Clark Teta's Point Of View
We have been running for a few minuets however it feels like an eternity, this power can be a blessing and a curse. We are nearing the Academy Of Ice and even in such cold temperatures that everything freezes I feel warm, not through my own power, standing near Origami, he gives off a warmth that keeps the air around us warm, he truly is a mystery, I have gotten better control of paper on the way here however it still does not feel right. when Origami does it he makes it look and feel natural, when I do it my paper messes up if my thoughts waver for even a moment, how Origami does it is a mystery in itself.
"We are here." Origami said, I look and see nothing, it is a blizzard of snow, how can he see anything?
"Where?" I asked and he turned to me, took 3 steps forward and vanished, I followed him and passed through a portal, the snow stopped and we were standing atop a mountain made of ice. if we melt the support the rest of the academy will fall into destruction. however everything is made of ice, clear ice, I can't see anyone through the entire academy.
"It looks like we are at the old academy, the new one should be close, however lets destroy this place to make sure" Origami said as he made some fire runes to melt through the supporting ice. the old Ice Academy then fell and cracked into small pieces as it rolled down the mountain.
"So where is the new academy?" I asked and he looked around before pointing into the distance.
"that way" Origami said confidently... I wan't to ask how but he most likely has Paper Planes flying around. we walked for a while and sure enough we entered a war zone.
"What is this place?" I asked looking at all the weapons of mass destruction. there were a bunch of Ice mages making them.
"This place is why I came here last, the Ice Academy was built in a place the Blue Mist would take a while to get to and was tasked with making weapons of mass destruction to kill as many Blue Mist creatures as possible in the worst case scenario" Origami said with a serious face, I thought they were just some weak mages... they had that kind of job?
"Then why not use it at the academy tournament, you could kill a dragon with some of this stuff" I asked but Origami shook his head.
"this is for the WORST case scenario, you would kill a dragon along with an entire continent. it uses Nuclear Fusion powered up with Mana, the Technological Academy provides the Nuclear Fusion bomb at its core... it is the most dangerous thing ever created and not tested on Kieran as he said a race before us made the same thing and destroyed ourselves with them, we wont repeat the same mistake" Orgami said in a serious tone... I thought as a dragon I was near invincible, however something like this existed?
"This was one of the ways we thought of dealing with the Blue Mist, however the bomb failed to detonate, now that entire section of the mist is considered more dangerous then the rest for fear of it exploding" Origami added... just how ignorant was I? all of this went under my noes? "You can find this information in most libraries, try reading once in a while" Origami said after looking at my confusion. wow.... I am an idiot...
"So what now Origami?" I asked and he looked around and then looked at me seriously
"We do nothing, you will leave as fast as you can while I detonate a bomb" Origami said with a serious face
"You fool, there has to be another way?" I said almost shouting. he was willing to die?
"nope, I am detonating a mini explosive while I make the ground here unstable. nobody would dare come to unstable ground with a Nuclear Mana Bomb sitting in the middle of it. after this is all done I will stabilise the ground however you will be running to a power generator that stops storms." Origamis said while making a simple map out of thin air. wow, preparation makes things so much easier.
"Good Luck" I said while running to the power generator, it was very far away. around 8 kilometres to be exact and that is not normal for a simple generator... why do they have it so far away? maybe to make it harder to destroy? after a few minuets I make it and there was nothing there. maybe it is underground or buried under snow?
*BOOM*
I see a huge flash of light and then feel every muscle in my body being torn apart, sure enough I turn around to see a huge explosion, it was devastating. a huge cloud connecting the sky and the ground, it parted the other clouds and I felt like I was being torn apart, a huge ball of fire stood at the centre... wait, is that even fire? but most important.
"ORIGAMI!!!" I shouted at the huge explosion, what happened to cause that? did Origami get out ok?so many questions and now I am left wondering what happened... I start to run back not slowly like I did to the generator.
John's Point Of View
I gave Clark a map to a random destination 8 kilometres from here. he should be safe from what I am planning. "He is gone, you can come out now" I said simply and a mage in white robes came out, an obvious Headmaster tag was placed on this one because the moment the old building was destroyed he was watching me like a hawk.
"I am impressed you could tell where I was, you have a great talent however are directing it to the wrong person. I have already made an agreement with the other academies to say I will back there idea in stopping the blue mist" He said like I was born yesterday. I looked at my hand and sure enough the piece of paper I left on it had went Red.
