Chapter 34
A Looming Wall
It was the day after Lexton had given Erin and her group their lesson in magic. As it had gotten pretty late by the time the kobold was finished with teaching them about magic, they had decided to spend the night at his place. Despite protests from Ryle and Lexton, it was ultimately the best choice for the group. Not only would it have taken a long time for Erin’s group to get back to their apartment, but they no longer had any money, due to the kobold spending it all. Seeing as how it was essentially his fault that his allies were in a financial predicament, Lexton soon relented and provided his guests with blankets and pillows to sleep with.
Ryle had still opposed the idea, stating that the stench of Lexton’s workshop would keep her awake, but faced with majority votes had to suck it up. She had tried to make the best of it by “accidentally” rolling over to Arkay as they were sleeping, but a few sharp rocks carefully placed by Erin put a stop to that.
Now that they had rested, it was time for the group to decide what to do for the day. Unfortunately, their options seemed to rather limited.
“Thanks to scaly over there, we’re completely broke!” Ryle complained as she looked at their empty wallet with a furious glare. “How the hell could a pile of junk cost that much!?”
“I actually had to haggle quite a bit. Why do you think it took me so long to get back to you?” Lexton said calmly as he was moving around his workshop, getting things ready. “As long as you know what you’re selling and to whom, you can get pretty good cash from pretty much anything. My father taught me that quite well.”
“Well isn’t that just freaking cute, huh!?” the blonde yelled angrily at the kobold. “Too bad your daddy didn’t teach you any morals, as you make your living by scamming others! What a real role model you had!”
“You watch your damn mouth when you talk about my father, you ass!” Lexton yelled back. “I’ll have you know that he was an honorable man and a true merchant! I will not have someone who earns their pay through killing others slander him!”
“An honorable guy!? I guess the apple does fall far from the tree!”
“Why you brainless-!”
It was at this point that Erin stepped in between her arguing companions. She could tell that if someone didn’t put a stop to this, there was a good chance that one or both of them would end up getting hurt.
“Alright, calm down you two! Remember that we are supposed to be working together, okay!?” the redhead said as she stood between the two, hoping to keep them from exchanging blows of any kind. “I get that things have been less than ideal for you, Ryle, but we can’t do much about it. We need to make some sacrifices in our own comfort, if we are to fulfill what we came here to do. Okay?”
“Hmph! Fine!” Ryle said as she turned away. “Just remember that if us trusting that guy comes back to bite us, I called it from the start!”
“I’ll make sure to remember that,” Erin said with a roll of her eyes before turning her attention to the kobold. “However, Lex, what Ryle said isn’t entirely untrue. While I am happy that you’re making equipment for us, you never said that it was going to take all of our money. We are now broke thanks to your purchases and can’t even afford food, let alone renting an apartment to stay the night.”
“Look, I get that I might have gone a bit overboard with the spending, but I assure you that it was all for the sake of helping out our group,” Lexton said with a sigh. “However, I am willing to help you out in getting some money. I just need to make a few preparations first, okay?”
“Sounds good. But what are we going to do about food, though?” the redhead asked. “We need to at least have some sort of a meal, before we can really start doing anything.”
“I have some stuff in my fridge that you can have,” the kobold answered. “It’s nothing fancy, but it should get you started on your day.”
Erin thanked Lexton for the offer and went inside the workshop. She soon found the fridge and looked inside it to see it was completely full. However, the fridge wasn’t packed with food like one might expect. There were some food items, but there were a lot of things that were definitely NOT meant to be eaten. Parts of wild beasts and liquids that looked toxic were put there along with food items, like it didn’t matter. It seemed like Lexton had run out of space with all of his materials and was forced to use something not meant for storing such things.
Somewhat disturbed by the sight before her, Erin quickly grabbed a couple of cans of beans and closed the fridge, hoping that the cans would prevent whatever else was in the fridge from affecting them.
“Let’s hope I don’t have to take stuff from there ever again,” the redhead mumbled to herself as she walked up to Ryle and Arkay.
“Something wrong, Erin?” Ryle asked, noticing the look on her friend’s face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”
“I feel like I would have preferred that over what I actually saw…”
Erin and her two friends started a fire outside and heated up the canned food they had. Once they were eating, the redhead decided to ask something that had come to her mind during their lesson in regards to magic.
“Hey, Arnie. Can I ask you something?” Erin said, getting the cat boy’s attention. “You know how Lex said yesterday that you would be able to teach us about magic, right? Could you do that?”
“I… I don’t know,” Arkay said awkwardly. “Learning and using magic is one thing, but actually teaching it is a bit different.”
“Come on, Arnie! It can’t be that bad!” Ryle said in an encouraging manner. “Just give it a shot and I’m sure we’ll be able to pick up at least something of use!”
