Chapter 31
Not Fleeing the Burning Building
Generally when your magic teacher has a look of panic on their face and suggests that you do something, it is often considered best practice to do as he or she indicates. In this case, the order was to escape the room. Something I could do rather easily, for me, escape was always a top priority, meaning I could, or at the very least I felt I could leave with but a thought. I had multiple ways of escaping, one was of course Teleporting¸ the second way would be to rip open a hole in the veil and flee to the astral realm, at least until Tobias calmed down. Then the third, well that was just me running out of the classroom tripping and pushing over my fellow students as they were now doing to each other.
Honestly the sight of junior future mages of the world tripping and fleeing a classroom in terror would be somewhat comical, if it wasn’t for the overall serious nature of what was going on here. I mean we had the elite of the elite wearing multiple hundred platinum level items. Items that to just own would mean I would have to go around in my nickers, due to my various flaws, and here they were pushing each other down to flee from a the terrible wrath of a spirit that had, up until a moment ago, been completely calm.
I wonder if there is something about how much stronger a spirit gets, the closer they are to their spiritual completion point. Basically, does getting closer to achieving their goal that they stayed behind for make them stronger? According to the way Ms. Umbra is acting, I would assume so.
She is quickly applying mana to various runes. I can see a few light up, but then ultimately go to the section of the wall that was broken two days ago. I’m not an expert on runes, but I assume that whatever happened to the wall isn’t entirely fixed.
“Get out.” Ms. Umbra says to me, “I will hold the monster off until it dissolves.”
I was about to argue with her, to tell her that with my Death Shroud protecting Tobias, he would not be going anywhere. Unfortunately, before I could say anything to that effect.
WHOOOM!
Tobias used one of his beloved but now holy books, grabbed it with a hand, infused it with a sickening shade of spirit energy then hurled it at the professor.
In a second the book went from being corporeal, to an incorporeal state where it was comprised entirely of spirit magic.
Seeing the projectile coming from Tobias the Specter’s hands, Ms. Umbra cast a defensive shielding that cast to life a split second before the book would have hit her.
Unfortunately, the shield she cast was to block physical attacks. I am not certain if it is an aspect of my Death Shroud that allowed Tobias to make purely spiritual attacks that could manifest in the mortal realm, whether this was just the effect of years or likely centuries of training in combat against living opponents, or what. But at the end of the day, the reasons for why what happened next didn’t matter, all that mattered was what actually happened. In the end, the attack could be summarized as the followings. A powered Specter used a super charged attack on an immobile target that did not dodge, or attempt to get out of the way, only going so far as to put up a token defense that was incorrectly aligned for the danger it faced. Then the unblocked, undodged attack hurled forward and through the spirit of Ms. Umbra doing an irrevocable amount of spirit damage to her in a second.
I saw it, the moment her soul got shredded by the burning book attack. Her soul like a densely packed webbing of spider webs was whole and intact one moment, then splintering and wafting away the next. Ms. Umbra dropped to the ground as if her entire body and nervous system had been stopped for a second. In a way, it looked like it had.
Holding out his hand, Tobias made a gesture and the book that had burned its way into and through the professor suddenly began returning to his hand.
“The professor.” A student shouted, this was one of the students who had been close to the exit but had been trampled down by his classmates, and was just now getting to his feet.
“Go, get help.” I said, “I’ll distract the ghost.
I apparently didn’t have to do too much more talking as that last student left then closed the doors, sealing me away in the classroom with the raging Tobias and the unconscious professor. Again, it was so odd to see someone so powerful just taken out by an attack like that.
Still, I only had one chance to do this, “Tobias Jermach!” I said in my best disapproving motherly tone. After four kids, I had this down to a science.
Hearing my words, the specter paused, the intense burning red rage in their eyes slowly fading. I’m not certain how I saw the red, was that a deeper form of spirit magic? Like did it go around the color spectrum from red and then then transfer back to red? Or what? Shaking my head I figured it was likely something to do with the game’s rendering abilities. Trying to add more tension, I mean a completely black shade was one thing, then to have that shade grow with size, malicious intent, and then add in glowing red eyes, that did say a lot. Still all of that had nothing on a mother who raised four unruly teenagers.
“You let your book get ruined. But I know what you are missing. Book Seven, Master Enchanter Rahul and the weave of destiny.” I said, and as I spoke the cover of the top book, the likely murder weapon of Ms. Umbra, well future murder weapon as Ms. Umbra was still alive right now if barely, the book began to heal itself.
