had been in this room before, it had been arranged like a corporate meeting room, with a long table and chairs around it, with a few pieces of ¡®art¡¯ on the wall. He used that term loosely as some of that art was decorative weapons or monster heads mounted on plaques. Maybe a hunting lodge would have been a better description than a corporate meeting room. This time, however, the tables had been rearranged and he couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of a courtroom. The Prefects were arranged in comfortable chairs behind a table at the far end of the room, framed by the largest monster head- a light yellow-scaled lizard of some kind, with the head almost as large as Nate¡¯s entire body.


    Each Prefect had a different expression on their face. Prefect Porter, the oldest, looked bored. From the small interactions Nate had with the man, he was sure the Earth Mage thought this was an utter waste of time. Next to him, seated in the middle, was Prefect Allais. The icy look in her eyes mirrored her daughter''s affinity for mana. Nate had quietly hoped that Kiri¡¯s relationship with Coralie would go in their favor, but one look at the woman and that hope grew wings and flew away. Finally, there was Null¡¯s Father, Prefect Raoult. At first, Nate had worried about him the most. Prefect Raoult had been furious upon their return. The deaths of the two Gold-ranked bodyguards had clearly weighed heavily on the man. But he must have spent more time with his son since then, as the look on his face spoke of gratitude rather than anger. Saving his son counted for something after all.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Without looking to his left, Nate sensed another series of tables and seats which were also occupied. There were twelve seats in total, though only seven were filled. Platinums. Aisling, Evindal and Luc sat at one end, while another group of three, made up of two women and one man sat next to them with an empty seat separating acting as a buffer. Finally, what looked like a lone man wearing a black mask sat at the far end. All their veils were up, but Nate¡¯s Conceptual Insight had been growing stronger, and it hummed to him about the lone masked person. Nate had to restrain from turning his head to look at her. Her, because the Concept of Illusion she was utilizing did nothing to hide her from his sphere of awareness and he could sense enough to identify what she really was. He suspected even the mask was an illusion. He might not have been able to tell exactly, was he not so acquainted with the Concept of Illusion. But since the Illusion Sigil he possessed was Master-Tier, it was easy to see it mirrored in this individual. Either they were less careful than they should have been, or they truly didn¡¯t expect to need to be in their current company.


    Nate filed the information away for later. Finally, Deverell sat alone, with an enchanted pen and paper. Clearly he intended to take meeting notes. Nate kept his eyes on the front of the room as Prefect Allais broke the uneasy silence.


    ¡°We will now commence the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Tribunal. Absence of the Windrunners Team is noted with the additional comment that it is expected as they are on assignment at the border with Gashana and could not return in time. Present are Prefects Porter, Raoult and Allais. We will forgo titles in lieu of names. Platinums present are Aisling Teigland, Lord Evindal Ravalynn, Luc Crozier, Helen Jamison, Kartia Jamison, Portos Jamison and Avery. Deverell Courbet will be taking notes for the Tribunal. The first issue for discussion is the battle between Retainers of the Ducal House Desmarais and the following Guild members: Platinum Ranked Evindal Ravalynn, Gold Ranks Jonathan Stonik and Blaise Hargier, Silver Ranks Kiri Beaufoy, Null Raoult, Brittany Lavaud and Nathaniel Weber. Of the Ducal House Desmarais Retainers, there were eleven combatants, ten Gold-Ranked Retainers and the Platinum-Ranked Retainer Gordon. All combatants of House Desmarais were killed in combat. Of the Guild combatants, the Gold Ranks perished in the battle, their remains recovered by the Guild. The Silver Ranks Brittany and Null have provided testimony.¡±


    Nate watched as Prefect Allais paused for a moment - motioning to Deverell - who quickly stood and moved to hand out some paper to the various Platinum teams. It was times like these that Nate wondered if he should evolve Farsight of the Runic Artist to actually give him vision, rather than just sensory feedback. He wouldn¡¯t have minded reading their testimonies. The pause in the proceedings was short-lived as Deverell returned to his seat and Prefect Allais continued.


    ¡°Finally, we have the two presumed targets of the attack, Silver Ranks Nathaniel Weber and Kiri Beaufoy before us. We will be using this Tribunal to determine the Guild¡¯s response. The first¡­¡±


    ¡°This says the Silver Rank Nathaniel Weber killed six Gold-Ranked Retainers,¡± stated Avery, interrupting Evelynn Allais.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied the Prefect with a straight face, though Nate could sense a slight twitch of annoyance in her fingers beneath the table.


    Avery, the female Illusionist, turned her attention to Nate, ¡°How? The testimony from Null Raoult only loosely describes what they witnessed.¡±


    Even her voice sounded masculine. He wasn¡¯t sure if she was just naturally modifying her voice or if her control of Illusion extended to both light and sound.


    Ignoring his curiosity, Nate opened his mouth to respond, only for Avery to continue.


    ¡°Of the two testimonies, only Null Raoult was able to describe what he witnessed. He says you launched one of them into the sky. Given your history, we can surmise this was done with a Gravity spell. However, redirecting a lightning bolt as thick as a tree into the individual is a far more challenging endeavour. It¡¯s the next part that I am curious about though. Null says it looked to him like the world fractured like a mirror. Then, fractured again, ¡®slicing the attackers to small pieces¡¯. Now, that sounds like high-level Spatial Magic. There was mention of a being that looked like transparent purple blocks being involved. Please explain.¡±


    Nate had been growing more and more worried as Avery went on, but the politeness at the end threw him for a loop. His mind processed the possibilities quickly and he came to a simple conclusion. Avery was interested in his skillset. The solo Platinum, as he was beginning to suspect they were, saw him as potentially useful. She wasn¡¯t accusing him, she was assessing him.


    He let the silence drag on for a moment before answering, ¡°Is it pertinent to the inquiry? I would rather not disclose my Skills, if that is permissible.¡±


    He had channelled a little of Kiri¡¯s litigious nature into his response, but the reaction it generated was instantaneous.


    ¡°It is pertinent,¡± stated Prefect Allais.


    ¡°No, it ain¡¯t,¡± responded Porter. ¡°Kid doesn¡¯t haf ta give you his secrets jus¡¯ cause ya wanna know. That ain¡¯t what we¡¯re here for anyway. We¡¯re here ta find out why House Desmarais wanted em dead, and what we¡¯re gonna do about it. Whose side ya on anyway?¡±


    Nate felt a sense of satisfaction as Prefect Allais¡¯s jaw clenched, but she didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk later,¡± whispered into his ear in Avery¡¯s voice and he confirmed the woman could also use Sound Spells or Skills. Though, he supposed, an enchanted item was a possibility too, if unlikely.


    ¡°So, any ideas as to why?¡± asked Prefect Raoult, directing his question at Kiri and Nate.


    Thankfully, Aisling had helped them prepare their responses.


    ¡°Our only suspicion is that it relates to the uncovering of the two Unseen in the Tournament,¡± answered Nate with more confidence than he felt.


    The room quieted as everyone digested that. It didn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Nothing else? Nothing at the University?¡± pressed Prefect Raoult.


    ¡°Not to our knowledge,¡± answered Kiri. ¡°We¡¯ve had no interactions with anyone bearing the name of Desmarais at the University.¡±


    ¡°And they wouldn¡¯t have,¡± injected Avery. ¡°Their eldest daughter is too old and the rumours are she has not left their Estate in years. She may even be dead already. As for their youngest and the presumed heir to House Desmarais, he isn¡¯t old enough to attend. Though he, at least, is known to be alive, travelling in the circles of the young Etruan Nobility.¡±


    ¡°So, tha reason is unknown. But tha¡¯ don¡¯t feckin matter do it?¡± growled Porter. ¡°Far as we can tell, this was an unprovoked attack on the Guild and its members. An¡¯ it was planned. They even sent in a Platinum to try an¡¯ deal with Lord Evindal. So the question ain¡¯ what did tha kids do. It¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna do to tell the Nobles we ain¡¯ to be fucked with!¡±


    The room erupted as everyone tried to add their own opinion, quickly devolving into a shouting match. At Deverell¡¯s direction, Nate and Kiri moved to some seats on the side of the room. Nate kept his eyes on Avery, even when he sensed the woman get up and move over to join him. She had left her illusion behind, seated where it was, involving itself in the shouting match. Things were getting interesting. He really wished they weren¡¯t, though.

 Chapter 163 - State of the Union

    Nate sensed Avery¡¯s approach, even as his eyes told him there was nothing there. Kiri sat beside him, watching the shouting match between the Guild Platinums, Prefects included. Luc, unsurprisingly, bayed for the blood of House Desmarais. Evindal half-heartedly tried to calm the man down. Nate¡¯s normally calm and controlled guardian, Aisling, yelled at Prefect Allais, the air between them charged.  Prefects Raoult and Porter had both stood and were yelling at each other while the trio of Platinums with the surname Jamison argued with the illusion Avery had left behind.


    It was the last interaction that piqued his curiosity. Personally, he could comfortably split his attention three ways. Uncomfortably, he could manage four. He wasn¡¯t certain of the maths, but he suspected every additional one hundred and fifty in Intellect let you split your attention an additional time. He knew Kiri was working towards achieving at least that much in her own Intellect, based on his suggestion. That was why Avery interested him. Unless she was using some Skill that allowed her to give an Illusion a semblance of her personality, she was splitting her attention three ways. There was the possibility that what she was doing was all Skill based, but he doubted it. She had two different Illusions going ¨C the one that was making her invisible, and the one that made it look like she was still sitting in her seat, looking like a man, and arguing with the Jamisons. That last one meant she also had to be monitoring the argument since it was clear she was responding to what they said.


    As Avery slipped into a seat near Nate, he acknowledged he had two choices. He could ignore her, pretending not to notice, and see what she did. Alternatively, he could let her know he was aware of her, and see where that led. He intentionally ignored his third option, which would be to use an Illusion runic array to try and actively oppose her Illusions. Not only was there no reason to do so, but he wasn¡¯t convinced he could succeed. She was, after all, a Platinum.


    Thinking through his options, he decided to see what she wanted. It meant revealing a small amount of his sensory capabilities, but it wouldn¡¯t tell her how he was doing it. Only that he could. Besides, he was curious about what she wanted.


    Turning his head, as though to look out the window behind them, he whispered quietly, ¡°What do you want, Avery?¡±


    The only reaction was a slight shift in the woman''s posture, though he could only sense it, the illusion still hiding her from his sight.


    ¡°So it was you. I was wondering if it was one of the others. It feels almost like something running its hands gently over me. Some form of mana sensing? Don¡¯t tell me. It¡¯ll be more fun figuring it out on my own. I only have one question. Did you deserve to be attacked?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he stated confidently.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I needed. Let''s talk again soon. Don¡¯t worry about House Desmarais. Whatever the Prefects decide, no one attacks the Guild and gets away with it. Pleasure meeting you, Nathaniel.¡±


    With those words, the woman drifted back to her seat, sitting exactly where her illusion was waving an arm threateningly at one of the two Jamison women.


    ¡°I like her,¡± said Frick into his mind. ¡°Think she can make herself look like a goblin?¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes at Frick. He knew his Familiar was just trying to cheer him up, but now really wasn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°Order! Calm down everyone!¡± yelled Prefect Raoult, finally bringing the outburst to a close. ¡°It¡¯s agreed that, as far as we can tell, this attack was unprovoked. Which means, it warrants a response.¡±


    A grunt of agreement from Porter and a vicious grin from Luc were quickly silenced as Raoult continued, ¡°However, Prefect Allais makes a good point. With the declaration of war by Asmuisil, an overt attack against House Desmarais in response could be seen as the Guild supporting Asmuisil. As such, we will delay our response till the timing is better politically.¡±


    The room erupted into shouts again as Kiri leaned over to whisper angrily to him, ¡°Fucking cowards! They¡¯re going to sit on their hands and do nothing!¡±


    Nate nodded his agreement and patted his sister on her back. Maybe he was becoming jaded, but he hadn¡¯t expected the Guild to rise to their defence. Luc, Aisling, Evindal and Deverell would, of course, but the Guild as a whole would act to protect the whole, not the individuals. A response was warranted, but politics got in the way. It had been a long time since Helmfirth. Over a year at least. But even then, he had seen the Guild''s hands were tied in this country. What could they do? Complain to the King about a Ducal House? In this country, the Nobility did whatever they wanted and only feared the reprisals from other Noble Houses.


    ¡°Quiet down,¡± grunted Porter. ¡°We¡¯ll put it to a vote.¡±


    The old Earth Mage sounded resigned and Nate understood why. The Prefects'' votes counted for two while the Platinums¡¯ votes counted for one. It was a decent system, since it meant if the Platinums disagreed with the direction the Guild was taking, they could overrule the Prefects. But they would need to be united in their opposition, and the Jamisons clearly agreed with Prefect Allais.


    ¡°Those in favour of delaying our response to the attack by House Desmarais, raise your hands,¡± intoned Raoult.


    Among the Prefects, both Raoult and Allais raised their hands. Among the Platinums, all the Jamisons raised theirs, while Avery and his own guardians and mentor kept theirs down.


    ¡°Seven against six. We will delay the response. Note down the votes,¡± Raoult reacted, the last of his words directed at Deverell.


    Nate swallowed his disappointment, even as he sensed Kiri seething next to him. Though, even with the Guild¡¯s ruling, there was Avery¡¯s words and Luc¡¯s disposition to consider. Avery, it seemed, would act regardless, though given her apparent Skillset, he expected it would be covert. Luc on the other hand, was known for doing whatever he wanted anyway. He doubted his mentor would obey the directive. That meant he had a little to look forward to, even if the Guild itself had not backed them.


    ¡°Second order of business, the declaration of war by Asmuisil,¡± stated Prefect Allais, moving the topic along, before glancing at Nate and Kiri. ¡°You two may leave.¡±


    ¡°I request they stay,¡± stated Aisling.


    ¡°Why?¡± demanded Allais in annoyance.


    ¡°They will be returning to the University after this. They can inform the rest of our students of the Guild¡¯s response. Our response will be disseminated to the rest of the Guild, will it not?¡±


    ¡°Fine. If there are no objections?¡± Allais asked, looking around. Nate suppressed a laugh as he sensed one of the Jamisons raise their hand. Avery had hidden the movement of the Platinum and they hadn¡¯t noticed. Instead the Platinum looked snubbed when Allais continued.


    ¡°With the declaration of war, the Etruan Nobility has moved to prepare. While we were not invited to any discussions, we have received confirmation of the King''s intentions. It seems he is viewing this as a method to further choose his heir. The information provided to us has detailed the intention of creating three armies, each under the command of one of his children. To no one''s surprise, the three are First Prince Thane, Second Prince Bordain, and First Princess Morgane. All three have sent requests to the Guild for multiple job postings.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°How does that work with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Asmuisil?¡± blurted out Kiri.


    With an annoyed sigh, Prefect Allais replied.


    ¡°As the Guild is apolitical in nature, we neither support nor oppose wars between countries. In the case of Guild members, the jobs on offer will range from support, to logistics, to actual combatants. For anyone taking jobs that relate to the war, they will receive a token that links to their soul energy and identifies their ranks. The Guild will pay for any token returned, so long as the link remains intact, meaning the Guild member is still alive. This encourages both members of the Guild and others to leave our members alive. It also encourages our members to return to their Guild Headquarters if they are defeated and their token taken. Accidents still happen, but this keeps the death rate of our members quite low. In addition, during times of such upheaval, we often see an increase in more common job requests, depending on how much of the populace is sent to war. Now, if I can continue?¡±


    The look Allais shot Kiri was icy.


    ¡°Of the three heirs,¡± continued Allais, ¡°all three have made job offers that include Platinums. There are, of course, a number of Gold and Silver ranked jobs offered as well. Any opposition to accepting these job posting requests?¡±


    No one raised a hand.


    ¡°If there are no other issues to be raised, that concludes the Tribunal.¡±


    Aisling smiled, ¡°I propose that Nathaniel Weber and Kiri Beaufoy be raised to Gold-rank. Their skills and actions against House Desmarais act as proof of their rank capability.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± laughed Porter, ¡°Seconded!¡±


    Nate could sense Prefect Allais grinding her teeth, ¡°All in favour?¡±


    Hands shot up, including Prefect Raoult and two of the Jamisons.


    ¡°Approved. Since you seconded it, Porter, you can handle the administration. Now, if that¡¯s everything?¡±


    Silence reigned for a moment before Porter muttered loudly, ¡°Concluded.¡±


    Everyone began filing out and Nate heard another whisper by his ear, ¡°Let''s talk soon.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what he had done to garner Avery¡¯s interest, but he wasn¡¯t opposed to seeing what the Platinum wanted. Besides, he really liked her skillset. Illusions were a form of art after all. Moving art. Not quite the way he wanted to focus his Classes, but still something he was interested in, and her application of Illusion had been amazing to witness. Especially since he could see behind the curtain.


    ¡°Let''s get lunch,¡± suggested Aisling as they all walked out together. Everyone agreed and they headed towards one of the inns before gathering in one of the private dining rooms. The moment the room was warded Kiri and Luc started griping.


    ¡°That was bullshit!¡± yelled Kiri angrily.


    ¡°Fucking cowards,¡± muttered Luc.


    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s go goblin-mode on those assholes!¡± yelled Frick as he materialised from Nate¡¯s Familiar Contract.


    Evindal took a seat, waiting for Aisling to take control of the situation.


    ¡°I agree with you. Both of you,¡± stated Aisling. ¡°But for now, we need to plan what we are going to do given the situation.¡±


    ¡°Do we leave?¡± asked her husband.


    ¡°What? No!¡± interjected Kiri. ¡°My family and Coralie are here. We stay and we fight!¡±


    ¡°Against Asmuisil?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°No, against House Desmarais!¡± replied Kiri, followed by agreement from Luc.


    ¡°If we openly oppose House Desmarais, the Guild will throw us to the wolves,¡± commented Evindal.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to change because of the war? How will they fight?¡± asked Nate.


    The room quietened and he was surprised when it was Deverell who answered, the Dagger Dancer taking his seat and looking around.


    ¡°Etrua and its neighbours take different approaches to each other in the accrual of power. Etrua consolidates it in the hands of the Nobility. It does this by controlling a large amount of the ambient mana throughout the nation, directing it to Dungeons, which it then uses to empower said Nobility. The Kirshell Mountains, to the North, take a different approach.¡±


    Deverell paused to glance at Aisling as he said this, and she took the hint, continuing the explanation.


    ¡°There is no control of the ambient mana in my homeland. The mana flows constantly shift and the Clans are nomadic by nature as they follow these shifting mana flows. Our population is smaller, but we make up for this by utilising tamed beasts. Many among the Clans follow Beastmaster-type Classes. I was an exception as a Clan Chief¡¯s daughter with an unusually high affinity for storm mana. The Clans are also as likely to fight each other as they are outsiders.¡±


    Deverell nodded his thanks before continuing his explanation.


    ¡°Gashana to the south is mostly desert. Their population is heavily concentrated in cities. In addition, controlling the ambient mana in the desert is significantly easier than it is in Etrua.¡±


    Nate tuned out for a moment, wondering if the reason it was easier was the lack of geometry within the land itself. Deserts weren¡¯t barren of life, but it was significantly reduced. Did that make it easier to draw mana towards gathering arrays?


    ¡°...the main difference in Gashana is that the gathered mana is not directed heavily towards Dungeons. That is likely because they have far fewer Dungeons than other regions. Instead the mana is gathered and often traded with their many neighbours. They are ruled by a Council of Merchants.¡±


    ¡°Then there is Asmuisil. In many ways, their country in terms of land and denizens, is similar to Etrua. They also gather a great deal of their ambient mana. The difference is in what they do with their mana. Where Etrua directs it to Dungeons which it then uses to empower the Nobility, Asmuisil sells it to their populace. They have far more crafters and the average level of their populace is higher than Etrua. Though they have plenty of Dungeons, likely more than Etrua does, they recharge slower as they¡¯re not constantly fed mana. That influences how the two countries fight and wage war. Etrua uses a smaller number of more powerful individuals. They¡¯ll treat their army like fodder, using it to wear down their opponents. Asmuisil will have heavily equipped individuals and empowerment enchantments.¡±


    When Nate raised an eyebrow at the last statement Deverell answered him immediately, ¡°Empowerment enchantments are designed to direct a portion of the power of individuals to a recipient. They¡¯ll use their army to empower specific individuals to match the Etruan Nobility, who are the most likely high-level combatants Etrua will field. In response, Etrua will likely use a crude militia to attack those empowerment enchantments. That is what we can expect.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s our plan?¡± asked Kiri.


    ¡°I¡¯m still going to Asmuisil,¡± replied Luc. ¡°Not like they can stop me and we have a lot to sell. Not just the Epic equipment but Jacque has been busy and the Guild''s appetite for the runecrafted items is too low. If we can start selling to Asmuisil, or maybe even to Gashana, the coin and mana will flow in waves.¡±


    ¡°I vote we steer clear of the war,¡± replied Nate, looking at Kiri.


    ¡°I agree,¡± she stated quickly.


    ¡°Should we leave the Capital?¡± Nate asked, turning to Aisling.


    ¡°That could make us more exposed, and risk our business,¡± replied Kiri.


    ¡°I agree with Kiri,¡± answered Aisling. ¡°But it depends on what you want to do. Many of the Guild members will take the jobs offered by the Royals and join the Etruan war effort. They will pay well, because they can. The University may close its doors temporarily, which would free the two of you up to take a lot of jobs around the Capital and in its nearby environs. You could advance quickly, while supporting your growing business. But, it is slightly risky. Leaving might also impact your ability to craft as much¡­¡±


    Even though Aisling didn¡¯t say it out loud he knew she was referring to the mana he was stealing from the Capital¡¯s mana pipelines. He might still be able to get a decent amount in the wilds, maybe even constructing his own large mana gathering array, but doing so would take time and cut him off from the resources of the Guild, the University and the Capital itself.


    ¡°Alright, if we¡¯re not running, then we¡¯re consolidating. I¡¯ll be turning the workshop from a reinforced shop into a fortress.¡±


    The smiles on everyone''s faces told him they were happy with his decision. It was only after they were halfway through eating their lunch together that it occurred to him that everyone had deferred to his opinion. Leadership, he thought, was not something he had intended, but for the sake of his friends and family, he would do what was best for them. All of them.

 Chapter 164 - Silken Synergy

    Nate lay on his enchanted cloud bed staring at the ceiling of his room. The normally plain dark stone edifice was instead lit up with swirls of colour that he occasionally shifted into particular shapes. Ships, animals, sometimes just landscapes. The Illusion Shaping runic array was easy to control since his many Intents let him guide the appearance into any form he wanted. The act of creating art directly from his mind, even temporarily, was relaxing for him. Though it was nowhere near as enjoyable as creating lasting art. That meant he would visit the Slums tonight. Another shop would become the beneficiary of one of his art works.


    With a sigh, he flicked his eyes at Frick. The blue goblin spirit was sitting calmly on the table, channelling Conceptual Material into a metal plate. The affinity for the Concept of Space was already emanating off the Rare material and it would continue to grow over the next few weeks. The metal plate was to be his first Mythic material, utilising his Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil. Frick caught his glance and morphed his nose into one single large nostril before pretending to pick it with a clawed finger.


    Nate rolled his eyes but didn¡¯t miss the message. He was putting off his planning because he was still a little annoyed about the outcome of the Tribunal. The Prefects had agreed to a Guild response against House Desmarais when it was convenient, which was just another way of saying never. Logically, Nate knew that Luc would respond anyway. Avery too, probably. He didn¡¯t know the Platinum Illusionist well enough to be confident in the woman''s assertions. Then again, he also didn¡¯t have a reason to think she was lying. Certainly, Luc, Aisling and Evindal had all believed him when he told them what Avery had said to him.


    Still, even knowing someone was going to respond, he was angry at Prefects Allais and Raoult for not backing him. He was a member of the Guild. A Gold-ranked member now, in fact. And even knowing that, they had backed down. Their response was infuriating.


    Calming himself down, he realised worse than their response was his reaction to it. He was letting it distract him from doing the things he wanted to do. His art, planning his skill development, runecrafting or spending time with Kiri or Britt.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said to Frick.


    ¡°No problemo, Boss man. Seemed like you were getting stuck in your head again! So, what¡¯s the plan? We gonna gut our enemies? Wage war goblin-style on them!¡±


    Nate laughed, ¡°That depends. Does goblin-style involve trying to attack using overwhelming numbers and then fleeing when we get stomped?¡±


    ¡°Nah Boss. Goblins can be sneaky. Let''s blow up their house!¡±


    Nate gave it a moment of thought. Blowing up the House Desmarais estate would certainly be cathartic. Destroying their lands had the added benefit of potentially removing an enemy that had shown they were willing to have him killed. But was it the best use of his time? Especially when Luc would act.


    ¡°Put it down as an option. I want to see what Luc and Avery do first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Boss. Whatcha going to do then?¡± asked Frick.


    ¡°Skill development planning. Then Britt.¡±


    Frick smirked in response, ¡°Boss, sometimes, I think you have your priorities the wrong way around. We could go goblin-mode on your enemies, then you could go goblin-mode on your girlfriend. After that you could do a little planning!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can use goblin-mode in two different contexts like that. They mean different things,¡± Nate grumbled in response. ¡°Besides, I like planning my development. If I didn¡¯t do it before I went and saw Britt I would be distracted. Splitting my attention while I am with her seems a little disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°You do you, Boss. Just saying. Goblin-mode is the way to go.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let''s work through my Skills,¡± Nate replied, checking to make sure his runecrafted anti-scrying cube was charged. Satisfied they wouldn¡¯t be spied on, with sounds unable to escape a barrier around his room, he started going over his Status sheet.


    ¡°Conceptual Insight still has a little way to go till its next evolution, but currently it¡¯s helping me raise the tier of my Sigils, and identifying Concepts. Thoughts?¡±


    Frick remained silent, looking deep in thought. Nate appreciated that when it was time to put in the work, his Familiar took his questions seriously.


    ¡°Is the goal evolution or synergy?¡± Frick asked after a few more seconds.


    Nate acknowledged the question before giving it serious consideration. He had been wondering the same thing. Kiri had pulled him aside long enough to go over her new Skills after the battle. His sister¡¯s Skills had condensed down but grown powerful through their Synergies. The ability to gain permanent Stat increases that stacked with Stat Orbs was incredibly powerful. While the change might impact her burst capability, that paled in comparison to the benefits she was gaining by potentially increasing her base Stats and the impact of Stat multipliers.


    Glancing at his Status again, he counted his Skills. Twelve of them, with two more to come from his Realmwalker Class by level sixty. Was he spreading himself thin by trying to advance them all separately? Synergies had always granted almost all of the effects of the Skills that they combined from. It would also make them faster to advance if he could focus on one Skill instead of splitting his focus across two to three. That was the factor that made the decision an easy one. He had reached level fifty across his Classes, which put his Class level ahead of every single one of his Skill levels. He needed to evolve a Skill beyond Mythic if he wanted to achieve a tier-up when he unlocked his Tertiary Class.


    At this particular moment, he had no idea how to get a Skill to evolve beyond Mythic, but he intended to figure it out. Decision made, he glanced at Frick.


    ¡°Synergies first. Conceptual Insight should be able to be folded into Farsight of the Runic Artist.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Boss. Same goes for Conceptual Material and Material Shaping. Could probably already do those actually, with your little trick.¡±


    Nate paused to assess his Class Core, using his sphere of awareness to determine the locations of the two Skills. They weren¡¯t too far apart, but he was still going to injure himself forcing the Skills to combine. He would need Kiri around so he could heal himself by using his Life Drain runic array on her. His minor healing spell probably wouldn¡¯t be enough to get the job done on its own.


    ¡°Alright. Conceptual Spatial Empowerment and Space Is All Around You should combine easily as well. I¡¯ll get some easy levels in the latter first though. Maybe even evolve it once before I try and get them to synergise,¡± Nate explained.


    ¡°What about Conceptual Runic Creation and Conceptual Runic Artistry?¡± asked Frick.


    ¡°Should include Conceptual Intent with them,¡± Nate replied, thinking about how the three main Skills that he used to create runes should be folded into a single Skill.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that one first actually,¡± Nate continued. ¡°They¡¯re all similar Skill Level and the result should be pretty amazing. The Skill they become will also be one of the closest to the level sixty evolution and should help me decide on the path forward.¡±


    ¡°That just leaves True Teleportation and Empowered Amplified Magic,¡± Frick commented.


    ¡°Both need to be aligned to my Embodiment,¡± Nate stated confidently. ¡°I know I wanted to try for Creative, but I think Conceptual as an Embodiment might be an even better fit. It¡¯s what I do, right? Every rune or runic array I create is about manipulating Concepts. Even my art incorporates them, as will my plans for creating ¡®living¡¯ art. Thoughts?¡±


    Nate turned back to look at Frick to gauge his Familiar¡¯s response.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right, Boss. Especially since your current Embodiment is fragmented. You got any idea how you¡¯re going to evolve True Teleportation towards being Conceptual?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making it,¡± Nate commented offhandedly. He hadn¡¯t shared his plans for the spatial affinity metal plate with Frick yet, but the intention was for it to be the keystone piece for creating his first spatial portal.


    Rather than try and pry into the details, Frick just grunted his acknowledgement, ¡°Sounds like you got your plans, Boss. What now?¡±


    ¡°Kiri,¡± Nate said with a grin, sending his farsight sphere of awareness to try and find his sister. She wasn¡¯t in her room so he sent the sphere of awareness towards the combat grounds as he formed a runic array that combined the Sigils for Space and Sound. Unsurprisingly, he found Kiri engaged in a bout using the desert setting. She was beating on some poor guy wielding a sword. He didn¡¯t need to wait for long for his sister to finish the match. Ignoring the guy groaning on the sand, Nate started sending a whisper of his voice through the runic array, effectively whispering to Kiri from the other side of the University. A moment later he watched as Kiri excused herself from the combat fields.


    Dropping his focus on Kiri, Nate started preparing his room. She wouldn¡¯t show off how far she could teleport using her One Soul Two Realms Skill, which meant she would need to jog over to his room. He was fully expecting there to be blood, as with every other time he had forcibly combined his Skills. That was more than enough reason to remove his robe and make sure that any mess he created was nowhere near his artworks. Certainly, some artists used blood as a medium, but he was not one of them.


    Kiri arrived a few minutes later, barging in with a grin.


    ¡°What is it? We going after you-know-who?¡± she asked excitedly.


    Closing the door behind her, Nate gave a small shake of his head, ¡°No. Not yet at least. I was going to forcibly combine some Skills and I needed something to drain to heal any wounds.¡±


    Kiri looked deflated at first but perked back up as he finished his explanation.


    ¡°Forced synergies? You¡¯ve mentioned it before, but you know that¡¯s not normal right? Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    Nate tried not to smile and failed utterly. Kiri¡¯s tone was completely at odds with her words. While her words sounded like she thought his plan was a bad idea, her tone said that she was completely on board. Just like his best friend to encourage him to do something risky. At least this time he wasn¡¯t doing it while fighting.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s like they taught us in Skill Development and the Mana and Affinities subjects. Our intent helps guide our Skill evolutions and synergies. I¡¯m just being a bit more forceful about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it then! Just, you know, don¡¯t explode too much of your body,¡± Kiri replied, relaxing near him before she glanced down slightly and grinned. ¡°Silk underwear! I knew it!¡±


    He grumbled, ¡°Should¡¯ve just damaged my robe¡­it would have fixed itself.¡± At the same time he manifested his Life Drain runic array and connected it to Kiri,


    ¡°Does Britt have anything to say about them?¡± teased Kiri, indicating his blue silk underwear.


    ¡°She asked if I could get them in red,¡± Nate replied, tuning out her response as he began to focus on his Class Core.


    Flowing mana into his three Skills it was easy to see that Conceptual Intent, Conceptual Runic Creation and Conceptual Runic Artistry were all physically close to each other. The only challenge was going to be making the three of them overlap enough to combine. In his previous attempts, he had only tried to move two Skills at once. Moving three shouldn¡¯t be much more of a challenge. A moment later he realised just how right he was. The three Skills overlapped within seconds, the surface of his Class Core shifting as the bumps that indicated the Skills physically combined. A second later he was staring at the ceiling, trying very hard to focus on maintaining his Life Drain runic array as he was wracked by pain. Once more, he was thankful for investing in his Constitution and Endurance Stats. Without them he wasn¡¯t sure he would have remained conscious.


    Up until this moment he had thought that the reason for the explosion was due to how far he was forced to move the Skills across his Class Core. That hypothesis had been based on two attempts so it was easy to see why he had made that mistake. The first time he had combined Skills, while blinded and fighting the demon Xalvoloth, the Skills had been an Epic and a Mythic. The wound had been so bad he almost died from it.


    The second time, when fighting in the Fourth Hell, he had combined two Epic Skills. Looking back at it, the wound had not been as debilitating. Life-threatening, certainly, but the injury hadn¡¯t slowed him down too much.


    This third attempt had combined three Mythic Skills and it told him that the level of the Skills and their tier were the most important factors in how much damage the forced synergy caused. Being tied to Kiri¡¯s lifeforce was slowly knitting his stomach back together, but he was pretty sure the underwear was a write-off. Maybe he could clean them if he had a Sigil for Blood, he thought idly, recognising his mind was wandering from the blood loss.


    Kiri¡¯s face appeared above his and there was a slightl look of worry on her face, ¡°Your soul energy seems stable¡­you¡¯re not dying on me, right?¡±


    The pain was subsiding, albeit slowly, so his teeth ground together more than he would have liked as he replied, ¡°Not..dying¡­just¡­hurts. A lot.¡±


    The worry on his sister¡¯s face transformed from worry into amusement, ¡°Good. That was like, the most spectacularly stupid thing I have ever seen.¡±


    Nate nodded his agreement, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Aisling.¡±


    Kiri looked thoughtful, ¡°...what about Luc?¡±


    With a pained sigh he tilted his head to the side, trying to get comfortable on the stone floor, ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Luc¡¯s going to get a good laugh out of this. Did it at least work?¡± Kiri asked, sitting down by his head as he used the lifeforce in her body to repair his own.


    Glancing at the notification hovering in the corner of his vision, he tilted his head slightly to smile at his sister, ¡°It did.¡±


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Conceptual Intent (Mythic) Skill, Conceptual Runic Creation (Mythic) Skill and your Conceptual Runic Artistry (Mythic) Skill. Combine these Skills to gain Conceptual Runic Mastery (Mythic) Skill.


    Proceed?


    He selected yes, before going over his new Skill description.


    Conceptual Runic Mastery 1 > 48


    Conceptual Runic Mastery (Mythic)


    As a Runic Artist you have emphasised your deep connection with the Concepts of reality. The truths of the universe are yours to mould and through runes you tame these truths and make them your own. This Skill is the ultimate expression of what it means to create runes, allowing the user to create runes or runic arrays. This Skill allows the user¡¯s runes and the Concepts and Sigils involved to aspect the mana of any runes projected. Mana aspecting will increase the power of any runes created. Mana aspecting is equal to 10 plus Skill Level * 1.5% resulting in an equivalent increase in the rune¡¯s power. Mana Cost for rune creation decreases by 2% per Skill Level. The user of this Skill may permanently imbue a number of Intents in any rune they create as well as adding additional Subconcepts to the rune. Number of intents able to be imparted to dynamic runes is equal to Intellect / 8. Number of intents able to be imparted to any permanent runes is equal to Intellect / 16. Number of additional Subconcepts that can be added is equal to Intellect / 100. Increases Intellect by 1% per Skill Level. All runes created gain 10% of Dexterity and 10% of Creativity as Magic Power. Dexterity and Creativity to Magic Power conversion increases by 1% per Skill Level. Additionally grants 15% Creativity. Concepts embedded in runes increase the power of the rune by 10% plus 0.5% per Skill Level.


    He smiled, ignoring the pain in his stomach as he slowly knitted himself back together. He had lost nothing and gained everything he wanted. The bonus Magic Power from Conceptual Runic Artistry now applied to all his runes, not just runic arrays. Additionally, the Mana Aspecting effects from two of his Skills had combined, doubling the bonus to the power of his runes. Between the two bonuses he was now confident that, even at mana parity, his runes would now be able to match equivalent spells. No longer would he need to gush mana like a sieve.


    Kiri smirked at him and patted his head before laying down on his enchanted cloud bed and waiting for him to finish stitching himself back together. It was good to progress, he thought, but better to do it with family.

 Chapter 165 - Spy Trade

    Luc sat across the table from Minister Elect Gloria and tried not to smirk. The Minister¡¯s aides were inspecting Nate and Jacque¡¯s creations along with a few extra goodies that Luc had picked up on the way.


    In the past, he would have dragged the trip to Asmuisil out, spending some time on a mount or with a caravan. Spatial spells and skills were mana-intensive and he had focused his Skill evolutions on better control and reducing the mana cost based on the size of the arcane rifts he ripped open. For his battle-style it made perfect sense, since you didn¡¯t need a big spatial rift to slip a needle through.


    Those choices meant that his ability to cross long distances with his arcane rifts were expensive in terms of mana usage. To make matters worse, his Mana Absorption Stat was basically garbage, especially in the context of his Mana Reserve and Magic Control Stats. His Stats were the reason that the first thing he had ever asked Nate to make him was the Mana Gathering Array. Mana Absorption didn¡¯t function as some flat value that enforced a maximum absorption rate. Instead, it was influenced by the density of the surrounding ambient mana. So, having a large stockpile of full mana gems meant that Luc now could casually use his Controlled Arcane Rift Creation Skill to cross long distances and not have to worry about running out of mana.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t come directly to Asmuisil. He had made a slight detour. House Desmarais had crossed a line when they went after his mentee. They¡¯d made an enemy for life when they had tried to kill Luc¡¯s endless pot of mana and gold. So when his on-again-off-again paramour, Avery, had approached him about performing a calculated strike against House Desmarais, he had jumped at the chance.


    Luc was regularly hired by the Noble Houses of Etrua to perform dungeon clears and collect the processed mana. The reason he was hired so frequently was because of how efficient he was. As long as he knew what he was fighting, he could prepare appropriate toxins to coat his needles, then decimate a dungeon''s population in a matter of hours. He was also a Mage Specialist, which meant most of the rewards he would acquire were Magic related. The result was the Noble Houses received exactly what they wanted, while minimising any risk to their own forces.


    Dungeons accounted for a large proportion of any Noble House¡¯s power and income, so it was House Desmarais¡¯ Dungeons that Luc and Avery had targeted. Within the Adventurer¡¯s Guild upper echelons, it was an open secret that Avery specialised in removing individuals ¨C permanently. Though she rarely showed the full breadth of her abilities and Skills, she was difficult to detect even when she wasn¡¯t making an effort to hide herself. Luc had to acknowledge he probably didn¡¯t even know what she really looked like. Sure, he had seen a face more than once, but he had no reason to believe that even in the throes of their passions that she had revealed her true appearance. If he was her, he wouldn¡¯t have. Not that he minded, of course.


    However, what most people didn¡¯t know was that Avery had incredibly refined hearing. Something about manipulating sound, Luc guessed. Coupled with the ability to create illusions, they made a truly diabolical pairing. They had taken not one, but two of House Desmarias¡¯s Dungeon Forts by surprise. With a small application of sleeping poison, the defenders had been suppressed. Then upon entering the Dungeons, Avery had used her hearing to make a perfect map of the High-Rare and Low-Epic Dungeons. Creating an illusionary map for Luc to look at with identifying marks of the enemies down to the details of their appearance had gifted him the ability to simply kill everything within the Dungeon. Even the Challenges had succumbed to his toxins within minutes.


    After collecting the rewards, he had set up multiple mana gathering arrays all made for him by Nate, to further drain the Dungeon. In and out within a couple of hours and the Duchy would likely spend at least a month trying to recover.


    Avery had vanished then, as was her way. Luc had continued on to Asmuisil and the many rewards were laid out along with the creations of the Artist¡¯s Emporium. The name was a work in progress, but Luc was confident that Kiri would bring Nate around to it. Luc would keep his cut for the work with the Dungeon loot, but he intended the rest to go back to the business. They tried to kill Nate and the least Luc could do was make sure the kid got paid for it. Though, it did hurt to part with the gold and mana. Never let it be said, though, that Luc was incapable of investing in the future.


    Luc looked up as the whispering finally reached a crescendo. It was finally time to make a deal.


    ¡°Mister Crozier,¡± said Gloria, brushing a stray lock of grey hair behind her ear before focusing on him with her striking golden eyes. ¡°Do you know much about my background?¡±


    Luc shook his head. Minister Elects were exactly what they sounded like ¨C elected officials of the Asmuisil Empire. They came from all walks of life. Given Gloria¡¯s role in handling foreign trade, he suspected she may have been a merchant. Assumptions could hurt him though, so he let Gloria take the lead in the discussion.


    ¡°I was an Enchanter. A decent one, but never great. Lacked the creativity to come up with new designs, new ideas. But I was excellent at running a business. Perhaps you can see how that led to my current position. This,¡± she said, holding out one of the Barrier Bracers designed by Nate, ¡°is clearly runecrafted. We have Runecrafters in Asmuisil, though their works are not as highly regarded as Enchanters. Do you know why?¡±


    Luc tried not to smile. If she had asked him that same question a couple of months ago, he wouldn¡¯t have known. But Kiri was nothing if not thorough and had grilled Nate on the details of his creations and made sure that Luc at least understood the high-level stuff.


    ¡°Mana efficiency. Enchanted items are considered more mana efficient and in a country like Asmuisil, efficiency is more important than any other factor,¡± Luc answered.


    ¡°Well informed, I see. Good. I prefer to work with efficient things. That includes people,¡± replied the old woman, favouring him with a small smile. ¡°Do you know how efficient this is when compared with an enchanted item of similar quality?¡±


    The Minister shook the bracer for emphasis.


    ¡°I do,¡± Luc responded and this time he couldn¡¯t keep the smirk from his lips.


    Nate had explained it very simply for both Kiri and himself. The material¡¯s affinity was a very large factor in the mana efficiency of crafted goods. However, getting access to perfect materials for any project was something of a nightmare. Rare materials didn¡¯t grow on trees and rare materials with ideal affinities were even less common.


    Now, Nate¡¯s Skill to apply affinities to materials wasn¡¯t unique. Enchanters often received similar, albeit significantly weaker Skills to do the same thing to gems. But because the Skills were of a lower tier, the mana cost of the Skill was higher. Then the quality of the Sigil used was a factor. The result was a far higher expense in mana to match what Nate could create. Those Enchanters also had to buy their mana, which meant they had to do things like a cost versus return analysis. In the end, it was just better business to make slightly inferior products that had a better markup. Since Nate was stealing mana from the Capital, he didn¡¯t need to factor those thoughts into his plans, and the kid refused to half-ass his creations. As a result, his runecrafted Barrier Bracers were far more efficient than those crafted by his Enchanter contemporaries. Multiple times more efficient.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°The estimation I received was at least three times as efficient,¡± said Luc, the smirk still on his lips.


    Gloria glanced at one of her aides and Luc pretended not to listen as the man rushed forward to whisper something in the Minister¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Three point four times as efficient,¡± stated the Minister. ¡°We do business honestly here in Asmuisil. Alright Mister Crozier, you now have my undivided attention. The Office of Foreign Trade is willing to enter into a trade agreement with¡­¡± she looked down to read a name, ¡°the Artist¡¯s Emporium. I do, however, have a few questions and concerns.¡±


    Luc waved a hand to indicate she should continue.


    ¡°Given the current¡­tensions¡­between Etrua and Asmuisil, I have concerns about your motives. This is a very unusual time for a company based out of Etrua to open a trade agreement with Asmuisil. I¡¯ll need you to lower your veil and any soul protections you have to answer the next few questions. On my word, we will not violate our agreements with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and ask questions not pertinent to this agreement.¡±


    Luc grunted in annoyance. He had known the request would be made. Asmuisil had an excellent standing with the Guild, but his ingrained paranoia reared its head. In the end, the only reason he agreed was because he knew they wouldn¡¯t kill him. Besides, if they did violate Guild law and capture him, Avery would eventually break him out. She might leave him hanging for a few months. Maybe longer if she was annoyed at him. But eventually she would spring him. With a thought he focused inwards and retracted the Soul Barrier engraved on his soul courtesy of Kiri. At the same time, he placed the ring hanging on a chain around his neck on the table.


    ¡°Thank you for your trust, Mister Crozier. If we reach an agreement, it will be factored into our proposal. First question, is this a ploy to infiltrate Asmuisil by the Etruan Nobility?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    An aide in the back nodded her head.


    ¡°Is this sanctioned by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± asked Gloria.


    ¡°More specific, please,¡± responded Luc. That one was loose. It was sanctioned by himself and Aisling. Porter would be fine with it too.


    ¡°Is this sanctioned by the Prefects of the Etruan Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. And by some Platinums of the Etruan Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± Gloria pressed.


    Luc did a quick count in his head. Avery had approved. Porter wasn¡¯t in the know so he technically didn¡¯t count.


    ¡°Four,¡± he stated confidently and received a confirming nod from the aide. He believed it was true, which meant according to whatever skill they were using, he was telling the truth.


    ¡°Can you continue to provide such goods while the war continues?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He was sure of that because he would make the deliveries himself. The Nobility of Etrua had posted a job request specifically for him, given his Skill against lesser opponents. But he wasn¡¯t about to go and kill a bunch of commoners for the nobles. They could eat shit as far as he was concerned.


    ¡°Will this cause problems for the Artist¡¯s Emporium if discovered?¡± asked Gloria.


    ¡°Probably,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Very well. I have everything I need. Go ahead and veil yourself. Asmuisil would like to reach an agreement with the Artist¡¯s Emporium. Are they willing to sell us weapons?¡±


    Luc shook his head. Nate had been very clear that he wouldn¡¯t contribute to deaths in the war by selling anyone the means to kill. Defensive and Support runecrafted items only.


    ¡°Understood. An interesting stance to take, but given the quality we¡¯d be fools to argue the point. Can the Artist¡¯s Emporium provide large-scale defensive items similar to these bracers?¡±


    Luc¡¯s grin stretched wider, ¡°We can.¡±


    He just hoped Nate would enjoy the challenge. Jacque was probably going to be the one who ended up doing most of the work anyway once the kid created the designs.


    Gloria smiled, stating Asmuisil¡¯s desires and what they were willing to pay to see those desires met. Luc valiantly held back tears. Rich. They were going to be rich. He just needed to convince Kiri to let him buy a larger share in the Artist¡¯s Emporium to make sure he got a fat portion of that wealth.


    *************


    Kiri looked up at the painting of Florence. The artwork had been one of Nate¡¯s first pieces after reaching the Capital. Through One Soul Two Realms, she could sense the prostitutes approaching Florence¡¯s room. Turning to face the door, she prepared to receive them. The door opened and three prostitutes entered. Florence, a dark-haired beauty named Natalia, and a lithe young man. All three had been painted by Nate at one point or another. There were a few others he had done paintings for but these three were the most positively disposed towards her brother.


    She waited for the door to close before pulling out a small runecrafted cube. The barrier that sprung up around the room should keep sound from escaping and alert her to any mana-based skills trying to cross it. She would need to rely on her own Skills to handle any soul-based skills.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± she asked the trio.


    ¡°Nate¡¯s Adventurer partner,¡± replied Florence, her eyes the most confident of the three. The other two looked a little unsure.


    ¡°Nate¡¯s sister,¡± Kiri stated, steel in her voice as she dared them to challenge the assertion. When none of them did, she continued, ¡°Nate and I have been under threat of late. So, I have a proposal to make to all three of you. I want you to feed us information. The rumours you hear, whispered by drunken fools between the sheets. Anything you hear that you think might be useful to us. Anything.¡±


    Kiri waited a moment, letting them digest her words. Surprisingly, it was the young man who seemed the most worried.


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t,¡± he whispered, before rushing for the door.


    Kiri let him go. He was a loose-end now, but that was only a problem if he was going to do something with what he had just learned. Kiri would monitor him and see where he went and who he talked to. Deverell would help her.


    Looking back at Florence and Natalia, she raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± stated Natalia hotly.


    Florence nodded her own agreement a moment later.


    ¡°Good,¡± Kiri said, before pulling a box out of her Soul Palace. ¡°This is how you will deliver me messages. Just open the box,¡± she demonstrated opening the lid, ¡°and place the information inside. One of you will need to hide this in your room.¡±


    The box was one of Nate¡¯s creations. Runecrafted to share a space with another box, it would mean Kiri could receive intel without having to visit the Den.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a spot,¡± said Florence.


    ¡°Good, and this is for you,¡± Kiri replied, pulling two small pouches out of her Soul Palace. They clinked gently as the coins and gems clashed against each other.


    She enjoyed their widened eyes as they saw the small mana gems inside.


    ¡°There will be more of that to come. I¡¯d also like you to give me the names of other individuals who might be open to such an arrangement,¡± stated Kiri.


    ¡°From the Den?¡± asked Natalia, the woman''s eyes still glued to the pouch¡¯s contents.


    ¡°No,¡± answered Kiri with a shake of her head. ¡°You two will be enough here. Just keep it in the back of your mind, and if you can, focus your services on those in the Guard or who serve the Nobility. But write down anything that sounds interesting. Anything. Understood, girls?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± they replied, reacting to the steel in Kiri¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Good. Hide the box. Send a message if you need me. Future payments will come through the box.¡±


    As soon as the escorts had agreed, Kiri vanished. It was time to see what the man would do. Perhaps he was already in someone''s employ. Now, that, she thought, would be an absolute coup. Kiri¡¯s smile might as well have been plastered on her face as she followed the Soul Tether she had placed on the man.

 Chapter 166 - Expanding Horizons

    Nate sat with his back against the sandstone fountain as he surveyed his latest artwork. He had chosen a shop specialising in building supplies this time. Cutter, the old sailor, had gotten up from his seat to get a closer look at the painting. Nate¡¯s Brush of a Thousand Paints, fed on a steady diet of mana, had raised most of his paints from Uncommon to Rare. He had coupled the improvement to his paints with his desire to create a painting that moved.


    The resulting artwork seemed to be captivating Cutter, which Nate could only suspect was a good thing. The painting detailed what he thought a construction site in the Slums might look like. Of course, he had cheated, and used his farsight sphere of awareness to study such a location. Given his cheating, he was confident he had created a fair rendition of a construction site. But then he had included a runic array made from the Illusion, Fluid and Shape Sigils. Guided by his intent, it would return the paints to a fluid state occasionally, before reshaping them into similar renditions with different positions. Once done, the paint would harden again. The result was a painting that shifted every now and then, making the workers seem alive. With his forty-eight intents he had been able to impart over ten similar but different paintings, letting it swap between the images in a specific sequence.


    The delay between each image was the time it took for the runic array to recharge. To say he was pleased with the results was a gross understatement. Cutter seemed to agree, running a finger over the paint after it had finished moving.


    ¡°What ¡®appens if they touch it while it¡¯s movin¡¯?¡± Cutter asked.


    ¡°Not sure. If some kids mess it up, I can fix it though,¡± replied Nate.


    ¡°Lad, some o¡¯ the adults are as likely to touch it as tha kids. Stupidity ain¡¯ got an age expiration on it.¡±


    Nate smiled. Cutter was aptly named.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it in your capable hands,¡± Nate quipped.


    ¡°Jus¡¯ like a kid to make more work fer us old folks, ain¡¯ it? Aight lad, I¡¯ll ¡®andle it. ¡®Specially if ya gonna come down ¡®ere an¡¯ fix it.¡±


    Nate smiled and nodded, before his mood plummeted. In his paranoia, he was constantly scanning their surroundings with his farsight sphere of awareness. He¡¯d just spotted the third crying mother of the night.


    ¡°The war, Cutter. How bad is it down here?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Third one of meh lifetime, lad. They¡¯re all tha same. Nobles piss off some foreign power or decide one of ¡®em has somethin¡¯ they want. War breaks out. Then tha recruiters come. Makin¡¯ promises of pay and food. Mana to advance. Tha desperate an¡¯ tha dumb leap at it. Want ta guess who¡¯s gonna pay tha butchers bill?¡±


    ¡°The common folk,¡± Nate answered.


    ¡°Nah, lad. Us. Slummers. Tha ones tha¡¯ ain¡¯ got nothin¡¯ else. Common folk be livin¡¯ out in them villages where the manas a bit better an¡¯ there jus¡¯ be one or two nobles makin¡¯ their lives hard. Hard ta fill a bottomless hole, ya get me?¡±


    Nate nodded.


    ¡°Ever thought of leaving? Moving somewhere else?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Aye lad, more¡¯n¡¯once. But gotta get tha whole family ta move. Ain¡¯ cheap an¡¯ most places wouldn¡¯t take us. An¡¯ now that tha countries are at war it¡¯s too late. Might try ¡®gain after its over.¡±


    ¡°Your grandson avoided the recruiters then?¡±


    Cutter snorted, ¡°That lad ain¡¯ dumb or desperate. Unlike his father. He ain¡¯ a bad man, ya get me. Jus¡¯ a fool. Meh daughter coulda done better but tha hearts a fickle thing, ain¡¯ it?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Nate agreed, his thoughts straying to Britt.


    ¡°Ya got tha¡¯ look in your eyes ¡®gain, lad. Go on. Off wit ya. Ya dun need an old mans worries and ya left meh plenty to enjoy,¡± grunted Cutter, looking over the moving painting again.


    Nate smiled, ¡°Night, Cutter.¡±


    Rather than respond Cutter just shooed him away.


    Nate acknowledged the old man''s point. He had some work to do back at the workshop. Tomorrow was the day when he would make his suggestions to Britt. He needed to be ready.


    Pausing before he teleported away, he glanced back at the old man, ¡°Cutter, could you find me a few kids who haven¡¯t gotten their classes yet? Smart kids, who might want a job.¡±


    Cutter nodded, still looking over the painting, ¡°Send em to ya shop near tha Guild in a few days, aye.¡±


    With Cutter¡¯s agreement, Nate activated True Teleportation, vanishing into thin air.


    *************


    Nate guided Britt into his workshop. True to his word, he had spent the last few days improving the defences. It would be weeks, maybe months, before he was satisfied with the alterations. His and Kiri¡¯s safety, however, was worth any price. It was a level of safety he hoped his girlfriend would also accept.


    The layout of the two-storey building had changed when Kiri had asked for some space for an office. In response, Nate had dug out a second basement and relocated Jacque into the first basement as his area of the workshop. The second basement was now a storage area for materials and finished creations. That left the ground floor for Kiri¡¯s office and samples of runecrafted goods. Finally, Nate¡¯s own workshop was on the second floor.


    ¡°So, this is where the magic happens?¡± quipped Britt.


    He nodded, ¡°I guess so. Come on. I¡¯ll show you my work area and then we can relax and chat.¡±


    ¡°So serious,¡± Britt replied with a sly smile. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think you were trying to get me out of my armour.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Nate agreed with a straight face. His reasons might not be what Britt was expecting though.


    The war with Asmuisil was starting to build up steam in the Capital causing crime to shoot through the roof. Of course, he suspected that wasn¡¯t the only reason Britt was wandering around armoured. She hadn¡¯t said anything explicitly to him, but he could tell she was suffering after almost dying. A feeling he could strongly relate to, given his own experiences. Which was why he had brought her to his workshop in the first place.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Walking up the stairs to his workshop, he enjoyed the look on Britt¡¯s face as her eyes widened. The walls were covered with runic schematics from various ideas. Piles of Uncommon and Rare materials littered multiple workbenches. At the back of the room lay his spatial affinity plate.  Additionally, the ambient mana in the room was significantly higher, mostly to keep his various runic wards and protections charged.


    The room had everything from reinforcement and durability runes to barriers and anti-spying protections covering both mana and soul Skills. He wished he had a Sigil for Demonic or Celestial energy so he could truly cover all avenues of attack. Finally, there were weapon system runes built into the ceiling with specific targeting runic arrays. If someone entered his workshop that wasn¡¯t Jacque, Kiri or Frick, or without Nate present, they were going to have a very bad day. If they were weak enough, it would be their last day.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what I expected,¡± stated Britt, spinning around to face him.


    ¡°Confusing?¡± asked Nate looking around at the scattered paraphernalia.


    ¡°No, a mess,¡± replied Britt kindly. ¡°Your mind is always going so fast. I bet you know where everything in the room is. But to anyone else, this would be a mess. That¡¯s just, very you. You get distracted a lot.¡±


    Nate debated arguing but even after two seconds with all his attention given to Britt¡¯s point he found it hard to refute. He was distractible. There was just so much he could be working on and only so many hours in the day.


    ¡°Okay, fair point,¡± he acknowledged.


    ¡°So, going to help me get my armour off?¡± she asked, giving him a saucy smile.


    ¡°Soon. Can we talk first?¡± he asked, answering a question with a question.


    ¡°Good talk or bad talk?¡± she replied, looking a little worried.


    ¡°Good, I hope.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Can I sit on the table?¡±


    He laughed. He had reinforced the tables to handle far heavier weights than Britt in her armour and with a wave indicated that he didn¡¯t mind.


    As Britt made some space before levering herself up onto one of his workbenches, Nate began pacing back and forth.


    ¡°I told you out on the Plains, after the¡­incident¡­that I had some ideas about how to help you get stronger.¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± Britt replied, leaning forward, her blue eyes attentive.


    ¡°Okay, so, I have been going over how to achieve that and I have a few ideas. Specifically, four ideas. I¡¯ll go through them in order of difficulty.¡±


    He began ticking them off on his fingers as he continued to pace across the wooden floor, ¡°Equipment is the easiest. You¡¯ve seen my Skills. I could encase you in powerful enough equipment that you could punch up at least one tier, probably two. Maybe even three, with enough time. I could probably even make equipment specifically designed to interact with your Skills and, of course, enhance your Stats further¡­though in my experience, the impact of equipment on Stats is much lower than Classes.¡±


    Britt nodded her understanding as he flicked up a second finger, ¡°Second, Skill Development. I can either acquire Skill Orbs for you or give you access to a training area flooded with mana and someone who can push you to advance your Skills. That option also leads to the third thing, which is far riskier.¡±


    He paused to look at Britt and gauge her reaction. Her mouth had transformed into a thin line and she was staring at him intently. She gave a small nod, her entire body tense. He tried not to smile, seeing that she was Stalwart, through and through.


    ¡°Okay. I am not certain if I can do it, but I am willing to try. I have been known to force Skill synergies between my own Skills. I am not certain if the System will take issue with an attempt to do it to someone else, but I am willing to try. I will stop if the System objects. It¡¯s also dangerous, Britt. Like, need healing for the wounds caused, dangerous.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not going to kill me, I can handle it,¡± his girlfriend replied resolutely.


    ¡°Okay. Finally, we can look at¡­modifying you.¡±


    Britt¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Nate paused, gathering his thoughts as he considered the best way to explain himself.


    ¡°So, to the best of my knowledge, a Class Core distributes processed mana to parts of your body. That is what raises your Stats. I do have some proof that is the case. I am not certain what is involved in turning mana into processed mana, but I do know that as you increase your Class Tiers, the Class Core can control more and more processed mana. Now, I don¡¯t know how to forcibly increase the power in your Class Core, but I do have an idea on how to circumvent it.¡±


    Britt looked confused as he rambled and he rushed on to get to the point.


    ¡°The Class Core is just temporarily increasing the ¡®quality¡¯ of your body. We could just make permanent increases to the quality of parts of your body. I mean, I could. Your bones are a material¡­there is nothing to say I couldn¡¯t use my Skill and a lot of mana to permanently enhance them. We could even take it further. I could carve runes into your bones to make you stronger, faster, more durable. I even have ideas for creating spatially-expanded spaces within your body where we could store excess mana. Turn you into a mana gathering array and give you a secondary source of mana besides your own reserve. Coupled with equipment that could make usage of that mana, we could turn you into something that could compete with Legendaries. Maybe even Mythics.¡±


    He finished in a rush and looked at his girlfriend who had tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Unsure what he had said to upset her, he stood stock still, trying to figure out what to say to fix it.


