Chapter 21: Karma
[You have completed Pathways to Power I: Understanding Basic Primary Stats].
[Quest Update! You have accomplished two of four objectives for [Dreaded Homework Assignment.]
[Notice! You have achieved your first Mystical Knowledge point. You may now purchase and learn Tier I spells from the Mystical Emporium.]
‘That was easy enough,’ Mercedes observed with a small amount of satisfaction as she closed out [Quest Insight], ignoring the list of reading recommendations. There wasn’t much left to Lesson Seven, which the Professor had already covered in class, but she was still required to read the section in full for it to count towards her quest objective. ‘At least the other two primers are smaller in size.’
The Sparrow stretched as she glanced over the other Initiates, who had returned from visiting the Academy library earlier while the albino caught up on her homework. Fourth period had been mostly self-study due to Master Nicodemus being called away to a meeting with the other Academy Professors.
‘So, when do we get released?’ Mercedes was actually looking forward to returning to her little room at the inn so she could dive into the many new profile information panels she had yet to open. She was tired of reading and lessons and rather hoped to explore more of the city before sundown.
The distant toll of a bell echoed faintly through the walls of the Basilisk’s Lair, prompting the other Initiates to store the new books they had obtained in their magic storage.
“Alright, that’s it for today,” Raimund announced from the balcony above as he circled toward the stairs. “I’ll escort you all to the Academy Nexus Portal. From there, you can do as you wish outside the Citadel as long as you’re not breaking any laws or dishonoring the Academy uniform. Remember, there's a curfew in effect for the city, so no staying out past sunset. And if any of you need another temporary scroll for tomorrow, please let me know before you depart.”
“Shall we go explore the market again?” Lorcon asked as Hestia moved to join him at his desk. “Maybe they’ll have some easy quests we can do to earn some extra magic crystals or magic energy potions for class."
“I wouldn’t worry,” the ginger Disciple interjected as he motioned for them to gather at the Basilisk’s door. “The Professor will provide all the supplies you require for practical training.”
“Then I want to check out the crafting district. See how these Arcane Arcanists do things!” Lorcon’s hazel-gray eyes swiveled in the albino’s direction. “Would you like to join us?”
Mercedes smiled at the brunette boy’s enthusiasm. She had a feeling he could tell her everything she needed to know about Mystic armor and weapons. “Perhaps another time. I’m a bit tired.”
‘…and hungry.’
image [https://www.royalroad.com/dist/img/ornaments/16.png]
The Academy Nexus was overflowing with Initiates, Novices, and Disciples, each making their way toward one of the four portals that filled the stone-paved room lined with blooming vines that fluttered with delicate butterflies of arcane magic.
“The purple portal to your left will connect you to the city’s Nexus system,” Raimund instructed, nudging them to where most of the Mystics ahead were disappearing in small groups at a time. “Does anyone need a scroll?”
Mercedes raised her hand and offered a grateful smile when she was presented with another temporary teleportation tool. ‘Just in case my theory of blood magic doesn’t hold up.’ She tucked the scroll between her arms and the stack of primers she still carried. A glance at the Academy students around her was enough to realize that no one else seemed to find it necessary to carry anything physically.
‘Hmm. I wonder if there’s a limit to what a magic inventory can convey in and out of the Citadel?’
The albino pushed the thought aside as a sudden notification flashed through the air above the crowded, open-ceiling Nexus room. All the Mystics around them paused their forward movement and fell silent as their collective gazes rose to examine the announcement.
[Astral Broadcast—Realm Wide Update!]
Rather than a message, the Sparrow and her classmates were presented with two images, each of which appeared to represent different groups of Primordials and their realms.
image [https://i0.wp.com/verawolfefantasywebnovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Primordial-Power-Status-Neutral.png?resize=477%2C477&ssl=1]
Primordial Neutral Realms Power Rankings: Elementara: The Elemental Realms increased by +34,693,000. Arcantheon: The Arcane Realms increased by +23,751,000. Elvarielle: The Fae Realms increased by +6,467,000.
