I was going to ignore the comment when I felt Tenebris and Sanaa’s claws dig into my shoulder. I turned around, ready to blast something, when I caught sight of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was partially transparent with braided hair that cascaded down her body. She had a pair of horns that curled around her head, almost like a crown. She wore a robe that was so dark that it felt like staring into an abyss. I felt myself being pulled toward them which was similar to my otaba, but much more powerful. She wore makeup on her face that made it look like a golden spider’s web. It took my brain far too long to realize I was staring at the matriarch.

“Greetings young Mage. Our kind can rarely resist the allure of potential power. Even rarer for someone with your unique gifts to do so.” I hung on her every word as if missing even a syllable would somehow be the worst crime imaginable. A hiss from my shoulders brought me out of my stupor and I diverted my gaze.

“I assume you are the Matriarch?” I tried to gather my thoughts and come up with a question that I didn’t already know the answer to, but that was incredibly difficult.

She let out a soft song-like laugh before waving her hand. Suddenly, my thoughts cleared. I blinked and looked over at my companions and found they were just as confused. “Forgive me, this will probably be the last time I can enjoy such a game. I am a siren. I am a bit surprised you do not have mental protections against such tampering.”

I blinked as my mind raced to catch up to everything that had happened. A blush of embarrassment and irritation spread through my cheeks. A feeling that I pushed down as quickly as I could. “When you say mental protections, do you mean a spell?”

“In a way. Some spells can help you, but there are at least two skills that can help you. Has your teacher not warned you of such things?”

I shook my head and held my head high. “I am self-taught.”

She raised an eyebrow at that, and then a glint appeared in her eyes. I couldn’t tell for sure, but I was sure she was accessing a screen. After a beat, she swore and shook her head. “In this form, there is so little I can do. I would recommend you find a proper master. One who can help you avoid problems in the future. With what I can see on your status screen you shouldn’t have a hard time finding someone.”

I slowly nodded. I wasn’t sure I wanted a “master” but I could see how a teacher would make all this easier. Hell, learning from the chef had led to my skill level increasing much faster. Same with working with the miners. The idea of calling someone “Master” rubbed me the wrong way, though. “I will consider it. Did I manage to save you?”

The smile on her face shifted to a more bittersweet expression. She nodded before turning and looking off into the distance. I followed her gaze, but there was only a stone wall in that direction. “I am afraid I don’t have as much time as I would like. Will you allow me to give you a gift?” I was about to respond when a prompt came into view.

Kaafiyo, the Matriarch of Kaafiyan would like to access your magic core. Will you allow this?

Yes/No?

Notice! Your core represents your connection to the magical energies. Allowing another party to access it can cause terrible and irreparable harm.

I read the prompt and nearly leaped back. Did that mean she could stop me from casting magic ever again? Why would I ever agree to that? I was about to hit no when I looked at Kaafiyo again. I couldn’t detect any signs of malice in her expression. She didn’t even try to explain herself. She also clearly stated that it was a gift she was giving me. The last spirit is to give me a gift that placed me on the road to well everything I have now. I bit back the fear and anxiety and selected yes. As soon as I did, she gave me a motherly smile that, for just a moment, turned sorrowful. My eyes went wide as a searing hot pain shot through my entire body.

My mouth opened in a silent scream as pain consumed everything around me. I looked at her, expecting there to be hatred or anger in her gaze. Instead, I found only pity. I tried to raise my hands, to cast a spell to order Tenebris and Sanaa, but nothing worked. The only thing I could do was to suffer. Finally, a scream of agony escaped my lips as I crumbled to the ground. I curled into a ball as if that would protect me from further agony. I felt everyone around me move into action, but I spared them no more thought.

“Before your companions react too poorly, would you mind reviewing the changes?” I heard her voice and was filled with a mixture of fear and dread. I knew intellectually she didn’t say anything threatening, but part of me recoiled at doing anything she said. Still, I opened up the new notification and my jaw nearly hit the floor.

Congratulations! You have gained the skill of magic Manipulation. The secrets and power of the occult require more than empty words and body movement. You have taken the first step on the path. Matriarch Kaafiyo has forged your reservoir into an aperture. This allows for easier casting and decreased possibility of misfires. Learning this skill has unlocked the basic offensive spell of all spell casters.

Attention! You have learned the spell: Magic Projection. This spell gives a physical form to your magic. The details of this spell are determined by your skill in Magic Manipulation. This is a neutral spell of the first level. At level one this spell costs 50mp per manifestation. Tier: N/a This is a neutral level 1 spell. Cost: variable. Duration: Instant. Range: variable. Cast Time: variable. Cool down: N/A.

The spell wasn’t particularly useful, but it would get better as I got better at Magic Manipulation. The gift had certainly made the pain a bit better. It still hurt a lot. I took a deep breath and got to my feet. “Thank you. I am honored you would grant me such a gift.”

