Kelsey and Gwen were walking down the South King’s Road three days after leaving The Trial. Both of the women were wearing comfortable traveling clothes, their hair down, and their weapons stored inside Kelsey’s Dimension of the Magus skill. They were simply enjoying the beautiful scenery of southern Cardona as they traveled south towards the nation called Saldeya.
They were also enjoying each other’s company.
Roughly an hour after they had left their friends and had made their way outside of the tent city, the two of them had entered Kelsey’s pocket dimension and practically torn each other’s clothes off. Since then, the two of them had become much closer and they unanimously decided to take their time on their journey. Kelsey spent much of the first day of their travels explaining everything that had happened to her since arriving in Anoura. She also spent some time giving Gwen details about her life on Earth.
She didn’t share everything, some of the things that happened on Earth, like her little sister’s death, were still difficult to talk about. But she shared the majority of it.
Gwen returned Kelsey’s openness by detailing her life’s events. Despite looking to be in her early to mid-twenties, Gwen was actually over forty years old, and had already been married in her early twenties. Sadly, her husband died while she and her sister were away on a contract for the Adventurers Guild. After that event, she had stopped seeking relationships and pushed to Immortality as quickly as possible. At least until her sister was hit with the permanent poison that had crippled her.
Once her sister was out of commission, Gwen had been forced to join The Librarians in hopes of finding a cure, as they were one of the most prominent guilds in Saldeya that dealt in information. She had finished her journey to Immortality with The Librarians, and everything had been fine for over a decade. Her sister had been receiving medicine to negate the effects of the poison, and she had been making real progress on finding a cure. But everything changed after Kaydeth supposedly murdered their old leader and took over the Guild. After that, her life went from difficult to downright miserable. While Kaydeth was the leader she suffered from constant torture and abuse at the hands of Kaydeth and the upper leadership. Her sister was under constant supervision when they were out on missions or back at base and Kaydeth made it very clear to her that they would target her sister had she tried anything.
She explained some of the things the Guild did to try to convince her to start accepting assassination missions, and the things she described left Kelsey with nightmares the following night. Apparently, the punishments had gotten worse the longer she had refused to take the missions. She had wanted to leave the guild but didn't think she possessed the skills to get her sister out safely. Now that he was gone, she had a whole new outlook on life and was excited for the first time in over a decade.
Kelsey had already either been told most of this, and had deduced the rest, but it was clearly helping Gwen to talk about her experiences, so Kelsey played the part of a perfect listener, making sure Gwen knew she cared.
As the two women were walking down the road and talking, Kelsey noticed something amazing inside her Greater Domain of the Magus. Roughly 10 kilometers southwest of them, there was a small pond in the middle of a clearing that was being fed by a river leading to a short waterfall. It was a beautiful location to sit down for a quick lunch.
“Hey Gwen. I just saw something in my domain I think you’ll enjoy.” Kelsey said as she stopped and looked in the direction of the pond.
Gwen looked over at Kelsey, a small, excited smile on her lips. “Yeah? Let’s go.” she said as she grabbed on to Kelsey’s neck and leapt into her arms.
Ignoring the people that were on the road around them, Kelsey activated Greater Flight and willed herself to raise into the air. As she did this, there were a few gasps and murmurs from the travelers around them. It wasn't every day that someone casually walking down the road began flying right before their eyes.
Once they were a few meters above the treetops, Kelsey flew Gwen and herself leisurely in the direction of the pond, arriving a few minutes later.
As Kelsey set Gwen down, they looked around the small clearing. The pond was crystal clear, and they could see all the way through to the bottom to the rocky bottom. There were dozens of small fish swimming around and feasting on the mana-infused algae and weeds. Something that Kelsey had learned during her time in isolation was that mana-infused food satiated hunger more easily than normal food. The Sage had apparently created a type of bread that would feed someone for a full week with just one slice by infusing mana into it. This unique quirk of mana meant that the fish in this pond required much less food, so the sparse greenery was able to feed the entire ecosystem.
Kelsey glanced around the pool with both her eyes and domain, but couldn't spot where the mana was coming from. It almost seemed to be coming from the algae itself.
Magic algae, of course there is.
“Wow, you were right, this place is awesome.” Gwen said as she looked around.
“I thought you’d like it. Let's have a picnic. There’s some stuff I’ve been thinking about the last few days, and I want to get your opinion.” Kelsey said as she quickly created a thick cotton blanket and set it down across the ground.
“Sure, sounds good.” Gwen replied as she sat down on the blanket.
They spent the next few minutes setting up their small feast with meats, cheeses, bread, and wine. They had taken a short trip to Neim the day after they left The Trial. They primary went to quickly visit Abby and buy some nice food for the road. Kelsey would have been fine eating the same meal each day, but Gwen insisted that since they had the means to do so, they should enjoy themselves.
Once everything was set up, Kelsey began speaking. “So, when Leon and his Lieutenants came up to us, and questioned us about the murders. Do you remember when he leaned in my ear and whispered something?” she asked.
