When the army awoke next, they hurried further north, where they met a seemingly ragtag group of snowborn, the only similarity between them posed by a band around their neck.

The army thirsted for blood, their eyes burning with the desire to punish the inherently unbelieving heretics.

The plan was even about to work, when Jeolas suddenly gave the command to stop, instead coming from the darkness to greet the young men and women.

"Hello there." He spoke, the words flowing from his mouth as his eyes fixed on the golden markings.

"Are you adventurers?"

He asked, ready to unleash his every inch of ground mana.

"We are." The biggest among them asked, the heavy armor he wore seeming quite intimidating, though Jeolas was more drawn to the smallest among them, whos eyes followed the movement of mana within the warlock as if glued to it. A quick eye contact between the two, followed by a curt nod, was all it took for them to ignore one another again.

After all, only true mages could do what the boy just did, and given the sudden changes in the air mana of the environment, the warlock knew the other was preparing for a fight the same way he was.

"Well, that's just great, I was just passing through, and am trying to reach dreadrock within the night. Am I on the right path if I continue just here?"

Jeolas asked, the adventurers nodding.

"Tell me, where are you headed, adventurers?"

He asked them, a women deciding to react to that.

"Well, why would you want to know our quest, do you even have the proper papers, or are you some type of monster that disguises itself as a person? I have never seen your kind before, so you are probably not from the nirth, which would imply you coming from these mountains, because noone will ever have a chance of passing through here from the complete south."

She complained, her short stature and generally rather young appearance standing in great contrast to the burning gaze she directed at him in that instance. The other members of her party shut up, and the young mage held his breath where everyone else merely held their tongue.

"I am Jeolas, and I am searching for a new home after your people destroyed everything I ever achieved with your stupid wars. Now, if you would let me pass and get this over without any incident, everyone might leave this place unscathered and you can continue doing your absolutely shady business. Just don't mind me telling the guards about you."

The party then sighed, and the mage put his hand on the womens shoulder.

"Please, Melissa, he is strong. And I mean Like crazy strong. I think it would be best for both sides if we just leave one another alone, and sir, there is no need to report our behaviour to the guards. They wouldn't believe you, as they are quite racist anyway."

"Have a great day, I hope you reach wherever you are heading."

Jeolas then said, shaling his head as he continued his travels, the team sufficiently distracted for the entire army to sneak by them.

"Why were they this agressive?"

He asked , Paladin sighing and starting to explain it to him.

"Sir, how would you react if a creature of pure darkness, riding atop the petrified remains of a monstrous praying mantis, asked you the way to your home city. I assume the weird interaction between the boy and you was the only reason they did not attack you right there. I think his word is quite important among them, wven as he was on the more pacifist side."

Jeolas grinned as he heard that.

"It seems I have found an actual mage for once, someone more reliant on mana, rather than the system."

He told no one specifically, the others just nodding along, by now used to their bosses monologues.

That night, they proceeded towards the city, passing the cliffs and crevices much faster than they had anticipated. Once day broke, they were facing the colossal walls of Furchenstein, searching for a cave where they spend the huddled together to sleep.

"Tonight is the last one before the Invasion begins, brace yourself and get a good days sleep. I know where the sewer gate to enter the city is, and how to enter there without a problem. One of us must become an adventurer and accompany me into the city."

He said, smiling as they all went to sleep, thinking on who might volunteer.

Unlocked Skills

Respawn (Skill) (Unique): When you die, your soul is pulled back to the character creation screen with half your levels. Once here, you can build a new character and try again.

Once you press the create button on the character creator, you will be spawned at a place appropriate for your character.

Grounding (skill)(ground): While cast, this skill infuses the targets body with geound mana and forces it to remain on a surface below it.

Dash (skill)(air): Your movement speed increases by (move*skill level).

Tag stomp (skill)(Gravity): Target a creature and accelerate towards it at (lvl) times your normal speed. Cannot be used for the amount of time needed to accelerate before impact.

Restfull petrification. (ground): Your body is petrified for the duration you sleep. While you are petrified in this way, you are considered hidden.

You will restore (lvl) times the energy you would by sleeping the same amount of time.