    ¡°You¡¯ve put a lot of thought into this,¡± whispered Britt softly. ¡°Why?¡±


    Nate answered without thinking, ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt. Because I wanted to offer you a way to keep up with Kiri and I. I can¡¯t guarantee you will, but I wanted to give you an opportunity to at least try. If that¡¯s what you wanted?¡±


    Britt¡¯s lip quivered and she motioned for Nate to come closer. Once he was within arms reach of her, she pulled him close and tilted her head back to kiss him. He relaxed as their lips touched and after they separated she smiled up at him.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll hurt,¡± he explained. ¡°Like¡­a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°I can take it,¡± she replied firmly.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll start drawing up the plans and my ideas. You can tell me if you disagree with any of them.¡±


    ¡°After,¡± Britt responded. ¡°Now, help me get out of this armour.¡±


    Nate looked around his workshop and lamented the lack of a bed. He would need to go buy another cloud enchanted bed if this was going to happen more often. Which it would, since he wouldn¡¯t do any sort of body modifications on Britt outside of his workshop. She would need a place to rest and he was less and less comfortable at the University as it turned into a ghost-town.


    An hour later, he was back in his robe, with a bright-eyed and flush-cheeked Britt lying down on one of his workbenches. Between his high Intellect, Perception and decent Dexterity it was easy to draw out a perfect rendition of Britt¡¯s body shape and internal structure. It was important to get the dimensions correct if he was going to be effectively carving runes into her bones. With his hand flickering quickly across the page, he kept up a steady conversation with his girlfriend.


    ¡°So you and Null aren¡¯t taking any of the job postings at the Guild for the war with Asmuisil?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Null wanted to. After finding out that you and Kiri are two tiers ahead of him he¡¯s been working his ass off to try and do anything he can to bridge that gap and catch up. Those jobs have the best rewards, but his dad wouldn¡¯t let him take any of them,¡± Britt replied.


    Nate reached out, splaying out her fingers so he could get an accurate representation of the shape of each digit and where the muscles attached to the bones.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not what Null wants, but I am glad the two of you aren¡¯t getting caught up in the war.¡±


    ¡°Between you and me, so am I. I had it bad enough against one Gold-ranked. There will be hundreds of them in the war. The jobs Null was looking at wouldn¡¯t have pitted us against them, but you know, accidents happen.¡±


    Nate flashed a smile at her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When I am done with you, you¡¯ll be juggling teams of Golds on your own.¡±


    As Britt smiled back at him, amusement in her eyes, as he thought about his plans. He had meant every word. He just needed to increase his output. Soon, with Cutter¡¯s help, he would have exactly that, in the form of three students. Three who might be able to follow a path similar to his own. He just needed to figure out the best way to give them a powerful start. For that, there was a certain House that had crossed him. So wasn¡¯t it perfectly fair that they foot the bill? He certainly thought so.

 Chapter 167 - Learnings and Earnings

    Nate ran his fingers over the detailed drawing that lay in front of him. His earlier rendition had been the first sketch. A guide he could use as he created a set of runes to be carved into Britt¡¯s bones. The runes would be capable of enhancing his girlfriend, making her stronger, faster and more durable. But, of course, he wasn¡¯t completely selfless and if he was going to alter his girlfriend in such a way, why not do something similar for Kiri and himself.


    The drawing of his own body was the one he was currently reviewing as he considered his options. In some ways, he was the most challenging of the three. Britt and Kiri both needed physical enhancement since that was how they fought. It was a simple step to enhance the body to be better by runecrafting the actual body. On the other hand, he was split between mental and magical Stats. That was more difficult. The easiest choice would be to just enhance his physical defences.


    Improving the tier of the bones would be a necessary first step, but the rune carving came with an additional problem. Runes were activated by mana, with the quality of the rune dictating how much mana was required. The result was that the runes needed to be able to be turned on and off. Easy enough for him, with his high Mana Control Stat. Less so for Kiri and Britt who lacked such investment. He had a solution for that problem as well. A solution that was twofold and wouldn¡¯t see them being forced to use their limited mana reserves on their rune-carved bones.


    He tried not to smile at the thought. Quietly, he was more than a little pleased with himself and the idea he had come up with. Not only should it resolve the problem but it aligned perfectly with his planned path forward and he was expecting he would get an Achievement once he had actually proven it was possible. The idea was simple. He would create a separate spatial space within them that performed one task. It would store mana.


    The idea had come from thinking about mana gems. They were basically just hunks of rock with defined crystalline structures that were perfect for attracting and storing mana. It helped that you could even hollow them out and put runes in them to concentrate and store the mana. But ultimately, they were just space to stick mana you wanted to keep for later. So why not create his own space just for that? Furthermore, he could apply a rune that would slowly give any mana stored an affinity. Meaning, he could make the mana interact with the runes carved into their bones even more efficiently.


    For Britt and Kiri, the spatial space needed to be relatively simple, but for his own, with his spatial Skills and affinity, he could get far more creative. The icing on the cake was it would mean using his spatial Skills with other Concepts, hopefully pushing his Secondary Class and his Embodiment towards his goal of achieving a perfect Conceptual Embodiment.


    The project would be mana-intensive and he briefly considered if he should start stealing more mana from the Capital¡¯s mana pipelines. Right now, he was probably syphoning off one percent of the daily flow for that branch. His estimate contained a small amount of guesswork but he was reasonably confident that the true value was in that ballpark. The war with Asmuisil could be used to explain any changes if he decided to double the amount he was stealing, especially if he focused on one of the southern or eastern pipelines as those were the ones in the direction of Asmuisil. Increasing the amount of mana stolen increased the risk of discovery, but it also increased the speed of his and Kiri¡¯s progress. In the end, that was more important. A little additional risk was acceptable.


    ¡°Frick, can you move the mana collection location today to the southern pipeline? I¡¯ll come by as we¡¯re going to increase the amount of mana we¡¯re taking,¡± he sent mentally to his Familiar.


    ¡°You got it, Boss! Operation Mana Bandit is a go! Deploying goblin-saboteurs!¡± Frick replied quickly.


    ¡°Make it larger. We¡¯ll cover three times as much area and see how that impacts the rate of mana capture.¡±


    Frick¡¯s cackle in his mind was confirmation that his Familiar would get the job done. It would likely take him a few hours, though. The little blue goblin spirit had been steadily improving and while his Skill with runes wasn¡¯t quite at Nate¡¯s level yet, it had vastly improved over the past month. Nate suspected Frick had gotten a new Skill that let him better apply Nate¡¯s own Skills. He knew that Frick would tell him when he was ready and not before then. As Frick¡¯s antics went, keeping a secret for a surprise reveal was definitely on the less annoying side so Nate wasn¡¯t going to push the issue.


    Looking back at his proposed designs, he considered the spatially expanded space. It would require a significant amount of mana up-front to create such a space, but after it was created it should remain stable. Mana would be required to access the space through an aperture, similar to his spatial storage ring, but there shouldn¡¯t be any other expenditures.


    His plans brought him to his first hurdle. He didn¡¯t have a Skill for creating spatially expanded areas. He had the option in his Realmwalker Secondary Class, but he had ignored the Spatial Expansion Skill in favour of Space Is All Around You. He didn¡¯t regret that decision, but it did mean he needed to come at this project from a different angle. He was going to have to substitute a Skill with runes. In some ways, he was happy about being forced to take the runic approach, since it should help his Embodiment development. On the other hand, it meant the project would take longer, be more expensive in terms of mana usage and he was likely going to have to perform multiple iterations to get it right. Fortunately, he had a Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil. With a put-upon smile on his face, he got to work on the rune design. One step at a time, he reminded himself, his pencil already scratching away at the paper.


    *************


    Nate came downstairs a few hours later after hearing the sound of Luc¡¯s voice. The time spent planning had earned him some headway on his spatially expanded spaces project but there was more to be done before he was satisfied. Seeing his mentor was just the kind of diversion he needed, though.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t pay for the bracers fast enough,¡± crowed Luc as he reclined in one of Kiri¡¯s chairs.


    Nate had no idea when she had found the time to furnish the main entry, but it looked like some kind of medieval welcome room with comfortable chairs and couches, a few tables that had snacks and drinks on them and a mammoth desk behind which Kiri sat. The desk was covered in loose sheafs of paper and Kiri was currently holding one in her hand reading over it.


    ¡°There are things listed here that we didn¡¯t send you with,¡± Kiri commented.


    ¡°House Desmarais made a donation to the Artist¡¯s Emporium,¡± replied Luc with a smirk.


    Kiri tapped her lips in thought as Nate watched, ¡°Alright. Are you sure you want to include it in the returns? You earned it yourself so it falls outside of our agreement.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy for it to be returned in full,¡± said Luc with a nod. ¡°Though, I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to the additional funds being used to increase my stake in the business.¡±


    Kiri laughed before glancing at Nate and raising an eyebrow questioningly. He shrugged in response. Kiri knew how to manage the business and as far as he was concerned, if she wanted to grant Luc a greater stake in the business for the additional investment, that was her decision to make. She had already been using funds to purchase Uncommon and Rare materials for Nate. Anything to save him time and mana in terms of tiering-up materials. He also knew she had been buying a couple of Skill Orbs he had suggested in the hopes of getting a set that could synergise into a lesser form of his Conceptual Material Skill. The hope was that Jacque, or some of the trainees they intended to bring on, could begin assisting in the workflow.


    Nate watched as Kiri pulled out a fresh piece of paper and started scribbling notes on it quickly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Luc, leaning forward.


    ¡°Calculating how much additional stake I can grant you based on an estimate of how much the additional funds are going to impact our current plans and timelines.¡±


    Luc looked confused and Nate wondered if his sister had been using some of the funds to buy Stat Orbs of Intellect for herself. Either way, he was just grateful that she was handling the business side of things and leaving him free to create. She really hadn¡¯t been joking when she said she was going to contribute by managing everything for him. Lucky. That is how he felt about having her in his life.


    ¡°Two percent additional stake,¡± Kiri stated, looking up. ¡°Nate and I will share the losses evenly between us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy with that,¡± replied Luc, rubbing his hands together as though he could already feel the wealth flowing towards him.


    Before the conversation could continue, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Nate waited as Luc went to check who it was.


    ¡°Some old guy with silver eyes and three kids,¡± stated Luc as he returned, looking between the two questionably.


    ¡°The ¡®students¡¯ you were after?¡± asked Kiri with a glance at Nate.


    ¡°Yeah, that should be Cutter. Want me to see if the kids are suitable?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, leave that with me and Jacque, since he will be handling most of their instruction.¡±


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re expanding? Getting more workers in? Kids¡­wait, you¡¯re going to try and get them a Runecrafter Class, right?!¡± Luc slowly got more animated and excited as he went on. ¡°This is perfect! Let me know what you need from me!¡±


    Kiri glanced at Nate and he took the hint, explaining his plans ¡°We¡¯ll likely want to get them some high-end Achievements. I can help them get some solid Achievements related to runecrafting but every bit helps. Think you can get them into an Epic Dungeon or capture some level twenty-one monster for them to kill? We¡¯re hoping to get them an Epic-tier Class to start. Even though I suspect the runecrafting achievements will be higher-tier, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be enough on their own.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± promised Luc firmly.


    ¡°Alright. Anything else?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll handle this,¡± promised Kiri. ¡°Dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°Coralie and Britt?¡± Nate retorted, curious if they were inviting their partners.


    ¡°No, just you and I. We haven¡¯t had a chance to relax and chat in forever,¡± replied Kiri.


    ¡°What about me?¡± interjected Luc, trying to pull a hurt facial expression.


    ¡°If we want to see you, we¡¯ll come by the Den afterwards,¡± responded Kiri.


    ¡°It was good to see you, Luc,¡± added Nate. ¡°Maybe we can do some training soon?¡±


    ¡°You got it, kid,¡± replied Luc with a grin.


    With the plans for the rest of the day handled, Nate walked up the stairs and back to his work room. He still needed to check on Frick¡¯s moving of the mana theft location and his spatial project had plenty of work left to do before he would be happy with it. At least he had a nice dinner to look forward to. Without him noticing it, he had started to live that life of comfort and creation he had been hoping for ever since he came to Galle.


    *************


    Nate stared out towards the ocean from one of the best restaurants in the Capital. The restaurant was clearly designed to cater towards the Nobility, with the rooftop divided into booths that came with privacy enchantments. Nate had taken it a step further and added his own privacy rune to the mix. The runecrafted cube wasn¡¯t foolproof, but then, from what he had seen, nothing in this universe was. However, the added protections should at least warn them if they were being listened in on and his Conceptual Insight skill and sphere of awareness hadn¡¯t noticed any other listening devices, so they were probably safe.


    The remains of their dinner still decorated the table with some sort of crustacean¡¯s cracked open shell wafting the smell of a sweet and salty meat over the pair of them. The drinks had been just as good and he was certain they had been alchemically created as the flavour shifted based on how much of the liquid remained. Tiny bells that would call a server waited for their attention if they desired some dessert to cap off the exquisite meal. Coupled with the view, it was the kind of life he had always hoped for.


    ¡°So goooood,¡± Kiri said, rubbing her stomach as she reclined in her chair.


    ¡°Is Coralie going to be annoyed that you didn¡¯t invite her?¡± asked Nate with a cheeky grin.


    ¡°I told her we were going out for dinner. I didn¡¯t say where,¡± responded Kiri, waggling her eyebrows. ¡°What about Britt?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken to her since this morning. Will probably use the same line you did.¡±


    ¡°So much for friends with benefits, eh? I could¡¯ve warned you, but it¡¯s the kind of thing you usually need to learn for yourself. Casual never stays casual. It either blows up in your face or it gets serious.¡±


    Nate nodded his agreement. He had intended to stay unentangled and look at where that had gotten him. The thought of Britt triggered some melancholy in him and it was clear from Kiri¡¯s expression that his body language or facial expression had betrayed him.


    ¡°Worried it can¡¯t last?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t see how she can keep up. Even with my plans for helping her improve¡­it won¡¯t be enough to bridge the gap. They¡¯ll make her better. Better than her peers. Probably even competitive with some of the Lesser Nobility, but the difference in Skill Tiers is so much harder to bridge. It just feels like it¡¯s a stop-gap measure and I am delaying the inevitable.¡±


    Voicing his worries felt good and Kiri shuffled her chair closer to him so they could sit side by side and stare out towards the ocean. With their heightened Perception, the darkness wasn¡¯t enough to impede their view of the waves and their gentle swell.


    ¡°I¡¯m the same,¡± Kiri confessed. ¡°Coralie¡¯s in a better position than Britt. She¡¯s a tier higher and she¡¯s been given far more than Britt because of her mother. But even with all the interventions by Prefect Allais and the fact that she is advancing in levels slightly faster than I am because of her lower tier Classes¡­it still feels like the gap just keeps getting wider and wider. I¡¯m okay with that. It means I can protect her. But will she be okay with that? What happens once we¡¯ve reached Platinum.¡±


    Kiri paused, then lowered her voice, ¡°What happens when we unlock our Tertiary Class? If we evolve up a tier¡­whatever that means¡­it could change everything. Not just for us, but for those around us. It worries me. I¡¯m not used to the uncertainty, you know?¡±


    He did know. He put an arm around his sister to comfort her and perhaps to comfort himself. Kiri was a decisive individual. She made a decision then followed through with it unerringly. No matter the consequences. He could see how the uncertainty in their future and in her relationship would plague her thoughts.


    They sat in silence together for a few minutes before Kiri quietly whispered, ¡°When we fought the Golds¡­when I died and was reborn¡­I felt something.¡±


    Nate glanced at his sister and best friend and let his face ask the question rather than using his voice.


    Kiri understood immediately and answered his unasked question, ¡°I was Reborn and I felt¡­more real? It¡¯s hard to describe. But it didn¡¯t feel like it had anything to do with my Class Core.¡±


    Nate looked back out towards the waves and considered the information. Maybe it was nothing, but he suspected it might be their first hint at what lay beyond the Mythic Tier. He would just need to figure out what it meant.

 Chapter 168 - Tome of Space

    Nate tried not to laugh as the air slashes dissipated against his barrier. He wasn¡¯t even attuning his Legendary Barrier bracer to wind attacks. His opponent, some son of a Baron from the middle of nowhere, finally gave up on making ranged attacks and tried to close the distance. Nate quietly admitted that for a Rare Classer the man had a fairly solid build.


    Like Null, who was somewhere else on the training grounds, the son of a Baron was a hybrid mage and swordsman. The swordsman used wind to enhance his movements, increase the power of his attacks, attack from range and even redirect attacks against him. Plus, with the small amount of mana being used, his affinity for wind mana had to be through the roof. Maybe even higher than Nate¡¯s own affinity for spatial mana.


    Nate imagined if Etrua had anything like a duelling circuit, that his opponent would have been decently highly ranked in an under-sixty division. But all of his style, skill and natural gifts, paled before the tyranny of tier and Nate¡¯s absolute defence. The only reason Nate was on the Combat field at the University at all was to grade out of the Intermediate class and into the Advanced one. It might not matter in the long-run, but the Guild would reward him for doing so regardless and a couple of free Stat Orbs seemed like it was worth spending an hour at the University.


    He knew he would need to attack back if he wanted to grade out of the class but he almost didn¡¯t want to. Maybe it was arrogant of him, but he felt it would be like flicking away a bug. Still, the instructors expected it so he activated Conceptual Runic Mastery. His synergised Skill had everything he needed contained within it and he quickly created a runic array using the Sigils for Earth, Shape and Control. With his almost four-hundred Magic Power, he quickly overwhelmed his opponent, the rocky ground beneath them breaking down into sand before swirling around them. The air armour the man used was quickly suffocated and Nate hardened the earth into a stone coffin, keeping his opponent sealed inside.


    Since his battles in the Tournament over half a year ago, he hadn¡¯t found much need to contain opponents without harming them. At least, not harming them physically. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he believed that his stone burial method was more humane than poking holes in his opponents, but he was certain more than a few of them disagreed.


    The Instructor waited for almost twenty seconds before he called the match. Nate broke down the stone coffin to see a wild-eyed Baron¡¯s son breathing quickly in a panic. Some friends of the man came in from the sideline, helping the swordsman off of the field while shooting fearful glares in Nate¡¯s direction. No one had forgotten what he had done to Fabien Lussier on these very fields after all. Maybe a few of them even suspected he had a hand in Fabien¡¯s death. No proof had been brought forward though and Nate had not been harassed by any more Guard Inspectors. He just hoped the whole situation would end up buried and forgotten. He doubted it though.


    Walking off the combat field he sensed Kiri rushing to join him.


    ¡°Passed?¡± she asked excitedly.


    Nate looked at the Instructor who was within hearing distance. The woman gave a nod, ¡°Advanced class going forward.¡±


    Kiri clapped him on the back, her hand impacting his barrier as he raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°What, I was congratulating you?¡± she replied with a smirk.


    They joked as the pair started making their way back to the dormitories. Halfway there they found Coralie sitting on the edge of one of the many fountains found throughout the University. The ice mage was dragging her fingers through the water, and true to her Class, creating small ice flows with each movement.


    Kiri held up a hand for Nate and he stepped off to the side to wait. As Kiri moved to sit down next to her girlfriend, Nate debated retracting his sphere of awareness. He was close enough to the pair that they were within range of his personal sphere and while he could forcibly reduce the area it covered, his paranoia told him not to. He couldn¡¯t react to things he wasn¡¯t aware of and every metre counted. He really didn¡¯t want to listen in on his sister and her girlfriend, but his fear of being attacked won out and he leaned against a pillar instead, trying unsuccessfully to ignore their exchange.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Kiri quietly, reaching out to lay a hand over Coralie¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Coralie started, before falling silent again.


    ¡°Is it your Mother again?¡± pressed Kiri, concern written on her face.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Coralie responded noncommittally, though Nate could sense through her body language that she was already cracking.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to,¡± whispered Kiri.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Coralie whispered back as Nate sensed a tear fall before turning to ice on her cheek. That was new, he thought. Had her affinity improved?


    ¡°Can I help?¡± Kiri asked.


    ¡°Yes, but, I don¡¯t want you to,¡± Coralie stated quietly before Nate sensed her posture break, words rushing out of the petite woman. ¡°She¡¯s making me join the war effort. She said it would be good for my advancement and will allow her to further my advancement with Guild resources. I¡¯m to join Princess Morgane¡¯s army. I leave within the week.¡±


    Nate felt Kiri¡¯s whole body tense up and he sighed mentally. It didn¡¯t take a genius to see what would happen next. Kiri loved Coralie. He didn¡¯t know when it had happened over the last six months, but it had been clear to him for a little while now. His sister was in love, and what his sister loved, she would protect. He knew that from personal experience, given the lengths she went to and the risks she had taken to protect him. She had been willing to stay in Etrua even with their troubles for the sake of Coralie and her own family. She wouldn¡¯t let the Ice Mage go to war without her nearby to rush to her rescue. Which left him with a question that he would need to answer. What would he do, given this change?


    Even as he sighed again mentally he knew the answer. He loved his sister. If she was to be drawn towards the war front, then he would go as well, so she wouldn¡¯t be without his backup if she needed it. He hated the situation, but he couldn¡¯t fault his sister. She was just being true to her nature.


    Mentally, he started making plans. He couldn¡¯t let his work start to slip, or at least not by much. And he wouldn¡¯t perform the more secretive or complicated work outside of his workshop. He moved creating the spatially expanded spaces down from his top priority to his third. First priority now was creating a portal mechanism so that he could access his workshop while in the field. Second on his list was the creation of the much larger runic barriers to be sold to Asmuisil. The wealth needed to continue to flow to fund everything else. Then he could work on the designs for the spatially expanded spaces and his living art designs for Kiri, Britt and himself.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    He looked up as Kiri approached him.


    ¡°Did you hear?¡± she asked.


    He nodded, already knowing how the quick discussion would go.


    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± she stated, though he could see the question in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± he replied in a calm voice.


    ¡°...thank you,¡± she said softly, punching him gently in the chest, his barrier preventing the impact as always, before returning to her girlfriend¡¯s side.


    Nate made his way back to his room alone. It was time to collect his things from his room ¨C the cloud-enchanted bed and a couple of easels and paintings. There wasn¡¯t much else he left lying around his dormitory room anymore. He would just move into his workshop full-time. Informing Britt would be second on his list, before using the unigem to let the University know he was taking a leave of absence. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised to hear they closed their doors soon. The grounds, once frequented by hundreds of Professors, Nobles and well-to-do merchants, were already bordering on a ghost-town. Another week or two and they would be running classes for two to three students. He doubted they would bother at that point.


    The war had up-ended everything and he wasn¡¯t lying when he admitted quietly to himself that it pissed him off. Not just the way that Etrua would supposedly conduct the war, though that was definitely a factor, but how it was delaying some of his own plans. He would just have to make sure that the rewards they received were worth the effort.


    With those thoughts he put his plans into action. Room first, then girlfriend, then Guild. He needed Aisling¡¯s advice on the war and Evindal¡¯s advice on his development towards the Lord of Life Class.


    *************


    Headmaster Verian Thavian Mazet looked out over his University with distaste. The grounds were almost empty. Some of his professors had taken leaves of absence due to the war. Many were second and third children of Noble stock and had returned to their family demesnes to prepare for the war with Asmuisil. He had, of course, expected such, but that didn¡¯t change his feelings towards seeing his institution for advancing humanity laying quiet and empty.


    This, he reminded himself, was the price of advancement. Mythic. The highest power he was aware of was almost within his reach. He just needed to make this small sacrifice and he could grasp it, and his future, in his own two hands. Turning back to his desk, he sat and waited for his liege to arrive. It would be their last meeting for a while and they needed to make sure everything was in place.


    Punctual as ever, Prince Bordain entered within minutes, taking a seat as though he owned the place. Verian acknowledged that in the Prince¡¯s mind, he likely felt that he did own the place.


    ¡°Are the preparations complete?¡± asked Bordain, his deep voice rolling through the Headmaster¡¯s office.


    ¡°Garnet has delivered the final collections and I have her returning to the Capital, ready for your own return. Sapphire has everything he needs now and we should get confirmation that the payment has been made shortly. Topaz has already returned to the Capital and has begun our preparations here. Amethyst is with your brother, Prince Thane. Malachite is in the Castle. Everything is almost ready. Do you want me to send Topaz or Garnet to join your sister''s forces?¡±


    Prince Bordain remained quiet in thought for a moment, before responding, ¡°Send Topaz. Garnet could be problematic. There are multiple plans in place to see the tasks done but adding Topaz should make certain of it. I will need to leave the Capital tomorrow to join my forces. The delayed muster of a few of the Houses has been enough of an excuse for remaining in the Capital, but any longer will cause problems. I expect regular updates,¡± stated Prince Bordain.


    ¡°You will have them, my Prince,¡± replied Verian, waiting till the Prince had left his office before returning to his window. A change was coming and he would ride that change to the heights he had always aspired to. A lowly peasant would reach Mythic.


    *************


    Nate walked towards the Guild Jobs board with Aisling on one side of him and Evindal on the other. Aisling had been displeased that he and Kiri would be going to the war front. The amazonian woman had made her thoughts on the matter abundantly clear. However, she still supported him. The change had been evident for some time now, where the famed Storm Spear of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would offer her advice and thoughts, without trying to control or direct him. The change was both pleasant and uncomfortable. Pleasant because it showed a level of trust and investment in him that he appreciated. Uncomfortable because her displeasure often came with small static shocks and a disappointed look in her eyes.


    Before heading for the job boards, they had stopped to test Nate¡¯s affinities. The alchemical treatments had been everything Evindal promised. The good, and the bad. His previously non-existent affinity for Life Mana now sat at a comfortable thirteen percent. Almost halfway to the cut-off he had set for himself of thirty-percent. Having imbibed six alchemical concoctions already, he was likely going to exceed the twelve that Evindal had estimated. It was probably going to be closer to fifteen. Kiri was already searching for them throughout the city, but she acknowledged that they might need to send Luc all the way to Gashana to get the treatments Nate needed. It was a delay, but it was coming, and in the meantime he still had his Skills and Achievements to focus on.


    Approaching the Gold-tier job board, Aisling answered his previous question, ¡°There will be non-combat jobs for Gold-tiers if that is what you¡¯re set on taking. See which ones you¡¯d be willing to take. I am going to review the Platinum board.¡±


    Nate stood for a moment, joined by Evindal, as he watched his Guardian walk through a guarded door into another room. Platinum job offers were apparently kept a secret from the rest of them. Not surprising since a Gold was a high-tier warrior while a Platinum qualified as a strategic weapon.


    ¡°She¡¯s proud of you, you know,¡± stated Evindal, interrupting Nate¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°I...know,¡± he agreed tentatively.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t show it well sometimes, but she talks with me about you. She¡¯s proud of what you¡¯ve accomplished and how far you¡¯ve come in such a short-time. And she¡¯s proud that you stick to your morals. I am too. Don¡¯t let the Nobles or Royals drag you more deeply into the war than you¡¯re willing to go.¡±


    When Nate just smiled at the praise, Evindal continued, glancing at the job board, ¡°See any that suit your needs?¡±


    There were far more jobs than usual, but Nate had to pick one that would see him placed with Princess Morgane¡¯s contingent. It took a minute to find one that he felt was exactly what he wanted. Noting the job number, he tapped it for Evindal¡¯s benefit.


    ¡°Joining as a Healer?¡± Evindal laughed. ¡°Always a way to advance after all. Here are the things to focus on to get some Achievements.¡±


    Evindal launched into a hushed explanation of a few low-tier Achievements Nate could aim for as well as a couple that would be more difficult but that he should try for if the opportunity presented itself. It was a matter of moments to get himself recorded against the job and he was told he would need to leave for the army muster within seven days. It took another hour to get his Guild Badge set up for the war, hopefully acting as a deterrent to killing him if he did end up getting attacked. With preparations completed, Nate bid Aisling and Evindal goodnight before using True Teleportation to return to his workshop. He had seven days to prepare everything he needed. It was all the time in the world and no time at all. With a grin, he picked up the spatial plate, channelling Conceptual Material as he began planning the designs for his runic portal. After all, he knew how to achieve this goal. It was the exact same mechanism that had seen him stolen from Earth. Pulling out the notebook given to him by Arikanvil, he began to read. It was time to deepen his understanding of space.

 Chapter 169 - Grandmaster

    Nate politely ignored Britt¡¯s slight snoring as he channelled his Conceptual Material Skill into the metal plate. His girlfriend was asleep in his cloud-enchanted bed, now situated in the corner of his workshop. When she had heard he was taking his leave of the Royal University for a time, she had asked to come with him. In response he had handed her a ward key for the workshop. Not only would it give her somewhere to stay other than the Guild compound, but she would need access for the treatments when he started modifying her bones.


    Those plans were secondary to creating a method to allow him access to his workshop while out in the field with the ¡®Bright Army¡¯. The name for Princess Morgane¡¯s contingent had been part of the job notice at the Guild, and given his meeting with the woman, he could see how they had gotten the name. The Princess did have a brightness about her. His mind wandered for a moment, considering the feeling he had gotten from Conceptual Insight in the Royal¡¯s presence. He still could not put his finger on it, but he supposed that for now his curiosity would simply have to go on unsated.


    It was a few more minutes before the metal plate finally ticked over to the Legendary tier and he cut off the mana flow to Conceptual Material, placing the plate on a small runic array that rebuffed ambient mana. The material for his portal was ready, but it would do weird things if he let mana touch it. The spatial affinity was so strong it might even move around the room on its own. He doubted the ambient mana was enough to let it cross his wards on the walls, but he definitely wasn¡¯t going to take that chance. Now he just needed to finish the runic array. The notification blinking in the corner of his vision grabbed his attention first and he brought up the update for his Skills.


    Conceptual Insight 48 > 49


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 49 > 50


    Conceptual Runic Mastery 48 > 49


    True Teleportation 38 > 40


    Empowered Amplified Magic 38 > 40


    Conceptual Automated Existence 23 > 24


    Material Shaping 19 > 21


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment 22 > 24


    Space Is All Around You 1 > 7


    True Teleportation and Empowered Amplified Magic sat at the edge of evolution. His plans for both were well on their way, with one of them sitting in front of him already, on the verge of completion. Material Shaping, however, had already reached its evolution and that meant he could finally look at synergising the Skill with Conceptual Material.


    He had noticed that it was almost impossible for a Skill to synergise naturally if it meant the new Skill¡¯s level would cause it to dip below an evolution point. A level forty-one Skill would not synergise naturally with a level twenty-five Skill because the resulting Skill would be level thirty-three, forcing the higher-level Skill down an evolutionary level. With Conceptual Material at level forty, it was on the edge of evolution, but because Material Shaping had caught up, it  should be fine to synergise after this evolution. At least, he hoped so. With that flicker of hope in his heart, as he would rather avoid forcing a synergy, he moved on to the newest notification.


    Material Shaping (E) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Reinforced Material Shaping (L)


    An artist''s potential is defined by the materials they use to craft, create, and express themselves. This skill enables the user to incorporate reinforcing materials, moulding matter into desired shapes at the cost of mana. Mana cost is based upon both the tier and the volume of the materials being shaped. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Mana cost is further decreased by 10% of the user¡¯s Intellect. Additionally, this skill reinforces all shaped materials, making them more durable. Durability improvement is equal to 10% of the user¡¯s Magic Power.


    Quickened Material Shaping (L)


    An artist''s potential for output is defined by the speed at which they can craft, create, and express themselves. This skill enables the user to rapidly mould matter into desired shapes at the cost of mana. Mana cost is based upon both the tier and the volume of the materials being shaped. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level. Mana cost is further decreased by 10% of the user¡¯s Intellect. Further increases the speed of Material Shaping by 1% per Skill Level.


    Normally he would¡¯ve called Frick back to discuss the options with him. For two reasons he chose not to. Frick was out making Nate¡¯s proposed changes to the new mana syphoning site, which was not something he wanted interrupted since creating a new site was when they had to accept the greatest risk.


    The second reason was the more important one, though. Nate had to choose his own path. The importance of his choices, his decisions, his intent, was becoming more and more evident the further he progressed.


    His discussions with Kiri over dinner and how she had felt more real when she had been reborn had been in the back of his mind ever since. What did it mean? It clearly related to her Embodiment, but the fact that she had believed that it didn¡¯t have anything to do with her Class Core had made him question a number of things. The main questions related to what the Class Core¡¯s function was. He paused that line of thinking. He would continue to go over it after he had handled his Skill evolution.


    The options were really no option at all. His biggest blocker in the development of new equipment and runes had always been how long it took to create the materials he needed. Besides, he had Sigils for Durability and Reinforcement. So if he went for speed there was a good chance that when it synergised with Conceptual Material, that some of that quickening would carry over. When, not if, because he would force the synergy if it didn¡¯t happen naturally. Selecting Quickened Material Shaping he got an immediate notification. Smiling at his reflection in the window he read the blue text, already knowing he had been right.


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Conceptual Material (Mythic) Skill and Quickened Material Shaping (Legendary) Skill. Combine these Skills to gain Conceptual Material Shaping (Mythic) Skill.


    Proceed?


    He selected to proceed without waiting.


    Conceptual Material Shaping (M)


    You have pushed the bounds of the Improve Material skill, understanding the true nature of the skill and then using that understanding to reach beyond its bound, creating a legendary material imbued with an affinity, the underlying concepts that define reality. The user of this Skill is able to push materials all the way to Mythic Rarity and imbue them with concepts of reality itself. In the process, the user may now reshape materials at will, the cost only measured in time and mana. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level for Conceptual Improvements. Improvements are 5% faster per 40 Intellect plus Creativity. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level, plus 10% of the user¡¯s Intellect, for material shaping.


    Conceptual Material Shaping 1 > 31


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    The new Skill was everything he had hoped for. The Skill would now reduce the time to create new materials by sixty-five percent, up from fifty percent. Now he just needed to increase his Intellect and Creativity. He sensed some new Stat Orbs in his near future, since his Realmwalker Class was not going to help him on that front.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    With his evolution and synergy handled, he let his mind return to the latest question plaguing his thoughts. The Class Core, what was it truly? The System clearly made sure every sentient creature had one. How it knew an existence possessed sentience was unclear, but all the evidence pointed to soul energy, which pointed to some connection to the Spiritual Realm. When he had prevented Kiri¡¯s soul energy from interacting with the Class Core, the System had known. When his sister''s soul energy had remained in this realm, the Physical realm, without the presence of a Class Core, she had immediately been given a new core. But, what did the Class Core do?


    He wrote his answers down in his own notebook as he went over each one. The Class Core converted mana into processed mana. In all his time on Galle, he had never seen or heard of another method for creating processed mana. Even in Dungeons, the beasts and monsters were the source of processed mana, and they possessed Class Cores. But, why did the Class Core convert mana to processed mana, and why was the System so intent on that happening? He didn¡¯t have an answer to that question. Not yet, anyway.


    The Class Core also functioned as a repository for Skills. Using his Skills, he was absolutely certain that those Skills were runic arrays. They were microscopic and given the amount of area they covered on the Class Core, that told him that the complexity of those runic arrays was insanely far beyond anything he had created. Again, his question was why? Skills were both more efficient and more powerful than the alternatives. Similar outcomes could be achieved via Spells, Runes or Enchantments, so why did the Class Core grant Skills? Because of course, the source had to be the System.


    Finally, there was what the Class Core did with all the processed mana it created. The answer was, at least in part, self-enhancement. It used that energy to enhance particular areas of the individual, represented by the Stats in their Status. But, all those Stats seemed to exist without the System. He had a mana reserve which was separate from his Class Core. He had soul energy, which could potentially be influenced without the Class Core.


    Leaning back he looked over his notes, both the questions and the answers. Even with the things he didn¡¯t know, it was obvious that the System, via the Class Cores, enhanced an individual significantly. But it was also obvious that what it mainly did was simplify processes that could be achieved without it. The biggest unanswered question remained. Why? He didn¡¯t know. One thing was clear though. If the System was enhancing aspects of an individual that already existed, then an Embodiment was not purely related to the Class Core. It meant that Kiri was probably right.


    He glanced at the puzzle cube sitting on his desk as his mind continued to wrestle with his questions. It had been around eight months since he had acquired the little cube, and he still had no idea what it was or what it contained. The Sigil, which he was still convinced the imprint on the cube was despite all evidence to the contrary, had still not activated. He had tried a couple of new ideas, such as including it in runic arrays, but there had still been no interaction. Now, he wondered, could an Embodiment somehow be relevant to the Sigil on the cube?


    With a small sigh, he closed his notebook and tossed it on top of the puzzle cube to hide it. He was distracting himself with questions when he should be focusing on completing his portal plate. Kiri would give him grief over the name, and probably rename it. He could live with that. Especially since his interest was in getting it working rather than naming the creation appropriately.


    The tome on space and portals from Arikanvil had sat in his spatial storage ring for over a year collecting dust, metaphorically speaking, until the past week. According to the tome, he ultimately needed to create three runic arrays and connect them all together to achieve what he wanted. The same array on Arikanvil¡¯s research station had required six. There were two key differences. Nate¡¯s portal plate didn¡¯t need to be able to penetrate the layer surrounding a universe and cross multiverses. His portal plate also didn¡¯t need to search for the portal key, since he would be splitting the plate in two and connecting them.


    The result should be that he could carry one portal plate with him at all times, and activate it to create a portal that would let him cross to its sister plate. There were some risks if someone got a hold of one of his plates, since they could move it and he could step through into a trap. Except that with Farsight of the Runic Artist, he could scout the other side without ever stepping through the portal. In the future he might add some additional defences, since he still felt his paranoia keenly. But he was working to a very short timetable.


    As for the runic arrays, the three he needed included one to create the portal, connecting the two plates. One to handle the powering of the portal and absorb mana into the runecrafted item. The last was to hide the portal. The portal would absolutely scream to anyone with a Skill or item to detect spatial mana, so obfuscating it was a necessity.


    The runic array to power the item and the runic array to obfuscate the portal were both relatively simple. That didn¡¯t mean the Sigils or materials were simple. It was unlikely anyone else in the Capital could have managed it outside of the Royals perhaps. Maybe a Ducal House. But they were simple in terms of the complexity of the runic array itself, each one only requiring the use of four or so Sigils. The obfuscation runic array used his Obfuscate, Concealment, Space and Mana sigils. The powering runic array used Space, Mana, Release, Rebuff and Shape. Rebuff and Shape were present to keep the mana where it was meant to be and prevent the portal plate from activating from ambient mana and moving itself or worse, reshaping the runic arrays carved into it.


    The portal itself, however, used nine Sigils. Without even a close rival, the design for the portal runic array was his most advanced rune to date combining his Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil with the Sigils for Tunnel, Enclosed, Bridge, Both Directions, Power and Rebuff. The latter were all Master tier. Finally, he used Target and Connect. The lower tier of the final Sigils was why he had been forced to include the Power Sigil and would impact the efficiency of the resulting portal. A sacrifice he had to make unless he wanted to waste some of the mana being stored in Conceptual Insight to improve his Sigils. That mana was being held to improve his Master-tier Life Sigil. Advancing his Embodiment and achieving his desired Tertiary Class was more important than a little extra mana efficiency.


    Going over his designs one last time, he didn¡¯t find any major issues and prepared to make his greatest creation yet. Satisfied with his plans, he activated his new synergised Skill. Conceptual Material Shaping seized the large metal plate before him. The plate fuzzed as he touched it with mana, the spatial affinity making the plate try and shift both its location and its shape. His Mana Control of over a hundred and forty struggled to control the Legendary spatial material and anyone else watching would have cried at the amount of mana he wasted forcing the spatial plate under control. Finally, after minutes of wrestling with the material, he managed to separate the metal from one piece into two.


    Placing one piece back into the Rebuff Mana runic array, he got to work on the first half of the portal plate. Conceptual Material Shaping was maintained to hold the shape of the plate. The portal runic array itself had to be first. If he put on the powering runic array first it would cost him three times as much in mana just to suppress the mana rebuffing effect from the runic array. Activating Conceptual Runic Mastery he got to work, burning through his mana reserves at a prodigious rate. Conceptual Spatial Empowerment leant itself to the work and he thought he felt the first twinges of response from his Space Is All Around You Skill.


    The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when he finally finished his crafting, the two plates sitting before him. The resulting creations were flat silver metal plates almost a centimetre thick and a little over half a metre in diameter. To conceal their nature, the runic arrays were carved inside of the metal, but his artistic desires had won out and so each surface had been reshaped to look like a snapshot of a galaxy. Temporarily overpowering the mana rebuff portion of the runic array, he let Conceptual Insight activate to identify his newest creation.


    Paired Runecrafted Obfuscated Portal Plate (Legendary)


    Stats: N/A


    Features: Mana Storage (Legendary), Spatial Concealment (Legendary), Connected Portals (Mythic)


    Mana Storage: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to store a Legendary-equivalent amount of mana which can be accessed to activate other features of the item. Will rebuff ambient mana and must be charged via specific mana gem slot.


    Spatial Concealment: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to conceal all spatial emanations and mana when activated. This feature will only activate when the Connected Portals feature is activated.


    Connected Portals: This item has been runecrafted by a Master Runecrafter to open a portal that connects to a paired item. This portal is powered via the Mana Storage feature and the portal will only remain active for one minute per activation before needing to be recharged. Portal shape is a two metre diameter sphere.


    After reading his latest creation¡¯s description, he moved onto the notification flashing in the corner of his vision.


    Congratulations on creating a Connected Portal Rune (Grandmaster Quality).


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Satisfied with his progress, he placed the portal plates in his spatial storage. He had expected the two spatial items wouldn¡¯t interact, especially given the protections on the runic arrays, but he waited a few minutes to be sure. When he sensed nothing, he finally sighed before making his way towards his bed. The sun was coming up but he could still get a couple of hours of sleep in before the day truly started. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep within seconds.

 Chapter 170 - Prepared Apprentices

    Nate wandered downstairs. Sleep had come quickly and unfortunately lasted just as long. While he could get by on just a few hours of rest for one night, multiple nights in a row would still wear him down. He¡¯d need to go to bed at a reasonable hour tonight.


    When he woke, Britt had already been gone. Her scent had lingered in his bed though, and she¡¯d left him a little note telling him she had returned to the University. Combat classes were continuing for the handful of students still staying at the University despite the war; mostly merchant¡¯s kids from what he had seen. If anything, it made the whole feel of the University less stressful. Without the noble cliques and the constant maneuvering they seemed to engage in, the remaining students could focus on learning. He just wished that he was staying as well.


    He had come far in his journey and the things he had learned in his subjects had helped guide his development. Understanding how intent played a part in his Skills and their development, the revelations about the nature of soul, demonic and celestial energies had all improved his abilities. Changing his Embodiment might have been a pipe dream if he hadn¡¯t learned about its importance and how Achievements and Skills could factor into it. There were some lingering questions on that particular topic, of course. Just because they taught something at the University didn¡¯t mean they were correct, or perhaps it would be better to say, entirely correct. Kiri¡¯s Embodiment was what made him question whether the University Professors understood the entire picture. The Reborn Embodiment had clear ties to Kiri¡¯s Achievements. Entering the Spirit Realm and returning was a form of rebirth. Her loss of a Class Core and regaining a new one could also be seen as a form of rebirth. Yet none of her Skills took on that nature which stood in stark contrast to his own.


    Meanwhile, his Skills were almost all ¡®Conceptual¡¯ in nature. Some of his achievements could be considered similar, but then, they were more closely tied to the idea of creation, at least from his view. Then his most powerful achievements were all about wandering and, to a certain extent, space ¨C visiting different universes and realms. The dichotomy made him wonder if there was more to it, or if his own attempts to change his Embodiment just required more work because he had high-tier Achievements in the mix. At the end of the day, he didn¡¯t know. But, with his next experiment, he hoped to find out.


    Kiri was sitting at her desk going through a small pile of paperwork. His sister flashed a smile at him as he stepped into the room.


    ¡°Had a good night?¡± she asked with a knowing smirk. ¡°Jacque didn¡¯t complain, but the look on his face said he could hear everything. Even from the basement. Might want to put some sound dampening runes on the walls.¡±


    Nate grinned, used to the teasing by now. It was Kiri¡¯s way of showing she cared.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it. So, the apprentices. That¡¯s today, right?¡± he asked.


    Kiri nodded, shuffling the paper into a neat pile before putting most of it into a drawer on her desk, the lock clicking into place as she closed it. The enchantment on it was a simplistic one, and Nate suspected he could do better, but he only had so much time in the day and he was one man. Two if you counted Jacque, but the ex-Professor had his own quotas to meet for the Rare and below runecrafted equipment they were selling. That was where the apprentices should come in, assuming everything went according to plan.


    ¡°So, let''s talk about the kids, I mean, the apprentices, before they get here¡± answered Kiri.


    ¡°They¡¯ve come by for a couple of hours each day for the past few days. Cutter¡¯s been escorting them and Jacque spends the time going over some basics with them. I don¡¯t fully get it, but mostly just practising their drawing to see how well they do and gauging their aptitudes. We¡¯re holding off on Luc dragging them off to some Dungeons to get Achievements until we¡¯re sure they¡¯re a good fit.¡±


    ¡°What are they like?¡± Nate asked. He could understand that she was focused on whether they would be able to do the work, but personally, he cared more about if they would get along. He knew a thing or two about growing up in a tough situation and while some kids managed to escape the cycle of poverty, many more were dragged under by it.


    Kiri¡¯s smile turned softer as she replied, ¡°They seem like good kids, Nate. Cutter chose well. They work hard, and according to Jacque, take criticism well.¡±


    ¡°If we take them on, they¡¯re going to live here, right?¡±


    Kiri nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll need to set up some living space for them. They can share a room, but honestly, I¡¯m not sure we should dig out another basement. I was going to set them up in the storage room with some bunk beds or something until we managed to expand. I¡¯m looking into buying the lot next to us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than their current situation,¡± Kiri added. ¡°They¡¯re orphans. They sleep wherever they can.¡±


    Nate didn¡¯t ask how Cutter had known. Maybe he hadn¡¯t, and the old sailor just saw an opportunity to get a few kids off the street. But, it still pulled at Nate¡¯s heart strings.


    The conversation turned to other matters and Kiri gave him the rundown on how the business was performing so far. The answer was, they were doing incredibly well. Since Nate was stealing their mana supplies and they owned the building, their only costs were what they paid Jacque and the materials, most of which were low tier, and finally a small amount of mana purchased from the government. She explained that she was purchasing from multiple suppliers to conceal the fact that what they were producing was often a higher tier than what they were buying. It helped that a large proportion of what they were selling was intended to go to Asmuisil, which had a far more limited ability to look into their suppliers. On the other hand, if anyone looked too deeply, they would quickly see that the amount of materials purchased exceeded what they were selling to the Etruan branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. But that would only happen if anyone looked into their finances.


    Taxes in Etrua were unusual. The Capital didn¡¯t functionally have a taxation system. Why would they, when they were the ones selling the mana. Their tax was already taken by hoarding the majority of the mana. The little that didn¡¯t go towards their Dungeons was stored and sold to the merchants and nobility. On top of that, it sounded like any mana sent towards the Dungeons of the Nobility came at a standard cost in processed mana. Since that was how the Royals collected their tax, there was only a small amount of oversight on businesses. As long as they didn¡¯t sell far more in Etrua than their mana purchases accounted for, then no one would ever be the wiser. Basically, Nate had accepted that he was committing theft and possibly fraud. If they got caught, they would need to run, and fast. But he didn¡¯t feel bad about what he was doing. Stealing from a government who was stealing from their populace seemed a no-brainer. But he also wasn¡¯t a hero, taking from the rich to give to the needy. Maybe he would though, when he was capable of competing with the Royals in truth.


    It was another thirty minutes before Cutter arrived and Nate watched the door as the five individuals entered. One too many, and unless his eyes were deceiving him, one more than was apparent. Nate noted that neither Kiri nor Cutter reacted to their unseen guest. As for the three kids huddled around Cutter, he guessed their ages ranged from around seven to ten. The Class Core didn¡¯t unlock until usually after eleven, but Kiri had told him stories of kids taking as long as fourteen. The trigger was unknown, but since the Class Core¡¯s connection to soul energy allowed The System to read their minds, he wondered if their development and maturity was a factor. That begged the question of why The System would care. Whatever its reasons were, they were irrelevant to him. What was relevant was how much time that meant these kids had to develop.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°This be Nate. Say hello, lads,¡± said Cutter in his gruff voice, the man''s eyes shining in the slightly dimmer room.


    ¡°Hello,¡± they all greeted him, the youngest saying it softer than the rest. A child used to hiding then.


    ¡°Nice to meet you all,¡± Nate replied, smiling at them in the hope of making them more comfortable. He didn¡¯t have much experience with kids. ¡°What are your names?¡±


    ¡°Kio,¡± said the oldest. He was dark-haired and dark-eyed. He could¡¯ve been Null¡¯s younger brother. He had the build of a swordsman, if that swordsman was malnourished.


    ¡°Laure,¡± resolutely stated the kid in the middle, blond-haired and blue-eyed with tanned skin and a wider build. An oddity in Etrua, both in appearance and build.


    ¡°Callum,¡± whispered the youngest. The presumed seven-year old was whip thin, with a messy mop of black hair that partially hid his green eyes. Unlike the other two, Callum seemed slightly less malnourished. Good at stealing, perhaps, wondered Nate.


    Nate chose to ignore the fifth individual who remained hidden, leaning against one of the walls. They hadn¡¯t made any moves yet and seemed nonchalant. The area around them buzzed faintly in his senses and he had a pretty good idea who it was, but he wouldn¡¯t call them out till after he handled the kids'' testing.


    Pulling out three sheafs of paper from nowhere, he ignored the kid¡¯s gasps, only noting that the youngest hadn¡¯t made a peep, despite his eyes widening. Very used to hiding then.


    ¡°I¡¯ve drawn a symbol on each of these. I want you to see how well you can copy it for me,¡± he stated, placing them on Kiri¡¯s cleaned-off desk along with pencils.


    ¡°Will you send us away if we fail?¡± asked Kio.


    Nate shook his head. Perhaps he should ¨C better apprentices with more aptitude would obviously be better in the long-run, but having seen the kids now, he knew he was too soft to kick them out if they weren¡¯t as talented. They would just have to work harder, or be relegated to simpler work. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t reach as high, but he had the means to uplift them, at least as far as the lesser nobility. Uncommon tier was a certainty, Rare a possibility and Epic a distant hope, if they possessed the aptitude.


    Nate watched as each child attempted to draw the rune he had created. It was incredibly simplistic, but it was also his only original creation: the Initiate-tier Fire Sigil he created in his first Dungeon. The rune used three overlapping shapes to draw in mana. A circle, with a square inside and then an octagon inside of the square. The Fire Sigil then lay in the centre of the rune. It was of the lowest quality, but what he was mostly interested in is how well they drew the lines and their attention to detail. He was also sensing their mana reserves while he watched. Unsurprisingly, they were almost empty. Given the barren nature of the Slums, it was no surprise. Even now they were slowly drinking up a small amount of the ambient mana within the building.


    Kio managed it the quickest, but also the sloppiest. He seemed to have trouble with curved lines and his Sigil was unlikely to even activate. Jacque would need to get him to slow down. Laure, on the other hand, clearly had a talent for drawing. His lines were clean and except for a few minor issues of size and scale, he had created an almost perfect replica. Callum¡¯s work was in between the other children, but had taken the longest. He was young, though and still learning fine motor control. Nate could work with that. Whispering his thoughts to Kiri, his sister stood up from her desk.


    ¡°Alright. Nate is satisfied with your attempts. We¡¯ll need to discuss details and living arrangements, as well as the contracts. Cutter, are you happy to come along and make sure we¡¯re not taking advantage of the kids?¡± asked Kiri.


    ¡°Lass, ya gettin¡¯ them off the streets an¡¯ giving em work. That¡¯s better than they coulda hoped for. But fine, ain¡¯ got nothing better to do. Last chance ya lot. There¡¯s tha door. Ya in or ya out?¡± Cutter grumped, locking glowing eyes with each of the kids.


    Only Callum glanced at the door, but even he didn¡¯t choose to leave.


    Nate waited as Kiri took Cutter and the kids, apprentices now he supposed, down to see Jacque. They would finalise the details and Kiri would make sure it was all organised, which meant he was finally free to deal with their unseen guest.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Avery?¡± he asked, glancing at the wall where she hid herself.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s not sound based, then,¡± answered the Guild Platinum in a deep masculine voice, appearing a moment later. Similar to the last time, they had the appearance of a man. This time she looked like a fat and balding merchant, perspiring in the heat of the Capital.


    ¡°Was that what the buzzing around you was? Were you trying to prevent sounds from bouncing off of you?¡± he countered.


    ¡°I told you last time, I¡¯ll figure out how you¡¯re seeing me on my own. Just a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°I am surprised Cutter couldn¡¯t see you,¡± Nate commented.


    ¡°I¡¯m particularly proud of that little deception.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re putting on this facade?¡± he asked, waving in the direction of the corpulent visage. ¡°I know you¡¯re a woman.¡±


    Avery¡¯s form shifted into a tall willowy woman with red hair and green eyes, ¡°Is this better?¡±


    Conceptual Insight hummed at the use of Light, Illusion and Sound. Avery was still changing her voice, he realised. It had been expected she would when she was masquerading as a man, but even shifting to a woman she hid her true voice. The Platinum was apparently careful to the extreme. A level of paranoia he could appreciate, given what she supposedly did for work.


    Nate shrugged, ¡°Can¡¯t say I care much how you make yourself look. Was just curious.¡±


    Avery tilted her head, ¡°So, you don¡¯t recognise her. Very interesting.¡±


    Nate raised an eyebrow questioningly.


    ¡°This is Duchess Charlotte Desmarais. You didn¡¯t react. So you¡¯ve never met her.¡±


    ¡°I thought we explained that in the Guild Tribunal?¡± replied Nate, mildly annoyed.


    ¡°Trust, but verify,¡± answered Avery, still seeming relaxed about the entire exchange.


    ¡°Alright. That makes sense. Now that you¡¯ve verified, was there anything else you wanted, Avery?¡±


    ¡°Just to let you know, my informants tell me that there are no signs of the Dungeon Cores that were captured along the border with Asmuisil. None in Asmuisil or Etrua. Dungeon Cores don¡¯t just disappear, Nathaniel. Someone is up to no good. So if you intend to follow through with your foolish plan to follow Allais¡¯s daughter to the front, be wary of everyone. Things are not as they appear.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve been careful anyway,¡± he answered with a frown. ¡°But, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Just looking out for a fellow upstanding Guild member. A word of advice. If you¡¯re going to trust any of the Prefects, make sure it¡¯s Porter.¡±


    Nate¡¯s eyes narrowed at the statement.


    ¡°Raoult doesn¡¯t have a spine to speak of and Allais is a greedy bitch that would sell us out for a grain of sand''s worth of power,¡± responded Avery, her body changing again to that of a young man with red hair and cruel eyes. Fabien Lussier.


    He flinched and Avery shifted back to the fat-looking merchant.


    ¡°The reminder is clear?¡± the Platinum asked, voice deep once more.


    Nate just nodded, gritting his teeth. Even after Avery had left, he continued to stew. It had been months, but he still wasn¡¯t completely over his kidnapping and torture. The memory of it hurt less and less, but the fear was still rooted deep within him. He wanted to be angry with Avery. She was clearly manipulating him, but were her reasons for doing so detrimental? The Platinum had stopped by to give him information he didn¡¯t have and a warning to look out for what was to come. Where had the Dungeon Cores that had triggered this war gone, and what was Prefect Allais up to? He doubted he would find out soon. They would be leaving in the next couple of days with the Guild contingent headed for Princess Morgane¡¯s ¡®Bright¡¯ Army. He would need to keep his wits about him and his paranoia close. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into another incident with the Nobility. Deep down, he knew his hopes were futile. Power called to power and he would soon be too powerful for them to ignore. Shaking his head, he headed upstairs. Preparation was key, so that when the castle of cards finally collapsed, he had to be  ready for whoever swept them aside. And when you didn¡¯t know what to prepare for, it was best to prepare for anything.

 Chapter 171 - Warspace

    Nate enjoyed the slow, rolling motion of his alliram mount as it trotted south and east across the plains. Around him, on their own mounts or sitting in drawn wagons was the rest of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild contingent who had accepted jobs posted to assist Princess Morgane. Kiri was nearby, of course. His sister had been glued to Coralie¡¯s side ever since they left the Capital, as though her mere presence could prevent anything from happening to the blonde Ice Mage. A smile bloomed on his lips as he considered that she very well might be able to do exactly that.


    Flash was nearby as well, though the Edgedancer seemed to be keeping the company of one of the few non-Guild members. Nate spent a moment going over his memories to recall the woman''s name. Celeste, he recalled. The red-headed noble had a retinue of three guards who lingered nearby. Golds, in theory, though Nate had penetrated their veils subtly and they were of the weakest kind of Gold ¨C low sixties with Fragmented Embodiments and Rare Classes. Not a threat. At least not to him or Kiri. Or Aisling, he mentally added. There were about fifty other Guild members dispersed among the wagons with a few having their own mounts. The split was even between Gold- and Silver-ranked members, with Aisling being the only Platinum present.


    Thinking of Aisling reminded him of the farewells at the Guild compound. The goodbyes had been a lot calmer than Nate had expected. Britt had promised to visit his workshop on a schedule Nate had proposed. Luc had stayed behind to continue delivering their runecrafted goods to Asmuisil and to assist Nate¡¯s young proteges in getting a couple of Dungeon-based Achievements. Evindal was taking a trip to the Elven Groves to try and find some materials or alchemicals for further developing Nate¡¯s Life Affinity. Deverell was handling things in the Capital for Aisling. That left his guardian as the one playing escort for Nate at the warfront.


    In the week leading up to their departure, Aisling had made her concerns over their involvement in the war abundantly clear. Even though the amazonian Platinum clearly didn¡¯t like his choice, she had come along purely to protect him. The gesture warmed his heart and made him feel just a bit safer.


    He also hadn¡¯t wasted the past week. After Kiri had split the profits from Luc¡¯s first visit to Asmuisil, his sister had bought a number of Skill and Stat Orbs. The Skill Orbs had been Common and were simple ones for drawing ¨C gifts for Nate¡¯s proteges to assist them in drawing out runes. The Stat Orbs, however, had gone to Nate and herself. Another eighteen points in Intellect and the same in Creativity meant for the first time he had crossed over half of his maximum capacity for Stat Orbs. Additionally, it had decreased the time for his Conceptual Material Shaping to a seventy-percent reduction.


    The improvements were solving some of his time problems, but he had considered a secondary issue he would face in the field. Wouldn¡¯t it be odd if he was constantly obfuscating his and Frick¡¯s mana usage as they created the materials necessary for his runecrafting? That was ignoring how it might reveal just how much mana he had to work with, which would raise questions about how he was supplying himself with so much mana. So, he needed a better method to conceal his Skill and mana usage, while also giving Frick somewhere to work out of sight.


    Thankfully, his solution played into his future plans. A customised spatial zone that was directly linked to him. Even with the tome provided by Arikanvil, his Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil, and his own Mythic Skills, it had taken him almost the entire week to get it working. The result was the first proof and prototype for self-modification. He had, of course, tested it externally first and Kiri had been present when he finally applied his newest creation to himself.


    His femur had been the bone of choice for the alteration. His leg had the benefit of being quite large which gave him more room to runecraft, while also being something he could survive losing if everything backfired.


