His heartbeat was loud in his ears. He struggled to keep his breathing steady. Sweat poured down his brow and he gripped the hilt of his sword with unholy strength, such that his fingers turned white.
As he walked down the stairs, the strange atmosphere of the underground got on his already flustered nerves. Each sound was amplified down there in the dark, his breath, his steps, his clothes, the whooshing of the torch behind him. All these sounds were amplified and seemed to reverberate through the tunnel passages. Just when the never ending descent was becoming unbearable he saw its end. Unsurprisingly, more tunnels are up ahead. He looked back to the shrouded figure holding the torch. The tall figure held the torch high and the light of the torch only seemed to enshroud his face in deeper darkness, he could only see the two glowing blood red eyes staring at him, through him. The towering figure offered no counsel or direction as he had hoped. Instead it only smirked at him. Nox felt unnerved, his slightly pointy ears twitched, feeling a presence.
The hooded figure’s smile grew and bared his carnivorous looking teeth, a mean looking smile that sent shivers down Nox’s spine. The figure quickly put his huge hand over the torches’ head, smothering its flame and killing all the light. Nox blinked in surprise, with each blink his eyes grew stronger and then he could see in the dark clearly. Now he could see the figure more clearly, the supernatural darkness inside of his hood was now a little clearer, he could see the smug shape of the figure’s mouth and how it was pointing at something behind him. Turning around I see what looks like a big wild cat, flexing his hind legs, ready to pounce.
In that instant all alarms go off. Nox hurls himself to the ground as fast as possible, but not fast enough, he hears a swooshing sound and feels a sharp pain in his neck, right before hitting the ground. All air is knocked out of his lungs and the sensation of the blood flowing from his neck is sickening. But he takes a deep breath, he feels his energy being drained, but the wound on his neck closes. His face lacks a bit of color.
Nox gets up and looks back at the Lynx being held by the hooded figure. The Lynx is powerless, being grabbed by his scruff, he simply hangs there like a helpless kitten. It seems it’s instincts are very sharp, it knows the power difference, it knows resistance is futile.
The figure looks at the Lynx and then at Nox. He ponders for a moment and then throws the big cat monster at Nox. He dodges, dumbfounded. The Lynx skillfully twists itself in the air and lands facing the Hooded figure. It seems scared, so scared it doesn’t even seem to notice Nox.
The Hooded figure blends into the darkness.
“This is your fight..”
He says in his deep voice, before seemingly vanishing.
And then Nox was left alone. He withdrew his sword, however his hand was shaking, and felt weak. His breath was unstable and nervous. He sweats profusely.
The Lynx seemed really afraid of the hooded figure, it stood by, making sure it was gone and not making any offensive moves. After a few moments it looks at Nox.
Nox flinches and his breath intensifies. He tries his best not to panic and suppress his fear and nervousness.
The monster's posture changes, from prey to predator. It observes Nox. And they both ready themselves.
At that moment, Nox feels a shift. Like a cold touch on his heart and mind.
His hand stops shaking. His expression relaxes. His stomach calms down. His sweating stops.
With one deep breath, cold air fills his lungs and his breathing stabilizes.
He felt all the panicked emotions, fear, nervousness, being suppressed by a cold wave washing over him.
He once again looks at the monster in front of him, but this time the only thing he feels is the adrenaline.
The cold vanishes, replaced by heat, energy. His body seems to come to life, and itch for movement, brimming with energy.
That was the first time he felt it, the heat of battle.
The Lynx flexes his legs and Nox raises his left hand.
In a fraction of a second a spark appears in the palm of Nox’s hand and it quickly becomes a small fire that shoots forward. The monster jumps, the fireblast hits the ground, Nox dodges just in time as the monster’s claws flash past right where his neck was. The monster lands already facing Nox once again. Nox puts his hands on his neck.
‘Why always the neck?’ he asks himself.
They stare at each other and quickly move once again. Nox shoots fire blasts, but the speed of the monster is too much for him, by the time he finishes weaving the magic together the lynx is no longer at the place he was aiming and if he doesn't fire as fast as possible, that delay is more than enough time for the Lynx to slash his throat open.
As this exchange progresses, both trying to score a hit and not get struck, their tactics start evolving. Nox delays his magic and tries to hit him while he lands. The Lynx starts feigning and delaying his charges to disrupt Nox’s dodges. Nox becomes better at dodging the Lynx, he notices that it's his instinct to always aim for the neck. The Lynx suddenly bounces between walls, flanking Nox, and then aims for the legs, in an attempt to cripple his ability to dodge.
Nox was caught by surprise by the sudden change in the direction the attack was coming from, but confident in the fact that the Lynx always aims for the neck, he only ducks and protects his neck. The Lynx flies past him and a sharp pain in his right calf. His tendon was severed completely and the bleeding was severe. He could heal this wound easily in time, the problem was he could not move his feet at all.
For having suffered such a severe injury he was abnormally calm, panic and fear could not pierce through the supernatural calm washing over him. He only felt the adrenaline in his blood. The heat of battle. And the Anger.
