Chapter 25:

I’m looking into it. Keep on target. Status report?

Annabella’s message was waiting for Orrin after he returned from his Mana Signatures class.

Orrin punched his mattress. What did she expect him to do?

He skipped dinner. He started to respond multiple times, coming up with sarcastic quips, stinging rebukes, and even a plea to let him go but in the end, Orrin simply reported on his progress with the two remaining targets, Maeve and Rhys.

Dropping the Relic back into his [Dimension Hole], Orrin plotted.

He was exhausted from the first three days of classes and glad Annabella decided to make him take only five classes. He’d already heard grumbling from other students taking six classes about the long days.

These people would never survive high school on Earth. Orrin smirked as he dropped on his bed. There isn’t even homework.

Orrin’s schedule was straightforward. On the first and fourth day of each week, he had Battle Class in the afternoons. The second and fifth days were split between Magical History and Surviving Spell Attacks. Defensive Earth Magic and Mana Signatures were on days three and six. Everyone had the seventh day off. Tomorrow would restart his three days of classes.

Despite Orrin’s message to Annabella, he was not that worried about Finley leaving. He’d started putting his mini-plans into motion. Using the girl from orientation, Willa, as an excuse, Orrin got Graem to loosen his reigns. Access to more of Mistlight was risky but gave him the opportunity to start a few other tactics.

The letters to Silas were a long shot. Orrin considered sending more, maybe even to Amir or the Guild of Dey but rejected the thought. Involving his friend would only paint a target on his back and Orrin didn’t know enough about the Guild’s politics to risk including them. Not to mention, there was no guarantee someone friendly would even receive a letter.

The library was turning out to be a dead end, too. Orrin spent most of his off time and nights researching but either slave collars were a higher-level magic kept on the second floor or it was a specialized field of magic that he wouldn’t find a book on at all.

During class, Orrin tried to keep the facade of Casimir going. He acted charming, which meant imitating Daniel. He made quick progress on actual assignments, mostly because he was learning the lack of standardized education slowed down many of the other students. As long as Orrin was forced to be here, he would milk the school for every bit of knowledge he could.

Orrin sighed and sat up on his bed. He pulled up his Status, changing the configuration around a bit to avoid descriptions of his spells.

Orrin

Utility Warder Level 18 (2786/9,000)

Ability Points: 15

Admin Points: 24

HP: 140/140

MP: 380/380

Strength: 9

Con: 14

Dex:11

Will: 28

Intelligence: 11

Abilities:

[Mind Bastion]

[Dimension Hole]

[Identify]

[Blood Mana]

[Map]-[Party View]; [Monster View]; [Trap View]; [Zoom]

[Side Steps] Level Three (52/300)

[Mana Pool]

[Through the Ages]

[Analyze]

[Meditate]

[Obscure]

[Way of the Water]

[Merge]

[Diagnosis]

[Purify]

[Boost] — (Spell Modifier)

[Split Spell] — (Spell Modifier)

Spells:

Calm Mind

[Heal Small Wounds] Level Three (10,000/10,000)

[Camouflage] Level Two (6,480/10,000)

[Lightstrikes]

[Lightstrike]

[Ward]

[Inverse]

[Utility Ward]

[Tilth]

[Gust]

[Ice Sword]

[Fire Sword]

[Teleport] Level Two (1,525/10,000)

[Ice Ward]

[Remetabolize] (1,000/1,000)

[Water Ward]

[Water Reservoir]

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[Toxic Touch]

[Poison Ward]

[Fire Ward]

[Wind Ward]

[Earth Ward]

[Plant Ward]

[Camouflage Ward]

[Light Ward]

[Increase Strength] Level Three (7,255/10,000)

[Increase Dexterity] Level Three (7,315/10,000)

[Increase Will] Level Three (10,000/10,000)

[Increase Intelligence] Level Three (8,275/10,000)

[Decrease Strength] Level One (50/1,000)

Decrease Dexterity Level One (50/1,000)

Decrease Will Level One (10/1,000)

Decrease Intelligence Level One (20/1,000)

He had fifteen ability points left and so many options for potential purchases but the thing he needed most was a way to escape. He’d been able to use [Toxic Touch] to burn through Brandt’s collar when they rescued him, but Annabella’s threat that the same trick wouldn’t work again scared him. He’d avoided trying the most obvious way out of the collar: [Merge].

