The crater had a stone tunnel, something like a mine entrance that could easily have a trap inside. At this point, whoever was behind this wasn’t even trying to hide it. But perhaps it was because they knew that they did not have a choice.
“I will lead.” The Steward said as they continued not stopping for even half a step. Mana began to whirl around them, forming something like a vibrating shield as they stepped into the mine.
Three different attacks began the second they did, washing over them without doing any harm. A wave of fire burned the shield, the entrance collapsed on their heads, and metal projectiles Althea could only call bullets shot towards them at very fast speeds.
The Steward continued walking as if the attacks did not bother him at all. The power that he wielded was clearly levels higher than the area. Althea was less confident, the attacks had her stopping and trying to activate mana, but mana simply would not respond to her here. The Steward was king and she was peasant in this place.
The group continued on, the Emperor's guards not looking even a little surprised by the Steward's display of power. Althea supposed they were used to it. The little tunnel was not lacking in traps at all. Every few feet into it, one would spring up and blast them with something. But not one pierced the Steward's shield.
This was the reason for the Steward's confidence. The sheer suppression of level made it so that people below Adept could not pose a threat to one at all.
The cave narrowed into something like an entrance, and then suddenly widened. There was a beast waiting for them in the cave. The entire thing reminded her off game sequences. The Steward simply waved his hand, and the beast died, splattering blood on the floor as the wind pulled its head from its body.
The next cave had two beasts. The one after that had three. The Steward dealt with them the same way he had with the first one. a single burst of wind relieved them of their heads, and the group continued on with their journey. An execution more than a quest. A demonstration of power more than a teaching moment.
The next room had just one beast, but it was far more of a challenge. A journeyman stage beast. Althea was sure of it. The Steward dealt with just as before. But that was, once again, more powerful than they had expected it to be.
The next room had two Journeyman beasts. The one after that three. The result was still the same. Althea held her breath as they crossed in the next room. Were there Master stage beasts waiting for them? There weren't.
What awaited them instead was a strange looking, humanoid stone sculpture in the center of the room. The sculpture creaked as they entered, turning to face them, its red eyes glowing in warning.
The Steward reacted faster than before, winds blowing the sculpture into a wall as the pulled it apart. The sculpture's physique was proven superior. The beasts before had not been able to resist. This one held for a full minute. There was no blood that she could see when the puppet finally broke down, leaving just broken arms.
The Steward peered at the corpse, levitating it and turning it around.
“The mechanical valley?” Anthony asked.
“No, but similar. This uses a different way to direct mana, but the basic idea is the same. Using crystalized mana to power these constructs. The make is more inefficient, and uses more precious materials. The mechanical valley would have used these materials to make an Adept level drone.”
The steward waved his hand, collecting the materials. “I am confiscating them for now.”
Althea just shrugged. The mechanical valley was, to her knowledge, a small sect in the central part of the continent that did not have a single Adept stage drone. What they did have was an abundance of Master stage ones that they would loan out to Empires as weapons. The fantasy version of an arms dealer.
The next room had two of these puppets. The one after that three, again. There was a pretty clear pattern. The Steward merrily collected the corpses wordlessly, but his frown was getting deeper by the minute. If the pattern continued, the next room should have Adept stage sculptures.
The group walked into the room, weapons drawn, ready to fight. A single winged beast stood in the middle of the room, nine sculptures flanking it. A Journeyman stage beast.
“Hello, servants.” the beast looked up, speaking in a clear voice. The Steward stiffened beside her, but did not attack just yet. “Did you know that you are the first to reach this stage? Tell me, how do you wish to serve me?”
The Steward looked at the beast for a second, and then made shopping motion with his hand. There was a burst of motion that Althea could not track, but a sculpture suddenly appeared before the beast, one arm falling to the ground. The other sculptures appeared beside it, glowering at the Steward, mana reacting to their presence.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Three at the Adept stage. Six at the Master stage.
sc
Isa
The battle had been going so well. The beasts were dying. The soldiers were recovering mana and switching in and out of the battle. And it looked like they could out endure the tide. And then that bloody elephant had to go crash into the wall. An Adept stage elephant.
Why was there an Adept stage elephant in this tide anyway? The elf leader was on it nearly immediately, but the elephant was powerful, and interrupting its charge was not something the elf could do.
At the moment, Isa could not see how the charge could be stopped at all. How did an animal that big move that fast? The bloody thing was faster than her! Verest though, he was just a flash, flashing around the elephant as huge gashes appeared on it. The elephant panicked, flailing about trying to hit Verest. The beast did not seem to have any elemental powers at all, its physique was enough of a challenge. If it had magic on top of that...Isa could not see how it could be defeated at all. Not in the Adept stage. Perhaps a Grandmaster, if they existed, could to do it.