He looked at the Lynx with hate in his eyes, he blasted him with fire fueled by his anger and adrenaline.
Three Fire Blasts shoot at the Lynx extremely fast, the interval between them was almost nothing. The Lynx dodged the first two but the last one hit him in the tail, which was completely blown off.
Nox feels his Mana quickly dwindle, that was something he’s never done before, but it drains his energy considerably. He only had a few shot’s left in him before he would have to use the sword, and he knows that at that point he’s dead.
The Lynx retreated whimpering, the pain was too much for him, the fire on his tail continued to burn, constantly inflicting pain and further injury.
Nox could barely stand up, he could put no weight in his right leg. The Lynx hisses and attacks once again, he seemed to be slowed by the pain, but he was still way too fast for the crippled youngster. Nox could only throw himself to the floor in order to dodge, his neck was scraped once again and the impact of the floor hurt. He swung his sword to ward off his opponent, the Lynx with one quick jump, backs up to a safe distance. He stared at Nox, laying on the floor, bleeding. And then he prepared for the attack.
At that moment time seemed to stretch for Nox. This was the end of the fight he knew that. They both knew that.
Nox took a deep breath and his thoughts accelerated in order to find an answer.
His method of shooting so far was not accurate enough. His swordplay was mediocre. He could not dodge again. Getting Up was not an option. All scenarios seemed to lead to his death, unless the figure interfered. But that was unacceptable, he could not lose. He refused. And something deep down inside him was telling him something.
He could hit the Lynx. He raised his hand and closed his eyes. He weaved the magic power inside him. On the brink of death, at the peak of adrenalin, when time seemed to wait for him. He took his time. Gathering, Focusing and Concentrating the power inside of him. He didn't bother aiming. He knew that this was the final blow, and he knew that the Lynx would aim for the neck. He sook all of the Mana inside of him and poured into that one spell. It hurt, it was like his soul and mind were being drained, but he kept pouring. Once every last bit of mana was used, he released his breath and lost consciousness.
----------------------------------------
From the supernatural shadows that his cloak cast, the Figure observed Nox’s fight. His expression was blank, but his teeth were gritting.
The fight was abnormal. It was not as if Nox was overwhelming the Lynx, however he was primarily a spellcaster. And to keep going, toe to toe with the Lynx was impressive, because he was a monster famous for being a Mage Killer.
Nox was a bit of an experiment for his mistress. Different from other spellcasters, Nox did not use fixed formulas to cast his spells, he weaved the magic each and every time into shape. This was the so-called “Chantless Magic”.
Chantless Magic is, in the academic universe, considered useless. Why? Well, it has numerous disadvantages.
It is way harder to weave mana without a chant and rigid spell structure.
The first step to learn any spell is to ingrain the structure of the spell into your memory. It's a ritual that allows you to weave mana very easily in a predetermined way, with 100% Accuracy and risk of Failure. Chantless magic means you do that process manually, which is extremely hard, requires considerable concentration and a ridiculous amount of practice. Without ridiculous amounts of practice, the process is slow, uses way too much magic power and is subject to spell failure if anything goes wrong. And In combat the number of things that can go wrong is nearly infinite.
Nox was trained from a young age to be able to do what he’s doing right now, however, this…
What he’s witnessing is just completely unexpected.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9…
Counting the fire blasts.. This number of consecutive casts.. Consecutive successes... The consistantly fast casting speed and for all things considered high accuracy.
All in the middle of his first battle. Not only was his performance on par with his performance in a controlled environment, but he seemed to be improving, fast.
By the 12th fire blast his mana should’ve been completely exhausted, if he was performing as he did in training.
After the 11th shot the fight seemed to be drawing upon a climax.
The Lynx scored the first real hit, crippling Nox’s mobility.
Nox screamed, a scream that turned from pain to anger really fast and turning around he did something that made the observer break his blank facade. 3 Shots in quick succession.
Both sides scored a hit, but Nox was clearly on the losing side of that trade. He managed to dodge one more attack, but now he was on the floor. The Figure stepped forward readying himself to stop the fight- !!! -but he felt something. A warrior of such a level could feel the flow of battle, deep in his soul, and it said something completely different from what his eyes saw.
Nox closed his eyes and in that instant he felt a surge of all his magic power, all of it.
Summoned and Condensed.
Into a powerful spell. In the blink of an eye, the Lynx jumped-dashed and just when his claws were about to rip apart Nox’s throat, its upper body was completely blown up.
Blown to pieces, and those pieces burned and turned to ash. What remained of the body crashed into Nox’s gut.
And then the silence. The battle was over, Nox had won. The figure’s mouth warped into a smile. Pride burst from within and overflowed. He walked forward and removed his hood. Revealing a young looking man, with the same blood-red hair as the young lad lying unconscious on the floor. He grabbed what remained of the Lynx and lifted it off Nox’s body. There was no blood, just the smell of burnt flesh, fur and smoke. He was about to throw it aside, but he noticed something. Faintly from the Lynx body a darkness flowed out, deeper than the shadows, with a hint of purple.
The Essence of Monsters.