The power to combine spells and skills to make new ones was rare and dangerous according to Madi. Anything he created would be added to the Store, making it something others could unlock as well.

Orrin still spent a few minutes confirming his theory. Even though he couldn’t use [Toxic Touch] as a spell, he could place it in [Merge] and get results close enough that it would probably work. The problem was the promise of an explosion if the collar was tampered with. While a [Ward] or even [Fire Ward] would stop some of the magical backlash, the exploding metal and concussive force in such a small area would likely still kill him. His spells protected against magical damage, not the aftereffects of a confined explosion near his spine and brain.

Orrin felt through the illusion of a necklace and touched the cold metal. Using [Meditate], he ran his fingers against the collar until he found the small portion that housed whatever controlled the magic inside. Orrin’s library search was a dead end unless he could get access to the more restricted areas or ask for help… something that would spell disaster if word got back to the wrong ears. Instead, he took deep breaths through his nose and pushed the air out his mouth, feeling his body relax.

It’s just like in class. Feel the mana.

The mana signature was there, almost too easy to find. It took twenty minutes to figure out the real problem.

Orrin’s own mana was powering the collar. It acted as a block, not letting him see beneath the hood. Orrin spent two hours in a trance trying to find a way in but failed to make any progress. Too tired to continue, he crawled under the blanket and tried to sleep.

At breakfast the next morning with Ellis, Orrin asked about the free day. “What does everyone do when there are no classes?”

Ellis was reading a book with one hand and trying to shovel food into his mouth with the other. “I have to finish this chapter before class starts. Talk to me later. Sorry.”

Orrin shrugged and cleared the empty trays for both of them as Ellis walked off, still with his nose in the book. Rhys and Iona were in class this morning and Orrin didn’t know what Maeve got up to outside her few classes. He wasn’t actually sure he’d seen her in the cafeteria once.

He tried one last time to search the library for information about slave collars, but his one free period rushed by without his luck changing.

He left for lunch in a bad mood. Ellis skipped or was trying to finish a book… Orrin didn’t know for sure. He contemplated skipping Battle Class but decided to go.

“Casimir, you and Hugo are fighting today,” the professor announced pairings as they entered the room. They were the fourth set to fight.

Orrin watched Hugo as he talked with Wilder. The bigger man kept his quarterstaff summoned the entire class now. He elbowed Hugo and pointed at Orrin. He turned and tried to act like he was watching Peregrine and Cora’s fight.

“Casimir, right?” the shadow to his side asked.

“Good afternoon, Hugo,” Orrin said, wincing as Cora’s chakram landed against Peregrine’s head. He was still standing but obviously dazed. The weapon the TA, Bellamy, picked with her was perfect for her fighting style.

“You’re mostly a distance spell slinger, aren’t you? I know you summoned those swords for your last fight with Eloise but you didn’t even get a hit in with them. Sorry, that sounded unkind. I mean, you don’t seem trained in swords.” Hugo’s voice was lower than Orrin expected.

“I’ll be fine.” Like the others with summoned weapons, Orrin’s two swords were already out and stabbed into the ground behind him. Bellamy was going to do an introductory weapon training after the battles today. He’d also mentioned the possibility of buying private lessons for more intensive walkthroughs, which was something Orrin would not be doing.

Hugo crossed his arms and rubbed his elbows. “Sorry, that sounded mean again. I want to know because I’m working on my distance weapons more and wanted to try using a bow but if you’d prefer to keep it up close, we can do that.”

Orrin remembered Hugo’s fight against Finley. He was the one summoning different types of ice weapons, from shield to spear, in rapid succession. “I think the point of the class is to win, right? Shouldn’t you use the skills you’re best at to win?”

Hugo’s hands moved up and down rubbing the opposite arm as if warming himself up. “I’m not worried about losing to you. With these early fights, most of us try to keep to the basics and not show off our better spells. It’s easy to come up with a strategy against someone who goes all out each week. I need the practice and thought I’d ask.”

