Alex stood over the wall. Rain hit the wall and slid off the stone. He kept his cloak up. The storm swirled around him, and Alex called on it for power. The use of the energy had become easy and natural to him. When he wished for it to strike it struck. His magic pulled at the heart of the storm and redirected its energies for his need. And for every lightning strike and attack Alex’s XP and Tower Points grew. As he sent out attacks Alex tried to go farther out from the wall. The effects were muted but still worked. The strikes didn’t land exactly where he wanted them to go, and the amount of XP dropped significantly as well. Even when striking multiple opponents. Part of Alex’s believe was that he wasn’t growing as fast as he could because of the range issue. Though it didn’t bother him for now.
The main thing he worried about was Tower Points and loot. Without the two Angela couldn’t catch up to him. It didn’t matter how high level he was if Angela couldn’t at least craft some gear and eventually the batteries and generator for him to use. Without it he was a subpar mage that could only use his magic in perfect conditions like these.
Alex was starting to find it tiring if not boring. There was little change in what he could do and how he could fight. Until that changed, he was stuck here on the wall. While he could try and venture out far from the wall the risk was massive, and many adventurers had died trying. He was safe with the walls and when the storms were out but without them Alex was weaker than most. It was something he couldn’t risk without having much better gear and battery packs.
He resumed his mindless attacks while in thought. His mind never stayed on one thing for too long. He did note however that he was getting very close to level 17.
Alex threw his rope. It slinked down the side of the wall and soon after he followed. His hands and feet carried him down to the battlefield grounds. Around him were the bodies of the undead he had slain. With a pull of the rope, it had untied itself from the wall and he was able to wrap it up and store it away. He looked around for more enemies, the night obscuring most of them. None of the undead were close but they were starting to move toward him. Alex started collecting the loot around him that had accumulated over the last hour of lightning attacks he had performed.
He stomped through the muddy ground. Water continued to pour around him. Alex continued to send out pulses of electricity to search for items, enemies, and fellow adventurers. He had chosen this spot because it was close to the entrance in case, he needed to make a run for it back behind the wall while also being one of the lesser used sides of the city.
Alex had splurged on an enchanted bag which lessened the weight of the items inside while also slightly increasing the space slightly. It had set him back for future purchases but having it meant that he could stay out and fight for longer collecting items and fighting monsters that could bring him more Tower Points per excursion.
Suddenly, a group of wraiths loomed before him. Their ethereal forms were elusive, continuously oscillating between being visible and invisible. As Alex sensed the build-up of energy around him, he instinctively extended his hand towards the spectral beings. His body began to serve as a conduit, attracting and harnessing the ambient electricity before redirecting it towards the impending threat.
The supernatural entities were agile, yet the surge of lightning released from Alex's hand had an unrivalled speed. The charged bolt struck with such force that the wraiths were instantaneously reduced to a mass of glowing ectoplasm and residual energy. After the brief interruption, Alex resumed his task of collecting the scattered treasures.
Despite their persistence, the wraiths were more of a nuisance than a real danger to Alex. The risk escalated only when they assembled into a formidable group. In such instances, the danger lay in the possibility of Alex failing to release his electrifying attack in time. Nevertheless, his constant vigilance and quick response time had, so far, ensured his survival amidst the spectral harassment.
Alex scanned the battlefield again wary of some of the larger groups of undead. It was harder for Alex to see the full area when he was on the ground compared to when he sat on the wall. He did not want to be unintentionally snuck up on or attacked by more than he wished. Alex turned direction toward the nearest gate and slung his bag back so that he could start jogging.
Alex returned his focus to his status and current level. With a smile he pulled it up.
<<<>>>
Name: Alex
Path: Magic (Sub-Path: Lightning)
Rating: G
Level: 17 (6%)
Abilities (1/1):
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Manipulate Electricity [F]
Tower Points: 3345
<<<>>>
Alex patted his bag and continued to jog. He had felt the slight change while killing the wraiths, but the visual confirmation felt good to Alex. With the level up his pool of mana would grow and so would his regeneration rate. This in turn allowed him to channel more lightning strikes before resting. Overall, it was a good change. Still, he had a long way to go.
On occasion level 25 undead approached the wall causing chaos amongst the climbers. They each wished for a piece of the XP and possible loot that came from slaying a creature. On a less stormy day Alex had watched from the wall as groups of climbers fought over the kill. Some lost their lives unnecessarily to other climbers. The death of a climber gave Tower Points and XP after all.
