Johann stared at the wall, tension rolling over him in waves. He needed too win this next match or… no, he had to win the next match. He knew that Gloria and Torin had gotten through, he had no doubt about that. Both of them had the skills and determination to reach the top, unlike him.
Johann often felt like he was being carried forward by the two of them. They always seemed so confident, like nothing ever phased them, but Johann wasn’t like that. He always felt like he had to work hard just to keep up with them and one of his worst fears was that they would eventually just leave him behind.
It was why, after he lost the previous match, that he desperately needed to win this one. If he didn’t enter the guild at the same time as Torin and Gloria would they wait for him? Johann hoped so, but he would do everything he could to never find out.
A part of him was deeply upset that he had lost the previous match but no matter how many times he thought about it he simply couldn’t see a way that he could have won. His mana channels still hadn’t fully recovered but even if they had it wouldn’t have mattered.
His opponent had been a Crafter, or some variant thereof, and carried a variety of weapons including the one that had been his undoing, some sort of Magi-tech device that fired out shards of metal in a rapid fire manner. On it’s own the device would have been a challenge to beat but coupled with the explosive orbs and the crossbow that fired devastatingly powerful bolts and the Crafter became a storm of pure unadulterated destruction. It probably took months if not years to craft everything but it perfectly demonstrated the Crafters most dangerous attribute; Preperation.
The portal opened once again, the shimmering circle that promised either salvation or damnation. Johann steeled his nerves, took a deep breath, and stepped through. On the other side he found himself once more standing in the arena, a wall of blue mana separating Johann from the carriage sized golem that was the ‘boss’.
Looking to his right Johann found himself staring at a face that he recognized. It was Ylreh, the Dark Elf Mage he had met in the Survival Trial. Ylreh looked as surprised as Johann felt for a moment before he gave Johann a small smile tinged with sadness and turned back towards the wall of mana.
Johann’s mind was a jumble of emotions and thoughts. A part of him had been dreading that this would happen but after so many matches he’d been convinced that it wouldn’t happen, yet obviously he was wrong.
During the week long survival trial the two of them had become, if not friends, at least friendly acquaintances. Ylreh had helped him to figure out his new [Mana Bolts] and it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that Johann wouldn’t have reached this stage without him.
And now he had to beat him, knocking him out of the competition and likely ruining his hopes and dreams until he either got new ones or he reapplied next year. Either way, it was a tough pill to swallow and Johann really didn’t want to be the one to do it.
Sadly, there was no other option. He either crushed Ylreh’s dreams or let his own be crushed, and Johann wasn’t about to let Torin and Gloria down. When the barrier came down Johann immediately began firing out Storm filled [Mana Bolts], his mana channels screaming at him as he did so.
The last match had been hopeless from the start, his channels far too strained and his opponent too uniquely skilled for Johann to be able to win, so he kept his bolts to the standard variation. Truthfully, he still needed a days of rest rather than hours but it was literally now or never and cracked mana channels could be healed. So he pulled out [Mana Bolt] after [Mana Bolt], each one bringing a fresh wave of pain that had him gritting his teeth and sweating buckets.
Ylreh had the base mage class but, thanks to his fathers connections and some money he had saved up, he had managed to get training for both [Basic Mana Manipulation] and [Mana Bolt], letting them take up general skill slots rather than his valuable class skill slots. After mastering the two skills he was then able to grab [Mana Spear], [Basic Mana Constructs] to help him create the stronger and therefore more complex spells and finally [Magic Missile], what he personally considered his ultimate spell.
Sadly, [Magic Missile] was a bit useless for the tournament, the spell packing a lot of power but taking a full minute and two thirds of his mana to construct. A brilliant spell, and if this was a competition to deplete the bosses health then he’d undoubtedly win in spectacular style but regrettably the tournament preferred sustained damage over burst, the opposite of Ylreh’s build.
Of course, that wouldn’t hold Ylreh back, and neither would the appearance of Johann. The Half-Elemental that he had met and aided during the survival trial was a pleasant enough person, and if Ylreh had met him outside of the Trials then they might have become steadfast friends, but now he was simply another obstacle to overcome. After his loss to the Meridian he could not afford another, not if he wanted to pursue his fathers legacy and prove his worth to the tribe.
When the barrier came down Ylreh launched the two [Mana Bolts] he had prepared at the golem representing the boss. Though he preferred a singular powerful attack Ylreh had nevertheless practiced dual casting, ostensibly to shore up his weakness but I reality he was actually hoping to double down on his strongest spells. After all, the only thing more terrifying than a massive city-destroying spell is two massive city-destroying spells.
As the time ticked on and the spells continued to be slung Ylreh found himself impressed at Johann’s improvement. He had been there when the druid discovered the unique use of his skill and Ylreh had seen how Johann had struggled to recreate it. To go from that to firing them out as if they were normal [Mana Bolts] within a week showed a speed of mastery that even the most talented would be envious of.