Jet legs [1] (air) (skill): Air mana will concentrate in your entire body and focus on your legs. Once you activate this skill, you can gather ambient air mana for up to (lvl) seconds and release it at a later time explosively. One second worth of air mana can move you (lvl) meters in any direction and push everything else away.

Groundbound [1] (ground) (skill): an area of (lvl) meters around you is flooded by ground Mana, making everything within heavier.

Blizzard aura (ice) (skill): Raise your surrounding ice and turn it into a shield of projectiles. Born from memories of a fallen goblin, this skill has been optimized to spare the user any colloteral.

Second skin (Steel) (Skill): Coats the user in a secondary skin of Mana, reducing the damage received by [lvl].

Elemental aura [0] (mod) (skill): every living being in an area of (lvl) meters around you is flooded by Mana of your choosing, affecting the target as if it stood in an environment typical for that element.

Regulate temperature (Ice/Fire) (skill): allows the user to adjust his body temperature.

Soul Contract (skill) (Meta): To log an agreement into the system is the ultimate form of contract. Unfair contracts might lower your system access.

Amount of contracts allowed at a time:

system access * skill level.

Mana manipulation (Meta) (skill): you dedicated a lot of your time to changing the world around you without the use of skills, this skill makes that task easier.

Unlocked perks

Fairy wings (Perk) Reduces weight by 1 kg and gives the user a magical flying speed of 10km/h.

-10 token

Magical body (perk): Your body is held together by magic. Your body can not be dispersed by non magical means, and everything you do counts as magical. Dispersing magic will deactivate this perk for the duration. Your natural lifespan will now be extended by 10% for every point you have in Willpower.

-5 token

Magus ¤ : This Perk allows a person to interact directly with mana

Thick bones (Perk): Your bones are two times denser than is normal for your race, making it harder for your body to be moved in any direction.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

-5 Token

Thick skin (perk): Your skin is thicker than that of most members of your species.

-5 Token

Blubber (Perk): You hold a layer of fad under your skin. Increases your weight by 5kg for every meter of height you have, but allows you to thrive in much colder climates.

-5

Muscles of steel (Perk): Your muscles are naturally harder and more effective at movement. Your muscles are much more resilient than they would normally be.

-10

Aquatic essence (perk): so long as a part of you is in contact with you, your body can reform from it.

Cost: 20 Token.

Psyonic aura (Perk): Your words draw the attention of everyone that can hear them, forcing a contest of willpower upon everyone involved.

Cost: 20 Token

Shed skin (Perk): You can shed your skin and choose how the layer beneath it will look. The skin will look like you and proceed to act as yours would.

Cost: 15 Token

Animating dust (perk): Anyone that dies after inhaling the dust will be reanimated as a Vito-Necromantic shambler.

Cost: 40 Token

Soul engine (perk): You store other peoples souls to fuel your own, syphoning their growth and emotions to strengthen yourself.

Cost: 60 Token.

Aura of Royalty (Perk): Your subjects strengthen you, so long as they trust in your power and loyalty to them. To pass checks made for the best of the kingdom, the stats of everyone aware of your general intentions are added to your own.

Cost: 100 Token

Unlocked Handycaps

Slim: Reduce the amount a creature weighs by 5% per level of this handycap chosen, which can be stacked up to three times.

+1 Token

Small: Reduces the height of a creatur by 20%.

+5 Token

Heavenbound (handycap): Should you ever disconnect from the ground, gravitation will reverse for you. Any kinetic force excerted on you will be 100% more effective at moving you.

+8 Token

One armed (handycap): You only have one useable arm.

+30 Token

Bulky tendencies (Handycap): Your weight can not be reduced by more than 10% increases to your weight that hold for more than a day are permanent.

+15 Token.

Large (Handycap): Increases the height of a creatur by 20%.

+5 Token

Overweight (handycap): You weigh 10% more than your race normally does. (Can be equipped up to three times)

+5 Token

Body of stone (Handycap): your body is petrified, heavily limiting your mobility.

+30 Token

Shadowless (handycap): You do not have a shadow.

+20 Token