OVERPOWERED CHAPTER 13: A MISERABLE STUDY
SLANE THEOCRACY, INNER REALM OF MAN
It was a sunny day in the city of Silksuntecks, the capital of the Slane Theocracy that has withstood the test of time and inhuman horrors over the centuries. But despite the peaceful state of the city, the citizens of the greatest and oldest of the human nations in the world were in a state of constant worry that showed in their attempt of going about their day normally, only to move with a nervous demeanour that any outsider could see plainly.
Deep within the headquarters of the Slane Theocracy's government in the inner sanctum of the Six Cardinals, a furious debate was in progress as several members continued to bicker.
"I warned you! I warned you that we should have allocated more resources to hunt down that mad woman but you refused to listen Raymond. Well enough is enough. The time to act is now!" said the Cardinal of Wind, Dominic Ihre Partouche. The Cardinal of Earth, Raymond Zarg Lauransan could only receive the rebuke silently with a stoic expression as the other Cardinals continued to fling out their own opinions and arguments on the disaster that is occurring in the Inner Realm.
The Cardinal of Darkness, Maximilian Oreio Lagier, stood up to say his piece. He was so displeased with the recent events that he dismissed his floating books before he proceeded to speak. "The theft of the Crown of Wisdom should have warranted a more appropriate response brother Raymond. Instead of just a token force of the Windflower Scripture, we should have mobilized the full force of the Theocracy and swiftly brought Windstride to justice. Then maybe the disaster at E-Rantel wouldn't have come to pass and the entirety of the Inner Realm wouldn't be teetering on the brink of collapse." Declared Maximilian solemnly.
The theft of a powerful item and the death of one of the Six Miko Princesses was an event that should have forced the Theocracy to act immediately. But with the upcoming revival of a powerful Dragon Lord prophesized by the 7th seat of the Black Scripture to happen soon and the recent news of the Sunlight Scripture's destruction, the Cardinals opted to take a passive approach to a "minor" event that it blew up in everyone's faces.
Clementine "Windstride", sister and body double of the 5th seat Quaiesse Hazeia Quintia as well as former 9th seat of the Black Scripture, was thought to have been a low priority on the list of problems the Slane Theocracy needed to rectify. She possessed negligible amount of strength that it was decided the Windflower Scripture would be enough to capture if not kill her and retrieve the stolen item.
While the Crown of Wisdom was an important item for the ritual spells conducted by the Theocracy, having five more additional priestesses on hand made it less of a priority to divert any resources into trying to get it back quickly. The item's restrictions was also a failsafe to buy them enough time to find it and deal with the renegade.
It was a shock that Clementine was able to find someone capable of using the item, even worse was the ritual conducted with the crown's power. As if mocking her former affiliations, the traitor joined forces with the death cult Zurrernorn to fulfil some twisted desire to bring more death and destruction than what she could accomplish alone.
She succeeded in that goal, succeeded too well in fact.
Zurrernorn had been secretly planning to sacrifice the city of E-Rantel in order to perform an ancient ritual called the Death Spiral. The ritual works by creating enormous amounts of negative energy from the heavy concentration of undead and the deaths that would follow in order to "elevate" the caster to become one of the undead, an immortal being capable of legendary magics in the realm of gods.
Rather than transform whoever performed the ritual, it instead created an unending tide of undead that flooded the surrounding area of E-Rantel with so much negative energy that more powerful undead creatures were born as well as empowering the rest that already existed. From Death Knights to Liches, the army of corpses turned the once bustling city of the living into a bastion of death.
It was a disaster beyond anything humanity has ever experienced, nearly dwarfing the terrible reign of the Evil Deities. The Theocracy was able to cover up their indirect involvement in this tragedy, but once the truth gets out it would cause irrevocable damage to the oldest human nation's reputation and credibility as the greatest defenders of humanity.
The woman responsible for it all still remains free to this day, to the immense chagrin of the Slane Theocracy. It is unknown if she survived the events of E-Rantel and escaped from the mass of undead, but with the lingering chaos from the crisis it was impossible to track her down now even if the undead rising was somewhat under control.
"We're getting off topic here. This undead rising is a sign that the Black Scripture needs to stop their preparations for a future threat that might appear and focus on eliminating a threat that is active now; the traitor Jasper Hart!" declared Cardinal Dominic.
Cardinal Raymond responded immediately to his hot-headed compatriot's demands, the supreme leader of the Six Scriptures glaring down at the Cardinal of Wind. "The predictions of the 7th seat are never wrong. And even if the timeline has not been clearly stated, the Black Scripture must remain vigilant in order to subjugate the Catastrophe Dragon Lord once it appears! Preventing a rampaging Dragon Lord from causing more chaos is hardly an illogical choice compared to your lust for vengeance that you confuse for justice!"
The Cardinal of Fire, Berenice Nagua Santini, interrupted before another screaming match could begin. "Brother Dominic may have spoken in anger but he speaks the truth, Brother Raymond. We took Clementine lightly and now look at the devastation she has wrought. The crisis might have subsided with results far better than we could have predicted but we shouldn't tempt fate again. Jasper Hart presents an even greater threat that could possibly spell the end of everything the Great Six have built."
Right after Cardinal Berenice gave her warning, another Cardinal rose to speak his piece on the matter. One of the shrewdest among the Six Cardinals, the Cardinal of Water, Zinedine Delan Guelfi spoke his measured words.
