Two weeks of tasks for Arcanius later, Rai and Isa simultaneously completed their sixth mana circles. That same day, they finished upgrading their qi cores to sixth tier.

“I never get tired of the euphoria of breaking through to the next realm,” Rai said with a smile. “Completing a new circle is a rush, and so is upgrading to a new tier, but there’s something about having both that gives me an almost druglike high for days. And it only gets stronger the more advanced I become. And doing it on the same day? This is something else.”

“I know what you mean,” Isa replied with a toothy grin. “And to top it off, it’s proof that I’m making great strides to achieving my ultimate goal of becoming a dragon.”

“Yi-meep?”

Rai petted Braveheart’s head. “I guess it’s different for you, but for us, it’s a powerful feeling.”

“Now we need to train – develop new arts and learn new spells,” Isa said. I’m not saying we should stop doing the tasks that Arcanius sets for us, but… since there’s no real point to trying to make progress toward the next realm until he decides to give us information, we might as well spend out free time settling into our new realm.”

“Agreed.”

They soon realized that their capacity for new arts was diminished compared to what they had expected based on prior experience reaching a new tier: both of them could engrave one fewer art than expected into their qi core. Rai could learn two new sixth tier arts, but no new fifth tier (instead of one); Isa could learn two new sixth tier and one new fifth tier (instead of two). As they had reached an even-numbered tier, they couldn’t learn new stance abilities yet, since those were learned at odd-numbered tiers.

Within a week, they had mastered those new arts. Isa opted to learn a variant of one of Rai’s fifth tier arts, Whirling Slash, which attacked all foes in her halberd’s range with a single whirling swing. She also developed a sixth-tier version of the second-tier art Silver Rush, called Golden Rush, which increased the damage dealt by charging attacks. Her final new art she called Piercing Aura, which was a thrusting attack that shot out a dozen feet of spear aura from the spearhead of her halberd, piercing through all enemies in its way, not only dealing extra damage beyond what a normal thrust would, but also crushing any physical damage resistance those entities might possess.

For his part, Rai’s mastery of Dimensional Strike and Hyperdimensional Strike led to the creation of the sixth tier art Ultra Dimensional Strike, which could attack at a range of fifty-five feet and was not only stronger than the second tier and fourth tier versions, but had a chance to knock a struck foe down. He also developed another elemental art, this one forgoing use of his sword entirely in favor of simply mixing qi and mana together to conjure a twenty-foot-thick ring of fire and lightning around himself that would briefly stun those caught within.

As they trained, they also discovered the extent to which their other capabilities had improved. In addition to the standard increase in ability to withstand and survive damage and the increase to all physical, mental, and magical attributes, they each had new abilities as well as improved existing ones. For example, Rai’s Dimension Dodge, the ability that allowed him to briefly step out of phase with the material world to avoid area effect attacks, had upgraded to Flicker Dodge, which ensured that even if he failed to evade – such as if he couldn’t move – he would still flicker in an out, taking greatly reduced damage. Isa’s Berserk Mode had also upgraded, increasing its benefits by fifty percent; additionally, her body’s toughness that reduced damage taken from physical sources now doubled while in Berserk Mode.

And that was just the beginning. Braveheart’s soul bond with Rai had matured, bolstering her magical attunement and agility as well as increasing the ability of her normally luxuriously soft fur to harden and deflect physical attacks and making her highly resistant to harmful spells. Skycloud had also grown slightly tougher and more combat capable as a result of a maturing blood bond with Isa.

Rai and Isa had also both developed new star energy capabilities. By expending star energy stored in his qi core, Rai could add an extra attack to any combo (or turn an art strike into a combo with an extra attack), the extra attack always being a Deadly Strike that targeted vitals, even if an opponent would normally be able to guard their vitals too well for him to perform such a strike. Isa, on the other hand, could now expend qi core star energy to perform a perfect parry, guaranteeing that she could negate an attack without even needing to use a combat art. Both also now had the ability to expend star energy from their mana hearts to overcharge a magic spell, increasing durations and intensifying damage as well as making it harder to resist; this could be used in combination with “normal” star-energy-enhancement of spells.

Lastly, during their training, Rai learned to target pressure points when attacking unarmed, vastly increasing the harm he could inflict by relying on his superior dexterity instead of his less impressive physical strength, while Isa developed what she called a “Death Blow,” a special all-in attack that required her to stand still and throw her weight into the strike, causing her to deal vast amounts of damage – enough to easily bisect even most other sixth realm combat artists, hence the name.

Learning the new spells that they now had available space in their soul/blood for, however, frustratingly eluded them.

-x-

“It has been some time since we last spoke,” Archpriest Igra said once they were all seated in her office in Plentira’s Temple of the God of Medicine. “I see you have added to your number. An apprentice?”

