Chapter 161

The Art of Deception

There are moments in time, parts of your life where you realize you are too confident, too cocky. Sadly, I found myself in just such a situation at this very moment.

Here I was, hundreds of feet in the air, floating above what was likely hostile territory, going to see a person vaguely referred to as Mr. Bones. A person who has apparently been touted as a hoodoo necromancer, not that I have ever heard of such a deviation of necromancy, but then again up until now I have mostly avoided the worse portions of necromancy.

Thus, my lack of knowledge about what we were heading into. I knew fundamentally that it was a sphere of modified mana, basically a cabal of people had set up attraction and conversion rods and plates that sucked in ambient mana from around the area and converted it into this highly focused form of necromantic energy. This energy was so dense and focused that it was a bright neon purple to my senses.

Having never seen this concentration of necromancy my mind instantly went to the darker realm of necromancy and spirit magic. While I used spirit magic to heal and to strengthen the soul of individuals, there were darker portions of that same power. Portions that were capable of shredding apart the most powerful of individuals.

This is the type of energy I now found myself currently immersed in.

Worse, I had fooled myself into thinking that I could counteract everything that I saw. To be fair, I could, or at least thought I could, as the person that was guiding us, Rick “The Prick” Troll here had no magical potential at all. In fact, it wasn’t until we got here and a collar or necklace around his neck received an activation beam did he even show any signs of power.

Now, that he had it, I was still looking for magic, or a magical catalyst in all the wrong places.

Hubris, I had fallen to hubris.

Lulled in by this charlatan’s antics and constantly annoying voice and fake accent, that I failed to realize his brilliance. Worse, I even knew this was part of his charm to me as teenager, the way he would pull the proverbial wool over the wiser adventurer’s eyes.

Now, just like so many others, I found myself lulled into his trap, as I began to witness what was happening around me, and my mind was able to take in what exactly was happening.

“Justice,” Rick shouted, then before we knew what he was doing, he raised his fingers and snapped.

Honestly the snap and everything was a perfect act of misdirection, as a full-blooded magician I had of course been looking for the obvious.

Magic, like almost all-powerful components of the world can be boiled down to a few base elements. There are the raw components, that is power, or the energy used to create the spell. Then there is the shape, or how the caster focuses and directs the spell to move in a linear path. There are other elements as well, and those were things that I was prepared to stop, things that I have created an almost neurotic reflex to counter.

Yet, there is a point where magic is so overpowered, so raw that even a mundane could use it. This generally comes in the form of magical items and artifacts. With these, all one generally needs is a catalyst, a component to ignite or cause the ambient energy to react in a desired way.

With the snap, I expected him to activate a magical item, or activate even a low-level spell or cantrip. Had it been either of these, then I would have been able to Dispel, or outright block the activity from happening at all.

Yet, I didn’t even expect or realize that Rick “The Prick” Troll would be wearing metal rings on his fingers. Rings that when clicked together in just such a way would produce a spark. Or as the scientist in me would like to call this, the initial catalyst needed to ignite hyper charged magical particles in a hot air-filled airship.

Fortunately, this ship did not utilize helium, otherwise we would have been in even worse shape than we currently were.

The spark caused an instant reaction, where the physical interacted with and reacted to the magical realm. Honestly it was a sight of beauty, and one where I could begin to see how the different realms of Qi and Mana could interact with each other, as Qi was mostly the physical realm, or a more concentrated form of the physical realm.

Whoosh!

A burst of fire erupted outwards, as the air within the sealed compartment we were in instantly ignited, followed quickly by a wave of heat and energy that wrapped around me.

The chemical reaction was so quick and intense that I could feel the flames attempting to wrestle the very air from my lungs. All the while the flames chased the flow of volatile necromantic energy.

With a shock I noticed as the flames burst around me but were quickly disrupted as they came into contact with my Generic Energy Aura. That only protected me slightly from the power and impact that sent me flying backwards, until my progress was stopped by slamming into a metal pillar that supported the cabin, and prevented the airship from pulling apart.

Having started so close to the initial impact zone, the force of the explosion was violent and painful. Fortunately, I was already tightening my body into a dense Qi ball as soon as I realized I was helpless to stop what was happening.

Even while getting slammed into the pillar, my mind raced with constant details of what was happening around me. I could tell that Rich had set up the flames as a trap. In fact, this whole thing had likely been a trap. Lure us in with the pretense of having one of the many sacred artifacts of the world and trying to bring us all here looking for answers.

