“Whoever or whatever you are, since you came from Lord Gearhart’s estate we will be bringing you back.” The only woman amongst the 4 Savants took front and centre. The rest of the Savants followed up and surrounded their target.
The steampunk warriors were clad in a tailored suit of reinforced leather armour filled with metal plating without sacrificing mobility. They had their differences with each other’s equipment. The rich, dark leather was adorned with brass rivets and gears. Over their torso, a corset-like breastplate was securely fastened. The warrior's legs were encased in leather pants reinforced with metal knee guards and shin protectors, while sturdy, high-laced boots provided sure footing. A pair of fingerless gloves allowed for dexterity, with brass knuckles integrated for close combat. At their waist or backs were different guns from shotguns to rifles. Their headgear included a helmet with a built-in gas mask that protected toxic fumes and harsh environments, the mask's glass lenses glowing faintly with an internal light. A weathered coat, lined with pockets for ammunition.
Ebony already took the corner and had his back against the wall. The Savants were cautious. Unlike the Guru and Saint Gearhart, this group personally faced the challenge of chasing him down.
“Those golems were yours, the ice element monster was after you or you are that ice monster.”
“That cell is not normal, that’s for extraction. That means you are a mage. Dumbass mage. Did you even know you were escaping to Teheil?”
“You’ve trapped yourself.”
“Didn’t expect this containment over here did ya?”
“Ah. I have been your Lord’s guest and business partner for the past few years. What cell? A cell wouldn’t let me in and out.” Ebony bought himself some time with confusion. By his observation, they were mainly warriors as is expected from Cinderashians. The guns were just a side arm and possibly backed by a Sub-class or Profession. They had limited ammunition, even if these four were capable of Aether manipulation, it was useless on Teheil. He can only hope that they didn't have Ezekiel's bullets.
‘Tier 5 exhaustion resistance is quite amazing, I’m slowly getting my stats back already.’
“...”
‘It actually worked? My goodness, they really don’t know I even exist.’ He clenched his fists a few times and nonchalantly put a fresh shirt on.
“Are you convinced we’re dumb? You just blew the gateway back home right in front of our eyes.” They stepped forward at the same time.
“Due to extenuating circumstances-” Ebony didn’t plan or simulate a conversation in advance and lying wasn’t his forte or something he did. Though he knew how to deceive people with truths, he wasn’t an expert.
“Esteemed guest can explain when we’re back.”
“How would you bring me back?”
“Until we get back to Cinderash, you will be put under custody.” The Cinderashians were always heavy handed, they were ready to take violent actions whenever possible.
“No thank you.”
Under 70% physical and perception stat loss and the decreasing amounts of coagulated mana, Ebony was ready against magic-less opponents. He didn’t have any mental exhaustion, courtesy of Miss Spirit harvesting him efficiently.
The Savants kept their guns and took up their cold arms. Cinderash had a wide range of ammunition types. Their police had taser, stun, sedation and bullets with similar effects. Civilians could get the same types that worked against Grandmasters without issue. Those rated against Kings were also commonplace but more expensive than an average civilian would stock up on.
The bullets were easy to source, but guns strong enough to harm a King or higher weren't.
Common bullets amongst Savants held explosive lava, toxic ash and sulfur. Railguns or something that mimicked railguns but were powered by aether or crystalised Cinderashian lava ores were not uncommon. Ebony wouldn’t be surprised if those toys were working railguns compressed into something handheld.
Currently, those guns that melted his clones posed a large threat to him so it was great that they put the guns away. He was sure they wouldn’t be afraid of killing him if he got too troublesome because they didn’t even know he was supposed to be kept alive. If he had mana, his simulations told him those guns or bullets weren’t worth noting.
Perhaps seeing him unarmed as the healed Icicle was inside his bag, they poked at non-vitals. Ebony ducked the large knife to his thighs and axe to his shoulder. Allowing the blunt hammer to smash his chest and thin pick to stab through his knuckles.
His body comically flew back the distance that he stepped forward to avoid the axe and slid down back onto his feet.