"Oh that is good to here, However would you have any proof of this? if you do that will make this simpler for the both of us and I will be on my way without further complaint" I said simply and he then got slightly agitated.
"Why not use your power to find out?" he asked like I hadn't already, I shook my head summoning Paper Wolves all over the academy. everyone has a teleported crystal on them just in case things go wrong, I am letting them know things will go wrong.
"I already have, You are lying" I said simply causing him to laugh a bit before jumping back.
"I think I know your plan, detonate a bomb from a distance using that Portal Rune you put on your friend, I removed it. you will not escape the blast radius, and nothing could survive that explosion. give up now, you can't win" the Headmaster said as a few Ice Elementals came to his side. damn it. he was right, and once Clark realises that map was just to let him escape the blast radius danger zone he will most likely come running back... damn it, I am to close to ending the Blue Mist calamity, so what if one more life has to be sacrificed right? I threw a paper plane with some writing on it and then walked over to a BIG.....RED.....BUTTON. it had do not touch signs and warning signs. I just could not help myself.
"Who cares if it is one life lost over the so many that are lost anyway thanks to the blue mist" I said causing the Headmaster to flash a look of shock activating his teleporter crystal. he knew that I was faster and would hit the button regardless, he just wanted to live himself. I pushed the button and for some reason I did not even feel the heat, I just felt every bone in my body crushed under the pressure from the shock wave. it was unimaginable that this kind of power existed. it was very powerful, I felt myself being torn apart, my everything was shattering. the bonds by witch I hold my self together with were no more. it was the most painful thing I had ever dealt with.
Kate's Point Of View
"did any of you just feel that?" I asked cautiously, I felt something inside of my heart grow cold all of a sudden
"You mean that pain around the heart you can't explain? Yea yea, John is a DRAGON SLAYER, and he is hunting dragons, I somehow doubt he would die without respawn from something that simple" Nina said resting my doubts, but that pain in my heart was not letting go. I hope John is ok.
Clark's Point Of View
I reach the blast crater and it is huge. I look around and I see Origami standing in the centre unaffected by the blast. I run over to him and not even the mask on his face was damaged. he is one strong fighter.
"Origami... what happened? are you ok?" I asked walking towards him, I did not feel his usual presence, "Look, you did it, come on you said we need to go to the Big Tree Academy once we were done.... Origami" I said finally and I noticed something, I quickly removed my mask and used Dragons Eye. Origami's internal organs were no more, his brain matter was just paste, his bones had broken and it was a miracle he was still standing, however that would not last, he started to be reduced to nothing but dust drifting off into the wind. "Origami.... no" I said saddened, "you only wanted to end the calamity. and yet your fate was a cruel one. Rest in peace knowing that it was not in vain. I will not let it be" I said while putting on the mask, for some reason it changed from that of a dragon to that of a dove like Origami's was. I let go one tear before a Paper Plane flew in front of me with writing on it.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"Clark, I know you must think me a fool for my actions, but fear not, I regret nothing, I was able to help protect countless people and I would do it again any day. I most likely did not survive the explosion. If I did stop reading my last words now and act like you saw nothing. if not go to the Big Tree Academy. if you see Conner of the 3 Fists Academy tell him that I died, and this time I don't have the power to come back. he will know what to do with this information. but it is not over yet, ensure nothing stops the end of the Blue Mist. I grant you the title of Paper Master, with this. what you do is up to you, I used it to push forwards to change the world, I hope you can do what you can to improve the world as well, working as an academy student or adventurer with out the mast taking care of people openly. or as a masked villain that people may grow to hate but is required to protect the world on both sides. helping the world where it did not know it needed help. I trust you will grow into a great hero, someone who can protect all he can, I know you have it in you... From Origami" I read his note aloud. tears rolling down my face. why is it the good who have to die when they are only trying to help... wait there is more? "PS: If you fail I will kick your ass on the other side" I finished with a smile. damn that guy, always knowing what to do or say. I wont let you down Origami, rest in peace friend.
I left the explosion site, all that remained was a white paper grave stone. I wrote Origami and below it a good man rests here. entering the area made my feel sad. exiting the area just built up my resolve. I was on my way to the Big Tree Academy and I would be there really soon, I felt more powerful then ever.
[Welcome Clark Teta The Gamer]
What the hell? I stopped in my tracks at the sight of this.