"…We should suspend all previous and future operations of the Black Scripture to focus on the elimination of Bleeding Heart." declared Zinedine, to the shock of most of his fellow Cardinals and satisfaction for Dominic. He paused for a few minutes to let his comrades take in what he just said before continuing.
"Windstride's actions have set a dangerous precedent to how the Theocracy deals with traitors. We should have rendered swift judgement rather than waste time with overcaution." the Cardinal of Water once again stopped to pause and gather his thoughts while the others stirred in their seats.
"The timeline of the Catastrophe Dragon Lord's revival was not wholly clear to begin soon, and in the time we neglected to handle the immediate emergencies to look at the bigger picture that the entire gallery burst into flames. The traitor Clementine is only the beginning, we will only continue to invite another disaster if we waste more time practicing misplaced caution when we could solve problems that are right in front of us. Speeches, negotiations and planning have run their course, now is the time to act." Cardinal Zinedine ended with a foreboding statement that reminded everyone of what they have been arguing for months.
Just as Raymond was about to make his verdict he was interrupted by the incensed and vindicated Dominic, the Cardinal of Wind slamming his fist on the table to punctuate his growing annoyance. "How long will you continue to shield that traitorous bastard Raymond?! Everyone else has seen sense but you. You've continued to delay and make excuses for Hart when it should be obvious that his execution should have been done long ago-"
"HE WAS A HERO!"
The thunderous announcement silenced any more words that the other Cardinals would have voiced out. It was an extremely rare occurrence for the Cardinal of Earth to lose his temper, and it would behove them to listen to his words now.
"Or more accurately he is still a hero…the greatest hero that the Theocracy has ever produced and one of the last few remnants of greatness that our nation possessed before the blood of heroes began thinning over the generations that have passed. Jasper Hart was more than just a simple veteran soldier or a number to notch in reports, he was the best of us. His legacy continues to inspire those in the Slane Theocracy and Inner Realm to this very day, even years after his exile."
Cardinal Raymond had a sad expression that was mirrored by his fellow Cardinals, even the belligerent Cardinal of Wind lost his usual bluster to think twice about his stance on the execution of a great hero.
The truth of the matter is that Jasper's reputation as a great hero among the Theocracy was never altered or hidden, the people of the nation as well as the rest of the Inner Realm still view the old soldier as one of the greatest heroes alive, beloved and admired by all. His deeds during service as a soldier has made the renegade wanderer a living legend that even announcing his defection from the Theocracy would have severe consequences.
It was for that reason his disappearance was never announced and the Six Scriptures never mobilized to eliminate the great hero, why despite the numerous treasonous and heretical actions he has committed while still a soldier of the Theocracy never ended with execution.
"You of all people should understand this Dominic. He once saved your life, did he not? And stories of his deeds have inspired everyone in this room, not only the hopeful heroes to be outside. Jasper Hart is many things, but first and foremost he is a great hero who is living proof of the benevolence of the Six Great Gods flow in his veins just as much as their divine blood." Raymond ended his tirade with a tired sigh and sat back down as if a heavy weight was pressing down on his shoulders.
The Slane Theocracy would have been content to let Hart live the final years of his life in exile without any retaliation. But now that the former soldier turned traveller has disrupted the peace with his involvement in the destruction of the Sunlight Scripture, his execution is all but confirmed to be necessary regardless of past deeds in serving mankind. With all other options exhausted, the Cardinal of Earth was ready his final verdict on the matter.
Raymond hopes that Zesshi's sudden apathy towards Jasper is true and not an act to hide her lingering affection for her former partner. The half-elf was quite close to the old soldier and her attitude improved greatly when she was partnered with him as guards of the divine reliquary. Ever since he left, Antilene's attitude changed for the worse and became even more difficult to control.
One awakened god-kin running amok was bad, having the trump card of the Slane Theocracy rebelling is a disaster worse than the undead rising.
Once again, Raymond stood up from his seat and made the final judgement after many months of stalling and hopeless efforts to find a more lenient judgement for one of the last generation of heroes.
"The subjugation of the Catastrophe Dragon Lord is hereby suspended until further notice. Lady Kaire will be instructed be on standby with the sacred relic." With that announcement, the tension in the air increased tenfold as the Cardinal of Earth finish his ominous statement.
"The Black Scripture is now issued a new mission; the elimination of Jasper Hart. May Surshana grant his blessings to the Scripture, while also granting the traitor peace in his embrace."
ASTERION, OUTER REALM OF MONSTERS AND BEASTS
In the grand library of Daedalus Castle, Felix was trying to write down a few ancient texts about arcane lore to a piece of parchment. The budding adventurer was now undergoing lessons in magic under the purview of Asterion's greatest magic user, the grand wizard Argus.
Once the old Minotaur calmed down from his excitement of meeting someone who has surpassed the limits of mortals in performing Tier Magic above the 6th tier, Argus proved to be a very relaxed teacher unlike his other mentors.
Felix was surprised he wouldn't be blasted with fireballs or thrown off a cliff to practice flight spells. Despite not really being in danger if he did experience those types of lessons, he appreciated being able to relax somewhat in a few lessons every now and then. There was only one caveat in his current lessons so far and it had to do with the writing.
Snap*
The quill in the young adventurer's hand snapped the moment he went to write down the next paragraph. With a small sigh he threw the now useless writing implement to a small but growing pile of similarly snapped quills.
Ever since coming back from the battle against Baphomet's golems a few days ago Felix was suffering from a loss of regulating his strength, leading to him accidentally breaking every door and item in the castle. He was glad that the king was so understanding of Felix's troubles that he waved away any talk of repaying the cost of repairs, reassuring the young adventurer that the castle had plenty of accidents like these every now and then.
