“So, let me get this straight…You want us to go night hunting for Starved Wolves?”

The party was sitting in The Full Basket, having taken their usual table at the back of the tavern, and were slowly eating a late morning meal. Andy had just finished outlining the plan that he had for getting the rest of the party up to level ten as soon as possible, and the rest were just staring at him silently as Jake fed bits of meat to Eta.

“Yep,” Andy nodded to Shadow as the Rogue glared at him.

“And not only that, but you want to take on an entire pack at a time?”

“More than one, actually,” the Defender shrugged, “It’s the fastest way we’ve found to gain levels so far. We’ve done it twice, once to get me up to level eight, and then again with a rando to get her to level seven.”

“Right,” Shadow sighed, “Just one problem. Why do I have to be the bait?”

“Because you’ve got the highest Agility out of all of us except Jakey,” Andy explained flatly, “Plus, it’ll be good practice to level up your [Sprint] Skill. Yours is level eight right now, right? I bet running for your life will get it up to ten, then you can Ascend it.”

“I mean…yeah,” Shadow grumbled, crossing his arms as he sat back in his chair, “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Nobody is expecting you to like it, Shadow,” Holi hummed, “It just happens to be that you are the most appropriate person for the job.”

“But why not have Jake do it instead?”

“Because the wolves don’t aggro to him as well,” Goldrun explained, “He’s too high level, so they’re actually kind of scared of him.”

“Dammit, that makes sense,” the Rogue sighed, “Fine! I’ll do it!”

“Great!” Andy smiled, “That just leaves us until dusk to get ready!”

“Get ready?” the table asked, “How?”

“How ever you need to,” the Defender shrugged, “I know Jakey is going to go practice his Skills at the Training Grounds, and I’m waiting on Miri to finish my armour. What about the rest of you?”

“I could go and do some community service at the Temple for more reputation,” Holi nodded, “I have been somewhat neglecting that as of late.”

“I’ll just chill with Miri,” Shadow hummed, “I bet she’ll want to make me a new set of armour from all those wolf hides Jakey gave her. Plus, she should be able to make me some new iron daggers!”

“Could you ask her to create me an improved robe as well, then?” Holi asked, the Rogue nodding happily, “And a new Staff, also?”

“On it,” Shadow grinned, looking at Sophie, “What about you, Soph? You have anything to do?”

“Not really,” the Mage sighed, blinking as she remembered something, “Actually, Jake?”

“Yes?” the man replied as he fed a large slice of ham to Eta.

“I was asked by Salazar Oftburn, the Mage Class Trainer, to bring you by as soon as possible. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you come with me to the Mage’s Tower?”

“Oh, sure,” Jake nodded, “I actually meant to go thank him for the Magic Pills he made for me before.”

“Thank you,” Sophie smiled, “This may just lead to a hidden Quest for me and…wait, did you say Magic Pills?”

------

The journey to the library had been awkward for the pair. Not only had they had to push through the crowds of other players, but many of them had tried to stop them, begging or demanding money and gear from Jake. Of course, they had quickly scattered when Eta had barked or growled at them, realising that the Shadow Wolf was far beyond their level. Sophie also hadn’t said a word since they’d left Andy and Shadow at the alley where Miri was set up, instead simply staring at the new pill in her inventory.

In fact, the rest of the party had had to stop her from immediately running off to start levelling on her own as soon as she’d been given it by Jake, only a reminder that the Mage Class Trainer was waiting for them able to snap her out of it. Now they stood at the doors to the Mage Tower, the familiar glowing white barrier blocking their way. Sophie absentmindedly touched it, still staring at her inventory in awe as the face of Salazar appeared beside her hand.

“Ah, Miss Sticated, you have returned! And with his lordship! How excellent! Come in, come in!” the face near shouted, the film vanishing and the doors swinging wide, the man himself waiting just behind them, “Welcome back, both of you! I am overjoyed that you accepted my invitation, your lordship!”

“I meant to return to thank you again for the pills you made me,” Jake said as he gave a practiced smile, Sophie shaking her head as she focused on the conversation happening in front of her, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Yes, most certainly!” Salazar said happily, leading the pair to the spiral staircase as over a dozen other Traveller Mages stared at them, Jake feeling his ring pulse repeatedly, “Just follow me upstairs, we shall talk more in my office.”

“Your office?” Sophie gasped, the Mage Class Trainer just nodding as they ascended the spiralling staircase, “But…you’ve never taken anyone into your office before?”

