The next day he was up and hunting before the sun had risen. I have managed to find both a hyena and a scorpion. Both battles ended exactly like the others although I hadn't gotten much progression on my skills. I assumed that skill growth was based on the situation. I would need to keep pushing myself in order to get better. That was fine, grinding by firing all my spells at a rock seemed like it would be boring. Once I finished my kills I decided to push further away from my spring. The sun was still high in the sky and I had most of my magic and stamina. I traveled for a couple of hours before I came across something unexpected. A group of six people were making their way through the desert. Three of them were chained up and clearly being forced to march. The trio were women with skin as dark as charcoal. Red cracks the color of embers spread throughout their bodies. It took my brain a moment to realize that they were elemental people. My shock at their appearance almost made me ignore the other three.
They were large bipedal hyenas with leather armor that had seen better days. Each of them held weapons on their hips. There were two swords and a mace both of which were dull, chipped, and a bit bent in some places. It was strange to watch them move together with such bad arms. Was it because they were poor or were they stranded? I looked around and found a large rock. I took cover behind and waited for the group to get closer. A moment later their voices carried on the wind.
"If I get out of here I swear to the God of Fire I will rip your head off of your shoulders." The lead woman sounded strangely calm when she gave her a threat. It sounded like she was stating a basic fact of life. The hyena man wasn't as impressed. He brought his hand back and slapped her across the face. The impact made the woman stumble forward but she managed to stay on her feet. I bawled my fist as I listened to the other beastmen let out a cackling laugh. I looked around but outside of the rock I was hiding behind there were no other landmarks. I made up my mind to help them but I needed a plan first. I assumed that the captives would be able to work together and deal with one of them. Which meant I would need to figure out a way to deal with two enemies myself. Thankfully neither of them had ranged weapons. I closed my eyes and imagined how the battle would play out. If I attacked them head on the damage of my spells might be able to take one out but the other would be on me. I would then need to find a way to fight close range with an angry hyena man.
I opened my eyes and slowly pulled myself away from the rock. I couldn't believe I hadn't tried this already. I crouched down and attempted to hide behind the rock. It took a few moments to get it right but as soon as I did I received a notification.
Notice! You have learned the skill Stealth. Hide in plain sight and strike with a myriad of weapons. The unseen blade is the deadliest. Each level gained grants an extra 3% to Concealment and an extra 3% damage to attacks made while hidden.
This meant if I was hidden my light spell would deal 213% more damage on hit. If my math is correct it would be around eleven additional points of damage. This meant each ray would deal 16-18 damage and I would be firing two of them with each casting. If I assumed the enemy had my health then it would take six rays or three castings. Nine seconds of casting in total and fifteen seconds for the total cool down. Taking one of them out before they could close the distance was possible. I let out a sigh before firming my resolve. I was going to deal with this situation which meant the only thing left was to do it.
I waited until they were within range of my magic and began to cast. I kept my fingers beneath the rock to hide the light from the casting. I kept my voice down when I called out the word of power. I brought both hands up and aimed for the beast-man that had slapped the woman. Twin rays of light shot free and slammed into his head. The resulting howl of pain punctuated the start of the battle. The injured beast-man cried out in pain and looked in my direction. He barked orders to the other two who began to move. The one in the back had only taken two steps before the women acted. Two of them grabbed their chains and wrapped them around their target's neck. They pulled him back and onto the ground. The third woman roared in anger and threw herself at the leader of the beastmen. The two hit the ground and began to wrestle with one another. The final hyena-man froze unsure of who he should be helping. His hesitation only made my casting easier. Twin rays of light slammed into the back of his head.
The man roared in anger and turned toward me. I started my mental countdown as he charged at me. He had closed more than half the distance when I began my second casting. The rays of light shot from my hands just as the beastman raised his sword. The light slammed into his face making him howl in pain. As soon as the spell finished I turned and began running. I watched the five seconds tick down while I tried to put as much space between him and me. I managed to make it ten feet before the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I threw myself to the side just as a blade slashed through the space where my head had been. I turned my fall into a roll and then stood back up and began casting. I turned around and backpedaled as the man got close enough for another attack. I unleashed my spell at near point-blank range. The twin rays of light looked like a single beam as they shot into his face. He howled in pain and dropped his sword.