“That was easy, I thought someone kept in a cell of that material would be tough.”
“He’s obviously weak in the knees, like all prisoners. Guest my ass.”
‘Cinderashians truly have terrible perception, they don’t have Identify either.’
“Kings. Emberblade Dance Art. Infernal Cleaver Art. Magma Hammerfall Art. Eruption Pick Art. None of you trained it up to Sovereign Arts? Saint Kael Ignatius is an amazing teacher isn’t he, his Emberblade Dance combo was pretty much undodgeable even to me though I never learned from him, I learned from his student and son, Master Caden Ignatius. Master Thara Volcana, I heard a lot about her Infernal Cleaver, too bad I never saw her. Saint Garrick’s Magma Hammerfall, famed for destroying asteroids and creating new volcanoes. Sage Lysara and her Eruption Pick, only requires one hit to kill any Emperor or so she claims.”
Ebony bought himself more time, healing his ribs and internal bleeding. The four arts that were used by the Savants were all famous ones. Other than Eruption Pick, all of the rest were handed down by Saints. Past or present. The 3 Arts were all Tier 6 Ascendant Art. Training methods weren’t public but the Savants should be qualified to learn the techniques and methods.
These 4, had not achieved that kind of success. They were all high-level Kings, not even Emperors like those Ezekiel brought along. Ebony needed his stats back, but he would still be at a disadvantage even if he had them back. He would have to rule out magic though he was starting to get used to how Teheil was absorbing his mana.
None of his clones managed to learn from a Saint but they did learn from Emperors who mastered the Tier 5 versions. For Infernal Cleaver Art, there were currently no known Saints alive who used that Art while Saint Garrick was banished from Cinderash by Saint Gearhart because he wanted to overthrow Gearhart. Obviously, he failed.
Gearhart has been ruling for generations. Generations measured in the thousands of years. They only have a change of leaders when the previous head passes away. Mostly killed in battle.
Unexpected by the names that came out of his mouth, the Savants only got more wary.
‘If that’s their top speed, I just need to recover up to 70% of my physical stats. Probably not, so I need to wait till I’m fully recovered.’
Ebony fumbled and took a large knife out of his bag before defending against the lady who screamed when he spouted Master Caden’s name. Dancing in the same fashion, he countered her with the same Emberblade Dance. Without the embers.
The cold arms they were using weren’t their best, the ones that relied on aether so his ‘normal’ knife that his clones bought didn’t break on impact.
With Ethereal Form Arts and Ethereal Fluid Blitz backing him up, he was barely able to parry. Both of them re-angled their blades against each other and scraped the edges to produce sparks to fling at each other. Ebony was pushed back against the wall again and he had to support his grip with his free hand so that the knife wasn’t knocked out.
He couldn’t build up momentum thanks to the wall behind him and she was just too fast for prediction to do any good for countering.
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He parried dozens of thrusts that got closer and closer to his vitals, their knives turning red from the intentional friction burn. Before Tier 4, scraping their blades was the main focus to generate heat. Until aether was taken into the equation.
“You! How do you know the Emberblade Arts?”
“Master Caden taught me.” As he spoke, he found that he was confusing them successfully. Master wasn’t referring to evolutionary rank but status. And Caden Ignatius was the only child of Saint Kael Ignatius, born before the Saint became a Saint.
‘Taught teenager version of Twenty-Seven, same thing.’ Although Master Caden didn’t just teach anyone since he had thousands of students, it wasn’t hard to get his attention.
While the lady stopped attacking, probably because she learned from the same person the others weren’t convinced.
Ebony put down the damaged knife and withdrew a curved-handled axe with a larger blade than handle. It was a short, one-handed axe with a red-tipped edge. He spun the handle around his wrist and second round his thumb the exact same way Twenty-Nine’s teacher did, in an 8 shape. It served no purpose, just his teacher’s habit.
“Master Tarken…”
As he expected, people recognised the habit.