“That’s right,” Isa said. “She’s my apprentice in the ways of combat. I hope to eventually make her into something of a dragon knight, riding my bonded drake, Skycloud.”

“Ah. So… why have you come to visit?”

“We’re now sixth circle and sixth tier,” Rai said. “We are ready for any information you may have on what we might hunt for making qi medicines suited to advancing toward seventh tier.”

Igra nodded. “I understand. However… even I am not qualified to make pure, side-effect-free medicine of such high level. For that, you would need to speak to one of the Rulers.”

“And which ruler would that be?” Isa asked.

“The Ruler of Kemlann, a city known for its alchemy. But… I doubt you’d be able to get an audience, let alone convince him to make qi medicine for you. I could make medicine, but it wouldn’t be free of side-effects, and I cannot in good conscience recommend that. I also don’t know of many creatures powerful enough to make medicine that would be useful to you at your tier, and those I do know of I know nothing of where they might be found. …I’m sorry.”

“I suppose that this means that even with a better method, our progress will slow,” Rai said. “It’s unfortunate, but…”

“Then, can you teach us how to make pure qi medicine instead?” Isa asked. “I know the basics of making qi medicine…”

“If you already know the basics, it’s mostly a matter of practice and proper equipment, but the more potent the source is, the more difficult it is to make it pure. Since I have failed to provide you with either a monster or the finished product, why don’t I give you cutting edge equipment? It will take a couple weeks to have it made for you, but I will give it to you free of charge.”

“Are you sure?” Rai said in surprise. “That sounds… expensive.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“I’m certain. I am unable to deliver on my promise, so I must do whatever I can to make it up to you. My honor as the Archpriest demands it.”

“Very well. We accept,” Isa said. “We will return in two weeks to receive the equipment.”

“It will be ready for you.”

-x-

Rai slept.

He dreamed.

Floating in a vast, empty black void, he drifted aimlessly, barely even thinking as he traveled from nothing to nothing. Then, suddenly, he stood on solid ground, a floor of obsidian underneath a red sky. More than two and a half dozen golden threads stretched out of his chest, weaving through the air until they terminated at glowing orbs in the air. The threads were of varying thickness, from the width of a string to that of a finger.

“Ah,” he said, his voice echoing strangely. “Another spell vision. The last time wasn’t anything like this, but…” He waved his hand through some of the threads, which wavered but did not break or block his movement. “I can tell that these are spells, or more accurately spell channels, the paths that my mana must take to culminate in the casting of spells, which are represented by the orbs.”

“Correct,” his own voice said back to him, and when he focused his eyes in front, he saw that there was now a doppelganger of himself standing only a couple dozen feet away. The doppelganger smiled. “Each time you have a spell vision, it is different from the last; each time, it is a little more vivid. And at the end of each vision, you learn a new spell.”

“Though the details are foggy and ephemeral when I awake,” Rai said. “However, I don’t recall there being a copy of me in any of the other ones.”

“Well, you have crossed something of a threshold. You have been so infused with stellar energy that you are functionally not quite human anymore. With this last increase of realm, you have diverged from the normal path of humanity. Should you continue to absorb stellar energy, you will eventually become something… more.”

“I see. And what does that have to do with your existence?”

“I am a fragment of your mind given form. An outgrowth of your consciousness. You could say that I am second mind, subordinate to your ego.”

“What, so I have multiple personalities now?”

“Not exactly. I am a piece of you that can operate independently and in tandem with your conscious self. I have one purpose: to realize your magical potential. It is because of me that you can overcharge your spells now. And it is because of me that you will learn how to disrupt the mana inside the mana hearts of others.”

“That… shouldn’t be possible.”

“And yet I am going to show you how it is done. I will engrave two spells on your soul: Mana Drain and Greater Mana Drain (fourth and sixth circle, respectively). The concept behind these spells is simple: you will create a dangerous resonance within the mana heart of your target. The lesser version begins with causing the target to lose the mana stored to cast a third circle spell. Then, so long as the resonance is not quelled by the willpower of the target, the target will continue to lose another spell every few seconds. Once they run out of third circle spells, they will start losing second circle spells; once they run out of second circle spells, they will start losing first circle spells. The Greater version is the same, except that it begins with fifth circle spells and is, by virtue of being a higher circle spell, more difficult to quell. The resonance continues until quelled, the target loses all spells, or fourteen spells have been lost, whichever occurs first. The maximum number will increase with your realm.”

“That’s… absurdly powerful.”

“So are you. You are more than human. Do not forget that it can be quelled, however.”

“Teach me, then.”

The doppelganger grinned.

“Oh, no, that would be too easy. Mana Drain!”

Rai felt a horrible shaking in his mana heart and nearly bent over to throw up. Mana vanished. He reached into his mana heart and forcibly stabilized it.”

“Good! Now, Greater Mana Drain!”

“Urgh!”