    His customised spatial zone, which he was calling his Runic Gallery, differed from his spatial storage ring. The ring gifted to him by Arikanvil came with a form of stasis for its contents. While he might have been able to achieve the same result with his own creation, he didn¡¯t want to. He wanted time to be able to pass within the Runic Gallery, so that in the future he could install runecrafting to perform tasks for him, such as using his Skills to upgrade materials.


    Testing the impact of improving the bone had gone surprisingly smoothly. He had raised it a single tier each day till it reached Epic, with check ups from Evindal in between. He was planning to do the rest of his skeleton soon but he wouldn¡¯t do above his waist without Evindal present in case something went wrong. The Epic-quality of the bone was influencing the maximum size of the spatially expanded area of his Runic Gallery. At the moment, it was roughly five metres cubed. Enough space for Frick to sit inside with a pile of mana gems and materials and keep churning out everything they needed. The best part was, Nate could direct his own Skills into the space, fuelling them with the mana gems. As it was all internal to his body, his veil kept anyone around him from knowing what he was doing.


    Nate¡¯s reverie was broken as he sensed Aisling approaching him, her mount slowing down till they had drawn even. Glancing at his guardian, he flashed a smile at her. He could tell that the smile he received in response was a little forced.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you through this,¡± he said quietly, glancing at the swaying grass of the plains in front of them.


    Aisling withdrew a small cube. He recognised it instantly, as he should, since he made the thing. The small cube filled half of Aisling¡¯s palm and he had decorated it for her, shaping the metal so that each face showed a different scene of Aisling: in the skies above Helmfirth Forest, on the road on the way to the Capital, relaxing in a bath they had made on the Plains, standing in the Guild compound with Evindal and Deverell, out at dinner with everyone and finally, Aisling yelling at Prefect Allais ¨C snapshots of her life. The cube itself was just runecrafted to create a sphere of privacy, preventing sound from leaving the affected zone while using light to obscure what happened within and creating a weak mana barrier that would need to be broken if someone was to try using a Skill. It was only Rare-tier, so it wasn¡¯t going to stop everything, but it worked in a pinch. The decorations had simply been Nate wanting to give Aisling something with a touch of his art. Conceptual Material Shaping made it easy to reshape the metal to appear how he wanted it to and the rune itself was buried inside of the cube.


    Aisling activated the cube and the air around them fuzzed as the rune began interfering with the light around them.


    ¡°You¡¯re not putting me through this, Nate,¡± Aisling replied calmly. ¡°Do I wish you weren¡¯t putting yourself at risk? Of course I do. Do I think we would have been better off staying in the Capital and continuing your development? I think I have made that clear. But, I recognise the importance of you walking your own path. I am just thankful you¡¯ll be focused on healing rather than being near the actual battles. I am still concerned this is going to draw more attention to you, though. We can¡¯t let you go unescorted, as we know that they are willing to send Platinums against you. But my constant presence watching over you is also going to draw attention to you. Attention we don¡¯t want. That bothers me more than anything else.¡±


    Nate nodded along. He agreed with every word she said. He knew that what he was doing was risky. But, he couldn¡¯t let Kiri go alone and his sister would not let Coralie go alone. So, here he was, in a shit situation, all of the making of Prefect Allais. His dislike of the woman had grown from a small spark into a campfire. The Prefect''s actions had set this entire fiasco in motion and it was she that he would hold accountable should anything go wrong.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Instead of voicing that thought, what he said was, ¡°I agree. Sorry for taking these risks. Could you tell me a little about what the battles will be like? Since I am unlikely to see them myself.¡±


    Aisling tilted her head in thought, ¡°It occurs to me that out of Luc, my husband and myself, that I am the one who has taught you the least. Luc taught you how to use your Skills in battle and helped pressure you to think of ways to use them more cleverly. My husband is teaching you how to heal and gain a class similar to his own. I¡¯ve only ever taught you a little about the Guild.¡±


    Nate was quiet for a moment before he replied softly, ¡°You¡¯ve been teaching me how to lead.¡±


    Aisling glanced at him, her eyes widening ever so slightly.


    ¡°Luc, Evindal, Deverell all defer to you,¡± Nate explained, rushing on. ¡°They offer their opinions and thoughts but it always seems to end with you¡­or lately, me. It¡¯s from you that I am learning how to handle that burden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to make sure I give you some more lessons then,¡± replied Aisling with a small smile.


    His guardian paused to deactivate the privacy cube.


    ¡°Thank you, Nate. That was kind of you to say. I suppose I should answer your question though. The battles. Deverell did explain it slightly but I will go into more detail. Etrua military might is based on individuals. The Nobility. There will likely be somewhere between ten and twenty Platinums present who will make up the main direct combatants. Asmuisil on the other hand will make far greater use of enchantments, specifically Empowerment enchantments. They might have a few Platinums, but nowhere near enough compared to Etrua or to fight Etrua head to head. Instead, they will empower Gold-tier individuals with better equipment and empowerment enchantments. These enchantments channel a small portion of hundreds of individuals¡¯ processed mana to a target. The Gold tier. It should let them compete with the Etruan Platinums.¡±


    Aisling paused, noting how a few other Guild members had drifted closer to listen to the explanation. Kiri and Coralie were amongst those paying attention to Aisling¡¯s words.


    ¡°However, the individuals empowering the Gold-tier can do nothing else. Not move, or even defend themselves. The Asmuisillans will put in place other enchantments and forces to protect them. Those forces are likely to be weaker. Silver, at best. Which is where the Etruan conscripts will come into it. Etrua will throw its conscripts against those forces to try and disrupt the enchantments. You begin to see how messy it can become? One platinum uncontested could very quickly decimate such forces, leading to a cascading problem for either side. If Etrua gains the upper hand, they will decimate those empowerment enchantments which will lead to a cascading loss of powerful combatants for Asmuisil. Alternatively, if Asmuisil can weather the storm or wipe out enough conscripts so that their empowerment enchantments aren¡¯t threatened, then they can swap out Gold-tiers frequently with the empowerment enchantments. Fresh forces that can fight on the level of Platinums will quickly lead to Etrua¡¯s defeat. So both sides will almost certainly hold back reserves. It will be a game of strategy and deceit.¡±


    Aisling looked around at those listening, ¡°For those of you who took combat jobs, that is where you will be fighting. Your jobs will almost certainly involve attacking the empowerment enchantments and the forces protecting them. I know some of you took foraging and supply jobs. You will be scouring the land nearby in teams for beasts and food we can eat, to supplement the Princess¡¯s own supply train. I know a few of you took guard jobs. You will be watching over the conscripts¡¯ camp. I am sure they said something about keeping the peace, but you will mostly be preventing runaways ¨C those who took the offered mana and coins but will try and flee now that their debt is due. I do not envy you.¡±


    Aisling glanced around, meeting everyone''s eyes and Nate took note. He had not been lying when he said he was learning how to lead from Aisling. The silence dragged on for a few more seconds.


    ¡°Back to your spots. We have another week ahead of us before we catch up to the Princess¡¯s Army. Then another month of marching before we get close to the border with Asmuisil. Get used to being bored but don¡¯t let your attention lapse. While it is unlikely Asmuisil would strike so deep into Etrua, it¡¯s not impossible. And who knows if the Royals might try to sabotage each other. Eyes out, people. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild produces quality individuals. Show me your quality.¡±


    Nate smiled and settled in, continuing to channel his Conceptual Material Shaping Skill into his Runic Gallery alongside Frick. They had enough mana to last them for another four days before he would need to use his Portal Plate to return to the Capital, restock on mana, and start Britt¡¯s treatments. The time was going to fly by. Though the second part of his plan couldn¡¯t start until after they caught up with the army. They were travelling through the wilds of Etrua. That meant Dungeons. A few small diversions for Kiri and himself shouldn¡¯t go astray.


    *************


    Four days had passed on the march and Nate found himself sitting on his bed inside his personal tent. The tent itself was incredibly basic, if tall. It was enchanted to stand itself up or fold itself down. He had gotten a few envious glances from some of the other Guildies when they had seen it. The tent was a little over five metres wide and long and almost three metres tall at the apex. The dimensions of the tent meant it was big enough for him to pull out his second cloud-enchanted bed. His original bed was still back in his workshop, but true to his desires and newfound wealth, he had bought a second so that even out on the frontier he would be comfortable. The size of the tent was what made his fellow Guildies green with envy. Many of them shared tents smaller than his between an entire team, or slept under the stars.


    Tapping his foot patiently, he smiled at the tent''s door. He just needed to wait a few more minutes.


    As expected, a minute later Kiri walked in through the flap, closing it behind her.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m ready. How long will you be gone?¡± she asked without preamble.


    ¡°Few hours at most,¡± he replied calmly.


    Kiri nodded with a smile and motioned for him to get started.


    Moving away from Kiri, he paused to make sure he had enough space. Satisfied, he set his Portal Plate down on the grass before activating the runecrafted item. As he did, he didn¡¯t sense a single ripple of mana. The tunnelling effect that paired the two meant that they were connected through their own spatial tether. It was that tether and not the intervening space between the plates that the mana traversed. The obfuscation rune kept any other signs of usage from leaking out. A few seconds later, a two metre sphere appeared above the portal plate. Sending his farsight sphere of awareness through the sphere, he could feel his workshop on the other side. With a final nod to Kiri, he stepped through his first self-created portal, appearing in his workshop to find a bright and beaming Britt waiting for him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she said softly, approaching him.


    Closing the portal behind him, he spent a few minutes reacquainting himself with his girlfriend before pulling away.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve only got a few hours. Time to get to work.¡±


    Britt moved towards his workbench, stripping down to her underclothes so he could begin upgrading her skeleton. As she did so, Nate sent a thought to Frick.


    ¡°Go restock our mana supplies and drop off the empty gems. Then see if Deverell has anything for us. Also, can you check on the kids?¡±


    ¡°You got it, Boss! Keep focused though. You don¡¯t have time to make the goblin with two backs!¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes with a smile and moved towards Britt. He had proven that he could improve his own bones. Now it was time for him to do the same for Britt. Kiri he could handle on the road. Reaching towards his Conceptual Material Shaping Skill he got to work.

 Chapter 172 - A Dungeon Too Simple

    Nate took one last look over his Status before he stepped into the Dungeon. True to his word, he had restricted his use of Conceptual Material Shaping to the bones below his waist, just as he had done for Britt. Those changes were reflected in his Status as a single line.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent), Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (10)) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Barrier Soul Engraving (Expend Mana to protect against Soul attacks) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Augmented Skeleton (+3% Physical Stats) (Permanent, Rare)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Britt had similar results. So far, he had only raised their bones to Rare-tier and only for the legs. He suspected as they covered the rest of the body the total bonus would increase to somewhere around six to eight percent. They should increase even further when raised to Epic. The exception was his femur, which was already Epic-tier, a requirement he had made for himself to connect his Runic Gallery to it. If he hadn¡¯t had so much free time in the saddle, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered improving his own bones. Enhanced physical Stats just didn¡¯t benefit him the same way they would Britt and Kiri. But, there was no point leaving power on the table, especially when he couldn¡¯t invest that time elsewhere. Besides, it did give him ideas for other improvements he could make.


    However, that was for later. Now was the time to find out if lower-tier Dungeons were still worth his time. Stepping through the spatial tunnel, he read over the notification.


    You have entered a Dungeon!


    The Assessment Period will begin now. You have five minutes to choose to leave the Dungeon before the entrance will be sealed.


    Dungeon Name: The Sylvan Forest


    Dungeon Tier: Common


    Dungeon Challenges: 3.


    Exit Conditions: Complete 1 Challenge.


    Walk your Path. Reach your Goal. Become One with Mana.


    Nate breathed in the fresh air of the Dungeon as he strolled forward through the alien forest. The mana density of the Dungeon was noticeably lower than what was contained within his Mana Reserve and he was forced to clamp down on his mana to prevent it from escaping his clutches. He had detected the spatial aperture that led to this Dungeon through his farsight sphere of awareness after a lunch spent in the saddle of the fourth day. The Dungeon itself was only of Common rarity. He had suspected as much as the spatial aperture had felt weaker, as though connected to a smaller space. For that reason, he had elected to handle it alone. The main reason for this decision was to see how doing the Dungeon solo would affect the rewards.


    When he had first soloed a Dungeon upon his arrival on Galle, the rewards had been inflated by being alone and also by his low level. However, he had hypothesised that if one exceeded the Dungeon¡¯s difficulty by enough, it might reduce rewards. Now he was going to test that hypothesis.


    The Dungeon itself was small. Not surprising for a Common Dungeon, as he knew they increased in size with their rarity. He estimated the Dungeon was only four-hundred metres in width and length. Beyond that there was the buzz of warped space that he could keenly recognise, a barrier containing the Dungeon and preventing its collapse. The layout of this Dungeon was a forest at night, with trees that shone with silver bark and leaves of red that dripped water with a frequency that reminded Nate of a constant drizzle.


    All that dripping water had to go somewhere and while he was sure it was seeping into the ground, it also left puddles interspersed among the brown grass that blanketed the forest floor. The mirror surface of the water reflected the silver bark of the trees making the small pools look like liquid metal. Those reflections, while hauntingly beautiful, made it impossible for him to see what lay below the water''s surface with his eyes. That difficulty, it seemed, was the Dungeon¡¯s main gimmick.


    While his eyes might not be able to pierce the shimmering silver surfaces, his Farsight of the Runic Artist held no such limitations. Some puddles were just that. A pool of liquid only ankle deep and filled with nothing but the dripping water. Others, however, hid holes far deeper ¨Cdeep enough to drown a man, with things waiting to make sure their prey did not escape. Most explorers would never know what ended their lives in those watery depths. For Nate, however, the snakes inhabiting the pools were as clear as day. His heightened perception could pick them out, even with their colours matching the trees, and Nate didn¡¯t need his identification to know they were venomous.


    In other pools, there were plants resting at the bottom with swaying tentacles above them, likely meant to ensnare those who fell into their depths. Finally, small rat-like creatures seemed to live in the trees, coming down from above to nibble on small plants that grew around the pools of water. A simplistic ecosystem, but one that apparently worked, unless the Dungeon was supplementing the food sources for the snakes somehow.


    Given the snakes and traps, Nate suspected that anyone who was at the appropriate level for this Dungeon would likely die if they made the mistake of falling into one of the pools. As long as they avoided the puddles and focused on the few challenges in the forest, they would have been fine.


    But for Nate, the entire Dungeon didn¡¯t even warrant his full attention.


    ¡°Which ones do you want?¡± he asked casually.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, Boss. They¡¯re all boring. I¡¯m not even going to goblin-mode! This is like slapping toddlers,¡± complained Frick.


    Nate frowned at the comparison but he couldn¡¯t help but agree with the sentiment. It was too easy. But he had to know if the rewards would be penalised. If they were, he would just leave and inform Aisling. Maybe a Bronze Guild team would gain some benefits from this place.


    ¡°The big snake then,¡± Nate confirmed.


    Staring off into the distance. he spun up his first rune. A simplistic rune combining the Sigils for Earth, Control and Shape. Unless the snake could fly he expected he could kill it in moments. Using his farsight sphere of awareness, he identified his target.


    Sylvan Forest Viper Guardian


    Venomous Slithering Striker (U) (13)


    The only surprise was that the serpent had an Uncommon-tier Primary Class. Watching through his sphere for a moment, he took a good long look at the monster. The viper was three metres in length, which made it four times the size of most of its smaller kin. The silver scales were streaked with red making the monster look like it was bleeding. Curled up in a large but shallow puddle, the snake appeared to be lazing about, uninterested in anything else within the forest.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Having satisfied his curiosity, Nate began his attack. From over two-hundred metres away, he controlled the ground near the snake to form into a spear and shot it at the head of the viper. The resting beast lacked the stats and the awareness to even consider a reaction before its head was pierced through and pinned to a tree behind it. As silver blood dripped down the tree, a notification appeared in the corner of his vision.


    You have completed a Dungeon challenge!


    Dungeon: The Sylvan Forest


    Challenge: Defeat the Viper Guardian.


    Challenge (Special): Defeat the Viper Guardian as a party of one.


    Challenge (Unsuitable): Defeat the Viper Guardian while exceeding its level by 20.


    Challenge (Unsuitable): Defeat the Viper Guardian while exceeding its level by 40.


    Results indicate no reward is appropriate for this Challenge.


    Nate nodded. Just as he had suspected, as there were bonuses for punching up, there were also negatives for punching down. Common Tier, raised by one tier and then reduced by two tiers took it back to whatever was below Common. The only thing he could think of was the materials he had brought from his own Dead Universe ¨C materials that had never interacted with mana.


    ¡°So, Common Dungeons are pointless for us now,¡± he said out loud.


    ¡°Seems so, Boss. Gonna head back to the convoy?¡± asked Frick.


    ¡°Yeah. Our time would be better spent preparing some new materials and finishing my healing device.¡±


    With a quick scan of the Guardian¡¯s corpse, and finding no Orb, he exited the Dungeon, activating True Teleportation repeatedly in quick succession. The convoy had only managed to get a few kilometres further ahead and he caught up to them after his fifth teleport, appearing back in his saddle. A quick conversation with Aisling told his mentor where to find the Dungeon, its difficulty and the threats that anyone entering would face. Since the Dungeon was only Common, he was unlikely to get much of a reward from the Guild. Maybe a single Common Stat Orb. But still, it helped the Guild, and more importantly, it helped Aisling¡¯s standing with the Guild, even if only marginally. Every bit counted though. You could build a mountain out of grains of sand, after all.


    The notification in the corner of his vision made him smile and he brought it up in front of his eyes, already knowing what it would be.


    True Teleportation 40 > 41


    True Teleportation (M) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation (M)


    Your use of a Spatial Sigil to influence your control over space has grown to the point where you can create portals, spatially expand areas and even invoke a Construct of Space. Merged with your True Teleportation Skill, this Skill incorporates your growing capabilities into your Class Core. Carve a space among the stars for yourself. This Skill grants the user the ability to manipulate space. Teleportation distance increases with Skill Level. Teleportation Mana Cost decreases with Magic Power, Magic Control and distance travelled. Initial distance is ten metres. Skill Level increases distance by Skill Level * ten metres. Conceptual Spatial Manipulation allows the user to alter space covering up to five cubic metres. Skill Level increases cubic metres by Skill Level * 0.1 plus Magic Control / 50. Increases Magic Control by 18%.


    Extended True Teleportation (M)


    With your powerful spatial affinity, you have mastered the ability to teleport over short distances. This Skill extends that capability into the horizon, allowing the user to teleport massive distances in a single bound. Teleportations are also harder to suppress with Spatial Locks. Distance increases with Skill Level. Mana Cost decreases with Magic Power, Magic Control and distance travelled. Initial distance is one hundred metres. Skill Level increases distance by Skill Level * one hundred metres. Teleportations are Skill Level * Magic Control / 50 percent more powerful when contending with Spatial Locks. Increases Magic Control by 18%.


    While being able to teleport over four kilometres in a single go and resist spatial locks was tempting, it didn¡¯t align with his path or his plans. It made the choice a simple one and he quickly selected Conceptual Spatial Manipulation.


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation 41 > 41


    With that change alone, his maximum area for spatial manipulation had more than doubled. His Runic Gallery, which so far had been created using runes, only covered five cubic metres. With Conceptual Spatial Manipulation it should now be possible to cover eleven cubic metres with the same runes, by enhancing them through his Skill. There were other things he intended to test, and he would need to share his findings with Luc, of course, but finally his spatial abilities were starting to align with his plans for his Embodiment. Everything was coming together. With a satisfied nod, he settled in for a few more days of creating runecrafted items within his Runic Gallery. After that, they would finally link up with the Bright Army. Then, all bets were off.


    *************


    Kiri fidgeted, cracking her fingers over and over again. She hated not knowing what to do. Every time she was left without a path forward when dealing with a problem, it would plague her, like lightning under her skin ¨C a constant itch that she just couldn¡¯t scratch. The source of her problem was Coralie. Something was clearly bothering her girlfriend and had been ever since they left the Capital. It was evident in the small things. The way the beautiful Ice Mage would stare off into the distance as though lost. The quietness as they curled up together in their tent each night. All the little things added up to paint a clear picture of her girlfriend worrying over something. Yet every time Kiri had broached the topic, trying to comfort Coralie, or wheedle out of her what the issue was, she would clamp up.


    Sure, she gave assurances that it was nothing. That it would all be fine once they could return to the Capital. But Kiri wasn¡¯t buying it. Not entirely, anyway. She believed Coralie. Believed that being forced to join the war effort by Prefect Allais, her bitch of a mother, was a major source of angst for Coralie. But, she had never refrained from talking about her issues with her mother before. She had never clamped up like this. And it was that silence, that hiding, that left Kiri concerned and fidgeting like an itch she couldn¡¯t scratch.


    Kiri had hoped that Nate would have good news when he returned from the Dungeon. That they would still get rewards, despite their levels, just so Kiri had an excuse to vent her frustrations in violent fashion on deserving monsters. But, he was right. No rewards for them from Common Dungeons, which meant even if she went and vented frustrations, she would feel guilty about stealing that opportunity from some Bronze Guild members. It would be nothing to her. She doubted a Dungeon of that size would take her more than twenty minutes to annihilate. Less, if she didn¡¯t bother with the weaker monsters and focused on the Challenges.


    The only solace she had was that Nate had found another way for them to progress ¨C a way outside of their Class Cores. Physical Enhancement wasn¡¯t completely unknown. She had heard of rare alchemical compounds that could have permanent impacts on a person¡¯s performance. But they were far rarer than the alchemical creations that gave temporary enhancements. She had listened quietly to Nate explain his theory on why and how. In the past, she would have understood less than half of it and forgotten almost all of it. But her focus on Stat Orbs for Intellect had slowly been improving both her memory, and to a lesser extent, her understanding.


    With one hundred and eleven in her Intellect Stat, she was two-thirds of the way to being able to split her focus. Well, she already could, just not well. It left her head pounding and made her perform worse in both tasks. But she could kind-of do it, which gave her hope that she could do it flawlessly once she passed one hundred and fifty.


    While splitting her focus had been the goal, being able to understand how alchemical concoctions might be able to permanently impart weak Concepts physically to the body was interesting. She tried not to smile and failed completely. She was still annoyed about Coralie and wanted to be annoyed about it, but thinking about her brother always made her smile. He was so enamoured with his discoveries that it was impossible for her not to be drawn into his theories and ideas. He found it interesting and his passion made it interesting for her as well. And his latest theories opened up questions she had never considered. If advancement was possible without the Class Core, then what, in the end, was the purpose of The System? She didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t think she had a way of finding out. But she intended to be there by her brother''s side when he figured it all out. With a slight smile and feeling just a little less annoyed, she drifted back towards Coralie. Nate was busy crafting anyway and she didn¡¯t want to interrupt him, even though she knew he wouldn¡¯t have minded. They would have plenty of time tonight around the fire.

 Chapter 173 - Campside Discussions

    Nate¡¯s enchanted paintbrush made gentle swishing sounds as the paint glided over his small canvas. A haphazard array of tents decorated the horizon with a miasma of dust circling above. The war encampment of Princess Morgane was not what he had been expecting and it was that image that he was trying to capture. In his mind, he had been expecting something resembling a semi-orderly medieval campsite. The kind of thing you might have seen in a movie back on Earth. Instead, the warcamp of the Bright Army looked more like barely contained chaos covering half of the grounds contrasted with the trappings of ridiculous wealth covering the other half.


    The divide between the conscripts and the Nobility couldn¡¯t have been made any clearer and just seeing it left a sour taste in Nate¡¯s mouth. Roaming his farsight sphere of awareness over the war camp, it became apparent that the divide went beyond just wealth. While he couldn¡¯t see parts of the nobility¡¯s camp due to some warding enchantments, the guards stationed around the conscripts were blatantly facing inwards rather than out. The message couldn¡¯t have been clearer if it was written in blood. Nate suspected it very well might have been already, going by a few reddish-brown stains in the grass.


    Aisling grabbed his attention, worry writ on her face.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He explained what he had seen quickly.


    Aisling nodded her understanding, ¡°They have taken payment from Princess Morgane and her supporters. Mana and coin. Now, they have to hope they can survive. Both the battles and the  camp life. The ones who do will return to the Capital with enough coin to set themselves up for many years to come. But many won¡¯t. This is the truth of Etrua, Nate, in all its ugly glory.¡±


    Aisling looked forward and Nate followed her gaze as he saw a small procession moving to meet them at the edge of the camp. Banners in blue and white fluttered above them and even without using his sphere of awareness, his Perception was high enough to recognise the woman at the centre. Princess Morgane had come to meet them.


    Kiri drifted closer to flank Aisling on her right side while Nate remained on her left as their alliram mounts ate up the distance until they stood within spitting range of their welcoming party.


    He frowned slightly when Conceptual Insight didn¡¯t activate in response to the Princess¡¯s presence. The last time he had met her at the Royal University she had hummed with a Concept barely contained. This time, he felt nothing. Not a whisper. While that difference was noteworthy, everything else about the woman was consistent with their first meeting. Just like the first time they had met, her eyes glowed within an inner golden light. Her black hair was tied up in an ornate bun and she wore layered silver plated armour which included a skirt. On her hip rested a sheathed hand-and-a-half sword. She was utilising a veil around her body but it did nothing to conceal her equipment and he noted that like last time, both armour and sword were of Epic quality and focused on durability with some minor stat enchantments. On her finger she wore a spatial storage ring on her left hand beneath her gauntlet, along with a number of other stat enhancing rings. A silver diadem sat upon her brow and he could tell that it was an epic barrier-type enchantment. Finally, a single legendary item lingered beneath her breastplate over her heart. A healing item, he determined¡­though it seemed to focus on passive regeneration rather than direct healing.


    Taken together she looked both beautiful and deadly. Without knowing her Classes and Levels he wasn¡¯t certain whether he could defeat her. His mind jolted to a stop when he realised that battle was the first place his mind had gone and he glanced to his left towards the conscript¡¯s camp, knowing that his reaction to their treatment was the source of his simmering anger. He needed to take a breath and calm down. Looking inside his Runic Gallery, he relaxed a little at the sight of a few of his paintings.


    The wave of calmness that washed through him was perfectly timed with the Princess¡¯s husky voice as she greeted their procession.


    ¡°Stormspear, I hadn¡¯t expected to see you here. It was my understanding that none of the Platinums from the Etrua branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild had accepted any job offers to participate in the war.¡±


    ¡°You are correct, your Highness,¡± answered Aisling. ¡°I am just here acting as a guardian and oversight for the Guild members participating in this war.¡±


    Princess Morgane¡¯s golden eyes flicked from Aisling to Nate and a knowing smile formed on her face.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re here to make sure we don¡¯t get the Guild¡¯s best and brightest killed. Very well, I grant you entry to the Third Army. I assume the Adventurer¡¯s Guild will wish to camp together. Space has been set aside between Houses Landin and Beaumont. My commanders will expect the Guild members to have reported into their appropriate divisions by the time we make camp tomorrow afternoon. Take the afternoon and evening to get yourselves situated. We march at first light,¡± stated Morgane.


    ¡°As you say, your Highness. I will make sure that all Guild members are prompt and uphold the Guild¡¯s good name.¡±


    Princess Morgane turned away, the guards and what Nate now assumed to be a few nobles turning as well. The Princess paused after taking two steps, her boots twisting the grass beneath her feet as she glanced back at Aisling.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re situated for the night, might I borrow Nathaniel?¡±


    Nate tried not to let his body language betray him and for perhaps the first time, he didn¡¯t freeze up at being singled out. He turned his head to look at Aisling, who gazed back with a question in her eyes. He realised then, that if he shook his head no, that his guardian would deny the innocent sounding request. Warmth flowed through his chest as he realised she would deny a Royal of Etrua for his sake if he asked. But, he wouldn¡¯t put her in that position. The Royals were dangerous. That was certain. His current view of them was that they were the Nobility on steroids. However, he was bound to cross their paths again if he and Kiri continued their meteoric rise. His defensive items were all fully charged and his soul was effectively sacrosanct due to Kiri¡¯s Soul Engraving Skill. He could escape if things went sour.


    His mind had played it all out in the few seconds while the Princess waited for a response. He finally gave it, nodding his assent to Aisling who turned back to the golden-eyed beauty.


    ¡°You may, your Highness,¡± answered his guardian.


    Morgane¡¯s considering glance as she watched the interplay between the Guild Platinum and Nate was anything but subtle, but the Royal simply smiled and nodded her thanks to Aisling before her eyes drifted over to Nate.


    ¡°I will send an escort. It¡¯s a big camp and we wouldn¡¯t want you getting lost,¡± stated Morgane, before glancing at the rest of the Guild members. ¡°Etrua appreciates your help with the war. Let us hope this foolishness is put to an end quickly.¡±


    With her parting words said, the Princess and her retinue marched back into the camp.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°The fuck was that about?¡± asked Kiri, anger in her voice.


    Aisling tapped her lips with a finger, ¡°Not here.¡±


    Marching through the camp was both simple and unpleasant. The grounds of the Noble camps were already torn up from alliram mounts and wagons. That at least meant that the thoroughfares were wide enough for them to ride three abreast with space to spare. The unpleasantness came from recognition of their Guild insignias. The guards of the Nobility, mostly Golds from what little Nate could tell, sneered and jeered at the Guild members. Nate was already debating just how much effort he would bother putting into healing these assholes if they were actually injured in the battles to come.


    The space set aside for the Guild was larger than expected and almost at the edge of the conscripts¡¯ camp. Only one camp was closer, and after a whispered question to Aisling, he knew the name of the unfortunate Nobles. House Landin, it seemed, had somehow offended the Princess and as such were to camp right next to the conscripts. Nate had expected it to be loud but even he was surprised for a moment at the amount of revelry, interspersed with violence, coming from the conscript camp.


    One of the House Landin guards must have noticed Nate¡¯s glances as the Guild began to dismount and set up camp. With a sly smirk, he grabbed Nate¡¯s attention before nodding in the conscripts¡¯ direction.


    ¡°They¡¯re celebrating life, because they know by the time this is done, ain¡¯t many of them gonna have it.¡±


    With his piece said, the guard returned to his post outside of the large purple tent that seemed to be the temporary home of House Landin.


    Setting up his tent took no time at all, courtesy of the enchantments contained within and after setting up his bed and some other minor protections he went to join Aisling in her tent. Kiri was already there, frustration plastered on her face. Nate moved to stand next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her. Or at the very least, offer his support. It was clear to him she had been having a difficult time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll shadow him,¡± his sister stated confidently, eyes burning into Aisling and daring the woman to deny her.


    ¡°Does your Skill work against those with soul protections? And if it does, does it hide itself as well, or will they know their protections have been breached?¡± asked Aisling quietly as she rolled out a map onto a table that took up a quarter of the large tent.


    ¡°No¡­¡± muttered Kiri quietly.


    ¡°Then you won¡¯t. The Princess is not known for acting rashly. Nate should be fine and you can check him over if you¡¯re concerned about any soul-related Skills when he returns. That is, if he still wishes to go?¡±


    Aisling glanced up from the map, looking at Nate questioningly.


    ¡°I do. I¡¯m curious what she wants¡­and she did help us once before. I think knowing is better than not,¡± he finished lamely.


    ¡°Come to my tent when you return. We¡¯ll discuss it,¡± replied Aisling, her eyes flicking to Kiri. ¡°All of us.¡±


    Kiri¡¯s nod of agreement looked forced and Nate followed his best friend out of the Platinum¡¯s tent.


    ¡°Be careful and run at the first sign of trouble,¡± Kiri hissed at him the moment they were out of the tent.


    Nate smiled at her ruefully and whispered back, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t get kidnapped again.¡±


    Kiri relaxed ever-so-slightly at his words.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. She¡¯s too young for you anyway,¡± she replied, a small smile creeping onto her face.


    ¡°I thought dating Britt would have put this whole thing to rest,¡± Nate griped, looking away.


    Kiri responded by altering her voice to try and sound like him, ¡°As you would say, the majority indicates a preference.¡±


    ¡°The majority? Valeria, Florence and Britt,¡± he replied, ticking them off on his fingers. ¡°That is two of similar age and one older.¡±


    ¡°Florence is over thirty,¡± Kiri whispered back, her smile turning smug.


    ¡°She is not.¡±


    ¡°Told me herself. You¡¯ve got a type, dear brother. How Britt managed to slip through I guess we¡¯ll never know!¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes as he sensed his ¡®escort¡¯ approaching. ¡°Yeah yeah, have your fun. Glad you¡¯re feeling a bit better.¡±


    Kiri tucked some of her brown hair behind her ears and locked him in place with her blue eyes, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± he replied, giving her a hug.


    ¡°Guard our tent,¡± he sent to Frick mentally as he moved towards his escort.


    ¡°You got it, Boss.¡±


    His escorts sent by the Princess were a man and woman. The man was short and stocky, with short blonde hair and brown eyes. The woman had a similar build with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. Both wore silver plated steel armour with blue and white accents upon it. Swords hung at their hips with shields upon their backs. His sphere of awareness told him the shields were decorated with a coat of arms but it was hard to determine what the image was without seeing it. He supposed he would be able to in a moment.


    ¡°Nathaniel Weber?¡± asked the man.


    Nate nodded and the man continued his introduction, ¡°I am Third-Sword Lorith and this is Fourth-Sword Kaylee. We will be your escorts to the Princess. Follow us closely and do not stray.¡±


    With his commands given, for that was the only way Nate could possibly interpret the guardsman¡¯s statements, the Third-Sword spun and began to walk deeper into the nobility¡¯s section of the war camp. The pair were a step in front of him as he followed them, which finally gave him a view of the coat of arms upon the shields. Each one bore the symbol of a castle with cliffs behind it ¨C the Royal Palace of Etrua. Alongside the Castle each shield was inlaid with the image of swords. Three for Lorith and four for Kaylee. A sign of rank, Nate guessed.


    The walk to the Princess¡¯s tent was a short distance but felt longer under the gazes of the Nobility. Up until now, Nate had only been exposed to the next generation of the nobility. Young men and women who were still coming into their own. For the most part, they had ignored him until the issues with Fabien Lussier, and after, had looked upon him with hatred and fear in equal measure. The looks he got from their parents were far more considering, like he was a chess piece and they were debating how best to move him. Does that make me the rook or the bishop?, he wondered? The thought made him smile because he knew if he had voiced the question to Kiri, after explaining chess, she would¡¯ve definitely called him the queen and then made some quip about serving her majesty.


    Rounding one of the huge garishly-coloured tents, Nate was finally exposed to the Princess¡¯s abode while on the march. The tent could have fit a small circus inside, and like the Princess¡¯s attire earlier, was coloured in blue and white. Arrayed around it were guards dressed similarly to his escorts, with their shields on their arms. He counted the swords on each and found all except for one of the guards had four swords decorating their shields. Definitely a signature of rank, then.


    Approaching the entrance to the tent, they found the way blocked by two guards, one of which was the only other guard to possess three swords. With a glance at his escorts, the two guards parted to allow him through. His escorts remained outside and so Nate straightened his spine and walked inside the voluminous tent. Rather than decked out in luxury, the room truly looked like someone planning for war. Mostly empty armour and weapon racks bordered one side of the tent, the few that weren¡¯t empty showed the same uniform as the guards outside as well as emanating a whiff of mana. At the centre of the room sat a bed and though it was heavily warded against identification, he could sense the mana of enchantments flowing through it. The remaining spaces were filled with a table covered in papers and maps as well as a kitchenette. What need did they have for chests, he supposed, if they had spatial storage devices to hold all their clothes and wealth. If anything, it was a surprise that there were armour racks, though perhaps that gentle sense of mana he had gotten from them indicated they were for recharging the armours. Enchanted armour for the Royal Guard seemed like a no-brainer.


    The Princess herself, still dressed in her armour, turned away from talking with a tall Royal Guardsman who bore two swords on his shield, and pinned him with her golden eyes as Conceptual Insight hummed in the back of his mind.


    ¡°Thank you for joining me this evening, Nathaniel. I was hoping we could discuss your disagreements with House Desmarais over dinner.¡±

 Chapter 174 - A Hand Played

    Nate¡¯s body froze at the Princess¡¯s words. That she knew anything about his apparent feud with House Desmarais was cause for concern. His eyes flicked over to the Guard flanking the Princess. His glance didn¡¯t go unnoticed and the tall swordsman frowned at him.


    With a wave of her hand, the Princess cut through the charged silence.


    ¡°Excuse us for a moment, Valis.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness?¡± responded the Guard, his tone filled with concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Valis. Nathaniel is an upstanding member of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I will be fine.¡±


    Though her tone was gentle, it was a clear command and the guardsman nodded, hand on his sword''s hilt, before exiting the tent.


    Princess Morgane watched him go, an odd look in her eyes. Nate tried to place it and after a second, guessed that it was sadness. Morgane caught him watching and the look in her eyes spread to the rest of her face, a sad smile gracing her lips.


    ¡°The heart is fickle, is it not?¡±


    ¡°It can be,¡± he acknowledged, still hesitant about this meeting and her opening salvo.


    ¡°Come, please. We have a few things to discuss.¡±


    Surprised by her politeness, he followed her over towards the large table arrayed with maps. Sitting down in one of the uncomfortable wooden seats, he watched as she drew out a small star-shaped gem. Mana bloomed from the item and Conceptual Insight picked up on three concepts embedded within: Sound, Mana and Soul, all woven together to create a barrier around them. The Princess¡¯s own anti-spying item.


    He raised an eyebrow at her, mostly to see how she would react.


    ¡°One can never be too careful in my position, Nathaniel. There is always someone listening. Always. As one of those doing the listening, I should know.¡±


    He conceded the point with a nod, keeping his thoughts to himself.


    The Princess¡¯s lips curled up into a smile that was a mixture of friendliness and amusement. His paranoia ratcheted up a notch in response.


    ¡°You are an odd case, Nathaniel. So, I am going to take an odd approach. I am going to be honest with you.¡±


    The Princess paused and Nate got the sense that the black-haired beauty was gauging his reaction with her golden eyes before she continued. Conceptual Insight continued to buzz in the back of his mind, trying to figure out what Concept was emanating from her.


    ¡°A strike-team from House Desmarais arrived in the Capital recently,¡± continued Morgane. ¡°The team included one of the three Platinum Retainers from House Desmarais. While present, they kept a very close eye on the city gates. They finally moved after a team from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild left the Capital. A team that included yourself and your partner Kiri, along with the Eternal Grove, the son of Prefect Raoult, his partner, and two Gold-ranked bodyguards that have been seen previously in the company of the Prefect''s son.¡±


    Morgane paused for a moment and Nate kept his face schooled to show nothing as he waited for the Princess to get to the point. Seeing his lack of reaction, the Princess continued.


    ¡°The Adventurer¡¯s Guild expedition that you were a part of returned to the Capital a little over a week later, missing the Gold-ranked bodyguards and looking a little worse for wear. My informants found signs of a battle around two days'' ride from the Capital. A new grove of trees upon the plains made the location particularly easy to find. Though, I suppose the Eternal Grove doesn¡¯t have a way to un-grow trees so we won¡¯t fault him for leaving behind such evidence. No signs of any of the House Desmarais¡¯ Retainers, though.


    ¡°So, I thought to myself, here is evidence of a strike-team from the weakest of Etrua¡¯s Duchies, attempting to kill a team from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Which begs the question, who is the target? The obvious ones would be the Eternal Grove himself or the Prefect¡¯s son. They are the ones with the most political importance. But if the goal was to kill the Eternal Grove, why send only one Platinum against him? That seems foolish. The rumours around the elven Lord are that he is very difficult to kill and a single Platinum is almost certain to fail to prevent him from escaping. So, the Eternal Grove is likely not the target. Null Raoult then, son of Prefect Raoult and the holder of an Epic Class. That would put him on par with some of the stronger nobility, such as the son and heir of House Desmarais. Perhaps there is a feud between the two? Only, my people found nothing. The two have never interacted. They have never even met. It seems unlikely that Null Raoult was the target. Not impossible, but unlikely. Which brings me to you, and your partner Kiri.¡±


    The Princess leaned forward, the wooden chair creaking as she shifted position.


    ¡°You are a hybrid crafter. At least, that is what they say. A hybrid crafter who won the Guild entrance Tournament for the Royal University. An individual who somehow ran afoul of Fabien Lussier, a noble known to frequent the shop of one Caroline Lambert, an Epic-Classed Enchanter, both of whom are missing and presumed dead. You see where I am going with this?¡±


    Morgane raised one dark eyebrow, her expression more curious than accusatory.


    ¡°I think I do,¡± Nate replied quietly.


    He refused to give her more information, but it was clear she was well informed, and worse, smart enough to connect the dots. She was obviously building to her conclusion, drawing him in with her explanation and the information she had gathered on him. He had a pretty good idea of where this was going to end. He just wished it wouldn¡¯t. Sooner or later, someone was going to realise how unusually strong he and Kiri were for their supposed levels. It had just been a matter of time.


    ¡°So, an eleven-man strong strike team consisting of Golds and a Platinum, against one Platinum, two Golds and four Silvers. Who would win? Most would bet on the strike team. Yet, they¡¯re the ones dead¡­¡±


    ¡°Presumed,¡± Nate interjected, eliciting a smile from the Princess.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°They¡¯re the ones presumed dead, while the Silvers live. All of them. Null Raoult and Brittany Lavaud, while both skilled, are somewhat known quantities. They have lived in the Capital most of their lives, and their progression is consistent. You and Kiri Beaufoy are unknowns, coming to the Capital from the very edges of Etrua. Supposedly you have some mysterious and powerful teacher for your Spatial Mage Class. Do you know what I think, Nathaniel?¡±


    He took a deep breath. Finally, they had come to the crux. Finally, the Princess would make her play. His mana was already swirling inside of him, ready to activate his Mana and Spatial Release items and teleport himself out of the tent. He would never be put in a cage again.


    ¡°I think that you possess a Legendary Class. I think House Desmarais recognised the threat you posed to their position. Rightly so, might I add, if my Father were to get wind of you. And I think they made a desperate play to take you off the board. How am I doing?¡± the Princess asked serenely.


    Nate ran through his options in his head as his mana continued to swirl, ready to be unleashed. She was wrong, of course. But only because she likely couldn¡¯t conceive of the idea of someone having a Mythic-tier Class at his level. She also hadn¡¯t moved to suppress him, though of course she could have any number of powerful items in her spatial storage. She had also given them privacy, apparently unwilling to share this conversation even with her most powerful Royal Guard, as surely the two swords on the man''s shield were indicative of his rank and skill-level. In Etrua, power was everything, after all.


    So, what were his plays? He could run now, effectively confirming her suspicions. It would mean fleeing Etrua. Kiri would be forced to choose between him and Coralie. He would have to give up the workshop, though he could gather the contents and supplies. Jacque and the kids he had brought in as pupils would likely be able to continue using the shop.


    He didn¡¯t know where that would leave Aisling or Evindal, but he felt oddly certain Luc would follow him. His mentor had no great love of Etrua, even though he was born and bred there. The man''s loyalty was mostly to wealth. So, he would go wherever Nate did for as long as Nate would have him.


    Britt could go either way. Would she up and leave Null? Nate had his doubts. It would set him back quite a bit, but he would be free and he could continue to grow. With enough time and preparation, he could hole himself up somewhere in the wilds. Sneak into cities to trade and collect what he needed before vanishing again. It would be a lonely existence, he realised.


    With only Frick, Luc and Kiri for company, he could already see how it would play out. It would be fine at first, but Kiri would go stir crazy. She would fight and argue with Frick, who couldn¡¯t help but needle people. That would progress into fighting with Luc, who would probably end up giving away their location by visiting every single brothel or inn within a radius of their hideout. It wouldn¡¯t last. While he could make their hideout almost unassailable, between Illusions, wards, and the many other Concepts he could bring to bear, ultimately he needed a supply of mana. Someone would have to go out to get it. He wouldn¡¯t leave those he cared about in the lurch. He would be drawn out, from his lonely existence, and eventually overwhelmed. Because in the end, he didn¡¯t want to be alone, so he wouldn¡¯t sever all his ties.


    What if he didn¡¯t run? The Princess had her suspicions, but he hadn¡¯t confirmed them. What would she do if he stayed? Try and bribe him? Hire him? So far, his encounters with the Nobility had been almost entirely negative. But she had yet to try and force him to do anything, and had, at one point, come to his defence. Of course, that could have just been a play on her part. For all he knew, Guard Inspector Koriolos had been sent after him by her. That was his paranoia speaking, but just because you were paranoid didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t out to get you. He had definitive proof that people had in fact been out to get him. Caroline, Fabien, House Desmarais. All of them had literally been out to get him. So, he wouldn¡¯t give the Princess his trust. But, what other option did he have except to let this play out?


    Holding back a sigh, he locked eyes with the Princess, his green meeting her gold. ¡°What do you want, your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I want many things, Nathaniel. But mostly, right now, I want to know why you¡¯re here.¡±


    Nate¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion.


    ¡°You took a job as a part of my healing corps,¡± explained Morgane, her body tensing ever so slightly. ¡°Except, as far as I know, you lack a healing Class. Runecaster and Space Mage is what my informants tell me. I don¡¯t believe them, of course. Legendary veils are rare, but not unheard of. I myself possess one, after all. So, why would a Legendary Class holder, a status which puts you on par with the members of the Etruan Royalty, join my army and then join a division they have no evident skill for?¡±


    Nate blinked a few times, dealing with the surprise of the question. He could see how it must look from her perspective. It was like he was trying to slip into her army, which meant the most likely reason was to sabotage her efforts or potentially even assassinate her. Taking that a step further, he thought she must be very confident she could beat him then, since she had effectively sealed herself in her tent alone with him. Thinking it through, he decided a little honesty might calm the rising tensions.


    ¡°Because Kiri¡¯s girlfriend was forced to join your forces by her mother,¡± Nate stated calmly. ¡°And I didn¡¯t want to kill commoners.¡±


    The Princess leaned forward, resting her armoured elbows on the table and staring at him, ¡°Prefect Allais¡¯s daughter, Coralie?¡±


    Nate nodded.


    ¡°The Prefect has been attempting to curry favour with me,¡± mused Morgane. ¡°And with what my informants have told me about Kiri Beaufoy, I can see why she would follow Coralie Allais.¡±


    The Princess paused for a moment, rifling through some papers before she ran a finger down a single sheet, pausing on what Nate could clearly see as Kiri¡¯s name.


    ¡°Guard duty. She will be one of the personal guards of one of our supply personnel. Seems your partner also has no interest in fighting against Asmuisil. A feeling we all share.¡±


    Nate¡¯s eyes narrowed. There were two interesting points in those statements. Why did the supply personnel need bodyguards, and why did the Princess not want to fight Asmuisil.


    His reaction must have been obvious because the Princess smiled at him, ¡°You¡¯re wondering why I don¡¯t want to fight Asmuisil?¡±


    Nate nodded, ¡°It was my understanding that this was an opportunity for you to become the heir to the throne? That the King was using this war as a test for you and two of the Princes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know much about our politics, I take it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t see a reason to learn much about them,¡± he admitted. His concerns had always been his art, his friends and sister, and his understanding of runes. Politics had never played into it.


    ¡°You do yourself a disservice, Nathaniel. Especially given your presumed tier. The politics of a nation impact everyone, from the most powerful to the least. Whether or not you care about politics, I assure you, it cares about you. It cares about every facet of your life.¡±


    Morgane sighed and leaned back in her chair, the wood creaking again, ¡°I have a little longer. And for a Legendary Class holder, I can spare a little more of my time. Take this as a small sign of the peace I desire between us, Nathaniel. Trust that, even if you don¡¯t trust me. If it was my decision, we would offer peace terms and cede land to Asmuisil.¡±


    Nate tapped his fingers against one of his bracers, the dull thuds muted by his robe covering them, as he tried to ignore the constant buzzing from Conceptual Insight, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that dilute your family¡¯s power?¡±


    ¡°What is the point of power if it¡¯s not serving the purpose that was intended?¡± countered the Princess, steel leaking into her voice. ¡°My family came to rule Etrua with a single promise. That we would consolidate enough power to carve out a place for Etrua and protect its people and its interests. We have perverted that promise. Etrua is a powerful nation. We have prospered, and the people have suffered for it. Power concentrated in the hands of a few to the detriment of the masses, who are left to subsist on the scraps. Scraps which grow smaller and smaller with every passing year. I do not want to fight Asmuisil, because Asmuisil is everything I wish Etrua was."

 Chapter 175 - Cut and Run

    Nate went over Morgane¡¯s words in his head. With his enhanced intellect, his speed of thought let him mull over ideas and concepts in a fraction of the time it would take others to do so. She had stated she wanted Etrua to be more like Asmuisil. He didn¡¯t know a lot about the different nations, but what he did know was that Asmuisil seemed to invest more in their people and less in their upper class. A stronger base which led to far more crafting and innovation. That wasn¡¯t enough information to go on, so he leaned forward, engaging with the Princess. It was fortunate, he thought, that she was willing to be so open with him due to her perception that he held a Legendary Class.


    ¡°I imagine such views aren¡¯t appreciated by the Etruan Nobility, or perhaps, your family?¡± he ventured.


    Morgane smiled in such a way that let him know he wasn¡¯t being subtle before answering, ¡°No, they are generally not. Those who have power rarely want to give it up. In fact, I have found that they usually desire more power.¡±


    ¡°Is that what the other Princes would do? Seize more power for themselves and their allies?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Thane would maintain the status quo,¡± replied the Princess evenly. ¡°He is cut from the same mold as our Father. He wouldn¡¯t be the worst to become King, just more of the same. Bordain, however, is an altogether different beast. Bordain believes that our forefathers did not take the idea of concentrating power in the hands of a few far enough. To him, every commoner that is not serving the purposes of the powerful is nothing more than a leech, soaking up and wasting precious mana. If Bordain gains the throne, he will most likely decimate the populace, keeping only enough to keep the nobility fed and in comfort, while expanding and improving the mana gathering arrays. He may even reduce the number of Dungeons in the country to further focus the nation¡¯s mana into higher-tier Dungeons, which would mean culling some of the Nobility.¡±


    Nate blanched at the thought. Bordain¡¯s view of the world sounded like one of unchecked greed. Like a cancer, growing at the expense of the body, or in this case, the people.


    ¡°He would rule over a nation of corpses,¡± stated Nate quietly.


    Morgane nodded her agreement. ¡°The powerful are all that matter to him. Which is why he garners even less support among the Nobility than I do. He poses a risk to them, because he might consider many of them, and their resources, their Dungeons and people, expendable. While the weakest Houses throw their support behind me, in the hopes of uplifting themselves through improved trade and the wealth that follows, the strongest throw their support behind Thane, to maintain Etrua as it is, and their positions within it. Only the desperate, or dare I say, insane, support Bordain. But he is strong, so unless Father decides to have him smothered in his sleep, he is a contender for the throne. Which brings us full circle, Nathaniel. You are strong. That makes you valuable. If Thane or my Father catch wind of you, they will want to possess you.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± Nate interjected.


    ¡°No,¡± she stated emphatically, golden eyes burning. ¡°While I would like your support, I only want it if you feel the way I do. Perhaps it is naive of me, but if you believe as my Father the King and Prince Thane, or worse, as Prince Bordain, then it would be better if you left my army and returned to the Capital. If you want no part in all this, then you should flee Etrua entirely. Staying will only see you dragged into our politics and conflicts. You could find a better home in Asmuisil or Gashana.¡±


    Conceptual Insight flickered in the back of his mind, growing in strength for a moment as something about the Concept emanating from the Princess seemed to react to her words.


    While part of his mind kept working away at the question of the Concept she seemed to embody so strongly it was leaking out of her, the rest of his mental faculties focused on her suggestion. The advice seemed honest. Morgane was telling him, without reservation, that if he wanted to avoid the politics and the associated conflicts of the Etruan Nobility, he should flee the country. Perhaps he would, but not yet. Kiri wasn¡¯t ready to leave. Besides, he liked the people in Etrua. His people. Britt, Aisling, Evindal, Luc, Jacque, Cutter, Null¡­the list went on. Why should he be forced from the home he was making because some Nobles couldn¡¯t mind their own business.


    With a calm look that belied the certainty he felt underneath, he stared into Morgane¡¯s eyes and gave her his answer.


    ¡°I think I will stay.¡±


    Morganes'' smile was pleased, rather than smug, and she stared back, the significance of Nate¡¯s words hanging between them in the air like a palpable force.


    The moment was broken by someone entering the tent, both Morgane and Nate¡¯s heads flicking to the disruption.


    ¡°Apologies, your Highness,¡± said the short woman who had entered.


    ¡°It is fine, Hildi. Nathaniel, meet Hildi, my maid. Hildi, this is Nathaniel Weber, Gold-ranked of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    ¡°Well met,¡± responded Hildi with a slight tilt of her head, before giving Morgane a pointed look.


    Nathaniel nodded in response, and when he turned back to the Princess he realised the moment was gone. Conceptual Insight had settled back down to its typical hum and any revelations into the Concept emanating from Morgane had vanished.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re really just here because of Prefect Allais¡¯s daughter?¡± asked the Princess, returning to the subject that had seen him invited to her tent.


    ¡°Technically, I am just here because of Kiri. Kiri is here because of Prefect Allais¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°...Very well,¡± replied the Princess, motioning for Nate to stand. ¡°If you¡¯re to remain with the Bright Army, I would ask if you might be willing to dine with me occasionally.¡±


    When Nate stared at her curiously for a moment, uncertain of her reasoning, the Princess explained herself.


    ¡°You are a Legendary Class holder. A crafter. If you are to stay in Etrua, my goals and your own might align. My request is purely political. I won¡¯t force you to do anything. But perhaps we can find common ground. A place where we can help each other.¡±


    The Princess waited patiently for a response as he considered the offer. She obviously didn¡¯t know the truth of his, or Kiri¡¯s capabilities. But, he thought, he could do worse than find common ground with an individual who wanted to make Etrua more like Asmuisil. He hadn¡¯t decided completely whether to run or stay yet, but if he was going to stay, having Morgane on his side could be beneficial. The risk posed needed more thought, but the Princess wasn¡¯t going to wait for an answer. He could agree now, and run later, if that was the path they chose through the hedges of Etruan politics.


    ¡°Sure, that sounds nice,¡± he answered, offering a small smile.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Princess Morgane nodded, sealing her anti-spying trinket. A moment later, Second-Sword Valis stepped back into the tent.


    ¡°See that Nathaniel is escorted back to his tent,¡± she commanded the guardsman.


    ¡°As you wish, your Highness,¡± replied the swordsman, slamming a fist to his breastplate.


    Nate found that the return walk to his tent was no more comfortable than his march to meet the Princess had been. Her suspicions were close enough to the truth to be of concern. Not because the Princess might figure it out, but because if the Princess suspected he held a Legendary Class, others would soon as well. It was only a matter of time before the truth finally got out if he stayed. If the Princess was right and House Desmarais suspected he and Kiri were Legendary Class holders, how long before others started to suspect? Then the offers and threats would truly flow. The Nobility of Etrua or anyone else who considered them a risk or an opportunity would seek to take advantage. Again, he debated if they should flee. Setting him back a few years wouldn¡¯t be the end of the world. What would happen to those he left behind, though?


    Arriving at his tent he found Aisling and Kiri waiting. The discussions stretched late into the evening. Aisling had been concerned and was considering trying to call in Luc. Kiri had clearly been torn, recognising that their safest option was to run but knowing it meant leaving people behind. She had promised to start running the idea by Coralie subtly and made it clear if they did run they would need to get her parents. Jorge and Rania Beaufoy would be uprooted if they ran.


    It just felt like he had no good options. Sitting in his own tent, he looked across at Frick. The blue goblin spirit had been his first friend in Galle. Not his best friend, as it was hard to bridge the gap that was created by the Familiar Contract. But still, the goblin had been a friend.


    ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± he asked quietly.


    Frick tapped a claw against his lip, ¡°Goblins always run and hide when it gets tough, Boss. It¡¯s how they survive. So, is that what you want? To survive?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡± countered Nate, intentionally misconstruing the question.


    ¡°Of course, but that isn¡¯t what I meant, Boss, and you know it.¡±


    Nate tilted his head to the side, ¡°I wanted to thrive here.¡±


    ¡°And you have, Boss. You¡¯ve got powerful friends. Family that you chose. Your wealth is growing exponentially. You¡¯ve got me, the greatest goblin in existence. Now, you have the ear of a Royal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s risky.¡±


    ¡°Is risk a price you¡¯re willing to accept to continue thriving?¡± asked his floppy-eared Familiar.


    ¡°Back on Earth, I would have said yes in a heartbeat,¡± he commented.


    ¡°Back on Earth, you had nothing to lose, Boss. It¡¯s easy to risk everything when you have nothing. Now you¡¯ve got something to lose.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the right choice?¡± Nate asked.


    Frick flashed sharp teeth, smiling at Nate, ¡°The right choice is the one that gets you what you want. So what do you want? To survive or thrive?¡±


    Nate nodded, letting his thoughts go over his options again and again, mulling on the problem as he crafted his newest rune. His thoughts bled through the night, unable to sleep as he tried unsuccessfully to distract himself with his crafting. Finally, as the sun was rising, Kiri entered his tent. His sister looked concerned and the redness in her eyes and on her cheeks told him she had been crying, torn between her love for him and her love for Coralie, just as he was torn between surviving or risking it all for the possibility of a better tomorrow. Seeing her answered his question finally. On Earth, he¡¯d had a family. He¡¯d had love and support. And then his parents had died and he had been cast adrift. Alone. Surrounded by people, but ultimately, alone. What would he have risked to regain that love and support? What would he have risked to have a family again?


    Looking at Kiri, he smiled sadly and made his decision.


    ¡°We stay.¡±


    She rushed to him then, moving so fast that she bowled him over and they ended up in a heap, lying on the floor with her crying into his shoulder. He dropped his barrier and recreated it as a half-sphere around them as his sister sobbed into his robe.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she kept muttering as he put his arms around her and let her get it out. They all had ways of expressing their emotions. Kiri¡¯s feelings ran hot, be it love, anger, sadness or hatred. His own, well, he had some blank canvases in his spatial storage. His emotions would  decorate a new painting, so that he could let them out. Let them see the light. He even knew what Concepts he was going to put into the artwork. Something in his body hummed its agreement as he considered how he was going to juxtapose the three emotions of Calm, Love and Fear.


    *************


    Morgane waited until Nate had left the tent before sending Valis away. Alone with her maid. she  activated her scrying ward.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± she asked Hildi.


    ¡°At least two other Houses seem poised to betray you and there''s at least three groups of saboteurs within the conscripts¡¯ camp,¡± answered her guardian. Her true guardian.


    Morgane was considered the weakest of the contenders for the throne. Her eldest brother, Prince Thane, was over ten years her senior. His age and his emulation of their father, the King, had also seen him blessed with the most access to the birthright of the Royal Family. It was an open secret that he had passed his third Class Evolution, and like their Father, exceeded level one-hundred-and-twenty.


    Bordain, on the other hand, was only a couple of years older than her. He¡¯d been given as much access to their birthright as she had. Yet she had never felt comfortable in his presence. There was something wild and domineering about him, like a beast looking for its next meal. The man lacked the support and obvious power of their brother Thane, but out of the two, Morgane remained far more wary of Bordain.


    Since she lacked the outright might of Thane, or the hinted-at coiled power of Bordain, she had looked elsewhere to build her own power. Soft power. Influence. In her case, information. The goal of gathering information had resulted in her becoming very acquainted with the powerful merchants of Etrua and among their number she had found allies, those who saw the success of Asmuisil as something to be emulated. By simply reducing the amount of mana that flowed to their Dungeons, Etrua¡¯s neighbours had uplifted a large portion of their people. The trade that had flowed saw them wealthier than any other nation in the region, except perhaps Gashana. Gashana was a contender only due to their small population. By capita, citizens of Gashana were more wealthy than that of Asmuisil, but the country''s population was less than a tenth of the size.