With an active use of stamina, he cleaved down at the axe-user. A red flash burned towards him. It was slow and was casually slapped aside but the axe-user frowned. He performed an active skill from the set of Infernal Cleaver Arts. Admittedly, Ebony didn’t perform it perfectly since his active use of stamina was worse than the average Cinderashian who had way more base stamina than mana. His clones couldn’t exactly copy the stamina usage either and this was the first time he tried it.
All the stamina usage tips and techniques that his clones gathered were in his mind, he could use them and improve Ethereal Fluid Blitz once he had the free time.
He could recreate Tier 5 Magma Hammerfall Arts if he used sound magic but that was temporarily off the table. It also required a special hammer, too expensive for his clones to get their hands on. Even though a few of them were support mages for parties that went to dungeon clearing. The clones limited their dungeon activities because they would melt rather easily and it took more mana than they could absorb including what Aegis provided them.
He knew the muscular motion and form for all of them to tier 5, easily. It was more about the way stamina and for higher tiers’ aether, was supposed to be used that gave each Art their power, speed, fluidity or whatever each Art’s unique traits. There was only so much information his clones could give him without having stamina in their bodies.
Of all the Arts he learned, the Eruption Pick minus the magical effects was the one he was best at. Sage Lysara the creator of the Art, taught him herself. She was an extremely old lady who extended her lifespan through many means, including not having a human body anymore. She was like the special leader Savant Ebony fought on Elcra, her mind or whatever was inside a cube put into a mechanical body with flesh.
The cube was Cinderash technology or ancient sorcery while the body was a product they bought.
She was very old.
She frightened his clone and was the only person who openly knew his clones were…well, not an actual person. Yet she still taught Twenty-Five. He didn’t find her. She found him and pretty much threatened him into becoming her student. Ebony barely believed the memory that his clone updated him on.
“I’m a guest.” Ebony showed off a move from two more Arts. Titan Pyroclasmic Art which was a greatsword art and Ashen Blade Art.
“You’ve convinced me. You are a criminal. There’s no way Sage Lysara would teach someone who learned a different Art from another master. Much less someone who learned Ashen Blade.” The Pick user targeted him.
“Not at all. Someone who used Ashen Blade killed her only daughter. I used the same thing, she taught me how to use it better. More deadly.” Ebony was unphased.
Because Sage Lysara currently doesn't have any other students. All the current users of her Art learned from her older students. Ebony had a lot of respect for the one given the title of a Sage. It was a pity she failed to evolve into a Saint so far.
“...who are you?” They had their weapons pointing to the ground for a while now.
“You can ask the Guru when you get back. He and I have been friends for a long, long time.” Ebony gave his shoulders a roll, he was now at 50% of his stats.
“Fine, then what is the Guru’s name?” The lady sheathed her knife.
“...” Ebony looked at them.
They looked at him.
He couldn’t reply to them and the silence echoed.
“Long time friends?” The sound of metal sliding over each other broke the silence.
“You don’t have to draw your weapons at that…” Ebony put all the weapons he pulled out back. 50% was going to be tough when they were already so much faster. Knowing all their moves helped but the 4 of them knew how to cut each other’s gaps down which limited his options.
It was good practice and warm-up for his rusty body.
A poisoned pick pierced his left shoulder, he kicked the axe-user’s knee. Leaning away from the knife strike he took a large bite on the slim forearm while twisting them all with a jump. He wanted the pick user to take the hammer strike to the head but the hammer-user surprised him by pulling away a half-thrown strike. The user took a bit of internal damage from the stamina pullback of an active skill.
He tried his best to hold onto the Pick-user but he couldn’t freeze or squeeze the pick within his shoulder. Neither was it worth using his hands to hold a far stronger opponent.
“What are you?” Says the hammer wielder after Ebony used the knife slash to skid his hammer to block the red cleave that scarred the ground but not the walls. The hammer had a deep gash on it.
‘I was hoping the walls would break down from a King’s strike. I see, this portal is on enemy territory. They would want to secure it so that nothing gets through from this side. Makes sense that a mere King wouldn’t be able to break it easily.’ Ebony had his arms riddled with cuts and stabs but he was unharmed everywhere else.
