Chapter 152

The Monster Surge got worse. Over the mountain range, a black storm cloud curled into a vortex and stationed over Farcrest. Dark and viscous mana particles charged the air and obscured the vision. I could barely see the outline of Ilya’s back in front of me. The storm wasn’t a natural phenomenon but an area spell—two area spells, to be precise.

I used Identify.

[Black Storm]

The spell, however, didn’t discriminate friend from foe, and the undead were as blind as we were. Without being discovered, Ilya guided us into a cave in the stone wall. Her Spirit Animal was extra useful tonight.

The wind swayed the perennial trees, and a chorus of rustles and cracks obscured my hearing to the point not even [Awareness] could isolate the background noise. If there was a Wendigo walking near the entrance of the cave, we wouldn’t know until it peeked inside. We settled down in silence and rested our weary feet.

The kids were exhausted, and I felt out of it, too. My mind, however, was running a thousand miles a minute, thinking of how best to protect the kids

Calling our refuge a cave was too generous. The crevice went a couple of meters into the rock, but it was better than standing in the middle of the storm. I stood by the entrance, but the storm got worse, so I decided to return inside.

“Your blanket, Ilya,” I said after a moment of silence.

The girl interrupted the contact with her [Spirit Animal], opened her eyes and rummaged through her backpack. The Sentinel’s supplies were top-notch quality, but an enchanted blanket was better than a regular piece of cloth and a lot more useful in case of another area freezing spell. I focused on the fabric and channeled my mana, but the enchantment fizzled.

Instinctively, I knew the problem. Enchanting a blanket would be trickier than enchanting a rock. The blanket, despite being a single object, was formed by thousands of little singular strands of spun wool threads. I doubted an Enchanter would enchant every single thread. Instead, they probably enchanted the whole yarn, and then a Craftsman would determine how many enchanted strands would end up in the fabric.

I decided that one every fifth strand was enough, considering the chilling wind.

“It’s not the time to start enchanting wool threads! There’s a Monster Surge outside,” Ilya said. Despite her energetic voice, her slumped shoulders started to show signs of exhaustion.

I didn’t realize the implications of Ilya’s words until later.

“He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight,” I said with a calm voice.

“Quickness is the essence of war,” Ilya retorted.

“The wise warrior avoids the battle,” I continued, wondering when I taught her more Sun Tzu quotes. It was during our sparring sessions, trying to fill the silence while they jogged in the ballroom. [Awareness] made it very easy to remember anything I had read in the past as long as I fed it enough mana.

The wind roared, and the viscous dark mana blocked the already scarce light that entered the cave. My [Night Vision] was enough to see inside the cave, but the trait couldn’t penetrate the storm. I scratched my chin, wondering what was the best way of keeping the cave safe. Ilya’s [Spirit Animal] and Zaon’s [Sentinel’s Oath] were useful detection skills, but they were still low-level fighters, and I feared the skills wouldn’t work against high-level undead. Kellaren and Janus had evaded my mana sense with ease, and only the rustle of their cloaks had set off my [Awareness]. Even then, I was feeding the skill considerable amounts of mana.

I hoped the [Black Storm] kept us hidden like it had done while we crossed the mountain path into the Farlands.

The silver lining was that Janus wasn’t chasing us. The last thing Ilya’s [Spirit Animal] saw before we left the effective range of the skill was Janus and the guardsmen retreating into Farcrest while wave after wave of undead fell from the mountain range and poured into the valley. For any unsuspecting observer, we were as good as dead. However, Lady Luck was on our side, and the [Black Storm] concealed our movements.

The sun set over the mountains, and night fell upon the Farlands.

“What is the plan, then?” Ilya said, sitting on a small boulder. The oversized jacket made her look even smaller. There was no gnome-size equipment in the watchtower and no Sentinel around to file a complaint with.

“This is my first Monster Surge, so I’m out of my element,” I replied.

The plan I had formulated was straightforward: plow through the undead ranks until we find the orc tribes. I had an approximate idea of the locations of their outposts, and Wolf probably had his share of secret information. However, I wanted to hear the kid’s ideas before making any decision. Whether I liked it or not, we had only one shot, and four out of five members of the party were underleveled. That was the hand dealt to us.