    With the support of the merchants of Etrua, Morgane had managed to garner some support from the lower Nobility. Other Nobles had flocked to her banner of their own accord. Some, she had bought, plain and simple, through information or coin and mana. The entire time, she expanded her network of informants. But among them, none were better than Hildi, who had been with her since she was a child ¡ª a gift from her mother. She hated that word, as though a person could be ¡®gifted¡¯ to another, but she did wonder if her mother had some form of foresight. Rumours of such powers had existed since time immemorial, but had never been proven. But Hildi¡¯s Classes did make Morgane wonder if perhaps there was some truth to such rumours.


    ¡°What should we do, Morgane?¡± asked Hildi, ready to take orders. The woman''s loyalty could not be bought. It had been solidified over a lifetime.


    Morgane gave it a moment of thought. She had known her brothers would slip spies and saboteurs into her army. Bordain might even slip in assassins. It would not be the first time someone from her family tried to have her killed.


    ¡°House Beaumont is in place already to deal with the Landins. The Swords will be enough for another House if they make a move. As for the conscripts¡¯ camp¡­have our forces make the saboteurs disappear. Quietly, if at all possible.¡±


    Hildi nodded, vanishing out the tent a moment later. Alone in her tent, the Princess wanted to drop the Skill she kept around herself. It was tiring to maintain, but her life was precious enough to her that she could not release it, even when she was certain she was alone. Perhaps, if she asked Nathaniel nicely, he might make her something to bear the load.


    Tilting her head to the side as she deactivated the scrying ward, she began to listen in to her war camp. Requests to the Legendary Crafter would have to wait. She had a battle to plan for. Just not the one everyone thought she was fighting.


    *************


    Arikanvil glanced up as he sensed a small pulse. The mortals were advancing even faster than he had expected. It wouldn¡¯t be long now. He would wait until they were on the precipice. When they could lose everything was when he would make his offer. Reciprocity demanded that much.

 Chapter 176 - Advancing to the Front

    Nate stood in his tent, putting the last touches on his painting. The piece had taken him three days to complete, longer than most of his artworks. He could have completed the piece faster, but with most of each day spent in the saddle, then the evenings spent crafting, his time to devote to the painting had been limited.


    This artwork was the first time that he had made himself the focus. In the centre was a humanoid being that looked like a constellation of stars. It seemed fitting to him, given his connection to space and the robe he wore. Around him warred different coloured spheres, all pulling him in different directions via chains. Red for violence, which held the Concept of Blood, a low-tier Sigil he had acquired after his injuries from forcing his Conceptual Runic Mastery synergy. Black for those who would kill him, filled with the Concept of Fear. On the opposing side, a blue sphere held the Concept of Love, representing Kiri, his found family. Finally, above him, stretched into an oval with chains pulling it towards both sides, was a golden sphere filled with the Concept of Calm. He didn¡¯t have a Sigil for Justice or Righteousness so he had been forced to make do, shifting the intent behind the Calm Sigil to be that of a calm before the storm. Calm balanced on a precipice. The Princess had a decision to make every bit as much as he¡¯d had. Would she keep things friendly, or would she try to force his hand? It was yet to be seen.


    At the sound of Aisling¡¯s loud voice ordering the Guild members to break camp, he began to pack up. Another day in the saddle awaited. Another day closer to Asmuisil and the army approaching them. But, another day to continue refining and improving himself and his creations. His Runic Gallery awaited and with Frick already hard at work, the least he could do was match his Familiar¡¯s zeal.


    *************


    Days on the march had turned into weeks and Nate had fallen into a rhythm. While in the saddle he would refine his Runic Gallery through Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, Conceptual Spatial Empowerment and Space Is All Around You. Using his Skills, he slowly made the subspace that housed his Runic Gallery more resilient, larger and more defined while also making it more a part of himself. The space had grown to over twenty metres squared and Nate had no intention of stopping. In his heart, he harboured dreams of one day making it a small world. That, however, would be far into the future at his current rate of growth. The new size, however, made it possible for him to start dividing it into areas. There was the true Runic Gallery, that housed his paintings and artworks, a supply area for storing the materials he worked with and a little den that Frick had requested that looked like a pile of random trinkets and blankets. Finally, there was a ¡®work¡¯ area where Nate and Frick kept the current projects being developed.


    The work area within his Runic Gallery had been the second task he had focused on while in the saddle. Improving the Runic Gallery had only taken a couple of hours each day. Most of his time had been spent on using Conceptual Material Shaping to improve the tiers of materials he was working on. The last of the three Runecrafted Barrier plates he had created had been completed over a week ago and with a third and final visit to the Capital via his paired portal device, had been handed over to Luc along with a number of other trinkets. With his mentor off to Asmuisil to sell his latest creations, he was looking forward to the windfall to come, and to the possibility of seeing his own creations on the battlefield.


    The fact that the barriers should limit the amount of death made him feel good, which led into his second job. The one that Etrua was paying him to do. Every night since they had joined the Bright Army, after setting up his tent, Nate had made his way over to his designated healing area. The army was large enough that there were three. They could have gotten away with two, but since the bulk of the army was made up of commoners and conscripts, the nobility had, of course, wanted their own healing area away from the ¡®common rabble¡¯. Thankfully, he had been spared from serving the nobles so far.


    The amount of injuries each evening had initially come as a surprise to him. He was certain that back on Earth people and animals had gotten injured while marching, due to the terrain or their own kit or just accidents. However, he had thought that with the enhanced physiques due to mana and Class Cores, that the people of Galle, even the commoners, would sustain less injuries. He had been half-right. The marching had not injured the conscripts. The injuries started to come in each evening after the march had ended and tents were being pitched, mostly from fights. Fights over food, over the best spot to pitch their tents, over drunken disagreements and over mana gems.


    At first, the Gold-ranked healer supervising his healing station had been doubtful about Nate''s presence. Lacking a healing class, the supervisor had been dubious about what Nate could offer and had relegated him to dealing with the simplest of injuries. His Lesser Healing Wave spell had handled most of them, and quickly. The supervisor''s opinion had changed a few nights later. It had been the fifth evening when a massive brawl had broken out, resulting in an area of the commoners¡¯ camp catching on fire. The injured had rolled in and the healers had been quickly overwhelmed. Nate had extracted his latest project then. Runecrafted Healing Tokens, was what he had named them. Kiri had suggested Feathers of Renewal. It was a shame that for all his creativity, he was so shit at naming things. After hearing her suggestion, he had used his Conceptual Material Shaping to etch the image of a feather into the metal circles. The runes were inside of the material and though he had mostly limited himself to Uncommon-tier Feathers of Renewal, he had made a few Rare-tier ones as well.


    These new runes combined the Sigils for Soul, Connect, Life and Calm. He had shifted all of the Sigils towards the Subconcepts of Healing and Renewal. The resulting rune, powered by his many Intents and Conceptual Runic Mastery, would connect to an individual''s soul energy, then using both ambient mana and the person''s own mana, begin to passively heal the individual while also calming them. The effects were only a little slower than a healing spell or Skill, but Nate suspected that was more a limitation on the Sigils and the material quality. The chief healer had been suitably impressed and assigned Nate to handle individuals who didn¡¯t need specialised work, such as mending bones.


    Then there were the two dinners he had shared with Princess Morgane. Both had been painful. Since her every action was viewed through a political lens, other nobles had been invited both times. While they were politer than the children of nobles he had met at the Royal University, the looks they gave him had been clear. ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯ their gazes had asked. It wasn¡¯t like he could tell them, ¡®Hi, I am here because the Princess believes I am a Legendary Class Holder like she is.¡¯ Instead, he had been forced to weather their gazes. Each time, leaving to join Kiri and the rest of the Guildies had felt like escaping from a jail cell.


    Finally, he had continued to improve his own skeleton, along with Britt and Kiri. All three of them possessed epic-quality bone structures below the waist. They were forced to wait for a week after the first treatment as he wanted to assess if there were any negative impacts. A flaw in his thinking had been that while he might be able to heal injuries, he had no way to reverse what he had done, short of chopping off their legs and trying to regenerate them. Thankfully, there had been no negative impact, so he had pushed them from Rare to Epic, which had commensurately improved the Stat bonuses the upgraded materials were providing.


    That had been one half of his preparations for the coming battles. The other half had been creating new materials for Conceptual Automated Existence. With the time to create Legendary materials being vastly reduced due to his evolutions, he had invested in two, with a hope that he wouldn¡¯t need to use them and could eventually bring them to Mythic. True to his plans for his Classes and his future, he had gone with Space and Life. Even now, the two nestled inside his Runic Gallery, ready to be grabbed at a moment''s notice. The Concepts in the pair of items were so strong that they were influencing the area around them. Space warping and reforming around the former, which had been a large reason for his focus on improving his Runic Gallery. Life was more interesting. There were, to Nate¡¯s knowledge, no living things inside of his Runic Gallery. So instead, the small blob of yellow and green amber, seemed to be shifting its surroundings. The small amount of ambient mana present was enough for it to occasionally change the shape of the pedestal it sat on, warping it into different representations of life. One moment a tree, then a fish, then reverting back to a pedestal. The changes were only temporary, no more than flickers, lasting for seconds at most, but the results were interesting and Nate intended to spend some time focusing on them.


    That, however, would need to wait. Tomorrow was the day. The day where they would finally reach the grounds where the Princess and her advisors expected that battle against Asmuisil would be joined. Nate sat in his tent going over his gains of the past few weeks. His Skills had improved across the board.


    Conceptual Insight 49 > 51


    Conceptual Material Shaping 31 > 34


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 50 > 52


    Conceptual Runic Mastery 49 > 51


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation 41 > 43


    Empowered Amplified Magic 40 > 41


    Conceptual Automated Existence 24 > 25


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment 24 > 26


    Space Is All Around You 7 > 16


    The notification indicating that Empowered Amplified Magic was ready to evolve had triggered a couple of hours earlier. He¡¯d held off on reviewing it until he could give it his full attention.


    Empowered Amplified Magic (L) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Conceptual Amplified Magic (M)


    Magic is the manipulation of mana, the energy that determines who rises and who falls. The user of this skill is blessed in all areas of magic, able to bend mana to their will. An Archmage employs Concepts to bend reality. The user of this skill empowers the Concepts of reality, changing their environment to suit their needs. For those blessed few, this Skill increases the user¡¯s Magic Stats by 20%. Increases by 1% per Skill Level. For every 1000 Total Magic Stats, increase the tier of a Concept used by 1.


    Supreme Amplified Magic (M)


    Magic is the manipulation of mana, the energy that determines who rises and who falls. The user of this skill is blessed in all areas of magic, able to bend mana to their will. This is the Skill of an Archmage, their magic made to rule. For those blessed few, this Skill increases the user¡¯s Magic Stats by 20%. Increases by 2% per Skill Level.


    Reading over his two options, he knew what he had to do. Knowing and doing were two different beasts though. Especially when Supreme Amplified Magic at level eighty would offer twice as many Magic Stats as Conceptual Amplified Magic. It also didn¡¯t help that with his current Magic Stats, he wouldn¡¯t receive any bonuses to the tier of his Concepts. Perhaps by the time he hit level sixty in his Classes he would manage it, but for now, the Skill would give him no appreciable bonuses. Except, of course, for the bonus that he needed most of all ¨C to shift his Embodiment, the only thing that really mattered for now. With a put-upon smile, he selected Conceptual Amplified Magic. The price, he reminded himself, would pay off in the long-run.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Bringing up his Status, he looked over all the changes. He and Kiri had both gained two Uncommon Stat Orbs from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for grading into the Advanced Combat subject. He had chosen an Uncommon Intellect and Uncommon Creativity orb. Coupled with his recent Skill improvements, his Stats had increased again, even without any new Class levels.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    445


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    173 (26)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    81


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    17 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    147


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    23 (10)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    175


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    108


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    92 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    227


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    98


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    231


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    94


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 10


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Conceptual Runic Artist (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Wandering Realmwalker (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Insight (M) Lvl 51 - (Excess Mana Absorption Rate increased by 25.5%, +61% Intellect)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Material Shaping (M) Lvl 34 - (-34% Improvement Mana Cost, -75% Time Required, -79% Material Shaping Cost)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Farsight of the Runic Artist (M) Lvl 52 - (+112% Perception, +18% Creativity, 26m Sphere of Awareness, 520 metre summoning range for 2nd Sphere of Awareness)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Runic Mastery (M) Lvl 51 - (-100% Mana Cost, +86.5% Mana Aspecting, 55 Intents, 27 Imbued Intents, +4 Subconcepts, +156 Magic Power when using runes, 51% Intellect, +15% Creativity, +35.5% Conceptual Power for Runes)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation (M) Lvl 43 - (774 metres teleport range, 12 cubic metres of Spatial Manipulation, +18% Magic Control)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Amplified Magic (M) Lvl 41 - (+60% Magic Stats, +0 Tier to Concepts)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Automated Existence (M) Lvl 25 - (-25% Mana Cost, +185% Power, +52% Duration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment (L) Lvl 26 - (+80% to Spatial Effects)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Space Is All Around You (R) Lvl 16 - (-16% Mana Cost for Spatial Skills and Spells)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Minor Spatial Lock (R), Lesser Healing Wave (C)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Divine Translation Spell (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Familiar Contract (Permanent)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Runecaster (E) (40) / Space Mage (R) (10)) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Barrier Soul Engraving (Expend Mana to protect against Soul attacks) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Augmented Skeleton (+5% Physical Stats) (Permanent, Epic)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With a smile, he closed his Status and prepared to head to the Princess¡¯s tent. Tomorrow they would finally see what they were going to be facing.


    *************


    Kiri was bored. Guard duty was the most dull task she had ever encountered. At least when she was guarding Nate, she was invested in his safety. Besides, he was usually doing something halfway interesting, be it crafting or painting. He didn¡¯t just sit there, like a lump of mashed vegetables, appearing to do nothing. Her job was simple. Guard one of the logistics personnel. The woman wore four spatial storages that Kiri could spot. She might have been hiding more of them. Kiri didn¡¯t care to check. All of the Bright Army supplies were held between three logistics personnel, each one decked out in spatial storages and apparently specialising in managing them, whatever that meant. Maybe it was an Administration Class. But, because they held the supplies, to prevent sabotage or theft, they needed to be guarded at all times. Kiri had spent more than one day asleep in the saddle because of the night shifts she had been forced to handle while they were camped.


    The worst part was that she couldn¡¯t even practise her Skills while she waited. While Nate had been crafting and Coralie had been moping, another issue she was trying to ignore, Kiri had been focusing on practising. Her Skill development had come along in leaps and bounds. Soul Slayer¡¯s Aspect had evolved to provide a bonus to strength, previously her weakest Physical Stat and a constant cause of consternation. Now, with the vastly improved bonuses to the Stat, and her own hunting in her free time, she had managed to utilise Soul Rebirth to increase the Stat by sixty-five. The results shifted Strength to her second highest Physical Stat, though whenever she imbued herself using Empowered Soul Sanctuary, it would fall back to fourth.


    Soon Improved Willpower would evolve, then, with Nate¡¯s help, she intended to try and force it to synergise with her Soul Slayer¡¯s Aspect.


    Finally, she had spent her time thinking about how she had felt when she had been reborn. So far she hadn¡¯t been able to recreate that feeling, but with battles on the horizon, she suspected she would have the opportunity soon. Two Soul Twins waited within her Sanctuary. Bringing up her Status, she took a moment to review her improvements.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Stats


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Physical


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Mental


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Magic


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Strength


    </td>


    <td>


    213 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Intellect


    </td>


    <td>


    136


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Power


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Dexterity


    </td>


    <td>


    125


    </td>


    <td>


    Charisma


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic Control


    </td>


    <td>


    104


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Agility


    </td>


    <td>


    504 (6)


    </td>


    <td>


    Creativity


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    <td>


    Channelling Speed


    </td>


    <td>


    29


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Endurance


    </td>


    <td>


    58 (3)


    </td>


    <td>


    Willpower


    </td>


    <td>


    443 (9)


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Reserve


    </td>


    <td>


    87


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Constitution


    </td>


    <td>


    52


    </td>


    <td>


    Perception


    </td>


    <td>


    215


    </td>


    <td>


    Mana Absorption


    </td>


    <td>


    18 (6)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Classes


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Primary Class - Level 20 (40)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Secondary Class - Level 10


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Tertiary Class


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Reborn Soul Slayer (M)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Reborn Soul Dancer (L)


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    ¡­


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Skills


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Rebirth (M) Lvl 36 - (+46% Willpower, +12% Agility, 5 Stats Drained Per Use, 65/131 Stats Acquired)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    One Soul Two Realms (M) Lvl 46 - (561 metres teleport range, -56% Soul Energy Cost, 1122 metres sensory range)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Soul Engraving (E) Lvl 40 - (6/6 Soul Engravings Used, Engravings last for 145 days, +10% Effective power for Soul Engravings)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Tethered Soul Weapons (M) Lvl 29 - (1450 metres detection range, 26 Tethers, 10 Tethered Arms, +29% Agility)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Slayers Aspect (M) Lvl 42 - (+115% Agility, +63% Perception, +47% Dexterity and +42% Strength)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Improved Willpower (R) Lvl 18 - (+13.5% Willpower)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Concealment (L) Lvl 27 - (-32.94% Soul Energy Cost, 3 Additional Souls can be Concealed)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Empowered Soul Sanctuary (M) Lvl 48 - (23 metres cubed of space in Soul Sanctuary, Soul Capacity increased by 585.6% and 11% Soul Energy Regen/hr, Imbuement increases Agility, Endurance and Constitution by +518, 2 Soul Twins, Soul Twin takes 11 days to create.)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Spells


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Wisps of Shadow (U)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Status Effects


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Illusory Class Core Veil Soul Engraving (Illusory Class Core: Dagger Dancer (E) (40) / Spiritwalker (R) (10) ) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Strength, Dexterity, Intellect and Willpower Soul Engravings (+11% per Stat) (Temporary, Rare)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Soul Power Engraving (+22% to Soul Energy Skills) (Temporary, Legendary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Luc Crozier & Evindal Ravalynn (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    System Contract - Jacque Marnier (Temporary)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6">


    Augmented Skeleton (+5% Physical Stats) (Permanent, Epic)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Closing her Status, she stared out into the night, lit by fires and filled with the raucous noise of thousands of individuals trying to find what little comfort they could on the march. She couldn¡¯t wait for this whole fiasco to be over. Maybe then her beautiful girlfriend would start to seem more like her old self. Or maybe not, maybe the bitch that pretended to be Coralie¡¯s mother instead of just the woman who gave birth to her would find another way to fuck the little Ice Mage up. Not for the first time, Kiri considered killing Prefect Allais, and not for the first time, she suppressed the urge. There were other ways to solve problems besides burying a dagger in them. Just not ones she liked as much.

 Chapter 180 - Raid鈥檚 Response

    ¡°How?¡± demanded Morgane, and Nate sensed Hildi tense in the background.


    Nate ignored her for the moment. He was sensing what had happened when he had made the connection and finally recognised the Concept emanating from the Princess. That moment of recognition had caused something to change within him. He was finding it hard to describe, beyond his sister''s own words, but for a moment, he had felt more real. Like every part of him had connected with something for that brief moment. And just like Kiri had said, he hadn¡¯t felt anything from his Class Core. The feeling was fading now, but from the experience, he was certain that something remained. Leaving a small part of his mind to continue working through the problem, he let the rest of his attention return to the Princess.


    ¡°How what, your Highness?¡± Nate asked. He had chosen a side, but that didn¡¯t mean she was entitled to all his secrets. He would likely tell her something, but he wanted her to be clearer on her suspicions so he could decide what to reveal.


    ¡°How can you recognise my Embodiment? My veil feels intact, and if you can pierce Legendary veils without breaking them or having anyone sense them, then you¡¯re even more powerful than I initially thought.¡±


    Nate shook his head. She knew he was Legendary, or at least, that he must have some Legendary Skills. Revealing a fraction of what one of them could do should satisfy her without going overboard.


    ¡°One of my crafting Skills specialises in recognising Concepts. I am actually surprised it took this long to figure it out since whatever you¡¯re doing seems to almost always be ¡®on¡¯ so I have been exposed to it a lot,¡± he answered.


    Morgane looked thoughtful and Nate sensed Hildi relax in the background.


    ¡°I can see how such a Skill would be useful to a crafter. It would help you recognise material affinities without the need for expensive and specialised tools. It would also help you figure out how others had crafted items. Does it work on system items?¡± she asked curiously.


    Nate nodded.


    ¡°What about spells? Does it help you recognise the Sigils embedded within them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he answered, knowing it was only a partial truth. Conceptual Insight didn¡¯t recognise the Sigils, though it did let him sense the Concepts in use.The Divine Translation Spell, on the other hand, told him exactly what Sigil was involved ¡ª most of the time, anyway. It was, after all, reliant on Arikanvil¡¯s knowledge, which while prodigious, did not seem to veer into the Grandmaster tier.


    ¡°A shame, but still, a useful Skill. I imagine it helps you figure out enchantments?¡± the Princess asked, and though her tone had remained the same, he sensed there was more to the question.


    ¡°It does,¡± he answered carefully.


    ¡°Including defensive enchantments?¡±


    His nod was slow as he tried to figure out where she was going with this. He made the connection a second later as the Princess grinned in victory. Asmuisil used enchantments. Asmuisil had raided their camp tonight. He was a spatial mage, who were apparently natural thieves, who could also break enchantments.


    ¡°Yes, and yes I will,¡± he replied, answering both the question she had asked and the one that she was building to.


    Morgane raised an eyebrow, ¡°Yes you will what?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will raid the Asmuisil camp and steal some of their supplies.¡±


    Morgane smiled in amusement and shook her head, ¡°Intelligent...do you need anything from me to pull it off?¡±


    ¡°Some mana would be good,¡± he replied. Sure, he had plenty of mana gems on him, more than enough to pull off a heist. But how would it look if he paid for it all himself? One thing the Princess had never commented on was his mana usage. He may have chosen a side, may be supporting and aiding her, but he wasn¡¯t convinced she would be happy if she found out how much mana he was stealing from the Capital. Better to let her pay for any of his services or aid, or at least fund the mana it would cost him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have it,¡± agreed Morgane, giving a nod to Hildi who produced a small fortune in mana gems from a spatial storage. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Nate shook his head. He had everything he needed to pull off a heist. Between his farsight sphere of awareness, Frick and Kiri, it should be a quick in-and-out job. He left unsaid his second reason for making the attempt: Asmuisillan Champion armour. He wanted one to study. Returning it when he was done was a possibility, as he didn¡¯t really want to steal something like that permanently. But understanding how they had designed it, the Concepts the enchanters had used, would go a long way towards making some armour for Britt, and potentially, for himself.


    Morgane stood and Nate took the cue, standing himself.


    ¡°So much for dinner,¡± he commented.


    ¡°Would you want to eat now, given what you intend to do tonight?¡± asked the Royal.


    ¡°No, I suppose not,¡± he agreed. His stomach was already doing flips at the idea of the heist. He would be entering their opponents ¡ª he still refused to consider them enemies ¡ª camp. Food was the last thing he wanted now, even if the fare the Princess enjoyed was far superior to the rations the Guild had brought.


    ¡°Best of luck, Nathaniel. Hildi and I won¡¯t be telling anyone, since the Bright Army already has infiltrators in it. If you succeed, I would appreciate it if you brought some of what you manage to steal to me to replace what we lost tonight.¡±


    Nate nodded his agreement as he headed for the tent flap and stepped out into the night. A clear sky full of stars hung overhead, only partially obscured by the fires and enchanted lights of the Bright Army. Morgane had asked only for enough from the raid to replace what her army had lost that night. If what she said was true, then maybe, he thought, she was genuinely invested in the ideas she espoused. He would give her that much at least, and see what she did with the returned goods, or if she would ask for more. As for the rest of what they stole, well, his crafting wasn¡¯t cheap. A donation from their opposition to the Artists Emporium would certainly be welcome. Now, all he needed to do was convince his sister that they should raid an enemy army filled with Golds and Platinums and better enchantments than anything they had seen in Etrua.


    *************


    ¡°By the Nine Hells, yes!¡± Kiri exclaimed, clenching a fist, being as loud as she wanted with the anti-scrying ward already concealing their discussion.


    ¡°This is the most goblin thing ever,¡± agreed Frick, the little blue goblin¡¯s toothy grin absolutely vicious.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± asked Nate. ¡°It could get dangerous if we get caught.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten how the Platinum Wind Mage had managed to blast him with some cutting wind spell before he had even been aware she was targeting him.


    ¡°Who cares about that,¡± grunted Kiri. ¡°I¡¯m still pissed about the attack earlier and always being on the defensive. Not too keen on killing anyone, unless they force us. But stealing from them? Fair¡¯s fair. They started it.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Stealing is a goblins'' favourite pastime,¡± agreed Frick. ¡°I¡¯m just mad we¡¯ve waited this long!¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Nate agreed, glancing around his warded tent. ¡°Frick, can you try and find any locations that look like they might be supply locations within the Asmuisillan Army?¡±


    ¡°Or people,¡± added Kiri.


    ¡°Or people,¡± he agreed.


    Frick just grinned before vanishing, making liberal use of Nate¡¯s own Skills.


    Nate turned to look at Kiri.


    ¡°I felt it,¡± he stated, eyes intense.


    ¡°I knew it! She¡¯s totally into you!¡± quipped Kiri. ¡°Does a Princess feel like most older women or do they age better? Like wine?¡±


    Nate tried his hardest not to smile before finally caving and giving her a chagrined grin.


    ¡°No, I felt what you described after you were reborn,¡± he answered quietly. ¡°I felt more¡­.real.¡±


    Kiri¡¯s face lit up and she moved closer.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    He told the story from the start, explaining about Hildi, the Legendary item she wore, then his meeting with the Princess and his recognition of the Concept surrounding her and the feeling that followed.


    ¡°It¡¯s tied to the Embodiment then. It has to be right?¡± said Kiri, a frown of consternation on her face.


    ¡°I think so,¡± he agreed. ¡°But then how does that work? Your Embodiment is Perfect. Mine is currently Partial. Have you felt it again since then?¡±


    Kiri shook her head, ¡°No. Only when I used the Soul Twin. It¡¯s a form of rebirth. So it must have to do with doing something that aligns with your Embodiment. You¡¯ve never felt it when ¡®Wandering¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Never. Though¡­have I ever really ¡®wandered¡¯? It sounds somewhat directionless¡­and I have never really tried to focus on that or what it meant. The moment we found out about Embodiments I was already thinking about how to change mine.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Kiri agreed. ¡°And I only felt¡­whatever it was¡­when I used the Soul Twin. I didn¡¯t feel anything like that when you saved me in Helmfirth Forest.¡±


    ¡°You mean after you saved me,¡± he responded, raising an eyebrow which elicited a grin from his sister.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, nobody¡¯s keeping score. Anyway, that still doesn¡¯t tell us what it is. That feeling. It felt like it faded away. Same for you?¡±


    Nate focused inwards. Something of the feeling lingered, but just like his sister had pointed out, it was fading away.


    ¡°Same for me,¡± he replied after a moment.


    ¡°Guess we will just have to recapture that feeling then,¡± said Kiri, a dangerous smirk on her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything too insane, alright?¡± Nate cautioned, knowing his words would fall on deaf ears.


    ¡°Fuck that,¡± Kiri answered. ¡°I¡¯m immortal. Remember?¡±


    Nate rolled his eyes and teleported slightly to avoid the playful punch Kiri threw at him.


    ¡°Coralie?¡± Nate asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Kiri replied, glancing away, though not before Nate caught the pained look on his sister''s face. Hopefully a successful heist would help distract his sister from her relationship woes. For one night, at least.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re taking a side?¡± Kiri commented, changing the subject. Nate had shared everything about his meeting with Morgane with his sister. That included Morgane¡¯s comments about getting their support. Both of them.


    ¡°I think we should, if we¡¯re going to stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Kiri agreed.


    ¡°Just like that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just like that. They attacked you, attacked us. Fabien went after you. Then House Desmarais. Who is next? The Princes? The King? You¡¯re right that I don¡¯t want to leave Etrua. Not yet, at least. If we¡¯re going to stay, and we¡¯re going to get attacked anyway, we might as well make some allies. The Princess will do for now¡­and if she betrays us¡­well, I will handle that.¡±


    Nate didn¡¯t need to see his sister''s eyes to know what she meant. For his sister, a betrayal was the severing of a connection, and Kiri was an artist with a knife.


    Frick chose that moment to reappear, a wild grin on his face.


    ¡°So?¡± demanded Kiri, though Nate recognised she was just trying to focus on something other than the implications of potentially assassinating a Royal. At least she had her head in the game, he supposed.


    ¡°How big do we want to go?¡± asked the goblin, blue eyes shining with glee.


    ¡°Biggest,¡± answered Kiri without hesitation.


    ¡°Their supplies are a lot more centralised,¡± replied Frick. ¡°They¡¯ve got three tents that look like supply caches. All well guarded by teams that look like Golds. I didn¡¯t think I saw any Platinums, but then, they don¡¯t have many, do they?¡±


    ¡°But?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°But, I saw through the flaps of one of the tents. They¡¯ve got empowering enchantments set up in them. I didn¡¯t see any Champion armour, but if one shows up, we could be in trouble, Boss.¡±


    ¡°Wonder why they actually set up supply tents,¡± mused Kiri, apparently unconcerned about the risks.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re an actual army,¡± replied Nate. ¡°Ours is made up of Nobles and conscripts. The Nobles bring their own supplies and the conscripts are only given the absolute basics. Some food and common weaponry. We¡¯re a melting pot of various forces brought together for just as many reasons. They¡¯re actually an army. Makes sense they would need more supplies, like spare armour etc. But it sounds like their supplies are potentially better guarded. Doesn¡¯t matter though. The question is, do we still want to do this?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± stated Kiri emphatically. Frick just grinned, showing sharp teeth.


    ¡°Alright then. Frick, mark the location. Prepare the rune.¡±


    His Familiar vanished and he turned to look at Kiri.


    ¡°Aisling might not be happy about this,¡± cautioned Kiri, though her eyes said she wanted to follow through with the plan regardless.


    ¡°She might not. But, we had to choose a side sooner rather than later. She is still a Platinum. If she doesn¡¯t want to follow us into this, no one will fault her. And if she does, maybe at the end of this, we all get what we want.¡±


    Kiri tilted her head curiously, waiting for him to continue.


    ¡°A stronger Adventurer¡¯s Guild led by Prefects that exhibit less self-interest.¡±


    Kiri smiled in understanding.


    ¡°Ready, Boss,¡± whispered Frick into his mind.


    Nate activated Conceptual Runic Mastery, preparing three runic arrays: Mana Drain, to try and disperse or weaken any protective enchantments on Asmuisil¡¯s supplies; Gravity Control, to control the fight, and finally, a runic array combining Light, Sound, Illusion and Barrier, to hide the area. The mana they used might have been detectable, if not for Frick setting up a Mana Obfuscation Array beneath the ground. It should keep them from getting noticed for a little while, though with a handful of Golds fighting, he doubted it would hold for long. The notification flashed in the corner of his vision.


    Congratulations on creating an Illusionary Barrier rune (Master Quality).


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    ¡°Time to go,¡± he said to Kiri.


    His sister grinned at him then they both vanished. Conceptual Spatial Manipulation took three jumps as he quickly went from his tent, to the churned-up battlefield, then just beyond the Asmuisil earthen bulwark, before appearing outside a large warded white tent. The guards responded immediately but he had already let the Light and Sound Illusion Barrier runic array flare outwards, keeping sound in and preventing most of the light from escaping. It wouldn¡¯t be perfect, but it should hold for long enough.


    Two swordsmen rushed at him, arms pumping with their blades out and ready to skewer him. Both went careening into the ground as Kiri appeared behind them, looping her Soul Tethered arms around their ankles and tripping them.


    With a nod, he focused on the tent as his sphere of awareness told him everything he needed to know. Seven guards, all reacting to their sudden appearance. The mana obfuscation array beneath the ground was keeping everyone''s mana usage from alerting the rest of the camp. His illusion barrier was hiding the visible and auditory signs. Now, he just needed to get into the tent. Conceptual Insight hummed as Farsight of the Runic Artist sensed the mana flows: an Epic Barrier. With a smile, he set up his Mana Drain runic array, guiding his Intents through Conceptual Runic Mastery. Adding Subconcepts, he empowered the Drain Concept with the Subconcepts of Ravenous, Devouring and Rapid. To Mana, he added Empowered. Through his sphere he could tell that the Epic barrier would fold in less than five minutes.


    He just hoped they would have that long. Turning away from his handiwork he rushed to join his sister and Familiar. First the battle, and then the rewards.

 Chapter 181 - Earned Plunder

    The zone around the Asmuisillans supply tent was filled with violence. Unfortunately for Nate¡¯s opponents, it was mostly martial violence, rather than magical. Teleporting away from a sword strike, he responded by using his Gravity Control rune to launch his attacker into one of his comrades with enough force to send them both tumbling to the ground.


    The seven guards of the supply tent all seemed to be sword wielders. He wanted to go through the reasons why that might be, but he was already holding three separate runic arrays in place and couldn¡¯t spare any of his focus to do so.


    With the small reprieve from being attacked he scanned his enemies with Farsight of the Runic Artist. The response was instant¡ª seven low sixties, all with partial Embodiments and Swordsman-type Classes. On the lower end of what he and Kiri had faced recently, and it was showing.


    His sister danced nearby, facing three opponents and keeping them all at bay. Where he had held back from hurting the guards too much so far, his sister was clearly not. Her Rare-tier daggers seemed to be of a higher quality than the guards armour, which Nate recognised as Uncommon-tier, and she was abusing that fact to leave them all bleeding. As he watched, three of her ten Soul Tethered Arms snaked out towards one of her opponents and while two of the daggers tied up his sword the third dagger slipped low and buried itself in the man''s leg before being wrenched free. The entire time Kiri never stopped moving, forcing them away and giving ground in equal measure as she flowed through the battlefield like a wraith ¡ª or, he supposed, like a dancer.


    Frick seemed to be having an equally good time. Using My Will, My Way his Familiar had made himself into a three-metre tall, heavily muscled blue goblin. That alone wasn¡¯t new, but his method of fighting was. Frick had gotten a hold of one of the guard¡¯s legs and was using the man as a club to knock one of the other guards around the area.


    Nate finished taking in the scene of the battle and focused back on his own two opponents. Neither looked keen to re-engage him and as one turned to flee. Nate debated letting them do so. If he wasn¡¯t being contested he could throw more of his mana into breaking the enchantment over the supply tent. On the other hand, if the retreating guards found a Champion and managed to bring them back before Nate and Kiri had made their escape, that could cause serious problems.


    With those thoughts in mind he settled on something in the middle. Wielding his Control Gravity runic array, he increased gravity¡¯s pull towards the ground around the men as much as he could. Both men fell to their knees, struggling to crawl forward, but continuing to slowly move away. Nate left them to their glacial retreat, focusing back on the enchantment surrounding the supply tent. He was forced to tune out the screams of the guard-turned-club in the background.


    Conceptual Insight roamed over the enchantment and through his Skill he easily recognised two of the Concepts involved. Unsurprisingly Barrier was one, but the second being Reinforcement surprised him a little. Mostly because that was the same as what he had used in the barrier items he had crafted for Asmuisil. Without seeing the Sigils he couldn¡¯t tell the tiers involved, but it did make him wonder if they were reverse-engineering his creations. Not that he could fault them if they were, since one of the main reasons he was performing this attack was so that he could do the same.


    There were at least two other Concepts in the barrier, but he didn¡¯t really have time to spend studying them. Instead, he modified the Mana Drain runic array to include the Sigils for Barrier and Reinforcement. It meant reworking the entire runic array on the fly. Conceptual Runic Mastery let him redesign the runes involved and his Intents let him refocus the purpose while modifying the Subconcepts involved. The result was quick and dirty and the amount of mana the new runic array consumed was evidence of shoddy work, but it did work. Besides, they should have enough mana stored inside that he could regain everything he spent.


    Using his sphere of awareness he continued to monitor the battlefield while flooding mana into the Reinforced Barrier Mana Drain runic array. One of Kiri¡¯s opponents lay bleeding out on the ground while the remaining two put up a desperate defence in the hopes of not joining their comrade. Frick continued to chase one of the guards while swinging the other. The form he had built for himself seemed to focus on strength rather than speed. As for the two Nate had pinned down using gravity, they were about to crawl beyond the edge of the area Nate was controlling and cross the Illusion Barrier hiding the area. None of that mattered though, as Nate felt the barrier before him weaken, then shatter. Conceptual Spatial Manipulation took him inside of the tent in an instant and he took the room in at a glance with both his eyes and his sphere of awareness. Twenty crates of armour and weapons, along with eight storage devices. The crates went into his Runic Gallery two at a time while he rushed around scooping up three rings, two bracers, two amulets and a diadem. Within ten seconds the tent was empty and he was rushing back out through the flap.


    ¡°Clear!¡± he yelled to Kiri and Frick.


    Frick threw the beaten guard-turned-club over his shoulder like he was tossing a chicken-bone, then rushed back to Nate¡¯s side with thudding footsteps. Kiri had just finished dropping her third opponent and with a cursory check through his sphere of awareness he noted that two out of three weren¡¯t in danger of dying. As for the third, Nate dropped his Gravity Control runic array, and spun up his Life and Soul runic array, sending a rush of mana at the man through the quickly formed rune. The effect was instant, stabilising the guards'' worst wounds.


    His eyes flicked upwards as he felt his Illusion Barrier shatter and felt the wind start whistling with fury as it built itself into a cage around them. A familiar Concept was present in the flows of air and as Nate recognised it he felt another small thrum of something pass through his body. The Concept of Suppression tried to resist his activation of Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, but with a flare from his Spatial Release Bracer, he felt the suppression snap. Frick flowed like blue-light into the Familiar Contract in Nate¡¯s chest and without waiting a second longer he teleported, vanishing into thin air at the same time as Kiri.


    *************


    Theora, Wind of the East, landed on the ground without disturbing a blade of grass and looked over the mess that was supply tent number three. The two guards that had managed to escape and raise the alarm were running back towards her. They were, however, the only two guards still standing. Three lay bleeding on the grass, multiple stab wounds covering them, though she did note that they didn¡¯t appear to be dying. Was that intentional, she wondered? A message? Or just luck? In some ways, the ones bleeding seemed in better shape than the next two. The first was a Captain in the Third Army of the Asmuisil Empire, and she had been hammered into the ground like she was a common fence post. The last lay on the ground unmoving, and Theora was experienced enough on the battlefield to recognise multiple broken bones when she saw them.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The two guards who had escaped finally managed to run up to her. Both were covered in sweat and looked like they had spent the entire day undertaking physical training, rather than standing guard over supply tent number three.


    ¡°Report,¡± she demanded, as was her right as a Sub-Commander of the Third Army of the Asmuisil Empire and one of only four Platinums within their forces.


    ¡°We were attacked by three individuals, Ma¡¯am. A female Dagger Dancer, a Mage who wielded Gravity and a monster. A gigantic blue ogre!¡± exclaimed one, still puffing as he tried to catch his breath.


    ¡°Estimated rank?¡± she asked without looking inside the tent. At this range her Wind Observes the World could tell her the entire supply stash had been emptied.


    ¡°They had to be High-Golds or newly minted Platinums, Ma¡¯am. They each handled multiple guards and we were unable to even fight back.¡±


    Theora frowned. They had no intelligence reports on any of the Noble Houses of Etrua raising a Dagger Dancer or a Gravity Mage. Or Space Mage, she supposed, which that man had clearly been. Her Epic Spell, Winds of Suppression, should have restricted or at least limited the use of any Spells or Skills that did not utilise Wind. Instead, the Winds of Suppression had held for barely a moment before a wave of mana that she suspected contained an affinity for Space had washed through her spell and disrupted it.


    Looking at the tent she ground her teeth. The Commander had been right to use their advanced concealing enchantments to hide three of the army''s supply caches. Theora had opposed the suggestion, thinking the cost in mana was not worth it and that her teams would detect an attempt like the one she had made on the Etruan encampment. She had been wrong. She hated being wrong. The Etruans were so divisive, she had expected that it would take more than an hour or two for them to mount a response. Even if they did, she had the names of the Noble Houses present within the Etruan forces. They were unlikely to work together, as splitting the glory and the spoils was not the way in that den of vipers. They¡¯d as soon bite each other as they would an enemy. Yet this response had been fast, containing forces she had not accounted for, and had succeeded beyond any of her expectations. A sixth of their supplies were lost. The Council of War would not be happy, even if they would send replacements.


    ¡°Get the Captain out of the ground. See yourself and your fellows to the infirmary for check-ups. Then have the Captain report to the Command tent,¡± she growled out, ignoring the salute to her orders as she walked back towards the Command tent herself to inform the Commander of the attack and her failure. Flying would¡¯ve been faster, but she wasn¡¯t some Etruan Noble who wasted mana on frivolous things. It was exactly that kind of waste that Asmuisil fought against, and she would fight for her country till her ashes decorated the eastern winds of her home.


    Those same winds whispered a final sentence as she heard one of the bleeding guards being helped to his feet by his comrades.


    ¡°...I think¡­he saved me¡­¡±


    *************


    Nate appeared in his tent, joined a second later by Kiri. Frick flew out of the Familiar contract laughing.


    ¡°That was so fucking goblin!!!¡± hooted the Spirit.


    Kiri¡¯s face lit up with a grin and Nate was about to join in the banter of a successful raid when the hairs on his arms started standing up. Three seconds later he felt his Guardian enter his sphere of awareness. Kiri must have as well, as she matched him in turning to face the entrance of his tent.


    Aisling stormed in a moment later and the hairs on Nate¡¯s arms went from standing up to sending small shocks through him. A small modification of his barrier locked out the ambient mana and stopped the effects of his mentor''s displeasure. He did, however, note that flaw in his barrier for future reference.


    ¡°You attacked the Asmuisil encampment. Why?¡± demanded the amazonian-woman, chocolate-brown eyes boring into them.


    Kiri looked to Nate and he once more accepted that the burden of leadership, both the successes and failures, was settling more and more upon his shoulders.


    ¡°I agreed to assist Princess Morgane. She asked me to attempt to recover some of the supplies stolen in the raid tonight by Asmuisil.¡±


    Aisling¡¯s face remained intense, but not angry, ¡°And, did you?¡±


    ¡°We did not recover any supplies stolen. Instead, we struck one of their supply caches and emptied it out.¡±


    Aisling nodded slowly before asking the question at the crux of the issue, ¡°Why help the Princess?¡±


    Nate took a second to formulate his thoughts and activate his anti-scrying ward. He ignored the fact that three sets of eyes were all focused on him as he began his explanation.


    ¡°Kiri and my growth and capability have not gone unnoticed: The attack against me by Fabien and Caroline, the attempted murder of us both by House Desmarais forces; the options we had were growing thinner and thinner. Running was¡­is an option¡­but none of us seem willing to do so. Kiri doesn¡¯t want to leave Coralie or force her parents to leave their home. I am not willing to leave Kiri, or you, Aisling.¡±


    Aisling went to speak, but he kept going before she could.


    ¡°I know you think you haven¡¯t done a lot for me. And I know you have a vested interest in my development, for the sake of the Guild. But having you on my side, no matter what, even when you thought I was being foolish, has meant the world to me. You want the Guild to flourish. To be the place where heroes can be raised to protect the people. And Etrua won¡¯t allow that. Not as it is. It doesn¡¯t want heroes, it wants Lords and Ladies, ruling over people who are barely scraping by. In a world filled with magic, where it would be easy to set aside enough mana to comfortably feed and house everyone, they still choose to hoard that wealth for just a little bit more power. And what do they do with that power? They squabble with each other. It¡¯s a waste. An ugly, selfish, waste.¡±


    He paused for a moment to make sure he had the words right for what he said next.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I am the best judge of character. I¡¯m probably not. But I believe Princess Morgane when she said she wants to make Etrua a better place for the people, not just the Nobility. If we¡¯re going to stay, and it seems none of us are willing to leave, then I think it¡¯s time we chose a side in the political struggles of Etrua. Tonight, I chose the Princess.¡±


    Kiri smiled at him in the way she did when he was being a bleeding-heart, before turning to Aisling.


    ¡°I choose the Princess as well, then.¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡± piped up Frick from behind them where he had apparently been hiding from Aisling.


    ¡°As if you had a choice,¡± muttered Kiri.


    Aisling stared at Nate intently for a few seconds, the silence dragging on.


    ¡°This may put us at odds with the Prefects of the Guild, Nate,¡± whispered Aisling, and he could sense her discomfort in her posture. ¡°But, you are right. The Guild is meant to produce heroes that protect humanity. You have chosen a side for us. I don¡¯t know if it is the right decision, the right path forward, but it is better than doing nothing. A caged storm only builds in fury. I will start preparing for what is to come.¡±


    Turning to leave the tent, his mentor glanced back, ¡°Next time, please, keep me informed.¡±


    He smiled and nodded, ¡°I will.¡±


    As soon as Aisling had left Kiri spun to face him, eyes bright with excitement, ¡°Let¡¯s see what we stole!¡±

 Chapter 182 - Life Is All Around You

    Nate leaned back in his chair, lamenting the lack of cushions. When they returned to the Capital, he thought idly that perhaps he should see about hiring an assistant. Someone to do errands for him. Most of those errands would be about procuring more of the creature comforts he was coming to adore.


    Kiri had vanished after seeing what they had stolen, calling it ¡®boring¡¯ and telling Nate to do whatever he wanted with their plunder. He could see why, given what they had taken. Leaning forward, he reviewed his list of their stolen goods.


    Laid out on the floor before him were twenty crates and eight storage devices. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure how much of the Asmuisil supplies they had stolen, but he estimated it was somewhere between a tenth and a fifth of their opponents¡¯ total supplies. He was, of course, excluding personal supplies carried by the individuals of the Asmuisillan Army. His estimates were based on the contents of the crates.


    In the crates he had enough Uncommon-tier sets of armour to outfit five hundred soldiers. That included short swords and small buckler shields. Of the storage devices, three contained rations and food supplies; two contained tents and other camping supplies, such as buckets, ropes and similar paraphernalia; two contained mana gems ¡ª which totalled more mana than he had stolen from the Capital in over six months. Of those, he intended to give one to the Princess to cover her losses from the raid by Asmuisil. The final storage device was the real prize, however: the enchanted equipment that Asmuisil made such effective use of. Two sets of Champion Armour, as he was calling the enchanted armour that could be connected to an Empowerment Enchantment, was the trophy he had sought. Alongside the armour were over a hundred barrier bracers. Only ten were clearly his own work, the rest slightly inferior copies, but still useful. His lips twisted a little in self-reflection and he had to acknowledge for a moment that not everyone had his talent or Skills and that just because others couldn¡¯t achieve the same outcomes as him didn¡¯t make their work faulty, just¡­not as good.


    He had half-expected to find enchanted items for simplifying work. Enchanted lamps, fire-starters, heaters, water-condensers and any number of other enchanted items to make camp-life easier. He found none of those, which made him wonder about the rugged approach of the Asmuisillan Army. Unless the other supply depots had different equipment ¡ª an unlikely possibility ¡ª it seemed like their opponents only used mana where they had to and instead relied on mundane methods for everything else. Such an approach was in stark contrast with the Etruans. Perhaps the conscripts made do with the mundane, but the Nobility most certainly did not.


    Out of the two approaches, he had to admit, he preferred Asmuisil¡¯s. He could recognise that his position made him somewhat of a hypocrite, considering his preference for comforts and his abuse of the mana stockpile he was taking from Etrua. He wasn¡¯t some Robin Hood character, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. The mana he took went towards his own development, The Artist¡¯s Emporium, and helping his friends. Looking inside himself, he wasn¡¯t sure how that made him feel. Up until now he had considered himself better than the Etruan Nobility, but in retrospect, he was just nicer. He had given the poor some art to appreciate, added a little beauty to their lives, but little else. Perhaps, he decided, it was time that changed.


    For the past few days, Conceptual Insight had reached a point where it had stored enough mana to forcibly upgrade the tier of one of his Master-tier Sigils. He had three options that he had been seriously considering. Barrier had been the front-runner. Taking his Legendary Bracer to Mythic seemed like the obvious choice to secure his defences. The second option had been his Life Sigil. He had raised it to the Master tier when he saved Britt and taking it to the Grandmaster tier could go a long way towards helping him unlock the Lord of Life Class, or at least something similar to it. His third and final option was his Mana Sigil. Being able to control mana more effectively, be it for gathering mana or dispersing it, had implications for all his crafting and for combat.


    Before tonight, before seeing the stark differences between Asmuisil and Etrua, and before his moment of introspection, he knew he would have chosen Barrier, a reaction rooted in his fear and paranoia. But seeing the differences between the two countries made him see that he wanted to use his talents to help others, the non-nobility in particular. That and, as always, to create art. Just handing out the mana he had stolen from Asmuisil wouldn¡¯t do much for them, even in the short-term. But what he could do was increase their chances of survival. Many had minor injuries that weren¡¯t tended to in the Healer tents. He had already considered going among the conscripts, hidden, and providing what care he could. Now, with their stolen plunder, he had more than enough to go beyond such a small action.


    His decision made, and ignoring the knowing look he could sense from Frick who was working hard within his Runic Gallery, he activated Conceptual Insight. He held the Skill ready, using Conceptual Runic Mastery to copy the Life Sigil from his robe into the air in front of him. Taking a moment, he made sure that the wards on his tent held and that he wasn¡¯t being spied on. Satisfied he was alone, except for Frick, he let the secondary effect of Conceptual Insight drain away into the Life Sigil that hung before him. Similar to the first time, the Sigil drank up the mana, beginning to shift. The Concept of Life had myriad interpretations. At the Master tier it had already been a complex shape that looked somewhat like a flower or perhaps a tree. He had always assumed that it was meant to represent evolution, or perhaps growth and change. The new form it took on looked nothing like that. Instead, it reminded him loosely of a spider''s web. Loosely, because where a spider''s web was orderly, with sections working inwards, the connections in the Grandmaster-tier Life Sigil were erratic and chaotic in nature. Along those strands were various symbols and while his Divine Translation didn¡¯t activate, he got a sense from Conceptual Insight that they were the subconcepts most closely aligned with the Concept of Life.


    He took out his notebook and began copying down his second Grandmaster-tier Sigil. After sketching it twice he used his own sketch with Conceptual Runic Mastery to recreate the Sigil until he was satisfied he had it perfect. Around him, life reacted to the presence of the twin Sigils. He could feel his own body and the mana within fighting against the outside force, but the grass beneath his feet had no such protections. Parts of it grew, crawling up his legs, while other parts changed colours, or grew denser and sharper. A small portion of it turned to goo before dying. Life, unguided, was as capable of destruction as death. Releasing his own Life Sigil, he watched as the mana within Conceptual Insight finally ran out and the second Life Sigil vanished.


    Unlike with his Grandmaster-tier Space Sigil, there had been no reaction from the Divine Translation Spell placed on him by Arikanvil. More evidence that the Divine lacked the knowledge of higher-tier Sigils that did not relate to the Concept of Space.


    With the first part of his nightly plan completed, he began modifying his Life-Soul runic array to accommodate the new Sigil. As he had just seen, Life unguided could be damaging and what he wanted to accomplish was on a large enough scale that he would need to consider both targeting and guidance. Targeting, because he didn¡¯t want to grow a field of mutated grass filled with monstrous bugs. Guidance because he didn¡¯t want the life energies to mutate the people he intended to be the recipients of his rune.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Working through the remainder of the night he finally finished about an hour before dawn. His latest creation might have taken longer if he didn¡¯t already have a scaffold to work off of in the form of his Life-Soul runic array. The new runic array was huge ¡ª the biggest he had ever created. The increased size was a requirement to fit all the Sigils he wanted onto it with enough separation to make sure that the amount of mana that dispersed to them met his requirements. When created, he expected it to stretch to over three metres in diameter. Smaller, and he would be forced to limit the amount of mana that would flow through the rune, lest the mana dispersion fields start overlapping. The issue he had encountered when creating the rune, was one of scale. Up until now most of his runes had been single targets or small areas. The exception, of course, was his workshop, but he could get very detailed when he had such a large surface area to work with. Even then, the area his workshop runes were meant to cover or ward were still far smaller in scale than what he intended to accomplish before the sun rose.


    No notification waited for him yet, but that was because he had only designed the new rune. He hadn¡¯t yet created it. Acknowledgement would come when he turned the idea into reality, and now was the time to do so.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he mentally sent to Frick.


    ¡°Ready, Boss. You sure about this?¡±


    The idea of using as much mana as Nate was about to spend on healing the sick and injured was not something that Frick had been ecstatic about. Even with his Familiar¡¯s misgivings, the goblin spirit had been hard at work preparing the area for Nate. Concealing his presence and the mana he was about to unleash was very important. The last thing he needed was more of the Nobility harassing or hounding him. Frick¡¯s set up had been much more straightforward and was carved into the earth, far simpler runes to do two things in sequence: an illusion to hide Nate and an expanding mana obfuscation barrier to prevent any detailed detection of the mana used. Frick had created the runes out of metal raised to the rare tier. It was the best they could manage on short-notice and he suspected that it wouldn¡¯t completely conceal the mana usage. But he could live with that shortcoming.


    With Frick ready, Nate activated Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, appearing within the metallic circle of runes crafted by Frick. A haze surrounded him, that made it seem like he was staring through a thin layer of water at the conscripts¡¯ camp. Small makeshift tents and camp sites stretched in every direction, with thousands of conscripts sleeping. A bare few were already awake, sitting around campfires and roasting their breakfasts. The smells mixed together in Nate¡¯s nostrils. Smoke, dirt and sweat mixed with the sweet smell of vegetables. There was a hint of blood and he suspected what might be decaying flesh.


    ¡°Last chance to back out, Boss,¡± muttered Frick, sitting in the grass and holding a small pile of mana gems.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± replied Nate.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Boss, and I suppose it is all stolen mana¡­still kinda¡¯ goblin.¡±


    Nate smiled as Frick started flowing mana into the Mana Obfuscation runic array laid out around them.


    Looking up, Nate focused as he began recreating the gigantic rune. He had given it a new name. A simpler one that he thought Kiri might approve of. The Mass Restoration rune began to take form above him as he was forced to balance Conceptual Runic Mastery with the required control as he began placing the individual Sigils within the massive geometric form of the rune. Using his Skill, he began subtly shifting Subconcepts as he used the Target Sigil to focus on humans, the Life Sigil to focus on Restoration, the Soul Sigil to focus on Guidance and the Power Sigil to focus on Empowerment. Those were the four key Sigils, but he had included others. Blood, Mana, Shape, Calm, Gentle and Clean were all involved as well. Without his Intent to guide the final creation it likely would have fallen apart. But with fifty-six Intents to work with, he could guide a rune on this scale like a conductor guided an orchestra, and the result was his very own symphony.


    Reaching into his Runic Gallery, he guided mana from the stolen gems, emptying a tenth of them as he bled the mana into his rune. The reaction was instant and Conceptual Insight sang in the back of his mind as the Concept of Life flew forth over the conscripts¡¯ camp, only outpaced by Frick¡¯s expanding mana obfuscation runic array. Using his farsight sphere of awareness, he could tell that the concealment of his mana usage was incomplete. It had been a risk that he was aware of and given the strength of his own rune he had been almost certain that they couldn¡¯t completely hide his actions. But that was fine as long as they couldn¡¯t find him, and the obfuscation around his location was strong enough to prevent his detection.


    Through that same sphere of awareness, he could sense the desired changes happening amongst the camp. Cuts and bruises vanished, infections were purged and blood pumped to restore any losses. There wasn¡¯t enough mana per conscript to restore missing limbs, but superficial wounds and internal damage vanished.


    Ignoring the notification in the corner of his vision, Nate collapsed the gigantic rune and used Conceptual Spatial Manipulation to return to his tent. A moment later, Frick joined him, bringing the runes that he had hidden with him.


    ¡°Was it worth it, Boss?¡± asked Frick.


    Nate didn¡¯t even look at the notifications before answering, ¡°It was for me, Frick.¡±


    His Familiar shrugged after a moment before dropping his own bombshell, ¡°I am on the verge of my second evolution.¡±


    Nate blinked at the blindside, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ll get?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some ideas, Boss, but I wanted to ask you before I chose¡­are you going to keep me around?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Nate asked in confusion.


    Frick flopped down on the floor and looked up at Nate, ¡°Because I am like Britt, Boss, or Null, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Class Tier. You¡¯re worried about keeping up.¡± Nate replied with a nod, taking a seat in his own chair, more tired than he had expected to be. Apparently guiding enough mana to level a city wall could wear him down a little, at least for now.


    ¡°Class tier,¡± agreed Frick. ¡°I had a Rare Class, when I agreed to our Contract back in your first Dungeon. My first evolution got me an Epic Class, thanks to you, largely. Benefits of being a Familiar. But the gaps between evolutions get bigger after the Second Evolution. Sixty levels between them, and I am still two tiers below you. You¡¯re strong enough to get a new Familiar. A stronger one, if you wanted. Nine Hells, Boss, between your skillset and Kiri¡¯s you could probably venture to the Spirit Realm after your Second Evolution and find yourself a Familiar. So, I wanted to know, are you going to keep me around?¡±


    Nate didn¡¯t have to think about the question for long. Would a stronger Familiar be a benefit? It would. But, even if their relationship had its ups and downs, Frick had been with him from the start. If he could find a way to uplift Britt, he could find a way to uplift Frick.


    ¡°I will keep you with me, Frick, till you want me to release you.¡±


    Frick grinned, sharp teeth flashing in the dim tent as blue eyes met Nate¡¯s grin.


    ¡°Thanks, Boss. I won¡¯t let you down!¡±


    Frick vanished into the Runic Gallery, diligently returning to work and Nate finally spared some attention for his notifications.


    Congratulations on creating a Mass Restoration Rune (Grandmaster Quality).


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Congratulations on Healing more than one-thousand sapients with a single action.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    Two more achievements and both focused on healing and life. As far as he was concerned, he was well on his way to accomplishing his goals of a Life-aspected Tertiary Class. Now, he just needed to go see a Princess and deliver some mana along with news of their success. That, and deal with the other waiting notifications. It had been a busy night and he had grown by more than just a few achievements.

 Chapter 183 - The Coming Storm

    The walk to the Princess¡¯s tent wasn¡¯t too far but Nate used the time to go over his Skill improvements and the results.


    Conceptual Insight 51 > 53


    Conceptual Material Shaping 34 > 38


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 52 > 54


    Conceptual Runic Mastery 51 > 52


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation 43 > 45


    Conceptual Amplified Magic 41 > 44


    Conceptual Automated Existence 25 > 27


    Conceptual Spatial Empowerment 26 > 33


    Space Is All Around You 16 > 21


    With Space Is All Around You reaching level twenty-one it was ready to evolve. One of his considerations with the evolution was to see if he could push it towards a synergy with Conceptual Spatial Empowerment. Keeping part of his mind focused on his sphere of awareness, he dived into the next notification.


    Space Is All Around You (R) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Space Fractures at Your Passing (Epic)


    Space is one of the true constants of the material multiverse. You have fractured space and all that occupied it, wielding space as a weapon. Draw deeper upon the nature of space and find all before you are reduced to dust. This Skill decreases the mana cost of Spatial Skills and Spells by drawing on ambient mana with an affinity for space to offset the mana required. Mana cost reduction increases at Skill Level x 1. Additionally, Spatial Skills and Spells are Skill Level x 1 percent stronger at piercing your enemies¡¯ protections.