“Only those that deserve it,” Salazar hummed as they reached the top, coming out in the large circular room, just as cluttered as it had been before, “And I do believe that one who wields a Lost Magic and his comrades are most deserving!”

“Wait…a Lost Magic?” Sophie muttered, looking at Jake in confusion, “What is he talking about, Jake?”

“I think he means my Primal Magic Skills,” the man explained, “I actually have two, [Nature Magic] and [Shadow Magic].”

“T-two?” Salazar suddenly gasped, hurrying over to Jake and staring at him in awe, “Why did you not say so before?! Please, cast a Spell of your other Lost Magic upon the Crystal if you would!”

“Crystal?” Sophie gasped as she saw the large hovering stone, staring at it in amazement as Jake nodded, throwing a bolt of pure shadow at it, the Spell immediately sinking into the object and hanging in the centre, “What is that?”

“A research device,” Salazar said as he began moving around the floating crystal, “Able to trap and analyse Magic for study. It is my pride and joy, though I so seldom get to use it these days. But [Shadow Magic]? How did you come across this Skill, your lordship? If you don’t mind me asking, that is?”

“I got it as part of an Achievement,” Jake shrugged, “I was…I guess infected with a status called Corruption. I managed to resist it and drive it out of my body and got the Skill as a reward for doing so.”

“And the other Lost Magic?” Salazar hummed, still staring intently at the crystal.

“Oh, I got [Nature Magic] from Gaia,” Jake replied, “She’s the Primal of the Wilds, and gave me a Quest chain, which I managed to complete. The final rewards included the Skill and some other stuff.”

“I see, I see, a Primal you say?” Salazar muttered, “How interesting.”

“Wait…you got a rare type of magic from something called a Primal?” Sophie asked, Jake nodding as her head spun at the sudden influx of information, “And this is the god you were talking about before?”

“Like I said, Gaia isn’t really a god,” Jake explained, “She’s a Primal, which is supposedly beyond a god. She said that the gods require belief to survive and exist, but she doesn’t.”

“Hmmm, yes,” Salazar hummed as he stepped back from the crystal, turning to his desk and furiously writing down notes on a scrap of paper, before he blinked, looking back at the two of them as if only just remembering that they were there, “Ah, of course! Miss Sticated, I have a reward for you for bringing his lordship to me so quickly. Now, where did I leave it?”

Jake and Sophie watched as the man dug around in several piles of books and boxes before letting out a triumphant cry, hurrying over to them carrying a small box. It was about seven inches across and only one wide, looking to Jake like it couldn’t hold more than a thin dagger or knife. The man opened it in front of them, revealing a tapered iron rod with a red gem embedded in the thicker end, Sophie gasping loudly. Curious, Jake used [Inspect] on it.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Fire Magus Wand

An iron wand specially made to cast fire Spells

Ability: [Flame Magics]

Quality: Rare

“What is it?” he asked, as Sophie lifted the wand like it was made of porcelain.

“It’s…it’s beautiful!” she gasped, “This Ability! It reduces the cost of all [Fire Magic] Spells by five percent! This will last me ages without an upgrade!”

“Yes, yes,” Salazar nodded, “A fitting reward for bringing a user of Lost Magic to me. Now, I had thought that I would simply be able to talk with you about your Lost Magic, your lordship, but now I have much more to learn about from your second Skill. Oh, and do not fear, I shall ensure that word of your contributions reaches the Wizard’s College in Eversun. I am sure they will welcome you both with open arms once you arrive.”

“Wait…the Wizard’s College?” Sophie gasped, “But that’s…that’s more than I could have hoped for! I could skip the Fire Mage Class all together and go straight to being a Wizard!”

“What’s the difference?” Jake asked, genuinely confused.

“A Wizard isn’t as limited in their Spells,” Sophie explained quickly, “They can have a Spell book with all the Spells they have ever learned in it and can swap out which Spells they have active with only a short amount of studying, while a Mage is restricted to only the ten Spells they know.”

“Oh…wait, you can learn more Spells?” Jake blinked.

“Of course,” Sophie huffed, “I mean, it’ll probably be more difficult for you with Lost Magic, but you can learn a new Spell each time you gain a level in a Magic Skill, up to a maximum of ten.”

“Ah, good to know,” Jake nodded, looking back at Salazar, the Class Trainer having returned to staring at the crystal and writing notes, all but ignoring the pair now, “So, uhm…shall we leave him to it?”

“Probably for the best,” Sophie nodded, cradling her new wand, “I can’t wait to go test this out tonight!”