Pure and Concentrated Negative Energy. Whenever someone defeated a monster a small amount of that was converted to Positive Energy and was absorbed by the monster slayer. And he could feel that energy. But what flowed into Nox, was not ‘Positive Energy’, the commonly called ‘Experience’. It could only be described as condensed darkness.
This Darkness.. He had felt it before. Overflowing only from the most fierce amongst monsters.
But it was different, the darkness was not overflowing, it was being ripped out by force, every little scrap of it. The Lyxn’s body was ripped apart as the darkness flowed out and into Nox. The Lynx completely disappeared from his hands leaving only his tiny magic stone behind. He looked at Nox. He could see it. His wounds closing, his breath stabilizing and color returning to his face. He could feel it. His spirit, his mana, his energy pulsating with new strength.
His face had a complicated expression.
----------------------------------------
Nox woke up suddenly. Coughing. He lifted himself up and sat against the wall behind him. He heard a monotone voice directly in his mind.
>Claw Lynx defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
>Skill Up: Mana Control is now Level 4.
>Skill Up: Fire Magic is now Level 4.
>New Skill: Fast Recovery.
>Skill Upgrade Unlocked: Spell Barrage.
>Skill Upgrade Unlocked: Overcharged Spell.
As his breath stabilized he opened his eyes in total darkness. But he could see above him, two crimson eyes, glowing like embers in the darkness. He blinked several times until his eyes were glowing the exact same way as the ones in front of him. Now he could see. The Blood-Red Hair and Eyes, the masculine, stern face, staring at him blankly. In his daze once again he was amazed by the sheer size of the Man in front of him. Standing at an amazing 2.3m, there are few people who come even close to him. And It’s not only his height, he’s form was as, if not more, impressive. One word could define him, Muscular. Muscles built like steel, forged through arduous training and the heat of inumerous battles.
Nox was tall, at 1.9m at mere 16 years of Age, but it was hard to imagine that he would become as tall as his..
“Father… How did I do?”
“Better than expected, I didn’t even have to interfere.”
“Oh, so you were going to interfere if something went wrong, you really didn’t make it sound like that..”
“Well, only after you lost a limb or two. And although you almost lost your leg.. You didn’t.”
Nox’s gaze went to his left leg. His clothes were completely ripped there and he could see the faint traces of 4 deep cuts on his calf. The skin was slowly healing the rugged scars.Shivers went down his spine. The cuts were deep, unbelievably so. He looked at what was left of the monster he faced.
'It's over, huh..' he thought to himself as he exhaled.
And in an instant, all the emotion that Nox had suppressed during the fight suddenly burst from within. The fear, the panic, the pain, the fear of death and injury. All those things that he should’ve felt during the fight suddenly were freed, and they struck Nox’s mind and body in a single instant. He vomited. He vomited until there was nothing left to vomit. And then as fast as it came, it went. Leaving him breathless and lightheaded.
“Don’t worry, that’s more common than you think, the adrenaline helps you keep “calm” during battle, but once it’s gone that can happen.”
“No.. That wasn’t it. It was that skill.”
His father pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Hmm, independent of what it was, in my eyes, only one way to solve it. Gotta get you used to fighting, and then if you don’t puke anymore i’ll give you Alice’s packed lunch, how does it sound?”
“I did all that healing and you won't give me food?”
"Gotta keep you motivated."
Nox rolled his eyes, got up and took a deep breath. He walked towards where he dropped his sword and picked it up.
“So did you level up?”
“No, pretty sure I didn’t. It was only one monster.”
“Yeah, but it was level five. Usually that's enough for someone to go from Level 1 to at least 3.”
Nox froze. He slowly turned around.
“You made me fight a level 5 monster?”
“Yeah.”
“While I’m Level 1?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You were serious about me losing a limb weren’t you?”
“Of course I was. It’s no big deal for us. And if you have a high tier class, you’ll have to get used to fighting higher level enemies.”
“I mean, sure, eventually. Why was my first enemy a level 5? Aren’t you rushing this a bit too much?”
“If you want to find a level 1 monster you’d have to go to a forest to find some weak random magic beast. This is the lowest level dungeon in the whole Country. And Monster Level here starts at Level 5.”
Nox was about to complain again, but a look from his father shut him up.
“Quit whining. You think your life will be easy? You think you have that privilege now?”
Nox went quiet. He put his left hand over his right forearm and squeezed. From under his leather wrist guard a faint purple glow could be seen. Neither Nox nor his Father missed it. In fact they were painfully aware of it.
“You’ll have to rush things. You need to become strong, fast. We can’t protect you forever, and you’ll find very few friends in the world out there. So how about you go find another monster.”
Nox took a deep breath. He gripped his sword harder and started walking. It didn't take long before he found another monster. This time it was a really big Armadillo. In books they looked cute and harmless. But this one had a much more ferocious look to him. Red Eyes, as big as a hound and his scales were like sharp spikes. He looked at Nox and jumped. Mid Air he rolled himself up into a ball and started rolling at a really high speed towards Nox. It was as fast if not faster than the Lynx once he picked up speed, however it was incredibly predictable in comparison.
