The next several days passed in a blur. Jade quickly fell into a new routine, starting the day at Serrethis's home to work on aura training. The retired wayfarer dedicated an entire half of their time together to aura management. This included refining her magical senses, teaching her how to read enemy intent through their own aura, how to manipulate her personal mana-field to make her harder to read and finally, how to manifest her aura physically as she had done in the battle against the bone titan.
A large part of this training was mental, with Serrethis guiding Jade through exploring her own inner magical pathways. An individual's aura was best described as the cloak of personal mana they carried with them, refined by their own body, so a thorough understanding of that circuitry was required to properly control it. As she became more familiar with how that part of her body functioned, precisely managing her mana became more intuitive. It wasn't until they entered the second part of their training that Jade fully understood why these techniques were so vital.
"Our aura is a byproduct of the magical link between the body and soul." Serrethis explained in one of his early lessons. "Because of this, it is a reflection of who we are and what we think. Anyone with even basic magical training can sense them, and without proper control, it makes you very easy to read."
He followed the explanation with a series of demonstrations, instructing Jade to watch his aura closely. She did so, noting it subtly shift into a more transparent state for the duration of the exercise. Serrethis then initiated a series of mock attacks against her, wielding a wooden sword. By carefully watching his aura, Jade found she was able to anticipate his strikes moments before they landed, allowing her to dodge almost before he began to move.
The learning process was far from smooth, requiring Jade to integrate an entirely new type of perception into the rest of her senses, and in the beginning, it took so much focus that it proved to be more hinderance than help. She improved quickly, though, and by the end of the first week of training Jade found relying on her magical senses to be more and more natural.
"Most of your opponents will have some level of training." Serrethis said during one of their breaks, standing in the middle of the clearing while Jade crouched, panting from exertion after a particularly vigorous exercise. Despite joining her in the training he didn't even appear out of breath. "Even most monsters have an instinctive understanding of how to conceal their intent from aura observation."
"I assume there's a way around that, or it would make this whole exercise useless." Jade commented, pulling herself to her feet. She leaned against a tree, still trying to catch her breath. Her body ached from countless impacts, strikes she'd failed to dodge.
"Even skilled enemies have lapses in focus. You should always be on the lookout for such moments and be ready to take advantage of them."
The lessons continued, moving on from reading auras to masking her own, ensuring that monsters or other enemies couldn't read Jade like an open book. On her request, she included Luis and Naomi in some of their sessions, pulling her companions away from their own training to participate. Serrethis acquiesced, building on the foundations Aylin had begun teaching them. It didn't take long to reach a basic level of proficiency with the various aura techniques, but both Serrethis and Aylin impressed upon them how important regular training was. The more levels they gained the more potent their auras would be, and the greater level of control it would take to manage them.
The second part of their training, and what Jade initially had in mind when seeking Serrethis out, was more specific to her suite of powers. She was aware that she was squandering her potential by constantly charging headfirst into battle, even if many of the situations she'd been thrust into since arriving in the Labyrinth hadn't offered a chance for a more nuanced approach. Jade was starting to realize that it was on her to create alternatives, though, regardless of circumstance.
"You're wasting your potential." Serrethis said bluntly, after Jade finished explaining her collection of abilities and the circumstances that influenced her transformation. "Nythis and Vamir told me how the expedition went. In multiple instances, you took on stronger or more numerous enemies alone, without support."
"That's been a bad habit of mine since day one in the Labyrinth." Jade admitted, chagrined. "There never seems to be a better solution."
"That's because you aren't looking for them." Serrethis grunted, crossing his arms. "Like I told you the day we met, you need to stop believing that you have to do everything yourself. That's a mindset that will get you killed."
Jade opened her mouth to reply but the elderly elf kept speaking, pointing a finger at her.
"You were given an unusual set of powers from the start, with the changes you underwent after beginning your trial. Fortunately, you made a good decision and selected a class that complemented the powerful and unique racial abilities you now possess. You've even done a good job selecting new spells and talents, building yourself up to be a slippery disruptor, and even a finisher."
Jade had received enough lectures from various coaches over the years to know that this string of compliments was not going to last. She braced for the 'but’ and didn't have to wait long.
"Your problem." The former wayfarer continued with a frown. "Is that you're acting like you chose a straightforward warrior class. Your role on a team isn't to rush ahead and fight in the front. It's to be a sneaky bastard."