    Space Opens Before You (Epic)


    Space is one of the true constants of the material multiverse. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you occupy space and through this Skill you find that paths once closed are now open. This Skill decreases the mana cost of Spatial Skills and Spells by drawing on ambient mana with an affinity for space to offset the mana required. Mana cost reduction increases at Skill Level x 1. Additionally, Spatial Skills and Spells are Skill Level x 1 percent stronger at passing through barriers and wards.


    The two options made sense considering how Space Is All Around You functioned and what he had been doing. Fracturing space went back to how he had used his Spatial Golem when attacked by the retainers of House Desmarais. Violating wards with space wasn¡¯t new, but also wasn¡¯t something he had done a lot. However, with Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, he could see a lot of options going forward, especially with lower tier barriers. In the end, his decision was based on his approach to life and his path. He preferred finesse to force. Selecting Space Opens Before You he was greeted with another notification.


    Skill Synergy discovered between your Conceptual Spatial Empowerment (Legendary) Skill and Space Opens Before You (Epic) Skill. Combine these Skills to gain Conceptual Spatial Authority (Mythic) Skill.


    Proceed?


    The synergy on offer was one he had been hoping for and the name of the synergised Skill sounded useful, however there was a secondary reason that he wanted the two Skills to synergise. The two named Skills were his last non-Mythic Skills and he was curious if there was an Achievement potential in having only Mythic Skills. Kiri had mentioned that she got an Achievement for reaching more than five hundred in a single stat before her Second Evolution and then a second Achievement for doing so with a second stat. Nate was pretty certain that Kiri¡¯s total Stats now exceeded his own. He had known it was coming, just because of how their builds and approaches differed. Kiri was incredibly reliant on her Stats for everything she did, be it controlling Soul Energy or fighting. For Nate, his Stats still played a role, but much of his power was derived from his knowledge and application of Concepts and his ability to prepare. Still, more Achievements couldn¡¯t hurt and he wanted the Skill anyway. Selecting for the synergy to proceed, he reviewed his newest Skill.


    Conceptual Spatial Authority (M)


    All Mages need to empower their Skills and Spells beyond what their affinities can provide. Some turn to tools, enchantments or alchemy. You have turned to sequestering mana to further empower your Skills by concentrating mana with your spatial affinity. This Skill empowers anything that utilises the Concept of Space, be it Spells, Skills, Runes or more esoteric applications. Empowerment is equal to Skill Level * 3 plus Magic Control / 40 percent. Mana cost for Spatial Effects decreases by Skill Level x 1 percent. Spatial Effects are Skill Level x 1 percent more powerful at passing through barriers and wards.


    Conceptual Spatial Authority 1 > 27


    The Skill synergy had improved the Skill functions in three areas. The first was a minor improvement to his Magic Control Stats¡¯ impact on the Empowerment effect. Nothing amazing, but it was better than nothing. The other two enhancements were far more interesting. Previously, the Space Is All Around You and its evolution, Space Opens Before You, had reduced the mana cost and effectiveness against barriers of Spatial Skills and Spells. Now, the wording said Spatial Effects, which Nate took to mean that his runes and his runecrafted items would count for the bonuses. He could already sense that his Runic Gallery was draining less mana to maintain itself. The icing on the cake, however, was the last notification waiting for his attention.


    Congratulations on achieving all Mythic-tier Skills before your Second Evolution.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    A guard for one of the Nobility glared at Nate as he passed but the grin on his face wasn¡¯t disturbed. If that wasn¡¯t a Mythic Achievement, Nate didn¡¯t know what was. The rest of his trip to the Princess¡¯s tent felt like he was walking on air.


    The Swords barred his way before he got within ten metres of the tent and, after a short wait, Hildi poked her head out the tent flaps.


    ¡°The Princess will see him.¡±


    Inside the voluminous tent, not much had changed since the night before.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Morgane waited for him, seated at the main table as she read a report while taking her breakfast. His stomach growled at the sight of the food and his grin turned a tad embarrassed, even as he sensed the hum of Resonance surrounding the Princess.


    ¡°Hildi, a serving for Nathaniel please,¡± requested Morgane before her golden eyes flicked from Nate to the anti-scrying enchantment sitting within reach of her plate and back again. ¡°Join me.¡±


    Nate took a seat next to her and ignored the reports as Hildi placed a plate full of steaming eggs and meats with some purple tuber-like vegetables before him. He was hungry enough after not eating throughout the night and perhaps a bit tired that he didn¡¯t bother to wait, immediately digging into the food. Hildi raised an eyebrow in the background but Morgane just smiled and picked at her own food.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± she asked.


    In response, Nate rolled one of the spatial storages across the table to the Princess. The ring held a fraction of the mana they had taken from the Asmuisillans but it should be more than enough to replace the Princess¡¯s own losses.


    ¡°Spatial Mages,¡± muttered Morgane with an amused smile. ¡°Some of the rarest and most problematic individuals to deal with.¡±


    Hildi snorted in the background.


    ¡°What now then?¡± Nate asked, ignoring the comments as he paused between mouthfuls. The food was delicious and he wondered if it had been stored spatially, if there was a chef around here somewhere or if Hildi was just an amazing cook.


    ¡°Now¡­¡± replied Morgane, leaning back in her chair, the wood creaking under her armour. ¡°More of the same, I am afraid. More raids. More battles without committing our full force, on both sides, as we try to wear down each other''s mana supplies enough until one army is forced to retreat.¡±


    ¡°Pardon my confusion, but it seems an odd way to do battle,¡± remarked Nate.


    ¡°A full commitment would mean using mana that could go towards other things. No one wants to spend what they don¡¯t have to. That goes for both sides. So we will keep trying to force small engagements. Try and make our opponents spend more mana than we do. Small raids and inflict damage to supplies, until one army is forced to capitulate. That is at least, how we will conduct ourselves. Bordain may take a different approach.¡±


    ¡°And your brother, Prince Thane?¡± he asked.


    ¡°He will use himself as a fulcrum to turn the battle in his favour. Asmuisil will likely need to commit three Platinums to contain him, unless they have managed to hire a gem-rank from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    ¡°And if he wins and forces the Asmuisillans to flee?¡±


    ¡°A land and Dungeon grab, I imagine. Whether he can hold it is a better question,¡± replied Morgane.


    ¡°Would that not put him closer towards becoming your Father¡¯s heir?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°It would. But at this point, I am not sure there is much any of us can do about that. The only person who can compete with Thane is my Father, the King. The changes I want will take time. Not losing my supporters is all I can focus on for now. After this war¡­we can look at ways to apply pressure for change within Etrua. Your own capabilities could be of great benefit to those ends.¡±


    The Princess was clearly hinting at what she wanted and last night Nate had already made his decision. Kiri and Aisling were on board. The rest would follow, each for their own reasons, but they would follow. So Nate could finally make his position clear. A position that hoped to improve Etrua.


    ¡°I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Nathaniel,¡± replied with the Princess. ¡°There will be another gathering tonight. Join us? Kiri as well.¡±


    Nate nodded, finishing up the last mouthful of his breakfast, ¡°We¡¯ll be there, your Highness.¡±


    ¡°If there is nothing else, I need to go supervise the Nobility. Today¡¯s battle will begin shortly and I would prefer to make sure they don¡¯t drag it out for too long and see more of the conscripts killed than is entirely necessary.¡±


    Taking the dismissal for what it was, Nate headed for the exit. Hopefully Kiri would be willing to come this evening. He hated being in that den of vipers on his own and Baroness Olithia was becoming more and more forward in her advances. Using his sister as a shield was just good planning.


    *************


    Aisling sat by the campfire, listening to the whispers of the wind. Even before she had made her decision last night to support Nate, she had been gathering a storm. The wind whispered that this entire house of paper was preparing to collapse under the faintest of breezes and when that happened, she wanted to be ready. The clouds gathering in the distance were drawn towards her. She just hoped her timing was right, so that when everything devolved, she could protect the Guild, Nate and Kiri. In her heart, she was more worried than she had ever been. When Nate and Kiri were finally revealed for what they were, it would be the end of peace for her and the Guild in Etrua. But, that was the price of victory. Etrua had been a thorn in the Guild¡¯s side for decades, and she was making a bet, with the Guild''s continued presence the prize. If they lost, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would be forced to flee Etrua until a gem or two could be called. If they won, it would almost certainly mean the end of the Nobility as a form of government for the country.


    The wind whistled past her ears and it contained no answer ¡ª just a warning. A storm was coming, and it was yet to crest the horizon, but when it did, it would reshape a nation.


    *************


    Bordain stared across the churned battlefield and the corpses that littered it. The weak were nothing more than parasites, draining away that which belonged to the strong. So he had spent them, as was appropriate, letting the parasites kill each other. The Asmuisillans hadn¡¯t expected him to send so many of his Nobles against them at once. They had scrambled to react and it had cost them. Their army was fleeing in tatters. Such an approach hadn¡¯t been without cost, and eight Nobles of Etrua had joined the dead. But, that was just the price of weakness. He was cutting away the rot and waste from Etrua, to make the country into what it should have always been. A pillar of power in this world.


    Obsidian stepped up beside him, the man almost as large as he was. The first and most useful of his vassals.


    ¡°Your forces are ready, my Prince,¡± whispered the man.


    Bordain turned to Sapphire, ¡°I leave you in charge. Gather our remaining forces and head for Thane. Keep the Asmuisillans at bay.¡±


    ¡°Your will, my hands, my Prince,¡± replied the deviant smoothly as he spread his hands.


    Bordain ignored the man¡¯s antics, turning back to Obsidian, ¡°We return to the Capital. It is time.¡±


    The Second prince watched as his favoured servant, Obsidian, turned and ripped open a portal to the Royal University. It was finally time to claim his birthright.


    *************


    Celeste looked at the note in her hand as it burned away. Tonight was the night. A small part of her warred against the bindings on her soul. Her time with Flash had been good, even if she was just playing a part. But her Mother, Charlotte Desmarais, had given her her orders and she could not disobey them without sacrificing her sister ¡ª her twin. She¡¯d had many names over the twenty years of her life. The recent ones had been Helena and Celeste, but her birth name was Abigail Desmarais. Her twin sister had been Gabrielle and was currently Lisette, embedded with House Landin, vassals of her parents, but like Abigail, her sister had been born with another name. Genevieve Desmarais.


    Tied together by their Mother¡¯s powers, they were what they had been made to be. Unseen, the assassins and informants of a Noble House. But their mother, in her wisdom and cruelty, had made sure that they had always had each other. That Abigail had always had Genevieve, the twin sister she loved. Their Mother, the Duchess, had used that against them. To disobey, was to watch her sister die a horrible and painful death.


    Tonight, the twins would carry out their task, suicidal as it was, because it was better to die together than to watch their other half die and be left in this cruel world alone. Tonight, at the dinner within Princess Morgane¡¯s tent, Abigail and her sister would attempt to assassinate a Royal. Their chances of success were fleeting, but she would do it anyway. Death might not be so bad, as long as her twin was there with her.


    *************


    Coralie cried into her pillow. Tonight, Kiri would take her along to the gathering in the Princess¡¯s tent. The opportunity her Mother wished for her to seize would be within her grasp, and Coralie hated herself for using her girlfriend like that. Even now, she didn¡¯t know if she could follow through with it. She wanted to believe she could stand up to her Mother, but the whispers in the back of her mind told her she would fold, like she always had, and always would.

 Chapter 184 - Betrayal鈥檚 Despair

    ¡°Come see me in my tent after this little party, Nathaniel. I¡¯ll teach you the kinds of things that the young ladies attending the University haven¡¯t even conceived of yet,¡± whispered Baroness Olithia before she drifted back into the crowd.


    Nate glanced to his left as Kiri rejoined him.


    ¡°Lot of help you were,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look like you needed help attracting her attention,¡± quipped Kiri, a small smirk on her face. ¡°Besides, she¡¯s harmless. What¡¯s she going to do? Try and kidnap you from under both Aisling and Princess Morgane¡¯s nose?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, she¡¯s getting more pushy. I wouldn¡¯t put it past her.¡±


    Kiri smiled, ¡°If she tries I¡¯ll put a dagger in her. Until then, it¡¯s kind of funny watching how doggedly she is pursuing you. Wonder what it is about you that has got her so interested¡­¡± mused his sister.


    A small flex of his mana and the Sound rune embedded in his robe to prevent his next words from leaving their vicinity, ¡°You don¡¯t think she knows, do you?¡±


    ¡°Knows? No. Suspects? Maybe. You have been spending more time alone with the Princess than most would probably expect of a Guild member. Or maybe she just wants to compete with the Princess for your affections,¡± teased Kiri.


    ¡°You know it¡¯s not like that. The Princess..¡±


    ¡°Is about the right age for you,¡± interrupted Kiri with a cheshire smile. ¡°She¡¯s what? Late twenties?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just trying to distract yourself by teasing me?¡± Nate countered with a pointed glance past Kiri.


    Kiri¡¯s mouth twisted in something between distaste and distress, ¡°You¡¯re right. I was laying it on a bit thick. Sorry. I¡­just don¡¯t know what to do. Nothing helps.¡±


    The entire time she spoke his sister had avoided looking over at Coralie. The Ice Mage was standing in the corner, sipping on an iced wine, with a sour look on her face like she wanted to be anywhere but here.


    ¡°She even asked to come,¡± lamented Kiri. ¡°Any advice?¡±


    Nate bit back his retort. Telling his sister that maybe her relationship was drawing to its conclusion was not what Kiri wanted, nor needed, to hear.


    Instead he said, ¡°You¡¯re doing what you can. I don¡¯t know what else you can do. I think it¡¯s on her now.¡±


    Kiri took a step away to grab a glass of wine from one of the tables and emptied it in one go, falling back into silence next to him. Nate dropped the Sound rune, ignoring the curious glances of a few of the Nobility and the pointed look from one of the Swords.


    The Princess¡¯s tent was full to bursting and extra tables had been brought in to hold all the food and drink as servants drifted among the Nobility. Nate had to admit to a small amount of discomfort being among them. He, Kiri, and Coralie weren¡¯t the only Guild members present. Across the room, Flash seemed to be experiencing similar awkwardness as his girlfriend Celeste had used her own noble background to get an invite. The Nobles she appeared to be speaking with wore the colours of House Landin and Nate acknowledged that the only reason he knew that was because their House was camped directly next to the Guild.


    The colourful sea of silks was only matched by the quiet thrum of power. There were at least twelve Platinums present in the tent and probably five times that number in Golds; in short, a melting pot of power. Not all gave off auras of their Concepts or Classes like the Princess and Aisling, but there were a few others who did so. They drew Nate¡¯s attention like moths to a flame as Conceptual Insight constantly pulsed, trying to dig deeper into the mysteries on display. Even with his curiosity taking the lead, his paranoia still whispered in the back of his mind and he split his attention to check his defences.


    His Legendary Barrier bracer was fully recharged, coating him in a thin but powerful protection. Both his Spatial and Mana Release items were prepared but he doubted they would be needed. Finally, within his Runic Gallery, he could sense the various creations he had ready to call forth at a moment''s notice. The only defence missing, he decided, was Aisling. The Platinum Guild member had not been invited, which he considered a shame. His mentor hadn¡¯t seemed put out though, assuring him that if anything went wrong she would be at his side in a flash. He believed her.


    His sphere of awareness warned him of the approach of a familiar figure long before she had sidled up next to him. The way she moved through the crowd was so fluid he wondered if she could see the future, stepping out of the way of jostling nobility and their graceful servants like flowing water.


    ¡°Evening, Hildi,¡± he said in acknowledgement as the Princess¡¯s maid stepped up next to him.


    ¡°Evening, Nathaniel. How are you enjoying the party?¡± she asked, very obviously ignoring how Kiri moved closer to Nate.


    He appreciated his sister''s protectiveness. Especially since he still didn¡¯t have a good read on Hildi.


    ¡°The food is good. The company¡­has its ups and downs,¡± he answered honestly.


    ¡°Yes. I saw that Baroness Olithia is struggling with taking ¡®no¡¯ for an answer. You handled it well though.¡±


    ¡°Listening in, were you?¡± he asked in amusement.


    ¡°Always,¡± Hildi responded with a small smile. ¡°Princess Morgane wanted to know if you would object to her publicly acknowledging your efforts and the successful raid on the Asmuisillan army?¡±


    ¡°Both of our efforts?¡± Nate asked, glancing at Kiri. ¡°Not like I did it alone.¡±


    ¡°Both,¡± agreed Hildi.


    Nate looked at Kiri questioningly to see how she felt about the offer. His sister responded with a small shrug before she nodded her agreement.


    ¡°Excellent. I will let her know,¡± replied Hildi before disappearing back into the crowd and heading for the Princess.


    Nate watched as the Princess listened to Hildi before raising her glass and giving it a few taps with a spoon, ¡°Can I have everyone¡¯s attention please.¡±


    *************


    Coralie looked up from her glass as the Princess raised her own iced wine, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. It was now, or never. She spared a glance for Kiri and wished for a moment that she was as strong as her girlfriend. Wished she could stand up to her mother. Holding back a tear she activated Reflections in Ice, connecting the ice cube floating at the top of her wine to one in the Princess¡¯s glass. Then, putting her glass behind her back, she emptied the vial of poison onto the ice cube.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    *************


    Kiri watched her girlfriend''s face, rather than the Princess. She had been spending time on expanding the nature of Tethered Soul Weapons Skill. Specifically, the Soul Tethers she could use to mark and track people. Focusing on the Soul Tether she kept on Coralie she could feel the inner turmoil within her girlfriends soul, the intensity of her emotions and something that tasted like ashes in her mouth¡­regret perhaps?


    For the past month, ever since leaving the Capital, Coralie had been distant and cold. The beautiful little Ice Mage had been vacillating between despair and self-loathing. But whatever previous emotions had bled through the Soul Tether, they paled before the intensity she felt now. Kiri followed Coralie¡¯s gaze to the Princess and the glass she held high.


    Oh no, she thought, desperately moving towards the Princess quickly enough to draw the attention of the Swords as she slipped through the watching crowd like a ghost.


    ¡°...so I raise a glass to Nathaniel Weber and Kiri Beaufoy, Guild members who undertook a difficult task¡­¡± said Princess Morgane, glass lowering as she prepared to drink to her toast.


    The Swords were reacting but Kiri was much closer and she had already started drawing on her Empowered Soul Sanctuary skill to quicken her steps. Morgane¡¯s eyes looked confused as Kiri reached out like lightning and snatched the glass from her hand. She had to know. Raising the glass to her lips she pretended like she was going to drink.


    ¡°NOOOO!!!¡± screamed Coralie as Kiri felt the drink in her hand freeze solid.


    Kiri¡¯s heart broke as her suspicions were confirmed. Her girlfriend had attempted to poison the Princess. She had been used.


    Between Coralie¡¯s scream and the approaching Swords, the room was devolving into chaos. Kiri glanced at Morgane to see how the Princess was reacting, only to see Morgane¡¯s eyes widen and her arms raised to protect herself. Kiri spun, her speed fully enhanced and was still too slow. A claw as long as a sword sliced clean through her, cutting her in half as some half-woman, half-monster, attacked the Princess, launching Morgane out of the tent.


    As Kiri fell to the floor, her sense of physical reality retreating, she comforted herself with the thought that her Soul Twin would restore her body.


    A second anguished scream from Coralie drowned out all other sounds as Kiri¡¯s thoughts faded. Tears flowed down her face at the betrayal as the frozen wine filled with poison cracked beside her. Just like her heart.


    *************


    Nate frowned in worry as Kiri fell to the floor, cut in half. If he didn¡¯t know she could recover he would¡¯ve been more worried about her. Ignoring the chaos within the tent for the moment, he turned towards the screaming Coralie. Walking toward her, his sphere of awareness took in the rest of the room. There were blank spots, where some of the nobles were using wards and veils that kept his mana from detecting exactly what they were doing or how they were moving but it still let him know where everyone was. From that he was drawing one, undeniable conclusion: shit had hit the fan.


    As Kiri fell to the floor bleeding, some of the Nobles had begun attacking the Swords while others had begun attacking other Nobles. Nate ignored it all as the tent was torn to shreds, fights exploding in every direction. He had eyes only for Coralie and with the chaos taking place he arrived before her within seconds. The small Ice Mage looked up at him, waves of cold emanating off her and interfering with his own mana as he stared down at her, trying to decide what to do about her. Lightning arced across the sky above and he honestly considered killing Coralie for a moment. But he knew it wasn¡¯t his decision to make. That choice belonged to Kiri. The anguish on Coralie¡¯s face answered a question Nate had been wondering about for a while. Had Kiri shared the full extent of her Skills and Class-tier with her girlfriend? The answer, if the pain on Coralie¡¯s face was real, was a definitive no.


    ¡°I never wanted this!¡± screamed Coralie, tears of ice frozen to her cheeks. ¡°I never wanted any of this!¡±


    Nate let mana flow into Conceptual Runic Mastery as he prepared to contain the Ice Mage, but before he could do anything she pulled a thin blue stick from her spatial storage. Conceptual Insight let him instantly recognise the Concept of Space embedded within it and he tried to use Conceptual Spatial Manipulation to suppress it but was too slow. The blue stick snapped and Coralie vanished. The spatial ripples remained and Nate suspected he could rip them open and follow Coralie through them. But he had more pressing concerns.


    Teleporting across the room he appeared next to Kiri. The moment he did his sister''s eyes opened. It had only been five seconds since she had fallen and yet everything was in chaos. Fire, lightning, the smell of acid and the sounds of battle were flowing over the entire camp. Using his farsight sphere of awareness he sensed multiple battles taking place in the skies above, and one in particular that felt a great deal like static. The hairs on his arms tingling was enough to tell him Aisling had entered the fray and he looked at Kiri who was getting up far more slowly than he had expected. The look in her eyes was one of banked fury, hiding a well of pain.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, knowing she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live. That really fucking hurt. I¡¯m down one Soul Twin though. So, one left..¡± Kiri muttered, standing up, her body covered in blood.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I meant,¡± he muttered, looking around for the Princess.


    ¡°...later,¡± Kiri replied. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°Save the Princess?¡± Nate suggested.


    Kiri grunted, some of her anger bleeding through, ¡°Fine. I want to stab something.¡±


    Frick appeared next to them, ¡°Packed up the tent, Boss. We getting out of here?¡±


    There was a hint of a Concept in the air that Nate recognised and it took him a moment to truly sense it. Illusion, and it was close. Nate began forming two runes as he prepared to teleport towards the source of Illusion, knowing Kiri and Frick could follow him.


    ¡°No,¡± Nate stated firmly. ¡°We¡¯re getting into here.¡±


    *************


    Bordain marched through the opulent halls of the palace as though he owned them. He would, very soon. Beside him walked his vassals. Garnet, Obsidian, Headmaster Verian and Malachite. Sapphire was at this very moment leading his army to reinforce Prince Thane¡¯s army, though if Amethyst had succeeded at her task, his brother Thane was already dead. Topaz should have been enough to handle his foolish sister, along with all the others he had set against her. Placing so many agents to deal with Morgane had been a necessary precaution. They had only managed to obtain four Dungeon Cores before both his countrymen and Asmuisil had reacted. Enough to suppress his Father and Brother, which left no such tools to use against his Sister. Still, she was the weakest of them. Even if Morgane survived, he could deal with her himself when the time came. That said, he doubted she would live to see the dawn.


    Shoving open the large doors that led into the Royal chamber he stared down his father, the King, as he marched between statues of his forefathers. Forefathers who had been too weak to seize true power. A failing he was about to remedy.


    ¡°My son comes before me,¡± intoned Oberane, King of Etrua. ¡°Your victory on the war front was impressive, but I don¡¯t remember recalling you.¡±


    Bordain snorted at his Father¡¯s unsubtle rebuke. The Swords around the room reacted by placing their hands on their blades. As if they could threaten him.


    ¡°Why have you brought my son before me, First Sword Joran?¡± asked Oberane, looking at the man to Bordain¡¯s left.


    Malachite, as Bordain called him, answered with the same calm tone he always used, ¡°You have failed to choose an Heir. Failed to recognise the worth of your children. So I have made my own choice. I choose King Bordain. It is time to step aside, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Desperate,¡± muttered Oberane. ¡°Desperate and foolish. Is this it? Are these the forces you have arrayed to depose me, my foolish son? It will not be enough. You are too weak to face your brother, let alone me.¡±


    Bordain smiled as he looked around at the Swords as they prepared to draw their weapons. He had hidden himself for long enough. The gap between his Father and himself was wide, but not as much as Oberane believed, and he carried with him the tools to bridge that divide.


    ¡°Did you know, Father, that Dungeon Cores can be used to create enchantments?¡± asked Bordain calmly. ¡°And that I achieved what you and Thane could not? You are both ruled by fear, afraid to grasp for the power that should have rightfully belonged to you. Well, I do not share your cowardice. When I had the opportunity, I seized it with both of these hands.¡±


    With his words said he displayed his Status for all to see, revealing his level of ninety-eight, and the Mythic Primary Class he had earned with his own blood and sweat.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be enough,¡± replied Oberane, finally standing from his throne as the wall behind him began to disintegrate into sand.


    Bordain activated the two bracers he wore that had once been Dungeon Cores, sensing the absolute power as they began to suppress the Concepts of Sand and Wind, his Father¡¯s elements.


    ¡°Kill all who oppose me,¡± he commanded his vassals, before leaping towards his father, prepared to seize his birthright and prove that the only thing that mattered was power.

 Chapter 185 - Forms of Violence

    Nate appeared amidst the chaos of the camp as he followed the sense of Illusion he was feeling through Conceptual Insight. Kiri appeared a second later and together they took in the battle raging before them. Two bodies, identical as far as Nate could tell, were slipping in and out of a battle with some monstrous-looking creature. The monster was three metres tall, balanced on two reverse-jointed hind legs and covered in rough grey skin. The beast was utterly hairless and possessed a prodigious snout, with no sign of eyes, nor ears. However, the lack of obvious sensory organs other than its nose didn¡¯t seem to be slowing it down at all as it rushed around at similar speeds to an imbued Kiri, slashing with three incredibly long claws on its arms at what looked like empty air. Out of that empty air, an image of the same claws as the beast appeared, colliding with the arm and sending a burst of sound and air whooshing through the burning tents that surrounded the area.


    Nate sensed others approaching from behind through his sphere of awareness and flooded Farsight of the Runic Artist with a large portion of his own mana. His Skill burst outwards, shattering veils in every direction as he tried to understand exactly what they were about to be fighting against. Part of his attention focused on refilling his Mana Reserve from a mana gem within his Runic Gallery as he looked over the results of his identification.


    Resonating Mirror Mage (L) (60) / Resonating Master Illusionist (E) (24) / Resonating Vibration Mage (R) (8)


    Unseen Humanoid Shapeshifter (E) (60) / Unseen Illusionist (R) (32) / Unseen Sound Mage (U) (15)


    The first two were clearly the Princess and Hildi, identified by their Illusionist Classes. Nate was only mildly surprised to find out that Hildi was an Unseen in the service of the Princess.


    Vicious Monstrous Shapeshifter (E) (60) / Vicious Soul Ravager (R) (40) / Vicious Improved Warrior (U) (9)


    Nate, however, was surprised to see that the monster was actually a person; some sort of shapeshifter that could take on monstrous forms or properties. He wondered how that worked but now wasn¡¯t the time for him to get distracted as more results rolled in.


    Unseen Bladedancer (E) (50) / Unseen Illusionist (R) (20) / Unseen Improved Warrior (U) (6)


    Unseen Bladedancer (E) (50) / Unseen Illusionist (R) (20) / Unseen Improved Warrior (U) (7)


    The two women rushed towards him and Nate had a sense of deja vu as he looked over them. The classes weren¡¯t the exact same, but they were similar enough to the one he had faced back in the Guild Tournament. He supposed that he would have his answer soon enough. There were others coming as well, a team of Golds eight-strong bearing the colours of House Landin, all with warrior-type Classes. The Unseen and House Landin retainers were rushing towards the Monstrous Shapeshifter and Nate had no doubt it was to aid the assassin, rather than defend the Princess.


    ¡°Ten,¡± Nate muttered to Kiri. ¡°All Golds, two Unseen, the rest are pure warriors. How do you want to split them?¡±


    ¡°Five each,¡± answered Kiri, tethered arms fanning out behind her as she pulled daggers from her soul space.


    ¡°And me?¡± asked Frick.


    ¡°Pick your shots,¡± replied Nate. ¡°Drop whoever you can.¡±


    With their decisions made, heralded by a blast of lightning across the sky as a tree made of crackling white electricity began to grow above the camp, they moved, interposing themselves between the charging attackers and the ongoing battle between the Princess, Hildi and the Shapeshifting assassin.


    A gust of wind blew past Nate¡¯s ear as Aisling¡¯s voice whispered near Nate¡¯s ear, ¡°Are you safe?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Nate answered, not knowing how true that was, but not wanting to distract his mentor just yet. If things took a turn, he would call on her, but for now he would leave Aisling to handle whatever issue had forced her to take to the skies.


    *************


    Kalista, Commander of the Third Army of Asmuisil stared at the lightning tree growing into the sky, surrounded by storm clouds and rushing winds.


    ¡°Should we attack, Commander?¡± asked Sub-Commander Theora, also known as the Wind of the East.


    ¡°Do you want to fight the Stormspear when she has prepared the battlefield to her advantage?¡± responded Kalista, taking in the sight of one of the most famous Guild Platinums doing battle with not one but two Etruan Nobles.


    ¡°No,¡± admitted Theora.


    ¡°Get the Army ready. We¡¯ll let them kill each other, then move in to clean up whatever remains once they¡¯re done.¡±


    Kalista ignored her Sub-Commander¡¯s salute and the whispering of the wind as Theora gave orders to the Third Army to secure and hold their zone. Whatever had stirred the Etruans into mutiny could only benefit them. Best to let their enemies weaken each other.


    *************


    Nate waited behind his barrier as he interposed himself between the Princess and the House Landin assailants. Behind him, Princess Morgane, Hildi and the assassin continued to slowly tear their way through the camp. He would do what he could by preventing the Princess from having to deal with another ten Golds. Kiri didn¡¯t wait, tearing into five of the Golds with a fury he had not seen in a long time. She forced the retainers back as she made liberal use of her Soul Shift ability to slow them down enough that they were forced to engage her. It helped that his sister''s speed was unmatched amongst the Golds and he was reminded once more of the stark advantages that their Skill and Class rarities gave them.


    As for his own opponents, Nate had already spun up a Gravity Control rune before him as he mentally selected the materials he would use with his Conceptual Automated Existence Skill. Suspicions about him had been growing among the nobles over the last month, and with his decision to stay and support the Princess, he had no reason to hold back any more. That said, if his goal was to buy time, words would help just as much as violence.


    ¡°I kind of hoped our paths wouldn¡¯t cross again, Helena. Or is it Celeste now?¡± he called out, trying to sound more casual than he felt about the imminent conflict. ¡°And your sister¡­Gabrielle, right?¡±


    The five before him paused, the House Landin retainers clearly defaulting to supporting the two Unseen, as Helena-Celeste paused, holding out two short blades. She looked different to how she had appeared in the Tournament and he couldn¡¯t sense a shred of illusion from her, yet her Classes didn¡¯t indicate an ability to shapeshift.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°You are between us and our target,¡± growled Helena-Celeste. ¡°Move. We don¡¯t have to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Not an option, I¡¯m afraid,¡± he retorted, growing more and more calm as he settled in. ¡°If it¡¯s a choice between the Princess or her brothers¡­well, that¡¯s an easy choice to make. And since I am not running, I guess this is me taking a side.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t certain, but he thought for a moment Helena-Celeste and her sister looked sad, before the Unseen responded, ¡°You can¡¯t beat five of us. Remove him!¡±


    At the Unseen¡¯s command, his opponents rushed at him together as mana flared. Mostly self-enhancements, Nate decided, since there were no outward displays of magic. The exception was the two Unseen who seemed to be using Illusion to disguise their movements and the positions of their sword. There was something else as well, pressing against the Soul Barrier engraved on his soul, slowly draining his mana.


    All of it amounted to nothing as he changed ¡®up¡¯ to ¡®down¡¯, inverting gravity around him. The mana cost was significant but it tossed all five of his opponents into the sky. The Unseen were the first to react and he sensed a burst of wind from their boots as the twins began to fly back towards the ground. The other three Retainers did not have the same success, floating up into the sky to the limit of his gravity control where they hovered. They weren''t, however, without recourse, and Nate sensed enchanted weapons activate, launching bursts of lightning and wind at him.


    Using Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, he reflected their attacks back at them, ignoring how they raised shields or used bracers to defend themselves from the attacks. The Unseen swam closer through the air, fighting against gravity as they tried to get down towards him. His use of gravity was twofold. He was buying time for himself, as he extracted three epic materials from his Runic Gallery and began activating one after another with Conceptual Automated Existence. Two metallic beings came to life in front of him, born of Epic-tier materials imbued with an affinity for Metal using a Journeyman Sigil. Unlike the last time, where they looked like oil slicks painted with red dust, these Constructs looked like flowing silver. His Intent commanded them to kill the three Retainers. Unwilling to restrain himself now that he had committed to joining the Princess, he added a third Construct to the mix. The Gravity Construct was every bit as strong as the Metal Constructs, but the Intents driving it were to restrain and counter all five of his opponents. As for the Unseen, he held off on killing them; something was bothering him about the pair. He had shattered their veils, drawing forth their Classes. That should have been the end of it, but Conceptual Insight was still whispering to him and one of those whispers told him the Concept of Soul was in play. He knew its flavour well given Kiri¡¯s own skillset. Yet, nothing about the twin¡¯s Classes said they should have usage of their soul energy. Something was off, and if he could restrain the pair without killing them, he would.


    He had spent most of his mana, and used the last of it to invert his control of Gravity again, launching his five opponents at the ground. The twin Unseen managed to right themselves but the three House Landin retainers blasted into the ground creating small craters. Their armour and stats were high enough that they began recovering immediately, standing up and ignoring their injuries, only to come face-to-face with two charging, flowing metal Constructs.


    Nate watched as the trio were forced to defend against the Conceptual Constructs, reaching into his Runic Gallery again to refill his Mana Reserve from the mana gems stored within. Dropping his Gravity Control rune, he spared a glance for Kiri only to see she had already downed two of her opponents and was in the process of killing a third. Frick was using the diversion to change his size, channelling My Will, My Way as his goblin spirit corralled Kiri¡¯s opponents, preventing them from getting around her. He was happy with that decision, as while Kiri was absolutely deadly, she lacked the battlefield control Skills or Spells that Nate could manage with his runes. Together they were a fearsome combo, but split like this, assisting Kiri was the right decision.


    Nate had blown through a reasonable amount of his preparations, but unless a Platinum showed up, the outcome of this battle was a foregone conclusion. Focusing on his own opponents, he watched as the first of the House Landin retainers died as the man was drawn into a metallic blade of one of the Metal Constructs by the Gravity Construct. Even now, he didn¡¯t like it and had no desire in him to kill. But, he was long past the days where he would suppress himself to avoid the ugliness of battle. Orders or not, these individuals had come to kill the Princess, and unlike the Unseen, he sensed no oddities within them. Choices had consequences, and even if he didn¡¯t like them, he wouldn¡¯t shy away from them.


    Almost clinically, he assessed how the battle was going, noting what was working and what wasn¡¯t. There were flaws in his Constructs that were readily apparent. The most obvious was that they lacked a battle sense. Their power, the enhancements provided by his Skills and the tier of the materials should have seen them roll over his opponents in an unstoppable wave. But instead, the Constructs bowed to the whims of their Concepts, doing their best to follow his Intent. He lacked melee combat experience and so they lacked a sense of how to fight, simply striking out at their opponents while taking hits that chipped away at the mana empowering them. Each blow struck against the Constructs cost them mana and they would fail before long, especially since they were powered by regular mana rather than processed mana.


    The secondary issue was they lacked true sensory capabilities. He had marked his opponents with his Intent, but it appeared that marking was based on something he didn¡¯t understand, because both the Unseen had managed to hide themselves with their Illusions and slip around his Constructs. The first blow of a sword against his barrier struck harder than he expected, even though he had seen it coming. With a flash of memory he chalked it up to their Improved Warrior Classes. It must be a passive enhancement Class, he decided as he used Conceptual Spatial Manipulation to teleport away, creating space between himself and the twins as he decided on the best way to suppress them.


    A second retainer fell, along with one of his Metal Constructs, which left the remaining Metal Construct and his Gravity Construct to finish off the last retainer. They were running out of mana but he was certain the retainer would fall before his Constructs did.


    The Unseen rushed towards him again, hidden from his sight but not from his sphere of awareness, even as the pressure against his Soul Barrier continued. The signs of soul manipulation made his decision for him and he used Conceptual Spatial Manipulation to buy himself more time as he called up a Sigil he had never had cause to use before. The rune he crafted on the fly was so flawed that he knew he was going to burn another mana gem just to make it work, but he wanted answers from the Unseen. He needed to know what was wrong with their souls and he was sure the Princess would appreciate some details on who had attempted to assassinate her. Flooding mana into Conceptual Runic Mastery, he watched the rune form in the air before him, glowing blue as it contained the Sigils for Soul, Power and Sleep within the geometric structure. Burning a mana gem to power the rune, he used his Intents to guide and empower his Soul Sleep rune.


    The Unseen held up for a few seconds before the onslaught, the damage or curse on their own souls clearly making them weaker against his attack. The pair crashed into the ground, knocked out and sleeping soundly in the middle of the battlefield as a pained scream marked the death of the final Gold he had been fighting. Kiri joined him a moment later, all five of her opponents dead and the flowing processed mana rushed into them as notifications blinked in the corner of their vision.


    ¡°You kept them alive?¡± Kiri asked, blood spattered over her body which Nate suspected was probably her own, despite her lack of wounds.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with their souls,¡± he muttered, glancing in the direction the Princess had gone.


    A trail of destroyed tents and the sound of fighting indicating the direction Morgane and Hildi had gone.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Kiri grunted. ¡°You¡¯re right. Now¡¯s not the time though.¡±


    Nate grudgingly agreed, ¡°Frick, take the pair somewhere secure and keep them there.¡±


    ¡°You got it, Boss,¡± answered Frick, the spirit still draining Nate¡¯s mana to maintain his hulking physical form. The huge blue goblin scooped the sleeping Unseen up and lumbered back towards the Princess¡¯s tent.


    ¡°Time for the real fight,¡± Kiri muttered, and without waiting vanished in the direction the Princess had gone.


    Nate had to agree with his sister''s assessment. They were about to find out how they measured up against a real Platinum, and while his sister was looking forward to it, he was definitely not. Even with his misgivings, even if he wondered if he should leave the Princess to her own fight, he wouldn¡¯t let Kiri fight alone. With a flex of space he followed his sister to fight a shapeshifting assassin.

 Chapter 186 - Scent of Secrets

    Nate appeared beyond the line of tents behind the Etruan Third Army just in time to witness the monstrous shapeshifting assassin whip a three-clawed hand at the Princess or Hildi. He couldn¡¯t tell which of the two women it was. The assassin''s arm moved so fast it blew away the nearby grass before it collided with one of the Platinums, sending them flying across the grasslands. The Platinum landed hard, digging a furrow in the dirt before ragdolling end over end and coming to rest in a pile of limbs, the illusion temporarily broken. The body looked like the Princess but a moment later they had vanished again and the ongoing battle continued to rage.


    ¡°Could you have dodged that?¡± Nate asked Kiri hurriedly. He knew his sister had burned one of her Soul Twins with her emotionally driven stunt of saving Morgane from what he suspected was poisoned wine. Without the safety net of multiple Soul Twins he had serious concerns about Kiri trying to melee the assassin. At the same time, they couldn¡¯t not help. The Princess and Hildi were losing. That much was obvious.


    ¡°No,¡± admitted Kiri quickly, blood still caked to her face from the poison. She turned to him, blue eyes intense and short brown hair flowing in the wind. ¡°But I am going in anyway. Cover me?¡±


    Nate nodded. If his sister couldn¡¯t fully protect herself, he would cover her. It was time to pretend he was a Barrier Mage once more. Conceptual Runic Mastery ignited and he lamented his lower Mana Absorption Stat. Even with one part of his mind focused on his Runic Gallery and absorbing mana from the mana gems within, his mana reserve was still only half-full. With his Skill active, he created a variation of his Barrier rune, adding additional sigils and two additional geometric layers. Reinforcement and Durability went into those layers and guided by his Intent he tied them to the Barrier and flooded the rune with mana. Maintaining it would be expensive but this way he could shift his Intents, creating barriers as quickly as his mind could work, and mental speed was one of the functions of his enhanced mind. He could have created a second rune but he held the third part of his mind in reserve to utilise Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, mostly to avoid the assassin if they turned their attention towards him.


    As Kiri vanished and appeared above the assassin, his sister¡¯s ten tethered arms lashed out with her daggers, silver flashing in the night as she tried to pierce the assassin''s grey leathery hide. The assassin spun blindingly fast and Nate barely got a barrier between the flashing claws and Kiri just in time. The barrier shattered but it slowed the blow enough for Kiri to Soul Shift away. A single small cut was visible on the assassin which seemed to give them pause. Nate knew that if only one of the ten daggers was able to pierce the creature''s hide, it must have been the Legendary-tier Runecrafted Soulrending Dagger.


    The assassin blurred towards Nate, apparently deciding that he was the first threat that needed to be dealt with. He had thought that the distance between them would give him enough time to teleport. He was wrong. The eyeless beast was faster than Kiri even with her Soul Imbuements active. An illusory wall appeared out of nowhere between him and the assassin before he caught a whiff of a Concept at play, then the wall became real, no mere illusion. It barely slowed the grey monster and the blow struck against his barrier and sent him flying across the grasslands and back towards the camp.


    Even within his barrier, the whiplash disoriented him and he knew he would be bruised. Tapping into Conceptual Spatial Manipulation he altered his vector, sending himself into the sky to try and bleed off his speed, before teleporting back to the fight, though keeping a bit more distance this time. It meant using his farsight sphere of awareness to monitor the fight, but being within range of his personal sphere of awareness meant being within striking distance of the assassin. His mind picked apart the battle, taking in all the information he had available to him. That single strike had emptied half of the mana within his Legendary Barrier bracer. The next one would see his defence collapse. Of the wall that had appeared to protect him, there was no sign.


    He frowned when he saw Kiri¡¯s body lying in two parts again halfway across the field. His sister had not been careful enough while he was recovering from his attack and had clearly burned her second Soul Twin. Though, she had marked the beast with a second wound. He doubted the cost had been worth it but at least the monster was bleeding freely now.


    Focusing on the fight, he finally got a sense of what was happening. Hildi and the Princess were fighting an organised retreat. While they appeared identical to his regular senses, the difference was evident because he could sense the Concept of Resonance at play. The regular Illusions being used seemed to have no effect on the assassin, blind and deaf as it appeared to be. However, the Princess seemed to be able to make her Illusions real for short moments, as though the images she created resonated with the truth of what those images represented. A hail of ballista arrows flew forth, one moment false images of light, and the next real steel and wood, crashing into the assassin. Most were knocked aside by one of the monster''s gigantic leather-clad arms, but a few got through. They left scratches that very slowly leaked red blood. Surprisingly, they were the only injuries present except for the one Kiri had inflicted, but the scratches appeared to be healing. The same could not be said of the wounds Kiri inflicted.


    Kiri joined him for a moment, Soul Shift carrying her to his side.


    ¡°It¡¯s bleeding soul energy,¡± she said in a rush.


    ¡°Soul Ravager,¡± he muttered, remembering the second class of the Assassin. ¡°It was only Rare-tier but must provide some similar capabilities to your own.¡±


    Kiri nodded her agreement.


    Their quick discussion was interrupted as the Platinum that he was confident was Hildi was blasted across the plains again. This time, she didn¡¯t get up, leaving the Princess to fight the assassin alone. Walls shot up, trees appeared, fireballs bloomed, all illusions made real, but none of the quickfire attacks did more than slow the grey monster, and Nate realised that Morgane lacked the Magic Power to pierce the shapeshifter¡¯s hide in a meaningful way. If they didn¡¯t do something, the Princess was going to die.


    Nate¡¯s mind spun fast as he tried to think his way out of the problem. Kiri couldn¡¯t go all out because she was physically outmatched and without a Soul Twin to save her from a desperate gambit. If the Princess couldn¡¯t wound the beast, he doubted his own attacks could either. The Legendary-tier Spatial material in his Runic Gallery was an option. It might manage to bridge the gap and wound the powerful Platinum assassin. But, perhaps, there was another way. The form the shapeshifter had taken was both blind and deaf, clearly a prepared counter for an Illusionist and Sound Mage. Yet it still tracked them all unerringly. It couldn¡¯t be a form of soul based tracking, because he felt no pressure against his soul barrier. A look at the beast told him the answer: the giant nostrils made for smelling. Some form of advanced chemical-mapping based on scent, he reasoned. And Nate had something for that.


    ¡°Buy the Princess a moment,¡± he said in a rush. ¡°I¡¯ve got you covered.¡±


    With his barrier rune still up and his mana reserve running low, he used Conceptual Runic Mastery to build a new rune. Combining the Sigils for Smell, Enclosed and Release he created a rune to fill the area with a new scent and prevent its release. The geometric shape was simplistic and inefficient but he didn¡¯t have the time to care. He flicked a barrier up to prevent Kiri getting skewered by one of the silver claws as his sister fought beside the Princess, keeping the assassin at bay, albeit barely. The rune completed two seconds later and he shifted the smell with his Intent to something he hoped would affect the beast. Using his advanced memory, he recalled the smell of cayenne pepper, using half his Intents to guide and empower the smell, focusing the enclosed zone around the assassin.


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


    The reaction was instantaneous. The beast went wild, slapping at its own nose so hard that it bled as it rolled around in the grass, leaving half-a-metre deep slashes in the ground from its razor sharp claws. Kiri bunched her legs, waiting to pick her moment, before using Soul Shift to dive in blazing fast and bury her legendary dagger in the assassin''s spine before flashing out again. With his farsight sphere of awareness he could sense the glut of soul energy leaking from the wound, enhanced by Kiri¡¯s own draining Skill which seemed more than up to competing with the Platinum¡¯s Soul-based Skills.


    The Princess seemed to be seizing the opportunity, standing still with her hand out as the air in front of her began to vibrate with the Concepts of Sound and Resonance. Nate could sense that the two Concepts were building on each other, creating an attack that was greater than the sum of its parts. The recognition of the twin Concepts and how they resonated, caused a flicker inside of him and for a moment he felt that same rush once more. His body felt more real, more connected, as though he and the universe were one and the same thing. The feeling slowly drained away, the sense of reality ebbing at the same rate as the Princess¡¯s attack grew. He tried to hold onto it, that feeling, or whatever it was inside of him, but it felt like trying to catch water in his hand, the feeling fading as it slipped through his fingers.


    Nate noticed that the assassin''s body had started to shift, growing smaller.


    ¡°It¡¯s shapeshifting!¡± he yelled out, trying to warn the Princess.


    Kiri vanished, appearing behind Morgane, sensing the danger that the sonic attack of the Princess represented. The shapeshifter took flight and Nate saw Morgane subtly shift her aim. Then Nate went deaf. It took him a moment to realise he was lying in the grass, staring up at the sky, his barrier bracer completely depleted. Kiri was above him, mouth moving as she shook him gently. He reached up a finger to touch his ear and felt it come away wet with blood. Reaching into his Runic Gallery, he pulled out a Feather of Renewal and dumped it on his chest, letting his runecrafted item do its thing. Sound slowly returned as his ears healed and he could finally hear his sister''s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine,¡± he muttered, feeling anything but. He was out of mana, had taken the worst beating he had received in months, blown through a small fortune in materials, and the night wasn¡¯t even over.


    Kiri hugged him then, wrapping him up tightly and squeezing.


    ¡°Not too hard. I¡¯m fragile,¡± he groaned.


    ¡°You goof!¡± yelled Kiri, tears in her eyes, these ones unstained by blood. ¡°You had me worried! Don¡¯t do that!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I was behind the Princess. Her attack seemed to spread in a cone. You caught the outer edge of it when she adjusted to try and catch the assassin. We were untouched,¡± replied his sister, ignoring the real question. He had never really had to worry about her physically. Anything that didn¡¯t outright kill her was just a temporary thing. With her Soul Twins, anything that did kill her, needed to do so more than once. But Kiri clearly didn¡¯t want to discuss Coralie yet, and he could understand that. The betrayal was fresh. They would talk about it later, when this entire mess was sorted out.


    Climbing slowly to his feet, he finally got to see the wreckage caused by the attack and it was beyond anything he had expected. Moving outwards in a cone shape for over one hundred metres there was nothing but loose dirt. No sign of grass, or rocks, or anything else. Even the ground seemed to have been churned. The power of high-level Concepts combined with a high-level Spell, he decided. Because if that Spell hadn¡¯t been Legendary, he didn¡¯t know what was.


    Kiri helped him and together they stumbled towards the Princess. Even now he couldn¡¯t rest and while one part of his mind focused on the here and now, another went back to absorbing mana from his gems and the third to using the barrier rune on his robe to provide some limited protection.


    Morgane was kneeling over what looked like a second Morgane. He guessed the one lying in the grass was Hildi, but he couldn¡¯t sense any Concepts floating in the air which told him the appearance wasn¡¯t an illusion.


    He was about to ask if the pair of Platinums were alright when he realised he hadn¡¯t felt any processed mana after the attack.


    ¡°Did we kill it?¡± he asked.


    The kneeling Morgane shook her head, ¡°The assassin managed to launch themselves above the attack, shapeshifting into some kind of bird. It caught a bit of the edges, like you, but not enough to take it out of commission. Flew away injured.¡±


    ¡°And Hildi?¡± he pressed.


    ¡°She¡¯ll live. She¡¯s tougher than she looks,¡± answered the Princess.


    Nate nodded, pulling out a second Feather of Renewal and placing it on Hildi¡¯s chest to speed the process along before turning towards Morgane. Illusion and Sound. There was someone else on this level that Nate knew of who made use of those Concepts, and given what he had seen, he had a very strong suspicion they might be one and the same person. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, he thought, before locking eyes with the Princess.


    ¡°So, what now Morgane, or should I call you Avery?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Kiri¡¯s face lit up next to him in understanding while the Princess just smiled tiredly.


    ¡°Technically, we are both Avery,¡± she answered, glancing at Hildi.


    ¡°Why?¡± he demanded tiredly. ¡°Why go to all that effort? You¡¯re a Royal. Why advance so high within the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a useful tool for hiding some of my actions and an effective scapegoat. A Royal making moves against a House has a lot more politics involved than say a secret contract through the Guild that results in unintended consequences. Few Houses would openly move against the Guild or its members.¡±


    Nate made to respond but Morgane cut him off.


    ¡°Few is not none. House Desmarais must have been desperate. But now¡¯s not the time for this. I need to know how much damage this attempted assassination and the traitors within my camp have done.¡±


    Morgane glanced up at the sky and the slowly fading tree of lightning hanging there to drive home her point.


    ¡°Aisling!¡±


    He had forgotten about his mentor in the chaos of battle and flung his farsight sphere outwards to try and find her. It was Kiri who calmed him down.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s coming now,¡± said Kiri softly, patting his shoulder.


    Aisling descended from the skies, floating down on swirls of wind, static in the air heralding her as the tall blonde-haired and brown-eyed woman alighted in a patch of churned dirt. There was blood on her face, though no sign of a cut and he could see multiple burn marks where something had eaten through her clothes. The skin beneath looked pitted and his mentor hobbled the last few steps to them.


    ¡°How bad?¡± asked Morgane as Hildi finally stirred.


    ¡°Your ally, Lord Beaumont, is dead at the hands of Lord Landin. He then thought to turn his attention to the Guild, either to cover up his actions or because he viewed us as a similar threat to his plans. He¡¯s dead, along with Lady Faranth,¡± answered Aisling tiredly.


    ¡°You killed both?¡± asked Morgane, helping Hildi to her feet.


    Aisling answered with a simple nod as she started to look Nate over with a critical eye.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay? Both of you?¡± asked his mentor after giving Kiri a once-over.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± answered Kiri gruffly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± replied Aisling, turning back to Morgane with fire in her eyes.


    ¡°So, Avery,¡± she spat, clearly angry at the deception and the co-opting of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°What now?¡±


    Morgane sighed, bearing the brunt of Aisling¡¯s gaze before responding, ¡°Now we see if we need to flee into the night or if this mess can be salvaged.¡±


    Nate scooped up his Feather of Renewal and trudged back toward the camp behind Aisling and Morgane. His money, and he had a lot of it, was on fleeing. But who knew if they would be insane enough to try and salvage something from this mess.

 Chapter 187 - What Is Real

    Nate smiled at Kiri through his weariness, his sister keeping an arm around him as they stumbled back to camp. Even with the healing restoring his body, his Feather of Renewal feeding on a constant stream of mana, the repairs didn¡¯t change the fact that he was bone-tired. Both physically and emotionally. Coralie¡¯s betrayal weighed on him, not because he cared much for the Ice Mage. In retrospect he¡¯d had very little to do with her. But he knew it would be tormenting Kiri and that did concern him.


    Then there were the Unseen twins. He wondered if he was being too soft, keeping them alive. The unusual presence of soul energy that permeated them after he had shattered their veils had been interesting, but he wondered if it was worth the risk of leaving such slippery individuals alive. Even now he was second-guessing that decision, because he didn¡¯t know what he wanted, and that meant he would likely be influenced by what other people wanted. What would Flash want, if he had survived? Would the Edgedancer try to save Celeste, or would he feel as betrayed as Kiri felt? What would Aisling and Kiri want? What would Morgane want? With a frustrated sigh he turned his mind away from those questions. They would be answered soon enough.


    Walking through the camp revealed the true cost of the attack against them. The night was lit up by fires, many burning out of control as tents fluttered in the breeze and supplies littered the ground. There were bodies everywhere, made eerie by the lack of other sounds beyond the coursing wind and crackle of fires. Casting his farsight sphere of awareness forward he found the remnants of the nobility''s side of the camp. Based on the numbers he judged that only a few Houses remained, alongside some of the Swords and a notably smaller group of members of the Guild. It seemed to him that the rest of the nobility, those who didn¡¯t number among the dead, had turned tail and run, fleeing into the night.


    A quick shift of his farsight sphere of awareness let him sense that the Conscripts¡¯ camp was no better. A fraction of the people remained, wandering aimlessly or sitting dejectedly around their own small campfires. Those who were too injured to leave and those who refused to leave them. The ties of friendship, he thought with a smile, as he considered another painting. He acknowledged that his previous painting of war had shown his opinion of it. A wasteful circus was how he had displayed it, using a rainbow of colour to contrast the seriousness of war. But, even if he hated the violence and loss of life, and how the weak were dragged into it to serve the purposes of the powerful, he saw something else that night through his Farsight of the Runic Artist: camaraderie and love. People who likely saw the futility of their decisions but refused to leave their friends behind, even if it cost them their own lives. There was beauty in that, in the ties that bound humanity together.


    He wanted to dwell on those feelings more, to hide the rest of his disgust at the waste of life, but he had two more concerns to deal with. Extracting his anti-scrying ward from his Runic Gallery he activated it, sealing Kiri and himself in. He ignored the curious looks from Aisling and Morgane as he created his Illusion rune to disguise the movements of their lips, powering it with the dregs of mana he had managed to restore since the end of their battle.


    ¡°I felt it again¡­when I saw the Princess cast her Spell. That feeling of being more real,¡± he whispered, keeping his voice low even with the anti-scrying ward in play.


    ¡°I did too, when I burned both my Soul Twins to be reborn. But¡­¡± replied Kiri, though her tone sounded uncertain.


    ¡°But?¡± Nate pressed.


    ¡°But, they weren¡¯t the same!¡± answered Kiri, her eyes narrowed in annoyance tinged with confusion. ¡°When it happened on the Plains, the feeling was almost beyond words. Everything felt right. Like I was more real than anything else. It was the same when I fought the assassin. But when it caught me unawares¡­it felt less¡­¡±


    She paused for a moment at Nate¡¯s annoyed look before answering his displeasure.


    ¡°I know, I know, it was dumb. But I had to know if what I was feeling from Coralie was real. If she really had betrayed me. I¡¯m sorry though. It was reckless and I shouldn¡¯t have put you through that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Nate mumbled. ¡°Just, maybe be a bit more careful? Don¡¯t put yourself between any more assassins and their targets, yeah?¡±


    Kiri, mouth twisted and looking suitably chastened, before she smiled slightly, ¡°Deal, unless it¡¯s you they¡¯re targeting.¡±


    Nate smiled slightly and relaxed.


    Kiri took his reaction as permission to continue, ¡°Anyway, the feeling of ¡®realness¡¯ or whatever you want to call it¡­it wasn¡¯t the same. It was there, sure. I felt connected to everything, but it was so much less than the feeling on the plains. How would you put it¡­umm¡­a pale imitation.¡±


    Nate tried not to laugh as she turned to teasing him.


    ¡°I do not sound that verbose,¡± he groused.


    Kiri¡¯s raised eyebrow at his phrasing made them both laugh.


    ¡°Okay, maybe I can be a tad formal,¡± he admitted, intentionally bumping Kiri with his shoulder before grumbling at the impact. ¡°What in the Nine Hells have you been eating? It¡¯s like bumping into a rock.¡±


    ¡°Monsters. I¡¯ve been eating monsters,¡± Kiri replied with a big grin. ¡°And you are that ¡®verbose¡¯. I just figure it¡¯s part of you being an artist, you know? You don¡¯t just paint a tree to look like a tree. You add your own¡­¡±


    She paused for a second, clearly searching for a word and Nate took a second to enjoy the smile on her face. It was the first he had seen on her since Coralie¡¯s betrayal.


    ¡°Flair,¡± he interjected after a moment.


    ¡°Sure. Flair, that works. I just figure you do the same with the way you talk and describe things. Maybe it¡¯s just because that¡¯s how you see the world. Doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t tease you about it though.¡±


    ¡°Love you too, sister,¡± he grumbled.


    Kiri grinned for a moment and nodded, ¡°Love you too, little brother.¡±


    Nate raised an eyebrow and Kiri smirked at him, ¡°What? I¡¯m older.¡±


    Rolling his eyes he guided their discussion back to the original topic, ¡°So, it felt the same, but less? Like a cup half-full?¡±


    Kiri nodded, ¡°Something like that. What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking I have felt the same. Variations in the strength of the feeling,¡± Nate acknowledged. ¡°There is something going on there.¡±


    Kiri looked at him, her blue eyes deadly serious as she waited for him to expand on his thoughts.


    ¡°I am wondering,¡± Nate admitted. ¡°If we can direct it. To me, it feels like there is an energy that is suffusing my entire being. Not just my body. But everything that makes me¡­me. It fades quickly though, draining away, like nothing I can do can hold onto it. But I haven¡¯t tried to direct it. That¡¯s what I want to try next.¡±


    ¡°Direct it at what?¡± Kiri asked. Her facial expression told him she already had some ideas and just wanted to hear him say it.


    ¡°My Skills or runes.¡±


    Kiri nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll try the same. We can compare our experiences.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan. Time to deal with notifications?¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Kiri agreed.


    Continuing to walk together, he dropped the anti-scrying ward and illusion rune so he could hear what was going on around him more clearly, turning his attention to the notifications that waited for him. Opening his first he looked over the level gains. Eight dead Golds on the lower end had only netted him two levels, though he felt he was over halfway to his next one.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +2 Magic Power, +8 Magic Control, +4 Channelling Speed, +4 Mana Reserve, +2 Mana Absorption, +10 Free Stats


    Nate found he was neither pleased nor displeased with the Stat growth. He knew he would need more Magic Control to effectively use a Class like Lord of Life, his planned Tertiary Class. That said, he was also a bit annoyed at the lack of growth in his Intellect Stat. With that in mind, he put his ten Free Stats into Intellect. Moving to the next notification, he went over his Skill growth.