It had all been foolish, but that said, I could still feel the pull of the great artifact. What it was I couldn’t really tell, but it was clearly related to the realm of the dead, and if it wasn’t a legendary shard of the Mirror of the Dead, then it would likely be a piece I could use to find the actual mirror. This thing was powerful, and likely had something to do with how the mana in the surrounding area was turning corrosive and volatile.

Whatever that item was, we needed to remove it, as if left in an urban area like this, it could cause a calamity to appear. Then again, we currently had more important things to worry about than the possibility mirror and potential magical radiation that was cloaking everyone.

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I pulled myself away from the bar, and while my body did sting from the impact, I knew the pain I felt was nothing compared to what others were experiencing around me.

For now, we had the more immediate problem of a burst of flame burning through the cabin, devouring the air and leaving behind a burning magical residue that would be hard for most people to cast a spell through.

Basically, the flames went through, burning up the air, taking away the ability of our minds to first focus a spell, then the mana was condensed to ash that burned on our skins, there was also the highly corrosive nature of the mana that was burned to ash and set to fall upon us.

Mallory of course was okay, her high level and class made her mostly immune to the interactions of condensed and corrosive spirit mana flakes crumbling down and falling on her skin. She would have an issue when it came to casting a spell, but the immediate problem caused by the dirt and debris, that of these corrosive flakes that are burning away the skin of Jhonny and the other guards will cause a reaction to any spell cast that is not linked to spirit magic.

Basically, if I saw this, and went with my initial reaction to cast Healing Magic, rather than Spirit Magic, I would create a second explosion on my own skin.

Again, I should recover, even now the charcoal-colored flakes are falling down burning away the exposed parts of my uniform that will grow back in time, once I flood my will back into the soul bound clothing items. Yet, I don’t let that happen, as I have a different want at this moment. Mentally I remove my gloves, and my hood, letting my hands and face be exposed to the normally caustic elements that are falling.

Rick Troll, is of course already moving, as he knew who his target was this entire time. With all of use having survived the initial burst, as would be expected of so many high-level player, well a lot of high level players and Jhonny, Rick went for the attack.

Moving with nothing but skills and already corroding mechanical components, he charged forward striking at Mallory, trying to pierce her with a silver blade.

Yeah, apparently silver was immune to all of this debris, as his items that he was now displaying were seemingly unscathed from the explosion.

At this point as the healer, I tested out my hypothesis on the nature of the charcoal flakes that were falling.

Just as I did every time it snowed for the year, I held out my hands and grabbed at the falling flakes. This time just like every other time the moment my skin contacted the flakes, the flakes began to melt. Going from a solid state to a liquid and then to nothing.

As this happened, I felt the slight tingle of energy landing on my exposed skin, then felt it tremble as it entered my body, causing me to feel a rush of energy that was unlike anything else I had felt recently.

The closest thing would be going into the Lich’s run off pond scum pool of Qi energy. Here it was similar, as this was energy that had gone from a highly combustible state of mana to that of a less reactive state, and now just like in the Lich’s chamber I could see that it was beginning to make the next transition from mana to Qi. There was a small component, something I missed in the explosion, something that would make the mental conversion of the energy from one form to the other easy to conceptualize.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to think about that, as I was now seeing the purpose of the next path that was laid before me. The next path that was provided in the Arcanarus Tower, the path of being able to wield both Qi and Mana simultaneously, if I was already able to do so, then this situation I was in would be easy. I would just focus on absorbing all the falling semi-qi state flakes and converting them to energy, while simultaneously casting a Healing spell on everyone around me. With that I would be able to protect everyone from the corrosive flakes, heal past their qi inhibitors and prevent future chemical Qi burns to their bodies.

Of course, I wasn’t there, I was far from that level of understanding, but I knew the parts I could do currently. Focusing my mind, I filtered out all other stimuli, realizing that I would focus on the things I could affect, and exclude everything else.

With that I entered a passive state of Meditation, causing my Divine Qi Cultivation to activate internally in my core, while activating my Golden Coreless Qi Cultivation.

With these skills actively open and awakened in my mind, I let them filter to the back of my mind, for they were at the point where at the level of proficiency where they were as automatic as breathing.

With them secure, I began focusing on using not just one Qi movement, but two at the same time.

With a focus of will, I sent a surge of Qi down my left hand, which I then struck out in a violent open palmed strike to the air. That is when I activated the first Qi power.

Golden Mana Devouring Palm.

I was sadly not as proficient with this power as I would like to be at this point, which was why so much of my mental focus went into activating this power that seemed almost as easy as breathing earlier when I first learned it to devour a potentially lethal strike.