Jasper could only chuckle as he watched his student tip toing throughout the castle like it and everything around him was made of glass. After having a good few laughs the old traveller explained that this was a normal thing to happen once someone overcomes great trials. Once someone reaches the zenith of their current capabilities, they undergo a drastic increase in power through a process termed "lair-bellup".
This actually answered a few questions on his abnormal strength that he displayed as his training continued with Jasper. His body not only possessing the power of a video game character but still receiving experience and getting stronger just like in a video game; Levelling up. The question that remains is what would be his limit?
"Good to know that all that grinding work I did also translated as grinding in a video game. But how do I tell what level I am currently without the game panel? thought Felix as he reached for another quill to replace the one he snapped again.
Holding the quill more delicately than how he did with the last one, the young adventurer continued to ponder on his future development as well as the potential dangers of encountering enemies that have reached the max level.
"If I remember correctly about basic levelling, the level cap for players would be level 100 with special boss monsters being the only ones that could go over the cap. At some point I would reach my own limit and I have a feeling that worse things are still coming even if I reach the level cap…"
As Felix finally finished writing down the notes that Argus told him to complete, the old Minotaur finally made an appearance through the doors of the grand library. Despite being appointed his teacher after Brutus passed on the role of mentorship to the grand mage, Argus's only instructions were for Felix to copy down numerous texts before starting their lessons. It wasn't a total loss seeing as the young adventurer still got to read and memorise all the notes that he copied, but he does want to learn more about magic from one of the few people in the world that rivals if not surpasses Jasper in terms of magical knowledge.
"Hello young Felix! I see that you finally finished up writing down the notes that I need for some of my classes. Its good to have some help in doing mundane tasks to give me the time to tend to other matters." Greeted the wizened Minotaur.
"No young Felix, I did not use you to complete a few errands and ignore your own lessons. I believe you found the ancient texts enlightening while copying them down? And for the other matters that I was taking care of, they included searching for the perfect reward that is owed to you for your assistance in defending Asterion against the golems."
With the explanation from Argus sinking in, Felix calmed down but still grumbled a little at how he was used to copy notes for grand mage.
"There's always a catch when it comes to whose teaching me. Either they're lunatics that think holding back refers to leaving me alive after beatdown or a convenient assistant."
Argus gathered the large stack of notes that his human student completed while also noticing the pile of broken quills on the table next to Felix.
"Ah I see you're still getting used to the lair-bellup boost? I guess you could see this writing exercise as a way to help you regulate your strength then young Felix." Said the old Minotaur cheekily, excusing himself for pawning off work on the young human as special training. The young adventurer could only grumble in response.
"Well now that you completed the boring part of the lessons, how about we get straight to the point. Start from the beginning of your experience in using magic so we can get a rough estimate on your future lesson plan." After arranging the notes to the side, the old Minotaur took a seat near Felix and looked straight into his human student's eyes. Shaking off the annoyance he felt earlier, Felix then told everything from the basics of magic that Jasper taught to the first spell he casted.
After being told of the young adventurer's journey in using magic as well as his other misadventures in the Outer Realm, the grand mage of Asterion stroke his long beard with a pensive expression.
"For you to surpass the limits of mortals with just a barebone understanding of magic is truly exceptional. But I shouldn't be surprised seeing as who taught you, and it is fitting you follow the path of a sorcerer as it would be the logical choice in the chaotic lands of the Outer Realm."
Argus proceeded to stand up and lazily wave his hand to the side making a blackboard materialize out of nowhere. The old mage proceeded to write on it with a piece of chalk he also conjured.
"As magic spans a vast body of different ideologies and methods of study, lets try to simplify it with the common categorization of study. Now the two professions that are common when one develops and trains their magical abilities are sorcerers and wizards"
Felix read out the basic differences of sorcerers and wizards that was written by Argus, focusing on point that differentiated their methods of learning and developing spells.
"So I'm a sorcerer? Someone that instinctively learns magic just by feeling a flow in magic. Explains how I randomly pull out spells out of my ass in different situations that coincidentally save my life. Now that I think about it, I don't really remember how I got some spells under my belt…"
The young adventurer had a hard time remembering how he learned a majority of the spells that he uses with the exception of fireball since it was the very first one that made him a magic caster and a few other spells Jasper showed him. If he was still in YGGDRASIL he could explain it by his character receiving spells from a quest or levelling up but he just happened to have a mental list of the spells he could perform ready to be cast just by thinking of them.
"No use in overthinking something that benefits me and keeps me alive. Deus ex machina is something to be celebrated now." as he finished thinking about the trope of random hax powers that became integral in helping him stay alive, the description of wizards caught his attention.
The magic users that follow the path of a wizard mainly rely on book learning and practice to develop their magical abilities. It is considered the more common path to pursue magic as talented individuals who are attuned to the flow of magic are extremely rare.
Any more musings that Felix had were put on hold as Argus started talking once he finished his writings on the blackboard. "An important thing to note when discussing a sorcerer and wizards' path of learning is that while sorcerers can study and practice like wizards, the former are unable to connect with magic instinctively as sorcerers do."
With another lazy wave, Argus summoned some books from every bookshelf in the grand library. The floating books then settled in medium piles next to Felix.
"Since you already have a good foundation on how to sense magic and using your instincts to learn it, the best training to develop your magic even further is theoretical study." the old Minotaur said in a cheerful tone as more piles of books continued to grow around the surrounding tables.
