A Frost Missile formed in my palm. I pointed it straight at the courtyard wall, eyeing the proper angle.

It had a range of 100 meters. At least, nominally. But was that just the initial range of travel, or did that include the ricochet range as well? That is to say, could the Frost Missile travel 100 meters, ricochet, and travel more distance beyond that?

"Frost Missile," I whispered. The spell's description flashed across my mind once more.

FROST MISSILE RANGE: 100 meters COST: 55 Mana COOLDOWN: 5 seconds You fire a Frost Missile that collides with the first target in its path, dealing 70 (+90% Arcana Point) magic damage and reducing their speed by 50% for 2 seconds. Upon initial impact, the Frost Missile ricochets at a 90-degree angle, allowing it to repeat its effects again with a second target.

The description scarcely made things any less ambiguous. At this point, all I could do was hope. I let the missile loose.

image [https://imgur.com/sHzH979.png]

The shard of ice shot into the wall, cratering it on impact, then bounced off. It sailed right past the giant before dissipating in a puff of shimmering air.

I could eye it well enough. From me to the wall, the missile traveled 100 meters. From the wall to where it dissipated, about just as far. The angle of ricochet, 90 degrees. Total distance, just over 140 meters by the Pythagorean theorem.

I shifted my extended palm just a few degrees, visualizing the proper angle, taking my time to aim. I fired a second Frost Missile into the wall. This time, it bounced straight into the giant, shredding a chunk of rock off its back.

By now it must've realized. With its palms clasped to the floor, immobile and outranged, it had no option but to approach us. It lifted its hands from the soil, claws curled in ire. At that same moment the many spears disintegrated, crumbling back to join the dust from which they had risen. The giant picked up its sword and charged. I sustained my projectile attacks. Mr. Atlas moved forward to meet the onslaught, and Hei followed suit at his heel, pelting the giant with spear-throws as he neared. The giant sank into the earth. Burning fractures broke the ground behind me; I moved away in anticipation of its reappearance. But Mr. Atlas, already far away and ahead of us, launched his hookshot back at a spot on the ground near the bulged, fractured earth. He reeled himself to the edge of the bulge, then raised his axe to charge a Heavy Cleave.

The giant surfaced from the heated earth-patch, splattering lava, but we had all positioned far enough to avoid the splash. That also meant Mr. Atlas's Cleave would hardly reach, even with the range of its shockwave. Before he could even finish charging the Cleave, the giant dashed away from him and toward me. Its steps shook my bones. Its frame towered above me. I braced myself for the worst, but Hei dove to intercept the giant, his spear-tip cackling with lightning. He thrusted the weapon's steel point at the giant's torso. The walls of the courtyard quaked as his blow repelled the giant. Its massive legs raked parallel furrows through the lilies, until it skidded to a halt right next to Mr. Atlas. Atlas gave a single nod at Hei in thanks.

Atlas's axe struck down. Its blade sank into the top of the giant's chest. A terrible gnash echoed across the courtyard.

Stolen novel; please report.

The giant, and the red crystal in its chest, split. Two halves, right and left, with a clean cut separating them. They toppled over and shattered into a million pieces.

The walls of the courtyard – the whole castle – began to disintegrate around us, as if in accompaniment to the fall of the giant. Hefty stone bricks crumbled like dried sand. The metal bars hidden within rusted themselves into flakes. In a matter of seconds the entire castle had unmade itself into debris, save for a single, lone fragment of a wall that remained pristine. It was the wall by which Becky laid, sheltered behind the wooden door.

And then came the quiet. I saw the lanes beyond the castle, where they had been before. I saw the trees that gently waved, and the slow-moving clouds. But nothing else came. No one came to congratulate us, nor did any portal open to guide us home. It took a while for me to notice, but there was something new. Back at where we had entered the castle, back at its mid-lane gate, there was now a cottage, one that had not been there before.

"Check on Saber," Mr. Atlas told us before hurrying off to Becky.

Hei and I ran over to Saber, who laid still among the flowers.

"Saber," Hei called. Her eyelids fluttered weakly in response. He put a finger at her nose.

"Still breathing," he told me. I let loose a pent-up exhale, and allowed myself to fall to my knees beside her, in both exhaustion and half-relief. I checked my leg. The skin there reddened and oozed now, and felt tender as the lily stalks brushed against it. Second degree burn, probably. I then looked to Hei, who had a few cuts and small burns. Were those from the flaming wolves? Hopefully nothing he couldn't heal up in a day's time.

"Should we try to wake Saber up?" I asked.

"I WANT TO HEAL HER!" Saber suddenly shouted. Her hand rocketed into the air, as though to seize something in the sky. And her eyes were wide-open now. I saw a faint aura dance across her outstretched hand, then ripple across the rest of her body. A level-up.

Her arm gently fell back to her side. And she closed her eyes once more.

"Saber," I called to her. "You're awake?"

"Second ability, Smite," she recited to me. "Melee range. 30 mana. 8 seconds cooldown. Deals bonus damage to monsters and non-player units."

As she spoke, her voice broke into a hoarse croak.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, squeezing the words out high pitched and amidst her sobs. She curled in her legs and hugged them against her chest, and trembled as she wept.

"Saber, please…" I began, before trailing off for a lack of words.

A gentle glow shone across my own sight. The image of a spellbook flashed across my mind. It was the spellbook I had chosen when I first gained my magic.

New ability: VORTEX SHIELD Shield yourself for 50 (+70% Arcana Point) HP, then launch the shield for 50 (+70% Arcana Point) magic damage.

So that was how it worked. You only got to pick your abilities once, at the beginning. No distant woman's voice would listen to your pleas again, of what you wanted or needed to receive.

Mr. Atlas carried Becky's limp body out from behind the wooden door. He looked at us, kept his eyes on Saber for a moment, then looked to the new house that had appeared near what used to be the castle's entrance. He walked off towards the house.

The rest of us caught up to him while he neared the entrance of the cottage. It looked well-maintained, if not new. It had roofs tiled a warm gray, and two stories, with white-painted walls and clear glass windows. Red and pink flowers grew out from the windowsills, and their vines dangled down the walls. The front door, made from wood and painted maroon, had an opened lock on it, with the key still in the keyhole. Any other day, it'd have been a charming little house. Mr. Atlas brought Becky inside. He laid her upon a bed in the corner of the living room. Another bed stood at the opposite corner.

I knelt down by her, my heart aching. Her finger still looked translucent, but not any more than before. And she still breathed, though shallowly. Mr. Atlas looked around the cottage, and managed to fetch a pot of water from the kitchen. The water looked crystal-clear inside the iron pot. He then went back to rummage hectically inside the cupboards.

"Becky," I said to her as I held my waterskin up to her lips. "We did it. We won. You'll be alright now." I wanted to add, we can finally go home, but my hopes for that were dwindling by the minute.

"...Mama," she said.

"I'm here. It's me, Sophia."

She turned her face weakly away from me. "...Mama," she repeated.

And with that, she fell silent. Her body dissolved into motes of light. They floated about the bed before fading into nothingness.