She laughed before waving me forward. “That is only one part of the gift. That skill and spell is useful but I wouldn’t consider it equivalent to my life. If you will allow it, I will attempt to awaken some more of your magic. I can not promise that it will work, but I will do what I can.”

I had to stop myself from cutting her off. Getting even more magic would be amazing. I knelt in front of her without another word. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to feel when she placed her hands on me, but I knew it wasn’t the warmth that I felt. If I hadn’t known she was dead and was a ghost, I would have thought she was a normal person. I only had a second to consider what that meant before she spoke.

“Through my knowledge, I awaken your talent. Arise new and stronger than you were before.”

A familiar heat surged in the pit of my stomach before spreading out to every inch of my body. The sensation was oddly comforting now. I welcomed the sensation of change as two separate parts of my soul responded to her call. The sensation dispersed a moment later, and I gasped for air. A familiar surge of notifications represented the end of the moment. I closed them down, wanting to give Kaafiyo my full attention. Her appearance had changed. Before, she looked a bit transparent but mostly “real”. Now she looked like she was fading away. As if her entire body was only partially here in front of us. I knew that meant she would be gone soon.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” I couldn’t stop myself from speaking faster as she started to float into the air. She shook her head and looked above her.

“The item that started this is beneath the throne. This tomb has long since served its purpose. I gift it to you in hopes that you can do something with it.” Her body burst into a shower of gold and white a second after she finished speaking. I stared up at that spot with a complex storm of emotions. Once again, a long-dead person had given me something. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but there wasn’t much I could do about it now. Another glance told me that I had gained even more notifications, but those could wait. For now, I wanted to find out what the item she had been talking about was.

“Can you two check the bodies for anything useful? I am going to check the throne and see what’s there.” I called and after they most answered in the affirmative, I made my way back to the chair of bones. Part of me wanted to blow the whole thing to kingdom come, but I decided against it. The last thing I needed was to destroy and set off some reaction that buried us all. I placed a hand on the chair and received a list of options. Most of them were grayed out and required you to be undead to access. The last one was interesting. I selected “Remove Matrix” hoping that it meant what I thought it meant. When the blue sphere emerged from the throne, I grinned like a kid in a candy shop. I could make two magic buildings!

I placed the matrix into my ring, hoping that no one else had noticed. I scanned the area again but found nothing else and I was not taking the throne. Once I was ready, I turned around and rejoined the others.

“I found it. Is everyone ready to go? I would like to get back to Radiance as soon as we can.”

“Yeah, the only weapon of note is this long sword and to be honest, it’s a bit too big for me.” Zakia held the dead night's long sword out to me hilt first. I grabbed it and read the prompt.

You have found: the Great Sword of Embers Attack: 18 - 23

Details: +2-12 points of pyro damage per attack

Durability: 65/90

Item Quality: High

Item Rarity: Uncommon

Weight: 6lbs

The blade was nearly as long as my arm and had a faint red glow along its edge. I was a bit curious as to who the knight was, but there was nothing I could do to find that out. I placed the sword into my ring and planned to give it out later. “Alright does anyone see the—” Before I could finish my sentence the right side wall fell away revealing a winding staircase. I couldn’t be sure if the staircase appeared because I asked or if it was always going to do that, but it didn’t matter. “Alright, let’s head up.”

The journey out of the dungeon was pretty short. The staircase took us back to the main entrance chamber and from there we stepped out into a chilly night. The bright “sunlight” below the night sky was still a strange sight. Unfortunately, the false sun didn’t provide any actual heat. Finding our mounts took more time. Thankfully, with Tenebris and Sanaa flying overwatch, we could spot the den they made for themselves. Which was a couple of knocked-over trees and the carcasses of a variety of animals. Looking at the half-eaten bodies made me wonder what it took for them to level up. Also, what would happen if Rex out-leveled me? Would I get a “Mount won’t listen to you until you reach the required level message?” I shrugged and pushed the thought from my mind for now.

Once we were all mounted up, we set out back to radiance. We made the journey back in silence. I wasn’t in the mood for conversation. The entire experience in the dungeon was a lot. I still didn’t know the story of the witches, but if they stole a matrix, then I could understand the reaction. It doesn’t explain why the knights gave up. The matriarch was strong, but there was no way she would have been able to beat a large squad of people. Then there was the “pact bound” part of her name and the voice that was speaking through her. I should have asked the spirit about both things.

I was still trying to piece things together when we made it back to Radiance. The city had a weird life cycle. Instead of going to sleep at night, it just shifted out. It was more like a constant twenty-four hours of activity. I initially thought people would be upset about that, but they weren’t. I guess it didn’t matter to them about when they worked, and the morale and loyalty boosts I had earned didn’t hurt. I left Rex at the stables and made my way to my unofficial sleeping area. It was a smaller tent beneath the big star.

“Are you two sticking with me?” I asked, before taking a seat in the grass. As if to answer my question, Tenebris leaped into the air and took off to the north. I watched the dark dragonling streak through the sky as his voice filled my mind.