Once again, I felt my Qi forming a vortex that was aided by my internal cultivation patterns that drew in ambient energy from around me and greedily sucked it in like a man caught in a desert who finally found a canteen. My body drank in the energy, with a slight counterclockwise rotation of my left hand I was able to widen the area impacted by devouring palm.

As I had the concept down with my left hand, I immediately did the same with my right hand, cycling Qi down into the palm and creating a second vortex for drawing in energy.

Double Golden Mana Devouring Palm.

This time I circled my outstretched hand in a circular clockwise rotation. As I worked, I felt an oppressive weight slowly lift off the cabin, while there was still no air in here, well no air save for the few gusts of winds that were now coming in from a few shattered windows that either melted or burst out from the initial explosions, air was slowly seeping back into the cabin, which was also helping me generate more momentum for the flaking particles to fly about the cabin and ultimately come within my absorption vortex’s range.

I wasn’t the only one who was busy. Even with taking damage once the oppressive nature of the mana flakes were gone, everyone began surging to swarm Rick “The Prick” Troll, who could possibly claim they were being controlled by their collar, but that was clearly not the case at the moment.

Whatever happened, whatever this guy did, or however he hid himself, he wanted this moment to try to take out everyone involved in this trip. Well, judging by the fact that he was currently focusing directly on Mallory, it was clear that he had planned this all to strike at Mallory.

Which brought me to the point, while others were clearly still suffering from mana fatigue, or mana necrosis that was settling over them, I was perfectly fine. That or I was just able to focus through the adverse effects and utilize my energy to its fullest.

While I didn’t quite understand the protective barrier, I would need to have in place to work both Qi and Mana related tasks, I still had one trait that was perfectly able to help me in this situation.

Focusing my mind, I engaged Celerity, and instantly felt the world slow down around me.

My hands were still glowing with the effects of Golden Mana Devouring Palm burning brightly on both hands. Since Celerity was on a different core size of energy, that scaled and grew with the size and potency of my regular core, I felt its increased size kick in almost immediately. I realized that I was granted 20% longer than was previously available to me.

Realizing this, I moved. First, I made a quick long loop around the car, moving slowly but concisely to make sure I got the majority of the burning flakes off of everyone.

From there, I focused my mind and began driving my Double Golden Mana Devouring Palms, right into the vital areas of Rick “The Prick”. This might seem sort of dirty, but I held back from performing a fully lethal blow, instead, I focused on disabling maneuvers. One hand struck out at the necklace or control collar, around Rick’s neck. While my right hand punched into his kidney.

I punched hard too, and only stopped once I felt the tender muscles around his neck and covering his kidney tear slightly.

With that I stopped, pulling back then pausing for a moment, I strike out once more, giving a shattering blow to Rick’s elbow, on the hand that was reaching for Mallory’s neck. While a I gave a quick Qi infused strike to his knee.

This was a lot of damage, and I was fairly certain that Troll regeneration was a weaker version of my own natural Regeneration that I purchased. So even if I wasn’t able to get to him and provide healing immediately, I was fairly certain he wouldn’t die, from these strikes.

Whether he died from what Mallory and the others would do to him, well I knew I could always bring him back to life for round two, or three if it came down to that.

Realizing this was enough to stop Rick, I decided to use the remaining time of my Celerity, clearing the immediate area of corrosive flakes from the cabin.

While I didn’t have enough time to completely clear the cabin of the corrosive material, I was certain that everyone here would be able to survive the next few seconds.

Whoom!

Then like that the world began to speed up gradually, until we were back in full speed.

Rick who had been exchanging blows with Mallory suddenly lashed out with a punch, only to stop as his hand that had been wielding a dagger suddenly went slower than he expected. So slow that even a dazed Mallory could recover quickly enough to lash out and block the attack.

Rather than retract his hand and prepare for a counterstrike, Rick’s brain finally caught up with the pain signals that were flaring wildly in his mind as he pulled back in his clearly broken arm close to his chest, as he collapsed in a defeated pool on the ground, gasping and wincing in pain.

There was a pause as everyone that had been charging forward to end the immediate threat, despite the damage they were taking paused, as they looked first to the downed enemy, then to Mallory who also looked confused, then eventually all eyes turned to find me.

I unfortunately had to end this on the exact opposite side of the cabin, so it would have been nearly impossible to pretend like I did nothing.

Just when everyone looked like they were going to finally break the bubble of silence that had blanketed us all, I spoke first.

“Well shit.” I said.

“What?” Mallory asked.

Then I gave the only warning I could, before the second problem of fighting in an airship became apparent.

“Prepare for impact,” I shouted, as I reached out desperately trying to wrap my arms around the next nearest structural pillar. It was going to be a bumpy ride.