Originally uploaded Jan 5, 2023
-Dragonspine Inn-
Random Adventurer's Pov
"Hey hey, did you hear about the rumor?" I asked inquisitively as I placed my mug down on.
A large man siting at the same table slammed his glass down before yelling.
"If you are talking about that infamous masked swordsman, I say it's all bullshit!"
It didn't take a genius to tell that he was very intoxicated.
"No, apparently it's all true. An friend of mine supposedly once teamed up with him. He's traveling with Jasmine Flamesworth, so it's kind of hard to miss him. A thing lad with long hair came over to our table to join in on the conversation.
"Oh yeah, please do tell." The drunkard said while oozing with sarcasm.
"I think the rumors are true in that he is not a mage." The thin lad said while shaking his head with wonder.
"Bullshit! It's either that swordsman is an augmenter or the rumors are just exaggerated! Did you hear some of the storied going around? there was one that said he cleared a dungeon all by himself. Even to an A-class augmenter that is unheard of. And you expect me to believe that a ordinary dude with a sword could do it?"
"Well he is traveling with Jasmine Flamesworth so-" Before I could finish the drunkard interrupted.
"Yeah, yeah! He probably is just riding her coattails. Half of those rumors are probably just all fake news."
The bar was getting loud as he became more and more intoxicated. The hottest topic these days amongst adventures were about the masked swordsman. Some even say that he was Jasmine Flamesworth's apprentice. It was also made public that he took a rank exam to place into A rank. Which was an once in a lifetime occurrence. More shocking than that he was now a AA class! Moving a full rank when you're already A rank?
I just shook my head in disbelief. Here i was, borderline C-Rank adventurer. Failing more exams to move up in rank than you could even count.
The truly weird thing was that when some of the rumors reached the examiners that were there with the masked swordsman during his exam, they all said he did wield mana. But had near perfect control of it to the point of having no noticeable signature.
The squeaky door to the pub opened and I dropped the glass of beer in the grasps as I saw the figure entering.
"Well well well, speak of the devil! The little swordsman everyone is clamoring on about! Where is your little master?" The large drunk man said provoking him with a smirk on his face.
The very same masked swordsman, the one behind all those crazy rumors... he was here!
I saw his piercing yellow eyes underneath the mask look up at the burly man. He was taller than I expected, wearing a simple black coat that came down to his thigh with the hood of the coat covering up what that mask didn't. If you just saw him passing by on the street you wouldn't have noticed anything strange about him.
After casting a passing glance at the man that was calling him out, he simply walked past him. As if he wasn't worth his time.
"Oi bastard! Didn't your mama tell you that it's rude to ignore people when they are talking to you?" The drunkard mocked as he drew a giant sword from his back and held it above his head to swing down.
"HEY CALM DOW-" Before the last few words could escape my mouth the masked swordsman turn on his heels. Driving his fist directly into the large man's stomach with inhumane speed.
The drunkard clutched his belly as he dropped his sword. He bent down and fell to his knees.
"Ack! you fucker!" Was all he got out before the masked man delivered a roundhouse kick that lifted the large man clean off the ground and sent him flying onto a nearby table. Snapping the wood in two.
What? How? He was a B-rank veteran adventurer. Even if the masked swordsman was AA rank, he didn't even draw his own weapon. I didn't even sense him use any mana. He just disposed of a B-rank as if he was just an insect. HOW?
The masked man turned to the counter and faced the waitress at the front desk.
"Sorry about the mess. Here, something for the troubles."
The masked man spoke. his baritone voice clear and precise as he plopped down a pouch that jingled with coins on the table in front of her.
"I believe there's a sack of rations under the name 'Grey' that a friend of mine ordered not too long ago." The masked man spoke again.
"Y-yes! Right away sir!"
He gave a slight nod to the waitress as she handed him a a sack of food.
Then he left as the whole inn just watched him go off, not daring to make a sound.
Art Pov
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"What took you so long?" Jasmine asked as she placed the food into a pouch attacked to the saddle of our horses.
"Just housekeeping." I replied with a shrug.
I could feel her staring at me with suspicion.
In the end Jasmine just shook her head and mounted her horse as I did the same.
As we traveled to our next destination, I though back to the last two years.
Things have been going quiet smoothly. We were both AA-class adventurers, there was still a bit of a difference with her and Kaspian but she'll improve and surpass him with enough time. When we weren't on missions we were sparring. At night due to my lack of a need to sleep I would take care of some business I had within the deeper parts of the Beast Glades. Jasmine's core progression has also been going quiet nicely. I pondered what kind of rune she'd get when I introduce that technology later, after spending so much time around me and my aether.
The biggest improvement during this time was my body. No longer an awkward stubby child's. I no longer felt restrained when I fought now. While dying of old age probably won't be a thing for me. I suppose like asuras I would age until I reach my physical prime, afterwards my ageing would be greatly slowed or be halted entirely with aether constantly regenerating my body.
I sent out a mental transmission to Sylvie. She was also progressing her training pretty well on her own. I still needed her to mature a bit more and train her body to teach her basic aether techniques. But for now we were now able to hold conversations and her emotions had developed to become more complex than before.
"We're here." Jasmine announced, pulling me out of my thoughts \. At her signal we both brought our horses to a slow trot into a small clearing in the woods.