"The best training he can offer is hitting the books… It's not like the reading material is boring so this isn't too bad in terms of the previous 'training' I received. I just hope I don't need to make more notes for all of th -"
"Oh yes before I forget, write down notes on every book you read based on the topics you have read. I will be checking up on your progress by the end of the week so you better start now!" Argus bid farewell to his blank faced student in a bright flash of a teleportation spell.
Resisting the urge to slam his head repeatedly on the table, Felix calmly reached for a piece of parchment and quill to begin writing his notes. The sound of scribbling and snapping quills filled the grand library for the rest of the day and the week that followed.
In another part of Daedalus Castle, in the royal vault where Asterion's most potent and priceless treasures were kept, Jasper and his friend Andrius were currently rummaging through the vast collection that originally belonged to the founder of the Minotaur nation as well as other artifacts collected by subsequent rulers of Asterion.
The old traveller and the Minotaur king were currently reviewing a few magical artifacts that would be a perfect fit for Jasper's apprentice. With the strength that he displayed as well as his assistance in defending Asterion, it would be of poor taste to not reward the young man with some decent piece of equipment.
However, they were running into a few problems in finding equipment suited for humans and caters to Felix's unique abilities. With their options of a proper gift not being found among the standard item vaults in the castle, Andrius permitted for Felix's gift to come from the royal vault that contained Asterion's most precious treasures.
No one can argue that the Minotaurs give half-hearted promises and rewards to those that came to their aid. And for someone who helped defend their nation, the young adventurer would only be given the very best that Asterion had to offer.
As Andrius picked up and examined a broadsword that was engraved with the Minotaur Sage's personal insignia, B.S, he spoke to Jasper regarding the plans of the former to enter the Inner Realm of Man.
"Why are you so determined to go back to the Inner Realm after all these years? Surely you don't think the Slane Theocracy would allow your return without retribution, especially after you destroyed one of the Scriptures." Andrius placed the large blade back to its display and inquired his old friend's desire to return from his self-imposed exile.
When Jasper told the same excuse to Andrius that he told Felix, the Minotaur king was not fooled or convinced that his friend was risking a painful death just for sightseeing and "R R". The Slane Theocracy had a harsh policy in dealing with non-humans and heretics, but the ones who suffer worst fates are the traitors that turned their backs on the nation.
Jasper flipped through a magical tome before sighing and placing it down to look at his friend. "I'm sure you understand the real reason already, old friend. Its true that the Slane Theocracy will never stop pursuing me once I decided to act against them. Frankly I just wanted to ensure Felix's journey continues without a hitch while I get ready to finish mine."
"I didn't take you for being a quitter, Hart! What happened to the formidable warrior that saved countless lives at the expense of their own but nonetheless emerged victorious. Since when did my friend become a pitiful coward that accepts their fate as if it was written in stone!" the old traveller didn't flinch or respond to the bellow of the large Minotaur before him, continuing his search for the perfect gift for his apprentice.
The Minotaur king was livid at how his close friend casually walked to his death, his harsh words an attempt to hide the frustration and worry for the old human. If Jasper requested his aid in dealing with the Theocracy, then he would gladly take up arms and muster the forces of Asterion in wiping out the human nation or even provide permanent sanctuary for him and his student.
Its unfortunate that Jasper was too kind for his own good.
The old soldier was still haunted by his past deeds when serving as one of the "heroes" of the Slane Theocracy, his inaction when atrocities were committed and his participation in some of them. Even his last attempt to stop the genocidal campaign against the Elf Country only hastened the suffering of countless lives and began the slow march of extinction for the elves. For the sins that he committed in this life Jasper would seek atonement by embracing his death in full and face the consequences that he deserved, but not before making sure his student can continue his own journey alone.
Felix was one hell of a kid to light the fire in Jasper one more time, and for the old soldier to sacrifice his own life to make sure his student has a future to look forward to without being held back by the mistakes of his teacher.
The old traveller continued searching for an item that would fit his student best before finally coming across something that would be of great benefit to Felix in the long run.
"Finally found one! Are you certain it would be alright for him to receive more than one artifact from the treasury? Every single piece of equipment in this vault is a national treasure of Asterion."
The Minotaur king dismissed Jasper's inquiries with a wave of his hand. "Someone who shed blood to protect Asterion only deserves the very best our nation can offer. And young Felix will need all the help he can get once he starts his journey alone." Andrius coincidentally found two more items that would be a boon for the young human as he finished reassuring his friend.
With the perfect gifts for Felix in hand, the human and Minotaur pair exited the royal vault together. With a loud click royal vault was once again locked and secure before disappearing, the labyrinth magic of Daedalus Castle instantly coming into effect to hide the sacred storage of the kingdom's treasures once again.
"Took us a couple of hours but it will be worth seeing the look on Felix's face when he sees these beauties! Knowing the training methods you and Brutus employ, I'm surprised the lad didn't call it quits earlier or lost another limb." Quipped the Minotaur king.
"As if you wouldn't do worse, old friend! I recall your own training to be so extreme that even the royal guard could only perform a fraction of the exercises you developed."
"Ha ha! You can't blame me for pushing my limits to the utter extreme. It gets boring after decades of no new challenges that a good workout keeps me fresh and ready for action."
After having a few more laughs the friends proceeded to walk towards the personal workshop of the grand mage, Argus. While they are certain the items chosen from the vault would be of unequal quality and perfect for Felix's use it didn't hurt to get another opinion from one of the greatest experts in magical artifacts.