    Conceptual Insight 53 > 54


    Conceptual Material Shaping 38 > 40


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 54 > 55


    Conceptual Runic Mastery 52 > 54


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation 45 > 48


    Conceptual Amplified Magic 44 > 47


    Conceptual Automated Existence 27 > 33


    Conceptual Spatial Authority 27 > 32


    Conceptual Material Shaping was on the verge of evolution and he had a pretty good idea what way it would go. He had been pushing it for months towards being able to let him work on multiple materials simultaneously. The result should be an exponential increase in his output, along with his mana consumption, but he was fine with that. There was no point keeping the horde of mana he was accumulating lying around. Outside of battles like he had fought that night, the rate at which he accumulated mana was far outstripping the rate at which he could spend it.


    Conceptual Automated Existence and Conceptual Spatial Authority would require some attention soon to make sure they were moving in the right direction and he had ideas for both. For Conceptual Automated Existence, his current problem was how singular the Constructs were. One Epic-tier material produced one Conceptual Construct. What he wanted to try was to see if he could split them, turning one substrate into multiple Constructs. Even if they were weaker, or didn¡¯t last as long, the ability to overwhelm his opponents with numbers seemed like a good way to grow the Skill. As for Conceptual Spatial Authority, he wanted to add an obfuscating effect to the Skill, similar to the one he had turned down for Farsight of the Runic Artist so long ago. He had the tools to be sneaky, and making himself harder to target in a fight also granted him the freedom to better control the flow of battle or support Kiri.


    However, the two Skills he really needed to focus on were Farsight of the Runic Artist and Conceptual Runic Mastery. Both Skills were approaching their level sixty evolutions and he needed to make sure he was pushing them in the right direction. The problem he had with them was the problem he felt with all of his Skills. They were all Mythic. He had even gotten an Achievement for getting them all to Mythic; an Achievement Kiri was now attempting to mirror, though he didn¡¯t think she had much of a chance of doing so before they hit level sixty. Not having a Tertiary Class seemed like a prerequisite for that particular Achievement. But, with his Skills all at Mythic, he was mostly at a loss for how to push them to the next tier.


    He had his ideas with the strange feeling or energy that would come upon them, but beyond that he had no ideas. Was there even a tier beyond Mythic? Or were beings like Arikanvil just Mythic Class and Skill holders who had levels counted in the hundreds? He didn¡¯t know what he didn¡¯t know and all he could do was experiment, he supposed. For Farsight of the Runic Artist he was attempting to force the Skill to return to its roots in a way. It was the only Skill that lacked the ¡®Conceptual¡¯ moniker and his idea was to try and shift it back towards his improved sight that the Skill had originally granted. Specifically, he wanted it to let him see the affinities of mana, revealing the Concepts of the universe and how they interacted. If he could manage it, there might be an Achievement involved, but even without that it would assist with his Embodiment so it was a no-brainer.


    As for Conceptual Runic Mastery, with the latest Skill levels, the mana cost reduction for creating runic structures from mana had finally capped out. Now, as long as there was ambient mana, he didn¡¯t need to spend any of his own mana to create runes. He did still have to expend mana to power them, but that wasn¡¯t surprising. The idea of using ambient mana to power his runes was ludicrous, at least within the world of Galle. Maybe some of the higher-tier Dungeons could manage it to an extent. He could try to push the Skill in that direction, but he didn¡¯t see a lot of value in it. The Mana Aspecting part of the Skill was also almost at a hundred percent. It was effectively applying an affinity to the mana within the rune, which meant he could do more for less, similar to how a Spell functioned when cast by someone with the associated affinity. As for his Intents, he had long since reached a point where he had so many to use and guide a dynamically created rune that it didn¡¯t matter. There was an argument for having more Imbued Intents; with twenty-nine, he could create some complicated workings, but whether that would be enough for something like multiversal travel was yet to be seen. Additional Subconcepts were also useful, but again, he had quite a few Sigils to work with. It meant making bigger runes to handle them, and it was that idea that he latched onto. It might not be as important for battle, but being able to make his runes smaller had huge implications for his crafting. Pushing Conceptual Runic Mastery to allow him to miniaturise his runes would be his focus. With his decisions on his development made he let the part of his mind that had gone over everything focus back on the here and now.


    The area that had once housed Princess Morgane¡¯s tent was filled with milling individuals, divided into three groups. The Swords, looking bloodied and beaten, but with over eleven still standing, including Second Sword Valis. Near them were a group of Nobles and their guards. Those truly loyal to Morgane, he guessed, among them Baroness Olithia . They too looked like they had been in the thick of it, with torn clothes, battered armour and bloody wounds. The final group was the Guild members. Of the fifty or so Guild members who had joined Princess Morgane¡¯s army, only thirty remained and they all looked like they had been part of the battle.


    It was towards them that Nate, Kiri and Aisling walked, to head off the rising problem.


    ¡°Step away from her!¡± yelled Flash, daggers in hand as the Edgedancer squared up against a monstrously-sized Frick.


    ¡°Make me,¡± taunted the gigantic blue goblin and Nate sighed, preparing to deal with one of the issues from this night: the Unseen, and their odd souls.


    *************


    Kiri went over her own improvements quickly, reading through her notifications.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +2 Dexterity, +6 Agility, +4 Willpower, +2 Perception, +4 Magic Control, +2 Mana Reserve, +10 Free Stats


    The next notifications informed her that two of her Skills had reached evolutions. The two evolutions added to her growing power, though both Skills were already Mythic. Soul Rebirth¡¯s evolution increased the amount of Stats she could absorb by an additional third. It seemed the best choice to her since she was heavily focused on passive improvements to her physical capabilities. The second Skill was Tethered Soul Weapons. She had chosen the evolution that doubled the range of her tethered arms, allowing her to fight at a distance that should leave her out of range of most conventional melee combatants. A Skill which she wished she¡¯d had against the assassin. She knew she was distracting herself from Coralie¡¯s betrayal and for once was thankful she hadn¡¯t reached one-hundred-and-fifty Intellect so she couldn¡¯t split her focus. She knew if she could, one part of her mind would be going over that sore point like a tongue flicking over a cut in her mouth. Worrying at it, even if there was nothing that could be done about it.


    Approaching the remains of the Princess¡¯s tent, she saw Flash preparing to fight Frick and her mouth twisted at the reminder of Coralie even as she prepared to subdue the Edgedancer. Those Unseen couldn¡¯t be allowed to wander free. Glancing at the two unconscious women she frowned. Her Soul Sense roamed over them, their veils demolished by Nate, and what she saw gave her pause. Something was wrong with their souls¡­like an infection. Maybe, she acknowledged, Nate had been right to spare them. They¡¯d know soon enough if it was the correct decision. With a huff she marched forward with her brother and Aisling. This mess wasn¡¯t going to clean itself up and she was happy doing anything that would distract her from her other thoughts and feelings.

 Chapter 188 - King of Tears

    Coralie appeared inside the teleportation room within her mother¡¯s villa, lying on the floor and sobbing. She had failed. Worse, she had failed, and killed the woman she loved in the process. Slamming her fists against the floor, she wailed. Why had Kiri done that? Why!?! It wasn¡¯t fair! The only good thing she¡¯d had in her life in years. The only thing that had been hers, and not something granted and molded by her mother, and she had helped to kill it. She despised herself. Hated what she was and what she had done, with every fibre of her being. If she had defied her Mother, just this once, Kiri would still be alive.


    Her wailing had garnered the attention of the villa¡¯s occupants and a minute later her mother, Prefect Allais, swept into the room, wearing a hastily tied on loose silk robe that probably cost as much as an Uncommon Orb. The open door revealed a shirtless man wearing loose pants that also looked hastily pulled on. Portos Jamison, a Platinum of the Guild, Coralie noted through blurry eyes still stained with tears.


    ¡°Well?¡± demanded her Mother imperiously.


    ¡°I failed,¡± Coralie answered, her eyes drifting to the floor as she refused to meet her Mother¡¯s gaze.


    She knew her mother heard that she had failed in her task, and while that was true, it was not what Coralie had meant. She had failed herself, and Kiri had paid the price. She was a failure.


    ¡°Stupid girl,¡± muttered Evelynn Allais, angrily before spinning to face her paramour. ¡°Get ready, and inform your sisters. We will have to take this a step further to prove our worth to him. He is not known for tolerating failure, so our success must overshadow my daughter¡¯s¡­inadequacy.¡±


    Portos nodded, vanishing in a blur of movement.


    ¡°Get up,¡± her Mother demanded, turning her eyes back on Coralie. ¡°You may have failed once. You best not do so again. Meet me at the gates in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Coralie asked.


    Evelynn Allais'' mouth twisted in distaste. ¡°We march on the Guild, to bring it to heel for the new ruler of Etrua.¡±


    Coralie felt a pit form in her stomach as her Mother gave voice to her own betrayal, the breaking of oaths with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. What had she done?


    *************


    Bordain slumped down onto the throne that was now his, the wreckage of the palace around him. Dead Swords, the Royal Guard, were strewn throughout the room. Some of them had even been his own adherents, loyal to him through Malachite. Those that remained leaned against the walls or slumped on the floor, recovering from being forced to kill the men and women they served with. Bordain had known his Father was strong. The man had free use of the tool that had made the Etruan Royal family what they were. For over forty years his Father had been able to make use of that tool. Even with the lengthy recharging periods, the Legendary Dungeon had seen his Father over halfway to the Fourth Evolution at level one-hundred-and-eighty. The man had possessed a Mythic Class, after his Third evolution, and even though Bordain had achieved such at his Second Evolution, the level and Skill disparity would¡¯ve seen him dead without his preparations and vassals.


    Garnet lay in a corner recovering from having her body shredded by sand. Obsidian was splayed out as well, with Verian healing the man after he had been asphyxiated. Verian himself had come through better than most of them, but the old Headmaster had been languishing at level one-hundred-and-twenty for years. His Skills, however, had not, and while he was still at a disadvantage against Bordain¡¯s Father, the Elementalist had fared better defending himself against the spells of Sand and Wind. As for the two Dungeon Cores that had suppressed the Concepts and Skills of his Father, they had dissolved towards the end of the battle. That moment was when his Father had struck and almost erased Bordain and his vassals. The castle had no such protections and a full third had been ripped apart and was nothing but ruins of scoured and shattered furniture and people. Any of the lesser servants too close to the battle were dead.


    But, Bordain had won. His victory thrummed through him as he felt the universe agree with him. This was right. Only the powerful deserved to rule and the world echoed his opinion. He could feel it. The sense of completeness was fading, but he had touched upon it again. His path forward was clear.


    Verian interrupted his thoughts, the Headmaster approaching and kneeling before the throne.


    ¡°Speak,¡± Bordain intoned, acknowledging his vassal.


    ¡°My reward, my King?¡± asked Verian, unable to hide the eagerness in his voice.


    Bordain wanted to make use of Verian¡¯s reward himself, but he didn¡¯t have the time. With his actions he had started a civil war while in the midst of a war with Asmuisil. He needed to confirm that his brother and sister were both dead, bring any of the Houses that didn¡¯t support him to heel, all while defending his lands from Asmuisil and taking control of the Capital. He wanted to push towards his Third Evolution, but it would need to wait. Though, perhaps, not as long as previously.


    ¡°And you shall have it, Headmaster Verian,¡± Bordain acknowledged, motioning to two of the Swords. ¡°Take the Headmaster to the Etruan Gate. He is to be given sole access. No one else is to enter. Am I understood?¡±


    The Etruan Gate, Bordain mused, was the name for the room that housed the entrance to the Legendary-tier Dungeon. It was kept within the bowels of the palace and Bordain once more suppressed his urge to make use of it to advance himself.


    ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Leave the communication tomes,¡± Bordain commanded, eyes flicking back to Verian.


    The man who had functioned as his spymaster for over a decade placed a pile of six tomes on the floor, extracted from a spatial storage, before hurrying after the Swords.


    Bordain watched as Verian left the room, noting the curious gaze of Obsidian.


    ¡°He goes in alone?¡± asked Obsidian from the scoured floor of the throne room.


    Bordain nodded, ¡°He hopes to gain a reward that will let him bridge the gap to Mythic. At his level, only the final Challenge will do and even so he must complete it alone. Check the communication tomes for updates. I want to know if there is word from Amethyst, Topaz or Sapphire.¡±


    With his orders given and ignoring how Obsidian started flipping through the pages of the enchanted books, Bordain stood and marched towards Malachite.


    ¡°Stand,¡± he demanded, not caring if the man could. Either he had the power to follow his orders, or the old swordsman had reached the end of his use. Without power, he was a tool not worth keeping.


    Malachite slapped away an offered hand from a Sword bearing two blades on his dented armour and roughly climbed to his feet.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°What would you have of me, my King?¡± asked the First Sword.


    ¡°Gather whatever forces you need and lock down the Noble and Merchants¡¯ quarters. Spread the word that there is a new King and that the Nobles are required to make their way to the palace to swear fealty.¡±


    ¡°Why the merchants?¡± asked Malachite.


    ¡°Because we still have a war to win and their coffers will help fund it, as will any Nobles that refuse to bend the knee.¡±


    Bordain turned, heading for Garnet and ignoring the First Sword¡¯s salute as he gathered his forces and marched from the rubble that had once been the throne room.


    ¡°What now, my King?¡± asked Garnet, pushing off the wall and leaving blood stains behind her.


    ¡°Find the Royal Chamberlain. I want my palace fixed. Tell him to spend whatever is necessary to make it happen.¡±


    Bordain didn¡¯t turn to watch as Garnet walked out of the room, now empty except for himself and Obsidian who had moved up to his side.


    ¡°Well?¡± Bordain demanded.


    ¡°Your brother is dead, though it cost more of his forces than anticipated. The enchanted Dungeon Cores suppressed him as planned and your payments to the Asmuisillan Commander made sure that their Champions acted accordingly. However, they appear to have used the chaos to demolish your brother¡¯s forces, rather than pull back as agreed. Sapphire is moving to intercept and is confident he can hold off the Asmuisillan army with the remnants Amethyst is gathering.¡±


    ¡°And Topaz?¡±


    ¡°Failed. Your sister lives. The details are scarce, but as planned Topaz managed to get close to Morgane using House Landin. A failed poisoning attempt was the cover she used to initiate her attack on the Princess. She was very clear, that as planned, the form she used was a perfect counter for your sister¡¯s capabilities and that she was moments from victory when she was interfered with by two members of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    ¡°Platinums?¡± Bordain asked, his anger at Topaz¡¯s failure simmering for the moment.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say.¡±


    Bordain snorted at the cowardice.


    ¡°Is she on her way here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°So she says¡­¡± replied Obsidian.


    ¡°Good. She can explain her failure to me herself. Any word from House Landin on Morgane¡¯s forces or the Asmuisillan Third Army?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    Bordain clenched a fist in annoyance, ¡°Get me the details then. I need to know if we still have one or two Asmuisillan armies advancing on the Capital.¡±


    ¡°As you command, my King,¡± replied Obsidian, before space warped and the man vanished.


    Returning to the golden throne, Bordain sat down, his bulk filling the current symbol of his family''s authority, as he waited for the Nobility to come forth and pledge their allegiance to him ¡ª to the power he rightfully possessed. All the while his thoughts stewed on the part of his plan that had failed.


    ¡°Slippery as ever, little sister. What will you do now, I wonder?¡±


    *************


    Nate knelt over the Unseen, Kiri at his side. He had refused to wake them. Flash hovered nearby, the Edgedancer¡¯s eyes locked on Helena-Celeste, refusing to move away from her but abiding Aisling¡¯s command to not interfere.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked Kiri.


    His sense could tell him that there was something going on with their soul energy, but his ability with the power of the soul paled in comparison to his sisters.


    ¡°It¡¯s like an infection. It¡¯s soul energy, but it isn¡¯t theirs. And it¡¯s behaving weirdly,¡± Kiri muttered.


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°There is a normal exchange of soul energy between the Spirit Realm and your body. Some of yours leaves and is replaced. It happens naturally, even when you¡¯re not actively spending soul energy. The spot it happens in is around the same place as the Class Core. But this¡­infection¡­avoids that area. It¡¯s like it is being guided by¡­¡±


    ¡°An Intent,¡± Nate finished for her.


    ¡°Exactly. The infection isn¡¯t all the same either from what I can see. It reminds me a little of your runes actually. Like different parts are doing different things but all working together, if that makes sense?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a spell,¡± Nate offered.


    ¡°Could be,¡± Kiri acknowledged. ¡°What do you want to do about it?¡±


    ¡°The same thing you do with any infection, I guess. Cleanse it.¡±


    Kiri glanced at him then gave a nod.


    ¡°Do you need me for it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I need you to make sure I isolate all the right parts. I¡¯ll tell you when I am ready.¡±


    Kiri stepped away, going to speak with Aisling as the Guildies watched the Princess speak with the Nobles.


    Hildi had vanished, however Nate could sense her near the Princess. Where before Hildi had been shorter, her body now felt like a perfect match for Morgane and Nate paused to wonder which was her real form as he got to work.


    The idea he had was simple enough. The Sigils for Soul, Target and Release brought together should let him target the foreign soul energy within the Unseen and release it from their bodies. With his ability to alter Subconcepts, he intended to change Release more towards the Concepts of remove or extract. He ignored the many eyes on his back as he worked and it didn¡¯t take him too long to construct the simplified rune. Getting the targeting right with his Intents took longer as he had Kiri double-checking his work as he made sure that every single piece of foreign soul energy within Helena-Celeste was accounted for. Finally confident he was ready, he motioned to the Guild members nearby. They moved in and held the would-be-assassin down, each one taking a limb. Waking the Unseen only took a few seconds as he removed the effects of the Sleeping Rune he had used on her, noting her lack of resistance to the soul energy manipulation.


    The Unseen immediately tried to sit up, only to find herself pinned down. Helena-Celeste¡¯s eyes flicked to her fellow Unseen before drifting up to Nate¡¯s. If he was any judge, he thought the look in one of them was acceptance and peace.


    ¡°Ask whatever you want. I can¡¯t answer. Just kill us and be done with it,¡± whispered the Unseen with a calmness that supported his thoughts on the look in her eyes.


    ¡°I did wonder about that,¡± Nate acknowledged. ¡°If the Soul Spell on you would prevent you telling us what you know. I¡¯m about to remove it.¡±


    He had expected anger or maybe more acceptance in response to his statement. Instead the Unseen started bucking and screaming as she tried to escape from the Guild members holding her down.


    ¡°Nooo!!! You¡¯ll kill her!¡±


    Nate waited a moment for the failed attempt to reach its foregone conclusion before demanding an answer. He pointedly ignored the eyes of the Nobles and the Princess who had paused their discussion to glance at the outburst.


    ¡°Explain,¡± he demanded.


    ¡°The spell, it connects us. We¡¯re tied together. If it thinks I am dead it will kill her. Don¡¯t kill my sister! I don¡¯t want to be free if it means being alone. Just kill us both, please,¡± begged the Unseen, sobbing.


    ¡°Kiri?¡± Nate asked.


    ¡°She could be right. If it is, it''s through the spiritual realm. Maybe the spell connects them on the other side? I can¡¯t sense a connection here.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Nate responded, beginning to extend his rune and his Intents.


    ¡°What?¡± mumbled the Unseen.


    ¡°You¡¯ll either die together, or live together,¡± Nate replied, trying to keep the sadness out of his voice. He couldn¡¯t imagine being shackled the way these two were, and though he knew they might die if he failed at removing the Soul Spell afflicting them, he also didn¡¯t think they would be allowed to live as they were.


    ¡°Can you check?¡± he asked Kiri, as he felt his mind strained with the number of Intents he was using to target the Soul Spell within the two Unseen.


    Kiri moved forward and after a few minutes grunted, ¡°I think you got them all.¡±


    He looked up and Aisling gave him an encouraging nod. With his mentor''s silent support, he activated his rune and sensed as soul energy was released into the air. Untethered from a sentient being, the soul energy quickly vanished, returning to the Spirit Realm and Nate watched as Helena-Celeste clenched her fists, ready to die. That death never came and she turned her head to look at her gently breathing sister, still asleep. Her eyes finally returned to look at Nate and tears decorated the corners of them, bubbling up before falling down her cheeks.


    ¡°We¡¯re free¡­.¡± she whispered, before she began to cry in earnest.

 Chapter 189 - Bag of Cats

    Duchess Desmarais looked upon the tree and frowned at the two burned ribbons. The Twins, her daughters, had passed from this world. She had wondered, if when they eventually failed and died, if she would feel anything at their loss. Remorse perhaps? Or regret? They had been tools she intended to use to secure her son''s ascension when he came of age and had the power to defend the Duchy; the point at which her foolish husband would cease to be of use. But now the girls were dead, her son was still not ready, and she had been forced to make a deal with a devil. So, what she felt was neither remorse nor regret. The emotion bubbling up in her was irritation. If the twins were dead, they had likely failed to assassinate Princess Morgane.


    Their failure left her in an awkward position. She hadn¡¯t inserted any spies into Prince Thane¡¯s forces and she dared not try and spy on Prince Bordain. Without those spies she had little information to work with immediately and wouldn¡¯t get word from the Capital for another few days. But if Bordain had succeeded, he would demand their presence. Seizing onto that thought she did the only thing she could do.


    A moment later one of her servants presented themselves before her, answering her Soul Call.


    ¡°Yes, my Lady?¡±


    ¡°Prepare for us to make our way to the Capital. We may be staying for some time so pack appropriately. And inform the Duke.¡±


    Long after the servant vanished Duchess Charlotte Desmarais still stood, staring at the great tree painted upon the wall, eyes roving over the remaining ribbons and the many burn marks of those that had failed her ¡ª those that had fallen. Her mind drifted repeatedly over a single question: where had it all gone wrong?


    Every repetition, no matter the path, always came back to two names ¡ª Nathaniel Weber and Kiri Beaufoy. The cause of all her problems. Thoughts of revenge, already kindled, slowly grew into a bonfire. Those who had caused her problems would suffer for their transgressions against her, one way or another.


    *************


    Nate stepped out of the way as Helena-Celeste lunged at her sister, wrapping arms around the sleeping woman. With a flex of his mana, he removed the rune that Frick had been maintaining to keep Gabrielle, or whatever name she was going by now, asleep. He stepped away from the tearful reunion as Flash took his place, hovering over the freed Unseen.


    Kiri joined him alongside Frick who had finally released his Skill, once more becoming a short blue goblin that came up to Nate¡¯s knee. Together the trio walked over to join Aisling as the Platinum gave reassurances to the remaining Guild members. The men and women of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild looked bloodied and beaten, and judging by the badges present, the Silvers had taken far more casualties in the fighting than the Golds. The price of fighting against the Gold-ranked retainers of the Noble Houses, Nate guessed.


    ¡°...regardless of what Princess Morgane decides, we will be returning to the Capital. Your contracts were paid up front so everyone will get their due as I consider the contracts fulfilled. Beyond that¡­¡± Aisling sighed. ¡°I am not sure what the Guild will be able to manage. You were attacked by House Landin, which we would normally use to pursue additional payments for an unprovoked attack by a Noble House¡­but it is clear this was a coordinated attack against the Princess¡¯s army¡­the political climate of Etrua may have changed tonight and I can¡¯t guarantee restitution.¡±


    Nate watched as the Guild members responded with a mix of outrage, anger and tears though he noticed that none of their legitimate anger seemed to be directed at the Nobility that remained. Whether that was because of the Platinums still present or because they truly didn¡¯t blame them for the betrayal, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Gather to me, if you would,¡± Morgane called out.


    The three separate groups all shuffled over to surround the Princess in a semicircle, though they remained distinct, leaving gaps between them.


    ¡°A decision needs to be made, about whether we try to salvage this mess, or retreat,¡± stated Morgane calmly.


    Voices were immediately raised by the remaining Nobles and Nate noted that Aisling threw her own into the mix, while the Guild stood behind their Platinum-tiered leader sullenly. Nate¡¯s own attention was focused on Hildi, who had pulled a small table from somewhere and had laid three tomes out upon it.


    ¡°Three Houses!¡± stated an older man, the cut of his clothes marking him as a Noble. ¡°That¡¯s all that remains of our forces here. The rest are dead, joining House Landin in the dirt, or have fled. There is no hope of us managing to defend against the Asmuisillan army, let alone defeat them, with those kinds of numbers. Not to mention rounding up the conscripts? We don¡¯t even have enough of our forces left to guard the camp, let alone spare people to find the thousands of fleeing conscripts we would need to mount an effective battle.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest then, Hawthorn?¡± demanded Baroness Olithia, a sneer on her lips as she looked at the man.


    ¡°Return to our lands, gather fresh forces, and form a new army. This battle is lost.¡±


    ¡°This was clearly a calculated attempt on the Princess¡¯s life. Are you so foolish you think it is limited to just this?¡± countered Olithia.


    ¡°We knew her brothers might move against her,¡± responded Hawthorn haughtily. ¡°We need to pause and take stock. Repair the hull of our ship before it sinks.¡±


    Voices began to be raised again before Hildi, using some Spell or Skill, silenced them and spoke out loud.


    ¡°Prince Thane is dead and I have a report of fighting within the Palace in the Capital.¡±


    The silence was deafening, lasting seconds before finally being broken by a whisper from Hawthorn, ¡°Bordain isn¡¯t just removing his competition¡­he¡¯s attempting to seize the throne.¡±


    Olithia turned to Morgane, her eyes solemn, ¡°What will you do, your Highness?¡±


    Before Morgane could answer Hawthorn interjected, ¡°I will return to my lands, your Highness. Whatever you decide here and now, it will be suicide. If your brother has succeeded, then we¡¯re all dead. If he has failed, you are the heir-apparent, and you do not need me. I will not sacrifice my family or my people in any mad gambits¡­I¡­I am sorry.¡±


    Hawthorn immediately gathered his personal forces which numbered in the low-thirties, and marched away.


    ¡°Coward,¡± spat Olithia, watching the old man¡¯s departing back.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°He is,¡± agreed Morgane quietly. ¡°But he is not wrong.¡±


    The Princess looked at the remaining Noble, a young man, holding an enchanted hammer at his side taller than he was.


    ¡°What of you, Marquess Claude?¡± she asked.


    Nate sensed as his Divine Translation spell trying to figure out an appropriate term in English to reflect the title given to the young Noble. It felt like something akin to a Ducal title, but meant to indicate a smaller holding and on the borders of the nation.


    ¡°House Leclair will never waver in our support for you, dear cousin,¡± stated the Marquess firmly.


    ¡°I suppose I do not need to ask you Olithia?¡±


    ¡°No, your Highness, you don¡¯t,¡± replied the Baroness.


    ¡°And what of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡± asked Morgane, turning to Aisling.


    ¡°I agree with Lord Hawthorn. The forces you have remaining are insufficient to contest the Asmuisillan army. The terms of our contracts have been fulfilled and we will be returning to the Capital,¡± responded Aisling, though Nate could see the anger in her eyes.


    Aisling was clearly displeased with Morgane and her deception as well as abuse of the Guild and its resources.


    ¡°Shall we return together then?¡± Morgane pressed quietly.


    Before Aisling could respond, Hildi gasped, all eyes flickering to her as she read from the tome.


    ¡°Your Highness, your Father is dead and Bordain has assumed the throne. He¡¯s calling all Houses in the Capital to come swear fealty to him,¡± Hildi said, pausing for a moment before glancing at Aisling. ¡°And¡­the Guild is under attack.¡±


    Aisling looked thunderous as she ground out, ¡°From the Prince or the Etruan Nobility?¡±


    Hildi shook her head slightly, ¡°The message says that Prefect Allais was seen leading the attack.¡±


    Nate moved next to Kiri, putting an arm around his sister as he sensed her clenching her hands so hard that her nails cut into her palms. Coralie¡¯s betrayal, clearly coordinated by her mother, was enough to drive his sister to do something foolish. They had barely survived one Platinum that night, he wasn¡¯t about to let Kiri go try and kill the woman. At least, not on her own.


    ¡°Betrayals run deep this night,¡± commented Olithia.


    ¡°Does this change anything for you?¡± asked Morgane, eyes on Aisling.


    To Nate¡¯s eyes, the Princess looked defeated. No surprises there, he thought. This night her eldest brother had been assassinated, her Father killed in an act of patricide or regicide¡­he wasn¡¯t sure which it was, maybe both? As for her army, it was decimated and in the wind, her few remaining allies were hardly enough to mount a resistance. Her world was crumbling around her and Nate wasn¡¯t sure what he would do in her shoes. Probably run, he decided. Collect what he could, and flee. Maybe Asmuisil would give her amnesty. They could use another Platinum and if they had the forces, they could eventually defeat Etrua. But if that happened, he doubted they would declare her Queen. She would be giving up her power and privilege to depose her brother. His mind tried to sort through the implications but he realised quickly that he didn¡¯t understand enough of the politics or the implications of her decisions.


    ¡°It does,¡± sighed Aisling, answering Morgane¡¯s question.


    ¡°Mind sharing with everyone?¡± pressed the Princess, her own eyes sorrowful.


    ¡°The Eternal Grove and Hidden Blade are not in the Capital,¡± replied Aisling, using Evindal and Avery¡¯s Platinum titles rather than names. ¡°Thousand Needles may or may not be. If Prefect Allais has the Jamison siblings with her, which she certainly does, she has the forces necessary to take control of the Guild. If it hasn¡¯t fallen already, it will soon, and she can paint whatever picture she wants about how it happened. She¡¯ll likely blame you, your Highness, especially if she is aware of certain¡­secrets¡­¡±


    ¡°Should we surrender to the Asmuisillan army then?¡± asked Nate, finally joining the conversation.


    Baroness Olithia and Marquess Claude made to speak but Princess Morgane spoke over the both of them.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an option.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he pressed. Morgane herself had spoken of how she preferred the Asmuisillan method of government so he wanted to understand her reasoning.


    ¡°Because, young man,¡± answered Olithia in a politer tone than he expected, ¡°If the Princess joins Asmuisil, the remaining Houses will all back Prince Bordain. I suppose he¡¯s King Bordain now. However, if the Princess remains free and clear, the Nobility who would oppose Bordain¡¯s rule will rally behind her.¡±


    Morgane nodded her agreement before returning her gaze to Aisling, ¡°Will you set aside our differences and let me make amends? If Evelynn Allais has thrown her support behind Bordain, does that not make us allies?¡±


    Aisling closed her eyes and Nate felt the static in the air as his guardian''s frustration was made manifest. The Stormspear was being forced to choose between two women, that in her view, had betrayed her. One by infiltrating the Guild and manipulating it for her own ends, and the other attempting to seize control of it for a ruler, violating the Guild tenets of being politically neutral. Nate knew that in the end, attacking the Guild was the greater crime in Aisling¡¯s view, and as the static slowly subsided, his guardian opened her eyes.


    ¡°I am left with little choice it seems. I will support you, Princess. Whether the rest of the Guild members wish to do so is up to them.¡±


    Morgane¡¯s eyes flicked to Nate and the action didn¡¯t go unnoticed by both of the Nobles, who watched him curiously. He knew what he wanted to do. Run. Run to Asmuisil and put all of this in his rear-view mirror. The thought made him close his own eyes as he felt himself caught between what he wanted to do, and what he should do. Kiri¡¯s family was in Etrua. His girlfriend was in Etrua. Luc, Jacque and the kids, they were all in Etrua. Aisling and the Guild. All of those were factors in his decision, but the one thought that he kept coming back to was his conversations with Morgane. About her brother, Bordain, and what he would do given enough power, contrasted with what Morgane wanted and how she hoped to change Etrua. His farsight sphere of awareness drifted over the conscripts¡¯ camp as his mind processed his thoughts faster than likely anyone present could match. Those conscripts, who had remained, despite being able to flee, to stay beside their friends and family too injured to escape. Willing to stay, even if it meant death. The ties that bound humanity together. For so long, he had been weak with unrealised potential. Now, he was finally touching on true power. So, what did he want to do with that power? He wanted to help. He wanted to discover and learn, to grow. But he wanted to take what he learned and use it to make life better for people. Opening his eyes, he looked at the Princess, his green eyes matching against her golden ones. In those yellow orbs he could see her fear and her hope. Was he worth so much to her? It didn¡¯t matter. He had decided.


    ¡°I will support you.¡±


    Kiri leaned into him and whispered her own thanks before giving a small nod to Morgane that the Princess accepted with her own nod.


    ¡°Forgive me, cousin, but why do you care if a couple of Golds will support you?¡± asked the Marquess, clearly confused.


    Morgane glanced from the Marquess back to Nate, the question in her eyes, and Nate recognised what she wanted to do. She wanted to admit to the crowd that Nate and Kiri possessed Legendary Classes. The politics, he realised, were that if it was known that Princess Morgane had the support of two Legendary Class holders who had yet to reach their second evolution, that it would help draw more followers and Houses to her side. If some of the Nobility didn¡¯t already have some suspicions, he would¡¯ve said no to her subtle request. But, given the situation, he found it was time to let the deceptive cat out of the bag. It would help the faction he had aligned himself with, while still concealing the truth about them. With a small nod, he gave his own permission and felt Kiri give her own a moment later, glad that the Princess had waited for his sister''s approval.


    ¡°I care, because those two Golds are each a match for a Royal,¡± answered Morgane loudly.


    The silence that followed was deafening, before being broken by the cackling of Baroness Olithia.


    ¡°I take it back, young man. Maybe it¡¯s you who can teach me a thing or two?¡± stated the Baroness salaciously, before winking at him.


    The comment by the Baroness opened the floodgates as the Guild members began to crowd around Nate and Kiri while Marquess Claude and Second Sword Valis started peppering the Royal with questions.


    Nate cut through it all with a single question, directed at the Princess.


    ¡°What would you say if I told you I could get us back to the Capital tonight?¡±

 Chapter 190 - One Good Turn

    ¡°Where in the Capital?¡± asked Morgane.


    ¡°Where would you like to go in the Capital?¡± Nate countered.


    ¡°Is the Capital the best option?¡± asked the Marquess. ¡°We should approach House Korinth and House Pleras. With Thane dead, the Duke and Duchess may support your claim rather than throwing in their lot with Bordain.¡±


    ¡°The conscripts?¡± Nate interjected. ¡°If you decide to visit other Houses and gather support, what will become of the remaining conscripts?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t keep up,¡± commented Olithia. ¡°The army has to be disbanded, regardless of what we decide.¡±


    Morgane nodded, ¡°They can consider their contracts fulfilled. They are free to go.¡±


    ¡°Will Asmuisil allow that?¡± he pressed.


    ¡°They won¡¯t kill them, but they may take them prisoner,¡± answered Olithia. ¡°Why?¡±


    Nate shook his head, tuning out the discussion and leaving it to Aisling. Regardless of what the Princess and her supporters decided, he was not going to leave the conscripts behind. Activating Conceptual Spatial Manipulation, he teleported to the centre of the conscripts¡¯ camp. Kiri joined him a moment later, landing on the grass next to him. Frick was only a second behind her. With a smile for his sister and a nod for his Familiar, he used Conceptual Runic Mastery to create a rune to amplify his voice utilising the Sound Sigil.


    ¡°The army has been officially disbanded and your contracts are considered fulfilled. The Nobles have mostly fled and those that remain will be leaving soon. You will not be able to keep up with them. You have two choices. Either gather to me, in the centre of your camp, and I will see you returned to the Capital of Etrua. Or, you can stay here. The Asmuisillan army may take you captive, but I am told they will not kill anyone. Before you decide, you should know, the Second Prince has assumed the throne, and the Capital is now under his control. The home you left behind months ago may not be the same you return to. I leave the decision to you.¡±


    Nate sensed discussions taking place all around him, but he didn¡¯t have time to focus on those. He had some things to gather.


    ¡°Guard the portal plate?¡± he asked Kiri.


    The moment she nodded, he activated his Runecrafted Obfuscated Portal Plate. With a single step he was back in his workshop, Frick beside him. Cutting off the portal, he glanced at his Familiar.


    ¡°Go find Cutter. Tell him what has happened,¡± Nate commanded.


    In the blink of an eye Frick was gone, teleporting through the wards before slipping into the ground as the Spirit used Nate¡¯s own Skills to track down the old sailor. Nate took the steps two at a time as he ran down to get Jacque.


    Barging into the ex-Professor¡¯s room, it took him a second to ignore the absolute mess. The room was reminiscent of Jacque¡¯s office when he had been at the Royal University, filled as it was with small creations and unfinished projects along with scattered notes and drawings. Like Nate, the man hadn¡¯t skimped on his luxuries and the bed gave off a sense of Softness and Clouds while a quiet orchestral tune played from a small runecrafted box that looked oddly like a speaker.


    Jacque sat up immediately, a wand whipped out from under his pillow as he pointed the weapon at Nate before lowering it quickly.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s the middle of the night?¡± grumbled Jacque, rubbing at his eyes with silken pajamas.


    ¡°Get dressed. Get the apprentices up and ready. Gather everything you can in spatial storages. As quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jacque asked, already moving out of the bed and looking more awake.


    ¡°A coup. Prince Bordain has assassinated his eldest brother, killed the King and assumed the throne. A Guild Prefect is complicit. We¡¯re getting out of here,¡± Nate replied, pulling Jacque¡¯s bed into his Runic Gallery as he set aside an area to pile up all their belongings.


    ¡°Right¡­right¡­I¡¯ll get the lads then.¡±


    Jacque vanished out the door and down the stairs.


    ¡°Cutter says he understands and he¡¯ll keep his family low, but that¡¯s all he can do for now,¡± whispered Frick¡¯s words in his mind.


    ¡°Alright. Check the Den for Luc? Then see about Britt at the University? Deverell too if you can find him.¡±


    ¡°On it, Boss.¡±


    Nate went through the building like a whirlwind, first emptying his own room into the Runic Gallery, then Jacque¡¯s, before finishing up in the storage room that also functioned as their apprentices'' sleeping quarters. With that done he activated Conceptual Material Shaping and began to take apart the building itself. He had invested enough time in improving the building, with runes to both ward against scrying and entry as well as ones to defend the place. Where he could, he extracted the wood-carved runes after cutting them off from mana. For those he couldn¡¯t extract, he destroyed them, unwilling to leave others to find the Sigils embedded within. The process was quicker than he expected but slower than he hoped, and before twenty minutes had passed, he was standing outside the workshop, Jacque and the kids behind him, as he dismantled the last of his work. Sadly, he admitted, it was far easier to destroy than it was to create.


    Frick appeared with them a moment later, worry in his blue eyes, ¡°No sign of him, Boss. Checked the Den and a few other places.¡±


    ¡°Luc?¡± asked Jacque. When Nate nodded the ex-Professor continued, ¡°He¡¯s making a delivery. Left a day ago.¡±


    Nate nodded, ¡°And Britt? Dev?¡±


    ¡°University is locked down, Boss. Guards all around it and I thought I saw a couple of people with the look of Platinums. No sign of Dev, but he¡¯s good at hiding and I didn¡¯t sense him at the Guild.¡±


    Nate ground his teeth, unhappily applying the last strokes of destruction to his workshop, as he thought through the problem. Britt, Null, Karim and Ameera were likely all at the University. If it was locked down, breaking them out needed to be a priority, but not one he could attempt alone and definitely not while his equipment was bereft of mana. He needed time to prepare and just hoped his girlfriend and the other Guildies were fine and just being kept from interfering.


    His thoughts were interrupted as the sound of boots slapping on stone and sand came from behind them.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°For your own safety, stay in your homes. Anyone found outside will be imprisoned until the unrest within the Capital is resolved. I repeat, for your own safety, stay in your homes,¡± yelled a man as a force of guardsmen twenty strong marched down the street.


    Nate glanced at Frick and mentally sent a message to him, ¡°Go out onto the Plains. Within walking distance of the Capital.¡±


    As Frick vanished into the ground, Nate turned to face the approaching guards, stepping forward to interpose himself between the armed men and women and Jacque and the kids.


    It didn¡¯t take long for guards to notice them and they approached at a jog, coming to stand less than ten metres away from them. They might have walked all the way up to them but the rune hanging in front of Nate appeared to give them pause. Maintaining his Gravity Control rune, he was already preparing a secondary rune. The latter took much of its designed form from his Connected Obfuscated Portal Plates rune. He even kept the obfuscation portion, intent on not revealing his use of spatial magics to anyone sensitive to such things. Relying on his Intents, he intended to connect himself with Frick and open a temporary portal.


    ¡°Stand down, citizen. This is your only warning!¡± commanded the Guardsman who had been shouting out the commands for everyone to hear.


    Nate completed his second rune, drawing on mana gems from within his Runic Gallery to power it as he gave his answer.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Using his Gravity Control rune, he changed the direction behind the guards to down and added a bit of his Intent to increase the gravitational pull. He didn¡¯t watch as the twenty guards were launched down the street from whence they came but the gasps from the kids and Jacque, as well as the sensory feedback as their opponents left his sphere of awareness, told him he was successful. Spinning, he activated the second rune, ripping open a portal to the Plains and ushering everyone through. A moment later they stood among a sea of blue-green grass that reached most of their waists. Laure, with his stocky build and being the second youngest, had the grass tickling his armpits. The youngest, Callum, had vanished into the grass and Nate was reminded that the kid looked like he had a knack for going unseen. If his sphere didn¡¯t let him know that Callum was still with them, he doubted he could¡¯ve spotted the child in the darkness amongst the tall grass.


    ¡°What now? Asmuisil?¡± asked Jacque hopefully.


    ¡°We¡¯ll set up somewhere outside the Capital and continue,¡± replied Nate as he extracted the portal plate from his Runic Gallery and activated it, lamenting the loss of mana.


    The portal sprung up from the plate and widened until three people could walk through abreast. Nate ushered everyone through, before stepping across the threshold himself, leaving the plate behind to lie in the grass. After all, he wasn¡¯t done yet and had no intention of leaving the portal plate lying around where anyone could find it.


    On the other side of the portal waited Kiri, surrounded by hundreds of conscripts.


    ¡°Told you,¡± grumbled Kiri at the waiting crowd.


    ¡°Took you longer than I expected,¡± Kiri continued, with a glance at Nate.


    ¡°Had to clean up a few things,¡± he replied before looking over the crowd and raising his voice. ¡°This will take you to within sight of the walls of the Capital of Etrua. Go ahead. We will keep it open for as long as we can, but do hurry.¡±


    He could, in theory, keep the portal open for quite a while, but every second it was active the runecrafted item was drinking his mana supplies. Also, while the portal was obfuscated, it wasn¡¯t invisible, and if someone spotted it, especially after people started appearing on the plains, it could cause him other problems. He didn¡¯t want to have to fight any more guards tonight. He needed time to recharge his barrier bracer and resupply his mana, among other things. Then he could return and break Britt out of the University or wherever they had imprisoned her.


    Jacque and the kids huddled behind Nate and Kiri as they watched the conscripts stream through the portal, some walking, some hobbling, some being carried by others. The gathered crowd quickly vanished and once the last was through, Nate turned to Kiri and Aisling.


    ¡°I am going to set up a new location for us in the Capital. I might be a couple of hours.¡±


    With the accepting nods from the pair and a warning from Aisling to ¡®be careful¡¯, Nate stepped through portals'' threshold himself, returning to the plains near the Capital. Frick joined him a moment later, immediately vanishing. Nate closed the portal, gathering up the plate and teleported after his Familiar. Three teleports later, Nate stood in a simple sandstone dining room. Cutter sat at the table, nursing a drink, his glowing eyes glancing up at Nate¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Ello lad. Rough night? Ya look like ya been in tha thick o¡¯ it.¡± asked the old sailor.


    Nate smiled tiredly, suppressing a laugh, ¡°You¡¯re a big fan of understatements, old man.¡±


    ¡°Aye, tha¡¯ be true. What do ya need, lad? I can¡¯t up-end my family. They won¡¯t leave an¡¯ I won¡¯t leave without em. Nothin¡¯ ya can say gonna change that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to convince you of anything, Cutter. I¡¯m here to ask for a favour.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Whaddya need?¡±


    ¡°I need you to hide this somewhere nobody will find it, but with enough open space that three people could comfortably walk through it.,¡± answered Nate, placing his portal plate on the table. ¡°Not here though. I don¡¯t want to put your family in danger any more than they already are.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t take the plate with him, since it couldn¡¯t pass through a portal it was maintaining. Plus, if he did try and slowly teleport back to the army carrying this side of the connected portal plate with him, he would lose quick access to the Capital and its mana. Besides, he had a feeling Aisling would want to return here soon, and he needed a way to collect Evindal, Luc and Deverell.


    ¡°Aye, I got some ideas lad. Leave it with me. Assumin¡¯ it does what I think it does, ya best off activatin¡¯ it somewhere else. Don¡¯t want anyone who can sense tha¡¯ kind o thing linkin¡¯ it to this house. Come on.¡±


    The streets were eerily quiet, everyone hiding in their houses and even the vagrants and homeless had vanished, wary of being picked up too close to any thoroughfares.


    ¡°I thought there would be more guards,¡± commented Nate as they walked towards the small set of warehouses where he had painted so many artworks.


    ¡°Ain¡¯ enough of the bastards if they¡¯re using them in the city proper. But no one wants ta be caught with their pants down when tha¡¯ lot turn their attention to tha Slums.¡±


    The conversation ended and Nate wasn¡¯t willing to try and talk, instead focusing on his sphere of awareness while he continued to draw two streams of mana from the mana gems in his Runic Gallery. One stream went into his own Mana Reserve, slowly refilling it, while the other was drawn into his Legendary Barrier Bracer, which was once more protecting him, even if it was at less than a third of its mana capacity. Frick had vanished into the ground and was currently swapping empty mana gems with filled ones from his mana collection station.


    Walking into the small warehouse compound, Nate marvelled at his own artworks all on proud display. He wasn¡¯t sure they would still be untouched, but apart from a few small markings, they looked the same as when he had left the Capital, the Uncommon-tier paint managing to maintain itself better than he had hoped. Cutter approached the food shop, decorated with a painting of various foods flying on plates in the sky. The painting emanated the smell of some fresh foods and Nate smiled seeing the Smell Sigil embedded in it was still working.


    Cutter thumped on the door a few times and a moment later a clatter was heard from upstairs before footsteps came thumping down some stairs and finally, a minute later, the door opened a crack.


    ¡°Cutter, you old bastard. What the fuck are you doing out at this hour with the City in an uproar? You trying to get got? And who the fuck is the rich kid?¡± grumbled an old woman.


    ¡°Mags, the lad be ya artistic benefactor an¡¯ I need the room. Ya know tha one. No questions.¡±


    Mags glanced between the two of them, her visible eye flicking back and forth before she pulled the door close. A clattering of chain later and she swung the door open, ushering them inside.


    ¡°Hurry up. Hope no one saw you. You know the way, Cutter, you salty bastard.¡±


    Cutter nodded, heading towards the back of the room, but Nate stopped as he sensed Mags touch his barrier near his shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you, lad, for the painting. Always smells nice round here these days. Now get going.¡±


    Nate smiled slightly and quickly caught up to Cutter. Heading down some stairs, he found himself in a spacious slightly cooled storage area filled with crates and barrels. Walking to the back of the room, Cutter shoved some crates out of the way casually and Nate was reminded that the man was at least High-Gold and might be considered a Platinum. A moment later, after pressing in a stone sticking out of the wall, a door opened. Even with his heightened Perception, the work was seamless, and the door had swung open on silent hinges. No magic involved.


    Nate glanced at Cutter who gave him a sly smile, ¡°This ought to do, lad. Welcome to tha Smugglers Nest.¡±

 Chapter 191 - Hopeful Reunion

    An orb of light hovered above Nate''s head, allowing him to stare up at the roof of the cave that loomed far above him. The sound of the ocean reverberated all around as he evaluated the space that had once served as both hideout and warehouse for a group of smugglers. Detritus was all that was left of their operation. Rotted wood and rusted metal from what might have once been crates or barrels was piled in a corner, covered in dust. He smiled. It was perfect.


    After showing him to the aptly named ¡®Smugglers Nest¡¯, Cutter had informed him that he could do with the place as he wished before taking his leave. Afterwards, the door in the basement of the food warehouse had been closed behind Nate and he¡¯d been left to his own devices. He¡¯d taken Cutter¡¯s offer at face value and immediately used Conceptual Material Shaping to seal the door behind him, and then the walls of the cave as well.


    After making sure no one could follow him, he¡¯d begun his walk down a thin path towards what he suspected was the ocean. The cavern he now stood in was proof that he¡¯d been right, though it wasn¡¯t much of a stretch to put together that a smuggler''s hold might connect to the city''s port. The distance he¡¯d been forced to walk was further than he had expected taking him almost thirty minutes. Using his farsight sphere of awareness, he¡¯d determined that the cave was about thirty metres below a large outcropping on the southeastern end of the docks.


    A small gap on the oceanside of the space led down to the waterline. He suspected the smugglers had once used that narrow gap to bring in contraband to store within the space, before carting it all the way up to the food warehouse back in the Slums. The trip might have been backbreaking, if one didn¡¯t factor in the System-enhanced Stats or the possibility of spatial storage.


    Since this cave was going to become their home for a while, Nate was seriously considering building a rune fort. With a small smile, he acknowledged that he was going to. He wanted something secure enough to house himself, Kiri, Jacque and the kids, Aisling, Luc, Deverell, Evindal, Britt and maybe Null, Ameera and Karim. He wanted to laugh when he realised how many rooms he was going to need, but given the current situation all he could manage was a snort.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Boss?¡± asked Frick, floating around near the roof of the cave.


    ¡°Was just thinking that we¡¯re probably going to end up taking up the entire space between housing everyone, room for the workshop, storage and the like.¡±


    ¡°Ha! So, we¡¯re making a goblin fort?¡±


    ¡°You mean a rune fort?¡±


    ¡°Nah, Boss. A goblin fort. Because there¡¯s going to be so many of you lot you¡¯ll end up stacked on top of each other,¡± Frick commented with a toothy grin. ¡°Though if you want to do a little goblin mounts the warg you¡¯ll really have an audience. Just like a real goblin!¡±


    Nate just shook his head at his Familiar and tossed down the portal plate. He might as well make sure everyone else agreed that this would work for a base of operations before he got started. Channelling mana into the runecrafted device, the portal sprung open again for the third time that night.


    Stepping through he was surprised to find that everyone was right where he had left them, or close enough. Jacque and Kiri were seated in the grass among the remnants of the conscripts¡¯ camp, quietly discussing something. The three apprentices were lying on blankets on the ground, fast asleep. Finally, Aisling stood a little apart, staring at the sky and the retreating storm clouds.


    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone else?¡± he asked as three sets of eyes turned to him.


    ¡°Gone,¡± Aisling answered. ¡°The Princess, her Swords and the two Houses still supporting her took their leave. They headed southwest, making for the Duchy of Korinth.¡±


    Aisling paused for a moment, glancing at Kiri, before continuing, ¡°It is the Duchy that technically rules over Helmfirth.¡±


    ¡°And the Guild members?¡± he asked


    ¡°Two teams, one Gold and one Silver, are heading back to the Capital. The rest left for Asmuisil,¡± replied Aisling.


    Nate¡¯s eyes drifted for the barest of moments as he thought over the news of the Guild members.


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust them to side with us against Allais,¡± he stated.


    ¡°No, I do not. That is why I denied their requests to remain with us,¡± muttered Aisling with a sigh. ¡°I would like to believe that the Guild is above such pettiness, but this night has proved me wrong. Perhaps some of them will go on with their lives at the Guild as though nothing has changed. But, since they are choosing to return to the Capital, despite the state of things, I suspect they smell an opportunity to rise faster than they have been. I¡¯d applaud their desire to grow if it didn¡¯t taste like ashes in my mouth.¡±


    Nate stepped up beside his mentor and waited. Aisling was always such a steadfast and reliable pillar. Facing down two Platinums hadn¡¯t taken the surety out of her stride, but Allais¡¯ betrayal clearly weighed on her. So, Nate tried to be for Aisling what she had been for him. Unflinching in the face of adversity.


    ¡°I found a place in the Capital that we can hole up in and prepare to strike back. Make sure Deverell is alright and gather Evindal and Luc with us when they return.¡±


    Aisling gave him a tired smile before her posture straightened and she once more looked like the pillar he had known since his first week upon the world of Galle.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We need to gather our forces, find out what has become of the Guild and the city, and prepare to reclaim the Guild. After all, Allais has taken a side in this conflict, just like you. And, I guess, me. As of tonight, we are at war.¡±


    *************


    Theora, Wind of the East, looked over the ruins of the camp that had once housed the Etruan Army. The soldiers of Asmuisil were packing up anything of use, but the remains were nothing important. Simply those items that were too big to bother collecting as the Nobles of Etrua fled the field.


    ¡°What are your thoughts, Sub-Commander?¡± asked Kalista, the older woman gazing over the empty fields, devoid of life.


    Theora had seen the corpses or, at least, those that hadn¡¯t been picked up. The betrayal was written all over the land.


    ¡°Princess Morgane of Etrua was clearly betrayed. An assassination attempt perhaps, Commander?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had word from Commander Havelin of the First Army and Sub-Commander Bjorn of the Second. Havelin reports that Prince Thane has been slain and his army is advancing, while Bjorn¡¯s report states that Commander Gomathi is dead and the Second Army has been decimated. They¡¯re in retreat to regroup while Commander Havelin¡¯s First Army is moving to intercept Prince Bordain¡¯s forces. Does that change what you think?¡±


    ¡°No, Commander. If anything, it reinforces my thoughts. Prince Bordain is making his play for the Etruan throne and he is using us to do it,¡± growled Theora through gritted teeth.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Kalista looked into the distance before nodding, ¡°My suspicions as well, Sub-Commander. But it doesn¡¯t change our charge. We continue our march, to the gates of the Etruan Capital itself.¡±


    ¡°And the First Army?¡±


    ¡°High Command is already preparing reinforcements and Sub-Commander Bjorn will be raised to Acting-Commander for the Second Army. They will join with Commander Havelin to deal with Prince Bordain¡¯s Army. Our orders are to continue our march. Have our forces get a few hours rest. At daybreak, we march for the Capital of Etrua.¡±


    *************


    Nate sat comfortably in one of his workshop chairs, eternally thankful for the comfortable cushion beneath him. His newest rune fort was still a work in progress but after three days in the cave once called ¡®The Smuggler¡¯s Nest¡¯ he was confident that all the basics had been built. The rune-imbued wall panels of his workshop building had been repurposed and linked through some runic arrays utilising the Connect Sigil. They had then been sealed into the outer walls of the rune fort, which spanned the entirety of the large cavern and, with the linkages, created what he suspected would be an incredibly potent obfuscation and anti-scrying ward.


    The kids, or Nate supposed, the apprentices, had a room for themselves which was already an upgrade since they had been sleeping in the storage area in the original workshop. At the moment, they were doing some basic rune scribing practice under the watch of Jacque on the other side of the workshop. Normally Nate would have created a separate workshop for himself, mostly for safety reasons, but they were working with limited space and were expecting more people to move in.


    Aisling was sitting off to the side, eyes like a thunderstorm glued to the tome in her hands. Before Morgane had taken her leave, she had given Aisling a communication tome so that the Platinum could coordinate with her. Even after days, and more than one message, it was clear to Nate that Aisling had not forgiven Morgane, or Avery, he supposed, for her infiltration of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and especially not for using it to further her own ends. It didn¡¯t help that they had yet to find Deverell. Kiri had been surprised when she couldn¡¯t sense the Soul Tether she had placed on the quietly efficient man that functioned as Aisling¡¯s assistant. Both Kiri and Aisling were holding out hope the Dagger Dancer was alive, but he could see the toll it was taking on the both of them.


    A toll made all the worse because only Kiri could search for him. While Nate could get Aisling out of the cave they were using as a base of operations, he couldn¡¯t easily get her back into it. Worse, she was a very recognisable individual, given her height and general appearance. By now Allais would likely know they had survived her attempted assassination of Princess Morgane and the resulting fallout. If she didn¡¯t have eyes out for Aisling already she likely would soon. That problem, and the transport issue, were what Nate was currently working to solve.


    His eyes drifted towards the puzzle box sitting on his desk as he channelled the last of the mana needed into the slab of chalk before him. With a sigh, he looked away from the puzzle box and the Sigil it bore, lamenting the fact once again that he couldn¡¯t just sit around and pursue his curiosity. Turning his attention back to the bright red chalk, he cut off the flow of mana to Conceptual Material Shaping. The slab of chalk now quietly hummed in his senses and, with a straining of his eyes and leaning heavily on his Farsight of the Runic Artist skill, he caught whiffs of the space affinity contained within. He¡¯d only pushed the material to the Rare-tier as he imbued the Concept of Space into the chalk because, ultimately, the chalk wasn¡¯t meant to last.


    Mixing Conceptual Material Shaping and Conceptual Runic Mastery, he slowly cut the chalk into thin wafers before carving a rune into the surface of each piece, wrapping the rune around the chalk. The Sigils for Space, Connect and Obfuscate went into the crafting, each piece being guided by his Intent as he linked the Connect portion to a room they had set aside as the ¡®teleportation¡¯ room. He moved each one to a different location in the room. While he was pretty certain that the Concepts and mana involved weren¡¯t strong enough to allow two individuals to occupy the same area, it seemed a pointless risk. Besides, his memory allowed him to remember every position he marked as a target so there would be no mistakes.


    When he had finished his work, he had twenty pieces of chalk lying before him. He¡¯d also burned through multiple mana gems. He could see why such things, which he was dubbing Spatial Escape Talismans, would be considered expensive. The material would¡¯ve been rare on its own, though he suspected that there were others with Skills out there to do what he had done. Rare quality material seemed feasible with a lower tier Skill, albeit more expensive in terms of mana than his own. Then there were the Sigils used. Even with a lower tier Space Sigil which would make the resulting artifact less efficient, it would still be possible, just more expensive. Finally, there was his Conceptual Spatial Authority at play which was effectively doubling the effectiveness of the Talismans. At the Rare tier, these would probably only work for around ten kilometres. With his Skill in the mix, they would work for up to twenty.


    It was a big distance, and to some extent he was estimating, but even without testing them he was fairly confident he understood what he had created. He suspected if he pushed the material to Epic and upgraded the Connect Sigil involved to Journeyman it would likely cause a tenfold increase in the functional range. Expensive was all he thought with a smile, before scooping up five of the chalk bars and taking them over to Aisling.


    His mentor glanced at the chalk sticks before smiling and making them vanish into her spatial storage.


    ¡°Thank you, Nate. I¡¯ll need a disguise as well, though,¡± the Stormspear pointed out.


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s next on my list. I¡¯ll create an Illusion Rune that will surround you. It will be a fixed image but it should let you at least go up there and get a sense of the Capital. Kiri paints a bleak picture.¡±


    ¡°She does,¡± Aisling acknowledged.


    The way Kiri had described the mood and behaviour in the Capital had caused more than a few problems. Deverell being missing was far from the only problem they had encountered. Finding him was just the one they could act on. The streets were far emptier than usual and there was talk of guards entering homes and forcibly conscripting individuals in the slums for a new army. Beatings happened daily and there had even been a few deaths. The Merchants¡¯ and Noble districts were not much better. Rumours were that the houses of merchants had been raided for their wealth and that the nobles had mostly fled the Capital. The ones who hadn¡¯t had sworn themselves to Bordain and either left with him to join his new army or were assisting in suppressing the rest of the populace.


    As for Luc and Evindal, the pair had yet to be seen in the Capital. Without a way to communicate with the two Platinums the best they could do was wait for Kiri to sense them through her Soul Tethers. The only positive was that Nate was confident they could avoid getting caught and were powerful enough to survive an attack if they were somehow discovered, at least to the point of being able to flee.


