Syzslic refuses to tell me what counts as "being ready for the guardian class", so before I know it, almost two weeks have passed and I'm still classless.
My classes on the art of War were progressing fantastically and by the end of the first week, all but their leader had reached the maximum level I could grant them.
According to Syzslic, that's the highest they're likely to reach. Once they become dungeon creatures, their ability to level up is dependant on the dungeons strength as opposed to their merit. Because of this, he is insistent that the skills that can ensure their survival are levelled as high as possible.
I was sure it was only helping them, but one of the hunters died last week. The fourth in the group was torn apart by the carnivorous apes while on a hunt. Apparently, they were attempting a complicated variation of a scissor manoeuvre that we had developed in my class. Something went wrong and one of the female bow users was taken unawares.
The male Hunter, her mate, abandoned the formation and tore the assailants away. He threw her back into the safety of the group, letting himself remain as a distraction so the others could retreat with both their haul and the injured.
As the leader of the hunters explained the situation to Syzslic in the early hours of the morning when they returned to the village, I could see drops of scarlet venom forming at the corners of his clamped shut jaw.
And so, on my... 19... 20th? morning, I can't help but be just a little bit unsatisfied with the progress I've made. Not that it's no small amount of progress either. Syzslic is a harsh teacher, and since the Hunter died, my lessons have been longer and more intense. I've made leaps and bounds in magic power. Both my mind and body stat have increased nicely, and even a few bouts in the arena have helped me level a few times.
It's just, with no concrete objective, I'm anxious and altogether antsy. I silently groan in frustration and roll over a few times, wrapping myself up in as many furs as possible. I miss humans, just to be able to have an open vocal conversation would be nice.
And it's been weeks since I've had sex. I planned to sleep with Michael on the night the base was invaded, but I just had to get blocked by a false invasion and get us both murdered. The fact that the female skaleans have the smooth curves they don't really cover up is frustrating to no end. Senca knows I've thought about it, but without any solid communication abilities, I don't see that being an avenue to pursue. Besides, based on Michaels vague comment about pure humans being rare, I'm sure an accidental hybrid offspring wouldn't be too far out of the question.
I grin at the ceiling of my hut. It's unlike me to let my desires get the better of me. Sure, I desire the pleasure greater than what I can achieve on my own, but I also want to help the skaleans. They're surviving as best they can, and I'm sure I would feel at least slightly guilty if I didn't help a species prevent their own extinction.
I wriggle out of the furs and distract myself by looking through my status. It's a habit that Syzslic has suggested I start doing as soon as I wake up. It's supposed to help me focus on the progress I can make throughout the day.
You have 4 unallocated stat points: Body (+)
Mind (+)
Soul (+)
I dismiss the popup, not sure if I want to put my free stats into any of the three. I'm perfectly fine taking a more patient route now and building up my body and mind using easier methods.
Name:
Reuben (The Cause) Hp: 670/670 (6.14%) Species:
Human (Immortal) Mp: 2340/2340 (6.14%) Level:
15 (8%) (+) Class:
(none) Body: 67 (+) Mind: 195 Soul: 614
Perks:
-Body:
• [1] Strong body
• [2] Stronger body
• [3] Reinforced body
-Mana:
• [1] Big spells
• [2] Bigger spells
• [3] Soulful spells
• [3] Mana manipulation
• [4] Shapeless Magic
• [4] Hard Mind
-Soul:
• [1] Moulded Soul
• [2] Hunter Soul
• [3] Neutral Soul
• [4] Soul of Magic
• [5] Strong Soul
• [5] Monstrous Soul
• [6] Hidden Soul
• [7] Powerful Soul
• [7] Surviving Soul
• [8] Alien Soul
• [9] Soul of the Fool
• [10] Wings
Skills:
(none) Spells:
• Hard
• Fast
• Barrier
• Restore
• Return
• Pierce Influence:
• Greater blessing of Meli
• Greater blessing of Alo
Nine points in body, and five in mind. It's almost enough to trigger the fifth tier of mind perks. Since I've achieved the mana death feat and can infuse myself with mana, I hope I'll have a rare unlocked perk to choose. Speaking of perks, I picked my third tier body perk without hesitation. The two options I was given were called reinforced body and fortified body. The first would strengthen my bones and muscles, and the second would make my skin significantly harder to damage.