[John Richardson has passed his ability to you in death, do you wish to accept? you can return it at any time]
Wait what? John Richardson, he was that Dragon Slayer of the 3 Fists Academy... I thought he had a good life... and yet he had so much pain to be able to make me feel it. he carried so much weight of his words... John... I will ask the Headmaster Conner. for now I will ignore this, I don't have the information to proceed. we finally did it Origami, I was approaching the Big Tree Academy and I saw Conner appear in front of me, he looked at me with a smile however he looked curiously at me.
"Conner... we need to talk" I said to him and he immediately wore a saddened face, they must have been able to see that huge explosion as he was not the only one.
"What happened? are you ok?" Conner asked me and I shook my head.
"I am not the Origami you know. the original Origami sacrificed himself in that explosion. he knew if he left to make a way to escape he would most likely never get that kind of chance again, so he made the explosion and gifted me this mask" I said causing him to look grim. "John Richardson is no more" I said while pulling his final letter out of my inventory. Conner read it and looked very sad.
"I see. and with the mask on he can't respawn, however if he took it off the world will have known Origami was John making it impossible to respawn again. However with you there can still be hope. grow strong and help protect the world. I will finish my plan's to remove the Blue Mist, also I will have to tell his loved ones that John is no more... Leave this with me, for now.... leave, you are a criminal and are unable to be here. that or take off your mask and join my academy. I will let you chose." the Headmaster Conner said to me causing me to wonder. I then stop wondering, I will be able to pay my respects to John this way, for being a hero both as John and Origami, I walk with Conner into the Big Tree Academy that is literally a BIG TREE. not the most creative names.
"Father!!!" shouted from the voice of a girl. she was one of John's Loved ones. "What is Clark Teta doing here? didn't his academy shut down?" Kate said with a curious expression.
"Yes it did however your father has let me join his academy." I said with a polite bow and Kate just ignored me... figures...
"Father, you said John would be coming back today... where is he?" Kate said looking around. Both I and Conner froze at that question.... how do you tell someone there loved one has died and wont be coming back? I got a shiver sent up my spine however Conner just got to the point.
"I am sorry Kate, he will be unable to return" Conner said and Kate looked confused before angry.
"Why not? it was only Dragon Hunting and he is designed to do that," Kate said in protest still thinking he was dragon slaying "wait did he get in trouble? Is he ok?" Kate said now with concern as Eron Nina and Lilian finally arrived coming out of the teleporter room and looking at Kate realised something was wrong.
"John is dead." I said for Conner as I realised his hesitation. however this had to be done. Kate looked at me like I was a fool.
"John is normally dead. he can still respawn" Kate said looking at me almost laughing before I did something that would end all doubt, I sent Kate a party invite. she looked at it confused however then she fell to her knees.
"Wait... what is it... what does that mean? is master ok?" Eron said looking worried. Kate started crying. I left it in Conner's hands from there on. retracting my invite and walking off. I can't let John's sacrifice be in vain. he had to be apart from his loved ones while they tried to hint him down. he did not even get that peace he was looking for at the end of it, I just hope he has found new peace in death.
I walk through the academy to the main hall, sure enough there are a lot of people watching the Magic Circle in the middle. so that was how they were going to end it. the monsters and power of the mist will be forced into isolated areas. I guess in John's terms it would be called a dungeon. I am sure he would like it.
"Conner, the blast we saw earlier, there is now some strange energy around it. we don't know what it is but it is not something we planned. Do we continue?" Said one of the mage's... Conner nodded. but turned to me.
"Investigate this would you, but do not do anything you can't handle, if this is what I think this is we don't want to ruin any opportunity" Conner said to me... what does he think this is? I just nod and run in the direction of the blast.when I get there. at the spot I placed my grave for Origami the grave was not there any more, however there was a strange vortex of Paper. I walked up to it and a Blue Box came up.
[Paper Mind Dungeon: this is the last earthly tether of John Richardson, completing this dungeon will revive the warrior who sacrificed everything to save his world]
[Floors: 485]
[Difficulty: Impossible]
[Average requirements: 8/10 people Level 98,000,000,000,000,000,000]
[Only people who knew John while he was alive can enter this dungeon]
It was... and I looked at my level... Its a start? with this I make my return to tell Conner the good news. his experiment worked as well, I could see the Blue Mist gone from where I was, it went 300 miles into the sky so it is hard to miss. however I had something he would want to hear.
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Chapter 52 - The Promise To Meet Again
Clark Returns and tells everyone about the Dungeon, they all start training, however then they realise, they made a bunch of dungeons and maybe they could increase there level faster with them?
I hope you enjoyed the chapter.