Naturally, my daring plan sparked a hot debate around the entire temple. It wasn’t set in stone. It wasn’t like I
wasn’t
open to other ideas and considerations, provided they were superior.
But the fact of the matter was that one of the only ways we could tackle the overwhelming legal might that Lord Brasvay was wielding against us was by tackling his
right
to own the temple lands. He had to prove legitimate cause to attain
and
maintain ownership, and we had to fight against that.
Because I suspected something like the Blight Swarm, something so powerful and dangerous that forced warrior tribes to shelter in cities and disquieted people like the Councillors, would likely force Brasvay to recalculate his priorities.
And that was the undisputable evidence we’d need to strike right back at his stupid ancestral title.
The heated little discussion we had went nowhere afterwards, which wasn’t unexpected. I just managed to calm all my fellow cultists down and ask them to present a united front to everyone else who wasn’t yet privy to the matter. One of Brasvay’s goals was ruining our collective strength by dividing us, so we absolutely couldn’t be giving in to that ploy.
“We can’t act unthinkingly,” I said. “Things are going to come to a head and we need to be ready for that moment. We need to show that we are better for this temple, for this neighbourhood, for this
land
, way more than some snooty noble from Ring Two. And the best way we can do that is by beating back the Blight Swarm with all the strength we’ve got.”
They nodded grimly. Guille and Santoire still looked scared and unsure, and the Scarthralls were one and all furious, and even Aqrea looked dubious at the statement, but their resolute nods proved that they would be giving it their all. That was all I could ask for.
Like most other people at the cult, I was a little too anxious to make proper use of the rest of the day. Even though trying to be productive would have been a welcome distraction, brains just weren’t wired for productivity when under duress. Well, most brains weren’t. Aqrea was weirdly even more into tracking numbers and maintaining accounts now.
“If they try to strike back legally when we challenge their ancestral title,” she said by way of explaining her motivation. “Then one of the first things they’ll come after is the state of our accounts. Any financial discrepancies, any faults, anything even minorly suspicious will be used as a bludgeon, so we
need
to make sure every little detail is in order.”
Honestly, I was impressed. I was so busy thinking up a counterstrike to Brasvay’s ploy, I had forgotten to account for any potential counters from
Brasvay
. But that was what I had friends for.
“I’ll go pay a visit to the old bastard who approved all this,” Hamsik said with a low growl. The kind of growl I had only heard him use against the evil Scarthralls way back.
“He’s a
Councillor
, Hamsik,” I said. “I really don’t want the added complication of dragging a fellow cultist out of the tightest jail on Ring One.”
“I didn’t say I could kill him, for Pit’s sake. We’ll just talk. It should be enlightening.”
“Just try not to savage him please. Or maim him. Or do anything else somewhat objectionable.”
Hamsik just growled and grumbled some more.
Later on, I made sure to take some time to speak with Sreketh and the Scarthralls.
“I’m sorry,” I told them. “I know you guys had plans and everything, and it’s all taking a step back with everything that’s going on.”
“It’s okay, Ross,” Sreketh said. “My dumb academy can wait. First, we have to protect Ring Four. And the temple!”
“Right,” Lujean said. “This is an adventure too! Just… not one we’re getting paid for directly. But still!”
“
Could
we make it an official job at the guild?” Vandre asked.
“We actually can, yes,” I said, now actually considering how we could go about doubling up on the efforts we were about to spend anyway. “Yeah, I think it’ll be a good idea. The first dungeon delve I did wasn’t a sponsored commission or anything like that either, so we should be able to set our own job and all that.”
“The only thing is that we’d then have to give up all our loot to the Adventurer’s Guild, right?”
“Right. But I figure some of the loot aren’t things we can deal with to begin with anyway.” For instance, I had no idea what in the world we could do with monstrous insect carapaces. Sure, we could sell it, but how would we do so without access to the proper channels? I supposed there
was
the Mage Guild’s trade workshop. “We’ll need to figure it out, but there will be complications.”
For instance, if this turned out to be a chaotic battlefield, I could see there being a lot of mess with regards to different people claiming different kills and such. I’d need to confer with someone who had actual experience in the matter. For all we knew, the guild wouldn’t even allow our little idea.
It was nice that they weren’t too miffed about pushing their own prospects further back. Just one more thing I could appreciate about the folks I kept around me.
With everybody at the cult in less of a mental dire strait than they had been the previous day, I could finally head out without worrying too much.
Well, I couldn’t
not
be anxious about the fact that Brasvay had tried to interfere with us while I was gone. He could try that again. I was pretty sure that was going to become a paranoid worry that I wouldn’t be able to push past so easily. Whatever.
When I headed over to the Mage Guild, I tried not to get lost, but my efforts proved futile. Thankfully, I had one of the maps from Sreketh to Sacrifice and navigate with.
As I travelled, I saw more evidence of the Blight Swarm.
More refugees had entered Zairgon. Though these were affluent enough to have taken up temporary residence on Ring Three. They were from another trade caravan, similar to the one that Cerea had accompanied, though hers had tragically been destroyed.