“Exactly. Besides, what’s the harm in trying?” Erin asked with a gentle smile. “The way I see it, it can only benefit us.”
“...A-Alright. I’ll see if I can teach you something,” Arkay said as he looked down thoughtfully, before an idea came to his mind. “That’s it! I think I have something that could be a good start for learning about the use of magic!”
“What is it?” the redhead asked as she and Ryle looked at their young companion curiously.
The cat boy was digging through his pockets, looking for something, before finally taking out what looked like a round stone. It was about the size of a baseball and had a misty light gray color. Before either Erin or Ryle could ask what the object was, it suddenly began to glow brightly in Arkay’s hand. The glow soon ended and the stone returned to its normal state again.
image [https://i.ibb.co/SNbvMNW/Ch-34-Pic-1.jpg]
“This is called a Glow Stone,” the cat boy began to explain with a smile on his face. “It’s a very common low-grade magic item. As it’s name suggests, it begins to glow when you put magical energy into it.”
“I see,” Erin stated as she stared at the stone. “Are we going to be using that for practice?”
“Yes. You see, when my father first taught me about magic, he actually did it by using this stone,” Arkay began to explain. “Since all it does is glow and only requires you to put magical energy into it, it’s a safe and easy method of starting to train in magic.”
The cat boy then handed the stone to Erin, who stared at it for a couple of seconds, before looking at Arkay again.
“So what exactly am I supposed to do?” the redhead asked.
“Try putting some magical energy into it by concentrating on your hand,” the cat boy answered. “If you manage to get even the tiniest bit of magical energy into it, we should be able to see some sort of a glow.”
Following the instructions given to her, Erin held the Glow Stone tightly in her grip and began to concentrate on it. She stayed still like this, trying to feel the magic that was coursing through her body, which she then tried to focus on her hand.
Nothing happened.
Erin stood still like this for a couple of minutes without anything happening at all. She looked at both Ryle and Arkay to see what kind of reactions they had on her poor performance. The blonde had a look that was a mixture of boredom and irritation on her face, while the cat boy seemed to be surprised and confused.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Ummm… Nothing seems to be happening,” Erin said awkwardly. “Is that normal?”
“Hell if I know,” Ryle said with a shrug. “I’ve never done this magic stuff myself.”
“To be perfectly honest, no,” Arkay answered. “This is honestly very strange. Pretty much anyone should be able to get even the tiniest of lights to appear for a second. It’s almost like you don’t have any magic at all.”
“W-Well, I’ve never used magic before, right!?” Erin said nervously, hoping that this wasn’t a case where she wouldn’t be able to use magic at all. “I mean, you had at least some experience with it before you started training, didn’t you? Maybe I just need to start from the very basics and move from there!”
“No, that’s not how this is,” the cat boy said as he shook his head. “The Glow Stone might be a low-level magical item, but it reacts very easily to magical power. Besides being used as a source of light, it’s often used to measure the level of magical power you have by seeing how strong the glow you can produce is. By you doing what you did just now, you should have been able to have some sort of a reaction.”
The redhead was starting to panic on the inside. Maybe because she had come from another world she wasn’t able to use magic at all? After all, magic was an aspect of this world that all living beings were born with, but such things were only fantasy in her world. She feared that she wouldn’t be able to become stronger any longer.
It was at that point that she realized something.
“Hey… The Five Overlords, do they use magic?” Erin asked. Since Devin and his group came from the same world as she did, they should be the same as her when it came to magic. “Do they use something else than magic?”
“You’re kidding, right? Those five are all insanely powerful magic users!” Ryle replied. “I’ve never seen it myself, but I hear they’re all able to use crazy powerful spells that make them pretty much unbeatable!”
“I’ve heard such stories as well,” Arkay added. “They say that those who oppose them can’t even get to see the eyes of the Five Overlords, as they will die way before that from the magic they use.”
Hearing this, Erin was furiously trying to think how this was possible. How come Devin’s group could use magic very effectively, yet she couldn’t even do the simplest of things? There had to be a way for her to achieve the same results as they did.
“Hey, enough about this pointless chatter! Let me have the stone!” Ryle suddenly said as she grabbed the Glow Stone from the redhead. “I’m gonna make this thing glow like the sun itself!”
The blonde held the stone tightly in both her hands and began to concentrate on it. However, nothing happened, much like with Erin. Ryle was starting to turn red in the face as she was trying in vain to make the stone glow.
“Ummm… Ryle? Maybe you should stop,” Erin said as she looked at her friend. “I’m worried you might hurt yourself. And it’s not glowing even slightly.”
“….Arnie, is this thing broken?” Ryle asked after finally stopping with her attempts. “Neither of us can make this thing glow at all.”
Arkay took the stone from the blonde and immediately made it light up. Just in case, he changed the intensity of the glow to show that it was working perfectly.