“I’m open to ideas,” I said.

Ilya dropped her head and rubbed her eyes.

“The chance of a bunch of level ones surviving in the Farlands is low. Surviving during a Monster Surge is zero. We are as good as dead. That’s my input,” Ilya sighed.

Her lack of faith bothered me, but I thought it could be the fatigue speaking.

Firana wasn’t having any of Ilya’s self-loathing. She jumped to her feet, and I cast Silence Dome just as she opened her mouth.

“Chances? Don’t talk to me about chances! You were supposed to be a Mender or some stupid crafter class. Zaon believed that his best shot in life was to become a Soldier. I didn’t expect to be more than a Fencer. Now look at us! ”

Each word hit like a hammer against the anvil, and Firana wasn’t even halfway done.

“They said we couldn’t do it; that fate doesn’t smile at a bunch of orphans. But we did it. We worked hard, day after day, with the mud up to our knees and trained until our muscles burned. And even then, when we had nothing else to give, we continued pushing forward. Our success had nothing to do with chance, gentlemen. We defeated every single noble house in the Kingdom, and we fucking earned it! Odds mean nothing to us!”

Usually, Firana wasn’t the one keeping the group’s harmony. She was the defiant one, the one who pushed things forward. I didn’t expect such a demonstration of leadership, but her words were true from start to finish. Despite their bad initial hands, they had seized the opportunity and bent the hand of fate.

Firana’s radiant smile seemed to dispel the [Black Storm] as she put her hand over Wolf’s shoulders.

“Even this brick-head learned which side to take the sword,” she grinned.

With a single sentence, the tense atmosphere disappeared, and a smile tugged Ilya’s lips.

“I understand you are mad at me, but I will not get a Class,” Wolf replied, pointing at the storm outside. “Corruption and Monster Surges are literally the System’s fault.”

“Okay, Mister Doom-and-gloomer, whatever your orc nanny told you,” Firana mockingly said.

“Wolf is right,” I said, and the cave fell silent. “Corruption is the System’s fault.”

Firana and Zaon knew about the System Avatar. She had met him face to face, and I had revealed the truth to Zaon before his birthday in case the Avatar appeared before him during Class selection. I guessed it was the right time to tell them the whole truth.

“I have been keeping a secret from you, and I think the time to come clean has arrived. I’m sorry for lying,” I said, picking my words carefully. Zaon already knew the full story. Firana only knew about the System Avatar. Ilya and Wolf were in complete darkness.

“Oh, we already know,” Ilya said. “Zaon told us everything about the Man in Yellow and the Runeweaver. We noticed he was acting strange after his birthday, so we… pressed him.”

I looked at the elf boy.

“I’m sorry,” Zaon muttered.

I wasn’t completely surprised. After teaching dozens of classes, I concluded that kids could be extremely keen and very convincing liars when they wanted to. Moreover, Ilya and Firana seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to Zaon's affairs.

“I don’t blame you, Zaon,” I sighed and turned around to face the rest of the group. “Eventually, they would start asking questions about all the Light Stones and Warm Stones popping into the orphanage. I have to say that you scoundrels kept the secret very well.”

Ilya looked away and crossed her arms. “It’s easy to forget that Mister Clarke isn’t just a lame Scholar.”

[Awareness] told me she was mad at me for keeping the secret.

“Mister Clarke is pretty cool all the time!” Firana jumped in my defense, which made me feel even more uncomfortable.

“I agree with Firana,” Zaon pointed out.

“He has that orc flair most can only dream of achieving,” Wolf interjected, half joking.

I felt my face getting increasingly warm. While I appreciated their compliments, I was used to the opposite reaction from my students. Being the slightly odd and antiquated teacher had worked best for me, keeping kids at bay and preventing them from getting too comfortable. Sun Tsu’s quotes, however, seemed to have the opposite effect on the kids of this world.

It was the moment to turn the page and attend to more pressing matters.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles,” I said. If they had further questions, I was sure they would voice them. For now, I could freely share the information I had. “What do you think is the best course of action?”

The kids exchanged serious glances, and all joking stopped.