He stabilized his mana heart once more.

“Now, lets see you do it to me!”

“But… don’t we share the same mana heart?”

The doppelganger continued to grin.

“Bastard. Mana Drain! Greater Mana Drain! Ugh!”

“Good! Well done.”

Everything began to fade.

-x-

In Isa’s dream, she faced a dragon. It wasn’t as gigantic as Imperator, but it was still quite large, at least thirty-five feet long. Most of its scales were crimson, but runic patterns in pink and black adorned its limbs, and a dark blue diamond pattern sat between its eyes. Its eyes were molten gold, and its teeth, bared in amusement, looked to be made of diamond and ruby.

“Welcome to your deepest self,” the dragon said in a voice filled with power, but eerily reminiscent of her own. “I am what you could become: a dragon of the highest order. But you are still far away from your goal. While your strength grows day by day, you lack versatility. Here and now, that changes.”

“You’re a potential future me, huh? A personification of my locked-up potential?” Isa tilted her head. “I don’t believe you. You’re too chatty. Besides… I’ve never had spell visions like Rai, I’ve always unlocked my new spells myself. This dream is quite vivid, but there’s no way that I’ve started having spell visions of my future self now. What are you, really?”

“I am what I say I am… though it might also be more accurate to call me a manifestation of your blood, awakened. By absorbing stellar energy and infusing it into yourself in such quantities, you have transformed your very nature. Where once you might have become a normal dragon, now your path diverges. You have transcended normality and become something unique.”

“So you’re saying that my blood, the source of my magic, has gained a will of its own?”

“No. I am not a distinct entity. I am an aspect of you. Once you leave this dream, I will become nothing more than instinct. And yet, it is that instinct that has guided you already, allowing you to Overcharge your spells. So listen now, and I shall grant you a path forward.”

Some time later, after a period of guidance and selection of spells, she prepared to fight.

“Flickerform!” she cast, the third circle spell causing her form to appear to flicker and jump around erratically, greatly increasing the chance that attacks would miss her due to aiming at the wrong spot. She clashed with the dragon, her claws barely piercing its almost crystalline scales. A snapping bite closed in an inch in front of her face, striking a false image.

“Disintegration!”

A thin green ray shot from her claw, striking the dragon. It grunted, resisting the sixth circle spell and taking relatively minor damage.

“Disintegration!”

This time she aimed at a patch of ground under one of its feet, and a ten-by-ten-by-ten-foot cube vanished, putting it off balance. She tore into it in a frenzy before being tossed through the air by a tail swipe.

“Excellent! Now, experience what it is like to die!”

The dragon pounced, ripping into her with claws and teeth. She rolled to her feet and fought back, but the dragon was relentless, and she had neither her weapon nor the ability to enter Berserk Mode here. Eventually, she fell. Her consciousness floated up above her fallen form, and she watched as the dragon demonstrated the incredible power of her newly unlocked fifth circle healing spell.

“Blood of Life!”

A drop of blood fell from the dragon’s foreclaw to her forehead, sinking in. Her awareness was sucked back into her body and her eyes snapped open.

“There, you see? Five times the healing power of Healing Blood, and the ability to revive someone who died in the last few seconds, before their soul departs. This was, of course, a mere simulation, but the spell works just as effectively in actuality.”

-x-

Over the next two weeks, as though the dreams had been floodgates opening, they both learned the entirety of their new allotment of spells. Rai gained a third circle upgrade to the basic zeroth circle spell Repair, called Mystic Repair, which allowed him to fix not only damaged but completely destroyed magic items, restoring their magic as well as their form. He also learned a fifth circle spell called Major Illusion, which was identical to the third circle Greater Illusion (visual, auditory, olfactory, and thermal effects) except that instead of requiring concentration for its duration, it lasted for fourteen minutes (two minutes per circle Rai possessed, plus two for the ring he wore) and its nature and actions were determined at the moment of casting rather than controlled while it lasted. Finally, he gained the ability to create a temporary telepathic link between himself and several others lasting two hours (another fifth circle spell) and a new sixth circle attack spell called Elemental Chain, which targeted a series of enemies with elemental energy that jumped between them.

Isa learned two more spells: Waterdwell, a spell that gave the target the ability to breathe underwater and swim as freely as a fish for twelve hours, and Illusory Form, an illusion spell that wrapped its targets in total illusion disguising them as whatever type of person or creature she wanted. Seeing through the illusion, while difficult, was technically possible if someone interacted with the affected individuals, mostly due to the fact that the actual size and shape might differ dramatically from the illusion’s size and shape, enabling the observant and strong-willed to pick up on discrepancies in how the affected individual interacted with the world compared to the illusion.

They picked up the qi-medicine-making equipment, then decided to gather the rest of the components needed for the resurrection ritual. They were as strong as they were going to be for quite some time, so there was no point in delaying any further.