“Seems to be working just fine,” the cat boy said. “This is odd, though. How come neither one of you could make even the slightest of glows?”
“When it comes to the blonde moron, I’m not surprised,” said Lexton, who had been observing the trio from afar. “I already told you all that she’s not the magic using type. Expecting her to make that stone glow is like expecting a pig to fly. It’s just not happening.”
“YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN TO MY FACE, YOU LITTLE SHIT!?” Ryle yelled angrily. “I DOUBT YOU HAVE THE BALLS TO-!”
“I’ll say it as many times as you want, wherever you want,” the kobold replied as he walked up to the blonde and stared straight into her eyes. “You are a complete moron and you have no ability in the use of magic at all.”
Ryle’s whole body was violently shaking from the sheer rage that she felt and her face was completely red as well. However, while Erin and Arkay were worried that she would turn to violence targeted at Lexton to relieve herself of such feelings, she instead stomped away from him before stopping next to a large boulder.
“You know, I really want to kick your ass. I really do. I want to punch my fist down your throat and kick you around this place like a scaly football. And that would just be the start,” Ryle said while gritting her teeth. “However, I’m not going to do that. You know why?”
“Please do tell me,” Lexton said in a bored and disinterested tone.
“That’s because I’m a team player, got it? I get that no matter how much I hate you, you’re still part of our group. And I know that you’ve got skills that will be very useful for us. Just you making Arnie’s new weapon is more than enough proof of that,” the blonde explained. “And since you’re part of the team and overall very helpful, I am willing to put up with all the crap you keep throwing at me.”
Erin and Arkay were surprised by how level-headed their friend was being. They completely understood her anger and frustration, and had been worried that her limit had finally been reached, but it seemed like they no longer had to worry about it.
“However, I’ll have you know that not only have you pissed me off big time, but I also won’t forget all the things you’ve done to do so. So just keep in mind that the moment you’re no longer with us or you even become our enemy, I’ll pay you back for everything,” Ryle said before turning her attention to the boulder she was standing next to with her hand clenched into a fist. “AND THIS IS WHAT I’LL DO TO YOU!”
Erin’s eyes went wide as she immediately realized what the irate blonde was going to do and she was about to tell her friend to not do it, but was too slow to do so. However, her brief worry was proven unnecessary, when Ryle’s fist connected with the boulder. Instead of her hand being broken like anyone would have expected, a large chunk of the large rock was broken into small pieces.
Silence fell over the group as Erin and Arkay stared at their blonde companion with wide eyes, while Lexton still had a bored and disinterested look on his face. Meanwhile, Ryle was glaring at the kobold, not even acknowledging what she had just done.
Suddenly, as she seemed to finally calm down, the blonde looked at her fist before crying out in pain.
“YEEEEOWCH! MY HAND! MY FREAKING HAND!” Ryle yelled as loud as he could while holding her sore fist. “WHY THE HELL DID I DO THAT!?”
“I’m more interested in knowing HOW the hell did you do THAT,” Erin said while pointing at the boulder the blonde had destroyed a part of. “I know you’re tough and everything, but I didn’t know you were THAT strong!”
“What? Did I…?” Ryle mumbled in confusion as she looked at the boulder and her own fist. “I… I did that? But I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that.”
“Like I keep telling you. You’re not the magic using type,” Lexton said in a frustrated tone. “Blondie over here is obviously better suited for the use of ki, instead of magic.”
“Wait, you’re making it sound like you knew something like this would happen,” Arkay said. “Were you perhaps…?”
“I see that you’re catching on, Arnie. You’re a smart one,” the kobold said with a smirk. “Yes. I was purposefully trying to get under her skin so that she could properly manifest her ki. The use of it is often driven more by instinct and raw emotions, which is why I pushed her towards unleashing her pent up monkey rage. This basically allowed her to finally manifest her ki and… Well, you all saw what happened.”
“But how did you know this was going to happen?” Erin asked. “How did you know that she wasn’t going to simply break her hand?”
“Because we have all seen her use ki already, although without knowing about it,” Lexton answered. Upon seeing the group’s confused looks, he began to explain what he meant. “Think about it. How could a single fighter like her beat all of those fighters at the fight pit? She must have been using ki without realizing. Her life of tough battles and harsh training must have at some point unlocked her ability to use it without her knowledge. Now she of course has her own physical abilities that are really good, don’t get me wrong on that. But what truly gives her an edge in battles is her innate ability to use ki.”
Both Erin and Arkay turned their gazes back to Ryle, who was still staring at her fist in wonder. The blonde had heard stories of people that were strong enough to break boulders and other hard objects with nothing but their bare hands. She herself had often dreamed of reaching such a level, but never even in her wildest dreams had she thought it would be possible. Now, however, it just might not be all that impossible.