“Yeah, you told us not to worry about it. Since then, I’ve done very little except worry about it.” Gwen said cheekily.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, have you ever heard of The City of Ice, or The Winter Saint?” Kelsey asked seriously.
Gwen’s eyes narrowed as she heard Kelsey’s question. “Well, I’ve heard of the City of Ice. Like the name suggests, it’s an artificial city made of ice in western Saldeya. It’s high up on some mountains. The Winter Saint is new to me though. Maybe that’s the ruler of the city? No one really knows who rules it. It’s kind of like Neim, except instead of the council, there is one woman who talks to the people and makes all the decisions, kinda like a queen would. She says that she reports to the true ruler, but the public doesn’t know who that is.” she finished as she picked at some grapes and popped them into her mouth.
“Is it an Immortal city?” Kelsey asked as she poured herself a glass of sweet wine. She still hadn’t figured out how to get drunk, but she loved the taste of some wines. Something about the way fermentation was done in Anoura made wines have a sweet citrus flavor that she had learned to love in the past few days.
“Yeah, Immortals only.” Gwen answered as she made herself a small cracker and cheese sandwich. “Why? What did Leon say?”
“He said I should go to the city and ask to speak to The Winter Saint. He said that ‘we would have a lot to talk about’.”
“Well, I say you do it. We can head there after we get the Guild relocated. I don’t know if we fully trust Leon, but I trust him enough to visit a city on his recommendation.” Gwen said casually.
“Alright, I think I agree. If nothing else, I’d really like to see an Immortal City for myself.” Kelsey agreed. "I don't know about the trusting Leon part though, if he really could see us the entire time, then that means he saw Owen get kidnapped and didn't do shit."
Gwen shrugged. "It was the middle of the night when we kidnapped him, if he's a normal Immortal, like me, who still needs their beauty sleep, he may not have seen it."
Kelsey shook her head. "I don't know... My guess is he wanted to see how I would deal with it. I feel like he's actually trying to recruit me."
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Gwen finished chewing her bite of apple and then spoke. "Well, even if he did know, it isn't really his job to step in and save people. Dungeons like The Trial are dangerous places, people die all the time. He would probably have to step in a few times a day if he wanted to stop every single confrontation that happens down there."
Sighing, Kelsey agreed. "Yeah. Guess I can't really know his motivation. I just hope he actually is on our side. Wouldn't be very fun to have someone as powerful as him as an enemy."
Gwen chuckled. "You can say that again."
They continued talking for another 15 minutes until Kelsey finally brought up the other thing that had been on her mind. “Hey Gwen, know of any dungeons like The Trial that are less public?”
Gwen gave Kelsey a confused look. “I don’t think so. Most dungeons like that are heavily populated. I think there are some private ones run by guilds. Why?”
“Well… I kind of want somewhere private to level. I don’t like being surrounded by all those people at the trial. I think Leon can really see me through the floors, and I don’t love that either.” Kelsey said a bit guiltily. She was well aware that The Trial was basically the perfect kind of dungeon for her friends, and they probably wouldn’t like being asked to move somewhere else.
“Well, if you want somewhere private… Why don’t you just create your own dungeon?” Gwen asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Like a lightbulb in Kelsey’s head, she immediately understood what Gwen meant. “That’s genius Gwen! Why didn’t I think of that!?” Kelsey shouted as she stood up and started pacing around the pond excitedly.
“I could make a large underground cave system in the Mageblood forest. Monsters manifest from mana and their surroundings. I could create some artificial levels exactly like whoever built the top floors of The Trial did.” she said excitedly.
“I can use my powers to even create biomes to try to influence what kinds of monsters manifest… Gwen! This is perfect!” Kelsey shouted as she ran up and practically tackled the smaller woman with a hug.
Gwen started play-wrestling with Kelsey, pretending she was being smothered. “Kel! Kelsey! I’m not that smart! All the big Immortal Guilds do this! It's common knowledge! You’re just kind of clueless!” she shouted as she pretended to push Kelsey off of her.
Half an hour later, the two separated and they sat back up on the blanket and went back to eating. “So, what do you know about making a dungeon?” Kelsey asked between bites of food.
“Not much. I just know that it can be done. As far as I know, The Trial is a step up from many of the private ones run by the Immortal Guilds. My best guess is that you just dig downwards and give monsters room and time to manifest. Hopefully this Mageblood forest you keep talking about has good mana density.” Gwen answered as she drank some water.
“Alright then, think Abby would be willing to help me fill out some of the floors? I don’t have any plant manipulation or creation skills. She does, right?” Kelsey asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure she’d be happy to help. She’s always looking for ways to use her skills that aren’t combat related. Dungeon crafting would be perfect for her.”
“Great! So, the plan is, first we go to relocate the Librarians to my compound, then I can deal with the party stuff while you’re getting your Guild taken care of. Then we can head to the City of Ice and meet this mysterious Saint person. Then I can focus on making my dungeon. Easy. That doesn’t sound like a busy schedule at all!” Kelsey said sarcastically.
Gwen grinned at Kelsey’s exasperation. “Yeah, it should be simple.”