    The second problem was the one truly vexing him and one they were unable to act on yet. The Royal University had been locked down, surrounded by Gold-ranked guards and a few Professors who may or may not be Platinums. It sounded like the ploy was mostly to use any of the merchant''s kids who had remained on the grounds as hostages, but it hadn¡¯t stopped them from also locking down the four remaining Guildies. Nate had even checked himself to see if he or Kiri could teleport in and get them out. Someone capable had created a layered Spatial Lock spell over the area they were being confined to and Nate wasn¡¯t confident he could break it before someone could react. With Britt locked away, Nate was quietly fuming and had been distracted by thoughts of violence more than once while he crafted. A frontal assault seemed out of the question, at least without more bodies in the mix.


    Finally, there was the Guild itself. The rumours out of it were some of the worst and why Nate didn¡¯t have a lot of hope for Deverell. Prefect Porter, the renowned Earth Mage, had been slain by Allais herself, while Portos Jamison, one of the three Platinum siblings, had driven off Prefect Raoult. Where Null¡¯s Father was was anyone''s guess at this point, but the result was clear. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild of Etrua was under the control of Prefect Allais and the Jamisons, and the only jobs they were taking were those that served the new King. Guildies had been seen in the company of guards and he had heard some had been dispatched into the countryside to catch runaways. Allais hadn¡¯t even negotiated for the Guild members to be released from the University grounds, though Nate suspected that was so she could leverage Null against his Father in case Prefect Raoult returned.


    Either way, they were all on the clock. They needed to strike while Bordain¡¯s rule was still unsteady and before Allais had managed to sow her lies to the greater parts of the Guild beyond the borders of Etrua.


    Nate opened his mouth to make his suggestion to Aisling when he felt someone appear in the teleportation room. His eyes widened and Aisling was right behind him as he ran towards the source. He felt more than one person present and for one of them, something was very, very wrong. The door flew open before he could get to the room and Kiri stepped through the archway, princess carrying the limp and unconscious form of Deverell. The Dagger Dancer appeared as pale as a two-day old corpse and was missing an arm and a leg.


    ¡°Help him!¡± yelled his sister as Nate¡¯s thought processes went into overdrive.

 Chapter 192 - Life Lessons

    Nate stepped up beside one of the workshop tables sculpted from the earth of the cavern. Aisling flanked him as Kiri set Deverell down on the cold stone, disturbing a small amount of dust in the process.


    ¡°...is he dead?¡± a small voice asked.


    Nate glanced back at Callum, the young boy having slipped up silently to look at Deverell¡¯s pale form. Nate had noted the movement through his sphere of awareness before ignoring it. Shielding the child from the sight would have been his first thought months ago, but after everything he¡¯d seen, he knew the boy had likely seen worse sights within the Slums.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± Nate said, reassuring the boy before turning back to Deverell as he used Farsight of the Runic Artist to delve inside of his sister''s mentor.


    ¡°Loss of blood?¡± asked Aisling, her voice rough as Nate sensed her looking between himself and Deverell.


    ¡°Loss of blood and something else. Trauma from the limb loss also but that¡¯s not what I am feeling¡­¡± he replied carefully as he felt a subtle hum in his mind from Conceptual Insight.


    The loss of limbs was obvious and the paleness of Deverell¡¯s skin could partially be chalked up to a severe dearth of blood. But those factors alone shouldn¡¯t be enough to keep Deverell down. The man had always been efficient and well supplied. That meant he carried healing elixirs, even a few expensive variants. Nate used his Conceptual Spatial Manipulation coupled with Conceptual Spatial Authority to dig into the Edgedancer¡¯s spatial storage and found exactly what he expected to see. A small pile of empty vials that emitted the Concepts of Life and a few other lesser variants. Normally he would have dug into those variants, trying to extract information from them to add to his growing understanding of how Concepts interacted. Such curiosity had a time and place though, and now was definitely not the time. It did prove that Deverell shouldn¡¯t be in such a bad state ¡ª unless something was keeping him that way.


    He leaned down and sniffed at the open wound that was the remnants of Deverell¡¯s arm. The cut itself looked clean and had taken the Dagger Dancer just above the shoulder. It was clearly a few days old, at least as far as Nate could estimate such things. However, even after roughly three days, the wound still wept, slowly dripping blood onto the stone upon which the man lay.


    Nate strained his eyes, trying to see the leaking wound in the way he had once viewed the flows of mana. He could feel the Skill resisting and his eyes kept seeing shades of red for a moment before the Skill snapped back, not yet ready to transition in the direction he desired. The momentary flashes, though, made him wonder and he realised something he had been missing.


    Nate had seen blood before, many times. Both his own and that of others. Yet, when he saw such wounds, he never sensed a hum of the Concept of Blood. Concepts had to be empowered for him to sense them. The feeling was faint, but he definitely sensed a flicker of the Concept of Blood from the arm wound and, after a second of checking, he found the same was true from the leg wound.


    He was finally confident enough to answer and looked up to find six sets of eyes staring at him.


    ¡°He has the Concept of Blood in his wounds. I am fairly certain it¡¯s preventing the wounds from healing and closing. Deverell burned through his healing elixirs which has kept him going this long but he¡¯s still slowly bleeding out. We¡¯ll need to cleanse the Concept of Blood from him before we can start healing him properly,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Kartier Jamison,¡± growled out Aisling, her eyes furious and everyone except Nate and Kiri took a step back as the air began to hum with static.


    ¡°You can do it, right?¡± pressed Kiri, ignoring Aisling¡¯s outburst as her eyes bore into Nates with a fiery intensity.


    ¡°I can,¡± Nate replied with more confidence than he felt. ¡°I¡¯ll need a little while to prepare. Aisling, can you use your Growth-aspected healing spell on Deverell to keep him stable?¡±


    Aisling¡¯s nod was firm and Nate sensed the release of mana from the Platinum, following it in his senses as it circulated into a spell structure before settling over Deverell. He felt as the flow of blood increased within Deverell¡¯s body and the Dagger Dancer¡¯s stumps began to drip blood at an increased rate.


    Nate pulled out a piece of paper and began sketching out the first of two runes as he spun up a Mana Exclusion runic array that floated next to him on the desk. The area of effect covered the zone around his drawing and forced him to remove his hands from his barrier. It was a necessary limitation for what he was about to do, but he still didn¡¯t enjoy having any part of his body unprotected. A whisper from Jacque reached his ears as his pencil began to scratch at the page.


    ¡°Be silent and watch closely. Remember what you can¡­¡±


    Nate ignored Jacque and the three apprentices as they quietly watched him work, though the act was a challenge seeing the wide-eyed interest of all four of them as he quickly sketched.


    His problems were twofold. He¡¯d never been forced to expunge a Concept before and he wasn¡¯t sure how it was still present within Deverell even after three days. His only idea was to take control of the Concept and then force it to release itself from Deverell¡¯s body. As far as he knew there was no Sigil for the idea of Concepts. It would be like a Sigil that represented reality itself if there was such a thing. However, what he did have were his Intents. He should be able to design a rune that could take control of the Concept of Blood present in the wounds and then guide it out of the man. That would stabilise him, but it wouldn¡¯t heal him.


    If Evindal was with them then the Elven Lord would likely have been able to regenerate the limbs through one of his Life-based Spells or Skills. The time reversion options probably weren¡¯t on the table after three days, but who knew. But, Evindal was yet to be seen and Aisling¡¯s Growth Mage class couldn¡¯t regrow limbs, a topic he intended to discuss with her shortly. That left fixing the Edgedancer¡¯s loss of limbs to Nate, which meant using runes. Of his two problems, it was by far the more complex but not because he thought it was terribly difficult for him to design something that could regrow limbs. If he didn¡¯t care about the mana cost, he could probably manage a rune to accomplish it with just a Life Sigil, Soul Sigil and his Intent. But if he was a betting man, such an operation would not only be incredibly expensive in terms of mana, it would also likely be incredibly painful and traumatic for the recipient.


    Deverell was relatively stable with Aisling hovering over the man and Kiri nearby in case he needed to use a Life Drain rune to further assist his stabilisation. That gave Nate the time to invest in creating a proper rune that would do the job without burning through days worth of mana and leaving the Dagger Dancer screaming. Nate smiled slightly, acknowledging that even under such duress, Deverell might be as silent as the grave. The thought wiped the smile off his face as he realised such phrasing was in poor taste given what Deverell had gone through.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    As he worked, he could hear the whispers from his apprentices and Jacque¡¯s answers.


    ¡°...why is he using four layers?¡±


    ¡°Look at the geometric density. Remember your mana distribution fields. He wants the inner part of the rune to receive more mana than the outer parts.¡±


    ¡°But sir, it¡¯s all uneven.¡±


    ¡°Same reason. He¡¯s working on a precise mana distribution field.¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­why isn¡¯t he writing down the maths for it¡­like you showed us?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­I think he just does it in his head¡­¡±


    Small gasps.


    ¡°What Sigil is that?¡±


    ¡°Let me check.¡± The sound of ruffling paper.


    ¡°I think it''s the Sigil for Gentle. Novice Tier.¡±


    ¡°Why would you use Gentle and Clean next to each other like that?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s making it try to clean itself¡­¡± replied Jacque, voice filled with uncertainty.


    Nate decided he had heard enough and if they were going to learn from him, he could teach them as he worked. His mind could handle four tasks now anyway.


    ¡°The rune you¡¯re watching me draw is meant to regenerate limbs. The design is complex because I intend to reuse it in a runecrafted item. These inner Sigils will require the most mana, as the core function is the regeneration.¡±


    ¡°They look complex,¡± commented Kio.


    ¡°They are. The Life Sigil is Grandmaster-tier and the Soul Sigil is Master-tier. Who can tell me how the quality of the Sigils will impact the rune?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll make it more efficient! It¡¯ll use less mana for the same result!¡± said Jacque quickly, eyes bright. A second later he was blushing, ears and cheeks red as he realised he had answered the question instead of leaving it to the children.


    ¡°That is correct, Professor,¡± Nate replied with an amused smile as he continued to draw. ¡°Why am I including Soul?¡±


    The three children looked on, all unsure, or at least not confident enough to venture a guess.


    ¡°The answer,¡± Nate explained, ¡°is the body itself. Living creatures are highly complex. We could study them for decades and still not fully comprehend how it all works and interacts. I tell you this, knowing that I likely know far more about the topic than any of you, and yet can still confidently say I know very little about it. But the soul energy within you knows. It knows the shape of you. It knows how everything is supposed to interact and what should be where. So we use the soul energy within our patient to guide the life energy to recreate the things that are missing.¡±


    Nate tried not to smile at the children¡¯s wide eyes and Jacque¡¯s thoughtful upward gaze as the ex-Professor likely considered other implications.


    ¡°When would using the soul energy not work?¡± Nate asked.


    When none of the kids answered Jacque spoke up, ¡°When the wound is old. The soul is capable of forgetting.¡±


    Nate nodded, ¡°How would you get around such a limitation?¡±


    Jacque just shook his head and two of the kids looked confused.


    It was Laure that answered, his voice a whisper, ¡°Could you use their memory?¡±


    Nate smiled and raised an eyebrow at Jacque.


    ¡°That is how I would do it, Laure. Use another rune to evoke the specific memories of the limb, coupled with a rune to imprint the memory onto the soul energy. Perhaps there are other ways, but that is how I would do it.¡±


    ¡°Why the Gentle and Clean Sigils, though?¡± asked Kio.


    ¡°It¡¯s to clean the wound as it regenerates. It will likely be exposed to the air and keeping wounds clean is important to avoid complications. Finally, this last section of the rune. Any guesses?¡± Nate asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Sleep Sigil, right?¡± asked Jacque.


    Nate nodded and Laure, the middle of the three apprentices, answered, ¡°You¡¯re going to keep him asleep while you regenerate his limbs?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s likely to be painful and with an application of Intent and interaction with this Gentle Sigil which is meant to touch upon both the Clean and Sleep Sigils, I should be able to let him sleep painlessly while the limbs regrow,¡± Nate explained, putting the final touches on his second rune.


    ¡°Any last questions before I begin?¡± asked Nate, letting his green eyes roam over his three, or he supposed four if you included Jacque, apprentices.


    ¡°Can I copy the rune?¡± queried Jacque, pointing at the regeneration rune.


    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t let them make use of the higher-tier Sigils until they can create their own Mana Exclusion runes.¡±


    Nate was pleased when none of his apprentices asked why. Working with Master and Grandmaster Tier Sigils could impact their surroundings even in just ambient mana. Without a rune to control the expression, the mana feeding the Concept could warp or change their surroundings. It likely wouldn¡¯t be enough to harm them. At least, not with the ambient mana levels found in Etrua, and so far, most of Galle outside of the Dungeons. But it could definitely mess up their work, or damage their creations, creating flaws that might prevent them from working or, at worst, cause other unintended consequences.


    With his impromptu lesson over, he took the two rune designs and returned to the stone bench holding Deverell¡¯s unconscious form.


    Sitting down next to the side of Deverell with the missing limbs, he formed the Blood Control rune he had just designed using Conceptual Runic Mastery. The ambient mana filled in the runic structure freeing Nate from that particular cost and he focused his Intents at the Concept of Blood itself. While part of his mind maintained the rune, feeding it from the mana within his Runic Gallery, another part slowly took control of the Concept lingering within Deverell¡¯s wounds. Bit by bit, he extracted the foreign Concept, dragging it out. Each time he pulled a piece of Concept out, the drops of blood that had accumulated on the table gravitated towards it, flowing like water instead of the viscous liquid it was.


    The task was laborious, but he could sense Deverell improving as more and more blood remained within his body. Looking up at Aisling he could see the worry and concern still writ upon her face. His mentor was maintaining her growth-healing Spell and he decided it might be best to distract her from her thoughts. It helped that he was curious about a few things.


    ¡°You took your Growth Mage Class for the synergies, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I did,¡± Aisling replied, her chocolate brown eyes moving from Deverell¡¯s still form to Nate.


    ¡°Did your Growth Mage Skills already have synergies with your other Skills, or did you have to combine them over time?¡± Nate asked.


    ¡°The Skills offered by my Growth Mage Class were in line with the idea of Growth. Mostly around Plants actually. But getting them to synergise with my Storm-related Skills was a lot easier. I¡¯m told that¡¯s normally the case.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Nate pressed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, actually,¡± admitted Aisling, looking thoughtful. ¡°Maybe they knew at the Royal University but it¡¯s not something anyone has ever explained to me. It¡¯s just something everyone knows.¡±


    Nate nodded, going over his ideas. He noted that Aisling¡¯s tanned face seemed more relaxed as she lost herself in her own thoughts. He had a hypothesis about how synergies for a Tertiary Class worked, anyway. After all, Classes decreased in rarity from one¡¯s Primary class down to their Tertiary. If the same was true for the Sigils used on the Class Core, would it not also make the Concepts themselves subservient? A Master-tier Sigil would overpower a Journeyman-tier Sigil, given the same amount of mana. With that idea, it made sense that both the Secondary and Tertiary Classes were subservient to the Primary Class, meaning the synergies should be more inclined to favour the Concept or Concepts behind the Primary Class. He hoped he was correct, because if he was, it meant his plans for his Tertiary Class might work out even better than he hoped.


    With a quiet smile, he settled in for a long night of thinking and planning as he worked to restore Kiri¡¯s mentor. Even this small act, in his own mind, made him a Life Artist. Because, while he was not adding his own interpretations, he was helping to repaint the missing parts of the picture that was Deverell. Tonight, that was enough.

 Chapter 193 - Divided Decisions

    Nate glanced for the third time at the last System notification.


    Congratulations on regenerating multiple limbs of a sapient being using the Concept of Life.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    He was racking up Life Concept-related Achievements and was quietly confident that he would get multiple Life-related options at his next evolution. The evolution itself, though, had been on his mind and he needed to have a talk with Kiri about the topic sooner rather than later. But that could wait.


    Returning his attention to his workbench, two parts of his mind focused on the items before him as the other two remained aware of the racket going on around him: the quiet scratching of pencils as the kids practised their drawing with Jacque occasionally stepping over to check on them and offer advice before the ex-Professor returned to his own work. Just because they were technically hiding and in exile didn¡¯t mean that Kiri wasn¡¯t still working the man to the bone to produce more goods for sale to Asmuisil. Luc may be missing for now, but he would be back soon enough and when he returned Kiri wanted a stockpile ready to go to provide to the slow-moving beast that was the Asmuisil war machine.


    As for Kiri, Nate could sense her practising attack patterns with Aisling in a nearby room, with Deverell offering advice from the side. The Dagger Dancer had recovered fully as far as Nate could tell and only Aisling¡¯s order that the Deverell take a day or two to fully rest had prevented him from sneaking out via the waterway to start collecting more information for them. The Dagger Dancer had given them the details of Allais¡¯ coup and take over of the Guild. Porter had gone down to Allais herself while Prefect Raoult had been driven off by Portos Jamison supported by his sister Helen. Kartia Jamison was the one who had attacked Deverell and he¡¯d barely escaped with his life, the wounds she left filled with the Concept of Blood. The man had recovered but it sounded to Nate like Deverell had been specifically targeted. The thought left a bad taste in his mouth and he imagined infuriated Kiri.


    Finally, there was Frick.


    ¡°You can do it, Boss! Just think of it like you¡¯re having a threesome. You¡¯ve got two hands right? So one for each goblin¡­I mean woman! Use that split mind of yours to control them separately! Show those ladies your skills!¡±


    Nate sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t you have something else you could be doing?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more important than encouraging my Boss as he tries to do something he¡¯s never done before for more than ten seconds¡­which for Britt¡¯s sake I hope is only a Skill problem and not a¡­you know¡­problem!¡± Frick yelled with a toothy grin, earning himself a curious glance from the kids.


    Surprisingly, Nate noted that Callum, the youngest, was the only one who seemed to know what Frick was insinuating. The kid smirked in amusement before a gentle tap on his shoulder from Jacque got the kid back to drawing out the Novice-tier Sigil for Clean.


    Nate rolled his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re distracting the kids. Now be quiet. I almost have it. I am sure of it.¡±


    Conceptual Material Shaping had a steady flow of mana passing into the Skill engraved on his Class Core. The challenge Nate was having was splitting the outflow as the mana passed through the Skill and into the two materials before him. He had hoped that just using the Skill on two different materials and applying the same affinity would be enough. But though it kind of worked, it didn¡¯t feel like the Skill would evolve in the intended direction by utilising the Skill in that way. Instead what he was doing, which was significantly more difficult, was trying to split the outflow of mana from the Skill so that each flow applied a different affinity. The two pieces of metal in front of him shifted subtly as he tried once more to maintain the Skill. The piece on the left was meant to receive an obfuscation affinity while the one on the right was meant to receive an illusion affinity. After ten seconds, the flow crumbled again as he felt it fighting against him, trying to recombine into a single mana flow that applied both his Obfuscation and Illusion Sigils into the materials¡¯ structure. He immediately cut the flow off and sat back thinking.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an issue of Intent and my mind can hold the two separate ideas. It¡¯s the Skill itself. It¡¯s resisting having two separate flows coming out of it,¡± he remarked to Frick.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and give each the affinity separately, but weakly. Then try splitting the flow and ¡®replicating¡¯ what¡¯s already there?¡± countered Frick.


    ¡°I tried that. It sort of works but it''s inferior and again, it didn¡¯t feel like it was influencing the Skill. Which is the whole point.¡±


    Nate tapped his lips in thought. Was the problem that the Intent for the Sigils resided in the Skill? So when he tried to apply them afterwards it ultimately failed because the Skill wasn¡¯t assisting him. There was an interesting line of thinking there, he decided. Skills, he thought, were like highly complex spells that the Class Core assisted the user with. That was why they were more adaptable on the fly than an actual spell. Did that mean he was trying to override the Skill with his Magic Control after it was producing the intended outcome? It sounded like he was basically trying to apply a Spell to Skill and not a particularly good Spell, he acknowledged. He was basically just using his Conceptual Insight to identify the Concepts within the mana flows, then force them apart using his ability to manipulate mana. So, he wondered, what was the solution? It came to him as soon as he considered the question. He was applying the Sigils he desired before he activated the Skill. What if he applied them in the mana flow after it exited the Skill. Surely it wouldn¡¯t fight him then?


    Ten minutes later he was smirking at Frick as mana constantly flowed into the two materials, each applying a different affinity.


    ¡°Figured it out.¡±


    ¡°Told you, Boss, you gotta treat it like a¡­¡±


    ¡°Can it,¡± Nate replied with a grin. ¡°The kids don¡¯t need to hear your commentary.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make them into honorary goblins yet, Boss!¡±


    Nate chose to ignore the small fist pump from Kio, the eldest of the apprentices, in his sphere of awareness. He had something else to look over first anyway. Opening the notification. he read over it before sharing it with Frick.


    Conceptual Material Shaping 40 > 41


    Conceptual Material Shaping (M)


    You have pushed the bounds of the Improve Material skill, understanding the true nature of the skill and then using that understanding to reach beyond its limit, creating a legendary material imbued with an affinity, the underlying concepts that define reality. The user of this Skill is able to push materials all the way to Mythic Rarity and imbue them with the concepts of reality itself. In the process, the user may now reshape materials at will, the cost only measured in time and mana. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level for Conceptual Improvements. Improvements are 5% faster per 40 Intellect plus Creativity. Mana cost decreases by 1% per Skill Level, plus 10% of the user¡¯s Intellect, for material shaping.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Conceptual Material Shaping (M) is ready to evolve.


    Evolutions Available! Please Select 1.


    Skill Evolution Options:


    Multi Conceptual Material Shaping (M)


    Additionally, this Skill may target multiple materials. Number of materials is equal to 1 plus 1 per 100 Creativity.


    Empowered Conceptual Material Shaping (M)


    Additionally, this Skill increases Creativity by 20%.


    Nate looked at Frick, ¡°Easy decision I think.¡±


    ¡°Definitely, Boss. Nice when it¡¯s like that?¡± asked his Familiar.


    ¡°Yes and no. It makes me wonder if I didn¡¯t push the Skill hard enough. On the other hand, it¡¯s nice to get what I want and not have any regrets about what I missed out on, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Boss. I get it.¡±


    With the decision made, Nate selected Multi Conceptual Material Shaping. Now, he just needed to find a way to get his Creativity to two hundred so he could do three materials at a time. His output had just doubled, but tripled was the goal.


    ¡°How are the mana collection facilities going?¡± he asked Frick.


    ¡°The third is almost done. I did what you said, Boss. I create the space, then apply all the obfuscation and mana containment runes to the walls. I¡¯ve had to upgrade the surrounding materials to Rare so they can handle the mana density without breaking down the runes over time. Then I set up the mana gathering array runes. I¡¯ve been using the modified version of the rune you gave me so the draw is a little higher than normal. At this rate we¡¯re going to run out of mana gems though. You sure you want to set up one at every mana pipeline into the Capital?¡±


    Frick glanced up with wide blue eyes and Nate saw a hint of concern. The goblin was all for stealing the mana or liberating it as the little Spirit had taken to referring to their operation. But Nate could tell he was also concerned about the fallout. They¡¯d had a close call against one Platinum, and there were at least five enemy Platinums in the City that they knew of. There was almost certainly more, as four of those five were from the Guild alone.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Our escape is already set up. We¡¯re at war. We need as much mana as we can get. As for the mana gems, I think Jacque is going to help you with that and if we¡¯re still short I will jump in as well. Just make sure we have enough mana gems for each location before you start on the next one,¡± he explained, trying to assuage his Familiar¡¯s fears.


    ¡°Alrighty, Boss. I¡¯ll get back to work then.¡±


    With those parting words, his Familiar vanished into the ground beneath them. Taking a moment away from his runecrafting, he went to see how Deverell, Kiri and Aisling were doing.


    The training room was slightly larger than the workshop area and lit by small runecrafted lights. Those lights were reflected off the daggers held on spider-like strands of blue and white energy fanned out around Kiri. Aisling stood across from his sister, spear held in hand as the air in the room filled with the static of Aisling¡¯s unveiled presence. Kiri vanished as she used One Soul Two Realms to teleport beside Aisling, lashing out seven of her fourteen tethered arms. Aisling was already moving and she seemed to flow around the blades though Nate noticed that some of those blades seemed to drift off target on their own. Conceptual Insight hummed and he quickly recognised the presence of the Concept of Wind in Aisling¡¯s actions, as though the air itself assisted her movements while pushing against Kiri¡¯s actions. Aisling¡¯s spear flicked around as she dodged, the tip pointed at Kiri as it flashed and some of the room¡¯s static gathered at the tip, lancing out in a thin bolt of lightning. Kiri vanished again, appearing across the room but the lightning bolt turned in mid air, arcing towards her new location. His sister was fast and vanished again but the stream of lightning continued to follow, losing its coherence as it chased her. Kiri finally gave up two of her daggers, putting them into the path  of the lightning which was enough to drain the remainder of the energy.


    Nate watched the sparring, drinking in the use of Concepts. Kiri¡¯s outward use of her Soul Concept was limited. It made sense, since his sister was mostly focused on self-enhancement. Her Skills were mostly internal and the external portions only showed when she was actually injuring individuals. Even then, they did things like drawing soul energy into her. Aisling, on the other hand, was more like Nate. Her use of mana and Concepts was external, and it was those Concepts he was paying attention to. He¡¯d already felt her use of Wind, but he¡¯d also sensed how she had taken a view on electricity that seemed to revolve around static that had let her mark Kiri, turning his sister into a lodestone for the lightning attack.


    Aisling began to discuss with Kiri what had happened and Nate paid half-attention as he drifted over to Deverell who held a tome on his lap as he watched his mentor and mentee spar.


    ¡°Any word?¡± Nate asked as he sat down next to the Dagger Dancer.


    Deverell turned to give Nate his full attention, ¡°I wanted to say thank you. For restoring me. I had given myself up for dead and was only holding on to report my findings to Aisling. I thought¡­that without Lord Evindal¡¯s intercession, that there would be nothing that could be done. So thank you, Nate.¡±


    Nate nodded slightly, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright too.¡±


    Deverell turned and glanced down at the tome he still held. ¡°As for any word as you put it, yes, finally. I¡¯ve asked Avery¡­or Hildi, I suppose, to give us daily updates going forward. They¡¯re moving fast. Very fast, considering they¡¯re using some Skills to enhance the group''s movement, but they¡¯re still a week away from House Korinth. They¡¯ve encountered no more interference. I doubt we will hear anything else of worth until they arrive at their destination.¡±


    Deverell paused for a moment before glancing at Nate with a curious expression, ¡°Hildi has asked what our intentions are in the Capital. Do we know what they are yet?¡±


    Nate nodded, ¡°I think the first thing we need to do is rescue Britt, Null, Karim and Ameera from the Royal University. Then we can start considering what to do about Allais and the Guild. Hopefully that means we¡¯ll have time for Luc and Evindal to return as well.¡±


    Nate looked at the roof in annoyance before continuing, ¡°What we really need is more information. We know so little about what¡¯s going on in the City, who our enemies are, what they¡¯re capable of, etc. It¡¯s hard to prepare for the unknown.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± replied Deverell. ¡°Which is why I should be allowed to go above and start gathering intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± interjected Kiri as she walked over to join them.


    Aisling followed a moment later, a frown upon her face, ¡°I think we can afford a few more days of recovery.¡±


    Kiri and Deverell both looked unhappy and for a moment Nate saw a shadow of pain cross Kiri¡¯s face. His sister looked lost, as though she was staring into the distance with no idea where she was. The moment passed, but it was clear she was still recovering from Coralie¡¯s betrayal. He had noted she had avoided any mention of whether Coralie was in the Capital.


    ¡°One day,¡± Nate suggested. ¡°Then we start gathering intel and anything else we need. I¡¯ll prepare Illusion and Obfuscation runecrafted items for you both.¡±


    His suggestion seemed to be taken as an order as all three agreed with a nod. The intention was to compromise, as he knew being cooped up was wearing on Kiri, while Deverell wanted to feel useful and not like an invalid who had survived almost dying. As for Aisling, his mentor was simply going for a more careful approach to prevent mistakes, and he suspected, avoid having any of them die.


    With the decision made, Kiri and Aisling drifted away to return to sparring.


    Nate nodded to Deverell and took his leave, returning to his workbench. Everyone else was working hard, or as hard as they were allowed in Deverell¡¯s case. Nate should do the same. Activating Multi Conceptual Material Shaping, he began preparing the metal before him for the runes that would be carved into them. Then, tonight, when Kiri joined him in their room, they could talk about how she was feeling, among other things.


    He had offered to make a separate room for her, but similar to when he¡¯d been kidnapped, she had opted to stay close and they had been sharing his huge enchanted bed each night. Their chats went into the late evenings, and so far they had mostly skirted around the topic of Coralie, instead focusing on Etrua, the war and their own ideas on advancement. Tonight though, he would broach the subject of Coralie and see if his sister was ready to talk about it. He just hoped the poison of Coralie¡¯s betrayal could be drained away, instead of leaving a permanent mark on Kiri. He¡¯d know soon enough, and he¡¯d be there for her, regardless of the outcome.

 Chapter 194 - Tears Exchanged

    Nate stood by the wall, his Brush of a Thousand Paints carefully colouring in the stone wall of the room he shared with Kiri. His sister lay on the bed behind him, watching from beneath the blanket as he painted a picture that was meant to represent her rebirth. The idea of being reborn was hard to capture so he had resorted to symbolism. In the background of the painting were tents like the ones they had seen in Princess Morgane¡¯s war camp. Then closer, in the foreground, he had painted a couple of corpses and tombstones. The corpses looked like Kiri, splayed out and bleeding, pale in death. The tombstones all bore her name, with various epitaphs. Then finally, front and centre of the foreground was Kiri again, shining in a cloud of blue and white light, daggers fanned out around her as she prepared for battle.


    ¡°You sure it¡¯s not too macabre?¡± he asked. ¡°The corpses I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I love it. It¡¯s me. Constantly being reborn through combat. I like the writings on the graves. ¡®Do not look for her, for she is not here. She is reborn.¡¯ It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°Do you do that here?¡± he wondered out loud. ¡°The gravestones, I mean.¡±


    ¡°No, not in Etrua anyway. Beyond its borders, who knows? In Etrua, we usually burn the dead and spread their ashes somewhere they loved or keep them in an urn.¡±


    Nate nodded as he continued painting. Kiri seemed in a good mood and he hoped his painting was helping. So, with that in mind, he tried to push the issue that had been worrying him for the last few days.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±


    He didn¡¯t look back at his sister, not that he needed to. He could sense her body tense up in his sphere of awareness, before she slowly relaxed and watched as he continued to refine and improve the painting of her.


    ¡°No. I really don¡¯t. But I should and¡­¡± she huffed, sinking deeper into the cloud-enchanted mattress. ¡°...normally it would be mum pressing me to talk about it. To let my emotions out. Dad would just work me to the bone. He¡¯d take me out into Firth Forest and we¡¯d hunt. The pace he used to set would be absolutely brutal. I¡¯d be scrambling to keep up with him, while he made it look sooo easy. And I would try to keep up¡­because I wanted it¡­what he had¡­to make it look easy. So I would break myself trying to keep up with him and it would be all I could focus on. By the time we got home each night I would be so tired I would just shovel some food into me and then collapse onto my bed. I think a couple of times I didn¡¯t even make it that far. But I always woke up in bed, you know? Then the morning would come and mum would be on me to have a bath because I stank of sweat and the forest, not that I minded, but I would want breakfast and she¡¯d use that to get me to wash up. They would keep me busy like that until I dealt with my feelings. Mum gently prodding and dad keeping me too tired to dwell on it.¡±


    Kiri sighed and Nate simply waited, knowing she wasn¡¯t done, and that she was just approaching the topic in the best way she knew how.


    ¡°But¡­they¡¯re not here. And you are.¡±


    ¡°I always will be,¡± he interjected without turning, his focus on the painting. He knew his sister well enough to know that she would find it easier to share if she didn¡¯t feel like she was being watched.


    ¡°Yeah, you will, won¡¯t you?¡± replied Kiri, though the question was clearly rhetorical. He could hear the smile in her voice as easily as he could sense the shift in her lips. It reminded him for a moment, about his own issues, his paranoia. Even now, underground and about as difficult to detect as he could make them without creating mythic materials, he still hadn¡¯t dropped his sphere of awareness. A problem for another day, he decided, setting that aside to focus on Kiri.


    ¡°Thank you for that. For saying it. I know I think it, but there is something about hearing the words come out of your mouth that¡¯s different, you know? I¡¯ll always be with you as well, little brother,¡± Kiri said softly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that,¡± he remarked with an amused smile on his lips, casually expanding his barrier to protect his painting from the thrown pillow.


    ¡°See! That¡¯s what I was trying to get too. You take an entirely different approach to my parents. It¡¯s like you just¡­poke at the problem gently¡­until I react. But not in a bad way. You just make talking about it feel normal. Safe. I don¡¯t know what I am trying to say, but you still understand what I mean right?¡± Kiri asked, still smiling in amusement.


    ¡°I do. So, did you want to talk about it? Or just¡­around it?¡± he replied, pressing a little harder.


    ¡°Fine. I want to talk about it,¡± Kiri answered gruffly. ¡°Not that there is much to talk about. She used me. Used me to get close to Morgane and then tried to poison her. It explains everything. Why she was so unhappy and distant. I just¡­¡± Kiri trailed off.


    ¡°You have to suspect Allais put her up to it,¡± Nate commented. He knew the reminder would make Kiri angry, but he wanted a way for his sister to let off steam before they eventually encountered Evelynn Allais, and likely Coralie as well.


    Kiri responded immediately, ¡°Of course I know her mother put her up to it. That evil bitch is the worst. And I do blame her mother for most of it¡­but it¡¯s hard not to put some of the blame on Coralie too. She could have talked to me. She could have stood up to her mother. She could¡¯ve done so many things. Anything really, except doing exactly what her mother wanted.¡±


    Nate could sense the tears on Kiri¡¯s cheeks. He wanted to comfort her, but he also knew she wasn¡¯t ready. Right now they were tears of anger and frustration and he¡¯d been around her long enough to know that when she was angry that she wouldn¡¯t want to be touched.


    ¡°You sound like you''re¡­disappointed in Coralie, more than angry at her,¡± he added to keep her talking.


    ¡°I suppose¡­yeah, you¡¯re right. I am. I¡¯m not angry at her. I¡¯m disappointed. She didn¡¯t live up to the ideal I had of her in my head. She could be so fierce, you know? Like when she first approached us before the Tournament. And at the Royal University she was so competitive. She could fight for things, so¡­why couldn¡¯t she fight for us? She chose her mother over me, and I can¡¯t hate her for that¡­I want to, but I can¡¯t. I just¡­wasn¡¯t I the better choice?¡±


    The dam finally broke and tears streamed down his sister''s face. He was by her side in an instant, sitting on the edge of the bed and holding her as she sobbed and let out all the emotions that she had been bottling up for days. The betrayal, the disappointment, the fear of death and the uncertainty. He sat still and let her pour it all out onto his robe, his barrier dropped for the first time in days.


    He waited as she cried and after she seemed spent, he slowly let go as Kiri sat up in the bed.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she muttered quietly, rubbing at her eyes as she brushed away the remaining tears. ¡°I did need that. Gods, I already feel a bit better.¡±


    ¡°Any time,¡± he replied with a smile as he stood and returned to the painting of her. ¡°Gods. It¡¯s funny you should mention them. Do you have it in you to talk a little more?¡±


    Kiri nodded, ¡°Yeah, the pity party is over. Let''s talk about anything else.¡±


    Nate debated whether to go along with her suggestion. He really did want to talk about some of the things he had been thinking about, but he also wanted to give Kiri time to mull over her feelings if that was what she needed.


    Kiri picked up on his hesitancy, ¡°Really. Anything else. I¡¯m not done with the whole Coralie thing and my feelings on it, but I am spent. What did you want to talk about?¡±


    Nate relented, tossing his antiscrying ward onto the bed as he let it fill the room. He doubted anyone else was intentionally listening in, but what he was about to share wasn¡¯t common knowledge and definitely not something he wanted the apprentices to hear.


    ¡°I was thinking about our upcoming evolution. We¡¯ve theorised that the stage after Mythic is whatever separates mortals from gods, right?¡±


    Kiri nodded and Nate forged on, ¡°And obviously, we¡¯re pushing to try and bridge that gap. I even think we¡¯re on the right track with our Embodiments or whatever they are. But we haven¡¯t really talked about the implications.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kiri asked, sitting forward.


    ¡°When I was taken to the Fourth Hell¡­when Arikanvil appeared¡­and told me that I had to accept the Demon Lord¡¯s offer of a challenge¡­he explained why.¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± Kiri said. ¡°It was something about reciprocity right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nate agreed. ¡°He said that the Demon Lord had dragged me into the Hells and because of that he had to balance taking me without my permission else the System would punish him for violating reciprocity. The challenge¡­well¡­it was meant to be beatable, but almost impossible. Which is why the rewards were so powerful. But it was the ¡®why¡¯ an offer had to be made that I am thinking of. Arikanvil said if the Demon Lord, which he called a ¡®Lesser Divinity¡¯, violated the Law of Reciprocity, that even its minions would be able to kill it.¡±


    Kiri leaned back into the pillows behind her and adjusted the blanket, already distracted from her previous emotions.


    ¡°You¡¯re wondering how?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering what the System punishment for violating the Law of Reciprocity is, actually,¡± Nate replied with a grin, glancing over his shoulder before returning to the painting.


    ¡°Huh. I mean, it¡¯s gotta be a loss of access to the Class Core right?¡±


    ¡°That is what I am guessing it is. I was thinking how it would influence us. We¡¯d both be almost crippled. I imagine almost anyone would,¡± remarked Nate.


    ¡°Yeah¡­wow¡­I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. All I would have is the bit of runecraft you¡¯ve done to my bones. I¡¯d even lose access to the items stored in my spiritual space.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± he replied. ¡°Which¡­could be a problem.¡±


    Kiri leaned forward again, waiting for him to continue.


    ¡°The Law of Reciprocity doesn¡¯t seem to affect us, right? Only¡­Gods¡­Divines, whatever they¡¯re called. Preventing them from interfering with mortals unless they abide by the idea of reciprocity. At least, that is the little I have been able to piece together.¡±


    Nate turned to look at her pointedly and Kiri paled.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to fight against them,¡± she whispered. ¡°Even Allais¡­she¡¯s still a mortal. If I killed her I would lose access to my Class Core¡­unless¡­there has to be loopholes, right? The Demon Lord that took you was trying to use one.¡±


    ¡°I am sure there are, but I don¡¯t know how it works¡­and I don¡¯t know if there is anyone we could even ask,¡± Nate replied, turning back to the painting, trying to hide his worries at hearing his own conclusion voiced out loud.


    ¡°So, what do we do? We just avoid evolving to the next tier?¡± Kiri pressed.


    ¡°Is that what you want?¡± Nate countered.


    ¡°By the Hells, no! But what else can we do?¡± Kiri spat in frustration.


    ¡°We could wait on the cusp.¡±


    Kiri leaned back again, her switching positions each time showing her feelings on the topic, oscillating between interested and frustrated. Nate continued to paint, letting his sister digest the idea. After a few minutes, she finally spoke.


    ¡°We¡¯d be fighting at a disadvantage,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°Only in terms of levels. I¡¯ve yet to see another Mythic, so in terms of Skill tier we would still be higher. And we can keep improving our Skills. Their levels aren¡¯t tied to the Class evolution. But yes, we would be at a disadvantage against most Platinums. I could try and make us equipment to bridge that gap. And then there are the runes on our skeletons. And perhaps a few other things I can try. I haven¡¯t even been able to look at the Empowerment Array Champion Armour that we stole from Asmuisil. Too busy setting up this base of operations and preparing the runecrafted items you¡¯ll need to collect information when you go scouting in the city.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Kiri acknowledged. ¡°Damn, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth¡­but I don¡¯t want to wait till level one-hundred-and-twenty to evolve my Classes to the next tier.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be dangerous, of course, not evolving as soon as we can, unless we wash our hands of this conflict. Unless we leave.¡±


    Even as he suggested it, he could hear how half-hearted it was in his own ears. Staying and not evolving his Classes was incredibly dangerous. He¡¯d fought a Platinum now and while he was confident that given some time, between his Skills and creations, that he could bridge the gap to face one, what would he do if there were two? Or more? At the same time, he didn¡¯t want to abandon Britt, or Null, or Aisling and her Guild. Because he knew with certainty that his mentor and guardian wouldn¡¯t leave.


    ¡°We could¡­¡± Kiri said, interrupting his thoughts.


    ¡°But your parents,¡± he finished for her.


    ¡°Yeah, they might leave, if they were forced. But I don¡¯t think they would want to. Mum loves Helmfirth. She loves her garden and her home. I don¡¯t want her to have to leave because of us or because Etrua has gone to shit because of Bordain. It¡¯s dangerous, I know, but my vote is we stay. That¡¯s what a hero would do, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nate agreed, though in his heart he didn¡¯t see himself as a hero. Just a curious artist who would do anything for his friends. If that meant swallowing his misgivings and accepting the risks that would come, then so be it.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re staying?¡± asked Kiri quietly.


    He appreciated that she knew he was different to her. That the idea of danger and being a hero didn¡¯t excite him. Every morning he woke up to create things. It could be painting, or a new rune, or a new runecrafted item ¡ª anything really. Travelling to Galle had changed his world but not who he was and he lamented every moment spent in conflict instead of crafting or learning. If he was a hero, and he didn¡¯t think he was, but if he was one, he was a reluctant hero.


    With a sigh and a little sadness in his eyes he nodded to Kiri, ¡°We¡¯re staying. I chose a side. I offered to help Morgane, and our friends. We¡¯ll stay until that¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°And after?¡± Kiri queried.


    ¡°After¡­if I can¡­would you like to see where I came from?¡± he asked, his voice uncertain. Not because he thought she would say no, but because he wasn¡¯t sure he should even ask. He wasn¡¯t talking about going to another country. He was asking if she wanted to go to another universe.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Kiri said firmly. ¡°When we¡¯ve cleaned up everyone else¡¯s messes, let''s go back to your home. I want to try some of your food anyway!¡±


    Nate grinned and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡±


    Kiri smiled back and then her head snapped to the side, looking up and off into the distance.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked quickly.


    ¡°Luc¡¯s back,¡± she stated with a vicious smile and Nate understood. With the Arcane Riftwalker returned, they could finally start considering making moves in the Capital. His mind immediately went to Britt.


    ¡°We¡¯re coming,¡± he said softly, ignoring the knowing look on his sister''s face.

 Chapter 195 - Shifting Fronts

    Nate sat around one of the workshop tables with Aisling, Deverell and Jacque as they waited for Kiri to return with Luc. The apprentices were asleep in their own room as it was already reasonably late in the evening. Frick was off working on one of the mana collection sites. Aisling and Deverell were having a hushed conversation about their communications with Morgane and Hildi. Nate, however, was using the small break to give Jacque some advice on his runecrafting.


    Running a finger across a few of the geometric lines scribbled in Jacque¡¯s notebook, Nate mentally calculated what he expected to be the mana distribution field that would result and how it would impact the surrounding Sigils.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine as is,¡± he commented.


    ¡°Are you sure? If I swapped to a petal pattern like you used on the barrier rune and shifted the Sound Sigils marginally closer between each petal the resulting return would be stronger,¡± argued Jacque, his tone unsure.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but you¡¯d drop your efficiency by twenty percent, at least. The petal pattern is meant to produce a stronger response, but it also uses significantly more mana. Which is fine for a combat item because sometimes sacrificing efficiency for strength is the right idea, like on a full-range barrier. But this isn¡¯t a combat item. It¡¯s a luxury item so keeping the mana cost down is a better choice and it¡¯s not like you¡¯re sacrificing the quality of the sound returned. Just the range.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Jacque replied, still unsure.


    ¡°Trust me. It¡¯s brilliant. How many songs can it store and do they have maximum durations? Have you tested it?¡± Nate asked, his tone a little excited. He couldn¡¯t help but compare Jacque¡¯s love of music with his own love of art. Seeing the ex-Professor come up with an innovative design for a runecrafted item that could record sounds, storing them for later and then playing them on demand was a nice change from making barriers and illusions and other combat-focused items. It was the kind of thing that Nate would much rather be doing.


    ¡°I have. The Copy and Recall Sigils really simplified the process. It costs most of my Intents to have them store what they hear and the limitation on time seems to exponentially decrease with the material Rarity. Uncommon only gets me a few minutes but Rare was able to retain eleven minutes and twelve seconds. I think if we could find a Sigil for something like ¡®Store¡¯ or ¡®Record¡¯ or maybe ¡®Memory¡¯, I could make the entire item even more efficient and cut down on the size a little. As it is, it¡¯s functioning as a runic array and so the number of songs it can retain is based on how many of the Sound Copy and Recall runes I include. It also makes for more work since each one needs a separate piece of material.¡±


    Nate nodded his understanding, ¡°None of those were in the Sigil Tome I have but maybe we can trade the information with an Enchanter from Asmuisil.¡±


    Before Jacque could respond, Nate sensed Kiri appearing in the teleportation room. A couple of seconds later Luc followed. Nate grinned, eyes on the door as Aisling turned as well, cutting off her conversation with Deverell.


    Kiri strode through first, followed by Luc, decked out in his black leather and his custom metal-studded armour. Nate¡¯s larger than life spatial mentor spread his arms wide, a huge smile on his face, before bellowing out, ¡°By the Nine Hells, what a monumental fuck up we have going on, hey? Is that why we¡¯ve moved our workshop to a secret location?¡±


    Jacque, unsure of how to handle the man, looked to Nate, who shook his head with a smile.


    ¡°A little softer, Luc. The kids are sleeping.¡±


    Luc grinned and gave a small nod, ¡°Yeah, alright, but seriously, is it true?¡±


    ¡°Which parts?¡± Aisling asked.


    ¡°The part where Etrua lost basically two of its three armies.¡±


    ¡°So you haven¡¯t heard?¡± asked Nate.


    ¡°Heard what?¡± Luc replied, his grin fading to be replaced by a look of confusion.


    ¡°Prefect Porter is dead, Prefect Raoult has fled the city and Allais has seized control of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild with the help of the Jamisons.¡±


    Luc¡¯s face went from confused to deadpan to angry in under a second, ¡°Fucking what?!¡±


    What followed was a quick rundown of the events that led up to their current predicament. Between the four of them, with Jacque listening in, they detailed everything from Morgane¡¯s army, the assassination attempt and the fallout that resulted, Allais seizing the Guild, Bordain claiming the throne, Morgane¡¯s movements to try and rally support among the Noble Houses, Asmuisil¡¯s continued advancement and the Guildies being held at the University.


    ¡°So, Avery is Morgane or Hildi? Or both?¡± asked Luc.


    ¡°That¡¯s the part you¡¯re focused on, old man?!¡± demanded Nate, trying not to smile and encourage his mentor.


    ¡°Well, everything else we can figure out together, but Avery¡­did I sleep with the Princess¡­or Hildi¡­or both?¡± Luc replied, smirking as he tried to make light of their situation.


    ¡°Focus, Luc,¡± stated Aisling calmly and Nate watched as the Arcane Riftwalker shrugged and sat down.


    ¡°Alright then, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Luc asked, looking over the group.


    Aisling looked to Nate and he sensed that his mentor was letting him take the lead. Every other eye in the room seemed to sense the same and he quickly found himself the centre of attention. With an inner sigh, he split his focus so he could think about everything even as he went over their problems and how to resolve them.


    ¡°The University has to be first. They¡¯re most likely holding the Guildies prisoner specifically to keep Null there in case Prefect Raoult returns. For all we know, Allais has somehow been in contact with him and is threatening him to keep him silent. She also seems to be doing a decent job of controlling the flow of information as Luc didn¡¯t hear anything about her coup while in Asmuisil. I¡¯ll admit, I also want to get Britt out, plus adding Null, Britt, Ameera and Karim to our numbers effectively gives us four more low-Gold combatants. It¡¯s also, I think, the easiest target, and one we can move against even before Evindal returns.¡±


    Nods and mutters of agreement followed and he continued his line of thinking.


    ¡°As for the remaining problems, we can¡¯t help Princess Morgane because we don¡¯t really have any pull with the Noble Houses, so unless she asks for something, she¡¯s on her own. Sorry, Luc,¡± Nate muttered as Luc gave a shrug of acknowledgement. ¡°That leaves three things we can do. If Asmuisil is still buying, we can continue to provide them with runecrafted equipment to hopefully keep Prince Bordain busy with their armies. We can try and retake the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, accepting that we¡¯re up against at least four Platinums and however many Golds Allais has recruited to her cause. Finally, we can move against the Noble Houses we know are supporting Bordain. We¡¯d need to confirm that last one with Princess Morgane.¡±


    ¡°Avery,¡± interjected Luc who received a punch to the arm from Kiri for his troubles.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Luc muttered.¡±Well, as for Asmuisil, they do want more. Whatever we can provide, really. And they¡¯re paying well. Should I?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Luc motioned at the workshop table, clearly intent on placing their payments for their latest batch on its smooth stone surface.


    ¡°After,¡± Aisling responded, stopping the Arcane Riftwalker. ¡°Planning first. I agree that the University should be a priority, especially if we can get in touch with Prefect Raoult. But before we make any moves we need more information. Where has Prefect Raoult fled to? What kind of defences should we expect at the University? Are they actively communicating with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡±


    Aisling glanced at Deverell and sighed, ¡°Tomorrow you can start collecting the intel we need.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going as well,¡± Kiri added.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help from here,¡± Nate commented. He could use his farsight sphere of awareness to try and gather some information and since he could split his mind four ways and could work on two materials at once, it shouldn¡¯t interfere with his own preparations and crafting.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Aisling agreed. ¡°Focus on the University and the Guild. Anything else can wait and we won¡¯t move against the Guild until at least Evindal has returned. Preferably not until we get in touch with Prefect Raoult as well.¡±


    The discussions and plans continued for another hour until most of the details were settled. With their duties for tomorrow clear, Luc finally laid out the payment from Asmuisil for their runecrafted equipment.


    ¡°Thirty-three Stat Orbs in total. There are twenty-one Common, eight Uncommon and four Rare. As for Skill Orbs, I only got one, but they did give me a few Skill Tomes that you requested. Mold Material, an Uncommon Skill Tome, and two copies of Imbue Material. The Skill Orb is for level-four Basic Mana Carving. Finally, four full processed-mana gems.¡±


    Nate was impressed. There were almost one-hundred and fifty Stats sitting on the table, coupled with four Skills and enough processed mana to give him a level with spare leftovers. Of course, it wasn¡¯t all his, but it was still a small fortune.


    ¡°You taking the processed-mana gems?¡± asked Kiri, her question clearly directed at Luc as she looked over the takings.


    ¡°How many would be my cut?¡± Luc countered.


    Kiri did some quick mental math, ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°Two it is, then. I¡¯ll be close to gaining a level off this,¡± replied Luc, scooping up two processed-mana gems and heading for the training room to absorb them.


    Nate pushed the three Skill Tomes, the Skill Orb and the two remaining processed-mana gems towards Jacque, ¡°For you and the apprentices. The mana is for you and one of the Skills. The other Skills are for the apprentices.¡±


    Jacque smiled in thanks, grabbing his own cut as Kiri yelled after him, ¡°That counts as your bonus!¡±


    Finally, there were just the Stat Orbs left. Kiri and Nate split them up based on the Stats provided. With a small amount of pain, he shoved the two Uncommon Intellect Orbs across to Kiri.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked, though he could see in her eyes how much she wanted them.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re almost at a one-hundred and fifty. You¡¯ll be able to split your focus and I know Deverell keeps pressuring you about it as it affects your fighting style. Keeping track of so many arms can¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Half the time, I just focus most of them on a rough area or only use the arms that are in range. It¡¯ll help¡­but still¡­¡± Kiri hedged.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he replied. ¡°I need more Magic Control anyway.¡±


    When the divisions were finally over, and the pair had absorbed their Stat Orbs, Nate had gained twenty-seven in Creativity, eighteen in Intellect, fifteen in Magic Control, twelve in Perception and three in Magic Power.


    Kiri¡¯s rewards totalled twenty-one in Strength, eighteen in Willpower, twelve in Intellect, nine in Perception and six in both Mana Reserve and Endurance.


    Nate smiled as a notification appeared before him.


    Congratulations on achieving over five-hundred in a single stat before reaching your Second Evolution.


    Your achievement has been recorded.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how useful the achievement would be, but every bit counted. Kiri yawned across from him and Nate found himself mirroring her. With a quick agreement they headed to the room they were sharing to catch some shuteye. Tomorrow, they would gather the information they needed to start taking actions in the Capital. He just hoped it wasn¡¯t too little, too late.


    *************


    Garnet quietly strolled the halls of the Royal Palace; she just wished the opulent building was as quiet as she was. Bordain had left her to manage the rebuild and deal with any of his Noble allies. Her King, a title she was still adapting to, had few enough of those due to his ideas and policies. Of those he did have, most had left the Capital with him, after helping him to gather fresh conscripts from the Slums. The rest of the ¡°recruits¡± would come from various villages they passed through on their way to meet the Third Asmuisillan Army. King Bordain had been gone for almost a week and she expected it would be another two weeks before he encountered the Asmuisillans, assuming they marched straight for the Capital. It could be longer if they diverted to reinforce their First Army who was currently locked in a stalemate against King Bordain¡¯s Army, currently under the command of Sapphire and Amethyst. Garnet snorted at the thought. She hoped the Asmuisillans would kill that disgusting man, but knowing Sapphire, he¡¯d somehow slip through the cracks yet again.


    Walking into the throne room¡ªthat was still being rebuilt, even now¡ªshe could see how countries like Asmuisil were more functional in many ways. Many of the workers were low-level, barely having broken through their first Evolution and with low-Tier Classes. They were like ants, working hard, but slowly. A few middling Earth Mages and Enchanters could have completely restored the throne room by now. She supposed a high-level Earth Mage and a single decent Enchanter could have fixed the room in a day. Perhaps that was her King''s plan, she mused. Enough singularly powerful individuals could change the course of a battle, a war, or even a nation. She swallowed her misgivings.


    A few Fourth Swords watched over the workers. They were the freshest recruits of the Royal Family and while being Low-Golds and well equipped, they weren¡¯t useful for more than guard duty. Malachite had left them under her command, his duties taking him into the City as he tried desperately to keep everything under control. He was failing, and she knew it. While they had successfully seized much of the wealth of the Merchant quarter, leaving only enough to keep the district limping on, people had already started to disappear. The Slums were a maze and its denizens less than willing to help the guard or Swords. So day by day, more and more people with the means to do so were fleeing the city. Malachite had even ended up recruiting Adventurer¡¯s Guild members to help the city patrols try to keep the city locked down. It seemed to be helping, but it was like trying to catch sand; some pieces still slipped through your fingers.


    She sensed a source of heat, a body, approaching the doors behind her. Probably another Noble coming to petition her for access to more mana or something equally boring. She turned to face the doors and, as they opened, she tried not to snarl as Duchess Charlotte Desmarais entered.


    She felt the eyes of the woman she hated more than anyone or anything roam over her form dismissively before speaking.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re still alive, Bellanca¡­your Father had been wondering. I assumed you had fled to Gashana. Those desert-dwellers are always looking for more people to help make glass for them.¡±


    Garnet bit back her knee-jerk retort, both at the insult and use of her real name.


    ¡°Step-mother, what do you want?¡± she ground out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. You lost that right when you abandoned your duties to the House. It is, and always will be, Duchess Desmarais to you,¡± replied Charlotte haughtily. ¡°As for what I want, nothing from you, child. I simply came to see how the repairs were progressing and to seek out this ¡®Garnet¡¯ who so has our King¡¯s ear.¡±


    Garnet clenched her hands into fists as she struggled to control herself, the air around her heating up alongside her rage.


    ¡°I am she,¡± Garnet hissed, still suppressing her urge to burn the woman before her to ash. If she did it fast enough. she might even succeed.


    ¡°Oh? Are you now?¡± said Charlotte coyly. ¡°Seems you didn¡¯t fail to learn all the lessons I tried to teach you.¡±


    Garnet watched as her Step-Mother looked down at her figure pointedly, insinuating Garnet had wormed her way into King Bordain¡¯s graces the same way her Step-Mother had wormed her way into her Father¡¯s, the Duke.


    ¡°Was that all?¡± whispered Garnet, fire still in her veins.


    The Duchess looked about the remains of the throne room and the workers busily attempting to rebuild it.


    ¡°I suppose it is,¡± answered Charlotte, chin turned up as she spun on her heel heading back out of the room. As she passed through the arches, she called back one parting remark. ¡°Oh, I thought you should know, the Twins are dead. Killed by Princess Morgane¡¯s people.¡±


    The words were placid, as cool as a lake in winter and similarly, they lanced through Garnet¡¯s heart. She dropped to her knees as the doors closed behind the woman she hated. Her sisters were dead. Her years of service to King Bordain, her growth and power, all so she could rescue her sisters from their parents, all for nothing. She felt hollow and cold, even as the stone around her hissed and steamed as the room became truly chilly, frost forming on the wood as heat was drawn towards her, finding in itself Unity. She stared up at where a ceiling should be, eyes upon the blue skies above and wondered, what was her purpose now?

 Chapter 196 - Searching for Truth

    Kiri sat on the edge of the bed in the Den of Desire, the two women before her nodding eagerly.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± she asked Florence.


    ¡°I am,¡± the woman responded. ¡°He was gloating about it. How they had dragged the Enchanter out of his bed and onto the University grounds. He kept talking about how nice they were, with all the green grass and the trees. I remember because he kept calling it paradise and then talking about the sorts of things we could do in the shade of the trees.¡±


    Kiri tapped her lips in thought. The information would be useful for Luc and Nate, but without knowing what the Enchanter had been forced to do, she wasn¡¯t sure how much it could help them. She would leave such thoughts up to the pair. She had no idea how enchanting worked beyond a surface-level, anyway, and even less about spatial magics.


    ¡°Good work,¡± Kiri acknowledged, handing Florence a full mana-gem. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± answered her other spy in the Den. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing as you asked and focusing my attention on the guards and adventurers. None of them have said anything interesting. They complain about the people of the slums hiding things from them and about merchants and their families going missing, but nothing specific and about no one important.¡±


    Kiri nodded and handed her a mana-gem as well before taking her leave. Nate had given her plenty of mana for bribes or anything else and she had been putting it to work for the last week. The Pit had been closed down and she had spent two days trying to track down the fat bastard she used to work with in the fighting pit without much luck. She had wanted to start raiding some of the empty Noble villas to see if anything had been missed but Deverell had talked her out of it. The Nobles¡¯ District was the most heavily patrolled by the strongest guards. While Kiri was confident she could win or escape any battle she was drawn into, Deverell had convinced her that the game they were currently playing was one of information and disinformation. Her fighting style was notable enough that, if anyone survived, word would get around and eventually back to Allais. If that happened, she would know Kiri was in the City, and if Kiri was in the City so was Nate and almost certainly Aisling. So, for now, she needed to keep her activities hidden.


    To that end, most of her evenings were spent surveilling the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. She had wanted to handle the Royal University, and hopefully get eyes on Britt, for Nate¡¯s sake. Again, Deverell had convinced her otherwise. The Guild had no soul energy users that could match her and so were unlikely to detect her watching since she was making liberal use of Soul Concealment. The same would not be true at the Royal University and while she thought she was probably still stronger, any risk was too much risk as far as Deverell was concerned.


    Returning to her hidey-hole in the roof of a building across the street from the Guild, she pulled the two runecrafted items Nate had given her from her Empowered Soul Sanctuary. After her first couple of days of complaining, Nate had spent some time coming up with these items for her. She said spent some time, but she was pretty sure it had taken him less than an hour. Previously all she could really do was faintly see people moving in the windows and try to count the numbers of Adventurers that came and left the Guild compound. However, these two items gave her far more options. The first was a piece of thick clear glass. Around the edges were rune carvings but what they did was simple, at least as Nate put it. The glass magnified the light that came through it, which let Kiri actually see the people in the windows.