Nox quickly cast a Fireblast on the approaching opponent. Usually he would only had time for 1 Fireblast, but the level up in Mana Control seemed to improve his casting speed significantly. He managed to shoot 2 Fireblasts.
And the blasts of fire did significant damage to the Armadillo’s Scales. He was coming in a straight line, but the impact slowed him down and made him wobble, he tried to strike at Nox, jumping from the ground, trying to bash into him. But he dodged it with no difficulty. He turns around and the Armadillo is accelerating away from him trying to get some distance, most likely to try and charge again.
Nox concentrates. He’s doing damage to it, but he needs a decisive blow. He pulls a lot more mana into the spell, it's easier now, he can grasp a larger amount of mana than before. The armadillo turns around and prepares himself to charge once again, however a large fireblast, twice as big as the ones before, hits the monster. He tries to shield himself using his scales, but he just gets blown up and a good chunk of his back is vaporized.
>Rolling Armadillo defeated. Experience Obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
>Skill Upgrade Unlocked: Mana Refinement IV.
>Experience threshold reached.
>Level Up!<
This time the rush of emotions that came once the battle was over was much more bearable. In fact he only felt a bit of nervousness that faded away very quickly and the Rush of the battle was still going. From the corpse of the Armadillo he could see the energy he absorbed from the monster, both the experience and the Soul Harvest energy. He felt all his Mana Pool fill up. His breath stabilized. The wound on his leg completely disappeared. It was invigorating. It was like a gust of cold wind on a summer day. He felt very alive.
“You Leveled Up didn’t you? I felt it.”
“Yes, I didn’t know it felt this pleasant to level up.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, this.. Exhilaration.. it's hard to explain”
“I know nothing of that. Usually leveling up is only satisfying once you have the time to meditate. And it's just a sense of acomplishment, nothing else.”
“Is that so… Well, what do I do now?”
“Summon your codex. Now that you leveled up for the first time you’ll be able to upgrade all the skills you’ve built over the years before your blessing. The points will flood in for you I Imagine.”
“If they didn’t after all the work I’ve done I'd be pissed.”
Nox closes his eyes and holds an invisible book open in his hands. That book materializes. The book, opens itself on a random page, which is blank until letters visible only to him appear as if ink flowed from the inside of the page. A message appeared.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
=============================================
Level Up Bonuses will be applied now.
+1 Skill Point
+1 Ability Point
+All Attribute Adjustment
Skill Upgrades Unlocked.
Awarding Skill Points according to Skill Levels.
=============================================
“Sit down and take your time assigning all your points. You should have some unlocked upgrades too”
And then the message disappeared revealing to him his status as he sat down on the floor.
=============================================
{Nox Bloodwell}
Level 2
Race: Half-Elf Draconian
Class: Arcane Berserker ☆☆☆☆☆
Health: 25/29 Mana: 40/72 Stamina: 35/43
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attributes:
Vitality: 16+2 Strength: 16+6
Endurance: 18+4 Intelligence: 21+6
Agility: 14+2 Spirit: 18+6
Dexterity: 10+1 Charisma: 08+1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Racial Characteristics:
-Fire Lord’s Blessing:
Draconic Healing. Draconic Scales. Draconic Resistance.
Draconic Fire. Draconic Might. Draconic Spirit.
Draconic Sight. Draconic Metabolism. (???).
-Elven Lineage:
Sharp Senses. Mana Affinity. Elven Wit. Elven Spirit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skills:
Magic Theory Lv5 Fire Magic Lv4(Up!)
Mana Control Lv4(Up!) Mana Augmentation Lv3
Chantless Magic Lv3 Mana Perception Lv2
Non-Elemental Magic Lv2 Physical Prowess Lv2
Defense Technique Lv2 Sword Mastery Lv2
Mana Recovery Lv1 Wind Magic Lv1
Earth Magic Lv1 Water Magic Lv1
Fatigue Resistance Lv1 Fast Recovery Lv1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class Abilities:
Soul Harvest. Battle Instincts. Cold Intellect. Item Box.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Titles:
Night’s Chosen. Magical Prodigy.
=============================================
He turned the page, to the skill section, he felt excitement boil in his stomach. He waited all his life for this moment. But he was also nervous. The decisions he made here would affect the rest of his life. A message appeared.
=============================================
Skill Upgrades are now available.
You gain 1 Skill Point every Class Level Up.
You gain 1 Skill Point every Skill Level Up.
Skill Points gained by Leveling up skills can only be spent on Upgrades for that specific Skill.
If you already have the knowledge required for a skill, the points required will be reduced proportionally.
Points were awarded retroactively now.
18 Skill Points awarded to their respective skills.
Now redirecting to the Skill Upgrade Section.
=============================================
In the Skill Upgrade section all the skills and their respective upgrades were listed. Saying there was a lot to read was an understatement. Nox started reading, but he noticed there were a lot of skills with the cost of 0SP. He asked his father about it.