The two of them walked back down the stairs, returning to the ground floor quickly, where they were greeted by a crowd of Mage players blocking the stairs. At the head was a tall and slender man, his hair white with frost blue highlights, the fringe of which he flicked out of his face as he stepped towards them.

“Sophie,” he said, the edges of his smile not reaching his eyes, “I see you are being as…productive as always. Care to explain why the Master invited you upstairs?”

“No,” the young woman almost spat, “It’s none of your business, Alister.”

“My name is Golloron Frostborne here, Sophie Sticated,” the man snarled back, “Or do you not even know the basics of online etiquette? Unsurprising for a lowly clerk’s daughter, after all.”

“Hey, my dad is more than a clerk,” Sophie growled, “Now step back, Alister, or you’ll regret it.”

“Regret what?” the boy growled back, “Getting your father fired for his precious daughter’s rudeness to her betters? I’m sure I can organise that.”

“You wouldn’t,” Sophie gasped, a look of fear in her eyes.

“I may just,” Golloron crooned, apparently satisfied that his threat had worked, “Now, care to explain why you of all people were invited upstairs while those far more deserving were left to wallow down here?”

“That would be because of me,” Jake suddenly spoke, making the white-haired boy look at him, “Salazar asked her to bring me here.”

“And who are you?” Golloron asked, Jake feeling his ring pulse, “I can’t see any information about you. A Spell? Or an item?”

“None of your concern,” Jake replied flatly, stepping in front of Sophie as she swallowed nervously, standing chest to chest with the other boy, “Now, you’re blocking our way out. Please move.”

“And who are you to command me?” Golloron snorted, shaking his head as he stepped back slightly, flicking his hair again, “Some Ranger who thinks they have the right to cast Magic, I assume? Pathetic. Leave the true Spellcraft to the truly talented!”

“I would, but I don’t see any standing in front of me,” Jake said, a slight smirk crossing his face, “Behind me, though? While I have not even seen her in action, I have it on good authority that Sophie is quite talented.”

“You…” Golloron snarled, “Do you know who my father is?”

“I couldn’t care less,” Jake snarled right back, the sound vicious and wild, making the boy pale as Jake bared his teeth, “And as far as I know, it’s considered taboo to bring the real world into this one, or do your own words only count when they’re used against others?”

“I…you…” the boy sputtered, stepping back again, before pointing a finger at Jake, “I Challenge you to a Magic Duel!”

“Very well,” Jake said as he continued to smile, “I assume that means only Magic Skills are allowed? Excellent. I accept.”

“What?” Golloron blinked as the screens appeared in front of both of them, “V-very well! Then the conditions are when I win you will grovel before me and beg forgiveness!”

“If you win, you mean,” Jake growled, “Acceptable, if pathetic. And if I win, you will change your Class to a non-Magic Class.”

“W-what?!” the boy screeched.

“What’s wrong? Not so confident now?” Jake hummed, the white-haired boy snorting as he shook his head.

“No, I accept your condition! Let us get this farce over with!”

“Very well, where?” Jake asked, crossing his arms as he looked down at the slightly shorter Mage.

“The Training Area,” Golloron pointed to the half of the floor that was set up like a target range, stomping through the crowd towards it, Jake following close behind.

“Jake, you don’t need to do this,” Sophie whispered to him as she hurried alongside him, “Alister is…well, he’s an ass, but his parents’ are important!”

“So are mine,” Jake muttered, “But that’s never stopped me before.”

“What?” Sophie blinked as the two men walked into the training area, standing opposite each other as the dome formed around them, jumping when she felt Eta lean against her leg, the girl petting him gently.

“Hmmph,” Golloron grunted, looking over Jake as the countdown started, quickly ticking down to zero, “Then, let us begin this Magic Duel! Water Bolt!”

The magic hit Jake square in the chest, Golloron grinning as Jake grunted, his smile falling away as the other man just looked at the water dripping from his cloak in amusement.

“Huh, less than I thought,” Jake hummed, looking at Golloron calmly, “What’s wrong? Keep going. Or do you want something else? How about this? I won’t bother to attack until you’ve run out of Mana Points.”

“R-run out of Mana?” Golloron grunted, “You fool! I am a level five Mage! I have thirty points in Intelligence! You’ll be long dead before I run out of Mana!”

“Let’s see if that’s true,” Jake just grinned, the predatory smile seeming to unnerve his opponent, “Now come, attack me again.”

“Water Bolt!” the Mage shouted, firing another orb of water at Jake, which once against splashed off his cloak, “Water Bolt!”