But she had other problems. Lord Verest was dealing with the elephant, but there was still a huge rush of acts heading towards Marile’s city wall. Isa jumped off the wall, calling the air mages to float down. A hundred others jumped with her. The other students form the college, and a lot of Elves.
The beasts fell to her blade as she landed, circling around to kill every beast in sight. There was no time to think. To plan. That time was gone. This time was just to attack.
A huge otter approached her with his comrades. Isa did not think, she did not check its cultivation, she simply stabbed. If it was too powerful, she would die, if not, it would die. The otter let out some kind of guttural sound as its comrades closed in on her. Isa jumped, letting fire coat her sword as she slashed in a circle. The otters’ heads lobed off, but there were already more beasts climbing on the corpses.
A literal sea of cockroaches. Not an enemy she was good at dealing with. But she had preparations for that. Poison trickled out of a pouch, curtesy of Nathan. The cockroaches died fast, but not fast enough. The vultures were here to feast. The birds swooped in on her, ready to kill, but then fell. Isa only looked up to find a dark violet arc crumpling their bodies. A closer look discovered it's source. Vanessa.
A surprise. The girl was not one she would have pegged for having this kind of power, but it was what it was. Now it was time for her to face the next part of her challenge.
The beasts ran towards her, the sheer force of the tide behind them pushing them forward. This was why a tide was so rare. The beasts would kill each other before they got to this level. But she was thinking again, and the beasts were gaining again.
Isa let herself sink into a trance, letting her sword sing its own trance as she massacred every single thing in sight. Planning went out of her head. The actions of her comrades went ignored. There was just her, her latest enemy, and the next move she had to make.
The sword flashed faster and faster as mana responded to her. Just as it did every time. Fire burned through the sword's edge. Water spun from her hair towards her enemies’ eyes. The pebbles took the chance to land sneak attacks. The air was howling in their ears. This was her place. Isa was sure of it. But she was thinking again.
Another beast came. The sword flashed again. Another beast fell. The beast weren't the only ones hurting, she could feel wounds appearing throughout her body, her armor struggling to protect her against so many attacks landing at once. But she endured. The beasts continued getting more powerful. There were barely any Novice stage beasts anymore.
The Apprentice stage beasts required more slashes from her. And gave her more wounds. But she still endured. The Countess had given her a responsibility. And even if she hadn't, there was a city behind her. A city that could not be allowed to fall.
Isa's sword got stuck in one particular beast's carapace causing her to immediately break her trance. The beasts did not miss their chance. As if they had just been waiting for a chance, there were a dozen beasts ready to attack her.
Isa reached for the special sword strapped to her back. There wasn't time to remove it from its sheath, so she simply pulled it. The sword cut through its sheath as if it were just waiting for her command. The entire thing hummed to her, mana flowing from her into the sword as it pulsed in concert with her heartbeat.
Isa felt suddenly fresher, as if she wasn't bleeding from wounds. The beasts fell to her, mana emerging from her sword into the air and towards them. The mana transformed into arcs of golden light that cut into the sword.
The sword seemed like it had its own consciousness, a hunger to attack, to kill. Isa tried to fall back into her trance, but the sword was hard to handle. Every swipe was faster than she was used to. Every stab had more power than usual. The sword pulled at her, at her mana, enhancing and limiting her at the same time.
The reality was clear. The sword was an excellent weapon, she was sure. But it was too much for her. Isa could barely use it, let away properly activate it. The sword was one of overflowing mana, a sword that waged battle against entire armies alone. The sword yearned for it.
Isa could feel it. The yearning was in its every move, every instinct was full of it. Isa could relate, she yearned for it too. The power was something she wanted.
The sword seemed to thrum as if expressing its agreement. Isa wouldn't be shocked if it could actually read her mind. But as true as her feeling was, it was also true that she could not do it now. Even as she killed beasts one after the other, she felt her power wane. The sword took too much mana. The pull strained her muscles. Pushed her joints to the very edge.
Every part of Isa's body was slowing down. But the sword refused to follow suit. The hunger in it would not stop. There seemed to be a void within it that was eager to absorb every last bit of mana she had.
The beasts were dwindling in number, but not enough. Not even close. And Isa could sense more. At the back of her mind, trickling into her senses. Five huge auras, ready to burst int the wave and end their lives. So, she took a deep breath and let go.
A huge arc of golden light cut a swath of beasts away as Isa consumed most of the mana in her. And then, calling on the last of her mana, she screamed.
"Lord Verest!" she hoisted the sword into the air and towards the half-elf that was still whittling the elephant down. "Catch!"
And then she lost consciousness.