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“Fresh hunt Master.”

I chuckled, but let him relax how he needed to. Once I was comfortable, I pulled up the first of my notifications and began to read.

You have completed the Quest: Suzerainty Trial II

Because you have already selected to master Spira magic you may now choose one of the other powers that make up your place of power. Your options are Pyro, Lumos, Necro, and Geos. Which option will you choose?

Reward: 10,000 Experience Points, A new power.

Choosing an ability will grant you a 50% reduction in the cost of magic for that spell type. You will also gain a 50% increase in duration to spells of that type. Most importantly you will gain the unique Suzerainty power associated with your Place of Power.

Geos Ability: "Land of Abundance" +30% yields for all settlements under your control.

Lumos Ability: "Gift of Radiance" Reduce all your cool downs by 30%

Pyro Ability: "Charisma of the King"+30% to abilities and attributes for anyone who fights for you.

Necro Ability: Grip of the Damned" Healing is 30% less effective on injuries you cause.

Damn, even knowing this choice was coming did not make it any easier. My initial plan was to take Geos next to boost my settlement, but now that I had the tree, was that still best? I could also grab the Lumos or Pyro magic abilities. Both of them would be amazing. The Aurelion could stay around even longer if I picked that one. The grip of the Damned still didn’t interest me as much. It was useful, but I hadn’t fought anything that healed yet, so it wasn’t a priority. I thought about it for a few minutes but decided to stick to the plan. Ultimately, the faster the settlement grew, the stronger I would be. I wanted Radiance to be the city. The place people spoke about with reference and envy. I selected the power of the earth.

You have chosen: Geos!

Congratulations! You have gained the Suzerainty power "Land of Abundance" +30% to yields for all settlements under your control.

Congratulations! You have learned the Skill Geos Magic. The magic dependency and stability. Geos allows for the creation of walls, conjuring powerful acids and greatly improving your defenses. A master of this magic can create mountains and dig valleys.

Salutations! You have reached the rank of Master in Geos Magic. Few can walk the path of the Sorcerer, and even fewer can follow it to this point. Magic is but one key to power in Akopia. All Geos magic spells you cast are done at -50% of their cost. All Geo's spells have an increased duration of +50%. You have been awarded 5,000 Experience points for reaching this rank.

Attention! You have learned the spell: Lesser Acid Sphere. You hurl a bubble of acid at a target within range. 1-6 acid damage per second. This is a Geo's evocation spell of the first level. Tier: Amateur Cost: 25mp Duration: 10 seconds Range: 60ft. Cast Time: 3 seconds. Cool down: N/a

Attention! You have learned the spell: Lesser Sand Armor. Increase your natural armor by +3. Increases your concealment in desert terrain by 5% This is a Geo's spell of the first level. Tier: Amateur Cost: 20 mp Duration: 20 minutes Range: Touch. Cast Time: 3 seconds. Cool down: N/a

Congratulations! You have learned the Skill Umbra Magic. Umbra is the magic of secrecy, concealment, and curses. A master of the umbra can hide even from the eyes of God.

Attention! You have learned the spell: Darkvision. Provides Darkvision for 30ft. This is an Umbra spell of the first level. Tier: Amateur Cost: 45mp Duration: 1 hour Range: Touch. Cast Time: 1 second. Cool down: 3 minutes

Attention! You have learned the spell: Lesser Blindness. Causes the blind condition in a single target. This is an Umbra spell of the first level. Tier: Amateur Cost: 60mp Duration: 1 minute Range: 30ft. Cast Time: 3 seconds. Cool down: 25 minutes

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Aqua Magic. Aqua magic is the magic of fluidity and change. It will grant you the power to transform, drown your enemies, and travel beneath the waves. Masters of this magic could drown entire cities and trick entire civilizations.

Attention! You have learned the spell: Lesser Frostbite. You cause chilling frost to assault one creature that you can see within range. This is an Aqua spell of the first level. Tier: Amateur Cost: 20mp Duration: Instant Range: 50ft. Cast Time: 3 seconds. Cool down: N/a

Attention! You have learned the spell: Lesser Create or Destroy water. This spell allows you to create or destroy a source of water of no more than one gallon. This is an Aqua spell of the first level. Tier: Amateur Cost: 150mp Duration: Instant Range: 5ft. Cast Time: 10 seconds. Cool down: 25 minutes

You have leveled up! You have reached level 17! Hard work, dedication, and luck have guided your steps. Blood, sweat, and tears have forged your path. Grow and strive forward into the horizon. Through the completion of your trials and labors, you have taken another step into the future. Your hard work has earned you the following rewards.

Category

Per level Unspent Points Attribute Points Because of your Aetheric nature, your per-level rewards have been modified. You have been awarded 7 Attribute Points to distribute however you like. 7 Skill Progression +25% Progress to any skill of your choice. 25%