I stood up and was just about to run when I realized what happened. Instead of running, I moved toward the dropped blade. I grabbed it and then dipped my shoulder like a football player. I brought my full seven-foot 235-pound body and slammed it into him. We both hit the ground with a thud, I crawled up and on top of him before stabbing down into him. My first stab was sloppy but the second was true and pierced his throat. Warm blood shot up and into my face. I watched the life fade out of his eyes and a feeling settled over me. The adrenaline faded and was replaced with emptiness. The feeling lasted until a scream of pain hit my ears. I leaped up and pushed my emotions down. I pulled out my water skin, downed the potion, and began running. The damaged blade in my hand made me feel slightly more secure. The two versus-one battle was still going well for the women so I turned my attention to the fight between leaders. I used one hand to cast my spell while bringing my sword up with the other. The twin rays shot toward the beast-man just as he got on top of the woman. The rays were only half the size of when I dual cast but when they slammed into his head he still howled in pain.
He turned and glared at me which was a huge mistake. The fiery-haired woman pivoted her hips and forced the man onto his back. She then brought up fists and slammed the manacles down onto his face. Each impact was sickening and brought a roar of fury from her. By the time I was standing next to her, the hyena-man lay unmoving. I looked at her and passed her the sword before turning and rushing to the others. The final battle ended before I arrived. Both women turned their gaze to me and looked like they weren't sure if they wanted to attack me next so I slowly backed off.
The fiery-haired woman had found a key and freed herself. She made her way to her friends but kept me in her line of sight. The damaged and bloody sword was handed to the second woman. She had ear-length cornrows the color of dark red embers. She took the sword and kept it pointed at me. Since I had no way of healing and I couldn't help them get the manacles off faster at least not without casting. I wasn't about to risk having the trio turn on me before the spell was completed though so I decided to go through my notifications.
You have been awarded 500 experience for defeating Hytal Warrior level 5
You have been awarded 300 experience for defeating Hytal Warrior level 3
Congratulations! Your skill Lumos Magic has leveled up. Lumos Magic has reached level 7. You are able to learn additional spells.
Congratulations! Your skill Dual Casting has leveled up. Dual Casting has reached levels 4 and 5. The spell power increases by 220% and the modified cost is 290%
Notice! You have learned the skill Swordsmanship. The art of the blade. This skill covers the use of long blades including both one-handed and two-handed swords. Each level of this skill increases damage by 3% and attack speed by 2%.
A quick glance told me that my affinity with Swordsmanship and Stealth was pretty low. Stealth was 52% and Swordsmanship was 74%. Neither was close to my 100% affinity with the magician skills so I decided to continue with my path. I was going to be a mage. I dismissed the notification windows just as the trio of women leveled their gazes at me. It looks like it was time to be friendly.
"What is your name magician?" The woman who was clearly the leader of the trio asked. Her two companions took up positions on either side of her with weapons held but not aimed. Which was better than what could have happened.
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"Darterrius, I am not from around here so I hope I didn't just free a bunch evil villains from prison." I decided to try a bit of humor hoping it would help everyone relax a bit.
"I can tell, You do not seem like someone from the desert. Perhaps one of the free cities? A refugee?" She asked but I decided not to give her an answer. After a moment of silence she continued. "We believe that it would be best to bring you back to the matriarch. The desert isn't safe for a lone wanderer. We will grant you all the hospitality we can."
I wanted to refuse. Something in my gut warned me that that would be a bad idea. While the offer seemed reasonable - friendly, even - if I refused, I think they would insist. I became aware of just how outnumbered I was as I tried to pass off my hesitation with a dry chuckle "That sounds wonderful. Uh can you lead the way?" The trio nodded and the leader offered me her hand.
"My name is Zakia the walk should only be a few hours. If you haven't leveled your Endurance and Vitality it should give you a nice chance to get a point or two." She flashed me a smile as I stood up. "We will take up position on the outside while you take the middle." She pointed to the woman on her right, the one with cornrows. "This is Angalia. She is almost as talented as I am with a sword." She then pointed to the third woman. Her hair was short and burned like the embers of a fire. "This here is Kita, She is talented with the bow and decent with a sword." I noticed that her gaze lingered on Kita for just a second longer than when she introduced the others. I flashed the group a smile, remembered that my face was covered and then settled on a wave.
The trio of women settled in with Kita and Angalia on my left and right. Zakia took up the lead position. Together we began a jog through the desert. The first hour went by fine but by the hour and a half mark my lungs felt like I had inhaled needles. I resisted the urge to put my hands behind my head not wanting to lose the small amount of respect I had gained from the women. After two hours I was sure that I was going to die. Sweat beaded down my face, chest,legs and I was just about ready to beg for a short stop when we reached a cave mouth. The cave mouth was nearly ten feet tall and wide enough for the four of us to fit through side by side if we wanted. We got within thirty feet of the entrance before we came to a stop. Zakia nodded to the other two and headed inside. I took the opportunity to take a seat in the sand.
