Alaster got to work creating the shelter for the night. Basically just the same as the night before, and because Owen wasn’t there yet, Alaster could create a shovel out of bone and set to work. The snow in this area was a compacted two feet deep. When Alaster finally managed to clear a six foot radius, the berm around raised the snow another two feet. Alaster then stuck two poles of reinforced bone in the ground, ready for the tarp to be placed over them when Owen arrived.
Alaster was just getting the fire going when they finally did. Their arrival was first noticed by the Night Child, who had stuck with Alaster, and turned to stare at them. A few minutes later, Alaster heard them, as did everything for a considerable distance. Luckily, they weren’t very deep in the forest, so nothing truly horrible should hear them. Granted, the Minotaur with Owen wasn’t trying to be quiet.
When they finally came into view, the sun was already sneaking behind the mountains, casting the forest in shadow. But it was obvious that Owen was exhausted. He stumbled over to the fire, gasping for breath as he sat down.
“Are you ok?” Alaster asked, amused with the situation.
“No! We were searching for a Dungeon when all of a sudden they forced me in this direction and set off at a jog.”
“And you can't handle a jog?”
“For several miles? No! No Novice Mage could!”
“Get used to it, they don’t like being slowed down by Mages. I still remember how sore I was for the first couple of days I was with them.” Alaster lied, keeping that same cocky smile present.
Owen laid out one of his blankets from his back and laid down with a groan, “So what is the Dungeon?”
Alaster had placed his hand on it earlier, and it matched his needs perfectly.
[Hollow Tunnels Dungeon
Rank: B-
Instance
Time Dilution: 10:1
Party Limit: 7]
“Its called the Hollow Tunnels. Its a B minus Instance. Its a pretty hefty Time Dilution. Ten to one. And there is a seven member limit.” Alaster explained, sneaking some Snow Ape meat out of his Ring and placing it on a reinforced bone plate hanging over the fire to cook.
“Wow, ten hours in the Dungeon will only equal one in the real world? Have you ever been in a Dungeon like that?”
“No, the last Dungeon we found was the first one I’ve been in, and that was only five to one.”
“Do you think it will have any lasting effects?”
“No idea, but while the food is cooking, can you show me your [Fire Bolt] again?”
Owen groaned, “Seriously? When are you going to give up on that?”
‘Its been one day. What are you talking about?’ Alaster thought, barely suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.
Nonetheless, Owen cast the Bolt as slowly as he could while Alaster watched intently. As it formed, Owen directed it into the fire, moving a log a little, but doing little else.
As before, Alaster tried to replicate it, feeling that he was so close. The next two hours went by like that. Owen would cast his Bolt as slowly as he could while Alaster studied it, and then he would try to make his own. They stopped to eat when the meat finished cooking, but Alaster insisted they resume afterwords.
Eventually, Owen grew tired of this and laid down to sleep. But Alaster didn’t stop. By now, he had memorized how the Mana moved during the formation of the [Fire Bolt]. Yet despite replicating it almost perfectly, the System never notified him of learning the Spell. Frustrated, Alaster stepped out of the shelter, bending low to get under the tarp, and began to walk around the area.
His Undead were dutifully watching the area. As Alaster watched, a large weasel the size of a child and teeth like daggers with gray fur attacked one of the Black Guards, who blocked the monster with its shield. While it was still stunned, one of the Minotaurs walked over and slammed its massive shield onto the neck of the Monster, severing it in a sickening crunch.
When Alaster first started this journey, such a sight likely would have caused him to lose his last meal, but now his first thought was ‘did any of it get on my clothes?’.
Alaster sat down on a log mostly buried in the snow. His fingers naturally found his Sister’s Ring and began to spin it. It helped to calm him, but more than that, it helped to spur him forward.
‘In a few months, it will be her fourteenth birthday. One more year alone with those people doing who knows what to her.’
Distracted my his thoughts, he didn’t notice his Undead grow more and more violent in their occasional battles against the large weasels.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
In an attempt to calm himself, he touched the Ring of Holding Colius had given him. Out of all his possessions, this was the one that had likely saved his life the most. The amulet Isabella Siphas had given him likely helped him avoid quite a few battles. The unnatural quietness from his own movements sounded almost natural now.
He had often found himself reading through the book of Monsters Lord and Lady Siphas had gifted him, or the book of Classes Alice had given him. And Alaster still wore the cloak Lukas gave him. It was warm, but proved not quite up for the job when up against the cold nights of the winter, so he also wore a Snow Ape fur over the cloak.
While he thought of this, his fingers brushed against the Summoner’s Ring. Alaster had put both the Ring of Holding and the Summoner’s Ring on one hand, and Evelyn’s Ring on the other. As he touched the Summoner’s Ring, he was reminded of what the Old Man had told him.
‘The System is a crutch.’
What did he mean? A crutch was a tool used to aid someone to walk when they were injured or incapable. The crutch was meant to be a temporary tool used until the person healed enough to walk by themselves. However, as Alaster remembered, one of the Healers under the employ of the Siphas Family, if the person relied too heavily on the crutch, it could also hinder their recovery.