Andrius then remembered the task that he entrusted to Argus regarding the request of Jasper on getting safe passage into the Inner Realm through their contacts with the Baharuth Empire. "While we're there we can also get an update on the current status of the Inner Realm and if Argus was able to get in touch with the Baharuth Empire's magic academy. He's been in contact with their grand mage there and it helped streamlined our trade with the empire for a few years. I think the fella's name is Fluder Paradyne?"
Jasper hummed in recognition of the man that reached the pinnacle of magic despite being a human with no recorded relation to the gods or any god-kin. "So that's why the empire has been chummy with Asterion recently. That man stops at nothing to achieve more knowledge of magic or any items and he would certainly be interested in the magic appliances common in Asterion."
Andrius nodded his head in agreement. "If there's one thing that stokes the interest of mages, it's the promise of knowledge that they don't know or have in their possession. Hopefully Argus was able to make a few more deals that will convince the empire to allow you and Felix low-profile entrance to their territories and straight into the Inner Realm."
Jasper and Andrius' chat was cut short as a human messenger appeared abruptly.
"My king! Lord Jasper! I deeply apologize for the intrusion but I bear grave news from the Inner Realm!
"It appears that all is not well in the Baharuth Empire and the Inner Realm recently, my king. Lord Jasper. The empire's usual channels with us have been silent for quite some time and Fluder Paradyne does not respond to the messages that I have sent." Said Argus while he was inspecting the items brought to him by his king and Jasper.
The workshop of the grand mage was in a messy state with human and Minotaur running around in haste with the recent information that was received about the Inner Realm.
"With official contact not available, I turned to our intelligence division in order to get a clear understanding on why we were cut off abruptly and our spies discovered the grisly tale of disaster that has been unleashed" After making sure that Felix's items are in an adequate state, the grand mage of Asterion waved his hand to summon forth multiple missives and official reports that detail the disaster he mentioned.
"The Inner Realm fell victim to a crisis that started with the mass summoning of undead in the human city of E-Rantel, which resulted in the whole realm being engulfed in massive amounts of negative energy. As you know the presence of even a miniscule amount of negative energy would summon forth a moderate number of undead with even a slight chance of powerful variants coming into existence."
Argus reached for a few orbs enchanted to record images and sounds, and what he showed to the whole room shocked everyone even the veteran soldier and mighty Minotaur king.
The image of a massive undead army composing of a mix of regular zombies and the feared death knights lumbered around in a ruined city. E-Rantel had been transformed into a city of the dead as roars from skeletal dragons taking flight above the city were seen. What made the situation worse was the presence of robed figures floating around and giving orders to larger swathes of undead; Elder Liches.
"But what made this summoning even more dire was the location of where it had been performed. E-Rantel was a strategic location between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire that bordered Katze Plains. As you can imagine the numerous wars waged in the Katze Plains had turned the land into a cesspool of undead and brimming with more negative energy to last centuries. The massive deaths and summoning had galvanized the undead in Katze while also assisting in triggering the spawning of more powerful variants to become common."
The enchanted orbs that Argus brought out switched the images to Katze Plains, with the image showing an even larger undead army slowly marching towards the Re-Estize Kingdom.
"While a majority of the undead from Katze Plains made their way into the territories of Re-Estize, a sizeable portion of the undead armies made their way to the other neighbouring nations. Now this brings the topic of Baharuth Empire's dilemma…" Argus brought up one document that appeared to be stained with some blood, the old Minotaur looking grim.
"Normally the Baharuth Empire wouldn't have much trouble in defending against the undead what with their military being used to incursions from the undead in Katze Plains, but it appeared that the negative energy wave emitted from the summoning in E-Rantel was so potent that it also penetrated deep in the territories of the Inner Realm."
Willing the piece of blood-stained parchment to float in the air, Argus brought out another enchanted orb that showed an image of Arwintar currently under attack by numerous undead. While the inhabitants of the capital were doing their best to defend themselves and attempt to stem the tide, it is clear from the image that the casualties sustained would reduce the once prosperous capital into a mass grave.
"The empire was conducting experiments in the use of undead for labour as well as potential military use. For this purpose they had stockpiled many undead taken from Katze Plains in the capital of the empire under the Ministry of Magic. I don't think I need to explain further why that became a problem later…" Argus then proceeded to bring up more reports and another orb that projected more images to detail the aftermath.
"Fortunately, while the undead rising inflicted massive damage and innumerable casualties in the Inner Realm, the situation was now under control thanks to the actions of those personal mercenaries called adventurers. In fact, the Re-Estize Kingdom was saved thanks to the adventurer team "Twilight of Darkness", led by a mighty warrior named Momon.
The several new images depicted by the orb showed all of the members of Twilight of Darkness. One showed a large warrior clad in dark armour slicing through hordes of undead with ease. The other images depicted a pair of human females with black and red hair fighting off more undead, the dark-haired female unleashing a volley of devastating spells while the one with red hair smashed several skeletons with her staff.
"While Re-Estize Kingdom was able to recover somewhat from this disaster thanks to efforts of their adventurers, the Baharuth Empire's predicament was worsened what with the undead that was already deep in the heart of their territory. The empire appears to still be fighting off the undead with some success but it will be quite a while before they would be able to resume communications with other nations both in the Inner and Outer Realm." With the problems in the Baharuth Empire and Inner Realm explained, Argus dismissed all of the flying reports and enchanted orbs.