These Plumefolk traders were lucky that they had been accompanied by a powerful guard who had repelled the monsters they had faced. Though not without losses.
Zairgon was getting closer and closer to facing off against the threat of the Blight Swarm.
“I wanted to congratulate you in person,” Master Kostis said when we met at the Mage Guild practice grounds. “After all the progress you’ve made. After the fact you successfully awakened your mana core
and
opened up a Nether Vein. But now… well, I’m sorry for the current situation.”
For a second, I focused on what I was trying to do. Attracting the little blob of smoke with Gravity was proving to be a little more difficult than I was imagining. “I appreciate the condolences, Master.” I smiled at him. “But the congratulations were fine on their own. We’ll be taking care of the
reason
behind the condolences soon enough.”
Kostis hissed out a snicker. “Well, I’m glad to see you are trying to remain in a positive mood. Congratulations on the core awakening, my boy!”
I tried not to preen too much. It helped to remember all the things that were pressing down on me, on the part of me that yelled what did I think I was doing when my home was about to be
stolen
from me.
This text was taken from NovelFire. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Of course, the rational part of me reasserted itself after a small bout of panic. The measures against all the stresses acting on me were underway. Our counterplay against Brasvay was directly intertwined with our defence against the Blight Swarm now, and both were progressing. Obsessing about it all would just waste my time.
So here I was, still working with Master Kostis to get the new Gravity Affix I was aiming for.
“Is it really this hard to gain new Affixes in Gold?” I asked. “I’ve been going at it for two days now.”
“It can be difficult,” Kostis said. “Although, circumstances matter. For instance, if you sought to achieve the Affix via a breakthrough, then it would be no more difficult than before.”
Ah, right. I hadn’t figured out a proper second Affix for Illumination for ages. And then, during the fight against the Eyelined Beast, I had been pushed enough to gain Reflection. I hadn’t explored it as much as I should have because it was a mostly defensive Affix, but it had great potential for sure.
Achieving something similar with Gravity was exactly what I might need, although I didn’t want to wait. Breakthroughs wouldn’t exactly arrive via training.
“Was your core infected by the Nether Vein, Ross?” Master Kostis asked.
The question was so unexpected, I faltered in my practice. I had made some progress towards drawing Kostis’s smoke towards me with Gravity, especially after using Sacrifice to boost my Gravity casts, but the blob of grey vapour dissipated in surprise. “What gave it away?”
Kostis half-slithered closer. “It
ate
you, didn’t it? A contact that direct must have left a mark. A Nether Vein does not let go of what it catches without a suitable scar.”
I tried not to shudder as I remembered what I had gone through at the end of the dungeon. “A scar, huh? I’m not sure I’d describe what I keep feeling as
scarred
.”
“That’s considerably more concerning, in all honesty. Not that I intend to pile more in your overflowing plate, but you saw what happened to Khagnio, yes? Well, that was from simply submerging perhaps half his body to drag you out.”
“Whereas I was drowning in it…”
“Yes, exactly. Drowning, and possessing a massive hole in your chest.”
“The hole
was
filled up with mana, to be fair.”
“That probably worsened the effect of the Nether Vein affecting you, Ross.”
“Well, that’s fantastic.”
Kostis either didn’t recognize sarcasm or chose to ignore it. “It could be! It’s all a matter of how well you take advantage of however the Nether Vein’s affliction manifests.”
“Affliction?” I swallowed. “It’s been making me feel depressed whenever I work my mana core, kind of. But you sound like it’s going to get
worse
. How dangerous is the Nether Vein’s effect?”
“Depends entirely on said effect, in all honesty. And it can manifest in various ways, the vast majority of which have not been documented at all! Not surprising since we’re dealing with ancient magic the majority of the populace never gets around to interacting with. I can’t even recall the last mage before you who had anything to do with it.”
“You’re not helping, Master,” I said.
“I know. Sometimes, a master just needs to provide a challenge so the pupil can help himself.”
“Sure…”
Basically, the sensations I was experiencing so far was just the first stage. We had no idea how exactly the Nether Vein’s influence was going to expand and manifest, so we couldn’t do a thing about it. There
were
certain precautions I could take, but most were intensive procedures with not insignificant side effects and were potentially wastes of time.
I decided I would buy a few runes and potions for emergencies, though.
Kostis continued helping me train. I was making slow, incremental progress. Much as I’d have preferred to see the Weave’s confirmation that I had indeed learned the Affix I wanted, at least I was getting there.
“Gold-ranked Augmentations, hmm…” Kostis mused when I had asked him for recommendations. “You said you already have an idea for Power? It does sound interesting. Some battlemages are familiar with it, I believe. And you also said you already had ideas for Spirit and Thauma, yes?”
“Right,” I said. “All that leaves is Illumination and Flare and whatever new Aspects I get after getting my Paths to Gold. Oh, and Vitality and Agility as well, I suppose.”
“My second Vitality Augmentation actually assists my casting directly, if you just know,” Kostis said.
I raised my eyebrows. “A Vitality Augmentation that helps your casting?”