Seeing the book reform itself Tobias paused again, staring down at the precious book.
“Now open it, so we can see where we are. You know what…” I say, then Teleport to the other side of the room, to the still open bottle of intense spirits.
“Mmmuuhh.” Tobias said, his words all muffled from the transformation that he had just gone through.
I smelled the nectar and felt a wave of exhilaration going over me. This bottle was either as powerful, or slightly more powerful than the one I had consumed from the spirit world the other day. Apparently, it was enough to get Specter Tobias to come forward and almost demand a whiff.
“You want some?” I ask, shaking the bottle.
“Rahh.” Tobias said, growling in affirmation.
“Good, now just one second.” I said, popping over to the side of Ms. Umbra.
Poof.
I poured a few drops of the spiritual concoction in her, not enough to kill, but hopefully enough to begin healing some of the spirit damage that had been done. I didn’t know the exact properties of this, but I knew the entire concoction was a spirit’s dream. I also knew from experience that I could take the concoction without too much issue. So, giving a few drops to the professor would not be terrible.
Also for the moment, I had Tobias completely calm, as I moved around too quickly for him to focus on me at any one space for too long. The second I let a partial mouthful of the liquid flow into Ms. Umbra’s mouth, I stood up and was next to Tobias.
Poof.
Tobias turned looking around the room only to find me on his far side. Again, I wasn’t doing anything hostile, I was just disorienting him.
“Want a drink?” I ask, holding up the vial.
Tobias lunged for it, poof.
I was now on his back side, and quickly opening a portal back to the spirit world. “Nah-ah-ah. Naughty, come on, lets go home.” I say, waving the vial before going with it through the open portal.
Tobias seeing me on the other end of the portal just paused for a moment, before charging forward and all but barreling through the portal.
Whoom.
I was thrown through the air to the ground, landing with a hard thud. My hand had giant claw marks on both sides, as apparently Tobias’ way to get the vial was to try to claw my hand off.
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“Ahh.” I winced in pain, as I spun up and got to my feet.
Clink, shatter.
The sound of crystal hitting the ground and shattering into hundreds of tiny shards drew my attention back to Tobias. Looking up Specter Tobias had just finished the vial and was clearly growing in strength from having consumed the contents of the vial.
Thinking fast, I began speaking and saying the only thing that I knew would work. “Prelude. It had been a long winter. Snow covered the mountain pass, making travel all but impossible. Each day that passed the amount of snow that piled up also seemed to increase. The food had to be rationed and supplies were limited, yet for master enchanter Rahul and the runaway bride, former Princess Elizabeth they were happy…”
I say, getting out the introductory paragraph as quickly as possible. Hearing the words of his belove story come to life, Tobias paused, opening up the book and following along. Each missed word that I spoke suddenly coming back being infused with the energy of not just the potion, but of memory as well. As he held open the page, I stopped dictating the entire story, and instead focused on filling in the missing words. In my mind I was easily able to overlay the burnt text over the real thing and just speak into existence the missing words. Slowly, page by page began to reform until finally book seven was recreated. Then the missing parts of book six, then five and so on.
It took hours, but the more I spoke and worked with Tobias, the more his rage filled eyes began to fade. Even his size began to shrink. He was still fused with the energy from the spiritual catnip potion, but he slowly began to shrink down to his normal size.
Finally after what must have been hours, the last book was healed and back to mint condition again.
“Phew.” I say, whipping away some imaginary sweat from my forehead before continuing my internal thought out loud. “I do love that story, but maybe not that much.”
“Hey!” Tobias says, a bit defensively as he clutches his newly healed stack of books to his body.
“Look, I’m not knocking them, they are a great series. In fact, I should be thanking you.”
“Thanking me?”
“Yeah, I got to share my love of literature if only for a minute. Not just with you, but with a whole group of people. Granted they are now dead and moved on with their afterlives, but they were people that we bonded on a deeply personal level with. On the level of reading.” I say.
“So, it’s a good thing I didn’t move on?” Tobias asks.
I shake my head. “Sadly no. Before today, I would have said, you should stay here as long as possible and I would gladly come to visit you. But you were a specter, meaning not only did you give up your chance of achieving your goals, you almost fell completely. I’m not certain what would happen to you if you had completely lost it, if you weren’t able to recover your books, but that was pretty scary. I mean you killed someone. A professor doing nothing more than trying to entrap and burn away a spirit, then selflessly sacrificing themselves so their class can get away to safety. You know what, she might not actually be that blameless in this whole string of events. But the fact still remains, you had a chance out and you stopped it. Now you have the same chance again, and if feels like you are going to once again blow it for some indescribable reason.”