“We need to get to the permanent settlements, but for that, we have to get deep into the Farlands. If we are lucky, we can find an outpost, but with the Monster Surge, I think all of them returned with the main clan,” Wolf said.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

I had the same idea. A small group was at a disadvantage in the Farlands, and we needed the protection of the herd.

“Level up!” Firana jumped, her eyes burning bright. “If we want to traverse the Farlands, we will need levels!”

“I doubt finding low-level monsters in this environment will be easy. Most of them should’ve gotten out of the Monster Surge way,” Ilya replied. “And before any of you mention Mister Clarke’s manablade, he is too high level. He will leech all the experience.”

The kids were reaching all the right conclusions except for one.

“When I became a Runeweaver, my level was reset. I’m a mere level five right now,” I said with a mischievous smile.

We were going to power level so hard the System Avatar would have to call all the rogue subroutines to put special restrictions on my name.

“Level five, uh? In that case, the leech shouldn’t be too harsh,” Ilya grinned. Then she turned towards the other kids. “We might gain levels more quickly than usual, but raw strength isn’t everything. Don’t forget the lessons Mister Clarke has been teaching us during all these months.”

Firana rolled her eyes. “You know how to drain the fun from everything, don’t you?”

Ilya opted to ignore her.

The [Black Storm] raged, turning the cave’s entrance into an impenetrable curtain. I enchanted a few Warm Stones, and we settled down in the deepest part of the cave. Unless a stray monster decided to search for refuge in the crevice, we were virtually invisible until daybreak.

“Go to sleep. I’ll take the first watch,” I said. The chance of being found was slim but not zero, and I was the best suited to take on monsters.

The kids wrapped themselves in the Warm Blankets, and a moment later, they were sleeping. I was left alone with my thoughts and the sound of the storm. Captain Kiln was probably dead, and Janus was going to do everything in his reach to ensure we were dead. The ring in my hand tugged me toward Farcrest, toward Elincia. She couldn’t know I was alive. It would arouse suspicion. I pulled the ring off my finger, the runes went out, and the connection was broken.

“I’m sorry, Eli, but it’s for your own safety,” I said, putting the ring in my pocket.

Surviving the Monster Surge was only half of our fight. I also had to become strong enough to kill Janus. There wasn’t another way out. I examined the shell pouch Ilya had given me. Among Ginz’s prototype ammo, there was the bright red shell from Earth. The chance of a dud was less than one in a thousand. I wondered if a Void Jumper was nimble enough to dodge a gunshot.

I put the shell in my pocket as a luck charm and vowed to make Janus regret betraying the orphanage. This was personal. I shut down [Awareness] and let the anger fuel my body. The world wasn't going to turn for the better just because I wished to, but maybe I could bend its arm. The System had given me the power to force the change and I planned to start using it to the fullest.

I summoned Rune Enciclopedia and Rune Debugger.

“If the world doesn't give you time to learn how to walk, you better start running,” I muttered my father’s words. I used to hate them. As a teacher, my job was to teach kids step by step. Now, however, I understood. Time was a privilege.

I had new enchanted items recorded in my memory: Holst’s Enchanted Timer and the Silence Dome Cup I saw Janus and Prince Adrien use. This was going to be fun.

_______________

I woke the kids as soon as dawn broke. Ilya jumped to her feet, hands on her hips, and her short brown hair turned into a bramble. She gave me a scolding look and chastised me for not waking her early for the change of guard.

“I drank a Minor Stamina Potion,” I said, trying to appease her rage. Despite being about half my age, and about three-quarters my size, Ilya had the poise of a grumpy old-school math teacher.

The night had been fruitful, and my Rune Enciclopedia had several new entries. Holst’s Enchanted Timer was fairly easy to crack. The Hourglass rune was a derivation from the Gradual rune. Gradual discharged mana according to the amount of mana in storage: the more mana in storage, the faster the discharge. That was the reason Light Stones lost luminescent power as time went by. Hourglass, on the other hand, discharged mana at a constant rate set by the enchanter.