As he expected, he was still getting new injuries when he was back at 70% of his stats. Their physiques gave them naturally higher strength, agility and constitution. By his estimation, even the unclassed when compared with Elcrian humans they might even be 8 to 10 as strong with the same stat value. On the other hand, their aether or mana, perception and endurance were weak. The most obvious was their perception, more so than their lack of mana. Their endurance wasn’t poor but all their art styles made use of heavy stamina usage which made them last a short time in exchange for high speed and power.
They had at minimum, 200 levels more than he did and thousands of stats more than he did. He was already doing magical work by evading them for ten minutes.
“Someone your Lord Gearhart wouldn’t even dare kill.”
“Those are very arrogant words.”
Ebony chose to sacrifice his leg and focused on dodging the axe cleave and hammer strike. Their coordinated strikes were getting more and more on point after the last few minutes of observing how he knew where all their moves were going to come from.
The pick user and knife user leapt back to catch a breather while the hammer and axe user picked up the pace. They whispered to each other but Ebony could hear them the entire time. “He should be down…I can’t use eruption but I’ve already inflicted enough toxins to put our captain down!”
“He’s not Cinderashian but his flesh is quite resistant to heat. He’s not drying up from my desiccating ash either. And…he really does know all our Arts. Is he a weak but talented ambassador here to trade skills?”
“No way, why would he be in a Fluxaether Bane cell? Didn’t you see that shade, I’ve never seen such a dark-coloured Fluxaether Bane.”
“How did he escape? Is it because of Teheil? This is a tricky and crafty prisoner. I’ve never heard of him, he must have been trapped before we were even born. He even claims to have been taught by Sage Lysara, what do you think about that?”
“I know all the Masters of Eruption Pick, his style…doesn’t resemble any of them. I-I’ve never seen Sage Lysara.”
‘So the cell is called Fluxaether Bane. is that the material name? I never found out.’ Ebony did not expect them to ignore him altogether, the same way he did to them earlier.
“One hell of a prisoner was let loose huh?” The hammer user smirked at Ebony when his next smash accelerated mid-swing and smashed right into his guard. It smashed right passed it and into his face while his other hand was cut to the bone from a cleaver slash.
Ebony stayed down on the ground. Either they weren’t taking him seriously despite the caution or they were just not keen on wasting their strength because they kept letting up their attacks whenever he was sent flying across the room.
‘Another minute and all my strength would be back. Simulations…yeah, I should be fine.’
Leaving his dented skull unhealed on purpose, he felt one of them locking his arms behind his back and another taking out a pill from under his coat. “We’ll be back home once you wake up.”
“What, did you think I’m down for the count with a dented skull?” Ebony pulled the man who held him down and rolled to counter-pin the man. He doubted the pill would work on him but he didn’t wasn’t in the mood to test that.
It was too bad the man was far too strong to keep pinned and Ebony was pushed off the ground when the man punched the floor to send both of them into the ceiling.
Ebony gave the mid-air, flightless Cinderashian a good kick to break each other off. Clinging onto the ceiling grooves, he watched them below him. The ceiling wasn’t more than thirty metres off the ground and it didn’t take long before he had to leap to the side and eventually drop to the ground when dozens of red cleaves flew up to envelop him.
Those slashes weren’t magic. Just pure strength, wind pressure and friction heat. He didn’t forget that the Bellicose Savants also had Physique mutations. Some could produce high-pressure steam from lava coming out of their lungs. Others had another organ that produced ash with unique properties. The variety was not small and his clones didn’t know much about these physiques.
It was why they weren’t completely helpless without aether since these Physique traits were ‘organic’.
‘Finally, I can Flicker properly.’ Ebony no longer kept his back against the wall and went on the offence, intent on building up momentum this time.
‘It's good that they are fast enough to pressure Ethereal Form Arts. Let’s use this chance to incorporate everything my clones have learnt.’ Icicle was drawn out of his bag.
It was time to get the creaks out of his body.