Hearing that Tobias’ face dropped as his shoulders sagged. “I just don’t want to go on. I mean I finally have friends. I finally felt like I belong. I got all the answers I wanted and more. For the longest time I had been content to just know what happened in the first story, but now I have this, and well it is a lot to take in.
Hearing that, I nod in understanding. “I understand. But just because you go on doesn’t mean we stop being friends. I am a Void Walker, you know what that means right?” I ask.
Hearing that Tobias just shakes his head in a sad gesture. “No, I don’t.”
“Well, that sucks, I don’t either.” I begin, I had been hoping to get more hidden knowledge out of Tobias, but it seems he is not that type of spirit. Regardless, I continue my speech. “Still, I think it means I can go to any portion of the spirit realm and find everything, even the legendary palaces where all souls who moved on are said to reside. Would you truly deny me that right? To see you resting comfortably in a golden library filled with all the world’s books?” I ask.
“More books?” Tobias asked, but then paused and looked at his stack in his arms. “But I already have all the books I could want.”
“And you will have them there as well. But who knows maybe volume eight and beyond are already there waiting for you.” I pause, then correct myself. “Waiting for us. If you go, I promise I will try to find you.”
“You mean it?”
“I do, besides I have a vested interest in finding that area, my parents are there as well. I want to see them, to make sure they are living their best lives as well.”
Tobias paused, for a second, then nodded to himself. As he did, a golden light began to emanate from him. “Thank you Cassiopeia Spiritlight, may you continue to guide others through the darkness of the void.”
Then with that, Tobias began to glow brighter and brighter with golden light, until finally he was brighter than the sun. Then in a scene that never ceases to amaze, he grew brighter and then burst into a hue of golden energy and light particles. Once again, I could feel the warmth of yet another soul fusing with me.
Quest Line Complete: Arcanarus University Ghost Cleanser: Arcanarus University has an infestation of spirits who have been unable to move on to the next phase of their existence. You were tasked with listening to ten spirits, hearing their concerns, and helping them move on to the next realm. While multiple ghosts have been able to move on thanks to you, many more remain. Status (10/10). Rewards: Experience, Class Trait: Spiritual Doppelganger.
Experience Gained: 500.
Spiritual Doppelganger: Your body and soul have been forever marked by the bodies and lives you have touched on a deeply personal level. With this, trait you can take on the form of any spirit you have helped move onto the afterlife. Maximum number of personalities you can duplicate (10/100).
I was sort of floored by the idea that getting ten ghosts to move on to the afterlife was not more than 500 experience, but I stopped myself. I spent the experience on the Class Trait, and that class trait was amazing, Spiritual Doppelganger, that meant that I could effectively take on the form of any spirit. I know I at least had Octavia the elven princess, then there was Sabrina Bane, who was, well I am still a little confused as to what race she was. Then there was Tobias and a few others males if I ever needed to pass myself off as a male student. Needless to say, this was a perfect infiltration power, I could pose as anyone and so long as I was believable get away with it. The ghosts here at the university were nearly perfect as no one would know or remember them outside of these walls, meaning the more I helped everyone, the more disguises I could use in the future. I could still help out 90 more ghosts and get a disguise for each of them, this was almost perfect. Realizing the class trait and its seemingly endless uses I was so exceptionally happy that I chose to go the hardest route, of gaining a class trait. Sure, I could have likely been well into my mid-teen levels, but this was a chance to establish a baseline that would help me survive the higher levels. As it was now, I was both protected and hindered by a lot of game mechanics and rules. I couldn’t be directly targeted by a level 1,000 King. My being a level 8 Void Walker would mean nothing. Instead, the 1,000 king rules level 900 guards who rule level 800 guards and so on, until there are level 50 guards who oversee level 25 guards who act on behalf of the king and make my life miserable.
This is all to say that normally the world is scaled, and that if I want to survive my antics I need to be able to go toe to toe with a level 25 guard and survive a hit, or my personal favorite approach avoid combat entirely through misdirection. Also, don’t get the system wrong, if you are attacked by and kill a level 25 guard, the level 50 guard can then act on their subordinate’s behalf, then the level 100 guard can act on behalf of the level 50 guard and so on. So there are deterrents for killing higher level guards, which again is why I am focused entirely on the process of avoiding hits and attention entirely.
I am about to call it a day, when I see a last flashing light that all but demands my attention.
