Steps echoed down the frigid stone hall as a tall man made his way to the only door at its end. Though the place was cast in the deepest darkness, with not a single torch to light the way, the man did not stumble once, and neither did he trip on the innumerable stairs he'd had to descend to get to the hall. The man hadn't needed light to see in many years.
Just as the lack of light did not bother him, neither did the chill that would've certainly killed a lesser creature in an instant. He was not headed anywhere that most would find it hospitable, but the Lord's will sustained him, and it was to the Lord that he returned.
The man reached the end of the hall, where there was nothing but a blank wall, and paused. It was always a blank wall, with not the slightest seam in the deceptively mundane stone. It was made to be that way. No one was meant to trespass beyond this wall, but that wouldn't stop the man when his Lord called. His attention turned to the air, and to the imperceptible arcane flows only known to higher beings.
By his Lord's will, the man saw the lifeblood of the world, and by His hand, the man reached out and twisted it all away from the wall. There was the slightest moment's resistance that was all but unnoticeable, as only the Lord could possibly bend the world to his will naturally, but in an instant, the wall was gone as if it never existed.
Beyond it, the ominous, holy dark was a physical presence. A Divine presence. One that bent the world just by existing. The man stepped through before the wall could reassert itself and kneeled to greet his Lord.
"You called, my Lord," his voice rang out colder than the air, but in a tone reserved for no mortal's ears. A supplicant tone.
Something in the dark moved, and focussed on his kneeling form. Then his master spoke.
One of my lesser vessels is dead. Its work foiled by an interloper.
Such a transgression would not go unpunished, but the Lord hadn't yet let his will be known. "My Lord, what is the nature of this interloper? What foolish adventurer would dare interfere in your holy work? Give the word, and I will personally deliver you their corpse."
A deep, harrowing rumble passed through the dark. It might have been a laugh, but if so, there was no humor. After it faded, He spoke once more.
It was no mortal adventurer, my servant. It was a boy. A Legacy.
That gave the man pause. "Like..."
Yes.
"Then we must capture it at once," the man said. "A second one would make a useful thrall."
No, that will not be the boy's fate, my servant. Not yet.
"My Lord?"
The boy bears the mark of the First. She watches over him in hiding, but she has extended too far this time.
The First. Just the thought of that being filled the man with a great, murderous rage, but he did not show it. He wouldn't dare presume to know the Lord's will, but the next words came as no surprise. They had hunted the First for so long and she had finally shown herself. There could be only one course of action.
You will send agents to watch the boy, however long it takes.
The rumble came again, and this time, the man's own laughter joined it. They spoke as one.
He will lead us right to her.
----------------------------------------
Lucas's spear shot forward and impaled his target right in the hind leg with a loud thunk. He carefully pulled his weapon back so as not to heighten the damage beyond necessary, to make the wooden imitation of a wergest last as long as possible, but his heart wasn't really in the task. His mind was elsewhere.
It had only been a week since everyone returned to the village, but that week had passed like an eternity. The recent events had changed Lucas's home, and it was on these changes that he dwelled as he mindlessly trained his accuracy.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
When they'd gotten back to the fortified village, they hadn't been let back in immediately. There wasn't even a proper entrance, and Commander Iltani had to order the villager that had been posted as sentry to retrieve Elder Falon to make one. When the old man got there, he and the Commander shared a single look loaded with much more than Lucas could decipher, then he let them in.
Lucas himself, as well as his family, friends, and a number of the survivors returned to the clinic, where it was made clear that every survivor had lingering damage from the corruption--including Eugene. The guards couldn't simply return to their work protecting the village.
The day after they got back, there was another meeting of the Elders, where Falon announced reforms that would pass. His titanic walls would not be pulled down, and the changes he brought to the guards meant they would not be restaffed as they were before. The village would focus on itself, he said, protecting lives above everything. It was a controversial call, but to the [Mage]'s credit, he proved really persuasive. Only Elder Fiora protested much--and though there were a few mutterings among everyone else assembled, fear of another attack kept their mouths shut.
