As they came upon the great wall of light, Cordan stopped the group. Jack frowned slightly since he was anxious about the upcoming foray into the Church of the Eternal Light’s territory and every second of delay only increased that anxiety. Fortunately, Cordan wasn’t the type of man to delay a mission something trivial.

He said, “Before we head to our potential deaths, we should set up our roles in combat and exploration. I know we are operating on a limited amount of trust but I’d prefer that we didn’t go into a potential raid equivalent without establishing the basics of our capabilities even if our assumption of it being only D-rank is right. You don’t have to give your designation or stats, just give the rest of us a general idea what you can do so there are no assumptions being made once we’re in the thick of it. I’ll start us off. I’m a B-rank support mage. My designation is a variant type, so I don’t cast spells normally; I manifest them with my mind. Most of my support skills require me to use my mind-link which is a kind of psychic bridge between me and those in the link. My support capabilities include; enabling telepathy between the link members, increasing mental defenses, increasing physical strength and speed, increasing Ethos regeneration, reducing fatigue, both mental and physical, and amplifying the effectiveness of buff-type skills. I can also detect enemies within a few hundred feet but only living creatures who aren’t mindless.” After rattling off the long list, Cordan locked eyes with Jack and added, “Oh, and the mind-link doesn’t let me read your thoughts or mind control you but if you don’t want to take the chance, I won’t take it personally.”

Raina smacked her fist into her palm and exclaimed, “Oh! So, when you broke the Twilight King’s Aura of Terror, you were just increasing our mental resistance?”

“That’s about the scope of it, yeah,” Cordan responded.

This was news to Jack. Cordan had actually managed to break through one the Twilight King’s abilities? That was some serious shit if true. The gap between B-rank and S-rank wasn’t a small one. In fact, starting with B-rank, advancement became harder and more rewarding. There was a reason that some veteran relic hunters referred to hunters at C-rank and below as small-timers. He frowned slightly, upping Cordan’s threat level another step. While the support abilities sounded amazing, he also didn’t assume that they accounted for all the relic hunter’s tricks. He still wasn’t sure whether he’d join the mind-link when Cordan erected it.

Next, Raina volunteered to share her abilities. “I guess I’ll go next. I don’t really have much though. I’m a D-rank Warrior. Ciel trained me in some swordplay and the basics of unarmed combat. I can hit things hard and make myself a little faster and stronger for a short period, but that’s about it…”

She trailed off leading to an awkward silence as she obviously felt a bit dejected about her own capability after hearing Cordan’s extensive list. Jack understood her feelings perfectly. In a world of might and magic, feeling mundane or lacking came often especially when one was at the bottom of the food chain. He could’ve offered her a word of encouragement in solidarity but he didn’t. She was weak and so was he, for now at least. Fortunately, Raina cheered herself up by slapping her cheeks twice and shaking her head.

“Sorry, I got a little in my head.” She turned to Alindal. “Anyway, what about you, Al?”

Al? What’s that about? He thought as Alindal smiled and offered his own explanation of his abilities.

“I’m a D-rank attack mage. I specialize in area of effect elemental attack skills. Currently, I can use fire, lightning, wind, water, and ice magic,” Alindal said. He paused momentarily as he pulled out the Weaver’s Needle from its back harness. For obvious reasons, he hadn’t bothered wrapping it up. He continued, “I also have this which lets me control the size and shape of my spells to an extent, so I should be able to avoid any friendly fire.”

Raina frowned a bit. “Wait, so you can do all that and your only D-rank? That’s no fair.”

Alindal chuckled patting her on the shoulder. “Well, I only really have two Skills because I upgraded one when I reached D-rank. The elements are part of the Skills so when I cast a spell, I have to pick which element I use. I don’t have a Skill for each element.”

“I guess that makes sense. I only have two skills too since my blade instructor made me upgrade Heavy Blows when I reached D-rank instead of taking another skill,” she said, appearing only partially mollified. “But still, having different elements gives you way more options. I just have to run up and hit things hard.”