Of course, I chose to get reinforced body, something I expected to be a crucial step in sustained flight. Unfortunately, while that meant my wings no longer broke as soon as I tried flight, the relatively thin limbs aren't enough to lift me. It really will just be a matter of building my body stat high enough or getting another beneficial perk that increases the strength I get from each point.
While mana infusion should certainly help in that field, my wings are still stubbornly refusing to accept the infusion to any useful degree. While it certainly makes my physical combat potential explode, it's a dead-end for flight for the foreseeable future.
Syzslic even mentioned the possibility of using magic to assist my flight. But when I pushed him for details, he explained that he didn't know any non-elemental magic that would help and he couldn't teach me any elemental magic if he didn't know what my specific affinities were.
This, of course, spurred a whole new line of questioning about elemental magic. Syzslic brushed me off, promising that he would explain it today. Which is why I'm more than a little bit fidgety. What I know about elements is probably a far-flung concept for this world, and the only other use of the word is an old idea by someone I used to work with.
In Persia, my partner Zarathustra preached the sacred nature of the four elements: Fire, water, earth and air. Later, many cultures drew a fifth element. Aether in Greece, Akasha in India, Quintessence in Europe. Though all of them claimed it's existence, none knew what it was.
In the last few years I was on earth, I heard of the efforts that many astronomers were making all over the world to discovering dark matter. Though I never understood it beyond the concept, I believe that the ideas of aether and dark matter are one and the same. People have always known there was something beyond the physical world.
But labelling them elements is a misnomer. The periodic table is the pinnacle of hundreds of years of work that I even took on at the beginning of the 1800s before the work was taken over by a young associate of mine, Demitri. The bastard killed me and stole my notes. I later found out he had completed my work and is historically recognised.
I shake my head before I let myself fall into one of the most complicated periods of my life.
I snicker at my subtle pun and ease myself out of the hut, searching for something to eat.
I stand idly around where a thin soup is being distributed. The amount of food the hunters have been bringing back is far less than before. Losing even one Hunter against such vicious foes is a hard hit to the tribe. As such, the basic farming techniques they utilise are being pushed harder to compensate. Black roots and the odd birds egg find their way into the meals that have become significantly less satisfying.
I've asked several times to be allowed to join the hunting party, but Syzslic has stubbornly refused. With the ever-present language barrier, there's no way for us to communicate efficiently at night, and there's no way I would survive hunting on my own. One horde of the apes will be able to overwhelm me and even with my considerably large mana pool, it would only be a matter of time until they tore down my shields and ripped me limb from limb.
I sit on the ground to eat, far away from where the rest of the skaleans dine as a community. Almost three weeks and most of the non-combatants are still wary of me. I would be too in their situation, but that doesn't make it easier to swallow.
But I am stoic in my individuality. It wouldn't make a huge difference to eat with the rest of them, and I'm not here to make friends, just... save all their lives.
I can't let myself get caught up on every little thing. In the grand scheme of things, this is equivalent to just a minor quest. I'm trying not to worry too much about the goddesses warning of some insane threat, but it still hangs heavy in the back of my mind. Improving and learning so I can overcome that trial is my only real goal.
A slight whistling draws my attention, and I immediately throw up my hands, discarding my empty bowl.
"Barrier!"
Spell cast (x2)
-40mp
The familiar spell instantly forms up between my hands and the blue shield appears just in time for a wooden spear to shatter against the surface.
I know this won't be the last, so I begin to channel additional mana into my hands and forearms.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
I catch sight of the next projectile, so I release the barrier in my right hand and cast one of newer spells.
"Return."
Spell cast.
-60mp
Just before the spear pierces through my open hand, a thin white ring appears on the skin of my palm. The spear rebounds in the direction it came from, with as much speed and accuracy as before.
It shatters against nothing, but a thick ripple in space expands around it.
A mirage barrier.
My first thought is to obliterate the barrier with all the offensive power at my disposal, but I've been tricked by these before. The mirage barriers can be prepared and placed beforehand, lasting several minutes away from Syzslics contact.
Instead, I release my barrier and raise my right fist into the air, holding my left to my chest.
"Hard."
Spell cast
-500mp
The mysterious spell I was given at first was a tough shell to crack. It is indeed a defensive spell, but not one the coats my body, or projects itself around me.