Then, the mana stored in the Hourglass rune fed a simple Light-Gradual subcircuit engraved in the circular crevice around the pocket watch. My greatest discovery, however, was that the spatial position of the runes determined the order of effect. The Hourglass rune fed two subcircuits: the one that showed the amount of time left and the one that indicated the moment the time ran out, in this case, a simple Vibration-Instantaneous enchantment that released a ‘ping’ when the mana was depleted.

The Enchanted Timer was made from three different sub-enchantments. First: User, Recharge, Hourglass. Second: Detect, Stockpile, Light, Gradual. Third: Detect, Depletion, Vibration, Instantaneous. The initial recharge didn’t set off the Light or Vibration runes but rather was triggered when the condition was fulfilled.

I was totally working on a timed fire grenade as soon as I had time.

Ilya’s anger disappeared when I explained my discoveries and I knew that part of her still didn’t accept I was a legendary Runeweaver. At least none of the kids seemed to look at me differently.

We had a light breakfast of bread, jerky, and cheese before leaving the cave. The [Black Storm] had lost strength to the point it was possible to see beyond one’s extended hand. Ilya summoned her Spirit Animals, a small fox, and a sparrow, and sent them forward. Then, we headed north through the dense forest. My mental compass helped us keep the path despite the mounts and gorges.

“I want to find a monster already,” Firana said.

“The retreat order has priority. Understood?” I reminded them.

All the kids nodded except for Firana.

We walked for hours without encountering any monster, which led me to believe the night had been difficult for Farcrest's defenders. I fought against the impulse to put the Enchanted Ring back on and focused on the path ahead. We needed to make the most of the moments between monster waves. As we advanced, the terrain became increasingly rough, with huge roots blocking the animal trails and thick walls of bramble.

I used Identify just to get an incomplete explanation.

Roots of the Forest Warden.

“Halt!” Ilya muttered.

We crouched behind a huge root. Ilya closed her eyes and saw through the eyes of her [Spirit Animal]. After a minute, she opened her eyes again. The skill consumed quite the amount of mana for a level two Hunter.

“There’s an Undead Black Wolf nearby.”

“What are we waiting for?” Firana replied.

“We can go around if we walk five minutes to the west,” Ilya said, still ignoring Firana.

I shook my head. We needed to get stronger, and a lone undead was the perfect prey. “We fight. Zaon and I will be on the frontline and attract its aggression. Firana will be right behind us. Ilya and Wolf, you are the backline. Remember, undead are immune to pain and fear, and small wounds will not slow it down. Be on guard until the very end. Understood?”

The kids nodded. Zaon wrapped the small buckler from the Sentinel’s stash around his forearm. Casting [Steadfast Shield] with a focus was easier and spent less mana. Our scarcest resource was time, so anything that saved us a short rest was welcomed. Zaon nodded, and we advanced on the frontline.

Across a small clearing, a single Undead Black Wolf the size of a pony stood completely still, looking north. For an instant, I thought it was already dead, but the rustle of leaves made him turn around, giving us his side. It looked disoriented, as if it was waiting for orders.

Undead Black Wolf (Corrupted) Lv.9. Magical Abomination. Man Eater. Kin Eater. [Identify] The dead body of a mature Black Wolf brought back to life by a powerful magician. Undead monsters maintain the characteristics of their living counterparts, but the senses of this creature have been dulled by decay. Weakness: Magic, Mana Drain, Fire, Shotgun.

“Ilya, Wolf, you two go first,” I whispered.

We crouched behind the edge of the clearing, about thirty meters from the monster. Ilya nocked an arrow on her Cooldown Bow, and Wolf put a stone in his Wind Sling. They exchanged a glance, and Ilya charged the bow for half a minute before standing over the thicket. She aimed, channeling her mana, and the arrow tip glowed white. Then, she let the string go.

The arrow blew a hole in the Undead Wolf’s side. A living being should’ve dropped dead instantly, but the undead creature turned toward us. Immediately after, Wolf jumped to his feet and spun the sling over his head. The wind enchantment accelerated the sling, and he shot. The pebble hit the Undead Wolf’s shoulder, producing a loud crack. The monster, however, didn’t slow down.

“Now!” I yelled, summoning my mana shield and entering the clearing.