“Is it already time for our weekly check-in?” Raimund muttered before catching the albino's inquisitive look. “What you see is a visual representation of each Primordial realm’s status based on the increase or decrease of magic crystals harvested in the last few days. You can access these charts through the Mystic Emporium as well. Normally, they only broadcast once a week unless there has been a significant change in the power hierarchy.”
Mercedes nodded, but she was quickly distracted by the cluster of screens that popped up in her vision.
[Notice! The Territorial Dispute between Necrothorn and Serenitus on Mundane World 1314 has ended. The Abyssal Dominion has claimed victory. Extra magical crystals, Karma Points, and experience have been awarded to all Dominion Agents who took part in this battle. Additional rewards have been attributed to those Mystics who played a critical role in conquering this territory.]
[Astra System Update! You have been awarded an additional 105,000 Karma Points for conquering territory belonging to the Celestial Covenant.]
‘Damn it. Can’t I just decline a reward if I don’t want it?’
[Astra System Update! You have obtained the following titles [Oathbreaker] and [Agent of Doom] as a result of your contributions to a territorial dispute.]
[Astra System Update! You have received a Dominion Reward Chest x2. All rewards have been sent to your inventory.]
‘Great... Now there’s even more reason to figure out how to unlock the magical storage in my ring. This reminds me, I still haven’t been able to access the rewards Nyxus gave me for entering the Mystic Realms.’
“I see we’re still trailing behind the Arcane Realm as usual,” Lorcon commented with a faint scoff as the Elemental Mystic studied the larger chart.
“Is it me, or did the Dying Realms gain a lot more magic crystals recently?” Hestia said with a hint of concern as she gestured to the crowded chart beside it.
image [https://i0.wp.com/verawolfefantasywebnovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Primordial-Power-Status-Warring.png?resize=440%2C440&ssl=1]
Primordial Warring Realms Power Rankings: Vitalus: The Blood Realms decreased by -12,397,000. Abyssion: The Demonic Realm increased by +7,319,000. Thanaterus: The Dying Realms increased by +73,768,000. Seraphelios: The Divine Realm decreased by -30,786,000. Luminarex: The Spiritual Realm increased by +3,294,000. Cosmosis: The Celestial Realm decreased by -5,849,000.
“It’s been a while since anyone from the Abyssal Dominion has gained that much in such a short amount of time,” Lorcon affirmed. “And the Divine Realms took a decent loss as well. Strange.”
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“Probably a Mundane world dispute,” Dimitri replied.
Mercedes arched a brow as she turned to her classmates. “Mundane disputes can affect their ranking that much?”
“Only if the world was being utilized to harvest magic crystals,” Lorcon said with a shrug.
“You can grow essence crystals on Mundane worlds?”
“If the right conditions are met. For example, if an entire planet were on the verge of extinction or were completely wiped out, it would be a prime location for Thanaterus’s agents to seed and grow death essence and crystals.”
“The souls of the dead can be harvested and turned into death essence,” Hestia explained with a grimace. “Even in a mundane world. Especially if those souls were corrupted by Necrothorn’s magic.”
“Then—what would the Mystics of the Divine Realm have to gain from a territorial dispute over a Mundane world?” The Sparrow pressed.
“You’d have to ask Novice Karissa,” Lorcon suggested with a faint smirk. “Their Divine magic is based on their religion and—well, even we struggle to understand why they put so much effort into converting Mundanes who lack any magical ability.”
“They’re a bunch of narcissists, much like their Titans and Primordial,” Hestia said, wrinkling her nose with a hint of weariness. “Having a Priestess in our class is bound to lead to endless headaches.”
“Why?” Mercedes inquired.