The spell is what Syzslic has called a buff. It starts from my heart and works outwards, subtly restructuring every part of me to be harder to break. It only lasts for around four minutes, requires time and focus to cast, and the initial mana cost is ridiculous, but it is remarkably powerful in return.
Now that my defence is sorted, I need to find my threat.
In my raised fist, I channel a large amount of mana, almost as much as I spent on hard, enough for my fist to glow white.
"Pierce."
Spells cast (x20)
-400mp
A starburst of diamond-shaped projectiles fly from my hand, spreading in as many directions as I could manage.
Many of them reach the maximum range of the spell and dissipate into fading notes of light, but some of them hit more of the mirage barriers, piercing through them and shattering the illusion.
I spin, trying to find my target, and only another rapidly forming mirage gives away my assailant.
I run towards where I saw a hint of scales, sweeping to the right to get around the shield. I charge both my fists and legs with mana, picking up speed as my mana infusion kicks in, and ready to try and physically break through the defences presented to me.
Seeing how I'm trying to flank his strongest defended, Syzslic shatters his own mirage barrier and instead drops his claws to the ground, raising half a dozen walls of earth that completely block my visibility. But not my momentum.
I leap forwards and punch into the first wall, my speed pushing me through the dense earth. I quickly scan my surroundings as I roll back onto my feet, wary of a counterattack. But instead of an offensive retaliation, more earth walls have sprung up, and more are springing up. All too quickly, I'm stuck in a labyrinth.
I slow to a walk and push more mana into my legs. I crouch, unfurling my wings and then I jump high into the air. My thighs scream with the exertion, but I reach an impressive height of several meters above the walls. High enough that I can see Syzslic raising more and more walls, extending his maze.
I don't have time to cast any spells while in the air, and I can't replicate any semblance of flight, so jumps like this are usually only for observation. The completely cuboidal walls that have been raised give me an idea though.
I use my wings to guide me towards slightly as I fall, and I land heavily on the top of the nearest wall. I jump a few times to keep my balance, and quickly accelerate to catch up with the surprisingly spry snake.
All too quickly, he noticed my approach and raises both of his hands, claws slightly bent and aiming towards me.
I throw up both my hands too and charge them both with an excess of mana. I also channel mana into the space between my wings, somewhere Syzslic has directed many of his blunt force attacks.
"Barrier."
Multiple spells cast (x3)
-60mp
The blue shields spring up in front of me, and an almost immediate impact on my back tells me that my gamble was worth it. A slight spray of dirt over my shoulders tells me it was a simply compressed dirtball.
Luckily my regular barrier is enough to stop a few of those, so my overcharged barrier has no problem stopping one. Assuming I would fall victim to the distraction, Syzslics eyes widen slightly and he moves to evade instead of defending against whatever I'm about to throw at him.
With my opponent caught off guard, I push off the wall and dispel the barriers on my hands in favour of charging up a fist full of mana. My descent isn't as fast or graceful as I want, and by the time I've landed and stumbled back to my feet, I've lost sight of Syzslic.
"Shiiiiiiiitt."
I run in the direction I saw him go, the sound of constantly rising earth walls stopping me from hearing his movement. Going by visual hints alone, I sprint through the twists and turns that are being thrown at me. Throwing my wings in one direction then the other like a feline uses its tail, I can adjust my momentum subtly to help me turn faster. Honestly, the most useful thing they've done for me so far.
After only a few seconds of my adrenaline-filled chase, I catch a glimpse of the corner of a browned cloak rounding a corner. I catch up, already charging a dozen casts of fast in my hands. But once I see Syzslic, I'm stunned briefly at the sight of his node of transportation. He's using a thin board of polished stone to skate across the earth much like a skateboarder. Seeing such an ancient being effortlessly slide over the ground and grind off an improvised rail to retreat around the next corner is almost enough to ground me.
I shake off the hesitation and flap my wings, pushing a few small speed boosts from wherever I can. Instead of going the long way though, I aim at the wall Syzslic just went past and fire off all the spells I have charged in my left hand, one after the other. The weakened wall isn't enough to halt my mana infused foot, and I smash through just in time to catch a glimpse of the snake leaving the scene again, jumping over a fallen branch in a flawless stunt.
"Shit!"
