Elron rested his head against the hilt of his slowly shrinking sword, letting the surge of newfound power ripple through him. The battle had pushed him beyond his limits, slaying a foe that by all accounts should have ended his life. Yet, here he was, savoring the victory and contemplating his next move as the essence of his strength pulsed within him.

Plus one attribute point.

You have gained the class ability: Mana Conduit.

Select two new spells:

* Mana Blast

* Gravity Well

* Mana Surge

* Energy Drain

* Thunder Slash

* Void Strike

* Flame Wave

* Frost Bloom

Without hesitation, Elron allocated his attribute point into strength, eager to move onto the most exciting part: the class ability, Mana Conduit. Almost instinctively, the knowledge of what the ability entailed came to him.

Mana Conduit allows the caster to funnel mana into their spells for a limited amount of time.

A small smile tugged at Elron's lips. The utility of this new ability was undeniable—he could cast larger, more destructive spells or sustain illusions for longer durations. The drawback of depleting his mana faster hardly seemed to matter in the long run, especially when the stakes could be so high.

The spell selection, however, was less thrilling. He had grown used to the world giving him new spells every time he leveled up, and while he’d been given a choice this time, something about it left him wanting. Still, Elron knew better than to dwell too long on such thoughts. The system of this world likely balanced itself out, and it was better to focus on what layed before him.

He mulled over his options. Flame Wave, Thunder Slash, and Frost Bloom all appeared to be powerful area-of-effect spells—useful in their own right, but his eyes quickly shifted toward something more intriguing: Void Strike.

Void Strike allows the user to channel necrotic and force damage into their weapon.

There was something enticing, almost sinister about the ability, but also a hesitation within him. The spell felt powerful, but wrong somehow. He shook off the feeling and moved to inspect the rest of the options.

Spectral Blade summons a spectral sword to fight alongside the user, dealing independent damage.

Mana Blast releases a powerful burst of raw mana energy, damaging enemies in a targeted area.

Gravity Well creates a gravitational pull that drags enemies into a single location.

Mana Surge temporarily boosts the user’s mana regeneration, allowing for faster spellcasting.

Energy Drain absorbs health or mana from an enemy and transfers it to the caster.

Elron found himself drawn to Energy Drain almost immediately. Mana was always in short supply, and the ability to siphon it from his foes would make him a more formidable force. Paired with Void Strike, he felt the synergy between these choices would push him further along his path to greatness.

His vision cleared as the selection process completed, and he felt his senses returning to normal. He willed his status screen forth and examined his new growth.

Status

Name: Elron Malfar

Race: Half-elf

Age: 36

Class: Spellblade

Level: 15

Attributes:

Strength - 13

Dexterity - 8

Constitution - 7

Intelligence - 10

Wisdom - 8

Charisma - 7

Racial abilities: Low light vision, minor leap, keen sense. Class abilities: Lessor blade mastery, mana conduit, versatile edge.

Spells: Create light, Create object, counterspell, elemental absorption, energy drain, flare, fireball, mana step, self image, shield, thunderboom, void strike.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

As Elron reviewed his newly gained abilities, a nagging thought continued to weigh on his mind.

'Why did I choose those spells?'

There was a gap in his thinking that he couldn't quite place. He wasn’t stupid—his intelligence score proved that—but there was something eluding him, and it must be from…

Suddenly, Slyra’s fingers snapped in front of his face, jolting him back to reality.

"Hey! Thanks for saving the day, but could you wake up now?" She folded her arms, waiting for an explanation.

Elron blinked, his mind still foggy from his deep contemplation.

"You wanna explain what just happened?" she pressed, her brow furrowing.

Before Elron could answer, Kael stepped in between them, placing his hand on Elron’s armor. "Whoa, his wound is healed too."

Elron glanced down at himself, noticing his once grievous injury had vanished. "Huh. Must have been my new spell."

Slyra scoffed. "New spell, my ass. It's that sword."

Kael, ever curious, raised his hand, motioning for the blade. "Let me take a look at it."