Orrin closed his eyes in frustration. Another secret edge that nobody shared with him. It made sense. In a class where earning wins was the goal, going all out before the final battle only shared your strengths and weaknesses with the group. “Thank you, Hugo. I hadn’t considered that. We can fight long-range if you want but if you are just shooting arrows at me, it’s going to be a long fight.”

Hugo smiled and nodded his head. “Maybe not so long if I hit you.”

Two minutes later, Peregrine took another hit to the head and didn’t recover in time. Cora hit him with a follow-up wind attack, concentrated on his legs, and he went down.

“Hugo and Casimir,” Galina nodded at them once everyone gave some advice and criticism. “Get in there.”

Orrin pulled his two swords from the ground even though he wouldn’t need them. A few rounds of [Increase Dexterity] and [Increase Will] made him faster and with a much larger mana pool. He cast a [Ward] and [Ice Ward] on himself as well.

I’ll only use [Gust]. It doesn’t matter if I win these fights right now. I’ll wait to see if Finley comes back before I try anything new.

“Fight.”

Hugo stayed true to his word and summoned a bow and arrow of clear ice. Orrin easily dodged the arrows, which splashed down, turning into water as they missed. Unlike his own attacks, Hugo’s weapons lasted only as long as he needed them.

Orrin’s own wind attacks back clipped Hugo a few times but never hard enough to turn the tide of the battle. It dragged on and Orrin considered charging in a bit closer when Hugo smiled and let the bow disappear.

Orrin hadn’t been hit one time.

“I win,” Hugo announced. “Look at the ground around you. Do you surrender?”

Orrin realized with dread the arrows hadn’t been the attack. Rather, Hugo’s aim wasn’t to hit Orrin but to soak the ground around him with water. Water that Orrin knew without a doubt Hugo could control with his ice magic at the snap of a finger. The smile on his face confirmed it.

Orrin should have surrendered and shrugged it off but the frustration of everything crashed against him. The futility of trying to escape, the injustice of Lord Sanerris and his mother keeping him from his friends, and the stupid little games these adults were playing while his friend was fighting in a war.

Orrin gave no warning. His dexterity was only in the fifties but another few casts maxed it out. Orrin ran directly at Hugo.

The first step was free. He moved so fast that Hugo reacted a split second too late. The second footfall turned Orrin’s ankle, as spikes of ice formed and shot out all around him. He kept his footing and continued closing the distance.

He only soaked a few more feet.

Orrin brought his foot down between two growing ice pillars and jumped forward, clearing most of the rest of the wet ground. He kept charging, watching Hugo’s eyes widen as his plan failed. A dark glee shot into Orrin’s heart at finally getting a win.

Hugo summoned a shield of ice. A full tower shield blocked Orrin’s view. He reached into the air behind Hugo and pulled, using [Inverse] on [Gust]. It was one of those secret attacks he’d thought of. Pulling the wind instead of pushing it. Something he hadn’t done on the field yet.

The shield was pushed to the ground from the roaring wind behind Hugo, nearly toppling the bigger man forward. His eyes moved back up from his fallen shield just as Orrin punched him with a regular [Gust]. He directed the wind at a forty-five-degree angle from the ground, right into Hugo’s gut.

Hugo was knocked off his feet and launched into the air. He careened ten feet and landed outside the circle with a crunch of something breaking.

“Oh, shit,” Orrin yelled and ran to the man’s unmoving body. “Shit. Shit. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“That wasn’t ranged at all,” Hugo grumbled. “Did you punch me?”

“Casimir wins. Get Hugo to the infirmary and then back for debrief,” Professor Galina called from the other side of the fighting circle. “Next up is…”

“It was a spell. Can you walk?” Orrin asked, ignoring the two classmates moving into the circle behind him.

“I might have broken my leg when I landed.”

Orrin used [Identify].

Hugo Barclay

[Hecaton of Ice] Level 29

Status: fibular fracture; tibial fracture

“Two broken bones,” Orrin read quietly. He reached to heal but was able to stop himself from revealing even more of his secrets. “Let’s get you fixed up. Good fight.”

Hugo grunted but let himself be pulled up. A few of the students who previously ignored Orrin gave him a nod as he helped the man limp past them. He’d won a fight and would get a chit. Any other student of Battle Class would be ecstatic so why did Orrin feel terrible?