As the seconds passed and the additional point worthy golems appeared the competition became more furious as the two of them fought furiously to out-perform the other. As the match entered the second minute Ylreh pushed himself further as he began to start duel casting [Mana Spears], sweat appearing on his brow as he strained his considerable control to keep the individual spells within his control.
While Ylreh looked as if he was finally putting some effort in Johann looked as if he was barely hanging on. As strained as he was he couldn’t even attempt to duel-casting. Instead, with Ylreh driving up the pressure, he turned to the only avenue he could, increasing the Storm mana within the [Mana Bolts]. So far he had been limiting the mana he supplied in an effort to reduce the strain on burden on his overtaxed mana channels, but now he started to ramp it up.
As more and more Weather mana entered them the [Mana Bolts] stopped resembling the original spell and began to look like compressed thunderclouds. They acted like it too, the spells exploding in gale force winds, pelting rain and bolts of lightning, the power of the spell reaching heights so far away from the original that it might as well have been a new spell. Whether it was his familiarity with [Mana Bolt] reaching new heights, his trait working to boost the spell beyond its natural limits or some combination of the two Johann managed to do the impossible.
The impossible came with a price though, each spell drawing a muffled scream of pain from Johann as the mana tore at his channels with each cast. As the seconds passed Johann could feel cracks forming in his channels, the mana bleeding through and creating havoc in his body. By the time the fourth minute passed Johann was well in the lead but almost literally dead on his feet.
As the next set of adds arrived Johann could feel his limit approaching. His strength was leaving him, his mana wreaking havoc with his body as he began to cough up blood. With the last of his willpower he switched his attunement to plants and fired off a [Grasping Roots] spell, wrapping the boss in the massive roots that squeezed hard enough to provide damage. The effort was not so much the straw that broke the camels back as it was the boulder that snapped the camels spine in half.
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Consciousness fled Johann as he felt something snap within him and he crumpled to the ground, darkness swallowing his thoughts even as he fought to hold on.
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“Dungeons.”
The classes attention snapped to Mr. Demerki as he announced the topic of today's lesson, at least for the most part; two kids in the back were asleep. Mr Demerki could have woken them but he had the feeling that missing out on an exciting lesson would be quite the suitable punishment for falling asleep in class. That, and the extra questions on dungeons the two would now be receiving in the test next week.
“As I am sure you all know, one of the major changes that the system brings along is the creation and maintenance of special spaces known as dungeons. I’m also sure you also know that these dungeons are filled with monsters, items and resources, but can any of you tell me why the system creates dungeons? Why they have the monsters and resources?”
After a few moments of thought filled silence a few hands rose. Mr. Demerki pointed at the one that was raised first.
“Is it cause its fun?”
Mr. Demerki sighed. “No Torin, it’s not because it’s ‘fun’. Also, as I’ve told you before, whilst I love your enthusiasm please do try to give your answers a bit more thought before giving them. Now, how about you, what do you think the answer is?”
The young boy that Mr. Demerki asked sat up straighter and answered. “Is it so that the people with fighting classes can level up?”
Mr. Demerki smiled. “You are correct, but not completely correct. Yes, Dungeons are one of the main sources of levels for the more combat orientated classes, but they are much more. Dungeons hold rewards that are not naturally producible, such as titles and achievements, that provide incentive to delve their depths.
“Dungeons also hold an incentive for those of a crafting or resource gathering persuasion. Dungeons often hold a wealth of resources of various types and tiers that can only be gathered after the dungeon has been cleared. These resources are almost always difficult to find in nature and are immensely useful to Crafters.”
“The Dungeons have another, far more important reason for existing. Mana is a wonderful tool in many ways but when left unchecked it can cause chaos and destruction. The System helps us to control our internal mana through the implementation of mana channels but external mana is controlled through the use of Dungeons The System gathers and condenses the mana in pocket dimensions, using the mana to form everything within from the ground to the monsters.”
“The method of using Dungeons comes with it’s own risks. If a Dungeon is left alone for too long then the internal mana reservoirs of the Dungeon fill up. If this happens then the Dungeon is forced to purge the mana through an uncontrolled creation of monsters which are then ejected from the Dungeon in what is known as a Dungeon Break.”
“This is why the Adventurers Guild carries such prestige, without the brave men and woman delving into the depths of the dungeons each day we would all be dead within a week.”
Mr. Demerki paused to let the stark reality of his words sink in. The idea that society was almost constantly on the brink of destruction was a chilling one but Mr. Demerki refused to hide the truth from the children.
“Of course, with great risk comes great reward. Let’s look at some of the more notable rewards to come out of a Dungeon.”