The rest of the trip back to the city went by smoothly for Alex. The guards let him through as soon as he had passed the barricades. A few climbers gave him looks for being on his own, but their gazes moved on quickly from him. There was little to note about him, so they didn’t wait around and stare at him or anyone else. He had gotten quite good about being of little importance and note to everyone around himself. Alex’s only notable item was his cloak though even that was only a single unique item among many that climbers tended to accumulate. Some of the best climbers or those of higher level or status tended to find or have custom gear crafted. It was a status symbol of sorts to have one-of-a-kind items rather than more mass market gear made for the common man.
Alex turned toward one of the market streets in search of his regular shop. He had settled on selling most of his excess loot to the Blacksmith’s guild. They could pick up and trade the items Alex didn’t need for items and materials better suited for Angela and her profession.
A bell clinked as he entered the shop. The shopkeeper looked up from his work.
"Ah, you are back!" The shopkeeper's voice echoed warmly throughout the shop as Alex entered. His face, a landscape of laughter lines and age, spread into a broad smile. "You're back from your travels, I see?"
Alex nodded, gesturing to his bag that bulged with the prizes of his latest expedition. He unloaded a handful of unusual objects onto the counter: a skeleton's core, ethereal ghost shards, spectral threads and more.
"Quite a collection you've brought back, Alex." The shopkeeper's eyes flared with intrigue as he leaned in to examine the assortment of items. The light reflected off the ghost shards, casting an eerie glow around the room.
"What's the current value for these?" Alex questioned. The shopkeeper chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mirth as he sat back, appraising the array of loot spread before him.
"Well now, let's see..." He murmured, tallying potential prices on a nearby piece of parchment. "These ghost shards could be quite valuable in the hands of a potent mage. As for the skeleton cores, well, those are always sought after."
After much bargaining and discussion, they eventually reached a satisfactory agreement. In exchange for his undead loot, Alex received a host of crafting materials from the shopkeeper: an array of simple ores, monster leather of a few different qualities, and some enchanting reagents so that Angela could start on the magical enhancement part of her sub class. All would be beneficial for Angela's crafting pursuits.
Alex thanked the shopkeeper and packed up his bag. The doorbell clinked again as he exited. He turned toward the south portal and started taking the most direct route there. After a few minutes he paused and stopped. He looked to the shadows and tsked.
“How did you find me?” asked Alex to the Archer.
“It is easy nowadays but, in the beginning, it took some time. Finding you comes from a simple fact. There are only two ways out of this floor. That lets me and anyone else interested in following you do another simple thing, wait you out. Once I caught you leaving one of the portals, I was able to follow you around the second floor and now I know at least a few of the common shops you are likely to sell at. And that is how I found you now. Now a question of my own. How are you able to spot me through the invisibility skill.”
“I can see your body movement and heat through my mana senses. Even if you cover my eyes, I can still see you in a sense.”
“Interesting. I’ll have to watch out for that if I encounter any other strange mages.”
“Why are you here Archer?” asked Alex in irritation.
“I’m here for two things. First, I’m here to tell you that your problems have been taken care of regarding Earth. You are back to being reported dead or at least missing in the Tower. No more people should come after you until you make more enemies. Secondly, I am here to give you an assignment.”
“I don’t work for the government,” Alex responded.
“Neither do I. Officially at least. I need to hunt down someone and could use your skills. Your magic is very useful, and I would like to use it to take down someone non-lethally.” He emphasized the last word.
“Don’t you have some people on hire that can help you out. Another mage or fighter?”
“Things are busy, and no one is available on short notice. I recently finished up the removal of a drug organization so now I have been assigned to take down a high-value target. One that you will help me with.”
“Why should I join you. Our business should have been done as soon as you left the shop.”
“Our business then was concluded but I need someone now and you are the convenient choice. You did a good job against the drug smuggling group and have proven the skills needed to join me. Your lightning magic is very useful with its focus on utility rather than all on force. It will be worth your time to join me.”
“It should be, and it better be paid.”
“It will,” the Archer answered.
“Food and lodging for however long this takes.”
“It should only be a week.”
“And I want the rest of my pay to be in materials for Angela. I won’t be here anymore to gather resources for her, and she needs them to progress. Can you do that?” asked Alex.
“I will make the arrangements to have some materials sent for her to last her the week. I will pay for our lodgings too, but it will only include one meal a day. Anything else we will hunt for ourselves or buy ourselves.”
“I can work with that. Tell me what I need to know about this guy and what you have so far.”