“Oh, those are basically the result of your efforts up till now. You know, even after receiving your blessing, it's not like killing monsters is the only thing that will make you stronger. Studying Magic, training your body, all those things will contribute to your growth. Your Skills and Attributes will Increase as you continue to train yourself and you even unlock Skill Upgrades, sometimes even perks and titles. So yes, I imagine your magic skills will have lots of skill upgrades unlockable for free. In fact that is expected of you, you’ll see you won’t have such a hard time with the Lynx’s once you get those in order.”
“But how do I unlock them again?”
“You should be able to summon your quill now, do it, it's the same as summoning your codex.”
Nox closed his eyes. His hand almost on his own, by instinct, moved as if they held a small object and in a flash of fire it materialized. A quill, the feather was red and orange, the colors undulating in waves, it emitted a soothing light and warmth.
“Wow, I think that’s a Phoenix Feather.”
“The Sacred Beast?”
“Yeah.. I guess, I have to admit I'm a little jealous, high tier blessings are something else, huh.”
Nox’s face contorted.
“Jealous? Really? ” The bitterness in his voice was clear.
“No, Nox.. It was a slip of the tongue...” Nox’s Father can’t seem to find the right words. Nox sighs.
“It’s ok, I know what you mean. Just..” Nox’s expression is dyed with deep melancholy. “Just tell me what to do with this now.” Nox shakes the quill. Father with an expression of regret on his face explains the procedure to Nox.
Nox uses the quill to pour his energy into the skill upgrades he wants to acquire. First thing would be to unlock all the upgrades that cost no Skill Points due to his efforts up until now. With each upgrade he felt his nervous system heat up and new Insight flowed into him. Things that he already knew were fully ingrained into his being. Now he felt he could fully utilize his knowledge, training and experiences to the fullest, effortlessly and 100% of the time.
After all the Free Skill Upgrades were acquired he went to the Skill Section and checked the Upgrades he had now.
=============================================
Skills:
---------- Magic Theory Lv5 ---------- (4SP)
“The accumulation of all your Magical Knowledge.
Affects Casting Speed, Mana Efficiency and Potency of all Magic.”
一Elven Wit V: Your Elven Lineage Increases Skill Experience on all Magic Skills.
一Magic Theory Specialization III: Increased Skill Experience.
一Extensive Studies III: Increased Experience on all Magic Skills.
一Spell Efficiency II: Decreases Mana cost of All Spells.
一Spell Potency III: Increases Potency of All Spells.
一Spell Casting IV: Increases Casting Speed of All Spells.
---------- Fire Magic Lv4 ---------- (3SP)
“Your proficiency in using Fire Magic.
Affects Potency, Casting Speed and Mana Efficiency of Fire Spells.”
一Draconic Fire V: Your Draconic Lineage gives you proficiency with Fire Magic.
Increases Fire Magic Experience. Increases Potency, Mana Efficiency and Casting Speed of Fire Spells.
Fire Spells pierce through Fire Resistance and Immunity.
一Fire Magic Specialization IV: Increased skill experience.
一Fire’s Potency III: Increased Damage of Fire Spells.
一Fire Attunement III: Decreased Mana Cost of Fire Spells.
一Spontaneous Fire IV: Increased Casting Speed of Fire Spells.
---------- Mana Control Lv4 ---------- (3SP)
“Your Ability to Perceive, Grasp and Manifest Mana.
Affects Mana Efficiency, Casting Speed and Potency of all Magic.”
一Elven Spirit IV: Your Elven Lineage Increases your proficiency with Mana Control.
Increased Skill Experience and Ability to Perceive, Grasp and Manifest Mana.
一Mana Control Specialization IV: Increased Skill Experience.
一Full Grasp IV: You are able to control larger amounts of Mana.
一No Waste III: You waste less Mana.
一Speed Weaving IV: You weave Mana faster.
一Mana Refinement IV: You refine and concentrate Mana more efficiently.
一Image Manifestation III: Your Imagination and it’s Manifestations are Stronger.
一Spell Barrage I: Allows Casting a Spell in quick succession. Each successive cast is harder than the last.
一Overcharged Spell: Use more Mana to Increase Spell Potency past your capabilities.
Mana Cost increases exponentially.
---------- Mana Augmentation Lv3 ---------- (2SP)
“Constant Training and Use of Mana Increase its capabilities.
Affects Total Mana Pool and Spell Potency.”
一Draconic Spirit III: Your Draconic Lineage provides you with Inherit Energy.
Increases Mana Capacity. Increases Mana Efficiency of Fire Spells.
一Elven Spirit III: Your Elven Lineage provides you with Inherit Energy.
Increases Mana Capacity. Increases Mana Efficiency of Wind Spells.
一Mana Augmentation Specialization III: Increased Skill Experience.
一Expanded Pool III: Further Increases Mana Capacity.
一Spirit Potency II: Your Mana is more Potent and Manifests itself with greater Potency.
一Resist the Void II: Reduces effects of Mana Exhaustion.
---------- Chantless Magic Lv3 ---------- (2SP)
“Your ability to create spells with no Rigid Pre-defined Spell Structure.