The pair continued eating and talking for another half of an hour as Kelsey worked up the courage to bring up the final thing she wanted to talk to Gwen about. Of everything she had to say, this is what made her most nervous.
“Gwen. There's one more thing…” Kelsey said as she looked down at her hands.
Gwen saw the worried look on Kelsey’s face and scooted over to sit closer to her. “What is it, Kel?”
“Do you trust me? Like really, really trust me?” Kelsey asked as she looked Gwen in the eyes.
Gwen stared back for several agonizing seconds before nodding her head. “Yes, why? What’s going on?” she asked.
“I think I know how to perform the Mageblood ritual. But to test that it works, I need someone without a Mageblood body. And I think the test is going to hurt pretty badly.” Kelsey said, the words rushing out of her like a waterfall. “Would you be willing to try it? If it works, I could help you get a real Mageblood body, and you’d be able to regenerate kind of like I can. It’s based on mana, but I have to imagine it would be useful even for a warrior primary class.”
Kelsey waited patiently for a few seconds. "You could also die. Maybe. I don't really know."
Gwen looked at Kelsey seriously, her eyes focused. “Give me some time to think about it.” she said as she stood up and started pacing. “How did you find out how to do it? That Sage’s book?”
“Yeah… he apparently succeeded, and even wrote down his methodology for non-lethally testing before he went through with it. Take all the time you need. I understand that it could be potentially risky.” Kelsey said seriously.
“Shit, Kel… “Gwen muttered under her breath. It sounded like she had more to say but held it in as she continued pacing.
The pair continued in silence for over five minutes while Gwen was considering what Kelsey had proposed. Until she finally broke the silence.
“Let's do it. I trust you. I trust that the Sage guy knows what he’s talking about. I’ve always thought it should be possible, and hell. You have one and you’re the strongest person for your level I’ve ever seen. It’s worth the risk.” she said more confidently than Kelsey would have expected. "...You don't really think I could die, right?"
Kelsey couldn’t help smiling at her partner’s confidence. She really admired how Gwen was able to look at any situation and logically weigh the pros and cons. "I don't think so, not really. I just think it's going to hurt super badly."
“Alright. It's going to take me some time to prepare. I’ll be back in half an hour or so, just stay here and relax. If the test works, we’ll go straight into the actual ritual and get you that body.” Kelsey said as she stood up and hugged Gwen firmly.
Before leaving, Kelsey had to ask one more question. “Is your secondary class in the Immortal Tier yet?”
“Nope. It's past level 250, but I don’t have all the class skills at their maximum levels yet. I have a couple skills that get very little use.” Gwen answered, clearly a bit embarrassed.
“Good. If this works, your next advancement should be a lot stronger.” Kelsey said as she activated her Warp skill and set her destination. “Alright, see you soon.”
A few moments later, Kelsey warp activated, and she appeared on the riverbank under her cabin in the Mageblood forest.
She quickly found the closest Mageblood tree, created a bowl, and drilled a small hole into the side of the tree. She then created a thin metal tube to function as a tap for the mageblood to flow through. She spent a few minutes filling several bowls with the pure blue mageblood sap.
Once she had a few bowls she laid them out in a line and tried to slice open her hand with a small knife. Annoyingly, her Armor of the Magus skill wouldn’t let the foreign object near her skin, and she had to spend about 10 minutes figuring out how to turn the skill off. It didn’t work like her normal skills because it was always active, and she considered the knife to be a threat. In order to deactivate the skill, she had to imagine that her pores were closed, and force all of her mana to stay inside her body. It was the opposite of when she would let her full regeneration leak from her skin.
I wonder if doing that would let monsters and other things manifest near me, since I wouldn’t be producing any ambient mana… maybe I’ll test it one day.
Finally, now that she deactivated her Armor of the Magus, she was able to let some of her blood drain into the mageblood sap. Once each of the bowls had been modified with her blood, she knelt down and infused each of the concoctions with mana. The Sage had said in the book that the correct amount of mana for the real ritual was around 2,133 mana. When doing the test, he had only used 500.
So, for seven of the bowls she fused the entire 2,133 mana, and for the eighth she only infused 500. The final step for the test bowl was to dilute the mixture with some clean water. Just a handful would suffice.
Once all of the bowls were prepared, she stirred them gently for a few minutes each until the mixture became a dark royal blue.
According to the Sage, he had come to the conclusion on how to create the ritual after studying the difference between his blood and a regular Immortal’s blood. That’s how he learned that what the Mageblood ritual actually did was turn regular blood into a powerful mana-infused blood. Once he made that discovery, it became clear that blood was going to be a key component of the ritual. Thankfully, it also didn’t have to be the blood of someone with a Mageblood body already, it just had to be blood infused with the right amount of mana.
Too little mana and the ritual wouldn’t do anything… Unless the person providing the blood happened to be someone that already had a Mageblood body. That was how the Sage had found the correct amount of mana to use. Trial and error.
With her eight bowls prepared, Kelsey stored them and activated warp, setting her destination back to the clearing.
I really hope this works…