Jade couldn't help but snort at that characterization. Serrethis glared at her, not sharing her amusement.
"You think this is funny? I would've thought the stronghold expedition showed you how dangerous the Labyrinth is. When you’re part of a team, they're counting on you. That means playing your part."
Embarassed, Jade muttered an apology.
"I can't teach you how to use your own powers." Serrethis continued with a sigh. "Only you can do that. What I can do, is give you a place to practice."
After that, Serrethis arranged for Luis, Naomi, Jade, Fenrin, Nythis, and Vamir to join him for mock battles several times a week. Even Aylin participated a couple of times, taking a break from studying the divine relic that consumed most of her days. The retired wayfarer never participated himself, always remaining off to the side and shouting instructions into the fray.
"Jade, get out of the melee! Let Luis take the front."
"Keep your eyes open, Naomi! You're the farthest back, it's your job to watch for threats your teammates can't see!"
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"Vamir, don't let them pin you down. Use your speed to your advantage!"
Not even Aylin was spared, although the Mystic Order mage made fewer mistakes than the rest of them. They 'fought' in a variety of situations and with different pairings, and Jade was forced to adapt her strategies in the face of fluid circumstances. After some early mistakes, she began to see the truth in Serrethis's advice. Her powers lacked the punch that Luis's and Fenrin's had. Even Naomi had a more powerful offensive spell than any of Jade's direct attacks. Fighting side by side with Luis in the middle of a melee was squandering her potential, especially now that Fenrin had joined the party.
It was good to be prepared for a standup fight for when there was no other option, but there were usually better ways to contribute. Slinging charm spells from the fringes, darting in and out of the fight to deal a finishing blow, slipping out of sight to drop an unseen trap. Jade had employed all these tactics in the past to good effect, but only as adjuncts to actively participating in battles. Under Serrethis's guidance she flipped that around, and quickly realized just how disruptive her spells could be with the proper timing.
In the evenings Jade practiced with her new enchanted weapon. Phantom's hilt fit in her palm as if it had been tailor made for her, and it quickly became an extension of her body. Thanks to the weapon proficiency imprinted by the Labyrinth, learning to throw the weapon accurately didn't take long. After only a few days Jade could consistently hit a small target at reasonable ranges, and she was improving quickly. The capability she was most excited about did not disappoint.
"Woah!" She gasped, recovering from the disorientation of teleportation. One moment Jade was standing on the balcony, aiming for a target she'd set up on the far side. An instant later she was standing beside the large board she was using for practice, weapon in hand, feeling a little queasy. Even after weeks of exposure to all sorts of magical phenomena, Jade found herself grinning with childlike glee. "That was awesome."
"Please stop throwing knives around the house." Naomi called from inside the living room. "You're going to break something!"
Jade walked back inside to join her. "Naomi, it's teleportation. Let me have my moment."
"Let her have some fun." Luis said from the kitchen. Jade wasn't sure what he was making, but the smell wafting from the woodfire stove was growing more enticing by the minute. "We've all been working our asses off."
"I just don't want her to hurt someone…"
"It'll be fine." Luis reassured her, carrying in plates of candied nuts and setting them on the table. "She only hit Mimi once."
"She what?!" Naomi asked, aghast. On the other side of the room, Fenrin's familiar gave a mournful chirp.
"It was only a scratch." Fenrin said, reaching up to ruffle the bird's feathers. "This is why we stay away while people are practicing with weapons, right?" He asked her.
"Skraaa…" Mirella chirped, drooping her head.
"She learned her lesson." Fenrin added. "I hope…"
The half-elf had been spending more time with them since they'd welcomed him to the party. His strong sense of responsibility and earnest, straightforward demeanor reminded Jade a lot of her brother, although a little more mature. That was to be expected, given that Fenrin was in his thirties. Jade had been surprised to learn that particular fact, since the man looked fresh out of his teens. She'd since started wondering just how old some of the full-blooded elves they'd met were.
"Maybe I do need to choose that new healing spell…" Naomi mused, her eyes going glossy as she returned her attention to a system screen only she could see.
"Still can't pick between the recovery and illusions spells?" Jade asked, dropping into the seat beside her.