Reluctantly, Elron handed over the sword. "Fine, knock yourself out."

Kael cast Appraisal, but the look on his face soured.

"Nothing happened…"

Slyra raised a brow. "What do you mean 'nothing happened?' Did it fail?"

Kael paced, deep in thought. "Appraisal can fail sometimes, sure. But this is different. It didn’t even try to give me a result. It’s way beyond my abilities."

Slyra threw her hands up. "So, what you're saying is, we don't know a damn thing about this sword?"

Kael nodded grimly. "Exactly. Well, it’s clearly cursed, but to what degree, who knows." He walked off, frustration clear in his steps.

Elron sighed, sheathing the sword. "What’s the big deal?"

Slyra turned away slightly, her tone quiet but firm. "You know why it’s a big deal. That thing screams bad news. I’d get rid of it if I were you."

Before Elron could respond, a distant cry echoed through the room.

"Heeelp!"

All three turned their attention to the back of the chamber, noticing a series of metal cells embedded in the walls. Elron rushed forward, yanking down a torn tapestry to reveal a high elf woman trapped in rags, her gaunt figure trembling as she reached for the bars.

"Help me… please…" she begged.

Kael tossed Elron a key. "Try this, it was on Stinkfang’s belt."

"Wait!" Slyra warned. "It could be a trap."

Ignoring her, Elron unlocked the cell, and the elf crawled out, collapsing at his feet.

"You saved me. How could I ever repay you?"

Elron knelt to help her up. "There’s no need for repayment."

She pulled back, her expression solemn. "That won’t do. I, Paladin of Ferah, Maris, pledge myself to you from this day forth." Her body then shimmered in a radiant glow.

"Oh?" Kael muttered, amused.

Elron, on the verge of panic, stammered, "F-Ferah? Pledge? What?"

Slyra, convinced the woman wasn’t a threat, helped her to her feet.

"You don’t see that every day," Kael quipped.

Elron, still bewildered, asked, "Who is Ferah?"

Kael placed a hand on Elron’s head. "You serious? You really don’t know? They really did lock you up in that citadel, didn’t they? How can you be an elf and not know who Ferah is?"

Maris, barely able to drink the water Slyra offered, managed to cough out, "Ferah… the goddess of all elves… the god of nature and fertility."

Elron felt the weight of his ignorance. "So, what was with all that glowing light stuff?"

Slyra slowly helped Maris sit down next to the wall and said, "The glowing? That was her pledge, genius."

Elron shook his head, clearly still confused. "A pledge... of what?"

Maris, weak but determined, straightened up against the wall and spoke with reverence, "As a Paladin of Ferah, I have pledged my life, my strength, and my faith to you. From now on, my power is yours to command. I will fight for you, defend you, and follow your path until my last breath."

Kael chuckled under his breath. "Well, well, looks like you’ve got yourself a holy bodyguard now, Prince."

Slyra, however, wasn’t laughing. She tilted her head and asked, "You sure about this? Pledging yourself to someone like him?"

Elron shot her a glare. "Woah, someone like me?"

Slyra ignored him, keeping her focus on Maris. "You’ve just crawled out of a cell, half-starved, and now you're binding yourself to someone you barely know. You’ll be throwing away your freedom."

Maris met her gaze with unwavering conviction. "It’s already done, no magic can undo my pledge now. My life would have been forfeit without his intervention."

Elron, still taken aback by the sudden display, took off his helm and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, alright. But no more surprises. And for the record, I never asked for this."

Kael smirked. "Seems to me the gods have a way of putting you on paths you didn’t ask for."

Slyra put her hands on her hips and said, "When did you become religious?!"

“You mistake me… Could you imagine? The whores would weep from–”

She smashed him over the head and said, “The only person who’s gonna weep is you, fucker.”

And with that, the group eventually collected themselves and made their way back through the chamber. The tension between them lessened, but the weight of what had just transpired still hung in the air. Elron couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of responsibility and eerie as they pressed onward towards their next adventure.