Mr Demerki may have been unwilling to avoid stark realities but that didn’t mean he enjoyed dwelling on them either.
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Awareness did not creep up on Johann like the dawn, nor did it drip into his mind like a leaking pipe. Instead it slammed into his brain like an Ortrox with a grudge. Along with awareness came its age old friend agonizing pain. Johann had no idea what was going on but it felt as if his entire body, inside and out, was dipped in an evil combination of fiery acid and lemon juice.
Thankfully the pain only lasted moments before a wave of soothing energy robbed the pain of its bite. It was still there, patiently and constantly reminding him that something was very, very wrong, but it became easy to ignore.
Cracking open his eyes Johann found himself lying on a comfortable bed staring at a featureless white cieling. Moving his head Johann managed to look around the room despite the motion creating waves of nausea. The rest of the room was empty other than a small chair in which a vaguely familiar dark purple skinned person sat.
Johann was just trying to figure out who the man was when his memories decided he’d had enough happiness and rushed back. The match, the pain, the final spell and the crack as he collapsed, all of it came back to him, brutally resolving the question of how he came to be lying here racked with pain. What t didn’t explain however, was why Ylreh was sitting by his bedside rather than, well, anyone else.
Ylreh must have seen the question written upon Johann’s face as he began to speak. “You are probably wondering why I am here, rather than your brother or your parents.”
Johann nodded subconsciously, bringing on a fresh protest from his abused body.
“Ah, yes, the healers said that the pain will soon subside but you should try to move as little as possible in the mean time. The reason I am here rather than your family is that I felt that it might be easier to hear the news from me than your family so I asked if I could be the one to break it.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to. I know what you’re going to say.” Johann had lost, and he knew it. He had known it as soon as he had seen who his opponent was. Ylreh had trained for this, for being a Ranged Attacker, for most of his life. Johann was good, and one day he would be the best, but he simply hadn’t had enough time to prepare. Another year and he’d be able to sweep through the competition with ease.
Ylreh raised his hand to forestall any more of Johann’s protests. “Please, I wish to tell you my story so you may have a better understanding of my actions.”
Johann nodded his assent, though a part of him wished that Ylreh would just leave so he could wallow in his misery in peace.
“Thank you. As you likely know, Dark Elves are a solitary people, preferring their own company rather than that of a stranger and few leave the enclaves. The ones who leave are not shunned, as most tend to believe, but they are seen as … unwise. Dark Elves do not have any actual rules against interaction with the other races, but most see it as distasteful, an opinion that is fully endorsed by the tribe elders, the leaders of the Dark Elves.”
“My father set out to prove the elders wrong many years ago and joined the Adventurers Guild. Despite gaining a great many friends and comrades, as well as a fair amount of power, the elders refuse to accept that Dark Elves would be welcomed by the other races.”
Ylreh shook his head. “It is stupidity of the greatest level. Before the Babel Event we were all human anyways, there is absolutely no reason that others wouldn’t accept us, yet those foolish old men refuse to even acknowledge the fact.”
Ylreh took a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh. “I believed in my father’s cause, so on my eighteenth birthday I stood in front of the elders, in full view of my people, and made a decleration, that I would become a person well respected in every land and by every race and, after having attained the recognition of every race, they would be forced to admit that the Dark Elves would be better if we were integrated with the other races.”
Ylreh chuckled. “I meant every word, though I still wonder what I must have consumed to give me the courage to make the declaration. But, make it I did, and I immediately set out to fulfill it in the same way as my father, by becoming a well respected adventurer.”
Ylreh’s face became solemn. “For the past year I trained endlessly in the pursuit of my goal. Once I believed I was ready for the Trials I applied, determined not to let anything stand in the way. When I met you I determined that you weren’t a threat, so I instead strove to befriend you. Even when you revealed your ability to combine a [Mana Bolt] with a higher tier mana I still did not believe you to be a threat. It was a newly gained ability after all.”
Ylreh smiled. “When we met in that final match you shocked me with your talent. To improve so much in such a short time, it was truly remarkable. That being said, it was not your talent that impressed me in the end, it was your determination. To keep fighting to the point of collapse, even in what must have been tremendous pain, it is something I never truly believed I would see.”
“My father once told me that the best fighters aren’t those who have the most power, but those who will fight until their last breath. He told me that if I were to ever meet such a person then I should feel truly blessed, as there are far too few who wouldn’t surrender in the face of adversity.”
Ylreh stared Johann in the eyes for a moment before standing up and bowing to him. “It is a great honor to have met you. I hope that, when we meet in the future, it will be as comrades or perhaps friends.”
With that he strode to the door, leaving a somewhat bewildered Johann staring after him. As he reached the door he paused for a moment before turning back to Johann and speaking one final time.
“Goodbye and good luck … Adventurer.”