Andrius could only sigh as he tried to process the horror that occurred in the Inner Realm and incredulity at how the disaster didn't wipe out all of the weak nations that constituted the human territory. "I guess an undead rising would explain the need for the Baharuth Empire to focus more on their own affairs and foreign interests second. Regarding the undead rising, do we know what caused it in the first place? I doubt any sane human would dabble at summoning that many undead."
"From what little intel we could gather the summoning was conducted by a rogue human cult that dabbles in necromancy. The name of the cult and the summoners are unknown."
"Zurrernorn…the name of the cult is Zurrernorn" replied Jasper, a rare look of anger appearing on the usually jovial old man. It was rare for the old traveller to show such disdain for something, but this cult was an exception.
"They've been in the crosshairs of many nations and even the Slane Theocracy as a threat to not just humanity but life itself. The cult primarily operates as a magic school that studies and experiments with the magic of death and any other profane knowledge no matter the cost. Their activity back in my days of service were rare, but the atrocities that they committed always made my stomach turn worse than what the Theocracy regularly did." After a short recap of what the cult is, Jasper's expression of anger had a tinge of curiosity.
"However, the ultimate goal of all Zurrernorn members would be 'ascending' into the realm of undeath in order to take advantage of the immortality that the undead possess as well as surpassing limits imposed on normal humans. There are rumours that a powerful and unique spell could help transform the caster into an undead being of unparalleled magical might and the cost would be a massive amount of sacrifices… has there been reports of a leader for the undead armies appearing aside from the regular liches? Maybe some members of Zurrernorn being seen commanding some of the armies?"
Argus read a few reports and letters that detailed more information of the Inner Realm's undead crisis before shaking his head. "Aside from baseless rumours and hearsay, there were no reports of survivors from E-Rantel or from the area of the summoning ritual. I'm afraid we're still in the dark of what truly is happening in the Inner Realm and we may never know the full details as the realm is still in turmoil even after most of the devastation had subsided."
Jasper could pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh deeply. With the easy way through the Baharuth Empire's official lanes out of the question, the only option left would be bypassing the Wyvern Canyons to the south and hopefully being able to enter the empire by foot. He didn't have much trouble traversing the wilderness but hiking up mountains would be one of the few things that chafe the veteran soldier especially with his advanced age.
Sigh* "Thanks for helping us try to get the way into the empire, Andy. I owe you and Elder Argus much for this. Mountain climbing isn't my forte but it would be nice to have more quality time with Felix before we part ways once we reach the capital of the empire."
The Minotaur king waved his hand in a nonchalant manner. "Bah nonsense Jasper! I'm happy to help a friend for something simple like travel plans. But you don't have to worry much for provisions as I'll start prepping the equipment that you and young Felix will need. The weather in the canyons have become a bit unstable ever since the increase of wyvern activity and the tribes clashing once again. The wyvern riders shouldn't pose much of a challenge for you and Felix but it doesn't hurt to be cautious."
"Will do Andrius, thanks again. Speaking of Felix how is his magic lessons going, Argus? I thought him basics as best as I could but he would perform better if a true expert of the magical arts tutored him. Has he shown promise for it like I said he would?" enquired Jasper. While the old traveller was well versed in the arts of magic enough to perform moderately powerful spells, his knowledge on more advanced techniques and study is lacking compared to true masters of the art like Argus.
"You don't have to worry, Lord Jasper. Young Felix has proven himself to be a grand mage in the making with his own considerable talent and skill in the art of magic by himself. The only thing he needs to develop further is hands on experience and more studying. I have instructed him to write up some basic notes with the books provided in the grand library. He must be making great progress by now before I check up on him at the end of the week!"
On the other side of the castle where the grand library is located, Felix was currently buried under a few piles of books after throwing a broken quill in rage when it snapped. A mixture of curses and some sobs can be heard under the piles of books as everyone that was near the library steered clear of it when hearing the sounds of misery.
After countless snapped quills, torn parchment and fighting off the urge to break all of the furniture in the library with his head Felix was finally finished with his self-study and note taking of all the books provided by Argus. While it was a very grating process earlier on, once he finally learned to properly hold quills delicately, studying the books was quite an enjoyable experience.
But he would rather pull out his toenails slowly and gouge out his eyes with a quill before having to write down long notes again for the foreseeable future.
The inner workings of magic turned out to be less mumbo jumbo mystic stuff and was surprisingly rooted in the science of physics, chemistry and math. With his basic training in the factories and work experience, studying and understanding the material was a breeze especially since he isn't under the threat of blowing up when he made a mistake doing an equation.
His job in the old world was fixing up oxygen masks, and that involved working with barely functioning equipment with a single mistake leading to miniature explosions that would leave the victim a few limbs short if not losing their whole life.
It's actually kind of funny how he lost his arm when arriving in the New World but kept it long enough during his hazardous job until the end of his shift for decades.
"Wasn't so funny to see the gory mistakes that happen regularly. Poor Jake… you filled in two parts oxygen more than was instructed and lost both your legs…"
As the young adventurer wrote down the final sentences in his final notes, Argus entered the grand library to see Felix as promised a week ago. In his arms was a moderately sized wooden box.
"Good morning, Young Felix! I see you finished writing down the notes as I instructed as well as completing a few basic equations? Has the week treated you well?" asked the old Minotaur while he placed the box he carried with him on the table next to Felix.
The grand mage of Asterion read several of the notes taken by Felix for a few minutes before nodding enthusiastically and faced his young student with a smile. "These are perhaps the best written notes I have read in all my years of learning and teaching. I was surprised that you grasped both basic and advanced equations of spell theory and crafting. It appears Lord Jasper is thorough even when just teaching the basics."