Zaon followed, his shield shining with a silvery aura. The undead monster rammed against us, jaws open. The hit made my skeleton shudder. Keeping the Crystal Matriarch in place hadn’t been an easy task, but now I realized Risha did almost all the work. The wolf bit Zaon’s shield and pushed us back over the slippery ground. It was way stronger than a normal Black Wolf, but I refrained from summoning my mana blade. The experience had to go to the kids.

Firana jumped over our heads, the Aias Sword burning in her hand. Putting the whole weight of her body behind the blade, she stabbed the Undead Wolf through the back. The creature turned around without whimpering once, causing the sword to cut through its flesh. Before it could bite Firana, the girl jumped back to safety.

The Aias Sword, having absorbed the monster’s mana, burned bright.

“Careful, everyone! It’s not over!” I yelled.

The Undead Wolf stumbled to the side, and its legs faltered. One of its weaknesses was Mana Drain, but I didn’t expect Firana’s attack to be that effective. Suddenly, the fire around Aias Sword turned black, and Firana let out a yelp of surprise. Then, the Undead Wolf’s ribcage exploded, showing a mass of bloody tendrils.

My memory sent me back to the cave where I had fought the Lich.

I channeled my mana, but before I could summon my mana blade, Firana used [Gust Blade] and showered the undead in a stream of fire. Behind us, Ilya and Wolf continued with their ranged attacks, smashing the creature’s joints with arrows and stones. Meanwhile, Zaon and I stood our ground in case the monster decided to charge.

The seconds extended like hours, but finally, the undead shrieked and fell to the ground, turned into a slump of burned flesh and ash. We exchanged a look of relief. For a mere level nine monster, it had endured quite a beating before going down.

I didn’t get to identify the black remains of the Corruption because putrid roots emerged from the ground and pulled the body underground. The carcass was gone. The Forest Warden seemed hungry.

“Anyone wounded?” I asked, but the kids shook their heads.

Zaon carefully inspected his arms and legs.

“That was freaky,” Firana said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

“I hope that plant doesn’t steal our experience,” Zaon pointed out after finding he was unscathed.

Despite the proximity of the monster’s jaws, he remained composed during the fight. It made me a bit proud. The four kids had worked perfectly in synchronization, and Firana had found the precise moment to unleash her skills without hurting us.

“If that thing stole my experience—” Firana grunted.

“Here it comes!” I said.

Undead Black Wolf (Corrupted) slain.

Level up!

You have obtained a new skill.

[Invigoration] acquired.

I wasn’t going to complain, but I would rather have a Runeweaver Skill instead of a Scholar’s.

“If we continue this way, we will be level twenty in no time,” Firana grinned.

“Well, if you finished playing with the System, we should go. I would rather leave before those rotten roots start coiling around my ankles,” Wolf said.

I could see the eagerness on the kid’s faces. Leveling up, after all, felt really good, and for Zaon and Firana, it was their first time. Wolf was right, though. The Forest Warden's roots looked strong and dangerous.

“Let’s resume the march,” I said.

We grabbed their equipment and walked north, leaving a scorch mark on the ground as the only indication of the fight. Going forward, the terrain only got worse. Roots big as school buses blocked the path, and the dense canopy of perennial trees prevented Ilya’s Spirit Sparrow from relaying information from the sky. We tried to take a detour to the west, but the valley was slowly getting harder and harder to traverse. Ilya had the worst time of all of us, but she didn’t complain once.

“What if we go through the mountains?” Wolf said.

“I want to avoid traveling in the open and get ambushed by a flock of harpies,” I replied.

We stopped for a short rest. The orc tribes were to the north, so we hadn’t much choice but to power through the valley. It hadn’t passed a minute when, suddenly, Ilya raised her head.

“There’s more undead nearby,” she whispered.

With a nod, I put my waterskin down and packed in silence.

“Let’s get another few levels,” Firana grinned.

We moved in silence, surrounding a rotten bramble. Ilya stopped us behind a root high as a car. I peeked over, just to find a small group of Undead Wolves and Harpies. Behind them, protruding from the Forest Warden roots, there was a strange red and yellow bloom. A sense of unease invaded my body, but before I could turn around, the bloom opened.