“Hey, Sophie,” Jake called out as the other man kept shouting and throwing magic at him, “Is it necessary to call out the name of the Spell like that when you cast it?”

“What?” Sophie started, looking at Jake in confusion, “No. Silent casting is actually important for a Magic Class, but calling out the Spell name as you cast it does help for those that struggle with the visualisation of the Spell.”

“I see,” Jake hummed as he weathered another orb of water, Golloron glowering at the two of them as he continued to cast, “Is this the only Spell he knows?”

“Only…? Of course not, you cretin!” Golloron shouted, “Fine! If you insist, I shall unleash my ultimate Spell on you! Take this, you peon! Deluge!”

The stream of water shot from the tip of Golloron’s wand, turning into a steady blast that struck Jake centre mass. The water pounded against him, actually making him take a step back as Golloron grinned manically. He continued to push the Spell, starting to laugh as sweat beaded on his forehead, before the water suddenly cut off, a look of surprise on everyone’s face as he collapsed to the ground, clutching his head.

“Ah, you ran out of Mana?” Jake sighed as the man groaned, desperately trying to get back to his feet, “It’s not very pleasant, is it?”

“S-shut up!” Golloron heaved as he stood, glaring at Jake, “Y-you must be almost dead after that!”

“Actually, I still have more than three quarters my Health,” Jake shrugged, “I think that you would have done more damage if you’d kept throwing Water Bolts at me rather than using that other Spell.”

“W-what?” Golloron paled, “H-how?”

“I believe my friend called it the Tyranny of Level,” Jake smiled kindly at the white-haired boy, “But I do believe it is my turn to attack now.”

“What? W-wait! Let’s not get hasty and-,” he was cut off as the pitch-black bolt of shadows slammed into his gut, making him retch as he collapsed to the ground again, his eyes bugging out as he stared at something in his vision, “T-that hit…almost killed me! I-I’m down to less than one percent! H-how?”

“Then this one should finish the job,” Jake said as he strode up to Golloron, holding the green orb in his hand as he stopped just in front of the kneeling boy, “Take this as a lesson, child. Hiding behind the name of others will do nothing but end with you worse than dead.”

“P-please! N-no!” the boy sobbed as Jake released the ball of energy, the shot slamming into his face, throwing him backwards, before he burst into a cloud of light.

You are the Victor!

Jake quickly dismissed the notification as the dome above him shattered into sparkling dust, which quickly vanished before it reached the floor. He paused as the light that Golloron had burst into suddenly rushed back together, reforming into the boy as he sat on the floor in shock. Shaking his head, Jake just turned away, walking back over to Sophie as the young woman stared at him in awe.

“Two Spells?” She asked, “I mean, I don’t know the exact number, but Alister was always boasting that he had high Vitality for a Mage. How did you manage that?”

“How much does a Bolt Spell cost?” Jake asked, Sophie blinking at the question.

“Five Mana, why?”

“Mine cost twenty,” Jake said, “So I guess that makes my Bolt Spells about four times as powerful. Anyway, that’s over now, let’s get out of here.”

“Wait!” the voice shouted from behind them, the pair turning to see Golloron glaring at them in fury, “You…you…bastard! I’ve lost my Class because of you, you cheating ass! How did you do it?! Tell me now!”

“He need tell you nothing,” the reedy voice boomed out from behind the crowd, the other Mages all scattering as Salazar strode forwards, glaring at Golloron in disgust, “You, who dared declare a Challenge against his lordship, then whine and cry like a babe when you face the consequences of losing? Truly pathetic! You are cast out of this Mage Tower and barred from practicing Magic ever again!”

“W-what?” Golloron blinked as his body suddenly floated into the air, before being thrown across the room and out the door, “NOOO!”

“I sincerely apologise for the actions of my former student, your lordship,” Salazar said as he spun around to talk to Jake, “Had I Known that he would be so rude to one such as you, I would never have accepted him in the first place.”

“Not a problem, Salazar,” Jake bowed his head slightly, “I should be the one to apologise for losing you a talented student.”

“Ah, not particularly,” the Mage Trainer huffed, “He was of middling talent at best, nothing like Miss Sticated. I’m actually somewhat grateful you gave me an excuse to rid myself of him.”

“I see,” Jake nodded, “Well then, we’ll be going now.”

“Of course, safe travels, and do come back when you have the time!” Salazar smiled as they left, passing by the still form of Golloron, who was lying on the floor staring up at the ceiling blankly.

“Is it wrong that I don’t actually feel that bad for him?” Sophie asked as they left the library.

“Not really,” Jake shrugged, “I don’t.”