In some way, Lucas understood their fear, but the reforms were completely misguided and might prove to be more harmful to the village than protective. He, at least, wouldn't hide away behind the stone walls while the local monster population built up. Somehow, he'd find a way out there.
But he might be the only one.
Eugene was staying with Lucas and Mary now. Unlike Lucas, he and the other survivors of the goblins couldn't leave the village. They still hadn't found a way to heal their wounds, and no one besides Lucas could even see them. Using their Skills had become a risk to their health for the survivors, and most had to find some other vocation. But though their bodies were perfectly healthy, in a world where Skills played a part in everyone's occupation, they were practically crippled.
On the bright side, Lucas thought, at least they stopped trying to hide their relationship all the time. Lucas really couldn't imagine why Eugene and Mary tried to hide it in the first place, but now everything was out in the open. That change did a lot to curb the man's feelings toward his new disability as well, but he knew it didn't entirely get rid of them.
He and his mother both saw the way Eugene stared at his hands sometimes. The regret that he buried. As a [Healer], Lucas vowed to himself that he would find a way to fix Eugene--and everyone. Right now, there was nothing he could do but see the damage, but he already had a path that might take him forward.
Lucas's thoughts turned to his status, and he summoned up the full display.
[Lucas]
[Free Stats: 0]
[HP: 1040/1040]
[MP: 1560/1560]
[STR: 67]
[DEX: 106]
[VIT: 104]
[WIS: 156]
[INT: 154]
[Class: Ratian Sentinel]
[Level: 52]
[Skills:
* [Fulgurous Mantle: 52]
* [Unflagging Physique: 52]
* [Arclight Renewal: 52]
* [Arclight Destruction: 52]
* [Lightning Construct: 3]
* [Rend Spirit: 1]
* [Overcharge: 51]
* [Quick Step: 51]
* [Mind of the Sentinel: 52]
* [Adaptation: 52]
[General Skills:
* [Identify: 50]
*
* [Throwing: 17]
* [Vigilance: 50]
* [Stealth: 50]
* [Cooking: 25]
* [Hygiene: 30]
* [Learning: 50]
* [Reflexes: 50]
* [----------]
After the battle, after everything, Lucas was offered two Class Skills from the System. [Lightning Construct] let him shape lighting and even make it solid, for a considerable cost in mana. The Skill was interesting and its potential was clear, but the other was what caught his interest.
[Rend Spirit: Your will touches on the ephemeral and immaterial. Concentrate, and your magic attacks may affect intangible targets and constructs for an increased mana cost. Reduced concentration required and increased efficiency per level.]
Technically, Lucas had already used this Skill before the System even offered it. It was what let him nearly best the first corrupted vessel all on his own, and it let him affect his target's mana channels. Unfortunately, its description was absolute when it spoke of its activation--it didn't work with anything other than an attack. He'd checked.
But with this Skill, he had a path forward. He could evolve it to work with his healing. He could help Eugene, if only Lucas could level it.
The Skill was too effective and prohibitively costly, so it wasn't possible to grind it within the village. If he wanted to move forward, there was only one path he could take: hunting monsters. And for that, he needed to get out of the village.
The door behind Lucas opened with a creak and a familiar, cracking voice called out to him. "There you are! You ready to go, or what?"
Lucas thrusted his spear one last time, the retracted it and dusted himself off. Yeah, he was ready. Then he turned to the exit of the guards' training room and answered the boy.
"You're the one that took forever to prepare, Harry," Lucas jabbed. "Are you ready?"
Harry rolled his eyes and waved away Lucas's question with the hand not holding a new spear. The large pack on his back got in the way slightly and hit the doorframe, throwing him off a little, but he barely noticed. "Yeah, yeah, let's just go. If we're going to sneak out, we gotta do it now."
Lucas laughed slightly, under his breath, before grabbing his own pack that he'd left resting against the wall.
"After you."