“That’s about the difference between martial and mage designations. Don’t fuss too much though, high-level Warriors are terrifying,” Cordan said. Despite the fact that Cordan was misleading Raina a bit, Jack kept his expression neutral. High-level Warriors could be terrifying, but most were just brutes. Then again, Raina probably wouldn’t end up that way based on the what he’d seen of her fighting style. Cordan’s gaze snapped to Jack. “You’re up, metal man. Are you actually an Appraiser?”

Jack looked down at the Shadowtitan’s Fist noting the charge indicator he’d scribed onto the side of the gauntlet only showed enough power for one more use of Call of the Shadowtitan. Technically, he could’ve just used his Status window to see the charges left on the Relic, but he preferred the quick visual marker and it hadn’t taken much time to put together. It really was a shame he couldn’t recharge it in his current situation; however, the attribute bonuses still made it valuable even when out of power. After fiddling with the gauntlet for a few seconds, he decided to tell the truth. There was no point in lying at this point especially not when they were going into danger.

“Like I said before I’m E-rank, believe it or don’t. I only have one Skill that allows me to manipulate earth, air, water, and fire to a limited degree. I can also dish out decent damage in melee and take a few hits from E-rank and D-rank mobs.”

Cordan frowned but said nothing on the matter instead addressing the group, “Alright, that makes this easy then. Raina and Jack will be our front liners while Alindal and I take up the rear. Just so I know, is anyone not joining the mind-link?”

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Jack nearly raised his hand but decided against it. a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by Raina based on the look she gave him. Jack suppressed a grimace. With no abstainers, Cordan nodded and a notification appeared.

[Cordan has used the skill Defensive Mindlink. Do you wish to join the mindlink? Y/N]

Reluctantly selecting yes, Jack experienced a strange sensation in his mind as the link initialized. It was like there was suddenly an extra part of his consciousness. He reached for it and heard the voices of everyone in the group in his head.

“… initialized. Con you all hear each other?” Cordan asked.

Alindal answered, “I hear you.”

“Wow, this is so awesome,” Raina said. A bit of her excitement bled through the mindlink.

“It really is a novel experience,” Alindal responded.

“I can hear everyone,” Jack said through the mind-link.

“Good,” Cordan said. “Then let’s get going.

Without further delay, they all walked through the wall of light. The transition was brief, yet the difference from the other side was literally night and day. Whereas the Twilight King’s realm was held in eternal night, the other side featured the oppressive light of a noonday sun beating down on a scorched wasteland of ruins. In the distance, the sky was dominated by an enormous chunk of earth that looked like it had been torn from the ground below. Atop this chunk of earth, a resplendent castle glimmered in the sun’s rays. White stone and clear crystalline spires gave the stronghold a heavenly aesthetic that drew the attention of everyone present. Yet, despite the splendor of Pope Bohum’s bastion, Jack didn’t get the chance to appreciate it. While the others commented on the castle in the sky, Jack suddenly felt a chill throughout his body that pierce the intense heat of the sun overhead. His hands began to tremble and a potent sense of wrongness rendered his thoughts blank for several seconds. Finally, he noticed the notifications that had appeared in his mind’s eye.

[Warning: Ambient Logos has been corrupted by an unknown element.]

[Warning: Due to the Blue Heart’s Bonded trait, you have suffered a status ailment.]

Eternal Light’s Embrace

-5 Stamina

-5 Willpower

His legs trembled causing him to stumble. Alindal noticed his distress and stepped over to put a hand on his shoulder. The other two glanced at them. Raina moved over as well with a worried expression, but she refrained from touching him. Jack steadied his breathing taking deep breathes until the trembling passed which took about a minute. He waved off Alindal and Raina.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Jack said.

“What was that?” Cordan asked.