Felix didn't feel the need to correct the old Minotaur regarding his knowledge of equations. It would bring up more questions than he was comfortable to share and he heeded Jasper's advice in limiting the information of his origins to everyone else.
"Normally learning spell equations and quantifying the inner workings of a spell would be the first step in utilizing meta-magics to alter an existing spell or create new ones but seeing as you already have an instinctive knowledge of meta-magic all I can say is well done!"
"DID I WASTE AN ENTIRE WEEK LEARNING TO DO SOMETHING I ALREADY KNEW?!" Screamed Felix internally. Being regularly screwed over in the past and present has made Felix a master at dying inside but showing a perfect façade. The only signs of his mental anguish being the twitching of his eyebrow.
"I'm calm, I am calm. Think on the positive side of this, I now have a clear grasp of magic in an official manner that any other outrageous spell casting can be explained instead of just saying I knew how to do them at the drop of a hat. The books that I read had plenty of interesting material and gave me more insight on this world's lore. Also murdering the grand mage of Asterion would be in poor taste no matter how satisfying it would feel." Finding inner peace to the raging emotions inside him, Felix's twitching stopped.
It still didn't stop him from wanting to toss Argus out the goddamned window, but that's the purpose of patience. So you don't kill anyone who annoys you no matter what.
Blissfully unaware of how displeased his student is, Argus' next words calmed Felix down considerably. "Well with your lessons now complete I can now show you the items that the king and Lord Jasper have seen fit to grant you as thanks for your assistance during the invasion by Baphomet."
Argus opened the box that contained Felix's reward and waved over the young adventurer to take a look at what his new equipment looked like. The only thing going on in Felix's mind is that the items wouldn't make him stand out too much.
"Meh. I never liked being flashy anyway. Drawing attention to yourself is a sure-fire way to get your throat slit and all your shit stolen to repeat the cycle with another soon-to-be-dead idiot who likes to show off."
The items that were in the box was a necklace with a single wooden medallion inscribed with runes, a pair of sturdy boots and a bracelet. The necklace's string was nothing special and made of twine, with the attached medallion having numerous runes that formed some sort of essay on the front and back of it. The boots looked no different from the ones he had on, being made of brown leather with nothing else to identify its special properties if it had any. Finally the last item was the bracelet made of a grey metal, more runes similar to the ones on the medallion etched on all sides.
Felix requested to equip the items in which Argus simply responded by saying "they're yours to do as you wish". The young adventurer proceeded to eagerly put on all of the box's contents.
"I feel really good! Almost as if the equipment was made just for me…"
Curious to see if the items were indeed made just for him, the young adventurer asked the grand mage who he should thank for crafting his new equipment.
"I'm afraid the ones who created these items are long gone, my boy. King Andrius and Lord Jasper obtained these items from the royal vault. Whatever effects or powers that they possess is not known but what I can confirm after examining them is that Tier Magic was not used in their creation…"
"More Wild Magic? No wonder the runes on the medallion and bracelet looked familiar. Hope it won't turn me into a walking flesh robot or something nastier as a side effect."
It didn't matter if they were made with Tier Magic or Wild Magic, Felix would cherish these items for the rest of his life and would treat them with the utmost respect. Having very little possessions in his previous life has taught Felix to always value what you already have and take immense pride when you receive something from your own hard work.
"Glad to see the items are to your liking, lad. Now with your lessons done and you're fully equipped its time to meet the king and Lord Jasper in the throne room. Seems Lord Jasper decided today to be the best time to finally depart for the Inner Realm." Just as Argus was about to cast the spell that teleports them to the throne room, Felix interjected and offered to cast it.
"Its okay I got this one. I feel bad having you do the teleporting all the time and this will be the last time we see each other for some time."
Seeing no reason to deny his student's offer to teleport them and wanting to see how Felix casts the spell differently Argus obliged his request.
[Teleportation]
Both the young adventurer and old Minotaur disappeared in a flash of light, ruffling the papers around the library and sending out a small breeze throughout the library.
The pair reappeared in the middle of the throne room in a bright flash and a gust of wind. Felix turned to his Minotaur teacher to hear his verdict on the teleportation spell that was cast.
"Impressive, young Felix. The spell was not off in it's target location and it took you less than a minute for the spell to be activated after the brief period of casting. However, my only critique would be the need for you to announce the spell's name in order to perform it. A minor thing to correct as being able to perform a 5th tier spell with ease is already an admirable feat." The old Minotaur paused for a few minutes with a thinking expression and told the rest of his assessment.
"I would suggest you continue practicing in non-verbal casting and try to do away with announcing your spells even with lower tier magic. The more experience you gain in magic, the dependent you are in saying the spell incantations while also performing them with full potency." As Argus finished his assessment of Felix's magic, a clapping sound was heard that made both of them turn to its source.
King Andrius was sitting on his rebuilt throne with Jasper few steps under it, the king clapping vigorously at the sudden entrance of his human guest and grand mage. "Good show young Felix! Argus! Always love to see flashy spells being thrown around."
Jasper approached his student and examined him. Both master and apprentice have seen very little of each other while in their stay in Asterion, with Felix continuing his training with Brutus and Argus while the old traveller was in the kitchens and catching up with his old friend.
"You look well, lad. I hope your stay here had been an enlightening one aside from the invasion you helped fend off! Asked Jasper cheerfully.