Increases Casting Speed, Mana Efficiency and Potency of Chantless Spells.”
一Chantless Magic Specialization III: Increased Skill Experience.
一Mana Channeling III: Increases speed of Mana Gathering.
一Imagination Power III: Increases Potency of Chantless Spells.
一Perfect Weaving III: Increases Mana Efficiency of Chantless Spells.
一Fast Structuring III: Increases speed of Mana Weaving when defining spell structure.
一Spontaneous Manifestation III: Increases speed of Spell Completion.
一Spell Manipulation III: Increases control over spell after it is cast.
---------- Mana Perception Lv2 ---------- (1SP)
“Your ability to perceive Mana that is not yours.”
一Sharp Senses II: Your elven eyes have the ability to perceive mana.
一Magic Resistance I: After perceiving harmful magic you are less susceptible to it.
---------- Non-Elemental Magic Lv2 ---------- (1SP)
“Your proficiency in using Non-Elemental Magic.
Affects Potency, Casting Speed and Mana Efficiency of Non-Elemental Spells.”
一Telekinesis II: Increases Potency and Mana Efficiency when using Telekinesis.
---------- Physical Prowess Lv2 ---------- (1SP)
“The accumulation of your Physical Training and Martial Experience.
Affects your Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Vitality and Endurance.”
一Draconic Might II: Your Draconic Lineage provides you with Increased Strength and Endurance.
一Draconic Resistance II: Your Draconic Lineage provides you with Increased Vitality and Endurance.
一Draconic Scales II: Your Draconic Lineage gives you the Ability to Manifest Dragon Scales on your body.
When fighting bare-handed those scales turn into Natural Weapons.
一Draconic Sight II: Your Draconic Lineage provides you with Incredible Sight.
Increased Movement Perception. Increased Field of View. Complete Darksight.
---------- Defense Technique Lv2 ---------- (1SP)
“Your ability to defend yourself.
Affects Blocking, Parrying, Dodging and Counter Attacking.”
一Draconic Endurance II: Your Draconic Lineage gives you Increased Vitality and Endurance.
一Draconic Scales II: Your Draconic Lineage gives you the Ability to Manifest Dragon Scales on your body.
Dragon Scales provide Natural Armor.
一Sharp Senses II: Your sharp senses increase your defensive capabilities.”
一Dire Consequences II: Increased ability to Counter after a Dodge or a Parry. Increased Damage of Counters.
一Parry King I: Increases ability to Parry. Increases window of opportunity for Counter Attacks after Parrying.
---------- Sword Mastery Lv2 ---------- (1SP)
“Your accumulated training in Sword Wielding.
Affects Attack Power, Speed and Accuracy.”
一Sharp Senses II: Your sharp senses increase your fighting capabilities.
Increased chance of finding Vulnerable spots in your Opponent’s defenses.
---------- Mana Recovery Lv1 ----------
“Constant Training and Use of Mana Increase its capabilities.
Affects Mana Regeneration”
一Soul Harvest I: Your Class provides you with the Soul Harvest Ability. Recovering Mana using Soul Harvest provides Mana Recovery Experience. Mana Recovery Increases Amount of Mana recovered using Soul Harvest.
一Mana Affinity I: Your Elven Lineage makes you have a deeper connection with Mana.
Increased Skill Experience. Increased Mana Regeneration. Being in Places of High Mana Concentration Increases your Mana Regeneration accordingly.
一Soul Harvest I: Your Class gives you Inherit Recovery Capabilities. When Using Soul Harvest you gain Mana Recovery Experience. Mana Recovery Affects your Soul Harvest’s Mana Recovery.
---------- Wind Magic Lv1 ----------
“Your proficiency in using Wind Magic.
Affects Potency, Casting Speed and Mana Efficiency of Wind Spells.”
一Elven Wit I: Your Elven Lineage gives you proficiency with Fire Magic.
Increases Fire Magic Experience. Increases Potency, Mana Efficiency and Casting Speed of Fire Spells.
---------- Earth Magic Lv1 ----------
“Your proficiency in using Earth Magic.
Affects Potency, Casting Speed and Mana Efficiency of Earth Spells.”
---------- Water Magic Lv1 ----------
“Your proficiency in using Water Magic.
Affects Potency, Casting Speed and Mana Efficiency of Water Spells.”
---------- Fatigue Resistance Lv1 ----------
“Constant Training and Use of your Stamina increases its capabilities.
Affects The Effects of Fatigue and Exhaustion, Endurance and Stamina Regeneration.”
一Cold Intellect I: Your Class provides you with Inherit Resistance to Mental Conditions.
No matter how fatigued or Exhausted, it does not affect your Mental Capabilities.
一Soul Harvest I: Your Class gives you Inherit Recovery Capabilities. When Using Soul Harvest you gain Fatigue Resistance Experience. Fatigue Resistance Affects Your Soul Harvest’s Stamina Recovery.
---------- Fast Recovery Lv1 ----------
“Constant Training and Strain of your Vitality increases its capabilities.
Affects Health Regeneration and Vitality.”