    The second item looked a lot like one of Nate¡¯s antiscrying wards but, in fact, did the exact opposite. It was connected to the magnifying glass and would try and copy the sounds around whatever she looked at through the glass. It didn¡¯t work on anyone inside of the Guild building. The wards on the building seemed to prevent any sound from escaping. But it worked perfectly well on anyone in the inns scattered around the Guild compound, the guards at the gates and, of course, the training grounds.


    By listening to those conversations, it had quickly become apparent that Allais had a stranglehold on the information flowing through the Guild. Many had not been present on the night when Allais seized control of the Etruan Branch. The comments were often about how they couldn¡¯t believe Prefect Porter had betrayed them and that they were either thankful they hadn¡¯t been present or the complete opposite, instead boasting that if they had been present they would have cut down most of the traitors on their own. Either way, it seemed that turning many of the Guild members against Allais would be challenging at best.


    Kiri sighed at the thought as she got comfortable, settling in as the sun was just starting to rise. Another day of listening to the trials and tribulations of Guild members. Maybe today would be the day she learned something useful, but she doubted it. Deverell said that intelligence gathering was all about patience, something Kiri was working on developing. In the end, though, she was glad of one thing: she hadn¡¯t seen Coralie. Maybe her ex-girlfriend had finally learned from her mistakes and fled her Mother¡¯s clutches. The alternative possibility didn¡¯t warrant consideration.


    *************


    Arikanvil appeared, to walk casually through the treasure room. It was here, he was sure of it. X¡¯valia¡¯severen, a True Divine, had boasted about it centuries ago before claiming to give it as a reward to one of his own Heralds, a Greater Divine that went by the name of The Hammer that Forged a World. The Divines raised in the Inner Universes often took upon themselves weird names like that. As far as Arikanvil knew, everyone just called the man Worldhammer. None of that really mattered to Arikanvil, though. To these Divines he was, and always would be, an outsider. How could he not be¡ªhe¡¯d stolen things from almost all of them to fuel his rise to power. That was the power of a Wanderer. What were locks, keys, wards and even Divine realms to someone who could wander anywhere in space. Few and far between were the places that he could not tread if he so desired and the individuals who built those spaces had fueled their own rise to Divinity by offering their services to those who wished to keep Arikanvil out. This treasury was not such a location.


    Looking at the obscene wealth arrayed around him he ground his teeth together and once more cursed The System. Were it up to him, all of this would already be his, taken with a wave of his hand as he made his exit. But he couldn¡¯t, tied down by a binding he had never asked for, kept from being who and what he was meant to be. The owner of the treasury was a Greater Divinity, and as a True Divinity, stealing from Worldhammer would be a violation of reciprocity. But confirming that the item he desired was here was not.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He debated using his Space is Mine but a twinge inside warned him that The System would consider even breaking into the various display cases a violation of reciprocity. He continued to move around the gigantic vault, ignoring piles of processed mana-gems that stood high enough to be considered small hills, walking past Purple Phoenix Feathers that burned with a fell light, scoffing at a small black and brown ball that he suspected was the heart of a Lesser Divine demon and restraining his urge to scoop up the sparkling sand that could only be a tiny portion of remains from a True Dragon. Seeing such a resource present in the vault of Worldhammer proved a truth he had already suspected: Worldhammer was the guardian of his True Divine Master, X¡¯valia¡¯severen¡¯s, treasures. Every piece of sand that had once belonged to a True Dragon would have contained a touch upon the Divine. The iridescence indicated it had potentially been a master of Illusion, but there were other rarer possibilities. Without getting inside of the containment device, he couldn¡¯t tell and he couldn¡¯t do that without violating reciprocity, so with one last greed-filled glance at the sand, he continued his search for his true goal.


    Finally, after hours of walking through the expansive treasury, he found what he was looking for. The glass cage was lined with strips of iridescent purple scales that could only have come from some Divine monster that utilised the Concept of Void. That Concept had been built into the glass cage, separating the space inside from out, which was the only thing keeping the existence inside from escaping. The Spatial Spirit appeared to be a Lesser Divine, as it fuzzed around the edges, constantly changing shape. One moment it filled its cage, the next it was smaller than a fly, buzzing around the expanse, but always held within.


    Arikanvil tried not to sneer. He could see the parallels between himself and the Spatial Spirit; even if his cage was significantly bigger, it was a cage nonetheless. Still, he had confirmed it existed. The Spatial Spirit contained a touch of Divine Energy that could be used for any number of creations, but there was only one Arikanvil had in mind and for that, lesser materials would not do.


    A resource this rare and sought after was beyond Worldhammer¡¯s means, and Arikanvil suspected Worldhammer¡¯s master, X¡¯valia¡¯severen, had given it to Worldhammer to abuse one of the System''s many loopholes. The reward had likely been deserved, but it was stretchable, and Worldhammer would no doubt trade it back to his Master the moment he was asked. But being held here, in the vault of a Greater Divine, meant it could not be taken by True Divines like Arikanvil and X¡¯valia¡¯severen. Worldhammer himself was no pushover. A clever ploy by X¡¯valia¡¯severen, but Arikanvil had his own plans to get around the limitation. After all, what was the point of having Heralds if you didn¡¯t put them to use. He just needed to recruit a new one, someone not known to be connected to him. Or perhaps, two?


    *************


    Bordain ground his teeth as he stared over the battlefield. He reached inside himself, searching for that whisper, the voice of the universe that reminded him that power was everything and that he was one of the powerful. The voice was silent, and he knew why. He was losing ground.


    Fewer Nobles than he had expected had answered his call. He had expected at least ten to send both forces and Platinums to join his Second Army, under his direct command. Instead, he had received six and all those were ones who had family that he held captive in the Etruan Capital. Any other outlying Nobles and the two Ducal Houses, Korinth and Pleras, had ignored his call. The remaining Ducal House, Desmarais, had at least answered, the Duke himself coming. The Storm Mage was one of two reasons Bordain had not been forced to retreat. The other stood by his side, eyes downcast as she refused to look at him after her abject failure. Topaz was back in fighting condition and between the three of them they had held against what Bordain was finally forced to accept was a stronger force.


    ¡°How many conscripts remain?¡± demanded Bordain of the Second Sword waiting behind him.


    ¡°Less than two thousand, your Highness,¡± replied the man. ¡°Enough for two more full assaults at the current rate of loss.¡±


    Bordain wanted to snarl. This was not how it was supposed to happen. His Skills let him fight multiple Platinums at once, especially against forces like Asmuisil, where he could target their empowerment arrays. Or that had previously been the case. They had somehow reacted to his first encounter with their armies by producing a new barrier array to protect the weaklings channelling their combined might into the array. If he could just attack the barrier directly, he would already be victorious. But instead, they sent three of their Champions against him each time he took to the field ¡ª too many for him to also spend some of his energy and focus on the barrier and so it held against his assaults. Topaz and Duke Desmarais had been faced with similar issues. So he was forced to consider his options.


    His Platinums were outnumbered twelve to eight, including himself. His conscripts had failed to find any success attacking the improved barrier arrays and he was bleeding troops and mana with no sign of reinforcements. It was to either bring more of his gems to the front, weakening his position in the Capital, or to retreat. The latter would be a mark against his rule and likely drive more of the Noble Houses into his sister''s open arms. His anger bled out of him creating a palpable aura and Topaz let out a whimper beside him.


    With a vicious growl, he looked at the short woman, his most prized assassin until recently. Until her failure looked ready to cost him everything he had spent half a decade planning and preparing.


    ¡°Send for Obsidian, Garnet and Duchess Desmarais. Malachite will have to hold the city alone.¡±


    Topaz nodded quickly, her short blonde hair matted with sweat, ¡°As you command.¡±


    He ignored her as she stepped away to contact the Capital, turning his eyes to Duke Desmarais who puffed out his chest.


    ¡°With my wife present and your own forces, we¡¯ll rout these bastards. I assume, given the state of things and my House¡¯s ongoing support, that we can expect commensurate rewards for our loyalty and assistance, your Highness?¡± wheedled the man.


    Bordain flicked dark eyes to look down at the Duke and the man veritably withered beneath his gaze. The silence dragged on and Bordain let it continue until he felt the man was suitably cowed before looking back over the battlefield at the invading army.


    ¡°When this is over and I have dealt with the traitors who refused to answer the call, you can have half of House Pleras¡¯ lands. Dungeons included.¡±


    Bordain ignored the greedy smile on the fool''s face. He had a war to win and then a rule to cement. Then¡­and only then, would he get rid of the chaff, turning Etrua into the lean and deadly beast it should have always been. After, he would grow his Empire, spreading across the lands as he returned the mana flows to those who deserved them. Because only the strong deserved to have power and if that meant he needed to cleanse this world of parasites, then so be it.

 Chapter 197 - Jailbreak

    Nate walked across the grass of the University calmly. Luc and Deverell were close by on his left with Kiri and Aisling to his right. Frick was waiting patiently inside of his Runic Gallery. Two runic arrays hovered around him and were taking up most of his focus. The Illusion rune hid them from sight and included the Sound Sigil to hide any noise they made. Though they were still making an effort to be stealthy. Obfuscation was the second rune and it incorporated a few different Sigils, including Smell and Sound, but was primarily focused on Mana to hide his first rune.


    The buildings of the University loomed before them like towering giants, casting deeper shadows across the grounds in the cloudy night. They marched unerringly towards the dorms that had been granted to the Guild members and now functioned as their friends'' prison. Nate was just happy they were finally acting to free them, especially Britt. The thought made him feel somewhat bad about himself for a moment, but he couldn¡¯t help caring more about how Britt was doing than Null or the others.


    So far, Nate had held back his farsight sphere of awareness, concerned that its use might get detected. Others, such as Avery¡ªwhich meant either Morgane or Hildi¡ªhad been able to sense its usage. His suspicion was that one of them had some sort of mana detection Skill, which would make sense given his own sensory Skill. Either way, he didn¡¯t want to risk their discovery before they had even reached the building where the Guildies were being held. It would be even better if they could free them without detection, but on that he had his doubts. Luc and Deverell had gotten close enough one night ago to do an assessment and, while Deverell¡¯s information was mostly about the few patrols and guards, it was what Luc found that gave Nate pause. Getting within twenty metres of the building he could finally sense the problem through Farsight of the Runic Artist.


    As Nate¡¯s eyebrows went up Luc hissed quietly at him, ¡°Told you.¡±


    ¡°I believed you,¡± muttered Nate, still keeping his voice down despite the Illusion and Obfuscation runes. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect it to feel so¡­solid.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a right bastard but he knows what he¡¯s about,¡± grumped Luc as the party waited to hear what Nate and Luc proposed to do.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you can break it?¡± asked Nate as he paused to take in the full scope of the Spell.


    After seeing the layered Spatial Spells around the building, Luc had informed them all that he knew who had placed them there. The explanation had been quick, as Luc clearly didn¡¯t want to go into details, but Luc was confident his half-brother, Thierry Crozier, was the source. Luc had thought his half-brother had fled Etrua ten years ago after killing their father, Baron Crozier. None of the group had pressed Luc on the topic as clearly it was still a sore spot for the man even though a decade had passed.


    ¡°I can definitely break it,¡± Luc stated confidently. ¡°But it won¡¯t be quick. The spell feels like it has been up for a few days so he¡¯s definitely anchored it to a power source inside. Likely a few mana gems he¡¯s encased in a similar spatial box. Thierry was always good at spatial constructs.¡±


    ¡°How are they getting food in there?¡± asked Kiri quietly.


    ¡°He probably comes back once a week to refresh the spell, swap out the mana gems and give them some food for the week,¡± Luc commented, eyes roving the spatial structure.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t Null, I don¡¯t know, just nullify it, given enough time?¡± pressed Kiri.


    ¡°Probably drained him of his mana then drew the ambient mana out. This spell is likely not letting any mana in,¡± commented Nate absently.


    Nate was only partly paying attention to the discussion, and though he knew he should be focusing on getting Britt out, his curiosity was getting the better of him as he assessed the nature of the spells. The two spells overlapped like a lattice and, without his sensory Skill, he doubted he would¡¯ve been able to separate them. The first spell was simple enough in purpose, if not structure. In its most basic form, it was like a physical wall, an area of space that separated what was outside from inside. He doubted the Guildies could¡¯ve broken out, unless their Mana Reserves were far greater than he estimated. It also would¡¯ve given their guards plenty of time to react. The second spell was something Nate recognised, albeit more complex: a Spatial Lock. It was preventing anyone or anything from teleporting across the barrier. Together, it was a perfect cage to prevent someone like Nate or Luc from mounting a quick rescue operation.


    ¡°The plan remains the same,¡± stated Aisling, eyes on the cloudy sky. ¡°Luc will disrupt the Spatial Spells. Deverell, Kiri and Nate will deal with any guards that respond. I will handle any Platinums, if any come.¡±


    Nods followed Aisling¡¯s statement and they all prepared for what was to come. Nate kept part of his focus on Luc as the man began his own Spell. It only took Nate a second to figure out what his mentor was doing. Luc specialised in creating small rifts, which were the entire basis of his fighting style. Using those same spatial rifts, Luc was attempting to disrupt the spell structure enough that it would collapse. The problem was the Spatial Lock Spell, which was contesting Luc¡¯s ability to even manifest his rifts. Nate had something to assist with that and activated his Runecrafted Trinket of Spatial Release. On previous activations, anything like a Spatial Lock had crumbled instantly, as it should when set against the Grandmaster-tier Sigil of Space within the trinket. The Spatial Lock in place, however, held up for an entire ten seconds before the spatial barrier even showed signs of destabilisation.


    Luc began pressing his advantage but Nate''s use of mana had blown through his Obfuscation rune like a gale through a forest. Cries went up from nearby and Nate turned with the others, dropping his Illusion rune as they prepared to buy Luc time.


    Two patrols of guards were rushing towards them, each with at least five members. Nate judged them to be Silvers and promptly ignored them as Kiri and Deverell split up, each taking one of the teams. They wouldn¡¯t need his help against such opponents. Instead he focused on the two individuals remaining. He sighed as he recognised both. Two of the combat trainers, Golds he was certain, were approaching him. One was the mage who had tested him when he first came to the University, a multi-element user if Nate remembered correctly. The second was one of the melee combat instructors. Nate had never worked with them, but the long thin sword on her hip and small buckler strapped to their wrist gave him a rough idea of what he was in for. Not that it mattered much to him.


    The mage spoke as Nate searched the grounds for any more responders, ¡°Your friends at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild warned us you might come. Sooner than they thought, but not entirely unexpected. Submit to us and you will not be harmed, by orders of the King.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Nate raised his eyebrows at that. Why would Bordain order such? Something to consider later, as he was on the clock and had already detected two more teams of guards running from the gates. They¡¯d be a couple of minutes, which was a tight window.


    ¡°Want me to take care of em, Boss?¡± Frick asked from inside Nate¡¯s Runic Gallery.


    ¡°Go on then,¡± Nate acquiesced, sensing as Frick appeared for an instant before vanishing as the Spirit made liberal use of Nate¡¯s Skills.


    ¡°Where did his Familiar go?¡± demanded the female duelist, her question clearly directed at her partner rather than Nate.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± grunted the mage, all too casual and confident. ¡°He¡¯s resisting. Kill him.¡±


    The pair launched into action, the mage spinning up three spells at once. Nate was impressed at the level of Magic Control as sand and wind began to spin around the Mage in some sort of defensive barrier while the ground around Nate began to shift, moving to enclose him even as the air itself tried to press against him and hold him in place. The duelist had flashed forward, a blur to the eye as she tried to pierce his chest, a tunnel of wind drawing her blade along its path.


    Ever since returning to the Capital, Nate had been hard at work crafting. Crafting the spatial escape talismans, creating information gathering tools for Kiri, and helping Frick produce new mana gems to meet the needs of their extensive mana stealing operation. But that didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t been working on anything for himself. Once upon a time, he possessed multiple offensive runecrafted items, including his acid wand and his shadow prison. Since losing them he had gone on the defensive, focusing his personal crafting on creating protections with his barrier bracer and spatial release and mana release trinkets. Almost all of his offensive capabilities had been based on dynamic rune creation and his Conceptual Automated Existence Skill, which had the benefits of making him incredibly adaptable on the fly. The cost, however, was high, both in terms of time and mana. Every construct he created through his Skill needed to have the materials replaced, and every rune he crafted on the fly was mana intensive. That was just the nature of not having highly efficient materials to supplement the required mana. However, in almost every battle, there was one rune he always seemed to return to. Gravity Control had become a staple of his battle tactics. With that in mind, Nate had invested the stored mana in Conceptual Insight to unlock the Master-tier Sigil for Gravity, using it as the basis for a second bracer.


    He looked into the eyes of the duelist launching at him, her face calm and eyes focused as she bore down on him. Then, without raising his arms, he channelled mana from his own reserve into his Legendary Gravity Control Bracer and changed behind her and the mage to down before multiplying it four times. The mana cost was only slightly noticeable as he altered the fundamental law and he watched as the two flew backwards. They recovered quickly, the mage using his control of wind to fly while the duelist used her boots to jump on plates of air.


    Nate suspected he could outlast the pair in terms of mana, but the goal wasn¡¯t to drag the fight out. The goal was to be decisive. With the pair off-balance, he changed the direction of gravity a second time, making up become down. The Golds were fighting against his control, but there was an obvious flaw in their methods. Mainly, they both made use of wind to fight against gravity, be it via Spells or enchanted boots. In this case they were using the physical Concept of Wind to keep themselves afloat, so Nate changed that. A quick and simple rune combining the Sigils for Wind and Flow was enough to fight against their control. At the same time, he expended more mana on his Gravity Control, multiplying its strength again. The swapping back and forth was enough to finally disorient the pair and they both crashed into the ground with bone-breaking force.


    Nate recognised that he could have left it there, but the pair had been involved in imprisoning Britt. So, with a short glare, he pulled out a material that he had been testing. The small block of metal containing the affinity Drain was only Rare-tier, but using Conceptual Automated Existence on it seemed more than enough to finish off the pair. He noted that the construct looked very much like a black hole as it floated in the air and went to work. Ignoring the screams, he looked around to see how everyone else was doing.


    Kiri and Deverell were already returning, both teams of guards down and Nate didn¡¯t bother to check if they were alive. The flow of processed mana into his Class Core told him that they were definitely not. Similar flows began a moment later from behind him as his construct finished its work. Aisling¡¯s hair was flowing in the breeze as she watched a ball of fire crossing the sky towards them. The tenseness of the situation was broken as Frick reappeared at Nate¡¯s side.


    ¡°More coming?¡± asked Deverell of the little blue goblin.


    ¡°Nah. Copied the Boss. Buried em. Don¡¯t think they¡¯re dead but it¡¯ll take them a bit to dig themselves out.¡±


    Deverell nodded, the stoic man unperturbed as Kiri moved up next to Nate, a smile on her face.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°After a fight? Always. By the Gods, I missed it, even if this lot weren¡¯t much of a challenge.¡±


    Any further talk was cut-off as Luc whooped in victory and Nate felt the spatial walls that had sealed off the building collapse. It was Ameera whose head peeked out first.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Guild!¡± the dark-skinned girl called back into the room. Within a moment the four imprisoned Guildies came running out. None wore anything beyond some rumpled and dirty clothes and Nate frowned as he realised their captors had likely stolen their equipment. That frown vanished as Britt threw herself into his arms.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d come,¡± she sobbed into his chest as he expanded his barrier to cover them both, relishing the feeling of her touch.


    ¡°You were right,¡± was all he said as he leaned his head down and kissed her blonde hair.


    ¡°What¡¯s the escape plan?¡± asked Null, the swordsman''s eyes darting around at the corpses littering the area.


    That was the moment that the ball of fire in the sky arched down to land before them. As it did so, Nate realised the shape was not a ball, but wings. The figure landed before them, the flaming wings vanishing as a tall woman with a rapier looked over their gathered group.


    ¡°We meet again, Stormspear,¡± said the woman through gritted teeth.


    Britt shifted and Nate was surprised as his girlfriend took up a defensive stance between him and the flaming woman. Even after being imprisoned, without her armour or her hammer, Britt still moved to protect him and he swallowed the lump in his throat. Instead, he focused on the Platinum, for that was all he could think of, and released a veil shattering burst of mana through his Farsight of the Runic Artist. He read her classes in an instant.


    Eternal Flame Mage (E) (60) / Fierce Inner-Fire Mage (R) (33) / Eternal Renewer (U) (20)


    The Platinums eyes swivelled to him even as Nate¡¯s own widened in surprise. The Classes were interesting, but the surprise had been the two Legendary items he had sensed on the woman. A ring she wore was one and the second was the red-leather armour she wore.


    The heat in the area started to rise and Nate was preparing for battle when he felt space shift and a portal opened before them. Two men strode out of the portal. One of them bore some similarities to Luc, with a whip-thin build, pale skin, tousled brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The other was someone that would be hard for Nate to ever forget. Bordain towered over all present, as wide as two Aislings and notably taller. The man¡¯s blonde hair was at stark odds with what Nate remembered of Morgane¡¯s black, but they had the same facial structures. Bordain looked over the arrayed Guildies, his green eyes stabbing the area around them as though he owned it.


    The portal snapped shut and Bordain smiled, ¡°I hoped you would come, Nathaniel and Kiri. I think it is time we talked.¡±

 Chapter 198 - Counteroffer

    Nate had frozen for a moment seeing who was arrayed against them. Three Platinums was a problem on its own and one he wasn¡¯t sure they could challenge. Especially not with the Guildies they had just rescued unarmed and unarmoured. But those concerns paled against being in Bordain¡¯s presence when he wasn¡¯t bothering to veil his power. The mountain of a man who claimed to be the King of Etrua had a presence similar to Aisling that seemed to affect his surroundings. Instead of static, it pressed down on Nate''s shoulders as though he should kneel, a servant before a greater power, and he could tell he wasn¡¯t the only one feeling it. Britt, Null, Ameera and Karim had already dropped to their knees and Deverell seemed to be teetering on the edge. Even Aisling and Luc were showing signs of resisting the oppressive aura. The only one of their group that seemed mostly unaffected was Kiri.


    The difference in reactions between Kiri and everyone else made Nate¡¯s eyes narrow and he responded by sending more of his mana towards Conceptual Insight. The hum that had been drowned out by the feeling of subservience was suddenly at the fore of his mind and though he couldn¡¯t recognise the Concept at play, he could tell the air was thick with it. Whatever it was it was clearly Soul-adjacent, as Nate could now tell that his veil was offering him some protection. It explained why Kiri was able to resist the best and why Deverell could hold his feet. Their Soul protections, courtesy of Kiri¡¯s Soul Engravings, were a notch above anything the others could scrounge up. Nate opened his mouth to respond but was beaten to it by his spatial mentor.


    ¡°Brother, I had hoped you were dead,¡± grunted Luc through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, bastard. The feeling is mutual,¡± replied the tall and thin spatial mage next to Bordain, before starting to step forward aggressively. ¡°Let''s remedy that, shall we? I want to fix the last of my father¡¯s many mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Now, now, Obsidian. Play nice. We¡¯re not here for that. We¡¯re here to make sure those who deserve power are given the opportunity to seize it,¡± expounded Bordain calmly, eyes flicking from his subordinate to Luc. ¡°If you interrupt me again or interfere, I will let them off their leashes. Perhaps you¡¯re slippery enough to escape, but the children are not.¡±


    Bordain¡¯s eyes flicked to the kneeling Guildies meaningfully before glancing at Aisling who pressed her lips together, flashes of anger lighting her eyes as she held her words back.


    ¡°Much better,¡± cooed Bordain in a pleasant baritone, his green eyes flicking back to Nate and Kiri. ¡°I am glad we are finally getting to talk before our grievances escalate any further. You two have managed to cause me a reasonable amount of grief, which is impressive given your supposed rank within the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. But that is not all that makes you impressive, is it?¡±


    Nate raised an eyebrow in response, unwilling to give anything away while Kiri maintained her glare, sharing it equally between the three Platinums. Frick was hiding beneath the ground and working frantically in case the conversation devolved into battle.


    ¡°No comment? That¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll tell you what I know about you already and what I think,¡± continued Bordain, seeming utterly relaxed despite the tension in the air. ¡°I know a kill squad was sent by House Desmarais to try and end you. The Duchess herself believed you to be a threat to the future of their House.¡±


    Nate noted the Flame Mage¡¯s reaction as the woman¡¯s eyes widened and flicked back and forth between Bordain and himself.


    ¡°That kill squad never returned and the Duchess confirmed their deaths. Now, of course, some might suspect that their deaths were caused by The Eternal Grove. He is certainly powerful enough to have pulled something like that off. However, if that was all I knew, I wouldn¡¯t be bothering with this meeting. No, my spies within my sister¡¯s forces reported multiple private meetings between you and Morgane. Again, interesting, but not in and of itself enough to confirm my suspicions. But then, Topaz told me about why she failed to accomplish the task I set before her. About how two low-Golds of the Guild were able to almost keep up with her. How they turned a weakness against her and almost got her killed, not to mention forcing her to flee. She was very unhappy about her failure, though not as much as I was. Her report, however, was the final piece of proof I needed. Not one, but two Legendary Class holders before their second evolution.¡±


    Bordain smiled then, his eyes alight with a sense of victory while Ameera and Karim were able to lift their heads enough to stare at Nate and Kiri wide-eyed. Those looks were matched by a look of surprise on the face of the Flame Mage and one of naked envy on Luc¡¯s half-brother Thierry¡¯s. Null and Britt¡¯s lack of reaction to the news didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Bordain.


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t a complete secret?¡± Bordain snorted. ¡°You should never have bothered keeping it a secret at all. You should have come before me and I would have showered you with the power and access to Dungeons that you rightly deserve.¡±


    At Bordain¡¯s words, it was Aisling and Luc¡¯s turn to look surprised.


    ¡°What?¡± continued Bordain. ¡°You thought I would see them as a threat? They are my potential peers. The only ones I know of. They could rise to match me, unlike the members of my family who have failed to do so. They are the kinds of individuals for whom I am changing the face of Etrua, and then Galle. Only the strong deserve to rise, and they are strong, are they not?¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± ground out Aisling in acknowledgement.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Bordain said, stabbing a finger forward at her. ¡°They are a God and Goddess in the making, standing above the common dirt.¡±


    Nate was grinding his teeth but held his words close as Bordain continued his rant, ¡°I am sure my sister offered you things to assist her. Titles perhaps? Or access to mana? Dungeons? Kiri, I know your family hails from Helmfirth. I could grant you the entire region. A Duchy, to rule as you saw fit. No rules, no regulations, no laws but those you choose to devise. All you would need to do is continue to prove worthy, continue to advance, and when the time comes to spread our borders, to answer my call. That is what it means to be strong: to have the power to rule as you see fit. You could be as kind and generous as you wished, or as brutal and restrictive. I care not, because that is the right of the strong.¡±


    ¡°As for you, Nate, I am told you are a powerful crafter. Some of your teachers at this very institute,¡± Bordain exclaimed, waving his arm about the University, ¡°called you a genius. Maybe you are, and maybe you aren¡¯t. Maybe you just have access to Skills that they couldn¡¯t dream of. Few are those who rise high as crafters within Etrua. You could change that. I would give you leave to create whatever you wished. A University specifically for Crafters? It would be within your power. The wealth you generated would mostly be your own. I say mostly, because I would require your Skills, of course. Methods for improving our elites. Better tools for empowering our Dungeons.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Like the Legendary one within the castle?¡± Nate asked, interjecting a suspicion he had held for some time.


    Bordain¡¯s smile was radiant, perfect white teeth shining in the dark night, ¡°Precisely. It takes almost six months to recharge right now, but a Legendary Dungeon is beneath me now. You could help me fix that. Perhaps faster than I could fix it myself. Do you know how a Dungeon advances? By absorbing the Class Cores of those who fall within its depths. With your help in fixing and improving our mana gathering across the country, we could halve the recharge time. Then I would open it up to those with Epic Classes or better and below level sixty.¡±


    Jaws dropped at the statement but Nate was able to quickly surmise the results that Bordain desired.


    ¡°You would create a small cohort of elites and the rest who fell would fuel the Dungeon¡¯s own evolution to Mythic.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would understand,¡± Bordain replied, his tone one of supreme satisfaction. ¡°I would do the same with other Dungeons. I would cut down on the total number of Dungeons we had. Why maintain weak Dungeons, wasting mana so that the average combatant can advance. Only the strong deserve to advance and for that they must prove their strength. With less Dungeons to support, the elites of Etrua could truly advance! The rest would serve their purpose: fueling the growth of our Dungeons. Our Elites would be able to decimate the armies of our neighbours, who are already so weak that they must rely on others to even match Etrua¡¯s current strength. Can you see it? Can you see the future I would usher in?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± whispered Nate, his words non-committal.


    ¡°You could keep those you wished to, Nathaniel. That is the prerogative of the strong,¡± replied Bordain, his eyes flicking to the kneeling Britt meaningfully.


    ¡°There is, however, something you both must do before I would accept that you are truly my peers,¡± continued Bordain as he looked between Kiri and Nate. ¡°If you cannot bridge the gap between Legendary and Mythic when you reach your second evolution, then you are not destined to be my equals. You are no better than my siblings and father, lacking the strength to advance. You are close to your second evolution, I assume?¡±


    Nate didn¡¯t see a point in lying about that. It revealed nothing that Bordain wasn¡¯t already confident about and so he gave a small nod to the man. Kiri had done the same, though where Nate looked uncertain his sister looked tense, ready for a fight.


    ¡°Good. You have until I am finished dealing with Asmuisil to make your decision. Serve me, and rise. Or serve my foolish sister, and fall. I¡¯ll expect your answer when next I return to the Capital. Garnet, return to the palace. Obsidian, we¡¯re done here.¡±


    Nate watched as Garnet glared at him and Kiri, sparing some of her ire for the both of them before launching herself into the sky on wings of flame. He sensed the Concept of Space and the opening in the air as Obsidian created a portal. With one last meaningful glance at them, Bordain stepped through the portal followed by his pet Spatial Mage. Then the oppressive aura vanished and the night was quiet, except for the heavy breathing of the Guildies and a muttered curse from Kiri.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Kiri growled.


    It was Deverell who answered, ¡°Conviction. He truly believes he is right. To him, the two of you are everything he believes is true. You¡¯re proof.¡±


    Kiri cursed again and Nate took the chance to interject, ¡°This isn¡¯t really the place for this conversation. We should flee. He may have forbid Garnet from interfering with us but she didn¡¯t seem inclined to tell anyone else. More guards could come soon.¡±


    ¡°Let them!¡± Kiri stated hotly before looking around at the Guildies and seeing their sorry state. ¡°Fine. Back to the hideout.¡±


    Nate dropped his runecrafted portal plate and activated it with mana from the gems within his Runic Gallery. The split in the air resolved into a window into their underground hideout and Deverell ushered the four Guildies through, followed shortly by Luc and Aisling until only he and Kiri remained. His sister shook her head at the portal and he closed it, knowing she intended to shadow him back to their hideout. A moment later the runecrafted portal plate was back in his Runic Gallery and they were teleporting across the city as he attempted to obfuscate his teleport locations, trying not to leave any signs for someone to follow. Kiri kept up with him the entire time until they were finally back in the hideout.


    As Nate stepped out of the teleportation room, he sensed a small blonde rocket flying at him. Letting it happen by dropping his barrier, he felt Britt crash into him. She failed to bowl him over, his girlfriend holding onto him as her shoulders shook, letting her emotions flow freely down her face.


    Aisling glanced at him from across the room and gave a small nod, ¡°We¡¯ll talk in an hour.¡±


    With a smile of thanks, Nate carefully guided Britt towards the room he and Kiri had shared.


    ¡°Need another two rooms, Frick,¡± he sent to his Familiar.


    ¡°On it, Boss,¡± Frick replied, vanishing from his Runic Gallery as he went to work using Multi Conceptual Material Shaping to carve new rooms out of the stone.


    In his room, Nate lay down on his bed with Britt and relaxed for the first time in weeks. Now all they needed was to figure out what to do next. One thing he was certain of was that he would not be accepting Bordain¡¯s offer. The question was, how long did he have before the man who proclaimed himself King of Etrua returned to the Capital? However long it was, it would not be long enough. With that thought, he focused on Britt as she talked about everything that had happened now that she was safe. A small voice in the back of his mind whispered that no matter what happened, she would never be truly safe.


    *************


    Kiri danced across the training room, her daggers flashing in complex patterns on arms that stretched longer than her body length. Deverell danced in time with her. Her mentor had less arms to work with and they were shorter than Kiri¡¯s own. Even with his higher-level and extensive experience, she could tell he was struggling to keep up with her. His Embodiment, something he had never revealed to her, did not appear to be assisting him or was too weak to bridge the gap that had been growing between them.


    The time when he could offer her guidance or training was coming to an end and she hated it. Hated it because it meant there was some truth to that arrogant prick¡¯s words. The only thing bigger than his body was apparently his ego.


    ¡°He threatened my parents,¡± she growled as Deverell barely evaded two blades before being forced to retreat by a third that flicked up from a low angle at his leg. ¡°He was threatening them, right?¡±


    ¡°He was,¡± Deverell agreed, resetting his stance before stepping forward quickly and trying to get inside of Kiri¡¯s guard. In response, she committed half her arms to defense in front of her, flicking them out like a blooming flower that forced Deverell back again as she followed him. ¡°We have time to relocate them, though. Luc will likely assist.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that restrict us from selling to Asmuisil?¡± demanded Kiri hotly. She was trying to get control of herself but the fury in her was bubbling up at the thought of anyone going after her family. She had Nate here where she could protect him, but her parents were not and they definitely could not deal with a Platinum or two.


    ¡°Let it out,¡± stated Deverell as the high-Gold continued to force her to push herself. ¡°We¡¯ll talk shortly and you need a clear head if we are to adjust accordingly.¡±


    Kiri committed herself to her rage, letting it flow out of her. The hurt in her chest at being betrayed by Coralie. Her anger and fear at the threat to her parents. The feeling of helplessness and constantly being on the backfoot. She let it all out in her dancing as shiny blades flashed in the room they were forced to hide in. Because when she was done, when she had let it all out, she intended to find those responsible and put an end to every single last one of them.

 Chapter 199 - Painted Path

    Nate had taken to painting a new wall within his room. The delay of one hour before they would gather to talk had been extended after Kiri sensed Evindal approaching the city. With that delay, everyone had taken up various tasks to keep themselves busy and Kiri had gone to find Evindal. Deverell had disappeared to go see reactions within the Capital to their rescue of the Guildies. Ameera and Karim had elected to leave and return to Gashana with Luc escorting the pair out of the city. Frick was still building two new rooms¡ªone would be Null¡¯s and the other was for Kiri since Britt would be staying with Nate. Jacque and the apprentices were still asleep, which was fair given it was the middle of the night. Finally, Aisling was catching Britt and Null up on everything that had happened.


    Nate recognised he could have gone and joined Aisling¡¯s explanation to offer his support to Britt. In truth, he felt like a bit of an ass by not being there with her. But, at this moment, he wanted to be alone with his thoughts, because Bordain¡¯s words had cut deeper than he was willing to admit. His beliefs that Bordain¡¯s Path¡ªa Path that was built on slavery and corpses, where only those with power had a future¡ªwas morally wrong and repugnant to Nate. That didn¡¯t change the fact that he could see how such a Path would work. It was easy to try and make comparisons to Earth and its cultures, but mana and magic changed everything. Even on Earth, they had begun to automate some jobs and tasks before he had been thrown across the multiverse. With magic on Galle, a single reasonably skilled Farmer could grow enough food to feed thousands. Coupled with a mage to control weather or one to deal with pests, you could have a handful of people who could feed a small nation. And a small but powerful nation was what Bordain seemed to want: a nation of Elites.


    There was fear in Nate¡¯s chest. He could recognise it. Not fear of Bordain, though perhaps he should be afraid of the man. The purported King of Etrua was a Mythic Class holder. He had not been at all shy about revealing that fact. Potential peers. That was what he had called Nate and Kiri. The meaning had been abundantly clear, just as Bordain had intended. The mountain of a man with his oppressive presence was past his second evolution and held a Mythic Class, a reason he looked down on his family. Nate had seen Morgane¡¯s Classes. She had a Legendary Class after her second evolution. If she¡¯d had a Legendary Class before her second evolution, then she had failed to evolve up a tier. A crime, it seemed, in Bordain¡¯s eyes. Nate laughed at the idea, though there was no mirth in it. Even if he and Kiri failed to evolve up a tier, Bordain would still consider them his peers. The idea was absurd to Nate, that this man, this megalomaniac, would view them favourably even as he advocated for what effectively amounted to genocide.


    No, Nate had no intention of agreeing to help Bordain. And the fear he felt was for something entirely different. Was this what the rest of the multiverse was like? He truly hoped it was not the case, but still the fear lingered. With a part of his mind focused on his painting and another arguing with itself about the nature of societies in the multiverse, he finally caved and looked at the notifications he had been ignoring. Ignoring because, in part, they represented some truth to Bordain¡¯s belief, that you could rise by removing others. Still, just because he was angry at the idea didn¡¯t mean he could ignore the truth that violence and conflict were a part of this new world he found himself in. He ignored the voice that said it had been a part of his old world as well and that he had just been too busy or too naive to see it.


    The first notifications were for his level. He¡¯d killed two High-Golds and it was enough to push his level up.


    Accrued Mana applied to Secondary Class.


    Level up¡­


    Stats adjusted: +1 Magic Power, +4 Magic Control, +2 Channelling Speed, +2 Mana Reserve, +1 Mana Absorption, +5 Free Stats


    His Intellect was over five hundred now, and while he doubted he could manage a second Stat at that level before his evolution, he was willing to try. With that in mind, he invested his Free Stats into Creativity. Who knew, maybe with a Skill evolution or two and some more Stat Orbs he could manage to drive it to that height and get another Achievement. Perception would have been a better choice, but it also wasn¡¯t integral to his Path like Creativity was. With that in mind he chose the long shot option of getting Creativity to five-hundred. An Achievement was, in the end, worth less to him than his Path.


    Next were his Skill improvements.


    Conceptual Insight 54 > 56


    Multi Conceptual Material Shaping 41 > 43


    Farsight of the Runic Artist 55 > 56


    Conceptual Runic Mastery 54 > 56


    Conceptual Spatial Manipulation 48 > 50


    Conceptual Amplified Magic 47 > 49


    Conceptual Automated Existence 33 > 36


    Conceptual Spatial Authority 32 > 36


    His Skills were all improving across the board due to the constantly shifting tasks he was undertaking, but it was Conceptual Insight, Farsight of the Runic Artist and Conceptual Runic Mastery he had his eyes on. All three were closing in on their next evolution. Farsight of the Runic Artist needed to be aligned with the rest of his Path and become tied to the idea of ¡°Conceptual.¡± For the other two, he was more focused on pushing them beyond Mythic. He just needed to figure out how to do that.


    His basic idea remained the same as before: to touch upon that energy that made him feel more real and to try and funnel it into one of the Skills on his Class Core. He hadn¡¯t been able to hold onto the energy, whatever it was, but maybe he could direct it as it rushed out of him to the Gods knew where.


    Stepping back, he looked at the painting he had been creating. The other painting in his room had been of Kiri, meant to reflect her Embodiment, or the one she hoped for, Reborn, Rebirth, or perhaps even Immortality. Reflecting on it, he felt her ideal was beautiful. The interpretations were many and they weren¡¯t limited to the idea of life and death but more focused on the Concept of Change. He didn¡¯t think Kiri was quite there yet, but he was confident that was the way she would go, changing and adapting to survive anything. Maybe he was just being whimsical and she would only ever be Reborn, focusing on the transition between life and death, but he doubted he was wrong.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    If her Path was one of Rebirth, he thought perhaps his was one of discovery. Every time he had felt that rush, that energy within him, it was after he had learned something new about Concepts. Either by recognising the nature of a new Concept, in the case of realising that Princess Morgane¡¯s Embodiment was Resonance, or by gaining an understanding of how Concepts could interact, like when he had seen the Concepts of Resonance and Sound interact in a perfect feedback loop, building on each other until they unleashed a force of destruction greater than the sum of their parts.


    Roving his eyes over his latest artwork, he felt a flutter in his chest. The image was like looking at his soul laid bare. The speed and accuracy with which he could paint still blew his mind, and coupled with his enchanted paintbrush, his most treasured gift from his sister, he could paint without pause. There was no need to clean his brush, no need to dip into new paints or mix them. It was as simple as using the enchantments as the colours flowed together or changed with a thought. His soul, he decided, while beautiful, was also apparently chaotic. He blamed his ability to split his mind and focus on that. His image decorated the middle of the painting, in his Legendary robe, the stars of the night sky upon its silky appearance contrasting against the dark blue that could have been the night sky.


    Around him was everything he loved. His image was creating a painting, a previous graffiti piece of his that detailed a chess board with the pieces being placed back in the box. Both Kings were already in the box. His mind had returned to that idea after the interaction with Bordain coupled with his reminiscing and comparing the world of Galle to Earth. There was also the factor that it was his only graffiti piece that had included his parents and he wanted them in this artwork. It was important to him. Around the painting was a room split both in contents and in nature. On one side was his workshop, scattered pages, diagrams, and materials upon a plain wooden table with a simple wooden chair with a pillow on the seat. Even in his paintings he apparently desired comfort.


    Next to the workshop was the image of a Dungeon, Kiri standing with arms raised in triumph as she stood upon the corpse of a griffin. He loved his sister and had nothing but fond memories of their times together in Dungeons. They had faced only a handful together and yet they had been some of the best times of his life, even when he hated them.


    The next scene was one of a table piled high with food with over a dozen people seated around it. It was not a scene that had ever happened in reality, as the images clearly included Jacque and the kids, his effective apprentices, along with the Britt and the other Guildies. He had even included Jorge and Rania. His friends and family or, at least, the family he had chosen.


    Finally, the last scene was of that place between universes, where colours flowed like water. In that scene he floated facing forward, his own green eyes staring out of the picture back at him with a quiet intensity as various images that were meant to represent Concepts floated around him. An abstract geometric object was meant to represent Space. A flower growing upside down with multiple heads like a hydra represented Life. A perfect blue orb for Mana. A diamond split into four with each section representing a key element of Water, Earth, Fire and Wind. It was a simplistic view of the elements but a view nonetheless. A shield for Barrier, a black knife for Shadow, white armour shining with a sunburst for Light. All images meant to represent ideas, just like what Sigils were for Concepts. A section of the painting just for his Path, Conceptual.


    Stepping back to look at it, he cut off all his extraneous thoughts, all his divided attention, and focused on the painting before him. A painting meant to represent him, meant to represent the things he loved. His art, his crafting, his sister, his friends and family and his thirst for discovery. It wasn¡¯t lost on him that while Britt was in one section, she had not warranted her own. He hated himself a little for that realisation. That somewhere inside himself he had already accepted that she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with him. The understanding that whatever they had now would ultimately be coming to an end, sooner or later. Maybe he was wrong and gaining a Divine Class wouldn¡¯t change that much, but he knew in his heart that he was just trying to maintain a semblance of hope. That, in the end, it would come down to a choice between staying with Britt or progressing on his Path. In that contest, the writing was quite literally on the wall. His painting showed that while he might love Britt, she didn¡¯t warrant a space of her own, unlike his Path and his crafting.


    He didn¡¯t bother to push his emotions down, letting a few tears trickle down his cheeks. Sometimes, there just weren¡¯t good choices to be made. He suspected she would understand when the time came, but that didn¡¯t make him feel less like an ass.


    Through his sphere of awareness, he could feel that the time to gather was approaching. Kiri had appeared with Evindal who was now locked in an embrace with Aisling. A mere single tier separated the two of them, something bridgeable, unlike the three tier gulf between himself and Britt. He pushed that thought down, along with the feeling of envy. It was unworthy of the situation, of his mentors and of Britt. Deverell was yet to appear but he doubted the man would be long and Luc was already back sans Ameera and Karim. The pair of talented Guildies were now hopefully on their way home to Gashana, a small success, a good thing done. He focused on that to get his mind away from his thoughts of self-pity. Grieving for something he hadn¡¯t even lost yet, what a cliche he was.


    Tucking away his paintbrush, he cleaned himself up until he was confident he looked more like himself, before exiting the room and going to join the congregating group. He felt space shift within the teleportation chamber as Deverell appeared, broken chalk of one of Nate¡¯s escape tokens in his hand. The Dagger Dancer joined him and they marched into the workshop taking their seats as everyone else joined them, only Jacque and the apprentices remaining asleep.


    Evindal¡¯s amber eyes locked onto Nate¡¯s and the elven lord smiled brightly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk after,¡± Evindal stated, the words a promise and Nate nodded his agreement before looking over the rest of the group.


    Kiri was covered in sweat and, while her workout with Deverell earlier had helped somewhat, his sister still looked angry. Her eyes shone like banked coals rather than a roaring fire but the heat was still there, simmering underneath. The threat against her parents had hit her hard, Nate decided, and that would mean it was going to be one of the topics of conversation in a moment. That, along with Bordain¡¯s offer, Deverell¡¯s findings and Morgane¡¯s own thoughts. The Dagger Dancer had the communication tome open in front of him and Nate could see that words were appearing on the page. This discussion would likely define their plans for the future and so he gave it his full attention. Britt flashed Nate a smile from the seat next to him and reached beneath the table to squeeze his hand in comfort. Whether she knew his thoughts, he couldn¡¯t tell, but he squeezed back in appreciation.


    Aisling, the woman who was teaching him how to lead, spoke loud enough to silence everyone present. Seven sets of eyes flickered to the amazonian Platinum and she nodded in appreciation.


    ¡°You all heard King Bordain¡¯s offer or have been informed of the contents. What are we going to do about it?¡±


    The question hung in the air, drawing all their attention. Then seven sets of voices all started speaking at once, trying to talk over each other. Chaos, Nate decided. He just hoped that wasn¡¯t Bordain¡¯s goal, but who knew the minds of men with such conviction. He didn¡¯t, not yet at least. But he decided he would. For a Path could not be walked without belief in one¡¯s self.

 Chapter 200 - Gifts Abound

    Nate stopped talking immediately, doing his utmost not to contribute to the chaos.


    ¡°One at a time,¡± demanded Aisling, her tone brooking no dissent.


    Everyone stopped talking. Everyone, except for Kiri, who used the opportunity to drive the topic in the direction she desired.


    ¡°He threatened my parents. We need to do something about it,¡± stated his sister.


    Nate couldn¡¯t blame her. He doubted anyone could. So, he voiced his support.


    ¡°I agree. We should remove them from the equation so they¡¯re not at risk and can¡¯t be used to force Kiri or myself to agree to Bordain¡¯s terms.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind going and getting them, but it takes me off the board for a while. I¡¯ll be slower coming back if I am bringing two people with me. My Skills aren¡¯t designed for that,¡± explained Luc.


    ¡°What about Nate¡¯s runecrafted portal? Could that make it faster?¡± asked Deverell.


    Nate paused and tried to do some mental calculations. The rune itself for connecting the portals was Mythic. However, the material was Legendary. It should be able to handle that distance, he decided, though the mana cost was unlikely to be cheap. But who cared about that cost if it meant saving Jorge and Rania.


    ¡°It should work,¡± Nate hedged. ¡°I¡¯ve never tested it at that kind of distance, but I am fairly confident it would be enough. If not, Luc could just bring them closer before using it.¡±


    Aisling looked around the table, giving anyone else a chance to disagree. Silence reigned and the Stormspear nodded, ¡°Very well. Luc will be leaving again to rescue Kiri¡¯s parents.¡±


    Nate extracted the portal plate from his Runic Gallery, handing it over to Luc who made the item vanish. The connected plate would remain in their teleportation room. Luc flashed a slight grin before standing as if to leave.


    ¡°Sit back down,¡± Aisling stated. ¡°An extra hour won¡¯t change anything. If Bordain intended to move against them, he already would have. If he hasn¡¯t, then the extra time won¡¯t matter, and you should be involved in this discussion.¡±


    Luc sat back down with a shrug and Aisling continued to speak.


    ¡°Firstly, I am going to let Deverell share his information to make sure we are all on the same page. I have explained everything we already knew to Null and Britt about what has happened during their imprisonment so we won¡¯t be rehashing past events. Instead, we will focus on the current state of things.¡±


    Aisling motioned to Deverell, who began to speak.


    ¡°Princess Morgane has gained the support of House Korinth. House Pleras has refused to answer her call and has mobilised to protect their own lands. Asmuisil continues to keep both of the remaining Etruan armies locked down. However, Bordain¡¯s presence is slowly whittling away at one of them and it¡¯s expected that without any change, the Asmuisillan army he is facing, the same that you faced, will be forced to retreat. Apparently only their defensive emplacements are keeping them from falling. While Bordain¡¯s army has exhausted its conscripts, he has apparently given up on attacking their empowering enchantments and is simply brute-forcing his approach. Normally this would beg the question of how he is keeping his remaining Platinums and Nobles supplied with mana, I think what we witnessed tonight with Thierry Crozier explains that little issue.¡±


    Luc grunted, ¡°Thierry has at least two Spatial Mage Classes. I don¡¯t know about his third, but he is heavily specialised in spatial magic. He can certainly teleport further than I can. Probably for significantly less mana as well. We should assume Bordain can appear wherever he wants.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean you going to get Rania and Jorge might be a trap?¡± interjected Nate.


    ¡°Maybe, kid, but I am a Guild Platinum. This is what we do. Trust me to handle it.¡±


    Nate ground his teeth, ¡°But we could come help. If the portal plate works, we could join you when you reach Helmfirth.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what, if I smell a trap, that¡¯s exactly what I will do. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± muttered Nate, still a little worried.


    Null opened his mouth to speak but Aisling overrode the swordsman, ¡°We¡¯ll get to that. I promise.¡±


    Null closed his mouth, unable to relax, his stiff posture stiff as a board. The tenseness was evident in his eyes and Nate realised he hadn¡¯t given a thought to the man''s father. Prefect Raoult was already missing.


    ¡°The fact remains,¡± continued Deverell. ¡°That the current situation will likely result in Bordain defeating the army he opposes, at which point he can direct his forces to join against the remaining Asmuisillan army. At that point, his victory in the field is a foregone conclusion. Estimates are he could be back in the Capital and consolidating his forces within ten days.¡±


    Deverell paused, letting the information sink in.


    ¡°That brings me to the Capital. Right now, the forces here are limited, but still nothing that we could easily triumph over. I still do not have word of Prefect Raoult, but that lack tells me he is likely alive. Given his tier and power, and the direction he was seen fleeing, I expect he has headed into the Kirshell Mountains. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild has a very limited number of compounds within the Kirshell Mountains, given the tribes of the region''s nomadic behaviour. However, there is only one location he will be heading for.¡±


    ¡°Talon and Rook,¡± stated Aisling.


    ¡°Precisely. It is one of the few permanent settlements within the mountains. It is also likely the only one with a communication tome connected to one of the major Guild compounds. If he intends to report Allais, that is where he must head. But he would still be at least two weeks from such a location. In the meantime, Allais will have muddied the waters. She has access to her own communication tome and with multiple weeks to frame the story however she wants, it could be months before we see a response from the Guild. Even if a Gem came sooner to investigate, which is doubtful, they would do nothing about the state of Etrua. The Guild would be their only concern, and so long as Bordain and his forces make no direct moves against it, the blame would fall on Allais, assuming they were able to determine her involvement.¡±


    There was anger on every face around the table at Deverell¡¯s words, only the Dagger Dancer himself seemed immune to a feeling of betrayal.


    ¡°However, that same limitation on Bordain can also serve us.¡±


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


    Deverell smiled as he spoke those words and it was one of the few times Nate had seen a reaction upon the man''s face.


    ¡°Bordain will not interfere with the Guild or its members on Guild grounds. Even he could not handle the weight of the Guild coming down on him. They might be slow to stir, but the moment they did, his rule would be at an end. The Guild has enough Gems scattered across Galle to bury Etrua. In its weakened state, they wouldn¡¯t even need that many. Which means, Bordain won¡¯t stop us from retaking the Guild.¡±


    Aisling showed no surprise to this statement and Nate was able to recognise it had been planned. Not that he minded. Taking down Allais would undoubtedly be something his sister desired, and that alone was enough for him to be on board.


    ¡°That was the good news. The bad news is, they outnumber us in terms of Platinums. We have three, they have four, and while Aisling is potentially worth two Platinums when she has prepared the battlefield, that may not matter with Allais in the mix.¡±


    ¡°She is strong,¡± agreed Aisling. ¡°And the Jamisons are not simple opponents either. We will need to prepare accordingly if this is the path we want to take.¡±


    Null¡¯s fist slammed down on the table, cracking the stone surface of the material, ¡°Of course we¡¯re retaking the Guild!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± agreed Kiri, and Nate could see the desire for revenge in her eyes.


    Mutters of agreement were elicited from everyone else and Nate added his own. His thoughts already drifting to how he could prepare for such an assault.


    ¡°They will have Golds and Silvers as well. Some of them may know the truth, but plenty will not and will see our attack as an assault on the Guild rather than an act of liberation,¡± added Deverell.


    More than one eye drifted to Nate and he nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll come up with something.¡±


    Suppressing a bunch of Silvers and Golds should be within the scope of his capabilities. Especially given how much mana he had to put towards it. But again, he felt himself being torn in multiple directions to accomplish everything they needed.


    ¡°What about the Asmuisillan armies?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What help can we give them that we haven¡¯t already?¡± asked Luc, looking at Nate curiously.


    Every other eye flicked to Nate and he started ordering his thoughts.


    ¡°The way I see it, we need more time, right?¡± he asked, the question clearly rhetorical as he plowed forward before anyone could respond. ¡°We need time to save Rania and Jorge. Time to let Raoult notify the wider Guild. Time for Morgane to bring her own forces to the Capital. And the only thing that buys us time is to keep Bordain busy with Asmuisil. Every day he is forced to hold back their armies is less mana he has prepared, less time to consolidate his gains and less support he is likely to gather from the Nobles of Etrua who are sitting on the fence. Like House Pleras. So, what if I made the Asmuisillans stronger?¡±


    ¡°How?¡± asked Aisling.


    Nate thought about the sets of armour sitting in his Runic Gallery¡ªthe key to the Asmuisillan war machine. Their champions, empowered through what Nate could see after hours of study, was an ultimately flawed approach.


    ¡°I can fix their empowerment arrays,¡± he stated simply.


    ¡°Fix?¡± asked Evindal, thin eyebrows raised. ¡°My understanding is they work quite well.¡±


    That was enough to open the floodgates in Nate¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Quite well, sure, for what they had to work with. But they¡¯re working with flawed materials, lesser Sigils and a flawed idea of what the Class Core does.¡±


    Everyone''s attention was on him now but he was too deep in his explanation and the words continued to rush out of him.


    ¡°They treat one Class Core like another. As though the processed mana that the empowerment array shares with the wearer of the armour is all the same. But it¡¯s not. A Class Core is unique to an individual. In the same way is how it directs and controls the processed mana that it uses to empower the body of an individual. The empowerment array is raising the wearer¡¯s Stats, but it¡¯s not raising them specifically based on the Classes of that individual. It¡¯s a flat increase. Their mages are receiving Physical Stats. Their warriors are receiving Mental Stats. I am not saying they don¡¯t help a little, but there is so much waste in the design.¡±


    ¡°And you think you can fix that?¡± asked Aisling.


    ¡°I know I can,¡± Nate stated confidently. ¡°I can customize the armour and the linking empowerment array to focus on specific Stats. Not only will it improve the efficiency of conversion, but it will also make the total Stats they receive significantly higher. Also¡­I think, in some cases, I might even be able to make it empower their Skills.¡±


    Eyes were wide in shock at his statement. All except for Kiri and Luc. It was Luc who broke the silence, leaning forward and pinning Nate with a curious gaze.


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± asked his spatial mentor.


    Nate pointedly didn¡¯t look at Britt next to him as he responded, ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ err, been doing some experimenting and research with a couple of armours I stole from the Asmuisillan army.¡±


    Luc slapped the table, breaking everyone else from their stupor as the Riftwalker laughed out loud.


    ¡°Robbed em blind and then took a look at their best works and called them trash. Not good enough for his girlfriend¡± hooted Luc, tears forming in his eyes as he laughed.


    ¡°I did not call them trash,¡± Nate muttered.


    Kiri smirked at him from across the table and winked, ¡°You kinda did.¡±


    The comment was enough to elicit a smile from Null for the barest of moments and Britt had latched onto his arm, understanding the meaning behind Nate¡¯s words. He had been coming up with an improved armour to enhance her capabilities and let her empower herself through regular mana in the hope that she could fight up a tier or even two. Even if he knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough in the long-term, he had still been trying.


    ¡°If you were to go help them, you wouldn¡¯t have a teleportation plate to return,¡± Aisling pointed out.


    ¡°I could further enhance one of the escape talismans,¡± Nate countered. ¡°It¡¯d be a one-way trip back but it should be enough.¡±


    ¡°You would be on your own,¡± Aisling replied, clearly not happy with the idea.


    Surprisingly, it was Kiri who jumped to his defence, ¡°Nate will be fine. He can escape with his various trinkets if they try to come down on him.¡±


    Aisling¡¯s lips thinned but Evindal touched her arm gently. The Stormspear glanced at her husband and her eyes softened slightly before she nodded.


    ¡°What about the rest of us?¡± asked Null.


    ¡°Larceny,¡± stated Luc confidently to everyone except Deverell¡¯s confusion. ¡°Without Nate here to craft you all new equipment, you should rob the Nobles¡¯ district. Repeatedly. Anything useful. Re-equip yourselves. Because when Nate and I get back, we¡¯re going to war with Allais and the Jamisons. After that we will target the Nobles of Etrua supporting Bordain. Unless I missed something and Nate and Kiri wanted to accept his offer.¡±


    Kiri snorted at that statement and Nate shook his head. The offer had never been an option. Sure, it would have helped him advance. Likely faster than almost any other path. But it would have been at the cost of others, of their lives or their opportunities. Those were unacceptable terms. Bordain had to fall. For that to happen, they needed to buy time and chip away at his powerbase. With everything decided, the group split up. Luc was gone within moments, apparently unwilling to waste any time. Kiri and Deverell both vanished to go talk to their informants. He had heard a whisper from Kiri about finding out where the guards had stockpiled everything they had already stolen. Nate had a feeling the thefts might not be limited to the Noble Houses but might affect the Royal Castle itself. Null was in conversation with Aisling and Nate had returned to his room. Britt had followed and was gazing at his painting. Her shoulders were a little slumped but she put on a brave face as she turned to him and told him how beautiful she found it.


    He prepared for an awkward conversation but was interrupted as Evindal knocked. Opening the door, Evindal smiled politely.


    ¡°I was wondering if I might have a moment before you left, Nate?¡±


    Britt nodded and touched Nate¡¯s arm gently before squeezing past Evindal to exit the room.


    Evindal watched her go before turning to face Nate, ¡°Ah, the trials and tribulations of young love. I do not envy you. But that isn¡¯t what I wanted to talk about. Are you still set on aiming for the Lord of Life Class for your Tertiary Class?¡±


    Nate nodded that he was. His thoughts and ideas on his Path hadn¡¯t changed, and to make it clear, he calmly stated, ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Then, this is for you. A gift from my people. Use it wisely.¡±


    In Evindal¡¯s hand appeared a golden flower, its petals like burnished metal as the air around it warped slightly with the Concept of Life. Farsight of the Runic Artist triggered.


    Hundred Year Flower of a Faebloom Elm (Legendary)