I pulled my status screen and felt slightly better. Both Endurance and vitality and gone up by two points. Which meant my HP and SP had been improved. My elation was dampened by my exhaustion. I quickly pulled my water-skin to my lips and sipped down the heavenly liquid. My stamina topped off seconds later and I was able to recover. About ten minutes later I was able to stand up and a person stepped out of the cave entrance. She was around five and half feet tall. She had jet black micro-braids that descended down her body and just past her waist. Her skin was nearly as dark as her hair. She reminded me of a obsidian statue. The slight movements of her head left a trail of dark smoke in the air. I must've been staring for a bit too long because she let out a laugh that filled the air.
"I was told that you were a interesting individual but I was not told that you were mute. You may call me Shauriana. I am the matriarch of the Ifrit and suzerain of the Black Cavern." I nodded dumbly before getting control over myself.
"I am Darterrius, I found your people in a bit of a tough situation with some beastmen. I was able to assist them." I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say in this situation. I didn't want to come off as too arrogant but I also wasn't going to lie." She nodded and looked to Zakia.
"My grand daughter told me so. Your bravery with dealing with three hytal are impressive. Your willingness to help strangers also speaks kindly to you. I have decided to reward you for your efforts. I am told that you are a magician capable of using Lumos magic." I nodded before she started speaking again. "I am able to teach you a few spells. I could also attempt to awaken Pyro magic within you. I can make no promises that it will work but I am willing to try." I stared at her dumbly for a second before nodding my head in agreement. I already knew that I had affinity for every magic. Pyro magic seemed like fire magic which definitely fit the theme with this group of people. I turned my focus to the women just as she beckoned me forward. I stepped forward and then went down my knees. Even on my knees I was still tall enough to look her in her face. She placed one hand my heart and the other on my forehead. I felt a pulse of heat. She began to speak in a language I had never heard before. It took my ability a moment to translate it. "Through my knowledge I awaken your talent. Arise new and stronger than you were before."
A heat surged in the pit of my stomach before spreading out and to every inch of my body. The sensation felt like I was on fire but it lacked pain. Instead it was like the flames were changing me, reforging my body like metal under the careful hand of the smith. The sensation dispersed a moment later and I gasped for air. Before I could recover a barrage of notifications filled my vision.
Notice! You have learned the skill Pyro Magic. One of the basic elemental magics, Pyro magic is the heat of the universe and guardian of both life and progress. Fire ignites the hearts and minds just as easily as it razes cities and burns forests.
Attention! You have learned the spell: Lesser Gout of Flame. Shoots a weak gout of flame from your hand. Chance to cause the Burned condition. 3-5 damage per second. This is a Pyro spell of the first level. Tier: Amateur Cost: 10mp/s Duration: N/A Range: 15ft cone. Cast Time: 1 second. Cool down: 5 Seconds
Attention! You have learned the spell: Lesser Bright Bolt.Fires a bolt of concentrated Lumos magic at a target within range. 6-12 damage. Prevents enemies from benefiting from concealment. This is a Lumos spell of the fifth level. Tier: Amateur Cost: 36mp Duration: N/A Range: 50ft. Cast Time: 3 second. Cool down: 1 minute
Attention! You have learned the spell: Lesser Revelation.You are able to select an object or person that you touch throughout the entire casting of this spell. You learn the magical properties of that object or any magical effects affecting the target if it is a person. You learn how to use the item and of any curses associated with the item. Your effectiveness with this spell is based on your tier of Lumos Magic.This is a Lumos spell of the first level. Tier: Amateur Cost: 10 mp Duration: N/A Range: Touch. Cast Time: 1 minute. Cool down: 10 minutes
Attention! You have learned the spell: Sphere of Light. Creates a spheres of white light. The light can be moved after casting. The lights can be combined to form one large or split into three smaller lights. This is a Lumos spell of the first level. Cost: 5mp Duration: 3 minutes Range: 30ft. Cast Time: 1 second. Cool down: 3 seconds
Congratulations! You have gained 3,000 Relationship Points with Angalia! Your relationship has improved from distrustful(-2,500) to happy(+500).
Congratulations! You have gained 3,000 Relationship Points with Kita! Your relationship has improved from distrustful(-2,500) to happy(+500).
Congratulations! You have gained 3,000 Relationship Points with Zakia! Your relationship has improved from distrustful(-2,500) to happy(+500).
Congratulations! You have gained 3,000 Relationship Points with Matriarch Shauriana! Your relationship has improved from distrustful(-2,500) to happy(+500).
Congratulations! You have gained 500 Relationship Points with the Ifrit of the Burning Chasm! Your relationship has improved from 0 to +500. Your relationship status has changed from neutral to happy.