一Draconic Healing I: Your Draconic Lineage gives you Inherit Healing Capabilities. When Using Draconic Healing you gain Fast Recovery Experience. Fast Recovery Affects your Draconic Healing’s Health Recovery.
一Soul Harvest I: Your Class gives you Inherit Healing Capabilities. When Using Soul Harvest you gain Fast Recovery Experience. Fast Recovery Affects your Soul Harvest’s Health Recovery.
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When he finished his whole being felt hot, stimulated. He wanted to test his skills as soon as possible.
His body felt somewhat lighter, but the real difference was in his mind and spirit. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but he felt very different. He could perceive the flow of mana inside him better and it was more stable and somehow felt ‘faster’. His mind was clear, he felt all the years of study and training cristalyzed and easily accessible to him. So Many things that were buried, now surfaced. What he learned, What he always knew, what was sealed within his lineage. Now he understood what the blessing truly was.
The Gods don't really give us power. The blessing simply refined what we already had within us. If we want power, we take it from monsters and use it to fuel our growth. And that was exactly what he was going to do.
He got up and started running. His father protested, but his voice didn’t even reach Nox, he could only stare at his child running at a speed that was a notch above what he could do before. A part of him was concerned he would get himself hurt, but somehow, the expression on his face, he believed he would be fine.
Nox ran, the corridors seemed endless, twisting, turning and connecting in unpredictable ways. He ran, not minding his rough breathing, until he found a monster. Another Claw Lynx. He stopped. The Lynx instantly noticed him and ran towards him. Nox raised his hand and reached inwards. He could feel, in the core of his being, the accumulation of all his struggles, knowledge, lessons, nights drilling a subject into his head, beatdowns by his father when trained. All things he had forgotten. All those things had become his strength.
The magic was cast at least twice as fast than before. The Monster sensed danger and tried to dodge, but he was still hit, not in the head as Nox was aiming, but on his side. He had used the same amount of Mana as before, but the whole lower body of the Lynx was obliterated. The Lynx’s upper body and hind legs fell lifeless onto the floor. Nox was stunned. He did not expect such drastic improvement, however, happiness flooded him. All the effort he put into Magic had finally been worth it. It was a sense of accomplishment he had never felt before.
>Claw Lynx defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
Darkness flowed into him. He felt energy flooding his body and spirit. He wasted no time. He wanted more.
He ran in search of another monster. And he found them. A small monster whose body was covered in dangerous looking spikes. As soon as he saw Nox he fired a volley of spykes at him. A lot of them missed, but a lot of them hit Nox, one of the spikes hit him straight on his palm, piercing his hand. He groaned but the sharp pain only seemed to make him mad. He fired one big spell and the Low Defense Monster was done.
>Shooting Hedgehog defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
As he heard the monotone voice the monster’s corpse, what was left of it, disintegrated. And that included the spikes that were stuck in his body. It all dissolved into Darkness that flowed into him, purging the pain away and leaving him with a pleasant sensation.
Next was a snake monster, tiny and it did not have the explosive speed of the Lynx or the Armadillo. But Nox could not hit it with his fireblasts. It evaded with minimal movement, letting the ground absorb all the damage. Nox activated
The Snake jumped forward but jerked back as if there was a chain around its neck holding it to the ground.
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Nox’s Father was observing him from a distance. He was surprised by the recklessness his son was showing, he knew his son was impulsive at times, but that was on another level. But he was also surprised by his improvement. His casting time was reduced from 2.5 seconds which was already amazing when compared to someone using Scripted Magic to about 1.2 second. A level 1 Caster would usually take about 5 seconds of total concentration to cast a spell, that meant he could not move while casting, but since it dealt damage beyond that of what a Level 1 Combatant could inflict it was a fair trade, it created defined roles for classes. But Nox could move while he cast magic. In fact he dodged and swung his sword, although in a total lack of proper skill or form. He could hold his own in the front line and release his magic at the perfect times. He wondered if that was the power of his blessing, but had similar performance even before the ceremony, so even if he had gotten a normal blessing, his performance would not be hindered. But the surprises did not end there.
Although it was such a simple thing. He had never seen it before. Real Time, Conscious Manipulation of a spell that has already been cast. When you cast a spell you define what it's going to do. It’s a concept that has been ingrained in him since forever. It allows persistent spells to act on their own after the casting is complete and the caster can do something else, like cast another spell. Nox’s Father was absolutely astonished by the sheer potential that this signified. But Nox simply moved on, seeking more monsters.
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>Slippery Snake defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
>Claw Lynx defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
>Shooting Hedgehog defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
One after another he kept killing and killing. At some point he stopped having to move so much to find the monsters, they seemed to be coming to him. After each kill he was filled with energy and his resolve strengthened. His focus was always on new prey. A strange euphoria was building up, all the adrenaline, the feeling of unleashing his power.
>Rolling Armadillo defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
>Claw Lynx defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
>Shooting Hedgehog defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
>Slippery Snake defeated. Experience obtained.
>Soul Harvest Activated.
>Claw Lynx defeated. Claw Lynx defeated.