“They’re not above converting Mystics from other disciplines,” Dimitri explained. He nodded at the charts above them. “Since Serapholis has held the most power among the Primordials for a while now, they’ve only gotten more arrogant in their approach. Oh—speaking of which.”
The group of Initiates turned to where Novice Karissa and Taran were heading in their direction, trailed by a rather worried-looking Sasha.
“Is it just me, or does the Priestess looks pissed?” Hestia whispered with a note of laughter.
“That can’t be good,” Lorcon murmured.
“The lines are moving again,” Raimund interjected as he turned the Initiates toward the waiting portals and then moved closer to the Sparrow. “Class is over, so the rest of you can head out.”
“Be careful,” the brunette boy mouthed to the albino before he followed Hestia and Dimitri, who stepped forward to exit the Academy grounds.
“You! Initiate!” Karissa snapped, ignoring the ginger Disciple’s attempt to hold her back. “You’re that albino that escaped from Mundane World 1314!”
‘Well—this was bound to happen eventually. Still, it's probably best to avoid lying to her directly.’
“I am,” Mercedes affirmed.
“And how did you manage to escape when a High Priestess and five Disciples were unable to teleport to safety?”
“They haven’t returned?” The Sparrow said, furrowing her brows with an expression of concern as she lowered her gaze. “Oh dear. If they didn’t get out before the kingdom of Elysian fell to the undead—that can’t be good.”
‘Here’s hoping that a 1 in Charisma makes me a more convincing actor.’
“That Mundane kingdom shouldn’t have fallen at all. And Master Primula was due to return in a fortnight! But now she’s gone missing, and all the Disciples who joined her for this territory dispute have also vanished.”
‘They didn’t vanish. A very hungry void ravager ate them.’
“I’m—sorry to hear that.”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” Karissa’s turquoise blue eyes narrowed as she tried to move closer. “You’re hiding something. I can tell. There shouldn’t have been any vampires in that world, let alone a dhampir.”
“Novice Karissa, please compose yourself,” Raimund said, holding onto the Priestess’s shoulders as he firmly held her back.
“My Master is missing. This Initiate is the only survivor, and your Master is hiding her away in the Academy,” Karissa snapped, turning her fury on the ginger Disciple. “There was no reason for Professor Nicodemus to recruit a useless dhampir who can’t wield magic properly.”
“I—am not—a dhampir,” Mercedes growled, pulling the Priestess’s attention back to her.
“Then what are you?”
The Sparrow offered the enraged Priestess a cold smile as she stepped forward, caching the ginger Disciple off guard, and whispered in the Divine Mystic’s ear, “None of your fucking business.”
“Okay, I think we’ll be on our way now,” Raimund said, shooting Sasha a glance that prompted the female Disciple to step forward to restrain the infuriated Priestess. “I suggest you rethink your approach to this matter, Novice Karissa. The ATNS Bureau, Serenitus Temple, and even Archmage Lothaire are investigating the High Priestess’s disappearance in connection to the incident with the Nexus System. I know you want answers, but acting on emotions will only jeopardize your position at the Academy.”
“Disciple Raimund is right,” Sasha said as she gently pulled the Priestess away. “Why don’t I escort you and Novice Taran back to your residence at the Temple for some peace and prayer? The Masters will sort this mess out soon enough.”
‘Not too soon.’ Mercedes relented to the ginger Disciple’s insistent tug as he cut back into the line that led towards the waiting portal. ‘Looks like I’m also getting an escort back to the Inn.’
image [https://www.royalroad.com/dist/img/ornaments/16.png]
“You’re not very good at making friends, are you?” Raimund commented when the pair finally reached the entrance of the Enchanted Inn. As much as the Sparrow had wanted to explore more of the marketplace they teleported into, she preferred to do so without her primers or the risk of losing the teleportation scroll for tomorrow's class.
“Can’t say I’ve had much experience with it,” Mercedes said with a shrug as they headed up the stairs to the second floor. “If you think I get treated differently here because of this—” she gestured vaguely to her face, “—just know it was a lot worse in my old world.”