“...You do realize that we aren’t cool over the things you said to me, right?” Ryle asked as she glanced at Lexton. “I’m still going to hold a grudge over the things you said to me.”
“I wasn’t really expecting anything less from you. The way I see it, if you can be at least a bit less useless for me, it’s a worthy trade,” Lexton answered, causing the blonde to seethe. “Now, I hope you can keep that up until you end up being actually useful.”
Before Ryle could yell at the kobold, Erin ran up to her with a look of excitement on her face.
“That was amazing, Ryle!” the redhead exclaimed happily, catching the blonde off-guard. “Do you think you can teach me how to do what you just did!?”
Ryle was somewhat taken aback and even a bit freaked out by the sudden change in her friend’s attitude. Despite this, the blonde wouldn’t mind teaching what she knows to someone she considers a friend.
Unfortunately, there was a bit of an issue with that…
“Uhhh… Sorry, Erin, but I don’t think I can,” Ryle said awkwardly. “I’ve honestly never given much thought to how I do what I do. Even now, this thing happened more on an instinct than anything else. I could try telling you how I did it, but I fear you would only end up with a broken hand.”
“Oh… I see,” the redhead said in a saddened tone, before she turned her attention towards Arkay. “But I’m sure you can help me, right!? You can teach me how to do magic by starting from the very basic of it all!”
“I don’t think I can,” the cat boy said in a tone that was like a child ashamed of doing something bad. “The use of magic came sort of… naturally for me. Most likely because my parents were magic users themselves. Of course I needed to actually study to actually learn how to properly use magic, but I honestly have no idea how to teach someone how to manifest magical energy from the start.”
Ryle, noticing the tone in Arkay’s voice, was about to put a hand on his shoulder and offer words of comfort, but something she hadn’t expected happened. She thought that Erin would have been on the same page as she was when it came to the cat boy teaching magic, not considering it a big issue. However, the redhead suddenly grabbed Arkay by the shoulders and stared straight into his eyes with a look of desperation, almost like it was a question of life or death.
“But you have got to be able to teach me something!” Erin said in a desperate tone while holding the cat boy’s shoulders. “If I can’t manifest even the tiniest bits of magic, then how am I supposed to-!?”
“E-Erin! You’re hurting me!” Arkay said s he felt his shoulders get squeezed.
Noticing the discomfort of her young friend, Ryle stepped in and pulled Erin off him. The redhead herself was shocked that she had actually hurt Arkay, even if it was by accident.
“Hey, what the hell is wrong with you, Erin!?” Ryle angrily shouted at the redhead. “It’s not Arnie’s fault that you can’t use magic, so don’t take it out on him!”
“I… I’m sorry,” Erin apologized, deeply ashamed of how she had acted. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“It’s… It’s alright,” Arkay said, still a bit shaken over what had happened.
“I have to say myself that you surprise me, Erin,” Lexton suddenly said. “Glow Stones should be possible to be used by just about anyone. I was certain that you could use at least enough magic to make it glow.”
“I was hoping to be able to do it as well,” Erin said in a sad tone. “Maybe I’m more of a ki user, like Ryle?”
“I hardly doubt that. Not only I haven’t seen you display any signs of that, but you also don’t seem like one,” the kobold explained. “While there is nothing stopping people with magical abilities from learning to use ki and vice versa, people usually have a tendency to have an affinity towards one of the two. However, you don’t seem to have any affinity for either one.”
“So… I’m a hopeless case then?” the redhead asked.
“I wouldn’t say that, although you are a special case for sure,” Lexton answered before his face turned stern. “Whatever the case, that does NOT excuse the way you acted towards Arnie! Even if you can’t use either magic or ki, there are still methods to get stronger. I already told you that you can get cybernetics or gene-mutation to help you with that. A lot of people do so, because they don’t want to put in the effort to learn magic or ki. There are of course risks to it, but it’s always an option worth considering.”
Erin thought about it, but wasn’t exactly fond of the idea. Being forced to replace parts of her body or having to put the genes of other creatures into herself didn’t sound like an option she wanted to go through. However, if she couldn’t use magic or ki, what other choice did she have?
“...I think I’m going to need to think about this for some time. On my own, that is,” the redhead said before looking at Arkay. “Can I take the Glow Stone with me, Arnie?”
The cat boy simply nodded in response before handing the stone to Erin. She thanked him and began to walk away from the group towards the wastelands that surrounded them.
“Hey, before you leave, I should probably say one more thing about magic,” Lexton called out to the redhead. “Ki is more of an instinctive ability that is often guided by raw emotion. However, magic often requires more thought and introspection. I have heard that some magic users meditate in order to hone their abilities better.”
Erin gave a simple wave as thanks for the advice as she continued walking. The others could only stare in confusion, wondering what was up with their companion.
image [https://i.ibb.co/Scwb8W0/Ch-34-Pic-2.jpg]