Focusing my mind of the final system prompt, I am almost floored.
Hidden Quest Complete: Surname Unlocked: Most people gain a surname either through deeds or titles, or both. You happen to be the former. Through your efforts to help shuffle spirits off into the realms beyond, you have garnered a reputation as a beacon of light for spirits, which is now reflected in your surname: Spiritlight. Rewards: Experience, Surname (with bonus effects).
Experience Gained: 500.
Ding.
Level up.
You have increased to level 9.
Names have power: Surnames doubly so. Your surname of Spiritlight will give you an automatic 10% boost in all social interactions with spirits. Even spirits that are normally hostile will at the very least appear neutral to you, so long as you do not do anything to attack or anger the spirit.
With the level up, I could feel a surge of energy coming to me. I also knew that I was now a level away from a crossroads of sorts. Next level was my last class perk for a while, it would also mark one of the times when I would be able to change the molding of how my class would forever be seen and viewed by others. Of course, I would get the shot at another class perk or spell, but I could also push for a legendary class quest that would help me cement my class as one of the all-time great classes. Still, this was a lot for a day. Only now did I realize that my hand was still clawed up from Specter Tobias’ claws as he reached for the vial I had been holding to lure him away.
I could feel my Regeneration working slowly, but it seemed that this was mostly considered spirit damage, which was on a whole different level than mere physical damage, which reminded me of Ms. Umbra.
Using my still channeled Spirit Sight, I looked around and saw Ms. Umbra was still unconscious and alone in the classroom. Seeing that she was still down, I cut my way over to her, and picked her up. I must have seemed like an odd appearance, my small thirteen-year-old body picking up a tall skinny adult. Fortunately this game worked on in game logic, and attributes and not true physics, meaning that my strength of 47 after my bonuses and recent improvements meant that I was able to lift over 940 lbs easily, which meant the unconscious professor was easy to lift. With her in my arms I attempted to teleport out of the classroom.
Poof.
Pow.
Wham.
At least I attempted to teleport out, but found that I had crashed into a literal warded wall. Looking at the wall, I could see that many new runes were created, and I saw the rune that seemed to specifically target me and my Trait based magical Teleportation, this was a new development, alarm bells were suddenly going through my mind as to why the professor would create such runes directed solely at me.
Just as I am pondering this trail of events, a horde of guards come in.
Wham.
I notice their forms as being the same tall silhouette that elves have, looking at the long form of Ms. Umbra it is hard to imagine her as being anything other than an elf, only her long flowing robes made her lithe body hard to determine.
Still it was clear that she was both an elf, and if what I had been told was accurate, she was clearly a dark elf. Also these elven guards who came bursting into the room also had the form of tall elves, but the magic they had was spirit and dark magic combined. Now not to go with stereotypes, but I don’t know many self-respecting high elves or wood elves that use spirit and dark magic, let alone have it flashing as a first response. Seeing the guards, and the runes, a thought comes to mind.
This was a setup.
The whole thing, sending me on a nearly impossible quest where I had to prove myself by understanding the ancient diary of a dark elf matriarch. The wards specifically designed to keep me in this classroom. Everything. It had all been designed to keep me trapped here.
Fortunately the door and the section of the section of the classroom that had stopped my progress was slightly hidden from the guards who were charging forward to the center of the room to see where the residual magical resonance still lingered. Realizing I only had seconds, I realized I had two options. The first was to go into the spirit realm alone and try to get out from there. Or the second, was to take a hostage with me into the spirit realm.
Moving my hand quickly I carved open a portal and moved.
“Over there!” A guard shouted, my magic apparently being enough to spark his awareness. Realizing, I had to move I darted through the portal, using the professor’s body as a shield between me and any incoming projectiles.
Thump, thump, thump.
Apparently, using the professor as a meat shield had ben the right course of action, as she was instantly pelted with multiple projectiles.
As soon as we are through, I see the effects of the spirit world slowly burning away her mortal shell. I could just leave her here, and let her rot the same way she would have done to Tobias, but I can’t. Even unconscious the entire thing looks painful. Focusing on her, I use my now freed up Death Shroud on her. With Tobias now gone, I am once again able to coat two people or spirits.
With the immediate danger taken care of I drop the dying body of the professor and let out a long sigh. Then looking at her body, I realize I am likely going to have to do a lot, to save the life of the professor, the professor who literally created a trap to capture me.
With her here, I feel that growing sense of unease come back, and suddenly I wonder, if she was what my Danger Sense was trying to warn me about all this time.