‘I can’t rely on the System. I have to learn how to do this without it.’ Alaster realized.
With a grin, Alaster rested his hand on his lap, palm up, and copied the Mana movements of [Fire Bolt], instead of letting it dissipate when the System didn’t register it, Alaster pushed the Mana through his palm, much like he would when using [Necrotic Bolt]. A fiery bolt of flame shot from Alaster’s hand into the night sky, dissipating after a few meters.
[Spell Learned: Fire Bolt]
[Fire Bolt
Level 1: 0%
Fires a bolt of condensed Fire energy
Mana Cost: 10]
Alaster couldn’t keep the wide smile off his face. He had to accomplish something before the System registered it. He couldn’t rely on it to tell him what to do or if he was on the right track.
A brisk breeze swept through the area, bringing with it freezing winds and a wave of snow. Alaster shivered and, despite his joy at finally learning [Fire Bolt], he quickly retreated back into the shelter. Owen shifted as he was hit by a wave of cold, but didn’t say anything. Alaster sat by the fire for a few moments, adding a log to be consumed by the flames, before he laid down, wrapping himself in one of the Mist Ape Furs.
He was exhausted, his eyes scratchy and his eyelids heavy, but he couldn’t sleep. Alaster was just too excited about finally learning [Fire Bolt]. It had only taken him two days, which was quick for most people, but it felt like an eternity for him. An hour passed like this, his body wanting to sleep, but his mind not allowing it. Just as the two were finally coming to an agreement, Alaster heard Owen sit up.
Alaster pretended to be asleep, wanting to see what the boy would do. He heard Owen step around the fire as quietly as he could, crouching next to Alaster, who immediately went on guard, but didn’t move. The two Night Children jumped from their tall branches and rushed over to the shelter, remaining right outside. Two Black Guards joined them. If the Night Children were needed, Alaster didn't want them to accidentally cut the tarp.
Owen grabbed Alaster’s left hand, with the two Rings, and Alaster let him, wanting to see what the boy would do. Owen grabbed the Summoner’s Ring with two fingers and tried to take it off as gently as he could, in hopes of avoiding waking him. He had failed before he began.
The two Black Guards quickly lifted the tarp, allowing the Night Children to dive in. Owen screamed and fell back into the fire. To his credit, he was quick to roll off and pat out any flames, but froze when the two Night Children held their blades up to his throat. Alaster sat up and stared at the boy, across from the fire.
“Alaster! Help me!” The boy begged, shivering both from the cold at having the tarp thrown off their shelter, and fear.
At Alaster’s command, one of the Black Guards gathered the tarp while the rest continued to guard the area. But the two Minotaurs marched over and stood behind Alaster, resting their shields and the butts of their spears in the snow. With the Minotaurs standing on the raised berm of snow and Owen sitting inside the shelter, the already massive Minotaurs appeared gargantuan.
“You know Owen. When you try to steal from someone, it is probably best you do it without being caught. I mean, what were you thinking? We are in the middle of no where. If one of my things went missing, the logical deduction would be that someone in the group stole it.”
“How do you know it wasn’t one of them?” Owen cried, motioning to the Minotaurs, but stopping when the Night Children pressed their blades further, drawing a line of red.
“Gods, you are dumb. They can’t have stolen from me.”
“Why not? Why do you trust them, who have never spoken to you, over me?”
“Why? Because they are my Minions. My Undead.”
Owen’s already quick heart accelerated even more as a cold sweat coated his body, “Undead?”
“Yes. I allowed you to join me because I wanted to learn your Magic. Afterward, I was going to drop you off at a nearby settlement with the money I promised and leave. No harm done. But instead, you have attempted to steal from me. So now, you are going to join my Undead.”
The Minotaurs raised their shields over their bodies and lowered their spears at Owen.
“Any last words?” Alaster asked, already bored.
“Wait! Wait! You haven’t learned [Fire Bolt] yet!” Owen was grasping for anything, unfortunately for him, he chose the one thing that wasn’t true. Had he used this excuse just two hours prior, he would have been right and Alaster likely would have spared him, at least until he did manage to learn it. But now, his only use was now null and void.
Alaster’s lips spread in a cruel grin, “You mean this?”
At his command, a bolt of fire shot from Alaster’s hand and slammed into Owen’s stomach, burning through the fabric and charring his flesh.
“Agghggh!” Owen screamed and writhed in pain.
“You have no use anymore. Goodbye.”
One of the Night Children lunged forward, swinging its wrist blade across Owen’s throat, turning his screams into wet gurgles. Owen’s eyes were wide with fear and pain, and Alaster didn’t turn away, not until the light from Owen’s eyes vanished.
“Alright, Minotaurs, drag the body out. Don’t let any Monsters get to it. Children, good work, now back to the trees. Oh, and you,” Alaster pointed to the Black Guard with the tarp, “Help me cover the shelter again.”
The Night Children dashed out, quickly disappearing into the bare branches one more. Only one of the Minotaurs were needed to deal with the corpse, as it just leaned over and hauled it out with one hand, tossing it away. Within five minutes, Alaster was laying down once more in the shelter, the only difference being one less person and a patch of bloody snow.
Alaster slept well.