"I have to admit that I miss Jasper being his happy-go-lucky self for the past months." Thought the young human fondly. For all of Jasper's faults in failing to take deadly and extreme situations seriously, Felix found himself glad to hear it again in person after so long without.
"Good to see you again, old man. So are we ready to get this show on the road?" the budding adventurer looked at Jasper and saw that the old man is dressed in a different attire than when he first met him, with a heavier cloak designed for colder climates and thicker clothing.
"Based on what you're wearing I guess we aren't passing through the normal route through the Baharuth Empire. We're going through the Wyvern Canyons right?" asked Felix with a neutral tone. If he expected an easier journey into the Inner Realm he didn't show it, but his constant experience of nasty surprises has made him ready for plans to go awry.
Jasper nodded in confirmation and told him the information that he learned with Andrius regarding the state of the Inner Realm that has made easier access into the territories of humanity difficult even without considering the old traveller's infamy.
"So they're having a Halloween bonanza in the Inner Realm. Didn't know it was already October in the New World… do they use the calendars from earth here?..."
As a final favour to aid the teacher and student duo to traverse the territories of the wyvern tribes, he gave coordinates to a secure perimeter that was established by Asterion in the lower areas of the canyons to help them get a head start without much hassle of going on foot.
"Brutus is currently garrisoned there and awaiting your arrival. Once you meet up with the captain, he'll pass you the necessary tools and other provisions for the journey. It was nice seeing you again, old friend. And I hope to see you as well next time, young Felix"
With goodbyes exchanged between everyone, the king saluted the pair of humans with Argus bowing his head slightly in acknowledgment. With Jasper already being briefed on the location of the outpost, he performed another teleportation spell to get him and his student to the location in an instant.
The old traveller and his student disappeared quickly in a flash of light customary when teleporting, leaving the king of the Minotaurs alone with his grand mage.
"What is your verdict, Elder Argus? What have you learned when teaching the young 'human'?" asked king Andrius. While he was already privy on the true nature of Felix especially when the boy didn't hide his capabilities all that well, he wanted to learn just how powerful would the fledgling god be compared to the legends of old.
"Young Felix has displayed growth that far surpasses even the most talented acolytes in all my years of teaching and study. I have no doubt that he will reach the zenith of his power soon, especially with the equipment that you have gifted him. But may I be so bold as to ask your reasons to arm the young god with such powerful relics, my king?"
Argus was surprised that his king would grant a stranger such precious relics of the dragons make, even if honour demanded that only the finest gifts were presented to someone who fought and bled for the protection of Asterion. It even makes less sense that Andrius would be assisting in a potential danger to the world once the young god becomes fully empowered.
"Simple, Elder Argus. Jasper trusts the boy, so I trust him as well." Answered the king without hesitation. Trust in his friend making the Minotaur king disregard any future consequences or potential disasters that would occur.
His old friend has consistently showed himself to be a contradiction to the rule of strength that the world they live in abide by. If Jasper is able to influence the next god of this era to be just a little less cruel compared to his predecessors, then it won't hurt for Andrius to go against his own instincts to instead hope and trust his friend.
And what is life without a little risk. If his gamble is right on the money the world would be less shit than what it is, and if Felix ended up being just as cruel as the gods of the old world were than he can't possibly make a shitty world worse than it already is anyway.
"Jasper always did believe in the best in everyone, even if they didn't have much good to begin with. Perhaps he was on to something when wanting to make the world a little less cruel." While Andrius had utmost faith in the young human changing the world for the better, there was a tiny part of him that was worried.
The sudden disaster that sprung up in the Inner Realm was too coincidental with the timeframe of Felix appearing in the New World. Not to mention the appearance of adventurers who far surpass the weaklings of the Inner Realm that took up those adventuring occupations as "heroes" of humanity.
The world is always subject to great change when a foreign god arrives to exert their will unto the world. But just as the six deities of the dogmatic Slane Theocracy and the avaricious kings that number eight show, gods are just as cruel if not more so than the lowly mortals that they rule over.
He just hopes that whatever gods that followed Felix would have mercy in their heart, if they possess one.
Author's note:
I am so sorry for the delay of the new chapter yet again, dear readers. Inspiration is a fickle mistress and I was also tied up with college assignments. Whenever I'm in the mood to write down ideas in my head, the moment I start typing down the words they just disappear and I end up staring at the screen. I really envy and admire the other fanfiction writers that can update many of their own stories with a better schedule and quality chapters. How do they do it??
Well with the story close to the good parts and my assignments completed, hopefully future chapters won't have a month long wait and the fun can finally begin.
Thank you once again for giving my story a chance. Goodbye for now
Finn
Felix
Alignment: Neutral Good
Titles: Apprentice, Adventurer
Total Level: 60
Racial Level: N/A
Job Level: Apprentice (15) (Max)
Fighter (15) (Max)
Survivor (10) (Max)
Hunter (8)
Marksman (5)
Academic Sorcerer (5)
Cook (2)
Equipment:
[Adventurer's Stride]
Boots
· Binds when equipped
· Abilities scales with level
· Bonus to agility and speed
· Grants resistance to movement debuffs
[Mystic Bangle]
Bracelet
· Binds when equipped
· Abilities scales with level
· Bonus to dexterity and strength
· Increases spell effects and damage
· Increases physical damage dealt
[Medallion of Sanctuary]
Necklace
· Binds when equipped
· Abilities scales with level
· Hides user from detection and divination
· Boosts physical and magical resistance
· Nullifies attacks and effects below user's level