“There’s nothing wrong with how you look—though a better nutritional diet wouldn’t hurt. Which reminds me.” The ginger Disciple summoned a familiar jar of blood-eel eggs, which he presented to the Sparrow as they turned down the hallway. “Still need me to show you how to use that ring?”
“I was planning to try and work it out on my own,” she replied honestly, hesitantly accepting the Gorgon’s “lunch” as they reached her door. “But if you want to give me a demonstration, it wouldn’t hurt to be more prepared for tomorrow's class.”
“A demonstration won’t take long, but—” Raimund’s tone hardened as his gemstone-green eyes narrowed in on the rented inn-room door.
“Is—something wrong?”
“This should be locked. All the doors in the inn are enchanted to permit only the room’s registered occupants to open them, but the enchantment on this door is no longer active.”
‘There was an enchantment?’ The Sparrow blinked as the ginger Disciple motioned for her to step back.
“I don’t sense anyone inside, but wait out here for a moment, will you.”
The albino nodded, her grip on the jar and her stack of primers tightening as she watched the Mystic turn the knob without resistance and push the door open. Raimund entered cautiously. She could barely hear his graceful footsteps on the panel wooden floor before he returned, scratching his ear with a frustrated frown.
“Nothing appears to be out of place. Why don’t you check and see if anything’s missing.”
“Alright.”
Mercedes followed the Disciple into the room and looked around. As he had said, nothing looked out of place. ‘I wouldn’t have realized someone had forced their way in if he hadn’t brought it up.’ The Sparrow placed the jar and books on the extra bed and then noticed what was missing as her fingers trailed over the clean blanket.
“The glitter—it’s all gone.”
“Glitter?” Raimund’s brows furrowed before rising above a sheepish grin. “Oh, from the—right. Sorry. That must have left quite a mess.”
“What was that about anyway?”
“It’s how some Disciples like to welcome new Initiates. I should have checked to make sure yours wasn’t pranked, but—” he examined the room again, his expression narrowing. “If you didn’t clean it up, the person who entered your room must have done it to avoid leaving any tracks.”
‘Should I say thank you?’
“Are you sure nothing else is gone?” Raimund pressed.
“I don’t have much as you can see.” Mercedes’s pink eyes narrowed in on the wardrobe, and she quickly moved to open the top dresser drawer. “Just the uniform from my old world, which—” The Sparrow let out a small sigh as she eyed the empty space in the narrow drawer beside her folded trousers. “My shirt is gone.”
“Your shirt?”
“The one you repaired the other day.”
“What an odd thing to steal,” Raimund murmured as he joined her and leaned closer to examine the wardrobe. “It’s been wiped clean, too. I doubt there will be anything left for a tracking spell to pick up on.”
‘A tracking spell? That sounds useful.’
“We should alert the front desk. Lilibet might be able to pick up their magic essence if it hasn’t been too long, and for now, we’ll have to upgrade you to a more secure room.”
“Should I grab my stuff now or?”
The Disciple turned away, snapping his fingers towards the Initiate’s items on the bed, which disappeared. “I’ll carry them for you. Leave everything that was here when we entered as it is for now. The less we disturb things, the better chances Lilibet has of picking up their trail.”
The albino nodded and sighed as she followed him out of the room. ‘So much for relaxing.’ Her mind immediately turned to why her room had been targeted. ‘First, my jacket disappears, and now the shirt. Other than being repaired and cleaned—they weren’t anything special. Just the uniform of a Sparrow from a Mundane world—’
The albino stood still at the top of the stairs and gripped the railing as she recalled something both pieces of clothing had in common.
‘I know my shirt had blood on it this morning, and there’s a strong possibility the Raven jacket had some blood left on it from Vortexus's attack. And apparently, in this world, blood can reveal many of a Mystic’s secrets.’
“Fuck…”