The clearing was surrounded by tall tress with the dungeon entrance in the middle. The grounds were littered with a group of adventures clearing their camp, some checking their weapons as they got ready to go in.
"Guess we're stuck with more augmenters." An annoying voice rang as he clicked his tongue in disappointment.
'The displeasure is all mine Lucas, I knew you would be here.'
Getting off of my mount, I made my way towards the group of adventurers when the blond conjurer shot me a distasteful look. Jasmine followed close behind me as an armored augmenter stepped forward and held out his hand in from of him.
"Please don't mind Lucas and let me introduce you guys. My name is Reginald Brooks, and I'm a A-class augmenter. Earth attribute yellow core, specializing in using a hammer." He pointed at the giant warhammer resting on the ground where the group stood.
He was large stocky man with messy brown hair that matched his eyes. His blocky jaw was covered with a thick beard. In conjunction with his near two meter height and broad shoulders, it made him a intimidating man.
'Well this all seems about the same.' My mind trailed off as they each introduced themselves. After that I walked towards a familiar face.
"Yo, we meet again." I casually say as I wave at Elijah as he weakly waved back.
"You guys know each other?" Brald, the noble looking AA-rank augmenter asked.
Elijah and I just simply nodded, needing no more words to be exchanged.
"I can't help but ask Mr. Grey, there have been rumors that you weren't an augmenter. Yet you clearly introduced yourself as one. Reginald queried, holding up his huge hammer up onto his shoulders.
"I haven't been using my magic for personal reasons." I said disinterested with a shrug.
Noticing me dodging the question, he just shrugs helplessly and began setting up the formation of the party.
'Everything seems to be going as planned.'
---
"Let me guess, this field wasn't here before either." Reginald muttered as his eyes wondered around the enrapturing scenery before us.
"No-nothing of the sort." Brald let out a sharp breath as he continues staring out into the field.
Suddenly, a deep thud broke the silence.
"Clara? Is that you? Ho- How are you alive?" Kriol had already dropped his hammer and was holding his arms out, reaching out for an embrace.
Pushing aether into my limbs I dash in front of Kriol.
"Stop, Kriol. It's the mana beast playing tricks on your mind." I coldly say as I halt him with my blade pointed at him.
"NO NO NO. I heard her. She must be-"
Clicking my tongue in frustration I let out an aura of aether around me. Visibly shaking the blades of grass on the ground. Kriol stumbles onto the ground and looks up at me with disbelieve. A look of fear and dread in his eyes.
"Everyone! Stick together! This mist is playing tricks on your senses." I announced as I drag Kriol back to the group by the back of his collar.
"Who the hell put you in charge!" Lucas cursed, his knuckles now whit with how hard he was gripping his staff.
"You got any better ideas genius. If so you handle it yourself." I spoke as I redirected my oppressing aetheric aura towards Lucas.
Lucas took a step back while gripping his staff harder as he brought it up in a offensive stance.
Before we could formulate a plan massive tentacles of vines and branches erupted from the ground all around us.
"Enough of this crap!" Lucas pushed everyone aside and swung his long staff at the wall of vines and muttered a spell.
The bright flame that glowed atop his staff expanded, shooting large disks of fire.
With a hellish explosion the snake like vines and branched flinched back, but other than that they were unaffected.
"The fuck! What kind of trees are immune to fire!" Brald hissed as a firery tornado engulfed his broadsword.
The vines, however were regenerating or weren't effect at all by our attacks.
Soon the mana beast made known its face and reeled back to stare down at us.
"N-No way..." Samantha's face drained of color as she slumped onto the ground.
Standing more than twenty meters tall, high above our heads was a colossal beasts. Seemingly made up of densely packed and intertwining vines.
'BIngo, what I came here for.' I exclaimed in my mind. Staring up at the Elderwood Guardian with excitement more than anything.
"Fuck this!" Lucas yelled as he turned back and began running towards the entrance we came from.
"What are you doing!" Elijah screamed as he rushed towards the fire conjurer.
"You think I'd risk my own life to help you all escape. Be honored that you'll be valiant heroes that stalled the beast enough for me to escape!" Lucas yelled back as he aimed his staff at the fast approaching Elijah.
A fireball was launched from the tip of the staff and made contact with Elijah's torso, sending him flying in the opposite direction. He was still alive, just momentarily dazed. With his mana augmentations taking most of the blow.
Lucas shot me a arrogant smirk before conjuring a smokescreen.
'Enough of this crap.'
For the first time in a long I channeled aether into a godrune.
Instantly my vision blurred as I was carried by the aetheric passageways and appeared just before Lucas in a flash of purple lightning.
Lucas had barely enough time to register what I had just done before I grabbed him by the collar and brought him close to my masked face, the purple aetheric lightning still coiling around my skin.
"You bastard, unhand me at once!" Lucas grunted as an ugly sneer appeared on his face.
"Running with your tail in between your legs? No wonder your father sees you only as a disappointing second-rate son. You'll always just be a coward in your older brother's shadow." I spat each word like venom as we stood eye to eye.
"Now get out of here before I change my mind." I coldly said as I released him from my iron grasp.
He stared me down for a second with staff in hand, his mana crying out to be released before the fear and desperation overtook him. I must say for being so young he truly is a talented mage for him to withstand a portion of my aetheric will. Quickly turning around he began sprinting full force towards the entrance as he cursed me under his breath.
'Don't worry Lucas, your fate will come soon enough.'