Both Naomi and Luis had passed level 10 in the stronghold expedition, with Luis advancing on to 11. As a result, each of them had to pick another class feature. Luis's choice had been an easy one: He had finally been given a good offensive option. The weapon talent 'avalanche' was a powerful attack that allowed him to spend any amount of mana on the strike, with the damage dealt increasing proportionally. It carried a stun chance and paired well with the enchanted shield he'd received from conquering the stronghold, which empowered his attacks after blocking incoming strikes.
After a couple of sparring matches overseen by Serrethis, Jade was quickly coming to understand just how outclassed Luis had her in terms of direct, immediate damage. There hadn't been much of a gap when all they had were a couple of low powered starting features, but that was changing fast.
None of Naomi's spell or talent choices were an obvious pick, though, and she'd been consulting with them on the best fit for the team. Other than an additional recovery spell, the bard had been talking about an illusion spell called 'Harmonic Echo' that summoned phantom duplicates of a target to distract opponents.
"And another offensive option." Naomi sighed, still seemingly staring off into space as she paged through menus. "I still only have one damaging spell."
"With Fenrin on the team, we have damage pretty well covered." Jade noted, nodding to their newest companion. "You're our only source of support abilities, it may be best to focus on getting those first."
"That's not a bad point… 'Rejuvenate' is an aura, so as long as you stay near me I can cast it on several people at once. And, since it's a melody, I can cast my other healing song while I'm playing it…"
"Didn't you say it restores mana too? That's a rare effect." Fenrin asked, plucking one of the nuts from the table. He went to pop it into his mouth, but Mirella snagged it from his hand, gobbling it up in a single bite. He sighed, reaching for another.
"I struggle with mana regeneration, with my willpower penalty." Jade put in, suppressing a grin as she watched Fenrin scold his familiar, who didn't look the least bit remorseful. "It's your decision, but it has my vote."
"Alright, you've convinced me." Naomi said, blinking away the menus and sitting up straight. "Another healing spell is on the books. Now you have to be extra nice to me." She finished with a bright smile.
"Here you go." Luis said, passing her the plate. "Give it a try, Mimi seems to like them."
Naomi accepted the offering, digging in.
"Let me know if they're good." He said, walking back to the kitchen. "Those looked like the edible ones I saw in that new book…"
Jade burst out laughing at the look on Naomi's face.
"Look at it this way." She said, nudging her with an elbow. "If they turn out to be poisonous, you can try out your new spell right away."
She grabbed a handful herself, giving them a try. They smelled too good to pass up on and, if it came down to it, she had her resistances.
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Malice strolled through the darkening streets of Lysara, admiring the abundance of greenery. Before entering the Labyrinth a few years ago, the succubus had rarely seen such a display of verdant beauty. Even here in a world rich with life and magic, the elven village stood out as a place of elegance and splendor.
The thought made her want to burn it down all the more.
There was nothing sweeter than the shattered remains of tarnished perfection. Judging by the chatter around town, she'd almost been fortunate enough to witness such a defilement. Unfortunately, a group of young wayfarers had defeated the Labyrinth's new stronghold before it could spread an interesting amount of anguish. The result was a city filled with the taste of relief and, even worse, hope, bitter emotions that threatened to sour her mood.
But that was alright, she wasn't here to indulge in her desires. Well, no more than she always did. What mattered was she had been right. One of the visiting wayfarers, a formerly human woman from the world they called 'Earth', was the newly transformed succubus she'd heard about. Not only was a strong sense of personal curiosity driving her to meet this adopted sister of hers, but the encounter would help her advance multiple goals Zertrolk had forced on her.
Whispers were already starting to spread of increased demon activity in this section of the Labyrinth, an unacceptable development at this stage of the operation. Confirming the presence of transformed demon wayfarers, and ensuring that knowledge spread to the right places, should lessen the risk of increased scrutiny. There were other reasons to meet this 'Jade' as well, but Malice was growing tired of working. She'd start by having some fun.
The succubus, in her disguise as the new elven housekeeper, strode up the steps to the treetop guesthouse. She knocked on the door, a wrapped bundle tucked under one arm. Her magical senses detected only one aura inside the home at the moment, making this the perfect opportunity for a proper introduction. She was quite curious to discover if this woman was worthy to share their less-than honorable heritage, and possessed the requisite ruthless cunning innate to true demons. If she did have some potential, maybe she could even show her the ropes.