I don't know where this earth-board mastery has come from, but it's a bitch to catch up to. The worst part is that Syzslic is merely retreating, and isn't attacking me. He's... He's wearing me out. I'm charging in like a blind bull. I need to play this smarter.
I stop my run at a skid and listen as much as I can for signs of his movement. The rumble of rising and shifting earth surrounds me, walls still extending the maze seemingly at random. I suspect that he can tell where I am, using some sort of earth magic. I can't spend forever trying to figure out how to counter him. As soon as he runs low on mana, he'll probably seal the maze and start hunting me.
I'm just... trapped. But I'm not too weak to break out. I need more space.
Saving my mana, I start to punch and kick out at the walls nearest to me, causing some to crumble and fall. I extend my own area of rubble, making a small area where I hope his earth-board won't be as smooth.
Quickly, the rumbling of walls stops and all I can hear outside of my rapid breathing is a somewhat subdued grinding of earth sliding over earth. He knows what I'm doing.
I kick over one last wall and stand in the centre of the pile, focusing on the source of the sound. The location will be an estimate at best. The long winding and splitting corridors that surround me warp the sound.
Suddenly, the harsh sun is blotted out for a second, and Syzslic is there, crouched on top of his earth wall, holding a huge hammer-headed polearm made from polished stone.
"Patience has paid off for you this time. You knew you were my target and you knew you could lure me in. Your ability to strategize is to falling even my own. The area of disruption is a very nice touch. But is your body enough yet?"
With that, he straightens on the wall and spins the polearm expertly. For someone who was supposed to have been a mage, his weapons expertise is impressive.
He raises the weapon above his head and leaps from the wall, aiming to slam the hammer down where I'm standing.
"Barrier!"
Spells cast (x2)
-40mp
As the only spell I have to counter a physical attack, I cast barrier on both my palms and hold them both out towards the impending slam. I also begin to channel mana into my chest, collecting enough mana for an overcharged spell.
The hammer slams against the barrier, cracking it almost instantly. I hurriedly try to push more mana into the construct, but it's too late. The hammer passes through my shield and crushes both of my outstretched forearms.
-105hp
My teeth grind as I try not to scream, and focus only on positioning my chest directly at my assailant. With his heavy hammer strike, he's left himself incredibly open to a counter-attack while his hammer continues its downward arc in front of me.
"Fast!"
Overcharged spell cast
-50mp
Instantly, there's a blue flash from my chest, and I see Syzslics eyes open widely for an instant before the charged spell explodes against his all-too-hastily formed barrier.
The explosion still throws him back and he hits a far wall with a sickening thud.
My arms are shattered, useless below the elbow. My hard spell being the only thing that stopped him from breaking them clean off. I push mana towards the wounds, imagining the mana sealing the faults in the bone and realigning everything.
"Recover."
Multiple spells cast (x2)
-200mp
Immediately, a soft blue glow ignites below the skin of my arms and my arms straighten out piece by piece. Luckily, the process of healing isn't painful at all, and all I can feel is a comforting warmth as soon as the recovery begins.
+40hp
True to his word, Syzslic taught me a healing spell as soon as he thought my control of mana was great enough to pull it off. Unfortunately, though, the rather simple spell he taught me was hijacked my shapeless magic and became recover. The spell is only really good for curing stays effects, both visible and invisible. As it turns out, any broken bone is a status effect because it slows the natural healing process. It's just hidden because of the frequency of such an occurrence.
So while this spell rapidly heals broken bones and other stuff like bleeding effects or burns or such, it doesn't exactly close wounds and recover health. I don't see that being a massive issue though, as my natural health regeneration is staggeringly high. High enough that I don't want to tell Syzslic the exact number.
Speaking of the old snake, he's rapidly recovering and is standing unsteadily while clutching his back. I channel mana into my fists again, ready to cast another spell or fight hand-to-claw.
But I pause my advance when Syzslic starts his wheezing laugh and smiles at me.
I stop, unsure of how to proceed. Every time we've fought in the last few weeks, I've ended up tapping out due to his overwhelming power. Today though, he's acted far more tactically and in a way, he's been countered.
Have I won?
(Hehe... congratulations my student. You've passed the final test. To the best of your ability in such a short amount of time, I believe you are ready. It's time you received a class.)