At this point he didn’t even need to move at all to find the next monster, they were coming to him, pouring in from passages on all sides. They rushed in ready to fight only to receive a fireblast to the face and if that didn’t do the job, he unleashed a powerful sword slash before the target could recover from the blast. The floor was starting to become full of little shiny crystals, magic stones, the only thing that always was left behind when a monster was defeated inside a dungeon.
>defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.defeated.
Nox couldn’t hear the monotone voice ringing in his head. He couldn’t feel or think of anything other than the battle. His consciousness began to blank out. It was as if he was watching someone else control his body. The monsters poured in with increasing numbers, never ending. At some point stronger and different monsters started appearing. He was surrounded. He didn’t hear his father yelling at him. But he switched strategies. He started using
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This was bad. Nox went completely out of control. With each monster he killed his expression twisted towards madness. He tried to warn him, to bring him back, but Nox seemed not to hear him at all. Nox was killing so many monsters that the dungeon itself responded, it trembled. When that happened he knew he had to stop Nox, he stepped forward to intervene, but he couldn’t. He tried to look around but he was completely stuck in place. He felt cold creeping up on his being. He felt a presence, sweat started pouring uncontrollably. He considered himself strong, one of the strongest in this continent, but never had he felt so completely helpless. He noticed there was nothing holding him in place, except his own fear.
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Among the screams, hisses and growls of monsters Nox heard a faint seductive laugh. This presence was so strong even the monsters felt it, they went silent, cowering in fear, all of them, paralyzed, just like him.
>YOU’RE AN INTERESTING ONE. I’M NOT DISAPPOINTED IN MY CHOICE.
He heard a voice in his head. Except this time it wasn’t the usual monotone voice. It was a voice filled with deadly femininity. He felt a cold grip on his heart. That voice hit him harder than a gut punch.
>YOUR FIRST HUNT AND YOU’VE ALREADY FELL OVER 100 PREY.
>NOT SURE I SHOULD BE IMPRESSED WITH YOUR PROWESS OR YOUR RECKLESSNESS.
The monsters retreated in fear. And in front of Nox the shadows seemed to materialize, transforming into the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Her smile made Nox feel like his heart had both stopped and accelerated at the same time. Her hair was like the deepest abyss. Her dress was as if the night sky itself was woven into fabric. Her skin was as pale as the moons and her eyes shined purple and emitted incredible pressure. The pressure this figure emanated was like nothing he even thought was possible. He felt it in his body. It was like suddenly his body was unbearably heavy. He couldn’t stand and crumbled to his knees. His lungs could not bring in any air. He felt it in his mind. It wasn’t exactly fear, but his mind was completely overwhelmed by this presence. The gap between her unparalleled beauty and her overwhelming authority was tearing his mind apart. And he felt as if his Spirit was completely smothered, like a small ember trying to survive amidst a tornado. But somehow it continued to burn. He desperately tried to resist. Those eyes pierced through him, she stared into him, every part of his being was bared before her. She smiled, barely, but It was enough to completely rock Nox’s whole existence. He felt all the resistance disappear, his whole being was about to surrender and be smothered, simply by her presence. But an image appeared in his mind. A smile, surprisingly similar to what he had just seen, did not carry the same power or overwhelming presence, but in his heart, his soul, his mind.. The weight was completely different. It didn't matter how overwhelming the presence was. Inside his heart it was meaningless, tiny in comparison to what she meant to him.
Even if his body was broken, and his mind ripped itself apart in her presence, his spirit burned bright.
The flames were unphased by the storm around it. In fact the storm only seemed to stir the flames towards further greatness.
“LeAVe.. mE.. aLoNe… HavE.. yOu.. NOt… FUCKED.. with.. MY.. LIFE.. ENOUGH?”
These were not words, it would be impossible to speak. These were mere thoughts, he struggled his hardest to form them. Her eyes widened in surprise. Then they slimmed, staring at him, sending shivers down his spine. Her smile widened, a true smile. But Nox’s anger grew.
>NO.. I BELIEVE I'VE CHOSEN CORRECTLY. MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.
>DON’T RESENT ME, MY CHAMPION, YOU’LL ONE DAY UNDERSTAND MY MOTIVES.
>IN THE MEANWHILE, ENJOY THE MUNDANE LIFE YOU HAVE.
>THESE SIMPLE TIMES ARE A PRICELESS TREASURE.
>AS AN APOLOGY FOR THEIR INEVITABLE END, LET ME DO SOMETHING FOR YOU...
>LEVEL 10 HUH? I’LL TAKE HALF OF THOSE. I BELIEVE YOU’LL FIND MY GIFTS…
>ARE MORE THAN WORTH THEIR COST.
The figure touched Nox’s face. A gentle touch, but it filled him with cold to his core. No, not cold.. Darkness. The world around him shifted. He saw himself surrounded by stars. Circling around him, three massive objects, as pale as.. The Moons… And in the distance he could see the whole of Solarion, his whole world. The Two Main Continents seemed insignificant from here. But she appeared and reached into him. Everything was consumed by Darkness and his consciousness left him.
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