Jack ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know, but there’s something wrong with this place. I just got a crazy case of the chills.” Obviously, he omitted key information from his explanation. Of the three, he’d only trust Alindal with the knowledge of his weakness and unfortunately, he hadn’t found a good time to tell his friend about everything that happened in the Well of Souls.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” asked Raina.

“Yes, I said I was fine. The sensation just caught me off guard,” Jack replied.

“If you say so,” Cordan said. He looked out among the ruins around them and Jack saw his eyes settle on a temple that matched the Twilight King’s description. “Let’s move. I don’t want to draw this out.”

The group moved quickly through the ruins toward the temple. From the looks of the destroyed buildings and debris, the area must’ve been some kind of temple district. Many of the ruins bore iconography that practically screamed of religious influence. Jack even spotted a few references to the Chthonic Trinity on a few of the more decrepit structures. Statues, long broken into pieces, littered the pathways There were faces carved from stone or crystal, stone hands holding scepters or swords, and much more— all lost to destruction. The marks of the Eternal Light’s wrath marred more than the ruins though. The ground itself was covered in ash and fissures of various sizes snaked along its face. In contrast with the majesty of the Eternal Light’s Bastion, the ruins were sobering, to say the least.

Strangely, there was no wind as they traveled. The stillness in the air intensified the effect of the heat and left an eerie quiet to the wasteland, only broken by the sound of their footsteps.

Jack couldn’t help but wonder what the ash covering the ground was. Was it the remains of plant matter and flammable materials? He noted the absence of any cloth or wood in the ruins. Had it all been burned? Probably, but a much darker thought crossed his mind. He searched the ground as they walked in the hopes that he was wrong. Sadly, he wasn’t.

They were nearly halfway to the temple when Jack knelt down and picked something from a pile of ashes disturbed by his stride. Everyone stopped behind him while he took out his water flask and poured a small amount over the object. He ran his finger along the curved fragment rubbing away the ash and revealing its yellowish color.

He looked back at the group with a grimace which Cordan matched when he saw the object. Raina held a hand over her eyes to shield it from the sun as she squinted at the yellowish fragment. “What is that?”

“It’s bone,” Jack said turning it over in his hand. The bone fragment fit into the palm of his hand, not quite being large enough to take up the entire space. He ran a finger along the curvature of the bone which was like a small semi-dome. “I’m guessing this is a piece of a skull.”

Raina gasped covering her mouth and glanced around at the ash covering their surroundings. When a fleeting trace of fear flashed in her eyes, Jack understood. Alindal shook his head with a sorrowful look in his eyes. He withdrew a small silver chain from his robe. His next words were familiar to Jack. They were an elven prayer for the departed. He’d heard the words many times before and knew their meaning. The cadence flowed like a mournful song, yet the sound was beautiful to Jack’s ears. A shame that those words punctuated many painful memories. Although they likely didn’t understand him, Cordan and Raina were silent until Alindal finished. Jack placed the skull fragment back into the pile and got up.

Without a word, the group continued forward. A short while later, they reached the temple. As they climbed the steps to the entrance, everyone scanned the surrounding. Jack saw no one; however, he heard faint footsteps with the temple and informed the group through the mind-link. Like the pope’s castle, the temple boasted a frame comprised of white stone. Four marble-like pillars with clear crystal gems embedded in them supported the front section of the roof. Nearby, a set of tall double doors fashioned from a smooth yellow material with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.

Once they neared the entrance, Jack and Raina drew their weapons. Cordan readied his sigil gun and nodded to Jack. Taking a deep breath, he pressed the Shadowtitan’s Fist against the hot metal door. Mentally, he counted down to the rest of the group.

“3… 2…”

Raina’s breath picked up. Alindal grasped his sigilcraft rod with a white-knuckle grip. Cordan raised his gun slightly, ready to fire at the first sign of an enemy.

“1,” he finished heaving the large door open.