He grinned at me, apparently rather proud of what he had just revealed. “Correct! It’s called Peak Vitalcast. So long as I remain uninjured in any situation, my casting will receive a boost in both impact and cast time.”
I blinked. “Alright, that’s really amazing.”
“Less so for a—” He affected a cough into his hand “—
mage
like you, Ross.”
“Very funny, master.”
He was right, though. For someone like me, who didn’t mind fighting right up front like a melee combatant, it wouldn’t be the best Augmentation. At least not until I had other things to ensure I was constantly at max health. Mana Heal would help, but it still wouldn’t be ideal.
“As for Agility,” Kostis continued. “I have Aspected Aftermath. It boosts all my speed and reflexes and even mental acuity whenever I move into a zone of physical space affected by any of my Aspects.”
“Huh,” I said. “Interesting. I could make use of that…”
After my Agility reached Gold, that was. And if I didn’t find anything better after talking to Gutran or discovering something else myself.
We didn’t have a ton more to discuss. Master Kostis was kind enough to spend time training my Gravity pretty hard. He kept lowering and lowering the amount of mass every blob of smoke he sent my way possessed, which ensured my Gravity was getting good training.
I still didn’t gain a new Affix for it, though.
That was fine. Maybe I really would need a breakthrough. Hmm, that was slightly concerning but I tried to remain optimistic. Hitting Gold was a huge achievement in and of itself.
Plus, at least Thauma was coming along nicely.
[ Rank Up!
Your Thauma Attribute has risen by one Rank.
Thauma
: Iron III
]
“I’ll be heading out before long,” Master Kostis said. “So you might need to find alternative ways to continue procuring lessons and advice.”
“Where are you going?” I asked. It kind of hurt to hear was leaving, and it sounded like it wasn’t going to be a short jaunt off somewhere temporarily. But I didn’t begrudge Kostis looking out for himself above everybody else.
“To the Nether Vein.”
That made me lose all sight of my rather selfish notions of hurt.
“
Why?
” I asked.
Kostis laughed, blowing more smoke out of his gold-etched pipe. Hadn’t it been silver-etched before? I couldn’t remember. “Think about it, Ross. Why would an Opal-ranked mage head to someplace like the Nether Vein?”
The answer was kind of obvious. “Because that’s the kind of challenge you need to actually keep growing beyond Opal.” I shook my head even as Kostis’s smile widened to indicate I had guessed right. “But we brought you that treasure. That slab thing you said was good enough to get to Onyx.”
“Getting to Onyx is just a mere step in growth. You wouldn’t stop there, would you?”
I didn’t need even a single second to answer that. “Not at all.”
Kostis laughed in pleasure. “There is a good reason why I’ve continued to teach you for this long, my boy. Not that I can claim much credit for how fast you’ve grown. But I like to think I’ve contributed somewhat.”
He had. More than just
somewhat
. I would be forever—
“Stop acting like I’m leaving you for good, Ross,” Kostis said, his little fangs biting down on the pipe. “I don’t know how long I will spend there, but I do intend to return after some time.”
There were so many questions I should have asked then. Questions about the Nether Vein, about what sort of preparations that Kostis had undergone to get ready for his own adventure there. Surely, he had to possess a pretty decent amount of information to venture into it personally like that.
But Kostis sensed my questions before I could utter them.
“You aren’t ready for it just yet, Ross,” he said. “Perhaps in time, before long. But go too early and you
will
suffer for it.”
“I understand,” I said. I was already suffering after just a brush.
We exchanged farewells, and Kostis said he wasn’t sure if he’d be seeing me again before he left for the Nether Vein, so the goodbyes took a little longer than was probably normal. He promised he’d send a letter to the Councillors recommending against allowing the temple’s sale to House Brasvay, though his influence was limited. I appreciated the effort all the same.
After I left the Mage Guild, I noticed that the city seemed a little abuzz. People were being hurried away towards their shelters. One guard saw me and immediately started dragging me towards the gate to Ring Four.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Don’t you worry your zealous little head about it, cultist,” the Plumefolk said a bit condescendingly. “Just get to your temple and pray for everybody.”
“It’s very difficult to pray for rude people, you know,” I said.
The Plumefolk spared one look of unaffected disgust before he continued shoving me towards the crowd surging through the gates. Thankfully, I was significantly stronger than the average Ring Four-er. Probably even stronger than the guard, with how easy I found it to just shrug him off. He just gawked, his beak wide open, as I left him behind and jumped straight up top on the gate.
“Oh, Ross!” Revayne said, not even a smidge startled, unlike the rest of the guards. “We’re having a little trouble getting a good view.” She held out what looked like a telescope. “Do you think you can help?”
I glanced at Revayne and the book in her hand. Then I looked past her, past the walls we stood on and even far past the outer bounds of Ring Four. A huge dust cloud was approaching the city, edging closer and closer to the base of the mountain.
Ah. My heart started thudding. It was nearly time. Were the Swarm early, or was this just an advance element?
I looked down at the telescope Revayne was offering. That was what she wanted me to find out.
“Alright,” I said.
I took the looking glass, then channelled Gravity with Siphon before shooting straight up with a powerful jump.
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